God is blessing Salt and Light Ministry

This summer has been such a blessing for the ministry.  God provided the teams and they have shared their gifts with the people in Honduras.  The large teams started coming the middle of May and we have had one after another since then. 
I would like to share some of the high lights of each of the teams, it would take too long to list all the activities of each team.  Meadow Grove Baptist in Brandon was the first of the summer teams.  The members of the team shared with the Ladies Ministry and installed a water purification system.
Vicksburg Mission Team was next, their team taught several classes for the people in Honduras.  The classes were wood working, art, sewing, beading and electricity.  Some of the young men that attended are continuing to make crosses, the women in the art class will paint them for sell.
St. Marks and Madison Methodist showed the movie Courageous to the men in Las Lomitas and then have a ceremony for the men that made the committment to be a Godly father and husband.  They also had an abstinence class for young girls in the village.
Covenant Presbyterian and New Hope Baptist build four houses, conducted VBS for the children and had doctors and a dentist see patients.  God provided a speech pathologist for a young girl that cannot speak.  Molly, the speech pathologist also was able to use a hearing machine to screen children in our education program.  A four year old girl was found that cannot hear or speak.  We are in the process of searching for ways to help this young girl, Angie, and her family.
This week, North Minster from Jackson and a  team from Clemson will be in Honduras.  God will provide for the people through these teams as He has with the other teams that come to share the gifts God has given them.
Ministerio Sal y Luz now has four tutoring programs in place.  The programs are in La Virtud, El Jaral, El Tigre and Pena Blanca at Ramon Rosa School.  We are teaching math and Spanish.  One of our goals is to instill Christian values and morals in the children at an early age.  We also want to teach them the importance of staying in school and getting an education.
Out of the tutoring program, a youth mentoring program is beginning.  We have taken several young boys from several communities that have little or no support from their families.  Three of the boys have no parents and one has a mother and four sisters to help support.  They come every day after school and work in the garden that has been started.  They are paid a small wage and are given vegetables to sell in town.  The most important part is a Bible study and mentoring by Godly men while they are working at the clinic.  The next step in the mentoring program is to begin a group for young girls that need help with support and guidance from Godly women.
The summer has been busy but God is in control and everythng is going well.  The staff is working hard to support the teams in their efforts to help the people.
Please continue to pray for the ministry.

First Love Rev. 2: 1-7

Starting last fall, I started having moods that I had not had before in Honduras.  I would get frustrated, angry, depressed and just not very pleasant.  I know it was hard on the staff here and especially Henry and also to some of my Christian friends at home.  At first, I thought I was just tired and didn't understand what was going on most of the time.  The longer I stay here, the more I want to be able to communicate with the people on a more personal level but I just have not been able to learn Spanish.  I always say that it is my age or God just wants the staff to learn Engllish but I think now it is more than that...I think God is trying very hard to make me know how dependent I am on Him.  I know, like most people, that we think we are in control and we are not.  God can wipe that control right out of our hands any time He wants to.
I have a book written by Bill Bright called First Love.  I have had the book for a long time, I have never opened it or paid much attention to it but it ended up in my suitcase this time when I returned to Honduras.  I have been reading it and it is all aboout me.  When I first came to Honduras, I knew that God had called me here to work at the ministry and I felt so blessed to be used by Him.  As time went on, I quit focusing on God and His will for me and I started focusing on the work being done.  I left my lifeline.  I am like the church at Ephesus that God talks about in Revelations, I left my first love.  Now I know why this book was in my suitcase, God wanted me to come back to my first love.  I have to keep my focus on God and not the work being done and to give God the glory for all of it.
This is the last paragraph in the book.

"If this love I have now--this first love is only partial, I can only say that I long foor the final edition.  If the abundance of this life in only a foretaste, I long for the full meal.  And if my comprehension of God now if just a glance through a hazy mirror, I long for a complete and unimpaired view.  Praise God, what a day that will be!! I can hardly wait.
But for now, we have something wonderful.  It cannot compare to the glories of heaven, but it is still the most wonderful thing in this world.  I refer to the indescribable love of God.  Cling to it.  Cherish it and nurture it every day.  Make your first love be your lasting, permanent love, and God will grant you wonderful blessings beyond any imagining.  And be sure to share your renewed first love with others."

Now for the things that are going on in Honduras.  I asked Henry last night to please not add any more new programs, I can't keep up with where I am suppose to be.  He is doing a great job and loves the Lord so much that he wants others to love the Lord as much as he does.  The staff works so hard to accomplish the vision that Henry has.

It is such a blessing to be in a place where God is the center of everything that we do.  Not that we don't get upset and lose our focus as I said above but we refocused and keep on going. 

Our first big team arrives and there will be one team right after another until sometime in August.  We will  really have to concentrate on making time to adjust our focus for He is our strength. 

The tutoring programs are going well.  We have a pilot program in El Jaral that has been operating since March.  We will start four more programs in different villages this month.  Because of limited resoureces and staff, we are having to be selective in the villages we put the programs.  Allan, a young man that was born in Honduras but raised by Baptist missionaries is helping us and doing an excellant job.  I told Henry that a teacher is born and I don't think a person that has a true heart for teaching can learn that in school.

