Denelle Esmay is a senior at Grand Canyon University, earning her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and Special Education (Dual Major). She and a team of GCU students traveled to Honduras on a global outreach trip in May 2014 to help spread hope to people of Honduras. Check out the final part of her mission to learn the impact of her GCU global outreach trip!
Saturday/Sunday, May 17-18, 2014
After lunch, we loaded three trucks with all of our luggage and ministry supplies. As we started to get into the trucks, we realized that there were only two drivers. One of our team members needed to drive the windy, rocky, treacherous roads of Honduras for about an hour–and that person had to be able to drive stick shift! Luckily for me, one other team member, Diane, could drive a stick shift so with a quick prayer for safety, we were off. On the way there, Nicole and I noticed that there were no gas gauges, no speedometer and no instruments whatsoever. But the more shocking discovery was that the key had fallen out of the ignition while we were driving… and we were still driving! Those little things reminded our team who exactly is in charge and who we must always trust.
We awoke Sunday morning and dressed in maxi skirts and nice shoes because that was custom to wear to church. However, we had not been forewarned that in order to get to the church, we had to hike for at least 45 minutes through the forest and streets and around barbwire fences. We attended a children’s Sunday school where we were asked to perform a drama and play games with the children. Then, in the afternoon, we hiked for 15 minutes up the cobblestone street to the adult church. It was two rows of plastic lawn chairs on the side of a house with farm animals to join in the worship.
We experienced spiritual warfare as well as a miracle at the adult church. One of the members had a painful tumor on her leg for many years. Because of this, the pastor asked our team to lay hands on her and pray for healing. As we were doing this, I started singing, “There is power in the name of Jesus.” After I stopped, it felt as though someone was trying to strangle me by pressing on my chest. It was no ordinary asthma attack! It was a feeble attempt to stop the prayers, but the God I serve is much bigger than that! The rest of the team continued to lay hands on the woman. After about 45 minutes of prayer, we asked her if she’d like a nurse to look at her tumor. She said there was no need to because she was no longer in pain. Praise the Lord!
Monday, May 19, 2014
Llana, Tashina, our translator Keren and I were chosen to go to Azulguapa, a village about 45 minutes away from Dolores, where we would teach English lessons to 4th through 7th grade students. It was much different than Valero Meza in La Esperanza because the children were much more respectful and the teachers gave us their written English curriculum so we could teach them how to teach English.
Then, the moment our entire group had been waiting for had finally arrived: We were going to different houses within Dolores to evangelize! The first house we entered was that of 15-year old Cristian, who had followed us around the village previously. He was born deaf and mute and our team felt the Spirit leading us to his house. We laid hands on him, but did not see any instant healing. It was in that house, however, that we all grew in the Lord as we realized that although Cristian could not hear us, he could surely hear the Spirit. Also while in his home, his grandmother came to know Jesus Christ, and we spent some time referring her to the church so she can walk with others in her journey.
The last house for the night was that of Ophelia. Because this was my last day in Honduras, the team asked me, Diane, Amber and Tashina to enter, while the rest of the team covered her house in prayer. We handed her a bag full of gifts, then told her that we had the free gift of salvation if she wanted to receive it. She agreed and told us that she was hoping we would come! We directed her to the local pastor and just before leaving, she asked us to pray for her alcoholic husband.
Reflection
This trip was a first in many aspects: first trip with GCU, first trip to a developing country, first time teaching in the schools, first time evangelizing and first time I co-led a trip longer than three days. I took with me more than my Honduras 2014 team. I took with me my prayer team, my financial support team and my sending team. None of this growth or the miracles that occurred would have been possible if it was just me by myself, or my team members by themselves. I feel more and more at home in the mission field each time I enter, and I ask for continued prayers as I continue in following God’s mission.
Dios le bendiga (God bless you)
– Denelle
