VICTORY HIGHWAY TEAM – Leaders: DALE and CHERYL CLEVELAND

John 15:11 “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

PART 1

This team had their struggles before arriving here in Honduras. One had back surgery 3 weeks before arriving. The one story that impacted the team, us and all those he told it to was Mark. He is next to Marvin in the top left photo kneeling. He had a horrible accident that broke his nose, broke his eye socket and basically peeled his nose back. The doctors told him he couldn’t go to Honduras and that he needed surgery. This was 3 weeks before the team had to leave. However Mark knew in his heart that he was being called by the Lord and that his joy wasn’t complete until he would arrive in Honduras. With a lot of prayer and anointing by the Holy Spirit Mark was completely healed in 7 days. He came to Honduras and discovered a multitude of reasons in why he needed to be here. This team had the task to pick up from team #18. However the building had changed some because we were able to keep Giron and his crew still working to move things forward. The team had to finish laying block and hauling in by wheelbarrow 8 dump truck loads of #2 stone. As you can see that the inside of the building needed to be backfilled and it was all done by hand. Even though this team was an older team with some physical limitations they made their joy complete by doing all that they could by the Power of God. They were a miracle in themselves and a testimony to all.

PART 2

Can you imagine your boss tossing you a pick and shovel and a hand tamp and said, “Well here is your work for the week and you’re doing all this for free.” Many in today’s day in age would have laughed and walked off. This is the meaning of making His joy complete when we take on tasks of service in gratitude for the love He has shown us. It is done without complaint and without question. The top left photo is what the team had to do first off. They had 2 classrooms and a kitchen that was about half the size of a classroom to backfill by hand. Not only did they use the dirt inside they had to go and hand dig dirt and wheelbarrow it in for backfill. Then they came to me and said what next we are missing dirt. I instructed them to start hauling in stone as you can see in the 5^th photo. It wasn’t a small amount. In many areas we are talking about 16’’ of gravel. While the team took turns in moving dirt others were working on forming rebar columns, laying concrete 6” block, and forming up the beams that will go the perimeter of the building. Towards the end of the week we would fill the formed beams as seen in the 4^th photo. On top of this more than half of the team left at 11:30am to go and teach a sewing class in the Barrio Rincon. So the labor effort was reduced. This created a time of testing if our Joy would stay or not under the 90 plus degree heat.

PART 3

As with every team I’m moved to pick a scripture that goes with the team and how their experience reflected the scripture. Cheryl with the ladies on team had a calling to make their joy complete by seeing the joy in the ladies once again and also being able to teach them new projects. I remember when Cheryl started this new phase with BBM teams back in 2008. She came with the Joy of Jesus to teach women a skill in sewing and also witnessing to them with her laugh and attitude of Christ. This seed that she planted has blossomed into a relationship with many of these women. It has spilled over to many other teams and with many other women who have the same gift of teaching a craft project. Team #19 taught this year in how to do needle point, jewelry, and crochet. As you can see in the photos the class has grown over the years from a group of 12 to a group of 20. What I witness is the glow in the women who take the class and how it spills over and flows into their tailoring class that they take on Saturday. It is allowing the women from the Barrio to form a stronger bod with their neighbors and forget the gossip that was being passed by each other. Also I witnessed the glow in the women who would come home each evening and just talk about each person they had contact with. It is interesting in how one person’s Joy can be made complete by just saying yes.

PART 4

One of the themes throughout the teams and throughout this year is toothbrushes. Almost all the teams that have come down have brought toothbrushes, toothpaste, and teeth cleaning kits. The other interesting aspect of this is that we were able to help 3 schools and our Saturday youth group. This is over 1,000 children that were helped with their dental hygiene. So many children that are in grades 1-6 have rotten teeth because they don’t brush, don’t know how to brush, or just can’t afford to have a toothbrush. I believe that the Lord has used each team to deliver the quantity needed to serve all these children. I also believe that God isn’t done by just reaching to these children but we have enough brushes to reach an entire prison. We are planning on heading back to LaPaz prison and reach out to our fellow brothers and non-believers and give toothbrushes from the overflow from the teams. This will add another 300 inmates and guards that will be reach out to by these very generous donations. Another witness was by Sean Bueno who just went in and asked his Dentist if he would be willing to help out with some toothbrushes. What Sean received was a blessing. He received 400 toothbrushes from his Dentist. Praise the Lord! As you can see in the 3 photos the children were happy with their gift. Thank you to all the Dentist who have given!

PART 5

I like to call this report “Testimonies”. Each team member had their share of hearing testimonies from our boys youth group in how BBM has reached out to them and has brought them to Jesus Christ and where Jesus has made a huge change and impact on their lives. They heard in how Jesus took ex-gang members, thieves, gun handlers, drug users and alcoholics  and changed them to young men who are on fire for Jesus Christ. This team like many of our teams has witnessed the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in many forms. An example was when one day we were getting ready to pray and the Lord spoke to me to give a witness and while I was giving this witness in Spanish and English I notice that the guard (Jose) came out of his room. He leaned back and listened more. I was moved again by the Spirit to welcome him to the circle and he jumped and came in holding hands. I then asked him if he would like to receive Jesus as his Savior. He started to cry and said yes. I walked towards him and we laid hands on the man. The team felt his entire body vibrate from the presence of the Holy Spirit and Jesus coming into his life. He is seen in the 4^th Photo being presented with a new Bible. Some of the team members shared Jesus Christ by giving their testimony as seen in the last photo and or they shared Jesus by their love as seen in the 1^st three photos. Are you sharing Jesus Today?