Volunteers in Dexter load container bound for Honduran mission

DEXTER, Mo. -- More than a dozen men gathered Thursday morning at Kris Willis RV in Dexter to help load a truck that is soon to make a long journey.

The truck is carrying loads of personal goods, office supplies, clothing and other items thousands of miles to Honduras.

Near San Pedro Sula, Honduras, sits the Faith Home Child Care Center, a ministry of General Baptist Missions.

Faith Home houses about 90 orphans, helps them with everything from health care to housing. Faith Home also houses 16 parents and five missionaries who live in the facility full time.

"Both the center and the goods we are sending are to bless them with the things they need to continue this mission," said Sean Warren, director of General Baptist Missions. "All of this is for us to introduce Christ's love to the poorest of the poor."

Thursday's load came from five states and contained everything from washing machines and toilets to notebooks and clothes.

Jerry Willis of Dexter, who has worked with General Baptist Missions for more than 20 years, said they send two 40-foot overseas containers filled with supplies per year.

While some supplies can be bought in Honduras, other things -- such as plumbing, electrical supplies, tractors -- are far more expensive due to being imported.

The containers used to ship items come from fruit companies Dole and Chiquita, which regularly make large shipments to America. Through an agreement, they allow General Baptist Missions to use the containers to ship items back to Honduras.

"It's a really practical way of getting our supplies into Honduras," Willis said.

This year alone, Warren said, about 15 mission volunteer teams will be visiting the mission to aid in all types of efforts.

"They'll be doing everything from construction to medical work or maintenance and education," Warren said. "Helping these children is truly a blessing."

The birth of Faith Home came in 1994 with the purchase of 50 acres outside of San Pedro Sula.

"The Honduras mission, being a children's home, gets a piece of your heart and will change your life when you visit," Willis said. "Knowing there's an opportunity to change young people's lives in ways they would never get to do is a very rewarding experience."

For more information, call International Missions at 573-785-7746 or visit the Faith Home website at www.faithhome.net.