Children:

Sarah (4/18/96), Gabriel (2/28/98), Lydia (6/17/99) and Isabel (11/18/01) All are, of course, with their parents at Bethany.

Mission Board:

We will be sent out as Bethany Missionaries (Bethany College of Missions in Minneapolis, Minnesota) "seconded" to STEM (Short -Term Evangelical Missions).

Description of Ministry:

We have led short-term teams with STEM Ministries since 1995 to Jamaica (3), Haiti (1) and Honduras (5). Our passion and desire is to get North American Christians/ Churches excited about missions--whether they are to: 1) go, 2) help send, or 3) pray & intercede. Everyone has a strategic roll. Everyone has a part.

We will move as a family to Honduras this summer. Living conditions are good even though Honduras is the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. We will be leading teams throughout the year (in Honduras as well as other countries) and teaching English in a Christian bilingual school. And, finally, we will be working with a holistic ministry (called "Harvest") training Christian leaders.

How to be involved:

Obviously, your intercession would be greatly appreciated! We would just covet a spiritual covering! Please pray for: 1) our support raising between now and the summer as we prepare to leave, 2) housing, 3) finding transportation, 4) our transition as a family into a new culture (especially for the kids), 5) whether or not we should keep a vehicle in the states as a "furlough vehicle," or whether we should just sell our van before we leave, 6) two short-term trips-(March 8^th-20^th and June 4^th-18^th), and, finally, 7) language learning (especially for Cathy and the kids).

Some practical ideas:

• Could someone organize sending out a care package (maybe 2x/yr) of hard to get/expensive stuff?
• Could Outreach kids send missionary kids a card for birthdays?

Association with Outreach:

Carol Atkins (Cathy's mom) married Dean Kerns in 1993.  Cathy and I visited Arkansas and Outreach periodically (from Orlando) until we moved there in December of 1996.

Home Town:

Luis' family is in North Carolina. Cathy's mom is in Arkansas. We consider Outreach our Home Church.

Contact Info:

• Luis' e-mail: lcarrion@STEMmin.org
• Cathy's e-mail: ccarrion@STEMmin.org

Key Contact:

Dean & Carol Kerns; Brandon & Valbona Batchelor.

Web links:

STEM Ministries

Honduras country information

www.STEMmin.org/missionOpportunities/whereYougGo/honduras.shtml

Bethany Fellowship International

Bethany Missions information:  www.bethfel.org/Pages/bfm.html