Two Sections – Section A
Volume 153 Number 48
072000
April 6, 2007
‘WillieBuild’ leaves lasting legacy
BY DR. JOAN GRAY LABARR
Editor
I
n March 2005, one year
before cancer claimed his
life at the age of 19, Willie
Tichenor was determined
to join his friends on a
mission trip to Mexico.
Willie had been battling a
rare form of osteosarcoma
(bone cancer) for two years.
After his diagnosis in April
2003, Willie had surgery at
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
in Houston, and endured
numerous rounds of chemotherapy.
After graduating from high
school, Willie took off a year
before enrolling in college. He
was working at Highland Park
UMC, Dallas, in youth ministry
and as part of the Cornerstone
contemporary worship team.
With a resolve that family and
friends knew well, Willie joined
the team for the trip to Juarez,
Mexico.
As a veteran of numerous
worktrips over the years, Willie
knew that the going would be
rough, but this trip was very,
very important to him. Just
how important is clear from an
The Bishop
entry in his personal journal:
“This morning was beautiful. My group volunteered to
cook breakfast, so we were up
at 6:15. The tiny sliver of a
crescent moon still hung in the
air, backed by an orange and
purple sunrise. I’m excited
about the possibility of spiritual growth, and I’ve grown so
much as a Christian and person
recently.”
When Willie died on March
15, 2006, he had touched
countless lives. A memorial
fund at Highland Park UMC
grew as those who knew Willie
and his loving family made
contributions. For Willie’s
parents, Mac and Lisa
Tichenor, it was important that
the memorial to their son
continue the mission that he
had loved so much.
Thus was born a new
Highland Park Carpenters for
Christ mission, “WillieBuild,”
that will fund multi-generational
volunteer mission teams doing
Habitat for Humanity projects.
Fittingly, the first “WillieBuild”
home will coincide with what
would have been Willie’s 21st
birthday on May 15. It will be
the 50th Carpenters for Christ
‘I am a debtor’
BY ALFRED L. NORRIS
Bishop, North Texas Area
NTC Bishop
Alfred L. Norris
“…we give back by
paying forward.”
house.
Dates for the
2007 “WillieBuild”
Habitat project will
be: May 12, 13 and
15; 17, 19 and 20;
and 23 and 24. The
dedication will be
May 26th.
Willie, who
graduated from
Highland Park High
School in 2004,
was known for his
musical gifts,
irrepressible spirit,
dazzling smile, and
increasingly for his
great faith in God.
The late Bishop
Rhymes H.
Moncure, Jr.
developed a special
connection with
A sign superimposed on a photo from Willie Tichenor’s final mission trip to
Willie, whom he
Juarez, Mexico, promotes the first “WillieBuild” Habitat for Humanity project
met for the first
planned for May 2007.
time at the 2005
Confirmation Celebration when
Through the three years of
college and come home. After
Willie’s band, “CloverStreet,”
Willie’s battle with cancer,
the celebration, Bishop
played.
countless friends and acquainMoncure went to the Tichenor
At the 2006 Confirmation
tances of all ages showered
home to visit with Willie. Six
Celebration Bishop Moncure
him and the family with
months later, Bishop Moncure
made a special point to rememexpressions of love and
was diagnosed with brain
ber Willie, who by that time
concern. Willie’s mother kept
cancer and died following
was so ill he had to leave
complications from surgery.
See “WillieBuild”… on Page 4A
We are in the process of
observing Holy Week, with the
crowning days being Palm
Sunday, Maundy Thursday,
Good Friday, and Easter
Sunday. The week is perhaps
the most solemn, passionfilled, and jubilant in the
Christian year.
When I reflect on the
meaning and significance of
Lent, Holy Week, and Easter,
my mind and spirit take on an
aura of debt satisfaction. Yes,
the season is a reminder to the
faithful that “Jesus paid it all,”
but does that fact negate our
collective and individual
responsibility to give something
in return?
How do we repay our debts?
Someone has said that we repay
our debt to the past by being
faithful to the present and
future. In other words, we give
back by paying forward. We
can’t always repay our parents
for the heritage we have
received from them. We can,
however, be faithful to our
children. Sometimes that’s the
only way to settle accounts.
Two thousand years ago,
our Savior and Lord paid our
sin debt in full. And when I
meditate on that full and
complete offering of Himself, I
can only exclaim: “Were the
whole realm of nature mine,
that were a present far too
small; love so amazing, so
divine, demands my soul, my
life, my all!”