The men's and women's ministries are doing well.  They have lots of projects to help the people learn to make their own living and not wait for someone to give them what they need.  The Pastor's Bible Study is growing and more and more people are being affected by it.

I have enjoyed the squash and okra in the garden that the men planted.  We are going to add to our small plot and plant corn and beans on a larger plot next to it.  The men can then sell the vegetables to the soup kitchens and make some money to feed their families.

The container arrived and we have been distributing lots of clothes and other items that you so generously sent to Honduras.  We still have a lot of things to give away but hopefully we will provide them to the people that truly need them.

Please pray for the staff here at Sal y Luz and the teams that are preparing to come and not only get a blessing but also receive a blessing.

We love you all.
 

Update on projects at Ministerio Sal y Luz in Honduras

"This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."  Psalm 118:42

I pray that whatever words are in this blog are from the Lord and that my only contribution is the typing of what the Lord puts on my heart.  Our only purpose here on earth is to do His will in everything and to give Him the glory.

I have been home for over two weeks and have not updated the blog about the activities at Ministerio Sal y Luz, I think I am getting lazy in my old age. 

When I left to come home on March 27th, the garden, planted by the Men's Ministry was growing well.  Henry told me last week that they had harvested the radishes already.  The purpose of the garden is to give the men that are interested a way to do productive work.  They will raise the vegetables and sell them to the soup kitchens that the ministry supports.  This way they will have income to feed their families and the ministry will have vegetables to cook for the children.  In Honduras, the weather is suitable to grow crops all year long.  Some of the crops will vary because of the cool weather in the first part of the year and the lack of rain in April and May but with planning, there should always be something growing to sell.

Henry has tried to pull in men from the different areas of the ministry.  He has men from the families that are fed in the soup kitchens, the families that have children supported in the education program and some of the local ministers are helping also.  The staff provided training for the men involved using people that have worked in the agriculture profession for a long time that know about the soil and the seasons in Honduras.  The soil in our area is volcanic soil and very rich but it is also very porous and requires certain nutritients more often than some other soil types.  It also requires a lot of water to help the plants grow when we are not getting a lot of rain in March, April and May.  This year there was more rain during those months than usual so that was a blessing. 

The tutoring program was started in El Jaral in March.  We have all the children that live in El Jaral that are sponsored by people in the United States and we also included children that the teachers recommended for extra help.  We meet on Tuesday and Thursday at 3:00 for one hour.  Part of the hour is spent on math and part spent on Spanish.  There are two teachers at El Jaral, one teaches first through third grade and the other teaches fourth through sixth grade.  There are approximately 40 children in each room.  The teachers and some of the staff at Sal y Luz are helping the children each week.  We are fortunate to have a young man that is a teacher to help us.  His organization skills and disciplined approach are working well for the children.  Sal y Luz hopes to start a tutoring program in each village that has students that are in the education program.
Our goal is to train the local teachers and others in the village to help with the tutoring program and then go to another village and start a new program in that village until we are able to have a program in each village.  It will take time to initiate a program for all the children.

I am tutoring a math class for older students on Tuesday nights and on Thursday afternoon I have some university students that need to work on their homework.  We are very busy with our new programs in education.  Some days, I don't know if I am coming or going.

Please pray for us at Ministerio Sal y Luz.  Henry and the staff are working so hard to implement these programs to help the people.  There are many things to do but with God's help and direction, we will be able to  make a difference in their lives. 

I will be returning to Honduras on the 23th of April.  Thank you for your support of the ministry in Honduras.

Thank you for letting God use me.

This morning I was thinking how grateful I am to God first for using me in Honduras but also to all my family and friends that God uses too.  If it weren't for family, friends, my church, members of the teams that come to Honduras and to the members of the Salt and Light Ministry Foundation, I would not be able to let God use me.  I am dependent on all of you for the resources that God puts on your hearts to share with me.  I am not just talking about money but your prayers for me.  I want to be open to God's will for my life every moment but I get off track.  The people here can tell you I get off track and don't seek God's direction and guidance as often as I should.  I don't seek His wisdom as often as I need to.  I use my own wisdom and that doesn't work.  I forget who is in control of everything and I get anxious when there is no need.  I waste a lot of time being anxious when God knows and takes care of everything.  He wants me to wait and depend on Him for everything.

This is my fourth year in Honduras and it seems like the first.  Time has gone by so quickly.  I never know if God will use me here again but I have to remember, if He doesn't use me in Honduras, He has a better plan for me.  It makes me sad when I think that I might not be able to come back and see all the friends I have made but I know God's will is best no matter how I feel about it.  I think about Jeremiah 29:11 a lot and I know it is true.  God knew I would be here typing before I was born and what a great plan He had for me and has more to come.  He has a plan to use all of us, we just have to be willing to be His hands and feet so He can use us.

I have added soime pictures of the Men's Ministry garden next to the clinic.  Henry has tried so hard to find something for the men to do to help support their families.  The men are clearing and planting seeds that will produce vegetables to sell to the soup kitchens that the ministry supports.  This is the "dry" season in Honduras and they were concerned about the seed coming up.  The owner of the property would not let us water the garden bu God has provided a shower every night since they planted the garden.  It is growing beautifully and they even planted yellow squash, my favorite vegetable.

I will go home in less than two weeks and I am looking forward to seeing my family and friends.  They have helped me so much by loving me and letting me be where God wants me.

