A few weeks ago, a team from Crosspoint Church was on the ground in Honduras. As Brandy shared, this wasn’t a typical mission team. There was no backpack distribution, no VBS program, no medical clinic — and it wasn’t a vision trip, either. This team went to Honduras with one clear purpose: to provide a discipleship program for men in the area.
The Crosspoint team invited pastors and church members from their own sponsorship area to participate, as well as from the nearby EAC sponsorship area. Typically, Crosspoint sends a team once a year to host a VBS program during their backpack distribution trip. But last year, Sowers4Pastors and Crosspoint began discussing a new idea — a trip focused entirely on discipleship.
Brandy explained, “Their strategy was to come and teach basic skills in construction. They taught masonry, carpentry, and welding — as much as you can teach in four days. But the main focus wasn’t on carpentry itself. The construction projects were also a tool to open the door for deeper discipleship among the men who attended.”
In recent years, Brandy has noticed that in many churches, men are greatly outnumbered by women — sometimes five to one. “I don’t want to use the word ‘depressing,’” he said, “but it’s sad. We need strong Christian men. The week with the team went really well.”
Attending the program required sacrifice from the Honduran participants. For most, it meant giving up a full week of paid work. Even so, about 20–25 men participated — from one teenager to several in their thirties — all eager to learn and grow. Brandy, who studied welding for three years in school, helped teach that skill and also served as translator for the group.
Since it’s tough to build something major in four days while learning new skills, the men divided into three groups and focused on one meaningful project: building benches for children to use in their church. When the week ended, the benches stayed behind — a practical, lasting reminder of their shared effort.
“They were so proud of their work,” Brandy said. “It was amazing to see the faces of these men using an electric saw for the first time — and to watch their excitement as they saw the results of their efforts at the end of each day. It was really good.”
Each day included worship and a devotional led by Pastor Israel from Crosspoint, but the discipleship extended far beyond those sessions. The six-member team chose to stay in the community itself, rather than returning to a hotel in Gracias each night. They ate together, played games, and spent countless hours in conversation.
Brandy reflected, “It was a wonderful time.”
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