Blog - 61 Isaiah

Blind

July 12, 2021 by Spencer Wolverton 10 Comments

Not being able to see is both frustrating and terrifying. Frustrating because when I can’t see what is happening, I can’t attempt to manipulate and change the outcome. Terrifying because not being able to see leaves you extremely vulnerable, and who likes that?

There are times however, when I welcome not being able to see. It allows me to focus on my other senses, helping me experience the world in a different way. It gives me the chance to be still and rest. I guess I also shouldn’t omit that the selfishness in me likes being blind, it gives me an out. I can avoid seeing things I don’t want to see. If I don’t see it, I don’t have to do anything about it….right?

I know what you must be thinking, “Where is she going with this?” Well….I don’t know yet. For days I have been pondering what to write about. I’ve prayed about it, flipped through all the things the Lord and I have talked about this year, and nothing. Eventually God gave me a picture and one word.

Key Word

I’m not sure I want to share the picture with you yet, but the keyword He gave me was “blind”. Are you aware of how many different directions I could go with this one word?

Psalm 146:7-8 says, “…The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind…” Isaiah 35:5 says something similar, “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped;” In Isaiah 42:7, “I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.” These are all positive messages of hope. That Jesus is coming and revealing himself to children of the world who are blinded by their sin. He opens their eyes, removing their blindness, and makes them a child of God. Wow, and we haven’t even opened the New Testament!

As a child of God, my eyes have been opened. I am no longer blind to His truth. I am no longer blind to the work He is doing. Then how come there are still times in my life when I can’t see what God is doing?

Describing the Picture

I think it’s time to talk about the visual the Lord shared with me. It’s of a girl, wearing a blindfold, and on the blindfold are the words, “Where are you, God?” I tried changing the words on the blindfold. I’d erase them only for my hand to betray me and rewrite them.

After a couple tries, I gave up and wrote other stuff around the picture. Still on the page, but apart from the drawing. I wrote, “When I can’t see God’s goodness. When I let my sin blind me. When I allow my comfort to take precedent over what the Lord has called me to.”

See, there are so many things I could have written about. None of those things felt right though, and before I knew it I had cut the picture out to where there was no space to add any extra writing. I can take a hint, therefore, I am focusing on the question, “Where are you, God?”

Focusing on the Question, “Where are you, God?”

Have I asked this question before? Yes. Yes I have. I’m guessing you have asked this question too. Maybe flashbacks to the beginning of COVID are filtering in your mind. I think during that time a lot of people asked the question, “Where are you, God?”

That question reminds me of God’s people in the Old Testament. Whenever they were in captivity or in trouble they would cry out to God, questioning where He was, and wondering when He would show up and fix everything.

His people whom He allowed into captivity because they refused to repent. His chosen people who in turn chose to disobey Him. Who chose to welcome corruption into their lives. Who chose to worship other idols. “Who gave up Jacob to the looter, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the Lord, against whom we have sinned, in whose ways we would not walk, and whose law they would not obey? So he poured on him the heat of his anger and the might of battle; it set him on fire all around, but he did not understand; it burned him up, but he did not take it to heart.” (Isaiah 42:24-25).

God warned His people before disciplining them. He gave them ample opportunity to see they were living a life unholy and unworthy of the call He placed on them. Despite His patience, their eyes remained closed.

“Hear you deaf, and look, you blind, that you may see! Who is blind but my servant, or deaf as my messenger whom I send? Who is blind as my dedicated one, or as blind as the servant of the Lord? He sees many things, but does not observe them; his ears are open, but he does not hear” (Isaiah 42:18-20).

Not What I Want to See

Ouch, I’ve been there. I’ve missed out on a lot, because I allowed myself to be blinded. There are times my eyes are open and I’m looking at things, but I’m not observing them, instead I’m filtering them out because they don’t line up with what I want to see.

I’m not saying if you asked the question, “Where are you, God?” you couldn’t see Him because He was disciplining you. I think David asked a similar question in Psalm 13, “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, ‘I have prevailed over him,’ lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.”