Thank you all for everything especially the prayers.

We need lots of pray concerning our new Tutoring Centers in the villages

Yesterday, Henry, Alex and I had a meeting with the teachers in a village called El Jaral.  Henry wants to set up places in each of the villages that Sal y Luz has students sponsored in.  Alex is the Education Coordinator for Sal y Luz and responsible for all areas of the education program.
We are starting with a village near the clinic called El Jaral.  This will be our pilot program and we will not start any others until we are sure that our first one is working correctly.  El Jaral has a feeding center to feed the children one meal a day, the children also receive medical and dental checkups.  One of our churches in the Jackson area provides the funds for Feeding Center in this village.  The village does not have a water purification system but we plan to install one this summer.  The children in this village have the highest incident rate for parasites.  One child was tested recently and they found over 40 different parasites in the child.  Regular worming and floride treatments are provided also.
I will get back to education and the turtoring program.  Most of the children in the public schools do not receive the basic skills, they drop out after 6th grade because they have to go to a high school in another town to be able to continue in school.  Most families do not promote their children attending school so the child can help provide for the family.  Another factor is lack of knowledge, most of the village schools do not supply the necessary skills to attend grades above 6th.
In El Jaral,  there are two teachers, six grades and 80 children for those two teachers who I think really would like to help the children.  Some schools have one teacher and 6 grades and lots of students.  Salt and Light feels that they need to have more direct contact with the children, especially the ones sponsored through our education program. 
This is a work in progress.  Next week we will have a meeting with the families of the children in the school.  The next step will be to give a thorough medican exam, including eye tests and dental exams for all the children.  We will have someone talk to the families and children about using clean water and how important it is to their families and their health.  This to help prepare them for the water purification system to be installed this summer.  The next step will be to give an evaluation test to determine what level each child is in on Mathematicas and Spanish. 
We hope to find local people in the community, including older students, that will donate their time two days a week for one hour to work with these student  that we determine needs the extra help. 
We hope that this effort, started in the early grades, will keep some of the students in school that would have dropped out.  After we see what adjustments need to be made, what works and what doesn't, then we can start the same program in the other villages where we have children sponsored.
The children have already started a garden at their school and were planting bell peppers yesterday.  This is part of them giving back to the community instead of just waiting for someone to give them something.  As an American who has been here on several mission trips, we do not help anyone by just giving.  We want the people here to be able to provide for themselves and not expect a handout.  It makes us feel good to give and sometimes it is appropriate, but not all the time.  We have to be very careful to make sure that what we are giving is beneficial and will not cause dissatisfaction in their lives.
Please be in pray for this effort, we need God's guidance and direction as we start this new program.  After I left the meeting yesterday that we had with the teachers, I was completely over whelmed by the effort it will take to make a different in these children's lives.  We cannot make a difference in their lives without God's help.  They need Him as their savior and we need Him to guide us in everything we do.  We need strength, courage, determination and lots of patience because what we want to accomplish will not happen in a day or even in a year.  There are so many negative factors to compete with but God can take care of all those things if we are faithful to do His will.

Thank you for your support and prayers and love.

Ministries at Ministerio Sal y Luz

God is working in Honduras through Sal y Luz and Henry Alvarenga, the director and the staff.  It very fails to amaze me that the staff here will work late or on the weekends as if it is natural to spend all their time with the ministry.
Henry has started his men's ministry, ten to fifteen men meet at the clinic every other week for Bible studies and to talk about how God can give them guidance so they can provide for their families.  A large garden has been planted by some of the men next door to the clinic.  All the work is done by hand with shovles and hoes.  A young, 14 year old boy is helping them every day, he has no parents and he is learning to work with men.  I think he does more work than the men.  He carried all the corn and fertilizer back to the place where they store everything when they finish.  I had to help him put the sacks on his back because it was so heavy.  The product will be sold to the ministry for our feeding centers and the men will receive their portion of the profit. We already have frioles up and are waiting for corn, carrots, squash, beets and many other vegetables to come up.
The men need something to do that will give them money to feed their families, they will have to wait on the product from the gardens.  Henry is trying to find ways for the men that want to work to provide what their families need.

Once a month, the families from the Feeding Centers that are supported the Salt and Light Ministry, come to the clinic for Bible Studies and health education.  Yesterday was the day.  The staff takes the children to a place separate from the parents and teachs them a Bible story and then they color and play organized games.  The parents meet together for topics that hopefully will improve their spiritual and physical lives.  They are picked up at 7:30 and meet for two hours. 

Last night it rained so hard, I was afraid the garden would wash away.  Hopefully it is still there.  Today we have a meeting in another town with some backers of a private school for the poor only.  It is not a business but a ministry.  From what I heard, the test scores are very high in the six grades.  They are taught English and only pay what the families can afford if anything.  Many of the public schools here are not very good and most children quit before they reach high school.  The teachers were on strike last year and the children only attended school for 90 days of the year.  I am tutoring a math class for some of the high school students that are part of our scholarship program and they don't have basic math skills.  I am talking about multiplication and division, not to mention fractions or decimals.

Thank you for all your support and prayers and thank you to the ones that made it possible for me to work with Henry and the staff at Ministerio Sal y Luz in Honduras.

God bless each of you.

