Sometimes things that are doable are not ideal and things that are ideal are not doable. You might really want to purchase vegetables from a local farmers market, but if there’s no one operating a farmers market, you don’t stop eating vegetables! (Hopefully not, at least. Vegetables are good for you!) And when a permanent Bible teacher wasn’t available for the Seattle SEA and FBC sponsorship program, Sowers4Pastors didn’t stop providing Bible lessons to the children of that program. They came up with a temporary solution to make sure all of those kids were getting fed spiritually–even though it meant sending someone to teach the Bible lessons each week.
Once a week S4P has sent a staff member out to lead Bible lessons for the children of the Seattle sponsorship program. That responsibility has fallen on Esdras and René, who have faithfully made the forty-minute drive to the schools, taught the lessons, and made the forty-minute drive back to Gracias. It has been doable but not ideal! “Ideal” has always been the Bible lesson equivalent of a local farmer’s market. That’s because the goal of Sowers4Pastors isn’t to run each aspect of the ministry themselves. Their goal is to help others step up to minister to their local communities. S4P’s vision is to “pour into” indigenous pastors in the area.
However, the area with the two schools in the Seattle sponsorship program does not have an evangelical church. It has always been a difficult area in which to minister. Esdras has faithfully searched and prayed for someone in that area to be able to take over the Bible lessons. That isn’t because Esdras and René don't enjoy working with the children. It isn’t even because they would prefer to not have to travel so far each week to provide lessons. It’s because being taught by someone from the spiritual version of the local farmer’s market is better for the children.
Even though Esdras and René are Honduran, they didn’t grow up in that community. Esdras is from the capital city, Tegucigalpa. He’s a scholar, able to communicate on many topics. But, unlike most of the pastors in the area, he is not also a farmer who works alongside the parents of the children. He is not the uncle or cousin of a single student at those schools. The children cannot relate to him in the same way they might relate to a neighbor.
Understanding this issue, Edras spoke to several church leaders running a Sunday school program in a neighboring community. They are from a small church with about twenty children in total. As it turns out, these leaders have been looking for a way to expand their ministry. Esdras met with them last year to discuss the issue. The leaders declined because the timing wasn’t right. This year, however, contact was made again and they have agreed to take on the role of providing Bible lessons to the children in the Seattle sponsorship program.
Please pray for these church leaders as they begin their new role–that they will not get discouraged and that their presence will be a blessing for them and the children. Pray also for another school in need of a Bible teacher. Alejandro and Secia have been doing those weekly lessons. It is in another area without a thriving evangelical church. While you’re at it, go ahead and pray for the upcoming backpack distribution season. The first team arrives one week from Saturday. Rachel said, “We are neck deep in backpacks right now. Literally! Neck deep!” It is the desire of Sowers4Pastors to bless the children in both physical and spiritual ways. So, while backpacks are important, they never want to overlook the spiritual side of things.
Matthew 9:37-38 NIV Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
- posted by Christi.
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