Honduras mission trip
…a personal perspective
BY MARJI BISHIR
VIM/Disaster Relief Coordinator
“Tony baloney, big boy”
Cherin muttered into my ear
while climbing over my lap.
Surely I heard incorrectly, I
thought to myself. I
repeated it back “Tony
baloney big boy? Is that
what you said, Cherin?”
See ‘Honduras’ Page 8A
Jim and Annabella, temporary residents at the House of Hope.
4 A NTCcircuit
‘WillieBuild’ leaves lasting legacy
Continued from Page 1A
Born in 1986
church,” his mother recalls.
track of what she calls “an
unbelievable outpouring of love
to our family.”
“I learned to accept what
people offered – they brought
their best to us,” she reflects.
Willie enrolled as a freshman
at the University of Texas in
the fall of 2005. He was a
creative student who was
accepted into the Plan II
honors program.
After Willie’s death, the U.S.
and Texas flags at the University of Texas were lowered to
half-staff in his honor. Jeb
Honeyman, a youth minister
from Highland Park, spoke,
followed by friends and
classmates who remembered
his courage, strength, and
optimism despite debilitating
illness.
Willie was born in Harlingen,
TX, on May 15, 1986, and
named William Evans Tichenor.
The Tichenors, including older
brother, Taylor, moved to
Dallas in 1988. The family
joined Highland Park UMC and
also became involved in the
Wesley-Rankin Community
Center and Nueva Esperanza
Fellowship.
Willie quickly adapted to
Nueva Esperanza, which was
located next door to WesleyRankin in West Dallas. His
mother, Lisa, remembers how
he went up to a little boy about
his age and said, “You can’t
catch me!” and promptly took
off running. “From that point
on, there was a group of kids
gathered and ready to play
when the boys arrived for
Fittingly, the Habitat home
that will be the first
“WillieBuild” project is located
just blocks from WesleyRankin. Children who are too
young to work on the Habitat
house will work at WesleyRankin, 3326 N. Winnetka,
working on the youth center
floor and helping refinish
picnic tables outside the center.
It is expected that this will
be the first of many
“WillieBuild” Habitat projects
that, supported through the
memorial fund and new
donations, will continue
blessing hardworking low
income families with their own
homes into the future.
Those who wish to participate in “Willie Build” or to
Habitat home
New Igniting Ministry Easter TV ads
A new television message
entitled “Finding Yourself”
recognizes that what people
show on the outside is not
always what is happening in
our hearts.
The commercial is the latest
component of the UMC’s
“Open hearts. Open minds.
Open doors.” media campaign.
”Through this commercial,
we are encouraging people to
find themselves as they show
others what’s really going on
inside. In doing so, they can find
a path to God within a loving
community – the people of The
United Methodist Church,” said
the Rev. Larry Hollon, chief
executive of United Methodist
Communications (UM Comm).
The commercial features
various people exhibiting one
face to the outside world, but
wearing a screen that functions as a window to their
hearts and shows what they
are really feeling.
The national ad campaign
will run now through Easter on
the following cable networks:
BET, CNN, Animal Planet,
CNBC, Hallmark, CNN Headline
News, HGTV, MSNBC,
Oxygen, SciFi, TBS, TVLand,
USA, the Food Network, and
the Weather Channel. The
commercial will air 963 times at
a cost of nearly $1.5 million and
is expected to reach 55 million
adults, 25-54 years of age.
Designed to appeal to
thoughtful, intentional spiritual
“seekers” 25-54 years old, the
advertising spot provides the
basic theme, illustrated in
various ways, for complementary advertising for radio, print,
outdoor and other media.
The commercial and all
related collateral pieces are
available free online at
www.IgnitingMinistry.org.
UM Comm offers $1 million
in matching funds annually to
local churches, districts and
conferences to aid in community advertising efforts.
The “Open hearts. Open
minds. Open doors.” campaign,
now in its seventh year, was
designed to raise awareness of
The United Methodist Church.
Igniting Ministry Regional Training
Rev. Perry Crenshaw, Warren UMC, Dallas, and a
member of the NTC Igniting Ministry team, leads
morning worship for the
March 3 regional Igniting
Ministry congregational
training at Plymouth Park
UMC, Irving. More than
100 persons participated in
the congregational training,
while 40 NTC Lay Speakers and others were trained
to be Igniting Ministry trainers the day before. This
means the NTC now has
numerous capable leaders
to send to local churches. For more information on the Igniting Ministry inviting and
welcoming campaign, or to schedule a training session, contact the NTC Communications Office, 972-490-3438, 800-969-8201, or e-mail: [email protected].
