The Person who helps others helps themselves

by SOR Mission on January 10, 2016

IMG_5635Living in a country where there is acute poverty due to unemployment, corruption and crime, it causes one to ponder and rethink about our personal responsibility in helping others.

I posted this morning to SOR Mission/Construction on this page a short story about a group of 4 guys coming down to help SOR Mission to help others.  The essence of life is not found is a narcissistic culture that one finds becoming more prevalent in North American today, but rather in a culture that finds people helping people to live their daily lives without so much struggle.

Please continue to help others who are struggling around you to merely survive the day.  God will bless your efforts for it.  See Proverbs 19:17.  To help this ministry you can go to our donate now to see how you can help.

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A New Year brings New Beginnings

by SOR Mission on January 6, 2016

RoutineWhy are we sometimes so attached to the routines that we’ve developed in our lives over the years.  Some routines  are good no doubt as I don’t really want to have to think each morning what pant leg I should insert my foot into first.  Nor do I want to ponder for a long time what my breakfast should consist of.  However some of us have not established routines that will take us or bring us closer to our Creator God.  Rather, sometimes they are keeping us from knowing him in a personal intimate way that our hearts are crying out for.  We want to be loved!!!

The Apostle Paul stated that he wanted to leave was behind in order to concentrate his energy and effort on what was ahead.  See Philippians 3:13-14.

In this new year of 2016 what is it that will help you become who you want to be?  I am not talking about choosing the easiest path but rather what changes does your life need in order to become more of the person you pray you will be.

It’s possible that by faith we can inherit the promises of God by making them personally ours. One Promises God Keepspromise stands out to me.  God stated that he has not given us a spirit of fear but rather a spirit of love, power and a sound mind.  I claimed that promise and it became mine through a disciplined living of the holy Scriptures and that’s why I am today where I am.  I claimed that promise for myself and it became mine. See 2 Timothy 1:7.

Join us here at SOR Mission’s website on a regular basis this year as we together strive to develop an even closer walk with our God and Savior Jesus Christ in 2016.  It may include going back to church, asking forgiveness or getting involved with helping the poor such as we do.  It might mean becoming a volunteer joining with others to make a difference.  Indeed we live in exciting times.  Join me for an adventurous year.

 

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Be encouraged by Gloria’s story

by SOR Mission on December 31, 2015

Gloria’s Story can encourage us (Reviewed 1-5-16)

New Year's Eve @ Glorias 1Looking back 0n New Years Eve 2014 we had made yet another visit to a family in need locally in San Ramon. Friends of the mission, Carlos & Kirea, joined the mission team in presenting a basket of Christmas joy to doña Gloria and her family.
A frequent occurrence here, her common law husband left after the fourth child was born leaving her with a tremendous burden of not only caring for her four young children but also providing for their physical needs. She has impressed me by saying that she worked and saved and bought a small lot where with help from neighbors and friends she constructed a small simple house (approx. 450 sq ft) for her family of five. She survives on $40/month New Years Eve @ Gloria'sfrom the church plus what she can earn from odd jobs as time permits with her family responsibilities. Life is very difficult for her.

I commend her in her love and compassion for her children and her desire to have them finish high school. Her oldest is 15 and we encouraged him to continue his studies at the local high school where he will be returning in February.
She shared that she needs to obtain a passport from her country of birth so that she can legally apply for a scholarship for her sons to continue in school. Can you imagine what you would do in a situation like this. She will need, I suppose around $300 to complete this but the boy’s future in interconnected to finishing their studies at the local high school. Education unlocks the doors of opportunity.

New Years Eve @ Gloria's with basketSomeone asked me recently when I was going to slow down from the mission work that I have been involved with for the majority of my adult career and upon reflecting on this question, I replied “when I suppose there is no more human need and suffering.” God has me here in Central America for such an hour as this.
Thanks for your support and prayers to keep this ministry alive with helping others connect with the loving grace of our Creator God Jesus Christ. Thanks!

Maranatha!

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Happy New Year for 2016

by SOR Mission on December 30, 2015

2016Once again we’re at the end of one year and we look forward to turning a page or starting over or simply continuing where we’re at with just a different date.  However, no matter where you’re at the end year is approaching and for some it provides an opportunity to make some new changes. Read below what we’ve been up to in 2015 and follow us in 2016 to see what God wants to do through just ordinary people like you and I.

With SOR Mission, we’ll continue to reach out to mothers and children through our JusticeAlex with G in CR for St. Nick Ministry where expectant mothers, single mothers, young pregnant girls and children will receive help they need through SOR Mission’s Justice Ministry.  In addition our staff teach women’s Biblestudies where women learn about  Jesus and why he is  the true and living God who will return to call home those who await his return.    You can look on the menu for the Justice page.  You can read a number of articles about this Ministry while on the Justice page.

