Honduras Mission Trip

There are many things that can or should be said after one spends some time in the Third World. A friend along with me for my trip to Honduras noted that often what is said is something like: "Gosh, I am so blessed to be from the United States." This may or may not be true, but often the praise is then heaped onto our Government as opposed to God, to whom all praise is due.

My friends and I have decided to take another route in responding to our trip...to keep working for Honduras. Rather than return to the U.S. and spend our energy reflecting, we have decided to make these people that we have met a part of our lives for the long term. Here is how we are doing it:

On the final two nights of our mission trip we stayed in the Honduras Nazarene Seminary. I was stoked. In many ways, I was looking forward to seeing the Seminary there as much as I was anything on this trip. When we got there, I was blown away. The facility was beautiful. It was brought to my attention that Hurricane Mitch (c. 1998) had hit the school hard and that the Church of the Nazarene raised funds to improve the building there. Some of us commented that the chapel was nicer than the sanctuary that we preached in on Sundays.

However, the awe was soon to end. As our tour continued we made it into a large classroom. The room was nice, but its contents were shocking. The library fit into the classroom (can you believe that?)! There were four bookcases (Check out the Facebook Causes Page I created to see a photo of their library). That was it. That served the entire Seminary community. That was the literary stockpile for the entire Nazarene Pastoral Community of Honduras (which by the way is big enough to be strategizing a split into two Districts).

I flashed back to Seminary. Blinded by the impressive Library that I studied in and the academic arrogance that my robust GPA afforded me, I would say things like: "well, sure, they are starting churches in the Third World, but are they really teaching these pastors holiness theology?" or "Are they just naming people pastors or are they training the called?"

What American arrogance! They do not have the resources to even buy the literature that I once complained that these pastors were not reading!

So, we have decided to extend our Mission Trip. Sure, we are in America again, and may never return to Honduras, but we made real connections with real people there. Real, Christian, Nazarene brothers and sisters. So, some of us have vowed to continue working for these friends in Honduras.

We are raising some funds to help them expand their library there. We (those of us working on this project) know that many of our friends do not have a lot of money, however, we wonder if you can pass on that next book and share the cost with our Christian friends in Honduras? We believe that this small act will make a big impact on the Kingdom of God in this world. What a wonderful sacrifice for the Global Church all of us are capable of making!

PT

P.S. - If you are capable of helping (via check, credit card, debit card, cash) please call (816)333-7000x2320. The lady on the other end can help you. Please tell her that you are calling for the Honduras Library. All donations are tax deductible! If you care not about taxes, contact me at pastortimbrooks@norwoodnaz.org