A PRIL 6, 2007 | N ORTH T EXAS C ONFERENCE N EWS
make a contribution may e-mail
Lisa Tichenor at:
LWTichenor@
compuserve.com.
Additional
information is
available at the
official WillieBuild
website,
www.WillieBuild.
com and on the
Highland Park
UMC site,
www.hpumcWillie Tichenor, center, hams it up with former
cfc.org, or
Highland Park UMC staff member Jeb
contact Highland
Honeyman.
Park UMC
Volunteer Coordinator Jane Parker at jhp01@
would follow his example.
aol.com or 214-522-0204.
“With all my strength, I will
Supporting “Willie Build” is
defend what’s right and what’s
one way that those who knew
real, so take me back to where
and loved Willie Tichenor can
I belong.”
sustain his memory by serving
When that Habitat house
God in a manner that meant so
goes up in May, the sounds of
much to him.
hammers and saws will echo
As Willie has gone to rest in
the sounds of a young man’s
the arms of God, the lyrics to
music and the hope and
one of his CloverStreet songs
promise of new life through
linger in the air as an example
God love. And that’s as right
and inspiration for those who
and real as you can get.
NTC Lent/Easter
support for local churches
The NTC Igniting Ministry
team has resourced local
churches’ inviting and welcoming efforts during the
2007 Lent/Easter season by
providing:
• 39,000 complimentary
oversize postcards
• Dallas Observer and Dallas
Quick newspaper ads
targeting seekers
• Website messages coordinating with the Observer and
Quick ads
• Wise County E-mail Blast with
invitation to Easter services in
all UMC congregations
• Holy Week advertising on
Dallas FM radio station
WRR-101.1
• Igniting Ministry ads with
NTC church Easter service
times and phone contacts in
suburban Star Newspapers.
• Monetary support for multicongregation bilingual Easter
Celebration at Spring Valley
UMC, Dallas.
The NTC Igniting Ministry
Team also reminds congregations that trained Mystery
Guests are available to help
provide feedback on local
church’s welcoming practices.
For information or to
schedule a Mystery Guest visit,
please contact the NTC
Communications Office, 972490-3438, 800-969-8201, or email: [email protected].
Sacred Music Celebration concert
The DFW International
Community Alliance will close
its International DFW Month
with a Global Sacred Music
Celebration on Easter Sunday,
April 8, at 4:00 p.m. at Unity
Church of Dallas, 6525 Forest
Lane in North Dallas.
The Celebration is the
concluding event of International DFW International
Month 2007, one of 20 collaborative events organized
by the DFW International
Community Alliance.
The month highlights global
cultures through programs that
celebrate the pioneer spirit of
the New Americans who make
up 40 percent of the DFW
region’s residents.
A dozen faiths and traditions
will be represented in the twohour concert that affirms
spiritual unity.
Tickets for the Global
Sacred Music Celebration are
$5, and may be purchased at
www.dfwinternational.org/
festival/sacred, and available at
the door. Light refreshments
will be served after the concert.
Pastor’s effectiveness conference,
First UMC, Arlington, May 1-3
North Texas Conference
pastors are invited to be part of
the May 1-3 Leadership Nexus
Foundation Effectiveness
Conference at First UMC,
Arlington.
The conference agenda
includes issues that related to the
South Central Jurisdiction
including presentations from six
successful pastors, plus workshops led by the presenters and
others with special expertise.
Workshops will cover
subjects such as preaching,
organization, spiritual life,
evangelism, congregational
care, contemporary worship,
youth ministries, the Emerging
Church movement, families,
publicity and post-modernism.
The keynote presenters are:
Dr. Jim Moore, retired
pastor from the Texas Conference who served St. Luke’s
UMC, Houston, one of the
denomination’s largest
churches. Dr. Moore, who is
also a popular author, now
serves on the staff at Highland
Park UMC, Dallas.
Rev. Gail Ford Smith,
former pastor of St. Peter’s
UMC, Katy, now a district
superintendent in the Houston
South District.
Dr. William Lawrence,
Dean of Perkins School of
Theology, SMU, Dallas, who
also served as pastor of a large
UM congregation in Washington D.C. Dr. Lawrence has
written extensively, publishing
five books on topics of effectiveness in the local church.
