Thoughts on the Migrant Caravan - from our November Newsletter

The migrant caravan trying to cross the border into the U.S. is headline news. Because we live in Honduras, we’re being asked regularly for the facts: How bad are things in Honduras, really? Are these people fleeing for their lives? Are they just coming up for jobs? Is it true that they are gang members? Is this all a political stunt?

Here are a few thoughts on this topic:

• Yes, Honduras has the reputation of being a violent and dangerous country. There are places (mostly in the cities) and activities that are best avoided, as is the case in many U.S. cities. Honduras has not recently become more dangerous than it was in the past – in fact, crime statistics have been improving significantly in Honduras in recent years.
• Absolutely, many Hondurans go to the U.S. looking for jobs, opportunities, and a better life; unemployment is rampant here. Also, some Hondurans find themselves in situations where they feel the need to run from dangers which threaten their lives. In the migrant caravan there are certainly individuals from each of these groups.
• Central America has a gigantic problem with gangs, and gangs take advantage of the vulnerable. It seems highly probably - almost certain - that there are gang members in the caravan, mixed in with non-gang members.
• Millions of Hondurans dream of going to live in the U.S., but most cannot afford the cost of the trip. If someone offered them the chance to go up without paying, offering them help and support and some protection . . . well, it would be very easy to round up a large crowd of eager participants. This does appear to be how the caravan began. We don’t know who instigated this or why, however.
   

How can the caravan situation be resolved?

We don’t know the answer to the question of how the U.S. should deal with this migrant caravan at our border – this really is the kind of problem that our elected leaders need to resolve in the best interest of the country, as that is their job. We pray that their decisions will be both wise and merciful.

Is there anything we can do about this, as individuals, families, and churches?

The trip to the U.S. border is incredibly dangerous - migrants are regularly murdered, raped, seriously injured, or they simply disappear. Rather than encouraging Hondurans to leave their homes and make such a horrific journey, we absolutely believe that the best course of action is to help improve the lives of Hondurans inside Honduras.

As you know, we’re already working on that! While our central focus remains helping Honduran pastors reach the lost in the villages of western Honduras, through our combined ministries we are also helping to improve the lives of the people who live in those pastors’ communities. Our feeding centers and sponsorship programs, run by the local pastors as outreaches to their communities, are fighting the problems of chronic malnutrition and lack of education. Through partnerships with local governments, we are improving water systems and building bridges.

Watch this video, to learn more about how the Manna4Lempira Sponsorship Program is making a difference!

These programs are making a difference! In several of the communities where we work, the public schools are currently building additional classrooms and hiring more teachers, because the number of local children who are able to attend school is increasing so rapidly. These are children who previously were growing up without this opportunity - but now they are able to receive an education because your donations make it possible! Educating these children now will absolutely transform the future for everyone in these communities - this is a long-term, hope-giving solution!

Won’t you help us, as we work to alleviate the root problems which cause Hondurans to leave their beautiful country? We do all of this in the name and for the cause of Christ.

 - posted by Trish

Stay Informed

A common thread when talking to visiting team members is how they want to hold onto their enthusiasm about continuing to be involved with the Sowers4Pastors ministry, even after they go back to their daily lives. It’s easy to be excited when you’re actually in Honduras--building bridges, feeding children, handing out backpacks, etc… It can be difficult to maintain a focus on the ministry when you go home to your regular job, bills, and problems. Sometimes, even with the best of intentions, regular life gets in the way. The best way to stay excited is to stay informed!

We’ve come up with a few specific instructions to help you keep up with the ministry happenings:

1.  Read the blog! We’re faithful in blogging, usually posting two or three blog posts a week. The blog is where you will get the most in-depth information about what’s going on with Sowers4Pastors. Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t read blogs. They want to be involved, but they are busy and don’t think to check a blog for recent updates. There’s an easy way to receive the blog posts by email. On the blog, there’s a place to enter your email address - it's at the very top of the right column. After you enter your email address, you will be sent a confirmation email, and… Voila! You will receive the blog posts, including all of the pictures, directly in your inbox. Even if you don’t read every one, it’s a great reminder that we’re still here!

