Dear Church Family:
I just wanted to write down some very meaningful thoughts while they are still fresh on my heart following our trip to Honduras from July 13–17, 2026. It is difficult to fully express how special our relationship is with the two preachers and their families in Honduras. Thank you to our congregation for giving me another blessed opportunity to encourage them. Our congregation has supported them for many years, and both families are doing vital work in their respective villages. Cuyali and Alacua are very poor communities, yet both of these local churches are doing wonderful work. Because they are native Hondurans, they can relate to their neighbors in ways we cannot begin to imagine.
They are so appreciative of everything we share, including the 25 gospel tract books (covering the plan of salvation and why we believe what we read in the Bible) that Buddy secured for me to distribute. Buddy also has some of these available in English if you would like one to share with someone here. Both families are deeply thankful for our continued support and love through all their many trials.
During the trip, I was very happy to spend three days working alongside Erlinda at our glasses table, where she helped translate into Spanish. If you recall, she and Javier lost their youngest son, Esau, in a motorcycle accident a couple of years ago, and both had really struggled with that loss. It was such a blessing to see that Erlinda was able to talk about Esau and their loss, and she was jovial and pleasant to be around. I also spent three clinical days with Daniel and Waleska. They are now a family of four, with daughters Anna (10) and baby Amira (4 months). Waleska is doing very well speaking English, having worked hard to perfect it over the last few years. Before we left, I handed both couples $150 each—an amount that goes a very long way for them. I wanted our church family to know that money came from each of you, and it will bless their lives more than we will ever know.
During our three days of medical clinic, we saw 404 patients. Our dentist pulled many teeth, our pharmacist filled hundreds of prescriptions, and my helper, Jeanine Howell (from Lincoln who worships in Farmington), and I handed out 87 pairs of reading glasses and 90 pairs of sunshades. Folks, these missions do far more good than we will ever see, and we may not know the full extent of it in this lifetime. A big shout-out to everyone who donated money toward my glasses goal this year; we could not have done it without your help!
Looking ahead, our Honduras auction is coming up on September 19th. If you cannot go on a mission trip yourself, you can still help by donating items or baked goods for the auction. Or better yet, plan to attend—you just might decide to bid on a quilt made by Alice! If you are not familiar with this effort, the auction proceeds help pay for school supplies and uniforms for the children from the seven churches in Honduras who work under the leadership of Jesus Peguaga. While schooling is free, uniforms and supplies cost around $100+ per child.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask—I always love to talk about our devoted brothers and sisters in Christ in Honduras. They send their warmest blessings and greetings to each of you!
In Christ,
Donna Thomas
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