June 16, 2025 • 36 mins
Soren, the son of Valerie and Felipe who leads His Eyes ministry in Honduras, shares his unique perspective on growing up as a missionary kid and how that experience shapes his faith and future direction.
• Born and raised in Honduras as part of His Eyes ministry
• Navigating cultural differences between Honduras and America, including water conservation habits
• Finding personal faith beyond growing up around ministry
• Studying construction engineering at Purdue while discerning God's path forward
• Seeing parents' ministry through adult eyes after personal faith journey
• Understanding His Eyes' multifaceted approach: clinics, churches, children, clothing, coffee
• Building connections with international students through shared third-culture experiences
• Keeping "open hands" toward God's leading for future ministry or career
If you'd like to support the ministry of His Eyes in Honduras, consider sponsoring a child for $38 a month or visit HisEyesHonduras.com to learn more about getting involved.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome back to Beyond Sunday.
If you caught last week'sepisode, you heard an incredible
conversation with Felipe, who'sthe ministry leader of His Eyes
in Honduras, a ministry makinga huge difference in the lives
of families here in Tegucigalpa.
Today, we're switching gearsjust a little.
I'm actually still in Hondurasand I'm sitting down with Soren,
who's Felipe's son, who wasactually born and raised here in
(00:24):
Honduras, and I'm sitting downwith Soren, who's Felipe's son,
who was actually born and raisedhere in Honduras.
He's now a senior at PurdueUniversity back in the States,
but he's spending the summerhere with his family, fully
re-immersed in the ministry heliterally grew up around.
So we're going to talk aboutthings like what's it like to be
a missionary kid, how do youcarry that heritage into
adulthood, and what happens whenyou're trying to find your own
(00:44):
path, your own career, callingfuture, and still feel a tug
towards what you grew up inministry.
We're talking about all thatand more in this episode, and I
think you'll find Soren'sperspective real, honest and
incredibly encouraging.
So join me in welcoming Soren.
Thanks for joining me today.
Hi, pastor Nick, thanks forhaving me.
Man, I'm excited.
I've known your family forabout eight years and I've heard
(01:06):
about you, but I've actuallynever met you till this trip,
yeah, and so it's been fungetting to know you, seeing your
personality, your parts thatare like your mom, parts that
are like your dad, parts thatare unique, right.
But it's also been cool to doministry with you.
This week, soren's been out.
(01:30):
We've got a team of people herein Honduras.
He's been out with us almostevery day into different
villages and helping ustranslate, because my Spanish is
no bueno and Soren grew up inthis.
So let's talk a little bitabout being a ministry kid.
You might hear some backgroundnoise.
We are right in the city centerright now, but what's your
earliest memories of growing uphere in Honduras, right?
Speaker 2 (01:45):
now.
But what's your earliestmemories of growing up here in
Honduras?
Oh wow, it's weird, I don'thave very many.
First of all, my memory isn'tgreat, but I don't really
distinguish it as being adifferent place In my head.
It's just home, where I grew up.
So I remember going to churchand like sleeping on my mom's
lap because I didn't like goingthere.
And I remember going to school,but as far as ministry, it was
(02:05):
just normal life.
To me it wasn't really a cleardifference.
You know, like at my schoolactually, there were one or two
teams that would come to theschool and it wasn't like a poor
school or anything, it was aprivate school and they'd, you
know, come for the day andthere'd be kind of a mix of oh
wait, here are 30 Americans toplay with some of their during
kids.
But to say, there was aspecific point where, like
(02:27):
that's my earliest memory, Ireally can't say so you grew up
here.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
You were born here.
Yeah, you were born on thisproperty, right?
Yeah, I was born in the clinic.
Were you born in the room I'msleeping in?
Probably that's awkward, yeah,isn't it?
So the clinic has been turnedinto housing now and they've
built a new clinic.
It's pretty, pretty, absolutelyincredible.
So you were born here, you grewup here, you went to private
school.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
In that private school?
Were there other Englishspeaking kids, other missionary
kids, or was it a mix ofHonduran American?
Speaker 2 (02:56):
It was definitely a mix.
It's an international schoolbut more wealthy Hondurans and
then a few missionary kids.
Yeah, but I mean, as anAmerican, as someone who stands
out because of the you know, thecolor of my skin, I kind of
hang out.
Hung out with the kids thatwere also a little different.
So, like my friends were the,the one Chinese kid, the one
more darker skin kid and thenthe shortest kid in the class.
(03:19):
You know, all four of us thatwere different hung out and then
, unfortunately, most of theother Americans or I don't know,
unfortunately, maybe it's notthe right word, but they would
come and go so they weren'talways there.
Like one of them was only therefor about two or three years
and then is that because theirparents would come here be
missionaries and then move on?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, their parentswould leave, or COVID really
(03:42):
affected things, but you knowthat affected everyone.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
So did you ever have a moment because you you grew up
here, but you also havegrandparents in the States and
you went back to the States Didyou have ever have a moment that
you realized your upbringingwasn't a typical experience for
an American kid?
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Not not a moment per se.
I think my parents did a goodjob of of showing us that it was
going to be different, becausewhen we would visit the States,
obviously my parents, mygrandparents' house, where we
would stay, had a basement and asecond floor, things that
aren't they're not uncommon here.
The basement's, like there'snone of those here, but having a
second floor just the way, likewe would always go out to eat
(04:21):
and you know we'd spend moneydifferently and things would
cost way more.
But it's not like there wassomething that was like, oh,
this is completely different.
It's more like this is adifferent place and it's
supposed to be different.
And I kind of understood thatevery culture does things
differently and there's notsomething wrong with that, it's
(04:41):
just different yeah, I alwayskind of equate it to whenever we
bring teams down here.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Everything's different for me.
I mean we, the food we eat, theplaces we go like I'm hitting
chick fil a couple times a weekup in the states and down here
we have an incredible lady.
What's the name that?
mary naria cooks dinner for usevery day.
It's genuine honduran food andit's absolutely incredible, but
it's different than what I wouldeat back home.
Yeah, and so I can imaginegoing back and visiting like you
(05:09):
, just get to experiencedifferent things.
But to your point, it is justthis is home and that was a
different experience, if youwill yeah, and it takes a while
to appreciate the differences.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
But then also something that people have been
trying to tell me is that use myexperiences, use my life in
Honduras to show people in theStates that life isn't the same
everywhere, and that's sometimeshard for me.
I I have a tendency to to blendin or want to blend in, at
least, like here in Honduras.
I it's it's hard havingAmerican teams here because I
(05:43):
want to be one of the Honduranguys but I can't.
I have to be a translator andwhen I'm, I'm in the States, I
right now in between that kindof going into another phase, but
I just want to be another.
You know white guy, you knowanother, like I don't stand out.
You know I'm pretty normallooking in the States.
So that's been somethingchallenging bridging that gap
(06:05):
between cultures.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
Yeah.
So that kind of brings me to mynext question what are some of
the blessings or challenges ofbeing a missionary kid?
Speaker 2 (06:13):
Sure, one of the challenges is that not nobody
really understands, like myroommate.
My roommate asked me this mightbe weird, but sometimes I just
don't flush the toilet becausebecause, because you know, I'm,
I'm in my head, I'm like, well,I gotta save the water, and you
know if I'm just peeing, what'sthat?
You know, if I'm doing numbertwo, obviously I'm gonna flush
(06:37):
the toilet.
But he asked me, why don't youflush the toilet?
And I thought, oh, I, I don'treally know, in the morning I
just don't do it because I'll.
It just never clicked in myhead that that would be a
difference.
So that's one of the challenges.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
This might be my favorite podcast ever.
Just for clarity for thoselistening to this story in
Honduras, especially where we'reat like you, really are
conscious about water.
Yeah, because you don't have anendless supply of water, and so
when you go number one in thebathroom, when you pee, you
don't flush it, right.
If it's yellow, let it mellow,if it's brown, flush it down,
(07:14):
that's right, that's the rule,and so that is funny.
I wouldn't think about that.
That's been your whole life.
And then you come to America.
I can imagine your roommatewalking in them.
