Pastor
Discipleship Program
Since 2005, the number of pastors and church leaders taking the DVD
course from the International School of Ministry has increased to over forty, meeting weekly
in 7 different groups. Three pastors attended
Community Health Evangelism training with us in October 2006.
We provide education in a number of practical subjects,
such as English and computers (we have provided several pastors with used computers).
Jubilee
Loan Cooperative
In 2006 we initiated this micro-enterprise and debt relief program, following
in the footsteps of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize
winners. To date, we have made 17 loans to 13 pastoral families, ranging from $25 to $200. Investor/borrowers
have used the money to pay off debts that were at usurious rates of interest, and to start businesses such as selling used
clothing and making tortillas or tamales for sale.
As they pay off each small loan, they are eligible
for another, larger one. One family is now on its 4th loan. The loan fund began with $500, and currently is
close to $700 due to interest. We provide education in financial management to address the attitudes and habits
that contributed to poverty and debt in the first place.
Educatodos
Literacy Program
In 2007 we began this for pastors, church members and non-Christians. This
allows us not only to equip the saints, but also to build relationships with seekers. Educatodos is a distance-learning curriculum
developed by USAID and the Honduran government. We recently received a grant to help with the textbooks, audiotapes and other
expenses for six months.
We have 26 students, youth and adults, from first to ninth grade, with
classes meeting seven days a week to accommodate work schedules. Pastor Miguel Medina and his wife Norma are in first grade,
learning to read and write. They wereable to sign as witnesses at a wedding we sponsored recently.
Septic
Field Initiative
Diarrheal and parasitic diseases are endemic in Honduras. There is no sanitation
in the squatter communities where our pastors live. They use simple pit latrines which often fill up and overflow in the rainy
season.
At Pastor Rafael’s suggestion, Pastor Elías Ramírez installed a
septic field on his property. He dug the pits for the settling tank and leaching field and constructed them with materials
provided by our ministry.
Three more pastors have begun digging septic pits. We are seeking
sponsorship for the bricks, sand and gravel necessary to complete them.
Healing ministry
Healing – wholeness – shalom –
is at the heart of everything we do. We are doctors, and our parent ministry here is called ‘Jehovah Rafah’, God
heals. We are doing our best to enact the Kingdom, the restoration of God’s good creation, anticipating the eventual
glorious transformation of the whole created order.
The return of the King to his people in first century
Palestine was attended by works of healing power, and we expect and intend to manifest the same. Joel
Mendez now walks thanks to that healing
power. Melba Ramírez carried her pregnancy to term after we laid hands on her for healing. Kelvin Maradiaga visibly
came back to life through prayer ministry after loss of his fiancée. And there are many other examples.
The Honduran pastors actually have more experience in divine healing than I do and I have learned – and unlearned
– a lot. I had to repent of my previous assumption, that prayer was what you did when nothing else worked. Now I insist
that every patient in our medical brigades be offered prayer.
In 2006 our regular team from the Springdale,
Ohio Vineyard church came to teach and minister on healing and spiritual warfare, and they were able to begin the first night,
laying hands on each member of the Maradiaga family and being powerfully used of God .
Their ministry
continued with teaching and ministry to pastors and church leaders, following by going house to house in the slums to distribute
packages of food and lay hands on for healing. They will return in November to continue this ministry.
Other Initiatives
uniforms
and school supplies and/or tuition
For Christians with children to legally marry their common-law spouses.
The churches collected an offering to send
to my niece who was a short-term missionary in Burundi. The money was to purchase medicines for the children in the orphanage
where she worked.
