Nancy and I had the pleasure of hosting our Pastor, Jimmy Squires, here in Copan Ruinas.  He has been working extremely hard in the USA helping a pastor do some construction on his newly acquired church building.  I asked him what he wanted to do while he was here, he said, “Rest!” and that’s what we provided for him.

Pastor Jimmy being who is can’t rest to long.  On Sunday, he ministered at two church locations.  Then on Monday, ministered to two of our ministry partner pastors for a couple of hours.

We believe that his trip was very successful.  He went to Yoro, Yoro, Honduras to check up on a ministry he is working on there and came to spend time with us.  As always, it’s a joy for us to see him.  Now, that he is back in the USA, he is back working very hard days to help complete this church.

One team we had a pleasure hosting this summer was Christ to the Nations Church; they are from Mesa, AZ and have been coming since 2014.  They are like family to Nancy and I.  We don’t think, “Oh, the next team is coming.”  It’s like, “Hey, family is coming to town!”

What people need to understand, the power of a short-term mission team.  They help local mission ministries spearhead or advance in areas of the community that would seem impossible.  I can’t tell you enough of what CTTNC has done by coming here year after year.  People are amazed by our growth beings that we are still relatively a new ministry in Honduras, going on 6 years.  If I just sit there and think of every team that has come over the years, I can truly see the puzzle pieces or roles that they played in advancing our work.

Every team has their own personalities.  Some will be more so for construction while some will be evangelism.  CTTNC’s focus is evangelism, teaching, preaching, and believing God for his supernatural work upon the people.  Over the years as we go from community to the next, you can see the fruits of their labor as time goes by.  Instead of the local pastor only plowing the hard soil of hearts, CTTNC comes right in, plows up the ground to where it’s ready to sow the seeds to bring forth an amazing harvest for the Kingdom of God.

This year, we hit multiple communities that they have never been in for evangelism.  In the morning, they went door to door sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ.  Not only praying over the lost for salvation, but they prayed over the needs of the people as well.  Then, in the evenings, we had church services in various communities, sharing and demonstrating the Word of God.  Finally, Pastor Linda, went back to some previous communities in the past and taught the Word of God in day sessions.  They laid new ground work, but reinforced the past as well.

As always, thank you so much to Pastor David and Christ to the Nations Church.



Shawn Paul

Here at MorningStar Missions, we develop partnerships with other ministries.  We choose to empower others than empowering ourselves.  In missions, we feel that this is the way to go.  As you empower others, you are allowing them to build a ministry that God has chosen them to do.  As their ministries thrive, then our ministry thrives.  It’s a beautiful circle of the Kingdom of God moving forward.

One of our ministry partners, Manos de Jesus (Hands of Jesus), recently started working in a community by the name of La Pintada.  They started through door-to-door evangelism.  By doing so, they connected with a family in the community that offered their home as a Bible study.  Then they continually reached out through various other means, because of all their efforts, this work expanded quickly.

Today, we are super excited to be partnering with Manos de Jesus to build a church.  This brings us much joy to see how much the people of the community are embracing the gospel of Jesus Christ; to where they are hungry to have their very own church.  We are believing for this church to be completed in the coming months.  What a glorious event to be a part of!



Shawn Paul

A parent plays a very important role in the development of a child as they are growing.  A mother will be the caregiver and a father will be the provider.  This is the perfect formula for the average family.  However, that is not always the truth, both parents must work very hard to provide for their family to have all that they need.  Not what they want but what they need.  Both parents should also take the responsibility of raising a child according to the word of God.  As I teach and train children’s teachers to be the best for the children; God is also challenging me to reach out to the women in our communities.  Children must have reinforcement of God’s word within their home.  Thus, the importance of parents also understanding God’s word and how it should be applied daily.  
 
As a young Christian and mother, I had no idea what I was to do next after I gave my life to Jesus Christ.  Nobody discipled me or told me what I needed to do.  I had this brand-new Bible but did not know where or how to start reading it.  I opened it and Praise God there was a guide in the front that was titled “What to do after giving your life to Christ.”   It was a study guide that told me exactly where I should read and the order I should read.  I wondered how many others had the same problem as me.  
 
