Week 4- Snapshots of the Boys

I am fortunate to be a part of many different communities; these include my church family, Edison, the Actors Guild, church camp, etc. Many people within this community know exactly whom I am talking about when I mention Mario, Marvin, or Yovani. Either they have met these boys or they have seen pictures of them that others or I have posted. I realize, though, that many have no idea who these boys are. They are just names. Because of this, it is beneficial for me to share a little bit about the boys here, so that when you are praying for the ministry, you have some idea of whom you are praying for.

If I were to write about you in a blog post that could be read by any number of people, there are parts of your story that you probably would not want me to include. Parts of your story are dark and, while you would share them with close friends, they are not the bits that you want the whole world knowing about. With that in mind, realize that as I am writing about the boys, I am probably going to leave out some of the gory and hyper-personal details. David said, “Each boy’s story is a saga.” Some of these boys have seen and experienced things that I can only imagine in fictional terms—nothing that I have experienced would help me better understand their lives. Understand that, at times, I may euphemistically express certain details. 

Carlos and Saul have been with the ministry since its inception. They, along with their brother Eduardo, came to live with David, so that they could have greater opportunities—educationally, socially, and spiritually. Carlos, 25, is the transportation guru for the ministry. Additionally, he also helps care for the boys here. Carlos also has a small business selling cell-phone accessories. Saul, 17, goes to a bilingual Christian school in town. He is excellent at soccer and was MVP for the JV team at his school.  Saul is quiet, but then he spouts off something sarcastic, which I always appreciate.

Henrry, 20, came to the ministry by way of Breaking Chains Ministries, a homeless ministry that we work closely with in town. Life for him has not always been easy (in fact, at times, it was devastating); you would not know this from interactions with him. Communicating is sometimes difficult (because my Spanish is not up to par, yet), but he is patient and always greets others with a smile. This week, he and I began English lessons, which I am excited about. He told me that it is his dream to go the States for college.

Antonio, 19 (tomorrow!) is the most recent addition to the ministry. Though he is initially shy, when Antonio warms up to you, be prepared to be picked on. Antonio, too, came to us from Breaking Chains. After living on the streets and dealing with what that life produces, Antonio decided that he wanted something better for himself.  That included getting an education. On Sunday, he started courses created for older teenagers and adults. He proves that no one is too far behind or too old to receive the benefits of education.

And finally “the boys,” as many mission groups have come to know them over the years. The five brothers, Yovani, 18, Marvin 16, Mario, 14, Francisco, 12, and Jairo (the artist formally known as Antonio), 11, have been a part of my life for almost ten years. Their mother, Maria, found herself with six boys and no one to help her take care of them. Because of that, she made the selfless decision to turn custody of the five youngest over to the state. In doing so, the five brothers were the first children at Casa de Esperanza, a children’s home where I interned for two summers during college. After Maria and her husband, Chilo, were reunited, the boys returned home to live with them. To make a very (VERY) long story short, it was later decided that the boys could come live here at MTM, so that they could receive bilingual education. Throughout the years, these boys have taught me many different things: wrestling terms, Honduran slang, how to play Clash of Clans, and, most importantly, the parental qualities of God.

This was just a snapshot of the boys here. Each one of them is unique, but we have the same dream for all of them—to be men of God who will positively impact whatever community they land in. To read more about each one, visit mtmhonduras.org.

Update Week 3

Joe Oliverio, the executive director of RESA 5, asked me to author an article for the upcoming newsletter. The article was to be about something related to education in Honduras. While back-to-school shopping was not my immediate idea, it quickly became something I wanted to write about. Below is the article:

I know that I am not the only teacher who is a bit of a school supplies aficionado. As long as I do not have to wade through the crowds at Walmart, I actually enjoy buying new supplies. Within the first two weeks in Honduras, I discovered that back-to-school shopping is vastly different here than it is at home. In fact, it is the financial burden of back-to-school shopping that can keep education out of reach of many impoverished children. 

In January, I began a six-month journey working with Mountain Top Ministries (www.mtmhonduras.org) in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. One major focus of MTM is to provide a home and educational opportunities to Honduran boys. Schools on the Honduran schedule begin in February and end in December. I quickly learned the extravagance of school supplies shopping here. When I first saw the list of necessary supplies for one student, I was stunned.  Of course pencils, pens, and notebooks (one boy had to have 12 notebooks!) were on the list; but a package of toilet paper, Pepto-Bismol, pain reliever, hand soap, and paper for teachers’ bulletin boards were also included. With five boys starting school, the cost for all of this quickly added up. That was in addition to the cost of registration, uniforms, and textbooks. Thankfully, many generous supporters helped with this financial burden, but most families here cannot rely on outside donations.

Granted, our boys attend a private, bi-lingual school (as we want to give them the best chance at succeeding into adulthood). However, the required supplies for public school students are cost prohibitive for many families, too. While public school students do not have to pay tuition, they are still required to purchase a uniform and buy many of the same supplies as their private school counterparts. The government does not provide schools with many necessities, so the burden falls on the students. To buy all of the items on the supply list, a family would have to spend $50-100 per child. In a country where more than 60% are identified as impoverished, the cost of education is too high. Many families, especially families with multiple children, decide to forgo school. Without this education, the hope of escaping poverty fades.

