A Little Sandwich, A Lot of Joy!

Earlier this month, Brandy shared about the preparations for Sowers4Pastors’ annual Day of the Child celebrations. Now Alejandro is back with a joyous recap of what happened when all those preparations turned into two weeks of parties, treats, Bible lessons, and a whole lot of very excited children.

It took two weeks for S4P to visit 32 separate locations. During the second week, they were joined by a team of 16 people from CEAD church in Tegucigalpa, many of whom were experiencing the sponsorship program for the first time.

Alejandro said, “It was an amazing time for the kids. The church provided sandwiches for the kids each day. Every day sandwiches were prepared and given out along with bags of candy, cakes, and piñatas.”

Now, a sandwich may sound like a pretty small gift to those of us in the United States. But in these communities, something as simple as a chicken sandwich can produce a level of excitement that deserves its own reenactment.

Overpunctuation Warning: The excessive use of exclamation points is entirely intentional. Apparently, that is what happens when you announce chicken sandwiches to a crowd of children who are already excited about candy, cake, and piñatas.

Alejandro described it this way:

S4P spokesperson to the kids: Does anyone know why we’re here?
A chorus of kids: Because it’s the Day of the Child!
S4P spokesperson: We brought candy!
Kids: Candy! AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!
S4P spokesperson: We brought cakes and piñatas!
Kids: Cakes! AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH! Piñatas! AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!
S4P spokesperson: We brought chicken sandwiches!
Kids: No way! Chicken sandwiches, too! AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!

“It’s incredible how we can bless others with something so small,” Alejandro reflected.

And there were a lot of children to bless. At each location, S4P was greeted by more children than expected. By the time the celebrations were finished, more than 2,700 kids had participated. Somehow, there were enough treats for everyone. In fact, at some locations, there were enough to share with parents and other family members as well.

But the children weren’t only receiving food and treats. S4P and the team from Tegucigalpa shared songs, hugs, and Bible lessons with the groups. They prayed with the children and their parents, creating opportunities to celebrate the kids while also sharing the reason S4P is there in the first place.

For many of the members of the Tegucigalpa team, it was their first time seeing the sponsorship program up close. They were stunned by the sheer size of the program and by how much the visits meant to the children, teachers, and parents.

And that may be one of the sweetest parts of the whole celebration. What looked from the outside like a couple of weeks of parties was actually a much bigger picture: churches working alongside S4P, sponsors making the celebrations possible, teachers welcoming the teams, parents joining in, and thousands of children hearing the Gospel.

Alejandro wants to offer a heartfelt thank-you to everyone who helped make it happen.

“Thank you to all of the sponsors in all of the churches. This is the work of a team. We wouldn’t be able to do it without your help, prayers, and sponsorships. All together, we are making a difference in these schools. We are taking the Gospel to the kids and we know that, when they grow up, a lot of the kids will say, ‘Someone shared the Gospel with me and now I can share with others.’”

         

That’s the hope behind every sandwich, every bag of candy, every Bible lesson, every prayer, and every Day of the Child celebration.

Sometimes ministry looks like a big, complicated undertaking involving 32 locations and thousands of children.

And sometimes it looks like handing a child a chicken sandwich and watching their face light up.

Either way, God can use it.

 - posted by Christi

The Official Fall Sowers4Pastors Praise Report Listicle!

 If you spend any time at all scrolling through the corridors of the internet, you’ve encountered more than a few listicles. Sowers4Pastors wants to keep up with the trends, so Trish and Allen have compiled a listicle of their own.

This one has nothing to do with which under-eye cream is actually worth the money or the must-have fashion trends for fall. This is a praise listicle, because while Trish and Allen want to be hip, they do realize that this is still a ministry blog.

So, without further ado…

The Official Fall S4P Praise Report Listicle

1. GOD IS WHO HE IS

Yes, the number-one spot on the praise list goes to God, with a big shoutout for His never-failing love and compassion.

2. A NEW ADDITION

Coming in at number two, Trish and Allen would like to announce the arrival of their newest granddaughter! This particular model is the second daughter of Chris (Gus) and Audrey.

There has not yet been a public announcement of her name, since all of the close family members need to be informed first. We can, however, confirm that this particular baby girl is not exactly petite. She weighed in at a whopping 10 pounds! Mom and baby are both doing well.

