Last July, Pastor Joplin visited the Sowers with a very small team, consisting of his wife and three other people. One year later, he returned with a team of twenty-one people. Why? Well, as he said, “I’ve been actively involved in international missions for almost twelve years, at this point. We have literally travelled the globe. There are no ministries we’ve been connected with that are able to do as much with your dollar as the Sowers family. Period.”
He continued the thought by saying, “Rarely can we find anything we can do with $15 that can literally change the life of a family. Not just a student, but a family. We have witnessed with our own eyes that this program is changing the lives of families. In addition to the child program, the building program is able to put a roof on a church for about $1000. There aren’t a lot of places where you can get that much work done.
“The most significant thing to us, in our ministry, is the sincere mission of the Sowers family to spread the gospel. They are not a humanitarian aid organization first; they are a gospel planting organization first. The Sowerses are sincere, real, solid, faith-driven missionaries. We wouldn’t be here if there wasn’t the spiritual depth and deep commitment to the gospel. They are transforming hearts by focusing on building the Kingdom of God, not just the country of Honduras.”
For visiting teams, Pastor Joplin is impressed by the scope of the ministry. He said, “The ministry encompasses so much that there is something for everyone to do. If you want to serve, you can serve! If you’re good with crafts, there’s a place for you to use your talent. If you’re good with kids, there’s a place for you to use your talent. For those with years of ministry experience, there are young pastors who are eager to learn from you. If you want to get involved, you don’t have to look far to use your talents.”
The team from Kansas has been able to host a VBS at a public school, visit two feeding programs, and spend time with the people of their Sister Churches. The team of twenty-one includes eighteen people who sponsor children. Each sponsor has been able to do a home visit. They also pooled their resources to provide mattresses for their sponsored children who were sleeping on the floor. They attended church in Gracias, where they were “deeply moved by the spiritual depth and moving of the Lord in Gracias, Honduras.”
Pastor Joplin has something he wants to say to people in America. “If you have money to give to invest in the Kingdom of God, this ministry has to be considered because there is so much that can be accomplished with even a little bit.”
- posted by Christi
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