Extraordinary Mission Project!

     I love reading different Christian news sites because, unlike the Mainstream Media, you get a more dynamic view of how God is working in the world; stories that you will never see on the major networks or in our national publications.  One such story is about a young man named Dominic Russo and his organization called Missions.Me.
     Dominic Russo is a speaker, a humanitarian, and an innovator in international missions. At the young age of 20, Dominic founded Missions.Me and began organizing strategic outreach campaigns in cities across Latin America.  Todd Johnson, Director of the Center for the Study of Global Christianity, at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, has cited this statistic:  Over the past 100 years, Christianity has experienced a profound southern shift in its geographical center of gravity. Whereas in 1900 over 80% of all Christians lived in Europe and Northern America, by 2005 this proportion had fallen to under 40%, and will likely fall below 30% before 2050.   There is a meteoric rise of Christianity in the South, and it corresponds to a precipitous decline in the North.
     Into this powerful mission field steps Dominic Russo and his novel and fresh campaign called One Nation One Day.  This young US missionary has persuaded the Honduran government to allow 2,000 Christians to converge on the Central American country for one week to preach the Gospel, provide medical aid and potentially affect life-long change.
     What makes this so significant is that, according to Google, the most violent sub-national jurisdiction worldwide is Honduras, and 3 of the 10 most violent sub-national jurisdictions in the world are Honduran.  At a rate of 159 intentional homicides per 100 thousand inhabitants, the Honduran city of San Pedro Sula was the most violent city in the world in 2011.

Russo speaking with Honduran President

     Honduras, crippled by a poor economy and violent crime, is a nation in need of change. The republic, bordered by Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua, is home to about 8.3 million people.  They have a lot of gang-related crime, and the population is among the poorest in Central America, suffering severe economic deprivation, widespread unemployment and extreme national debt.  I would surmise that these are among the reasons that President Porfirio Lobo Sosa has welcomed with open arms Russo's One Nation One Day campaign (to be held July 13-21, 2013) that will see 2,000 volunteers, 18 containers of food and supplies, and evangelistic events reach every public school in Honduras's 18 major states.
     Twenty-nine year old Russo explained the project this way:  "We have almost 1,600 people already signed up to come with us to Honduras in July. We have already shipped 10 containers of aid and we're gathering eight more. We have 18 different ministries sponsoring 18 different outreaches in the capital cities on July 20.  The momentum is enormous. We're going to be broadcast live in Honduras on the government channel. We're going to be on every radio station in Honduras and broadcast hopefully across the world with a couple of different Christian networks. The momentum is unbelievable and the vision is that all of Honduras will be changed and impacted in one day."

Dominic Russo preaches in Lima, Peru (2010)

     Russo's non-profit organization is inspired by a Bible verse in Isaiah, which says "Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment?"  Obviously Dominic Russo believes it can be so!   During a meeting in 2011 with President Lobo Sosa, Russo asked that the government do five things to make this mission dream a reality. Among those requests, all fulfilled, were for the Honduran Congress to pass a bill declaring One Nation One Day an official national holiday; for the government to facilitate the movement of 18 containers of aid, books, medical equipment and food through the country's borders; and to allow organizers to use the 18 largest stadiums and venues in the country's 18 capital cities to gather residents on Saturday, July 20, for a historic, nationwide meeting.
     Now that this enormous evangelist campaign is in full swing, one hopes that Russo will not only be successful, but be able to plant and sustain faith in a country that so desperately needs the Good News of Jesus Christ.  It seems as if he has thought of the time when the campaign is finished, the organizers have packed up and moved on, and the aid workers have left the country.  Over 30,000 local Honduran pastors will pick up where Russo and his mission organization have left off, and will have the responsibility of ensuring "lasting impact and sustainable discipleship," using the tools and training that Missions.Me provides them.
     As I read the account of Dominic Russo and his plans for One Nation One Day, I kept thinking, "Is this guy for real?"  His vision and his purpose seemed too good to be true, but when I checked out the Beliefs section of Missions.Me, I could find no fault with his theology.  It's all there .... the Bible is the inerrant Word of God; the Trinity; the Virgin birth; Jesus's sinless life; His death and resurrection; that all men everywhere are lost and face the judgment of God, and need to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ through His shed blood on the cross.
     And then I thought, "Wouldn't it be wonderful if our President agreed to do what the Honduran President did?"  How different would our country become if our Congress passed a bill declaring the worship of Jesus Christ as a national holiday?  And what if all the news outlets dedicated that national holiday to spreading the Word, and stadiums and venues across the country would be filled with people seeking the peace and will of God?
     I wondered if Dominic Russo's vision is realistic.  Can he accomplish what he hopes to?  And then I read the last statement on his Belief section .... It is the belief of Missons.Me that every follower of Christ has a mandate to go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel.
     Dominic Russo is doing his part.  How many of us can say the same?  He is an inspiring young man and I will be anxious to follow this story in July and see the impact he is able to make for the Lord in Honduras.  In the meantime, I will pray for America to reclaim her mission as a light unto the world!

Matthew 28:18-20     And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.