The first approval is in!

We went before the Grace Point Mission Board on Monday (the 28th) and were given formal approval to be sent to the Micah Project. Praise God!

We sit before the Elder Board on August 12th seeking their approval, and hopefully will get the final word from Action International by then.

Thank you all for your continued prayers. God has laid the road out ahead of us, pray that we will continue to boldly walk in the way He has prepared.

Natasha

We prayed for safe travel,God intervened

I thought I would let you all in on a story that happened on Wednesday June 25, 2008. It was about 7:30 in the morning. Drew, Samuel and I were about to venture out to a meeting with Arturo Maduro, a Presidential family member who owns several automotive dealerships. This morning would be different as we were taking a taxi instead of being driven by someone, so before we left we prayed for safe travel and asked the Lord to protect us and be with us. We arrived, the meeting went well, and afterwards we headed off to a rental car company to pick up another van so we could continue to make meetings and run teams into the dump. After picking up the van we headed to the hotel and made it, without getting lost!

The next challenge came trying to get from the hotel to Villa Linda Miller. Normally this is an easy trip but due to road construction the trip would be much different, but God had a plan. I drove through the crowded market streets and when I came to an intersection I called Michael Miller for directions. It was at that moment I noticed a police man pointing me to what I thought was a better lane, until he asked me for my drivers license. My heart rate went up because I had left my license on the table at the hotel, Germo had picked it up for me and, well, he was somewhere else. We handed him Drew's license and the officer got into the front of the van and said he would show us the way to the road we needed. As we drove he began to tell us how it is illegal to talk on a cell phone while driving and he was going to keep the license, saying how expensive it was going to be. I had been through this the day before with Dan driving and thought I would try the same tactic Dan had used, play the missionary card and pray. I started telling the officer, Dave, how we were on our way to work with the children in the dump and about the school set up across from the dump so the kids could go to school. As we drove he started to ask questions about how long we would be so, naturally, I invited him along. He said he would go if we could have him back by 2:00. I said "if you want to go I will have you back in time", so he joined us for a short term mission trip.

As we neared AFE he asked if we would pray for his family and him. We said yes, of course, and began to tell him about our prayer that morning and how amazing it was that God provided us not only safe travel but supplied us with an armed escort. We spent time at AFE and then headed to Villa Linda Miller. On the way there is a check point, the one where Dan and I were stopped. They saw the officer and just waved us on. David joined us for lunch at Villa Linda Miller and he escorted us back to town. The picture above is when we dropped him off and prayed for him and his family. As I got back in the van Romans 8:28 came to mind "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Here was a man that was going to extort money from us and God softened his heart and opened his eyes to His work. AMEN!

Spending a week with God

The photo's here represent just some of what happened. The week was filled with the Holy Spirt and the team's emotions ran the gamut of joy, compassion, anger, fear, sadness, hope and hopelessness. Tuesday morning I found myself en route to the first of 3 meetings with people in the automotive industry, set up by Drew Smith, a brother from St. Louis that joined us for the entire trip. Little did I know that these people would be family members of former Presidents of Honduras, like Elaina Floras who's father was President when Mitch blew through in 1998. The meetings went well But it was hard to be separated from the team in the mornings and I felt like I was drinking from a fire hose. I finally released it to God and settled down into His plan. It was an amazing release as I watched God work in the hearts of the people we met with, all of whom were excited about the vocational school.

We then went to villa Linda Miller were the team was involved with construction and VBS. I gathered up the team that was to go to the market to minister to the kids in the street and "Bridgetown Honduras" was born. We went in with hot water and foot washing basins, food and the love of Christ. Lead by Dan, one of the missionaires at Micah, it was primal and raw but truly amazing.



Brian N. and I met with Carlos again that night at Micah and Brian shared his story. We talked for a couple hours building a relationship centered on Christ finishing at 11:00 pm. Another day with God ended. The trip continued to go this way, constantly walking in the Spirt, morning meetings, and afternoons filled with ministry. The third night, Friday, we went to meet with Carlos and I felt the prompting to take Amy along to share with Carlos. It was an impact full time again, as you can see in the pictures. Carlos accepted Christ. but not only Carlos but his friend Marico. Saturday morning they came for breakfast with us and I shared about baptism. They both wanted to be baptized and as we were preparing to do this Amy asked if she could be baptized as well. So at 8:30 am we entered the water the lord had prepared before hand and all three gave an outward sign of an inward change the Lord had done in their hearts. I asked Carlos who he wanted to baptize him he said "it didn't matter the Holy Spirit had already Baptized him". He truly got it.

