Just recently returned from Honduras, where I spent a week with Dana & Mirtza Benscoter, founders of True Disciples Ministry. Dana's story is fascinating, and I'm writing this from a rough memory, so some facts may be slightly off - but here goes: Dana visited Honduras nearly 30 years ago to help on a church related construction project. The night before he was to depart he had a dream that the pastor of the church he was working with came up to him and asked him to stay to help complete this project. Sure enough, the next day as Dana was packing up his tools, the pastor came up to him and... well nearly 30 years later Dana is still residing in Honduras. He went from one project to another, and eventually received on-line theological training, married Mirtza, raised three children who are all in their 20's now, and he still spends the bulk of his time in Honduras with the people he has grown to love. Dana and Mirtza were such wonderful hosts for Mark Miller and me (Mark is a designer/contractor who connected me with Dana, and joined me on this trip). Shown in the photo above is, from left to right: Mirtza, Jorje (Mirtza's brother - and whose story is worthy of a separate blog), Dana, and Alicen (a very close family friend - sort like part of the family). From their ministry web site: "True Disicples is dedicated to helping people become friends with God. Our focus is to prepare lay ministers through a monitoring-discipleship process.
While developing Christian leadership from "new disciples," we also support existing ministries with ministerial studies and contextualized out-reach ministry strategies.
Due to the extreme need among children today; our main ministry focus is to equip leadership to minister to children and youth."
Boy - one week with Dana and Mirtza, and I'm not certain I've met people so engaged in equipping other leaders and believers - they are "true disciples" of our wonderful Lord and Savior. Thank you Dana and Mirtza for showing me what a true disciple looks like.
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