Serving the Lord by meeting the physical and spiritual needs of the people in central Honduras

The Lord has really blessed us at Ministerio Saly y Luz this year by using the teams He sends to us to share with the people here in Honduras.  God always provided exactly what is needed at the time it is needed.  I have a lot of weaknesses but I think the one that bothers me most is waiting on God and thinking I can do anything without Him.  I can do nothing without Him, all I do is spin my wheels and all my energy is wasted.  God wants to use my hands and feet but He does not need my help.
We have been blessed with many small teams and groups this year.  All of them were sent here with a purpose that God had ordained and knew before we were born.  They have blessed each one of us and we are very grateful for all the blessings that are heaped on our heads.
We have many prayer concerns that would like to share with each of you.
1.  There is a young 14 year old boy, named Manuel, that has leukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant.  A nurse from the Memphis area that visited us is trying to get him an appointment at St. Jude but we are having problems connecting the doctors here and in Memphis.

2.  Ministerio Sal y Luz will start a pilot tutoring program for the students that we have sponsors for in the US.  The education system here is not good and the children have a difficult time when they go to a larger school in 7th grade.  A lot of them drop out and go to work.  Most parents don't see a need for school and need the money the children can make to help feed them.  We want to make a difference in their education and pray that they stay in school.  We are trying to change the mentality of the people but that takes time and patience.  Pray for guidance and direction that we will make a difference in the life of these children.

3.  Pray for Henry and the staff as they work with the evangelism and other programs for God's glory.

4.  Pray for me to learn and retain Spanish so I can communicate with the people.  I now have two math classes and soon will have two knitting classes for the ladies ministry.  One of my knitting classes is in a small village called 3rd of October.  The people are very poor but I have six ladies that are learning to knit so they can help support their families.  The math classes are remedial for some of the high school students and I also have some pastors that are going to the university and they need help with their math.  One of them asked me last week how many more students I could take.  I told him I didn't know but we would try and see how many is too many.  I have a translator to help me but I have to pay him for his help which I am very grateful for. 

5.  My last request is about Rubenia's family.  Rubenia's had two sisters and a two year old baby brother still in the mountains living with her parents.  The father died in September and I hate to say it but it was a blessing. The mother let me find a home for Johanna the 14 year old.  Nancy the five year old is with a cousin but I don't know where, I just pray that she is alright.  The baby is taking care of himself ( hard for us to imagine) every day while the mother picks coffee to get food.  I want to get the baby but so far the mother will not let him go.  I also need a family to take him.  Johanna is having problems adjusting to the routine at her new home.  None of the children in the family have ever had any rules or discipline, just beatings.   Johanna has a big scar in her scalp where the father hit her with the hoe.  The family that Johanna is living with wants her to stay but they called me and asked me to pray for all of them.  Pray for all the children here, most of them have a very difficult time. 

God bless all of you.   

February 5, 2012

This week things have slowed down.  We had a team from Bowie, Maryland that installed a water purification system in a village several miles away.  They left every morning and returned late in the afternoon so we did not take them different places like we do some teams.
Next Thursday, we are picking up a medical team and going to Tela which is on the coast of Honduras.  There are villages of Africans, called Girafundo, that live around the area.  They were shipwrecked there in the 1600 when being transported as slaves to the colonies.  There villages are just like the ones in Africa and they still speak African languages.  The huts are round, made with mud and a thatched roof.
On Sunday, we will take some of the medical team back to the airport and pick up another team that will be here for a week.  They will be working on water education and installing sand filters for two water systems.  There will also be training for the operators of the water systems. 
This morning, some of the parents of our Feeding Center children came to the clinic to have a time of worship and education.  This is done once a month on a rotating basis.  Today we have parents from Buena Vista and Miraflores.  Next week the Feeding Centers will be open again to feed the children once a day.  School will also start so we have school supplies and uniforms to give to the children.
Our staff does such a good job with all the things that go on here during the week.  They never seem to mind working extra hours to help do what is needed.  They are such a blessing.
I know the news media in the US is talking about how dangerous it is to be in Honduras and I know that there are things that happen here but most of the danger is in the big cities just like in the US.  Sometimes we have people that do things that are not very smart, like riding around areas that are not safe and driving at night.  In the mountains around Honduras, the conditions are not like they are in the big cities.  We go to the airport to pick up teams every week and we never have any problems but we use good judgement when we do things.  We don't go to some of the areas that are not safe.  I know that I feel safer here than I do when I am in the US.  There are some places in the US, that are not safe at night.  Honduras depends on the mission teams that come here and we need to listen to the right sources for our information.  We also need to do what God wants us to do and He will protect us.
The first year I came, they had the presidential problems and the news media showed all the riots and talked about how dangererous it was to be in Honduras.  There were no problems in the rural areas, the people there are just trying to find their next meal.  We go to San Pedro Sula every week or two and I have never seen a riot.  It really hurts the country economically when the teams don't come.
I am going to get a haircut and take a book to someone.  Please continue to pray for our ministry and the people of the country.

