We have had a lot of stuff going on.  Several months ago I felt like God spoke to me about doing a shipment to some friends in Israel. I thought to myself and probably even ask God, How in the world am I going to do that? We don’t have enough money coming in to ship a container, I was afraid to even call to find out the cost. So I did the same I always do, which is the same that Mary did when the angel brought her the message, I pondered it in my heart.  And now the rest of the story; every once in a while God would remind me and I would store it away.  How, how could I do that? A little while later, I started to pursue this word, but only baby steps. I contacted my friends in Israel and asked them if they could get a shipment, what kind of items would they want. I assured them this was only a very slim possibility, not to get their hopes up. They sent me a list!  Now I had a new problem, part of the items on the list was stuff that we did not have in the warehouse.  I have to ask people to give these items.  What if I ask and this shipment does not happen, then what do I say to the people that gave it, and what do I do with all the stuff for Israel. Oh, you just don’t know everything that went through my mind.  Then the word came, use Denton, WHAT, NO WAY!!!! I was just sure that was not possible, but just on the chance, I made a phone call and ask the question.  The person I called did not know but would find out. I waited two weeks, and then called back; he had forgotten to find out. He gave me a number for a guy in DC with USAID and told me to call him and ask the question. I called and had to leave a message. He called me back and I asked if it was possible to send a Denton shipment to Israel. We talked a minute, he wanted to know what I was sending and if I could get the paperwork that was needed, I assured him I could and he put me on hold. When he came back on the phone he told me he had just added Israel to the country list on the web site.  Unbelievable, He had just added Israel to the list that means it was not on the list at all, I never checked!!!  Now, don’t lean back and blow a sigh of relief, this story is not over. Donna and I worked hard and got all the paperwork and inventory completed for a shipment to Honduras and the one to Israel. We submitted the applications Sunday night! The guy in DC told me it would take longer for the Israel shipment because USAID does not have a mission office there. Monday morning I received an e-mail that both shipments were approved. About a week later we delivered both shipments to the military base and they are both gone.  The Israel shipment is in Germany awaiting shipment to Israel, The Honduras shipment was delayed due to a tropical storm but may leave this week.

I know that was a long dissertation, but I felt it important to share. God is still doing great and mighty things and what He is doing for me, He will do for you!

This is the rest of the shipment delivered to the air base.

Israel could have asked for a long list of supplies but they only asked for winter clothing, blankets, diapers and some shoes. They are gathering supplies for a storehouse to meet the needs of the needy no matter who they are or
I hope you will join me in prayer for direction. It’s more important than ever that we know the direction and calling of God.where they are from.

This is a trying and unsure time we live in today. The news is full of earthquakes, fires, hurricanes, floods, financial crisis and almost any conceivable disaster, sometimes even inconceivable disasters.  What can we do?  The Word that God gave me a long time ago was;  Do What I Can Do! I can’t solve every issue and God does not expect me to, HHM is to serve where God directs. As long as I remember that and just serve where God directs, I will accomplish all He has for me to do. Us Mission types want to meet every need, we feel guilty explaining why we are not working in this or that particular area. We feel uncomfortable saying, God did not direct me to help there, or did not send me.  But that is the honest truth!  I always pray about involvement and if there is peace, I try to hold back.  I did not say I was always successful. Sometimes my heart gets in the way, but I do try!

Just Do What You Can Do, Go where Gods sends, If God calls you, answer.

Whom shall I send?  Our answer should be, SEND ME!!

Will you support us, Will you pray for us, Will you help us?  What will you say?

Join us in our work for the Lord,

We remain servants of the most high,
Tony and Donna Haywood

Click for photos of the trip

Tony

The Helping Hands team consisted of 5 adults, 1 teenager and four children from Helping Hands (three of the adults are Board members). There was also about 30 people from a local Baptist Church, Pleasant Hill. They traveled about seven hours to Bradshaw, WV, to a church which would be their base of operation for their short stay. They arrived late, rested, ate breakfast, and was on the road again by 8 AM to Rhodell and New Richmond, WV. Donna Haywood was the Team leader for HHM. Donna has traveled extensively overseas but was not prepared for the conditions she found in WV. The team visited homes and distributed aid to shut-ins and sick belonging to the congregations. They found many of the homes lacking running water, no bathrooms inside or out, no electricity, and the people living off almost nothing. The team distributed boxes of food, book-bags with school supplies, quilts, stuffed animals, children’s books and some clothing to the members of three small churches pastored by Dean and Betty Crane of Pulear, NC, near Wilkesboro. The pastor travels four hours every weekend to minister to these areas.

