Regardless of how far a missionary travels to serve, the calling comes with unique challenges. That’s why Alejandro, Secia, and Brandy — who are Honduran — are no less “on the mission field” than their international counterparts Rachel, Kirstin, Allen, Trish, and Mary Faith. Today, Alejandro shared some heartfelt thoughts on the spiritual needs that unite all missionaries, no matter where they’re from.
When Alejandro and Secia moved to Gracias a few years ago to serve as local missionaries, they were met with messages of congratulations and encouragement. The same was true when Brandy stepped into ministry. But as Alejandro later shared, that first year wasn’t easy. They didn’t know anyone beyond the Sowers4Pastors team, they weren’t familiar with the area, and they had to adjust to a different culture within their own country.
Since then, Alejandro and Secia have planted a church that now includes Brandy, Rachel, and Kirstin among its members. Recently, their church took part in a spiritual retreat at a camp owned by a church in Tegucigalpa, joining with other churches for two days of renewal and connection.
Alejandro reflected, “We spent two entire days without cell phones — without distractions. We prayed and worshiped together. Often, retreats are just for women or just for men, but all missionaries need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. We’re constantly pouring out — into pastors, kids, and those around us. And sometimes we confuse a busy day with a blessed day. But those two things are not the same.”
He described the emotional and spiritual labor that comes with ministry: praying with pastors, comforting children and teachers, and sometimes crying alongside them. “We’re trying to be a light in the darkness. And to be effective in that, we must seek the Lord. This isn’t a complaint — we know God called us here. And when you know that, you have to trust that He’ll provide everything you need to do what He’s asked of you.”
Alejandro added with a chuckle, “But that doesn’t happen if you just stay on your couch. We have to move. We have to seek the Lord, read our Bibles, and pray every day. That’s one reason these retreats are so powerful. We’re reminded that yes, God brought us here — but we also have a responsibility to seek Him through prayer and His Word.”
And he has a simple, heartfelt request: “If you’re reading this, please share it. And if you can, give us a gift — the gift of prayer. Our spirits need the prayers of our brothers and sisters in the U.S. Please pray for us, for Sowers4Pastors, and for our church. We’re growing every day. With growth comes the need for even more of the Holy Spirit. We now serve 27 different communities and have recently added around 500 children to the program. We need your prayers to carry the Gospel into all of it.”
But his message isn’t only for missionaries. Alejandro closed by saying, “We want to encourage everyone to seek this kind of connection with the Lord. If we open our hearts, He can work through all of us. We can do all things — not on our own, but because it’s the Lord working through our lives.”
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