What's wrong with this?
Speaker 2 (07:26):
yeah, the other thing is taking a shower.
After about a month they askedme what are you doing in there?
You turn off the water halfwaythrough and then you turn it
back on and you only take, youknow, five minutes.
I'm like, well, I, I get wet, Ilather up, you know.
I turn off the water and then Iget off the soap off me and I'm
done.
That's funny, I mean again.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
That's a traditional thing down here to conserve
water.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Military showers, right, and that's what I grew up
doing.
I don't know if that's whatmost Honduran families do, but
there's not.
You know, they only have a tankthat probably holds I don't
know 25, 30 gallons maybe.
So you're taking a shower witha little, maybe a two liter
little bucket and you're justusing that sparingly.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
Yeah, and I mean I was talking to Felipe earlier
this week just trying to wrap mymind around all this and you
actually buy truckloads of watera couple of times a week
because you really don't haveenough water to sustain the
clinic and the housing, and allthat happens on this property.
Right, it's just not infinite.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
And that's going back to the States, especially when
I was a kid.
How you can, just you know, oh,and you can drink the water out
of the shower because it's allyou know, clean.
I don't know how true that is,but it's true.
You can just use it all.
And then there's waterfountains everywhere.
Oh, okay, I don't have to buymy water, it's, it's a blessing
when you're there.
But then, right, it's, it'sdifferent.
(08:51):
And then you, I come back toHonduras and my, my way of
living has to change.
So yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
So, yeah, that's an interesting perspective that I,
I guess I knew, but hadn'tthought about that transitioning
to America versus here for you.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Another.
Another probably challenge or abenefit of being a missionary
kid or being a third culture kidis that I can connect with
other cultures easier.
Like one of my friends incollege best friend he's he grew
up or lived in Southeast Asiafor some time and right, that
was an immediate connection.
Or some of my classmates arefrom Spain, mexico, and even
(09:29):
though I don't look like them, Istill speak the language.
And sometimes it's hard toexplain that I have cultural
similarities, because if theyjust looked at me they'd think
I'm from Indiana.
The number one question I getyou know oh, where are you from?
Well, what state are you from?
Well, I'm from Honduras, ohreally.
(09:49):
And then that kind of makesconversations a little easier to
have, at least I think.
And the problem or thechallenge of that is how do I,
how do I take advantage of that?
Really?
Because one thing is to to knowthat, oh yeah, I can get along
with this person, but, for God'sglory, because there's a lot of
international students at mycollege that just don't know of
(10:11):
Jesus, and then how can I bridgeculturally that Jesus is the
answer for the problem.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
Yeah, so I was talking to your dad earlier this
week and he was telling me thestory that when you you're at
Purdue University right.
When you went to Purdue earlyon, you joined an international
students club or something likethat.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, which wasfunny because you're American,
yeah, and I can imagine as youwalked in, people look at you
and you're white, yeah, and it'slike, why is this guy here?
(10:41):
Yeah, but you can connect withthem probably better than some
of the normal Americans at thecollege.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
That's been cool.
But then also to see theAmericans in both my church and
in those groups that do have aheart for international students
, and how they use that and theydon't let where they come from
or, you know, they don't letthat bother them in terms of
communicating and and sharing,that's been cool and it pushes
me like I do have that gift ofbeing from somewhere else and
(11:12):
maybe understanding a littlebetter.
So I, why don't I use that more?
Why don't I use that gift thatgod's given me?
Speaker 1 (11:18):
yeah, so you're.
You're a senior at purd.
What are you studying and whatare you hoping to pursue?
Speaker 2 (11:25):
I'm studying construction engineering
management and I really don'tknow what I'm trying to pursue.
I like to think that it'smissions.
That's just what I'm geared for, but where is a question I
don't know the answer to, orwhen?
Yeah, I'm trying to have openhands, open arms.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
So are you feeling that tension between career and
ministry?
Speaker 2 (11:49):
I was Not so much anymore.
I've done with my major, I haveto do three internships and
I've worked on the States twosummers and there's tons of
ministry opportunity at work,right, like both of my jobs.
Thankfully, my bosses wereChristian or, you know, somebody
higher up was a Christian, andso they helped me navigate that.
(12:10):
And then evangelizing to thepeople I was working with, like
I know that there's opportunitythere, but is that where God has
?
Is that what God has made mefor?
Because you know, I speakSpanish and I understand the
culture somewhat, right, and Iyou know the list goes on of
ways that I'm suited to live inHonduras or to live
(12:32):
cross-culturally, but yeah, it's.
What am I supposed to do withmy experiences?
I just don't know the answer tothat right now.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
Yeah, and that's been interesting because you and I
have talked about this.
As for those that don't knowwhat it's like here in Honduras
for this ministry, when we goout to another town, it may be
an hour and a half drive intothe mountains on very shady
roads to get there, and sothere's a lot of conversation
had, and Soren and I have talkeda little bit about his future
and where God's calling him andtrying to figure that out, not
(13:04):
having that answer yet, butthat's an okay place to be.
But let me ask you kind of apersonal question what is your
conversation with God like aboutyour future?
Speaker 2 (13:16):
Oh man, it's complicated.
I probably don't talk to himand pray about it as much as I
should.
Yeah, I don't really know.
I I tend to try to have openhands about it.
Yeah, and I know that he'susing the experiences that I'm
(13:37):
having for the future, like it'sbeen evident in the past, like
getting to Purdue it all a Godthing, like I applied on a whim
because I didn't really knowwhat I wanted to do.
I only applied to that collegeSomehow.
I got in and my major wasbecause I met with an advisor
who was from a third worldcountry or maybe it's not a
third world country and I hadsome similarities.
(14:00):
But with the future, I'm juststill waiting for him to put
that place or to put that thingor that person in front of me
and honestly praying that Godwould open my heart to just say
yes in that moment.
Yeah or right, even if it's notthat moment, to say yes to what
(14:21):
he has.
Yeah, because he will put itthere.
It's just a matter of if I willsay yes or not.
Yeah, and have clear eyes tosee that.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
I'll encourage you a little bit.
That's actually a great placeto be, right Sitting and waiting
for God to bring clarity to theroad.
I mean, the scripture is veryclear that God will light our
path if we're sitting in hiswill, and so I'm excited for you
and excited to see what Goddoes, whether it's stateside,
whether it's in another country,and then how he uses that to
continue your heart for ministry.
(14:51):
I'm honestly really excitedfrom the outside to watch and
see.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
I probably I'll say I , I probably don't pray enough
about it.
When you ask me that question,I I don't remember when the last
time I prayed about my futurewas.
It's just.
Yeah, I get stuck in the now,you know, praying for, for the
people who don't know jesus, butwhy don't I pray about the
thing?
Like that's something big.
Yeah, I don't know.
Maybe I just feel that God hasit in control, but I think
(15:18):
that's common.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
We tend to worry about the future and live in the
present, and we talk to Godabout the present and not the
future, the future yeah.
And that that is a typicalChristian thing to do.
Right, yeah, we worry about thefuture, but we don't really
involve God in talking about it.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
Which is strange because, like you were
mentioning, right, the light toour feet and the yeah, maybe I
misquoted that, but the path isgoing forward.
Why am I not praying about thegoing forward?
I'm only praying about the now.
I need to do a little betterabout that.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
So when you went off to college to Purdue, was that
your first time living full-timestateside.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
Not.
That's a complicated question.
No, I don't think.
My freshman year of high schoolour family moved up to the
States for right that eightmonths of school oh wow, as a
furlough, I guess they'd call it.
So I did high school there andthen when I moved back up to the
States, I moved for my lastyear of high school because it
(16:20):
just made sense to, with COVIDand everything.
So I had lived there for thatyear of high school and then I
just went off to college, andstate tuition plays a big part
of that.
It makes things a lot cheaperand a lot less hairy.
Speaker 1 (16:32):
Yeah, yeah.
So what's it like being backthis summer seeing the ministry
you grew up in, but now withadult eyes?
Speaker 2 (16:41):
Sure, I wouldn't even say I don't know if it's adult
eyes, but when I was growing up,I knew Jesus and I I my parents
tell me that I'd said thatJesus was my savior and that I
was a sinner.
