From Wondering to Knowing: Honduras 2025
- dphertzler
- Nov 5
- 5 min read
Updated: Nov 6
"I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go; I will guide thee with mine eye." (Psalm 32:8)
Dear Friends and Partners in Ministry,
When God called us to the mission field in 2023, He gave us this beautiful promise from Psalm 32. Today, we're praising Him for His incredible faithfulness as He continues to unfold His plan for our lives like a book—revealing new details with every page we turn. God always keeps His promises, and we're witnessing it firsthand! This newsletter shares about our recent two-week journey to Honduras, and we have something special to tell you —so keep reading till the end!
Returning After 11 Years
On September 25, 2025, we embarked on our second family trip to Honduras—and what a homecoming it was! Back in 2014, we visited many of these same locations as a family, so returning after 11 years filled us with anticipation and excitement.
One game-changer for this trip was renting our own vehicle and navigating the country independently. We're happy to report that Apple Maps, Google Maps, and Waze all worked beautifully in Honduras! Aside from the ill-maintained roads and the "me-first" driving mentality, getting around was surprisingly similar to driving at home. This independence allowed us to explore more freely and connect with people and places on our own schedule.
Family, Faith, and Community Impact
Before starting ministry activities, we visited Julia's sister, Mary Espinoza, in the rural village of Rueda de Teja. This small community revolves around a mission church and a high school, where Mary is a key figure. She runs a store selling propane gas tanks, phone service plans, and groceries, but her true offering is the love of Christ through her daily interactions.
Campmeeting at Christ Cares Church
A few days later, we traveled to Danli, Honduras, for the much-anticipated campmeeting at Christ Cares Church. What an honor it was to serve alongside the Sumner family as they prepared for this special event! We rolled up our sleeves to help lay carpet tiles and clean the sanctuary—small acts of service that reminded us that ministry often begins with humble preparation.
From the opening service to the final altar call, the campmeeting overflowed with God's presence! Every preacher delivered their message with Holy Ghost anointing, and every singer lifted their voice with supernatural power. What struck us most was witnessing the spiritual maturity of Christ Cares Church. The Sumners have faithfully led these believers from spiritual infancy to becoming active, engaged servants of the Lord. The congregation participates enthusiastically in worship and shares willingly in the labor of ministry. Seeing how God has established and blessed the Sumners' work was absolutely thrilling!
Ministry at the Military Bases
For the final portion of our trip, we settled into a conveniently located Airbnb in the city of Comayagua. This location served as our home base for participating in the Sumners' primary ministry—serving as chaplains to the Honduran armed forces. There are two military bases in the Comayagua area, and we had the privilege of joining services at both locations.
Julia shared her testimony with the soldiers, and McKenzie and Zachary blessed everyone with their singing. Then came Jeff's moment of courage—he preached his entire sermon in Spanish! This marked his third time preaching in Spanish without an interpreter, and he did very well. After this experience, we're confident that Jeff's Spanish will flow naturally once he's using it in daily ministry. Sometimes you just need to jump in and trust God to fill in the gaps!
From Wondering to Knowing
And now, we come to the most significant part of our journey—the part that has changed everything for our family and for HOPE Missions.
We traveled to Siguatepeque for a brief exploratory visit. We walked through two city parks, distributing gospel tracts and engaging residents in conversation. One encounter particularly touched our hearts—a soldier who showed us his Gideon New Testament and told us he was actively studying it. We're earnestly praying that God will draw this young man to Himself through the precious Word of God.
But something deeper was happening during those hours in Siguatepeque. As we walked those streets, talked with those people, and prayed in those parks, God began to settle a profound peace in Jeff's heart about living in Honduras. It wasn't a dramatic lightning-bolt moment—it was more like watching fog lift from a mountain valley, revealing the path that had been there all along.
Shortly after we returned home, someone asked Jeff, "Did you leave a part of your heart in Honduras?" With tears in his eyes, he responded, "I think I did." They simply said, "I can tell." God has undoubtedly led us to Siguatepeque to plant a Pentecostal Holiness church for the glory of God. The calling is crystal clear. The peace is unshakeable. The direction is set. Praise the Lord!!!
Moving Forward with Faith-Filled Confidence
Now, you might be wondering about the practical details. How will we do this? We feel like Abraham right now, stepping out in faith on a journey where the destination is clear, even though many details remain unknown. But despite that, we know where God is sending us, and we trust Him completely to work out the how.
Lord willing, we will travel to Siguatepeque in early 2026 for an extended stay. Because of residency requirements, we can remain in Honduras for 90 days at a time. We plan to evangelize and become intimately familiar with Siguatepeque during the week, while attending Christ Cares Church in Danli on the weekends. This connection to the Sumners and the established missionaries at Christ Cares Church will be invaluable as we continue solidifying our language skills and deepening our understanding of Honduran culture. Having this mentorship from experienced missionaries who have already established fruitful ministries gives us tremendous confidence as we begin this new chapter.
Join Us in Prayer
As we close this celebration update, we're asking you to join us in prayer and thanksgiving as HOPE Missions prepares for this exciting new season. We thank God for health and protection as we travelled and His direction for a destination country, but we ask you to pray for...
Provision for a house to rent in Siguatepeque
Provision for a 4x4 vehicle to purchase
Direction in itineration
Grace in understanding the Honduran culture
If you sense God prompting you to support HOPE Missions financially or through prayer as we prepare for this ministry, we'd love to hear from you. Now, supporting us financially is easy through the online giving option on our website. HOPE Missions is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so every donation through our website is tax-deductible. Whether financial or prayer support, every bit of support matters, and together we can reach those God has called us to serve in Siguatepeque!
We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to every one of you—our faithful financial supporters and dedicated prayer warriors! Thank you for staying with us over the last three years as we moved from wondering to knowing. We cannot wait to see what's ahead!
Serving Him with grateful hearts,
The Jeff Hertzler Family
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