Friends of Helene

SUNSET'S EIGHTH MISSION TRIP TO HELENE

2009-06-14T10:45:00.000-07:00

Today, June 14th, a team of 25.3 volunteers left Portland International Airport on their way to serve the islanders of Helene. They were easy to pick out in the airport crowd since they were wearing their fuchsia (looked like hot pink to me) colored mission trip T-shirts. This team is comprised of nineteen high school students who recently graduated, and six adult leaders. This team has already spend months working together to raise funds for this trip by working as servers at a men's retreat, writing support letters, staffing a golf tournament, doing yard work with RENT A YOUTH, and seeking a church wide special offering. In addition, all these volunteers were required to attend specials classes to learn practical ministry skills they will use while on this mission trip.

The presence of excitement and expectation was obvious on these faces and in their chatter. This group called Team Sunset is off on a God Adventure. They will be working at a local school, helping rehab an islander's home, providing VBS and sport camps, doing home visitations, sharing their testimonies in the local churches, rebuilding the only baseball court on the island, and helping to clean up the public spaces on the island. But these mission trips are far more that service projects, they are cross cultural experiences. Being in an islanders shanty house, see how they live, hearing their stories is unforgettable. This is also a time to build friendships with individuals who's lives are vastly different from our own.=2 0As volunteers, this groups of folks will be asked to put aside their American understandings of life and try to live every hour of each day as if Christ was living through them. For a moment in time, they will be challenged to full live beyond themselves.

Today, their Helene journey begins. For those of us who have served on the past seven trips, our journey continues as we pray for their needs and look forward to their emails. Let's pray that Team Sunset will serve with diligences and this trip will have a lasting impact in the lives of our island friends in Helene.

Oh yea, about that .3 volunteer. The team leaders, Scott and Allie Roth are expecting their first child. We are told December 25th is baby's date. Imagine that!

posted by Scott G. in Portland, Or 6/14/09

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What's better than island time?

2008-07-09T18:32:00.001-07:00

While recently in Helene, the Blue Team was discussing the events of the past Sunday. After talking about our experiences, one of our team members blurted out," Hey, today is Monday so yesterday was Sunday". We all had a good laugh. Somehow, it felt like Sunday was already two or three days in the past.

We were on island time. More than that, we were on "God time". There is something unique about serving in Helene that slows life down into one or two hour blocks of time. These unrushed blocks of time seem to be full of new experiences and relationships. They are very peaceful.

Romans 1:20 describes God as being eternal. He is in time but simultaneously, free from the restrictions of time. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. God is always in the moment. In fact, He creates time, moment by moment. When we slow down our rushed lifestyles to island time, then we are more likely to be in the moment. There, we can encounter our God who desires to fellowship with us.

For me, one of the take away lessons from our mission trip to Helene is to slow down my daily pace, refocus my wandering attention to the task at hand, try to be in the moment, and become more aware of God's presence. Each day seems richer with opportunities when I am on "God time'.

posted by Scott in Portland, OR 7/9/08

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An islander named Willis

2008-06-25T12:00:00.001-07:00

Team Sunset is comprised of 6 smaller work teams. Each smaller team is escorted by an islander to various work projects. These islanders guides show us how do our task "island style". For the past two days, I have been working with Willis. He has an African-Carib background with just a touch of pirate blood for good luck.

Willis is amazing. Willis never seems to complain. He has a wonderful bright smile. He seems to have the strength of a man half his age. He is almost forty years of age. His arms would be the envy of most gym rats at 24 hour fitness. I have seen him carry rock, move dirt, and make concrete by hand. I have yet to see him winded. His attitude is to work first, then have fun when the job is done.

Willis is a noble working man. I heard a lot about the "nobility of the everyday working person" while I was in college. I worked my way though college and most of the guys I worked with, well they did not seem noble to me. They seemed to work hard when the boss was in view, after that, it was slow down time. That is not Willis' approach to work. He loves Jesus. Willis works flat out. Willis never seems to show off. He is not too proud to do any task assigned to him. He just does what he needs to do in a full hearted kind of way. I loved spending the last two days with Willis. Hard, sweaty, muscle tiring work seems honorable when I work along side Willis.

Willis does all kinds of jobs like manual labor, being a fishing guide, and " a bit of this and that don't you know". But his main profession is as an artist. He is also well known as a wood craver. And a lot more.

posted by Scott in Helene 6/25/08

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SUNSET RETURNS TO HELENE FOR THE SEVENTH TIME

2008-06-13T07:24:00.001-07:00

On June 14th, a team of 24 high school students and 6 adult leaders will leave Portland, Oregon for a two-week mission trip to assist the islanders of Helene. This will be Sunset's seventh mission trip to the Bay Islands in the past four years. So far, 175 folks from Sunset have been commissioned to serve in Helene.

This trip's service projects include VBS, home visitations, tutoring in the bilingual school, Clean Sweep, sports camps for the children, construction of a community playground near the school, and rehabilitation of an islander's house.

Please pray for this team's safe travel, good health, willingness to serve "outrageously", and many opportunities to share their faith.

May God's blessings be on Team Sunset.

posted by Scott G. in Portland, Oregon 6/13/08

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Spring Break 2008 - Trip Recap

2008-04-19T10:56:00.000-07:00

We landed back in Portland at 9 PM on Saturday night. We all had bug bites. Some folks had sunburns from Friday's activities. One volunteer has a very sore knee. We all have hearts full of praise, thanking God for this opportunity to serve Him and our island friends.

During our brief mission trip we were able to:

*build and install new window screens on the school that 70 % of the island children attend
*help re-level an individual classroom that was sinking on it's foundation by 12 inches on one corner
*bring down 700 new reading books were graded into specific reading levels, grouped by themes, and placed in easy to identify plastic bins. The school library looks great! Now, it is more user friendly for both students and teachers
*home visitations in the five villages with a focus on elderly "shut ins"
*sport camps were held in each of the villages
*VBS "Kids Clubs" were provided for each village
*public spaces in a village called the Bight were cleaned of garbage and trash. This helps to reduce the health risk of disease and restore the beauty of this area.

Going on a mission trip is a cross-cultural experience. Third world poverty is the norm in Helene. These islanders have an ethnic mix of African and Caribbean backgrounds. On this island, there are no social agencies, no AAA, no MasterCard to solve the islander's daily problems, just God and His working though other peoples. We were all impressed by the prayers of the islanders. They prayed with a simple and honest convictions, knowing that God has answered their prayers, time after time. Their prayer life is far more personal than most of ours. We felt blessed to pray with them.

We also realized that we tend to "stress out" on many non essential issues. One church is having a revival. Last year, there were just 15 islanders attending. This year, about 50 now attend regularly. Four of the male leaders of this church have been active in a two-year bible study with our host agency, Alternative Missions. It is great to see the first fruit of spiritual renewal in Helene.

Thank you again for your prayers and support of this mission trip. As the team leader, I was delighted to watch each volunteer move out of his/her comfort zone and have to use his/her God given natural and spiritual gifts. I would not be surprised to learn in a few years that one of our volunteers has been called into full time mission service.

This trip was an amazing time of service and praise. God willing, we will be able to return to Helene for Spring Break 2009. I hope you will consider going with us. These trips to Helene seem to turn into God Adventures. Helene is a place of surprises, changes of plans, and great opportunities to serve.