But I wasn't a Christian.
Jesus was a Savior.
That's how I think about it,and my grades, my relationships,
my humor, right, whatever thatwas was my other Savior and
(17:04):
that's what I was going to.
And that when I moved to theStates that second time for my
senior year of high school rightand this is a story that I was
on my own and I did things Ishouldn't have, but I didn't
have that tether to Christianityand I was just doing what I
thought was right.
You know, I was hanging outwith people who also said they
were Christians but didn't liveit through their lifestyles, and
(17:26):
clearly I wasn't either.
So coming back now and I metJesus going to college that
summer, which is another commonstory but coming back now and
seeing how God is working hereis what impacts me, Because
before I was just like, yeah, myparents kind of do it, but God
(17:49):
isn't a big part of it.
And now I see how Valerie andFelipe, my parents, they kind of
guide conversations.
They guide debriefs after afterwe go out for the day, like
they do have a heart for God.
But when, back when I wasgrowing up, I just it was just
something to do and you know wenever really talked about God
for some reason.
I didn't see it.
I saw it like that in my head.
(18:10):
But you know God, there's aveil that covers our eyes, right
.
That says it somewhere in theBible and that's when that's
lifted.
It's just, we see God clearly,but only he lifts that veil.
So it's been cool to see how myparents are intentional about
(18:30):
missions.
And it's not just come here anddo some work because Americans
are great.
No, it's hey.
What's God doing in your life?
Yeah, you know.
Every time we come back, thequestion is what's God doing
today?
What did you see different?
Speaker 1 (18:45):
Yeah, your dad's always been a big encouragement
to me and also challenged me.
Because I get here and I wantto fix things and I want to do
things and I'm like, felipe,what do you need?
Where can I throw money at, howcan I help you?
And he says, man, I want God toshow that to you.
And I'm like, no, just tell me,you've seen it, you know what's
(19:05):
wrong, you know where you needhelp.
And he definitely lives in adifferent faith bubble than most
Americans live in, and that'salways encouraging but also
challenging.
Let me ask you this kind ofsimilar vein that we're talking
is there something that hitsdifferently now compared to when
you were younger?
Speaker 2 (19:17):
Yeah, Maybe not specifically about being here,
but just the need for Jesus.
Right, I knew I knew Jesusgrowing up when I was younger.
But the same way I know, likethe same way I know a lot of
things, like it didn't reallymatter if it was there or not
the next day.
It was just like, yeah, I knowJesus, so I wasn't really driven
(19:37):
to tell other people about himbecause it didn't really matter
to me.
You know, I don't, I didn'treally care, Like, yeah, it's a
good thing to know and I that'swhy we go to church and that's
why we're here.
But really getting things doneis what matters when I was
growing up.
But now, like it doesn't matterif we, if we pave the road or
(19:58):
or paint a mural or what mattersis getting people to know God
as their only savior and not aslike a backup.
Yep, so that's.
I think that answers yourquestion.
No, that's incredible.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
Yeah, so a little off topic, I asked your dad the
same question.
It's kind of like picking afavorite kid, but you've got
eight different communities thatyou guys are in, with churches
and milk projects and farms andall that that you guys do.
Is there one that's a favoritefor you?
Speaker 2 (20:29):
I'm interested to hear.
His question is because we aresimilar, me and my dad.
I don't think about it asfavorites a lot, because they're
all different, right.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:38):
He probably gave the same sort of spiel.
Yeah very similar, but I'd haveto say the one in Las Botijas
which is I don't know, two hoursaway, hour and a half away,
yeah, just because of the storyof how it came to be, how there
was no church up there and thenthey hired a farm manager
(21:02):
because that's what it was, itwas a farm and then the farm
manager and his family, theywere Christians, and then they
started holding a, a church,basically like he'd have a
guitar and he'd play the sametwo chords for three songs and
then he'd, you know, read theword with his family and then
more people would show up andthen he's, he's no pastor and he
, he knows that, right.
But then god, god, uses thepeople that aren't qualified,
yeah, right, the people whoaren't supposed to be.
(21:23):
He uses the things that aren'tto shame the things that are.
And now there's a church there.
That's awesome.
And now there's a, you know,milk project which is, you know,
using the, the people thataren't, to shame the people that
are.
Yeah, and how, the people incharge there, right two years
ago, didn't think they weresupposed to be.
(21:44):
And then, just, his family isso welcoming.
Every time we go up there, wealways have lunch in his house,
like with his family, yeah, andthen, you know, they always send
us back with bananas orsomething.
It's just so welcoming.
He's always got a smile on hisface.
I don't know.
I like him as a guy and hiskids and seeing him and hearing
(22:08):
about him be an actual human andhave familial struggles as a
pastor, but being human.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
I don't know I I the views up there are pretty too.
Yeah, it actually.
It's probably one of myfavorite places that we've gone
as well, and pastor Ronnie ispart of that reason.
Yeah, and I love that your dadtells that story about him kind
of having that Bible study inhis house.
And then more people startcalling up and he calls your dad
one day and he's like what do Ido and having that Bible study?
in his house and then morepeople start calling up and he
calls your dad one day and he'slike what do I do?
And he does likecongratulations, you're a pastor
.
And I've talked to Ronnieenough to know, I mean, he's had
(22:43):
struggles with it and hedoesn't fully, I think, accept
the fact that he's a pastor.
But he's pastoring people in acommunity that needed somebody
to pastor them and it's anincredible, incredible place.
So let me ask you this Iobviously I've been here a
couple of times.
I'm familiar with what his eyesis.
You grew up with it.
But for the listeners on thispodcast that are just kind of
tuning in hearing us talk aboutNOC projects and clinics and
(23:06):
banana trees and coffee, likehow would you describe to
somebody in America what thisministry is?
Speaker 2 (23:14):
It's been a while since I explained it so I'm a
little rusty on how I normallydo it.
But I kind of split it up intothe four or five different
things we do and they normallystart with the same word yeah,
the same letter, which is CChurches, children, clothing,
coffee, and then groups.
It doesn't start with a C, butgroups are like the American
(23:36):
teams that come down.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
And the clinic in there too.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
Yeah, thanks, and the clinic is how it actually got
started, but clearly that's notwhere God wanted it to end.
So my mom actually works in theclinic as an optometrist and
she used to be the director.
But now there's a Hondurandoctor who's the director and
they do just awesome work there.
And there's a Honduran doctorwho's a director and they do
just awesome work there.
And there's a dentistry nowgeneral medicine, pharmacy,
(23:59):
obgyn, I think a pediatrician,all sorts of things.
And then the churches is alsoanother God thing, because when
my parents first came here, theyweren't about planning churches
and being in the States andgoing to Christian conferences
and oh, it's all about plantingchurches.
And what I've heard is like atone of the churches I was going
(24:21):
to, they had a conference calledMissions is Church Planting,
and I wrestled with that,because my parents aren't church
planters but they'remissionaries and seeing how God
uses them to plant churches,like there's eight churches now.
And not because my parents weregung-ho about planning churches
, but because God is gung-hoabout his bride and how he wants
(24:44):
everyone to know.
So he's going to make it happenwhether or not we're on board
or not.
We just have to be faithful tosay yes to what he's already
doing.
So the churches has been coolbecause they're being planted,
whether or not we want them toor not, almost, but hopefully
we're saying yes to that.
And then also with the groups,that's a big part, especially in
(25:07):
my childhood.
That's all I thought themission was really.
Oh, the groups coming, peoplecoming, and then we get to go
out and do all these awesomethings.
And then the other months ofthe year I don't know really.
I don't really know whathappens because I don't ever go
up there, but surely somethinggets done.
And then the groups come backagain and then we get to go see
what else got done.
But they are really a way like,obviously the groups come down
(25:30):
for a week at a time and they dohowever much work, but they
don't do all the work.
And it's not about the work,it's a, it's a, it's a spiritual
work.
But they and I'm starting torealize this you know money
comes from the States and kindof helps fund the mission.
Right, there's no, no easy wayaround that.