January 31, 2012

It doesn't seem like a month has gone by since I came back to Honduras after Christmas.  The time flies because we are so busy getting ready for teams and then taking care of the teams while they are here with us.  We are so grateful that people want to come and ministry to the people here.  God blesses with just the right people at the right time.  His timing is always perfect.  I was suppose to return on December 29th but because of fog in Houston, we spent all day flying over Texas.  They took us to Autin to refuel, we spent several hours in Austin until they could get us a plane to take us back to Houston.  Some of the people were rerouted but since there is only one flight out of Houston to Honduras every day, I went back to Houston and only the Lord knew where my luggage was.  No one at the airport knew.  I spent the night in Houston with a free toothbrush, toothpaste and a small black comb.  When I got to San Pedro Sula the next day, my luggage was waiting fo rme.  I was very excited to see it.  The trip to the lake where the ministry is located is over an hours drive so I really wanted to see my luggage when I got to Honduras.  God took care of everything.  It is amazing how much we think we are in control and we have absolutely no control unless God allows it. We have had several small teams here since I returned.  One team was from Tennessee that included a doctor and some nurses.  They also had a part of their team go to another village to install a water purification system.  When we have small teams here, the staff makes pupusas for them and they play games and share experiences from the week.  Pupusas are tortillas filles with ground pork rind and cilantro and cheese and other spices.  They are served with different topping.  We all love the time together. The doctor is an cardiologist and we call him Dr. David.  He and the nurses are so sweet and caring to the patients.  We or I should say I discovered a young man here in town that has lukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant.  One to the nurses, Katherine, is trying to get him an appointment at St. Judes in Memphis.  You can pray for this. Last week, a team of four men came from Galloway in Jackson to build a house for a family in a village called Las Quebradas.  They finished the entire house in 5 days, the roof was on and all the windows were in.  The families are always so grateful for a new home but this family really was touched by the hard work that the men did for them. We had several board members here this month taking care of business, we always enjoy their visits too.  Vicky worked on our education program so it will work better.  This program will allow us to do a better job of keeping up with our students that are sponsored by people in the United States.  This year we have over 300 children in the program.  Our chairman of the Salt and Light Board and his wife were also here.  He had meetings with our director, Henry Alvarenga, while he was here and his wife did some things with the Ladies Ministry. This week we have a new team from Maryland.  It is the first time they have worked with Salt and Light but we know them well since they have been involved with installing water purifications system in our area of Honduras.  This year, they will put a floor in a church for us.  They go to a village named El Aguije every day for the installation and education program.  On Friday, they will spend the day working on the floor.  Two days this week, their pastor will share with the pastors here at a conference. For the ones of you that know about Rubenia, I will share some information about that family.  Rubenia was here last Sunday for the day.  Allison, the lady she lives with in Puerto Cortes and the 13 other girls came to church and then we went to the waterfall to swim.  Rubenia is growing and will need a new leg this summer so she will have to go back to Chattanooga in June or July.  Her father died in September and I hoped things would be better for the family but Denis, Rubenia's brother, moved in and is abusing the two younger children.  I am trying to find a place for them to live but have not been able to get them to leave the home.  I have custody of Denis also but I can do any thing to help him only God can change his heart.  I still love him and pray for him.  The older brother, Isias, is doing well.  He came yesterday to the clinic to have some dental work done and to enroll in the scholarship program.  Later, he ate lunch with Henry and his family.  It was so good for him to see what a real, Godly family is like because he was never part of a family.  He has supported himself and gone to school since he was 6 years old.  He lived in an abandoned building and now he has moved in with his grandmother.  He will be in the 9th grade next year and his grades are really great.  Henry talked to him about going to the university after he finishes high school.  Isias picks coffee to make money for food.  He rides 3 hours on his bicycle to get to the clinic and that ride is downhill, I don't know how long it takes going up on the way back.  He also rides 30 minutes each day to school in the mountains.  Please pray for each one of these in the family. Another pray request...Katherine in the 9 year old daughter of Pastor Jesus.  Katherine cannot talk, she has Apraxia, which the inability to form words.  She can hear and make noises but she cannot speak.  Her mother and father have done such a wonderful job of working with her over the years, in spite of their lack of funds.  I found a device when I was at home over Christmas called a Vantage Lite.  The vantage lite has pictures and will talk for Katherine.  Hopefully, Katherine will be able to learn to talk some day with the device and a speech therapist if there is one in Honduras.  The cost of a new Vantage Lite is $7500 but we have found one for $4000 that is used.  Please pray about that also. Many things are happening at the clinic.  On Saturday, the teenagers sponsored in the Education Program were here to listen to different professionals.  There were talks mostly of sex education, encouraging the students to wait for marriage.  We  have many young girls here that are pregnant very early and over 80% of the households are single mothers with no education and very little resources. The staff does a great job of working with the different groups that  come here for meetings.  We are very fortunate to have a staff that is so caring of the people here. I am trying to make my blog look better so be patient of the changes.  Continue to pray for our ministry.  God bless each one of you.

