Home, At Last (And Staying Put… For Now)

Mary Faith is home.

That may not sound like headline material unless you know that in 2025 there was a six-month stretch when she was only in her home in Gracias for two and a half weeks. Two and a half. Weeks.

So yes — this announcement comes with a bit of fanfare… and a very long, very satisfied exhale.

She’s back from language school, back from the backpack trip, back from visiting family in the States. The packed suitcase has been unpacked. The comings and goings have (temporarily) ceased. And Mary Faith is genuinely happy about that.

That’s not to say she didn’t love all the experiences. She absolutely did. But sometimes it’s nice when “all the things” are spread out a little more evenly across the calendar instead of stacked like carry-on luggage in an overhead bin.

One of the sweetest parts of her time away was Christmas in Arizona. Her brother and his family traveled from Missouri. Her sister and her family came from Indiana, and another sister came from New Mexico. Her oldest son and his wife traveled from North Carolina. In other words, it wasn’t just a gathering — it was a full-fledged family reunion.

And yes, this is the son and daughter-in-law who are expecting a baby boy in May - Mary Faith's first grandbaby! Cue the confetti!

For now, Mary Faith is settling into a steadier rhythm. She’s continuing language classes online twice a week through the school she previously attended in person. When recent teams were in town, she was able to join them for a day or two each week and even host some of their evening gatherings at her home. For the next few months, she’s sharing her space with Hannah, who is serving as an intern. And when teams are in Gracias, a female interpreter/videographer from Tegucigalpa named Scarleth also stays with her.

It’s a full house — and a full life.

During recent team visits, Mary Faith had a bit more flexibility because updated child profile information wasn’t yet available. But now? The updated photos and information have arrived.

It’s officially "Go Time."

For the next couple of months, she’ll be diligently entering new information and photos into the system so sponsors can stay connected and up to date. The timing is actually perfect. She hopes to complete the bulk of that work before heading to North Carolina in May to welcome that sweet grandson into the world.

Later in the year, Mary Faith will spend a couple of months in the States again. Let’s go ahead and call it the “Mary Faith Taking Care of Business Tour.” The itinerary includes thrilling tasks like renewing her passport and driver’s license — because missionary life is not always glamorous. While she’s stateside, she’ll also be traveling and fundraising. If you’d like her to speak to your group or church, she would love the opportunity!

As you pray for Mary Faith and her family, there are a couple of specific needs on the horizon. Last year, language school was a major fundraising focus — and thanks to faithful support, she was able to complete that season. This year, her focus is building consistent monthly support and purchasing a reliable vehicle.

S4P has graciously allowed her to use a ministry vehicle when teams are not in town. It has been a generous and practical solution. But Mary Faith knows it isn’t a long-term one. A dependable vehicle would allow her to serve more freely and sustainably in the years ahead.

For now, though, she’s home. Home to her house. Home to her calling. Home to the steady, faithful work in front of her.

After a season of suitcases, that feels like a gift.

Please continue to pray for provision, for rest, and for all the good things still to come. The unpacked suitcase may be tucked away for the moment — but the work God is doing certainly isn’t.

-posted by Christi.

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

Backpacks, Backpacks ! And a Smooth Collection Trip

It's time to talk about this year’s backpack collection trip!

This year’s trip was completed thanks to the efforts of Sowers4Pastors staff members Kirstin, Esdras, and Mary Faith, with a helping hand from J.R., a pastor from Life Community Church in Ohio (one of the sister churches). J.R. traveled from Ohio to Maryland to lend a hand and just flew back home last night. Esdras and Mary Faith were part of the collection journey from Mississippi to Florida to Maryland, while Kirstin is still in the States, gearing up for one last speaking engagement at an AWANA program tonight.

Now, this is usually the part where we share the dramatic side of the trip — outrunning hurricanes, or a Penske rental truck getting a flat tire. But this year? Well, let’s just say, the most "dramatic" moment came when a rental truck got a little lost for a bit. According to Kirstin, “Nothing bad happened!” — we’re calling that a win!

Though we don't have official backpack collection numbers yet, we’ll be sure to let you know once every last backpack has been counted.

