Final post in a series highlighting the sister church sponsorship centers. Previously we've covered: Guacutao, Azacualpita & Cones, Arenales, and Crucitas. Today we're discussing the center at Camalote Campuca.
Since we've been talking about sponsorship centers, I've had the opportunity to speak to various people involved with the different centers. Today, we're talking about the Camalote Campuca center and I got to speak to a couple for whom that center is very special. You may recognize their names from previous blog posts (or from the name of the ministry). Yes, I got to talk to none other than Allen and Trish Sowers!
The pastor at Camalote Campuca is Pastor Dionisio Pineda. (Fun fact: Trish had to message the spellings of both the center and the pastor to me!) Pastor Dionisio was a member of the first graduating class of Pastor Training School, way back in 2008. The feeding program at Camalote Campuca started in 2006.
Surprise! Camalote Campuca is in a remote location. The program is, as Allen describes it, “about a half hour off the asphalt, up into the mountains.” It is right up at the edge of Celaque, the tallest mountain in Honduras. (Fun fact: Trish didn’t have to message that spelling. I googled it!) The community was once extremely poor, but the economy has picked up since roads were built. They are now able to export coffee grown in the fertile land.
Because of the better economy, the area is gradually seeing children receiving better educations. Pastor Dionisio is a big believer in education. He was an unpaid pastor when he first started working in the area, but he has always been able to support himself and his family through his work as a mason. All of his children graduated from high school, which is almost unheard of in that area. Some of his children have even gone on to college.
Pastor Dionisio has been a good friend to the Sowerses since they first moved to Gracias. Allen and Trish described him as a sweet-hearted, friendly guy. In fact, it sort of sounded like they were reading from a thesaurus as they took turns shouting out positive adjectives to describe Pastor Dionisio.
We sometimes speak of the “explosive growth” occurring in some of the sponsorship centers. That is not the case in Camalote Campuca. Pastor Dionisio faces a lot of opposition in his community. As Allen said, “He has worked in an area where he has struggled because of a resistance to the Gospel.”
Still, the church’s growth has been steady. Pastor Dionisio is now a lower level supervisor within his denomination and he has worked to raise up a new generation of church leaders. Often these are individuals who came through his feeding center and sponsorship program. Allen and Trish describe Pastor Dionisio’s story as one of endurance and perseverance. They are quick to point out that the challenges he faces are met with his steadfast outlook and sweet demeanor. Allen said, “He is a kindhearted leader despite the opposition he faces.”
Camalote Campuca is the sister church of Fredericktown Baptist Church, in Walkersville Maryland.
- posted by Christi
Since we've been talking about sponsorship centers, I've had the opportunity to speak to various people involved with the different centers. Today, we're talking about the Camalote Campuca center and I got to speak to a couple for whom that center is very special. You may recognize their names from previous blog posts (or from the name of the ministry). Yes, I got to talk to none other than Allen and Trish Sowers!
The pastor at Camalote Campuca is Pastor Dionisio Pineda. (Fun fact: Trish had to message the spellings of both the center and the pastor to me!) Pastor Dionisio was a member of the first graduating class of Pastor Training School, way back in 2008. The feeding program at Camalote Campuca started in 2006.
Surprise! Camalote Campuca is in a remote location. The program is, as Allen describes it, “about a half hour off the asphalt, up into the mountains.” It is right up at the edge of Celaque, the tallest mountain in Honduras. (Fun fact: Trish didn’t have to message that spelling. I googled it!) The community was once extremely poor, but the economy has picked up since roads were built. They are now able to export coffee grown in the fertile land.
Because of the better economy, the area is gradually seeing children receiving better educations. Pastor Dionisio is a big believer in education. He was an unpaid pastor when he first started working in the area, but he has always been able to support himself and his family through his work as a mason. All of his children graduated from high school, which is almost unheard of in that area. Some of his children have even gone on to college.
Pastor Dionisio has been a good friend to the Sowerses since they first moved to Gracias. Allen and Trish described him as a sweet-hearted, friendly guy. In fact, it sort of sounded like they were reading from a thesaurus as they took turns shouting out positive adjectives to describe Pastor Dionisio.
We sometimes speak of the “explosive growth” occurring in some of the sponsorship centers. That is not the case in Camalote Campuca. Pastor Dionisio faces a lot of opposition in his community. As Allen said, “He has worked in an area where he has struggled because of a resistance to the Gospel.”
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| Pastor Dionisio with some of the children in his program |
Camalote Campuca is the sister church of Fredericktown Baptist Church, in Walkersville Maryland.
- posted by Christi
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