Long-term results from Short Term Missions Trips- A Honduran perspective

Sometimes missions trips are rightly accused of focusing on the short-term impact at the expense of the long term results. However, I would counter by saying: Not if they are done rightly! Which if done with the caliber of leaders like Henrietta Doren, from North Way Christian Community, they do indeed have long-term results on both sides of the borders! (in the photo on the right, Corina Hinchberger is helping out with the crafts during our family outreach day)

Here are some of the results gleaned from personal interviews I held with several of the Hondurans who participated in this past summer's adventure.

• Melvin: After having spent the week with the team from Pittsburgh and CCI AL/Honduras gave me a good idea of how to do camps, so I did one this fall which was sponsered by a Dutch organization using the International Extreme Camp here in Honduras . Here is what one of my campers said: I smoked one joint of marijuana at camp the first day. But, now, I don't need it. I am loved. I don't want to leave!

• Benjamin: After we got back from visiting the garbage dump I started collecting clothing and money from my college friends to deliever to the garbage dump each week together with my youth group. I have even sent emails thanking my non-Christian college friends for their donations!
• Blanca: I want to go back to the school we visited by the garbage dump and find out what their real needs are because I am planning on getting my youth group to help out Pastor Joeny with the children at the school.
  
• Carlos: It was the first time I ever entertained foreigners in my home and we were positively impacted by this experience. The door is now open for others to follow.
• Norma Canales: Although I didn't host a team this past year in 2008, I have for the previous 9 years and each family or pair of North Americans that we hosted in our small humble home left an imprint on our childrens' lives--they are now grown men--but they cherish the memories created.
• Kenia: This experience was like a car wash for me--God got rid of so many of my fears and inhibitions. For instance, it was my first time working shoulder to shoulder with foreigners. My worldview has opened as a result. (she is pictured below with her family)
  

Conclusion from the entire group: It has become ever so clear that hosting short term missions teams awakens in us a greater desire, interest and actual outreach to the social needs of our fellow Hondurans, something we can become blind to. We can give from our means too!

Short-Term Missions Team, Ministry Days with children from City Garbage Dump

Let me start with a brief word to my regular ministry partners, please forgive me for not clarifying this beforehand: Just for the duration of the “Short-Term Missions Team Trip” I am using my blog to communicate news and photos about their time here in Honduras. That will entail just two more entries, this particular entry regarding the ministry time we had with children who work and live at the Tegucigalpa City Dump and lastly a post sharing about what God did during our Family Camp Outreach when we inaugurated the ropes course elements we had just built and presented the Good News of the gospel to 30 families (135 people) one on one.

After these two entries, I will return to my regular occasional postings. I have shared this photo journal with you to give you a glimpse of how we host Short Term Missions Teams with Christian Camping International here in Honduras.

For two days we played with the children of the AFE School (Initials stand for Amor, Fe, Esperanza—Love, faith, hope). The parents of these children live and work in and around the garbage dump, in fact, many of these children work there after school as well. Pastor Joeny Ordonez escorted us to the dump to see for ourselves the 1000 or more people who pick through the garbage to recycle plastic, paper, metal and cardboard.

Picture 2: The garbage trucks arrive every 5 minutes as the people line up ready to pounce on the “fresh garbage” to rip open the bags and salvage all they can from it. Vultures were everywhere.

Picture 3:
Under Pastor Joeny’s direction we moved around in small groups to hand out bags of water and bread, without exception the folks expressed their appreciation. Here we gather together to pray and hear more of Joeny’s ministry, you may access their website for more information (http://www.micahcentral.org/dumplife.htm)

During the remainder of our two days at the AFE School we did some light jobs and mostly played with the children, who thrived on the love and attention they received.

Picture 4: The children were divided up into groups (see slideshow of the groups with their respective leaders on the blog) and then they traveled from station to station playing different recreational activities. In this station they children are listening to the Americans share their testimony of how they came to the Lord.

Picture 5-Frisbee games: A few of our translators were also CCI /LA members, who are very adept at leading games, like this station of “bowling with a Frisbee”, it was the first time these children had ever thrown one!

Picture 6- Here we are, Henrietta Doren and I already scheming for next year’s trip!

Picture 7: Decorating visors was a big hit, Ana Ramirez and Cassidy brought joy to every child’s heart as they proudly wore their visor home.

Picture 8: North Way Christian Community donated the poster hangers, Garrin installed them in each classroom and from the water bottles sold during the church’s Friday Nite Car Cruises, the money was raised to purchase Spanish posters for each classroom.

Picture 9: With each new experience God stretched us way out of our comfort zone and fully into our groan zone. Rhonda is making good use of her Spanish language skills, but even so, working with children is a stretch for her since she is used to interacting with adults in her corporate job.

Video clip 1: Valerie found herself at home among the children while they played a modified version of soccer—play it in groups of four without letting go of your hands!

Here's the pictures of the North Americans with their respective teams of children with whom they played.

Short-Term Missions Team- Construction Project

Pictures speak a thousand word so I have posted numerous pictures of the constructions project on the blog, please view them directly on the blog! Enjoy the explanation for each picture written on the captions.

Short-Term Missions Team- Day 2 Host Family experience

Delightful hospitality of the host families:
Each pair of Americans was hosted by a Honduran family who are associated with the ministry of Christian Camping International. The warmth of the Latins was well appreciated by the North Americans who noticed how important family is to Latins. Meals were shared by aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and even neighbors! (see pictures on blog)



Sights of the City:
The sights of the capital city, Tegucigalpa were found to be very interesting and in some ways reminiscent of Pittsburgh in that houses are built into the sides of mountains and hills.
(see pictures on the blog)


Worship Services
Everyone attended church with their host families, and the duration of the church services ranged from 90 minutes to 4 hours!













(Picture of the famous Catholic Cathedral to the Virgin Suyapa in Tegucgalpa)

We invite you to continue to send us your comments and thoughts, and Lisa will print them out to give to the short term team members. (click on comments button below, then type in your comment, type in the funny letters that appear which prove that it's a human typing and not a SPAM maker)

Short-Term Missions Team to Honduras 2008 - Day 1

Eleven members from North Way Christian Community arrived safely today to Honduras, July 5, 2008. Thankfully, no luggage was left behind this time!








We were warmly welcomed by our host families.





The team arrived to the city of San Pedro Sula and given the "abundant food" (read sarcasm in my voice) they provided on the plane, we quickly made our way to Power Chicken get empowered for the journey south to the capital city of Tegucigalpa.



















We drove by Lake Yojoa, Honduras' only natural lake, and stopped to appreciate the view at dusk.




Each member of the US team will be spending the remainder of the weekend with their host families. We will meet at camp on Monday morning to begin our building project.

Here are pictures of each of the team members with their respective Honduran host families (see blog to view photos)



If you are a "sender" of one of the team members (praying for, financially supporting them), then leave your comments, prayers and thoughts below for any member of the team and we will communicate it to the team. Thanks!