Sabado 4.8

This is the last day and as usual I don't know what words to write. I didn't take pictures of my new friends and I don't know why. Last night, Robert, Josue and I marked the week for 2015. We have started laying groundwork together again. But, Olivia and Cathrine will be on their way to college. I hope Josh will be there- the silent soul with so many God given talents. Riley and Robert, Jr. so much life ahead of them, I hope they choose to make this a big part of it. Ashlynn & Courtney, Stone & Aaron each have big hearts that will lead them to do great things for the Father's kingdom. Carla & Robert, Deana & Sean, Melissa, Milagro & Robert and Leanne are leading their children in the right direction. If there was ever a substitute for Jerry, I am glad Alan was sent in our direction. And no words can express the love I have for Ann and my newest friend Robert.

Roughly 365 days sepetate us, but I can't wait to do God's work with you once again. Until then,

"The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace."- Numbers 6:24-26

Viernes 4.7

It has been four years and I have never been to the market. The group is given money and a specific amount of food to purchase. Our goal is to barter in order to get the best price for our food.

So there wasn't much bargaining to do on our side. Lydia knew the lady already and always gives her a good price. Maybe next year.

We ate lunch at the market. There wasn't much to eat outside of pork, so I am not going I feel top notch for the rest of the night. I hung out with Catherine (Cat)- Sharon's daughter for lunch and we walked around for awhile. I think Cat and Sharon are pretty neat.

I don't know where we are giving this food away, but it is taking forever to get there. There has been a lot of traffic all day. I think I have taken 3 maps while riding to this site.

The trip was long, but well worth it. As it turn out, we gave food  Aguaquital. This is the same community in which we built a church last year. I got a picture of the board everyone signed.

It is also the last place we saw Kristin. I wish I could have gotten a picture of the child that will be taking care of her now.

We had catered tacos for dinner. They were good, but I was pretty full from the food from the day. So I was not in the best mood when Dan told us to simply take what they had given us. I didn't want all that food and I felt wasteful. However, Terri had a great idea. I have the pork taco to Alan. When I are all that I could, there was still enough to give Tibby (the dog) a decent meal.

Josh gave the message at devotion. He did a great job. It was short, but the passing of the ball was long again. I think James Smith had the right idea when he began this activity. It is a good way for missionaries to talk about their experiences, focus on the work before them and talk through their struggles.

The rest evening was a bit uneventful. I was rather withdrawn because I don't want to leave my new friends. I am not sure which relationships will continue and which will fade away. However, I have hope the the healthy ones will remain.

"And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." -Matthew 16:18 

Jueves 4.6

Today, I get to build a house. I get to build a house here!

This is a property given to a woman named Brenda. Her son Adonis Carlos was a kid at Casa, but ran away. His sister is Lupe- the girl with whom I was doing math earlier this week. Brenda and Adonis were baptized a few weeks ago and have turned their lives completely around. She had previously invited family and friend to sing praises when we prayed over he house. It was pretty nice.

All of us were extremely exhausted when we returned to the mission house this evening. Everyone was lethargic. I didn't have much of an appetite and really wanted to lay down, but not in my room. I gave the message for devotion, but I think I rushed through my thoughts too fast. I was happy that everyone was able to participate in the ball activity- sharing where they saw Jesus. Matt shared that he had never seen so many positive activities (especially futbol) at the dump. Robert talked about Jerry and we all prayed for Ann, Matt, Terri and Nicole.

After devotion, Leigh was finally able to rub the knots out of my calf, so I slept well through the night. A group of us sat and talked and laughed together. I forgot how goofy Olivia can be and had a great time talking with Sharon. We had great fellowship.

"Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do." -1 Thessalonians 5:11

Miercoles 4.5

Today is the day of the dump. There are a lot of new people so I am sure this is going to be a rough day. The first year I went, I was impacted. The second year, I felt intrusive. In year three, I felt part and protective. I wonder what this year will be. I asked Lydia if it gets easier (she goes every week). She said it is one of her favorite things to do. I hope that is how I feel today, but I don't ever want to forget how I felt the first time.

It got better. I have so much hope! The dump has changed drastically since my first visit. The people are very orderly. I only made one round to deliver food. I spent the rest of the time playing futbol. After awhile, we sang we prayed.

