And April?

How about summing up April in one post, especially since I did not post in almost all of April? 

We will try to stick to an update via pictures. I don’t have any pictures for all the cool/interesting/motivational/touching stories from the clinic (Valerie seems averse to taking pictures...well, sometimes technology in general, but that is another topic for another time) so just rest assured...that ministry continues unabated, strong and providing a physical and spiritual reminder that Jesus loves you.

Let us get the depressing out of the way first.

I won’t lie, this year has been rough for the mission, for us, for me, for the Churches. Please pray for our physical, emotional, and spiritual health...as individuals, a mission, and multiple bodies of believers. April brought the need for us to meet with the leadership of the Church in Sampedrana, and the end of Gender being the pastor there. I won’t go into the details in this public medium, just say that in following the Bible’s teaching, there was a need for a pastoral change. This was not easy, not something we were wanting or planning to do, and came up quite suddenly. The meeting was ultimately encouraging for God leading the Church into the future, but as you can see from this picture, brought more than one of us to tears. 




Otherwise in Sampedrana, Alfonso continues to work on the Hill Climber coffee property. Here you can see a small nursery he started at his house for coffee plants. Small in size...but I believe he said there were roughly 10,000 plants there. They need to be transplanted to bigger individual bags for further care and maturing before being planted, that process will begin soon, up on the actual property. 

The goal is not 10,000 plants...but more like 35,000 or more.  That should be enough for 2012 at any rate.  The property could potentially hold much more than that...(more than 60,000)









Also we used a group’s trip to Sampedrana to distribute food and encourage the Church after the announcement of Gender stepping down to also take three drainage tiles for the road to the property. There are some creeks and drainage that run through the road, and without tiles...the road will be impassable fairly soon when the big rains begin. Ask the group though...the road to get there is already fairly interesting, and they did not even go all the way up! Four wheel drive, even in dry weather, is a must every time.

Here is one of the tiles in the back of Oscar's Ford (pray for it as well...running, but not well, and has been in the shop while they try to figure out what needs to be done.  115,000 miles on a truck in Honduras, going where we go, means it gets quite a workout on a regular basis. 

Along the trek that day, Alfonso gave us a big bag of raspberries harvested nearby from wild bushes, and a gentleman with those awesome “royal lemons” let us take a few they were not going to need. Raspberry lemonade anyone? We are looking at planting these wild raspberry bushes into a fence for the coffee property, providing a crop, as well as thorns to keep cattle and anything else from just moseying into the property, that will happen later this year as time permits Alfonso to do so.   Who knows, we may end up making raspberry and other jams/jellies in a few years.

Speaking of Alfonso, we finally got the new motorcycle delivered to him...no more walking two hours or more with tools on his shoulders to get to work on the property!

Of course it was raining that day...nothing like starting off on the right wet foot! The motorcycle is a cheaper Chinese bike (KMF)...we just could not afford a Honda or Yamaha with the donations received, but this brand new bike should work well for the next few years...and by that time he will hopefully need a truck to haul all the coffee, workers, etc.!

Talanga’s Channel 15 building is now complete...after much love and labor from Oscar, some paid help, and volunteers. They made the move last week, and now we have a secure building, a greater tie between the station and the Church, and no rent payments every month! The property still has work to be done in the future of course, but this is a big step. Second floor work is not planned until the station starts covering some of its expenses again...for the time being Jose Luis will live in the studio building itself.  (Note the wood framing in front...that is the future home for what you will see in the picture below.)

Pastor Jose Luis in Talanga has gotten involved with the clothing ministry to try to do more outreach, as well as generate some income for himself as well. There is no quintessential clothing ministry store type...some are indoors, some smaller, some bigger, some have hangers, some tables, some on a tarp. They all might look different, but all have the same goal. (Jonathan started another store in Villa de San Francisco with the goal beyond the obvious outreach factor to generate enough funds to give a pastor we know an offering to feed his family and enable him to work as a pastor there...we will see how that continues to develop. His Eyes is not in a position to take on financially another Church plant, but God is moving things forward there without our direct/monthly financial support!)

