The time many people thought would nnever get here is here at last. About 115 of the 175 people arrived safely in Tegucigalpa today. Unfortunately, two people from Hot Springs, AR did not make it in today like they planned. Gabriella and Steve Hogue were unable to make it in today, because they came into some problems with their visas. Pray that God works these problems out and that no one allows the many distractions satan is throwing around to not get them down. Also the group from Hot Springs did not make it with al of their baggage, so pray that all of it gets here soon.
After everyone arrived we went across the street from the airport to grab lunch. The whole group worked hard to make sure that they received no enslada (salad) on their hamburgers and no heilo (ice) in their drinks. If only they knew and understood that everything was ok to eat... Oh well! Better safe than sorry.
As soon as the food was gone and faces were wiped off the group packed like sardines into two of the busses in the TORCH fleet. At least we were only going up to Villa Garcia or what we call the Mission House. All of the newbies that had never experienced riding in Honduras were definately in for a treat unless they dislike rollercoasters. As soon as we arrived and settled in Billy Ferguson led a seminar for anyone interested in doing one-on-one evagelism while working here. At least very eager people attended this meeting. During the same time of the evangelism meeting, Paul Bennet had a time of planning with all of those that want to be involved in Vacation Bible School.
While the meetings were happening, a small group met Mark Connell and some TORCH interns in the village of Nueva Oriental so that they could learn how to put in a floor and how to make the house as square as possible. NO JUNK FOR JESUS!!! The floors are such an improvevment and immensely improve the quality of the TORCH houses. I hope that each person on this trip has the opportunity to put in a floor.
After the meetings were over and the construction crew had finished building, everyone was oriented to the rules and regulations of the trip. They also were told of some of the amazing things that God has in store for this trip.
Devotional tonight was exciting and inspiring. I always am encouraged when I hear so many people singing with everything they have to the one we love and serve. As usual we ended the day with the question "Where did you see Jesus today?" This is a question that causes people to think. Through the trip pray that our eyes are open and that we all meet Jesus face to face.
It was another great day in Honduras!!
Saturday, July 23, 2005
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
The Time Has Arrived
July 23 – August 6th
July 23 – Arrivals 11:00 to 12:30
Clear customs / lunch and arrive at Mission House between 2:00 & 2:30
Work /
Food Distribution – pack out 2 loads of food
Evangelism Training – Billy to conduct class
Evangelism Training – VBS Planning
IRC Warehouse – Crew to straighten & clean up
Orientation
Devotional
Lights out 10:30
July 24th – Arrivals 12:18
Breakfast 7:00 to 8:15
Two locations for worship – Los Pinos & San Miguel – depart at 9:15
Lunch – Campero’s area
Work planned at
Join up with new arrivals at
Ground Breaking for Casa de Esperanza
Communion at church site
Devotional at Jesus Statue
Return to mission house and orientation for Sunday arrivals
Lights out at 10:30
July 25th – August 3 for most & August 5th for others.
The work begins – daily schedule except Sunday
Breakfast 6:30 to 7:30
Devotional 7:45
Buses depart to work sites at 8:45
Work Opportunities -
House Crews – 4 – average per day
Church Construction in
Block House Construction
Children’s Home – visits and work almost daily
Hospital Esquela - daily
Evangelism – Teaching - daily
Evangelism – VBS - daily
Food Assembly & Food Distribution - daily
IRC Warehouse – assembly of clinic, distribution, clothing, etc
Clinics will be the end of week one and beginning of week two.
August 6th – We go back to our homes and plan another year!
Monday, July 18, 2005
Feet
The feet in this picture belong to two little girls that I met in April in a village called Cuidad Espania. Both of these beautiful children had smiles and were as happy as any children that you might meet here in the states - the difference is, that they have always been poor and they don't know anything different. One day soon, they will realize that everyone isn't always hungry, that their clothes are dirty and that the shoes that the wear don't match - if they even have shoes.Next week we will operate the TORCH Shoe Store and we'll wash a lot of feet like this - then we'll make sure that they have new shoes - that match.
That will be.....Another Great Day in Honduras.........
(see you this weekend)
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
ROATAN
As most of you know, we have a tradition of ending our mission in Roatan. That tradition will continue this year however, there will be another option.Our group size prevents us all from travelling to Roatan at the same time. Since we all can't go at the same time, we are offering the first 40 volunteers the option of staying in Tegucigalpa and working on a few more projects, building a couple of houses, feeding a few more people, playing with a few more kids, and doing what we love to do for a couple more days.
Please call my cell or email me if you want to be one of the lucky group that stay's in Tegucigalpa for 2 more great days in Honduras.
