Sylvia continues her account of the mission trip to Honduras.

On Tuesday we called the kids over to a neighbor’s yard about 2 PM. Jessenia is a member of the church and she let us to use her refrigerator to keep our extra water cool and we used a water hose from her sink outside for mixing mortar and we met in her patio to have Bible Class. Since the majority of the children do not attend Sunday School or church, I had to lay a careful foundation for who God is and how the Bible is the source of our knowledge, basis for our faith and our guide for living God’s way.

There were some adults and teens every day as well as children from babies in arms to preteens. I taught them choruses and then gave the Bible lesson. They would just sit there when I was through and look at me, so we would sing more songs or read a story. Then I’d have to get back to the construction. We gave out candy or gum every other day and even the volunteer (and professional) workers had to have some. One day we gave out 84 pairs of sandals we had collected and brought, but so many “new” people came to get them that some of the church kids and workers didn’t get theirs. We had to buy more from a local store.

While singing some boys were using sticks, old plastic bottles and stones as rhythm instruments, so we found some toy tamborines, horns and cymbals that we got for the kids to use (and for later use in Sunday school) I also made ”maracas” out of a pill bottle with dry rice in it and a couple of empty water bottles with small stones in them. At one of the services, a visiting church had four girls in a rhythmic choir using pretty scarves and a couple of pom-pom-like metallic ribbon streamers they also waved around. I found some blue scarf like material and had it cut into rectangles. The owner of the shop even volunteered to serge the edges for free. I made a couple of red ribbon streamers, too. So now the SS girls can form a group to praise God during chorus singing with interpretive “danza”.

The second week after 7 of the 9 members of the team left, I didn’t have the borrowed guitar to sing with, but Lee and I continued to have Bible Class every day. We were invited to meet next door where there was a cement porch with a roof to shade us. It was much safer than the other yard and cooler! The children listened carefully as I explained the Good News and only the Lord knows how many and who prayed from their heart as I led them in prayer on Tues. The last day the lesson was on how baby Christians grow spiritually. Since Pastor Elio was there (for most of the last part) and because I would be leaving the next day, I asked him to pray with them. I wanted them to look to him as their new spiritual leader. I continue to pray for the children and teens and their teachers and Pastor Elio.

Part 3 of this story is scheduled for tomorrow.