Monday, April 22, 2013

April 21, 2013 What Does A Missionary Do?

Someone asked me... "So what exactly does a missionary do?"
I think the answer is more like, "What doesn't a missionary do?"
In the last few years I have: 
planted fruit trees and vegetables, 
taught the Bible in the prison, 



baked cakes for two weddings, 



bought a prosthetic leg, 
watched as a friend slowly died of cancer, 
wrote a book on being Falsely Accused 
For Sale On Amazon.com



been a wonderful hostess even when I was too tired to move,
been invited to the Ambassador's house for an afternoon party,
been hugged by the president of Honduras who was later ousted,



sorted pills for medical brigades, 
broke my leg, 



played taxi driver to other missionaries, 
gone to junkyards to find replacement mirrors for a car after they were stolen,



held a dying baby, 
given away 2,200 wheelchairs,



done without a washing machine for 2 weeks, 
broken my arm, 
failed miserably in my war against cockroaches,

hosted open air crusades, 
hosted missionaries for the night, the weekend, the week and more
had a Bible study in my home for almost a year,
bought chicken food, 
missed my mom and dad, 
taken human rights people to the scene of killings, 
saw the look on people's faces when I ordered 50 roasted chickens at once, 
made guava jelly, 
been a comfort to a survivor, 
changed a car battery, 
done without electricity for days at a time, 
returned a kidnapped baby to her mom, photo below



finally learned to squat to pee and not get myself wet, 
stayed up with people all night at the hospital, 
dried tomatoes, 
watched a baby be born, 
hugged a policewoman as she cried about her family,
learned how to tell whether my upset stomach is amoebas or worms or just an upset stomach, 
dug 4 wells, 
preached at a funeral, 
watched a pastor give his adulterous wife chance after chance to make it right, 
collected rain, 
closed down an orphanage because they abused children, 
been cursed for having done that,
reaped a harvest of guava at my farm, 



learned to cut above the knot (helping in surgery), 
learned that bees like perfume, 
learned that I do not like raw clams, 
sorted used eyeglasses, 



learned to carry my own toilet paper all the time
had a telephone stolen, 
wasted nothing, 
hauled a coffin to a small town, 
bought building supplies, 
jump started a car, 
had a car battery stolen out of a locked car,
made some wonderful new friends,

 

 


balanced check books, 
delivered flyers door to door, 
driven a horse trailer, 
made 200 cupcakes for the gang, 



faithfully gone for a manicure and pedicure every 3 weeks,
missed my children and grandchildren, 




learned how to put together adoption dossiers, 

lost a friend of many years, Joan Anderson,


left to right Billy Anderson, Joan Anderson, Teresa Andrews Searcy, Michael Searcy

caught a bad guy trying to sell rocket propelled grenade launchers to me of all people and had him deported back to the USA where he was from, 
studied my Bible and then studied it some more,
designed a home, 
hosted 48 eyeglass teams,
lost a camera, 
taught two dogs who were trained to kill to be submissive to me,
gave advice to an Army general, 
taught a Honduran mother how to make cinnamon toast, 
built a church, 
hosted medical teams, 
made 10 gallons of coleslaw at once, 
broke my toe, 



bought eyeglasses for the needy, 
taken friends to get their hair dyed, 
rescued children who had been sexually trafficked, 
stayed healthy except for a few breaks, 
broke the news to a mother and sister that their son and brother was killed,
written a sermon on why Christians should get involved politically, 
missed my parents 60th wedding anniversary, 
filed charges against a corrupt police officer, 
am on a first name basis with the pharmacist because I buy so many meds all the time for people who are in dire need,
learned how to get rid of planters warts and would you believe it is with superglue and prayer? you just smother them to death, no surgery needed
rescued children from gangs, 
had Christmas with no Christmas tree for the second time in my life,
rescued a kid from suicide,
took almost a million people to the doctor, (evangelistic-ly speaking)
taught someone to drive,
lived well, 
served well, 
aimed high, 
loved better, longer, stronger and even when people don't deserve to be loved I have loved them anyway,
forgiven even when it was hard, 
and followed Jesus.

What do I still want to do? (not in any order)

I want to:

learn to make pine needle baskets
like these shown in a photo by Mercy International


have more revelation of the Word of God,
learn to make the lady fingers, 


Lady Finger photo credit

get to the point that I experience the presence of God all the time,
take a painting class, 
go to Greece,

 


finish my book on the Grace of God,
build a small cottage at the beach and decorate it English cottage style, 
learn to make a crazy quilt,



Crazy Quilt photo link

host a television and radio Bible teaching program once or twice a week,
fall in love with someone who loves me as much as I love them,
get a fish farm up and operational, 
receive the gift from God to be able to have His healing power flow to cure cancer, 
learn to bake 50 different kinds of bread, 



find Christian homes for 2,000 orphans,
learn to churn butter, 


How To Churn Butter Link
see India (especially the Taj Mahal),
make 5 kinds of cheese, 
make a wood fired oven for artisan bread, 



live to be 120 years old,
build a windmill, 
visit Israel and stay for a while,
owe no man anything,
take beautiful photographs,
ride an ostrich,
complete my home, 
visit Egypt,
learn to fly a helicopter,

I live an interesting life and look forward to new experiences every day!
The only thing which would make me happier is if my parents, children and grandchildren were close to me for me to love on all the time.

