Honduras Mission Trip 2005   Honduras Mission Team E-Mail Notes: Wednesday, July 20, 2005 Hola!  Greetings from Honduras !  We arrived in Tegucigalpa safely and then headed by school bus to Guiamaca.  The two hour trip was an adventure to say the least!  The countryside was beautiful but the poverty was evident, as we witnessed the living conditions of the common people along the way.  The Hospital Bautista is a beautiful, needful place for these locals.  We were warmly welcomed and quickly settled in after a very long day (we awakened at 3:00am and arrived at our final destination around 3:00pm)!  Tomorrow we will spend the morning playing soccer with some children in a community of Guiamaca called Cerro Grande.  HIM recently built a water system there while sharing with the families about the Living Water - Jesus Christ.  In the afternoon, the guys will begin their part of the construction and the ladies will minister in whatever way needed with the children who have traveled with their families to the hospital.  The Lord truly blessed us with a safe travel and quick check through at customs.  Everything truly went like clockwork!   We are looking forward to ministering among the people tomorrow and ask for your prayers as we begin to build new relationships with them.  Pray that the Lord's love will radiate from each of us as we relate to the locals tomorrow.  Thank Him for His precious provision of safe travel. Your prayers are truly coveted and we look forward to how God will work among us tomorrow!  May God bless each of you for your faithfulness to His service! Adios!                  Thursday, July 21, 2005 Hola!  Our first full day in Guiamaca was a busy one!  After our 6:30 breakfast, we had morning devotions.  Then we headed out by school bus to the nearby community of Cerro Grande.  The houses there were very much make-shift made from sticks or poles with wooden or tin walls, one was even made from cardboard and plastic.  There was no electricity and no running water. The water system that HIM installed was very much appreciated.  Prior to this new system, their only water source was from a small pond.  The children slowly warmed up to us and began to play Duck, Duck, Goose (Pato, Pato, Ganso), soccer, and softball with us.  We were able to invite them to attend the escuela biblio that we would have for them right there in their own community tomorrow.  They seemed excited!  While there, we also experienced one of the daily rainstorms.  Some of us spent a few minutes under a large tree with some of the locals!  We returned to the hospital in time for lunch.  After lunch, the men began digging the foundation for the Hospital Bautista's chapel.  They also cleaned up the future homesite of Maria, one of the locals who cooks for us whose lot was pretty much a dump site.  The ladies worked in the hospital, Cathy doing some nursing and the other ladies sorting out the medicines and supplies that we brought with us to the hospital to prepare it for storage.  The children played with the local children who came with parents to the hospital.  They colored and made yarn crosses.  By the time several hours had gone by, the mama's were making crosses, too!  We are all looking forward to dinner and a good night's sleep!  Please pray thanking God for the wonderful time of fellowship that we had with the locals in their community and at the hospital.  Pray thanking Him for all the we were able to accomplish workwise, too!  Please pray for our day tomorrow as the men continue to work on the chapel's foundation and as the women hold VBS at the hospital in the morning and at the Cerro Grande community in the afternoon.  Pray for safety and productivity for the men as well as for relationships to build between them and the locals.  Pray for a good turn out of children and moms for both the morning and afternoon VBS and for many to respond to the gospel as it is presented. Pray that the love of Christ may be evident in all of our lives as we work and play among the locals.    We greatly appreciate your prayers and will keep you posted on how God is at work! In His love, The Honduras Mission Team                  Friday, July 22, 2005 Hola from Honduras !  This morning the ladies and girls taught a Bible lesson to the parents and children who were in the waiting room of the hospital.  We also passed out New Testaments to the people there who did not have one.  Afterwards we invited the children out onto the front entrance of the hospital and did crafts with them there.  Then we played some games with the children on the front lawn of the hospital.  One member of the mission team shared the gospel with the help of Miguel, the interpreter, and led a young man to the Lord.  Praise the Lord!  After lunch, the ladies, girls, and a few men went out to Cerro Grande to teach the Bible lesson.  