Honduras Mission Trip 2006

This is our 2006 Honduras Mission Team from left to right: Minister Marcellino Sanchez, Carol Powell, Reginald Banks, Deacon Quincy Jones, Brian Cornell, Michelle Oden, Sabrina Sanchez, Ikendra Woolen, Carol Jones, Deborah Woolen, and Pastor, John Peyton who is not in the picture because he is taking the picture.

Our mission, while in Honduras, was to minister, teach, and aid Pastor Guy Henry, Field Director of Plan Escalón in La Entrada De Copan of Tree of Life Ministries with any tasks that that the ministry was in need of. Plan Escalón touches more than 300 students, equipping them with the necessary tools and training them to step into the call of God for their lives. These students receive food and shelter, medical and dental treatment, vocational and technical training as well as spiritual guidance and Bible training.

One of the tasks that the team was responsible for while there was painting the new bathroom and shower facilities for the students. These new facilities were built to accommodate the increase in the student population. A majority of our time was also devoted to teaching the students on various subjects. They were all so eager to soak up all the knowledge that we had to impart to them. While there, we were also blessed to spend time fellowshipping with the staff and the students of Plan Escalón. We talked, prayed, and played sports with them.

The team also took a day trip to the mountains to worship with and distribute food and supplies to the families who lived in the village. We were truly blessed by all the people we came into contact with while in the mountains.

Words can’t even begin to truly express the love that we were shown by everyone at Plan Escalón. They should us a love that can only be described as “godly love”. There were only two members of our team that could speak fluent Spanish; however, we were able to communicate with the students on a level that went beyond mere speech. The Spirit of God brought us together and formed a bond between us that cannot be broken by time, language, or distance.

One of the most amazing experiences we had while at Plan Escalón was their church services. The energy and the movement of God in that sanctuary were awesome to say the least. The excitement and reverence they have for God was very apparent in their songs and in their praise and worship. God gave Pastor John a word to impart to them that they, as the next generation of leaders, have an anointing upon them that will make them powerful leaders in the years to come.

Our time there seemed to go by so quickly but because of the peace that we felt and the love that we were shown, it was so hard to leave and come back to the states. It was like leaving our family. We all left a piece of ourselves in Honduras, but we returned to the States with a new found love for those that we were blessed by in La Entrada, Honduras at Plan Escalón.

Honduras is a country of 5.3 million inhabitants which lies on the "knee" of Central America between Guatemala and Nicaragua. Three-quarters of the country is composed of rugged hills and mountains, ranging from 300 to nearly 2850m (984 to 9348 ft) in height. Lowlands are found only along the coasts and in major river valleys. Deforestation is occurring at a rate of 3000 sq. km (1170 sq. mi.) a year, which, if continued, will turn the country into a treeless desert within the next 20 years. However, there are still largely untouched areas, especially in the Mosquitia region. Fauna includes jaguars, armadillos, wild pigs, monkeys and alligators, and abundant bird life such as toucans, herons and kingfishers.

In the last half of the 19th century, U.S. companies established northern Honduras as an important site for banana production. Since then, U.S. business interests, especially United Fruit Co., have had much power in Honduras. So much power, in fact, that U.S. Marines were sent in 1911-12 to protect U.S. investments in bananas.

During the civil wars in neighboring countries in the 1980s, Honduras became a base for U. S. military operations in the region in exchange for large amounts of U.S. aid. There were refugee camps in the country for both Nicaraguans and Salvadoreans displaced by war. Honduras cooperated with U.S. policy and permitted the Nicaraguan "contras" to maintain permanent bases along the border. The U.S. held joint maneuvers with the Honduran army meant to intimidate the Sandinista government. In addition, some Salvadoran army units were trained in Honduras by U.S. military advisors.