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Get Ready To Build
When the groups travelling on the 23rd arrive in Tegucigalpa, they will go from the airport to lunch and then straight to work. Well have teams going to pack food, learn how to build a 2005 style house, preparing for VBS, & preparing for evangelism.
Here is a sample of what we will see when we go up the mountain to the House Building 101 class.
Floors are one of the most exciting additions to Hondo Houses that we have ever done. I can't wait to pound the first nails.
We are also adding other additions like bunk beds and even some houses with two rooms!
Get ready to build! We are gonna have a great time and 14 GREAT DAYS IN HONDURAS.
Friday, July 08, 2005
Down To The Wire
Folks, we are down to the wire.
In two weeks we hit the ground in Tegucigalpa and will not stop till the job is done.
The conference call was great and we are planning to email out all flight information by Monday the 11th. If you need your information sooner, please send me an email and I'll get it to you.
All you need to know is this - Unless I've told you something different, you will be on American Airlines and you will be leaving very early in the morning - either the 23rd or the 24th.
If your departure city is Miami, you get to sleep in a little.
When you get your schedule and locater numbers, go to the American web site and pull off your confirmation.
Our benevolence and working fund is growing but, I need to get as much of your earnings as soon as you can get it to me. I had to send a big chunk of money to Honduras this week to pre pay for a lot of our construction material and that means that our budget will be very tight unless you can help us by sending the benevolence dollars so I can get them on deposit.
Many of the items that we we paid for on delivery last year are now pre-paid through our US based account that is tied to a Honduran bank.
Please make sure that all your friends, families, and sponsors have this blog address. This is the place where our reports will be posted.
See you soon!
Marc
In two weeks we hit the ground in Tegucigalpa and will not stop till the job is done.
The conference call was great and we are planning to email out all flight information by Monday the 11th. If you need your information sooner, please send me an email and I'll get it to you.
All you need to know is this - Unless I've told you something different, you will be on American Airlines and you will be leaving very early in the morning - either the 23rd or the 24th.
If your departure city is Miami, you get to sleep in a little.
When you get your schedule and locater numbers, go to the American web site and pull off your confirmation.
Our benevolence and working fund is growing but, I need to get as much of your earnings as soon as you can get it to me. I had to send a big chunk of money to Honduras this week to pre pay for a lot of our construction material and that means that our budget will be very tight unless you can help us by sending the benevolence dollars so I can get them on deposit.
Many of the items that we we paid for on delivery last year are now pre-paid through our US based account that is tied to a Honduran bank.
Please make sure that all your friends, families, and sponsors have this blog address. This is the place where our reports will be posted.
See you soon!
Marc
Friday, July 01, 2005
Let's Talk About It
It's July! and we are only three weeks away from our departure. I am sure that many of you have questions and suggestions and that is why I have set up a way for many of us to get together on a conference call.
Here is the plan -
On Tuesday July 5th at 6:00 PM Central we will have a conference call that will involve one person from every group of 5 or more. That means that I need confirmation by email from someone in each of the following locations -
Starkville, MS
Columbus, MS
Tupelo, MS
Gulfport, MS
Vicksburg, MS
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Orlando, FL
Charlotte, NC - Archdale
Charlotte, NC - All others
Hot Springs, AR
Borger, TX
I am hoping that every group is reading the info here and that I am not chasing you down. Please send me an email confirmation that you are planning to be on this call. We will be discussing work plans, travel plans, trip info, etc. I don't mind if you are using a conference phone or a speaker phone but, please DO NOT CALL FROM A CELL PHONE.
Here is the dial in info -
A few minutes before 6:00 PM CENTRAL / 7:00 PM Eastern - dial 1-866-295-5950
You will be asked for an access code and your code is 28534#
If you have questions and can email them to me in advance, I would appreciate it.
We are getting close!
Marc
Here is the plan -
On Tuesday July 5th at 6:00 PM Central we will have a conference call that will involve one person from every group of 5 or more. That means that I need confirmation by email from someone in each of the following locations -
Starkville, MS
Columbus, MS
Tupelo, MS
Gulfport, MS
Vicksburg, MS
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Orlando, FL
Charlotte, NC - Archdale
Charlotte, NC - All others
Hot Springs, AR
Borger, TX
I am hoping that every group is reading the info here and that I am not chasing you down. Please send me an email confirmation that you are planning to be on this call. We will be discussing work plans, travel plans, trip info, etc. I don't mind if you are using a conference phone or a speaker phone but, please DO NOT CALL FROM A CELL PHONE.
Here is the dial in info -
A few minutes before 6:00 PM CENTRAL / 7:00 PM Eastern - dial 1-866-295-5950
You will be asked for an access code and your code is 28534#
If you have questions and can email them to me in advance, I would appreciate it.