We began our time together by singing then went into the lesson.  The local girls did crafts while the local boys played games.  Many of the local women joined in and did the crafts, too!  They really enjoyed themselves.  The crafts were done standing around a folding table that was set up under a shade tree!  When the crafts were completed, the ladies made woven crosses again with the local women!  They really loved making those!  Some of the men who came along began working on the finishing touches of the water system that was installed, digging the foundation to go under the water tank.  The rest of the men worked all day on the foundation of the chapel, laying out the foundation  footings.  Cathy had the opportunity to work all day again with the doctor and nurse at the hospital.  Tonight she is assisting with the birth of a new baby to one of the local women!  Today was a long but blessed day!  Much was accomplished! Please praise the Lord with us for Santo, the new believer!  Also pray that he will be faithful to read his New Testament, as he has no church near his home.  Pray for those who heard today that the Lord loves them and has a plan for them!  Pray that the ones who received Bibles will read them and receive the Lord or grow in Him.  Please pray for a Elsie, a nine year old girl who needs $1500 in order to have an operation that would allow her to walk for the first time.  She and her mother and grandmother are believers and are trusting the Lord to provide the money they need for the operation.  Please pray for Miguel and Andrea, two of the interpreters helping us, who have not been feeling well.  Please pray for Pastor Roberto as he ministers to the local people here!  Thank you all for your partnership with us in prayer!  We truly appreciate your prayer support and could not do this without it!  Adios!  Love in Christ!  The Honduras Mission Team                    Saturday, July 23, 2005 Hola!  Today was shopping day in Valle de Angeles (Valley of the Angels).  We boarded the trusty school bus at 8:30, along with a second mission team that arrived last night, and arrived around 10:30.  We had until 3:30 to shop, eat and enjoy the sights!  Our team didn't take long to get into the Honduras shopping mode!  We all had a blast going from one shop to the next along the narrow stone streets.  The people in Valle de Angeles were very friendly and many knew English!  That was a joy!  Some of the group ate at a little restaurant tucked right in amongst the small shops!  The food was delicious and the service very friendly!  At 3:30 we all met back at the bus and headed for Tegucigalpa , the capital, to eat dinner at El Patio.  The restaurant had a large dining area with open, barred walls which allowed the afternoon breeze to blow in.  Strolling guitarists came and sang for our tables.  A feast was layed out for us, one dish at a time!  We got a wonderful sampling of true Honduran food!  We had a tremendous time of food and fellowship.  Again, the service was very friendly!  All of the leftover food (and there was a ton!) was boxed up and taken with us on the bus.  We stopped at the homes of two very poor families and shared the food with them.  You should have seen the smiles on their faces!  You would have thought we had given them a million dollars.  And, in a sense, we had given them much more than they could have ever afforded!  What a joy to share food in the name of the Lord!  We arrived back at the mission camp at around 8:00 and began our devotions at 8:30.  We had a wonderful time of worship in English and Spanish with a local man playing guitar for us on a few songs.  Then we had an awesome time of sharing what God was speaking to our hearts.  It was incredible how He had spoken similar messages to so many in the group and really sparked a wonderful time of Bible reading, discussion, and prayer!  To top it off, the encouragement card that we read at the closing contained one of the verses that we had focused on that night!  Totally awesome!  We were all so very touched at how God used the card of a praying supporter at home to confirm what He was speaking to our hearts!  God bless each and every one of you and KEEP ON PRAYING!  The days ahead, particularly Monday and Tuesday, are very important times of potentially reaching many for Christ.  Pray that the hearts of these precious people will be open to the gospel as we share!   Thank you so very much for all of your prayers and support.  Without you, this would not be happening!  You are awesome servants of God and we love you all!  Adios!  In Christ's name, The Honduras Mission Team                  Sunday, July 24, 2005 Hola!  This morning after breakfast but before devotions, a small group of men from our mission team headed out with Miguel, our translator, to refill the water tank in the Cerro Grande community.  They led a man to the Lord while they were there!  