Radio ministry and the development of churches in Honduras

Melvin and Carol are overseeing the radio ministry and the development of the churches established by Spanish World Ministries in Honduras.

Ernesto Zelaya takes care of our data base and of supplying programs to the radio stations and assists with the teaching of God’s Word in different congregations.

Radio ministry
We praise the Lord because God keeps opening doors for the proclamation of the Gospel through the radio waves. This is something so important in moments when the violence, the corruption, and the decay in the moral values in Honduras, are creating an atmosphere of fear. People need to hear about the hope and joy that only Christ can offer. 187 radio stations are the instruments used by God to reach people from every level of the society in this country. Melvin and Ernesto are constantly traveling through different regions searching for new outlets willing to air our programs. God is blessing their efforts and the message of God’s Word is broadcasted 2,300 times every week!

Besides the radio ministry, the Lord has opened unique opportunities to outreach, disciple and train people with God’s Word.

Church planting
Iglesia Cristiana El Camino de la Vida – Tegucigalpa
This church started in 2004 and the meeting have been in different locations. In 2012 Spanish World Minstries – Honduras bought a property and since then the meetings have been in this place. The process to have a new building started the following year. In 2018 a teamwork from the United States will come to help in the construction of two classrooms. About 60 adults and 20 children are attending every Sunday. Many of the believers that attend the church have been the result of the evangelistic efforts of the church. New believers receive discipleship and in obedience to the Word all of them have been baptized. One of our constant goal is to train men willing to teach the Word. Four believers have been trained to preach the Word in the church.

Iglesia Cristiana El Camino de la Vida – El Renuevo
During the hurricane Mitch, several families suffered as a consequence of this disaster in the area of El Renuevo. Spanish World Ministries built 12 house for those families that lost everything. Not only they lost their houses but also their church. Therefore, Spanish World Ministries decided to build a multipurpose building. In 2001 was the official establishment of the Iglesia Cristiana El Camino de la Vida. About 50 adults plus 25 children and teenagers get together each Sunday to worship the Lord, and they also have a Bible study and a women’s meeting during the week. Luis Ochoa and his wife are in charge the pastoral care in this church.

Spanish World Ministries’ project was to establish a multipurpose building in El Renuevo. We praise the Lord because the church has been established. The second purpose of this building was to provide medical care to the community. Currently we offer two medical clinics per year. During these clinics, we provide follow up to children and old people from the nearby regions. People from the churches in Tegucigalpita and El Renuevo are blessed with these medical clinics.
The third purpose of the building at El Renuevo was to establish a training center for Christian leaders. We praise the Lord because we have a Bible Training Program every two months. Believers from El Renuevo y and from the church in Tegucigalpita who feel the call serve, and who demonstrate a genuine desire to grow spiritually, are trained by our missionary Melvin Zelaya.

Improvements at El Renuevo in Honduras
a) Since 2002, we have built rest rooms for men and women, a kitchen, a dining room, a small warehouse, and four bedrooms for pastors and leaders that come for biblical training sessions.
b) There are other four rooms for children and teenagers’ ministries. These are used mostly during the weekends.
c) There is electricity and a potable water that covers 50% of our needs.
d) In the bedrooms, we can host up to 16 people. Each room has fans, beds, and sheets.
e) We have created access for trucks and buses
f) The front side of the building has been paved. This makes a lot easier the access for cars.
g) One of the pastors, Nixon Lopez and his wife, will be living in El Renuevo. We are finishing a house for them. Their baby is due in November.

Iglesia Cristiana El Camino de la Vida – Tegucigalpita
A group of believers at the church El Camino de la Vida in El Renuevo decided to visit other regions to share the Gospel. In 2002 they visited the region of Tegucigalpita, which is located about 4 miles from El Renuevo. This place is up in the mountain and the people have to walk to get to this place. One family that accepted the Lord offered his house to have Bible studies. In 2007, a teamwork from the United States came to help with the construction for the church. Currently about 60 adults 50 children are part of this church. They have their meetings every Sunday, plus a Bible study and a women’s ministry during the week. Nixon Lopez and his wife are helping with the pastoral care in this congregation.

Iglesia Cristiana El Camino de la Vida – Casitas
This church was established at the end 2002 as a result of the request of one believer that asked for a Bible study since there was no church in the area. A property was donated and by 2007 a teamwork came to help with the construction of a small building. Melvin and Ernesto Zelaya took care of the pastoral care, and Carol (Melvin’s wife), developed a women’s ministry and also provided Bible teaching to the children. Eventually Melvin trained Josue Hernandez and Joel Sanchez, and the Lord provided Bible resources with the help of our associate missionary Matt Allen. Currently these man take care of the pastoral care in this congregations. About 40 adults and 30 children attend the activities in this church.

The churches in El Renuevo, Tegucigalpita, and Casitas, are located in rural areas. One of the greatest challenge is to see the involvement of the husbands in the spiritual lives of their families. Since they work the land and must provide for the needs of the family, many men neglect their spiritual lives. In consequence, in most of these churches, is mostly women and children the ones that are more faithful in their attendance. Melvin and Ernesto, along with the local pastors are trying to raise a new generation of Christian men, willing to take seriously their role as leaders at home and at the church. Pray for this specific challenge and prayer request.

OPORTUNITIES OF MINISTRY
Training leaders – Resources like Bible commentaries, dictionaries, concordances, Bibles with commentaries are useful tool for those workers that are willing to serve the Lord teaching God’s Word. Our prayer is to be able to provide them the necessary tools to enable them to become better teachers and preachers.

Reaching and teaching biblical principles to younger generations. Our missionary Melvin Zelaya has the firm conviction that training young Christians should be an imperative. His prayer and goal is to train 50 college students and teenagers who feel the call to serve the Lord. All of them are attending the four churches under Melvin’s responsibility. The budget for a training program will be $5,000 per year.

Children’s ministry. One desire that I have had in my heart is to establish a soup kitchen in the area of Tegucigapita to provide lunch for children, Monday through Friday. My desire is to reach the children that attend the elementary school. It would require a small construction near the church. Praise the Lord, He has provided a piece of land for this project. The budget to provide food to 50 children during the school year would be $5,000.

If the Lord provides the resources, we would have the opportunity to teach God’s principles and to present the Gospel to a good group of children up to 12 years old. This would be a wonderful opportunity to plan the seed in hearts before the enemy enslave them. Unfortunately, many people in the areas where we minister, have fallen in Satan’s traps for the lack of God’s principles in their lives. We would like to reach the children so they could apply the spiritual truths to resist the enemy.

2 Responses
  1. Nathan Martin

    I have worked alongside Melvin and Carol on a short term basis for over 5 years. They are wonderful examples of the hands and feet of Christ. I was able to walk through the woods ( or something remote) on one occasion with them both. We were visiting a listener of your broadcasts. What a wonderful blessing to see this lady express joy about the broadcasts as well as her joy in having Melvin and Carol visit. So thankful to know them both and Ernesto, Melvin’s brother. Thank you Spanish World Minitries!

    RESPONDIDO VIA EMAIL
    -RR

  2. Rosanna Ramírez

    We appreciate so much your testimony regarding our missionaries in Honduras, certainly God is working through them. Thanks Mr. Martin!

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