Episcopal Church of Roatan/Nelson and Kara Ministry (October 2022 Update)

PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR OUR MINISTRY…

October update 2022

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. (Philippians 1:3-5, NIV)

We give all glory and honour to the Lord for your partnering with us. Without your support and especially your prayers, our ministry would never have been possible.  We give our heartfelt special thanks to all of you for your sacrificial giving.

Deputations time ahead

We are excited to share with you that next year, April to June 2023, we will be on deputation (home ministry) in New Brunswick and start visiting you in your parishes and sharing our Honduran ministry experiences with you.

As soon as you can, please contact the Rev. Gordon Thompson ([email protected]) to schedule a visit to your parish.

We know it has been a long time since we last visited you as a family and personally shared with you about our incredible ministry in Roatan. 

However, we continue in Roatan doing the ministry to which God has called us and that has been possible thanks to your prayers and the financial support that you have given us personally and as churches.

We thank God for your partnership in our ministry, especially in prayer.

Financial Support Appeal

On the financial side, we continue to be very positive and to pray and praise God with faith and thanksgiving. We also ask you to continue to pray about our finances, that for the next year and in coming years our support will stabilize and be sufficient to cover our needs. 

At the moment our balance is very low; in fact, there is a negative balance of CAD 11,912.00

Therefore, please consider sending a special offering in order to balance our finances for our expenses and the ministry in Roatan.

We will keep you informed of how the numbers behave in the future.

To donate now, please click on the following link (or copy and paste it into your browser):

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/13778

Or you can visit the Diocese of Fredericton’s website (www.anglican.nb.ca) then go to “Donate” for various ways to give online. Be sure to select “Honduras Mission Fund”.

Cheques should be made payable to “The Diocesan Synod of Fredericton” and sent to: Anglican Diocesan Synod of Fredericton, 

168 Church Street Room 20, Fredericton, N.B. E3B 4C9

Phone: (506) 459-1801

All cheques should have “Honduras Mission” noted on the reference line.

We greatly appreciate your prayer and financial support to date and trust that you will continue to support us.

What is Happening in the Roatan Churches?

Children’s Day celebration in Roatan

On September 10th every year in Honduras the children are expecting a celebration with the popular “Piñata”, full of candies. We start by worshiping God, then we have food and games.

 

Every school, company, organization and  church honor the kids this day.

Of course we held a celebration for the children in our churches, and it was a fun day for them, especially when it was time for the piñata, which was exciting for children and adults alike.

God’s Provision for the families 

Yes, we delivered food to the benefit families in September, and once again all of them were grateful for God’s provision in every way and especially for this donation through the church initiative. Praise God.

 

The Church in Brick Bay Community

For a while the Saint Peter by the Sea Church in Brick Bay roof was very damaged; due to the salty dust and wind coming from the ocean, it didn’t last very long. Just recently we had fun with some carpenters from the community taking off the old roof and installing the new one, which we expect will last a good number of years. The best part was the chat at lunch time eating the delicious food the ladies from the church cooked.

 

This was the church that a team from Saint James Lakewood in Saint John came to help with in 2007, when they replaced the walls and put a ceiling in the church. At this time we are doing some repairs to improve the church building, with all the work being done by  the church congregation.

Women’s Conference in Roatan 

 

We held a Women’s Conference in Roatan for both churches, St. Peter by the Sea and Emmanuel in Coxen Hole, on September 30th. It was planned by Rev. Kara de Mejia, Nelson Mejia, Patty Dunner, and Natalie Walsh (Missionaries in Roatan) from other denominations that always collaborate with our Ministry. All ladies dressed elegantly for this event planned specially for them. The theme was “Mi Amada/My Beloved” related to their Identity in Christ and God”s love for them. Thanks for your prayers!

Please continue to pray for:

1.   For our family: Nelson, Kara and Kelly as we continue serving the Lord in Roatán, and Stephen in Winnipeg. 

2.   Continued and stable financial support for the next years as we continue to serve the Lord in Roatán, Honduras. At the moment our balance is very low, so we have a deficit of CAD 11,912.00. 

3.   Our congregations: St. Peter by the Sea in Brick Bay, and Emmanuel in Coxen Hole, that we can continue growing, worshiping, and focusing on Jesus Christ. 

4.   Please pray for the Rev. Robert Browning and for his ministry to English-speakers in Eastern Roatán.

5.   Evangelism and practical outreach in the local communities.

6.  For leadership for the Church in Roatán that embraces the challenges as we serve in the Kingdom of God.  

7. The Episcopal Church in Honduras and our Bishop Lloyd Allen, who continues leading our Diocese for the next five years.

8. For Carmen, Arlin, Charon, Ingris and Alexy, that they continue at University here in Roatan.

9. For the Women’s Conference in Roatan for both churches, St. Peter by the Sea and Emmanuel in Coxen Hole, on the 30th of September 2022. Thanks for your prayers!

Thank you to all who have faithfully prayed and faithfully given to support this incredible work of ministering to the people in our congregations.

Matthew 25:40: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Your prayers and continued support enable us to continue touching people’s lives with Jesus’ love.

Empowering the Church

Learning, Growing and Serving

Nelson and Kara Mejia

Episcopal Church of Roatan / Nelson and Kara Ministry (May 2022 Update)


New update May 2022

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. (Philippians 1:3-5, NIV)

We give all glory and honour to the Lord for your partnering with us. Without your support and especially your prayers, our ministry would never have been possible.  We give our heartfelt special thanks to all of you for your sacrificial giving.

