Joel from Life Community Church in Hilliard, Ohio, was on his fourth short-term mission trip with Sowers4Pastors two weeks ago. For his twelve-year-old son, Owen, it was his first. Think of it as the missions equivalent of discovering the pizza — the kind that rewires your brain and makes you wonder how you ever lived without it.
The LCC team arrived in Honduras on January 24 and left on the 31st. Because the church sponsors two different schools, the team had been right in the middle of the joyful chaos of two backpack distribution days when Joel and I spoke. Joel shared, “Personally, that’s why I come. To meet the kids and to see the kids I sponsor, along with their families. It’s a way to express that someone far away loves them — and that God loves them.”
In addition to backpack distributions, the team took on an electrical project at one of the schools. Joel explained that the building was in significant disrepair. “There were no lights at all in the classroom,” he said. “Even though there are windows with bars, about 80% of the walls are concrete block, so the rooms are very dark.”
Despite what you might assume, the team is not made up of seasoned electricians. They do have one electrical engineer, whom Joel reverently — and accurately — referred to as “the brains of the project.” The rest of the team brings a healthy mix of home repair experience, problem-solving skills, and willingness to learn on the fly. Together, their goal was to install electrical boxes, conduit, and wiring so the classrooms would finally have proper lighting.
Owen helped however he could, especially when his dad would call down from the top of a ladder. When he wasn't assisting with tools, he was doing equally important work — building relationships. Like most twelve-year-old boys, Owen is highly skilled in the art of playing, and those skills are in high demand. “Even though I’m not fluent in Spanish,” he shared, “we can still play together.”
It turns out kids from Ohio and kids from Honduras like a lot of the same things. Games translate beautifully. Friendships follow quickly. With the occasional help of a translator app, full conversations even happen. Owen did notice one meaningful difference, though. “They’ll come up and give you a hug,” he said. “It feels different than in the U.S., where people just say ‘hi’ or give a high five.”
When asked if he’s formed any special connections, Owen talked about three boys from the neighborhood who often stayed after school. Sometimes they even pitched in, helping remove rotted tile from the school building. Friendship, it turns out, pairs nicely with teamwork.
For Joel, sharing this experience with his son has been deeply intentional. “We live in a small town in Ohio where everybody looks pretty much the same, and everybody pretty much has what they need,” he said. “I’m trying to plant seeds about the Kingdom work that can be done — whether that’s full-time ministry or short-term missions.”
Owen’s older sister has already been to Honduras twice, and Joel reflected on what that has meant for their family. “I’m thankful to the Sowers and their ministry. This has been a great thing for my family. It’s helped us teach that ministry happens both at home and abroad. We can — and should — do it at all levels.”
And in case you’re wondering what surprised Owen most about Honduras, it wasn’t the food or the language. It was the roofs. Clay tile roofs look very different when you’re used to composite shingles and metal. Transportation differences were also eye-opening. But if you ask Owen for his final verdict? He’d be perfectly content to just move into the hotel where the team is staying.
Not a bad review for a first taste of missions.
- posted by Christi.
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