Henry Alvarenga, our director at Ministerio Sal y Luz, has talked about his vision for the ministry here in Honduras for over a year and this last two weeks, his vision started coming to life. It will only continue to grow and expand as God blesses the work here.
Of course, the first thing I always want to share is the growth of the ladies and their ministry. The original ladies group has added over 200 other ladies and 5 villages to their list. Now, the ladies have rented a house on credit in Pena Blanca and are making uniforms to sell to the stores in the area. They are working 5 days a week in a poorly lit, hot room but they are faithful. Henry's vision is to provide a way for the men and women in the area to have a means of providing income for their families and also to share the Love of God with them at the same time. The ladies in the group will share the profits from the sell of the uniforms when they start selling them. At the moment, they are building inventory and some of the women are having a real problem paying for their transportation to and from their villages to work every day. As Henry always reminds me, GOD IS IN CONTROL and He will provide for us if we seek Him.
Last Friday, parents of children were here at the clinic for a morning of Bible Study and health prevention. The staff did the health component and some of the local pastors held joint meetings with the parents and then separate meetings for the men and women. Alcoholism and abuse are two of the big problems here in Honduras. The men want to provide for their families but there is not enough work for them to do an adequate job, then that produces problems in the families.
On Friday of this week, we had a diabetes training and prevention clinic. Over twenty patients attended and received information about diabetes and how to control it. They also were given other information about the disease and a local pastor provided a time of devotion.
Yesterday was a very busy day. The staff of an eye clinic from another town came and did eye exams on the children in the education program. We will be sending the results of that exam to the board in America to determine how to best help the children with problems.
Yesterday morning, I started my day by helping prepare over 300 chicken sandwiches for a ladies ministry conference to be held in the afternoon. We deboned a lot of chickens and then made a type of sandwich spread out of the chicken mixed with other ingredients. A lady, originally from Honduras but now living in Miami conducted the conference. We had over 300 ladies attend from all the villages around our area. The conference was held in the auditorium at the University down the road. Many women were saved during the conference.
It is such a privilege to see God at work in the ministry here. Henry and Hemi have done an excellent job of leading the people and finding avenues to get the job done. We know that God has more plans in store and is blessing the spread of evangelism at our ministry.
Thank you for your prayers and support. None of this is possible without your help, especially to support the operations budget of the ministry. Without this money, we would not be able to pay the staff, or maintain the clinic and vehicles.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Daily Activities at Salt and Light Clinic in Honduras
It occurred to me today that a lot people don't have any idea of what we do at our Ministry on a daily basis. Most people come for a week and are involved in a group that are building a house or conducting VBS or working with a medical group. Maybe they would like to know what goes on when there is not a group here.
I was going to say we rest but that is not true...we do all the things that didn't get done while the team was here. In June and July, we had very few days that there was no team at the lake area. When the last team left, I think we all just took a breath.
There are no typical days here, every day is different and I like that. I enjoy the variety and the experience of doing and going different places.
Every morning around 5:15, the patients begin arriving to get in line to see the doctor or dentist. Only 45 patients are seen every day so they arrive early to get a place in line. They walk mostly, some arrive in a vehicle or taxi. They bring their breakfast or lunch with them. If a person is very ill, they are seen first but the others have to wait. Most patients are seen by 2:00.
Carmen, our maid and the person that gives out the numbers arrives around 6:00. Rigo arrives at 6:30 to begin taking care of things around the clinic. He also starts the morning devotion for the patients when the pastor arrives. The rest of the staff arrive at 7:30 and we have our devotion time together.
I get up at 5:15 because with all the patients arriving, babies crying, radios playing and the dogs being tied up outside my window, it would be difficult to sleep any later. Morning are good for me so I do my devotion, read my Bible and drink coffee. I also answer emails and talk to my children on their way to work.
Most of my time is spend working with Henry on emails and attending meetings with different communities. There are always meeting to attend, sometimes more than time allows. I have become involved in the ladies ministry with Hemi and Loida. I spend a lot of time writing which is something I never enjoyed or was good at. God is doing the writing, I am just doing the typing. I always pray that whatever I put on paper will glorify God.
Today I am going to San Pedro Sula with Dr. Ondina and Lesly to buy things for the clinic and I will be able to buy some American groceries. After I buy groceries, I will be picked up by some of the staff and we will go to some poor and dangerous areas of San Pedro to make videos for the meeting in October at Galloway. This week my focus has been on helping with the video and working on a newsletter for Henry.