In the meantime, there are a few prayer requests we’d love your help with as we prepare for the next phase:

The port workers strike along the East Coast of the U.S. is affecting shipments. Although the strike has been delayed, it can still affect future shipments.

Pray for no problems with getting the duty-free shipping from the Honduran government.

Pray for safe shipment, arrival, and release of the containers, which can sometimes face challenges at customs in Honduras.

Last year, you may recall, one of our containers was unpacked by officials, leading to some personal items going missing. We’re praying this year goes smoothly and that everything arrives safe, sound, and on time.

From Rachel: "The first backpack distribution team is scheduled to come to Honduras to help pass out backpacks at the end of January. Ideally, we like to ship the container at the end of October, which gets the containers to Honduras by early December, giving us enough time to prepare for distribution. If they arrive by early January, we’ll be fine. Even mid-January should work. But after that, we might run into a situation where our team shows up, and…no backpacks!"

So, let’s get to praying, all you backpack enthusiasts! The kids are counting on these backpacks!

 - posted by Christi

Backpacks! Backpacks!

As far as recurring blog topics go, backpack collection trips rank pretty high for Sowers4Pastors. That’s because backpacks are an important part of helping the ministry achieve its ultimate goal of empowering pastors. But, wait! Aren’t backpacks all about sending kids to school? Today, let’s begin by talking about how the single act of filling a backpack can help on multiple levels. 

Level 1

Each S4P backpack filled with school supplies that makes its way into the hands of a child means that a child will be attending school. It’s not that some of the recipients wouldn’t have attended anyway, but it does lighten the load for those families. A large percentage of the kids who receive backpacks truly wouldn’t be attending school without the gift of school supplies and a new pair of shoes, however.

Level 2

The backpacks, distributed as part of a sponsorship program or feeding center program, give local pastors an ongoing opportunity to share the Gospel with the children.  It’s not a once and done thing. 

Level 3

The education systems in several communities have been transformed by the impact of backpacks. More and more kids are attending school well beyond what was previously the norm in their rural communities. Some areas have built new schools to accommodate these changes. 

Level 4

From the very beginning, Sowers4Pastors had the goal that all sponsorship programs would serve a dual purpose. They have always provided the things they said they would provide, such as backpacks, shoes, nutritious food, and sharing the Gospel. Those are amazing benefits for the low cost of sponsorship. But… they also knew that if they were careful and frugal with the money, they would also be able to use some of the funds from these programs to empower pastors in that area to spread the Gospel to a larger degree. In fact, if the sponsorships didn’t also serve to empower pastors, Sowers4Pastors wouldn’t do sponsorship programs. Not because the programs are a bad idea, but because the ministry focus is now, and has always been, empowering pastors. 

Most of the sister churches are fully committed to providing a backpack to every child in their program, whether or not the child has a sponsor. They do this even though S4P has already promised to provide a backpack for each child in the program. The reason these churches have made this commitment is because they want to help Sowers4Pastors stretch their funds to empower pastors – through things like pastors training school and church building projects. This is accomplished through careful management and not wasting a penny of what has been entrusted to the ministry.

Get Involved with the 2023 Backpack Collection Trip

This year’s backpack road trip is scheduled to officially kick off on September 7th. Allen will begin the trip in Indiana and will collect backpacks through multiple states to get to Maryland before driving down the East Coast, Texas, and back to Florida. This means that there’s still time for you to get involved. If you are along the route (or suspect you might be), contact Kirstin (kay@sowers4pastors.com) to see about getting added to the pickup schedule. Even if you are filling a couple of backpacks and not a couple of hundred, they will try to make it work if you are along the route. 

A lot of people enjoy packing a personalized backpack for their sponsored child. It’s an opportunity, not an obligation. If you are a sponsor, your monthly donation means that your child will receive a backpack from S4P if you do not fill one yourself. If you want to give a child some special things, then go for it! 

Naturally, non-sponsors are also invited to fill backpacks. It’s a fun way to help a child and empower pastors at the same time. 

