Baskin Baptist Church Mission Trip
Members of Baskin Baptist Church in Baskin, LA at the beginning of their week-long mission trip in Honduras June 6-13.
Twenty members of Baskin Baptist Church (Baskin, LA) traveled to Honduras June 6-13 where they ministered in many ways to hundreds of children and many churches.
While this was Baskin’s first trip to Honduras, they are no strangers to the mission field. This church is very mission-minded and conduct two mission trips every summer. In fact, the week after they arrived home most of the same team members were in Utah ministering at an Indian reservation.
Franklin Ministries hosted the Honduras mission trip, the first for a single church. While we have had many come and participate in pastors conferences, this was the first group to come in under Franklin Ministries to work the mission field. We could not have asked for a better group for our first trip. All of the team members worked very hard and not one time did anyone complain. Their schedule was grueling, conducting two Vacation Bible Schools per day, most days eating sandwiches on the bus traveling to another VBS, and one day they traveled by bus some 10 hours to mountain churches. Oh yes, did I mention they had to hike several miles at one point?
Like I said, this was a great team and we hope this was the beginning of a long relationship between them and Honduras.
Conducting VBS at a public school…450 children in attendance.
VBS at the school. After this group assembly, they went to every classroom ministering to children.
Their schedule had them conducting VBS’s at a public school in the area of a local church in the morning, then they would conduct a VBS at the local church to help promote the church, it’s pastor, and bring hope to the children while sharing Jesus.
The children loved the group’s skits, songs, and games, and especially loved the clowns. They helped the children make crafts, had face painting, and made balloon creations for them as well.
Leading in songs.
Leading in songs at a mountain church.
Passing out balloon swords at a local church.
The skit, “David and Goliath,” was a huge hit at every location.
The children, especially the girls, loved the face painting.
Our American translator, Elizabeth Gurrero, was wonderful once again.
The parachute was a great game tool.
Of course, everyone LOVED the clowns…and Baskin had some of the best!
All totaled, the Baskin team ministered to some 1,500 children during their week. Other team members had the opportunity to preach at several locations and each night we would get to participate in a local church service. Some of the churches even learned English worship songs so the team could feel at home.
Worshipping in song during a local church service.
Evangelist Craig Franklin preaching at a local church.
But conducting VBS’s and attending worship services was not all the group did. While in Honduras, they spent two days ministering to a local girls’ orphanage. They brought the girls bedding and other supplies for their home as well as taking their photos and teaching them English songs. Baskin also bought all of the cookies the orphanage bakes to give out during their VBS’s. Most of these girls have horrific backgrounds, including physical abuse, and their stories are enough to make the toughest person cry. One girl was actually sold by her drug addict mother for less than one US dollar…later, by the grace of God, found her way to this Christian orphanage where she is now thriving.
Some of the girls with their photos.
Teaching English songs.
All of the orphanage girls with the Baskin team.
The group also got to participate in some food distribution. The hike up the mountain to secluded homes was tough, but worth the effort as they got to meet some very poor families struggling to survive each day. The handed out rice and beans to the families and discovered other needs along the way.
At one home, they met a girl named Majorie. Majorie had just completed the 8th grade but could not afford tuition, books, and uniforms to attend high school. Moved by her story, the team donated money to this family to pay for Majorie’s first year of high school.
This is Majorie. She will now attend high school thanks to Baskin team members.
At another stop, the team was shocked to discover two small boys staying at home by themselves while their mother and older brother left home each day to work for food. The shack they were staying in had no bathroom, no running water, no way to hold water, no electricity, and you could actually see through the walls and roof of the home.
Moved with compassion, the Baskin team donated money to build a bathroom for the family, help with construction to fix their home, and left them food and water.
The team with the two boys left home alone all day while their mother and older brother works.
Evangelist Craig Franklin with the two boys. Notice the condition of their home in the background.
The team also donated money to a pastor for truck repairs and to our Honduras translator Jose for all their efforts and work making the trip possible.
Evangelist Craig Franklin with Jose after preaching a service.
While in Honduras, the team was also able to participate in a heart-moving event. Last October, Antioch Missions from Jonesville, LA, traveled to Honduras with Franklin Ministries to examine future construction possibilities. One of its key leaders, Aaron Jolly, was moved when he learned the story of Pastor Carlos who pastors a mountain church in Ojojona. Pastor Carlos started a church with just 6 members and begin working the area going door to door sharing the Gospel. Over a period of months, the church grew to over 60 members.
But the church did not have a building to meet in. So, the pastor, with a heart for his flock, decided that he would not build a house for his own family until the church had a house first. Pastor Carlos is married and has four children, the youngest a 3 month old. When Aaron heard this story, he went back to the US with a mission: Raise money to build Pastor Carlos a home. And he did just that.
He, along with members of Utility Baptist Church and Antioch Missions, raised $5,000 for Pastor Carlos’ home. On the Baskin mission trip, the money was sent to be presented to Pastor Carlos which we did during a moving ceremony on the pastors’ homesite. We are hoping the home will be constructed within a few months and the family will have a place to live. Thank you Aaron Jolly for being sensitive to God’s leading and working tirelessly to raise this money for this very deserving pastor.
Pastor Carlos holds $5,000 presented to him on behalf of Aaron Jolly, Utility Baptist Church, and Antioch Missions to build his family a house.
Also on this trip, the group was able to see first hand a property that is currently in the process of being donated to Franklin Ministries for the construction of a mission house. This has been a long-time vision of Craig and God has been faithful in providing this land for this mission house.
The property is beautiful and already cleared and ready for construction. We are waiting on legal work to finish up before we can actually take ownership and begin construction. Buddy Manning, Antioch Missions, and members of Utility Baptist Church will work on the mission house once the land is in our name…but we are still needing donations to help build it and furnish it. When it is completed, it will house our resident missionary and have rooms available to house USA groups coming in for mission trips.
This beautiful piece of land is being donated to Franklin Ministries for the construction of its mission house. We see the house located on top of this hill by the mango trees.
It was a great week and once again we want to thank Baskin Baptist Church for all their hard work and their generous giving during this mission trip.
We are currently taking reservations for mission trips during the summer of 2016 and throughout the year. We have many opportunities for other churches to participate, including many construction projects (including building of the mission house when we start that project), VBS’s, and pastors conferences.
The cost for doing a mission trip to Honduras is very affordable. For instance, the Baskin’s trip totaled around $1,000 per person. They stayed at a nice resort close to the churches and ate wonderful meals each day. For more information about your church or group coming to Honduras, contact Craig Franklin at (318) 312-0097. We will design a trip just for your ministry desires.
One of the best ways to keep track of our Honduras work is through Facebook. Like our page, Franklin Ministry, and you’ll be kept abreast of all our work.
Thanks again for all who have prayed for the Honduras Project and those who have given monetarily toward it. God began this and He will sustain it. To God be the glory!
A selfie with some Honduran children.
Leaving the resort for the airport. What a great group this Baskin team was!