This is your invitation to come join us in a God Adventure in Helene.

Alright? OK!
Scott G. for Team Sunset

And we're off, well, almost...

2008-03-21T07:55:00.000-07:00

27 members of Team Sunset leave bright and early tomorrow morning at 4:00 AM for the week-long spring break trip to Helene. Please pray for safe travels and that all of our personal luggage and supplies arrive safely.

Helene, Bay Islands Honduras Medical Clinic

2008-02-28T09:21:00.000-08:00

Dr. David Spiro (Edmonds, Washington); the Alternative Missions stateside medical director recently returned from a visit to Helene where he served with Deirdre Greer and brings this report...

I am happy to report substantial growth at the Helene Clinic in the Bay Islands of Honduras since I first became involved in 2001. Many needed developments have become a reality. The newly remodeled clinic is now very well organized under the leadership of Deirdre. By linking with key medical providers and excellent philanthropic medical supply groups in the U.S. the clinic is now equipped with an outstanding well-stocked pharmacy, diagnostic, treatment and minor surgical supplies.

Deirdre's background in home health has been a particularly good fit for Helene in dealing with nearly all of the chronic diseases on the island; including diabetes, hypertension and stroke. She is rapidly learning minor surgical techniques which are imperative in a setting where emergencies are common place. Her treatment in infectious disease, dermatology and orthopedics are areas where she has lesser experience, however she is an eager learner and consults with visiting doctors or myself regularly via email. I estimate that Deirdre sees an average of 60 patients a week, and she integrates her faith with her excellent empathetic medical care very well.

Funding for Deirdre, medical supplies and emergency transport are still areas of continual need.

In summary, I believe the healing compassionate heart of God is being well represented in the isolated and under served community of Helene.

What an amazing effort and dedication...

I, Tom Hackett, want to recognize and salute the dedication, effort and genuine care of Deirdre Greer, Dr. Spiro, all the visiting health care workers, donors and Helene staff that make the clinic happen. Your service over the years has saved so many lives and shown the love of God in everyday life. Your expressions of love do not go unnoticed. I know that Jesus would want you to hear...Well done!

Deirdre Greer checking up on Jared one week after his arrival.

Thank you for praying this storm away away from Helene!

2007-09-04T18:09:00.001-07:00

Dear friends and family,

The projected path of Hurricane Felix shows a route through central Honduras westward and dimishing drastically from the Category 5 storm that it has been. There are no words to tell you the relief and utter awe that the Lord would spare Helene. We were literally running from task to task yesterday as we prepared for the worst. Islanders were also preparing, throwing ropes over the roofs of their houses to tie them to the foundations, nailing large boards crosswise cross each wall of the houses, and getting a good supply of water. Many were already setting up provisions in the concrete churches as we recommended they would be safer there than our own buildings. But we welcomed them to stay in the cabins and the clinic if necessary. Last night a good number of islanders stayed in the "mission house" of the Methodist church next door.

As I spoke with Bethany last night, she interrupted me to say she was looking at pictures of Roatan where Roatan Bruce, a local radio announcer, was reporting for the Weather Channel. We are ready for anything now, but it has been encouraging to hear from you, and assuring to the islanders and staff as we learn how great our God is to move this storm. Pray for the people on the mainland who are still in the storm's path. We are thankful that it is weakening as the hours go by.

I know this experience has been an emotionally draining one for our friends and family. As a team we met for three different hour sessions as Team Helene to discuss our options of evacuating or staying on the island through the hurricane. We considered every angle, every opportunity, every worst case scenario. We knew that there were no international flights once we even got to Roatan with our boat that was suppposed to undergo repairs on Monday a.m. Knowing how my own uncle and aunt's family was devastated in Pass Christian, MS, in 1969 by Hurricane Camille, and recalling other hurricanes of this strength, I personally became pretty anxious at our discussions. Nevertheless, I realized we were being called to a choice to be a missionary and give oneself for others. It has just begun to rain, heavier than the spotty shower this a.m. We're getting some really great thunder, too! The overcast skies look like it has "set in." The air has had that heavy, warm, humid hurricane smell to it all morning. Since all preparations are done, we have the opportunity to spend time with Tom Hackett this afternoon and just start Team Steam a couple of days early! God knew about all this, why did we sweat it?

Thank you again for your prayers. The pictures were taken yesterday as we boarded windows, colected medical supplies, and pulled boats up out of the water. We will not be taking down our satellite dish so communications will not be interruupted as we had planned. Praise the Lord for this test, actually the final exam was cancelled (!) and praise Him for His faithfulness in caring for us. Please continue to email us and let us know what we can pray for you as well.

Love always, Sheila
AM staffmember in Helene

Hurricane Felix heading towards the Bay Islands and Honduras

2007-09-03T11:42:00.001-07:00

Tom Hacket is the Director of Alternative Missions. He just happens to be in Helene for a yearly planning time with Team Helene. Two days ago, they received the news that a major hurricane is heading their way. Please pray for their safety as they have decided to stay in Helene and continue to serve the islanders. This is truely love in action.

Scott

From Tom:

Hurricane Felix

9/3 Noon Update:
We continue to pray and prepare for Felix. As a team we have decided to "stage" for a response. Today I will be heading for the west end to stay with some generous people who have offered there...Mike & Rita. From there I can be close to the airport, the sea port and hopefully in the middle of the government response representing Helene and communicating with you.

As far as where our team and the locals will go...we have decided to not turn anyone away from staying at our building but at the same time, becuase the wind and high seas will probably come from the south east we do not believe it is the safest place to be. We are encouraging people to go to cement block buildings. We will see what happens. We are trying to locate and send a couple of satellite phones here for the post hurricane response coordination.

Donations: We expect to have serious financial needs after this storm and we would appreciate your help in responding to this community. I will have a better idea of what that means later but if you could start praying and sharing with others that would be helpful. Can anyone help with the Satelite Phones? I will let you know the amount as soon as I know.

Thanks! Keep praying!
God Bless;
Tom Hackett
Director of Alternative Missions

Two months serving in Helene

2007-08-16T20:59:00.001-07:00

Many of the folks that regularly read this blog have been to Helene on a mission trip for one or two weeks. Serving in Helene is such a unique and special experience that many volunteers hope someday to return to Helene. One such person is Paul Frazier. Paul was on the Sunset Summer trip in 2006. During the Fall of his first college year, he keep on thinking about his experience in Helene and the friends he left behind. In the Spring of 2007, he applied for an internship position with Alternative Missions, and was accepted.

Paul has created a web site called, www.ilovehelene.com.

In his blog, he writes about his experiences servicing in Helene. Check it out. Don't be surprised if the feelings you had while serving in Helene get rekindled. It's a great read. Paul is a cool guy with the right spirit.

posted by Scott in Portland 8/16/07

Three Week Update

2007-07-14T15:29:00.001-07:00

Wow. I have been in Helene for three weeks. It feels like I just arrived a couple of days ago. My time so far has been very enjoyable but it has also been a lot of work. There are so many projects going on around the clinic. Some involve adding on to existing facilities but many are regular maintenance that are very labor intensive and require a lot of time. Many do not require skilled labor but just the manpower to do it. The amount of things that need maintenance around here amazes me. The heat and humidity really put a toll on the buildings.

