More from Trujillo…

During this trip to Trujillo we were finally able to meet Beth, Ken’s wife, and they are the precious couple who have opened their home to missionaries.  When we arrived on Friday evening, we were welcomed by twenty or so friends from the Trujillo area.  Beth had invited old friends and new, to have dinner and fellowship with us.  We were so humbled by this and are so thankful and grateful that the Lord has given us the opportunity to meet such wonderful people.  People who serve tirelessly to help others and love like they’ve never been hurt. The missionaries and the Honduran people are blessed because Ken and Beth have chosen to live and serve in Trujillo!

We were tagging along on Saturday with the Bilodeau family to see how and what they do.  They work with Little Hands, Big Hearts which is a ministry that helps children with disabilities and their families.  We visited a family that they assist and were able to see some of the work they have offered.  Rabine is a four-year-old, little boy with Cerebral Palsy.  He is not able to hold his head up or even walk.  He has three other siblings which makes it difficult for his single mom, Santana.  However, with the help of people like the Bilodeaus, their life can be a little easier.  Since the start of this relationship, Santana has received Christ and has been baptized.  Little Hands, Big Hearts has been able to provide them with liquid meals for nourishment, a customized stroller, a play chair/tray for Rabine and a new bathroom with a toilet and a shower.  Brian, Sara, Jonathon, Rachel, Faith and Andrew are bathed in love and compassion for the people they serve.  They have a precious family who just stole our hearts the moment that we met them.  We praise the Lord for such special servants in His field!

We were invited on Sunday afternoon to have lunch at the home of Scott and Diane Karper.  I mentioned this couple in a previous post about Trujillo and how we weren’t able to meet with them at our last visit.  This time we got the chance.  If you remember correctly, Scott is a vet working with the animals in the area and Diane has helped about 80 people start a craft business.  Well, the picture to your left tells a success story.  Maria, is one of the crafts people who collects sea glass from the beaches of Trujillo and wraps colored, copper craft wire around it to create necklaces.  Her husband, Alexis, is also an artist who makes thumb drums from calabash, which is a gourd-like fruit as well as wooden puzzles.  Both of them sell their wares at the Made in Honduras store in Trujillo.  With the money that Maria makes, she is able to send her oldest son, Samuel, to school and Alexis has just purchased a boat so that he can do some fishing in order to generate more funds to care for his family.  This family has hope and it is all because the Karper family decided to say, “Yes Lord, we will go!” 

We had a very busy weekend trying to visit with those we had missed on our last trip.  We went to the church service at Ken and Beth’s church Saturday evening, we ministered to kids in an open-air basketball court on Sunday morning with Mateo, fellowshipped, worshipped and prayed with our new missionary friends.  There are so many hurting people in Trujillo whether it is from physical illness, poverty, broken relationships, drugs or the lack of Christ in their life.  But, there are several missionary families in Trujillo who are serving and loving with all they’ve got to be the hands and feet of Jesus and to bring hope to a hurting world.  We believe that the Lord has confirmed to us on this trip that Trujillo is the place that He wants us to focus the efforts of Voyage of Hope at this time.  We will come along side those working in the area to bring short-term teams, resources, needed supplies and other assistance as needed.

As we’ve mentioned before, we really have a heart to minister to those in ministry. God has really made this calling clear during our time in Honduras, as well as our time in Trujillo.  Ministry can be tough work and being a missionary in a foreign land can be even more difficult.  It is our heart’s desire to lift-up, encourage, motivate, strengthen, excite, reassure and energize the hearts and minds of those working in the field.  The apostle Paul says it best in 1 Thessalonians 5: 

 1 Thessalonians 5:11
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are already doing.”