The Ripple Effect of Giving

Whenever a staff member at Sowers4Pastors hands off a phone to someone from a visiting team for blog post fodder, it’s a delightful surprise! It feels a bit like when a heralding trumpet player steps forward to play a dramatic “Do-do-do-dooooo!” before a royal proclamation — or in a 1980s Imperial margarine commercial. So, without further ado… Hear ye! Hear ye! We had an interview with Corbin from the Lighthouse team of last week. Do-do-do-dooooo!

The sixteen-member Lighthouse team arrived in Gracias late on a Saturday night, eager to spend a week distributing backpacks. Corbin and his wife, Emily, are no strangers to the backpack program. When their friends, the Johnsons, announced they were moving to South Carolina, they left behind an opportunity that Corbin and Emily had been praying about — a way to increase their ministry involvement by stepping into the Johnsons’ former role leading the Lighthouse for Lempira program.

Since taking on this role, Corbin and Emily have led Lighthouse’s team trips to Gracias under the guidance of the church’s outreach coordinator, Marjorie Dean. This marks their fourth trip, and the thrill of the experience hasn’t faded. Corbin shared, “We are more confident than ever before that we are doing more than just delivering backpacks and shoes to the kids. We are truly providing the opportunity for the kids to meet God.”

On Tuesday of their week distributing backpacks, Corbin was blessed to witness about fifteen children sitting down to read the Bibles they had just received. Moments like these, as well as seeing parents pray for the team during school visits, have moved the group deeply.

“This program is so much bigger than backpacks. It’s so much bigger than what any one team could give,” Corbin reflected. “We are praying that whenever we give out a backpack and a pair of shoes, we are really giving a piece of Jesus.” He likens the experience to the miracle of the loaves and fishes. “God just wants our five loaves, and He will multiply what we give.”

When asked to share the most memorable moments of this trip, Corbin struggled to pick just one but narrowed it down to two:

Moment #1
The first unforgettable moment happened during a home visit on Tuesday. As the team was preparing to leave, the demeanor of Corbin and Emily’s sponsored child shifted from joy to tears. The girl ran briefly out of the room and returned holding a small Christmas tree craft she had made. She handed it to Corbin and Emily as a gift. Corbin realized then that these trips aren’t only about blessing the kids and their parents. “God wants to pour out blessings to the team from the kids and parents. They blessed me far more during our time than we did them,” he said.

Moment #2
The second memorable moment occurred at the team’s last location. Lighthouse recently added a new school to their program. The church purchased white boards and a bookshelf for the new school and, as they presented the items to the school, the teachers and students audibly gasped. “It was clear that these gifts were so much more than physical gifts, but they had an opportunity to display Jesus’ love and care for this community. We were so grateful to witness that,” Corbin said.

When asked what he most wants people to know, Corbin said, “This is something I think is important in life in general, not just in the context of missions. People end up living where they’re comfortable. I encourage people to prioritize being uncomfortable. That’s where you rely on God and where God will do more. In the context of mission trips, pray and see if this is something God would have you do. You will see His Kingdom’s work in a way that we don’t really get to see in our comfort zones."

- posted by Christi