January 20, 2007

Greetings to our Friends, Family, and Brethren!

I am writing to inform you of an additional way that MEDA is impacting Honduras. Just today, Carlos Montoya, Carlos Nunez, and I had the wonderful opportunity of showing honor to our governing authorities by using the MEDA facilities to host the Vice-President of Honduras, Elvin Santos, who visited out city today.

It was quite and incredible time. MEDA obviously enjoyed the highest measure of police cover that it has ever had. ⊕ The secret police came about an hour before the V.P. was to arrive. In the process, a MEDA student named Edwin Sauceda and I got to evangelize three of them as a group as we talked about what is their hope should they die in the line of duty during this visit. ⊕ It was a great time and I believe Edwin exchanged contact information to follow up with them.

After evangelizing some of the secret police, I was told that they needed my car!! The Mayor of the city had not prepared enough vehicles, so my car was volunteered to serve the Vice-President and the people of Honduras. The MEDA employees did the fastest wash job I have ever seen them do and the car was ready and lined up at the end of the vehicle train. The captain of the secret service asked me if I would drive the vehicle and I told him that he could. He told me that he wanted me to. So…what does a man do?

Eventually, the Vice-President came over the mountains in his thunderous blasting helicopter. He touched down on the MEDA Soccer field and then was surrounded by military and secret service as he came over to shake hands and greet our families, and the MEDA personnel.

After greeting the MEDA families and personnel, he boarded the car in the middle of the train and the secret service boarded the other vehicles, one of which, I was driving (mine). As we began to pull out of the MEDA facility the captain told me two things, 1) roll down your windows so we can have our machine guns out, just in case something happens, and 2) should something happen, we need to be the barrier for the Vice- President to escape, so park the car on which ever side is being attacked!!! I then asked him, “What should I do once we are barricading?” He said, “Pray, God will watch over us (by the way, this captain is a brother-in-law to one of our Seminary students who is here studying this week J)” It was at that point that I realized that I really was honoring the king in a very practical way out of love for Christ! ⊕

Finally, our train arrived at the municipality where every Mayor in Honduras was present to receive a reforestation grant for his municipality. I was asked to do scripture reading and prayer. So I read John 19:7-11 with emphasis upon Jesus’ response to Pilate, "You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above…” and then I prayed to the triune God as I gave the sense of the passage and asked that each one of these Mayors would carry out their duties and functions with the consciousness that they are accountable to God the Father. It was tough to pray to our LORD in a way that would give him the distinction he deserves in such a confused society over who God is, but I hope the goal was achieved. ⊕ At the end of the ceremony, the Vice-President specifically thanked MEDA for its hospitality and willingness to serve.

After the ceremony, the train returned to MEDA, we then enjoyed lunch at one of the MEDA homes with the Vice-President and other dignitaries. At the luncheon, we presented the Vice-President a MacArthur Study Bible and he said that he had seen one before…on the Mayor’s bookshelf beside his desk, and he is pleased to now have his very own copy. We gave a MacArthur study Bible to the other dignitaries, as well and then sent one with the Vice-President to give to the First Lady. If you recall, MEDA gave a MacArthur Study Bible to the President in November 2006 for giving a special order for the issuance of Visas for Cuban pastors coming to MEDA. At the same time, Carlos Nunez (our executive director), had opportunity to share what we do here at MEDA and how the changed lives of people who submit to Christ is what will transform the culture. ⊕ It was great!

As the Vice-President departed the MEDA home, each family took pictures with him (he speaks really good English). Our children gave him gifts and pictures that they had drawn to honor him in a very small way. He then made his way to his helicopter, told us he would like to return to play soccer with us at some point J, got into his helicopter and lifted off at the joyous screams of our children (as you will recall, we have 4 that can scream really well and the Montoyas have 6). ⊕

We don’t think that the President, nor the Vice-President, are Christians, but it is very apparent to all of us that over the last three months the LORD has opened some very significant doors for us to walk through. This whole thing came about just by being neighborly and modeling Christ, to our city Mayor. The Mayor, whom we are unsure whether he is saved, asked us to participate in this wonderful opportunity! Our time with these men was not political, but more focused on trying to define with clarity, Christ and Him crucified.

Now, we have just been approached by the Colonel of the military base here in town to pray with them and to offer them biblical counseling! So…the LORD has us here not only to prepare men for ministry and to serve in our local church, but also to give testimony of Him before Kings and governors! ⊕

Continue to pray for us and the various ministries of MEDA. Ask the LORD to make Christ our focal point and definition in everything that we do with relationship to the governing officials. Ask the LORD to keep us and protect us in this wonderful city. Ask Him to make our relationships on the MEDA team even stronger than they already are, as we enjoy such wonderful opportunities to minister together.

Together for the Gospel!

Adrian Donato
P.S. We did manage to invite the President to come to MEDA one day, as well. ⊕