Sampedrana weekend

Well, I am back from an intersting weekend getting the ministry in Sampedrana to the next level.

As you can imagine, everything went to God's plan, just not ours a few times along the way.

Picking up Gender and Lourdes meant that we had to go Thursday to make the five hour trip to Puerto Cortez, and then Baja Mar, which is kind of like a suberb of Cortez. It was my first time there, and I definitely had forgotten a bit of what the ocean culture is like here in Honduras. (By the way, lots are said to go for $15,000 per lot if you are interested in living the very semi-tourist area ocean front property)

After spending the night at Madonna Spratt's place (and making yet another Hoosier connection...go figure eh?), we headed back for Sampedrana Friday with the pickup loaded, semi-Clampett style with all their posessions, and some supplies for the ministry, most of which we picked up in Comayagua before heading up the hill (by the way, thanks to Mt. Gilead Church for the very handsome Buzz VBS shirt Oscar is fond of wearing).

We were to show the Matthew video that night, but when it began to rain, we decided to push it back to Saturday night. Saturday we kept busy by trying to finish some more of the bathroom floor, and get the plumbing closer to done, while still rearranging the house for living purposes while combining the tools/materials that have to be stored inside. Did I forget to mention all the visitors that had taken up residence in the house? Most were standard items....for the forrest outside. The most interesting was the "mouse/rat" I inadvertantly found while using the makeshift bathroom. After Gender and Oscar found the mommy rat, they decided it was terribly cute, and if they had a cage, I think it would have become someone's pet. I declined to help keep that idea afloat, but the locals tell us that they are in fact nice to have around, and they do indeed keep out the "real" mice. I did have to admit, for a mouse like creature, it was pretty cute, even with the two babies clinging to it. I agreed with Oscar's assessment that it was some kind of "mouse/squirrel" hybrid.

Saturday night we were able to go with the Matthew video, and it was very well received, with over 100 people there for over two hours (we finally had to cut it short at 8:00 as people in this rural area are used to going bed by then). Many people were excited and were welcoming of the idea of Gender the pastor coming to visit, etc.

A movie is not exactly an everyday occurance there, and it was amazing how many people were really intrigued with what they were seeing, hearing, experiencing.

Sunday morning was a great unknown. We were planning on their possibly being just the four of us, and if so, just using that as a starting point, going from there. There is a Christian man who used to live in Comayagua that now lives above the area where the Church is, and after hearing about and coming to the movie, he was very excited about Gender and the services....so as of Saturday night, we knew we would at least be five.

Long story short, we ended up with six males in Church, and Lourdes and about 10 kids in Sunday school behind the house. I know there is some resistance still to the idea of a Christian Church there (one man who came...Juan for those that have been there and worked with him) said his wife was "not down with" him bringing their kids, as they were to go to the catholic Church (which operates...but with no cleric).

We had visitors, we had many conversations, made many contacts....sewed many seeds. Pray for Gender and Lourdes as they continue to plant, water, nourish those and future seeds, and for God to make them grow.