S.E.N.T. - Teresa Cooper

Day 12

3/13/2015

Today was basically an all day travel day. We got up, finished packing, had breakfast, and headed to the airport. Our flight from Tegucigalpa to Atlanta was delayed almost an hour which we weren’t too upset about. We arrived in Atlanta about 7 pm, went through customs and security and then left for Pittsburgh about 10 pm. We landed in Pittsburgh about 11:20 pm or so. After gathering our luggage and driving about 45 min or an hour back to the school it was about 1:15 am Saturday morning. We have arrived safely back at dear FGBI and it is time for some rest.

Thank you for all of your prayers and support for the 2015 S.E.N.T teams. I know I have heard stories of how God moved in Haiti and I am a witness to the fact that God really blessed us in Honduras. I enjoyed the time I got to spend there and everything I got to be a part of. God faithfully supplied all the money I needed to go and everything I needed while I was there. He is always faithful, even when it is overlooked. What a privilege we have the serve a God like that! Whether at home or abroad He is faithful.

The Sumners are great people and God has given them a great work. We were just a short term missions group but they live there and those people are the burden of their heart. Please remember them in your prayers as they continue to work in Honduras.

When you think of a missions trip generally you think of going to a foreign country, helping out, doing outreach work, being in services, preaching the Word, and overall being a blessing to the missionary and the church there but in Honduras we are the ones that have been blessed. There is no way I can leave Honduras and say I have given more than I have received. The time, effort, and work we put into coming have been more than worth it. All the money that I raised does not compare with what I have witnessed the past 11 days. If I had it to do over again, I’d work harder, raise more money, and spend more time in prayer and preparation because I have seen firsthand that the work of God is worth everything we can put into it and so much more. May God richly and abundantly bless you for your giving and your prayers.

Day 11

3/12/2015

Today we went back to Tegucigalpa, the city in which we had landed. We had 4 services today; one air force base, one armed forces technical school (they learn English here so the entire service here was done in English), one police academy, and one military academy. The fact that the Sumner’s have had an influence on everyone in the police and armed forces in the past approximately 24 years is an amazing thing to consider.

We spent a large part of the day on the road. Each of the 3 guys on the S.E.N.T team along with Bro. Pahlman got to preach a service. The last 2 places we went were the academies and kind of last minute we decided to do the skit we had done about David and Mephibosheth at the Saturday schools as an addition to the service. It had obviously been put together for a much younger age group but with a little work on the ending it turned out well and they seemed to enjoy it. We even had two random cadets help us by carrying in Mephibosheth.

We had a huge crowd at our last service and we even got to watch their flag ceremony. Throughout the day we saw so many that raised their hands to pray for salvation. I pray that God keeps them and uses them to influence their country.

Day 10

3/11/2015

Today was our day off so after a nice breakfast then loaded up and headed for Angels Valley, a tourist town, to buy souvenirs for those back home. It was about a 2 hour drive there but we had a great trip. Once we got there we were busy looking around and then grabbed some lunch, finished up our shopping, and headed out. Once we made it back to the Sumner’s we took air plane rides and let me tell you, they were a blast. Oh, it was so much fun and it was such a beautiful evening to be in the air.

Corn hole tournaments took place while we were waiting on supper. The Sumner ladies treated us to a delicious homemade meal. After the dishes were done it was time for pure sugar cane, just pull it off the bark and eat away but make sure you spit out the pulp.

We had devotions tonight and everyone gathered in Bro. Alan and Sis. Paula’s house. We sang choruses and hymns there was such a sweet, sweet presence. I believe we could have sung for hours and never got tired of it. Bro. Jake Sumner gave us a devotion for the heart. It was a true blessing and something that we needed. There is just something about getting instruction from someone who has already been there and knows what you will face. To have him stand before us and give us his testimony and see his burden shine through touched my heart in a special way. I hope I can be a willing and devoted vessel to the Lord; one that He can use as greatly as He has used the Sumners in Honduras.

Day 9

3/10/2015

Workday has arrived! It was time to do some painting at the soup kitchen. First, we sanded and painted the frames of the tables with a nice thick coat of black anticorrosive paint. Then came the tables; 3 yellow, 3 orange, 3 green, 3 red, 3 blue. Next came the frames of the benches which were overdue for a paint job. They were sanded and painted with anticorrosive paint as well. There was some welding done that day and the day before to make repairs. We had a good time painting and by the time we got done we were quite a colorful crew.

With dishes washed, colorful clothes, and a few remaining paint marks on us that the thinner hadn’t taken off, it was time to head home and get ready for church. This was our last night of the youth revival and our last time to see the church people before we went home. Bro. Pahlman preached on “A Fight for Freedom”. We had another good altar service and saw people get help.

When it was time to take everybody home on the bus, goodbyes were said to those that would be taken to their homes in the truck and those of us going on the bus loaded up. The little kids are always so much fun and I have enjoyed all the time I got to spend with them. I hate the fact that I don’t know enough Spanish to actually talk to them but sometimes I think they find it more funny to listen to you try to pronounce words and get your point across or call for one of the Sumner girls to interpret.

Something about Honduras that has impressed me is the sacrifice the people here make to come to church. In the States, a slight weather hazard or a headache is an excuse to stay home from the house of God but some of these people walk a good ways to catch the bus and then walk home in the dark, they come with their small children, and they come even when their spouse doesn’t. They have a love for the house of God that is refreshing and challenging.

