What's been up with Me and 5 Interesting Facts about Honduras

So, what have I been up to?  Well, putting out my newest newsletter, participating in the Honduras field annual conference via webcam, Easter, and more speaking engagements.  

And what's coming up?  On May 4th I'll be speaking in southwestern Kansas, and I'll be there for a few days before and after.   I am hoping to find more places to speak at while I am there and I hope to see lots of old friends while I am up there.  That Sunday is looking full, but if you know of any Bible studies or midweek services that would be willing to have me come and share, I would be really grateful for your help!  I'd also love to see any of you who live up there while I am visiting. 

After my trip to Kansas my schedule is looking rather empty.  Please pray with me that God would help me find opportunities.  Also, if you can help me find new places and opportunities, that would be amazing! Some of the churches I have been to have been churches that I have attended and have known personally, but others have been ones that a friend had helped me get into.  Please pray and ask God if He would have you have you ask your church if I could come and share what God is doing in Honduras!

5 Interesting Facts about Honduras:

1)  Most of the population is Catholic, and the Virgin of Suyapa —represented by a tiny statuette— is considered the patron saint of Honduras. The Evangelical church is also seeing significant growth.

2)  In addition to receiving gifts at Christmas, children are celebrated and receive gifts on 10 September, day of the Honduran Child.

3) The main export products are bananas, coffee and wood.

4)  The languages used are Spanish, English, Garifuna, Miskito, and other indigenous languages.

5)  After Austrailia, Honduras is the country with the most coral reefs.  They surround the Bay Islands.

Concert of Prayer

As Christians, we believe in the power of prayer.  We know that when we pray we are communicating with God in a very personal way.  It is very important that we lift up our families, those who surround us, and our nation in prayer.  We are also called to pray for missions and missionaries, but this is difficult if we don't know what to pray for!

Here's a couple ways to make praying for missionaries more dynamic:

1) Get connected!  Sign up for their newsletters.  Check to see if they have a blog and/or Facebook page.  When you meet a missionary that you feel called to partner with in prayer ask the missionary how you can keep connected with what is going on in their ministry.  If you can get an email address for them that is great!  Missionaries keep busy, but are overjoyed to receive notes from people saying something like "We're praying for you!  Is there anything on your heart that we can pray about specifically right now?"

2) Volunteer to be a contact person between your church and one of their missionaries.   Read their newsletters, post them on the bulletin board, and every once in a while ask for a few minutes in the service to highlight some of their prayer needs to the congregation and lead them in a prayer for them.   Find others in your church who can "adopt" other missionaries your church supports so that the congregation can discover the work being done!

3) Join the Concert of Prayer.  What's that?  During April, May, and June WGM highlights certain ministries/ways of ministering.  This week (April 6-12) Evangelism is highlighted.  There are special blogs each week, and even a phone number you can call to listen to a recording that will help lead you in prayer.  Go to: http://www.wgm.org/call to learn more!

Some of my current prayer needs:

1)  Coming up I have some more churches that I will be speaking at, but I am looking for more!  As I contact churches pray that God will open doors for me to speak!  

2) I have been working with a ministry that teaches ESL classes, and this week we are going to have an Easter potluck and talk about the meaning of Easter.  Pray that the hearts of the students would be open as they hear about what Christ did for us!

3)  Allergies are making me feel very fatigued.  Pray that these would ease up and/or I would find an effective way to deal with them.

The New School Year: How You Can Pray!

Over the last week El Sembrador has come to life as students have filled it's campus once again.  Classes are under way, and students are adjusting to their lives at the school.

Your prayers play a vital part in the ministry!  As the school year kicks off here are some ways you can pray:

1) For the new students.  Life at the school is a very new and different experience for them.  Boarding students live in dormitories and eat in the dining hall, which can be a big change from life at home.  The academics at the school may present a particular challenge to some. Pray that they will adjust well.

2)  For returning students.  After a few months of vacation they must readjust to life at school.  They must once again say goodbye to their families and friends and readjust to the schedule of the school.