And without people coming,without people seeing that there
(25:52):
is a need for work, then right,you're just giving blindly and
I'd rather people know wheretheir money is going to.
And that's why I appreciatewhen teams come down here and
and see like, oh, that's that'swhy I had to, that's why I
sponsor this kid in the milkproject, right, the child care,
like there's a sponsoring optionfor that and I get to, I get to
meet them.
Yeah, I'm not just, you know,giving however much money a
(26:14):
month to nobody.
It's a kid with an actualfamily who appreciates this.
Speaker 1 (26:21):
And that's been a big deal to me.
I think story for another day,but my wife and I have a big
heart for kids that arestruggling in poverty and $38 a
month literally does change akid's life and I've been able to
come and tangibly see that.
See the food that they get andthat could be the only meal
they're getting that day.
To see the people that aretelling them about Jesus and
(26:44):
loving on them, the people thatare tutoring them, to see what
$38 a month can actually do fora child is mind blowing.
And now you mentioned and yourdad and I didn't talk about this
, so I'm interested on this theclothing, yeah.
So, what is the clothing side ofhis eyes?
Speaker 2 (26:59):
Right.
So there's these shippingcontainers that people fill from
the States with these bigplastic bags full of clothes
that some people might oh,secondhand, thirdhand, whatever
and we go into these communities, villages that don't have a
clothing store and we don't sellthem for free because
(27:20):
apparently they did that, andthen people get real possessive
with them and then they you know, fights break out because it's
my clothes.
So then you know, we chargethem what?
Five cents for a shirt and adollar for shoes really cheap,
but still enough to wherethere's a line divided by you
don't own this yet, don't worry.
And right, we sort them all out.
(27:42):
And then whoever the pastor isor the people in that community,
have to get the word out first,which is something as a kid I
didn't really realize.
But now, seeing the moremanagerial aspect of it like we
drive an hour and a half away toa village and hope that the
pastor let everybody know, causewhat if he didn't?
Then we've got all theseclothes, and or when we do
(28:06):
medical brigades, we have allthese doctors and there's nobody
to treat.
So that's like an awesome thing, cause I, there's so many ways
that communication can go wrong.
But right, we set out all theseclothes and then people come
that don't have money orresources to go to a city to buy
clothes and then, right, theybuy these shirts, shoes, pants
(28:29):
for cheap.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
It's cool, I don't know.
It was interesting.
We were at one of the NOPEprojects this week and this kid
had a shirt on that had Englishsaying on it and I think it said
something like getting introuble is what I do best.
And so, through the translator,I asked him if he knew what his
shirt said and he said no.
And so we told him what it saidand he just laughed and laughed
and laughed.
But it was funny.
(28:52):
I got to two years ago I thinkMark was with me.
We've got a little bit of anaudience here with us today, but
we got to go to a communitythat there's not a church or
milk project in, but a teacherthat you guys knew kind of set
this up, and we got to go upthere and do the clothing drive
to sell the clothes and givesome away.
And man, when we got there,there were just hundreds of
(29:14):
people.
It was insane to see, knowingthat.
It's not like they were in theneighborhood next door.
I mean, some of them walked foran hour knowing that Americans
were bringing clothing that theycould get.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
Yeah, which is humbling really yeah, and it's
been cool.
One story I remember is we wereout in the boonies right, and
this girl maybe a teenager, late, early 20s or something younger
right with her mom pulling outthese pair of ripped jeans like,
oh mama, can I get these right?
Because the ripped jeans, yeah.
And the mom's answer was whatdo you want?
(29:48):
To get burned in one spot andlook real weird, like a real
practical.
You know, like parents arestill parents.
You know like they don't get itLike oh yeah, jeans are in
style.
They're supposed to come likethis.
This isn't a defect.
That's funny, yeah.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
One last question.
So we've spent about the last30 minutes talking about being a
missionary kid, being his eyesand all that you've done here.
Let's go back to my audiencefor just a moment.
If there are people listeningtoday that are wondering, man,
how can I get involved or howcan I be a part of his eyes, or
something like this, what wouldyou tell them?
Speaker 2 (30:25):
Right.
Something I've been learning isto get plugged into the local
church.
Amen, because if your churchisn't doing this, you can't do
it alone.
You're not supposed to Right,get another person.
Jesus sends the 12 and the 72in pairs, right, you're not
supposed to go or do thingsalone.
So get involved in your localchurch.
(30:47):
Chances are they have amissions team, whatever that
looks like, and if it doesn'tbode well then I don't know,
maybe that's a biggerconversation because God's heart
is for the people, the tribesof every tongue, tribe and
nation.
So get plugged into your localchurch.
Find out when they're doinganother missions trip.
(31:10):
My church doesn't do very manymissions trips, but we support
missionaries through differentgroups.
I don't know how many wesupport, but it seems like a lot
.
And like, right, we take careof them.
That doesn't look like goingthere every year, but we are
consistent and we do not givethem that they're lacking.
(31:33):
Like.
I read something about missionsand it focused on third John,
about how right it's a bookabout missionaries, I suppose,
and how they're supposed to givethem like to the to the glory
of God, like in the manner ofGod, like missionaries are not
supposed to be underfunded.
And if you're worried that, oh,we're paying them too much,
(31:55):
then they're the wrongmissionaries.
You should not be worried aboutwhere your money is going to
and if you are visit them.
I knew a pastor who wassupporting this mission in
Guatemala, right, and he did asurprise visit, showed up and
was like all right, I gave him aphone call, pick me up, I'm at
the airport.
I'm at the airport and he showedup and was like there was
(32:17):
nothing.
He had been giving money to aguy and there was no fruit to
show for it.
Yeah, so right b know whoyou're sending the money to and
don't just let it be right.
Oh, we sponsor 50 missions, butI don't know, I don't know what
their names are there.
There are in 100 countries, butI don't know, I don't know what
their names are.
(32:37):
They're, they're in a hundredcountries, but I don't really
know what type of missions workthey do.
Be intentional about who you're, who you're helping.
Speaker 1 (32:46):
I think that's huge.
For the missionary too, though,to know that somebody is not
just writing them a check.
Yeah, somebody's loving on them, praying for them, checking on
them, helping them.
Which is one of the beauties ofhis eyes is that you can come
down here.
Not every missionary we support.
We have some in areas of theworld I can't talk about, and so
I can't send teams there, right, but I still can call them and
(33:07):
say, hey, what's happening?
Show me some pictures, show mewhat God's doing and how can I
pray for you?
I can still talk to them, andthe beauty of his eyes is we can
actually come down here and seewhat God's doing through the
ministry.
Speaker 2 (33:18):
That's the.
That's the cool thing.
I appreciate it.
Somebody on the team made ajoke, right, cause they they
were painting a mural, which is,right, not a big glamorous job,
you know, you're not painting aroad.
But then they they said causewe were driving past that same
village a few days later andthey were like you guys haven't
already painted over the mural,right For the next team.
And I said no, no, we're takingdown the wall tomorrow, so the
(33:39):
next team can build it, and thenthe team after that can paint
it.
You know it's a big cycle,right, because we're not finding
work for you to do.
There is work to do.
That's the beautiful thingabout a place like this is that
there's always something to bedone.
Speaker 1 (34:02):
And God is always on the move.
That's awesome.
Well, Soren, I thank you somuch for taking some time to
jump on this podcast with me.
We'll be praying for you onyour journey and excited to see
what God does in your life.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
Thanks, Pastor Nick.
I appreciate you having me.
Speaker 1 (34:09):
So I love Soren's heart, his honesty.
Sometimes we forget that behindevery missionary, every
ministry leader, there's afamily working the journey right
alongside them.
Soren's story kind of remindsus that calling isn't always a
straight line and that God oftenplants seeds in our childhood
that he waters over time.
So, whether you're a student, aparent or just asking what does
(34:30):
God want from me, I hope thisepisode has stirred something in
you today.
As always, check outHisEyesHondurascom to get
involved, sponsor a child orlearn more.
I talked about in the lastepisode that we have 17 kids
right now that we need sponsorsfor.