We are getting close!
Marc
Friday, June 24, 2005
URGENT
If you are reading this message you are either going on the Mississippi TORCH mission or you are interested in the work. I have named this message URGENT because there is a crisis in many of the areas of Honduras where we will be working.
RAIN TODAY DESTROYED 10 HOUSES IN SAN MIGUEL
RAIN TODAY DESTROYED SEVERAL HOUSES IN LOS PINOS
RAIN TODAY DESTROYED MANY HOMES IN VILLA NUEVA
MANY PEOPLE ARE HOMELESS!
Folks, if you have been working on raising money to build houses - please don't stop.
If you have raised money for your trip but haven't done anything to raise dollars for the cause - get to telling the story and asking for the funds that we'll need to do what God has planned for us to do.
Please pray for the people that are feeling hopeless and helpless right now. Pray that they will be comforted and that God will deliver them a home.
Thank you for your attention and your work on this need.
(possible ways to get people to give - skip a meal and donate the $$, fast for a day / with prayer and save the money, shorten vacation by a day and donate the $$$, sell something that you really like and donate the $$$ - knowing that you will be reminded that it was a real sacrifice)
God is good ... all the time - even in the face of darkness his light will always shine through!
RAIN TODAY DESTROYED 10 HOUSES IN SAN MIGUEL
RAIN TODAY DESTROYED SEVERAL HOUSES IN LOS PINOS
RAIN TODAY DESTROYED MANY HOMES IN VILLA NUEVA
MANY PEOPLE ARE HOMELESS!
Folks, if you have been working on raising money to build houses - please don't stop.
If you have raised money for your trip but haven't done anything to raise dollars for the cause - get to telling the story and asking for the funds that we'll need to do what God has planned for us to do.
Please pray for the people that are feeling hopeless and helpless right now. Pray that they will be comforted and that God will deliver them a home.
Thank you for your attention and your work on this need.
(possible ways to get people to give - skip a meal and donate the $$, fast for a day / with prayer and save the money, shorten vacation by a day and donate the $$$, sell something that you really like and donate the $$$ - knowing that you will be reminded that it was a real sacrifice)
God is good ... all the time - even in the face of darkness his light will always shine through!
Less Than A Month
Can you believe that in less than 30 days our team will come together in Tegucigalpa for 2 weeks of unbelievable work, praise, and togetherness?
We still have a lot to do but, from my POV, we are going to be very prepared. After all, we couldn't have had a better planner. Our God planned this ministry before time and all we are doing is becoming the tools that he selected for the work. Simple!
As a reminder, next Friday is July 1st and that is when I really need to have your final payment in my mail box. I need to send be able to send money to Honduras to pay for all of our lodging and our transportation. I also need to send money in advance to pay for lumber to build the homes that we have in the plan. That means that if you or your group are planning to sponsor the construction of houses, I need to get the checks for that work as soon as possible. If we don't pay in advance of our departure for wood, there isn't any guarantee that we will have it.
I plan to announce a conference number & time on Monday for all leaders. I can't afford for everyone to call-in but, we will have at least 12 to 15 on the call. We'll make sure that everybody has flight information, and answer any open questions. In the mean time, feel free to give me a call or an email if you need answers.
Best I can tell...we have
28 Days till
Great days in Honduras
We still have a lot to do but, from my POV, we are going to be very prepared. After all, we couldn't have had a better planner. Our God planned this ministry before time and all we are doing is becoming the tools that he selected for the work. Simple!
As a reminder, next Friday is July 1st and that is when I really need to have your final payment in my mail box. I need to send be able to send money to Honduras to pay for all of our lodging and our transportation. I also need to send money in advance to pay for lumber to build the homes that we have in the plan. That means that if you or your group are planning to sponsor the construction of houses, I need to get the checks for that work as soon as possible. If we don't pay in advance of our departure for wood, there isn't any guarantee that we will have it.
I plan to announce a conference number & time on Monday for all leaders. I can't afford for everyone to call-in but, we will have at least 12 to 15 on the call. We'll make sure that everybody has flight information, and answer any open questions. In the mean time, feel free to give me a call or an email if you need answers.
Best I can tell...we have
28 Days till
Great days in Honduras
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Houses, Houses, & More Houses
Since yesterday's post, I have heard about 4 more houses that we will be building in Honduras. WoW!
The church in Borger, Texas had already sent a check to build a house and we now know that there was enough extra money from a special contribution to build another.
Also from Texas, we recieved a check from the church in Shamrock. That is the former church of one of the "Borger Girls" and that means that they have now played a role in funding 6 houses.
This afternoon, we found out that Anne Weaver & her mom want to build a Honduran house. "Atta' girl Anne". Anne is joining our team from Raleigh, NC. Thank's Weaver's, because of you, a family will have a dry place to sleep.
