Kelli Easterling

Richmond County Daily Journal

Planning is underway for Hamlet’s Second Baptist Church to make its annual mission trip to Honduras.

“The trip, which lasts just eight days, takes about eight months to plan,” said Chris Hawks, pastor of the Church. “Making sure everyone in the group has passports, shots, materials and, of course, raising the funds.”

Funding consists of $3,000 for building materials, and funds for each person’s trip. The funds pay for a home, which the group builds, for a Honduran family in need.

Families are identified though North Carolina Baptist Men and Women, which is the organization the Church works through to plan the trip.

“It is amazing what strong bonds you can build with people, in just eight days,” Hawks said, when speaking about the villagers they meet and work with.

The Organization’s missionaries in Honduras are from Richmond County. Mike Greene, of Hamlet and Ginger Shelley Greene, of Rockingham have been in Honduras since December 2009.

“Two years ago Mike got an e-mail from Baptist Men looking for a couple to take over as on-site coordinators in Honduras,” said Ginger Greene. “ We quit our jobs, and went out on a big leap of faith in God because this was God's will for us to be his servants in Honduras. We hope to see more of our friends and family in Honduras in the near future.”

“People can follow our blog spot www.ncbmhonduras.blogspot.com, where we post updates about our time in Honduras,” she said.

“It’s hard to imagine, but after the 1998 Hurricane, Mitch, hit Latin America, Honduras never really recovered,” said Hawks. “The Country just doesn’t have the infrastructure to allow them to rebuild, but the government has worked with us to make these mission trips possible. Not every government is as cooperative as they have been.”

“It’s a life-changing experience to see first-hand the need in some other countries, I think every American, who can, should travel to a third-world country to see how blessed we really are,” he said. “It really helps put things in perspective.”

Clara Strickland, 69, of Hamlet, went on the trip last year and plans to return this October.

“You think you know what poverty is, until you see a place like that firsthand,” said Strickland. “It just makes me grateful to have been born in the United States, and to have had all the opportunity that I’ve had in my life. I feel blessed to be able to share with those less fortunate.”

The Church went with First Baptist, of Hamlet, last year, but anticipates having enough interest this year to form their own group.

“Each group has about 12 people,” said Trent Strickland, Second Baptist Church deacon. “About 20 teams go to Honduras through the North Carolina Baptist Men and Women Organization every year.”

“Our mission is to help families in great need, and this gives us the opportunity to show God’s love in action,” he said.

Anyone interested in finding out more about volunteer opportunities can visit www.baptistsonmission.org.