I can't tell you how many havebeen sponsored in the last week.
I will get you that number soon.
But if you have an interest inthat $38 a month, would love for
(34:51):
you to be on this journey withme and if this episode
encouraged you, share it withsomeone who needs to hear it.
We'll be back next week withmore stories, more conversations
, more reminders that faith wasnever meant to stay inside the
walls of a church.
So until then, keep living itout beyond Sunday.
Speaker 2 (35:08):
Amen.
Welcome back to Beyond Sunday.
If you caught last week'sepisode, you heard an incredible
conversation with Felipe, who'sthe ministry leader of His Eyes
in Honduras, a ministry makinga huge difference in the lives
of families here in Tegucigalpa.
Today, we're switching gearsjust a little.
I'm actually still in Hondurasand I'm sitting down with Soren,
who's Felipe's son, who wasactually born and raised here in
(00:24):
Honduras, and I'm sitting downwith Soren, who's Felipe's son,
who was actually born and raisedhere in Honduras.
He's now a senior at PurdueUniversity back in the States,
but he's spending the summerhere with his family, fully
re-immersed in the ministry heliterally grew up around.
So we're going to talk aboutthings like what's it like to be
a missionary kid, how do youcarry that heritage into
adulthood, and what happens whenyou're trying to find your own
(00:44):
path, your own career, callingfuture, and still feel a tug
towards what you grew up inministry.
We're talking about all thatand more in this episode, and I
think you'll find Soren'sperspective real, honest and
incredibly encouraging.
So join me in welcoming Soren.
Thanks for joining me today.
Hi, pastor Nick, thanks forhaving me.
Man, I'm excited.
I've known your family forabout eight years and I've heard
(01:06):
about you, but I've actuallynever met you till this trip,
yeah, and so it's been fungetting to know you, seeing your
personality, your parts thatare like your mom, parts that
are like your dad, parts thatare unique, right.
But it's also been cool to doministry with you.
This week, soren's been out.
(01:30):
We've got a team of people herein Honduras.
He's been out with us almostevery day into different
villages and helping ustranslate, because my Spanish is
no bueno and Soren grew up inthis.
So let's talk a little bitabout being a ministry kid.
You might hear some backgroundnoise.
We are right in the city centerright now, but what's your
earliest memories of growing uphere in Honduras, right?
Speaker 2 (01:45):
now.
But what's your earliestmemories of growing up here in
Honduras?
Oh wow, it's weird, I don'thave very many.
First of all, my memory isn'tgreat, but I don't really
distinguish it as being adifferent place In my head.
It's just home, where I grew up.
So I remember going to churchand like sleeping on my mom's
lap because I didn't like goingthere.
And I remember going to school,but as far as ministry, it was
(02:05):
just normal life.
To me it wasn't really a cleardifference.
You know, like at my schoolactually, there were one or two
teams that would come to theschool and it wasn't like a poor
school or anything, it was aprivate school and they'd, you
know, come for the day andthere'd be kind of a mix of oh
wait, here are 30 Americans toplay with some of their during
kids.
But to say, there was aspecific point where, like
(02:27):
that's my earliest memory, Ireally can't say so you grew up
here.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
You were born here.
Yeah, you were born on thisproperty, right?
Yeah, I was born in the clinic.
Were you born in the room I'msleeping in?
Probably that's awkward, yeah,isn't it?
So the clinic has been turnedinto housing now and they've
built a new clinic.
It's pretty, pretty, absolutelyincredible.
So you were born here, you grewup here, you went to private
school.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
In that private school?
Were there other Englishspeaking kids, other missionary
kids, or was it a mix ofHonduran American?
Speaker 2 (02:56):
It was definitely a mix.
It's an international schoolbut more wealthy Hondurans and
then a few missionary kids.
Yeah, but I mean, as anAmerican, as someone who stands
out because of the you know, thecolor of my skin, I kind of
hang out.
Hung out with the kids thatwere also a little different.
So, like my friends were the,the one Chinese kid, the one
more darker skin kid and thenthe shortest kid in the class.
(03:19):
You know, all four of us thatwere different hung out and then
, unfortunately, most of theother Americans or I don't know,
unfortunately, maybe it's notthe right word, but they would
come and go so they weren'talways there.
Like one of them was only therefor about two or three years
and then is that because theirparents would come here be
missionaries and then move on?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, their parentswould leave, or COVID really
(03:42):
affected things, but you knowthat affected everyone.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
So did you ever have a moment because you you grew up
here, but you also havegrandparents in the States and
you went back to the States Didyou have ever have a moment that
you realized your upbringingwasn't a typical experience for
an American kid?
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Not not a moment per se.
I think my parents did a goodjob of of showing us that it was
going to be different, becausewhen we would visit the States,
obviously my parents, mygrandparents' house, where we
would stay, had a basement and asecond floor, things that
aren't they're not uncommon here.
The basement's, like there'snone of those here, but having a
second floor just the way, likewe would always go out to eat
(04:21):
and you know we'd spend moneydifferently and things would
cost way more.
But it's not like there wassomething that was like, oh,
this is completely different.
It's more like this is adifferent place and it's
supposed to be different.
And I kind of understood thatevery culture does things
differently and there's notsomething wrong with that, it's
(04:41):
just different yeah, I alwayskind of equate it to whenever we
bring teams down here.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Everything's different for me.
I mean we, the food we eat, theplaces we go like I'm hitting
chick fil a couple times a weekup in the states and down here
we have an incredible lady.
What's the name that?
mary naria cooks dinner for usevery day.
It's genuine honduran food andit's absolutely incredible, but
it's different than what I wouldeat back home.
Yeah, and so I can imaginegoing back and visiting like you
(05:09):
, just get to experiencedifferent things.
But to your point, it is justthis is home and that was a
different experience, if youwill yeah, and it takes a while
to appreciate the differences.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
But then also something that people have been
trying to tell me is that use myexperiences, use my life in
Honduras to show people in theStates that life isn't the same
everywhere, and that's sometimeshard for me.
I I have a tendency to to blendin or want to blend in, at
least, like here in Honduras.
I it's it's hard havingAmerican teams here because I
(05:43):
want to be one of the Honduranguys but I can't.
I have to be a translator andwhen I'm, I'm in the States, I
right now in between that kindof going into another phase, but
I just want to be another.
You know white guy, you knowanother, like I don't stand out.
You know I'm pretty normallooking in the States.
So that's been somethingchallenging bridging that gap
(06:05):
between cultures.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
Yeah.
So that kind of brings me to mynext question what are some of
the blessings or challenges ofbeing a missionary kid?
Speaker 2 (06:13):
Sure, one of the challenges is that not nobody
really understands, like myroommate.
My roommate asked me this mightbe weird, but sometimes I just
don't flush the toilet becausebecause, because you know, I'm,
I'm in my head, I'm like, well,I gotta save the water, and you
know if I'm just peeing, what'sthat?
You know, if I'm doing numbertwo, obviously I'm gonna flush
(06:37):
the toilet.
But he asked me, why don't youflush the toilet?
And I thought, oh, I, I don'treally know, in the morning I
just don't do it because I'll.
It just never clicked in myhead that that would be a
difference.
So that's one of the challenges.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
This might be my favorite podcast ever.
Just for clarity for thoselistening to this story in
Honduras, especially where we'reat like you, really are
conscious about water.
Yeah, because you don't have anendless supply of water, and so
when you go number one in thebathroom, when you pee, you
don't flush it, right.
If it's yellow, let it mellow,if it's brown, flush it down,
(07:14):
that's right, that's the rule,and so that is funny.
I wouldn't think about that.
That's been your whole life.
And then you come to America.
I can imagine your roommatewalking in them.
What's wrong with this?
Speaker 2 (07:26):
yeah, the other thing is taking a shower.
After about a month they askedme what are you doing in there?
You turn off the water halfwaythrough and then you turn it
back on and you only take, youknow, five minutes.
I'm like, well, I, I get wet, Ilather up, you know.
I turn off the water and then Iget off the soap off me and I'm
done.
That's funny, I mean again.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
That's a traditional thing down here to conserve
water.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Military showers, right, and that's what I grew up
doing.