Lastly, I had a call freom my friend Les Ferguson telling me about the Gulfport experience at a WalMart SuperCenter. The team form the south had a bake sale at the SuperCenter and raised almost $1,100.
Hey Gulfport - get ready to pound nails.
Tupelo, MS has a golf tournament and raised over $1,000.........House or Food - y'all decide...
God is good..... All the time!
Marc
The church in Borger, Texas had already sent a check to build a house and we now know that there was enough extra money from a special contribution to build another.
Also from Texas, we recieved a check from the church in Shamrock. That is the former church of one of the "Borger Girls" and that means that they have now played a role in funding 6 houses.
This afternoon, we found out that Anne Weaver & her mom want to build a Honduran house. "Atta' girl Anne". Anne is joining our team from Raleigh, NC. Thank's Weaver's, because of you, a family will have a dry place to sleep.
Lastly, I had a call freom my friend Les Ferguson telling me about the Gulfport experience at a WalMart SuperCenter. The team form the south had a bake sale at the SuperCenter and raised almost $1,100.
Hey Gulfport - get ready to pound nails.
Tupelo, MS has a golf tournament and raised over $1,000.........House or Food - y'all decide...
God is good..... All the time!
Marc
Monday, June 20, 2005
Casa de Esperanza
The House of Hope!
This weekend Terri & I travelled to Belpre, Ohio to meet with the Elders and the Mission Comittee about a project called Casa de Esperanza. This is the name of a children's home that will begin construction on July 23rd. That's right - the construction date is the same as our arrival date. I wonder who is gonna be working on this project?
We went to Belpre because that is the home congregation of my friends Jen Wright and Karen Vaughan. Jen & Karen are comitted to leaving their homes on October 25th, 2005 and moving to Tegucigalpa to run Casa de Esperanza. The Belpre Church is considering the level of support that they will dedicate to this important & life changing work. (Pray about their decision)
Isn't it cool that our team will be setting the corner stone for this project!
Next summer Casa de Esperanza will be the home to 20 or more little girls that really need a place that they can call home. Right now these 20 little girls are probably hungry, probably in a place without much love, probably in a place that is dangerous, and probably cannot even fathom the way that Casa de Esperanza will change their lives.
This is going to be fun!
Marc
ps: In my last post about the "Borger Girls" I accidently left out a key member of the team. Sorry about that Hanna Krug! You can get me back when we get to Honduras.
32 Days till
14 Great Days in Honduras!
This weekend Terri & I travelled to Belpre, Ohio to meet with the Elders and the Mission Comittee about a project called Casa de Esperanza. This is the name of a children's home that will begin construction on July 23rd. That's right - the construction date is the same as our arrival date. I wonder who is gonna be working on this project?
We went to Belpre because that is the home congregation of my friends Jen Wright and Karen Vaughan. Jen & Karen are comitted to leaving their homes on October 25th, 2005 and moving to Tegucigalpa to run Casa de Esperanza. The Belpre Church is considering the level of support that they will dedicate to this important & life changing work. (Pray about their decision)
Isn't it cool that our team will be setting the corner stone for this project!
Next summer Casa de Esperanza will be the home to 20 or more little girls that really need a place that they can call home. Right now these 20 little girls are probably hungry, probably in a place without much love, probably in a place that is dangerous, and probably cannot even fathom the way that Casa de Esperanza will change their lives.
This is going to be fun!
Marc
ps: In my last post about the "Borger Girls" I accidently left out a key member of the team. Sorry about that Hanna Krug! You can get me back when we get to Honduras.
32 Days till
14 Great Days in Honduras!
Friday, June 17, 2005
The Borger Girls
I just gotta let everybody know what is happening in the Texas panhandle town of Borger. That is the place where I grew up and where my folks still live. Last year over the Christmas holidays, I was able to speak to the congregation at the church of my childhood. I told my Borger church family about the work in Honduras and about TORCH. It was a great experience and the church donated enough money to build a house and even more important, one young lady had the courage to say that she wanted to be a part of our team.
Deborah Krug joined our team in 2004 and she is bringing 5 more with her in 2005. On top of just coming, Deborah, Shauna, Naomi, Breanna, & Lanetta (the Borger Team) & their supporters have raised enough money to build more than 4 houses and feed 20 families for a month. All of this has been accomplished by prayer and hard work.
More good things are happining this weekend.
Terri (my wife) & I will be travelling to Belpre, Ohio where I will be meeting with the elders and the mission comittee to discuss their potential support of Casa de Esperanza - our new children's home in Honduras. Our team will be doing some of the initial work on this project and we hope to have the home for little girls open by the end of 2005. On Sunday I will have an opportunity to speak to the congregation in Belpre to encourage their continued support of the work in Honduras and Central America. Please pray for God to open hearts and to guide my words this weekend.
