Evening Church Service - Tuesday, March 29

After supper on Tuesday, we went to a church service up in the mountains.  It was supposed to be a 45 minute drive, but it ended up taking us close to 2 hours to get there because traffic was so bad.  One car even drove half on the median, and everyone was honking.  They use honking to change lanes, tell someone to stop, and to merge.  There are no speed limits, rare stop signs, and we've only seen one traffic light.  While we were in traffic, random guys would stand in the middle of the road and try to sell us food.

When we got through the traffic, it was an extremely rough drive up the mountain.  On the way, we drove past a cemetery, where families without a lot of money would bury the deceased.  It was dead quiet (no pun intended) and pitch black until we got to the church.  Suddenly, we got to a building with light streaming out of the windows and worship music blasting.  It was a beacon of God's love in a hopeless community.  It was surreal walking in with everyone clapping and singing with their whole heart.  Pastor Victor greeted us, and so did a lot of the congregation.  After worship, Pastor Victor, who was also the interpreter, invited us to the front and we all introduced ourselves.  We sang our Spanish songs for them, and they joined in on the second song, "Come Now is the Time To Worship".  This was really cool, and made the song seem so much more powerful.  

Next, Pastor Jeremy spoke, and Pastor Victor interpreted for him.  His sermon was about Jacob's dream, and the promises God has for us.  Pastor Victor did a good job of expressing the emotion that Pastor Jeremy used, and even acted a few things out with him.  Once Pastor Jeremy was done speaking, Pastor Victor quizzed the congregation on what the sermon had been about.  Afterwards, the whole congregation prayed for us in unison.  This was my favourite part.  It was cool to know that even though they were speaking a different language, they were praying to the same God as we do.  We also prayed for them and encouraged them to spread light to the rest of the community.  We got to meet the family who the guys are building the house for.  We also met a lot of the other people in the congregation, who greeted us with open arms.  We were all very blessed by the congregation and their genuine love for God.  Overall, it was an amazing experience.  

Kayla

Feeding Centre #1 - Tuesday, March 29

On Tuesday we went to the first feeding centre.  The pictures from this are in a separate post.

We started out with singing in Spanish, and during the first song they were a little shy, but started to warm up after the second song, jumping and clapping.  The kids would sit in our laps, smiling and laughing, trying to talk to us.  One boy was so scared of us he cried the whole time, which was really sad.  On the other hand, there was one girl who was full of energy and yelled at us in Spanish a lot.  At the end she did a little salsa dance around the room, making all of us laugh.

Next, we made a Noah's ark craft with the kids using popsicle sticks to make animals.  It was messy but the kids really enjoyed it.  However, it was difficult to communicate with the kids, even when there were interpreters.  Asking them their name was hard, as they would say their whole name, which includes their first name, multiple middle names, and their last name.  We had to say "si" (yes) a lot and just nod our heads when they would start rambling to us in Spanish.

After our craft we went outside to blow bubbles and draw with chalk.  The kids loved the bubbles, and we ended up with bubble solution all over our clothes and the ground.  The kids were so polite when using the chalk, only taking one at a time, and putting them back carefully.  We ended off by serving the kids lunch, and then had to say "adios" (good bye).  They all gave us hugs, and one little boy hugged Katrina for a good 30 seconds and wouldn't let go.

It was a really good experience, and everyone enjoyed getting to know the kids for the short amount of time we were there.  I can't wait to experience more of Honduras as the week continues.

~Anika

God Can Even Plan Medical Equipment!

Today was an amazing day for me.  Initially I was bummed out when the plans changed to have us do the house build and the girl's prison on the same day.  I had promised the prison doctor I would come by to meet her and talk about her practice, but I also wanted to go back to the house and participate there.  In the end I went to the prison.

Opening the giant suitcase of supplies was like Christmas for the doctor and nurse specialist.  Our team had purchased the stethoscope, blood pressure cuff and thermometer that they had requested.  Then we went through all the donations that I had received from the Concordia Hospital and staff.  When we laid everything out the unplanned donations matched up nearly perfectly with the empty sections on their shelves.  I can only say that God is so good at planning His work.  The staff from my hospital had no specific knowledge of what was needed in Honduras, but managed to provide me with many things that were specifically required by the prison medical staff here in Honduras.  To use someone else's words, "You know it's a God thing".

Terence


Dr. Izcano with the supplies


Teaching wound repair using glue

Day Two

Has it really only been two days?  It seems like we have seen so much and done so much already.  Today we again split up in to two groups to do different ministries.  Most of the guys went back to the house build, where they did the concreting of the floor of the house, and finished laying the base of the water reservoir.  The sun was fierce today and keeping cool and hydrated was a key agenda item.  I'm told one member of the team 'accidentally' fell into the water barrel twice trying to keep cool.

Meanwhile, the female members of the team, as well as Jeremy and Terence went to the prison for girls.  I believe the youngest prisoner was 13.  Our team was used as a place for the girls to blow off their creative energy.  Hair and nails were done.  Bracelets were made.  Stories were told.  We sang to them, and they to us.  Jeremy even got adopted by a fatherless girl as a pen pal papa.  We brought donations of medical supplies for the doctor and nurse specialist at the prison, which were joyously received.  We also brought hair and beauty products for the girls at the prison which they will be given by the staff to use over the next months.  Please pray for the kids at the prison.  Please pray also for a new law that is before the government of Honduras.  At present kids under fifteen can be sentenced to up to eight years in jail.  The new reforms would cut the jail time in half and make the remainder a probationary period.

