Praise Him Anywhere

Beloved Family and Friends,

We are close to finishing our week here in Honduras and heading back to the United States to be with you once again. We are all enjoying our time here but we are missing you, and we pray for each of you to grow closer to the LORD during these days we are apart, especially through difficulties and struggles that may be taking place while we are gone.

Today was our third eyeglass clinic day. When we arrived at the small Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Church of Honduras, we saw there were about twenty people, maybe a little less, waiting on the benches outside. It kind of had us all thinking this may be a long day with little to do if those are the only people who would be coming...God always surprises His children though. By the end of our clinic day, we had seen 144 people! We praised Him early in the morning when there were only twenty-something, and we praised Him in the early evening when the last of the 144 walked out with glasses and big smiles. Speaking of those last two of the 144, they walked for 30 minutes to the church and were so grateful they weren't turned away. 

The blogger has been sharing stories with you of the people we are serving here in Honduras. They are wonderful people with hard and painful stories. Today, though, each of us encountered something amazing, and that is the wonderful lay leaders God has placed within this little Lutheran church in the middle of the main street of the Laureles community. 

Claudia, along with her brother Alfredo, are the ones who coordinated this trip alongside MOST. They have been beyond hospitable, especially Claudia. As one of our MOST missionaries said at tonight's kairos devotions, "she has the gift of hospitality to the ninth degree". Her gift of hospitality broke through language barriers as she spent time with our youngest MOST missionary, who stated was able to understand everything Claudia said, and felt comfortable enough to make use of the Spanish she learned in school. Their conversations on families, siblings, children, parents and life had them laughing together, connecting through their shared love for Jesus Christ and people. 

Alfredo has been a quite source of strength and leadership at every clinic. He keeps the flow of people going, ensuring there's no arguments over who came first. He's the one Claudia looks to for guidance on when to bring in more people, the one who fills up water bottles for the MOST nurse, for his sister, for others as they continue working. He encourages Axel, Karyme, and Emily in their teaching of ocular health and the Gospel. He himself shares the Gospel story with the men, women, teenagers, and children who come in. He guides older men and women to their chairs, treating them with dignity and respect. He sits and listens to stories of pain and hurt, pointing to the One who is always faithful no matter what has happened or is happening. The people of the neighborhood around their church respect Alfredo for his humble leadership and giving nature.

Then there's Estela, a beautiful woman of thirty who works as a nurse here in Honduras. This beautiful woman cares for others in ways many don't bother to do so. She requested her vacation days from work so she could help us this week. Before she comes to the church for the day's clinic, she makes a couple of stops to do wound care for one neighbor and give medication for a relative whose cancer has metastasized. She has been helping distribute sunglasses these last two days, but today, she joined the MOST nurse to do eye checks for cataracts, pterygiums, and infections. She was a quick learner, and soon, the nursing station was dispatching clients two at a time.

Daniela, Imer, and Maria Jose are our translators. They've worked side by side with the distribution and fitting MOST missionaries. Their attention to the MOST missionaries has been very caring and it has helped create bonds between them. Maria Jose found out on the first day about our youngest MOST missionary's obsession with candy, especially gummies, which she shared with Maria Jose. On the second day, she brought her own favorite candy to share, and today, she brought lollipops for everyone.

 

Daniela, Imer, and our young missionary bonded over games. They played on each other's phones, learning these new games and being willing to allow the other to mess up their scores. 

That's true friendship in this day and age, is it not? Especially when these two teenagers allowed the older missionaries to give it a try...Daniela took her phone back after all the lives in her game were wasted, though.

Rosita, one of the lay leaders of the church, has been helping wherever she's needed, from guiding people to the next station to helping testers with pointing, cleaning up the areas, and even picking up the trash in the opened drainage culverts on the sides of the road that help keep the road from flooding when it rains. Her humbleness is evident in her willingness to do what needs to be done, without complaint or disdain.

Yeimy, wife of Alfredo, has been a great help for the distribution station, helping keep the flow between the pulling station and the distribution station, along with being a pointer. She encourages the clients, especially the shy kids, to express whether the glasses are helping or not. She treats everyone with respect and care, showing the love of God in ways that people can truly feel. 

The young women and Axel, a young man of twenty-three, have been leading the education station, doing the evangelism, helping the testers, assisting the pullers. They are always ready to go where they're needed, to do what's necessary, and without being asked, help set up tables and chairs for the lunch hour, set everything up afterwards. 

At about noon, Karyme leaves to get dressed and head to university, where she is studying industrial administration, At about three, Emily goes home to change and heads off for her nursing classes. Today was Wilden's last day, as tomorrow she starts her practicum shift in the labor and delivery unit. 

Then there's Enoc and Jeremy. These young boys of eleven have given up their summer vacation days for this week to be pointers, which is a great help for the testers. They also help set up chairs, bring in benches at the end of the day, assist older ladies up the uneven steps, and bring smiles to the faces of these MOST missionaries over their willingness to serve willingly and cheerfully. 

What absolute treasures the Holy Spirit has stored within each of these partners in ministry! For this blogger, it was truly a matter of constant praise today, as every person involved, from the MOST missionaries to the lay leaders of the church, worked in tandem, bonded despite language barriers, and connected through the love of Christ. 

To summarize all of what was witnessed today by all the MOST team members...

Let's give Him praise! In every situation and in every circumstance, here in Honduras, there in Colorado, Montana, Texas, Michigan, anywhere and everywhere...

Give Him Praise!

Beloved family and friends, may you see the praises of those around you, and your own, to the One who makes it possible for us to shine His light and give of His love and grace to all you encounter, whether they deserve it or not. After all, none of us deserve either but we receive both in overabundance!

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh, So death is at work in us, but life in you...for it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God....for this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."                             ~2 Corinthians 4:7-12,15,17-18