Warning: The post is quick not slick...
Early on day 4 I saw an innovative idea that literally changed an entire village. Pastor Israel teamed with the University of Indiana and invited a more efficient adobe type stove for the houses in this particular village. The old stoves inside the houses filled the living quarters with smoke. They were not very efficient burning lots of wood that is cut by the wives. This new stove looks very similar to the old but burns 60% less wood and does not smoke up the house. The IU team did air quality reports and discovered that the quality of breathable air dramatically increased. Respiratory problem have significantly decrease especially with the children. Make sure to view future video blog for details. You will never know how this new stove has changed a village. The cost of this life changing stove, $90! Wow, for less than a hundred dollars a family’s quality of life can be drastically improved.
I watched Dennis crawl under the Mission vehicles and give them tune ups today. He did a lot of preventive maintenance that is going to save the mission money. I also witnessed him give his watch to a local pastor. Good stuff…
I learned quickly today that there is a small difference between the Spanish phrases, “you like” and “you please me.” I was filming a man cutting fresh fruit, putting a type of BBQ sauce on it and serving it to a young lady. When he got through I asked the young lady in Spanish if she liked…I got the word mixed up and instead of "you like?" I said her "you pleased me." This did not make her male companion very happy because he thought I was filming her. A lot of loud talk followed and I had to show him the video to prove I was filming the fruit cutter and not her.
Went to a church service tonight…God was there. Pastor preached on peace. Great spirit and the church is alive and well in Honduras.
Ate dinner cooked by local family. It doesn’t get any more authentic. I’m probably one the only short term missionaries that have gained 8lbs on the mission field. One of our team members from Indiana got sick and had to stay at hotel today.
After delivering the goody boxes and loving on some more village kids I stood on the spot where we could potentially build a church building. I was introduced to a man that was laying the foundation. He was a pastor, not the pastor of that village but a neighboring village there helping a comrade construct a church. They immediately need 700 more cement blocks to finish the foundation. $2 a block or $1400. That contribution could get the foundation ready for a team to come in and help them finish in a four day period. Pray and discern…
We’ve got a problem in the church universal and it especially shows up here. Men are not stepping up and leading their homes and churches. Pray!
I went outside the gate to give some kids standing in the shade some balloons. It doesn’t take much to get them to laugh. These kids were laughing especially loud and long. One kid, seeing the puzzled look on my face, pointed to my foot. I was standing right in the middle of a farm animal’s poop!
Observed an incredible tool today, it was a MP3 type, handheld, solar powered, electronic Bible. A pastor in a village without electricity can listen to the Bible tracked up in Books and chapters. Getting more info about this tool and would like to put together a preaching preparation kit for these guys: Solar MP3 Audio Bible, Concordance, Bible Dictionary, Parallel Bible, Commentaries, Expository Sermon Prep Instructions, (all in Spanish of course) Sermon Notebook and Writing Utensils.
We are blessed! We have more than we need, why? To help and support those in need. (just killed a white looking cricket thing crawling on my leg, pray for its family) Can’t wait to get more pictures and videos up for you to experience a glimpse of what God has been showing me. I want to be a good steward of this opportunity…
Mark,
I hope you see this soon. When are you back? I just got a notice about a rehearsal tomorrow, but I checked the Planning Center early in the week just to be sure there was no music. Now, I checked and found four songs, including one MP3 file. I thought I overheard Dennis tell Jack we had this week off, but now I'm confused. I didn't think to ask Dennis before you left for Atlanta and the Equator.
Find out from Dennis: Is there a rehearsal at 3 p.m. tomorrow, or will you even be back by then?
Posted by: Phil Alexander | February 20, 2009 at 12:49 PM