Working with at-risk populations on the mission field….has challenged our filter on thankfulness. When we think of what we are thankful for we often have a list running through our mind of the things we have or successes we have achieved. What would it be like to not have anything of substance that you could be thankful for? No house to speak of, little clothing, and barely enough food to feed your family. Each time we witness the people we serve on the field giving thanks and praise to God in the midst of utter poverty and pain…it changes us and takes us to a deeper level of gratitude. They teach us about being truly thankful…to the One they know loves them unconditionally and is working His plan for their good. For them, it is all about the relationship.

This season as we sit around our bountiful tables, and identify the many blessings around us…check your level of gratitude…for the abundant blessings that you have been entrusted with. How will you use them to benefit others and glorify the Giver?

May God continue to shine His face upon you and your loved ones during this holiday season.

With Gratitude for all you do,

Finish the Work Teams and Leadership

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I felt that every person on our team was divinely appointed to be a part of this team.  Kevin was an awesome team leader, really rallying the troops, ensuring everyone on the team was connecting, and he did an amazing job of continually pointing us to the heart of God through our nightly devotionals and testimonials.

 I loved meeting Maria and hearing her heart to coordinate resources for the churches to have maximum impact within these communities.  Eddie did a great job of  managing the teams to get the job at hand done and he patiently taught me how to be a better painter :).

As a single mom, it was a gift to step away from the demands of day to day life, to seek and to serve God, connect with other Christ followers, on our team and within the churches we served, play with the kids and experience their joy, and to pause to see people the way God sees them.  My prayer is that I will continue to boldly take next steps to follow through on what God impressed on my heart while I was in Honduras and to truly live like I am blessed, because I am!

Grateful beyond measure!

Kristina – Team 2

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Before we began working, I was told there would be a three year old boy named Christian at the church who liked to follow people around to help them work. At the beginning of the week he wouldn’t do much when I was around, but I kept smiling at him while I worked.

One day when I had taken a break from painting outside, I left my brush unattended. When I came back, I caught Christian using my paintbrush to paint the church wall. He had a huge smile on his face and that smile was contagious. I let him help out with the last bits of painting on the wall, and after that I’d take some time each day to play soccer, play pretend drums, and chase him around the job site.

When the last day came around, I was already a mess trying to hold myself together from saying goodbye to the people in the church, and the other kids we would play with sometimes in the afternoons. I had gotten hugs from all of them, and the only one left was little Christian. In my mind, the best I was going to get out of him would be a high five, like most days. I knelt down anyway and asked for a hug, expecting him to shake his head no and hide behind his mother. Instead, he came up and hugged me without a second thought and I almost couldn’t let him go.

I’m not one to cry in front of others, especially people I haven’t known long, but I couldn’t stop myself from crying. I was saying goodbye to my friend, my little buddy, and it hurt. But, I find comfort in the fact that he has a fantastic mother, and a great church to help guide him as he grows.

Earlier that week we had heard that three children…about a year older than him… had been kidnapped nearby, by people who intended to sell their organs. Thank God those children were rescued, but my heart still ached knowing that sort of evil was so close. These kinds of kidnappings are something I had heard about once or twice, long before I had ever gone on missions, but it had never felt so real. Although these actions can’t be put to an end, I know that having the church finished will help God’s light shine to those who need God’s comfort and joy in the good times and the bad.

-Allison Davis Team 2

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This year however, I felt a tug and change in my role on these trips. Every year I have gone on a Finish the Work trip, I have always been the “baby” of the group because I was so young and basically decided to do this on my own. There were 4 other girls on my team who were all under the age of 18.  I instantly connected with them and it only got better from there. Although I’m only 20, I still felt like a guardian or role model for these girls. They experienced what I went through in high school and it was encouraging for me to help them understand how important they are and how valued they are by God.

I wanted them to know that people will let you down; friends, family, school, the things you love most have the potential to let you down. But God will not and cannot. I saw a different part of myself in each and every one of these girls. Being able to joke with them, talk, pray over, and simply love on them, was a blessings from the Lord Himself. I found out new things about myself as a growing woman, but will always recognize that I am a child of God.

It was difficult transitioning back to a world where kids my age act so privileged or don’t even realize how good they have it. But I have seen the other side and what it is like to go day to day without basic needs being met. Going to another country and experiencing the power of the Lord in such raw and untainted way is such a blessing, I cannot describe how good the Lord is besides saying that He is the one, He is Yahweh, Abba father. So, to reenter into a society that doesn’t understand can be disheartening at times.