We know it has been a long time since we last visited you as a family and personally shared with you about our incredible ministry in Roatan. It has not been easy for us or for you either.

However, we continue in Roatan doing the ministry to which God has called us and that has been possible thanks to your prayers and the financial support that you have given us personally and as churches.

We have wanted to visit you personally and it has not been possible due to the governments’ COVID -related travel restrictions.

We are excited to share with you that next year, in 2023, we will be visiting you in your parishes and sharing our experiences with you.

We know that time passes quickly and we will share the dates with you as soon as we have them.

We thank God for your partnership in our ministry, especially in prayer.

Financial Support Appeal

On the financial side, we continue to be very positive and to pray and praise God with faith and thanksgiving. We also ask you to continue to pray about our finances, that for the next year and in coming years our support will stabilize and be sufficient to cover our needs. 

At the moment our balance is very low; in fact, we have a deficit of CAD 7249.00. Therefore, please consider sending a special offering in order to balance our finances for our expenses and the ministry in Roatan.

To donate now, please click on the following link (or copy and paste it into your browser):

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/13778

Or you can visit the Diocese of Fredericton’s website (www.anglican.nb.ca) then go to “Donate” for various ways to give online. Be sure to select “Honduras Mission Fund”.

Cheques should be made payable to “The Diocesan Synod of Fredericton” and sent to: Anglican Diocesan Synod of Fredericton, 

168 Church Street Room 20, Fredericton, N.B. E3B 4C9

Phone: (506) 459-1801

All cheques should have “Honduras Mission” noted on the reference line.

We greatly appreciate your prayer and financial support to date and trust that you will continue to support us.

We want to share with you our prayer needs, and at the same time you can share your needs with us so we can pray for you, as the Word says to pray for each other.

Please continue to pray for:

1.   For our family: Nelson, Kara and Kelly as we continue serving the Lord in Roatán, and Stephen in Winnipeg. 

2.   Continued and stable financial support for the next years as we continue to serve the Lord in Roatán, Honduras. At the moment our balance is very low, so we have a deficit of CAD 7249.00. 

3.   Our congregations: St. Peter by the Sea in Brick Bay, and Emmanuel in Coxen Hole, that we can continue growing, worshiping, and focusing on Jesus Christ. 

4.   Please pray for the Rev. Robert Browning and for his ministry to English-speakers in Eastern Roatán.

5.   Evangelism and practical outreach in the local communities.

6.  For leadership for the Church in Roatán that embraces the challenges as we serve in the Kingdom of God.  

7. The Episcopal Church in Honduras and our Bishop Lloyd Allen, who continues leading our Diocese.

8. For Carmen, Arlin, Charon, Ingris and Alexy, that they continue in University here in Roatan.

Thank you to all who have faithfully prayed and faithfully given to support this incredible work of ministering to the people in our congregations.

Matthew 25:40: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Your prayers and continued support enable us to continue touching people’s lives with Jesus’ love.

Empowering the Church

Learning, Growing and Serving

Nelson and Kara Mejia

Episcopal Church of Roatan / Nelson and Kara Ministry (December Update 2021)

December Update 2021

The tree is decorated, the presents are almost wrapped and the Christmas dinner is all planned out, however our favorite part is to give all glory and honor to the Lord for your partnering with us. Without your support and especially your prayers, our ministry would never have been possible. We give our heartfelt special thanks to all of you for your sacrificial giving as parishes and individuals who with great effort and prayers contributed to make our ministry possible; all honor and glory be to God.

Nothing stops the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, and we continue to spread his word of peace, love and compassion for our people.

Our Bishop Lloyd Allen just recently gave instructions to all clergy to reopen all the church buildings in Honduras. Due to the pandemic some of the buildings had been closed. 

At the Episcopal/Anglican Church in Roatan our buildings continue to be open as we comply with all the biosecurity requirements. 

Baptisms

On the Second Sunday of Advent we moved the church to the beach to celebrate ten baptisms, one adult and nine kids from Emmanuel Church in Coxen Hole, where five families got together to make their faith public and become new Christians as Jesus commanded us to do.

A mother was baptized with her two boys and two girls it was a blessing that the whole family became part of the body of Christ. Congratulations to all of them.

Christmas At Emmanuel

On Sunday the 19th we had a special Christmas service programmed so that the boys and girls as well as the adults could participate with Christmas songs, choreographed music, Bible verses and drama.

 

It was a very enjoyable time and it was beautiful to see children and adults put into practice their gifts and qualities to exalt and  glorify the name of our God, who has given us salvation through his son Jesus Christ.

Also during this special service we collected an offering which will be used to finalize the project of Emmanuel Church’s floor.

Impact of Covid 19 in Honduras and Roatan

To update you on the impact of Covid 19 on Roatan, at the moment we have a few cases of Covid 19, and the Covid center continues to be open for the people to go for rapid and PCR tests free of charge. 95% of the population is vaccinated with the two shots. We are at the moment waiting for the booster shot. I want to share with you that my wife, the Rev. Kara Thompson de Mejia, was infected with Covid 19, and she is recovering from the aftermath of the virus. Thanks to the Lord and your prayers, she is recovering very well.

Financial Support

On the financial side, we continue to be very positive and to pray and praise God with faith and thanksgiving. We also ask you to continue to pray about our finances, that for the next year and in coming years our support will stabilize and be sufficient to cover our needs. At the moment our balance is very low, so we have a deficit of over CAD 4000.00.   Therefore, please consider sending a special offering in order to balance our finances for our expenses and the ministry in Roatan.