In the past I have always felt like I am serving the most when I am talking to people about God or building relationships. But over the last few weeks my view of what serving really is, has grown. I have been doing a lot more building projects then I thought I would be doing. By doing these time consuming tasks I have helped to enable other team Helene staff to work on the big projects, such as, Joe working on the battery bank. I have also assisted in those projects such as helping Joe hang the new inverter for the second battery bank and moving 12 batteries from temporary storage to the bank. While these activities may not require talking about God, they are helping to further His glory.

While I have been here I have realized that I involve God so much more in my daily life when I am here in Helene than I do at home. That is not the way it should be. I should involve God just as much at home as I am forced to do here. And there lays the key, NEED, when you are in a third world country life presents itself as much more uncertain then back in the states. We need God just as much in the States or Honduras, the key is letting him in our life wherever we are. Admitting our weaknesses at letting Christ be strong though them. Instead of us trying, and ultimately failing to help ourselves. God has offered us complete assistance, and left it up to us if we will take it. My goal for when I return home is to use that assistance and not try and do it on my own.

Being here on staff is much different than on a team. I think I am just starting to get used to that. I need to create opportunities for fellowship that were created for me when I was on a short term team. I have been hanging out a lot with Ewings and getting to know him. He is a really cool guy and you can see God's love pouring out through him. He constantly pushes against the overwhelming negative culture on the island and strives for Christ.

Everyday I see another way in which God blesses this island. I feel honored to be a part of His love pouring out through Alternative Missions. The school is such a great example of His love. These kids yearn for someone to love them and to teach them. And even though they can be very disruptive it is very evident that they really enjoy being there. Because of what God is doing though the clinic and what he is doing though people who donate their, time, money and materials these children have access to books, puzzles, games and people who love them.

Praise God,
Paul Frazier

Outreach to Guanaja

2007-06-02T13:53:00.000-07:00

This morning was a great time for me and our team. We were joined by three of our friends for morning devotions - Brother Elbert, Jerry, and Teddy. They joined us because they were getting ready to get on our boat and head to Guanaja for a week to do an outreach. Three men from the US along with Joe went to Guanaja to do an evangelistic outreach. I stayed behind to continue to work in Helene. At the end of the devotion we had a commissioning service. It was a refreshing time for me. Here stood before me three men that I had poured my life into over the past 3 years and they were going out without me to evangelize and declare Christ outside the borders of their safe little island. I felt like I was sending off some of my own disciples. During the time of praying for them I was moved with a sense of awe. God’sbeen reaching into their lives and reaching them to know Him and He had been teaching them to love Him, now He was sending them to love others. Satisfaction was not what I felt at that moment but it was a sense of honor that God would allow me to be a part of their lives.

Posted 5/31/07
By Larry Benson (in Helene)

April 30, 2007 A TIME FOR PRAISES AND GOODBYES

2007-04-30T20:43:00.001-07:00

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

2007-04-19T21:13:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-08T08:36:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-04T19:47:00.001-07:00

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

Sunset folks enjoy extended service time in Helene

2007-03-03T09:55:00.000-08:00

Alternative Missions offers extended service opportunities called internships in Helene. These intern experiences can last from 30 days to 90 days. This is great opportunity to serve along side the staff of “Team Helene” in their ongoing outreach to the islanders. Interns assist in many facets of the ministry, like construction, bible studies, helping direct visiting volunteer teams, helping in the kitchen, and assisting the medical staff at the Clinic.

Michelle Manary served in Helene this past fall from September to December 23, 2006.

Paul Frazier has been accepted as an intern for this summer.

Way to go!

Northside Church Roof Repair

2007-02-01T12:43:00.000-08:00

In this pic: teddy, marian, heather, zanoli, saroli, keari, and teddy's son johaida (sp?).

This post is much awaited i'm sure, and very late, but a HUGE thank you to Sunset Presbyterian Church in Portland, OR for donating the funds for Teddy to finish the roof on the Northside church!!! Teddy was very thankful and was excited that you all would be able to see how it looks now.

Teddy and several workers put in many hours to not only repair the roof but also finish and repaint the interior.

They even had "help" from some cute kids hammin it up for the camera.

This is the church from behind... roof and all... praise God!Teddy and church are currently working to finish his house as well now. He and his wife just had their third child and will soon be living in their first house. They had a beautiful baby boy who is currently named Zachary... but they are looking for a "J" name to change it to.

Merry Christmas

2006-12-21T18:50:00.000-08:00

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. The Word became flesh and lived for a while among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John, Chapter One.

We wish you a blessed Christmas full of God's goodness.

Your Friends of Helene

Happy Thanksgiving

2006-11-14T08:36:00.000-08:00

HELENE HAPPENINGS

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone! Even though I am missing being in Helene right now, I never want to forget to be thankful that I am a citizen of the USA. My citizenship has afforded me to be able to give more generously to the rest of the world than I ever could have, if I had been born in another country. May we all hold what we hold dear loosely, ready to open our hands and share with others in the world who do not have the blessings we hold so dear.

GUANAJA

November 23 will see a team from Washington, D. C., take off for Guanaja. This is our first team to do an outreach there. We have waited quite a while for the right time to begin our work there, and now the time seems right. The team will consist of islanders from Helene as well as "gringos," which is a blessing since so many people from Helene have contacts there. They also know Spanish well, which is the predominant language of that island.

As has been previously mentioned, Guanaja is an island 16 miles to the east from Helene. It is a large island, lightly populated with most of the people living on a key off the coast. The largest communities on Guanaja are Savanna Bight and Mangrove Bight (no relation to Helene's Mangrove Bight), and we have had the opportunity to begin to work in Savanna Bight.

The most pressing need in Guanaja is for a dental clinic, and one of the dentists who is a good friend of the clinic has very generously donated four dental chairs and lights to our dental clinic. This gift will allow us to upgrade the dental facilities in our Helene Clinic, and also begin the clinic in Guanaja.

The dental clinic is a prelude to the work we wish to do on Guanaja, which is to build relationships with the people, giving us a platform to share the Good News. Come help us!

HELENE CHRISTIAN ENGLISH SCHOOL

Emily Benson, our head teacher for the English School in Helene, will be visiting in the Northwest the week of November 12 - 18 to acquaint prospective teachers here with the opportunities to teach on the island. She will be at a get-together at the Grenleys' home in Edmonds Monday night, November 13, at 7 p.m., in the Tri-Cities area at the Brauers on Wednesday night, and in Renton at John and Kelly Morgan's home Thursday night November 16.

The school has grown rapidly in the past three years, and there are still more students who want to attend. Scholarships given by many of the people in the Northwest and other parts of the US have made such growth possible. Now the need is for more teachers to allow for increased enrollment.

If you are interested in an exciting teaching adventure, come join us and meet Emily. She has a story to tell that will stir your heart!

MEN ON THE MOVE

Larry Benson, our project manager, has had a Bible study in his home at the clinic for some time, and men as leaders are beginning to emerge to take Helene in a positive direction. We have faced some challenges in the past, and these men have become a real support to the clinic, and they have given us insight into the island way of thinking.

