Message on the Children of Honduras, by Andy Wescoat

It's wonderful to be here with you today. HeeJung, Ethan and Noah send their greetings and best wishes to you all during this Advent Season.

On our Honduras trips I particularly enjoy photographing the children. Usually in the first picture their expressions are so serious. The beauty of digital photography is that I can immediately share the picture on the back of the camera with the children. Once they see that, the smiles, true personalities and typical antics emerge. My limited Spanish is only going to get me into trouble, so this technology is a wonderful way for me to interact with the children.

As I think of the children in Honduras, I am reminded of the children's story Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, by William Steig (New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 1969). It's the story of a young donkey named Sylvester, who finds a "flaming red, shiny and perfectly round" pebble that makes his wishes come true. As he rushes home to share the good news, a lion startles him. In his surprise and fear he wishes that he were a rock. Presto, he becomes a rock and the lion departs mystified. The problem is that Sylvester is no longer holding his magic pebble. He cannot change himself back. He is helpless. And yet he remains fully conscious, and as you might imagine, incredibly frustrated.

Imagine his parent's agony as they search frantically for their young son when he does not return home. Neighbors, police and friends search high and low for Sylvester but with no luck. They walk right past him not recognizing the rock that is their friend Sylvester. After searching for days, weeks and months, Sylvester's parents conclude they will never see their son again.

As adults, we easily identify with the anguish of Sylvester's parents. But what of Sylvester - a living, conscious child embodied in a rock, overlooked by those nearest him. How horrible to be invisible - unseen, unheard, unappreciated, unloved.

Yet, that is the plight of most of the world's children. This year, "Excluded and Invisible" is the title for the State of the World's Children report by the United Nations Children's Fund (State of the World's Children — Excluded and Invisible. United Nations, 2006). The simple fact is that most of the world's children are excluded from society's protection. They are subjected to violence, abuse and exploitation, and too often deprived of adequate food, health care and schooling. At the extremes some children become invisible - "in effect disappearing from view within their families, communities and societies." These conditions are most severe among the world's least developed nations, which tend to have the youngest populations and where scarcity plagues everyday survival. When a community - when a family - cannot cope, the children tragically become invisible.

On our mission trips, we have often remarked how lucky we have been in the connections we have made with Mauricio, Guy and Lisa. Of course, Henry enlightens us it's not luck at all but providence - and he's right. Similarly, in the beginning we did not deliberately set out to work with children. It was the hand of providence that guided a bunch of relatively old guys to work on behalf of the youngest members of society. Each year we work:
- at Rancho Vida - a camp where children in La Entrada can safely play;
- at Plan Escalon - a school where some of the most underprivileged children in Honduras receive an excellent education; and
- at Fellowman International - a medical clinic where literally thousands of coffee growers and their families receive superb medical care.

Over our three mission trips to Rancho Vida, we have seen the vision of the Director, Mauricio Erazo, unfold like time lapse photography as children from the area come to play. It's wonderful to see the smiling faces and hear the shouts of play as they freely run and play in safe environment provided by the camp.

One of the most heart-felt experiences for me this year was the change in the life of one young man and 17 children. At the camp we have the privilege to work alongside Henrry Torres, also known as Henrry the Welder. On the first trip, Henrry was struggling to make ends meet, but you could tell he was an individual of strong values and purpose. Last year, Henrry was doing a bit better. At the end of that trip, one of the men in our group gave a true gift of love to Henrry - his own welding machine. This year, things had continued to improve for Henrry and his family; you could see the light shine in their faces. You see the beauty is now Henrry is in a position where he can engage in the lives of his own two children and in the lives of at least 15 other children at the camp by coaching soccer in the afternoon.

If we all reflect on our own childhoods, what was it that touched us most - the love of a parent, the joy of friendship, the support of a teacher? More than anything, children need to feel appreciated and be seen by those around them - not excluded and invisible. More than anything they need to experience the love that God intended us to share - each and every day. This message is well demonstrated by this Congregation. You all have touched the lives of so many children each day. At church each Sunday the children are included in the worship service, youth choirs and Sunday school classes. Each year, generously-supported programs such as Children of Chernobyl and the Angel Tree touch children's lives. For the Midlife Men by working alongside our friends in Honduras - Henrry the Welder, Mauricio, Guy, Lisa, - by helping in their mission and in their lives, we enable them to be fully present each and every day in the lives of those around them - the children.

And what became of young Sylvester? After searching for days, weeks and months, Sylvester's parents conclude they will never see their son again. One spring day Sylvester's parents decide to go on a picnic to try to move on with their lives. It just so happens they take their picnic by the rock that once was their son. As they sit and talk they see the shiny red magic pebble on the ground. Placing the pebble on the rock, they remark how much Sylvester would have liked the pebble. Sylvester, awaking from a deep winter sleep by the warmth of the sun becomes conscious and realizes his parents are with him. He wants to cry out, "Here I am." His frustration crescendos; he doesn't realize the pebble is on his back. Then, in a quiet moment, he thinks "I wish I were myself again." And in less than an instant, he is changed back into Sylvester the donkey. You can imagine the joy at the reunion.