To donate now, please click on the following link (or copy and paste it into your browser):

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/13778

Or you can visit the Diocese of Fredericton’s website (www.anglican.nb.ca) then go to “Donate” for various ways to give online. Be sure to select “Honduras Mission Fund”.

Address change

Cheques should be made payable to “The Diocesan Synod of Fredericton” and sent to: Anglican Diocesan Synod of Fredericton, 

168 Church Street Room 20, Fredericton, N.B. E3B 4C9

Phone: (506) 459-1801

All cheques should have “Honduras Mission” noted on the reference line.

We know that with the global impact of the pandemic it is difficult for everyone in the world. That said, we greatly appreciate your prayer and financial support to date and trust that you will continue to support us.

Previews apdates: https://nelsonandkaraministry.org/

Please continue to pray for:

1.   For our family: Nelson, Kara, Stephen and Kelly.

2.   Pray for Stephen Mejia Thompson, our son as he continues studying at Providence University College in Manitoba; he is in his second year. 

3.   Continued and stable financial support for the next years as we continue to serve the Lord in Roatán, Honduras.

4.   The ongoing construction in Coxen Hole. Pray for the remaining installation stages: Cement concrete for the floor at the moment.

5.   Our congregations: St. Peter by the Sea in Brick Bay, and Emmanuel in Coxen Hole, that we can embrace the new year with a different way of worshiping, but focusing on Jesus Christ. 

6.   Please pray for the Rev. Robert Browning and for his ministry to English-speakers in Eastern Roatán.

7.   Evangelism and practical outreach in the local communities in the midst of the pandemic. 

8.  For leadership for the Church in Roatán that embraces the new challenges as we serve in the Kingdom of God.  

9.  The Episcopal Church in Honduras and our Bishop Lloyd Allen

Thank you to all who have faithfully prayed and faithfully given to support this incredible work of ministering to the people in our congregations.

Matthew 25:40: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Your prayers and continued support enable us to continue touching people’s lives with Jesus’ love.

Empowering the Church

Learning, Growing and Serving

Nelson and Kara Mejia

 

Episcopal Church of Roatan / Nelson and Kara Ministry (New Year’s Update 2021)

New Year’s Update 2021

New Year’s Update 2021

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. (Philippians 1:3-5, NIV)

We give all glory and honour to the Lord for your partnering with us. Without your support and especially your prayers, our ministry would never have been possible.  We give our heartfelt special thanks to all of you for your sacrificial giving.

For many reasons, 2020 will be a year we’ll never forget. We were faced with challenges no one was prepared for that changed the way we live and how we connect with each other. As we look back on 2020, we welcome 2021 with many expectations for ministry and life in general.

We pray that even though we live in a time of unprecedented changes in our personal lives and church communities, all of us will have a blessed new year full of the assurance that God is leading us through the hard challenges we are facing.

Certainly it has been a difficult experience this year, but things are better on the island. Since we are no longer locked down on Roatan,  islanders, especially those working with tourism, are finding ways to survive until tourism returns. There are still many families in need, but it is not quite as desperate as before. At the moment we are moving the kitchen to a smaller space with the purpose of cooking once a month to support families in need, if we can. 

The space the community kitchen was functioning in will be used for the recycling project that John Delancey is developing. 

Impact of Covid 19 in Honduras and Roatan

To update you on the impact of Covid 19 on Honduras, at the moment we have 132,414 people infected. There have been 3,344 deaths and 60.056 people have recovered. 

We in Roatán have a few cases of Covid 19; they are recovering at the hospital, and the Covid center will be open again if cases increase. We continue with the biosecurity regulations and we are very optimistic. 

Roatan Episcopal Church

At Episcopal/Anglican Church in Roatan our buildings continue to be open as we comply with all the biosecurity requirements. We celebrate Evening Prayer every Sunday, we have a Bible Study during the week, but we see the need to include other ministries such as Sunday school, youth ministry, etc.

During the Christmas season we delivered bags of groceries to the church families, worth about CA$25, and we also smoked chicken, one per family, to support the economy in the season. The money was donated by the Anglican Church in Campbellton N.B. The families appreciate this very timely support, as do we.  

You can also click on this links to see more pictures: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IboE5NTvJOYhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIPiyd6eGDs

Financial Support

On the financial side, we continue to be very positive and to pray and praise God with faith and thanksgiving. We also ask you to continue to pray about our finances, that for the rest of the year our support will stabilize and be sufficient to cover our needs. At the moment our balance is very low. Therefore, please consider sending a special offering to cover our expenses and needs.

To donate now, please click on the following link (or copy and paste it into your browser):

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/13778

Or you can visit the Diocese of Fredericton’s website (www.anglican.nb.ca) then go to “Donate” for various ways to give online. Be sure to select “Honduras Mission Fund”.

Cheques should be made payable to “The Diocesan Synod of Fredericton” and sent to: Anglican Diocesan Synod of Fredericton, 115 Church Street, Fredericton, NB E3B 4C8

Phone: (506) 459-1801

All cheques should have “Honduras Mission” noted on the reference line.

We know that with the global impact of the pandemic it is difficult for everyone in the world. That said, we greatly appreciate your prayer and financial support to date and trust that you will continue to support us.

Please continue to pray for:

1.   Please continue to pray for mainland Honduras at a difficult time caused by Covid 19, and Eta followed by Iota; many families are still not able to return to their houses, and others will need to rebuild their entire house. 

2.   Pray for Stephen Mejia Thompson, our son as he continues studying at Providence University College in Manitoba. 

3.   Continued and stable financial support for the next years as we continue to serve the Lord in Roatán, Honduras.

4.   The ongoing construction in Coxen Hole. Pray for the remaining installation stages: Cement concrete for the floor at the moment.