I don't know if that's whatmost Honduran families do, but
there's not.
You know, they only have a tankthat probably holds I don't
know 25, 30 gallons maybe.
So you're taking a shower witha little, maybe a two liter
little bucket and you're justusing that sparingly.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
Yeah, and I mean I was talking to Felipe earlier
this week just trying to wrap mymind around all this and you
actually buy truckloads of watera couple of times a week
because you really don't haveenough water to sustain the
clinic and the housing, and allthat happens on this property.
Right, it's just not infinite.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
And that's going back to the States, especially when
I was a kid.
How you can, just you know, oh,and you can drink the water out
of the shower because it's allyou know, clean.
I don't know how true that is,but it's true.
You can just use it all.
And then there's waterfountains everywhere.
Oh, okay, I don't have to buymy water, it's, it's a blessing
when you're there.
But then, right, it's, it'sdifferent.
(08:51):
And then you, I come back toHonduras and my, my way of
living has to change.
So yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
So, yeah, that's an interesting perspective that I,
I guess I knew, but hadn'tthought about that transitioning
to America versus here for you.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Another.
Another probably challenge or abenefit of being a missionary
kid or being a third culture kidis that I can connect with
other cultures easier.
Like one of my friends incollege best friend he's he grew
up or lived in Southeast Asiafor some time and right, that
was an immediate connection.
Or some of my classmates arefrom Spain, mexico, and even
(09:29):
though I don't look like them, Istill speak the language.
And sometimes it's hard toexplain that I have cultural
similarities, because if theyjust looked at me they'd think
I'm from Indiana.
The number one question I getyou know oh, where are you from?
Well, what state are you from?
Well, I'm from Honduras, ohreally.
(09:49):
And then that kind of makesconversations a little easier to
have, at least I think.
And the problem or thechallenge of that is how do I,
how do I take advantage of that?
Really?
Because one thing is to to knowthat, oh yeah, I can get along
with this person, but, for God'sglory, because there's a lot of
international students at mycollege that just don't know of
(10:11):
Jesus, and then how can I bridgeculturally that Jesus is the
answer for the problem.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
Yeah, so I was talking to your dad earlier this
week and he was telling me thestory that when you you're at
Purdue University right.
When you went to Purdue earlyon, you joined an international
students club or something likethat.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, which wasfunny because you're American,
yeah, and I can imagine as youwalked in, people look at you
and you're white, yeah, and it'slike, why is this guy here?
(10:41):
Yeah, but you can connect withthem probably better than some
of the normal Americans at thecollege.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
That's been cool.
But then also to see theAmericans in both my church and
in those groups that do have aheart for international students
, and how they use that and theydon't let where they come from
or, you know, they don't letthat bother them in terms of
communicating and and sharing,that's been cool and it pushes
me like I do have that gift ofbeing from somewhere else and
(11:12):
maybe understanding a littlebetter.
So I, why don't I use that more?
Why don't I use that gift thatgod's given me?
Speaker 1 (11:18):
yeah, so you're.
You're a senior at purd.
What are you studying and whatare you hoping to pursue?
Speaker 2 (11:25):
I'm studying construction engineering
management and I really don'tknow what I'm trying to pursue.
I like to think that it'smissions.
That's just what I'm geared for, but where is a question I
don't know the answer to, orwhen?
Yeah, I'm trying to have openhands, open arms.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
So are you feeling that tension between career and
ministry?
Speaker 2 (11:49):
I was Not so much anymore.
I've done with my major, I haveto do three internships and
I've worked on the States twosummers and there's tons of
ministry opportunity at work,right, like both of my jobs.
Thankfully, my bosses wereChristian or, you know, somebody
higher up was a Christian, andso they helped me navigate that.
(12:10):
And then evangelizing to thepeople I was working with, like
I know that there's opportunitythere, but is that where God has
?
Is that what God has made mefor?
Because you know, I speakSpanish and I understand the
culture somewhat, right, and Iyou know the list goes on of
ways that I'm suited to live inHonduras or to live
(12:32):
cross-culturally, but yeah, it's.
What am I supposed to do withmy experiences?
I just don't know the answer tothat right now.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
Yeah, and that's been interesting because you and I
have talked about this.
As for those that don't knowwhat it's like here in Honduras
for this ministry, when we goout to another town, it may be
an hour and a half drive intothe mountains on very shady
roads to get there, and sothere's a lot of conversation
had, and Soren and I have talkeda little bit about his future
and where God's calling him andtrying to figure that out, not
(13:04):
having that answer yet, butthat's an okay place to be.
But let me ask you kind of apersonal question what is your
conversation with God like aboutyour future?
Speaker 2 (13:16):
Oh man, it's complicated.
I probably don't talk to himand pray about it as much as I
should.
Yeah, I don't really know.
I I tend to try to have openhands about it.
Yeah, and I know that he'susing the experiences that I'm
(13:37):
having for the future, like it'sbeen evident in the past, like
getting to Purdue it all a Godthing, like I applied on a whim
because I didn't really knowwhat I wanted to do.
I only applied to that collegeSomehow.
I got in and my major wasbecause I met with an advisor
who was from a third worldcountry or maybe it's not a
third world country and I hadsome similarities.
(14:00):
But with the future, I'm juststill waiting for him to put
that place or to put that thingor that person in front of me
and honestly praying that Godwould open my heart to just say
yes in that moment.
Yeah or right, even if it's notthat moment, to say yes to what
(14:21):
he has.
Yeah, because he will put itthere.
It's just a matter of if I willsay yes or not.
Yeah, and have clear eyes tosee that.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
I'll encourage you a little bit.
That's actually a great placeto be, right Sitting and waiting
for God to bring clarity to theroad.
I mean, the scripture is veryclear that God will light our
path if we're sitting in hiswill, and so I'm excited for you
and excited to see what Goddoes, whether it's stateside,
whether it's in another country,and then how he uses that to
continue your heart for ministry.
(14:51):
I'm honestly really excitedfrom the outside to watch and
see.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
I probably I'll say I , I probably don't pray enough
about it.
When you ask me that question,I I don't remember when the last
time I prayed about my futurewas.
It's just.
Yeah, I get stuck in the now,you know, praying for, for the
people who don't know jesus, butwhy don't I pray about the
thing?
Like that's something big.
Yeah, I don't know.
Maybe I just feel that God hasit in control, but I think
(15:18):
that's common.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
We tend to worry about the future and live in the
present, and we talk to Godabout the present and not the
future, the future yeah.
And that that is a typicalChristian thing to do.
Right, yeah, we worry about thefuture, but we don't really
involve God in talking about it.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
Which is strange because, like you were
mentioning, right, the light toour feet and the yeah, maybe I
misquoted that, but the path isgoing forward.
Why am I not praying about thegoing forward?
I'm only praying about the now.
I need to do a little betterabout that.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
So when you went off to college to Purdue, was that
your first time living full-timestateside.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
Not.
That's a complicated question.
No, I don't think.
My freshman year of high schoolour family moved up to the
States for right that eightmonths of school oh wow, as a
furlough, I guess they'd call it.
So I did high school there andthen when I moved back up to the
States, I moved for my lastyear of high school because it
(16:20):
just made sense to, with COVIDand everything.
So I had lived there for thatyear of high school and then I
just went off to college, andstate tuition plays a big part
of that.
It makes things a lot cheaperand a lot less hairy.
Speaker 1 (16:32):
Yeah, yeah.
So what's it like being backthis summer seeing the ministry
you grew up in, but now withadult eyes?
Speaker 2 (16:41):
Sure, I wouldn't even say I don't know if it's adult
eyes, but when I was growing up,I knew Jesus and I I my parents
tell me that I'd said thatJesus was my savior and that I
was a sinner.
But I wasn't a Christian.
Jesus was a Savior.
That's how I think about it,and my grades, my relationships,
my humor, right, whatever thatwas was my other Savior and
(17:04):
that's what I was going to.
And that when I moved to theStates that second time for my
senior year of high school rightand this is a story that I was
on my own and I did things Ishouldn't have, but I didn't
have that tether to Christianityand I was just doing what I
thought was right.
