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| Calvary Chapel Des Moines Team 2012 Souvenir shopping in Ojojona |
The Ranch’s most recent team visited and served alongside us
from Sunday, March 18th through Saturday, March 24th.
This team was an extra blessing because not only were my parents visiting at
the time (extra help with the team – thanks elder Beards), but the team was
from our home church in Iowa – Calvary Chapel Des Moines (CCDM; formerly known as Heartland Christian Fellowship).
It is difficult to express the impact that a team can have
on the community and our lives as missionaries. How does one judge such an
intangible idea? Each team has their own unique logistical obstacles to overcome. First off, this
particular team was relatively small, consisting of 10 people (8 adults and two
children) and were staying for a quick five full days at the Ranch. How
effective could a small team without any Spanish speakers be for such a short
time on the ground? God would soon make it clear that true ministry is not
judged by quantities impacted, but the quality of the impact.
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| Prayer with the team before the day's projects begins. |
This team was unlike the previous team helping the Ranch in
February (See Tale of Two Teams - PART 1 ) which was was twice as large and
divided into three separate ministry areas (construction, VBS and health
outreach workshops). The CCDM team was coming together with the Beard family to
minister to the people of El Circulo. This allowed us to really build
relationships with the team, families in the community and to give a truer
sense to our visiting friends of daily life at Rancho Oasis.
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| I, Jon, introduce the CCDM team to the elementary school students |
The CCDM team was able to join me in the school as I started
English classes to continue to build relationships with children and parents in
the community.
Teaching #'s via the card game UNO!
Visiting Ilsy's kindergarten / Photo op with military patrol during class
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| Nando, Lupe, Angeli, Gerson & Luis |
While we wait on God’s timing to purchase the property, God has
moved our focus from on-site projects to off-site projects. As we’ve gotten
more involved with families in the community, we want to bless without creating
a sense of dependency on “the great white hope.” We’ve seen and heard too many
sad ministry stories of well-intentioned missions creating more long term
problems, such as apathy, greed and a sense of entitlement to foreign help. So,
we’ve asked these families to pay back Rancho Oasis 10% of the cost of the
materials. Labor is freely given by the teams and the 10% tithe back to the
ministry, is actually used for more community projects. Therefore, the families
that receive help are actually going to help other families in the community.
So far, so good!
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| Outdoor Wood Shop |
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| Family, team & finished walls |
The CCDM team was able to complete two projects for
families involved with Rancho Oasis. The first project was to add a few
partitions/walls to a large living room area for Guadalupe and her kids
(Jessica, Fernando, Gerson, Genderson and Angeli). The single room was divided
into a bedroom for the three teen boys, a bedroom for the baby girl and teenage
daughter and a living room area. The work was simple and the team was able to
complete it in a day! An extra blessing was the involvement of the family’s father,
Luis and their middle-son Gerson (pronounced “hair-son”). Luis is not pursing
the Lord, so it was great to have a bunch of godly men present to show Christ’s
love in action. Gerson is one of the local kids stuck in limbo – he’s already
graduated elementary school, but is too young to start high school. He was able
to learn a few technics with power tools and be a blessing for his family in
the work.
Gerson: super-assistant!
Luis, Oscar and one of the walls / Culture shock setting in (I'm speaking of Oscar!)
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| Roof Discipleship |
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| Cesar & Nexser |
Our second project was to re-roof Cesar’s home. I met with
his parents Javier and Maria and discussed the need for a new roof. I learned
that actually three families live in the home with at least 11 people! Again
the work was fairly simple: removing the three different kinds of roofing material
and replacing it with metal sheets. Praise the Lord it wasn’t blistering hot!
Cesar and his cousin, Nexser, worked beside the men in the afternoon after
school. Not only was the completed roof a major blessing to the family, but
also an eye-opening experience for the team to see how those we minister to really
live.
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| Before shot rusted with metal sheets, clay tile and composite roofing |
Removing Tile - one by one / David, my father, Pastor Brent and Kenny
Removing metal sheets / Saving the old roofing material
Installing new material over house, not porch / Cesar lends a hand
Almost done! / Gabriela entertains Mauricio and Yaemi
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| Finished roof with Nexser's mom, Magda |
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| RO4Y Lunch!!! |
While the men were completing projects off-site in the
community, the ladies were assisting Mare in her daily life and completed many
projects that simply get put off when you’re a deaf, pregnant mother with three
toddlers and a hubby to take care of! The work and more importantly the
fellowship for Marillyn were greatly appreciated! Mare doesn’t have a lot of
involvement with the community because of her hearing impairment and limited
Spanish, so when the opportunity arises to speak English with some Christians,
especially from our home church – the opportunity is taken! When modern Midwest
city gal has a chance to sit down and speak to pioneer, missionary mom, it is
always an interesting conversation!