3. THE LITERAL STORMS

When Casting Crowns released “Praise You in This Storm,” they were thinking about metaphorical storms. S4P, on the other hand, is offering up praise for some very literal — and very much needed — rain storms.

The recent patch of cooler, wetter weather doesn’t solve Honduras’s food crisis, but it is a welcome respite. The rain may also mean that some of the trees and larger plants can be saved after the prolonged drought.

4. S4P STAFF & PASTORS

No two ways about it: Allen and Trish are profoundly grateful for the top-notch S4P ministry staff.

Alejandro, one of the full-time staff members, also oversees a church he planted in Gracias a couple of years ago. During that time, around 50 people have been baptized. And… drumroll, please… 30–40 young people regularly show up for the youth program on Friday nights! It’s exciting to see how God is moving through Alejandro’s ministry.

It would also be impossible to do what S4P does without the amazing pastors who partner with the ministry throughout the area. They are dedicated to spreading the Gospel and serving their communities.

And there is another huge blessing: the S4P ministry continues to run smoothly whether Trish and Allen are in town or not. That is a testament to the people who have stepped up to make the ministry their own.

5. VOLUNTEERS, SPONSORS, PARTNERS & TEAMS

Of course, it would also be impossible for S4P to do what it does without a whole lot of people on the other side of the operation.

A giant praise goes out to Denise and Jim Cofer. The Cofers have gotten considerably more than they bargained for while waiting for dispensas to go through. They are currently housing two shipping containers at their church and two in their own backyard. And recently, some furniture Trish ordered joined the collection.

At this point, their property is beginning to sound less like a backyard and more like a small distribution center.

Praise also goes out to Trish’s sister-in-law, Jennifer, who helps with communications, and to Janice, who handles the ministry bookkeeping.

Trish gratefully pondered, “What would we do without those people?”

The praise list also includes every person who supports the ministry by sponsoring a child or donating financial resources toward feeding centers, Pastors Training School, motorcycles for pastors, backpack packing, and all the other pieces that make the ministry possible. Your personal sacrifices do not go unnoticed.

And a special shoutout goes to the team from Tegucigalpa that helped pull off another round of annual Day of the Child celebrations. Thousands of children, dozens of locations, countless bags of candy, and approximately 120 piñatas later… they deserve a place on the list.

6. PASTORS TRAINING SCHOOL

There will soon be a new graduating class of pastors from the Pastors Training School.

These men have given a great deal of themselves to be there, and Allen and Trish are excited to see them reach this milestone. It is another reminder that S4P’s work isn’t simply about meeting needs today. It is about equipping local pastors and leaders to continue serving their communities for years to come.

7. FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD

No S4P praise listicle would be complete without Food 4 Kids, which supplies food for feeding centers at no cost.

That praise extends to the people who show up to pack those meals. Their generosity means that S4P only needs to cover the cost of shipping the food to Honduras.

Considering how much food is needed to serve thousands of children, that is no small gift.

8. HISTORICALLY SPEAKING

There are still plenty of situations on S4P’s prayer list. There are also a few things that Allen and Trish would love to be able to move from the prayer list to the praise list sooner rather than later.

But even while they wait, they can look back at a long history of God meeting their needs.

That’s particularly important to remember when circumstances are frustrating or the answers don’t come on the desired timetable. The current situation with the shipping containers is a perfect example. They are still praying for the necessary approvals, but they also know that God has been faithful before.

And that brings this praise listicle right back around to where it started.

GOD IS WHO HE IS.

He was faithful yesterday. He is faithful today. And whatever shows up on next month’s list — whether it’s another prayer request, another praise, or something completely unexpected — He will still be God.

Honestly, that seems like a pretty good place to end any listicle. - posted by Christi

We Need Prayer. Like, Really Need Prayer!

There is a tendency to treat prayer like an emergency glass we only break in a crisis. Today’s blog post is filled with a variety of prayer requests. In some cases, the metaphorical smoke detector is already going off with the sort of high-pitched chirp that sets our teeth on edge. Other prayer requests are more like remembering to change the batteries in the smoke detector before the chirping begins. All of them are important.