Imagine the joy of any child when they are no longer invisible.

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Message on our American Partners, by Dave Wender

Before leaving for Honduras, a few people asked me why I was going; others seemed to want to ask the why question but refrained. Some of my friends were quite surprised while still others were both instantly excited for me and hungry for details that I could not then provide.

It was difficult to answer the why questions even when we mid-lifers talked about that very question on the first evening in Honduras. Today, if asked, my response back would simply be WHY NOT?

Of course there may be thousands of reasons not to go on a mission trip but when you get right down to it most of those reasons seem pretty selfish. In fact, I was on the fence about going several times during the buildup to the trip for many of those selfish reasons. When it came time to order plane tickets I knew that I needed to make my final decision. After some reflection on previous mid life men sermons, I realized that I had to put all of those selfish reasons behind me and just go ALL IN.

I will admit to you that I am not a very good poker player. On the few occasions that I have played Texas Hold-Em I always ended up going ALL IN out of desperation. But I have seen others go ALL IN as a bold move to achieve positive results. In deciding to go to Honduras, I believed that I was the latter; boldly going ALL IN to achieve positive results. In reflecting back at our American-born partners in Honduras I now realize that there is a level of boldness in them that is worth tremendous admiration.

I spent most of my week at Plan Escalon. Plan Escalon is a co-ed school of 4 -5 hundred kids run by Pastor Guy Henry and Joseph Brusherd.

Pastor Guy has been in Honduras for about 10 years under the Tree of Life Ministries. His work requires compassion and a great deal of ingenuity. He keeps busy by managing the curriculum, playing the drums during church service and keeping the boys and girls safely apart outside of the classroom. He manages food supplies and financial shortfalls and frequently makes multi-day trips into the remote mountain areas of Honduras to visit with the poorest of the poor. He brings them food and sermons. Pastor Guy is clearly ALL IN.

Joseph Brusherd and his family have been ALL IN for only a few months in Honduras. To measure their dedication, imagine getting rid of everything that you own except for the 70 pounds that you could put into checked baggage. That is what Joseph’s family did when they were called to Honduras. A mere 70 pound each. Imagine what 70 pounds you would take to a third world country that you planned to live in indefinitely.

Finally, there is Lisa Armstrong. Lisa grew up on a farm in Kansas and became a nurse. After a short mission trip, she decided that she wanted to do mission work full time. In the 4 years that she has been in the Honduran mountains she helped open a clinic for the coffee farmers that Andy mentioned. Working to stop the malnourishment she is also an educator and an entrepreneur. She has purchased her own coffee farm so that she could employ farmers and pay fair wages. She has established a farm to raise chickens and pigs to provide protein sources. She has opened a small grocery store in the mountains so that the residents don’t have to spend a week’s worth of wages to go into town. Most recently, Lisa has become a single parent. Her two adopted children were malnourished when she met them and may have long-term developmental issues to cope with. The smile from Lisa’s face broke just one time the entire day that we were with her. When we unloaded the medications that we carried to Honduras, she became very emotional.

Our American partners in Honduras are truly ALL IN each in their own way just as the mid-life men are ALL IN and just as I know that this congregation is ALL IN.

I believe that I gained the perspective that I was looking for in Honduras. I also learned (or perhaps relearned) that individuals can produce dramatic results. Obviously as a team we can achieve even more. It just takes being bold, being selfless and being willing to sweat just a bit.

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Message on our Honduran Partners, by Brad Ward

Although Honduras is very poor, many Hondurans are hopeful and understand that nothing is impossible with God.

Maestro Tino

This was apparent with Maestro Tino.

At Rancho Vida, we worked with Maestro, who directed the pouring of a concrete floor in the camp kitchen.

After a couple of days of working side-by-side, Maestro requested our assistance.

But not for himself or his family.

He asked whether we could donate 30 bags of cement with which to construct his church.

The next day, the pastor of Maestro’s church came to the work site with a letter signed by what appeared to be the entire church leadership.

They believed that neither 30 bags of cement nor a church building was impossible with God.

Henry the Welder

This faith is also apparent in the perpetually sunny outlook of Henry the Welder, who we have worked with each year.

He has shared his ever-present smile and proudly introduced his wife and children to us on each of our visits.

We did not dream that his house had a dirt floor.

Even before some of the Midlife Men helped him to pour a concrete floor in his house, it was obvious that Henry the Welder believed that nothing was impossible with God, not a new floor and perhaps not even a bright future for his young son and daughter.

Mauricio Erazo

Perhaps the most obvious example of this faith is Mauricio Erazo, who runs the camp at Rancho Vida.

When we first visited Rancho Vida, we saw an open field, a couple of small buildings, and the burnt shell of a caretaker’s house.

But touring the property with Mauricio, we came to see a completely different place.

Mauricio helped us to see his vision of a safe and healthy place for children to come to play, a place for teaching and learning the principles of the Bible.

On our third visit, we now saw a regulation soccer field, a two-story dormitory building with baths, a nearly complete dining hall and meeting facility, playground equipment, and a completely rebuilt caretaker’s cottage.