Now there is a possibility of a Bible study starting on the Northside, with Joe Morris--our director of maintenance and construction--working with Teddy Thomas--the pastor of the Northside Church of God Universal--to begin a work with the men in that area of the island. The men have begun, with some help from the clinic--to do repairs on the bridge to the Northside, and the need for a Bible study has arisen from their desire to be together and do something positive of a spiritual nature for their community.

I continue to operate stateside, and am making contacts for teams to travel to Helene, as well as enlisting teachers to help Emily in the school. My health issues continue to hold me here, but I can see a purpose even in this.

I continue to have an Avastin treatment (a chemo-like IV medication) every three weeks, with an MRI after every two treatments. The second MRI showed a 50% decrease in the size of tumors (they were already minuscule!), and no new tumors have shown since then.

I am learning to walk by faith, as I have no idea when I will be able to return to Helene on a more permanent basis at this point. However, I am going to accompany a team from Westminster Assembly of Seattle to Helene in Saturday, and touch bases will many of my friends.

All your support and encouragement has been exactly what the Doctor ordered to keep me focused during these past months. Thank you so much for being there for me. There's a job for us to do, and I'm so thankful He has let me be in on it along with all of you!

Marjie Thompson, RN
Helene Clinic Stateside Rep

Friends of Helene Marketplace

2006-11-13T13:32:00.000-08:00

Show your support for the island of Helene with brand new Friends of Helene merchandise. There are shirts, hats, and stickers all available within the marketplace. These make a great gift for family members getting ready to journey down to the island on a mission trip.

All profits from the Friends of Helene Marketplace will be donated to the Helene Christian English School. Thank you for shopping and supporting great school!

Friends of Helene Marketplace

A wild and amazing day in Helene

2006-10-31T22:22:00.000-08:00

This is from the daily journal of Deidre Greer who is a nurse serving in the Alternative Missions medical clinic in Helene along with Alisa Kearney. These ladies are amazing. Please remember to pray for them and all of our missionaries as they face challenging situations daily.

Oct 30th

On Thurs Paul asked me if I would mind helping him get some measurements at Tania's house. Her outside stairs were falling apart, and he decided they needed replacing. I was glad that he asked me, as many of you know I just love to do that kind of thing, and really don't get much chance to do it here. Anyway, we started on the project on Sat. morning. Nothing is ever as simple as it first seems, tho, so we only got about ½ way done when it was just getting too rainy and late to do anymore. We were both pooped anyway.

Oh, he didn't think to eat any breakfast before we went to work in the hot sun, and being a diabetic, that wasn't very good thinking. He ended up having a pretty significant reaction, and barely made it back to the clinic where I fed him until he finally started feeling better.

We broiled all morning, but by 2pm we were hiding under the house against the drenching rain. On our way back to the clinic, Sheila said that Alisa had been taken by boat up to Bentley Bay for a birth, and would send back word to me if she needed anything, so to be available
at the clinic.

Well, I was pretty sure that wouldn't happen, but lo and behold Emily comes running up the stairs about 5:30 saying that Alisa called and needed our boat sent ASAP to get the mom down island. She didn't know any more than that, so I called back. I swear islanders don't know the meaning of hurry, or emergency, or even the need for urgent and accurate information. Alisa yells into the phone (when it finally got to her) "Get here now with the boat, I've got a foot out!" OK, now I understood what we were up against. You should know something about she and I, neither of us has ever done labor and delivery, at least not since nursing school. The knowledge we have of a breech (feet first) delivery is that it is very dangerous, usually handled with a C-section, and last but certainly not least, that neither of us had the knowledge to handle it ourselves. So I threw a few things for each of us into a backpack, and decided to bring the oxygen with a baby mask, just in case. We were there in less than a ½ hour, but I'm sure it seemed like much longer to Alisa. It was pouring rain by the time I got in the boat to go there, and dark.

OK, so what was going thru my mind at this point? How in the world were we going to get this laboring mom and this backwards baby safely down to the hospital, and manage to stop the birthing process without endangering their lives - in a boat on rough seas in the dark and POURING RAIN?!! Sound like a bit of a nightmare to you?? It did to me too! Well, I only had a few minutes to think on that before I was jumping out of the boat and following Marjie down the dark path to the dark house where this was all happening. I walked in the door to see Alisa with a baby's body, Michelle holding a flashlight in the area for light, the "lay midwife" at the mother's head. I threw down the phone I was talking to Joe on and jumped in. Alisa just said "help me get this baby out!" It was stuck at the neck, cord wrapped around its neck - and as purple and floppy as could be. I knew it was dead, but that we had to get him out for the mother's safety. I opened her up some while Alisa turned the baby boy. We prayed out loud as all this was happening. Mom pushed and pushed - then suddenly WOOSH! out he came the rest of the way. We both just started rubbing and rubbing and patting and suctioning and praying for him to take a breath. I knew it wouldn't work, she said he'd been caught there for at least 15 minutes. He was cold. He was dead. But you're not gonna believe this; really I don't think it is possible. In fact, I know it isn't possible. He made a little cough. We all went crazy!! But then, nothing again. I suctioned and suctioned, slapped and rubbed. We all prayed. Suddenly again, he took a shuddering breath, and a little cry!! Alisa screamed "his heart just started beating!!!" Everyone in the other room that I completely forgot about cheered! Mom cried! We all cried. I grabbed the oxygen and put it on him, as we kept stimulating him and cheering him on to BREATHE TROY BREATHE! It wasn't regular breathing, his heart was still weakly beating, his color was still pasty purple, and he wasn't really warm yet - but we had hope, we knew now he could live. Now mom was going to have to deliver the placenta still, so I worked with her as Alisa kept working with Troy. But man oh man we couldn't get that placenta delivered. It held on by a string it seemed, but we knew we couldn't force it out or pull on it. Mom was exhausted, but we couldn't transport them on the boat until this was done. More prayers, more pushing, more of that helpless feeling of 'what do we do next?'. I started coaxing it gently during pushes, mom just couldn't do it anymore. Then, finally finally finally, it came out. While Alisa and I assessed them both the best we could in the light of 2 small flashlights, the rain came down even harder, the roof leaked, the winds shook the house ----- but none of that mattered, for God had birthed a baby boy feet first, and He had brought that dead baby back to life.

In the end, mom decided to send dad with Troy that night with us, she was to follow the next day. The ride down was awful, hunched under a tarp, pressing hard on our necks against the wind and driving rain. But Troy kept breathing, his color and temperature improved; he even opened his eyes and looked up at us. He gripped my fingers, he responded properly with most of his reflexes, and he even cried now and then. We were both in such shock. Of course, we still have concerns as to whether he may have some brain damage from lack of oxygen for so long, but that is hard to spend too much time dwelling on. The doctor in the hospital said his lungs sounded just fine, and when we saw him the next morning he was doing well, no fevers and he'd had sugar water to eat. Mom came in on our boat, but we know nothing more since we left. But with that miracle I witnessed that night, I am sure that God has big plans for that tiny boy, whose strength is an inspiration to all that saw him fight to live. I have never in my life felt so utterly helpless and at God's mercy to do through me what needed to be done to save that baby, and then I watched as He did it. I now am convinced again that I am nothing without Him, and the great news in that is the He IS in control, not me!!

