My heart and I are now separate. I am sitting in the airport in Houston, Texas waiting to board our flight that has been delayed 2 hours. My heart is sitting in the smiles of Ariel, Issacar, Johnny, Scarlet, etc. in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. I feel like an alien in this airport. I want to be back in Honduras. To be completely honest, I don’t know how I am going to get the desire to go back to school. I have always wanted to be in Honduras after these trips and not go back to school, but this time is the worst of all. I want to be there so bad.

We had our breakfast celebration with the Hondurans this morning, and it was amazing yet one of the most saddening times in my life. As I sat across the table from two great friends named Maria and Ana Padgett and watched Ariel run across the room smiling from ear to ear, I couldn’t help but smile and cry at the same time. We ate breakfast, watched a slideshow of pictures put to music from the trip, said our goodbyes, and took off to the airport. At first I was fine; this was the 4th time I have been through this so I knew to think about other things and I would be fine. I gave a few hugs and said some goodbyes and was ready to leave, but the bus wasn’t ready yet. So I went back inside, saw the smiling faces of the Hondurans and started crying. I couldn’t hold it in any longer. My heart longs for the people in that country. I hugged Johnny as tears filled his eyes. I kissed Scarlet on the cheek as I heard her giggle. I saw “Little Man” show his muscle and smile. I took one last picture with Maria and Ana. Then I headed for the bus. As I was sitting on the bus crying and thinking about what God had done this week, I saw Ariel standing in the back of his dad’s pickup truck. I couldn’t stay seated in the bus. I ran to him, picked him up, and hugged like I never had before. Tears began to fill his eyes as the tears flowed down my face. I told him “adios”, but he wouldn’t let me go. He started saying in Spanish, “I want to go with you. I want to go with you!” Why was this year the hardest to leave? I think it is because of the friendships I made and the kids I fell in love with this year. I sat Ariel down in the truck hugged Johnny one last time and told him I love him. Neither one of us could hold back the tears. I think of Ariel, Johnny and their family as my family. I already can’t wait to be back in Honduras and see my “family” again!

As I now sit in this busy airport, watching so many people rush to their gate with no idea that people like Scarlet are starving in places like Honduras. My heart hurts. I want people to know that there are others in the world who are suffering tonight as we are covered to our ears in wealth. I want each one of you to know that God desires for ALL NATIONS to be reached. Honduras is only part; an important part, but a very small part. Who will you come in contact with this week that is from Guatemala? Costa Rica? Chile? Sudan? Thailand? Your next door neighbor? Share the love of Christ with everyone so that all people in all places might come to know Him! Praise be to God for this trip and your prayers and support. I will continue to right journal entries on here as much as possible about what the Lord is doing in my life and the lives of others. Continue to pray for Honduras. Pray for Issacar, Ariel, Scarlet, Johnny, Ana, Maria, David, Pepper, Esteban, and the names could go on and on. Go to www.poihn.org and support a child. It costs $30 a month to support one child. That is the cost of two shirts. One pair of jeans. Eight cups of coffee. Look at your checkbook. How are you spending your money? Do the receipts in your wallet or purse reflect that you have a heart for the nations? I am preaching to myself as much if not more than to you. This is my challenge to you. Have a heart for the nations!

It is 7:15 in the morning on June 28th and tears fill my eyes as I sit in my hotel room for the last time. Seven days has come and gone too fast. The time has come for our last celebration time with our Honduran friends, and we board the plane at noon today. i have made some great friendships with Impacto students this year as well as given my heart to the kids at Ayestas. A few kids in particular like Issacar, Ariel, Scarlet, Edgar, and many more are holding a piece of my heart this morning. I don't want to come home. I think this year more than any of the previous three years I want to stay here. I want to go back to Ayestas. I want to hold Ariel and see his smile. I want to sit and talk to Johnny (Ariel's dad) for hours with us both trying to speak the other person's language. I want to hold Scarlet in my arms and tell her that I love her and that God loves her even more. I want to have another staring contest with Issacar until he breaks down and smiles and runs to my arms. I want to work alongside of the Impacto students and adults accomplishing the same goal of advancing the Kingdom of God. I want to be in Honduras!

Yesterday was bittersweet. We had our final day at Ayestas and February 21. One of my best friends and leader of this trip, Will McKay, has a little boy who he and Jennie pretty much take care of that he calls "Little Man." We found out that his bed consists of a little sheet and blanket on a tile floor. Not anymore! Will and I bought him a little bed thing from the mall and took it to February 21 to give it to him yesterday. He went crazy! He started jumping on it, playing with it like it was a toy, and just about everything you can image with it but lay down and sleep on it. But all of that to say, because of your support of me and your prayers for myself and our team, one little boy slept in a bed last night for the first time! Praise be to God!!

