Why go to Honduras?

In less than two weeks 36 men, women, and young adults will board a plane from Atlanta and head towards San Pedro Sula Honduras.  Many may ask why leave?  Why risk your family and there safety?  Why not just send money?  Why not someone else?

The simple answer is, God commanded us all to go and make disciple's of all nations.  In a time where there is pain and suffering next door, why go a world away?  The love of Christ was not withheld from anyone due to proximity, color, or economic background.  Plan and simple the Gospel of Grace was given to all so that the Glory of God will be known to all.  As followers of Christ this group seeks to show love to those who are without love.  To help feed those without food, and cover those without clothes.  In James it clearly spells out the works that faith will produce when it is truly alive. 

From November 4th - 12th this group will have many opportunities both planned and unplanned to minister in love.  From holding a abandoned child, to mixing concrete for a house of hope, cooking rice for the hungry, but most importantly a smile and simply sharing some time with a creation of Christ.  You see this trip is about realizing that each and every person is a beautiful creation of the Father.  That we are all worthy of love no matter how much money we may or may not have, the color of our skin, the language we speak.  God calls us simply to love as He loves us. 

Missions are not about the flight, or about the work.  Missions in its simplest definition is loving others where they are and just how they are because Christ loved them first.  What is important to the master should be important to the servant. 

Please pray that this team from 8 different churches, and with a 50 year difference from young to old.  Pray not for safety or comfort.  Pray that each and every member of team will be open to the moving of the Holy Spirit.  Pray for the the hearts and minds of those we may meet to be open and ready to hear the Gospel.  Pray for the needs of those in Honduras.  Remember to lift up the translators as they convey Gods message from one language to the other.   Lastly please pray that not only in Honduras but wherever we may be that we glorify God by our words, service, and actions.

If you would like to give to this trip there is still time to make a donation to be used for ministry to orphans and the hungry.  We will be visiting two orphanage's who are in need of supplies as well as several villages that are struggling to find enough food to survive.  You may make a donation via pay pal at www.carpentersheart.org or mail your checks to PO box 1220, Weaverville, NC 28787 with Nov trip in memo section.    For more infoyou may also call Andy @828-775-6646

Forgotten

Have ever thought about how much stuff we have forgotten.  From the trivial things of our youth like your favorite baseball players batting average, to the important dates like your spouses birthday.  We live in a time of knowledge and information to the point of overload.  We often consume enough information in a single conversation to fill a page worth of notes.  If you wish to you can pull information of the Internet at any moment on how to bake an apple pie or repair the toilet that wont stop running.  A single newscast today contains more information and statistics than most minds can comprehend.  The bad thing about all this information is that it distracts us from facts.  The fact is that there is a reality to knowing that today 6,000 people will die of hunger related issues.  There are no names to it.  There are no faces.  Until you know someone suffering of malnutrition or have looked into the eyes of the hungry, numbers are easily forgotten.  You see God didn't look at the overwhelming number of people that where sinning.  He looked into the eyes of the children He created.  He felt the burden for those condemned for there own actions and knew He had to do something to give hope.  He sent His son to make a way for you and me.  You see when we take time to look past stats and information we might find something in ourselves.  When we step into a nursing home and see the faces of the forgotten.  When we walk into the orphanage and smell the neglect for ourselves.  If you walk into the home and see the holes in the roof and the empty pantry something inside will change.  It is wonderful that there are so many programs here in America,  but while we plan and organize and have grand parties for fundraiser's.  People are starving, freezing, dying.  I herd it said that  all we talk about anymore is Honduras, and that may be true. The faces are all I can picture.  The people who have no food, no where to go work.  I have come to the point in my life where I am ashamed.  Ashamed of what I have, what I do.  In the book Radical by David Platt it talks about how as a whole Christianity has walked away from the truth of the Gospel.  We have watered it down to make us feel good and justify the American dream.  Reality is the American dream is all based on self and I.  If we read the Gospel we see that is in contradiction to what we are called to be.  When is it time to put aside the wealth of knowledge we have and get our hands dirty meeting needs.  Feed the hungry, cloth the naked, shelter the homeless, love the hurting, or just pray to the Father.  The truth and knowledge that we find in God and His word is not something to be read and stored away.  Let it be the compass of your life, spend less time on the blackberry and more time digging into the truth of the Word.  Find the forgotten around you and serve them.  The single mom who just needs a break.  The lady in the nursing home that never has a visitor.  The orphan laying in the crib that needs a bottle.  What did God design you for?  We are called to honor and praise Him, but above that you where masterfully designed for a specific purpose.  I pray that God reveals that to you this Christmas.  Seek Him in prayer and through His word.