The TSP progresses, albeit slower now. Donations are continuing to come in...but slowly, and that has us thinking carefully about what we can do and when. The floor was a big step, and is now done. We plan on using a group in May to put up the walls for the bathrooms and porch, and then take a look at the donations coming in to see if we can start on the false ceiling and/or electrical wiring. After that...bathroom fixture/plumbing, lighting/fans, dry wall, offices/sound booth, and the last step will likely be putting in the tile floor and window fixtures....that is...still quite a bit to be done! We won’t make our goal of June...we are now praying we might be done before November, if the donations are there that is more than doable.

The rock wall...continues. The goal with the greater welding and securing of the containers, and the future beefed up columns along with this rock wall is to not have to deal with any issues in the future of the ground pushing our retaining wall beyond its boundaries. Big project, but hopefully will be finished with the big labor next month, and we will let nature/gravity/rains to move some of the earth back into the hole over the next several months, and then pretty up that area very close to the clinic probably in early 2013 after everything has settled properly.

 Cantaranas...the Church continues to put in the work to see the building go up! They are still making the blocks, and doing everything required. Jonathan’s only request to the mission is helping with the roof for this big building. Pray funds would be designated for that roof...I am not sure how much we will be able to help when they are ready (and that will be soon with the rate they are going!) since the cost will easily exceed $5,000 for the materials (even with them doing all the labor to get it installed....steel/metal is getting more expensive all the time!)

April was a busy month. God is moving in always incredible ways. The enemy is pushing back as well. Busyness, stress, problems...they all take a toll on all of us, I know they do for me, but join us in prayer that He who is greater than all our problems would renew us, restore us, regenerate us for His work, His glory, His honor...that He might be praised!

Coffee road

The group left yesterday back for the US. There is some more work to do on the false ceiling raise...but the lion’s share of the work they completed before leaving, we just need to finish the mud work, put the tiles back in, paint...all the hard work of moving everything is pretty much done. We can have some groups help with that in March. They completed a great deal of landscaping as well...surely there will be more to do for the next year or so, but slowly but surely we are making a greater oasis there to honor God. 

Before they left, we took several of them (while the rest stayed behind to continue to work on the ceiling and sewing) to Sampedrana for a site visit for another couple guys that came to see about bringing a group here in July. The idea was to just get to know the area, maybe see the new coffee property via the new road, distribute some corn, and head back to TGU.

The first part...went according to plan.

So did the last two parts. 

The part of visiting the new coffee property...more “interesting.” It is always interesting when half the people in your truck walk back while the rest figure out what to do.

We got most of the way there on this new road, which for the most part is wide enough for the big Ford, when we came upon some “slight rubble.” We had no tools (other than the hammer seen below) to try to break them apart. The irony was...these were not rocks, but dirt. Dirt that had never been unearthed for thousands of years seemingly until the bulldozer moved it...so they were boulders, but most of the smaller ones crumbled when you picked them up...all except the big ones of course that even broke brother Alfonso’s pickaxe. We called for Alfonso as he was working and he came down to help us out...and got a fractured pickaxe for his trouble. Not before chopping down a six inch tree section about 8 feet long to use as a lever to move the bigger “rubble.”

With the rubble cleared...we were out of time to continue up to see the property itself, although we were 95% of the way there...you can see here (if you blow up the picture) the clearing that Alfonso has been doing...the line that starts our property on that edge and goes up and around the bend, where our entrance would be with the road.

Next phase is to put up a fence for the 20,000 seedlings that will be ready soon...without the fence the plants will make for good food for the cattle that roam. Fixing the road...will come later, perhaps with some group help this summer.

So, instead I had to turn around. The pictures here do not do the magnitude of this job any justice. And you won’t see any pictures here of that attempt, as my mind was quite occupied with what I was doing and in prayer. Not only a tight bend, but a big rut in the road for the water to pass, and plenty of water/mud for the back tires. By God’s grace and hand we turned around and headed back...up, and down, up and down, up and down. I am relatively confident that we went from about 4,200 feet above sea level at the Church to well over 5,200 feet at the property (probably 5,600, with the top end of the property over 6,000) We are working on getting Alfonso a motorcycle to get back and forth...right now he walks the two hours up and down every day with whatever tools he will need. As he told me... “It is hard work just walking up, but I do come down a little faster knowing my work is done and I get to see my family.” Imagine how much more he will be able to do with just some basic transportation!

