Jeremiah 29:11 Armor of Hope Ministries Inc.
Armor of Hope Ministries, Inc. 837 Chestnut Blvd., Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221 330-285-2443
This page last updated on February 14, 2010
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Youth Group Defeats Challenges
This past summer, after thieves took the monies earned by the youth group to go to Tegucigalpa for their first youth rally, the youth group didn't sit down and give up. They continued to work. Then the rally was canceled due to political unrest in the nations capitol. The youth group still didn't give up. After continued fund raising and with the addition of an anonymous donation to help re-fund the youths lost money, the youth got to enjoy their first youth event away from El Sauce.
Youth minister Yul Brinner, arranged for a trip to the beach. None of our youth had seen the ocean. This would be more than just a youth event, it would be a cultural adventure. He drove the pick up truck full of kids to Tela on the north coast of Honduras. The white sand beaches there are picture perfect. The kids got to experience the salty taste of sea water and waves pushing their bodies toward the shore. They got to sea water that seemed to have no end.
Yul Brinner planned lessons that involved "the sea"--Jesus calming the storm, Jesus walking on the water and other Bible stories that showed God's power over nature (especially the sea). It was a home run! Students walked into the water as waves splashed around their legs for the first time, and tried to imagine walking on top of those waves. They talked about the awesome sight it must have been for the Israelites to cross the Red Sea on dry land as the walls of water rose up on both sides of them. They have a new appreciation of the power of God and for his marvelous creation of the sea.
The Church in El Sauce continues to search for a minister. They have grown in number and are learning they are capable of maintaining themselves during this time. It has not been easy however, but they are determined.
Yul Brinner and Maximino take turns preaching and teaching. Yul leads singing and they both fill in wherever they are needed. We have other men who attend but at this time only Yul and Maximino are Christians. Reaching the men of El Sauce has proven to be a challenge.
Please pray God sends a minister soon to El Sauce who will help to encourage and strengthen this young church.
Yul Brinner Rivera
Maximino Sandoval
E-mail address
Good News! We have a new sister in Christ. Her name is Rosa. Rosa, and I have been studying the Bible together with Yul Brinner and his sister Maria for several weeks. This past week she expressed her desire to be baptized. This was not only a huge step for Rosa, but also for the brothers in the church who had never baptized anyone. Until now Victor Navarro had baptized those who desired to be a part of God’s family. There was so much involved in this baptism, but it was a wonderful experience.
First, one of the goals of this trip was to begin teaching and involving Christians in the process of helping non-believers understand God’s will for them and his salvation. On past trips I had taught groups the basics of using their Bibles to teach others. This trip meant real life practice. After assigning different topics to Yul Brinner and Maria, the three of us met almost daily with Rosa (at her request) to study. We took turns studying different topics from scripture. It was exciting to watch Yul and Maria teaching Rosa. Even on those days when I did the teaching they jumped in when they felt the need to clarify my Spanish (which was greatly appreciated).
After Rosa expressed her desire to be baptized, My husband Steve taught the “mechanics” of baptism in the living room of our small adobe home to brothers Yul Brinner and Maximino. Afterward they practiced with one another, first taking confessions of faith and then properly placing their hands so not to drop the person being baptized.
Two days later Bro. Jesús (the minister from Villanueva), Rosa and her children, Yul Brinner, Maximino and I (Steve had returned home the day before) traveled down the mountain to the Ulua river about 5 miles away. There Bro. Jesús reminded Rosa of the great commitment she was making and then entered the water with Yul, Maximino and Rosa. Maximino took Rosa’s confession and Bro. Jesús watched over Yul as he baptized Rosa. It was so beautiful to watch these youngsters in faith bringing others into the family of God.
Bro. Maximino said it best the day he and Yul were learning how to baptize. “This is one more step of growth for our little church.” He was very excited to know they could now take on the responsibility for the “births” of others.
As for me. To see the first converts in Sauce now studying and bringing others to faith has brought tears of joy to me. As I watched Yul Brinner lower Rosa into the water I remembered back three years ago when my son Tommy and Victor baptized Yul. Seeing faith in Christ grow and blossom is the center of this work and this was a great reminder of God’s faithfulness to be with his children.
From left to right: Jesus, Maximino, Yul Brinner, Rosa
Laura, Rosa, Yul Brinner and Maria (not pictured) study the scriptures together.
A Special Baptism
The Magi gift distribution is always a highlight to me. There is so much excitement all around the village on this day. We prepared a short program consisting of songs, Bible stories, and activities and ended with the distribution of gifts. This year however, we had an added blessing. I had several boxes of items in my home that were left from different programs we have had over the past three years. There were also about seven Magi boxes left over. We filled the bed of the pick-up truck with clothes, toiletry items, toys and miscellaneous things. Then we drove to a very remote area in the mountains where the poorest of the poor live.
The houses looked like quilts made up of patches of cardboard, pieces of tin roofing and whatever other materials the family has scavenged to make walls and a roof. They had only dirt floors. Some of these houses were no bigger than the smallest bedroom in my home in Ohio. The houses were scattered far from one another. This made our plan work even better. We have never worked in this area. I simply remembered driving through this past summer and feeling my heart sink at the sight of this extreme poverty. The children wore nothing but rags as did their parents. Many of the younger children were naked. They were very dirty possibly from the lack of an easily accessible water source.
The people we had come to serve had never met us. They were very leery of strangers pulling up to there homes. The children ran inside the house to hide while the adults stood far off waiting to see our next move. Yul Brinner and Maria would gently begin coaxing them toward us letting them know we had only come to deliver a blessing to them. It was always a child who would step out first in blind trust. When the others would see that the child received clothes, soap and shampoo, toys and candy, they too came. Being about to serve one home at a time made it easy for us to see what was most desperately needed and provide as best we could.
There was such a look of pleasure in the eyes of the youngsters when we handed them their bag of “goodies”. Their big brown eyes twinkled as their smiles widened across their faces. Each home was also given a New Testament in hopes they might be introduced to Christ or increase their existing knowledge of Him.
Magi Gifts Bring Smiles at Christmas
Some of the children who were the recipients of Magi Gifts
Special deliveries for some unexpecting children.
Many thanks go out to Healing Hands International and the Exchange Street Church of Christ for making this program possible in El Sauce.