37 DAYS
to 14 Great Days in Honduras!
Deborah Krug joined our team in 2004 and she is bringing 5 more with her in 2005. On top of just coming, Deborah, Shauna, Naomi, Breanna, & Lanetta (the Borger Team) & their supporters have raised enough money to build more than 4 houses and feed 20 families for a month. All of this has been accomplished by prayer and hard work.
More good things are happining this weekend.
Terri (my wife) & I will be travelling to Belpre, Ohio where I will be meeting with the elders and the mission comittee to discuss their potential support of Casa de Esperanza - our new children's home in Honduras. Our team will be doing some of the initial work on this project and we hope to have the home for little girls open by the end of 2005. On Sunday I will have an opportunity to speak to the congregation in Belpre to encourage their continued support of the work in Honduras and Central America. Please pray for God to open hearts and to guide my words this weekend.
37 DAYS
to 14 Great Days in Honduras!
Monday, June 13, 2005
Different Stuff
I have good news on the weight limit per bag - as of right now, the limit has gone back to 70 pounds per piece / two pc. per person. Remember though, whatever you take - you carry. If you can handle 140 pounds of bags & a back pack- go for it. If anything changes, I'll let you know.
By now all of you should have recieved info on your final balance. Please note that this is due in my mailbox on or before July 1 and that due by July 1 doesn't mean that that is the day to start thinking about getting Marc the rest of the money. There are too many people to for Terri & I to go chasing down somebody that is late paying what they owe.
Remember that today - June 13 is 40 days from our departure and plan to join me in the 40 days of prayer - (see the blog below)
Also remember that this site is where all of your friends and family will be reading our trip reports when we are in Honduras. Please pass the address along to anyone that is interested.
All flight plans are complete and I will be passing along your departure info soon. Everything will be e-ticketed and all you will need is a passport.
Please don't be afraid to give me a call or an email if you have any questions at all.
I am looking forward to seeing and working with all of you.
God has Great Days in Honduras planned for us.
Marc
By now all of you should have recieved info on your final balance. Please note that this is due in my mailbox on or before July 1 and that due by July 1 doesn't mean that that is the day to start thinking about getting Marc the rest of the money. There are too many people to for Terri & I to go chasing down somebody that is late paying what they owe.
Remember that today - June 13 is 40 days from our departure and plan to join me in the 40 days of prayer - (see the blog below)
Also remember that this site is where all of your friends and family will be reading our trip reports when we are in Honduras. Please pass the address along to anyone that is interested.
All flight plans are complete and I will be passing along your departure info soon. Everything will be e-ticketed and all you will need is a passport.
Please don't be afraid to give me a call or an email if you have any questions at all.
I am looking forward to seeing and working with all of you.
God has Great Days in Honduras planned for us.
Marc
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
Real People
Real people are hurting in San Miguel this morning!
There is a community on the outskirts of Tegucigalpa called San Miguel - some of us have worked there and know & love the people of that community. Last summer a new church was planted there and there are many new Christians worshiping at the building that TORCH built. This morning, there are also several families living in the building. If you have been to San Miguel, you know the landscape and you will remember that it is in the mountains and there is a stream running throug the center of the community. When the rains come, everything runs into the stream and when hard rains come, there is flooding. That is the situation in San Miguel this morning. The rains have been intense and many in the community have lost their homes and their meager possessions.
There are families that live in homes that TORCH built that now have knee deep mud for floors and that is the key reason that we will be adding floors to every home we build this year. Right now there is a TORCH team working in the community and they will do much to ease the pain in the San Miguel community - but, they can only help one family at a time. The needs there are great - just as they are in Los Pinos, Santa Ana, Ojojona, Nuevo Oriental, Nuevo Jerusalem, Mateo, El Magote, Valle de Angeles, La Paz, and all over the Tegucigalpa area. Please don't be afraid to tell everybody that you know about the needs of the people that you are going to serve.
We can build a house - with a floor for $800
We can feed a family - for a month for $15 - 20
We can treat a community in a clinic for $1000
........If we don't ask people to join our team by helping our benevolence fund, we could find ourselves wishing people well - but doing nothing to help them.
I know that many of you are working tirelessly to make sure that we are building, feeding, & helping. Please keep working until the day we leave.
Our fund is the tool that we need to assure us of ...
Another Great Day In Honduras.