Stay tuned for future updates about the trip. The zig-zag drive across the US is expected to wrap up around October 15th, though the journey of the backpacks will be just beginning. They will still need to make it onto shipping containers, travel by sea to Honduras, and be sorted before being handed out to the waiting children.

 - posted by Christi

Backpack Trip 2022 is a Wrap!

 By the time this is posted, Allen will be back in Honduras, having successfully completed the 2022 backpack trip. At the risk of sounding like something from a PBS pledge drive, it couldn’t have happened without supporters like you! And it couldn’t have happened without God being in the details. 

Back in 2020, Allen and Trish thought the backpack trip might not happen. And they certainly thought that if it did happen, there was a chance it wouldn’t be successful. It happened and it was successful. People found creative ways to fill backpacks and left their boxes at the ends of driveways for contact-free collection. 

In 2021, there were some fairly big supply chain issues. People struggled to find the materials needed to fill backpacks. People joined forces to find the necessary supplies. 

This year, there’s inflation to deal with. People are having to make hard choices when it comes to spending. While Trish didn’t have the final numbers from this year’s collection trip, she did have this to say, “I’ve been amazed at how often I’m hearing about groups and individuals who’ve filled more backpacks than last year! Summit Christian Academy in Virginia packed more than ever before. Many churches did more. Many individuals did more. It’s exciting to see people’s commitment to the project.”

Trish continued that thought by saying, “We need that kind of commitment. In the current economy, many Hondurans are going to find it much harder to send their kids to school. Many parents will ask themselves, ‘Do I need my child to work, instead of going to school?’ That’s a question a lot of families already have to ask on a yearly basis.”

It’s a little counterintuitive to consider that this isn’t necessarily an issue that hits the poorest families the hardest. The very poor in the areas surrounding Gracias are already living off the land. Yes, it will be harder for them to purchase things like medicine and other items from stores. But the lower middle class families may actually be feeling greater effects. They aren’t living off the land. They have been working in towns and living with already tight budgets. Their budgets have no wiggle room for price increases of necessities like food and fuel. Trish wonders if Sowers4Pastors will receive more requests for help from communities that previously didn’t need assistance. It is likely to happen. Sowers4Pastors is committed to stepping up and doing its best to help those in need.

While Allen was away, the new staff members were being trained. This will be their first year to help organize and deliver backpacks. That’s a good reminder to ask you to please pray about the timing of the arrival of shipping containers. It is an annual concern that the backpacks won’t come by the time the first backpack distribution team arrives. This year, Sowers4Pastors pushed the process to start earlier than usual since the shipping process is generally taking a bit longer than in the past. Some of this has to do with the 2021 presidential election in Honduras. Whenever the country changes parties, some of the rules change. Sowers4Pastors is dealing with a lot of things beyond its control. Join everyone at S4P in praying that the timing will come together and that everyone involved will remain flexible if the timing shifts a bit. 

 - posted by Christi

Special News Report: Hurricane Ian

 Everyone with Sowers4Pastors was watching the path of Ian even before it was posing an imminent threat to Florida. At that time, it was a tropical storm heading west, right on the latitude of Honduras. That is a common hurricane pathway when they’re first beginning. The storm was predicted to turn north, and it did.

The concern for the people in Western Honduras was that the area is already waterlogged. Or, as Trish so aptly put it, “We’re completely flooded and up to our gills right now!” 

Trish explained the situation further by saying, “Any interaction with the hurricane would have dumped more water on us. Fortunately, we were spared. It turned north, as it was projected to do. We caught tiny pieces of the edges of the hurricane. Essentially, we’re in the same, somewhat dangerous position as before - but at least we're no worse off.”

As you undoubtedly know, the northern turn means that Hurricane Ian is headed toward Florida. Trish’s father is in Sarasota where Ian has approached with sustained winds of 155mph. As of this morning, Trish believes her father’s home has lost power. Christopher and Audrey also live in Sarasota, but they left town to attend a wedding. Then they weren’t able to return home due to airport closures. That means they aren’t there to check on Trish’s dad. Ian is nearing Category 5. The official word is that it is time to “hunker down.” Trish’s sister and niece live on the east side of Florida. That area is facing tornadoes and heavy rain. 