Praise God!  After morning devotions, we headed out at 10:00am behind the Hospital Bautista grounds to hike up a mountain to a waterfall.  We took the trusty school bus to the base of the mountain and then began our hike.  The scenery was absolutely beautiful!  We saw a marble slab on top of one small mountain where they used to mine marble.  There were some beautiful flowers in bloom and lots of mango plants and other tropical plants all around!  It was awesome to witness such a wonderful part of God's creation on His holy day!  As we hiked, we saw numerous small adobe brick houses tucked here and there along the side of the mountain.  We had the opportunity to chat, as best we could with our very limited Spanish vocabulary, with several of the locals that we met as we passed their homes and passed them on the roads.  We were able to share a few treats with the locals in the name of Jesus - a sandwich, a bottle of cold water, some chewing gum.  We also encountered a couple of stray cows (with horns) that lumbered past as we hiked along.  We had a picnic lunch on the trail as we hiked and finally arrived back at the camp by 3:00pm very tired, very hot, but very blessed.  As we drove back from the mountain, the rain began to fall!  It really cooled the air and refreshed our weary bodies!  At 4:00, we attended the worship service that was held in the waiting room of the hospital.  Several locals attended.  The trusty school bus also brought in a load of people from the Cerro Grande community. The room was filled to overflowing.  It was wonderful to see them come and to worship with them in the bilingual service!  Miguel was very busy translating for us!  He did a wonderful job!  One local woman gave her heart to the Lord!  Praise Him!  After dinner, we had another awesome night of worship, Bible reading, discussion, and prayer during our nightly devotions.  The Lord is really speaking to our hearts collectively and individually, bringing many truths and many challenges to our attention.  This is a blessing beyond compare for each of us!  It is so awesome to experience God at work in our lives in such a real way!  We truly feel blessed to have been allowed by the Lord to come here on this mission trip!  We also feel extremely blessed to have faithful supporters back home praying for us daily!  As you can tell from these updates, the Lord is really moving in answer to your prayers!   Please, please, please continue to pray!  We realize that apart from Christ we can do nothing and that the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much!  Thank you, thank you, thank you for your prayers! Please pray that the two new believers will continue to grow in the Lord, read the Word, and attend worship services.  Please pray for the women to share from their hearts as they share their personal testimonies with the Cerro Grande women tomorrow and Tuesday.  Please pray for the Lord to bind the enemy and to open the eyes of the lost in the community as the gospel is shared. Please pray for the safety of the men as they work, for efficiency with their time, and for opportinities to share the gospel with the locals they encounter as they work. Again, we covet your prayers!  They mean the world to us!  Thank you so very much for praying! Adios!  In His most Holy Name, The Honduras Mission Team                  Monday, July 25, 2005 Hola!  After breakfast today, teams were chosen to go into the mountains of San Marcos to hold medical clinics.  Cathy, Daniel, and Freddy went along with the visiting medical missions team.  Freddy was a driver for the team.  He was warned that he could go to prison if he ran over a Honduran!  Daniel went along to witness to the patients and their families.  Cathy did her nursing thing!  Once they arrived, Daniel and Freddy were right in their element, playing with the children, making paper airplanes, doing finger tricks, and anything else they could to entertain the masses of children!  Daniel also entertained the children by showing them themselves on his video camera.  One little boy in particular got a huge kick out of that!  One lady from the visiting team cut hair and painted fingernails for 5 solid hours!  The medical team saw about 150 patients and had to turn many others away at the end of their day.  It was very rewarding to be there to minister to the locals in this much needed way.  During the time there, Daniel with the help of an interpreter led 3 people to the Lord!  Praise God!  The men continued to work on the foundation of the church and will begin putting in rebar tomorrow.  The ladies and kids went to the hospital again and presented another Bible lesson.  Two more people received Christ!  Praise the Lord!  After lunch, the ladies and kids went back to Cerro Grande to do the second Bible lesson.  They also sang songs and did a craft with the children.  