What now sounds anti-climatic is last night a man (Trudy's brother, Jerry, for you who may know) came in with lacerations all over his face. It seems that when he decided to ask his 'employer' for his pay, the response he got was to be beat in the face with a glass bottle. OK...fair is fair around here. Anyway, I sewed up his lip while Alisa sutured his forehead, we gave him antibiotics, pain meds and were about to send him out the door when he started crying. He said "you're so kind to me, would you pray for me?" (It brings tears to my eyes just writing this to you right now) So, of course we did, and I felt that this was in a way a thank you, and not just from Jerry. I can't think of a better request, a better sign of appreciation but to be asked to pray with someone. What a confirming time for me, again just what I needed to continue on here. He filled my cup back up to the brim, and overflowing.

Again; please remember to pray for our staff in all of our locations. They need God's protection and guidance at all times.

God Bless;
Tom Hackett
Director of Alternative Missions

Spring Break Mission Trip to Helene, March 24th-March 31, 2007

2006-09-30T09:57:00.000-07:00

This March, a team of 36 volunteers will journey back to the island of Helene for a eight day mission trip to serve our island friends. The flight leaves early on Saturday, March 24th and we return to Portland late on Saturday, March 31th. This trip is designed for collegians, single adults, married couples, parents with mature middle or high school students, and retirees. We think it will be great to have adults of all ages on this trip. There is also the likelihood that some family members will choose to serve together.

Our service projects will include; rehabbing islander homes, tutoring in the English speaking school, home visitations, VBS, Sport Camps, Clean Sweep. On the last afternoon in Helene, our music team will provide a Christian Music Concert for the islanders.

This trip is being hosted by Sunset Presbyterian Church in Portland, Oregon. There are two informational meetings. The first is on Sunday, Oct. 8th at 4 PM and the second is on Tuesday, Oct. 10th at 7:30 PM. Information and applications can be downloaded from the church web site. The last day to apply for this trip will be October 17th. Funding activities start in November. The cost is $1500 per person. There is a fund raising campaign to help reduce the cost for each volunteer. Training for the trip begins in February (but individuals who have gone to Helene are already considered trained). All team members are requested to volunteer twice to community programs before leaving on this trip.

For applications to this trip, you can call Cindy Heinz at Sunset Pres. at (503) 292-9293. If you have questions, you can e mail Scott at grif167@aol.com. At Friends of Helene, our motto is; the journey continues! We hope you can be a part of this exciting God adventure back to serve in Helene.

Speaking of a journey that continuing, please pray for Michelle Manary. On September 30th, she left for Helene for a ten week internship to serve the islanders and work along side the staff of Alternative Missions. What a wonderful opportunity!

posted by Scott in Portland, Oregon 9/30/06

Team Helene update

2006-09-13T17:31:00.000-07:00

Helene, Bay Islands Honduras "Team Steam"

I am about to go to the airport and head back to the U.S. I have been in Honduras the past few days. I should be in Phoenix later today and Colorado tomorrow if things go as planned.

"Team Steam" is what our staff in the Bay Islands calls their annual evaluation and planning session. I have been here with them for the past few days and I have to say that I was honored to be among real servants. They are incredible. I have never seen the team healthier and the working relationships in a better place.

We spent several days talking about how 2006 went and what goals should be set for 2007. The staff together with locals, short term mission teams, various partnerships by churches, corporations and indiviuals have been working together to transform the island of Helene. There are so many areas of ministry and service some of which include our medical clinic, dental clinic, school, desalinization plant, "Clean Sweep"...the Island clean up program, young men's shop class, various bible studies, individual mentoring...the list goes on and on.

Please continue to pray for our staff as they live out their faith and calling serving in Helene.

God Bless;
Tom Hackett
Director of Alternative Missions

Papa Lee and Miss Leonora

2006-09-04T15:16:00.000-07:00

Almost every visitor to Helene has met Mr. Lee Matute, known by all as "Papa Lee", and has all kinds of stories to tell about him. Early on when the Clinic was just getting underway, every Tuesday night we celebrated a trek to Bentley Bay to visit Mr. Lee and his wife, Miss Leonora. Jerry, their son-in-law who lives next door with his family, would bring out his guitar. We would sing several of Miss Leonora's favorite gospel choruses, after getting Miss Leonora out of bed and ensconced in an over stuffed chair on the porch. Anybody who stopped to visit Miss Leonora will remember , "If I'm climbing Jacob's ladder, don't you wave after me."

Miss Leonora was bed-bound for the next four years of her life, but she lived a life of thankfulness. "You know", she'd say, "I 've been in this bed for four years, but what a beautiful place to be! The sea, the ocean breezes, and the palm trees... and my family all around me."

Mr. Lee and Miss Leonora had fifteen children, and two of their daughters also had fifteen children each. At last count, the Matutes had 186 descendents, and they know there are more that they have not accounted for.

Recently, Papa Lee has been diagnosed with bladder cancer. At age 94, he is ready to go home to Jesus. and is at peace with whenever God takes him home. Mr. Lee is resting comfortably in Helene. His was a heritage of goodness in Helene and beyond. If you can remember, say a prayer for this dear man of God.

Where did Daniel go?

2006-08-06T20:10:00.000-07:00

We first met Daniel Belcares during the summer of 2005 in Helene. He helped lead music at the Methodists Church, next to the Clinic. He is a talented keyboard musician. Daniel is an islander, about twenty two years of age. We renewed our appreciation for Daniel this summer during our mission trip back to Helene (July 1st-15th). Daniel was continuing to assist with worship and over the last year had developed YP. YP is a youth program for the island teenagers. About 30 teens would attend YP to sing praise songs, play games, and do bible quizzes. Man those islanders are quick at looking up Bible verses!

One night, after YP, Daniel came over to the Clinic to visit. We had a great time talking about what God had been doing in Helene and YP. At the end of our time, we asked Daniel if he had any prayer requests. "Oh, yes, I want prayer for God's guidance and continued blessings". In the Helene way, five of us laid hands on Daniel praying for God's continued blessing on this special young man.

Last week, I learned that Daniel had left Helene. I wondered what what would pull him away from Helene and YP. Yesterday, my questions were answered thanks to an mail from Marjie (the beloved RN).

During our recent mission trip, we met Ronnie and Tammy McLaughlin at their home. They are on Alternative Missions staff in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica. They were back in Helene to check on their house and fulfill Honduran visa requirements. Like, Daniel, both Ronnie and Tammy are islanders. Ronnie and Tammy had served faithfully at the Clinic before being called to ministry in Costa Rica. That ministry in Puerto Viejo has a strong youth emphases. Apparently, Daniel was challenged to serve in Puerto Viejo and he took that huge step of faith to go.

Please pray for Daniel as he enters his new phase of ministry that our wonderful God will meet all his needs. Please pray for the youth in Helene that God will raise up another person to minister to their needs.

It delights me that God is raising up and sending out missionaries from that small, little known island of Helene.

Posted by Scott in Portland, Oregon 8/6/06

Picture from Helene

2006-07-25T21:48:00.000-07:00

Great picture from a home in Helene.