Many people have asked how this is affecting backpack collections. The backpacks that have been mailed are on the east coast of Florida. They are vulnerable due to an elevated risk of tornadoes and flooding. There are still a few individuals on the west side of Florida who are in possession of backpacks to donate. Some boxes of backpacks are in a truck moving from Maryland to Florida. The truck is currently in Virginia. There is the possibility that Allen will be driving south as the storm moves north. The Maryland backpacks (including those collected on the first leg of the trip) are safely stored ther.

This is around the fourth time a hurricane has affected a backpack collection trip. 

Because flooding and Ian weren’t enough to deal with, two earthquakes occurred in Western Honduras on Sunday. The epicenter was near San Pedro Sula, a three-hour drive from Gracias. Each quake was about a 5 on the Richter scale. Trish felt them in Gracias. However, her children who were in a warehouse store in San Pedro Sula didn’t feel a thing! The earthquakes are being blamed for three houses collapsing in Lempira. The collapses were likely the result of the combined effects of earthquakes and saturated soil. 

Please continue to pray for the safety of everyone affected by Hurricane Ian. Add to that, prayers for the backpacks. And, while Honduras was spared the brunt of the storm, please pray that rains will subside and the ground will have a chance to dry out. It is interesting to note that tropical storms are a greater threat than hurricanes in Honduras since most damage from the area occurs from rain, not wind. 

 - posted by Christi

Backpacks and VBS, Together Again!

It’s always fascinating to hear the creative ways people from around the country fill backpacks. Take The Branch Church in Ohio, for instance… They have found a fun way to turn filling backpacks into a friendly competition for the kids who attend their summer VBS program.

This was the third year The Branch got their VBS attendees involved. But it was the first year the competition extended to two separate campuses. The results were impressive! It was boys against girls to see how much money teams could raise.

The fifty attendees at the new campus in New Philadelphia brought in $500! The original campus in Baltic had one-hundred-fifty kids in attendance. They collected a whopping $2700. That’s right! The VBS kids donated a cool $3200 to purchase school supplies to fill backpacks. The first night the kids in Baltic collected $30. But on night #2, they collected $700!

The Branch puts an extra fun spin on the competition. At their main campus, the kids on the winning team had the added incentive of launching a pie at a volunteer for the losing team!

How did 200 kids bring in such a noteworthy amount of money? Some kids saved up all of their offering money for the year! Other kids broke into their piggy banks and filled the coffers with every nickel, dime, and quarter they could find. Some of the youngsters did extra chores and odd jobs in order to raise as much money as they could. Whatever method they chose, the combined collection will make a huge difference.

The Branch had a goal of filling 400 backpacks. On August 21st and 28th, they also set up a “backpack store.” People were able to go to the store to fill backpacks before, between, or after services. They had empty backpacks and supply lists available for people to take home and fill. It’s a great way for families to get involved.  

You may be asking, “Who won? The boys or the girls?” Well, when you get right down to it, the big winners are the hundreds of kids in Honduras who will receive the supplies needed to send them to school for another year!

- posted by Christi

An Exciting and Exhausting Time

There needs to be a list of creative ways to begin a Sowers4Pastors blog post. “It’s an exciting time” seems to be used with the same frequency with which Snoopy wrote, “It was a dark and stormy night…” But it really is an exciting time. Just to jazz things up a bit, let’s throw in the word “exhausting.” Because “exciting and exhausting” pair as well as “dark and stormy.” By the way, you may ignore this paragraph. 

Here’s the official first line of this post: It is an exciting and exhausting time for Sowers4Pastors. 

Just when you think this post is going to ZIG, it ZAGS. So we’re going to start off talking about the exhausting part (some of which is also exciting). The last team of the summer has left. Team time is something S4P looks forward to as much as the team members that visit. But, let’s face it–hosting guests is tiring. Hosting guests all summer is EXHAUSTING! The team visits coincided with some staff turnover and the continuing cleanup from COVID. 

