I have been blessed with another opportunity to lead a team of folks from my church to La Ceiba, Honduras this July. Last year I visited Honduras for the first time and was impressed with the team from Mission to the World that lives there ministering to the people of La Ceiba.

According to Wikipedia, La Ceiba "has long been known as the tourism capital of Honduras, due to its proximity to the beach, active night life, and a variety of parks and recreational areas in and around the city." Though it is a great place for a vacation, the reality is that gangs, drugs, and extreme poverty make La Ceiba a difficult place for many people to live. The need for the transformative work of the gospel is great.

New City Church has a philosophy of global mission that is very much the same as our mission at home: we believe that God ministers to people and changes communities through the local church. Even with all the blessings we enjoy here in America, we are unable to simply sweep through Honduras and fix everything. Healing and change will come to these people by the grace of God, through those he calls to Himself in local, Honduran churches. Our role is to partner with local, indigenous pastors and support their church planting efforts.

We are blessed that Mission to the World has long-term missionaries in La Ceiba, Honduras who have the same approach. They have built a seminary, and are discipling and training Honduran pastors who are planting Honduran churches. To support the work of these churches, they have built medical clinics that provide low-cost healthcare; they have developed a Honduran-run drop-in center that ministers to street boys by giving them a good meal, tutoring, and mentoring; they have founded a home for single teenage mothers to help them learn to support themselves and their children.

My team and I will be serving alongside these long-term missionaries in these endeavors as we build relationships with the local pastors and their congregations. We will provide theological training, swing some hammers, serve in the clinic, and whatever else is needed while we are there. It is a fantastic opportunity to see how God is providing for his people, and to be a part of it.

First and foremost, I'm asking you to partner with me in prayer. I don't say this lightly. There is a certain amount of danger involved in visiting a developing nation and specifically in visiting the poorest areas of the country. Please pray that we will be kept safe, that God will provide for the cost of the trip, that no-one will get sick, and that we will return safely. Additionally, I hope you will join me in praying that our team, New City Church, and Mission to the World will be given great opportunity to share the gospel message of hope and restoration with the Honduran people through word and deed. For me personally, please pray that I will be a good leader of this team - not only keeping them safe, but discerning what God is doing in each of them spiritually and reminding them of his love and purpose in their lives.

Secondarily, I'm asking you to pray about supporting my journey financially. My portion of the trip is $1800, an amount that Alisha and I are not able to come up with on our own. Once you have prayed, if you feel led to support this trip then simply click the link to the right (SUPPORT BRANDON). Any donation you make is tax deductible. As you probably already noticed, our trip is being administrated by Perimeter Church (New City Church's sending church), so don't be surprised to see their name on the receipt.

Thanks for taking the time to read about what God is up to in my life this Summer. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me: brandon@newcitychurchatl.org.