Brandy shared, “As you know, we’re always busy. We try to keep working and doing ministry wherever we go. As everybody knows, for these two weeks, we’re celebrating the kids in Day of the Child celebrations. But that’s not the only thing on our plate. We need prayer!”

Last week, Sowers4Pastors staff began the Day of the Child celebrations by bringing parties to eight different schools. It was, in Brandy’s words, “amazing!” The kids were happy, and a visitor from the States had the opportunity to join in the festivities.

This week, S4P staff members, along with a team of 16 people from a church in Tegucigalpa, are wrapping up the Day of the Child festivities. (How many different ways can one say “celebrations” in a single blog post?) The team includes the head pastor and two children’s ministers from the church Brandy, Rachel, Alejandro, and Secia attended when they lived in Tegucigalpa.

CEAD Tegucigalpa

“The team is made up of people who want to do their best for the children,” Brandy said. “We started yesterday and we’ll be celebrating until Saturday. But we also have different things going on. We’ll be doing evangelism on the streets with this team and Sowers4Pastors staff. We’re doing some different activities that will allow us to preach the Gospel in a different way.”

One of those activities will be a coffee stand offering free coffee and cookies. While people are there, the team will ask if they would like prayer. There will also be a medical brigade open to the public. The entire week has been coordinated to allow the team from Tegucigalpa to serve in several different ways. As Brandy put it, “Because they are helping us, we are also helping them.” Please pray for everyone involved in these activities.

Meanwhile, S4P is still waiting on the elusive approval of the dispensa from the Honduran government that will allow a shipping container full of much-needed food to enter the country. There does seem to be some movement in the right direction, since S4P has already been asked for money to cover some fees. Please pray that the necessary approval will come soon and that the food container will finally make its way into Honduras.

And then there is the weather.

Recent forecasts predicted significant rain for the area. Womp-womp! While there has been some rain, there hasn’t been nearly enough to allow farmers to sow crops again.

“It’s hard to see the cornfields and bean fields that are dying,” Brandy said. “We know that’s how many people survive. They rely on those crops for their food and their annual income.”

The situation is expected to make an already serious food-insecurity problem even worse. Brandy said news reports estimate that another half-million people could be affected by food insecurity because of the drought. Honduras already has a significant problem with childhood malnutrition, and that number is expected to rise as families struggle with the loss of their crops.

“The future doesn’t look bright,” Brandy admitted. “But we are trusting in God. We know that nothing is happening that God is not allowing to happen. Pray for everything going on. Also pray for the staff as we are trying to help. We are doing our job, but there is only so much we can do.”

Please also pray for Kirstin, who recently arrived in the States to begin the backpack collection trip. It is a challenging assignment under normal circumstances. This year, she is collecting backpacks while knowing that S4P is still waiting for the government approvals needed to ship them to Honduras. Pray for safe travels, generous donors, and, perhaps most of all, that the paperwork will be resolved before those backpacks are needed.

Finally, there is some encouraging news. Sunday school teacher training continues to move forward, and the first group of students is scheduled to graduate in December. S4P staff members are already planning the celebration.

Training

There is a lot happening. Some of it is exciting. Some of it is frustrating. Some of it is downright concerning. And some of it is simply part of the steady, sometimes unseen work of ministry.

That’s why S4P is asking for prayer — not only when the smoke detector is screaming, but before it gets to that point. Pray for the children, the farmers, the staff, the pastors, the teams, the paperwork, the food, the backpacks, and the teachers being trained to serve the next generation.

There may be only so much S4P can do in its own strength. But that’s precisely the point.

They don’t have to do it alone. - posted by Christi

A Day of the Child Palooza!

Día del Niño, or Day of the Child, is officially celebrated every year on September 10. But if you’re Sowers4Pastors and you’re celebrating 3,000 children, one day simply isn’t going to cut it. This year marks the fourth year that S4P has turned Day of the Child into an all-out celebration — and this year’s festivities will stretch across almost two full weeks.

If you’ve been around the blog for a while, you may remember Brandy explaining why S4P chooses to celebrate the children at school rather than attempting a big Christmas celebration. It’s worth repeating.

