To the Ends of the Earth!
We journeyed across the dense and dangerous jungles of Honduras out of obedience of our calling to seek out places unreached and unchurched. Our prayer was for a God-sized, Kingdom vision as we embarked on a 10 day camping trip through the entire Mesquite region.
Our idea of missions is about raising and empowering the nationals to believe in impossible dreams, made possible when we live in step with our Father’s heart beat. This trip was about scouting out the need for the Gospel in these territories; we were seeking the answer to HOW such spiritual darkness and isolation could exist over thousands of people, hundreds of villages who live cut off from the basic needs as medical aid, roads, and electricity.
Ultimately, it was God’s Love for the Lost that compels us to seek these places out. What an adventure it was!
The Journey
Our team was 7 adults and two children. After packing our tents, hammocks, camping stove, baby beds, rainjackets, pillows, a stuffed animal for each kid, and military dehydrated packs of food that might have been a little outdated and a little over-salted, we were quite the entourage. To be honest, after our two local pastors showed up for the journey with something the size of a school backpack, it was a little embarrassing. Suddenly, all our “essentials” were exposed as luxuries and we momentarily thought of lighting a match to it all! But we decided to swallow our pride and realize we were a little high maintenance compared to these guys, and that was okay.
The Misquite region is called “Gracias a Dios,” translating into “Thanks be to God.” It seemed like a satirical joke played on everyone having to live under the bondage of such deep corruption. There wasn’t a dentist for 100 miles, and a doctor would fly in once or twice a month to open a out-patient clinic for a few days.
To be honest, just the little bit of research we did do on the region was so negative, we stopped reading. It was enough to open the door for all kinds of fears that we didn’t have time or energy to fight. Our little bit of research showed the highest alert for malaria, drug trafficking, narco wars, isolation, no electricity, no police presence save the military posts. We had no idea what to expect, but we knew God was leading.
One of the most applied mottos of our family is this:
Don’t overthink where you know God is calling you to go, or what He’s asking you to do. Just know that if He is in on it, it will be:
Worth it. Every. Time.
As we went, we had only one contact who was going to lead us part of the way, and we expected God to bring people along as we walked, which He did! He even provided an officers home last minute, free of charge, just as we were about to set up our tents in-front of the military soccer fields! Locals that watched us couldn’t believe how evident God’s hand was over us.
It felt like God was constantly asking us to walk through a door that was invisible until the moment we reached out to open it in faith.
You know what’s amazing about walking in obedience to God without having to know all the details? Your life becomes a living testimony of the Supernatural! And it’s not only for others to marvel at who God is, but our obedience builds our faith!
We went as far as the road could take us over 6 hours by truck, number 4 on the map. Then we loaded up in a narrow, long boat that sat two people across and went as far as the tributaries could take us, which was number 2, Ahuas village. And then we loaded up in a 5 passenger Bush plane, and flew all the way to Puerto Limpida, number 1. Then road 6 hours in a pickup truck to the border of Nicaragua, the Coco River, not far from number 5. At one point we even crossed into villages in Nicaragua!
A Powerless Gospel
We saw poverty on every level, especially spiritually. We saw churches that had been planted without any discipleship. Sadly, this led to a compromise traceable on every level of the church body.
We passed churches who had Narco drug-traffickers as their financial administrators, and others who had their pastors and elders as the known smugglers by night, unloading and loading illegal cargo brought in from South America.
Our conclusion in what we saw was this:
It is impossible for Light to leave the darkness the same. Turning on a light changes everything about it’s environment. It’s the same with the Gospel! We cannot change the truth of the Gospel, without also emptying it of all power to transform a life, a family, a village, a country. This was evident everywhere we went: there was a powerless Gospel, making mockery of the power of God.
We know God is seeking to take back His bride: we are still trying to figure out what part FIA has to play in this area. We are praying about sending two of our pastors for a 2/3 month trip, to lead a Discipleship study and help re-establish strong Gospel centered, Holy Spirit empowered, Grace-filled roots in Jesus!
(Photo Above: 1st camping site and church service in the Misquitia region.)
Village Coyoles:
As our narrow boat pulled in under the mangrove trees, a group of beautiful faces were waiting to greet us! Immediately we were led into a service that apparently had been waiting for our arrival to start. This village currently is congregating under the trees. What an amazing thing it was to be able to connect with them as they worshiped in Mesquite!
We wanted to bless them before continuing on, so we bought a guitar, the first instrument for this church.