Our Mercy Ministry will work with keeping children in school in Central America, help single mothers and others to start their own micro enterprise and in addition a basket of food or help with medicine is within the help this ministry provides

IMG_5530Our Construction Ministry continues where possible to help some families to get into their own affordable housing with assistance from SOR in the form of a 0% interest loan.  To date, we’ve been able to help a total of 6 families to obtain safe and affordable housing.  This represents a total of 28 adults and children that have a safe place to call home.  Our goal is from 2-3 additional homes built or repaired in 2016

 

Our Click for St. Nick ministry has concluded its 2015 campaign where over 570 adults and children Meres St. Nick Recipientsto date have received help through  a Christmas basket of joy being given to their family.  This basket contained nearly a  two weeks supply of food   to help them over the Christmas holiday.  Many of these baskets were shared with other by  those we’ve helped in previous years.

We attempt as much as possible to work ourselves out of a job so to speak by having those we’ve helped in the past to now take on responsibility to help others in  need in their communities.  Thanks for your interest and prayer

 

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CLICK FOR ST. NICK

by SOR Mission on December 16, 2015

Bethlehem StarWe’re once again near Christmas when our thoughts are focused on trees, gifts and fitting in all the above into our already packed schedule that we have.

The Bible tells us to “Be still and know that God exists” well beyond the physical with parties, holidays, family, children and all the associated stress that accompanies these activities that capture our attention this time of year.  God has spoken to all of us in telling us in that still small voice that God so loved his creation that he GAVE.  Is it a coincidence that Christmas is about the giving of gifts to one another and a time of sharing? I think not.                                                                                                                                                                                                   Gloria shares basket of food with Widow

At Seeds of Righteousness Mission, we continue our  tradition of helping needy families in Honduras and Costa Rica with a Christmas basket filled with basic food items as well as kitchen utensils that can be used the entire year.  Click for St. Nick has been a tradition of SOR Mission since 2006 when we distributed our first baskets in Costa Rica.  This year we will distribute over 130 baskets in Costa Rica and Honduras.  Imagine what a gift of $39 can do for a family in need.  Also this year the recipients of past year’s baskets will be distributing the baskets to yet other needy families such as is shown in this picture to the right.  Through this the love of Jesus is evident as the Bible states, “God so loved the world that he Gave!”

If you want to help Seeds of Righteousness Mission plant some seeds of hope and gladness at this time of year, please go to the Donate Now and scroll down to Click for St. Nick or maybe another program of the mission that may interest you. 

Blessings from the missionaries at SOR Mission. 

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Our PEACE PLAN for SOR Mission

by SOR Mission on December 5, 2015

The PEACE PLAN for Central America (revised 12-05-2015)

THE PEACE PLAN: This plan is based on our strong belief that we are in the Central American nations of Costa Rica, Honduras and Nicaragua as missionaries to help the national churches work towards self-sufficiency in support and outreach. Many are currently doing that but there are many still that need assistance of someone coming alongside to help. In addition they need examples of what it means to live a sacrificial life in helping the poor and needy through the PEACE PLAN

Five lane FreewayOur philosophy is to always look for ways to work ourselves out of a job. We at Seeds of Righteousness Mission see the PEACE plan as a 5 lane freeway heading towards the liberation of Central America from the grip of hopelessness, poverty and despair. We are always looking for fellow disciples to come alongside of us to help in some of these areas through their local promotion of what we do, recruitment & the formation of teams, raising awareness and helping with funding, etc. The teams work closely with us in all three countries that we work in. The groups that come complement our existing work in these five areas. This plan builds disciples both at home and abroad. Check out our page on volunteering and getting involved. Opportunities exist in all three countries and depending on your giftedness we can certainly use your help.
We have followed this plan with our work that began in Honduras and now has expanded to include Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Each country molds and develops the PEACE PLAN to fit their unique culture.

P-ROMOTE RECONCILIATION and CHURCH GROWTH: We continue to work with pastors we have workedMarco & Mateo with the last three years in addition to those we are looking to add both in Costa Rica & Honduras. Our time together with these pastors includes being their friend and brother, visiting their services, exemplifying a life that’s reconciled to God, holding them accountable in the areas that they want help in such as counseling, family, prayer, sermon preparation and materials and systematic study of the Bible, etc.

