Hosting Short-Term Missionaries

Helping Visitors To Honduras

Minister To Hondurans

Every epic of church history has its unique characteristics. Our chapter of church history in our modern times is greatly influenced by the affordability and ease of world travel. As I travel international airports I routinely see missionary teams going to their mission fields or returning from some international mission. How exciting it is to serve the Lord in such a way, especially as we near the day when every person on planet Earth will hear the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Kim and I have adopted as a major part of our missionary responsibilities hosting short-term missionaries. More than a responsibility it is a privilege. Visitors come to Honduras as families, mission teams (youth and adults), church youth groups, and individuals. They have helped us share the “life-changing message of Jesus Christ” not only through personal evangelism, but also through Vacation Bible School (VBS), Back Yard Bible Club, drama, music, construction, sports, school assemblies, giving food, and by providing optical, medical & dental care.

Hosting families is great. Last month a Mother and her 3 daughters traveled from the USA to Honduras to help the Casa De Luz, YFC’s child-care ministry. They joined Kim and Marilyn and conducted VBS, which is a tremendous ministry approach. VBS ministered to many children in the neighborhood of the Casa De Luz and introduced not only the kids, but their families, as well, to the host neighborhood church, Jehovah Is My Refuge. YFC and the Casa De Luz appreciates Cynthia and her girls, Natalie, Molly and Catherine for a job well done. Be praying for another family that is praying about doing a mission trip here after Christmas.

Hosting mission teams always is action-packed. June 27 – July 13 Rick and Kim devoted 2 weeks to leading a YFC Project Serve group of youth as they worked in the region of Copan. Eighteen team members arrived at the San Pedro Sula airport ready to serve. They conducted VBS for over 100 children, and presented the Gospel to hundreds through drama at parks, town squares, schools and churches. Additionally, they ministered through serving… mixing and pouring concrete at the YFC/Honduras camp at “La Entrada de Copan”. The large meeting room about the size of a basketball gymnasium only had a dirt floor. The team raised

the level of the dirt floor (wheel barrow by wheel barrow) with tons of sand, and completed nearly ½ of the floor in concrete. Around 100 professions of faith were made by the end of the 2 weeks through the various ministries. Regarding the concrete floor at the YFC camp, it has its place in God’s kingdom, as well… but at the present time only God knows how many Honduran youth will shed tears of repentance on this floor, as potentially multiplied thousands of Honduran teen-agers visit the camp and hear the “life-changing message of Jesus Christ”.

The next team of youth that we’ll host will be coming with Roy Campbell (Nicknamed “Soup”) and his Memphis based youth ministry, Eikon. He and a group of his leadership kids from urban Memphis will be sharing what they know about disciplesip with the Tolupan Indians. So, be praying for this Memphis team as we make plans for their mission trip during the New Year’s season. This team will be “roughing it” as they will be spending most of their time in the high mountain villages assessable only by foot and burrows. They’ll be sleeping in small single-room school house floors and in hammocks.

Hosting individuals that come to us through the YFC‘s internship program is most rewarding. To pour so much into a young person’s life here on the mission field is a powerful thing. Last summer, as you may remember, we hosted Sabrina for 2 months. This summer we are privileged to host Megan Greene not only for the summer but until November. Megan just graduated from University of Michigan with a degree in elementary education. So, her passion is teaching. And, do we ever have a place for her to practice her God-given gift. During her 4 months with us in Tegucigalpa she will couple teaching English and the Bible at the high school of 5,000 students where we’ve been working for over 3 years now. Megan will also help teach at the prison, to our foster kids at our own “home school”, as well as at the “Casa De Luz”.

Even as I write you and recall all the opportunities that we have to host visiting missionaries I’m reminded what a powerful union it is to join together, encourage one another, mix and match gifts and skills all for the purpose to glorify God and to help spread the “life-changing message of Jesus Christ to every young person”. I’m reminded as I watch the new of natural disasters like never before and how Israel once again is in the headlines… God is certainly preparing for the final scenes of what we call the “church age”. I’m also reminded of what the apostle Peter wrote (I Peter 4),“⁷The end of all things is near…⁹Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. ¹⁰Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” And, may I remind you that Kim and I are sent here by you; we are sustained by your prayers and supported by your financial gifts. Thank you for helping Kim and me to help 100’s of others… to help 1,000’s of others. All is for His glory and to spread His Good News!