A dislocated ankle, a baby shower, and a ministry of healing and hope

2006-07-19T20:38:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday night, Nate Clark dislocated his ankle and broke his fibula while playing basketball with the islanders of Helene. He hit a wet spot on the outdoor basketball court on the Point. Immediately, his left foot was no longer pointing north and south but east and west. It was nasty to look at. The staff at the Clinic was informed and they sprung into action. I got to watch the Alternative Missions staff do what they do best, take care of medical emergencies. Two staff members came with the stretcher, another ran to get the boat driver, a fourth got money to pay for expenses in Roatan, a fifth member called Roatan to make arrangements, the last got passports and medical releases. Everyone had a function to perform. Within a few minutes, Nate was in the Clinic and the nurses were splinting his leg. Medications were administered. Within forty minutes, we were in a boat heading down island for Roatan. Greg our driver, steered through the reef in the dark of night. Nate was a champ and never spoke a word of complaint even though he was in obvious pain. The seas were calm even though a squall was trying to catch up with us. Marty meet us at the dock in Roatan. All went well, God was with us. We had a long drive to the hospital. Plenty of time to talk. I asked, " how did islanders take care of medical emergencies before the Clinic was established?"

Joe Morris (the coolest missionary in black) replied that a number of islanders died and the infant mortality rate was high. The mothers of newborns were afraid to nurture or even name their infants until they had reached the age of two fearing their child would die young and break their hearts. Fear had filled the parents hearts. Generations of islanders had been raised without deep emotional bonding to their parents. Death was a regular occurrence.

Recently, the new practice of having a baby shower, has taken hold on the island. During our two week mission trip, the females on our team were invited to an island baby shower. This is a new event on Helene. The mothers are now starting to have hope that their pregnancies will lead to a normal birth and their children will live a long, healthy lives. Certainly a reason to celebrate. Hope has replaced death and fear.

Our two weeks service mission in the Bay Islands has ended. But the memories of serving God and the islanders remains in our hearts. Once again, I am deeply touched with affection and admiration for the staff of Alternative Missions in Helene. The staff of Team Helene are all God filled individuals faithfully carry out a ministry of healing, teaching, and offering the message of hope. We love you guys!

Posted by Scott, back in Portland, Oregon 7/19/06

A blessing named Ruby

2006-07-11T14:52:00.000-07:00

Dean, our island guide, said he was taking our visitation team to see an elderly woman that no one ever visits. We travel pass Seco, Mangrove Byte, and the Pond. The path to her house curves back and forth through swamp land created by the mangrove trees. Her house is the farthest way from the Clinic and is isolated from her neighbors, as well. She lives in a small shanty by the sea. There are two small sheds nearby. Broken and useless pieces of junk are scattered all around. This is poverty that touches the heart.

Ruby is listening to static on an old portable radio as we introduce ourselves. Ruby is the most destitute person any of us has ever met. Ruby states she is lonely but never alone. She explains that she was recently in the hospital with a heart condition. After talking with her for a while, we all lay hands on her to pray. Soon, her whole body is shaking as she has become overwhelmed by God's goodness in her life. We become overwhelmed by our own lack of gratitude for our blessings.

Two days later, Dean leads another visitation team to see Ruby. When they arrive, Ruby jumps up and kisses each person on the cheek. She prays for each member of the visitation team. Then Ruby reminds each person there how much their parents loves them. Everyone is moved to tears. As the visitation team prays for Ruby, they are all aware that they are laying hands on a special woman of God. Dean leads the team back to the Clinic, As they walk back through the swamp land, they can hear Ruby singing loudly a hymn of praise. More tears from the visitation team.

Ruby is a blessing, an unforgettable blessing.

posted by Scott in Helene July 11, 2006

Helene is surprisingly dynamic

2006-07-08T13:03:00.000-07:00

Twelve months ago, I was in Helene. On my return this week, I expected very little to change in this sleepy unknown island. I was wrong. Helene is surprisingly dynamic. Some examples of recent changes....

The Methodists Church has added a new building as large as their church. They use it for church camps and conferences. Daniel, has Youth Night twice a week. There are over thirty islanders in attendance. It is wonderful to hear the praise songs coming from that new building.

Helene is increasing bi lingual. In a Sunday night service, the song leader, Tanya, switched from English to Spanish when two Honduran man entered the church. It seems in comparison to last year that our island guides speak more Spanish to their Honduran friends as we pass them on the trail.

There are more new houses and sheds on Helene than I expected. Albert, one of our island guides was telling me that he is building a concrete brick house. He knows five other families that are rebuilding with concrete.

Classroom Two is no longer piers and a newly built floor. It is an active classroom for 21 students in fourth though six grades. I volunteered to assist there for three afternoons. We studied math, spelling, reading skills, and Bible knowledge. My favorite part of the afternoon was the students singing along to Christian CDs as they worked on a Bible Time line project. Blessings to everyone who helped make Classroom Two a reality.

A nearby island recently installed a cell tower. Helene now has cell phone reception. Everyone here is buying a new cell phone. Even, Teddy and Willis have them. Even out here, there are those annoying ring tones!

Earlier this week, I saw surveyors from the mainland making surveyors marks and maps of the island. There is talk of investors wanting to purchase parcels of land. Very big changes are ahead for Helene in the next few years.

We visited John Bowman at his shanty by the sea in Seco. He is dying. He is being carefully monitored by the staff of the Clinic. He was smiling and glowing with praise as he talked about his vision for Clean Sweep and his walk with Christ. He has been receiving a lot of love back from those villages that he has been sweeping the past three years. We went to encourage him and we ended up being the ones blessed by John. John is a testimonial what one man can do with a God vision and a broom. Please continue to pray for John, his wife, and his two young children

OK? Alright!

posted by Scott in Helene, July 8, 2006

New Interactive Video

2006-06-21T22:35:00.000-07:00

Take an interactive tour of the Helene Clinic via the creative minds of two high-school students.

friends of helene: cribs, helene style

John Bowman of Clean Sweep is quite ill.

2006-06-14T21:45:00.000-07:00

John Bowman of Clean Sweep is quite ill.

Please pray for John Bowman, who we recently took to the hospital in Coxen Hole, Roatan.
He was told he had a herniated disc and possible lung cancer after that visit.
In the past month, his pain has increased tremendously and he has lost lot of weight.
He finally agreed to go to San Pedro Sula (on the mainland) for a CT scan to further
investigate cancer options.

We have received word that John has extensive cancer throughout his spine and lungs. He
has been given five months to live without chemo and possibly a couple of years with chemo
treatment.

We gave been praying fervently for John. He was to return to Helene today but was unable to
because his pain is so bad that he cannot get out of bed. Now, the doctors are looking at a
couple of chemo treatments to decrease the pain and get him back home to Helene. All this
will cost several thousand US dollars, which of course, he does not have.

His entire family and support system is here on Helene. John has a eight month old daughter
and a two year old son. Please pray for John and his family.

We are jumpstarting our project to complete the procedure room, where we will be able to house
patients overnight. as needed. John will probably need 24 hour case should he be able to return
to Helene. Dr. Al is coming down next week. He will oversee a lot of this process... so timing is
perfect in that sense.

We all love John very much and want to help in any way possible. God is in control of this entire
situation. We trust Him rather than our own understandings. Proverbs 3:5

posted by Alisa, RN at the Helene, Clinic on June 12, 2006

May Update

2006-05-26T11:14:00.000-07:00

HELENE HAPPENINGS
May, 2006

I am now in the states--Portland, OR--to be specific, even though I left my heart in Helene. Much is happening on the island, and my friends there are kind enough to keep me in touch. I will do the same for you.