Another item that falls under the exhausting category is the open border situation in Honduras. This has had a tremendous impact on the sponsorship programs. Some of the children are gone. More of the children have been relocated to other family members because their parents have gone. Some heads of churches are gone. This has required a lot of extra work to be sure S4P is working with up-to-date information.

In short, they’ve been putting out a lot of fires. This call was with Trish, but Allen was in the background chiming in with pertinent information. He shouted out, “Be sure you tell them that we are taking a moment to breathe and regroup. We’re looking forward to being able to quit putting out fires and start doing more fire prevention.” Consider yourself told!

While most people will have a little longer to catch up on the things that get pushed aside for team visits, Allen is preparing for his upcoming backpack trip. That’s exciting! And, yes, it’s also exhausting! He only had 10 days between when the teams left, and when the backpack trip starts. The trip is physically grueling, plus he only has a short time to take care of everything that needs his attention in Honduras. 

Sowers4Pastors has always known that any backpack trip could be the last one. This was particularly evident in 2020. COVID hit and S4P had to wonder if people would really be up for filling backpacks and putting their boxes out at the end of their driveways. Then in 2021, there were supply-chain issues. Would people still be able to fill backpacks? 2022 has brought high inflation into the mix. Would people be willing to prioritize the costs associated with filling backpacks? YES! Sowers4Pastors is only able to collect backpacks when enough people step up to make the trip make good sense financially. 

Everyone with S4P is thrilled to have so many people committed to filling backpacks. Allen pointed out that there has been a rotation of people filling backpacks. Some groups have needed to step away for a year. Other groups have taken their place. It’s like a giant square dance with people do-si-do-ing so Allen can help the backpacks promenade home! 

The supply of backpacks shipped to Honduras in 2021 was completely used up. As you may know, S4P often keeps a few backpacks in reserve to meet unexpected needs. This time, there were just enough to fill the immediate needs. If there had been more, they could have been used. 400 pastors signed up to receive pastor appreciation gifts. S4P had to stop accepting requests to prevent running out of gifts. The bodega is close to empty! 

Another exciting thing is that two brothers in the States have volunteered to go on the backpack trip. Dillon and Dennis will be splitting up time on the trip. One will take the first half of the trip and then the other will take over. You may recognize Dillon’s name because he previously interned with S4P. The brothers are old enough to drive rental trucks and young enough to have really strong backs! This is an absolute Godsend. Brandy would love to go on the trip, but he doesn’t have his visa yet. It could be years before he has that, but everyone is trusting that God’s timing is perfect.

We all know the importance of this time. So many families in Western Honduras are only able to send their children to school with the gift of school supplies and shoes. We know it’s working because of the huge increase in kids attending school. S4P has seen tangible benefits, such as middle schools being built in areas that never needed them before! As always, thank you to everyone who has been praying for Sowers4Pastors. Please continue to pray for the backpack trip and the ministry in general! 

- posted by Christi

Backpack Trip - Making the Maximum Impact

Can you believe that it’s already time to plan the 2022 backpack trip?!! It’s sort of like how you’re never really finished with doing laundry. Something is always being washed, dried, folded, or dirtied. It’s a cycle, much like distributing backpacks. They are always being purchased, filled, collected, shipped, or distributed. Trish recently made the handy-dandy video below to discuss the massive impact backpacks are having on lives. More and more children are going to school. They are reaching higher grade levels. Families are being impacted in positive ways. And communities are building more schools and hiring more teachers. The impact is even more than Sowers4Pastors ever imagined it would be. Give the video a gander!

Sowers4Pastors has always made every effort to be good stewards of the resources with which God has entrusted them. They recognize that as their costs are going up, so are everyone else’s. It’s not just one area that is experiencing inflation. Food, gas, housing…Everything is more expensive. That’s one reason the ministry places a major focus on using donations where they will have the highest impact.

Trish said, “We know how hard times are right now. But if you’re interested in sending kids to school, having them hear the Gospel, impacting their families and communities, you might want to consider putting it where it will make the biggest impact. That has always been our goal. It’s a way you can make the biggest impact with a small donation.”

