More Teams in Honduras
The COVID-19 pandemic has had lasting impacts on all of us both for good and bad. It has greatly impacted our teams ministry resulting in fewer teams and fewer team members, but has also caused us to restructure our team ministry model. Because of the need to keep crowds at a minimum, our medical teams in Honduras had to
go house to house with backpacks to minister to the people of the remote villages where we serve. While this model keeps us from being able to see as many people, the quality
of care has greatly increased. The large team is divided into several smaller teams who go from house to house providing medical care, food and clothing distribution and the ability to share the Gospel in a less formal and more comfortable way. Not only do our team members get to participate in sharing the Gospel but our church members, staff, and interpreters
have the opportunity to share the Gospel when they were very limited in doing so when we had large crowds.
On a recent visit to Honduras I was approached by one of our team coordinators and one of our national doctors who very excitely told me of their positive experiences working with teams under this new model. They both told me that they hope we never return to the former
way of doing things because of the difference they see in how people respond to the Gospel. The national doctor told me that he normally has to rush patients through in order to keep the line moving and he very rarely, if ever, has the opportunity to share the Gospel with them. He shared with me how going house to house has given him the opportunity to personally share the Gospel
and that he has been able to lead people to Christ which he has not done in years. I wish I could adequately express to you the joy and excitement in his voice and face as he told me this. A North-American doctor also expressed joy at the new model of ministry and told me he had been coming to Honduras for more than 20 years and he would trade 10 trips for the
experience he had going house to house as he did over the span of two weeks during his visit this year.
Missionary Eric Duplantis shared the following after working with the Harrington/Dean team for two weeks: "Today I took the representatives of the combined Michael Harrington / Richard Dean Teams to the airport to return home to their families. Dr. Paul and Becky Freel are special people, and they are setting a great example
for their niece, Audrey Vereeke. This past week they joined members of our Honduran staff and support personnel, and the local church in Moroceli Suyate, under the leadership of Pastor Orlando Matamoros, to share the love of Jesus in over 80 homes. The poor people of Suyate received medical attention, medicines, food, clothes, and reading glasses. Lots of stuffed animals
brightened the faces of many young ones (and some not so young). But more importantly, the people we visited were made to feel loved, special, and valued. The gospel was shared at every home and prayers were lifted to the throne of God on behalf of every family. Seventeen peoples' names were newly written in the Lamb's Book of Life this week. Two of those were sisters of the pastor,
who later told me his "burden is lighter." Praise God! Four more people realized how far they had drifted from God and made decisions to rededicate themselves to following and serving Him. Yes, it was a great week!"
He also shared this after working with another team, "The Barney Withers team headed back to Kentucky today after an adventure-filled week. They endured the heat, dust, bees, and a bus that died in the road more times than they'd like to remember. But they also enjoyed fellowship, serving together, worship, good food,
making new friends, and the opportunity to witness 90 people accept Jesus Christ as Savior! Thank you, Barney Withers team, for the medical care, medicines, clothes, shoes, reading glasses, smiles you put on kids' faces, the encouragement given to the BMDMI Rivers of Living Waters Church in San Francisco Lempira, and for the CHANGED LIVES because of the time you spent sharing God's
Word and praying and encouraging the poor people of Honduras. Thanks also to all our Honduran staff who made this week a success. It was obvious this group went out and served in the power of the Holy Spirit. May God continue you bless you richly. And let us all remember to give God all the glory for what HE did this week."
We have many opprotunities for teams to minister in Central America and Nepal this year. God can and will use you to minister to others even during a worldwide pandemic to bring hope to those in need.
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” ~ Matthew 9:37-38