ONE MORE LAP AROUND THE MOUNTAIN

Early in March, I began to experience some severe back spasms that did not seem to respond to exercising as they had in the past. Being the alarmist that I am, the first thing that entered my mind was the possibility of metastases-- the spreading of cancer to other areas of the body. And when I returned home for my scheduled break, I found my CA-125 count that denoted the presence of cancer cells was elevated. So the oncologist ordered a CT scan, and I was relieved to find out that there were no mestasteses to the bone.

However, we still needed to address the elevated CA-125, and the oncologist recommended another course of chemo--my third. At present, I am awaiting information as to when we are going to start treatment.

All this means that I will put off my return to Helene--scheduled for June 10--until the chemo course in finished in about six months. Naturally, I am disappointed; yet I know our Lord well enough to realize that I am still on active duty--only the area of combat has been changed. And we've read the last chapter--we know we win!

Thanks to all of you who are standing with me in this. I am reminded of Moses, when he watched the battle of the Israelis against the Amalekites; as long as he held his arms up, the Israelis prevailed, and when he dropped his arms from fatigue the Amalekites prevailed. Aaron and Hur came alongside Moses, and held his arms up when he began to tire, and the Israelis won.

Thanks for holding my my arms when I tire.

MENTORS AND MENTEES ON THE NORTHSIDE

The women on the Northside of the island continue to amaze us as we witness their increasing compassion to others in their community. Recently, they took on the responsibility of praying for the men of their community, each woman volunteering to pray for four men.

Now, in addition, they are reaching out to other women, and each woman in the
study group we hood each Thursday afternoon has picked one women outside the group to reach out to in a special measure of friendship. We have already seen one women respond to their overtures of friendship by starting to come to the study. And we sense this is just the beginning.

Deirdre Greer, one of the nurses who has come to the island recently, is taking over the facilitation of this group. But these women are becoming a power unto themselves, and we thank God for blessing their community through them.

INFRASTRUCTURE

The Helene Project is now reaching the ripe old age of ten, the first Alternative Missionaries having come to the island in 1996. And, as any homeowner knows, structures have to be maintained. A building might be almost maintenance-free for the first seven years, but then repairs must be made.

We are in the process of working on our infrastructure, putting in place a plan to maintain what we have built with God's help. One of the first phases has been to update our power system. We have replaced our generator which provides all our electricity, and have also built a new housing for our inverter system which stores electricity from the generator in batteries to supply power when the generator is not running.

Our next step in beefing up our infrastructure is to move toward solar/wind power. This system, costing nearly $40,000, will be maintenance-free for nearly 20 years, and in four years will pay for itself in what we would otherwise pay for diesel fuel to run our present generator.

We're thankful for such a system being made available to us. Now we're in the process of raising funds to put it in place. We sense this is a major step in being responsible for the resources God has given to us to work with.

I am so sorry this newsletter has not been an on-the-scene report. But, thanks to my friends on the island, I will continue to give you as-it-happens news from Helene in the months to come. Helene is a microcosm of God's Kingdom coming to earth, and we praise Him for letting us witness what He is doing in this corner of the world.

Marjie Thompson
Helene Clinic

April Update

2006-04-26T20:26:00.000-07:00

HELENE HAPPENINGS

April 2006

SEMANA SANTA

Sunrise Easter Services haven't really inspired me much in the past--until I came to Helene. Now a Sunrise Service is the highlight of my year here.

Semana Santa, or Holy Week, begins with Palm Sunday, on which many of the people come to church bearing palm branches to commemorate Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. The drama of the events of the life of Jesus build up to Maundy Thursday, when Jesus met with disciples and instituted the Last Supper, and then to Good Friday, that fateful day when He was crucified in my place; and finally, to Easter, or Resurrection Day, when He rose again from the grave, defeating death once and for all.

Good Friday is traditionally the biggest holiday of the year in the Bay Islands. Here on Helene, everyone goes to the beach on the Northside for barbecue (since coming to Helene, I have learned that "barbecue" is a noun, not a verb!), "bathing in the sea," and--unfortunately--drinking. What starts out to be a family day often erupts into senseless fighting.

But this year was different. For the past few years, the Church of God on the Northside has started Good Friday with a prayer meeting, asking God for safety on that day. And each year has become increasingly more peaceful. This year's Good Friday was noted for the children playing on beach toys in the surf, and for families visiting back and forth as they ate together on the beach. God truly hears prayers!

The Sunrise Service on the municipal dock was a time of rejoicing as we stood facing the east, watching the sun rise up out of the sea, this year lining the clouds with silver. Such an experience gives new meaning to, "The Son is risen--He is risen indeed!" Whereas only a handful of women, reminiscent of the women at the cross, usually are on hand for the sunrise celebration, this year many more were present, as well as many of the children who stood in awe to watch the beauty. And Dina and Heslo, in true island fashion, pulled up in their dory alongside the dock just in time for Helso to pull out his guitar and lead us in psalms of praise as the sun rose.

No matter where I am on subsequent Easters, the impact of Semana Santa has left its mark on my heart. He is risen! He is risen indeed!

COMING HOME

On Saturday, April 29, I am flying out of Roatan for Seattle, arriving at 11:15 p.m . that night. I plan to be in the area until June 10, visiting friends and family, taking care of business details, and telling the story
of Helene whenever and wherever I can. I am looking to be able to take every opportunity to tell as many people as I can about the great work God is doing in this little insignificant (to us, but not to Him!) corner of the world.

March Update

2006-04-04T18:00:00.000-07:00

HELENE HAPPENINGS

March 2006

Spring has come to Helene, and the rainy season has passed. We have been blessed with cooler weather than usual. I just took my blanket off my bed and am sleeping under a sheet; usually the blanket goes before January is over.

I miss the tulips and the daffodils of spring in Washington, but we have a profusion of hibiscus, billy-goats (rather like our phlox), and ten-o'clocks (a bachelor-buttonlike plant that blossoms early in the day, then closes up as it gets hotter in the afternoon).

Not only is the island coming alive with color, but the churches are coming alive. Read on:

REVIVAL!

God is at work in the Methodist Church next door to the clinic. Brother Labor, a circuit preacher who comes to Helene once a month, visited recently and preached one Sunday evening. When he gave the invitation at the end of his message to respond to Christ, fourteen young people came forward.

But this is not a one-time thing. A few months back, Shorlyn Bodden came back to Helene from the Caymanns where she had been working, and distinctly felt the need to work in the Sunday School. What had a few children of the faithful coming every
Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. now mushroomed into a church filled with exuberant kids excited to come and learn how to celebrate God's goodness. Shorlyn has also taken leadership of the youth group which meets on Tuesday and Friday nights, and, along with Daniel Belcares who supplies music at the keyboard, encourages the young people of the island to "rejoice in the Lord."

This Saturday afternoon, three of our Helene Team members are starting a Bible study with some of the youth who have indicated a desire to grow up in their faith.

From all evidence, the church of tomorrow in Helene is alive and well.

