Popcorn, preaching and pouncing.

Preaching in the white fields of Honduras reaps many rewards and souls, but always comes at a high price in a labor of love, sacrifice of life, time, treasure and heartache….But that’s what the cross is.
This past weekend was the national Children’s Day in Honduras. Celebrated in schools, churches, businesses, government etc. As far as church, it makes a ready made activity day to do outreach for folks like us. Lisa and a few kids made up little bags with tracts, popcorn (lots of popcorn), and a few candies to be distributed to hundreds of children. The tracks and popcorn were donated by ministering saints in the USA. Break out the now old bounce houses, sew them up, clean them up, make 55 gallons of popcorn (twice) and head for the mountains with everything and everybody piled in…only to have the Kia not start. The starter burned out. Everyone gets out to push start it and on we go to the outreaches in a broken truck, leaving it run all day. Early the next day, do the same all over again. We took Mark Antonio to preach in several churches and along with several church members who wanted to help. Good outreaches with lots of visitors and follow up to do. Got caught in the rain just before the end of each activity making it hard and dirty to pack up. Head down to the last church only to have the Kia just quit in the middle of the highway. Borrowed a car to tow it, then jr and I worked on it. Somehow the burned up starter blew several main fuses when I hit a pothole. Jr heads out on the motorcycle in rain to find fuses late on a Sunday. I pull the starter and tape wires so we can push start it again. Head home at dark, unpack the truck, clean up, make supper for 30 something, and ready to head out at 5am to Tegucigalpa to immigration with a bunch of kids to push if necessary. Wee, why immigration? Another story. Last week we got a phone call from a wonderful, very sacrificing ministering saint who raised $4500 toward the purchase of a new Kia. I was ecstatic thinking just maybe by January we could have a new Kia. With the $12,000 promised from a church in the states, plus this, maybe only $3500 more to go. Light at the end of the tunnel…. The joy was short lived. 12 hours later our corporation/visa lawyer called and said we had to be in Tegucigalpa Monday with $4500 to pay for all our ministry legal papers and residency…there was only $18 in the bank and we needed food to feed the now 30+ member household… I was put in a very uncomfortable position of asking her to use the funds for a different purpose…and wire it right now. Thankfully she is a true gracious ministering saint and helped the hurt I had, even though I know I hurt her by changing her goals and direction of her profound sacrifice. Days later, I still have a bitter taste and sadness to what was actually a very great and needful blessing.

After Immigration we stopped at the Kia dealer in Tegucigalpa and asked about a starter…only $500 cough, cough ..uh and they cant get one for a month…wee. So we tried to get this starter fixed when we returned. Jr. went to pick it up and the oil pump went on his motorcycle for the 2^nd time. But this time it seized the motor at a time when our power and phones were out. After more than an hour, he got a hold of one of our pastors who drove out and told us. Finally got Jr.’s motorcycle and the starter back, installed starter…doesn’t work. Hmm, Welcome to Honduras, if you want it to work… that costs extra. And while we were away one of the kids disobeyed and took a machete to cut coconuts. He climbed into the tree with it and thankfully dropped it. But it happened to be where our waterline was buried…return to no water and another mess to fix… and no working vehicle. Hmm. We have become accustomed to everything here taking twice the effort, twice the money, twice the time to get the same results as elsewhere. But heavenly treasures are priceless, timeless and worth any price…If you don’t believe that ask Jesus about the cross… Amen!