Before they left for the day, bookbags with school supplies were given out to the children.  Some of them may get to attend the local public school.  After dinner, we had our nightly devotions and time of worship.  Our hearts have already bonded to the people here and it is hard to think that we will have to leave them tomorrow!  The time just seems too short, but we are very thankful for the relationships that we have made with them and the time that we have shared with them.  We look forward, with mixed emotions, to spending our last day with them tomorrow.  Please praise the Lord with us for the new believers!  Again, please be praying for the new Christians to find a church home, to read their Bibles, and to spend time with the Lord.  Please pray for the medical team as they go out to an even more remote location tomorrow.  A larger team will be going including more doctors, more dentists, and others from our group - Kayla, Mallory, Emily, and Daniel.  Please pray for the men as they continue to work on the church foundation and for the relationships they are building while working along side of the locals.  Please pray for the ladies and kids as they minister one last time at the hospital and at Cerro Grande.  Please pray that we will all be sensitive to and obedient to the Holy Spirit speaking as we serve on our last day. Your prayers for us are truly treasured!  Thank you again for your faithfulness in praying! Souls are being saved!  Lives are being changed!  Praise the Lord!  Adios!  In His most Precious Name, The Honduras Mission Team                  Tuesday, July 26, 2005 Our last day in Honduras began as usual.  After breakfast, four of our mission team joined the visiting medical team to go up higher into the mountains to minister to the people there. Daniel and Cathy Priddy, Mallory Vining, Kayla Hoffmaster, and Emilie Edmunds all went along to assist the medical team.  It would be an all day long affair.  The men that remained began to work on the chapel again.  The ladies and kids that remained went to the hospital to do a craft with the mothers and children who were waiting to see the doctor.  After lunch, the ladies and kids went to spend their last afternoon at Cerro Grande.  They completed the Bible lesson, did a craft with the mothers and children, played games with the children, and shared the gospel with the mothers.  Just before leaving, they shared clothes, school supplies, and toys and puzzles with the children, all in the name of Jesus.  The goodbye's were long and tearful.  Upon arriving back at the mission camp around 5:00, we learned that the medical team had been in an accident coming down off of the mountain.  That is all the information we got other than that there were serious injuries.  The whole camp was in a spirit of prayer as we began to get the small hospital ready to handle the incoming patients.  It seemed to take forever for the first patients to arrive.  Mallory, Kayla, and Emilie arrived with the first group of patients.  It was such a relief to know that they were okay.  We asked some others that came in with them and found out that Daniel and Cathy were fine but that they had stayed behind to help out with the others who were injured.  The injuries that Mallory, Kayla, and Emilie received needed further medical attention beyond what the Hospital Bautista was equipped to handle.  They were transported to the hospital in Tegucigalpa .  Not long afterwards, the last of the patients arrived and Daniel and Cathy were with them.  It was about 9:30 before everyone had arrived and been checked out or sent on to the hospital in Tegus.  Verne Newman, Freddie Edmunds, and Paul Kendall went along to Tegus with the patients from our team.  It appeared that Mallory had injured her chin, Kayla had injured her collar bone, and Emilie had injured her arm.  They would be further assessed upon arrival at the hospital in Tegucigalpa . It was a long and challenging night for the entire camp, but we were all praying and all trusting God in His soveriegnty.  Our most urgent requests are for the healing of those who were injured in the accident.  Please pray also for their families.  Please pray for those on the medical team who were not injured but who began to work immediately with those who were.  Please pray for safe travel for those of us who will be returning to the states tomorrow.  We truly covet your prayers more than you could ever know!    