The children served by Sowers4Pastors live primarily in rural communities, where much of a family’s income comes from working in the fields. Many of the children help their families with harvesting from late October through February, just as the school year is winding down and then beginning again.

S4P tried celebrating Christmas with the children, but it turned out to be surprisingly difficult. By Christmas, many families have already left their communities to find agricultural work elsewhere. As Brandy put it, families will “often lock the house and go to other areas for work.” That makes it awfully hard to throw a party for children who aren't there.

Day of the Child, on the other hand, is a perfect fit.

Brandy fondly remembers celebrating Día del Niño when he was a child. Schools don’t hold classes that day, but the children still come to school for a day filled with games, candy, and the undisputed highlight of any childhood celebration: getting to whack a piñata until it surrenders its sugary treasure.

S4P has been preparing for this year’s festivities for weeks. Staff members have already spent about two weeks bagging candy for children in the 34 locations currently served by the ministry. Every child will receive a goody bag filled with small toys, candy, and cookies. And, naturally, there will be cake.

Lots of cake.

There will also be approximately 120 piñatas. Because when you’re celebrating 3,000 children, you have to maintain a reasonable piñata-to-child ratio. This is serious logistics, people.

Next week, the S4P staff will kick off the celebrations with help from a small vision team coming from the United States. The staff will divide and conquer, splitting into four groups so they can reach as many locations as possible.

The following week, a mission team from Tegucigalpa will arrive to help finish the celebrations. The team is coming from the mother church of Alejandro’s church plant, and they will also be bringing a medical brigade. The schedule has been carefully coordinated so they can see as many children as possible during their visit.

Brandy was chuckling when he said, “Pray for us.”

Even though he was laughing, it was no joke. Pray for the staff and everyone helping to pull off this enormous feat. 

There are a lot of moving parts involved in celebrating 3,000 children across 34 locations. There are teams to coordinate, roads to navigate, piñatas to transport, candy to distribute, cake to serve, and enough children to make keeping track of everyone feel like a full-time job.

But the celebration is about much more than candy and piñatas.

“This year will be extra special because it has been a difficult year for the people in the villages,” Brandy explained. The drought has left families worried about lost crops, food shortages, and what the coming months will bring. The children may not understand all of the details, but they certainly understand when their families are worried.

So this year, S4P wants to give the children something more than a fun day.

Each celebration will include a brief sermon — short enough to hold the attention of a room full of excited children — along with singing and prayer for the families and for the difficult circumstances facing the country. The children will be reminded that they are loved, that they matter, and that Jesus loves them.

“And God is with us,” Brandy said, “even in our difficult situations.”

That may be the most important part of this year’s Day of the Child celebration.

For a few hours, the children will get to put aside their worries and simply be kids. They’ll laugh, sing, eat cake, collect candy, play games, and take turns attacking piñatas with enthusiasm that only a child armed with a stick can truly achieve.

And, in the middle of all that fun, they’ll be reminded that they are seen and loved — not just by the people who planned the celebration, but by God.

“It’s a lot,” Brandy admitted. “But it’s also the call that we have. We want to serve and celebrate the children.”

If you’d like to help make this year’s Day of the Child celebration possible, donations can be made through the Sowers4Pastors website. Every contribution helps provide the candy, cake, toys, and other supplies needed to celebrate thousands of Honduran children.

And if you’re looking for something specific to pray about, Brandy already gave us our assignment: Pray for the teams, the travel, the logistics, the children, and their families. Pray for safety. Pray for good weather. And pray that, in the middle of all the laughter and celebration, every child will hear exactly what they need to hear: Jesus loves them, God is with them, and they are never forgotten.

Small Gifts, Big Impact: Standing with Pastors in the Mountains

 A couple of weeks ago, Brandy mentioned that Sowers4Pastors was gearing up for one of the most meaningful efforts of the year — preparing gifts for pastors and their families. It’s the kind of project that deserves more than a passing mention, so today, Allen and Trish are pulling back the curtain on why these gifts matter so much… and how you can be part of it.

“The thing people ought to know,” Trish shared, “is that the pastors we work with — these are men and women we’re trying to empower — are incredibly under-resourced. Like most families in the mountain communities, they’re working hard just to survive. And on top of that, they’re planting churches and serving their villages. Their lives are marked by sacrifice.”

