Many people are familiar with Compassion International. If you are not familiar with it, Compassion International is a world-renowned child sponsorship program. The way Compassion works is that it partners with local churches throughout the world. The local church identifies children within its community that are living in extreme poverty. The church then provides the building facilities and staff, while Compassion provides the funding for the program. Children who are sponsored through Compassion must meet several requirements. First, the church's Compassion staff members have to visit the home and ensure that the family is indeed living in extreme poverty. Second, the children have to live within a 30 minute walking distance from the church so they can attend the required classes. The classes are an after-school type program, not an actual school program. The classes use a curriculum produced by Compassion to focus on 4 specific areas.
The first area of focus for the Compassion program is Spiritual. Since it is a Christian program offered through a local Christian church, the children learn about the Christian faith, read from the Bible, and learn how to apply what they learn to their everyday lives. The second area taught in the curriculum is Physical. The children learn about health, hygiene, and good nutrition. They receive a meal each time they come for class, a physical every year, as well as a yearly dental checkup. If any children are in need of medication, exams, or hospitalization and the family is unable to pay for it, Compassion will cover 90% of the cost, so the family only has to pay the other 10%. Compassion requires the measurement of the height and weight of the children on a regular basis, and implementation of a plan if any of the children are found to be malnourished. The church I worked with, Christian Life Church, has a unique situation in that a Cuban pediatrician comes every Saturday to see Compassion children who are ill. There are a group of doctors from the "mother church" in Puerto Rico who send a small stipend for the doctor's services. Dr. Osorio has a wonderful heart for the children. Christian Life Church also has a dental brigade from UCONN every spring. Dr. Ron Albert brings his 3rd year dental students, along with several dentists and hygienists who volunteer their time and resources, to provide dental care not only to the Compassion kids, but to the local community as well.
The third area taught in the Compassion curriculum is Socio-Emotional. In this area the children are taught how to have healthy relationships with others. This area includes how to deal with bullying and peer pressure, as well as marriage and family. It also focuses on Community Service as a means to give back to society and care for their neighborhoods. Each class participates in various types of community service such as cleaning, picking up trash, painting, and planting trees.
The final area taught in the Compassion curriculum is Intellectual. This area focuses on study skills and how kids learn. While I was director, they implemented a focus on Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences. Every child in the program was evaluated to help them recognize how they best learn and what areas are their strengths and weaknesses. The tutors were then trained in how to incorporate Multiple Intelligences in their lessons. As part of this focus area, we also helped our sponsored kids with their homework. This was when I really got to see some of the problems with the public education system. I will use another post to explain some of the severe problems with the current public education system in Honduras.
Besides learning the Compassion curriculum, the children are also required to write letters to their sponsors. They write at least two letters a year, but more often if they receive a letter from their sponsor. Every child receives a Christmas gift, which at our site was the traditional Honduran gift of a new outfit (shirt and pants). Sponsors also had the opportunity to send a birthday gift or a family gift, if they so desired.
The Compassion program is very well organized. The local churches are required to submit monthly reports, including attendance, finances and receipts. Every site is audited within an 18 month period and must rectify any deficiencies found. Many of the strategies used by Compassion are strategies I intend to use for Christian Life Academy, including developing an annual operating plan and budget, communicating with the sponsors, and the qualifications for participation in the program. God used my experience working with the program to prepare me for this next step He has planned.
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Friday, May 27, 2016
My Move to Comayagua . . . Following the Lord's Leading and Divine Connections
I spent 8 wonderful years working at Rancho Ebenezer. It was my home, the people there became my family, and I would have been content to stay there for the rest of my life. But those of you who know God know that once you start to get comfortable in your situation, the Lord starts to shake things up. That's what He did with me.
I was at a women's retreat in May 2012. It was after the evening session, and I stayed alone in the chapel area, praying and worshiping God. During that time, I heard the Lord speak again to my heart very clearly. He told me that my time at the Ranch was coming to an end, and that He had something new for me. He didn't tell me what that new thing was. He just told me that in order to continue to work in me and through me, He was moving me on to something else. I began to cry, mostly tears of joy, not because I wanted to leave the ranch, but because I knew the Lord had healed some broken places in my heart, and I was now ready for the next step, whatever that might be. While I was crying, a woman I didn't know came in, saw me, and asked if I was alright. I told her I was, but she gave me a big, loving hug.
The next morning, I ended up sitting at the same breakfast table with the woman from the evening before. It was the last morning of the retreat, so several of us exchanged our contact information. We all worked in different ministries, and it is not uncommon to call another ministry when a situation comes up with someone that you cannot help, but you know someone who can. I left the retreat with a renewed energy, put the contact info from those other ladies in my desk drawer, and began to pray about what God had next in my life.
