O'Connors in Honduras

In INDIA, they say "ta ta"

2009-07-02T06:37:00.000-07:00

To lovely Honduras, we now say "ta ta".

16 lovely years. A "best chapter" thus far. We love you, Honduras. We will miss you.

New sights / new horizons. Glance on over
to http://glancingeast.blogspot.com/

-- Patrick & Debbie & Kathryn

Debbie & Kathryn & I are back in Honduras this week...

2009-02-16T02:22:00.000-08:00

Please shoot up a BIG prayer with us, as we arrive "home" to Honduras this week.

Our emotions will be sparkling!

I hope that old truck of our starts up!

Our mission asks us to shift to a new role, toward being a mobilizer for CPM. So we will be thinking about this. Is it possible to incorporate 1) what God has done in Honduras (CPM's) during these 16 years with 2) a desire to be a bright shining lamp elsewhere? ("Do not hide your lamp under a bushel basket").

How can we pray for you?

--Patrick

...our furlough from the field is nearly over...

2008-12-12T07:40:00.000-08:00

Furlough travels have been full - and very full - for the O'Connors. Back in Honduras, the men and ladies in Honduras are on auto-drive, and the harvest continues. Honduras is that precious and very precious spot in Central America, and is in our hearts, as a first-born.

But for now, our furlough from the field is nearly over, and we soon head up to BC, Canada for Christmas.

Furlough has been good and very good. "Come with me to a quiet place and rest a while", He tells us. "I have stilled and quieted my heart", said David. And of Abram, "He built an alter there to the Lord" and "called on the name of the Lord" (Gen 12). Where is our alters here and now in 2008?

And so now Debbie and Kathryn and I peer east... to consider new harvests? It is faith set into the wind. It is not for the light of heart. Join with us , as we glance east... http://glancingeast.blogspot.com/ And ask the Lord to come with us, too.

After our 38 day India trip (Jan 6 to Feb 14) , we immediately head straight-away back to Honduras, like faces set to flint. Our world has peace, and so we must work while it is still day. Join with us, will you? And please pray with us to seek His face every day. Every second. "Look to the Lord and His strength. Seek His face always" (Ps 105).

--Patrick

Furlough Update

2008-09-05T16:42:00.000-07:00

Debbie and Kathryn and I decided not to count the number of different beds and homes and places we have slept in thus far. But the number is high.

The stress (family and marital) can be taxing for all the moving around - even thus far in a very fast-paced 6 weeks thus far. So this is a KEY area to keep tabs and prayers on. "To keep the home fires burning".

But thus far our furlough update stands like this:

Arrived to San Antonio, Texas. Time in Sugar land and Houston, and then on up to ARKANSAS to drop Sarah off. Then to OKC. Then to Vancouver. Then to Alaska [[(Our 22nd anniv cruise, with Mom and Pop Papuc)(Ouch: we slept in separate beds on this romantic get-away in a small 8foot x 8 foot window-less closet (they called it a room, but I hmmm....). But we had fun!]] Back to Vancouver and then 2 quick trips to Seattle.

And now back to OKC, where we are this weekend.

While this furlough stuff can be daunting, it is also good. But please do pray for us as we relate to others and one-another.

Part of this furlough stuff is to think through long-term purposes . Shoot up a prayer for that.

--Patrick

Kolkata, Delhi, Agra and Jaipur.

2008-07-30T08:52:00.000-07:00

Well, I made it back to my "other home" this month, on a 17 day trip to Kolkata, Delhi, Agra and Jaipur.

CP workshops. Cool time. Good connections. Ideal training. Perfect Indian food three times a day. a couple of long train rides, and many flights, too.

Debbie says, "where you will go, I will follow."

Shoot up a BIG prayer for our family ministry exposure INDIA trip asap.

One last thing: I want to go to what I call "my India". Where is your "India"?

- Patrick

Ecuador

2008-05-15T13:54:00.000-07:00

We had many good heart to heart times, the three of us did: Victor Almendarez, Ambrosio Cordova and myself.

We have known each other for 14 plus years and seen the Lord move us from young slender new fathers to graying middle-agents field soldiers.

We traveled to QUITO this past fortnight, and the audience of 250 pastors from Ecuador and 15 countries were surprised that I would share my CP teaching time with Victor & Ambrosio. Victor took the lions share of teaching, followed by Ambrosio.

We had a “just for fun” over-night in the highland, colonial town of Cuenca , where the Pope had once visited. But my design was to also see more of the country. Victor and Ambrosio led a pharmacist to the Lord in Cuenca.

In southern province Loja, we spent 4 days with the CB work and saw a couple of rural needy areas…Ambrosio and I led a store owner in a prayer of faith, complement with lunch for the day (a can of tuna, an aspirin, three liters of water and two bags of chips!)

On the plane home… we talked about renewal and dreams and such stuff!

Ecuador has a massive need (1% evangelical in the southern province). Shoot up a prayer or two or three for Ecuador, but keep prayign for Honduras, too!

Thank you for upholding us up to the Lord.

Patrick

(phonduras@gmail.com)

Rite of passage

2008-04-24T05:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Sarah took her 1 am flight – San Pedro Sula to Florida to TX, en route to Oklahoma City (OKC), for her three month summer internship.

She is en route to the rest of her life, and we enjoyed special family times this week -- as she flew from our nest into her eager-to-be-arrived-to journey.