Eating at Pizza Hut was quite the experience. Like. Burger King, they seated us and presented menus for us to order. In the states, no one eats at Pizza Hut. Haley joined us, so we had a family sized meal complete with a pecan pie dessert.

Next, was the school for the blind. As soon as I walked through the door, I was greeted with a big hug from Darey. There were many hugs from the other kids that were very warm and welcoming. One boy wanted to work on futbol skills, so kicked the ball around with him. That is, until I rolled my ankle and fell.

It was quite an embarrassing moment. However, it wasn't as bad as when I was sitting in the side and a thirteen year old girl decided to strike up a conversation. At one point in our conversation, I decided to ask her about siblings.

"Tienes hijos?" She jumped at laughed at the question. Only then did I realize that I said 'hijos' and not 'hermanos'. The group got a kick out of the creepy American asking her if she had children.

A group from Mississippi joined us for dinner and devotion. It was pretty weird because the groups were divided the entire night and the message had nohing to do with Honduras. We learned that Jerry Taylor's health took a turn for the worse. It was harder to focus on singing at that point. I just wanted to give hugs to Ann and Olivia.

After devotion, Karol, Kaleen, Olivia, Lydia, Leigh, Gordon, Josh, Josue and I walked to the festival in downtown Ojojona. It was a bit difficult to have fun at first because we were most concerned about protecting the women. Finally; some sat down for a small meal. Karol and Kaleen took me walking to see some of the buildings. My tour was abbreviated when Lydia told us they were being swindled into paying for food they had not asked for. Josue was able to haggle a bit, but the guy was so drunk that he angrily gave up. We walked back to the mission house and talked until about 11:30.

"For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit."- 1 Corinthians 12:13

Martes 4.4

This morning was a slow but fun. We had Honduran beans that I love so much. Willis was at breakfast. He didn't call me Denson Brother. I wonder what his name for me will be his year.

Collectively, we are building one house, doing a medical clinic and working a new feeding center. Skillman will have a presence at all of the sites today. I am with the feeding center group, but I think I will be able to meet with the medical group during the second half of the day.

The feed center was calm and easy. The system they have is very organized. It is also obvious that Hope for Honduras has a strong presence in the community. Most of the people (adults and kids) asked about Matt.

When we started serving Nicole shared some of her favorite scriptures and a prayer with he group. After everyone was served, we spent a little time playing with kids and taking pictures.

We arrived at the clinic a little after noon. The line was very long, but the people were very patient. There was only one major case that went to the hospital. I spent time with a new friend (Cat) guarding the exit door.

The evening was pretty simple. I wrote something for devotion tomorrow and went to bed. Most if the group went to the festival in Ojojona. Tomorrow is going to be a big day.

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight." -Mark 1:3

Lunes 4.3

Today was the first day that the five of us worked on our own. We went to Casa to mix sift sand, mix concrete and build a CMU wall. I have always been fascinated with the Honduran process of mixing concrete. I have also always wanted to try my hand at masonry. I can tell you both are VERY difficult.

At about 3:30, I took a break because the kids were home from school.  I watched as Doris was helping Lupe with her math homework. It was long, but it was also nice to see her work through it. She did very well, she just needs to take her time.

The Kansas group had already arrived by the time we made it home. I was sad to learn that Jerry Taylor was ill and could not come. However, Ann and Olivia were able to make it.

Devotion this evening was huge. There were 35 plus people and it is only going to get larger. The message was a bit odd, but the singing was wonderful. I met a lot a great new people. We also hung out with Dan and Lee. The discussion was not as deep as last night, but it was fun. I am very interested in what tomorrow will bring.

"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." -Matthew 18:20

Domingo 4.2

God saw my desire and fulfilled it. Today, we have service at Cruz Chitarra and then a second service at Richard's church in Ojojona.

Both services were great. Dorian delivered the message at Richard's church. Though I didn't understand everything, I was able to follow along in the bible.

We are lunch at La Branza. I am enjoying a nice Chicken Fajita. However, Dan is getting the worst service ever. First, they gave his order to someone else. Then they took a long time to replace his food. When they finally replaced it, his chicken was not fully cooked. It was a bad situation.

After lunch, we had down time to catch up with Lydia before going to Casa to put varnish on the new playground. It is great seeing Lydia as an intern. She has the best work ethic and she is very mature. I hope God continues to bring good things into her life.

