Welcome to EFM!
Thank you for visiting the web site of Evangelistic Faith Missions. EFM has missionaries in a dozen countries around the world and is dedicated to spreading Scriptural holiness.
Our Purpose
The primary purpose of Evangelistic Faith Missions is to win the lost to Jesus Christ. Therefore, the object of this corporation is to conduct a strong program of evangelism by establishing, supporting, and maintaining radio evangelism, schools, orphanages, clinics, and encouraging the planting of national churches.
Sharing the Bread of Life
Carl Matlock, M.D.
A refreshing breeze from the open windows caused me to pull the covers more tightly about my neck. Although the days are warm with temperatures up to 80 degrees or so, the nights in San Luis, Honduras, are quite cool. As the darkness of night just started to yield to the relentless coming of the dawn, the raucous crowing of countless roosters served notice to a still slumbering world that it was about 4:00 a.m. Hunkering down in the bed, trying to ignore the avian chorus, I soon learned that it would not be possible. Our feathered friends gave notice that a new day was dawning, and we might as well get up.
Still not yielding, trying to sleep, awakened repeatedly by the nearly continuous cacophony as roosters sent their own special brand of loud Morse code over the air waves, I awakened fully with a start as the coffee bean workers departed for the fields, yelling, laughing, talking loudly. It was now 5:00 a.m.
Thus began another typical day on the mission compound of Evangelistic Faith Missions in San Luis. When it was finally bright enough to see well without a light, I quickly dressed, had morning devotions, and greeted my fellow workers as, one by one, people began to stir and prepare themselves mentally and spiritually for another day of service. In nearly every room, Bible reading and prayer was the preferred method of preparation for touching those encountered in the clinic each day.
After a delicious breakfast, prepared by Tiffany Melton and her assistants, we quickly loaded our medical supplies into the vehicles and formed a four-vehicle caravan for our trek into the remote mountain villages.
I was privileged to ride with Zack Robberts each morning as we bounced, bumped, slammed, and banged our way over rugged mountain roads. I quickly learned not to sit too close to the window after a few brief cracks to the side of my head. We brought up the rear of the column of four vehicles each day, and even with the windows up and the air conditioner running full blast, dust still seeped in over everything.
In spite of the dust and rugged ride, the mountain vistas were awesome, deep valleys dropping away beside us where a wrong move could send vehicles and passengers plunging hundreds of feet. We drove through low clouds that gave way to brilliant sunshine reflecting off rocky cliffs, verdant forests and foliage in vibrant shades of green, our caravan slowing to navigate through bubbling mountain stream crossings. Cattle, horses, and chickens shared the narrow roads. Although mostly unaccompanied by human beings, the animals were traffic wise, staying to the sides of the roads as we passed.
Excitement gripped me as we finally pulled up to the little village of San Francisco. There we would pass out the Gideon New Testaments with Psalms and Proverbs, all translated into the Spanish language. A church had been established in this picturesque town a few months earlier; thus we decided to pass out Scriptures to the locals in an attempt to boost the pastor's effort to preach the gospel in this mountainous area.
As clinic was being set up each morning, a procedure that took about thirty minutes, the local Honduran pastors preached a message of salvation to those assembled for consultation with our medical staff. Missionary Daniel Melton and I waited anxiously for the completion of the service before the Scripture distribution.
I have served as a member of the Bedford, Indiana, camp of Gideons for several years now and have been involved in both speaking and Bible distribution. In the United States, distributions are a lot different. Our members may be able to hand out 1000 or more Scriptures over six days or so. Most people are polite and either accept our gift graciously or just say no thanks. There is politeness and mostly good behavior observed, but no real hunger for the Word of God. I believe that American prosperity and culture have caused most of our citizens to feel little or no need of God. Most of those who own Bibles in the States have a very poor knowledge of the content of the book itself.
In Honduras, on the other hand, people often live on the ragged edge of life, working very hard at manual labor, making low wages, dwelling in poor homes and shelters. A Bible or New Testament costs a significant proportion of the daily wage for most people.
After the fervent preaching was over, we stationed ourselves at the door where the service had been dismissed. One of the Honduran pastors assisted us in the distribution; and I have never seen anything like it in my life. We could not tear the packaging open quickly enough! Pleading faces accompanied by extended hands were thrust at us from every angle imaginable as people clamored for God's Word. We passed out 100 Scriptures in about five minutes before depleting our supply. I had to turn the box up to show that it was empty and remorsefully say, "No more Palabra de Dios" (Word of God).
It is still heart rending to think of the large crowd we turned away without a copy of the Scriptures. I wish I could have taken more Testaments with me.
The Gideons serve in 194 countries, distributing Bibles and Testaments in 93 languages. Every second, more than two Scriptures are passed out somewhere in the world by Gideons, and still, there are not enough to go around.
As I observed the spiritual hunger and the need in Honduras, I can safely say that Jesus is still walking in the midst of the poor and needy of this world. He is still in the business of saving hearts and lives.
Some people get high on drugs and other illicit pursuits, but I can truthfully say that there is no high like that of giving out the Bread of Life to a truly hungry and needy people. In John 4:35 Jesus proclaims, "Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest."
Thank God for Evangelistic Faith Missions, and thank God for the living Words of Life!
~ Medical Trip to Honduras ~
Report from Melodie Sankey
What a blessing the medical trip to Honduras has been to me! I was privileged to be able to travel with the Evangelistic Faith Missions’ Medical Brigade 2012 as a Spanish translator for Dr. David Boardman. Thank you to the wonderful people who made this trip possible for me.
One day during the medical trip, Dr. David was asked to make a house call to see a very sick, old man who needed help, and I went along to translate. We were told he lived very close to the school where we were holding the clinic, and we were asked if we could please come quickly and see him. A couple of the EFM pastors accompanied Dr. David and me as the man's daughter-in-law led us to this “nearby” location. We began a very long hike straight down the mountainside, through deep mud, under barbed wire, and through fences to finally arrive at the old man's house. When we arrived, he was out in the coffee field! So much for a desperately needed doctor visit!
Maybe Dr. David and I needed the visit as much as the old man did. He sat down in a chair and started telling us how much he loved the Lord and was looking forward to going to his heavenly mansion one day soon. He told us he was 109 years old! All he had to complain about was weakness and pain in his legs...can you believe that? Our Honduran brother, Felix, no doubt will be enjoying that heavenly mansion before long!
I enjoyed getting to know some of the team members that I had not met before and renewing acquaintances and friendships with the Daniel Meltons and the Zack Robberts, both fantastic and effective missionary couples. Our hearts beat alike as I found out through the week while working with them.
I saw so many needy and precious men, women, and children! My heart and my arms reached out to them, and I could not help but pray these words many times through my tears: “Lord, help me see this world the way You do...let me love them as You love them….” In the words of Mike Otto, the song writer: “For if once, I could see this world the way You see, I just know I'd serve You more faithfully”.