Allen is a math and logistics guy. He crunches the numbers over and over. He figures the cost of each trip to the ministry and the cost of the backpacks. Last year was difficult because the Penske truck rental doubled in price and the cost of shipping went up by 50%. This year, Allen is anticipating that the total cost may be doubled from just two years ago, if not more. But if they can collect enough backpacks, it still makes good fiscal sense for them to make the trip. Allen can calculate the cost of trucks, gas, and backpacks. There’s no way to put a monetary value on the benefit these kids receive between receiving a better education and hearing the Gospel.

Generally, just to give an idea, the trip will follow about the same schedule as last year, though maybe a week early. Allen is working on contacting people who are packing large quantities of backpacks and shipping out bulk shipments of empty backpacks and beginning the process of planning out the dates he will be at the different locations this year. 

With the price of gas, it is more important than ever for the ministry to make wise decisions concerning the routes and stops made. If you live anywhere close to the route, or are willing to travel, they will try to pick up your backpacks. They do not charge shipping fees on backpacks they collect along the way. Now, obviously, it wouldn’t be fiscally responsible to travel far off the beaten path to pick up one or two backpacks. This is a good opportunity for you to join together with your friends, neighbors, and church to fill backpacks. While there isn’t a magic number, it doesn’t take too many filled backpacks to make it worthwhile to make a stop.

Empty backpacks are sent out in boxes of 24. They have sent out boxes to people who fill less and return the empties but, in the grand scheme of things, filling two dozen backpacks isn’t all that much. Remember, you don’t have to do it alone! Get people involved. In the past, some people have made a huge impact by posting a supply list and having their Facebook community help out. Or maybe you would prefer to collect bulk school supplies and donate them to help the cause. That’s cool, too!
Life can feel overwhelming. This is your chance to focus on the principle of the 80-20 rule. If you’re not familiar with the 80-20 rule, it’s a theory which states that 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts. In other words, a little can go a long way when you use it correctly! If you would like to receive a box (or many boxes!) of backpacks, or if you are somewhere near the established collection route and want to arrange a pickup, send Trish an email at trish@sowers4pastors.com. 

And, as always, the staff at S4P would be grateful for your word of mouth support and, even more importantly, your prayers - even if you can't pack a backpack, prayers for the success of this trip and smooth sailing are always appreciated!!

Here are maps from previous trips, that more-or-less approximate the path Sowers4Pastors expects to take this coming year. If you live along this path, and you're interested in helping, let's talk!

The Seattle to Maryland portion of the trip

The east coast portion of the trip

The "across the south" portion of the trip

-posted by Christi

Double the Donation!

If you know Allen, you know that few things get his heart pumping as much as the promise of a matching funds challenge. He jumps at the chance to amplify assets, duplicate dough, enlarge earnings, and multiply ministry moolah. And he’s hoping you will, too, because a group has stepped up and offered to match up to $10,000 of funds designated to this year's Backpack Project. That’s right! Now’s your chance to grow your donation greenbacks.

This matching funds challenge couldn’t have come at a better time. The price of renting Pensky trucks for the backpack collection trip has doubled in price. The diesel fuel needed to get the trucks rolling has also gone up dramatically. Container costs were up by 50% last year and are expected to keep climbing. Even the price of the backpacks themselves is increasing. Plus, the cute backpacks are getting harder to find. If Sowers4Pastors can max out the matching funds offer, there will be $20,000 to offset the costs!

Sowers4Pastors also recognizes that it’s going to be more expensive for individuals to fill their own backpacks this year. This matching funds opportunity can help stretch resources and it gives everyone a chance to make a big impact. Now that kids are back at school in person, it has never been more important to have enough backpacks to go around. 

Unfortunately, some families got used to having their children out of school for the previous two years. A lot of parents are saying, “He's a big help on the farm now.” A lot of mothers have decided their eleven and twelve-year-old daughters are useful to have around the house. We all need to work together to get those kids back in school. Sowers4Pastors is doing what it can to persuade families to let their kids continue their education. A backpack filled with school supplies is sometimes all that is required to tip the scale in favor of school.

