Baby Steps

To give you a little background when we first started looking at this area where we currently live as a possible place to work/serve we were given a hand drawn map of the area highlighting most all of the villages and which ones had no evangelical work. That was three years ago.  Our IMB colleagues David and Glynis Miller spent the two previous years in this area "mapping" it out.  Our goal in moving here was to target those villages where no one else was working.  As we looked over the map one of the villages that stuck out to us was Lagunetas.  It is a large village but what drew us to it was the fact that it has two large villages on each side of it.  Our initial thoughts were that if we could get into Lagunetas maybe then we could spread to the other two villages. There is one main mountain road that goes through Lagunetas and either direction will lead you back to town.  One way goes through Carrizal and the other passes through Churischan.  None of these villages have an evangelical presence.

It took us a year of making regular visits to Lagunetas and a group from there going through the Honduras Ag training program before we were given the invitation to lead a Bible study there.  We've now been teaching there since January 2013. 

Right before we returned from the States this year the Ag workers (Noe and Obando) were on one of their regular trips over to Lagunetas to check on some projects.  To get to Lagunetas we usually always go though Carrizal.  They randomly decided this day instead to take the other route home.  On that way they passed through the village of Churischan.  Along the way they met a man on the road and began a conversation with him.  He lives there and told them he was a believer.  He showed them where he lived and invited them back to talk with him.  Don't you just love how God orchestrates encounters!!!

Noe told us about him when we returned.  We asked him to show us the house so we could follow up on it.  Tuesday morning we made that visit.

Noe drove over early from Honduras.  We dropped Cruz off at school and then headed up the mountain.  I was excited about getting to go because I don't get to as often as I would like. 

me and Ben excited about "going to work with daddy"

beautiful views as we headed up the mountain!

We have not had much rain down below but it didn't take us long to see that up in the mountains they have recently received a lot of rain.  The mountain road was wet, slick, and muddy.

I was so excited about going that I didn't think to ask the obvious questions like how far is it and will we have to hike.  I certainly would have chosen different shoes!

I found out once we arrived that there was a hike.  It wasn't a very long one but because of the recent rain the trail was VERY muddy and slick!  And, it was straight down and straight back up.  I should have just stayed in the car with Ben but if you know me then you know I'm always up for an adventure (even in sandals).

This was about half way down the trail.  I brought about half of that mud back home with me, ha.

Our destination.   And guess what? Despite the fact that Noe had driven over early from Honduras, we had driven a solid hour up the mountain to get there, and then we hiked down that muddy trail- no one was home!  It was a little discouraging not to find someone to talk with.  The same thing happened last Saturday when we tried to make a visit in another village.  We left a note to tell them we had been by and left them our cell number.  Much to our surprise we got a call later that afternoon from the man.  He was sorry he missed us and invited us to come back again (and now that we have a number for him we'll be sure to call next time, ha).  So we're excited and looking forward to a return trip there soon.

While David and Noe were checking around Ben was looking for the chickens.  He told me "mama, there no cock-a doodles here".  (he calls the roosters "cock-a-doodles" because of the sound they make).

And then he spotted one and squealed with joy!

David, Ben, and Noe before we hiked back to the car

Heading back up the hill.  Shortly after I took this picture Ben turned around and said "be careful mama!".   Oh my that made my heart swell!

Yikes!

Note to self- always, always, always wear proper shoes, ha.

So, maybe, just maybe we might be embarking on a new work area.  We now have a contact there and we know where he lives.  We just need to make another trip up there and get the ball rolling.  It's baby steps trying to get a new work started.  It takes a LONG time but with a little patience and much prayer we will see God move.  I just know it!  Would you join us in praying?