Extending this study of the Bible to the women in our communities will equip them with a tool to be a strong woman of God with wisdom and biblical knowledge to teach and train their families.  I have stretched myself to hold women's meetings to make sure they all have the tools they need to equip themselves to be the best disciple of the Bible.  Teaching and training women how to be godly women, mothers, and spouses not only benefits them individually but benefits the entire family.  Parents can be the greatest influence on their children.   Educating women to know their biblical responsibilities and value as a child of God is vital for developing mighty families here in Honduras.  God has established biblical standards that have been successful for years and years.  We must learn these standards and put them to practice daily.


Nancy Paul

Every short-term team in of themselves have their own personality.  From the time of picking them up at the airport to dropping them off, it’s like you are meeting for the first time, a long-lost relative.  Throughout the whole week, you are learning new things about the people that are in attendance.  I can honestly say, that is one of the greatest joys is meeting new people.

We had the pleasure of hosting a mission team from Kentucky.  Stacy, the mission leader is from our church in Kentucky, Abundant Life Church.  Her heart is taking others to the mission field and giving them an experience that they have never seen before.  Helping them get a taste of missions in a foreign land.  She brought a group from Life of Faith Bible Church in Louisville, Kentucky.

Words can’t even describe the pleasure it was to have them here.  They used their giftings that the Lord has placed upon their lives, from ministering to children, teaching, preaching, and music ministry.  It was so fun seeing them fit right in the culture of Honduras.  They didn’t skip a beat when interacting with the people of the community.  The love in their hearts was clear.

As a missionary, you always have to ask yourself when a team leaves; what went right and what went wrong?  Is there anything we can approve upon for the future?  Did we accomplish the desired objectives?  With this team, it was an overwhelming sense of great accomplishment.  Knowing in our hearts, the Lord saying, “Thou good and faithful servants.  I am well pleased.”


Shawn Paul

As a young girl I remember dressing up and going to church with my parents.  Sitting still and being quiet was all I remember learning from church. I never learned about Jesus as a young child.  I thought he was the reason I got presents at Christmas.  It was not until I was a little older that I started back to church and began learning the truth.  The younger ages are the most influential time for a child to learn.  They learn to count, say their ABC’s, and the different colors and shapes.  But most importantly, they learn right from wrong.  This is the age that we can start helping build a good foundation for their life using God’s word the Bible.  Many churches in Honduras do not have classes to help children learn God’s word at a level they can understand.  Children attend church like I did when I was little.  Never taught until they are a youth or young adult.    

For the past 5 years we have been working diligently to change this through the ministries we work with here in Honduras and Guatemala.  Our first children’s ministry was in La Laguna with my family teaching weekly 35 children.  Now, we are reaching out to 16 different communities and 4 schools with 17 teachers ministering God’s word to over 350 children weekly.  Three years ago, Shawn ministered to me about duplicating myself and training up children’s teachers within every church to minister the class themselves.  I stepped out of the classroom and began to impart all my gifts and talents into children’s teachers.  I started writing Bible lessons customized to minister to the needs of children here and easier for teachers to understand. We also share these lessons monthly with 46 missionaries in Honduras and Guatemala via internet to use in their ministries.  
 
Monthly, every teacher and assistant come to learn each lesson for the month and receive their supplies.  I teach the lesson as though the teachers are the children of my class.  This gives the teachers “hands on” training and an opportunity to see how all visual aids are used throughout the lesson.  Prior to the class there is much preparation: classroom memory verse displays; purchase and organization of lesson supplies; to the coping and cutting out of every child’s craft to take home.  We must compel the children to come to church and learn.  We have to equip every teacher with tools and supplies to make their class fun, enjoyable, and safe to learn about God.  
 
If you want to teach and train up a generation start when they are children.  Something will influence their life, why not let it be the church and God’s word?  That is what a children’s ministry will do.


Nancy Paul