In the most precious name of our Lord and Savior, The Honduras Mission  Team                                                                                                   July 27, 2005 Dear Church Family and Friends, Some of you have heard of the accident involving the Crosspoint mission team in Honduras . No one from our group is in critical condition, but there are several that you can be praying for. Mallory Vining has the most extensive injuries. She had internal bleeding and so they did surgery in a hospital in Tegucigalpa , the capital of Honduras , and removed her spleen. They also put a plate in her jaw, which was broken. She also lost some teeth. She is in stable condition and after about 24 hours they hope to medivac her to Richland Memorial. Dan Nichols will stay in Honduras with her. Emilie Edmunds broke her wrist, and they were doing surgery this morning. Kayla Hoffmaster hurt her elbow and it is casted although it was not broken. Michael Kendall, the son of Walt and Robin Kendall of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Sumter , has some problems with his vertebrae, a broken arm, and broken ribs, and they plan to medivac him to Charleston . Another mission team from another state had some more significant injuries, and one lost his life. Several of them have been or will be taken on air ambulances to the states. A few are in ICU in the Honduras hospital. The pickup truck they were in (many people in the back) lost its brakes and had to run into a ditch to keep from going into a ravine in the mountains. It was a medical team so doctors and supplies were available, which was a great blessing. It was a blessing that Mallory was put into the first ambulance because it could have become serious if she was not treated. We may not see how, but we are confident in Romans 8:28 that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose. A few other verses to consider are Isaiah 26:3; 40:31; 41:10; Psalm 46:1; and 1 Peter 5:7. The mission team, minus Mallory and Dan, should be traveling home today, arriving in Charlotte about 10:45, and arriving in Sumter about 2:00 a.m. Thursday. Pray for the injured, for safety of travel, for peace of mind (especially as the bus is traveling through the mountains to the airport at about 10:30 a.m. our time), and that through it all God will be glorified. Ron Richardson Pastor, Crosspoint Baptist Church 803-905-1999                  Wednesday, July 27, 2005 Wednesday morning, our mission team prayed with the Mississippi team, said tearful goodbyes, and boarded a bus at 8:45 to head to the airport in Tegucigalpa .  We arrived, met up with Kayla Hoffmaster and Emilie Edmunds who joined us from the hospital in Tegus, checked our bags, said our goodbyes to the Kendalls and Miguel, our translator who had come to see us off, and boarded the plane for our first flight.  We arrived in Houston with a long enough layover to rest a while, grab a bite to eat, and make a phone call.  Once we boarded the plane, there was a bit of a delay due to severe weather east of Houston .  We arrived in Charlotte to be greeted by the most wonderful group of loving people from our home church!  Their coming to welcome us home and to help us with our bags and with driving the last leg of the journey was the biggest blessing to each of us!  We were exhausted and emotionally drained!  The cold water and fresh fruit was a wonderful treat as well!  We are very grateful to Grace Baptist for sending their bus and driver to help bring us home!   We thank each of you for your devotion to us in prayer while away on our trip!  The Lord truly blessed us throughout the week and totally sustained us during our most trying time.  God is good.  He is sovereign and we trust Him completely even in the midst of this great tragedy.  His name will be glorified even through this most dreadful event, in His way, in His time.  Again, we thank you all for all the many ways that you prayed for us and supported us while on our missionary journey.  We love you each and every one more than you will ever know!  Please continue to pray for Mallory Vining as she undergoes treatment at Richland Memorial in Columbia .  Please pray for Kayla Hoffmaster and Emilie Edmunds as they receive further treatment to help the healing of their arms.  Please pray for Michael Kendall as he receives treatment in Charleston .  Please pray for the members of the Mississippi medical team as they receive treatment for their injuries and as they mourn the loss of their brother in Christ.  Please pray for the family of the dentist who lost his life serving our Lord Jesus.  Please pray for the continuing mission work among the people of Honduras and other parts of the world as missionaries come and go sharing the light of the gospel message with them.  