Ariel and Scarlet are brother and sister, and their parents are Johnny and another woman that I can't pronounce her name. They are amazing. I love their family so much. I bought Ariel a soccer jersey, shorts, a polo, and a pair of pants and Johnny a jersey of his favorite team, and gave the stuff to them yesterday. They went nuts. They loved it. It was worth every penny I spent on this trip as well as on the actual stuff to see the smiles on their faces. At the same time I was handing the jersey to Johnny, he reached behind him and handed me a present. It was a jersey of the same team I bought him but the other color they wear. I hugged Johnny and started crying right there on the spot. God is amazing. They have so little here yet still give like they are rich. I bought Scarlet a shirt and Johnny's wife a bracelet last night and can't wait to give it to them today. I also bought Issacar a jersey last night as well. I have never had so much fun shopping for other people.

Well it is time for me to head down to breakfast with our team. I will write more on the plane ride home today and post it when I get home tonight. Please continue to pray! I love each and every one of you!!

The past two days have been truly amazing. God has been revealing himself to me in so many different ways. VBS started at the two churches on Monday as well as a medical team in each neighborhood at the churches and schools. I was in charge of recreation at Ayestas all day Monday and this afteroon (Tuesday), and I went to the Ayestas school this morning to find the girl from last year that stole my heart. For those of you who don’t know, last year we did a assembly at the Ayestas school and a girl named Kathy followed me around and spent the entire day by my side. So I returned to Ayestas today on a mission to find her and give her a gigantic hug. I went from class to class until I looked inside one of the rooms and spotted her. She was sitting with the teacher talking so I just stood outside the room in silence staring at her. Finally, she turned and caught my eye and a huge smile came across her face. I asked the teacher if I could see her so she came running out the door and gave me the biggest hug with a beautiful smile on her face. It was only 9 o’clock in the morning yet my day already felt complete.
During VBS at Ayestas, I was given the job of pretty much just playing with the kids. I get to throw balls with them and at them, pick them up, play games with them, etc. I am not sure if I have spoken of him before, but this year and last I have spent a lot of time with a staff member at Ayestas named Johnny. He has such a heart for God and has a son named Ariel that is 7 years old and is apart of the Mercy Program at the church. I have spent hours upon hours with the two of them the last few days. Johnny knows very little English, and I know very little Spanish yet we were able to sit and talk for almost an hour today about everything under the sun. I love Johnny and his son like my own family. I went out tonight and bought Ariel tons of clothes, and I also bought Johnny a soccer jersey. I can’t wait to give them to the two of them on Thursday morning during our celebration time with our ministry partner.
While I was at the school this morning looking for Kathy, I also did some work. I brushed teeth and did fluoride treatments for tons of little 3rd graders at the Ayestas school. I was being spat upon time after time yet I enjoyed cleaning their teeth and also praying for each child by name as I cleaned their teeth. It was amazing. I love this place and don’t want to go home in two days. International missions is definitely in my future so I can’t wait to see what the Lord has in store for my life. Once again it is late so the time has come for me to go to bed. Please continue to pray for our team. Thanks for the prayers already. We received the rest of our luggage tonight! Some of that luggage had some of the resources we need for our crafts and other things tomorrow so the Lord is definitely watching over us and providing for us. God is good!

-Kevin Furniss

It has been a few days since I have had the opportunity to update. I have been online at night to check email, but have not had the energy to write a journal entry. I got a long nap in today and am well rested so now is the time for an update.

God has been very busy since I last wrote. We had a huge block party type thing on all day Saturday in the new neighborhood. We started around 9 in the morning. We set up where anyone in the neighborhood could come for medical help, glasses, or dentistry work. We helped meet the physical needs of hundreds of people. You could tell the Lord was working that morning. We also had 2 clowns come in and play games with the kids in the neighborhood. There were 10 pinatas that we went through throughout the day. The kids loved getting all of the candy from the pinatas. There was also cotton candy and face painting. I mainly jsut walked around took some pictures and just loved on kids. So many people. Most hurting. Both physically and spiritually. Yet there were so many smiles. So many hugs. I will never forget the time we spent at Villa Nueva on Saturday morning.

