A new outreach group called the Wyoming Waldensians received the opportunity to cut their teeth on outreach during a June 12-23 trip to the Valley of Angels in Honduras. After the group of 18 had landed on the Tegucigalpa, Honduras runway they learned it is considered one of the 10 most dangerous runways in the world, with only a handful of pilots certified to land there.
Working in conjunction with a Quiet Hour short-term mission group, the young people assisted with medical clinics, helped renovate patient rooms in the nearby Adventist hospital, worked on carpentry jobs under the supervision of a local Honduran named Charlie, or worked in teams to prepare sermons for the evening meetings. Working with Quiet Hour and under the direction of Sheridan, Wyoming church member Aimee Pooley, the group also provided Vacation Bible School felts and supplies for each church site. In addition, they handed out to the children 85 pounds of toothpaste, acquired from Delta Dental by Abby Gideon and Afton Logan.
“We quickly fell into a routine of service,” said Marirose Force, who served as one of the group chaperones on the trip and shared reports about the trip with the Rocky Mountain Conference.
At first, many of the youth who preached experienced feelings of discouragement. Alisha Mechalke, a young speaker from Casper, originally felt she wasn’t reaching the hearts of her listeners. With encouragement from her teammates and team leader, and through the power of prayer, she began to connect with her congregation.
There were other challenges as well. One group on its way to a medical clinic was stopped by a mob of striking taxi drivers who weren’t letting anyone through. The group prayed, and after their interpreter reasoned with the taxi drivers they suddenly parted like the Red Sea, allowing the young missionaries to proceed.
Local drivers provided transportation for the various groups. One group was especially blessed by the testimony of their driver, Antonio, who liked to listen to sports broadcasts while he drove them from place to place. Through an interpreter, they discovered that he’d been invited to play soccer for both the Honduras National and Junior National soccer teams but had turned down both offers because of his commitment to his Savior and the Sabbath.
“We were all blessed beyond measure during this trip,” Marirose reported. “God sustained us through illness, roosters crowing at 3 am, and adjusting to a different country. He gave us strength to help others and, through those experiences, our faith grew.”
The Wyoming Waldensians originally formed when Wyoming pastors met to brainstorm ideas for keeping youth involved in church growth. Pastors Gary Force and Gabe Gutierrez planned weekend training meetings as a platform for the young people to learn about habits that made the Waldensians successful in spreading God’s Word.
The Wyoming Waldensians shared their stories and testimonies from the Honduras mission trip at the Wyoming camp meeting held at Mills Spring Ranch in July. Many listeners expressed a desire to be involved in next year’s mission trip.
“We pray that we have begun a yearly tradition that will continue until the Lord’s return,” added Marirose.
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Submitted by RMC Communication Staff