DENTAL CLINIC

Prospects for the dental clinic for this year look good. Dr. Perry, a dentist from Pennsylvania who has a house in Helene, has just finished two months here on the island in which he has opened the dental clinic every Thursday for the people of Helene to get care. His wife, Kay, a dental hygienist, was here for the month of February, cleaning teeth and instructing the people in good dental care.

We have another dentist, Dr. Tim from Tucson, coming in with a team early in April. Dr. Tim has been to Helene several times, and the people always look forward to his visits. Then, later in April, a dental hygienist, Phaedra Alton, will open the clinic for cleanings and other treatment.

During this time, Marjie Rich, a young island woman, has been training to assist and to clean teeth. We have arranged our schedule for Marjie to come to clean teeth one day a week starting in April. This will expedite the dentists' treatment of patients, since their teeth will already be cleaned, as well as enhancing the dental health of the island.

An interesting side-note is that Marjie has started "college" (secondary school) that has opened on the island for the first time, and was in need of money for tuition. Working at the dental clinic will supply funds for her to attend.

GUANAJA

Larry Benson and Joe Morris have just returned from a fact-finding tour of Guanaja, the island sixteen miles east of Helene. We have been offered property that is being vacated by another mission group, and the purpose of the trip was to assess the feasibility of using this tract for ministry there. Two islanders, Bobby Dilbert and Willis Gordon, accompanied Larry and Joe from Team Helene, and were invaluable in bridging the language gap (many Guanajans speak Spanish) as well as operating as tour guides.

The needs of the main island of Guanaja (the majority of the islanders live on Low Key, off the main island) are for medical and dental care, which would give an inroad to share the Gospel. We are currently evaluating what resources are needed to put such a clinic in place--finances, logistics, and personnel.

We sense "a great door for effective work" has opened to us. We need to determine now when to walk through that door, and what and who to take with us.

Thank you for your interest in Helene. We are privileged to represent the Body of Christ here, and are so encouraged by your concern for our island and our people.

As the proverb says, "Alone, I can go fast; together, we can go far."

Let's go for the distance!

Marjie Thompson, RN

Helene Clinic

Roatan, Honduras, C. A.

February Update

2006-02-26T19:03:00.000-08:00

February is a delightful time on our island. The sun is out in all its glory, yet tempered by the cool breezes from the sea. Flowers abound--billy-goats, hibiscus, bouganvilla, and red lilies, to name a few. Just as the island is emerging in all its beauty after a turbulent hurricane season and the accompanyingt rains, so we are seeing all kinds of new life here.

COLEGIO

This year for the first time in Helene's history, we will have a "college," or colegio, on our island. Colegio is the term used for a secondary school, which includes Grades 7 - 9, or as they term it, "First Course," "Second Course," and "Third Course." Thanks to the efforts of Miss Dola, one of our teachers in the Helene Christian Bilingual School, and Brother Martel who is a principal in a school in Roatan, school should start next month.

Some prominent people on the island are one the board for the new colegio, and several students are "matriculating," or registering. Tania Dilbert, one of our teachers, will teach part-time in this new school.

HELENE CHRISTIAN BILINGUAL SCHOOL

Our school started this past week too. Emily Benson, our head teacher, is planning for nearly 100 students this year with the opening of Classroom II. There are still more children on the waiting list.

Emily spent last month with the four island women teachers, two interns who are working in the clinic for three months, and 3 island teachers assistants in a teacher training program. Sheila, Emily's mother and an elementary school teacher, assisted Emily in the training. These teachers are enthusiastic, and ready to step out to tr their new skills to help the island children learn.

Shanna, one of the new teachers, when she heard about setting firm limits, said, "I can't do that! They might call me "sickenin'!" But when she realized that, though the children might grumble, they would come to respect her and the discipline they would be learning, she stepped up to the task.

Watching these young women walking home from school aned seeing their professional appearance, one knows the lives of our children are in good hands.

NEW MEDICAL CLINIC STAFF

Deirdre Greer, a home health nurse, has arrived to pick up the baton that Scott Malone will pass when he and his family return to Oklahoma so he can attend physician assistant's school with the idea of returning to the mission field. Deirdre spent seven weeks here last year, fell in love with the island, and has returned to serve the people of Helene in a medical capacity.

Alisa Kearney, another nurse, will be coming to assist Deirdre in the clinic. She has a background in telemetry, and has been to Helene on a Medical Missions Practicum in the past, and spent two weeks here last year in the clinic.

We are looking forward to an exciting year, in every way. Spring is truly a time of new beginnings!

May you experience new beginnings in your life as well.

Marjie Thompson, RN
Helene Clinic
Roatan, Honduras, C. A.

Helene School is Growing

2006-02-21T09:06:00.000-08:00

Helene School is Growing - 1/30/2006

Teacher TrainingGearing up for our fourth year, Helene Christian English School is offering a four to six week Teacher Training School to all returning teachers, interns, and new local workers who might have a love for children and the desire to pursue leadership in teaching. We are excited about having the time, opportunity, and staff to provide a training session prior to a full academic school year. Yes, we are going all the way from February to November! Pray for us as we each continue to build on the foundation laid before us…and learn from it (1 Cor. 3:6-13).

Student Progress

We are proud to say we are witnessing some great progress in student performance. There are reports throughout staff and returning Short Term Mission teams that attitudes and behaviors among our students and their siblings are at an all-time low–both inside and outside of class. We work hard to address appropriate behaviors and practice respect in class and at every turn. Our staff is focused on showing love through learning, encourage responsibility, and instill accountability among our student body. For all the rest, we trust God’s Word to be useful for correction (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Every year we see new progress in students in the areas of reading and writing. Students who couldn’t show they knew their alphabet sounds a year ago are now beginning to read. Focus and attention span is our biggest challenge, which means our teachers go to great lengths to be creative and include music and movement in their lessons. Needless to say, we have found consistency to be the key to all of our success.

New Classroom!

Our student body is growing by leaps and bounds–literally. Our standing waiting list of three years was almost resolved in 2005 as ten new students were registered. Thanks to the blood, sweat, and tears of staff and STMers throughout summer 2005, we predict to completely resolve the remaining list this year with the addition of our second free-standing classroom. Thanks to donations, it will be equipped with twenty-four new student desks which can stand alone or easily slide into groupings four. Although we value teamwork and promote group learning most of the time, we are choosing to revert back to the traditional classroom setting in order to bridge cultural gaps to invest responsibility, ownership, and accountability to our students. Our ultimate desire is to see every child come to Christ, nurtured and cultivated through love and learning, to serve the Kingdom of God through integrity, excellence, and leadership as is in line with our mission statement to Reach, Teach, and Send.Vision for 2006

We continue to pursue relationships with the local Spanish school teachers, with whom we are partners to provide the children of Helene a bilingual education. During 2005, we met almost once a month to provide classroom supplies and futbols. The school was also secured tightly when we braced the windows with iron bars and installed new locks on the outside doors so that supplies would not be stolen and the facility vandalized. We hope to one day meet regularly to offer computer training and share teaching ideas and resources with these Spanish-speaking teachers to help students better bridge the bilingual gap. Other working relationships between the school and our community involve weekly visits by educators with Coral Cay Conservation to teach reef safety and appreciation. Also teaming with Coral Cay, the workers of Clean Sweep visit with lessons to instill the value and power of each student in keeping our island clean.

Welcome!

2005-12-21T23:43:00.000-08:00

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