5.   Our congregations: St. Peter by the Sea in Brick Bay, and Emmanuel in Coxen Hole, that we can embrace the new year with a different way of worship, but focus on Jesus Christ. 

6.   Please pray for the Rev. Robert Browning and for his ministry to English-speakers in Eastern Roatán.

7.   Evangelism and practical outreach in the local communities in the midst of the pandemic. 

8.  For leadership for the Church in Roatán that embraces the new challenges as we serve in the Kingdom of God.  

9.  The Episcopal Church in Honduras, for the process toward self-sufficiency to be continued in 2021-25

Thank you to all who have faithfully prayed and faithfully given to support this incredible work of ministering to the people in our congregations.

Matthew 25:40: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Your prayers and continued support enable us to continue touching people’s lives with Jesus’ love.

Empowering the Church

Learning, Growing and Serving

Nelson and Kara Mejia

Episcopal Church of Roatan / Nelson and Kara Ministry (September 2020 Update)

Roatán Update September 2020

Roatán Update September 2020

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. (Philippians 1:3-5, NIV)

We give all glory and honour to the Lord for your partnering with us. Without your support and especially your prayers, our ministry would never have been possible or impact our generation. We give our heartfelt special thanks to all of you for your sacrificial giving.

Time has passed quickly; in the blink of an eye, six months of pandemic have passed and of course there are many things that we have learned to do differently, in the church as well as personally.

I remember reading about the plans for reconstruction of the walls of the City of Jerusalem, a great project that God put in the hands of Nehemiah. Nehemiah Chapter 2:11

Today we are approaching the time when we will reopen the church buildings of the Anglican Church in Honduras. There are great challenges ahead, but we will put forth our best effort to rebuild the Kingdom of God in the midst of the pandemic. This will not be easy, but it is possible with God help.

We will rebuild the Kingdom of God, minister to wounded hearts, assist unemployed families, mourn lost loved ones, and create new ways of evangelism and the studying of the Word of God.

The kingdom of God will continue to grow and we thank God for your life, your family and your churches, who have not left us alone, but have always prayed for our ministry with faith. Not only have you prayed, your have also made financial sacrifices with love and have given to our ministry. We are truly very grateful to God and to each of you for your sacrifice.

God will continue to honor your lives, your families and your churches.

What is happening in our family?

God has been good to our family. Our son Stephen started classes at Providence University in Winnipeg, and Rev. Kara de Mejia arrived back in Roatan recently, after visiting and sharing with her brothers and sisters-in-law who had not seen her in a long time.

Our daughter Kelly will complete her entire educational year online, with new processes to which we have had to adapt.

Stephen is adapting very well to the first year of university. Fortunately, with the help of scholarships and other financial aid, he has been able to pay for his fall tuition. Please pray that he will find a job to pay for his winter tuition.

If you would like to contact Stephen, please send him an email at this address: [email protected]

Emmanuel Community Kitchen Project (Soup Kitchen)

We could use a little help! www.tttfmicro.com

“To catch you up over the last couple of weeks, we did feed between 700 and 750 the week before last. Last week back to 600+. The new stove and refrigerator (used) are working out fabulously. We are experimenting with beans to see what we can stretch. We are also looking into pricing hot dog spaghetti (I am reserving judgement but my Honduran friends insist that it is delicious). We are maintaining each serving at less than 50 cents including the plates and forks.

Things are getting pretty bad here with petty crime and desperation for food. People are literally standing out in the middle of the street holding out a hand for drivers to give them money. There are people walking through the grocery store asking that we buy cereal and milk powder so they can feed their kids. There are so many people asking for money that we have started handing out uncooked rice and beans. It only helps for a couple of meals but there are so many asking, it is all we can do.

And even we are having to make difficult decisions in these difficult times. We are so grateful to those of you who have supported the mission and helped feed the hungry, but the reality is that those funds have been spent and the food has been eaten. We are at a real crossroads here and are facing the idea that we may not be able to continue helping without some financial assistance.  We have reached into our own pockets to our absolute limits.

We are almost out of money and will need to cut back unless we can get more in.  They have no jobs, money, or means of escape.  The airport is beginning to accept international travelers but it is a drop in the bucket compared to the cruise ships that won’t be back until next year.  These are the children of Christ, our brothers and sisters. Please consider helping us feed the people of Roatan.”

To see weekly updates and support this project, please go to: www.tttfmicro.com

Please pray that all the resources will be obtained to continue with this project for the benefit of individuals and families on the Bay Islands who are impacted by Covid 19.

Impact of Covid 19 in Honduras and Roatan

To update you on the impact of Covid 19 on Honduras, at the moment we have 71,616 cases. There have been 2,185 deaths and 22,065 people have recovered. We in Roatán have over 1128 cases confirmed at the moment;151 people have recovered and there have been 17 deaths.

There are 24 people at the Hospital and 43 at the Covid 19 center.

On September 21st a group of nurses and doctors arrived in Roatan from the mainland to help with the Covid impact on the Island. 

Roatan Emmanuel Episcopal Church

At Emmanuel Episcopal/Anglican Church our building continues to be closed. Our Diocesan Bishop Lloyd Allen called the Episcopal Church in Honduras to be prepared with the biosecurity protocol to open our buildings when the government approves. The protocol includes all the regulations regarding being in the building and celebrating the Eucharist, Morning or Evening Prayer. 

