Before we arrived in Honduras we had estimated that it would take about two weeks to settle into the saddle, as it were.
Well, here we are two weeks in and… I think we would have been spot on. However, Silvia and Orlando asked if we might house-sit until this evening while they have been attending a convention in Tegucigalpa (the capital). Therefore rather than moving into our apartment this past Monday, we will instead move in tomorrow the 6th.
On the one hand we have been able to stay a little longer and enjoy this beautiful hous
e, dog included—no, “Sulu” is not our new dog. On the other hand it has delayed our arrival into a space we can call home. We’ll give a more complete tour in the next few days, but for now find the second door to the right on the second floor. That is our new apartment. It is a newer building close to our church and Orlando’s house, about 5 min from downtown. After two days of apartment shopping, it sold itself as the most economic choice in a safe enough area.
We mentioned last time that we were in the process of working out the details for our areas of service. We are delighted to now be able to share the shape of our ministry in the coming year. Our time will be split between Union Biblica and a local church called Sala Evangelica—Orlando is the director of U.B. and pastor of the church. We met with those in leadership in both cases and together we came up with ways in which we could best serve them in the coming year, based upon their respective needs in conversation with our strengths.
You will find below what has arisen from these very interesting and Spirit-filled discussions. We will both be more or less involved with all of this, but you will also notice that we have indicated which of us is taking the lead responsibility on specific ministries.
1) Just this past week the staff member overseeing UB’s youth ministry operations has resigned. A major sector of this ministry, sports, has been handed to us. Basically, UB facilitates a 4 month inter-church soccer league for youth twice a year. This includes two camps for the youth (led this year by a specialized team from the Canadian UB), a camp for the coaches, weekly meetings with the coaches and refs to analyze progress, and ”values” education (“values”=Bible). The goal is to both provide an intentional space for the Spirit to work, and to get youth involved with local churches (8-10 churches will be participating). There is a coaches meeting next Wed and the league begins the following week. Lead=Kristy
2) Sala Evangelica has a team in this league, and Jonathan will be one of two helping coach/mentor.
3) We have been asked to provide mini training opportunities (a few hours) for the volunteers working within UB’s children ministry. We will be working with volunteers in different towns across the country (first training in 2 weeks). Lead=joint
4) One morning a week we will lead Bible classes at a local school. Lead=leans in Kristy’s direction
5) We will serve as liaisons for the various out-of-country teams that arrive over the summer. Lead=Kristy
6) The church has an incredible energy and passion in their services of worship. And we have been given the humbling task of providing Biblical/theological eduction on the theme of corporate worship. This will lead to the weekly planning of their worship services (btw, they have 3 distinct services a week (once a month 4)). Also, their current practice of musical worship is a capella. They desire to develop a worship music team that has the ability to add instruments to the church’s musical worship. This will entail music training, and rehearsal (a few have said they already have some basic guitar ability). Lead=Jonathan
7) We will be joining a 4 member leadership team of the young adult class at the church. There will be a teaching rotation among the 4 of us. This also comes with the charge to general discipleship, particularly Kristy as she will be the only female leader.
8 ) UB is well on its way in designing a top of the line Christian conference center, complete with a high-ropes course. They facilitate various camps throughout the year. We will be trained in the event that volunteers are impossible to secure for a particular camp.
9) Kristy is tutoring Orlando in English. Class started today.
10) Come April, we will begin a class that will focus on developing the leadership of the church. We will cover topics such as homiletics, exegesis, pastoral care… etc.
That about sums it up. There will also always be random things day-to-day that come up, but these listed areas will be our consistent ministry responsibilities.
To wrap up our time, I want to make sure you check out where we spent our sabbath rest this past Sunday… in the beauty of God’s Creation. And such as the Spi
rit of God hovered, brooding over the waters at Creation, so may you also feel the Spirit’s brooding presence hovering over the waters of your daily living.