I did not mention to anyone in WGO that I would be leaving just yet. I wanted to get confirmation from my church that I was making the right move, and that I was on the right track. I met with the missions director and a member of the missions committee from my sending church in VA while home on furlough. I told them the situation, and they felt confident that since they had seen the Lord working in my life in the previous 8 years, that this was from Him. So with their blessing, I began my search for that next step. I returned to Honduras and let WGO know that the 2012-2013 school year would be my last with the ministry, and shared all that had happened in the previous 3-4 months that led to that decision.
I honestly did not know as I began my search, if I was to stay in Honduras with a different ministry, go to another country to serve, or move back to the United States. I began my search within the country of Honduras. As I was looking online to see what was out there, I came across a ministry in Comayagua, a city about an hour and a half north of the ranch, that worked with orphans, teenage moms who got pregnant through abuse, and women with special needs. It was a Catholic ministry supported by an evangelical Christian organization. I was intrigued and wanted to learn more.
Within the previous year or two, I had gotten reconnected with a friend from SUNY Geneseo, where I attended college. His name is Father Francis Mary, but my IVCF Geneseo friends will remember him as Pete Roaldi. Well, it turned out that Father Francis, now a Franciscan Friar, lived in Comayagua, where this ministry was located. I figured since he worked in the Catholic community there, he might be able to give me more information about the ministry. I called him and asked if he knew anything about the ministry and what they did. He knew a little, but not enough to give me in-depth details. Then he said, "There is an evangelical couple that works with that ministry. Let me get their information and I will call you back." So he did. He called me and gave me the name and number of the couple he knew that worked with the ministry. I hung up, and just stared and what I had just written. I then went in to my bedroom, opened the desk drawer, and pulled out the contact info I had gotten at the women's retreat. Sure enough, the name and number he gave me matched the info of the woman who had hugged me the night I was crying in the chapel.
I immediately sat down at my computer and wrote an email to this woman, since I had her email address as well. I explained everything, starting with our encounter at the women's retreat and why I was now contacting her. She, too, recognized the divine connection and invited me to come "live life with them" for a weekend. So I did. My friend Cindy and I went out to Comayagua during Honduras' Independence Day weekend in September 2012, and experienced their ministry. While we were there, Janet, the woman who has since become a dear friend and mentor, also introduced me to other missionaries and their ministries in Comayagua. One of those missionaries (Beth Mohagen)asked me while we were visiting, "What is your dream? If you could do anything, and there were absolutely no barriers, what would you do?" What a great question! The truth was, though, I didn't have a dream. My dream had always been to be a wife and mother, and God chose a different path for me. I struggled with that for a long time, but once I finally reached that point of contentment with my life, I hadn't started dreaming anything new.
I left that weekend still unsure what God had for me. I didn't feel peace about joining the ministry Janet and her husband Greg were working with, nor any of the other ministries I had seen. I did, however, feel strangely drawn to the city of Comayagua. I also began to ask God to give me a dream.
As I continued to pray, two things began to happen. One was that I felt surer and surer that God was leading me to Comayagua; I just didn't know where and doing what. Second was that God began to give me a dream. I started dreaming of starting a school in Honduras that would give other kids outside the ministry of WGO a similar advantage in life. It wasn't until I took my next step that I realized how desperately that was actually needed.
I had the opportunity to attend another women's retreat in November 2013. Janet was there and we reconnected. While we were talking she said to me, "I don't know why I didn't think of this before when you came to visit us, but there is another woman here from Comayagua that I think you need to meet." Janet went to find this other missionary woman. She returned with her not long after, and introduced me to Wanda Agosto. Wanda and her husband Edgard are missionary pastors from Puerto Rico to a local church in Comayagua.
We began to talk, Wanda telling me about her church and the Compassion International program they had at their church, and me sharing about this new dream that was starting to develop in my mind about possibly starting a school. Wanda told me that she and Edgard were wanting to eventually have a school connected with the church. I was very honest with her and said, "I know I have the skills and abilities to run and maintain a good school, but I am not a 'get-something-new-off-the-ground' kind of person." Wanda looked at me, smiled, and responded, "I am. That's one of my gifts."
We ended our conversation with an invitation for me to return to Comayagua and visit their church and Compassion site. I was able to return for a brief visit in December, but was getting a ride from another missionary family and arrived after the kids had already left. I at least got to see the church and the facilities. I liked what I saw, but I really wanted to see the Compassion program in action. So I returned for another visit in February. The second time, I did get to see the program in action. As I watched, I believed stronger and stronger that this was exactly where I was supposed to be.
