MAKING A DIFFERENCE – Members of the Weakley County Baptist Association braved 95-plus degree temperatures in Honduras recently to help build Sunday school classrooms. The women of the group conducted Vacation Bible School for the children in Choluteca. | | | Over the years, volunteers from across the county traveled thousands of miles to make a difference in other peoples’ lives. The Weakley County Baptist Association traveled to southern Honduras last month to do mission work in the El Bonquito community located in the city of Choluteca. This year was the organization’s eighth trip to Honduras.
In 1998, Hurricane Mitch devastated the region with severe flooding. The area is incredibly poor and is still struggling in the years after the hurricane. Five thousand people died in Choluteca alone as a result of Hurricane Mitch.
The WCBA is centered in Dresden and is a family of 45 cooperative Baptist churches of all different sizes from Weakley County and a few from Carroll County.
This year’s group, made up of 32 people from 13 different churches, was the association’s largest ever to make the trip. Five women also made the trip this year, becoming the first women ever to travel with them.
The WCBA’s director of missions is Wayne Perkins. This year the mission consisted of men constructing several Sunday school classrooms, while women held Vacation Bible School for the children. They accomplished the most work ever on the construction project this year. The VBS had 47 kids the first day, and by the end of the week there were said to be more than 80 kids in attendance.
Association leader and Weakley County General Sessions Judge Tommy Moore made his 13th trip to Choluteca this year. Prior to making the trip with the WCBA, Moore traveled there multiple times with Union University and another with First Baptist Church in Dresden.
“We go to the same town, which is Choluteca, Honduras” said Moore. “We affiliate with the same church every year, the Nazaret Baptist Church, who has started about 20 other mission churches. Usually we end up going out to some remote area with them and either build or remodel a mission church or build Sunday school classes.”
“It is unbelievably hot,” said Moore of the climate in Choluteca. “It was close to 95 degrees there during the day.”
The money the WCBA uses for the projects comes from a program called the Weakley 1,000. The association’s goal is to get 1,000 people to give $10 twice a year. If their goal is met, it raises $20,000 to use towards construction.
“There aren’t a thousand people yet, but they do raise over $10,000 every year,” said Moore. Another fund contributed by individuals and churches at the association in years past is through the Pace fund. The Pace fund goes toward helping preachers and seminary students.
“We have $3,500 in scholarships that are ongoing right now. We’ve sent one kid to law school, one to a seminary, two to medical school and one child to private school. That’s another accomplishment the organization is very proud of.”
“There are other groups that do similar things,” said Moore. “For example, I know that the Martin Church of Christ goes to Costa Rica. We are just another example of people from Weakley County trying to make a difference.” WCP 2.16.12 |