2.  The Facebook ministry page is an incredible tool for getting information to the masses. It’s also a not-so-incredible tool for getting information to the masses! The problem lies in the mysterious ways of the Facebook algorithms. Even if you’ve liked the Sowers4Pastors Facebook page, you must interact with the page by liking posts or leaving comments, if you wish to continue to see new posts. Any “likes” or comments are appreciated! Facebook is the place where you will find the most pictures about what’s going on in the ministry.

Not everyone is a Facebook user. If that’s you, you can still visit the Sowers4Pastors Facebook page. All posts on the ministry page have been set for public viewing. To visit the Sowers4Pastors Ministry Page, just click the "Join us on Facebook" button, which is the second item in the right column of this blog.

3. The Sowers4Pastors newsletter is the place to read about things the Sowers don’t necessarily want to share on the internet. In the newsletter, you will get more inside information about how to pray for the ministry, and for the Sowers family personally. The newsletter mailing list is also how we contact people to pray during urgent difficulties - such as when Trish and Ben were kidnapped, or when there are turbulent political situations. Trish has committed to writing more frequent general newsletters in the future - not just writing during emergencies - hopefully one each month.

If you do not receive the newsletter, you may be able to sign up here, on the Sowers4Pastors blog. There’s a pop-up that asks if you would like to subscribe, and you can fill that out, to be added to our mailing list. The problem is, after you’ve visited the blog a few times, the pop up stops popping up, whether you've signed up or not! In that case, you can contract Trish via email (trish at sowers4pastors dot com). Simply put “Add me to the newsletter” in the subject line. Easy peasy!

4. The BRAND NEW Sowers4Pastors Instagram account is now open for business. Get in on the ground floor, by clicking this link to follow us on Instagram!

You know the Sowerses are hard at work in Honduras. It encourages them when the people "back home" make the effort to stay informed - and it helps you know how you can be involved! It's a win-win, and hopefully, it's easier than ever now!

 - posted by Christi

The Right Person, in the Right Place, at the Right Time

We recently sent out a newsletter, and many people mentioned that they enjoyed reading this one, so I thought I'd share it here, as well:

Dear Friends,

Recently, our daughter Rachel and her husband Brandy received a phone call, in the middle of the night, with the news that Brandy’s father had been hospitalized and wasn't expected to live much longer. They rushed to his side, and for the rest of the night, Brandy and his brother took turns holding their father in a sitting position on his bed, because sitting upright allowed him to breathe, and the beds at the small local hospital weren't adjustable.

The family was able to arrange for their father to be transported by plane to a better equipped hospital, in the capital city of Tegucigalpa, the next morning - but sadly, Brandy’s father did not survive the trip.

During those precious last hours together, Brandy was able to share the gospel with his father at a time when his father was ready to listen - and because of this Brandy has the hope of seeing his father again in heaven!

Brandy was the right person, in the right place, at the right time.

As missionaries, we work to share the good news of the redemption which is available to us all through Christ, with the people of western Honduras . . . but we can only be in one place at a time. By assisting the indigenous Honduran pastors, missionaries and evangelists in their work, we've had the honor of being part of spreading the good news to hundreds of villages in the remotest parts of the mountains in all directions around Gracias Lempira.

With your assistance, we’re helping the right people be in these villages, at the right times:

-   when a pastor is able to plant a church in a village that previously had no church, because he received the gift of a horse or motorcycle

-   when a pastor is able to share the message more effectively because he has attended the pastor training school

-   when a parent brings their malnourished child to one of our pastor-run feeding centers

-   when Bibles, Bible study materials, and Sunday School curriculum are available to these communities locally, at prices they can afford

-   when children in remote locations and living in poverty get the opportunity to receive an education at a Christian school

-   when a pastor is encouraged in his work through receiving a Gifts for Gracias package

Much interest has been expressed in our bridge construction projects recently, because they are physically large and impressive. We build those bridges because people need them to have access to places they need to go, and people they need to see. The work we do supporting pastors is an even more important type of bridge building. We help the indigenous pastors to reach people in need of God, in remote mountain villages, so that those people can see and experience Christ’s love, shared through his followers: the pastors (unsung heroes in this story), our family (working to get the resources to the pastors as needed), and YOU (supporting us through your prayers and gifts).

Thanks so much for being a part of this ministry. We hope you have a joyful Christmas!