The transformative power of education has and will continue to change our world. However, this power should not merely be available for those who can afford it. I am thankful that I teach in a place where a student’s socioeconomic status does not hinder his/her potential, but this not the norm for much of the world. I hope and pray that all students, rich and poor, will one day have the opportunity to receive life-changing education.

Week 2-Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos

At the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year, Ms. Mewshaw (the principal at Edison) announced that the school would be sponsoring three kids at a children's home in Honduras. Obviously, I loved this idea. It is my dream to someday take a group of students to Honduras; until that happens, though, I appreciate that when I talked about Honduras, my students have some sort of link to the country. Two years ago, I visited the children's home, Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos, and delivered gifts to the three kids that Edison sponsors.
This year, I was thrilled to returns to NPH to deliver even more gifts (Ms. Mewshaw does not do "a small amount of gifts.") First, let me tell you about this ministry. On the property are many regular classrooms, technical classrooms (sewing, cobbling, auto-mechanics, and cosmetology), a farm sufficient enough to provide all the produce, eggs, milk, and cheese, enough homes to provide shelter for over 400 children, an elderly home, a home for people with AIDS, a medical clinic, and place for everyone on campus to worship.  It is the ministry's policy that siblings should not be separated from one another, and once the kids are old enough, they must work a year at NPH and then the ministry will pay for any additional schooling--even medical and law school.
The three kids that Edison sponsors are the perfect kids for Edison. Anyi (pronounced Angie) is this feisty, sassy girl who was appreciative for the many gifts that were given to her. She is in the home for girls who need a little more guidance. I think she would fit perfectly with many of the girls at Edison.
Alexis is a quiet teenage boy who loves soccer. He recently just went to El Salvador with the NPH soccer team to compete in a large tournament. Alexis was thrilled to be receiving a new soccer ball. Edison is filled with talented athletes who take competing seriously. He was timid around us, but I knew that he was excited for the gifts that he could share with his friends.
The last person, Gerson (pronounced like Harrison), was actually off campus because he needed a time of "reflection." Basically, Gerson is ornery and needed to spend some time away to get his life together. If there is anything Edison has, it is teenagers who act a little wild as they try to figure out this whole life thing.
Each time I am at Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos, I think that it all started with someone's dream and God's blessings. God is faithful. Dream big.

Week 1

I arrived in Honduras last Tuesday and hit the ground running. By Thursday, we were hosting a group from the Morgantown Church of Christ. With this group, we built a house for a family of four (in less than three hours!), distributed 150 school uniforms and bags of necessary school supplies, worshipped with the Breaking Chains church, passed out sandwiches on the streets of downtown, met some babies and passed out baleadas at Hospital Escuela (side note: it is not the best idea for the preacher's son and an elder to be the ones selected to pass out food in the maternity ward!), and hung-out with the kids at Didasko. It was a full five days.

Throughout my different trips to Honduras, I have helped build several houses, but the one on Friday was a completely different experience for me. The Morgantown group worked with another mission team from Ohio. With so many people, it at times felt crowded. There were many times when I was not sure what I should be doing because there simply was not room for everyone to be working on the house. It was during one of these times that I noticed David, whom I live and work with here at Mountain Top Ministries, walking around with a small group of people from the other team. These men had decided that it was important to speak with those around the build site about Jesus. Unfortunately, none of these men knew Spanish, so David was called over to translate. These men prayed for healing for the chronically ill, asked young men about their relationships with God, and prayed for renewal and a restoration of hope in the lives of those they met. One young man rededicated his life to Christ right there in the middle of the road.

I joined this group halfway through. We met a man who was just riding his motorcycle by and was interested in what we were doing. David was busy translating for another person, so I was asked to translate. Understand that my Spanish is rudimentary at best, so I felt totally inadequate for his job. However, with God's help, I managed to carry the conversation for several minutes. Finally, David was called over to finish the job. The man became overwhelmed by the love and concern that was shown to him. By the end of the build, this man was asked to say a prayer over the family and their new home.

The day was good. A family of four had a home. A teenager had a renewed faith. And a man who was simply curious about what a group of gringos were doing experienced that love and concern of God and His people.

He is Faithful

Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. Psalm 36:5


With an insurmountable amount of joy and gratitude, I am thankful to report that with a few more checks that I know are coming, my trip is fully funded. 


This is only possible because God's people were willing to be used by Him. 

Going into this process, raising money was the part I dreaded the most, but it was through this part that God displayed his faithfulness.


Thanks to each of you have partnered with me in this journey. This experience has proven that God has surrounded me with so many great people. Your generosity and kindness have lifted my spirits on many occasions. 


If you are looking for a place to support, please check out Mountain Top Ministries (http://www.mtmhonduras.org). They are in the middle of preparing for Christmas. Making Christmas special for eleven boys (and the adults that live there, too!) isn't exactly cheap. 