Projects at Emmanuel Church

We finished the stucco of a side wall of the church, a small project that we had to pause due to government regulations, and also stained the doors of the church, providing some work for one of the kids at the church.

We also help families pay for electricity, medications and groceries. 

There is not much that we can do, but we focus on the maintenance of the building until we can meet again to worship.

Financial Support

On the financial side, we continue to be very positive and to pray and praise God with faith and thanksgiving. We also ask you to continue to pray about our finances, that for the rest of the year our support will stabilize and be sufficient to cover our needs. At the moment our balance is very low. Therefore, please consider sending a special offering to cover our expenses and needs.

To donate now, please click on the following link (or copy and paste it into your browser):

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/13778

Or you can visit the Diocese of Fredericton’s website (www.anglican.nb.ca) then go to “Donate” for various ways to give online. Be sure to select “Honduras Mission Fund”.

Cheques should be made payable to “The Diocesan Synod of Fredericton” and sent to: Anglican Diocesan Synod of Fredericton, 115 Church Street, Fredericton, NB E3B 4C8

Phone: (506) 459-1801

All cheques should have “Honduras Mission” noted on the reference line.

We know that with the global impact of the pandemic it is difficult for everyone in the world. That said, we greatly appreciate your prayer and financial support to date and trust that you will continue to support us.

Please continue to pray for:

1.   Please continue to pray for Roatan and Honduras at a difficult time caused by Covid 19. 

2.   Pray for Stephen Mejia Thompson, our son as he continues studying at Providence University College in Manitoba and for him  to find a job to provide for his expenses.  

3.   Please pray for our Diocese in Honduras that is struggling financially to cover all the clergy stipends as Bishop Lloyd Emmanuel Allen said.

4.   Continued and stable financial support for the next years as we continue to serve the Lord in Roatán, Honduras.

5.   The ongoing construction in Coxen Hole. Pray for the remaining installation stages: Cement concrete for the floor at the moment.

6.   Our congregations: St. Peter by the Sea in Brick Bay, and Emmanuel in Coxen Hole.

7.   Please pray for the Rev. Robert Browning and for his ministry to English-speakers in Eastern Roatán.

8.   For youth leadership, that God will provide someone to minister to and guide the young people.

9.   Evangelism and practical outreach in the local communities in the midst of the pandemic. 

10.  For leadership for the Church in Roatán.

 

11.  The Episcopal Church in Honduras, for the process toward self-sufficiency to be continued in 2020.

Thank you to all who have faithfully prayed and faithfully given to support this incredible work of ministering to the people in our congregations.

Matthew 25:40: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Your prayers and continued support enable us to continue touching people’s lives with Jesus’ love.

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.     Ephesians 3:20-21 

Empowering the Church

Learning, Growing and Serving

Nelson and Kara Mejia

Episcopal Church of Roatan / Nelson and Kara Ministry (August 2020 Update)

Roatán Update August 2020

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. (Philippians 1:3-5, NIV)

We give all glory and honour to the Lord for your partnering with us. Without your support and especially your prayers, our ministry would never have been possible or impact our generation. We give our heartfelt special thanks to all of you for your sacrificial giving.

The past few months have been totally different in every aspect. As we all know, the disruption caused this year by a global pandemic and many other challenging factors such as malaria, dengue, education, unemployment, delinquency, and the country’s weak economy have negatively affected us and forced  us to cancel the plans that we had before the disruption.

Many people have had to work on projects to change and improve the way they earn an  income. Many have had to leave their daily occupations and go out to sell bread, baleadas, hamburgers, vegetables and many other things to survive.

Driving change inside our church can be challenging when change outside our church is greater. 

We pray for wisdom to take the challenges we are already facing, guided by God, confident in what the word of God says in Romans 8:31. That if God is in our favor, no one can be against us!

What is happening in our family?

Time goes fast; it seems like yesterday that a three-year-old boy arrived in Roatan in 2006, and this year he has received his Diploma from High School. The school didn’t celebrate graduation because of the impact of Covid 19, however he is going to Providence University in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Stephen and Kara have arrived safely in Winnipeg ahead of the start of his first term, and I would like to ask your prayers specially for Stephen as he experiences living in a new culture and being at a new stage of his life.

This is the first time that Stephen will be on his own, however we knew it would happen eventually. We will miss him, but we know it is for the best. If you would like to send a message to Stephen: [email protected]

Kara is returning to Roatan in the first week in September. Kelly’s school is planning to start classes online and if the situation permits they will have Art and Physical Education at the school.

Emmanuel Community Kitchen Project (Soup Kitchen)

We continue with the community kitchen, and at the moment we are feeding over 600 people around the Island. This includes adults and children.

To see weekly updates and support this project, please go to: www.tttfmicro.com

Please pray that all the resources will be obtained to continue with this project for the benefit of individuals and families on the Bay Islands who are impacted by Covid 19.

Impact of Covid 19

We continue to face Covid 19. To update you on Honduras, at the moment we have 43,197 cases,1377 deaths and 5794 people who have recovered.We in Roatán have 202 cases confirmed at the moment, and 60 people who have recovered. 

Roatan Emmanuel Episcopal Church

At Emmanuel Episcopal/Anglican Church our building continues to be closed. Our Diocesan Bishop Lloyd Allen, called the Episcopal Church in Honduras to be prepared with the biosecurity protocol to open our buildings when the government approves. The protocol includes all the regulations regarding being in the building and celebrating the Eucharist, Morning or Evening Prayer.