E-QUIPPING SERVANT LEADERS: It seems that we all need to exemplify the meaning of servant leadership as taught us by Jesus. We never came to Costa Rica, Nicaragua & Honduras to be served but rather to serve the church and their communities by using servant leadership as our model. Matthew 20:20-28. There is a strong movement in Latin America to emphasize the positions of Prophet and Apostle. Our sense is that pride can so easily get in the way that the example of Christ as Servant leader gets confused with the position of power in the church as an apostle or a prophet. We see the example of servant leadership in the ministry of Jesus.

I have learned in my ministry that passion of vision and ministry is not taught but rather caught. Spending quality time with church leadership in the work has enabled them to catch the vision that the Holy Spirit is empowering us to share with them. This has taken additional time but as we now begin to focus on further fields of work, what we have sown will continue to grow and bear fruit Remember we make disciples one person at a time. There are no mass rallies to be a disciple.

A-SSIST THE POOR: This focus has been an ongoing activity of SOR Mission since its inception in 1984. We have been involved with the poor of Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. We continue to work in this essential area with IMG_5530those needing assistance through our Justice, Mercy & Construction programs. Through Seeds we have developed a program of helping provide safe and affordable housing to those with limit resource and no access to credit. Through Seeds we also give assistance through our Click for St. Nick program in the fall and winter months to those in physical need. Isaiah 61:1-3 and Psalms 82:3-4 give the reason and motivation as to why we work with the poor. In Central America the poor do not have adequate access to credit nor government services due to limited government finances available. Their needs often go unmet and many suffer from curable diseases as well as hunger. Our focus is working with these special people. Through December 2015 we have been able to provide six (6) 0% interest loans to help six families obtain a safe and affordable place to live. Our program runs similar to other programs such as Fuller Center for Housing or Habitat for Humanity. In 2013 we committed to help one family in this program. This coming year, 2016, we have made commitments to build/remodel three more homes through this program. This will provide safe and adequate housing to over 28 people.

C-ARING FOR THE SICK: SOR Mission has been giving and sharing mercy with the sick and those needing medical attention in Honduras and Costa Rica. A large part of this ministry of caring for the sick has been throughAlex visits mother at rest at hospital - cropped visiting the various hospitals in these countries. This ministry continues in Costa Rica & Honduras and arriving teams partner with us in helping SOR Mission to share the love of Jesus in this way. In 2014 the SOR Mission team ministered to over 300 women at two different hospitals through this ministry. This year, 2015, we have visited between 60 -125 people a month offering both physical and spiritual care. In addition, many times referrals are given to the team to visit people in their homes. Often times this opens doors for Biblestudies in their homes. Many people have been helped in this way. The following verses from the Gospel of Matthew tells us about our responsibility and this explains why the SOR Mission team has left family and lands to serve others in need. Click here to read this passage: Matthew 25:34-40

E-DUCATING AND WORKING WITH THE CHILDREN: This area is so important for the future growth of 0the church in addition to its wellbeing. We have worked with youth and children actively in Costa Rica and Honduras. Teams can come to help us in this area with seminars, crafts, working at a foster home, teaching English and individuals that come can teach and assist the mission in working with the youth and young adults in the church and community. We continue to help them stay in school and those we are presently working with will continue to be helped. We help them to better their educational skills for employment and literacy as well as being examples of the servant leader that Jesus was. Teaching a night class on English is an excellent outreach tool for the “E” team.

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Happy Thanksgiving ~ Feliz Día de Acción de Gracias ~ Jour de l’action de grâce

by SOR Mission on November 24, 2015

Thanksgiving - SORThanksgiving Day, or in Spanish “El Día de Acción de Gracias”, in the USA and in French Canada “Jour de l’action de grâce “is a time for many to enjoy family, friends, food and football. There are many versions of what is called a Thanksgiving Dinner due to the changing face of the North American culture.

The first feast that took place in Plymouth, Massachusetts in August of 1621 was attended by about 53 pilgrims and 90 Native Americans of the Wampanoag Nation and Squanto was its most famous member. They had a time of common prayer and a meal together of thanksgiving for the blessings Squanto and other members from the Wampanoag Nation had given the Pilgrims in helping them to establish themselves on the North American continent.

Through the course of time in 1863 President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of “Thanksgiving and Praise to our Abraham Lincolnbeneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.” to be celebrated on Thursday November 26, 1863. Thus it was called Thanksgiving as a time to give thanks and praise to our God and Creator. From then on, Thanksgiving Day has been observed on the fourth Thursday of the month of November in the United States.
Thanksgiving Day in Canada occurs on the second Monday in October, which celebrates the harvest and other blessings of the past year. Thanksgiving has been officially celebrated as an annual holiday in Canada since November 6, 1879, when Parliament declared a national day of thanksgiving. However, on Thursday, January 31, 1957, the Parliament in Ottawa, Canada proclaimed that the second Monday of October would be  “ A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed”.