Marc
There is a community on the outskirts of Tegucigalpa called San Miguel - some of us have worked there and know & love the people of that community. Last summer a new church was planted there and there are many new Christians worshiping at the building that TORCH built. This morning, there are also several families living in the building. If you have been to San Miguel, you know the landscape and you will remember that it is in the mountains and there is a stream running throug the center of the community. When the rains come, everything runs into the stream and when hard rains come, there is flooding. That is the situation in San Miguel this morning. The rains have been intense and many in the community have lost their homes and their meager possessions.
There are families that live in homes that TORCH built that now have knee deep mud for floors and that is the key reason that we will be adding floors to every home we build this year. Right now there is a TORCH team working in the community and they will do much to ease the pain in the San Miguel community - but, they can only help one family at a time. The needs there are great - just as they are in Los Pinos, Santa Ana, Ojojona, Nuevo Oriental, Nuevo Jerusalem, Mateo, El Magote, Valle de Angeles, La Paz, and all over the Tegucigalpa area. Please don't be afraid to tell everybody that you know about the needs of the people that you are going to serve.
We can build a house - with a floor for $800
We can feed a family - for a month for $15 - 20
We can treat a community in a clinic for $1000
........If we don't ask people to join our team by helping our benevolence fund, we could find ourselves wishing people well - but doing nothing to help them.
I know that many of you are working tirelessly to make sure that we are building, feeding, & helping. Please keep working until the day we leave.
Our fund is the tool that we need to assure us of ...
Another Great Day In Honduras.
Marc
Friday, June 03, 2005
40 Days of Prayer
Today we are exactly 50 days away from our mission and I'd like to offer everyone an invitation to join me in 40 days of prayer for our work. I plan to begin on June 13th - 40 days from our departure and I will be praying for many things relating to our work. Following is a daily reminder of some of the prayer needs in Honduras. Make your own - share it with friends, family, and supporters. Pick a day a week to fast and pray. Whatever you do, please pray for our work -
Day 40 June 13
In 40 days our team will be traveling to one of the poorest countries in the west. Pray that God will open our eyes to the needs of the people of
Day 39, June 14
Pray for our full time workers in
Day 38, June 15
Today there are 12 interns leaving to work for the rest of the summer in
Day 37, June 16
Pray for the children & the workers at the Special Needs Orphanage.
Day 36, June 17
Pray for a widow and her 5 kids in a community called Nuevo Oriental. They probably have no food today.
Day 35, June 18
Pray for the children in the nutrition ward at Hospital Esquela.
Day 34, June 19
Pray for God to deliver the resources that we will need to build houses for the homeless and to provide food for the hungry.
Day 33, June 20
Pray for God to protect the homeless kids on the streets of
Day 32, June 21
Pray that your life will be completely changed by the work that he has planned for you.
Day 31, June 22
Pray that our team will be unified in this work. Pray that everything that we do will be done to glorify our God.
Day 30, June 23
Pray for the Mi Esperanza program. Pray that it will help the ladies in the program to learn a skill and to change their lives.
Day 29, June 24
Pray for the children at the Good Shepherd Orphanage
Day 28, June 25
Pray for a poor man named Trajellio. Pray that he will get the house that he desperately needs.
Day 27, June 26
Pray that we will work tirelessly and that God will protect our team when we are in
Day 26, June 27
Pray for wisdom.
Day 25, June 28
Pray that God will fill the new church building that will be built in Santa Anna with people that need Jesus.
Day 24, June 29
Pray that God will make us fearless and willing to step outside of our comfort zone.
Day 23, June 30
Pray for the children at the School for the Blind.
Day 22, July 1
Pray for the little boys at Jovenes en Camino – a home for boys that need one.
Day 21, July 2
Pray that we will keep our passion for service strong when we return to our homes.
Day 20, July 3
Pray that our message is in our service as much as it is in our words.
Day 19, July 4
Pray for revival in the
Day 18, July 5
Pray for fertile soil and a bountiful harvest.
Day 17, July 6
Pray for Billy Ferguson and Cisco Vega as they prepare to work tirelessly leading our evangelism teams.
Day 16, July 7
Pray for the hungry children in
Day 15, July 8
Pray for everyone that you know that will be on this mission. Pray for them by name and ask God to touch their lives. Ask God to let them see Jesus – face to face in
Day 14, July 9
Pray for my friend Cole – he is coming with his family to work with us. Pray that you will get to know how special he is.
Day 13, July 10
Pray for the mission team working in Los Pinos and preparing to go to
Day 12, July 11
Pray for the Baxter Institute and the students and their teachers.
Day 11, July 12
Pray that God will teach all of us to learn to step out in faith.
Day 10, July 13
Pray for the children in the cancer ward in Hospital Esquela.
Day 9, July 14
Pray for the communities of Santa Anna, Ojojona,
Day 8, July 15
Pray for my little friend Victor. Victor lives in Los Pinos - I see Jesus in him because – just like Jesus, he never forgets my name.