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GOD IS SO GOOD

Two weeks from today, I will leave to come back to the US.  I am ready to see my family and friends but I will also miss the people here.  I love the work the Lord has provided for me.  "My cup runneth over with joy."  There is nothing sweeter than being where God wants you and doing what He wants you to do.  It doesn't matter where or what it is...just being in the will of God is such a blessing.
I was thinking this morning as I started to write about different ideas I could write about.  Several things came to mind, one of them was how thankful I am for the people in the US that provide time, money and prayers for the mission here in Honduras. The staff here could not function if not for the board in America and the people that come here on mission trips.  They are the backbone of our ministry. 
The staff here at Ministerio Sal y Luz works so hard to fulill the Great Commission.  The staff is focusing on families instead of individual parts of the family.  They feel that to be able to change the ways things are done here, they will have to change the whole family.  Especially the parents.  They are focusing on spiritual change for the parents.  If spiritual change happens, then the other will follow.
We have had several meeting with families from the soup kitchens, from the education program and from the patients that come to the clinic.
We are having the meetings Saturday and Sunday mornings on the porch of the clinic or under the shed for the buses.  The staff talks to the families about health prevention topics in groups and then a pastor leads a Bible study for the parents.  The staff takes the children and talks to them about Jesus and how their lives can change.
The goal is to help them learn to take care of their families in a better way and to provide spiritually guidance.
We have a new team coming today from Texas so that is exciting.  Next week, St. Matthews from Madison will be here and then we come home with them.
Henry and Hemi will be coming with us to spend several weeks in the US promoting Salt and Light Ministry and trying raise money for our operations so we can continue to serve the people of Honduras.  The dinner will be held Oct. 6 at Galloway UMC in Jackson.  Henry will speak and show a video of the accomplishments for the year and give his vision for the ministry.  He will also sing which is my favorite thing.  Hemi will share at some of the churches about the Ladies Ministry she has started.  It should be an exciting time for all of us.
Got to go.  Love you all.

The Last Two Weeks have been exciting.

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.

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.

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.

St. Marks and Covenant Mission Teams' Visits

Honduras and especially Salt and Light Ministry is a very busy place in June and July.  Since May 24th, there has been a team with us every day.  The people that come from the churches in the states and give up their time to minister to the people in Honduras are very special people and we love for them to come and spend time with us at the clinic and Lake Yojoa.
The last two weeks of June we had teams from the Jackson area.  St. Marks UMC is from the reservoir area and Covenant Presbyterian is from Jackson.  St. Marks was suppose to fly in on a Thursday but when they got to the airport, their flight had been cancelled so they rescheduled the group for Friday.  On Friday, the flight was cancelled again with small groups of the team rescheduled on different planes on the next few days.  Eleven people had to cancel because of work conflicts and will not be able to come at all this year.  Three team members drove to New Orleans and caught a flight out of there.
About the time that we got all of their team to the lake with us, Covenant started arriving with their team.  They made it on one plane but then it was time to start taking the St. Marks team back to  the airport to return home.  It took four trips back to the airport to get them back home.
Considering the problems with Delta, the teams were able to accomplish a lot in the time they were there.  St. Marks build three houses, taught ladies to sew, conducted VBS and did door to door evangelism.  They had a good week in spite of the problems with their flights.  Everything was done in a small mountain village called Los Lamitos.  The people are poor and only one young lady from their village has been able to finish high school because of the distance to the nearest high school.   God is in Control.
Covenant Presbyterian and New Hope Baptist that always come as one team build four houses and visited four mountains villages with doctors and nurses to tend to the sick.  The bus could not make it up the hill at the first village so they had to walk part of the way which was a little difficult for some of the team members but they made it.  The group showed the Jesus Film to the people at San Buenoventura one night and that was a very good production.
I came home with Covenant on the 30th to attend my grandson's first birthday party but will be returning on Thursday.  Henry has two teams there by himself so I am anxious to get back and try to help him.
Henry took Hemi to the capitol to get her visa so she can make the trip here with him in September.  We are hopeful that she was able to get the visa.  Lesly is going today to try and get her visa also. We pray that both of them are successful.
Thank you for all your support and prayers.  We will try to keep you updated on all the wonderful things happening at with the teams that are visiting us this year.  We are growing and God is blessing our mission.

Conchusa (Church of Christ (Holiness) USA

Last week we had a group of people at Salt and Light in Honduras that was composed of mostly younger adults with a few older ones for wisdom and guidance.  They were from California, Illinois, Ohio, Arkansas and Mississippi.  A very diverse group as far as their home and some in age but they all  had a BIG HEART for spreading the WORD.  While they were here for seven days, they sponsored four conferences with large attendance.  There was a conference for young people on Saturday morning, a conference for women on Saturday afternoon and a conference for families on Saturday night.  There were so many people in attendance Saturday night that some of the people had to sit outside and try to hear through the windows.  They estimated the attendance to be around 2,000 people.  On Monday, there was a conference for pastors and their wives with 33 pastors.  Bishop Robert Winn and his wife Mattie from California spoke at all the meetings.  They have been married for over 30 years and have 9 children and 9 grandchildren.  The people here really responded well to them and their message. 
The group also spent a lot of time walking the streets and telling other about Jesus and inviting them to church.  They gave out clothes one afternoon to a place in Pena Blanca that is really poor with the help of the woman's ministry of Salt and Light.
The group visited a village of indigenous people from Honduras called the Lenka.  The day was spent with clothes distribution, VBS, blessing some families with food and the doctor seeing patients.  It was a long day because the roads are bad so the bus could only go so far and then we had to take the boxes and people in the trucks with 4 wheel drive the last miles to the village.
On Wednesday, we went to the waterfall and had a baptismal service for Douglas that lives at the orphanage.  He had made a profession of faith earlier but had never been baptized.  Lillian Brown talked with him one day to find out why he had not been baptized and he decided to do it while they were here.
Every team that comes is special and God has a purpose for each one of them being here, I meet so many wonderful people that I would not have a chance to meet if I was not in Honduras.
We were expecting another team yesterday but their flight was cancelled and only two of them made it out of the US.  Three more will come tonight and others will come Saturday and Sunday.  We are praying that their flights will not be cancelled and they will make it without any more problems.  Eleven people on the team will not be able to come because they could not rearrange their schedules.
Please pray that the rest of the team is able to get here without any more troubles.

