I got to make a quick trip to Tegucigalpa last week, traveling for Herald of Truth, along with Steve Ridgell, our director of ministry. In 2008, we sponsored a TV program there, so we went back to talk to some of the local Christians about their impression of what was done there.
Turned out that getting out of town was the hardest part. Abilene got a nice round of snow on Tuesday; we flew out on the 5:50 a.m. flight, which actually left at 1 p.m. From there the travel went smoothly. Abilene-Dallas, Dallas-Miami, Miami-Tegucigalpa.
A week after my last trip to Honduras, in May 2008, there was a nasty crash at the Tegucigalpa airport. That crash convinced them to redo the main runway. Much safer, but the landing isn’t nearly as exciting as it used to be. When it comes to airplanes, however, I guess boring is good.
We got to spend a couple of days with Rigoberto Vargas, Herald of Truth representative in Central America. It’s always good to be with him.
It was a quick trip, but we got to see a lot of other nice people along the way:
- Larry Musick and Buck James from ACU who were flying out of the Abilene airport on their way to Atlanta.
- Bill Smith, Abilene resident who is a tenured professor at Pepperdine. He was on his way to Las Vegas to give a speech, but had his plans changed by the snow.
- Tim Hines, president of Torch Ministries in Honduras, who was at the airport in Tegucigalpa when we arrived.
- Howard Norton, head of the Baxter Institute in Tegucigalpa; we went by the school to visit with him.
- A group of preachers from Tegucigalpa who spent time with us evaluating the TV program and talking about future possibilities.
- I got to speak with Marc Tindall, missionary in Tegucigalpa, by phone. I hope to get to meet him in person on a future trip.
- Cameron Hartsell, ACU grad who works with Mission Lazarus. He was at the Tegucigalpa airport as we left, sending one group off and welcoming another.
- Andy Baker, who we know from World Christian Broadcasting, but who was in Honduras on a mission trip with the Berry’s Chapel Church of Christ. Bryan Dill and other members of the Holly Hill Church of Christ in Frankfort, Kentucky, were also with them.
- John Tyson, Kevin Roberts and several others from ACU who were in the airport in Dallas as we returned home.
Lots of good people. God blessed us all along this trip.
LOL You’d have seen me, too, if I could have put together the funds. I’m getting an early start saving (and polishing my rusty Spanish) this year, so that I can go next February. Might not make any workshops or lectures this year, but it will be worth it to build for Mission Lazarus.
Cameron Hartsell is a fine young man. I’ve known him almost his whole life. We are very proud of him back home with his efforts in the Mission Lazarus.