When we left here, about 12 members of our team went back to the hotel to get cleaned up and head to my favorite place in Honduras, AYESTAS! This is the neighborhood and church that I worked at last year and will be working at all week. Ayestas has there church service on Saturday nights. I can't even begin to explain the feeling I had when I stepped off the bus and had probably dozen kids run at me yelling me name wanting hugs. These kids actually remembered who I was from last year. Tears began to fill my eyes when a little boy named Ariel ran to me literally screaming my name. I turned to see who it was and my heart jumped. This little boy is a part of the Mercy Program at Ayestas. His dad's name is Johnny, who is one of the staff members at Ayestas. Last year, Arial and I bonded the entire week, and I gave him tons if extra toys I had left over at the end of the week. I had been looking forward to the moment I would get to see Arial again. And hold him in my arms. And give him the biggest hug in the world. And tell him that I loved him.

I was given the opportunity to preach at the Saturday night service at Ayestas. I chose to preach from Hebrews 12:1-3. I was a little bit nervous about preaching using a translator and whether some of my material would translate well or not. It went amazing. Edmundo, my translator, and I worked so great together. It was one of the best experiences ever. To be able to preach the Word of God in a completely different culture to people who speak a completely different language. It is so amazing that Scripture is the same in every language. God is the same to all people and loves all people. Not just "white people." I really feel that God used me last night, and I give Him all of the glory for using me as His vessel. The Lord gave me strength that I didn't think I would have. I was very tired by the time Saturday night got here, and I honestly was a little discouraged and didn't want to preach. I got to church and saw Ariel and everything changed. When he ran to me and wanted to be held, I couldn't put him down. I held him in my arms for the 30 minutes of singing and stuff before I preached. I was sweating and tired and didn't think I could stand anymore after holding him before I preached. But the Lord strengthened me as He always does. The moment I left the pulpit, Ariel ran right to me, and I picked him up and held him for the rest of the night.

Today (Sunday) was great as well. I went to Impacto, the main bilingual church that we work with, for the service in the morning. Will McKay preached in both services and a few of the girls from our team sang. It was great. Both services were packed with Hondurans wanting to hear the Word of God preached. We had a "Honduran BBQ" thing for lunch. It is these tacos and quesadilla things that aren't really Mexican but then again they sort of are. It is impossible to explain, but they are amazing. We got to hang out and spend time with the Hondurans during lunch time. But guess what I did?? I ate as fast as I could and then played with Ariel the rest of the morning/afternoon! He is amazing. I love him so much. I wish I could take him home with me. We took this afternoon and tonight off to get rested for a long 3 days ahead of us. We start VBS in the morning at 2 different locations. For me that means more time to spend with Ariel. I am exicted to see the Lord working in everyone's life. He is faithful!

Finally, continue praying for our luggage. Many of us received luggage on Saturday, but we are still missing 5 bags. One of those bags is my mom's clothes, another is Josh Hunter's clothes, and the other 3 are supplies that we need this week. Pray that those bags would arrive soon! Also, be praying for a man named David. He is a bilungual man that I met in the mall on Saturday afternoon. He asked what I was doing in his country so I told him we were on a mission trip. He got disgusted by this and told me that he hated God because God is selfish and doesn't care about everybody. He didn't understand why God allowed killing to happen, especially the death of one of his best friends. I was able to share the Gospel with him and by the end, he understood but didn't know if he agreed. I feel the Lord is working in his life. So be praying for David. I will probably never see or meet him again, but hopefully the Lord will get ahold of his life. Sorry I haven't put any pictures up this week. Go to ww.poihn.org to view pictures that my dad, David Houpt, and others have toaken this week. Well, it is late and we have an early morning so I am going to head to bed. Thanks for all of your prayers. They are definitely being felt here in Honduras. Continue to seek hard after Christ! Until next time...

For His Glory,
Kevin Furniss

My dad made it!! I will let him tell you the story sometime abotu everything he went through yesterday, but the short version is that he flew to Chicago, stood in line all day, got his passport around 4:30, missed his flight out of chicago, got a later flight, got back to memphis, slept for a few hours, got on a plane this morning and arrived in Honduras around 2 this afternoon. Thanks so much for your prayers. God is so good and so gracious. I can't help but think about Psalm 17, which I spoke of yesterday, and how the Lord hears the cry of His children. There were hundreds of people praying, and God overcame the attacks of Satan. We also recieved all but 5 of our bags tonight as well. We are not sure when we will get the others, but we are hoping and praying we will recieve them by Monday because there are a lot of supplies in there that we need for VBS. So there is your next thing to pray for...pray that if we need those supplies, that God will provide them for us in His perfect timing. It is almost midnight here, and I am dead tired so I am heading to bed. I will share more tomorrow about our day today and anything/everything the Lord has in store for us as a team tomorrow. I just wanted to update everyone reading this journal that my dad and best friend made it here safely...and only 24 hours late. Thanks again for your prayers. The Lord is good!