And please pray along with us: "Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest." May God bless you and keep you in His tender care! Our most sincere and heartfelt thanks, The Honduras Mission Team                                                                                                                                                                                                                            July 28, 2005 Dear Church Family and Friends, Thank you so much for your prayers for the Honduras Team, and especially for those injured. Most of the news is the same as yesterday's letter. If you do not have it press reply and request a copy. Here are a few updates. Most of the team members returned to Charlotte by way of Houston last night. They were met by a bus provided by Grace Baptist and a group of people from Crosspoint, which was a tremendous surprise for the team. They arrived in Sumter about 2:30 this morning, and my guess is that most are glad to be home. Things like water fountains are really nice. Kayla Hoffmaster had further tests run today. She experienced soft tissue damage to her elbow and a dislocated shoulder. She is sore but doing well. Emilie Edmunds had x-rays today and the doctor concluded that the surgery on her wrist in Honduras was probably going to be sufficient. Michael Kendall was transported by Air Ambulance to MUSC in Charleston last night. Doctors found no sign of a problem with vertebrae. Either those in Honduras made a mistake or God worked a miracle. Michael did end up with a couple of broken ribs, and doctors have successfully completed surgery on his broken wrist and Michael is home in Sumter . Mallory Vining's injuries are the most serious of the group from Sumter . She had her spleen removed and a plate put into her left jaw at the hospital in Honduras . Mallory was transported to Richland Memorial via Air Ambulance, arriving last night not long after midnight. A cat scan showed that her right jaw was broken and she will probably have surgery on that tomorrow. Since Mallory's mouth is wired shut the doctors are planning a tracheotomy for safety reasons, in case something goes wrong with the tube in her nose. We are looking at a long term recovery for Mallory. She has not been allowed to regain consciousness so far because of the possible pain and because she might try to pull out tubes. Hopefully she will regain consciousness sometime soon after surgery. Please continue to pray for Mallory as well as for her parents Mark and Sandy Vining and the rest of the family. The Honduras Team will be sharing during the 9:15 and 10:30 morning services this Sunday, July 31. You will not want to miss hearing how God has worked. Sunday night missionary Al Larsen, Director Emeritus of Crossworld, formerly Unevangelized Fields Mission, will be speaking at the evening service. An excellent speaker, in the 1960's Al was captured while serving as a missionary in Congo . He escaped and returned to help others escape. It should be a great day as we focus on missions, remembering what Paul said in Romans 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to all who believe.” --- Pastor Ron                  HONDURAS MISSION TRIP UPDATE:   Where in the world do I begin? The dynamics of this trip, the answers to prayer, the support of our family, friends, and the church… there is no way in the world to encapsulate that in a couple paragraphs. What you do need to know is how much you are appreciated. As you heard pieces of on Sunday morning, when there is nothing else to depend on but prayer, it is sufficient. And your prayers were appreciated more than you know. We watched God do amazing things there, and are still seeing the results of His hand at work (I’ll share a few of those with you below). Some of you also helped put together packets for the team for each day we were there. What a blessing! We looked forward to opening the envelope at the end of our devotions each night. And the bus trip to Charlotte to meet the team – I can’t express what that meant to all of us. I was actually on the ground in Tampa , refueling for Mallory and my trip to Columbia , when I got the news of what was getting ready to happen. I got all emotional even thinking about it, and the team was equally excited! It was a wonderful outpouring of support that was much needed and appreciated. The quote I heard over the phone was, “We have the best church in the world!” and I would have to agree.   Here are just a few of the ways we have seen God’s hand of blessing in, through, around, and under girding this trip: ·        Through the generosity of family and friends, the ENTIRE cost of each person’s trip was completely covered. We even were able to raise an additional $5000 to help build the church in Guaimaca, and after all of that we still had some money left to cover additional expenses. ·        Our flights were safe, uneventful, and smooth. ·        The airport and customs experience in Tegucigalpa was reported to be a nightmare. It was smoother than most U.S. airports. ·        We were kept safe on ALL of the bus rides in Honduras (that in itself is a blessing!). ·        Individual team members were able to use their skills and abilities. God had each person there for a reason. ·        At least 7 Hondurans accepted Christ ·        The crash happened to a medical