Our Special Assistant to the Short-Term Mission team, Dr. Cynthia Falk, shares about her many trips to serve alongside Dilia Zelaya at New Life Ministries. May her words inspire you to be a light in Honduras.

” The New Year is a time for new beginnings. It is a time when we make resolutions to improve our lives and the lives of others. For one group from the United States, this January’s newness has involved travel to Azacualpa, Honduras. In that faraway place, eleven fellow Christians are currently working with our missionary Dilia Zelaya at New Life Ministries. During their week of service, they will strengthen existing relationships and form new ones, help provide improved housing for a family in need, experience the beauty and goodness of Honduran culture, and share gifts of hope and joy and most importantly God’s love.

In the United States we often hear the worst about Honduras. We know the situation there can be so bleak that families are willing to leave their homeland, taking many risks to make their way on foot to Mexico and the United States. But, we also need to know that we can be a light in that darkness.

At New Life Ministries, just outside the town of Azacualpa in the Santa Barbara province, children whose families cannot care for them find a home. School children get an exemplary education. Hungry young people find a free meal as well as a playground and soccer field where they can escape the realities of everyday life. This week, those who have traveled to Honduras from their homes in the U.S. will be bringing smiles to these children’s faces. And, out in the community, they will be working to create better housing for a local family.

Over the past several years I have been fortunate to be part of four similar mission trips to work with our Christian brothers and sisters in Honduras. Each year our tasks have been different—mixing concrete, painting walls, digging holes, delivering food, performing skits, singing songs, playing games—but our goal of improving God’s world by cultivating hope and love has always been the same. This summer presents an opportunity to participate in another short-term mission trip to Azacualpa from July 26-August 3. Is God calling you to join the team?

Based on what we hear on the news, Honduras may seem like an uncomfortable place to be. But God tells us, “Do not be afraid – I am with you! I am your God – let nothing terrify you! I will make you strong and help you; I will protect you and save you” (Isaiah 41:10). Will a short-term mission trip to Honduras take you outside your comfort zone? Maybe, especially if you are attached to hot showers and consistent electrical service and WiFi. But through that newness there is so much more to be gained. Serving others is a life changing experience, both for them and for you. For more information about this summer’s trip, contact Dr. Cynthia Falk at cynthia.g.falk@gmail.com or 607-643-8284. “