Drop her and email: flipflopsforfall@ yahoo.com

We have encouraged her through the years to individualize her walk with the Lord, making it her own. We have drawn attention – through the years – less with specific behaviors, but more with inner values.

Her time in Egypt last year complimented with her time in Peru the previous summer stirred and awoke within Sarah an awareness of personalized identity and individuality.

This last month, to our surprise and glee, she talked with her church (a CAM-mission church here in Honduras) that she wanted to be baptized before heading north. There was no “official” baptism planned for that month, yet she took the bull by the horns. She had no concern that no one else was slotted to identify with Jesus publically. And so that was fun!
She has blossomed.

Please be with Sarah in spirit as she ministers in the inner city this summer (three months – MAY, JUNE, JULY) in OKC. And, too, for her trek to John Brown University in Arkansas in AUGUST.

Patrick

Here and There... Deja Vu?

2008-04-03T10:11:00.000-07:00

Our thoughts and lives are in the here and now...Honduras....mobilizing and spurring on the Baptist churches. Doing our best to disciple. And to challenge others to think outside of the box. And to aim for quality of life among and toward those we minister. This is the HERE.

The THERE? Are we koo-koo for also thinking of places far and away? Why do our minds drift to placs beyond our own "box"? Are we in the Spirit, when our spirits seem only restless?

Our minds wonder back to the early 80's when Debbie got saved in BC, Cda. and I got saved in Texas. During those early 1980's we both (individually and later together) thought of lands far and away (Mexico, Puerto Rica, Los Angeles and Latin America). Graciously, the Lord allowed our hand to be to His plow & His hand to be upon our lives.

Deja Vu? So here we are now -- in the here & now: as Sarah is now off to her college years this month of April, and we find ourselves thinking again of places far and away.

"Lord, yes, keep up faithful unto your very heart for the here and now. But also, Lord, our heart aches for those places far and away."

--- Patrick

...my cake, and eat it, too.

2008-02-29T17:47:00.000-08:00

I got to have my cake, and eat it, too.

It is that this week a team of 4 good good friends and precious men came from NJ to be God's channel for doing a pastor's cabin here on our land. And several local Honduran men helped, too. And so we were joyed with fellowship and a cabin....that is "the cake". Half way through the week they discovered about 6 major/minor home fixes, which the NJ team put their hearts and hands into. They blessed us doubly and heartily. That is the eating part.

My hero Eric Liddel once comented of his friends in his WWII internment: "Good fellowship, too."

Thank you, Lord.

"The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow"

--Patrick

Soon moving in to our home....

2008-02-14T18:50:00.001-08:00

The Lord has given me strength, but the energy output by me has been pretty high....it has been 8.5 months to do build the home (May 15th to yesterday).

We move in this weekend. Cool!

A men's group from NJ wants to come on FEB 23 to build a 1 room pastors cabin on our property... we have had this desire for a 1 room pastors cabin on our property for a long time.... a place for pastors (or missionaries traveling by (or guests from the hinter land!) to come and rest and cool their jets.

Please be with us in spirit r/ this 1 room pastors cabin , as the team has asked us to do a THOROUGH bit of advance work for the pastors cabin prior to their arrival.... so we are doing this week and next week the foundation for it and also doing the poop lines and water entry and exit lines...

At night the crickets shake their legs and lull us to sleep.... lovely night sounds.....it is lovely!

Patrick

Retreat at 4,200 feet with leaders.

2008-01-28T05:51:00.000-08:00

Good fellowship in the mountains above capital city Tegucigalpa this past weekend. Early a.m. time with the Lord, with stars shining down, complemented with late night laughs with about 60 leaders and pastors... silly jokes & crazy sing songs. Heartening.

--Patrick

a vision thing

2008-01-17T06:01:00.000-08:00

Do you ever get so exhausted with the marathon, that you completely forget why you are there?

Life on the field, we have found, requires attention and energy reminding one's self of the why.

Patrick -

I made it over to TRUJILLO

2007-12-30T17:18:00.000-08:00

I made it over to TRUJILLO de Colon this weekend on the other side of the country.... Lost my suitcase when it flew out of the back of the pickup on bad & bumpy roads in the dark & rainy night....But we had fun. Trujillo is where Columbus landed in 1502....Trujillo hosts the GARiFUNA sub-culture, and the people are quite fascinating. I lost my Bible, journal and my 5 x 7 package of names & pictures of those of you I pray for.... so this is a bummer, yet GOD is always GOOD!

Patrick - the Irish guy in Honduras!

2007-12-24T07:40:00.000-08:00

First sibling to visit.... in 15 years.

15 years ago (Jan 4th, '93) Debbie and I touched down to Central America with little Sarah. Happily and with great joy, our first SIBLING (my older brother Vince) came with his family this week. Vince's wife, Patricia, is a TCK from INDIA, who grew up with our family there in India, and so all of us have had a heck of a lot of fun this week. Nice Christmas present for Patrick! Debbie's sister and her family come for a visit in 2008.

-- Patrick for the O'Connors --

This house thing....

2007-12-20T05:23:00.000-08:00

This house thing has been fun. This week, our Mission, which we appreciate a lot(!), found an adjustment to our end of the year support numbers. How timely(!): the extra help - God's timing - goes toward finishing off our doors this week.

Brakes went out!

2007-12-16T14:51:00.000-08:00

We love this place! Honduras. This week I was in the mountains, and my brakes went out on a steep ravine....but the Lord protected me....

More later,

Patrick