I returned for one final visit in April. At that time I brought my friend Cindy back with me to help me confirm if this was the right decision. We met with Wanda, Edgard, the director of the Compassion program, and the church supervisor who was visiting from Puerto Rico. Wanda and Edgard's only concern was that they didn't know where to put me, as there was no specific need at the moment. The church supervisor's counsel to them and me was this: Let her come if that is what the Lord is calling her to do. Trust that He will show where to put her when the time is right.
I left Comayagua knowing that the next time I returned I would be moving there. I didn't have a place to live and I didn't have a place to work. All I knew was that I was going back there to live and work - somewhere.
A couple of months later in June, Wanda called me and asked if she and Edgard could meet with me in Tegucigalpa. They came and we met for lunch. After we were just about finished eating, they shared with me that the church was going through a difficult time and that the director of their Compassion program was stepping down due to unforeseen circumstances. They asked me if I still wanted to come with the turmoil that was happening, but would understand if I changed my mind. I told them that since I felt it was God sending me there I still wanted to go, if they were still fine with my coming there. They were but just wanted me to walk in to the situation with my eyes wide open and no surprises. I appreciated that, but knew I had to walk in obedience to the Lord.
I left for furlough still not knowing where I would live in Comayagua. Some missionary friends of mine offered for me to stay in their home when I arrived back to Honduras and to store my personal belongings there. I returned in August, but Edgard and Wanda's family were on their furlough. They arrived back at the beginning of September and notified me that the house next door to their's was available for me to rent. God waited until the very last moment, but He provided me a house next door to the pastors and a half block from the church. It was ideal!
I began just observing the Compassion program and helping out in whatever ways I could. By the beginning of October, Wanda and Edgard asked me to take over as Director of the program. None of us knew there would be that need when the Lord first started calling me to Comayagua, but He did. He had prepared a place for me, as well as resolved a situation for the Pastors. The timing and the fit was perfect. On top of it all, my new role as Director allowed me to learn some additional skills that would be needed for my next calling, as well as help me see the desperate need to help these kids get a better education.
I was at a women's retreat in May 2012. It was after the evening session, and I stayed alone in the chapel area, praying and worshiping God. During that time, I heard the Lord speak again to my heart very clearly. He told me that my time at the Ranch was coming to an end, and that He had something new for me. He didn't tell me what that new thing was. He just told me that in order to continue to work in me and through me, He was moving me on to something else. I began to cry, mostly tears of joy, not because I wanted to leave the ranch, but because I knew the Lord had healed some broken places in my heart, and I was now ready for the next step, whatever that might be. While I was crying, a woman I didn't know came in, saw me, and asked if I was alright. I told her I was, but she gave me a big, loving hug.
The next morning, I ended up sitting at the same breakfast table with the woman from the evening before. It was the last morning of the retreat, so several of us exchanged our contact information. We all worked in different ministries, and it is not uncommon to call another ministry when a situation comes up with someone that you cannot help, but you know someone who can. I left the retreat with a renewed energy, put the contact info from those other ladies in my desk drawer, and began to pray about what God had next in my life.
I did not mention to anyone in WGO that I would be leaving just yet. I wanted to get confirmation from my church that I was making the right move, and that I was on the right track. I met with the missions director and a member of the missions committee from my sending church in VA while home on furlough. I told them the situation, and they felt confident that since they had seen the Lord working in my life in the previous 8 years, that this was from Him. So with their blessing, I began my search for that next step. I returned to Honduras and let WGO know that the 2012-2013 school year would be my last with the ministry, and shared all that had happened in the previous 3-4 months that led to that decision.
I honestly did not know as I began my search, if I was to stay in Honduras with a different ministry, go to another country to serve, or move back to the United States. I began my search within the country of Honduras. As I was looking online to see what was out there, I came across a ministry in Comayagua, a city about an hour and a half north of the ranch, that worked with orphans, teenage moms who got pregnant through abuse, and women with special needs. It was a Catholic ministry supported by an evangelical Christian organization. I was intrigued and wanted to learn more.
Within the previous year or two, I had gotten reconnected with a friend from SUNY Geneseo, where I attended college. His name is Father Francis Mary, but my IVCF Geneseo friends will remember him as Pete Roaldi. Well, it turned out that Father Francis, now a Franciscan Friar, lived in Comayagua, where this ministry was located. I figured since he worked in the Catholic community there, he might be able to give me more information about the ministry. I called him and asked if he knew anything about the ministry and what they did. He knew a little, but not enough to give me in-depth details. Then he said, "There is an evangelical couple that works with that ministry. Let me get their information and I will call you back." So he did. He called me and gave me the name and number of the couple he knew that worked with the ministry. I hung up, and just stared and what I had just written. I then went in to my bedroom, opened the desk drawer, and pulled out the contact info I had gotten at the women's retreat. Sure enough, the name and number he gave me matched the info of the woman who had hugged me the night I was crying in the chapel.