Vicksburg Honduras Mission

Last week, we had a team at Sal y Luz from Vicksburg, MS.  The team was composed of five different churches with all ages.  There were 38 in the team and everything was well organized and went well.  The team installed a water purification system in a village not far from here called La Virtud. The people in the village were very excited to have clean water to drink.
There was VBS in the same village every day.  At the end of the week the children planted a garden of beans, squash and radishes.  It was quite a site to see around 80 children with machetes, hoes and other implements transform the bare ground into rows with seeds planted.  The Vicksburg team provided seeds and guidance for the planting.
The team also build two houses, one for  a widow in La Virtud and another for Walter's family in El Eden.  Walter is a young boy who has some type of brain injury, he is probably around 10 year old and cannot do anything for himself but he has the brightest smile I have ever seen.  His mother takes very good care of him and carries him where ever he goes.  They only have two small rooms to live in and there are three children, including Walter.  The Lord puts things on our hearts all the time that He wants us to do.  The Lord put it on our heart to tell the Vicksburg team that they needed to built Walter a house.  We called the leader of the team to ask him if they could build Walter a house and he said they didn't have enough money for another house but he would look at the numbers and see.  The next day he called and told me that they had received a call the night before from another church and they wanted to give some money for the team.  It was enough money to build Walter a house.  Walter will have a shower large enough for his mother to roll his chair in and she will not have to put him in the yard to give him a bath.  She will have room to roll him around in his house in his wheel chair.  ISN"T  GOD GOOD.  He provided just what was needed for Walter and his family.  We have so many opportunities to watch God work His plan here.  We all have the opportunity to see God at work but it is so much easier to see here.
The team from Vicksburg also had a nurse practitioner with them that went into the villages in the area and did health prevention training for some of the leaders in the communities.  She also saw some patients with Dr. Karla in the clinic one day.
The team sent over 30 sewing machines down on the container the week before so there were 15 ladies and two men that were given the opportunity to learn to make shirts and blouses for the children's uniforms here.  Henry is very determined to give the people the opportunity to earn money so they can improve their living conditions.  In the past, they have been given without having the opportunity to learn skills to help them improve their lifestyle.
We are very grateful to the groups that come to Honduras and help the people in many ways.  Evangelism at the clinic is growing with the pastor's Bible Study and the Ladies Ministry.  We have a team coming next week that will go to the villages of the indigenous people of this area and evangelize them.  I have never been to one of the villages where these people live so that will be interesting.
Please continue to pray for the efforts of the teams and staff as they try to help the people of Honduras.

Honduras News

Henry's wife Hemi and her sister Loyda started a women's Bible study several months ago and Henry asked me to meet with them so I could give them ideas.  I can tell you, they don't need my ideas.  Henry asked me to go and take pictures of the crafts they are making to sell that will enable the women to produce an income and support their families.  I was truly impressed by what they had done.  Some are crocheting purses with raffia, others are using discarded chip bags to make items to sell.  There are ladies that are using pieces of plastic drink bottles to make jewelry. One lady is making coffee to sell so I am judging her coffee this morning to see if the teams would like to buy it.
Some of them do beautiful crochet work and as soon as I can get some knitting needles, I am going to teach them to make knitted items to sell.  I would also like some ideas on jewelry making.  They are working with items they have on hand but I would like for them to have access to other materials that are available  here.  It is an established group and Hemi and Loyda will be monitoring the group each week.  Any help and ideas will be appreciated.
It is with much humility that I watch them share ideas and help each other.  Can you imaging picking up dirty chip bags, cleaning them and then spending hours folding the pieces to weave into a purse?  It is also a good solution to help the litter problem.
Today we are going to pick up the team from Vicksburg so I might not have much time to write.  They are building a house for Walter and his family.  His mother is so happy to have room to for Walter's wheelchair in the house so she won't have to carry him.
On Tuesday and Friday, we will have English lessons with the staff.  Angie, the new dentist, will help me.

Pray for us and the women that are trying so hard to make a difference for their families.