3) For those working at the school.  For administration, teachers, staff, and missionaries the new school year is an exciting challenge.  They need your prayers as they work with the students and keep the school running. Some days are exciting, others are tiring, many are a combination of both.  However their days may go, may the Lord help and guide them as they serve.


To keep up to date with what God is doing at El Sembrador like their Facebook page (and check out there great photos and status updates!!!):  https://www.facebook.com/escuelaelsembrador

Want to Teach your Children about Missions?

Have you ever noticed how much advertising is directed at kids? Advertisers know that our impressions about what is important are formed at a young age.  Our world views are formed as we grow.  Although I don't have children myself I see how important it is for children to learn about Christ when they are young.  Even little ones are not too young to start learning about missions.  My family and the church I went to when I was young had a great impact on me.  We read a lot of missionary stories and learned about people who lived in far away lands who didn't know about Jesus.  

If you are a parent or a Sunday school teacher and you are looking for ways to teach children about missions there are resources that can help you.  WGM has put together a few resources for parents, Sunday school teachers, and VBS leaders. 

Kid's World is a collection of articles that give ideas for how children can be involved in missions.

Kids World God Manual is a Bible study that will help you and your child discover more about what a missionary really is and how it's a call to all Christians- where-ever they live.  

Kids Helping Kids Project Catalog is a great resource for finding a cause your child can give to.  Many of the neediest people around the world are children, and this catalog provides projects your children can give to that will directly impact those needy children. 

Do you want to learn more about missions as well?  Take a look at my Resources tab.  

Also, if you have heard of Perspectives on the World Christian Movement (and even if you haven't!), but have never taken the course you should prayerfully consider it!  Courses will be starting up soon.  If you are worried about the time and money involved let me encourage you that it is worth it!  I took the course a year ago, and I believe that everyone who took the course would agree that it was a good investment.  To find out more and find a class near you go to: www.perspectives.org/

(If you have noticed that I have not been online much and not posting as often it is because I have been in the process of moving!  I am now moved and I am excited to getting back to "normal life"!)

Christmas Traditons in Honduras

What's Christmas like in Honduras?  Since I have never been there over Christmas I had to do some research.  I made this presentation homeschool families and teachers in mind, but you might enjoy it even if you aren't teaching anyone :-)

You can also find a link to it here if you would like to view it full screen: http://prezi.com/kkpqftssgajo/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share  If you've never used a Prezi before they are pretty easy to use.  Use the arrows on the bottom to go forward or backward in the presentation.

Hope you have a Merry Christmas!

Calling all Chefs!

Do you like to cook?  Have any great recipes to share?  How about tips and tricks?  Well- I am looking for them!  I am compiling a recipe book.

Where did they idea for a recipe book come from?

It all started when I was trying to think of what to give my friends, the Solheims for a Christmas/ going away gift (they will be returning to Honduras in February).  I decided that a cookbook would be a great idea for the whole family.  From there I got to thinking-  I have another friend, Adria, who will be doing missions in Honduras- I bet she could use the same cook book, and so could I when I return...and while I am at it, why don't I put a PDF file online for anyone who wants it, missionary and otherwise?!

How will it work?

I will create a PDF file that can be downloaded and printed by anyone who would like a copy.  When the pages are printed they will fit nicely into a regular 3-ring binder.  A cover and a piece for the spine of the binder will also be included, along section dividers.  Simply print everything out and put it in the binder.  You can punch holes in the pages themselves or put them in page protectors (which is probably a good idea since cooking can get messy!).  And if you are curious about the cookbook, but don't want another cookbook cluttering you home you can download it and look at the recipes on your computer.

What's different about this cookbook?  Why would it be good for missionaries?