Since that time in the USA it has evolved into a long weekend and a two day holiday for many people which begins Almighty $ dominateswhat US Americans call the “Holiday Season”. For many, the day after Thanksgiving called “Black Friday” has turned into a major shopping day for those looking for bargains on the first “official” day of the holiday season. For some, this only gives credence to the belief that the American culture is becoming one of excessive consumption in an attempt to satisfy their deep emptiness of abandoning the faith of the founding members of the Plymouth colony.

We take this time at Seeds of Righteousness Mission to thank  Almighty God for the many blessings he’s bestowed on us this past year. We thank him for blessing the mission with the ability to help others who have less resource on which to survive.
Joseph & Mary at ChristmasWe further remember to pray for those we minister to in Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. They would never be able to celebrate a day such as this because of their poverty. Seeing we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in Central America, this day for those with less resource is just another day to attempt to find some work and to be able to purchase enough to have their rice and beans this evening.

Join us in prayer for those in Latin America without who are looking for help and light.  May we show Christian love by our actions and our pocketbooks.   Blessings on your day.

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Click for St. Nick ~ A great tradition in Helping Others

by SOR Mission on November 10, 2015

Click for St. Nick 029As 2015 slowly moves ahead, we now look forward to the year ending celebrations of Thanksgiving in the USA as well as Christmas for those of us living in other countries of the world.   Since mid October we’ve seen Christmas trees being placed in commercial centres around Central America.

In cultures such as the USA & Canada, one sees the intense focus on materialism  that speaks of anChristmas in Tegus 11-20-14 egocentric culture that thrives on more and bigger more .  The youth in cultures such as these are becoming very narcissistic with their world view; however, as we mature in our lives we begin to see the emptiness of just having mere possessions without the warmth and caring of personal relationships.  We find that there is a greater satisfaction in giving to someone else than pouring gifts upon ourselves.  “Give generously, for your gifts will return to you later.  Divide your gifts among many, for in the days ahead you yourself may need much help.  Ecclesiastes 11.

Mateo's morning walkAt Click for St. Nick we give you an opportunity to make an impact on a family in need of help.  As the picture shows to the left, we have homelessness here as well as a problem but we are not able to help those caught up in homelessness and addictions but rather our focus is on  families who are wanting to improve their lives but are unable financially to do so because of glaring injustices or other reasons such as  lack of steady employment.

The visit by us or by one of our helpers is a personal time to share and encourage this family that someone cares and is interested in their lives.  You can be a part of this by clicking here to be taken to our secure e-giving site where you can scroll down to Click for St. Nick to make your donation for 1,2,3 or more baskets @ $39/basket.

Blessings on your day!

SOR Mission

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I want to accept Jesus but…..

by SOR Mission on November 3, 2015

Female blank image“Rosa” told one of SOR Mission’s workers last Tuesday when they were at  the Maternity Ward at the local hospital that she was very anxious because her baby was over due and wasn’t in the right position for delivery.

After reading Philippians 4:6 to her about not being anxious Rosa asked for prayer.  She commented “I’m very thankful for your visit and for encouraging me to build up my faith in God.  Now I know that He is in control and He’ll take care of me.”

Before leaving her room we told Rosa, “I think today is the day for you to accept Jesus as your personal Savior! We don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow!“

We continued sharing that we’ll never be good enough to stand in God’s presence alone but we read in Mark 2:16-17 that “its not the healthy who need a doctor but rather the sick.  Jesus said, I have not come to call the righteous but rather sinners.”  Jesus accepted people as they were.

After sharing this, Rosa was very excited and she said to us, “I would like to accept Jesus as my Savior and I would like you to guide me in a prayer please!”  Glory to God we replied.

I’m so thankful that God gave us the opportunity to encourage Rosa in accepting Him as her Savior.  Now I knowTruth that her life is going to be completely different and I know that God is going to take care of the rest.  How about you?  Are you secure in knowing Jesus the  Messiah as your personal Savior?  If not please do so today and let us know!

 

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A Day in the Life

by SOR Mission on October 15, 2015

IMG-20151015-WA0005Do you have days that you feel that you’ve done nothing that may seem significant?  Missionaries too have days like that as our lives can become sometimes  quite routine and uneventful at times.  Our significance however consists of those little things that one does each day for those needing a hand up in life or a life line in life to help them out of the deep waters they’ve gotten themselves into.  Not enabling them to repeat but rather helping them to learn ways to avoid these traps.

As missionaries we share the joy and well being that comes from knowing the joy and freedom that there is in Jesus Christ, our Messiah and God.  These pics here show a bit of one of our missionaries in their day working with those who have need: spiritual, physical and emotional.

“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.” Proverbs 3:27

 

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