We got to spend some time with a few families on the way down, sharing corn, some conversation, and prayer. One of the mothers in particular reminded me how important what we are doing is when she was surprised by the corn and toys for her children and then my petition to pray for them. I asked if it was ok...and then Gender said “it is ok right? Sure!” Then came her response... “well, if you want to pray, then pray.” Not the heartiest of endorsements...but I took advantage while I had the chance. Prayer makes a difference the scriptures tell us...but many of us do not know the Scripture, let alone Who wrote it.

Some of the girls with their toys...the excitement and surprise of it all was evident, and they seemed so overjoyed.

You can see, for those that have been to Sampedrana in the past, some further improvements on the property here....the white picket fence, the windows in the building (with screens) for greater light and protection from bugs, changed the bars on the windows (they are learning how to do that) and the shift of the old Church building to a garage and bodega (storage room) plus the painting to match the Church building.

 

 

You can see the mission house from the road now! They cut down the older coffee trees to allow more room for growth for the ones planted several years ago...which won’t produce as much for the short term, but will take off...they should produce some this year, but the older plants had given their all and some were catching a disease, so they had to come down. (Coffee plants do not produce more and more as they age...after a certain age they need to be replaced anyway.) The wood from the plants is being used as fire wood for cooking. Also...Gender and Lourdes have a refrigerator! No electricity...that is true, but this one runs on kerosene! It adds the benefit of being able to keep meats and such...but they pay for the kerosene and purchase by selling chocobananos, icy pops and the like to the community, like a mini pulperia. Their daughter Alison is walking now as well!

Gender reports the Church building being well used...Sunday services now see 57 regular attenders and over 30 children! For a community this size...the growth of the Church there is amazing! They even used the Land Cruiser mission vehicle there to take 16 people to the CIY conference in January! Praise God for that, and that the vehicle that seats 13 had enough space for 16 people...plus all their suitcases for a weeks' trip!

Something is brewing in Sampedrana

Each time we go to Sampedrana, I always get at least one surprise. 

This time there were a few in store.

Today we went to see the road going in to our new/future coffee property way up the mountain with the bulldozer that was most generously provided by a donor. That was cool, and a little overwhelming to try to have the vision to see what the road will look like when actually done.

As we made our way up to where the road was beginning, we noticed that the second bridge is now being built in Sampedrana! For those that have been there, this would be to cross the river just past where the soccer field is located. As we drove through the river which was “slightly elevated” I can tell you...the bridge, while small and seemingly undersized, will be most welcome, for vehicles, but also for pedestrians including all the children trying to get to school crossing a 1’ wide log otherwise to traverse the rather scary looking river after anything such as a slight rain. 

 

Standing in the middle of a beautiful, foggy mountains looming in the near distance, cool breeze hitting me, along with the gentle roar of a diesel engine...view, it hit me just how wonderfully odd, weird, and just overwhelming the whole thing was.




The owner whose property our road is crossing was guiding where the bulldozer should go, all we had to do was stand and watch. 

Those around tried to point out to me where the road would go, how nice it would be, how wide, and how (with the route they selected) we would avoid any major hills or problem areas, but all I could see was a road being made...and no road in front of that. I really lack that vision that road builders need apparently.

We met with Alfonso again, who is going to be Gender’s co-pastor and also overseeing the work on the new ~30 acre coffee property we have to use. He will start on Tuesday. We are hoping to find some investors to help us get at least half of the property planted with coffee as soon as possible, as it will take three years to start producing. Having that property producing coffee will mean opening quite a few doors for the mission...helping the Church help itself in terms of supporting its pastor, providing for future building needs, and helping the mission in some of our construction and Church planting goals as well. We have some ideas...but at this point those are just ideas how we would use those funds as soon as that property will start contributing.

