CMA Team

We are blessed this week to host a group of motorcyclists from the Christian Motorcyclists Association (CMA). They come from all over the US to be a part of what we are doing here. Today, we invited all of the pastors who have received CMA motorcycles in the past four years for a blessing of the bikes and a good old-fashioned cookout. Of the 35+ pastors who have received bikes, there were about 20 who were able to make it for the blessing. During the festivities, we were able to give another pastor a bike, and send him on his way. Tonight they will present another, and then three more in the coming days.

A Grim Reminder

Today we were reminded of the fleeting nature of life, as we went to Tela to pick up the remains of a motorcycle that a pastor was riding when he was killed. I wrote about the accident in a post on 16 September – The day that we gave 7 new bikes to 7 pastors. Ironically, we received the wreckage (after much paperwork and hoop-jumping) as we prepare to give 5 more bikes away in the coming week. The CMA team arrives here on Saturday and we are planning a “Blessing of the Bikes” on Sunday, where we have invited all of the pastors who have received bikes in the past to come and celebrate with those who have made the bikes possible. The wrecked bike will be on display as a reminder to all who ride.

Homecoming

After 7 L-O-N-G weeks in the US, Scott and Susan finally returned to Honduras today. They left here in early September, because Susan needed surgery that they couldn’t do here in Honduras. The surgery went well, and she is on the mend – Praise God. They returned to some very excited pets and were greeted by some of the local children who sang, recited Bible verses and greeted them warmly. We finished the celebration with brownies and ice cream.
Now we need to get back to work. In less than two weeks, we have a team of 19 arriving from the States. Lots of preparations to get in order, and things to do. Welcome Home!

A Baptism in the River

Today, I went with one of the local pastors and some of his church members up to a small stream flowing off of a mountain, to baptize two of their members. There were about 30 of us all together, packed in the van and in the back of a pickup truck, as we took the 20 minute drive to San José de Montevideo. We started with a short service of praise music and prayer, followed by a message by Pastor Jaime. Afterward, we headed down to the river for the baptism. Since this spot in the river seems to be a favorite swimming hole for the folks who live nearby, we had quite an audience for the event. Afterward, the kids all swam and played in the water for 45 minutes of so, before heading home. It is a blessing to see young people who are giving their lives to Christ and accepting Him as their Lord and Savior. It is also a blessing for us to be a part of what God is doing here in Honduras.

Three New Cayucos on the Sea

Over the past couple of weeks we have watched the construction of three fishing boats here at the mission house in Honduras. Soon after arriving here 3 ½ years ago, Scott Ledford felt called to help some of the local fishermen build new boats. Historically they cut Ceiba trees to make dug-out "cayucos", or canoes. Ceiba trees were once prolific in the area (the town of La Ceiba is 15 minutes from here), but are quickly disappearing. Scott helped a local man, who had recently lost his boat and was despondent, by financing the construction of a new Cayuco. After seeing how much waste there was in the construction of just one boat from a Ceiba tree, Scott offered to help teach some of the fishermen to build a different model, which would weigh less, last longer and would be built from modern building materials. After several design changes, and being taught by the fishermen about what works best for them (and what doesn’t), they have come up with a fiberglass boat that is formed over the shell of a traditional cayuco, which had previously been built by the best cayuco builder in the area. The result is a great combination of the traditional and the modern. Over the last several years, Scott has helped train some of the fishermen to build their boats. Each fisherman who receives a boat is taught by those who learned before them, and are basically responsible for building their own boat, from start to finish. Hopefully they will continue this tradition, by helping others as well.

As funds recently came available, three local fishermen were chosen (by their peers mostly, based on the greatest need) to receive new boats. Each day, they have come and built their boats. They were instructed what to do in each step, and then they spent the next few hours accomplishing each step, before moving on to the next. It has been an education for us to watch, and listen to how they build, and why. Each boat is custom built, depending on the needs and desires of the fisherman. The method of construction allows for variations in length and interior layout.

It has been a blessing to watch them build this labor of love, and then put it to sea to do what it is built for – Fishing.

No More Motorcycles

Well, for the past week and a half, we have had a garage full of motorcycles (see my post of September 5th). Tonight we had the honor of giving them out to 7 deserving pastors (the 8th will be given away in a few weeks). The neat part was that the church where we had the service was the same church where we gave away 4 bikes three years ago when we came here on a short-term team. In 2006, Pastor Jaime Santos received his bike, and he has held these motorcycle services in his church every year since. What great memories that was for us last night.

There was, however a bit of a black cloud hanging over the celebration. We received word earlier in the day that one of the pastors who received a bike last year, was killed this morning when he was hit on his bike by a car near San Pedro Sula. He was the first pastor from this area, who has received a CMA bike and has lost his life riding – We pray that he will be the last. We ask for prayers for the family and friends of Pastor Santos Isidro George. Those of us who ride know that an accident on a bike is an ever-present danger, and it is especially evident here, where automobile drivers aren’t trained to look for bikes and most motorcyclists aren’t as cautious as they should be.

We celebrate with these pastors and pray that these motorcycles will change their ministry and the Kingdom impact that that make.

Motorcycles

Today we received 8 brand-new motorcycles that are going to pastors who don’t have transportation. We have been blessed to be able once again to help with the delivery of bikes given by the Christian Motorcyclists Association to local pastors. In partnership with CMA, MVI has given away a huge number of bikes over the years.
In order to be eligible to receive a motorcycle, these people have to meet pretty specific criteria.
1. The recipient must be an accountable, indigenous Christian leader, pastor, or evangelist.
2. The recipient’s work must be significantly enhanced by using the motorcycle and must be able to make a greater impact for the Lord and the Gospel.
3. The recipient must have no other mechanized means of transportation.
4. The motorcycle must be titled to a church, nonprofit organization, or an association. It cannot be titled in a person’s name.

It is awesome to see the look on the face of a pastor whose ability to minister to his people and to spread the Good News has been impacted in this way. Think about it in your own life – If you had never had a vehicle of your own, how would that change the way that you could do your work? For most of us, it would be huge.

We are also looking forward to the visit of a CMA team here in November, and pray that they will be able to personally give away some more bikes at that time.