God is faithful. 


P.S.--Two months from today, I will be heading to Honduras! 

Fundraising Letter

Friends and Family:

Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. —Psalm 82:3-4

Almost ten years ago, God opened a door for me to work in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. On my first trip, our team built houses for the homeless, brought smiles and laughter to children’s homes, provided food to the hungry, and introduced those without hope to the One who is the source of lasting hope. Through all of this, God fostered in me a love for His Honduran children and a passion to be used in whatever way possible to be light to the people there. 

After several short-term trips, I had faith that God would utilize me in larger capacity. Recently, Mountain Top Ministries, a mission organization in Honduras, asked me to move to Honduras and volunteer with the ministry. Mountain Top Ministries (mtmhonduras.org) provides a Christ-centered home and education for eleven boys, ages 10-22, and works with short term mission teams building houses for the needy, feeding the hungry, and clothing the impoverished, and partners with various ministries throughout Honduras. The boys that live in the children’s home come from a variety of despairing backgrounds. All have come from homes where alcoholism and abuse were key players; some have had to beg on the streets to survive, while others were forced into homelessness. It is the goal of Mountain Top Ministry that through a Christ-centered environment, quality bilingual education, and effective discipline, the boys that live in the home will be able to be a light wherever they go.

In January, I will be joining the staff of Mountain Top Ministries. I am excited to join a ministry that will allow me to use the skills that God has developed in me to make a lasting impact for His Kingdom. Some of my duties on this six-month trip will be

·       to support the boys’ studies

·       to assist in the daily goals and tasks of the children’s home

·       to help with the short-term mission teams

·       to be a positive, Christ-like example to the boys

Additionally, it is my plan to provide Bible-centered English lessons to the people that live in the community where I will be staying. This method of evangelism lets me create authentic relationships with my students while also telling people about the transformative power of Christ.  

Below, I have described how much money I will need to raise to make this six-month trip possible:

Transportation, housing, and food	$7200
Airline ticket	$800
Spanish language school	$500
Total	$8500

Consider making a donation to this mission that God has called me to. Checks can be made payable to Grand Central Church of Christ; please put “J.T. Spivy—Honduras” in the memo line. Please send donations to J.T. Spivy 4614 8^th Avenue, Vienna, WV 26105. More importantly, I implore you to pray for my time in Honduras.  

Because of His mission,

J.T. Spivy

P.S.--If you do not want to spend money on postage, there is a PayPal button to the right. 

Watch Me Work

When I (who am I kidding...when God) first decided that I would be going to Honduras in January, I prayed about the length of time and what my life would look like after my trip. I decided to approach the administration at the school where I teach about a leave of absence. With this leave of absence, I would be able to return to my current job next August. Teaching has a few perk and this type of deal is one of them.

I was assured by many people that if I got my leave of absence request in quickly, it would be approved without any issue. So that is what I did: I filled out the necessary paperwork, attained the appropriate signatures, and turned in my application in a timely manner. Then I waited for three weeks.

At the end of this three weeks of waiting, I thought it might be prudent to send an e-mail to the central office HR department to see where things stood for the leave of absence. Then I waited for three weeks.

At the end of THIS three weeks, I picked up the phone and made a phone call to the HR office. I was informed by the extremely cordial disembodied voice on the phone that it was her understanding that my leave of absence was not approved by the superintendent. After weeks of being told that leaves of absence were always approved and that surely mine would be approved since I would be going to do humanitarian work, I was informed that my reason for going did not merit a leave of absence.

I would love to tell you that I did not become frustrated but instead calmly went to the Lord in prayer--would love to be able to say that. However, my first reaction was a lot of frustration. There were some terse text messages sent that I thought would make me feel better, but per usual, just exacerbated my frustration. There were some unkind (okay... downright hateful) words that escaped my lips about the central office. I was mad. I was upset. I was confused.

Then came my nightly Bible study. I have no idea what I was reading at the time (I think it was II Chronicles), and a sense of peace came over me. With this peace came the message "Watch me work." For almost two months I had been taking the process of getting a leave of absence for granted. I did not pray about it often; I did not surrender it to God. I assumed that what I  had done would be enough. God needed to show me that He was still the one crafting this journey--that He would decide how things would be done because His way is perfect.

Long story short, my amazing administration went and fought for my leave of absence and the superintendent approved it. At this point, I am just waiting on the Board of Education to vote on it. I know that regardless of the outcome, God has had this plan for me since the beginning. He has not allowed me to rush through this, making careless mistakes. He has slowed me down, and I have come to more fully appreciate His hand in this process.

There is still a lot to be done before I go, but I am realizing that God's plans are far better than my own.

Pray for the preparations. Pray for those who are thinking about donating (PayPal button to right...wink, wink). Pray for the work that is awaiting me. Pray that we can all slow down and appreciate the providential work of our Master.

J.T.

P.S.-- You need to go check out the work that God is doing through Mountain Top Ministries. Their most recent update had my brain doing backflips with all of the possibilities that I can be involved with in just a few short months. Consider partnering with this ministry.