This year, like past years here in Helene, has seen God in action with the steadfast stewardship of the gracious financial gifts and prayers received from our supporters and partners. The year has been an exciting and productive one. We could not wait until the end of the year to provide a summary update of key accomplishments by Mission Encounters International’s (MEI) three main tenets: Encountering God, Transforming Lives, and Impacting Nations:

Encountering God

• • Started a new bible study in Bentley Bay community
  • Supplied Christian based curriculum for the Helene Christian English School (HCES)
  • Supported Childrens day
  • Supported Seniors day
  • Supported 8 revivals by providing sound systems and joyous voices
  • Larry, MEI Executive Director, and his wife, Sheila, were refreshed and re-energized by a weeklong visit with the MEI staff support team in Arizona, David and Heather Willis.
  • Larry and Sheila, while back home for three months, shared the MEI ministry with numerous churches and supporters, traveling over 10,000 miles. Also attended Church of God convention
  • Held devotions for staff, Short-Team Mission (STM) teams while visiting, and others, Monday through Friday mornings

Transforming Lives

• • Completed the MEI Discipleship Encounter program with the Rielys
  • Completed HCES teacher training
  • Supported the HCES school year, via classroom maintenance, teacher support and some of the financial needs
  • Hosted numerous STM teams 
  • David and Heather Willis, our staff support team based in Arizona, visited Helene, for on-site support and an update on the Helene communities
  • Brittany McFadden, a four-year MEI team member, visited during a break with her seminary education, for visitations and support in the medical clinic
  • Aaron Diez, a current MEI Discipleship Encounter program participant, led and provided custom woodworking for our new Roatan MEI location.
  • Provided purified drinking water throughout the year, supplying over 25,000 gallons this year.
  • Provided medical benevolence financial support for 48 people
  • Supported the medical/dental clinics
  • Medical – over 3,000 visits
  • Dental – over 170 visits
  • Emergency Medical events – over 30
  • Provided $25,000.00 worth of medical supplies
  • Hosted local Honduran doctors to work in our clinics

Impacting Nations

• • Completed the remodel of the house on Roatan
  • Numerous major and minor repairs to the main buildings, including: replacement of leaking building gutters to catch more precious rainwater, roof repairs, and replacement of the 15-year-old toilets (13 in all)
  • Purchased a used, smaller 25-foot boat for most trips to Roatan, to reduce transportation expenses
  • Installed a transfer switch for the main buildings in preparation for switching to electricity, from the diesel generator, once the electric grid becomes available in Helene in 2019. This will reduce our building energy expenses by over 50%.
  • Built a new 12 classroom school building, to replace the deteriorating school building used by the government for public education (taught in Spanish)
  • The new school building also provides space for vocational training classes.
  • MEI annual board meeting in January in North Carolina for God-led planning and budgeting
  • Added a new board member, Rich Sherrick 
  • Added a new team member to our staff support team, David Willis 
  • Hosted three Rotary teams from our partnership to dig wells in Helene 

All and all, a very powerful, God-inspired year for MEI