You know, I was hanging outwith people who also said they
were Christians but didn't liveit through their lifestyles, and
(17:26):
clearly I wasn't either.
So coming back now and I metJesus going to college that
summer, which is another commonstory but coming back now and
seeing how God is working hereis what impacts me, Because
before I was just like, yeah, myparents kind of do it, but God
(17:49):
isn't a big part of it.
And now I see how Valerie andFelipe, my parents, they kind of
guide conversations.
They guide debriefs after afterwe go out for the day, like
they do have a heart for God.
But when, back when I wasgrowing up, I just it was just
something to do and you know wenever really talked about God
for some reason.
I didn't see it.
I saw it like that in my head.
(18:10):
But you know God, there's aveil that covers our eyes, right
.
That says it somewhere in theBible and that's when that's
lifted.
It's just, we see God clearly,but only he lifts that veil.
So it's been cool to see how myparents are intentional about
(18:30):
missions.
And it's not just come here anddo some work because Americans
are great.
No, it's hey.
What's God doing in your life?
Yeah, you know.
Every time we come back, thequestion is what's God doing
today?
What did you see different?
Speaker 1 (18:45):
Yeah, your dad's always been a big encouragement
to me and also challenged me.
Because I get here and I wantto fix things and I want to do
things and I'm like, felipe,what do you need?
Where can I throw money at, howcan I help you?
And he says, man, I want God toshow that to you.
And I'm like, no, just tell me,you've seen it, you know what's
(19:05):
wrong, you know where you needhelp.
And he definitely lives in adifferent faith bubble than most
Americans live in, and that'salways encouraging but also
challenging.
Let me ask you this kind ofsimilar vein that we're talking
is there something that hitsdifferently now compared to when
you were younger?
Speaker 2 (19:17):
Yeah, Maybe not specifically about being here,
but just the need for Jesus.
Right, I knew I knew Jesusgrowing up when I was younger.
But the same way I know, likethe same way I know a lot of
things, like it didn't reallymatter if it was there or not
the next day.
It was just like, yeah, I knowJesus, so I wasn't really driven
(19:37):
to tell other people about himbecause it didn't really matter
to me.
You know, I don't, I didn'treally care, Like, yeah, it's a
good thing to know and I that'swhy we go to church and that's
why we're here.
But really getting things doneis what matters when I was
growing up.
But now, like it doesn't matterif we, if we pave the road or
(19:58):
or paint a mural or what mattersis getting people to know God
as their only savior and not aslike a backup.
Yep, so that's.
I think that answers yourquestion.
No, that's incredible.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
Yeah, so a little off topic, I asked your dad the
same question.
It's kind of like picking afavorite kid, but you've got
eight different communities thatyou guys are in, with churches
and milk projects and farms andall that that you guys do.
Is there one that's a favoritefor you?
Speaker 2 (20:29):
I'm interested to hear.
His question is because we aresimilar, me and my dad.
I don't think about it asfavorites a lot, because they're
all different, right.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:38):
He probably gave the same sort of spiel.
Yeah very similar, but I'd haveto say the one in Las Botijas
which is I don't know, two hoursaway, hour and a half away,
yeah, just because of the storyof how it came to be, how there
was no church up there and thenthey hired a farm manager
(21:02):
because that's what it was, itwas a farm and then the farm
manager and his family, theywere Christians, and then they
started holding a, a church,basically like he'd have a
guitar and he'd play the sametwo chords for three songs and
then he'd, you know, read theword with his family and then
more people would show up andthen he's, he's no pastor and he
, he knows that, right.
But then god, god, uses thepeople that aren't qualified,
yeah, right, the people whoaren't supposed to be.
(21:23):
He uses the things that aren'tto shame the things that are.
And now there's a church there.
That's awesome.
And now there's a, you know,milk project which is, you know,
using the, the people thataren't, to shame the people that
are.
Yeah, and how, the people incharge there, right two years
ago, didn't think they weresupposed to be.
(21:44):
And then, just, his family isso welcoming.
Every time we go up there, wealways have lunch in his house,
like with his family, yeah, andthen, you know, they always send
us back with bananas orsomething.
It's just so welcoming.
He's always got a smile on hisface.
I don't know.
I like him as a guy and hiskids and seeing him and hearing
(22:08):
about him be an actual human andhave familial struggles as a
pastor, but being human.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
I don't know I I the views up there are pretty too.
Yeah, it actually.
It's probably one of myfavorite places that we've gone
as well, and pastor Ronnie ispart of that reason.
Yeah, and I love that your dadtells that story about him kind
of having that Bible study inhis house.
And then more people startcalling up and he calls your dad
one day and he's like what do Ido and having that Bible study?
in his house and then morepeople start calling up and he
calls your dad one day and he'slike what do I do?
And he does likecongratulations, you're a pastor
.
And I've talked to Ronnieenough to know, I mean, he's had
(22:43):
struggles with it and hedoesn't fully, I think, accept
the fact that he's a pastor.
But he's pastoring people in acommunity that needed somebody
to pastor them and it's anincredible, incredible place.
So let me ask you this Iobviously I've been here a
couple of times.
I'm familiar with what his eyesis.
You grew up with it.
But for the listeners on thispodcast that are just kind of
tuning in hearing us talk aboutNOC projects and clinics and
(23:06):
banana trees and coffee, likehow would you describe to
somebody in America what thisministry is?
Speaker 2 (23:14):
It's been a while since I explained it so I'm a
little rusty on how I normallydo it.
But I kind of split it up intothe four or five different
things we do and they normallystart with the same word yeah,
the same letter, which is CChurches, children, clothing,
coffee, and then groups.
It doesn't start with a C, butgroups are like the American
(23:36):
teams that come down.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
And the clinic in there too.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
Yeah, thanks, and the clinic is how it actually got
started, but clearly that's notwhere God wanted it to end.
So my mom actually works in theclinic as an optometrist and
she used to be the director.
But now there's a Hondurandoctor who's the director and
they do just awesome work there.
And there's a Honduran doctorwho's a director and they do
just awesome work there.
And there's a dentistry nowgeneral medicine, pharmacy,
(23:59):
obgyn, I think a pediatrician,all sorts of things.
And then the churches is alsoanother God thing, because when
my parents first came here, theyweren't about planning churches
and being in the States andgoing to Christian conferences
and oh, it's all about plantingchurches.
And what I've heard is like atone of the churches I was going
(24:21):
to, they had a conference calledMissions is Church Planting,
and I wrestled with that,because my parents aren't church
planters but they'remissionaries and seeing how God
uses them to plant churches,like there's eight churches now.
And not because my parents weregung-ho about planning churches
, but because God is gung-hoabout his bride and how he wants
(24:44):
everyone to know.
So he's going to make it happenwhether or not we're on board
or not.
We just have to be faithful tosay yes to what he's already
doing.
So the churches has been coolbecause they're being planted,
whether or not we want them toor not, almost, but hopefully
we're saying yes to that.
And then also with the groups,that's a big part, especially in
(25:07):
my childhood.
That's all I thought themission was really.
Oh, the groups coming, peoplecoming, and then we get to go
out and do all these awesomethings.
And then the other months ofthe year I don't know really.
I don't really know whathappens because I don't ever go
up there, but surely somethinggets done.
And then the groups come backagain and then we get to go see
what else got done.
But they are really a way like,obviously the groups come down
(25:30):
for a week at a time and they dohowever much work, but they
don't do all the work.
And it's not about the work,it's a, it's a, it's a spiritual
work.
But they and I'm starting torealize this you know money
comes from the States and kindof helps fund the mission.
Right, there's no, no easy wayaround that.
And without people coming,without people seeing that there
(25:52):
is a need for work, then right,you're just giving blindly and
I'd rather people know wheretheir money is going to.
And that's why I appreciatewhen teams come down here and
and see like, oh, that's that'swhy I had to, that's why I
sponsor this kid in the milkproject, right, the child care,
like there's a sponsoring optionfor that and I get to, I get to
meet them.
Yeah, I'm not just, you know,giving however much money a
(26:14):
month to nobody.