Getting back to Sampedrana and talking with Gender we were noticing the chain link fence that is only up on the fence next to where he parks the Land Cruiser. I asked why...people throw stones, and continue to break the windows. I asked how he was doing, how the Church was doing...he said the Catholic Church just down the street came again to complain about the Church services they hold on Sundays...they are too loud, and if necessary they plan to go to complain to the civil government because that is just too much noise at 9:00AM on a Sunday. We asked what happened, and I believe he said he gently reminded them of Acts 5:29 and is waiting to see what else might come of this. I suggested that if they can not make a joyful noise inside the building, perhaps go on parade every Sunday morning. Hmmmm

I thought our Church service was long in Teguc...he reports that although he only preaches for 25 minutes, the services are regularly 2.5 hours long, because everyone wants to be there, to keep singing, to keep the service going, spending time together (sound like any other place you have heard about?) They have a service on Friday nights that is just for teaching, and that goes for two hours...and no one sits in their chairs yawning, that in fact most of the two hours is because everyone has so many questions and wants to talk about what they are learning. Gender has been focusing on the family unit and fortifying and strengthening that as a basis to those Friday evening times.

Despite what all of us would say are challenges (I won’t list all those here) God’s Kingdom will not be stopped. The Church continues to add to its numbers, from the teaching those in the Church receive they go out and put it into practice.

The new Church building just finished last month? They don’t have enough chairs. They bought more chairs, and moved the front row closer to the stage...and still, not enough chairs, it is standing room only in the back. Already some are talking about how in a year they will need a bigger building, or what will they do? Good problems to have, good problems indeed. Just sitting together today, Gender was talking about how having the new coffee property will be great because eventually all the coffee on the property will have to go...needs for Sunday school rooms, counseling rooms (he briefly touched on the huge need there) a small area for a clinic...what a vision.

And speaking of visions, as we left back for Teguc, between the rain and the sun....this picture does not do justice to what God was painting, the sin bathing our current coffee property, the river, the greater Sampedrana area all in sun while we were in the shadows. Quite often if we are looking for it, God has something for us to see. Sometimes in how we should react with our hands...but this time I got the idea and just smiled, said thanks Dad, snapped the picture, and kept driving.

What a trip!

Two days...harder to sum up in a blog than any two days in recent memory.  

Wednesday the 10th we left for Sampedrana with the group from Christ’s Church, plus pastor Celeo, Jonathan, and two brothers from San Juancito. We arrived and set about to get the new Church building painted for the inauguration service later in the evening.

The sheer fact that a Church building is completed is in itself a testimony to what God has done in that community...our involvement was essentially that day painting and what we contributed through Hill Climber coffee. Essentially they took this year’s payment for the coffee and along with much more other fundraising and work in the community, put together the funds and labor to make it happen.

That is exactly what our goal is in planting Churches...help them become independent financially but still work together and advance the Kingdom spiritually. We did not expect a new building to go up so quickly in Sampedrana...and I am extremely happy to have my expectations shattered.

With a group of 11 plus the others making the trip, the painting was surprisingly done in a few hours, including a great color in the front and some rather good trim work.

The five joining in the celebration

It was a good thing as well, since there were baptisms scheduled for the afternoon...five total as it turned out, plus quite a few family members.

The baptism site was just a short walk from the Church property from the back side up a marked path to the river and its rather... “cool” water.

The service was to start at 6:00pm that evening, but I saw people arriving from before 5:00. Once things got started...after a few songs the children moved to the old sanctuary building for a children’s party that the group organized. They probably did not think at that point they were going to give a party that would last over two hours, or include the craziness of trying to celebrate with a piñata in such a small space with over 70 children and quite a few spectators, but they pushed through and did a great job.

This is before the carnage of the piñata incident.

I am happy to report that the piñata gave its all for the children. 

Having Roxana there to translate certainly helped in crowd control. 

They had games, songs, a lesson, actual puppets, and plenty of time :-)

And this was just some of the crowd "observing" the children's service/party.  The door was shut only after all the children that were there for the service were crammed in...we knew that more children would come afterwards that we would not be able to handle...but I did not expect so many adults watching as well. 

In many ways...there were two Church services going on at the same time!

