A group from the USA came to the community last week. Among them was Richard, who wrote the update below. In 2020, Richard encouraged me to go to Honduras. Until then, it had always been more of a dream—just talk. His words helped set into motion the work we’ve since done together with the community.

Here’s his perspective on the week he spent in the community. Enjoy!

I just returned home with five of the six team members after a week in Danlí, in the community near the trash dump. As I was planning this trip, I asked many people to pray for us. When asked what organization we were going with, my reply was, “Just a man who says his boss is a Jewish carpenter.”

Because of the relationships that had already been established, we were greeted with smiles and hugs. We were finally able to connect faces and personalities with the names of people we had prayed for over the past years.

We worked alongside the staff at the school and in the medical clinic, and we had the joy of cooking lunch for the clinic team. The group also helped the community paint the school, and we celebrated the completion of the work with cake and Coca-Cola. The school is now a bright spot in the area.

The team was invited into one of the homes in the community for lunch. We also worked with another family to replace a wall and part of a roof in their home.

On Wednesday night, we had a prayer service at the playground built by previous teams. As is often the case in Honduras, things didn’t go quite as expected. Another meeting was happening in the house next to the playground at the same time, and their sound system and music were so loud we couldn’t hear one another. After a brief sharing of a Bible story and discussion, we moved to the road to continue our prayer time in peace.

Our time of prayer began with one of the community leaders and was quickly joined by others. Soon, people began singing praises to God. The prayers and singing continued for some time. As our time together was drawing to a close, it began to rain. Praying under the stars, without the comfort of chairs or a building, became one of the highlights of our week. The Father was honored, and Jesus was exalted.

It would be easy to focus on all the physical and spiritual needs that remain in the community, but I prefer to focus on what God had already done before our team ever arrived. He had prepared the way. His plan for us was to learn from our time in Danlí and to gain a new perspective. God had already miraculously brought people together for the work there and is continuing to work in each of our lives.

The foundation of friendship between the people of the community and those of us from the United States was already in place. God allowed us to play a small part in His greater work. I came away with a deep respect for the love and commitment of Ron, José, and his sweet wife, Maylin. They are true servants of God. I pray that God will continue to bring them to your minds as you pray. Thank you for making this trip possible. We are grateful for your partnership in this work. We appreciate your financial gifts—but even more, your prayers.

May God alone receive the glory.

Pictures : Facebook