Saturday, April 6, 2013

April 6, 2013 A Nice Surprise Electrical Supplies!

                                                    Today I had a wonderful surprise! 


Now some people might not think of this as a wonderful surprise but I do. 

Look at the picture then allow me to explain.


Today Kathy and Jerry Guise donated all of the above supplies. 

22 light switches
23 plug ins
2 ground fault plug ins
a 220 plug in for the stove we are praying will be donated
3 three in a row light switch plates
8 light switch plates
5 square receptical plates
8 plug in plates
8 cable and telephone plates

Kathy and Jerry Guise have been friends of Honduras and friends of children for years.

They have a heart for children and they come to Honduras regularly to help with building teams for a children's home. They read about our needs and when they came down this time they threw together a few electrical things which will be a huge blessing for us.

I have asked people and asked God for help for all the electrical parts and pieces which were stolen from the farm which was donated to the ministry.

We also need several churches to raise money and to make a missions trip to help us fix up and clean up the children's farm and get everything ready to move in. 

We hope to be moved in by June with the 10 children plus more.

We now have 10 children and the house parents ready and willing to move to the farm, BUT we do not have electricity yet and cannot get electricity until we have $14,250 worth of supplies. 

$260 has been donated. This money was used to buy Romex in the USA which is being shipped down on a container. Why? Because it saves us a lot of money to buy the Romex in the USA verses here in Honduras where it is not available and we have to buy several different wires which cost more.  
We just purchased 1,000 feet of Romex for $260. 
The wire to do the same job is $1.96 per foot in Honduras! 
A friend is shipping it down for free.  
That saved us $1,700.
If we had enough money to purchase another two of the 1,000 foot rolls, it would knock out the most expensive part of the electrical for the orphanage.  $520 plus tax and all the 12/3 wire would be purchased and that would get rid of the $5,586.00 worth of Honduran expenses for a mere $780.00 and I am guessing that the other wire which is needed is also much less expensive in the USA.  

We need 450 feet of 2 guage wire x 3 which in Honduras is $5.10 a foot for a total of $2,293.20.  In trying to look this wire up on the Lowe's web page I am confused as to what we need.  Anyone with electrical sense out there who wants to help me figure it out? 



This is one of the homes on the property which was donated.

Everything electrical was stolen out of this house, including all the wire.


This is the other house on the donated property.

Everything electrical was stolen out of this house also.

The electrical lines between the homes and the transformer were also stolen.

I have asked for the $14,250 for the electrical supplies for the new orphanage and along with the money He is also sending supplies! Thank you Lord! Thank you donors!

List of things still needed and prices in Honduras!

Price sheet on electrical supplies in Tegucigalpa Number of items needed net cost per unit in $ Total Dollars Needed
double light switch    11 $2.41 $26.49
single light switch        55 $1.20 $66.22
double light switch cover  11 $0.84 $9.24
single light switch cover        55 $0.42 $23.10
recepticals                     48 $1.04 $49.73
receptical covers      48 $0.42 $20.16
waterproof  single gang box  3 $4.48 $13.44
waterproof double gang box  15 $10.08 $151.20
waterproof covers  18 $1.96 $35.28
220 volt receptical 2 $4.76 $9.52
220 cover                  2 $2.30 $4.59
Ceiling fans   5 blade 9 $140.00 $1,260.00
wall fans 18 $112.00 $2,016.00
Breakers 240 volt 40 amp 2 $22.40 $44.80
Breakers 120 volt 20 amp 16 $10.08 $161.28
breaker box 20 hole for 125 main 1 $84.00 $84.00
125 main 1 $67.20 $67.20
10 gauge wire 49 per foot 100 $2.74 $274.40
12/3   wire 35 per foot 2850 $1.96 $5,586.00
Inter net wire 19 per foot 200 $1.06 $212.80
Light bulbs  large round 20 $4.54 $90.72
Light bulbs reg.  100 watt 100 $4.48 $448.00
6 foot ground rod 1 $19.60 $19.60
Bulb change stick 1 $29.68 $29.68
Motion sensor light 15 $33.60 $504.00
Flood light 30 $7.00 $210.00
Light recepticals 45 $2.41 $108.36
Light receptical boxes 20 $0.90 $17.92
20 hole breaker box  125 amp 1 $84.00 $84.00
Wire snake 1 $23.52 $23.52
Conduit elbows 16 $0.36 $5.82
Conduit connectors 30 $0.22 $6.72
Out side junction boxes 15 $2.52 $37.80
Conduit clamps 75 $0.34 $25.20
¾’ -10”   conduit 31 $1.20 $37.32
2 gauge wire x 3 450 $5.10 $2,293.20
Entrance alarms 9 $22.40 $201.60
$14,258.92

If you have any questions, email me at teresa.searcy   @   smartteams   . org