Day 8

3/9/2015

Today we slept in and were treated to a wonderful waffle breakfast. The guys went with Bro. Alan and Bro. Scott to prep for work day at the kitchen and the girls went into town with Sis. Bonita. We had a fun day and then headed in for service that night.

Bro. Ashton Davis preached on “A Plea for My Generation” and the Lord moved and challenged many lives. The power of God doesn’t change because you cross the ocean, the landscape changes, or even when the language is different. God has a desire to do greater things in Honduras and He desires young people to rise up and get a burden for their country. That’s what the guys have been preaching to the youth in Danli. All throughout history God has had a man. I believe He is challenging lives in Honduras to make up the hedge and stand in the gap for their country. We have seen the young people flood the altars and pour their hearts out to God so far in the youth revival but I pray it will last longer than just a few days or weeks. Keep the young people of Honduras in your prayers; they are the next generation that will lead their country.

Day 7

3/8/2015

We finished up the Kid’s Crusade this morning while Bro. Pahlman taught Sunday school to the teenagers and adults. We had so much fun with the kids and they seemed to enjoy it as well. We had a good altar service. It is always a blessing to see God touch young lives.

That night we started the youth revival. Bro. Aaron Johnson preached about the prodigal son and Bro. Jacob Vaughn preached about being wounded in the house of God. The presence of the Lord was there in such a mighty way in the altar service. People were crying and praying all around the front. I am so thankful that the Lord can move regardless of language barriers.

Seeing the Sumner’s in a church service with their people showed us more of the burden that they have. Bro. Alan Sumner is more than just an American that has gone to Honduras because God “required” him to. He is a pastor that cares for his people and it shows in every aspect of his life. I am so thankful for the opportunity I have had to come to Honduras. The Sumner’s have challenge me to do more regardless of where I am. The Sumner family is active in Honduras and they are impacting the country for Christ.

Day 6

3/7/2015

Today we had Saturday schools. We left the house at 7:30 am to head to our first one which was at a military base. There was a big group there. They had brought in kids from all over and had asked the Sumner’s to minister to them. It was a new program they were doing called Keepers of the Country.

We had 5 Saturday schools in all and every one of them was fun. We sang songs and did a skit and prayed with them. It was amazing to see all those little kids, most of which don’t get to go to church, and the burden that the church ladies had to work with them.

Our second night of the Kid’s Crusade was great! Bro. Alan said there were 208 people there not counting the S.E.N.T team. The Lord moved in the altar and we saw young lives touched. We had a blast playing with the kids after church. I have read before that a short term missions trip turns statistics into faces and that has proven to be true. They become more than people you have prayed for but people you love and long to see again.

Day 5

3/6/2015

We had a police service in Danli this morning, grabbed some breakfast and then we split into different groups; one went to the church to set up for the kid’s crusade, one went with Sis. Brenda Sumner to do some grocery shopping for both herself and the soup kitchen on Saturday, and a few of the guys went with Bro. Scott to run some errands around town. We had so much fun setting up and decorating boats for the kid’s crusade. After everyone was done in town we dropped some things off at the kitchen and went home for an afternoon of rest and fun.

Finally, it was time for the kid’s crusade! The military bases were great but there’s just something about kids. They loved the skits and the games probably almost as much as us. When the altar call came, Bro. Alan did a wonderful job and both the children and young people responded well. One little girl in particular was in the altar just weeping before the Lord.

After church we played and played and played with the kids. Any weight we had gained from all of the good food was worked off as we ran and chased the kids all over the place. Then it came time to take them all home and we crammed into the little school bus and took off. You have never met such fun and loving kids as the ones you will find here. It has truly been a blessing to be in Honduras.

Day 4

3/5/2015

We had a service today about an hour from where we had been staying. It was at a military base with only a handful of soldiers but the Lord was there. A major talked to us after the service and told us what a strength and a blessing the Word of God was to him. That base was there to protect a dam and after the service they took us down and showed it to us. It was incredible and for someone who doesn’t like heights anymore than me, it was a little nerve-racking.

Most of our day was spent traveling back to the Sumner’s house. We were treated to some delicious food in an open air restaurant overlooking a lake--it was so beautiful! Finally we made it to the Sumner’s home where we were welcomed with a warm meal, priceless fellowship, comfortable beds, and an atmosphere that made you feel at home.

Day 3

3/4/2015

Today we visited 4 different bases; one of the special police, one military, one air force base, and one naval base. The Lord has been faithful to us in greater ways than we even know. He provided all of the funds needed for us to come, He met us in prayer as we prepared for the trip, He gave us traveling mercy and He has allowed us to witness the salvation of souls in the country of Honduras.

Our second service, which was at the air force base, was an amazing service. During the testimonies the Spirit of the Lord came by and began to work in the lives of men and women there. Not everyone came forward to pray for salvation but the vast majority did. Men began to weep in the presence of the Lord. People prayed for healing for their sick family members and the Spirit of the Lord was there in a sweet way.

After that service we got to take a tour and look at some of their planes. A mechanic explained one of the jets to us almost piece by piece. He tried to explain most of it in English and did a good job which was really neat. We had a great time there.
Safely back at the hotel for the night and looking back over the day, I am reminded of God’s faithfulness once again and the ever so common words come back to mind, ‘Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it (I Thessalonians 5:24, KJV).’ This verse of Scripture has been proven true throughout the ages and it is still in effect today. God is faithful.

Please continue to remember the Sumner family and the S.E.N.T team in your prayers--Thank you!