YFC Advances Across Central America
6 Countries Represented at Leaders’ Retreat

An annual event offered to the YFC staff & volunteers of Honduras has been a leaders’ retreat every Easter week. When Rick & Kim Beck took YFC into Honduras’ capital city this retreat was an encouraging time for the volunteers from the 2 Honduras chapters (San Pedro Sula & Tegucigalpa), as they prayed, worshiped and received training together. Last year was even better as YFC/Guatemala attended the event for the 1st time. But, during the 2009 gathering (April 5-8) God did a “new thing”… 6 countries were represented! This was a “grass roots” effort that has to be attributed to the movement God. It is not surprising that leaders from the 2 established YFC countries (Guatemala & Honduras) attended, nor that the leaders from the 2 new chapters, Costa Rica & Nicaragua, attended. But, young leaders who want to start YFC in Belize and El Salvador attended, as well. A new synergy could be felt at the retreat!

Rick along with 8 volunteer leaders from the Tegucigalpa/YFC chapter traveled nearly 5 hours to Honduras’ YFC camp at “La Entrada”, Copan. There, they met with 66 other leaders from 3 other Honduras cities and 5 other Central American countries. This year’s retreat was especially strategic for the Tegucigalpa team and their leadership development, since Rick & Kim will be leaving Honduras soon for ~9 months of furlough in the USA. It would be tragedy for the missionaries to leave and the mission work to come to a halt. Praise the Lord! This will not be the case; the Tegucigalpa volunteer team is not just interested in continuing their 4 established ministries. But, now the team has vision for new ministries and new growth.

It’s encouraging to know that during a time of global economic crisis, God on His throne is calm. It’s good to know that as we hear about bankruptcies and there is panic, God’s economy is “booming” and there is peace. As we experience cut-backs & lay-offs, God’s work force continues to grow and advance. It is times like this… when the world’s way of operating so diametrically opposes God’s way of operating that our faith and our testimonies shine the brightest!