The need is great, and HHM is investigating all of the possible ways in which we might be able to serve. The pastor has a long list of needs which include construction projects, electrical issues, plumbing, they would love us to hold a medical brigade, and the people are in bad need of dentist.

HHM realizes that we cannot meet all the needs and must pick the ones we can complete. Food and cleaning supplies are a continued necessity and some hygiene lessons would be greatly appreciated.

The pastor shared with the NC team, that some folks had recently visited them and brought fresh fruit baskets. The pastor shared that the people hardly ever get fresh fruit, it’s usually bad by the time it gets to them. It was quite a joy for the small congregations and communities to get fruit.

If you are interested in helping, contributing, supplying, or making the trip, Please, Please, let us know! The cost for the trip is minimal, transportation is rough and long and NO CELL PHONE SERVICE.

This trip consisted of Friday through Sunday. It could easily be extended to a week if necessary.

I look forward to hearing from you. We have not yet set a date, but Pastor Dean said inclement weather would probably not be an issue. It will be cold as Winter approaches.

Let me know if you’re interested.

Tony and Donna Haywood

Date/Time:  2-15 January 2008

Team Members:   Gary and Renee Fischbach, Bill and Mary Leusink, Kim Madrigal

Action:

2 Jan 08
09:00 – We departed for Charlotte Airport, NC with subsequent connections in Detroit, MI and Amsterdam, Netherlands.

3 Jan 08
20:10 – We arrived in Nairobi, Kenya.  We met with Damaris, a friend of Rosebella.  She took us to her house, where we stayed until Monday, 7 Jan 08.

7 Jan 08
07:30 – We departed Nairobi via Jetlink Airlines bound to Kisumu, Kenya.

09:30 – We departed Kisumu via taxi.

12:00 – We arrived at the Farmview Hotel, Busia, Kenya.

We met with Edwin at night and rested from the trip.

8 Jan 08
Renee, Mary and Kim stayed with Phaustine and attended noon prayer at the church.  Renee received a vision.

Bill and Gary went with Edwin to the post office to get the DSL internet put in his house.  Once that was completed then we went to the orphanage.

Initial Observations:
Visited the orphanage to see what had already been accomplished.  We found that the dormitory had been completed.  A well was in place with a black plastic water tank on a tower.  The whole piece of property had been fenced in with Kyopa trees planted on the inside of the barb wire fence.  The property had been cleared.  There were bricks stacked up in the middle of the property to be used for various building projects.  A single widow hut, built out of mud and brick, was almost finished and setting near the gates to the property.  The interior and the thatch had to be finished on the hut.  Black wroth iron gates were at the entrance to the property.

9 Jan 08
Kim started working with Washington Agollah and other members to collect information for the Strategic Plan and required Orphanage paperwork.

10-13 Jan 08
Kim continued working with Washington to complete all the necessary paperwork.  We continued to work on accomplishing projects at the orphanage and surveying the hospital land.  We visited a dairy to get an idea of how a simple dairy could be built.  We also visited a local chicken operation to get ideas for a simple chicken coup and chick raising operation.

12 January 08
Kim, Renee and Mary helped Phaustine to prepare a meal for the orphans and vulnerable children who receive assistance from the Ministry. The mission team distributed Bibles to the attendees and photographed each individual to further develop sponsorship and scholarship opportunities.

13 January 08
The team ministered during Sunday morning service at Busia Gospel Centre by leading children’s sessions, sharing testimony, leading a Bible study session and sharing communion with the Endtime leadership staff.

Accomplishments:
Negotiations were conducted with the builders of the widow huts, electrician, furniture and Ramada.  For the results of the negotiations see the Project Spreadsheet, dated 11 Jan 08.

Two widow huts were being completed.  Two outside latrines were dug and awaiting the building of the walls, ceiling, and base slab.  The Ramada was to start work on Monday, the day we left.  The Ramada will be used as the kitchen and feeding area for the orphans.  Completion of the latrines was to occur within the next 2 weeks.  The plumbing would be completed for the pump to be connected to the tank and showers by the end of February, but this is not required for the orphans to move in.

