April 30, 2007 A TIME FOR PRAISES AND GOODBYES

This Monday was a time for family and friends of Marjie Thompson to share their stories and good byes to Marjie since she touched so many lives with her love for Jesus.

Marjie Thompson passed away on Saturday, April 14th, 2007. After battling with cancer for many years. Marjie has now returned to her Beloved God. She had fought the good fight and run a great race. During the last decade of her life she spent almost every waking moment thinking about a small Caribbean Island off the coast of Honduras. On the island of Helene, she helped to establish a medical and dental facility as well as lead many people into an eternal relationship with Jesus.

Miss Marjie (as called by the islanders) went to Helene in 1997 on a short term outreach. This was before the Clinic was built. She fell instantly in love with the people, the island, and the opportunity to serve. She returned in 1999 as a full time member with Alternative Missions and has been serving passionately ever since. Marjie served as the RN at the Helene Medical Clinic as well as the director of the Helene Dental Clinic. Marjie would spend her days traveling from one end of the island to the other making house calls and sharing God's love with everyone she met. She has been a valuable part of Team Helene for nearly a decade and has been responsible for many lives being lead to Christ.

Marjie was an adventurous missionary nurse. She was not afraid to seek out those who had not been reached before. It seemed that she knew everyone on the island of Helene. Marjie had medically treated most of the families on the island. She built enduring friendships filled with laughter, tenderness, understanding, and Christ's care. In her nine years of faithfully serving the islanders of Helene, she became beloved.

For more information about Marjie Thompson, see visit:
Alternative Missions

A forgotten island

The Beaverton Valley Times wrote up a great article about the fundraising and service efforts of Sunset Presbyterian spring break trip members and Cooper Mountain Elementary School teachers Allie Roth and Dee Runberg. Take a look at the article below:

A forgotten island

Good Friday: Helene Style

Good Friday, wow, what a day! Last year after good Friday my men’s Bible Study prayed and asked God how we would make Christ known on the island on Good Friday. Last year it was a party on the beach with swimming and drunkenness. Not a real spiritual celebration. So we got together and decided to drag a cross from Bentley Bay to the Northside.

Early Friday Elbert and Jerry came and got the cross put it on a dory and carried it to the far end of the island to the last house along the path in Bentley Bay. I met with them at 9:30 and by 10:00am we had prayer and asked God how to share along the way. God spoke to our hearts a simple message “This is the day that God loved you most and best” He loved you and died for you on a cross like this one. So we started our walk...



People came out on porches and into door ways as we passed by and shared the message. People were walking with us before we even got though Bentley bay. One islander watched as we passed crying in the door way. I carried the cross first, then brother Elbert took a turn as he saw people responding as he carried the cross he called me to his side and said “this is touching peoples hearts” I said “It is. How do you know that” “because mine is broken” and Elbert continued to cry the as he carried the cross. I carried the cross again as we came to the Bight.


Those who were walking with us returned to Bentley Bay and Elbert, Jerry and I continued on. As I went through the Bight I was praying Oh God let me see ____ and I spoke the name unto God. I saw everyone I had prayed for, Wally, Watson, Wilson and his club of friends were all out on the road and we proclaimed Christ joyfully. So many were encouraged. We went to homes on the Point. I got to see Dovens and let him know how much God loves him. We got to the clinic and on our deck was Teddy waiting for his turn to carry the cross.

He carried the cross from the clinic through Seco, Mango Bight, the Pond and to every house on Northside. He preached at every opportunity and made a few opportunities along the way. I have never seen him any more joyful than he was going from house to house in his community proclaiming Christ. When we got to the beach where the party was going on. Teddy, Myself, Jerry, and Elbert all took turns carrying the cross to the people. We dug a hole planted the cross and Sister Cherly, and the ladies from Northside all gathered as we sang songs about the resurrection.



Every believer on the island I do believe was encouraged and they were set free as they proclaimed the gospel from one end to the other. I have never seen Teddy, Elbert, and Jerry so joyful. My heart was much like Elberts and I am thankful that those guys took a bold stand on a remote island in the middle of Caribbean to make Christ known.

Posted by Larry, Friday, April 6, 2007

Spring Break Mission Trip 2007

On March 23th, a team of 25 volunteers left Sunset to go serve in Helene for one week. This was a family oriented trip with 16 members of this team having at least one other relative going along to serve. Eleven of this team had already been on a previous mission trips. Our youngest volunteer was age 12, and the oldest was 55+.

Our goals were to serve the Lord and the islanders of Helene. We brought down 25 duffel bags of full of medical, dental, educational, and sports supplies to assist with the ongoing ministry of the Clinic. We rebuild a wooden walkway in the area known as the Pond. Team Sunset made over 25 home visits, led 5 VBSs, and provided 7 sports camps for the children of Helene. We had one team dedicated to help out in the school with training, and tutoring skills. We were also involved in Clean Sweep. We worked to clean up the public spaces in the village of Bight helping to make them cleaner and more sanitary.

A mission trip allows a person to leave his/her daily roles and responsibilities at home to solely focus on serving Christ and those around them. Our time in Helene was very spiritual with extra time for Bible Study, personal prayer, corporate prayers, and biblical instruction. Each of our volunteers grew in this God enriched environment learning more about the love of God, the joy of serving others, and discovering more about their spiritual gifts.

In the past 27 months, I have seen a good advancement of the Gospel in Helene. A hundred students are getting biblical instruction in the bilingual school; twenty-five (plus) teenagers are attending Youth Program (YP) and praising the Lord weekly. There are one or two strong Christian families in each of the six villages, and ten island men have recently banded together for weekly Bible Study and worship. It seems to me that God is getting ready to break the bonds of indifference and legalism with a grace revival in Helene and beyond to the other Bay Islands.

posted by Scott 4/4/07, recently returned from Helene, Honduras