Sometimes it’s not that we can’t see God or what He is doing in the moment but rather we filter out what He is doing in the here and now because we are focusing on seeing a future He has yet to reveal to us. “Bring out the people who are blind, yet have eyes, who are deaf, yet have ears” (Isaiah 43:8). “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:18-19). “…I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them…” (Isaiah 42:15-17).

The Past 2 Years

These past two years God has challenged me to see. To take my blindfold off and observe the world around me. Not to judge it, but to see its brokenness. To see its corruption and its need for a savior. To walk with people and see how they are hurting. To see what cycles of poverty (I’m talking about more than just financial poverty) they are stuck in.

He has challenged me to see my own corruption and brokenness. My own need for Him to save me daily. My need to invite others to walk with me and help me out of my own cycles of poverty (yes, that means being vulnerable which I hate). My need to focus NOT on a looming future that He has yet to reveal, but to instead focus on the things He is doing here and now. To listen, watch, and wait in excitement for what He is going to spring forth. I perceive its goodness because I know of its Creator’s goodness and faithfulness.

Revealing the Picture God Had Me Draw

Now I will leave you with the picture He had me draw and the following question:

“Will you stay blind?”

Meet Our 2021 Summer Missionary!

July 5, 2021 by Spencer Wolverton Leave a Comment

It’s summer and we have mission teams coming down! Our hearts are overjoyed that we are able to reconnect with many of the people that were unable to come down last summer. We also have people on our Field Based Team that many haven’t had the chance to work with in Honduras. We are looking forward to those team members becoming more than people we post about on Facebook. They will be individuals you build relationships with while walking with 61 Isaiah in Honduras. Not only are we excited for you to meet our ever-growing Field Based Team, we are excited to introduce our 2021 Summer Missionary Ainsley Brown! Who better to introduce Ainsley than herself? Read below to learn more about her!

Ainsley Brown:

“Hello! My name is Ainsley Brown and I was born and raised in a tiny town in Texas called Maypearl. During high school, I had the privilege of attending dual-credit college classes which allowed me to graduate with both a high school diploma and college Associate’s degree in 2020. I was accepted to Houston Baptist University where I just completed my first year studying Biochemistry and enjoyed the different lifestyle of the Big City.

Growing up, my parents represented how a relationship with Christ should look, and they made sure both my sister and I knew what God’s love felt like with their love for our family. Although Christ has always been a part of my life, it was my sophomore year of high school when I took it upon myself to further my faith. I got baptized as confirmation to myself and my church that I believe in God and want to serve Him.

During my junior year of highschool I started actively seeking ways to share Christ with others and I volunteered to be a leader at my church camp. While there, I was presented with the opportunity to go on a mission trip with IGoGlobal to Honduras to work with a group called 61 Isaiah ministries. While I was preparing to work with IGoGlobal, my youth pastor, Lucas Biggs, shared that he knew the leaders of the 61 Isaiah group and put me in touch with Shannon Hopkins. The conversation then began regarding becoming a summer missionary intern with the ministry. I learned that working with 61 Isaiah directly would allow me to not only serve for a longer period of time in Honduras, but I would also be able to use more of my gifts of administration to assist the groups of missionaries coming to serve throughout the summer. Through a number of conversations, it became clear to me that 61 Isaiah was definitely a group I wanted to work with and support! COVID postponed my initial trip planned for 2020, but I am super excited to have the opportunity to serve this summer of 2021!

This summer I hope to deepen my relationship with Christ and build friendships with those whom I get to serve alongside. In addition, I hope to learn more about the Honduran culture, and further understand the nuances of life in Honduras. I am also taking this time to figure out which ways I can continue to best serve the Lord with the spiritual gifts He has given me!”

“10 Years – A Time to Reflect and Celebrate”

July 2, 2021 by Spencer Wolverton Leave a Comment

The Following Blog Post was written by Board President Clifford Watson:

In June 2011, Shannon, Kristi, Tyler and Emma Hopkins packed their bags, said their good-byes and boarded a plane for Honduras. They had planned as much as they knew how to and were answering God’s call — to take the gospel to the Lenca Indians of Western Honduras. This would be done through a new mission organization called 61 Isaiah Ministries.