Mauricio is a man who consistently has dreams far beyond his means, and consistently reveals to us new dreams as the old ones become reality.

On this trip, he took us to the top of a small, steep hill.

We saw an obstacle, a climb, a slope covered with weeds.

But Mauricio made us see what he saw – tiers of steps leading up a manicured hillside, topped by a small stone chapel where people could come for a peaceful moment away from the activities below.

On some future trip, we will see that chapel, we may even help to build it.

But it will exist because of the faith of a man like Mauricio who knows that nothing is impossible with God.

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Conclusion, by Henry Brinton

Our God is a God of abundance.

That was one of the lessons of our mission trip to Honduras.. When we first arrived, I led the men in a Bible study using today’s passage about Jesus and the fishermen. In this passage, Jesus says, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch” (Luke 5:4). I suggested to the group that we were putting our nets into deep water by traveling all the way to Honduras — we were going to a place that was unknown, mysterious, and maybe a little threatening.

But I also pointed out that our God is a God of abundance, not scarcity. When the fishermen put their nets into the deep water, they catch so many fish that their nets are beginning to break (v. 6). I was convinced that God was going to use our week in Honduras to give us many good gifts — many surprises, many successes, many discoveries, many new friendships, many experiences of spiritual growth. And I wasn’t disappointed. Neither were my fellow men. You’ve heard stories of abundance from each of our speakers today, and you’ll hear more as you talk with others individually.

We also learned what Mary did in today’s first lesson: “Nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37). The faith of our brothers and sisters in Honduras is truly inspirational, for they live every day with the conviction that nothing is impossible with God.

- The children of Plan Escalon have little more than the clothes on their backs, but they are thrilled to be receiving an education. They are no longer excluded and invisible, as Andy said. You will rarely see greater joy than the jubilation of their Sunday service of worship. They know that nothing is impossible with God.
- Lisa Armstrong has her hands full with a medical clinic, a coffee plantation, a grocery store, and two adopted children, but she dreams of expanding her operation and serving an even greater population. She does this all with a smile that can light up a room. She has discovered that nothing is impossible with God.
- Mauricio Erazo has a vision for Camp Rancho Vida that goes far beyond what most people would consider reasonable. As Brad told you, when our first team arrived in 2004, the camp was little more than a grassy field, but Mauricio told us his dream of what the completed complex would look like. And you know what? His dream is coming true. Nothing is impossible with God.

My question for you today is this: Do you believe in a God of abundance? Are you willing to accept that nothing is impossible with God? If so, we will discover together that our church does not have a money shortage — our stewardship vase will be filled to overflowing. If so, we will find that God is giving us the advisors we need for our youth program, the volunteers we need for our homeless project, and the teachers we need for our children’s classes. Michelle Fincher tells me that men in particular are needed to teach church school classes. Guys, are you listening?

It’s true that each of us has to step forward. As Dave said in his message today, we have to be “ALL IN.” But if we do this, I promise that our lives will be filled with joy, our smiles will light up this room, and our dreams for the future of this church will all come true. Amen.

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Morning Prayer, by Scott Zimmerman

Let us pray:

Heavenly Father, in this season of joyous anticipation, we thank you for the gift of your Son Jesus, whose arrival here on Earth we celebrate this month. We thank you for the gift of salvation, announced to us not with the blare of trumpets or the roar of thunder, but by the small cry of a baby in a cold dark stable so many centuries ago.

Today, as we recount the recent experiences of the Midlife Men on a Mission, we thank you for:

- the privilege of witnessing firsthand the extraordinary work undertaken by your servants in Honduras;

- the deep faith of Mauricio Erazo, whose vision for the spiritual growth of the children of Honduras continues to take shape before our eyes at Rancho Vida;

- the dedication and personal sacrifice of Pastor Guy and Missionary Joseph of the Plan Escalon School, who are seeking to raise up a generation children who will love and serve you and their country;

- and the extraordinary energy and joy of Lisa Armstrong, who sees nothing but possibilities and then turns them into reality.

We ask that you bless them and give them strength to continue the good works being carried out in your name. And bless as well the people of Honduras; as we look forward to the birth of the Prince of Peace, grant them the inner peace that comes from knowing that you are with them.

We thank you for the bounty of this land, and for the opportunity to share that bounty, in some small way, with others less fortunate. We ask, however, that you save us from the sin of pride and self-congratulation; keep us mindful that your commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves is not a chore that can be discharged by taking a trip one week every year; instead, it must be reflected in how we live every day, in our relationships with people not only across the sea, but across the street.

All this we ask in the name of your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ, who taught his disciples to pray, saying:

Our Father, who art in heaven . . .

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Benediction, by Phil Beauchene

Thank you. We could not have done any of this without your prayers and support, without your gifts of hand-sewn backpacks, clothes, and medicine. Nor could we have done it without the strength and support of Jesus.

In this Advent season, let us go "all in" on our individual and collective missions, out in the "deep water." As we go forth, we are assured in our hearts that "nothing is impossible with God."