Projects at Emmanuel Church

We continue with the stucco of a side wall of the church, a small project that we had to stop due to government regulations. We would like to give a special thank you to Tracey Larter from Vancouver who has donated some money for this project and also for the delivery of bags of groceries to the people in need. Both churches – St. Peter in Brick Bay and Emmanuel Coxen Hole – received the benefit. Thank you, Tracey. 

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Financial Support

On the financial side, we continue to be very positive and to pray and praise God with faith and thanksgiving. We also ask you to continue to pray about our finances, that for the rest of the year our support will stabilize and be sufficient to cover our needs. At the moment our balance is very low. Therefore, please consider sending a special offering to cover our expenses and needs.

To donate now, please click on the following link (or copy and paste it into your browser):

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/13778

Or you can visit the Diocese of Fredericton’s website (www.anglican.nb.ca) then go to “Donate” for various ways to give online. Be sure to select “Honduras Mission Fund”.

Cheques should be made payable to “The Diocesan Synod of Fredericton” and sent to: Anglican Diocesan Synod of Fredericton, 115 Church Street, Fredericton, NB E3B 4C8

Phone: (506) 459-1801

All cheques should have “Honduras Mission” noted on the reference line.

We know that with the global impact of the pandemic it is difficult for everyone in the world. That said, we greatly appreciate your prayer and financial support to date and trust that you will continue to support us.

Please continue to pray for:

1.   Please continue to pray for Roatan and Honduras at a difficult time caused by Covid 19. 

2.   Pray for Stephen Mejia Thompson, our son who was accepted at Providence University College in Manitoba. Providence awaits him in September 2020. His flight is scheduled  for July 31rst.  Please pray for safe travel.

3.   Please pray for our Diocese in Honduras that is starting the process to elect a Suffragan Bishop to assist our Diocesan Bishop, Lloyd Emmanuel Allen.

4.   Continued and stable financial support for the next three years as we continue to serve the Lord in Roatán, Honduras.

5.   The ongoing construction in Coxen Hole. Pray for the remaining installation stages: Cement concrete for the floor at the moment.

6.   Our congregations: St. Peter by the Sea in Brick Bay, and Emmanuel in Coxen Hole.

7.   Please pray for the Rev. Robert Browning and for his ministry to English-speakers in Eastern Roatán.

8.   For youth leadership, that God will provide someone to minister to and guide the young people.

9.   Spiritual and practical outreach in the local communities.

10.  For leadership for the Church in Roatán.

11.  The Episcopal Church in Honduras, for the process toward self-sufficiency to be continued in 2020.

Thank you to all who have faithfully prayed and faithfully given to support this incredible work of ministering to the people in our congregations.

Matthew 25:40: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Your prayers and continued support enable us to continue touching people’s lives with Jesus’ love.

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.     Ephesians 3:20-21 

Empowering the Church

Learning, Growing and Serving

Nelson and Kara Mejia

Episcopal Church of Roatan / Nelson and Kara Ministry (July 2020 Update)

Roatan Update July 2020

Roatán Update July 2020

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. (Philippians 1:3-5, NIV)

We give all glory and honour to the Lord for your partnering with us. Without your support and especially your prayers, our ministry would never have been possible or impact our generation. We give our heartfelt special thanks to all of you for your sacrificial giving.

Emmanuel Community Kitchen Project (Soup Kitchen)

Yes, in response to the effect of the pandemic, we are cooking for about 200 people. Every other week we cook  for the congregation at Emmanuel Church and the people who work at the dump. In between, we cook for other people in need around Coxen Hole.

A website has been set up to publish the progress of the project and collect financial donations for food.  It is capable of taking not only single donations but recurring donations as well.  It will also be linked to our blog. To see weekly updates and support this project please go to: www.tttfmicro.com

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Please click on the link to see a small video of the project.

Please pray that all the resources will be obtained and any obstacles overcome to establish this project for the benefit of individuals and families on the Bay Islands who are impacted by Covid 19.

Impact of Covid 19

We continue to face Covid 19. To update you on Honduras, at the moment we have 18,082 cases, 479 deaths and 1,875 people who have recovered.

We in Roatán have 108 cases confirmed at the moment, 3 who have recove and we are expecting more confirmations in the next few days. These cases are located all over the island of Roatan.

The authorities are very concerned about the increase of cases, and at this point are calling for help from other countries. Here is the information if a Doctor or Nurse is willing to come to support Roatan.

By Amy Eader Beasley

Want to come to Roatan for diving or fishing? The island is requesting help from doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals, from around the world, who have (preferably) experience with COVID-19 and are willing to volunteer their services. Please complete this form and you will be contacted: https://forms.gle/ja8CtoHGA1Dx3JgaA Housing will be provided at a resort for volunteers. And we will take any volunteers that come through this post diving and/or fishing on Maxina (with proper biosecurity measures) on your down days.

Roatan Emmanuel Episcopal Church

At Emmanuel Episcopal/Anglican Church we continue to be closed. 

We hope we can open our building soon, but the most important thing is to do it safely, according to the government regulations and those of our Diocesan Bishop and his team in the Episcopal Church in Honduras.  

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Please pray that we can continue to be safe from the Covid 19 virus, and we pray the same for all of you.

Projects at Emmanuel Church

Just before the pandemic arrived in Honduras, we had started with the stucco of a side wall of the church, a small project that we had to stop due to government regulations. A few weeks ago we resumed work on it  in order to finish the project and most importantly give some work to two or three people so that  they could put bread on their table.

However, we will not be able to continue for long, since the resources we have are very few. We pray that God will provide the necessary resources for small projects and in this way provide a little work to some of the members of the Church.

