Mark Hunnicutt

Honduras Day 6 Debrief

Warning: This post is quick not slick...

Forgot this story – Mike Searcy, Mark Searcy’s brother, wears overalls.  He is a large man and the kids in the village started calling him Mario off the Nintendo game. 

Myan ruins report…Hmmm…rocks and stuff.  Guide spoke 7 languages…

This hotel is nice!

This hotel’s lights randomly go off at intervals cycling through power.  Late last night Brandy H was in the lobby checking her email when the power went off for good at 11pm.  She didn’t know this… it is dark in the mnts. of Honduras.  Brandy handled it calmly…not!  Panic ensued and reports of crazy blond surfaced.    

Stomach feels better today.

Rode with Greg today on the way Pedro San Sula, he is a great man that loves Jesus.  Pray for his health and for his 2 girls, they are sick also.  Greg has Lymphoma…go team (reference to race I’m running to raise money for research.)

Pedro San Sula is the scariest place I’ve ever been.  There is no law enforcement here!  We stayed in compound/hotel with guard tower at front gate.  This was a time I was glad to see an AK47. 

I was educated about Dingy Fever and Malaria this week.  The team sprays for Dingy Fever when there is an outbreak and it saves hundreds of lives.  There is a new pesticide that kills 99% of mosquito larva!  It is put in water supplies and stagnate places.  No more larva and no more mosquitoes mean no more Malaria! 

I’ve hit the wall…tired and I miss Cheryl.  I can’t wait to post videos and more pictures.  Love you guys and thanks for praying for me.

Honduras Day 4 Debrief

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…

Honduras: Pray For Carlos

Honduras Day 3 Debrief

Warning: This debrief is quick not slick…

Pray for Carlos!

Yesterday was packed with missions and ministry.  1200 goody boxes loaded and delivered to one of the most dangerous places in this region. 

Visited Medical Clinic early as the people where waiting to be seen.  I’ve never been in an environment like that.  Standing there, I observed moms holding babies dying of curable sicknesses.  The doctor, Israel’s wife, has one bookcase that stored a rag-tag assortment of meds.   Still trying to process that scene…

Our morning village, “The Divide” had an amazing spirit of receptivity and the church there is doing well.  Our Mud Creek team built the current church building.  It was great to see them checking up on their work.

The food here rocks!  I’ve tried to eat something every day that I’ve never ate before.  My ritual is to order behind the locals and get what their having. 

Carlos is a young boy (7) that was has been diagnosed with Leukemia.  Pastor Israel took me to his house.  Carlos and his mom had made their weekly trip for cemo in the city.  This trip is 4-6 hours one way.  It is a two hour hike to the main road from their village!  I meet Carlos’ uncle and brothers.  I had a prayer with them and walked away with a heavy heart.  His little brother ran inside their house and came back out with a picture.  Called me by my name and pointed.  That picture is downloaded in my soul.

I watched Brandy give her iPod away today.  An 18yr interpreter that loves music didn’t have an iPod so she remedied the problem. 

Our afternoon village, “City Of God,” was an adventure.  On the very top of a mountain is this populated cluster of villages.  There seemed to be a darker presence there so please pray for that church.  It was amazing how organized and smoothly the Bible stories and distribution went. 

Tried a local cookie and it tasted like burnt peacan pie. I ate 4…

I’ve got an amazing story of how Honduras Community Church gets cleaner water to the villages.  You need to Google Ram Pump.  Amazing stuff…I walked the entire line and now understand why a minister would need algebra.

Denise has learned “Three Times The Lady” in Spanish and sings it at the top of his lungs.  It is now being requested.    

Can’t wait to introduce you to my new hero’s I’ve meet this week.  Frank and Leslie Stout have always been some of my favorite people and are intensely interested in God using them.  Leslie, a vet, had two God encounters and is praying through doing vet clinics for the village livestock.  Pray!?!

Going to see what weird stuff I can eat for breakfast….

Honduras Day 2 Debrief

Warning: This debrief is quick not slick…

A lot of traveling on rough roads to get back to the villages. 

The average Hondorian male worker makes about $4 a day in the fields.  In the US they can make $7 an hour.

I miss Cheryl and the guys.

Culturally the men Lord over the ladies.  The ladies do everything!  The pastors in these villages really have to break a traditional mold by even sitting with Children. 

Cheryl wrote me a note that asked God to give me a love for people.  She didn’t pray just the Hondorian people just people.  I don’t know if I’m homesick or her prayer is being answered but I’ve got a love for you guys like I never have.

