Not A Trip: Construction as Mission - Mateo Church of Christ, Honduras
December 4, 2021
Garner Goode and Stan Lowery have both been deeply involved with Hillsboro Church of Christ and Mateo Church of Christ in Honduras for nearly 20 years. On episode 13 of Not A Trip Garner and Stan shared about their experiences bringing students to work with Mateo Church of Christ. Stan is a leader within Hillsboro’s college ministry and Garner also attends Hillsboro and started going to Honduras through Lipscomb Missions when he was a student.
Lipscomb Missions and Hillsboro take a team to Honduras on spring break to engage with the community of Mateo and build houses for those who need them. The team also spends time building and maintaining relationships with the people of Mateo. When Stan first began leading trips to Honduras, he never expected to form the partnership with Mateo that they now have. He recalls that they began going on missions trips to build community within Hillsboro’s college ministry, but those trips have blossomed into something with a much deeper impact. Hillsboro and Mateo consider themselves more than a partnership, but two campuses of the same church.
Stan shared just how much that Hillsboro has learned from the congregation at Mateo. They are passionate about evangelism and want to spread the news of the gospel to all of the surrounding communities. Many of the families that Lipscomb teams and Mateo build houses for stay in contact with the church and stay connected with that faith community for a lifetime. People from rural towns and other cities were travelling, sometimes multiple hours, to attend church services. There was a need for sustained environments to serve these communities. In response, Mateo set a goal to plant 20 churches in surrounding areas in 2020. Due to COVID, no teams could be present to physically help with the goal, but Hillsboro prioritized assisting by sending funding for the project.
The partnership has not only changed Hillsboro, but it has had a lasting impact on Lipscomb students who have been a part of the team. Garner began going to Honduras during his freshman year at Lipscomb and has participated every year he has been able since. He was drawn to Honduras because he wanted to serve, but he felt that he was better suited for construction than a trip that was primarily door to door evangelism. Building houses in Honduras allows for students to lean into their talents by serving while creating relationships that alter the course of their lives. “I am involved with a church because of this trip. I have built relationships through this trip,” Garner said. “The idea that this podcast is called ‘Not a Trip’ is exactly right. It is not a trip, it is so much more.”
Stan reflected on all of the students that he has met through travelling to Honduras. Many former team members who once fundraised themselves now prioritize helping current students fundraise for their trip to Honduras every year. Every year as Stan prepares to leave, he receives letters and words of encouragement from former students who are still deeply invested in the work happening in Honduras. “It was not our intent to stay in Honduras or form this partnership, but God used our intentions and actions despite what we thought,” Stan said.
Not a Trip
Category: Student Life
Tags: Lipscomb missions, missions, Mateo Church of Christ, Hillsboro, Hillsboro Church of Christ, Honduras, Lipscomb