That is just one of the stories God wrote that week. Several others are still unwinding in my head and as I process them I will put
them into words.

I truly think the Lord has called my family and I to this place. I only wish they could have been here as well but that will happen sooner than we think. Pray that we prepare holistically for this journey.











Amy going in










Amy symbolically washed. What an honor! Never before have I been so humbled.













Carlos coming out of the water. Behold the New Man.








The dump. This is a place that needs words I do not have as yet.














Bridgetown in the Market. It was like Burnside on steroids













Some of the children of the streets. Only time and a continued presence of the love of Christ will heal these hearts






Below is a short slide show I put together of the Micah Project and the team from Gracepoint as they duplicated Nightstrike.

Supprised by God

This would surprise anyone, finding a "local" in the sink when brushing your teeth.









Pastor's Conference


The first week was filled with the wonderful work of God at the pastors conference. What these men and their families are doing in the remote areas of Honduras is amazing. I was part of the Youth team which is a little out of my box, if you know me. Amy, Brian Nelson, Brad, Nydia and I challenged the youth to make their faith their own. It was a time of growth for all of us. Brian Nelson shared his testimony and how God uses the most broken to do his work. Brad shared from the aspect of being a P.K. The next night, Saturday, we had a bonnfire with the young men and women. Amy, Brads cousin, shared her story and then we asked for the young men and women to share stories of their own. This was difficult for them as most were shy, but God opened hearts and before we knew it the youth were opening one after another. I then shared part of my story and gave them a chance to "Pick up their Cross". Out of approximately 50 youth, 26 came forward and Picked up their Cross, symbolized by the 50 or so small wooden crosses on a bench at the edge of the fire. It was truly a God moment. The next day Brad gave an invitation and the rest of the youth came forward. We commissioned them to "Go" as we placed a bracelet (like the Livestrong one's you see but with the Gospel on them) in different colors and challenged each one not to keep it but to pass it on within a month to some one who did not know the Lord. What a powerful time! We also had fun time with the pitching machine which was a huge blast.



Heading to Micah, "Going Home". But wait!











God has a Plan


















I thought we were all done in Sequat and the Lord was getting us ready for the week ahead. But as we stood in front of the hotel all packed up to go to the Micah Project, a man walking down the road with half a lemon in one hand and a half empty bottle of Vodka in the other comes up to me asking for money. I said I had some thing better than money for him and with the
help of a little rubber bracelet shared the Gospel with him. His name is Effrine and you could see his face and body change as the Holy Spirt filled his body. He became sober as he received Christ, gave me his bottle and had me dump it out in the name of Jesus. We then fed him and connected him with one of the local pastors in Sequat, who was at the pastors conference. Once again, I was surprised by God. What away to start the day!


Gracepoint Meets Micah

Hello everyone, sorry it has taken this long to get this post up, but while we were in Honduras my attention was fully consumed by the work that God was doing, whether it was the team or the 4 different projects we were all involved with at Micah. I will try to relate some of what the Lord did while we were there.


Micah Dinner

Bridgetown Honduras

Big B ready to dig!

The dump...it is amazing that the best view in town is in the dump.










When we arrived at the Micah project it was like being home again only this time I was bringing a bunch of friends along for a sleep over. The first night we had dinner with Michael Miller, the director of Micah, Micah missionaries Rebecka and Dan, and 20 or so of some of the most amazing young men one could have the pleasure to meet. After we finished the meal and some visiting it was back down the hill to rest for the coming days of construction, outreach and V.B.S.


Just when I thought I was done for the night the Lord answered a prayer I had to meet Juan Carlos. As I walked outside Michael introduced me to a young man he had written about a couple months back, the one who was caught breaking into the Micah House. Michael has been working with Carlos for a little while now and wanted me to share my testimony with him and as I talked with him I felt a heart connection. Brian Nelson was there as well and little did we know that this meeting would result in a "band of brothers" being formed. We set a meeting for the next night, where Brian Nelson would share his testimony, but before we left I gave Carlos an opportunity to receive Christ. He replied "I don't want to make an emotional decision. I don't want to fail God again". We hugged and Brian N and I walked down the hill toward the hotel with angels.