missions team. They had emergency supplies with them at the time of the accident. ·        The truck crashed at the only location able to hold the truck on the mountain, and that spot was clay, not rock. ·        Many of the injured had broken backs or necks, were moved several times, and had several hours worth of bumpy rides to the hospital. There were NO cases of paralysis. ·        The Red Cross came out of nowhere, helping to transport people back and forth. So did medical personnel in Guaimaca. ·        The night of the accident, there should have been only 2 or 3 doctors on staff at the Tegucigalpa ER. Instead, 7 of them were having supper together, and they all ended up on duty that night, able to handle the influx of patients. ·        Several of the people were critical. A couple medical personnel at the crash scene said that realistically, several others shouldn’t have made it out alive… but they did! ·        The surgeries in Honduras were sufficient. The doctors were well trained. ·        Kayla’s dislocated shoulder was somehow popped back in between the accident and the hospital visit. Not to mention, her arm suffered only tissue damage even though it was reportedly under the truck. ·        Mallory DID NOT have to undergo a tracheotomy or have her jaw wired shut, both of which were supposed to have happened. ·        Michael Kendall left Tegucigalpa with two severely displaced neck vertebrae, requiring serious surgery. He arrived in Charleston with nothing wrong with his neck! ·        The medivac planes were supposed to take several days to get there and get everyone out. All of the injured left on Wednesday, right at 24 hours after the accident! And the answers to prayer just keep on coming! Thanks for your prayers!  One other thing to think about: Here in America , we talk about spiritual warfare. But that night in Honduras , it was as intense, overt, and prolonged as I have experienced it. In talking with a couple Sunday afternoon who regularly goes on mission trips to Central America and Africa , they said that this is fairly common there. You don’t have to convince people that it exists. They live it. In fact, the missionary who shared at Crosspoint this past Sunday night mentioned the same thing about Congo , where he served.   Concerning the Honduras trip, think about this: All of our team was truly enjoying our mission experience, even commenting that it was too short. People were getting saved. Relationships with the locals were intensifying, and people were hearing about Jesus. The power went out at the mission hospital for the first time all week (The generator worked well, praise God!) Soon after, it started raining there. Pouring actually. And it had been doing so in the mountains at the crash site several times.   Of the people injured, think about this: Ron Feathers, the man killed, was a dentist. EVERY patient he saw back in the United States received the plan of salvation. His message was that TODAY was the day of salvation, because you might not get another day of life. He was passionate about seeing people come to know Jesus as Savior. Katherine Skinner, from Mississippi , was getting a degree in International Business. She spoke Spanish well, and was considering working with missions groups, organizing trips like the one we were on. Her mouth and face were the most seriously injured. Mallory is the one person in our group that expressed a calling into full-time missionary service. She is also passionate and bold in sharing Christ with others. Her mouth as well was damaged.   Call it whatever you want, try to explain it however you want, but spiritual warfare is real. Satan is real. His desire to steal, kill, and destroy is real (John 10:10). That’s why we are told to stay alert (1 Peter 5:8). We need to stay in touch with the Lord, staying in tuned to the Holy Spirit’s leading by praying, infiltrating our minds with Scripture, and by fellowshipping with other Christians. But - God is bigger. He has conquered Satan and death (1 Cor 15:26). He has guaranteed us victory over him and given us authority over him (Luke 10:19). Once in a relationship with Jesus, nothing can separate us from the love of Christ (Romans 8:38). He answers us when we call to Him (Jer 33:3). He is our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). Please continue to pray for the team, family and friends as we all recover (mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually), and for all of those impacted by the mission trip. I truly feel that we are only beginning to see the impact that God has in store!           