Huntsville, AL, USA
La Ermita, Talanga, F.M., Honduras
We seek to meet the practical needs of the people,
drawing them to Christ by example and empowering them
to become self sufficient and in a position to serve others.
Matthew 25:35-36, 40 "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you invited me in. I needed clothes and you clothed me. I was sick and you looked after me. I was in prison and you came to visit me. . . The King will reply, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."
We are working to register single mothers, age 21 or younger, who are pregnant and/or have children age two and younger for regular food assistance. We also have a chicken project where we buy baby chicks, raise them for six weeks and give them to these same families for a sustainable form of protein through eggs or meat through more baby chicks.
Just as we are working to register single mothers, we are also working to register families with disabled children to also help them with regular food or chickens and also to see if there are any needs these families have that we can help them obtain.
Work with local doctors and clinics to better health care, provide medicines and access to treatment for those in need and provide medical brigades to supplement local care. Also assist various women and children with medical needs.
Provide uniforms and school supplies for children who cannot attend school because they cannot afford them. Provide education for the children placed in our care.
Hold Christmas events in various locations, share the Christmas story of Christ's birth and give gifts to children who would not receive anything.
Provide emergency help in the form of food, medicines, construction and other needed items and services in the event of a disaster.
On occasion we encounter people with other types of needs such as a latrine, funeral help, and construction projects.
Many times we have medical personel in our groups and can attend to people in their homes who are sick.
When we encounter someone sick, or in need, we always pray over them and anoint them with oil. You'd be surprised to learn how many people actually get healed instantly.
We encountered a sick baby with fever and his fever broke during prayer and he was healed. Another woman was sick with arthritis in her knees and could barely walk. She was jumping and dancing and praising God after prayer. A grandmother in market was anointed and prayed over for pain all down her left side from her hip to toes. She'd had it for months. That day the pain disappeared. Every time we see her, she grabs us and tells everyone around her in market about her healing.
We also work on community projects when we have the money and the manpower. Above during September 2014, World Racers helped the Talanga Fire Department put in the foundation to their new building. Below, During October 2013, AIM Immersion youth helped us do a building project at the elementary school across the street.
Here our team is preparing Christmas bags with donations from our sponsors.
Number of Christmas gifts distributed, by year:
2005: 17 children,
2006: 97 children,
2007: 256 children,
2008: 504 children,
2009: 1,401 children;
2010, 2,456 children;
2011, 3,628 children;
2012, 873 children;
2013 3,458 children;
2014, 4,050 children.
We saved this young mother's life. After giving birth, she fell into deep depression and was in bed 15 days in 100 degree heat without eating or drinking. Her family could not pay the 500 lempiras ($26.46) for the ambulance to take her to the psychiatric hospital in Tegucigalpa. When the police brought this case to us, we got the Red Cross ambulance, paid for it and went with them to get her.
We send teams way out into the wilderness to find families in need. Always seeking out the forgotten.
When we encounter a family with a disabled child, or a single mother age 21 or younger who is pregnant and/or has children from birth to age 2, we register them in our Mercy Ministry to help them with food, education, medical, school, Christmas etc.
Various times throughout the year, we give needy families bags of rice and beans (above). We also raise baby chicks for six weeks and then give pairs (male and female) to single mothers with disabled children so they can raise more babies for food and have eggs as sustainable forms of protein for their family. We ask them after they have all the chickens they need to give a pair to another family.
If we can, we help disabled children with their medical needs and surgeries. Above is Gustavo, who was found in Cantarranas by Aldersgate United Methodist church team in July 2014. He needed a surgery and, during September 2014, in collaboration with the Baptist Medical and Dental Missions International, we were able to have their surgical brigade at Hospital Guaimaca do his surgery. This doctor is the same doctor who provided Shirley with her surgery in 2013.
When we receives boxes or truck loads of clothes, we sort them into sex and size for our victims who come without anything and for the children who live with us. If we have an over supply, we donate the extra to other missions in the area.
For children's day in September, we give piñatas to schools and participate in the children's events.
During 2012 and 2014, we were able to conduct a Bible study with 11th graders in the local high school using the Experiencing God Bible study. We gave the youth lunch and used this study to teach them leadership. There were 32 students in 2012 and 46 in 2014. We are planning on doing it again in 2015.
Here we helped a family whose 4 year old died of cancer. We had paid for all her travel to Tegucigalpa for treatment, and when she passed, we helped the family with food for the guests and transporting the coffin from their house to the cemetery.
During late 2008, torrential rains caused a national disaster in Honduras. Two counties, Marale and Vallecillo, near us were devastated.
We donated and delivered more than 16,000 pounds of food, 26,000 pills (tylenol, ibuprohen, antibiotics, anti malaria meds), fumigated for mosquitoes, repaired two water systems and gave supplies to repair 36 homes.
We also worked alongside the police to deliver blankets, mattresses and other food bags donated by World Vision, US Aid and Save the Children.
And we worked with COPECO, the national disaster agency, to record all the damages in 12 counties and send daily reports with photos to Tegucigalpa.
Copyright 2017 Heart of Christ - El Corazon de Cristo. All rights reserved.