Anyone interested in donating can do so by going to the Sowers4Pastors website donation page and clicking on the Backpack Project donation category. How often do you have the chance to compound your cash, boost your bucks, propagate a payment, and proliferate a present? Go on. You know you want to!

- posted by Christi

Anyone into Pitching Reality TV Series?

Someone should really turn the backpack collection trip into a reality television program. Picture it. Penske trucks driven over the span of weeks to multiple locations to pick up a slew of backpacks, all across scenic America. It really has everything you could ever want from a reality television program. We’ll call it The Real Missionaries of Honduras: Backpack Collection Trip Edition. It has a ring to it, don’t you think? Well, maybe it’s a little long, so we can abbreviate it to TRMoH. Obviously, too late to film this year's trip - but never too early to start planning for next year!

If this year had been filmed, this season of TRMoH: Backpack Collection Trip Edition would have started two days after Christopher and Audrey’s nuptials. Russell and Kirstin were in the Penske for the first leg of the trip. Because every reality show needs drama, they were on a tight schedule this year.

There is a push to get the shipping containers filled earlier than usual this year. Over the past year, there have been some challenges getting the shipping containers of food, due in part to the shippers having trouble getting trucks to haul the containers to port. The Real Missionaries of Honduras are anticipating delays, but they still need those backpacks before the Honduran school year begins. They completed the paperwork in Honduras earlier than usual. Russell and Kirstin pushed through their leg to get all of the backpack collected as quickly as possible. In Indianapolis, they had to rent a second Penske, as in years past, to be able to tote all the backpacks - praise the Lord!

After the west-to-east leg of the trip were done, then of course they still had to do the East Coast leg and the Southern States leg. For this part of the trip, Kirstin tapped out and Allen took her spot. Russell completed the whole trip this year. Since there were three legs of the trip, one of which took two trucks, they rented a total of four Penske trucks - maybe if S4P can't get a reality TV series, they should look into doing ads for Penske?

If you were following the journey in almost real time, it might seem like they weren't going all that fast. That’s because they stopped along the way to speak at churches. Sometimes they arrived at a location before it was time to speak. That gave them a little bit of downtime for those all-important “having fun” scenes you need in a reality TV show.

You probably recall that there was some concern over whether or not this trip would happen. While COVID has created some inconveniences, it couldn’t keep a good backpack collection trip down. The biggest issue, outside of rising expenses, has probably been finding places to eat along the way. Dine-in areas of restaurants are closed in a lot of areas. Drive-thrus are open, but you can’t drive through in a gigantic moving truck. You will be interested to know that you aren’t allowed to walk through a drive-thru either. The restrictions vary in each area, but that just keeps things fresh and interesting for the viewer. 

You might notice that photos of the backpacks in the Penske trucks at the end of each leg show that they were pretty-much-but-not-quite completely full. While it may look like there’s still room for more boxes, they have to consider the weight of the truck, too. Every year there is concern that there won't be very many filled backpacks to collect (a source of tension for the TV show, right?), so everyone at Sowers4Pastors wants to give a big shout out to everyone who has filled backpacks this year! What could have been a skimpy year is not turning out skimpy at all! 

Ongoing prayers are appreciated. Everything is more expensive this year. Everything. Penske did offer a discount to Sowers4Pastors for being a loyal customer. Even so, the price is up from last year. Plus, fuel costs are up. And the shipping containers… Prices are up by about 5 times and they are still rising. There are a lot of people who would love to help with backpacks, but they don’t live in an area where someone in a Penske truck can swing by and pick them up. If that’s you, there is still a way you can help. You can go to the Sowers4Pastors website and click on the Donate page. Go to the dropdown category for Backpack Project to help with the added expenses. You can also virtually fill and donate a backpack full of school supplies, but clicking on "Backpacks" on the top menu of the website.

Kirstin mentioned that a lot of people on the trip expressed relief that the boxes of backpacks were out of their homes, as they were already starting next year's packing!! Obviously, the crew at S4P appreciates this attitude and wants to say thank you to everyone who packed and made this year's trip a successful one! Whether you plan to pack backpacks or not, prayers for next year's trip are appreciated! S4P hopes and plans and prays to do it next year as well - it is certainly the goal!

