Celebrating Fifteen Years of Operations and Sixteen Years Since Inception

30 May Celebrating Fifteen Years of Operations and Sixteen Years Since Inception

By: Phil Waldron, CEO

August 1^st, 2008, we signed the papers that gave birth to Mission UpReach, a mission of the Campus View Church of Christ. Almost one year later, our family, minus Sarah our oldest daughter, arrived in Honduras on June 5^th.

The day we arrived, we took a taxi from the San Pedro Sula airport to a downtown hotel. The cab driver apologized for the political conditions of his country at the time. Despite me having traveled to Honduras some eleven times in the months leading up to our moving, I had not heard of the rising political unrest due to actions taken by the then sitting president. Some three weeks later, the military arrested the sitting president and flew him out of the country to Costa Rica where he was exiled by the government that took over.

There was quite a bit of unrest for several weeks before things settled down. We spent six weeks living in a hotel in Santa Rosa before our containers, containing our household goods and office furniture, were released by the customs authorities.

Looking back at those days, it is mostly a blur in our minds. In some ways, it seems so long ago, and in other ways, it seems like only yesterday. So much has happened. And we have seen God accomplish so much through our efforts in the intervening years. We have met many, many challenges. We have seen countless victories. And we have experienced incredible, soul crushing loss.

Through it all, we have learned, and proclaim boldly to anyone who will listen, “God is good.” As I peer into the future, I am overwhelmed with all that there is left to do to see our vision of a grass roots movement lead to a revival across the region. Considering my age (I will celebrate 63 this year), I’m facing the reality that I will most likely not live to see the full fruit of all that we have been doing these years. I’m reminded of a quote that is attributed to Martin Luther, the great reformer. He said, “even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant an apple tree today.”

I am not quite sure of all that Martin Luther intended to communicate with this phrase; however, it resonates with me, given the perspective that 63 years of life has given me, by communicating that our hope is in God’s plan to redeem mankind and His creation. We are promised a new heaven and new earth where there is no more pain nor sorrow and no more death and decay. It also communicates that my faith, and yours too, should be in the impeccable and glorious timing of God bringing about events that are programmed just as he sees fit as evidenced by Paul’s inspired phrase found in Galatians 4:4, “in the fullness of time.”

Losing a son, especially in the tragic way that we lost our Harrison after his injury and then suffering for seven long years, has given me a sobering perspective on life, death, pain, loss, suffering, joy, happiness, wealth, fame, etc. I love the words from the old hymn, “I Know that My Redeemer Lives” because it communicates the beautiful truth that we can all place our hopes and cares on Jesus our Savior because he is faithful to fulfill his promises.

“I know that my Redeemer lives, and ever prays for me; I know eternal life He gives, from sin and sorrow free. He wills that I should holy be, in word, in tho’t and deed; Then I His holy face may see, when from this earth-life freed. I know that unto sinful men, His saving grace is nigh; I know that He will come again to take me home on high. I know that over yonder stands a place prepared for me; A home, a house not made with hands, most wonderful to see.”

I’m not advocating an escapist faith that sees this life as evil, secular and material. This world and this life are not a version of purgatory that we should long be freed from but rather it is the pathway that we currently tread in our pilgrimage towards eternity. Suffering, pain, and loss did not originate with our Father in Heaven. He allows those things though, in this life, to awaken our spirits to the reality that this world, as it is, is not our home.

So, I am not saying, “this life is bad therefore I can’t wait to get to Heaven.” Instead I am saying what I think Paul is communicating when he talked about, “the unsearchable riches of Christ” that are ours in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:8-9; 1:7-14).

I am not sure what the next fifteen years holds in store for us. I pray that Mission UpReach, Inc. will continue to be of service to the ever-expanding kingdom of God in this region. I pray that God will continue to supply the funds and support that this ministry needs to achieve the vision of a grass roots revival leading to the transformation of hundreds and even thousands of lives in the generation to come. I pray that God will continue to raise up Honduran leaders in our ministries that can take their peers and countrymen to a higher plane of integrity, community service, and Christian witness.

Thank you for being a part of all that God has done these past fifteen years. Keep us in your prayers as we enter the second half of our ministry here. We appreciate every one of you.