Dr. Robert Pierson,
president and founder of
Leadership Nexus Foundation,
is a former pastor of Christ
UMC, Tulsa, and author of the
book Needs Based Evangelism.
Rev. Jim Dorff, Area
Provost for the NTC, who has
served several pastorates in the
conference, including First
UMC, McKinney. He was
superintendent of the DallasDenton District before being
appointed provost.
Dr. David Mosser, pastor of
First UMC, Arlington, who has
written extensively for pastors.
He has also one of the most
informed persons in the country
on literature written to help
develop an effective church.
Registration fee is $119 per
person before Easter and $149
after Easter. There are discounts for two or more
persons from the same church.
A registration form is available
on website www.ntcumc.org,
or by contacting Leadership
Nexus, 918-477-7579, e-mail:
[email protected].
Labyrinth Theatre presents Manly Men
The Labyrinth Theatre,
Richardson, presents the
comic story, “Manly Men: An
Evening Chockful of Lies and
Testosterone,” with Lee Irving,
Marisa Diotalevi and Andy
Mullins, April 26 to May 19.
This is a story of a hapless
fellow named Harold who is in
search of a secret male-female
relations; the one truth that will
finally allow him to seek
romantic fulfillment and he’ll
listen to pretty much anyone
with a theory.
A special preview and
relationship forum is scheduled
April 20 at 7:00 p.m. The
performances are scheduled
Thursday through Saturday
evenings at 7:30 p.m. and
Saturday matinee at 3:00 p.m.
Tickets are from $12 to $25
with discounts for students,
seniors and groups.
The Theatre is located at the
Arapaho UMC, Richardson,
and operates under a Small
Professional Theatre Contract
with Actors’ Equity Association. It is a professional, nonprofit theatre founded to
promote philosophically ideological and theological thought
and discussion.
For tickets and more
information, please call 972231-1012 or visit website:
www.TheLabyrinthTheatre.org.
First UMC, Kemp, gospel concert benefit, April 21
Southern Gospel Music Recording Artists The New
Plainsmen Quartet has
scheduled a benefit performance for First UMC,
Kemp at the Kemp High
School Cafetorium, April
21, at 7:00 p.m. according to Denise Spaniel. “We
are updating our church
buildings and we thought
that a concert would be a
great way to raise some of
the money and it would
also be a great evening of
music for our community.” The New Plainsmen Quartet have performed throughout the US
and has recorded five projects and several top 80 nationally charted songs. They have
performed at The National Quartet Convention and appeared on television both in the
U.S. and worldwide via satellite. Sharing the stage with the quartet will be the Kemp High
School Choir and other special guests. Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door, $8 for
groups of 10 or more. Please call 903-340-5228. Website www.thenewplainsmen.com.
NTCcircuit 5 A
Claiborne to speak at University Park UMC
Shane Claiborne, a
prominent activist, grassroots
Christian and the author of
“The Irresistible Revolution:
Living As An Ordinary
Radical,” will speak at
University Park UMC, Dallas,
at 7:00 p.m. April 9. This is
currently Claiborne’s only
scheduled appearance in the
Dallas area.
Following Claiborne’s
presentation, participants
may meet and talk with him,
as well as to register for
several hands-on service
opportunities.
Claiborne is a founding
partner of The Simple Way
Community, a faith community in inner city Philadelphia
that focuses on loving
people the way Jesus loves.
He is also a board member
of the Christian Community
Development Association,
one of the largest national
associations of faith-based
organizations.
A graduate of Eastern
University, he attended at
Princeton Seminary. He
spent 10 weeks working
alongside Mother Teresa in
Calcutta, India, and a year
serving at Willow Creek
Community Church in
suburban Chicago.
While spending three
weeks in Baghdad with the
Claiborne
Iraq Peace Team, a project
of Voices in the Wilderness
and Christian Peacemaker
Teams, he witnessed the
military bombardment of
Iraq, took daily trips to sites
where there had been
bombings, visited hospitals
and families, and attended
worship services.
As part of The Simple
Way, Claiborne helped to
birth and connect radical
faith communities around the
world, many of whom have
become known as a “new
monasticism,” which
produced the book “Schools
for Conversion.” These
communities seek to follow
Jesus, to rediscover the spirit
of the early Church, and to
incarnate the Kingdom of
God – a way of life standing
in stark contrast to the world
of militarism and materialism.
For more information,
please contact University
Park UMC, 469-916-9623 or
e-mail [email protected].