Allen added, “The people they’re ministering to are just like them. That’s part of why their ministry is so effective — they truly understand the struggles. Most families in these communities live on about $1,400 to $1,600 a year. Some have learned trades like welding or masonry, which can help, but then there’s less time for farming. It’s always a balancing act.”

In other words, when someone in the community is struggling to put food on the table, their pastor isn’t standing at a distance offering advice—they’re walking through that same reality.

“This isn’t exaggerated,” Allen said. “A chicken dinner would be
considered a feast. Really, any meal with meat is a big deal.

”Trish painted an even clearer picture. “Many of these pastors are living in homes with adobe walls and dirt floors. Electricity may or may not be available. When people in the U.S. think about poverty, this is often a very different level. And these are pastors who are faithfully, sacrificially sharing the Gospel. We want to come alongside them and help.”

That’s where pastor gifts come in.

These aren’t extravagant packages. In fact, they’re filled with things most of us wouldn’t think twice about tossing into a shopping cart — items you might grab during a quick run to Dollar Tree or CVS. Toothpaste. Soap. Shampoo. Everyday essentials.

But in these communities, those “small” items are anything but small.

“Even something like owning a pair of scissors is a big deal,” Trish said.

Household items are also incredibly helpful, as long as they don’t require electricity (which isn’t guaranteed) or batteries (which are expensive and hard to replace). Practical items like dishtowels are simple, useful, and deeply appreciated.

Each family also receives backpacks filled with school supplies — an investment not just in the present, but in the future. Many of the pastors S4P partners with are second-generation leaders, and it’s not unlikely that some of their children will follow in their footsteps. Education opens doors, whether those doors lead to ministry or other opportunities.

And then there’s one item Allen makes sure never gets left out.

“We always include a $6 soccer ball,” he said. “It gives pastors a way to connect with teenage boys in their communities — one of the hardest groups to reach. Whether they’re playing or just organizing the game, it creates an opportunity for relationship and evangelism.”

It’s a simple idea with a powerful ripple effect.

At its heart, this entire effort is about something deeper than supplies.

“The whole idea,” Trish said, “is that we’re saying, ‘We see you. We appreciate you.’ It reminds them that someone cares — that they’re not alone.”

But here’s the challenge: in recent years, donations specifically for pastor gifts have dropped off.

As backpack collection season approaches, this is a perfect time to step in and make a difference. If you live near one of the stops on Kirstin and Mary Faith’s collection route, you can drop off items in person (just reach out to Kirstin for details). If not, you can still participate by ordering items online and having them shipped directly to:

Sowers4Pastors
c/o Denise Cofer
7047 Blue Mountain Rd
Thurmont, MD 21788

A couple of quick reminders:

• Please don’t send medications (even over-the-counter items like Tylenol or Advil), as they require special documentation.

• Toothpaste must be packed separately due to shipping regulations.

• Avoid breakable items to help simplify packing and transport.

Beyond the physical needs, there’s also a bigger story unfolding.

“Lempira was one of the last areas of Honduras to be evangelized,” Trish explained. “After Hurricane Mitch in the late ’90s, evangelism spread rapidly across the country — but not here. There wasn’t even a reliable road into these mountains back then. We were the first full-time North American missionaries to live here. In many ways, this region is still 10 to 15 years behind the rest of the country.”

That means there are still entire areas with little to no Gospel presence — and pastors faithfully stepping into that gap.

And finally, there’s one more urgent need.

Sowers4Pastors is still waiting on approval for their dispensas — the government paperwork that allows them to ship supplies duty-free into Honduras. Everything has been submitted, but the process is delayed.

The ministry is moving forward in faith. But without those approvals, there won’t be shipping containers filled with backpacks and pastor gifts.

So here’s the invitation:

Pray for provision.
Pray for favor with the government.
Pray for the pastors who are faithfully serving in difficult places.

And if you’re able — give, send, or gather supplies.

Because sometimes, the most powerful way to encourage a pastor… is with a bar of soap, a pair of scissors, and the reminder that someone, somewhere, sees them and cares.

- posted by Christi

Everyone Complains About the Weather. Believers PRAY!

