Honduras or Bust

Holy smoke! It's for real! I am going to Honduras, and it looks like Mary may be going also. I attended a meeting of the Global Mission Committee of our synod last night and they agreed with me that it is safe enough to go. They will pay for my ticket and expenses, and Mary and I will cough up the cash to pay for her ticket. It should be a great trip, for both of us. It is our first visit to the country and the Lutheran Church. They are doing some fantastic work and they are about to make some very significant changes in the way they define and do ministry. The synod wanted me to go and represent them at their annual assembly. The trip is a go!

We leave on November 11th and return November 15th, late in the evening. On the way we do have a lengthy stay-over in Houston, but we will probably catch some sleep and head out early for Honduras. Mary is in the process of getting out of school for the trip. She is hoping that it will be easy, and that it will help her Spanish classes at Kalkaska.

I let my council know on Thursday. They assured me that they did not have ransom money to bring me home. They are a bit concerned, but I assured them that the people there will take very good care of us. I know that Mary did not want me to go, but since I decided to go, she decided that it would be better to be together than apart this trip around.

I have a whole list of things to talk about and investigate while there. The synod here wants to know more about them and how we can intensify our relationship with the Honduran Lutherans. I am excited about how they are doing ministry. I think they might have finally figured out how the Lutheran Church can be an effective, growing and relevant church in Latin America. I believe they are a real model for Lutheran ministry in that part of the world, and I am anxious to see more of what they are doing, first-hand. Knowing the language and Latin American culture helps. I hope to participate in theological education in Honduras down the road. Some of that is already being done by another synod of the ELCA, but I think that our synod has some very special gifts to offer in that direction.

Wish us luck, pray for us.