Would you give up precious vacation time to spend time with people living in absolute poverty in a foreign country? For many folks in the Birmingham area, not only is the answer "yes," but they actually pay to make the trip.
Now, I take you to Honduras, documenting two mission trips I’ve made in recent months…showing how people are putting their faith in action to make a difference in that impoverished nation.
From the moment the plane touches down its obvious the teams are not here for your typical vacation. Groceries are purchased, and loaded on a bus for distribution. It's just the beginning of a week-long journey with "Forgotten Children Ministries," into the depths of pure poverty in one of the poorest countries in the western hemisphere.
"The teams volunteer and come down and spend a week with us, and as they come down, they fall in love with Honduras, they fall in love with the people, they see the tremendous need, and they go back home and they share that need," said Stan Nowell, Founder of Forgotten Children Ministries.
The purpose of this mission is two-fold: To provide food and clothing, with a Godly message of hope, to desperately needy families living in conditions that most of us couldn't fathom, and to work with abandoned children who have been rescued from the drug-infested, violent and deadly streets of the country's capitol…and other locations around Honduras, given reasons to smile in a loving, safe environment.
So why do countless people in the Birmingham area put their lives on hold to travel down here to Honduras for missions work? Well, the answer is simple…whether they're working with the boys who were rescued from the streets here at Noah's Ark shelter in Tegucigalpa, or at Finca Grace, in the more rural area of Monte Redondo.
It all boils down to one main reason…to express their faith by showing love to those in need.
Christy Knight, on her fourth mission trip to Honduras, said, "Coming here and seeing the people of Honduras, and seeing the need, and the despair and the poverty breaks you, then you see the healing that takes place at Grace Farm and Noah's ark shelter with the boys that have been rescued…"
Having the opportunity to experience this first-hand truly changes lives forever. From seeing how a simple McDonald's happy meal toy puts an enormous smile on a child's face to putting shoes on little feet that have walked barefoot for years. Or having children flock to you for something as simple as a single piece of candy.
But not everyone is even interested in the hand-outs. Many want nothing more than to have someone pray for their needs and know someone cares about their well-being. It's moments like this that will soften even the hardest of hearts and put life into perspective like never before.
"As a Christian, knowing the sacrifice that God has made for me, knowing he sent his son for me, to serve others and not be served, that motivates us to go out and to serve him."
Several teams from the Birmingham area make this week-long trip throughout the year. Some offering medical expertise, others working on construction projects…but every team has the same evangelistic focus: Putting their "faith in action" to make an eternal difference, one precious soul at a time.
"Teams that come down and walk with us through the week to reach the people with food ministry, with discipleship, with the children, so Birmingham has become very important in our ministry here in Honduras."
