The year 1988 was one of the most tragic years in Honduras. Hurricane Mitch devastated our land, our homes, our lives, and our economy. Because of Hurricane Mitch, our small construction business was destroyed. There was no business to continue. We closed in 1999. In 2000 we lost our home, our land and everything we owned. We felt defeated and sunken. It was a not only an economic crisis, but also an emotional one.

In the beginning of 2001, we were told about The Caribbean Mercy Ship, a hospital ship, which was coming into our port in Puerto Cortes. Our pastor at that time encouraged members to volunteer their time on the ship.

The advanced team was gathering at our church. Even though I did not feel prepared for this task, I attended the meeting anyway. I never imagined what the Lord had in store for us, and the marvelous experiences that would change our lives.

Through the hundreds of patients that boarded the ship for help, I began to evaluate our dilemmas, which were nothing compared to those of these extremely poor folks. I remember it as if it was yesterday, the hope that the people came for, the blind, the anguish of a mother for her child, and the smiles of each child that was helped. What most affected me were all the hundreds of Christians that came from all over the world to help our poor nation.

Their love radiated true caring for serving the most humble people. I thought, "And we, the Hondurans, what are we doing for our own people? How is it possible that foreigners can love our children and people more than we do? What can I do for our people? How long will we be sleeping, ignoring and doing nothing to help ourselves?" This was the beginning of our new life.

Jesus Christ transformed our hearts, our pride and our materialistic minds. Instead of just worrying about us, Jesus put a love, compassion and burden in our souls for the poor and weak, for the forgotten ones of our society, for the remote areas where few wanted to go. God broke our hearts of stone and gave us hearts of flesh.

The ship left at the end of the summer. Meanwhile, the Lord was doing a healing work in us and giving us a profound compassion for ministry. Also we had met many people from the United States and Canada, and continued communicating with them.

In 2002 the ship returned, and this time the Lord had plans for us. Michele Arnett, a former missionary to Africa for many years, was always looking for people and places to preach and teach God's Word, especially to the women and children.

One day she asked me to go with her to translate. Every Thursday we went to a very poor community. I was almost unable to translate. I could not fathom the extreme poverty around me. I never imagined that this kind of poverty existed in my country. I was profoundly impacted for what my eyes beheld.

After I went home I could not stop crying for a long time. I began to praise God to realize that the little we had, we were wealthy compared to those in that community. I looked forward to each Thursday. Before the ship left, Michele asked me to continue visiting that village, and continue to have Bible Studies.

By the end of the year, there were over 50 women and 60 children. The next year I encouraged them to come to the church where I attended. By this time, the pastor's wife and other sisters in the Lord helped me. After 3 years every home in that village had been evangelized and many had accepted the Lord. There were 125 children that were transported on buses to go to Sunday School.

God prepared our hearts through this experience for the current mission we have now for the mountain of Sapadril. We were given the land. The Lord, through wonderful supporters, built us a home. He gave us a car, many new friends, and family who encouraged each step of the way, who were with us in the darkest hours, which helped us find a new vision, new mission and who gave us the greatest reasons to live, and that is to live according to God's perfect will.

Monte de Santidad was birthed because of the children. They came looking for love. It was through the children who brought their parents that the church started. It wasn't intended that way, but it automatically migrated in that direction. We are a small church in this mountainous area, and we are dedicated to serve others.

Our goal is to help restore families, free the abused, and those with vices, in place of violence to fill them with God's peace. We believe that the church starts in the homes and each will evangelize house by house, sharing the Word of God. Now, the work is not only children, but also adults and teens, helping them to develop emotionally and spiritually.
We are trying to follow the direction that Jesus left when He lived on this earth.

In August of the 2004 we finally moved to our new house build by friends and wonderful supporters, and the next month we were starting a Sunday class every afternoon. Our yard housed 8 children the first time, and every Sunday new children came. By the end of the year we had 60 children attending our Sunday School Class.

We had friends and family from town that came to help us teaching the children. We divided the Sunday School in 3 classes, pre-schoolers, schoolers and teenagers.

During this year the group grew up. We had mothers and adults attending our meetings and found that was necessary to open a meeting for adults at night. So, we started having the prayer meetings on Tuesday’s nights. After doing this, the group grew so fast and our living room wasn’t enough anymore to hold the meetings.

At the end of the summer we set the first stone to build our current church building. After many work and many volunteers we raised the walls. God moved great people to help building the church.