Tomorrow, Lesly, Evis and I will work on the education program to get July report done. Lightening struck the computer and we lost all our data and the program, but fortunately we had someone in the states that helped us get in back together.
Every day we have people that come here to see Henry for advise or help with problems. Henry is very good with people and has Godly wisdom. Yesterday, two ladies came that needed help for their children to go to the university. They both worked at the orphanage and needed help. It is so hard when you can't help everyone and you want to. We have requests every day for one kind of help or another.
It is such a blessing for me to live here and work with this ministry. God has blessed me so much during this time. I miss my children and grandchildren but I know this is where God wants me now. The last several weeks I have been missing home more and my family but I think it is the devil trying to get to me. Please pray that I will be open to God's will for my life and give Him the glory. Henry says the devil is always trying to work on us, especially when we are working for the Lord. He creates doubts in our minds and hearts to keep us from doing God's work but we will pray for peace in our hearts.
Our ministry is growing every day and the Lord continues to bless us. Evangelism has really grown and God is certainly blessing this area of the ministry.
On Saturday, we will have a lady from the US conduct a conference for women and I will help make sandwiches for 300 women and greet the ladies at the door. I hope Sunday will be a day of rest for me so I will be able to make the next week.
On Friday, of next week, the staff and their families are all going to Roatan for the weekend. I have never been so that will be an experience. We leave at 3:00 am so we can catch the ferry at 8:00 to go the island. I dread that part of the trip, especially in the yellow bus.
Gotta go to San Pedro. Dr. Ondina just arrived.
I was going to say we rest but that is not true...we do all the things that didn't get done while the team was here. In June and July, we had very few days that there was no team at the lake area. When the last team left, I think we all just took a breath.
There are no typical days here, every day is different and I like that. I enjoy the variety and the experience of doing and going different places.
Every morning around 5:15, the patients begin arriving to get in line to see the doctor or dentist. Only 45 patients are seen every day so they arrive early to get a place in line. They walk mostly, some arrive in a vehicle or taxi. They bring their breakfast or lunch with them. If a person is very ill, they are seen first but the others have to wait. Most patients are seen by 2:00.
Carmen, our maid and the person that gives out the numbers arrives around 6:00. Rigo arrives at 6:30 to begin taking care of things around the clinic. He also starts the morning devotion for the patients when the pastor arrives. The rest of the staff arrive at 7:30 and we have our devotion time together.
I get up at 5:15 because with all the patients arriving, babies crying, radios playing and the dogs being tied up outside my window, it would be difficult to sleep any later. Morning are good for me so I do my devotion, read my Bible and drink coffee. I also answer emails and talk to my children on their way to work.
Most of my time is spend working with Henry on emails and attending meetings with different communities. There are always meeting to attend, sometimes more than time allows. I have become involved in the ladies ministry with Hemi and Loida. I spend a lot of time writing which is something I never enjoyed or was good at. God is doing the writing, I am just doing the typing. I always pray that whatever I put on paper will glorify God.
Today I am going to San Pedro Sula with Dr. Ondina and Lesly to buy things for the clinic and I will be able to buy some American groceries. After I buy groceries, I will be picked up by some of the staff and we will go to some poor and dangerous areas of San Pedro to make videos for the meeting in October at Galloway. This week my focus has been on helping with the video and working on a newsletter for Henry.
Tomorrow, Lesly, Evis and I will work on the education program to get July report done. Lightening struck the computer and we lost all our data and the program, but fortunately we had someone in the states that helped us get in back together.
Every day we have people that come here to see Henry for advise or help with problems. Henry is very good with people and has Godly wisdom. Yesterday, two ladies came that needed help for their children to go to the university. They both worked at the orphanage and needed help. It is so hard when you can't help everyone and you want to. We have requests every day for one kind of help or another.
It is such a blessing for me to live here and work with this ministry. God has blessed me so much during this time. I miss my children and grandchildren but I know this is where God wants me now. The last several weeks I have been missing home more and my family but I think it is the devil trying to get to me. Please pray that I will be open to God's will for my life and give Him the glory. Henry says the devil is always trying to work on us, especially when we are working for the Lord. He creates doubts in our minds and hearts to keep us from doing God's work but we will pray for peace in our hearts.
Our ministry is growing every day and the Lord continues to bless us. Evangelism has really grown and God is certainly blessing this area of the ministry.