Deep Fountains of Joy:
We encountered a pastor who is meeting in his home and is crippled with a twisted leg. He hikes miles in the hot sun to make house visits and bring the Gospel.
We were able to bless his ministry by buying him a bicycle for transportation. We were also able to buy a bicycle for a missionary we met with, the only one we heard of in the entire region. As we went, we prayed for ways to sow into believers lives we encountered along the way! It’s how the Kingdom of God works- sowing into people as we walk through this life! Deep fountains of joy are uncovered in our generosity and giving!
Illegal Border Crossing!
Coco River is the longest water way in Honduras, flowing from deep in the interior of Nicaragua, serving as the border between the two countries as it leads all the way out to the ocean! It is over 500 miles long, with several tributary channels cutting off from the main body of water. Most importantly, there are hundreds of villages up this river, many in need of the Gospel. As well as the Patuka river, which is over 300 miles long.
At one point, we pulled our narrow motored canoe to shore and started walking into the village, trying to meet some of the locals. As we found it extra difficult to speak to them in Spanish, we realized we had actually crossed over illegally into Nicaragua! Wow!
Because of time, we weren’t able to make it to the Patuka river, and were only able to visit the three villages on the Coco River. Praise God, those three did have evangelical churches! For us it only means we are being called deeper into the interior of the winding jungle river. Our mission is to find where the Gospel has stopped, so that we might advance forward, sharing the amazing GOOD NEWS: the crowning victory of Jesus was that through his death the sins of the world were forgiven, and through his resurrection humanity is now invited into relationship with God!
We don’t expect the journey up these rivers to be easy, but we know that our obedience, no matter the sacrifice, will matter for all of Eternity.
When you live in pursuit of the frontlines, you expect an escalation of trials, which for us only equates to more opportunities for VICTORY to be won!
Building a Pastor’s Home!
If you would like to be apart of blessing
this sweet, faithful family let us know!
What a privilege it is to get to serve the poor of this world. It is our chance to be a blessing and give without expecting anything in return.
As we visited one of the villages on the Nicaragua side of the Coco River, we met a pastor who had just taken up the call of pastoring there. The home that was given to him and his family of 4 was so dilapidated, we dared not all step inside because it seemed on the brink of collapse.
What’s Our DNA?
Faith in Action has become a smoothly-run, locally-led organization. We have never been more comfortable in what FIA has been able to accomplish; but we aren’t here for comforts. We have never been more freed up personally, as God has replicated the DNA of Faith in Action in the heart and lives of local families; but we aren’t here to simply live free.
We are here to place the will of our Father above our own, whatever the cost, wherever the path leads, to serve whoever He sends us to, until He calls us Home.
This is our DNA.
There is a Truth that emerges from a life emptied of “self” and filled with the Spirit of Jesus:
“For though I am free from all people, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win some.”
(1 Corinthians 9:19)
All that to say: it was in obedience to a soft, quiet nudge that sent across the borders of every safety and comfort, in search of His heart. This has opened a door where we are only now beginning to discover it’s depth and detail.
Support a Local Missionary Pastor
We have pastors and their entire famlies who have graduated our disciplship program, and answered the call to Go. They have uprooted their entire famlies, and their lives, left behind their famlies and their villages to be planted by FIA in far away mountains where there was no church, or Gospel Presence!
These families are led by literal dreams and visions, and a passion to introduce the world to the Jesus who offers us Eternal Life!
Prayer Requests!
- Support An FIA Pastor
- $200.00 (Monthly Support) FIA gives this donation monthly to help keep them freed up to dedicate their best efforts to seeking out the lost and inviting them into the family of God!
- Build Home on Coco River
- $1,500 In a village called La Esperanza (The Hope), the pastoral family of 4 need a home. Help us bless them.
- Camping Up the River
- $3,000 Cutting out 4 days of travel just to get to Ahuas, we are chartering a small plane from Guatemala City straight to La Ceiba, then to Ahuas. Then a boat and driver will be hired to take us on a several night excursion up the Patuka River to see where we will advance the Gospel. We will camp on the embankments and visit the villages along the way and find where our starting point will be in advancing the Gospel.
You can partner with us financially through this link!
https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/1432832
THANK-YOU for Partnering with Us!
God’s Kingdom isn’t built independently, but as one body, coming together to make His vision a reality to this world.
From all of us at Faith In Action
Thank you again for your constant prayers and support! God bless!
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