Tonight we also did the first of our debriefings.  It was amazing to hear what has been the highlights and low points for other team members so far.  God has showed Himself in many and powerful ways to our team.  Thank you for your prayers so far, and we ask you to continue to pray for us for continued health and strength, and for wisdom to see God working and moving around us.

Day One

It was a very busy day yesterday, but absolutely amazing.  Breakfast was at 0730h after a short night. We participated at one of the feeding / daycare centres, did some work at the house build, and attended a church service in the evening.  I will post some pictures but will have others fill in the happenings of the day.

Here is Terry with the family we are building the house with, Mario, Cynthia and Gracia. Carlos is in the front right.  He is our construction boss. 

Tola and Noah show the adults how to make mortar.

Waiting on new instructions.

Digging the water reservoir area.  Volcanic rock with thick roots in our way.

Running the electrical conduit and wires.

More mortar.

Sealing in the roof.

Mortaring from the inside.

Setting the foundation for the reservoir.

It can be really good when kids raise the roof.

Mortar!

Smiles all around.

This girl is true leadership material.

Making a joyful noise.

The feeding centre group.

Lunch time.

Bubbles don't need an interpreter.

The teacher, called mommy by the students.

More bubbles.

Jeremy preaching, with Victor interpreting.

Airport Limo

We were the last people to leave the airport last night.  By the time we were photo'ed and finger printed and had the correct bags collected, the security authorities were trying to rush us out.  Only two trucks and a luggage trailer remained for the twenty of us and our 40 plus bags.  The trailer was piled eight feet high, and the truck cabs and beds were bursting at the seams as we began our ride home.

Terence

Honduras Team On The Ground!

We have arrived!  A busy day in four airports and three different planes.  It is now ten to midnight here in Tegus and the kids are tucked in to bed.  All our connections worked perfectly and all our bags arrived with us.  Thank you for all your prayers!

Honduras Team In The Air!

I had mixed emotions as I dropped Jeremy, Anika and Stu Lee off at the airport this morning. I am so excited for this team and I know that God will reveal himself to the group in amazing ways over the next 8 days! Memories will be made, hearts will be encouraged and challenged, and faith will be strengthened as the Ness team serves and spends time together. I am so grateful for this opportunity for our church family. I also have this mother-wife-heart-sickness where I know I will miss my husband and daughter, but I have confidence in our Almighty God who is sovereign in all things and watching over my family members and our collective and loved missions team!
I watched this morning as four individuals, three full family units and one partial family unit checked in their luggage and humanitarian aid bags and greeted each other sleepily but with anticipation. Praise God for these courageous individuals who are giving of their time to serve others during Spring Break! They are now in the air and are scheduled to arrive in Honduras this evening! Please pray alongside me today... that their flights will run smoothly and that luggage and supplies will arrive safely. Pray for spiritual growth, encouragement for the leadership at Manos Extendidas, and for health and safety.
I am excited to see what God will do!

At Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport Monday, 7:00am, March 28, 2016.

Four More Sleeps

After months of preparing and planning it is now so close.  It feels like it can't be real.

This week in our lifegroup study we read James 4:13-16.   

Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year.  We will do business there and make a profit."  How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow?  Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.  What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that." Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil.

These verses really hit home in that even in making plans to go out on a mission trip for God and with God's leading it is boasting in our own plans to make pronouncements of what we are going to do while there.  So, for the record, in four sleeps, if it is the will of our God, we will be heading off to Honduras to meet Honduran Christians, work with the Honduran Church, and hopefully minister to the Honduran people.  I suspect that, by the will of God, we will come back changed and with a new understanding of how God works in our world.  I look forward to the adventure.

Bed time.  Four sleeps.  And it's all in God's hands (as if it wasn't all the time).

Terence

Introducing the Team

Our team members:

(back row) Pastor Jeremy Olfert, Terence Bergmann, Terry Giesbrecht, Mark Melsness, Kyle Giesbrecht, Clinton Giesbrecht, Eli Melsness

(middle row) Stu Lee, Linette Giesbrecht, Cheryl Hurley, Shelley Bergmann, Lisa McLean, Donna Melsness, Taralyn Schroeder

(front row) Katrina Bergmann, Anika Olfert, Noah Bergmann, Tola Melsness, Caleb Bergmann, Kayla Giesbrecht

Please pray for the safety of our team as we travel to Honduras on Monday, March 28th.  We will be working alongside Gordon and Anna MacKenzie and their ministry Manos Extendidas in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.  We will be going to two feeding centres to work with 3 - 5 year olds, visiting new moms in the hospital and giving them layettes, visiting both a girls and a boys detention center, building a house, handing out sandwiches to people on the street, and helping out in the Manos Extendidas church service.  Please pray for health and for sensitivity as we come alongside the existing ministry and lend a hand.  Also pray that all our supplies arrive with us safely, and that we will make meaningful relationships with the people in Honduras.