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My Minute for Mission Testimony...



Buenos días, me llamo Heather Buck and let me tell you my Spanish speaking abilities pretty much end there. 

I have been invited to talk to give you a short testimony of our recent trip to La Ceiba, Honduras…

I,  like many of you, I have been following and praying for Shannon Innes de Ordonez (Or Don Yez)’s life and ministry through her facebook, her blog and e-newsletters for five years now... (Back story for those of you that don’t know Shannon, she grew up here at Peace, was a critical member of the youth department, and is now a full time missionary for MTW in La Ceiba, Honduras), So going on the Peace Honduras Mission trip just a few weeks ago has truly helped me appreciate why she is there and what her team is doing to advance God’s Kingdom in La Cieba, Honduras. 

When Peace announced sending another mission team to Honduras, both Tim and I felt the uttermost desire to go instantly.  But I had no idea how God was going to use me or what he was going to teach me…

Might I say it was an awesome experience …


I consider myself genuinely blessed to have gotten to work inside Shannon’s girl’s home: painting, plumbing, playing with babies and trying hard to communicate to these young ladies with my terrible Spanish and us trying to teach them English.   It’s a great honor put a face to B, C, K and Y .. the young women and their children. I am able to hold them in my heart more intimately now.   I also got to spend some time one-on-one with Shannon hearing about some of their struggles in La Cieba and how each of the girls is walking with the Lord.  Shannon has to be so many things for these young women as she is disciplining and loving them every day.  I felt like all we I did all week was a few home improvements, but what God did was allowed me to be part of their lives, love on them, teaching them and empower them that they can paint their rooms or do a few other home improvements.   
One of the other Honduras Team ministry some of us worked with that week was with the Church Planting team in La Fe, with Mike and Ashley Troxell.  La Fe is a squatter area in La Cebia, and made me quickly remember my roots with Habitat for Humanity and simple decent housing.  These families live in shacks along the river, have very little, and their kids are just about the sweetest things in the world.  From playing soccer, making crafts, trying extremely hard to read Spanish kids book to them, and swimming the not so lovely river... these kids loved on us as much as we loved on them.  

I volunteered to help take one very sick little boy from the La Fe to the local hospital with Ashley.  Rikelme (Ra Kale Mae)… was burning up, lethargic, and in pain, as I held him in the back of the truck.  All I could do was hold him, humming Jesus loves me to him.  His mother reminded me of an old  neighbor of mine. In the waiting area I held him, with one shoulder around his mother, whom wept.  Ashley was extremely discouraged.   I felt so helpless that I couldn't communicate with anyone  to be more helpful.  I sat, saddened with seeing this terrible healthcare system, this very sick little boy, a weary missionary and a mom afraid to lose yet another family member.  All I could do was hold him, and pray. 


As a mom, I want to provide the best life possible for my kids, and it simply broke my heart that these families in Honduras live in poverty.  The kids, so proud of their 50 cent flip flops and crafts we made with them, and they didn’t want to leave our sides the entire time we were with them.  They had some of the biggest and brightest smiles... and most importantly they had God in their hearts and that to me was awesome!  

So my testimony is now a Mission challenge for each of you:
·         Please pray… for Team Honduras and for Shannon and the other missionaries, we saw firsthand how much of their daily lives they give to others,  and it’s hard and they grow weary. 

·         Second  give… when Darcie asks for cleats-  give cleats, clothes, school supplies.  MONEY... We have so much and those people have so little...  so just give what you can, when you can.

·         Lastly, the next time Peace sends a team on a mission trip to Honduras or somewhere...  go. 

Often times you have this vision of going on a mission trip and how much you hope to give and accomplish, but often time God uses mission trips to change your heart, giving you the opportunity to see his kingdom come and his will being done from all ends of the earth...  and it is good!

Seeing the photos and hearing the stories both my kids already ask if they could go next time and have already has been talking as if they are going.   If you think about it the Apostle Paul was a long term missionary that went on a Short Term Mission trips, so if the opportunity presents itself go… You won’t regret it and God will use you for his glory. 

Thank you! 

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