We went to a village Israel and his team has never attempted to do a Children’s service in before.  I honestly felt a great spirit in this village (The Plains.)  No church presence at all among those precious people.

Being reunited with Jake Willingham, he was in the youth group at The Creek, and his wife Ashley.  They now live in Boone.  God is using this young couple in amazing ways.  I’m so proud of them.

Kenny’s foot slipped of the clutch at a military check point.  I’ve seen an AK47 machine gun before just not from that angle.  It ended with a laugh but was very tense for a few seconds. 

I’m watching our interpreter Beth, I think she is from up north, tell Bible stories to these kids it is amazing.  She told the story of the 10 spies in Canaan land.  She would sneak around in the crowd, great stuff.  The kids are so hungry, polite and attentive. 

Did I mention the AK47?

I had a group of 10-12 year old boys.  You know the saying boys will be boys?  It is true in any country.  One of the responsibilities of a group leader is to keep the group focused until all the boxes get passed out.  I have a serious language barriers and my Spanglish is terrible.  I used the universal “poot” sound.  As Kenneth Ridings says, “it’s funny in any language.”

These kids had never seen, touched or played with a balloon until yesterday!

As we drove always families were walking up paths carrying food and toys.  God use service as a seed to open a door for the Gospel.  Pray for Israel and his team.  The potential church planter in this village is a very new Christian named Philip. 

Crazy fun in the morning, we went to view some waterfalls.  Of course the view from under the waterfall and from a zip line 150 feet above them was the best vantage point.  It was an extreme moment that I will never forget!  

Honduras Waterfalls Video

Honduras Day 1 Debrief

Warning: This debrief is quick not slick...

Great trip down to Central America.  No problems with airports or customs.  As the lady searched my bag coming into Honduras she was impressed with Cheryl’s organization and packing skills.  She actually called two friends over to observe. 

Hot!  Knew that, but wasn’t prepared.  We are very close to the equator.

Drove (like a maniac) about an hour into the mountains of Honduras.  

Honduras Community Church Missions has been doing leg work here for over a decade.  They have built relationships with villages and their leadership.  Numerous churches have been planted.  The goal of this trip is to encourage the local churches and try to build trust in the villages without churches so one can be planted there. 

HCCM also digs wells and does medical missions.

I forgot my toothbrush!

Israel is the local church planter and currently is mentoring 12 other pastors in some 10 villages. 

Our village yesterday was called “Pepper” of course that is the English translation.  As we pulled up kids came from everywhere.  We did a sort of Back Yard Bible Club event and passed out clear plastic boxes to each kid based on age and gender. 

I had 6-9 yr old girls.  They did not know what to do.  I had to convince them that the box was really theirs and that they could open it and play with what was inside.  The expressions and gratitude blew me away.  Gracious is a word I will never hear the same way again.

The adults lined up to receive bags of rice. 

Did I mention it is hot?

Pray for the young church plant in “Pepper” and their pastor Oscar.  Oscar preached on the doctrine of Baptism this past Sunday!  When I asked him the significance of baptism he quickly relayed its great significant as illustrating what Christ did for us and obeying Him. 

The name Christ is used here because everyone seems to be named Jesus.  Very strong Catholic influence.

Oscar has very few study resources.  One commentary!

Captain Steve, my friend and roommate that speaks Spanish, asked a lady why she thought the Americans come.  Her response was because they have a love that comes from God inside of them.

One of the greatest prayers I heard all day was from Carl Hill, AKA Chill.  God I’m tired of acting like Jesus I want to become like Jesus.  Will you pray that prayer for us today?

Heading to village with no Christian church today!

Honduras Mission Trip

I'm looking forward to next week and my mission trip to Honduras.  I've never been and really don't know what to expect accept that God is there and I've got a story to tell about Him.  Make sure to tune as I try to upload some videos.  I Googled some facts below:

Honduras is located in Central America with a population of about 7.4 million people.  It is roughly about the size of the state of Tennessee.  About 70% of the population has an income that puts them below poverty lines. However, with an increase of public funding towards education and health there has been a slow improvement on the nation's overall well being. Christianity in honduras is about 32.5% of the population. 

The climate can be described as tropical with the exception of the mountainous areas which have more of a temperate atmosphere. Although it varies depending on the altitude, the temperature ranges from a hot and humid 90 degrees (32 degrees Celsius) to a low of 68 degrees (20 degrees Celsius). Rainy season (our Winter) in general is from May to September. The cooler months are December and January usually maintaining a temperature of about 73 degrees (23 degrees Celsius).