Around the Conference
NTC clergy and laity are
invited to the annual “Minister-Laity Golf Tournament,”
May 8 at Sugartree Golf
Course, Dennis, on FM 1543
fifteen miles southwest of
Weatherford. The fellowship
event includes food and
trophies. For more information,
call Don Dendy, 214-957-0544,
e-mail: [email protected].
Births
Abigail Claire Wilks, daughter of Laurie and Rev. John
Wilks, Sadler UMC, was born
March 22, weighing 6 lbs. 7 oz
and measuring 191/2 inches.
***
Brody Thomas Wyman, son
of Kristie and Tim Wyman,
and grandson of Debbie and
Rev. Joe Zinser, Chinn’s
Chapel UMC, was born March
22, weighing 8 lbs. 9 oz and
measuring 19 inches.
***
Autumn Kendyll Micknal,
daughter of Amanda and
Dean Micknal, granddaughter
of Mickey and Rev. Larry
George, Dallas-Denton
District, was born March 23,
weighing 9 lbs 9 oz and
measuring 221/2 inches.
Positions available
Custer Road UMC, Plano, is
seeking a part-time director
of elementary ministries,
Persons interested may send
resume to Debbie Pomponio,
[email protected].
North Texas Conference
United Methodist
Reporter
Joan Gray LaBarr editor
Lee Zastovnik prod. assistant
Becki Ozmun circulation
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NORTH TEXAS CONFERENCE NEWS | A PRIL 6, 2007
8 A NTCcircuit Honduras mission trip …a personal perspective
Continued from Page 1A
Cherin, age 5, giggled and
flung herself on the cushions
of the ancient orange couch,
which sags so badly it could be
a bean bag chair. Tony, age 3,
runs in and leaps onto Cherin
and they giggle and thrash
around like two brown puppies. I’m caught in the middle
and wonder if I will escape the
melee unscathed.
Tony and Cherin are both
Moskito Indians, from a remote
area of Honduras that’s inaccessible by roads. I’m here with a
group of VIM short-term
missioners from Christ UMC
and First UMC of Plano. We’ve
settled into the House of Hope,
a permanent home for children
in this area who are disabled or
were victims of neglect or
abuse. Our plan is to stay the
week, helping where we can.
VIM team
The team consists of folks
from age 13 to age 63, with a
variety of skills. We feel
fortunate that two Parkland
nurses decided to join us,
considering the number of kids
needing help. In addition to the
permanent residents, the House
also takes in temporary referrals of infants from the local
hospital. The week we are
there, two sets of twins are
staying there with their mothers, trying to regain their
health. When they are sufficiently stable enough to
journey back into the jungle,
they will leave. “Sometimes
they just disappear,” says
Katrina Engle, the house
manager and missionary. Our
nurses had their hands full with
the first set of twins, who
were so tiny yet were actually
six weeks old. “This is like the
front line of nursing,” said
Susan Norman, R.N. The other
set of twins were just born and
had spina bifida. They arrived
mid-week.
Each day begins at 5:30
a.m., or maybe earlier if you
forgot your earplugs and aren’t
used to roosters crowing
periodically after 3:00 a.m. We
get up and try to get the kids
who are permanent residents
ready for school, which is on
the grounds. Unfortunately, it’s
still dark outside and there is
no electricity, which normally
doesn’t come back on until
around 10:00 a.m. or so.
We stumbled around with
our flashlights, but somehow
the kids came out with their
uniforms on and looked
somewhat ready. Breakfast
started with a gonging bell.
Once the cooks had all the
food ready, they put it into
bowls or plates. The volunteers
served all the meals to the
children, as they sat at their
long line of tables. We spilled
less that way, I think. I did
clean up the floor after a few
meals and plenty of it still
ended up there too.
Cherin and Tony go to preschool in the town, Puerto
Lempira, but most of the
children go to the “big kid”
school next door, which is an
annex of the local government
school, Chino Tatallón. While
they are gone we try to get our
tasks done, everything from
sorting through the medicine
closet to painting the new
wardrobes about to go into
each room.
At the beginning of the
week we were confused by all
the kids left behind who
weren’t in school. “Who are
these kids?” we asked. Katrina
reminded us of the large crowd
who met us at the plane when
we got off. “These kids were
left here by their mothers, who
got on your plane and took
their siblings to have cleft
palate surgery” she reminded
us. Then it made sense.
One of the children left
behind was one-year-old
Annabella, who had not yet
been weaned. She cried night
and day for the first 3 days,
wanting her mother. By the
end of the week she had
recovered enough to laugh and
play with the other kids a little.
