My Next Adventure!

As I wrote on this blog several months ago, I returned to the United States in November after spending 8 months in Guaimaca, Honduras serving at Orphanage Emmanuel. While at Orphanage Emmanuel, God blessed me with the opportunity to serve in many different ways and through doing so I learned more about my passions and God’s calling on my life. I got to teach both in the Elementary school and High school, help lead and speak at their discipleship program, lead morning devotionals, small group Bible Studies, do one-on-one discipleship with teen girls, and perform dramas/praise dances in church. Through all these opportunities God confirmed to me that I really do love ministering in Honduras, particularly to youth. I love coming alongside them to teach, disciple and encourage them. God also has revealed to me through these youth the heart wrenching problems that Honduras faces and the desperate need for the gospel of grace. 

As much as I have loved working in orphanages my three times in Honduras, I have felt the tug on my heart to move beyond the orphanage setting and get at the root of the problems that are devastating Honduras. In Honduras around 65% live below the poverty line of $2 a day and about 30% are unemployed. Honduras is ridden with gang violence, drug and sex trafficking and child abuse. The average age of a woman’s first pregnancy is 15 years old and 53% of households are led by a single mother. All these factors are the reason why so many children (about 180,000) end up in orphanages like the ones I have worked at. What Honduras needs is the gospel. What can transform a family so that boys don’t end up on the streets sniffing glue, teenage girls don’t end up pregnant and little ones aren’t physically, sexually and verbally abused? What is the answer to the gang violence that ravages this country? What liberates the prostitute from her slavery? What gives hope to the poor, heals the abused and frees the addict? What convicts those who propagate corruption? It is the gospel. It is churches that preach and live out the true gospel of grace and it is the power of God through the gospel that transforms individual lives and communities. It’s the gospel. I need it desperately and these people need it desperately.

For these reasons I have felt led to work with Mission to the World (MTW) the missionary sending branch of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) in La Ceiba (Honduras’ third largest city). I will be working alongside church-planters in reaching out to small poor communities through planting a church (they train and disciple a native pastor), medical missions, children’s ministry and discipling young women. I will be focused on building relationships of trust and love, while seeking to minister the gospel of grace and hope to hurting people. I will be a missionary intern with them for 11 months and my goal is to be in Honduras by July.

I am so excited for this opportunity and excited to see how God will challenge me, grow me and use me through it. In order to be a missionary intern I need to raise $14,500 to cover travel, living and ministry expenses. I have already raised $12,210 of this. So I’m excited to say that I have reached 84% of my goal so far! 

If you feel moved to donate to help send me back to Honduras you can donate online at: https://donations.mtw.org/donate/AddDesignation.aspx?No=17229 or you can mail a check made out to Mission to the World with my missionary number on the memo line (17229) to:

Mission to the World

PO Box 116284

Atlanta, GA  30368-6284

Thank you for your prayers, encouragement and partnership with me!