Day 7, July 16
Pray for the new clinic that is being built it Santa Anna.
Day 6, July 17
Pray for Jen Wright & Karen Vaughan. These ladies are stepping out in faith and moving to
Day 5, July 18
Pray for our translators. Pray for God to give them the strength to get the message to the people that need it.
Day 4, July 19
Pray for me. Pray that God will give me the direction and understanding to lead our team where he wants us to be.
Day 3, July 20
Pray that our team will remember why we are in
Day 2, July 21
Pray for Ryan & Janna Beth – they plan to be married while we are in Roatan.
Day 1, July 22
Pray for the safe journey of the 160+ that will be meeting in
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
It's June!
By the time you read this it will be June and we are down to about 50 days until our departure. I am amazed at the speed of the past year.....wow.
Are you ready?
Here is a summary of some of the information you will recieve over the next few weeks.
Please feel free to call or eamil this information.
We will pre-purchase the wood and food so it will be waiting on us when we get to Honduras.
I love all of you and can't wait to say -
Another great day in Honduras.
Marc
Are you ready?
Here is a summary of some of the information you will recieve over the next few weeks.
- You are going to get an email or snail mail invoice letting you know how much your balance due is. We really need to get all balances cleared by July 1. Thay means that July 1 is when I need to have your check.
- You will be notified of your departure time, date, city, and your locater number. All tickets are e-tickets amd most everybody travelling from the same location will have the same locater number.
- Please note that there are some departures on July 23 and some on July 24. This is just American Airlines working to accomidate as many as possible on a given date. We just ran them out of space. For those of you not coming until the 24th - don't worry, we won't build all the houses, pack all the food, or get too much done without you.
- I am planning a conference call with several of the group leaders and will notify you by email of the time, date, and dial in number.
Please feel free to call or eamil this information.
We will pre-purchase the wood and food so it will be waiting on us when we get to Honduras.
I love all of you and can't wait to say -
Another great day in Honduras.
Marc
Saturday, May 28, 2005
Memorial Day
This weekend is one that is set aside to remember the fallen soldiers that gave their lives for the freedom that we in the USA enjoy. I am blessed because others died for me.
I am especially blessed because Jesus willingly carried the cross up the hill at Calvary to die so that I might live. Let's remember our soldiers this weekend and Jesus every day. Let's also remember the living sacrifices of Jesus' soldiers that are on the ground around the world fighting for the cause. This weekend, drop to your knees and pray a special prayer for the following - Tim, Gena, Dylan, & Dalton Hines - Joe Merillat, Nate Reeves, Mark & Lori Connell - all of these brothers and sisters are working full time to make our work in Honduras - work. Pray for missionaries around the world, for the team at Los Pinos that will be going to Mexico later this year. Pray for my friends that have gone as a team to Costa Rica. Pray for the villages of Santa Anna and Ojojona where a new church will be planted this summer. Pray for God to supply the financial tools that we will need to build and fund a new children's home in the Santa Anna community. Pray for the mission teams from Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, Louisiana, & Georgia that will be traveling and working in Honduras in the weeks before we leave. Pray that the fields will be ready for the harvest when we arrive. Pray that God will pour out his love on the people of Honduras through our hands, our words, and our action. Pray that God will deliver the resources for the work that he has planned for our team.
I love all of you and I am praying for you as we prepare for our mission. If any of you have prayer needs, please post them so that we can all pray together.
Marc
I am especially blessed because Jesus willingly carried the cross up the hill at Calvary to die so that I might live. Let's remember our soldiers this weekend and Jesus every day. Let's also remember the living sacrifices of Jesus' soldiers that are on the ground around the world fighting for the cause. This weekend, drop to your knees and pray a special prayer for the following - Tim, Gena, Dylan, & Dalton Hines - Joe Merillat, Nate Reeves, Mark & Lori Connell - all of these brothers and sisters are working full time to make our work in Honduras - work. Pray for missionaries around the world, for the team at Los Pinos that will be going to Mexico later this year. Pray for my friends that have gone as a team to Costa Rica. Pray for the villages of Santa Anna and Ojojona where a new church will be planted this summer. Pray for God to supply the financial tools that we will need to build and fund a new children's home in the Santa Anna community. Pray for the mission teams from Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, Louisiana, & Georgia that will be traveling and working in Honduras in the weeks before we leave. Pray that the fields will be ready for the harvest when we arrive. Pray that God will pour out his love on the people of Honduras through our hands, our words, and our action. Pray that God will deliver the resources for the work that he has planned for our team.
I love all of you and I am praying for you as we prepare for our mission. If any of you have prayer needs, please post them so that we can all pray together.