Folding Soccer Uniforms with Ilsy / Washing out the chapel
Corn tortilla making class with Ilsy
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| Ladies Hike! (My mother, Marsha, in the light green) |
While all the physical work was being accomplished, it must
not be forgotten that one of our ministry goals is to foster a sense of service
in the lives of all the short-term missionaries that come to RO4Y. Our desire
is that a week away from the hustle and bustle of life in the US (family, work,
school, hobbies and even church activities) will begin to build a servant-like
attitude in the hearts of the people. It would be wonderful if some of these
short-term missionaries became long-term missionaries with us in Honduras, but
we are also thinking about service within their church fellowship, seeing/meeting
the needs of their neighbors and finally, truly ministering to their family
members (spouse and children). I beleive the personal testimonies speak for themselves of how God worked this last March!
“I served Marillyn and Mauricio. I served Mauricio by
playing with him and I’m sure he’ll remember me. I served Marillyn by watching
and helping with the kids. [God] told me what my gift is. That is interacting
or entertaining little kids. Playing with Mauricio was my highlight. The way he
laughed and smiled just filled me with joy.”
-Gabriela,
age 12, student
“No matter what you are going through you can do all things
with Christ who strengthens you. [God taught me] to see just how much I take
for granted back home and how thankful and blessed I truly am.”
-Jill, age
40, sales associate
“I learned how to fully trust in the Lord this week… I
recognized how much control I feel I need to have on a daily basis, how much I
don’t trust the Lord. Through that I saw the beauty of a sovereign God that no
matter how much I don’t deserve it, He always takes care of me. I learned what
it truly means to abide in Christ; that when you let any sin, even a thought,
how much that can tear you away, how much it can consume you, and over take
you.”
-Rebekkah,
age 22, student/waitress
New Chicken Hotel
“I enjoyed spending so much time with Mare. I have been
praying for her to have more fellowship and I really wanted to help her in the
kitchen and spend time talking to her. Marillyn expressed how she has enjoyed
our time together which I was very grateful to hear. God showed me through
several people that I didn’t need to be sweating in order to be effective in my
service here. He showed me that [Mare] doesn’t get a lot of fellowship and that
spending time with someone from her home church was extra special. She provided
comfort in an unfamiliar place.”
-Brenda,
age 38, operations analyst
“No matter how much you prepare or even if you have been to
the Ranch in the past, we must always plan for God to do a new work. I thought
I knew what to expect based on last year’s trip, but this year presented a
whole new set of challenges as well as blessings. I can see how God has used
both the ups and the downs of my week to change me and grow me… [My suggestion
to make the team’s stay better is] to tell the cook to not feed us so well… it’s
hard to go back to work in the afternoon when you’re stuffed. J”
-Brent,
age 34, electrician/pastor
“[A memorable moment for me was] to watch the joy of the
children. I am amazed that there is such joy and laughter despite all of the
obstacles! I truly believe and am excited that RO4Y is reaching the correct age
group in this community.”
-Jeff,
age 31, project manager
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| GOAL!!! Futbolito after guitar class |
“[God taught me to ask,] are all the things we have
(distractions) necessary? They keep me from spending time with God. I really
enjoyed spending time with the children… playing soccer and horsing around.
Visiting the elementary school and kindergarten was very enjoyable. Replacing the
roof on Cesar’s house was also a highlight… seeing the before and after
pictures!”
-Kenny,
age 41, IT Infrastructure
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| Charades before girl's Bible study |
“It was my second trip to the Ranch. Throughout the course
of this week God has really showed me how important faith is in my life. To claim
faith and to practice faith are two different things. He also used Oscar, yet
again in my life to teach me about my perspective. On our trip to his house I
heard him talking with Jon as he was saying, “I know God said He would provide
for me, but I never thought it would be this much.” WOW!!!
Humbling to say the least.”
-Kevin,
age 28, server/bartender
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| Playing w/ the Danes |
“[God taught me] that I don’t need everything I have to be
happy. [A memorable moment for me was] seeing my wife get used in ways she
thought she could not be.”
-Ray, age
49, truck driver
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| Money was given to Marilyn, Oscar's wife, for a new pair of glasses; She no longer struggles from eye fatigue nor head-aches from sun glare. PTL! |
“I came down here thinking that I was going to make a huge
impact and help a ton of people. Then the job fell upon me of watching Naomi,
Tabi and Tobi. It seemed like a very small job, but it turned out to be really
great. Coming to the Ranch every day and immediately having Tabi at my side was
so heartwarming. I loved every minute of the time that I spent with the girls
and Tobi. I was very nervous to speak Spanish and I felt like I wasn’t being
very helpful at all. God just really stressed something that I have been taught
before. God taught me that what we may think is small is huge to him and that
what he thinks of us really is all that matters. Brent told me something that
made it all so real. He said that last year God had told him that a youth would
lead the way to come down here… I was that youth that he spoke to Brent about!
This trip has been so effective for me and I am sooo thankful for this
experience.”
-Chelsea,
age 14, student
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| Dog tired. |
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| CCDM Team admiring the Iglesia Catolica in Ojojona |
Overall it was a great week of fellowship, ministry and intimacy with the Lord. Thank you CCDM team for your willingness to sacrifice a week of your busy schedule to meet with and serve our Jesus in Honduras. We and the people of El Circulo are very grateful!
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| Team Photo at Retreat Center |
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| See you next year CCDM! |
