Transformation Tuesdays Blog
by Chad Vinson, Fellowship Bible Church Mission Team Leader
I can remember like yesterday exactly where I was when I heard this sentence: “Ministry is about relationships.” Twenty-seven years later this sentence still has a profound influence on how I engage in ministry. I believe Maya Angelou was on to something when she wrote, "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." God has made us to be seen, to be heard, and to be loved.
This is the fourth summer our church from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, has sent a team to Catacamas, Honduras, to partner with Family Life Missions. This summer we had a team of 12 make the trip. What I have grown to appreciate about Family Life Missions is how they value relational ministry through the context of the local church.
Our mornings began by our team leading a devotional for the children who attend school on their property. Without fail after each devotional the children would linger around wanting to give us a hug or a high five. Our team did a phenomenal job making sure every child felt seen, felt heard and felt loved.
Rodolfo stood at a crossroads.
His father had gone to the United States years earlier to find work—a sacrifice made in love. Now, Rodolfo felt the same pull. He wanted to provide more for his wife Nancy and their future children. He believed going north might be the only way. His heart ached with the weight of the choice: go… or stay?
Then came a phone call that changed everything.
Rodolfo and Nancy had recently completed Family Life Missions’ foster care training—part of a new initiative to provide safe, loving homes for vulnerable children in Honduras. A little boy named Diego needed a family. He had no one. Could they take him?
Rodolfo was torn. If he stayed, his plans for the U.S. would vanish. But how could he turn away from a child in need? He sought his father’s counsel—and was surprised to hear his encouragement: “Stay with your family. Give this child a home.”
And so, Rodolfo chose love over leaving.
by Lisa Steele, FLM Executive Director
We welcomed a record-setting 104 students to our Por Los Niños Christian School this month to begin the 2024 school year, along with three new teachers and a new Head of School. We are thankful for the opportunity to not only teach these children academically but also to pour into them spiritually. Each month, their parents attend our Parents School, where we offer tools and resources for parenting and academics. We also pray with these families as we all work together to provide a better future for their children.
Five years ago we were a first through sixth grade school. We began in 2001 to serve the children who lived on our campus. Today, we have grown to offer Pre-K Montessori through ninth grade. We reach out to our community and invite them to learn with us. Our Montessori Pre-K and Kindergarten has a waiting list. Our school buildings are full, but so are our hearts. As Proverbs 24:5 says, “Wisdom brings strength, and knowledge gives power.” We are equipping the next generation to live a better life. We are equipping parents with ways to keep their family together in a healthy and safe way. We are telling and showing God’s love and care to these students and their families.
by Lisa Steele, FLM Executive Director
We served a record number of 102 children this year at Family Life Missions. And these are not just numbers—these are lives that have been transformed because of our many supporters. Because of your prayers, donations, and volunteer hours, we can provide safe and secure homes, parenting workshops, a Christian bilingual school, foster care and adoption of vulnerable children, trauma training for our staff and other organizations, and build dreams!
Each face you see is a life that has been changed as we reach out to the community and within our campus. Your generous donations allow us to provide all of the above services and a holistic care center that brings together children and families' spiritual, physical, academic, social, and emotional needs in our programs.
As 2023 draws to an end, we are thankful for the 30 years of service we have provided to the community of Catacamas. Help us finish well with a year-end gift. Our immediate needs include seven laptop computers for our school, a new roof on the Holistic Care Center, and providing ongoing care to children in our Foster Care program.
What a blessing it is to serve the vulnerable children and families of Catacamas, Honduras. Our staff is dedicated to providing the community with hope, health, and stability. Thank you for remembering these precious children as you celebrate Christmas with family and friends.
Merry Christmas ~ Feliz Navidad!