Here is a rare picture...the ability to get all three of the His Eyes pastors on stage together, this particular time singing a special song on the occasion of a Church member’s birthday (seen at the bottom of the picture receiving one of many hugs from others in the service as he waited up near the stage.)

Oscar brought the message for the service, although from this picture you cannot see that since by that time I had given up standing and finally sat on the floor. Sitting on the floor was very cool....it was nice to see that the Church is going to need to fill that building with more chairs than they previsouly had space for in the old building.

Fortunately there is plenty of space yet to fill with new chairs!

Attendance in the new building was over 100...plus those that still dare not darken the doorstep and instead observe from outside (see below.)  All told between those inside, the children, and those outside...over 200 people, which is just amazing.

The service was over...well, started to be over after a few hours or so, with the celebration turning to tamales and some starting their walk back home (some walked five hours...and had to leave at night because they had to be at work early the next morning.) and Gender reporting that he did not get to bed until 12:30.

(This picture does not show those "observing" from across the street)

The next morning...we visited the site for the new Hill Climber coffee property, purchased by some friends from the US. Over 30 acres, climbing from about 5,600’ to probably over 6,000’ as it reaches the peak of the mountain. Right now it looks like just light overgrowth, so seeing the potential there is hard, but looking like next door to brother Escoto’s coffee plantation helps envision what it could become. This is relatively virgin property.  The family that owned it has not farmed it for many, many years...and I am fairly confident we are the first non-Hondurans to ever step foot there. 

Our next step is to get a road carved out to get easier access, which should be a relatively easy process, except that is for the guys that will have to do it, and see about how we might be able to get the funding (potentially some short term loans from friends of the mission) to start getting the three year process of waiting for coffee to produce to where we can start harvesting. Clearing the property will be easy enough...having the funds to pay someone full time to watch over and care for the property, etc. will be another matter, but it is so beautiful, so peaceful...so high! The potential is high as well...remembering what the Church property looked like five years ago and what is there today...I pray God would guide that property to help further his Kingdom in a different but equally valuable way in another five years.

Sampedrana visit

Despite the fact that the tailgate fell off half way up the hill...the road still is pretty nice to Sampedrana. 

The bolt breaking was rust and wear related (no surprise there) not the smooth flowing road.   

Otherwise the drive up was pleasant, and without much in the way of bumps.  I could get used to that....but I won't. 

We had lunch, another delicious PB&J day, and got to work...this time tackling a problem with the mission house:  The rain and humidity given the location is causing the bottom floor of the house to have a musty odor, related to water filtering up next to the building.  Our first resort is having the group help and dig a trench out next to the wall.  They did everything we were anticipating before the day was up...only we were thinking it would take two full days!  We are hoping this will work, but if the problem persists, we have some other options to make it more livable and less habitable.

As you can see...progress is being made on the Church building.  Praise God!  It is so encouraging to see it going up so quickly.  Hill Climber coffee and the work of so many brothers and sisters there in Sampedrana have made all this work possible.  We are anticipating the inaugaration in early August with a very special group that will be here.  Starting to see how big the building will be is encouraging.  I am hoping we see them dealing with the problem that the building is not big enough in a few years! 

We had a chance to take a look at some coffee property while we were there.  Hill Climber coffee's profits are tied up in last year's purchase of the property in San Juancito, but this could be a possibility for a purchase with some help from some friends in the US buying it as investment that could be used for the mission.  If this purchase comes to fruition...we could have 35 or more acres to clean, prepare and try to find the help for planting the coffee (just buying the plants costs over $1,000 per acre.)  The waiting period between planting and first harvest in three years takes patience, finances, and lots of prayer..... 

...and we have all prayed so much for the Hill Climber coffee property originally purchased several years ago.   Here you can see Gender and Oscar looking at the coffee there.  In the foreground is some of the newly cleared and planted coffee...good quality stuff, being cared for, and anticipating a future harvest there as well.  That property is only 1.5 acres, but it is making a difference.  We should make from the smaller harvests including next year's enough to pay for the property already!  Seeing the work, the patience there...and what could be with the resources for the larger potential property...the benefit long term to the mission is exciting!