Honduras missions trip

(This is the prayer letter I'm sending out for the missions trip I am taking to Honduras this summer.)

January 25, 2007

Dear friend,

Living in Illinois, you can always rely on the seasons to change. Each year we see flowers bloom, trees burst with leaves which later turn beautiful colors before falling to the ground as winter arrives and snow blankets the earth. It is truly a beautiful thing to watch the seasons turn. As the seasons change, so must many things in our lives. Change is the theme of my life right now. God is continually reminding me that no matter how much things around me change, He is constant. He is unchanging.

I’ve never been much of an introspective person, but lately I find myself involved in some inner searching. Most recently, I have found myself considering this quote: I want a lifetime of holy moments. Every day I want to be in dangerous proximity to Jesus. I long for a life that explodes with meaning and is filled with adventure, wonder, risk, and danger. I long for a faith that is gloriously treacherous. I want to be with Jesus, not knowing whether to cry or laugh. - Mike Yaconelli. Mike was the founder of Youth Specialties, a youth ministry resource company as well as an author, pastor and youth leader. Before his death a few years ago, I had met him a couple of times and he was someone I came to admire and respect. In many ways, this quote sums up my deepest desires for this life. But of course, it leads to a ton of questions and those are what I have been pondering for awhile now. What does “dangerous proximity to Jesus” look like? I explore this more in depth on my blog which you can find at http://hugaboom.blogspot.com. There’s an insight for you into the mess in my head… :-)


“But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.” - Psalm 73:28.


I’d like to share with you a really exciting adventure that is coming my way this summer. From August 18-25, I will be traveling to Honduras with Compassion International. Some of you will remember that I went to Honduras in July 2005 and I have the incredible privilege of going again. Since early 2000, I have been supporting Deysey through Compassion. When a child is sponsored, they are able to get involved in a student center when they receive help with schoolwork, they are able to learn a craft, they hear about Jesus and they receive a nutritious meal. When Deysey and I met in 2005, it brought tears to my eyes. That summer she turned 13 and was thrilled to be in school and she had just begun learning how to make tortillas which her family will sell to make money.
Once again I will have the chance to spend a day with Deysey (now nearly 15), however, this trip will be focused around an intensive service project. We will be working with local church partners to build a structure of their choice for the community. Exactly what we will be building is unknown at this point, but I’m looking forward to getting my hands dirty and doing some construction work. We will also spend a day at one of the Compassion student centers where we will help with arts & crafts, play games and serve lunch. In the afternoon of that day, we’ll have the opportunity for a home visit, where we’ll have a first hand look at the lifestyle of the children and their families.

I am also exploring the possibility of staying in Honduras after the Compassion trip to visit with some TEAM missionaries who work down there.

Will you pray for me? Pray that God will be reminding me again and again of His faithfulness to me. Would you also pray that I will be faithful in spending time meditating on God’s Word and listening to Him through prayer? As the trip draws near, pray for good health for me & all who will be going. And pray for Deysey that she will continue to grow in her walk with Christ and that she can find time to study for school.

Would you also consider partnering financially with me on this trip? The cost of the trip will be around $2500 depending on the cost of the flights. This includes money to bring Deysey & her mom from her home to our meeting place. In addition, I will need to contribute to the cost of materials for our service days and for our day at the student center. If you are interested in helping me, support can be sent directly to me. I must have all of my funds in by May 15th in order to participate in the trip.

May God grant you His peace throughout this new year.

Seeking Him,
Holly