The trip this year was my turning point and I am grateful for the ministry that takes place at El Eden and Pastor Rafael for pulling me aside and telling me that he could see the leadership that God is growing and molding inside of me. It was a confirmation from the Lord and I am without words because I am in such awe of these trips that I get to be a small part of.

Blessings,

Emily Jackson- Team 2

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This was my first international mission trip.  I had zero expectations due to my lack of knowledge. I knew I was going to Honduras to physically help build a wall. Little did I know that my relationships with my team and the Honduran people would be so influential in taking my Christianity to a whole new level. I am so thankful the Lord led me on this journey. God Bless.

Eric Campagna -Week 2

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I shared with my group that I saw the deep love of Christ in every one of them. They weren’t there for any display but for Him and the people He sent them to help. I also was impressed by the joy of churches we worshiped with there. God bless and thank you for the privilege of sharing in this work.

Dennis Tallcott (Week 1)

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One of the things we are learning on Team 4 is that here in Honduras there are no standards in the building trade. Doors are cut to random measurements, and windows may or may not fit the actual opening. If they don’t fit, the thought is “just fill in around it with a little concrete and we’re good to go!” That makes it a bit tricky to finish out a building…and often we find ourselves needing to “custom-make” something that is a perfect fit.

God has assembled Team 4 with a perfect fit for this week. We say it every year but it’s always true…God puts together the teams to meet the needs of any given week, and Finish the Work takes it from there. This team had many people sign up, then, for a variety of reasons, they were unable to go.

As we watched the revolving door, we wondered, “What is God going to do with this team?” Well, He is doing amazing things. People who barely knew each other before day 1 on the ground, have come together to help complete the project and finish well. Older people, younger people, 3 generations from one family, Costas Ricans that don’t speak much English, and Americans that don’t speak much Spanish!

We should not be surprised by God’s desire to teach us how to be one in the Body of Christ. We see differences, but God has “custom-made” us for a perfect fit to carry out His purposes and bring Him glory!

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These men and women know the challenges that lay before them this week, and have been in the trenches many times before. They excel at improvising, and are determined to finish their part of whatever tasks they may be assigned to…and most of the time they end the day with a smile!

This week as you pray for them, ask God to bless them in their efforts of laying tile…lots of tile! If you have ever done that kind of work you know that you are on your knees most of the time. The grouters come after the tile is laid…still on your knees, and then the final phase of cleaning the tile…in the same position.

Many thanks to everyone that donated towards the individuals on this trip, the materials that are being used this week, or any other part of the trip. We are grateful for all of our partners!

Corrie Ten Boom – “A man is powerful on his knees.”  Go Team 3!

Thankfully;

The Finish the Work Team

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We are halfway through the Honduras 2017 project and Teams 1 & 2 have set the stage for a great win for Teams 3 & 4! The amount of progress that has been made is pretty staggering and we are primed and ready to launch team 3 in a few days!

Sanctuary Before:

After Team Two:

This week is a week of rest for our teams, our project coordinator Eddie King, and his sidekick/interpreter Maria Melgarejo. They are taking a well needed break before finishing up the project on March 18^th. Many thanks to all their efforts in keeping everyone in line and well taken care of!

Heading into the second half of the project means new challenges for both remaining teams. They will be laying lots of tile, finishing up the security wall around our 2016 project, and completing a detailed punch-list of tasks just in time for the celebration service on Friday, March 17^th!

Kitchen on Day 1:

Kitchen After Team Two:

As teams 2 and 3 take the field over the next few weeks, please pray for safe travels, good health and opportunities to continue our relationships with the remarkable people of Honduras.

Many thanks to our donors who gave to individuals or materials for this project, we cannot do this without you!

Gratefully,

The Finish the Work Team

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Team 2 is a great example of how God orchestrates the diversity and oneness on each Finish the Work team. Even on our best day, we could not have chosen these particular people to be available on the same week, come from the same church (except sweet Emily J), be able to raise the funds necessary and be willing to give their blood (hopefully not much), sweat (probably a lot) and tears (only when headed home) to bless others with a completed church.

So, just to be perfectly clear…..the church this team represents has been working on having their own church building for over 7 years now. They are only a few months away from moving in but they have chosen to help that dream come true for people they don’t even know BEFORE they will experience it for themselves!

God has a BIG plan for this week and this team. Pray that they would build unforgettable memories with family members, share their experiences openly with the team, and find great satisfaction in building a place to worship for people that could never have done it on their own!

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