Chickens and Baptisms!
For the first time in three years, Casa Hogar had the pleasure of receiving not ONE, but TWO, short-term mission teams from Canada.
The first group came in November 2022 from Ontario (Woodstock and Kanata) and along with getting to know the kids, they did some work on a chicken run for the newly constructed chicken coop. About two days after the team arrived, so did 100 chickens! It was exciting for everyone to see this project come to fruition and now we are getting between 85 and 95 eggs per day. The eggs that are not consumed by the children are sold to cover some of the costs.
The first team also ran a vacation Bible school program for the children. It was a fun time of learning who Jesus is through scripture, memory, crafts, games, and songs. The kids are still singing the songs today. During the team's time in Honduras, they were able to witness the baptism of five young boys who publicly professed their love for the Lord. The boys have been mentored for a number of years by a doctor in the city who has a heart and desire for them to know and live a life pleasing to the Lord.
The second team that arrived in January 2023 included a pastoral couple from Québec. A few days later, the third team from Faith Baptist Church in Great Village, NS arrived. This church has sent teams many times to support Casa Hogar through work projects. This time, due to the length of delay from the pandemic, they wanted to focus on re-building the relationship. Since the last time they were here, many children had transitioned out of the home and many new ones had arrived. The visit included a trip to the zoo about two hours away by bus. They teamed up in groups of twos and threes with an adult and wandered around the zoo for a couple of hours before enjoying getting cooled off in the swimming pool.
A highlight from this trip was a visit from a couple of boys who transitioned out of Casa Hogar a few years ago. They came on the Sunday when we shared testimonies about how God has helped when we trust and call out to Him. It was great to hear the two boys share their testimonies as well. The week spent with the team sharing and demonstrating their love for the Lord through spending time with the children at Casa Hogar had spoken to some of the girls’ hearts. In the months leading up to this week, many of the girls had shared and expressed a desire to trust in the Lord, and turn to Him when they are/were lonely, sad or just needed a friend. Later that week, when the kids were taken to the local swimming pool for a fun day, five of the young girls were baptized! They had heard the message during the week and answered the Lord’s call on their lives.
The children were blessed through these events as the years of the pandemic meant no teams and minimal outside contact.
Another significant event this year was the roof replacement in March. The roof had been leaking and had become “home” to bats, so was initially supposed to be replaced in 2020. Unfortunately, this couldn’t happen until all the residents could be relocated, which was impossible as the kids were learning virtually due to COVID-19 restrictions.
In mid-March, the kids and staff were relocated to a nearby seminary for the initially planned ten-day renovation project. Unfortunately, shortly after two heavy thunderstorms rolled through the are causing water damage to the exposed internal parts of the building.
Thankfully the kids and staff were able to stay at the seminary until the end of March, and water damage repairs were completed and the roof is finished. The repairs cost more than the initial amount raised to replace the roof, so FAIR asked those who have previously supported Casa Hogar through one-time donations or regular sponsorship to consider assisting to cover the difference. FAIR is thankful to have received $13,105 as of May 1st.
You can help provide holistic care to children in Honduras by sponsoring a child with Casa Hogar today.