On Saturday, we will have a lady from the US conduct a conference for women and I will help make sandwiches for 300 women and greet the ladies at the door. I hope Sunday will be a day of rest for me so I will be able to make the next week.
On Friday, of next week, the staff and their families are all going to Roatan for the weekend. I have never been so that will be an experience. We leave at 3:00 am so we can catch the ferry at 8:00 to go the island. I dread that part of the trip, especially in the yellow bus.
Gotta go to San Pedro. Dr. Ondina just arrived.
Monday, August 1, 2011
News from Salt and Light Ministry
I pray that all of you are doing well. I went home for a couple weeks to see my children and grandchildren. While I was there, I attended the first birthday party of my only grandson. God has blessed me greatly with my children and grandchildren and I am very thankful.
As most of you know, we have a team every week from the middle of May until the end of July and this year has been very busy. I like to do a little summary of what each team accomplishes while they are here but I missed two teams while I was in the US.
Rubenia ran away from her home in Puerto Cortes last Monday and that had us all concerned but she showed up at the clinic about 4:00 that afternoon. She had been fighting with her sisters and gotten into trouble and needed extra attention I guess. Allison, the young lady that has the home she lives in was waiting here for her when she got here. Rubenia then came to stay with me for a few days the end of the week and I took her to see her family in the mountains. We enjoyed being together and didn't do much as I was very tired from the last week of work. I told Rubenia to just call if she felt the need to come and visit and I would pick her up.
Northminister Baptist Church from Jackson was here while I was in the US. They built three houses, had medical clinics and VBS in El Tigre. They also collected crocs for the children in El Tigre.
Since I have returned, Galloway UMC and Bellwether teams have been here with us. Both teams are from Jackson and really blessed the people of Honduras. Galloway took their team to a new village in the mountains called Las Quebradas. It is a very small village with poor people and a great view of the mountains and valleys around the area. The team built a house for one family and had VBS at the village. Their team consisted mostly of young adults and we really enjoyed working with each one of them.
Bellwether had a total of 46 members in their team. They built three houses in Los Laureles and had a medical team in four different villages. VBS was also held in the different villages. Bellwether's pastor also conducted a seminar for pastors and their wives at the hotel. The team distributed clothes at the orphanage one day and the doctors checked the children. They discovered one young boy with an abdominal blockage that needed immediate attention. In one of the villages, there was a young lady that needed surgery to be able to survive.
It is always a blessing for the medical teams to go to the villages because so many people don't have the resources to go to a doctor when they need medical attention. They don't have a vehicle or money to pay the doctor or money to buy medicine.
God bless all of you and thank you for the prayers.
As most of you know, we have a team every week from the middle of May until the end of July and this year has been very busy. I like to do a little summary of what each team accomplishes while they are here but I missed two teams while I was in the US.
Rubenia ran away from her home in Puerto Cortes last Monday and that had us all concerned but she showed up at the clinic about 4:00 that afternoon. She had been fighting with her sisters and gotten into trouble and needed extra attention I guess. Allison, the young lady that has the home she lives in was waiting here for her when she got here. Rubenia then came to stay with me for a few days the end of the week and I took her to see her family in the mountains. We enjoyed being together and didn't do much as I was very tired from the last week of work. I told Rubenia to just call if she felt the need to come and visit and I would pick her up.
Northminister Baptist Church from Jackson was here while I was in the US. They built three houses, had medical clinics and VBS in El Tigre. They also collected crocs for the children in El Tigre.
Since I have returned, Galloway UMC and Bellwether teams have been here with us. Both teams are from Jackson and really blessed the people of Honduras. Galloway took their team to a new village in the mountains called Las Quebradas. It is a very small village with poor people and a great view of the mountains and valleys around the area. The team built a house for one family and had VBS at the village. Their team consisted mostly of young adults and we really enjoyed working with each one of them.
Bellwether had a total of 46 members in their team. They built three houses in Los Laureles and had a medical team in four different villages. VBS was also held in the different villages. Bellwether's pastor also conducted a seminar for pastors and their wives at the hotel. The team distributed clothes at the orphanage one day and the doctors checked the children. They discovered one young boy with an abdominal blockage that needed immediate attention. In one of the villages, there was a young lady that needed surgery to be able to survive.
It is always a blessing for the medical teams to go to the villages because so many people don't have the resources to go to a doctor when they need medical attention. They don't have a vehicle or money to pay the doctor or money to buy medicine.
God bless all of you and thank you for the prayers.
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