Serving Jesus, Dan       Here are a few links to other websites that have news about the other teams that were in Honduras . http://www.newalbanygazette.com/articles/2005/07/28/front/front1.txt http://www.newalbanygazette.com/articles/2005/07/28/front/front2.txt http://baptistpress.com/bpnews.asp?ID=21303          More Honduras Mission Team information... Twenty five people have chosen to give up time and finances to become part of a team that will go out from Crosspoint Baptist Church to help do mission work in Guiamaca , Honduras , through a missions organization called Helps International Ministries (HIM).  HIM’s goals overseas are to 1) Share the Gospel of Jesus Christ through helping to meet the basic needs of the people, 2) Identify their spiritual need through building trust relationships in order to share our faith in Jesus Christ, and 3) Facilitate spiritual growth through grace-based discipleship and promote the development of a community of believers.  In short, we at Crosspoint will be partnering with HIM (www.helpsintl.com) to not only assist in the building of  facilities, but to be a part of the larger vision of building relationships with the people, helping to build Christ’s church there in Guiamaca.    We will leave July 20th for an eight day trip to assist with projects in and around the World Baptist Mission Hospital in Guiamaca (www.wbmonline.org), returning July 27th.  The current ongoing missions projects in and around that area are focused largely on the construction of a new surgery wing at the hospital, doctor and nurse housing, and a campus chapel.  But one of the most exciting possibilities is the potential to minister to hospital patients and the community of Guiamaca and the surrounding areas.  This hospital is the only hospital on this mountain, servicing around 300,000 people.  If a family member is in need of medical assistance, it is not uncommon for the whole family to get up in the middle of the night and walk to the hospital, often carrying a loved one, just to be in line when the clinic opens its doors in the morning.  As the sick people are being attended to, the other family members usually hang around the hospital compound, giving us a prime opportunity to minister to them.  Our goal is to share with them the simple love of Jesus in very active ways.  Jesus loved them and gave His life for them and has given us the responsibility to share His love with them.    “For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you invited Me in”– Matthew 25:35 The heart of the WBM ministry is Hospital Bautista.  The hospital is located 88 KM, from Tegucigalpa Honduras , which is the capital city.  It is located in the poor high mountain community of Guaimaca in the department of Francisco Morrison.  Hospital Bautista has a staff of three doctors, nurses, lab techs, x-ray techs, clerical workers, pharmacists, and other paid and volunteer workers. This WBM ministry is one of a kind, in that Hospital Bautista is filled with reminders of God's love. Every part of the facility is designed to win souls, and provide spiritual, as well as physical, healing of patients and visitors. It is estimated that more than 300,000 people are being served by this facility, including Guaimaca, neighboring cities, four orphanages, and the entire departments of Francisco Morrison and Olancho. Doctors, nurses, technicians, and other volunteers from the States serve in this facility alongside their Honduran counterparts.  Many doctors and other medical professionals are provided through the Samaritan's Purse World Medical Missions ministry of Franklin Graham in Boone , N.C. Hospital Bautista was opened for service on September 7, 2003.  During the first year more than 30,000 people received top quality medical service administered with Christian love.  Hundreds accepted Christ as a direct result of receiving the message of God's love from their doctor or other hospital staff members while there to receiving medical care.  Each patient and visitor is told of Jesus' love, of His willingness to forgive sins, and given an opportunity to accept Him as his/her personal Savior. Hospital Bautista is now in full operation, and ministering to the physical and spiritual needs of more than 140 patients each day. The hospital's Director, Dr. Daniel Lagos, is a well qualified and experienced doctor, five year seminary graduate, pastor, evangelist, Christian radio program host, teacher, husband, and father of five beautiful children.  WBM and Hospital Bautista are blessed to have such a well qualified and enthusiastic Christian as its Hospital Director.  Dr. Lagos and his family live adjacent to the hospital, and he is available 24/7 to minister to physical as well as spiritual needs.  Dr. Lagos' wife, Marleny, is Director of the hospital pharmacy. Hospital Bautista is open for service five days each week.  Additional phases of hospital construction continue, and additional services are added as funds are received.  Current medical services include general care, minor surgery, pharmacy, x-ray, laboratory, with 24/7 ambulance service, birthing, and emergency service.