I immediately sat down at my computer and wrote an email to this woman, since I had her email address as well. I explained everything, starting with our encounter at the women's retreat and why I was now contacting her. She, too, recognized the divine connection and invited me to come "live life with them" for a weekend. So I did. My friend Cindy and I went out to Comayagua during Honduras' Independence Day weekend in September 2012, and experienced their ministry. While we were there, Janet, the woman who has since become a dear friend and mentor, also introduced me to other missionaries and their ministries in Comayagua. One of those missionaries (Beth Mohagen)asked me while we were visiting, "What is your dream? If you could do anything, and there were absolutely no barriers, what would you do?" What a great question! The truth was, though, I didn't have a dream. My dream had always been to be a wife and mother, and God chose a different path for me. I struggled with that for a long time, but once I finally reached that point of contentment with my life, I hadn't started dreaming anything new.
I left that weekend still unsure what God had for me. I didn't feel peace about joining the ministry Janet and her husband Greg were working with, nor any of the other ministries I had seen. I did, however, feel strangely drawn to the city of Comayagua. I also began to ask God to give me a dream.
As I continued to pray, two things began to happen. One was that I felt surer and surer that God was leading me to Comayagua; I just didn't know where and doing what. Second was that God began to give me a dream. I started dreaming of starting a school in Honduras that would give other kids outside the ministry of WGO a similar advantage in life. It wasn't until I took my next step that I realized how desperately that was actually needed.
I had the opportunity to attend another women's retreat in November 2013. Janet was there and we reconnected. While we were talking she said to me, "I don't know why I didn't think of this before when you came to visit us, but there is another woman here from Comayagua that I think you need to meet." Janet went to find this other missionary woman. She returned with her not long after, and introduced me to Wanda Agosto. Wanda and her husband Edgard are missionary pastors from Puerto Rico to a local church in Comayagua.
We began to talk, Wanda telling me about her church and the Compassion International program they had at their church, and me sharing about this new dream that was starting to develop in my mind about possibly starting a school. Wanda told me that she and Edgard were wanting to eventually have a school connected with the church. I was very honest with her and said, "I know I have the skills and abilities to run and maintain a good school, but I am not a 'get-something-new-off-the-ground' kind of person." Wanda looked at me, smiled, and responded, "I am. That's one of my gifts."
We ended our conversation with an invitation for me to return to Comayagua and visit their church and Compassion site. I was able to return for a brief visit in December, but was getting a ride from another missionary family and arrived after the kids had already left. I at least got to see the church and the facilities. I liked what I saw, but I really wanted to see the Compassion program in action. So I returned for another visit in February. The second time, I did get to see the program in action. As I watched, I believed stronger and stronger that this was exactly where I was supposed to be.
I returned for one final visit in April. At that time I brought my friend Cindy back with me to help me confirm if this was the right decision. We met with Wanda, Edgard, the director of the Compassion program, and the church supervisor who was visiting from Puerto Rico. Wanda and Edgard's only concern was that they didn't know where to put me, as there was no specific need at the moment. The church supervisor's counsel to them and me was this: Let her come if that is what the Lord is calling her to do. Trust that He will show where to put her when the time is right.
I left Comayagua knowing that the next time I returned I would be moving there. I didn't have a place to live and I didn't have a place to work. All I knew was that I was going back there to live and work - somewhere.
A couple of months later in June, Wanda called me and asked if she and Edgard could meet with me in Tegucigalpa. They came and we met for lunch. After we were just about finished eating, they shared with me that the church was going through a difficult time and that the director of their Compassion program was stepping down due to unforeseen circumstances. They asked me if I still wanted to come with the turmoil that was happening, but would understand if I changed my mind. I told them that since I felt it was God sending me there I still wanted to go, if they were still fine with my coming there. They were but just wanted me to walk in to the situation with my eyes wide open and no surprises. I appreciated that, but knew I had to walk in obedience to the Lord.
I left for furlough still not knowing where I would live in Comayagua. Some missionary friends of mine offered for me to stay in their home when I arrived back to Honduras and to store my personal belongings there. I returned in August, but Edgard and Wanda's family were on their furlough. They arrived back at the beginning of September and notified me that the house next door to their's was available for me to rent. God waited until the very last moment, but He provided me a house next door to the pastors and a half block from the church. It was ideal!
