Arnondo the Shoe Maker
We visited a man last week who makes shoes in his home and sells them to markets for a living. He’s only been at the church for a few weeks, but I’ve never seen a person with a greater servant’s attitude. He made a pair of shoes for all three of us. He had to special measure my feet with a rope to make a size 12, but he did it, and tonight we picked up our shoes. He told me his home was my home and said he and his family would be waiting for me to come back. There will be a next time.
Mi Amigo- Christian
My friend Christian came to church late tonight. His dad, my “adopted father” for the week, had his same warm smile, and his whole family had the same bounce in their step. Christian told me after church that he had just been robbed. They were still faithful to church and knew God would take care of their needs. Christian gave me a gift when I should have been the one giving him a gift. He gave me a flag to remember Honduras. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget it.
My Friend BuCK
Buck is my friend. He makes me laugh. He protects me at night. This is my friend Buck.
No really, Buck is my friend and he makes me laugh constantly. He’s only 1 and he’s an ox of a dog. He’s always trying to lick your hands because he thinks you have food or something. He hasn’t learned the meaning of sit yet, so he just stands there even if you try to make him sit. He’s the “guard dog” because he’s huge- like 200 pounds+ huge and he has a big bark, but he’s afraid of an ant. I love’im. My friend Buck.
The Lost City of Morasan
Yesterday we took a trip through the mountains to Morasan. It’s a city of 35,ooo people who are lost. The homes were Adobe style. They had an ancient brick inside with a plaster like covering. The city has only one paved street through the center of town. These people aren’t only lost in the middle of nowhere, they’re lost spiritually.
There were only 5 small works that would even compare with a Baptist work, and out of that, only 300 people attended. The rest are a part of cults or attend Catholic churches like this one. They need a good Baptist church. Surveying Morasan was a valuable experience I’ll need in the future.
Visitation–”Si”/”No” style
Visitation was full of excitement today. Brother Matt began witnessing to a woman who visited the church. The message was clear but it was distorted by the Spanish words of three young voices. It was my job to distract them somehow. I helped them climb a tree, played karate with them–you name it, I tried it. The whole time they were talking or yelling at me in Spanish. I couldn’t understand a word they were saying, so all I could say was “Si” or “No”. Every time one boy would say something, the other two kids would gasp and giggle. So I hope those words said about their new gringo friend were good things. What an opportunity. 
Tract Passing
Today was a day for giving out tracts. Young and old received the gospel. Here in Honduras, almost every person you give a tract to reads it within the next minute. Honduras is so open to the gospel because they are thirsty for answers. They are searching for something and they don’t know how to find it. As they read the tract, many realize the answer has just found them.
Day Off in Tela
Monday’s are the Goins’s day off. They try to do something with the whole family that is relaxing and fun. We took an hour trip to a beach front called Tela. We swam in a pool and took a little dip in the heated water ocean. The palms covered the beach and mountains stretched out on either side of Tela bay. What a beautiful site. The life guard had a RED flag up, so we had to watch out for rip currents. Many people are killed each year from the rip current here in Tela. I had a close eye on Joash the whole time.
The New Casa
This is the site of the Goins Family’s new home. The boys are a little too curious when it comes to their new home. They got in a little bit of trouble during their exploration and ended up sitting here for a perfect picture. From here we went to climb the mango tree out back. The electricity was out in all of El Progresso, so we went to KFC , or “Kentucky” as Hondurans call it, for some ice cream. It was a little taste of relief from the heat.
Salsa and Bananas?
Have you ever eaten a banana with your chips and salsa. In Honduras we eat them AS our chips and salsa. A banana is sliced into thin slices, fried, and eaten with salsa and taco meat. Sound interesting? It’s really good but the tricky part is eating it all with your hands. No forks here. Hondurans are the real deal. Guess you’ll just have to try it when you visit.
Baptism in the Jungle
God blessed me with the opportunity of seeing a baptismal service here in Honduras. It was such a sweet time to see all 107 church people gather around to see their fathers, mothers, sisters, and brothers get baptized in this Honduran river. What a testimony of salvation to the people watching. I was able to sit on a rock in the middle of the river to take this picture. I almost fell in once.