Bridge\’brij\ A time, place, or means of connection or transition

This year we didn’t have the people come to us we took it to them!What a blessing it is, to be able to reach out in a small way to the poorest of the poor. These people would never be able to make it to the Youth Center in Comayagua so we went to them.There was a team of 26 that came down from the US lead by Tony and Donna Haywood from Helping Hands Ministry.   About 20 of those team members along with 5 Honduran doctors, went out into different villages every day to meet the needs of the people, physical, spiritual and mental.During our 5 days out in the small villages we ministered to 1067 people and there were 163 decisions made for Christ! That was the greatest miracle of all! While 20 of the team members where out in the villages the other 6 stayed behind at the Youth Center and worked so hard that they looked like work ants. We have never seen so much work accomplished in such a short time! They were on the roof fixing leaks. By roof I don’t mean just the mission house but the  YOUTH CENTER’S ROOF too! Do you know how long that hole was there and everyone said it couldn’t be fixed and that the roof would have to be replaced! But with God and this team proved Phil. 2:14 (You CAN do ALL things through Christ)! The painting that was accomplished was AMAZING!  Just TWO women painted the whole outside of the compound and then as if that wasn’t enough they started on our buildings on the inside as well! OH NO, it didn’t stop there this group went on to washing windows , fixing screens and the list was NEVER ENDING!! THEN the moment we were all waiting for…the playground!  We now have a BEAUTIFUL playground area for the younger children in the  Youth Center and School!!!You guys on this group….THANK YOU is just not enough for all you did!  It was more than AWESOME! I just don’t have the words to describe what we felt in our hearts here in Enlaces when this week was completed. Knowing we took Jesus out to people and served them and that Jesus sent people here to serve us…….WOW…. 1 Corinthians 12 says we are all one body working together! It is amazing seeing that put into action!

The first day or so we settled in and prepared for a trip to a small village up on a mountain. The transportation was an open bed truck that would usually be hauling chickens. Hence, the affectionate name of  “Chicken Truck” known by all who have ever made that trip up the mountain.  The mountain (in English) is called, Oki Overlook, and it’s at an elevation of about 7000 feet above sea level. Some money was donated for a new school and a one-room school building has just been completed.  They have a volunteer teacher who travels up the mountain every day to teach the children.  There are two new schoolrooms under construction and a small kitchen.  A water project by “The Friends of Honduras” has just been completed and a waterline runs from a basin at the top of the mountain.  Now the village of about 120 families has water on site at the school.

Helping Hands purchased a treadle sewing machine (manual) for the school.  The teacher has people who have agreed to teach the mountain folk to sew, which will provide an income for some of those poor people.  We also put on a medical brigade, checked eyes and fitted some with glasses.  The new school building is great for the community and was a huge blessing to us also.  Usually we hold the brigade under the trees but this year we were able to be inside, which was good since it hailed and rained while we were there.  We all rode up together in the back of the chicken truck, along with all our medicine, food, and clothing for distribution. It was dry on the trip up and back down, although we did have our trash bag rain coats available if needed.

On Monday we set up for the main medical brigade.  Tuesday through Friday we saw medical patients, checked eye’s, issued glasses, ushered people to the dental station and from one station to another and had a really busy time for about nine hours a day.  We were able to see 2000 patients for the three and a half days. We were busy every day till 5:00 PM and saw every person that came for help.  We also purchased another treadle sewing machine to give away to a needy family, since most places do not have electricity.

The first station that the people had to go through was a Salvation station. The Gospel was presented to each person that came for the medical brigade. Their decision, in no way, reflected their opportunity to participate in the brigade.  We have tried this station at the end and the beginning and have determined that first thing is best.  This year we had 258 decisions for Christ.

On Thursday night we enjoyed a night at the Park and had the opportunity join their Independence Day celebration.

On Friday afternoon, we stopped the brigade early and helped put away all the brigade items, pack up the remaining glasses for next year, put up all the medicine which will be donated to clinics and hospitals, sweep, mop, and gather trash.  The Honduran Team working with our team was able to complete the transformation of brigade back to a youth center in record time.

This year we had 1 medical doctor on the team, the Honduran’s provided 18 doctors that rotated in and out.  We had 2 eye doctors on our team and several nurses.  We have a dear Dentist friend in Honduras named Oliver who comes every year and finds other dentist to assist him.  This year he had 8 other dentist to help. At one point during the brigade, there were 9 dentist working with patients, pulling teeth, filling and cleaning.

It takes a team effort to make this Brigade a success and meet the needs of a lot of people.  We could use a lot more people and you don’t have to be medical to come, just willing to help.

My hope and prayer is that next year, maybe you will decide to join us on this trip.  The dates for next year are September 8th through the 15th .  Go ahead and put that on your calendar and plan now to attend.

Tony Haywood