I began just observing the Compassion program and helping out in whatever ways I could. By the beginning of October, Wanda and Edgard asked me to take over as Director of the program. None of us knew there would be that need when the Lord first started calling me to Comayagua, but He did. He had prepared a place for me, as well as resolved a situation for the Pastors. The timing and the fit was perfect. On top of it all, my new role as Director allowed me to learn some additional skills that would be needed for my next calling, as well as help me see the desperate need to help these kids get a better education.
Thursday, May 26, 2016
My "Kids"
Anyone who knows me well, knows that I refer to the current and former kids of WGO as "my kids." Although I didn't raise them in the home (although I had plenty of opportunities to "cover" their homes), I had the great privilege of watching them grow up over the course of 10 years. I started teaching 8th grade, and then moved up with my same students to 9th and then 10th grades. I became principal of the school after that. Here is a photo with some of my original class of 8th graders at their high school graduation.
My first class of 8th graders are now 23-24 years old, so they are no longer kids by any means. I have not kept in touch with every one of them either. As a matter of fact, I was at my former roommate's wedding last August, when one of my boys came over to greet me. I honestly didn't recognize him at first, and it took me a long minute to figure out who he was! The last time I had seen him, he was just a teenage boy. Standing before me was a full-grown man with a beard! Naturally I was embarrassed at first, but was so glad to see him.
Others I talk to regularly or semi-regularly. I had a closer-knit bond with some of the girls, mostly because besides being their teacher and principal, I did weekly Bible studies with them in the evening.
During my time at the ranch, I saw about 15-20 kids graduate from our bilingual school. What are they doing today? With their permission, I would like to introduce you to several of my former students. I want you to understand how having a bilingual education has given these "kids" the opportunity to find jobs, become independent adults, and have opportunities that are hard to come by, especially if you go through traditional public school education in Honduras.
This is Nadetie. Nade graduated from Ebenezer Academy in 2009. She just got married last year and is now living in Nevada with her husband. She is the administrator for a company there and is currently attending College of Southern Nevada for her Accounting and Business degrees.
Johana graduated with the Ebenezer Academy class of 2011. She is sub-director at "a Christ-centered ministry serving sexually traumatized orphans and abandoned teenage girls – restoring them to a life of salvation, hope, purpose, and favor." (Casa de Ester mission statement, casadeester.org) She is also studying Interior Design at a local private university.
Stephany "Jhoselyn" is an Ebenezer Academy class of 2010 graduate. She is currently working with a ministry that provides daycare and preschool education in a couple of the poorest neighborhoods of Honduras. Stephany had the opportunity to participate in the World Race, a mission team that travels to 11 countries in 11 months. During that time, her heart was captured by the needs of the children in India. She is currently praying about the possibility of becoming a missionary to India in the future.
Maria was also one of my original 8th graders that graduated in 2009. She is currently working in the Human Resources department for World Gospel Outreach while studying social work at the local university.
Fany (left, pictured with my friend and current WGO missionary Rachel) graduated in 2012 from Ebenezer Academy. She is working as the receptionist at the WGO mission house and studying law at the local university.
This is just a handful of my "kids" who gave me specific permission to share what they are doing today. Other graduates are working as translators and teachers, and studying languages, dental surgery, and education. I am proud of each and every one of my former students, and am thrilled to see them succeeding in life.
I share this with you for a very important reason. The success of these kids is largely due to the bilingual education they received at Ebenezer Academy. Tomorrow I will share about my move to Comayagua, Honduras, and how the benefits my "kids" received through their education stood in stark contrast to what I saw during my next two years in Honduras.
My first class of 8th graders are now 23-24 years old, so they are no longer kids by any means. I have not kept in touch with every one of them either. As a matter of fact, I was at my former roommate's wedding last August, when one of my boys came over to greet me. I honestly didn't recognize him at first, and it took me a long minute to figure out who he was! The last time I had seen him, he was just a teenage boy. Standing before me was a full-grown man with a beard! Naturally I was embarrassed at first, but was so glad to see him.
Others I talk to regularly or semi-regularly. I had a closer-knit bond with some of the girls, mostly because besides being their teacher and principal, I did weekly Bible studies with them in the evening.
During my time at the ranch, I saw about 15-20 kids graduate from our bilingual school. What are they doing today? With their permission, I would like to introduce you to several of my former students. I want you to understand how having a bilingual education has given these "kids" the opportunity to find jobs, become independent adults, and have opportunities that are hard to come by, especially if you go through traditional public school education in Honduras.
This is Nadetie. Nade graduated from Ebenezer Academy in 2009. She just got married last year and is now living in Nevada with her husband. She is the administrator for a company there and is currently attending College of Southern Nevada for her Accounting and Business degrees.