Shannon had been Youth Pastor to our four children since we had met five years prior. He and Kristi had become dear friends of our family during that period. When asked if I would be willing to serve on the Board of Directors, I quickly said yes. It was obvious to all who did life in the same circle as the Hopkins’ that God’s call was clearly on their lives. Although I didn’t know what all might lie ahead for this new adventure, I wanted to be a part.

Within the first month of the Hopkins’ move to Honduras, my wife Janet, three of our children and I had the opportunity to “walk with them” for the first time on Honduran soil. I recall making the trek up the mountain to one of the villages — greeting the children, then listening to Shannon preach (with the help of a translator) as chickens walked into the church mid-sermon; going to the radio station and the adjacent property to see and hear the vision of how the property could be used agriculturally to break physical cycles of poverty; and visiting the school where Kristi would teach.

Since that first trip, Janet and I have been privileged to return on other occasions to “walk with them” — most recently in April 2021. As a way of celebrating and giving all glory to God, I wanted to communicate through this blog some of what has transpired over these first ten years. Please keep in mind, this is not an “all-inclusive” list, but instead a few of my personal and recent observations.

The 5 Core Values Then vs. Now

Prayer
- Then:
  - Prayer support of those who knew the Hopkins family and of their call to go
- Now:
  - 9:38 Prayer Initiative – individuals around the globe stopping what they are doing at 9:38 every day to ask God to send laborers unto the harvest (based on Matthew 9:38)
Gospel Saturation
- Then:
  - Shannon spending time when available building relationships and preaching in the villages
- Now:
  - Relationships with sixteen churches and villages in the Gracias area
  - Jeff, Josh, Mauricio and Shannon walking with people and sharing the gospel with Edith’s consistent translation support
  - Partnerships with 10 US-based churches who have “adopted” a village and spend time there when possible — walking with the people
Education
- Then: Kristi as a single contributor, K-4 teacher
- Now: Kristi as a regional administrator
  - The majority of the team members teaching at least one class
  - Honduran students who have received scholarships and earned degrees at US colleges, then returned to Honduras to help influence the society through education and a Kingdom-of-God mindset

Empowering Local Leaders
- Then:
  - Not originally enough resources to make this a key area of ministry focus
- Now:
  - “Church Identity” training in the villages that instruct the local church leaders of the importance of God’s Word; its inerrancy; how to effectively study and understand scripture
Breaking Cycles of Poverty
- Then:
  - Unused and uncultivated land with vision for what “could be”
- Now:
  - Micah overseeing and advancing vision of the “Hunger Farm”
  - Partially developed property including stocked fish ponds, chickens, goats, pigs, coffee plants and production
  - Remaining and additional vision for what “could be” done with the land
  - A young man in one of the villages who had been mis-diagnosed with a skin disorder that was eating away his flesh; provisions made for research and proper treatment that helped bring physical, mental and spiritual healing and a confident future
  - A young man who, at the age of 12 became the man of the house after his father and then grandfather died; ensuring he continues his education so that he can provide effectively for his family

Field-based team
- Then: The Hopkins family of four
- Now: Twenty field-based team members (including families)
  - “Teaming” – all team members willing to help wherever needed outside their primary areas
  - Hannah and Spencer taking care of all back-office support, putting in place organizational building blocks necessary for future growth, bringing consistency to everything the ministry does

Getting the house set up: Then
Preaching in one of the villages: Then
Preaching in one of the villages: Then
Setting up the house: Then
Radio: Then
Kids: Then
Tyler & Kristi: Then
Radio Staff: Then
Tyler: Then
Emma: Then
Hopkins/61 Isaiah Team: Then
61 Isaiah Team meeting: Now
Church I.D. Study in one of the villages: Now
Lenca Hunger Farm Pigs: Now
Lenca Hunger Farm Beans: Now
Lenca Hunger Farm Coffee: Now
Lenca Hunger Farm Chickens: Now
Lenca Hunger Farm Fish Ponds: Now
61 Isaiah Team with Family: Now
61 Isaiah Team with 3 Guests: Now
61 Isaiah Team & Families

It has been fun to reminisce on the past and celebrate in the course of this blog. But we can’t stop here — God has called us to more. There is still much work to be done in the days, months and years ahead. If something mentioned above tugs at you and you would like to learn more, I or any member of the 61 Isaiah team would love to talk to you further.