If you as a person or as a Parish would like to help people with work, we have some small projects that we can develop at Emmanuel Church. Please contact us at: revnelsonmejia@yahoo.com

EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF ROATAN/ NELSON AND KARA MINISTRY (JUNE 2020 UPDATE)

Roatán Update June 2020

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. (Philippians 1:3-5, NIV)

We give all glory and honour to the Lord for your partnering with us. Without your support and especially your prayers, our ministry would never have been possible or impact our generation. We give our heartfelt special thanks to all of you for your sacrificial giving.

Emmanuel Community Kitchen Project (Soup Kitchen)

As we said in the previous update (Roatan Update May 2020) in response to the effect of the pandemic, on June 4th we started cooking for 100 people, most of them from the congregation at Emmanuel Church. We cooked rice, beans, tortillas and chicken, and a member of every family came to church to pick up the food, following the regulations of biosecurity and especially social distancing.

We expect next Wednesday to cook for about 150 people in the community of Brick Bay where we have St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. The goal is to cook one day for Coxen Hole and another for Brick Bay or more, if we can, as financial resources allow.

A website has been set up to publish the progress of the project and collect donations for food.  It is  capable of taking not only single donations but recurring donations as well.  It will also be linked to our blog.

To support this project please go towww.tttfmicro.com

We have already had a commercial smoker donated toward this effort, an electric stove, and an electric rice cooker for 300 people. We are looking for a propane stove, a refrigerator, and a freezer.  After tourism returns and people get back to work, the kitchen equipment will be retained to help feed the very poor on the island but on a smaller scale.

Please pray that all the resources will be obtained and any obstacles overcome to establish this project for the benefit of  individuals and families impacted by Covid 19 on the Bay Islands.

Impact of Covid 19

We continue to face Covid 19. To update you in Honduras, at the moment we have 5690 cases, 235 deaths and 583 people who have recovered.

We in Roatán have one case confirmed at the moment, and we are expecting more confirmations in the next few days. We hope most of the test results will be negative.

The Island is still closed — no one can come in or go out.  

By now we have over 200 people in quarantine, including islanders that the authorities brought back home from the mainland, and the marines who were working for cruise companies. 

Roatan Couldn’t open churches for services

At Emmanuel Episcopal/Anglican Church we expected to open our building for services on Sunday 24th of May.

This privilege to open our buildings was cancelled, because on Saturday 23rd the first case arrived in eastern Roatan. A group of nine people arrived in Roatan illegally by boat, the authorities put them in quarantine and tested them, and one  of them tested positive.

We hope we can open our building soon, but the most important thing is to do it safely, according to the government regulations and those of our Diocesan Bishop and his team in the Episcopal Church in Honduras.  

Please pray that we can continue to be safe from the Covid 19 virus, and we pray the same for all of you.

Financial Support

On the financial side, we continue to be very positive and to pray and praise God with faith and thanksgiving. We also ask you to continue to pray about our finances, that for the rest of the year our support will stabilize and be sufficient to cover our needs. At the moment our balance is very low. Therefore, please consider sending a special offering to cover our expenses and needs.

To donate now, please click on the following link (or copy and paste it into your browser):

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/13778

Or you can visit the Diocese of Fredericton’s website (www.anglican.nb.ca) then go to “Donate” for various ways to give online. Be sure to select “Honduras Mission Fund”.

Cheques should be made payable to “The Diocesan Synod of Fredericton” and sent to: Anglican Diocesan Synod of Fredericton, 115 Church Street, Fredericton, NB E3B 4C8

Phone: (506) 459-1801

All cheques should have “Honduras Mission” noted on the reference line.

We greatly appreciate your prayer and financial support to date and trust that you will continue to support us.

Please continue to pray for:

1.   Please continue to pray for Roatan and Honduras at a difficult time caused by Covid 19.

2.   Pray for Stephen Mejia Thompson, our son who was accepted at Providence University College in Manitoba. Providence awaits him in September 2020. His flight on June 10th was cancelled, but we hope he can get another one soon. 

3.   Please pray for our Diocese in Honduras that is starting the process to elect a Suffragan Bishop to assist our Diocesan Bishop, Lloyd Emmanuel Allen.

4.   Continued and stable financial support for the next three years as we continue to serve the Lord in Roatán, Honduras.

5.   The ongoing construction in Coxen Hole. Pray for the remaining installation stages: Cement concrete for the floor at the moment.

6.   Our congregations: St. Peter by the Sea in Brick Bay, and Emmanuel in Coxen Hole.

7.   Please pray for the Rev. Robert Browning and for his ministry to English-speakers in Eastern Roatán.

8.   For youth leadership, that God will provide someone to minister to and guide the young people.

9.   Spiritual and practical outreach in the local communities.

10.  For leadership for the Church in Roatán.

11.  The Episcopal Church in Honduras, for the process toward self-sufficiency and to be continued in 2020.

Thank you to all who have faithfully prayed and faithfully given to support this incredible work of ministering to the people in our congregations.

Matthew 25:40: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Your prayers and continued support enable us to continue touching people’s lives with Jesus’ love.

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.     Ephesians 3:20-21 

Empowering the Church

Learning, Growing and Serving

Nelson and Kara Mejia

EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF ROATAN/ NELSON AND KARA MINISTRY (MAY 2020 UPDATE)

Roatán Update May 2020

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. (Philippians 1:3-5, NIV)

We give all glory and honour to the Lord for your partnering with us. Without your support and especially your prayers, our ministry would never have been possible or impact our generation. We give our heartfelt special thanks to all of you for your sacrificial giving.