A godly woman from Canada helped to raise funds to buy and install the half of the roof Also, in 2006 Mercy Ships again came to Honduras, with a team that was interested in Community Health in the villages. They were initiating Community Health Evangelism (Evangelismo Comunitario de Salud- ECS) through Global Missions Institute (Instituto de Misiones Global Y Embajadores Medicos Internacionales- EMI) and International Medical Ambassadors.

 
I went there as a translator, but God knew what the ultimate intent was for our lives. At the end of 2006 we started training in this program and Pastor Shane and the church in Michigan provided to get the other half of the roof. The church finally had a building to praise and worship our Faithful and Almighty God

Leticia and Javier, we finished our studies 2007. We were immediately initiated as qualified, and in October 2007 we had the first ECS graduated from our community, Sapadril. We are not only serving in the church and community, but also we are a team of nine people spreading the good news of salvation at the village plus working at preventive teaching to the families of the mountain.
At the end of the 2007 we had the visit of Mrs. Norene Fritz and Pastor Shane Fritz. We spend a week together and shared about the vision that God had given us for the future and for this land. God blessed us with a strong friendship and partnership and new time started for Monte de Santidad.

Pastor Shane Fritz and Mrs. Norene Fritz came again and this time they brought a team the first time. Their project was to add two classrooms to the church. The project ended successfully and we got the new addition to church. Then in July, we decided to start building accommodation to house teams and the project was leaded for our good friend Wendy Graham.

On the team from Michigan in February, we met Dr. Jonathan Denis, who received from God the vision and the call to minister our people because of the great need of health care assistance. Since that time we have been praying for the purpose to build a Medical Clinic and are very excited to see how step by step God is accomplishing the plans He has for this mountain. Lord Jesus Christ has been so faithful in supporting every area, every need of the vision He gave us one day.

In June we had finished the new dorms to house teams. One is for men and another for women. Are basically equipped to house 10 people in each.

 
Also in June we had a team from Michigan again. This time, God had plans for the children of the mountain. God gave the vision of a sponsorship program for the children to Mr. Ken Hayes who as soon as he got back to USA started working on the organization that God called him to do. Few weeks later Give2GiveHope started and it is running with the provision of God and the faithful commitment of prayer and financial supporters.

 

Give2GiveHope is to provide food, medicine, clothe and education to the children in need. Monte De Santidad volunteers with them and allow them to use Monte De Santidad facilities to run the program for the children on Sapadril.

 

Later in July the team from Canada started building a retaining wall to protect the new dorms. The project is not completely finished yet, but it is doing a good job protecting the new rooms from the floods during the raining season

In February we had a team from Michigan again, to complete some minor construction projects as well as help ministering the people, holding medical clinics for La Union, Lempira, Sapadril Arriba and Sapadril Abajo.

 

This time we met Architect Dean DeKryger who came to design the floor plans for the clinic. On April we received the floor plans for the clinic and we are looking forward to see how our Lord once again will be faithful completing the good work He has started!

 
June brought a new team from Michigan, this time focused on the G2GH program. So far, there are more that 250 children waiting for their hope.

It is a great privilege to serve our village. There have been many mission minded folks, organizations and churches that have joined in these endeavors. They have built our home, the church, additions to the church, roofing, dorms and much more. They are also an integral part of this ministry. We are also personally strictly supported by love offerings.

 
It is also our great privilege to be your hands extended to Honduras. God has done great things in our village. Now you and us have work to do. God is faithful and we must all do our part. Thank you again for being part of the work. We love each and every one of you. God bless you real good.

We still are waiting in God’s will to go ahead with vision we have received from God.
- The Day-care for the children. Many single MomS will get a job opportunity if they have a safe place to leave their children.
- The Tree’s plantation, to provide fresh nutrients to the bad nourished children.
- The Trade School were our youth and teenagers that were not able to complete school for much different reason can have a new opportunity to get a better future.
- The Micro-business for the women that includes embroidery, sewing, crafts and jewelry making.
-The Bible School to train missionaries that will be ready and obedient to do and go where ever God call them or ask them
to do.

WHAT WE BELIEVE

 

Apostles Creed

 

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Divine Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell.
The third day He arose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy church,
the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.

 

We believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to God.

John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

We live in the rain forests of Sapadril, about 25 minutes by auto from Puerto Cortez in North Western Honduras.   The closest airport is San Pedro Sula which is about 1 hour and 30 minutes away by auto.

 

Check out the Google Map below for details on where we are.  The red marker is our church and we've highlighted a couple areas of interest in our area.

 

We'd love to have you come and visit us and meet the wonderful people of our church and community.  See the contact us page to get in touch with us for further information.

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