The primary emphasis I want to leave you with is this: The only way we can celebrate any of the areas described above is because of God. He deserves all glory. Without Him, nothing that 61 Isaiah Ministries has ever been a part of would matter or be possible.

Here’s to the next ten. To God be the glory!

Unworthy

June 28, 2021 by Edith Ayala Bonilla Leave a Comment

I have often heard people say, “The Lord spoke to me.” I have also heard people say they made a decision based off what the Lord told them. For me that has always been “cool” but I didn’t fully understand what they meant. The way I always “heard” the Lord was through reading the Bible, until the day I was faced with a mental battle before translating a sermon.

I Begged God

Every Sunday, or most Sundays, I translate at one of the different village churches we partner with. After COVID and spending too much time by myself overthinking everything, I started to think, or rather the enemy led me to think, “I was unworthy of what I was doing.” That Sunday, I truly felt I was unworthy of being there for many reasons. The entire time at church through offering, prayer, and worship I begged God to send somebody else to translate or for Shannon to preach in Spanish, because I was not worthy of standing up there and translating. At first I begged God to do it, then I told Him I didn’t want to do it. I wanted to hear His word however, I did not want to be in front translating for everyone because I was not worthy.

I Heard a Voice

That night right before Pastor Laudelino introduced us I heard a voice saying, “It’s not about you, it’s about the people that need to hear My Word.” Something changed in me, made me want to get up and translate. I know it was God because it turned my restless and jumbled mind into one at rest and at peace. I still think I don’t deserve to be used by Him, but I know He will use me anyway. He is making me part of something big; He gave me a second language for a reason. He put me where I am because that is where He wants me. I don’t deserve so many things but His love is so big, so much bigger than my thoughts, fears, sin, and struggles. I know battles are hard but thank God for those battles that make us face His love and mercy, that make us get back onto the right track and realize that He is right there, fighting the good fight with us.

Now I can say, “God talked to me.” He gave me peace when I needed it. He made me strong when I was feeling very weak. He is still making me strong, that is for sure, through COVID, a weird disease, and through family and people that never let me fall.

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

-Isaiah 30:21

Going “home”… or is it?

June 16, 2021 by Kristi Hopkins 1 Comment

Tyler will graduate in a few short weeks and head “home” to college. Except in this case, home isn’t home. We left the US when Tyler was in 2nd grade. I am not sure how much he remembers living there. And while he has visited grandparents often, it isn’t quite the same. We call these children “third-culture” kids. They don’t fit into either culture- the one they were born in or the one they were raised in. Instead they are a combo of both cultures, maybe even the best of both cultures. I tell my students that if our cultures would learn from each other then we would all be better off. Perhaps this is exactly where Tyler is. He is a combination of both cultures, and I believe he is ready to face the challenges about to hit him.

Trust the Father

He is heading to Tarleton, our alma mater. He is joining the Corp of Cadets and plans to study mechanical engineering. This simultaneously terrifies, saddens and excites me. What if he gets lost; forgets which manners to use; doesn’t know the phrases teens use (how often is he around other US kids). He doesn’t look like your average international student, so he may not be given the same grace as others. And yet… Father is present there just like he is here. I have watched God mature Tyler into a loving, kind, smart servant. I have to trust Father will be there in those moments of insecurity: when he doesn’t know which songs to stand up on in church, how to two-step, or questions the culture he has been dropped into after 10 years.

He hasn’t had the same experiences teenagers in the US are used to: only driven a handful of times, never heard of homecoming, never been to a football game, prom, etc. Instead he has: volunteered at Fiesta Tipica, the Lenca Hunger Farm, mission teams, boxed and delivered food packages and the list goes on. He wasn’t given the same freedom as other teens but he has had different kinds of responsibility. Some might say Missionary Kids are free labor. I prefer to phrase it as “volunteers in training.” This has shaped his worldview to a large degree. He displays his faith in quiet servanthood. His prayer right now is not that he will adapt or not get homesick but instead that he will not miss opportunities to serve the Lord. Please join me in praying for him.