Many Honduran people in certain areas of the country suffer from lack of food, clean water, medical care, hygiene, a habitable home, job skills and an education. To better understand and evaluate this need, Christ Journey sent a vision team to the Agalta Valley in Olancho, Honduras to visit a ministry site of a potential new global mission partner, HOI. The team was comprised of a doctor, a lawyer, and a businessman and led by our Missions Pastor, John Churchill. The following relates our experience this week.
As we met at the Miami airport Monday morning, the uncertainty was palpable but so was the undeniable joy of knowing we were right in the center of God’s will for this exploratory Honduras vision trip. As we waited for our flight to take off, it became evident that though our gifts and personalities were diverse, they combined to form something we knew, when placed at the feet of the Almighty, would prove interesting and exciting.
After being met at a small Honduran airport by the director of HOI we began our many-hour journey to a remote ranch in the heart of the Agalta Valley. We slept tightly under mosquito nets and were awakened by the amazing sound of cows running past our porch some mornings. We toured village clinics with an eye toward future medical post as it was evident the need was great and the resources were incredibly scarce. We inspected the feasibility of sending teams to help villagers continue to construct portable water filters and build latrines in an effort to help minimize sickness and disease. We were briefed on agricultural potentials as well as economic and community development possibilities and visited the home and future business site of a Honduran woman named Daisy who benefited from a “hand up” so that she could create her own small business.
Greeted by the singing and dancing of local Honduran school children, we were taken through their place of study to see how we might be able to come alongside of this next generation to encourage them to pursue that which they don’t believe is possible. We also explored how we could strengthen the teachers in the villages who don’t have the resources and counseling support to handle some of the difficult situations that they come up against.
We brainstormed with a local Pastor whose heart is pointed toward working with various communities to teach family values and strengthen the family unit by helping the villagers to live more Christ centered lives. He prays for some way to strengthen and encourage the local pastors so that they can better minister to their villages.
In sum, this mission was an incredible success and we have a lot of information to process. Thank you Lord and thank you Christ Journey for entrusting us to be your eyes and ears for the last several days in the country of a people whose hearts and souls are resilient and ever hopeful.
In Christ,
Your Christ Journey Honduras Vision Team