There’s an old saying that is often wrongly attributed to Mark Twain: “Everyone complains about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.” Today, Sowers4Pastors is asking you to do something about the weather. Pray! Pray for the drought in Honduras and for the devastating effects it is having on families throughout the country.

Forecasters have been warning about a serious El Niño climate pattern for some time. Brandy remembers hearing that this would be a particularly dry season and that it was expected to be difficult. But it’s one thing to hear a dire weather forecast and quite another to live through it.

“They said it would be tough, but we never thought it would be this tough,” Brandy said. S4P is located near the Celaque mountains, whose name literally translates to “box of water.” Under normal circumstances, the staff can see a waterfall from their property. Now, everything is dry. Rivers have dwindled to a trickle, creeks are going dry, and Honduras is experiencing a rainy season without much rain at all.

And that is a serious problem for the people living in the mountain communities.

“The people in the villages produce food for themselves, but they also produce food to be sold,” Brandy explained. “People are very worried.”

The Honduran government has issued red and yellow alerts for different departments throughout the country. Lempira is currently under a red alert, which is especially concerning in a department where so many families depend on agriculture for both food and income.

During recent visits to different communities with VBS teams, Brandy saw firsthand how badly the crops are being affected.

“We saw people sowing their crops of corn and beans,” he said. “But the crops haven’t grown as they should. Corn stalks should grow to heights of 7–9 feet. August is the time of harvest. This year, the corn stalks only grew to 2–3 feet. Some places have reported a loss of 100% of their crops.”

There is a little rain in the forecast for the coming weeks, and the government hopes that farmers will be able to plant another crop. As part of its contingency plan, the government is providing fertilizer to farmers at no cost. But, of course, fertilizer doesn’t do much good without rain.

“We need to trust in God and we need to be praying to God,” Brandy reminds us. “We are His kids, and as His kids, we ask the Father to supply our needs.”

That’s a good time to hold tightly to the promise found in Philippians 4:6–7: Do not worry about anything. Pray about everything. Give your needs to God with thanks. God’s peace will guard your heart.

Of course, “don’t worry” is easier said than done when you can see people struggling. Many families in Lempira already face food insecurity during a normal year. Brandy estimates that the current drought could double the number of families affected.

Even Sowers4Pastors is feeling the effects. Last Friday, Brandy and several others went to check on the ministry’s water supply. The river that supplies their water is dry. For now, they are relying on whatever water remains in their storage tank.

The drought is also creating an increasingly urgent need for food.

You may remember that S4P has been struggling to get food containers into Honduras. The last food shipment arrived in 2025. There is still some food remaining, but it is earmarked primarily for the children in the sponsorship programs, leaving very little available to help others who may be struggling with food insecurity.

The ministry’s next food container still has not been approved, despite S4P doing everything required on its end. The paperwork was recently resubmitted in hopes of finally receiving permission to bring in a shipment containing fortified rice-and-bean, rice-and-soy, and oatmeal meals. These foods are specifically formulated to provide essential vitamins and nutrients and help prevent malnutrition. And the drought isn’t only affecting food crops.

Brandy has been checking the S4P coffee farm twice a week, watching closely as the lack of rain affects the crop. Each coffee tree flowers four times, with each flower eventually becoming a coffee bean.

“The first flowers appeared normal,” Brandy explained. “The third flowers were really small. And the fourth flowers did not make it. Because it is dry, the coffee has already ripened, but the beans are small. And we can’t fertilize with no rain.”

That is a challenge facing coffee farms throughout the region — and the people who depend on those farms for their income.

There is a lot here that Sowers4Pastors cannot control. They cannot make the rivers flow, force the clouds to open, or make a crop grow without rain. But they can pray. And they can ask others to pray with them.

So that is the request today: Please pray for rain. Pray for enough rain to nourish the parched land, restore the rivers and streams, and give farmers another opportunity to grow food. Pray for the families already facing food insecurity and for everyone whose livelihood depends on agriculture.

Please also pray that S4P’s food container will receive government approval quickly and that the shipment will make it safely into Honduras. And pray for wisdom and provision as the ministry continues responding to the needs around them.

Even when circumstances look hopeless, we know that hopelessness is not the final word.

Everyone complains about the weather.

Believers pray.

 - posted by Christi