It's a kid with an actualfamily who appreciates this.
Speaker 1 (26:21):
And that's been a big deal to me.
I think story for another day,but my wife and I have a big
heart for kids that arestruggling in poverty and $38 a
month literally does change akid's life and I've been able to
come and tangibly see that.
See the food that they get andthat could be the only meal
they're getting that day.
To see the people that aretelling them about Jesus and
(26:44):
loving on them, the people thatare tutoring them, to see what
$38 a month can actually do fora child is mind blowing.
And now you mentioned and yourdad and I didn't talk about this
, so I'm interested on this theclothing, yeah.
So, what is the clothing side ofhis eyes?
Speaker 2 (26:59):
Right.
So there's these shippingcontainers that people fill from
the States with these bigplastic bags full of clothes
that some people might oh,secondhand, thirdhand, whatever
and we go into these communities, villages that don't have a
clothing store and we don't sellthem for free because
(27:20):
apparently they did that, andthen people get real possessive
with them and then they you know, fights break out because it's
my clothes.
So then you know, we chargethem what?
Five cents for a shirt and adollar for shoes really cheap,
but still enough to wherethere's a line divided by you
don't own this yet, don't worry.
And right, we sort them all out.
(27:42):
And then whoever the pastor isor the people in that community,
have to get the word out first,which is something as a kid I
didn't really realize.
But now, seeing the moremanagerial aspect of it like we
drive an hour and a half away toa village and hope that the
pastor let everybody know, causewhat if he didn't?
Then we've got all theseclothes, and or when we do
(28:06):
medical brigades, we have allthese doctors and there's nobody
to treat.
So that's like an awesome thing, cause I, there's so many ways
that communication can go wrong.
But right, we set out all theseclothes and then people come
that don't have money orresources to go to a city to buy
clothes and then, right, theybuy these shirts, shoes, pants
(28:29):
for cheap.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
It's cool, I don't know.
It was interesting.
We were at one of the NOPEprojects this week and this kid
had a shirt on that had Englishsaying on it and I think it said
something like getting introuble is what I do best.
And so, through the translator,I asked him if he knew what his
shirt said and he said no.
And so we told him what it saidand he just laughed and laughed
and laughed.
But it was funny.
(28:52):
I got to two years ago I thinkMark was with me.
We've got a little bit of anaudience here with us today, but
we got to go to a communitythat there's not a church or
milk project in, but a teacherthat you guys knew kind of set
this up, and we got to go upthere and do the clothing drive
to sell the clothes and givesome away.
And man, when we got there,there were just hundreds of
(29:14):
people.
It was insane to see, knowingthat.
It's not like they were in theneighborhood next door.
I mean, some of them walked foran hour knowing that Americans
were bringing clothing that theycould get.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
Yeah, which is humbling really yeah, and it's
been cool.
One story I remember is we wereout in the boonies right, and
this girl maybe a teenager, late, early 20s or something younger
right with her mom pulling outthese pair of ripped jeans like,
oh mama, can I get these right?
Because the ripped jeans, yeah.
And the mom's answer was whatdo you want?
(29:48):
To get burned in one spot andlook real weird, like a real
practical.
You know, like parents arestill parents.
You know like they don't get itLike oh yeah, jeans are in
style.
They're supposed to come likethis.
This isn't a defect.
That's funny, yeah.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
One last question.
So we've spent about the last30 minutes talking about being a
missionary kid, being his eyesand all that you've done here.
Let's go back to my audiencefor just a moment.
If there are people listeningtoday that are wondering, man,
how can I get involved or howcan I be a part of his eyes, or
something like this, what wouldyou tell them?
Speaker 2 (30:25):
Right.
Something I've been learning isto get plugged into the local
church.
Amen, because if your churchisn't doing this, you can't do
it alone.
You're not supposed to Right,get another person.
Jesus sends the 12 and the 72in pairs, right, you're not
supposed to go or do thingsalone.
So get involved in your localchurch.
(30:47):
Chances are they have amissions team, whatever that
looks like, and if it doesn'tbode well then I don't know,
maybe that's a biggerconversation because God's heart
is for the people, the tribesof every tongue, tribe and
nation.
So get plugged into your localchurch.
Find out when they're doinganother missions trip.
(31:10):
My church doesn't do very manymissions trips, but we support
missionaries through differentgroups.
I don't know how many wesupport, but it seems like a lot
.
And like, right, we take careof them.
That doesn't look like goingthere every year, but we are
consistent and we do not givethem that they're lacking.
(31:33):
Like.
I read something about missionsand it focused on third John,
about how right it's a bookabout missionaries, I suppose,
and how they're supposed to givethem like to the to the glory
of God, like in the manner ofGod, like missionaries are not
supposed to be underfunded.
And if you're worried that, oh,we're paying them too much,
(31:55):
then they're the wrongmissionaries.
You should not be worried aboutwhere your money is going to
and if you are visit them.
I knew a pastor who wassupporting this mission in
Guatemala, right, and he did asurprise visit, showed up and
was like all right, I gave him aphone call, pick me up, I'm at
the airport.
I'm at the airport and he showedup and was like there was
(32:17):
nothing.
He had been giving money to aguy and there was no fruit to
show for it.
Yeah, so right b know whoyou're sending the money to and
don't just let it be right.
Oh, we sponsor 50 missions, butI don't know, I don't know what
their names are there.
There are in 100 countries, butI don't know, I don't know what
their names are.
(32:37):
They're, they're in a hundredcountries, but I don't really
know what type of missions workthey do.
Be intentional about who you're, who you're helping.
Speaker 1 (32:46):
I think that's huge.
For the missionary too, though,to know that somebody is not
just writing them a check.
Yeah, somebody's loving on them, praying for them, checking on
them, helping them.
Which is one of the beauties ofhis eyes is that you can come
down here.
Not every missionary we support.
We have some in areas of theworld I can't talk about, and so
I can't send teams there, right, but I still can call them and
(33:07):
say, hey, what's happening?
Show me some pictures, show mewhat God's doing and how can I
pray for you?
I can still talk to them, andthe beauty of his eyes is we can
actually come down here and seewhat God's doing through the
ministry.
Speaker 2 (33:18):
That's the.
That's the cool thing.
I appreciate it.
Somebody on the team made ajoke, right, cause they they
were painting a mural, which is,right, not a big glamorous job,
you know, you're not painting aroad.
But then they they said causewe were driving past that same
village a few days later andthey were like you guys haven't
already painted over the mural,right For the next team.
And I said no, no, we're takingdown the wall tomorrow, so the
(33:39):
next team can build it, and thenthe team after that can paint
it.
You know it's a big cycle,right, because we're not finding
work for you to do.
There is work to do.
That's the beautiful thingabout a place like this is that
there's always something to bedone.
Speaker 1 (34:02):
And God is always on the move.
That's awesome.
Well, Soren, I thank you somuch for taking some time to
jump on this podcast with me.
We'll be praying for you onyour journey and excited to see
what God does in your life.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
Thanks, Pastor Nick.
I appreciate you having me.
Speaker 1 (34:09):
So I love Soren's heart, his honesty.
Sometimes we forget that behindevery missionary, every
ministry leader, there's afamily working the journey right
alongside them.
Soren's story kind of remindsus that calling isn't always a
straight line and that God oftenplants seeds in our childhood
that he waters over time.
So, whether you're a student, aparent or just asking what does
(34:30):
God want from me, I hope thisepisode has stirred something in
you today.
As always, check outHisEyesHondurascom to get
involved, sponsor a child orlearn more.
I talked about in the lastepisode that we have 17 kids
right now that we need sponsorsfor.
I can't tell you how many havebeen sponsored in the last week.
I will get you that number soon.
But if you have an interest inthat $38 a month, would love for
(34:51):
you to be on this journey withme and if this episode
encouraged you, share it withsomeone who needs to hear it.
We'll be back next week withmore stories, more conversations
, more reminders that faith wasnever meant to stay inside the
walls of a church.
So until then, keep living itout beyond Sunday.
Speaker 2 (35:08):
Amen.
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