Dear Friends and Fellow Supporters, 

Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. -Philippians 1:3-5

These words of Paul came to life for me five years ago when I returned from my first trip to San Pedro Sula. I left Kentucky thinking I was embarking on a short-term mission trip much like any other I had been on. I anticipated enjoying my time in a new country, serving and meeting new people. I prepared myself for the infamous heat, the tropical bugs, and the time change. My heart was ready to serve, but what I wasn’t prepared for was how deeply the Sparrow community would find its way into my heart—and never leave. It became so much more than a place to serve; it became a place of partnership with my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. 

Back home in Kentucky, I serve as the Executive Director of a women’s ministry called Lane of Roses. At Lane of Roses, we empower women to live out their God-given purpose. A little over five years ago, Brooke (the Director of Operations at Sparrow) came to me with an idea. Brooke loved Lane of Roses and how God was using the ministry in the States. She wanted to bring it to the women of Sparrow. Together, we decided on a summer trip completely focused on women and discipleship. That first year, we hosted Bible Studies, workshops, and ended the trip with a retreat day for the women of Sparrow. We had 22 women attend, each leaving with a devotional translated into Spanish. 

Brooke’s prayer from the beginning was that through investing in the women of Sparrow, they would feel seen, known, and deeply loved. I hope the work of the Lane of Roses teams throughout the past five years has done just that, but I know without a doubt that the women of Sparrow have done that and so much more for me—and for every person I have brought to Honduras. They have made us feel seen, known, and loved in ways that have left a lasting impact.

You expect many things when planning to lead a short-term mission trip, but five years ago I never expected that out of my trips to San Pedro Sula I would truly begin to understand what partnering for the Gospel was really all about. 

I never expected Sparrow women to translate 6 Lane of Roses resources into Spanish. 

I never expected a fellow translator to end up living in my town and teaching my child Spanish. 

I never expected to leave every year encouraged and empowered by the women of Sparrow to continue the race God has set before me and Lane of Roses. 

I never expected to see the power of love and genuine passion for the Gospel wash away a language barrier. 

I never expected to cry tears of joy when I saw my friends’ new church building (Iglesia Sublime Gracia) complete and bursting with people. 

I never expected to be invited into women’s Bible Studies where I heard testimony after testimony of women coming to know the Lord. Those tender stories have never left my heart. 

I never expected to be reaching out to my Honduran friend (a doctor) for medical advice because we weren’t getting adequate answers in the States. 

I never expected that the women I met in Honduras would become my friends and people I would deeply miss year after year. 

God used an idea and two women willing to give it a try to bring about one of the most beautiful partnerships I’ve ever known. What started as 22 women has grown with each passing year. This year we had the privilege of ministering to well over 100 women from the Rancho Bonito community. These women are teachers, supporters, leaders, students, grandmothers, and mothers. They come to our workshops, prayer nights, retreats, and fellowships ready to gather as believers and be with the Lord. They are strong and faithful sisters in Christ–loving the Lord with all their hearts and all their minds and all their souls. They believe in His mighty power and they gather to know Him better! 

As I leave Honduras each time, my heart breaks more than it did the previous year as my love for Sparrow Missions only continues to grow. I leave knowing that there is a community of Honduran believers that so deeply understands the Great Commission and lives it out daily. This community strengthens me in my walk as I answer the call to go–until the whole world hears the Good News of Jesus. Sparrow Missions makes me better; it makes me look more like Jesus. 

My hope and my prayer each passing year is that our small, week-long investment has as much of an impact on the women of Sparrow as their investment has had on me! 

With Love From the Field,

_______

Rebekah Perryman || Executive Director; Lane of Roses