I will be making a special (and hopefully large) section for special tips and tricks as well as substitutions and conversions.  It's not unusual for new missionaries to come to the field not knowing how to cook or only knowing how to make things from mixes.  In Honduras (and many other countries from what I have heard) selection is often more limited and more things must be made from scratch.  Many things just aren't available (canned cream soup or taco seasoning for instance), which can be frustrating, but there it's possible to make mixes for those things from basic ingredients which ARE available.  So I want to put together a section of helpful hints and tricks.

I am looking around the internet for good tips, tricks, and recipes.  I am going to include basic recipes (bread, lasagna) along with fun favorites, but I also want to leave room in the binder for recipes collected from family members.

Do you have to be a missionary to make use of the cookbook?

 If you are into cooking with more basic and natural ingredients then the section on mixes and substitutions could be very good for you, plus it's a place where you can put recipes you've collected that aren't in a cookbook.  

Why do I want your help?

Well, a) because I bet you have some great recipes and will think of things that I won't, and b) because it will be way more special with your recipes and hints. I will include your name by your contributions (unless you would rather be anonymous, just tell me not to include your name).   When I was in Honduras I printed out some basic recipes and copied a few of my mom's recipes and put them in a small photo album.  Trust me, when you are overseas it is really really special to have reminders those at hope who are praying for you!

How can I contribute?

You can leave a comment on this blog, send me a message on Facebook, or send me an email at Sarah.Larson@wgm.org .  I am looking forward to hearing from you!

If you have noticed that I have been online less it's because I am in the middle of moving to another state!  Please pray for my move especially with all of the icy weather we have been experiencing here in the Midwest!

What if You Went on a Work Team? 5 Great Things about Work Teams

Have you ever considered being a part of a work team (often called going on missions trip)?  Did you go? Where to?  What did you do?
In high school and college I went on several work teams to Mexico and locations around the US.  I always had a good time and felt like I got a lot out of going on the trips.  Living at El Sembrador I got to experience another side of what is so great about work teams as I saw them come alongside us in ministry.
     I am excited that I will have the opportunity to work with work teams when I return to Honduras.  I would love to see you on one!  Yes, that's right. You could go on a work team to El Sembardor.  Need some convincing?  Read my top 5 reasons that work teams are great and then ask God if He is calling you to GO.

Myself on a work team during college.

5 Great Things about Work Teams

1)  It's a learning experience.  You may learn new skills (how to grout tile or stucco a house perhaps) or be able to teach skills you know to others on the team with less experience.  Don't be held back by thinking that you have nothing to offer because you don't have the skills.

2) You learn God's faithfulness.  Maybe it's a question of getting the money you need.  Or you get sick .  Or the van that taking you to Mexico breaks down in the middle of Texas (that happened on one trip with CCF). You manage to communicate with people who don't even speak the same language you do (mostly with a lot of miming!)   But no matter what happens, God has got it covered.  

(When the van broke down we had praise and worship roadside)

3)It's all about community.  You never know who you'll get to meet and develop a friendship with on a missions trip.  This summer I went on a team to New Jersey composed of people from my church and people from another church in the same town.  Some people met for the first time.  Some deepened friendships.  It's amazing how quickly we can become close when we are all members of  God's family!

4)  It brings understanding of the people you came to help.  You can see video clips. You can read blogs like this.  You can listen to missionaries speak.  But I am not sure that there is anything like actually meeting people face to face and seeing where they work and live. You may see some difficult things like extreme poverty. Seeing difficult realities can make a person feel guilt.  But it doesn't have to.  You can choose to feel guilty or to be filled with passion and conviction.  Passion and conviction lead to action and prayer.  They are feelings of hope unlike the depression of guilt.

5)  It's one of the ways that you can help to fulfill the Great Commision.  "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel." You don't have to go for a long period of time or even travel to the other side of the world to follow this command of Jesus.  You never know what God may call you to through your experience on a work team.

To learn more about work teams read articles in this issue of the Call (Pages 8 and 20): http://www.wgm.org/document.doc?id=1633

To learn more about how you can go on a work team with WGM go to: 

http://www.wgm.org/page.aspx?pid=2737