Johana graduated with the Ebenezer Academy class of 2011. She is sub-director at "a Christ-centered ministry serving sexually traumatized orphans and abandoned teenage girls – restoring them to a life of salvation, hope, purpose, and favor." (Casa de Ester mission statement, casadeester.org) She is also studying Interior Design at a local private university.
Stephany "Jhoselyn" is an Ebenezer Academy class of 2010 graduate. She is currently working with a ministry that provides daycare and preschool education in a couple of the poorest neighborhoods of Honduras. Stephany had the opportunity to participate in the World Race, a mission team that travels to 11 countries in 11 months. During that time, her heart was captured by the needs of the children in India. She is currently praying about the possibility of becoming a missionary to India in the future.
Maria was also one of my original 8th graders that graduated in 2009. She is currently working in the Human Resources department for World Gospel Outreach while studying social work at the local university.
Fany (left, pictured with my friend and current WGO missionary Rachel) graduated in 2012 from Ebenezer Academy. She is working as the receptionist at the WGO mission house and studying law at the local university.
This is just a handful of my "kids" who gave me specific permission to share what they are doing today. Other graduates are working as translators and teachers, and studying languages, dental surgery, and education. I am proud of each and every one of my former students, and am thrilled to see them succeeding in life.
I share this with you for a very important reason. The success of these kids is largely due to the bilingual education they received at Ebenezer Academy. Tomorrow I will share about my move to Comayagua, Honduras, and how the benefits my "kids" received through their education stood in stark contrast to what I saw during my next two years in Honduras.
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
How It All Began . . .
So how did I end up in Honduras? It all started in 2003. I was sitting next to someone in church, and as we got talking, he mentioned that he had just returned from a trip to El Salvador where he had worked in an orphanage. As he spoke, a memory from my childhood came back to me that I had completely forgotten until that moment. When I was about 10 or so, I remember saying that if I ever won the lottery, I would start an orphanage. Even from a young age I had a heart for children. As I remembered that memory and listened to him speak, something began to stir in my heart. I knew I had to explore this further. Some months later, I attended the missions conference week at my church. It is a week when various missionaries supported by the church come and share what they are doing around the world. As I listened to the various missionaries, my heart seemed to be drawn to Central and South America. I decided to contact the missions director at my church and told him that I felt like God might be calling me into missions. He asked if I had ever done a short term trip, and I hadn't. His response was that I needed to do that first! Made perfect sense! So we began exploring options that would allow me to work with children in Latin America. The first possible opportunity was a trip to Haiti. I went to a couple of meetings to prepare to go, but because of the political crisis at the time, the trip was canceled. We continued to wait for opportunities, but none seemed to be the right fit.
About the same time, I was in my apartment ironing one evening, when I heard the Lord say very clearly in my mind, "I want you to go to seminary." I will never forget putting the iron down on the board, looking at the ceiling, and replying, "You want me to do what???" I couldn't understand how that could happen since I was teaching full-time. However, I got online and looked for seminary classes. Sure enough, there was a seminary in Maryland not too far away, with an extension campus at a church near me. Also at this same time, I had been working occasional weekends as a caregiver for a girl with special needs. One weekend, not long after I felt the Lord tell me go to seminary, the father of the girl asked me if I would be interested in coming to work with the family full-time as her primary caregiver. He knew I was teaching at the time, but thought, "You never know what the Lord may do." I've learned over the years how true that is. I told the father that I was actually contemplating taking seminary classes. He said, "That would work perfectly! You could live here, get J... to school, do your homework during the day, pick her up from school and care for her until dinner, and then take your classes in the evening!" It really was a perfect situation, so that's what I did. I gave my notice at the school, finished out the year, signed up for classes at the seminary, and went to live and work with this family.
In the meantime, the missions director called me and said, "There is a young man in our church who is looking into a mission organization that we have never worked with before. Here is his name and number. Tell him I told you to call, and see if he can give you more information about possibly serving with them." I called the number and introduced myself to the caller. It was the same person that had been sharing with me about his trip to El Salvador! I met with him and he gave me the contact information for a mission agency in Honduras. I contacted them, and in the summer of 2004, I had the opportunity to spend a month working as a tutor with World Gospel Outreach. WGO has a children's program in Honduras that provides foster care to children who were displaced from their homes (typically because of abuse or abandonment), with a bilingual school onsite. By the end of that month, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that that was exactly where I was supposed to be.