But mostly she just clung to
her big brother, Jim, who was
about nine. The happiest I saw
Jim was one evening when his
sister was asleep. We were
decorating sugar cookies with
icing and sprinkles. I was sure
he had never seen anything
like it before.
Another child who stayed all
day was Jose, a deaf boy who
was fourteen years old. I’d
known about Jose in advance,
and I brought him something
special. Cristi Forman, a
speech pathologist and member
of Christ UMC, Plano, volunteered her time to make Jose a
special “communications
board”. She was so excited to
find a way to use her skills in
mission. “This is why I
became a speech pathologist,”
she told me. With the board
Cristi made for Jose, he will be
able to communicate with
others around him that don’t
know sign language. Katrina
and I worked to teach Jose
how to use this new tool.
VIM Honduras Mission team, from left front; Deanna Patterson, Rebecca McKenzie, Jacque Roberson,
Anna England, Rev. Holly Bandel, and Margie White. Middle row; Nancye Ashley, Susan Norman,
Dan Smith, Phil Bandel, Marji Bishir, and Cole Patterson. Back row; Patrick Thompson, Jack Bishir.
A PRIL 6, 2007 | N ORTH T EXAS C ONFERENCE N EWS
As a task, we
had the choice
of assisting in
Dr. Tom Bryan’s
dental clinic,
which he opened
up for three
days. Tom is a
dentist from
Allen and is the
one who first
began coming to
this place. He
helped to found
the House of
Hope, which is
now an NGO
A mother and her twins who were staying at
(non-governthe House of Hope to regain their health.
mental organizawith U.S. missionaries, gives
tion). I worked with Tom as
you a new insight into the
the “instrument sterilizer” for a
incredible sacrifices they make
full day. I tried not to look too
each and every day. We saw
closely while they did lots of
Katrina’s frustrations and
extractions and a few fillings. I
listened to her stories about the
also told Tom that after this I
difficulties she faced. They
expect all my dental appointrecently lost a full-time volunments to last only 15 minutes,
teer who had lived there for
even if they were doing a
two years. Ryan Miller was a
filling. This was the “speedy”
young man from First UMC,
version of dentistry.
Lucas, who had helped run the
Going anywhere in Puerto
House of Hope. Another
Lempira means hopping into
Individual Volunteer is needed
the back of a pickup truck and
to fill Ryan’s shoes.
standing there holding onto
In recent years, short-term
some metal bars. It’s kind of
mission
teams have received
fun, especially when you hit
some criticism, especially when
the deepest ruts in the red dirt
the teams have little to no
road. Only those of us willing
contact with the local commuto verbally admit they were
nity. Often teams of this type
“old and fat” got to sit in the
return with little to no lasting
front of the pickup.
benefits. Fortunately, the teams
School supplies
going to the House of Hope can
One Sunday after church
say they all had meaningful
we went to Miss Pat’s house,
contacts with the community
where Tom’s dental clinic is
and the residents at the House,
located, along with an old
because we slept and ate and
trailer used for storage. That
did everything together.
day a load of school supplies
Lasting relationship
was being passed out to
My hope is that each of us
whomever showed up. The
who went on the trip will form
crowd was excited but polite
a lasting giving relationship
and waited their turn. The
with the organization, as a
supplies came from the Allen
result of what we learned and
ISD, which donated all the
experienced. We didn’t walk
leftover supplies at the end of
away from this trip believing
the 2005-2006 school year. As
that Hondurans were happy
they walked away, the kids
despite their poverty. We saw
were all showing each other
the reality of Honduran life –
what they had received. It was
both its joys and pains.
just like kids back home.
Since the House of Hope is
One afternoon we all went
a
United
Methodist VIM
to a nearby creek and went
project,
I’d
like to encourage
swimming. Katrina took the
any church seeking a way to
quiet time to write letters to her
expand into international
missionary sponsors back
missions to consider this
home. Kids still have fun
project. Not only can you
swimming in a creek, no
support each of these children
matter where you are.
to give them a better life, you
During the week, I had
can go see for yourself the
several conversations around
difference that you are making.
the topic “Could you live
For more information about
here?” I knew my answer
House of Hope, please contact
would be no. Others felt they
Katrina Engle, 501-433-6259,
could and even felt compelled
[email protected], or
to find a way to return, in
Tom Brian, 972-727-5436,
order to help even more. A trip
[email protected].
like this, working side-by-side