Marc
Friday, May 20, 2005
This week was the beginning of the summer TORCH Mission season. My friend Terry Reeves and a group of about 40 are in Honduras and are busy working in the Valley of Angels. You may have read about the Hurricane that went through Central America over the past couple of days but, that wasn't enough to stop the work. The team was able to build 2 houses in the pouring rain.
Terry's team will leave in about a week and will be immediately followed by a group led by my friend Mark Connell. Mark's team will be about 80 strong and is mostly from Birmingham, Alabama. As soon as the Alabama team is gone, a mixed team from Florida - Louisiana - & North Carolina arrives - followed by Tennessee - then Florida and Georgia - and finally OUR TEAM!
Our little group of 160 will be blessed to work in many of the same areas that the 350 or so before us have been working. A lot of seeds will be sown before we gwt to Honduras and we need to be praying for a big harvest. For those of you that have never been on a TORCH Mission, get ready - you are going to have a life changing experience. For those of you that are going back a second time and area wondering if the second time can be anywhere as good as the first - you will be amazed!
Please pray for every team that we will be following. Pray for our work and that God will continue to bless us with the tools that we need to serve him. We need to work for our benevolent and building fund unitl the day we leave. Be bold in asking people to provide for food and building funds.
If you are interested in reading mission reports from other teams, you can get a link in the TORCH section of irccorp.org. You can also get direct links at Tim Hines site at waywalkers.blogspot.com
Get Ready For
Another Great Day In Honduras
Terry's team will leave in about a week and will be immediately followed by a group led by my friend Mark Connell. Mark's team will be about 80 strong and is mostly from Birmingham, Alabama. As soon as the Alabama team is gone, a mixed team from Florida - Louisiana - & North Carolina arrives - followed by Tennessee - then Florida and Georgia - and finally OUR TEAM!
Our little group of 160 will be blessed to work in many of the same areas that the 350 or so before us have been working. A lot of seeds will be sown before we gwt to Honduras and we need to be praying for a big harvest. For those of you that have never been on a TORCH Mission, get ready - you are going to have a life changing experience. For those of you that are going back a second time and area wondering if the second time can be anywhere as good as the first - you will be amazed!
Please pray for every team that we will be following. Pray for our work and that God will continue to bless us with the tools that we need to serve him. We need to work for our benevolent and building fund unitl the day we leave. Be bold in asking people to provide for food and building funds.
If you are interested in reading mission reports from other teams, you can get a link in the TORCH section of irccorp.org. You can also get direct links at Tim Hines site at waywalkers.blogspot.com
Get Ready For
Another Great Day In Honduras
Monday, May 16, 2005
Airline Tickets
We are in the process of matching names with all of the airline reservations that we have. In November we made several blocks of reservations to lock in a fairly decent price. You'd be amazed to know that our team is now an exact match for the number of tickets that American Airlines offered us in November. To me, this means that God has had this team planned out for a long time. It shouldn't surprise any of us that the number of seats from every location is an exact match to the number of people that are needing seats from those locations. If this happened in just one place, we could call it a coincidence but, we are using 7 departure cities and they are all an exact match.
WOW!
I will be emailing your info within the next couple of weeks. We are all e-ticketed and everybody except the Hot Springs group will be on American Airlines.
Won't be long now!
Marc
WOW!
I will be emailing your info within the next couple of weeks. We are all e-ticketed and everybody except the Hot Springs group will be on American Airlines.
Won't be long now!
Marc
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Let's Build Some Houses
I am hearing a lot of good things about planning and raising the money for our mission to Honduras. Good things are happening every week and as usual, everyone that has comitted to go on this mission will find that God will provide the way. Pray and be confident in that.
We can't forget that just getting to Honduras is all that we need to be doing. Our team will clearly have the greatest potential of any TORCH Team - EVER! However, potential can only be realized if we are all working toward the same goal. That goal is not just getting to Honduras, it must include a plan to raise working funds for the houses that we plan to build, the food for the hungry, the medicine for the sick.
I'd like to hear form any and all of you about how your group is doing in this area. Are there any challenges out there? Post some news and let's build some houses!
(if you don't want to post, send me an email and I'll post it)
We can't forget that just getting to Honduras is all that we need to be doing. Our team will clearly have the greatest potential of any TORCH Team - EVER! However, potential can only be realized if we are all working toward the same goal. That goal is not just getting to Honduras, it must include a plan to raise working funds for the houses that we plan to build, the food for the hungry, the medicine for the sick.
I'd like to hear form any and all of you about how your group is doing in this area. Are there any challenges out there? Post some news and let's build some houses!
(if you don't want to post, send me an email and I'll post it)
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