Excerpt from Mission Trip Journal 2011 - Veracruz, Copan, Honduras

By Eugene Ziebach on Monday, August 22, 2011 at 10:35pm

Our Tuesday evening service was one that will be remembered. Even as we arrived we could hear thunder in the distance beyond the mountains and hoped we would be able to return the short distance to our compound before it began raining. The service began with beautiful Latino music, but included a couple of old hymns which we were familiar.

Pastor Luis Santos of the Mission Bautista staff preached a sermon using a Romans 3:9-20 text. In short he urged all present to examine themselves before the Lord. He reminded all that there are none righteous, not even one among us. He made it clear that from birth we are all sinners. Pastor Luis simply called a spade a spade, and we are what scripture describes. All the while the impending storm grows nearer, flashes of lightning visible, and the thunder louder.

At invitation time, Pastor Luis lays it on the line. He informs all he has done his job, he has preached the gospel, and the next step is up to each who heard the message to examine his or herself before God. At that moment the storm lashes out in full fury, lights go out in the church, and the congregation sits in the dark silence sensing God's power in the storm. It was sort of like God accented Pastor Luis's command to the congregation. Moments later the women began softly singing "Amazing Grace". It was a wonderful experience which ended only when vehicles from the clinic compound arrived short while later to shuttle team members back to the safety of our quarters. The storm continued for what seemed like over an hour.