I returned to the U.S., excited to start the process to become a missionary. I felt in my heart that I would be back to Honduras to live in one year. However, the couple that I stayed with in Honduras told me it would take several years, between the preparation and language school. I understood, but really felt in my heart that the Lord was saying one year. I enrolled in my church's missionary internship program, and was told it would take me a few years to complete the requirements and go to language school. I was still feeling one year, despite what everyone was telling me. When I got the list of requirements for the internship program, I couldn't believe it. I was already half done before starting! I had taught Sunday school, I had taken the required financial class, and I was ALREADY TAKING THE REQUIRED SEMINARY CLASSES!!!! I had no idea beforehand that the classes would be a requirement for the internship, but God knew.
I finished the internship requirements in February, applied to WGO in March, was accepted by WGO in April, and received approval to go by my church in May. In June I sent out my fundraising letters, then left for a month to go on another missions trip to Ecuador (another requirement by my church before I left), and a brief visit back to Honduras. By the time I got back from my trip, all my funding had come in. God had done it all while I was out of the country. WGO determined that language school was unnecessary for the role I would have at their ranch school, and my church agreed to let me go without it. I moved to Honduras on August 15, 2005, one year after my initial visit. Thus began my journey as a missionary. God is good.
Me at Rancho Ebenezer, Honduras
I spent 3 years working as a middle and high school teacher at the ranch school, Ebenezer Academy, and then took over as principal for the next 5 years. Little did I know that the things I was learning as principal of the school were preparing me for something still to come.
About the same time, I was in my apartment ironing one evening, when I heard the Lord say very clearly in my mind, "I want you to go to seminary." I will never forget putting the iron down on the board, looking at the ceiling, and replying, "You want me to do what???" I couldn't understand how that could happen since I was teaching full-time. However, I got online and looked for seminary classes. Sure enough, there was a seminary in Maryland not too far away, with an extension campus at a church near me. Also at this same time, I had been working occasional weekends as a caregiver for a girl with special needs. One weekend, not long after I felt the Lord tell me go to seminary, the father of the girl asked me if I would be interested in coming to work with the family full-time as her primary caregiver. He knew I was teaching at the time, but thought, "You never know what the Lord may do." I've learned over the years how true that is. I told the father that I was actually contemplating taking seminary classes. He said, "That would work perfectly! You could live here, get J... to school, do your homework during the day, pick her up from school and care for her until dinner, and then take your classes in the evening!" It really was a perfect situation, so that's what I did. I gave my notice at the school, finished out the year, signed up for classes at the seminary, and went to live and work with this family.
In the meantime, the missions director called me and said, "There is a young man in our church who is looking into a mission organization that we have never worked with before. Here is his name and number. Tell him I told you to call, and see if he can give you more information about possibly serving with them." I called the number and introduced myself to the caller. It was the same person that had been sharing with me about his trip to El Salvador! I met with him and he gave me the contact information for a mission agency in Honduras. I contacted them, and in the summer of 2004, I had the opportunity to spend a month working as a tutor with World Gospel Outreach. WGO has a children's program in Honduras that provides foster care to children who were displaced from their homes (typically because of abuse or abandonment), with a bilingual school onsite. By the end of that month, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that that was exactly where I was supposed to be.
I returned to the U.S., excited to start the process to become a missionary. I felt in my heart that I would be back to Honduras to live in one year. However, the couple that I stayed with in Honduras told me it would take several years, between the preparation and language school. I understood, but really felt in my heart that the Lord was saying one year. I enrolled in my church's missionary internship program, and was told it would take me a few years to complete the requirements and go to language school. I was still feeling one year, despite what everyone was telling me. When I got the list of requirements for the internship program, I couldn't believe it. I was already half done before starting! I had taught Sunday school, I had taken the required financial class, and I was ALREADY TAKING THE REQUIRED SEMINARY CLASSES!!!! I had no idea beforehand that the classes would be a requirement for the internship, but God knew.
I finished the internship requirements in February, applied to WGO in March, was accepted by WGO in April, and received approval to go by my church in May. In June I sent out my fundraising letters, then left for a month to go on another missions trip to Ecuador (another requirement by my church before I left), and a brief visit back to Honduras. By the time I got back from my trip, all my funding had come in. God had done it all while I was out of the country. WGO determined that language school was unnecessary for the role I would have at their ranch school, and my church agreed to let me go without it. I moved to Honduras on August 15, 2005, one year after my initial visit. Thus began my journey as a missionary. God is good.
Me at Rancho Ebenezer, Honduras
I spent 3 years working as a middle and high school teacher at the ranch school, Ebenezer Academy, and then took over as principal for the next 5 years. Little did I know that the things I was learning as principal of the school were preparing me for something still to come.