Karol and Kaleen surprised us for dinner tonight. It was great to have there company and learn what is going on in their lives. I want good things for the because I believe they are good people. Both of them have been working toward bright futures, love each other and keep God at the front of their lives. They have tests this week, but still made it to devotion. They ever roasted marshmallows with me. They are such wonderful people. I hope they continue on the path that they are on.

"Greet all the brethren with an holy kiss." -1 Thessalonians 5:26

Sabado 4.1

The day started at 3:30am. My alarm went if and I found myself asking myself why. Chuck A. arrived promptly at 4:15 to take Josue and me to the airport. I really miss having Kristin with us and I know she wishes she could come along. She is probably crying as she reads this, so I want to tell her that we are taking her with us (in our hearts) throughout Honduras.

We met Myra at the airport. She is a really awesome person to travel with. We talked the entire flight from Houston to Tegucigalpa. We were both VERY tired, but we still wanted to talk and talk. It was a very pleasant journey. We also found we have a LOT in common.

Currently, we are sitting in Burger King with Mateo F., talking about the future of Casa de Esperanza and Honduras Hope.  After our discussion, I know that we can only put the program in God's hands. Afterward, we visited Casa to play with the children. We met with the group from Tennessee (7) and looked in as they finished up their last project. We also spent time catching up on each other lives. The ending ended in a ravishing game of futbol (Gringos v Hondurans). The Gringos won, but only because we were had about 12 players versus the Hondurans 5.

Devon (Tennessee) led devotion this evening.  Through his delivery, I was reminded of my first trip here. He spoke of his visit to the dump, to Nuevo Orental, to the market- all life changing experiences.

The Tennessee group leaves tomorrow morning, but we are just getting started. It's odd for them to be leaving, us to start and Lydia to remain behind. We also saw the boldness in one intern- Danny. He is here from England. Earlier today, he quit his job, called his dad and announced that he was going toward a full time youth ministry position in Mississippi.

This is Kristin. We are taking her with us wherever we go.

"for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God" -Ruth 1:16

Obra de Dios

Lots of things have happened related our friends in Honduras that have brought clouds to our pending trip.  I head to Tegucigalpa next week, but I am also in an ominous state of doubt.  Two major events have occurred in Honduras affecting out trip.  Both events caused me to highly introspective.  I will try to share what I can here.  I am open to sharing details in person.

Karla
It started with a random dream that I call “Pitufo”.  This is Spanish for ‘smurf’ and it is the name the Karla Sandoval had for me while I was in Honduras last year.  Karla was one of the young ladies employed by the Tindalls.  Before she was a teenager Karla’s life was headed in a bad direction.  This young soul was full of joy, but her circumstances were bringing her down.  Once in the midst of the Tindalls and visiting missionary groups, Karla became surrounded with positive people with their eyes turned toward heaven.  As a result, Karla’s behavior and perspective took a positive turn.  Though things were not always perfect, she was surrounded by people that truly loved her.  I speak of her in the past-tense because Karla passed away February 2014 due to health complications.  She was not yet a teenager, but she lived a life of experiences that some of us may never see.

Marc
The second event happened at the end of March.  Marc Tindall has stepped away from mission work and his family in Honduras.  Though I am not sure where he is going, I hope that God keeps an eye on him.  The part that struck me was my reaction when the news was shared.  “What will happen to the people that depended on him?”  Then I remembered that it was not Marc on whom they depended.  Marc was simply a vessel through whom God was working.  The work in Honduras will continue because it is God’s Work.

As reflected in my previous post, I have had the opportunity to do many service projects in the last fifteen month because of Corgan’s 75/75 program.  When the events ended in March, I felt like I wasn’t doing enough again.  Then a funny thing happened yesterday.   I was pleasantly surprised by a statement made in an email from P. Scott Coldwell.  I hope he doesn’t mind that I have shared the relevant parts below:
Scott: Thanks so much I getting ready to leave LAX for Dallas and trying to get God’s work done, but running out of time fast.
Brandon: God’s work.  Really?  Or is that a nickname?
Scott: Aren’t we all doing God’s work.  You were given a talent and it’s up to you to use it as your creator intended.  Or am I missing something?

Isn’t it great?  When we think God isn’t listening, he speaks to us from amazing places.  Thanks Scott, for giving me perspective.

“Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.  Amen.”- Matthew 28:20