How We Serve
Bethel Central American Ministries is a 501c3 organization which is able to provide a tax-receipt to donors who wish to support designated projects or individuals.
Primarily serving the needs of God’s people in Honduras and Nicaragua means that Bethel Central American Ministries is working among the poorest of the nations in the Western Hemisphere (Nicaragua and Honduras are ranked as second and third poorest respectively, after Haiti). While the Christians of these countries serve the Lord with a willing heart and a sacrificial lifestyle, they are immeasurably helped by the loving support of the God’s people in more prosperous nations.
God often chooses to supply the needs of His people through the giving of others as the Apostle Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 9:10-13:
Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God. For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God, while, through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal sharing with them and all men.
Notice the three ways blessings are endowed through giving:
1. The needs of the saints are supplied. Oftentimes these needs are rather pressing and simply knowing that others recognize and share in their burdens is of tremendous consolation as well as practical significance to the needy believers.
2. Those who give have demonstrated “fruits of righteousness” for which thanksgiving is made to God. Both fellow Christians as well as unbelievers take note of how Christians care for their own. Jesus said, “By this will all men know that you are My disciples if you have love for one another” John 13:34-35.
3. As a result, God Himself is glorified. He has given to us the greatest gift possible, but nevertheless, He has graciously granted us the privilege of giving back to Him through the care of His people.
Israel and Flor's
testimony...
The principle described by the apostle Paul is wonderfully illustrated in the story of Honduran missionaries Israel and Flor and their initial trial of faith in serving God. As newlyweds, Israel and Flor felt the call of the Lord to leave their native Honduras and travel to Estelí, Nicaragua to plant a church in that growing and centrally-located city. With this in mind, Israel and Flor sold their possessions and with the resulting cash were able to travel to Nicaragua and rent a small home not far from the city’s central plaza.
The couple dedicated themselves to evangelizing and witnessing for Christ and through patient efforts were blessed by seeing their first converts place their trust and faith in Christ. But while Israel and Flor were encouraged by this spiritual fruit, they were becoming increasingly distressed by their financial condition. The money they had received from selling their possessions was by now nearly exhausted and no further provision had come in. The young couple dedicated themselves to prayer but still no money was sent from the Christians in Honduras. Finally, Flor decided to use their last of their nearly depleted cash to buy some bouillon cubes with which to make a broth to diminsh their hunger. After two days of living on only broth, Israel returned home from his routine of door-to-door evangelizing to find his wife weeping inconsolably. They had sold virtually all they had to go to the mission field and now they found themselves forgotten and without money to buy even the most basic foodstuffs. But God had not forgotten them!
Israel put his hands around his wife’s shoulders and suggested that they pray. The two newlyweds knelt down before the Lord and cried out to Him for provision. Theirs was an earnest prayer.
A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Israel rose from prayer and answered it. He found at the door a smiling young man who had only recently placed his faith in Christ. This young man explained to Israel and Flor that he had gone into the new supermarket in town and to his surprise as he entered the doors the store manager declared him to be the one thousandth customer. With fanfare and photographers, they gave him an empty shopping cart and five minutes to fill it as full as he could with whatever he could. He told Israel, “I’m single and don’t need many groceries, so I decided to give it all to you and Flor.” As you can imagine, Israel and Flor knelt once more. This time they gave praise to God for His perfectly-timed provision.
In accordance with Paul’s teaching in 2 Corinthians, the young man’s generosity met a very pressing need in Israel’s and Flor’s lives. Additionally, their story resounds in our hearts with thanksgiving for God’s promise to provide all our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). Finally, God Himself is glorified as we consider both His sovereignty as well as His loving concern for the very details of our lives—in this case, even to perfectly timing the young man’s day so that he would enter the doors of the supermarket at just the right moment.