Emmanuel Community Kitchen Project

In response to the effect the pandemic has had on the people of Roatan, Emmanuel Episcopal Church/Teach Them To Fish is temporarily repurposing the glass recycling shop to be the ‘kitchen’ of a soup kitchen project.  Our goal is to feed as many people as we can in the coming months until tourism can return to the island.  Since about 85% of the population relies on tourism for their living, there are going to be families literally starving if we don’t pull together as a community to make sure everyone gets food for the rest of the year. According to the local authorities and the central government, local businesses will be open on May 18th from 6 am to 8 pm. Construction and churches are included in this and will  be open.

We as the Episcopal Church/Teach Them to Fish are ready to set up the kitchen and begin training. Last Friday 15th we began training. We used the smoker and we fed about 50 people including 13 that are in quarantine by the Covid 19 team.

The church’s plan is to start serving lunch to the local area around Emmanuel Episcopal Church once or twice a week until we can scale the operation up to as many days per week  as we can afford.  Our goal is to serve meals daily for three to five hundred people around the Island.

A website is being spun up to publish the progress of the project and collect donations for kitchen equipment and food.  It will be capable of taking not only single donations but recurring donations as well.  It will also have links to other local efforts and events and a blog.

We have already had a commercial smoker donated toward this effort.  We will begin training on how to use it now that the authorities will let us circulate.  The first loads of wood and ‘practice’ meats have also been donated.  We are looking for a six or eight burner stove, a refrigerator, and a freezer.  We are talking with the local grocery stores to sell us food at wholesale prices.  After tourism returns and people get back to work, the kitchen equipment will be retained to help feed the very poor on the island but on a smaller scale.

Please pray that all the resources will be obtained and any obstacles overcome to establish this project to benefit individuals and families affected by the impact of Covid 19 on the Bay Islands.

Impact of Covid 19

We continue to face Covid 19 and for two months we have experienced a new way of life. To update you on  Honduras, at the moment now we have 2646 cases, 142 deaths and 289 people who have recovered.

As well, we remain under curfew until May 17th, by order of the president. We in Roatán have no cases at the moment, and we hope we won’t; as a result of this, the central government and the local authorities will let businesses open in Roatan from May 18th from 6am to possibly 8pm; this is to support the local economy and also as a pilot project to implement in other cities and departments on the mainland. The Island is still closed — no one can come in, and every business needs to implement all the requirements established by the government.  

Solidarity Bags

In response to this difficult time for our parishioners we continued delivering bags of groceries among our congregation on May 5th and we expect to distribute more bags. Also one of the gas stations in Roatan brought groceries specially for the mothers in our church on Mother’s Day. 

Roatan opens churches for services

At Emmanuel Episcopal/Anglican Church we expect to open our building for services on Sunday 24th of May. This privilege is just in Roatan, and in the next few days we will receive the regulations we need to follow for the services. Also we will need the approval of our Bishop Lloyd Allen. We will need to use shoe disinfectant, masks and hand sanitizer; otherwise the authorities said a person can’t come into the church building. If a congregation  is bigger than 50 members, we need to hold two services to protect the people. Please pray that we can continue to be safe from the Covid 19 virus, and we pray the same for all of you.

Financial Support

On the financial side, we continue to be very positive and to pray and praise God with faith and thanksgiving. We also ask you to continue to pray about our finances, that for the rest of the year our support will stabilize and be sufficient to cover our needs. At the moment our balance is very low. Therefore, please consider sending a special offering to cover our expenses and needs.

To donate now, please click on the following link (or copy and paste it into your browser):

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/13778

Or you can visit the Diocese of Fredericton’s website (www.anglican.nb.ca) then go to “Donate” for various ways to give online. Be sure to select “Honduras Mission Fund”.

Cheques should be made payable to “The Diocesan Synod of Fredericton” and sent to: Anglican Diocesan Synod of Fredericton, 115 Church Street, Fredericton, NB E3B 4C8

Phone: (506) 459-1801

All cheques should have “Honduras Mission” noted on the reference line. We greatly appreciate your prayer and financial support to date and trust that you will continue to support us.

Please continue to pray for:

1.   Please continue to pray for Roatan and Honduras at a difficult time caused by Covid 19.

2.   Pray for Stephen Mejia Thompson, our son who was accepted at Providence University College in Manitoba. Providence awaits him in September 2020. His flight on June 10th was cancelled, but we hope he can get another one soon. 

3.   Please pray for our Diocese in Honduras that is starting the process to elect a Suffragan Bishop to assist our Diocesan Bishop, Lloyd Emmanuel Allen.

4.   Continued and stable financial support for the next three years as we continue to serve the Lord in Roatán, Honduras.

5.   The ongoing construction in Coxen Hole. Pray for the remaining installation stages: Cement concrete for the floor at the moment.

6.   Our congregations: St. Peter by the Sea in Brick Bay, and Emmanuel in Coxen Hole.

7.   Please pray for the Rev. Robert Browning and for his ministry to English-speakers in Eastern Roatán.

8.   For youth leadership, that God will provide someone to minister to and guide the young people.

9.   Spiritual and practical outreach in the local communities.

10.  For leadership for the Church in Roatán.

11.  The Episcopal Church in Honduras, for the process toward   self-sufficiency and to be continued in 2020.

Thank you to all who have faithfully prayed and faithfully given to support this incredible work of ministering to the people in our congregations.

Matthew 25:40: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Your prayers and continued support enable us to continue touching people’s lives with Jesus’ love.

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.     Ephesians 3:20-21 

Empowering the Church

Learning, Growing and Serving

Nelson and Kara Mejia