Overall, things have gone really well and there are many reasons to be thankful. You might recall that last year’s trip meant dodging California wildfires, snowstorms, and a hurricane in Louisiana. This year’s drive has been comparatively calm and peaceful. The crew at Sowers4Pastors is grateful for all your prayers!! Please pray that the containers are filled and ready to be moved in a timely manner. Fictional reality show or not, everyone wants to keep the drama to a minimum! 

- posted by Christi.

Trish's Travel Blog, a Lovely Wedding, and Backpacks

 In the last installment of Trish’s Post-COVID Travel Blog, she had just arrived in the U.S. after two very long days of travel. You might say that she was dragging at that point, but that would imply some sort of movement on her part. It would be more accurate to say that she was resting her weary, just-recovered-from-COVID bones in preparation of being the mother of the groom at the wedding of Christopher and Audrey. Aside from the wedding, this is surely the world’s most boring imaginary travel blog ever created. Trish left the Airbnb rental exactly three times during her stay. But… There was a wedding!

On Trish’s part, she left the family’s Airbnb for the rehearsal dinner, the wedding, and to get the COVID test required for her return trip back to Honduras. Oh, and she did walk upstairs from her basement bedroom long enough to participate in a family game night. The game night had been a special request by Christopher as his bachelor party alternative. Sometimes family members joined Trish in the basement. But, for the most part, she rested. 

A version of the old TV show, "The Newlywed Game."
Allen and Trish had a distinct advantage, since they've
been married for 37 years. LOL

The rest of the family squeezed in as much hiking and sightseeing as they could in the few days before the wedding . . . in addition to helping with the wedding preparations and set-up. 

As Trish said, “Weddings are exhausting at the best of times.” Everyone was very obliging about letting Trish rest while they dealt with the more exhausting details.

Everything worked out fine and Christopher and Audrey had a perfectly lovely wedding. But they did deal with more than their fair share of vendor issues. The caterer who had been hired to provide food that Audrey could actually eat (given her food allergies) quit weeks before the wedding. There was no time to find someone else to cater, so the bride’s mom had to swoop in and make much of the food herself. 

Then there was the florist who was supposed to arrive at the church the day before the wedding with all of the bouquets, boutonnieres, and bulk flowers for vases… The family received an emergency call at the rehearsal saying that the florist would have everything there the following morning. The wedding was at 1:00. The florist arrived at 10:00 or 11:00, but the order wasn’t right. There were no bouquets or boutonnieres made up, and the flowers were all wrong. Audrey had envisioned lots of white roses and there was nary a white rose in the bunch. Allen and Bethany dashed out to find some white roses. The mother of the bride can add bouquet-maker to her resume, too. With the help of others, she pulled the flower situation together. 

Mr and Mrs!

Even the things that didn’t quite go as planned didn’t prevent the wedding from being 100% beautiful. (If you wish you could have seen the wedding . . . here are the links to the live-stream! Part One and Part Two.) Most importantly, Christopher and Audrey are now Mr. and Mrs! I’m including their gift registry for any of their far-flung friends who would like to bless them with something for their new life together. 

There is some other excitement to add to the travel blog, too. Russell and Kirstin headed off in the Penske truck on Monday and backpack collections are underway. Thank you to everyone finishing up backpacks and filling the boxes. 

Everyone else scattered on Tuesday to make their respective flights. There was a little hitch in the giddyup when it was time for everyone to get their COVID tests for their return flights. Tests must be done a certain number of hours prior to a flight and no one was thinking about the fact that the day before departure was Labor Day. They managed to get the testing done anyway. Allen’s mother’s flight was postponed by a day, but everyone else flew out as expected (give or take a few hours). 

At the time of our most recent conversation, Trish was getting ready to take a shuttle from the hotel to the airport and she was exceedingly thankful for the wheelchair service that made travel possible. This concludes Trish’s Post-COVID Travel Blog, but stay tuned for more details about the backpack collection trip. 

 - posted by Christi