As I sit on the plane, I feel like part of me is missing. My best friend did not make it on the plane. There was a mix up at the airport with my dad’s passport, and they didn’t let him on the plane. While we are on a plane to Honduras, my dad is on a plane to Chicago to hopefully get the problem taken care of. The thing was that his passport expires in August of this year, but the airline said there is a “3 month rule” that doesn’t allow him to leave the country. So he is on his way to Chicago to go to the head of customs there and hopefully get it taken care off. He left for Chicago this morning in hopes of returning later tonight with his passport. He has rebooked his flight to Tegucigalpa, Honduras for 6:30 tomorrow morning if all goes well today. God is in complete control. I honestly could not have said that at this time last year, and I don’t believe my dad could have either. But standing in the airport this morning huddled up with friends to pray and ask for God to take control was the most amazing feeling. Airports are crazy with everyone hurrying to the counter to check in yet I look around, and there were small groups of parents and students lifting up the situation to our Lord. He IS in control! By His perfect will, I pray and ask that my dad will arrive safely in Honduras tomorrow to join our family in advancing the Kingdom of God together. As I stood in the airport at 5 o’clock this morning, I asked the Lord to give me a Psalm of comfort. He gave me Psalm 17. Hear the Word of the Lord:

Lord, hear a just cause; pay attention to my cry; listen to my prayer—from lips free of deceit. Let my vindication come from You, [for] You see what is right. You have tested my heart; You have visited by night; You have tried me and found nothing [evil]; I have determined that my mouth will not sin. Concerning what people do: by the Word of Your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent. My steps are on Your paths; my feet have not slipped. I call on You, God, because You will answer me; listen closely to me; hear what I say. Display the wonders of Your faithful love, Savior of all who seek refuge from those who rebel against Your right hand. Guard me as the apple of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings from the wicked who treat me violently, my deadly enemies who surround me. They have become hardened; their mouths speak arrogantly. They advance against me; now they surround me. They are determined to throw [me] to the ground. They are like a lion eager to tear, like a young lion lurking in ambush. Ride up, LORD! Confront him; bring him down. With Your sword, save me from the wicked. With Your hand, Lord, [save me] from men, from men of the world, whose portion is in this life: You fill their bellies with what You have in store, their sons are satisfied, and they leave their surplus to their children. But I will see Your face in righteousness; when I awake, I will be satisfied with Your presence.

I have read that Psalm over 25 times this morning. It brings more comfort to me every time I read it that the Lord is in control. Whether my dad shows up in Honduras tomorrow morning or the next day or not at all, I have complete faith that Jesus Christ is watching over my dad, the rest of my family, as well as our entire team. Your prayers would be greatly appreciated. Satan is attacking from all sides already. I selfishly ask that you would pray that my dad would make it to Honduras tomorrow morning. It feels like part of me has been ripped out. Tears fill my eyes as I type this on the plane. I want him here with me so bad. I want to see the smile on my dad’s face as the little kids yell, “Foto! Foto!” I want to see the tears that fill his eyes as his heart breaks for those kids. I want my dad here with me. Lord, I am crying out to You right now. Sorry this is so long…my heart and mind is overloaded with emotions right now. Please be in prayer. Know that I love each and everyone of you who reads this journal of mine. Until next time…

With a heavy heart,
Kevin Furniss

The time has come again to return to Honduras. It is 1:13 in the morning. Our flight for Tegucigalpa, Honduras leaves in 5 hours and 27 minutes. I can't sleep. I just got finished looking through pictures and watching video from last year's trip. I can't wait to see those beautiful faces again...their smiles...their hugs...everything about them is amazing. I can't even begin to explain what I am feeling right now. I am excited, nervous, stressed, scared, joyful, ready to love on people, see their smiles, hear their voices, hug them, hold them, play with them, and the list could go on forever. I will be spending the next 8 days in my 2nd home...Honduras! Please begin praying now for the people we will come in contact. Also, be praying for the weather. They have been experiencing a lot of rain which has led to floods that could hinder our trip. But God is good and will watch over us and lead us in His work for advancing His Kingdom. You can pray for me personally that the Lord would give me the words to speak when I preach at one of the churches on Saturday night. I have written my sermon and studied it over and over, but I am still scared/nervous because I have never preached in another country using a translator. So please pray that God will calm my heart. Pray for my family. My dad was able to go and see God working in Honduras last year, and this year my entire family will be joining me in Honduras. I am excited to see what the Lord will do in each of their lives. It is now 1:41. My alarm will go off in less than 2 hours, Our flight leaves in 4 hours and 59 minutes. I am going to try and get some sleep. Give God glory for He is good and has created all things!

Much love,
Kevin Furniss