The children of Honduras…. These precious ones live in Los Bordos, a slum rife with extreme poverty, crime, and danger lying in wait. To their smiling faces, I represent a comfortable, safe place. They know me, and they erupt with laughter as they freely tease me.
I first met these children in 2012, when our van drove up to what is called the community center – a shell of a building, dirt floor, rotting wood. People rushed to greet us, including these beautiful children. Our team had brought to Los Bordos much needed food, clothing, and toys for distribution.
We’ve visited Los Bordos many times since 2012. The humanitarian outreach of our ministry provides nourishment and hope to impoverished men, women, and children. However, our priority will always be, above all else, to nourish their impoverished souls with the message of the Gospel, salvation through Christ Jesus! That’s what we think, strive for, and desire! 
I’m blessed to know a gentleman whose ministry is financial in nature. He’s sponsored a significant portion of my mission trips. Since he travels through me as surrogate, I’m pleased to give him briefings on how his ministry funds are used for God’s glory. I provide him with costs, job analysis, ministry man-hours, number of salvations, travel, field and church ministry time, and more.
Sometimes things are moving so fast on the mission field that I’m unable to keep track of the statistics. No choice here – a less detailed briefing is offered. And, yes, I do need to explain to this generous fellow the ever-increasing cost of mission trips.
But how does one put a price on a saved soul, or thousands of saved souls? I’ve traveled with mission groups to paint schools, build homes, and speak in churches. There we showed God’s great goodness and love. But on those trips how many came to know Christ when our priority was to complete the task, and not to fill souls? Yes, the cost for taking Christ to the nations may be increasing, like so many other things. But as Christians following Christ we have Kingdom traction, where the rubber meets life’s road. We don’t slip or spin when there’s a bump in that road. The Spirit of God rests within us and in our endeavors.
There is a cost. It’s value cost! Pray, prepare, participate. He will provide! The Kingdom of God is at hand!
Written by Alive2Love Ambassador, Frank Long