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Where is Honduras? . . . and other info about where I spent the last 10 years
More often than not, people have wished me well in, "The Honduras." They talk about it as a group of islands off the coast of Africa. "What language do they speak in the Honduras?" has been another frequent question over the years.
For those of you who have wondered these same questions, Honduras is located in Central America, bordered by El Salvador to the west, Guatemala to the northwest, Nicaragua to the south, and the Caribbean Sea to the north.
Honduras is made up of departments, which are similar to what we call states. There are 18 departments in Honduras. I lived 8 years in Francisco Morazan, which is where the capital city, Tegucigalpa, is located. I then lived 2 years in the city of Comayagua, in the department of Comayagua.
I had the opportunity to visit other departments during my time in Honduras, including Islas de la Bahia (Bay Islands), Copan (where I saw the Mayan ruins), Atlantida (I visited the coastal cities of Tela and La Ceiba), Choluteca (affectionately called "hell on earth" because of the heat there), and Santa Barbara (where I visited a school during my research to start a school in Honduras).
Christopher Columbus discovered Honduras on his 4th voyage to the New World. Colon, the department to the north marked in yellow on the map, means "Columbus" in Spanish and is named for him. He supposedly said after a storm in Honduras, "Thank God we've left these Depths." He called the land "Depths" (Honduras), and "Thank God" (Gracias a Dios) the cape he left.
The language spoken in Honduras is Spanish, since it was conquered by the Spanish after Columbus' discovery. The local currency is called the Lempira, named after a native chief that fought to death against the Spanish conquerors. One lempira has the value of approximately a U.S. nickel.
The Honduran flag is made up of two blue stripes and one white stripe with five blue stars. The blue stripes represent the Pacific Ocean to the south and the Caribbean Sea to the north. They also represent blue sky and brotherhood. The white stripe in the middle represents the land of Honduras, as well as peace and prosperity of its people, and purity of thoughts. The five stars represent the 5 nations of the former Federal Republic of Central America. Honduras is the middle star, and the other 4 represent El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica.
I hope that gives you a little more information about the country where I spent the last 10 years!
For those of you who have wondered these same questions, Honduras is located in Central America, bordered by El Salvador to the west, Guatemala to the northwest, Nicaragua to the south, and the Caribbean Sea to the north.
Honduras is made up of departments, which are similar to what we call states. There are 18 departments in Honduras. I lived 8 years in Francisco Morazan, which is where the capital city, Tegucigalpa, is located. I then lived 2 years in the city of Comayagua, in the department of Comayagua.
I had the opportunity to visit other departments during my time in Honduras, including Islas de la Bahia (Bay Islands), Copan (where I saw the Mayan ruins), Atlantida (I visited the coastal cities of Tela and La Ceiba), Choluteca (affectionately called "hell on earth" because of the heat there), and Santa Barbara (where I visited a school during my research to start a school in Honduras).
Christopher Columbus discovered Honduras on his 4th voyage to the New World. Colon, the department to the north marked in yellow on the map, means "Columbus" in Spanish and is named for him. He supposedly said after a storm in Honduras, "Thank God we've left these Depths." He called the land "Depths" (Honduras), and "Thank God" (Gracias a Dios) the cape he left.
The language spoken in Honduras is Spanish, since it was conquered by the Spanish after Columbus' discovery. The local currency is called the Lempira, named after a native chief that fought to death against the Spanish conquerors. One lempira has the value of approximately a U.S. nickel.
The Honduran flag is made up of two blue stripes and one white stripe with five blue stars. The blue stripes represent the Pacific Ocean to the south and the Caribbean Sea to the north. They also represent blue sky and brotherhood. The white stripe in the middle represents the land of Honduras, as well as peace and prosperity of its people, and purity of thoughts. The five stars represent the 5 nations of the former Federal Republic of Central America. Honduras is the middle star, and the other 4 represent El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica.
I hope that gives you a little more information about the country where I spent the last 10 years!
Monday, May 23, 2016
Introduction
Buenos dias, buenas tardes, o buenas noches! Dios les bendiga! (Good morning, good afternoon, or good evening! God bless you!) My name is Jennifer Mayes and I have been a missionary to Honduras for 10 years. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I have been encouraged to create and keep up a blog to share about my time in Honduras and the vision I have to start a bilingual school in Comayagua, Honduras.
I will be using this blog to share about Honduras, the work that is being done there through Iglesia Vida Cristiana (Christian Life Church) in Comayagua, and the details regarding the school I intend to start there. Please check back often to learn more about the country of Honduras, the community of Comayagua, and the ministry plan I wrote for Christian Life Academy. As you learn more, I hope that you will get as excited about Christian Life Academy as I am, and will partner in this worthy endeavor.
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