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, Oh, Lord

My devotion this morning was.. Look at the birds of the air...Consider the lilies of the field...Matthew 6:26,28.  We should keep our eyes focused on our Source, God.   He knows our circumstances and He will provide.  This morning as I was having my devotion and praying,  I thought about how I get so uptight about little things that do not matter instead of just focusing on serving the Lord and let Him take care of everything.  I think I have learned since I have been in Honduras to depend more on God and that everything is from Him, that He will provide all our needs, not our wants.  He doesn't need me to do things for Him but He does need me to serve Him and be willing to go when He calls.
We have had a busy week at Ministerio Sal y Luz as always.  There is very seldom a slow moment and when there is, you are grateful.  Wednesday, we had a bad electrical storm and then no internet and occasional  power or water for several days.  Angie and I filled a plastic container and put in the shower to fill with water for a bath, then we found out that we had both hot and cold water in the shower all the time.  Our water system at the apartment is complicated because some of the water comes from the tank on the hill and some of it comes from the water system in the clinic.  I am discovering by power outages and water system problems what water comes from where. 
Every year our board in the US sends a container down with things for the teams and medical supplies for the clinic.  This will be my third container to help unload and get in the boxes in the proper place.  It is getting more difficult to get the container out of the port because of government paper work.  Tonight there will be lots of trucks and people from the villages along with the staff to help unload the boxes.  Every year, it has rained while we unloaded the container, maybe this year it will wait until we are finished unloading.
We have a team from Vicksburg coming on Saturday and they need the sewing machines and materials that are on the container.  One of the things they will do is conduct sewing classes for the people so they can make uniforms and hopefully establish a way to earn some money for their families.  They will help to plant a garden in a village, install a water purification system and have Bible School.  The team is also building a house for Walter and his family.  Walter is about 9 years old and lives with his family in two small rooms.  Walter has a disability that keeps him from walking, talking or any of the things that we would consider normal for his age, but he has the biggest smile and loves everyone.  His mother carries him every where and he is getting really big.  They have a wheel chair but the two rooms are too small for the chair to be used except outside.  They have no bathroom but the new house will have a bathroom large enough for the chair to be rolled into the shower.  Isn't God good?
We have a new staff member this year.  Her name is Angie Rodrigues from San Pedro Sula.  She finished dental school and all medical graduates in Honduras have to work for one year at a government approved facility without pay.  She is living in the apartment with me and I think we are doing well.  She is a pretty young woman, who speaks very fluent English(Thank you Lord).  She has never been away from her family so I hope my being here will make her feel more comfortable.  I enjoy being here by myself after working all day but she is young and not use to being by herself.  Her father calls every night to make sure she is alright.  Angie also taught English for three years so she and I are going to have English classes for the staff.
All the staff members are doing well.  Lesly and I went to the doctor to have her eye checked and I think she got a pretty good report.  Evis is busy working of grades for the students that are sponsored through the education program.  Joseph is trying to keep the internet going and all the computers.  The medical staff is working hard to see the regular patients and get ready for the group that is coming.
On Saturday, I went to a retreat with the ladies Bible Study group led by Henry's wife, Hemi and her sister Loyda.  Loyda led the discussion by comparing the ladies to flowers and how they have some of the same traits.  We all had to locate a flower, which is not hard to do here.  Then we had to describe some of the properties of the flower.  The ladies had a wonderful time.  Some of them brought their children and they played well while their mothers listened to Loyda.  We played games and ate and swam in the river.  There was one lady there that had a boy around 12 years old that had be held all the time because he couldn't communicate and would leave the group if she didn't hold on to him.  She also had to feed him at mealtime.  She doesn't have any help and has to work to put food on the table.  I was amazed at how well she handled him and how much she loved him and provided for all his needs... just like God does for us.

April 26, 2011

Good Morning Everyone,
It is very early in the morning but I couldn't sleep and decided I needed to write in my blog while thoughts were going around in my head.  I have to go to the hospital in a few hours to sit with a family of a friend while my friend has serious surgery.  I woke up thinking how God puts people in our lives for a special reason and sometimes we don't know ever know why until later or ever.  He put her in my life to teach me things that I needed to learn.  She has listened and encouraged me many times when I needed support. 
I love living in Honduras and working for Salt and Light but I have days that I get lonesome and wonder why I am there and not at home in the US.  I really miss my family, friends and church family but I know I am where God wants me.  I think about all the missionaries that served before they didn't have internet and cell phones and had no communication with their friends and families.  That was hard...they knew they were doing God's work but having no way to talk to friends had to be difficult.  It is so wonderful to be able to call someone that speaks English and is a friend and have them give you words of support and encouragement when things are not going well or when the Devil is trying to get to you. 
I am very blessed with Godly family and friends, here and in Honduras and I thank God for their support and love. 
Yesterday, I was blessed again by a phone call from a young lady that I taught over 30 years ago.  We could have talked for hours and did.  She told me about her family and her work in a large church as director of missions and I am so grateful that I have her back in my life.  She told me about some of the other students I taught and where they are now.  It was just such a blessing to talk to her and share experiences with her.  God has put the love of missions in her heart.  He has also put her back in my life for a reason.  It was so good to hear the love of the Lord in her words while we talked.
Please pray for my friend as she has surgery this morning and pray for me as I get ready to go back to Honduras.
Love,
Carolyn

Rubenia

I wanted to put a picture of Rubenia on my blog so all of you could see the results of our journey for a new leg for her.  She returned to Honduras on February 11 with Dr. Brannon who arranged for the leg.  Rubenia or Ruby as most people call her now is doing really well with her new leg.  She is continuing therapy to make the muscle in her leg stronger but she can walk, run, jump and swim almost as well as she did before.  Ruby didn't really understand why we thought she should get a prosthesis but now that she has it, she is very happy with it.  She is back in bilingual school in Puerto Cortes and doing well.  I am sure the fact that she has learned English so well while she was in the states is helping her in school.