From Albuquerque to Roatán: How One Team Went There for the One
Last month, four people from New City, Cherie, Alex, Carlos, and Sabina, boarded a plane to Roatán, Honduras, with paint, supplies, suitcases full of donated goods, and a recipe for Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas.
They came home different. And we think that's the point.
What the Team Did
The week was full and varied, which is the best kind of missions work. The team rolled up their sleeves and gave a fresh coat of paint to the boys' dorm, the dining room, and the well-loved table and benches. They turned everyday spaces into brighter, more welcoming places for the children who call Sandy Bay Lighthouse Ministries home.
They honored local educators at Beacon School and the school in Punta Gorda by cooking and serving one of their favorite New Mexico staples, Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas, for teachers who pour themselves into the next generation every day. Small acts, but the kind that say: you matter, and we see you.
The team also helped fund the repair of a critical well in Punta Gorda that now provides clean water to more than 3,000 Garifuna people. And each evening, they gathered with the children for devotions, reading Scripture, praying, and simply being present in a way that builds the kind of trust that lasts.
None of this would have been possible without the New City church family. Your donations of clothing, school uniforms, sports equipment, and over-the-counter medicine arrived as answered prayers, met real needs, and reminded families in Roatán that they are not forgotten.
Who We Partnered With
Sandy Bay Lighthouse Ministries is doing the kind of long-term work that actually transforms communities. Their focus is on housing, education, discipleship, and developing local leadership. They've built something that endures.
What struck our team most was how closely their approach mirrors what we teach through Seeking Shalom here at New City. Rather than creating dependency, they are committed to holistic Gospel transformation while helping people flourish spiritually, relationally, educationally, and practically. They're not parachuting in with quick fixes. They're walking with people through sustained, incarnational presence. That resonates deeply with us.
Why This Matters for New City
As part of our Go There for the One initiative, one of our commitments over the next three years is to create opportunities for every adult, student, and child at New City to go there for the nations. That means building real partnerships, not just sending teams once and moving on, but investing in relationships and communities over time.
Honduras is one of three global focuses we're developing alongside work in Thailand and Argentina. Each represents a specific community, a specific partnership, and a specific invitation for our church family to engage in something bigger than our zip code.
We also believe that going back matters. The Honduras team came away deeply encouraged by what Sandy Bay Lighthouse Ministries is building, by the faithfulness of local leaders doing extraordinary things with limited resources, and by what a long-term partnership here could become. We're planning to send a team every year.
Cherie, Alex, Carlos, and Sabina literally went there. Not metaphorically. And they did it for the ones: the children in the dorm, the teachers at Beacon School, the families in Punta Gorda who now have clean water.
That's what Go There looks like with its shoes on.
Want to Go?
The 2027 Honduras team will begin forming in the coming months. If your heart stirred reading this, that's worth paying attention to. Stay connected through our newsletter and watch for more information as we begin building next year's team, or reach out to cesar@newcityabq.org to express your interest.
If you haven't yet engaged with the Go There for the One initiative as a whole, we'd encourage you to take a look. gothere.church
To God be the glory for every meal served, every wall painted, every drop of clean water, and every child who heard God's Word this week. His provision was evident at every turn.
