Sisters pastor spreads the word in Honduras

Pastor C. Frank Fraga spreads the word of God beyond the environs of Sisters. The New Hope Christian Center minister recently traveled to Honduras for his third Crusade in the Central American country, where he also preached in 2002 and 2004.

Fraga works in tandem with Pastor Bill Smith of Worldwide Crusades, an Alsea, Oregon non-profit organization that preaches the gospel and assists those is need with food, clothing, shelter, medical assistance and the like.

About Smith, Fraga said: "He's been doing this (missionary work) for 20 some years and has planted 30 some churches."

To facilitate his work Fraga relies on the assistance of Hernan Mendez, a native Honduran, who goes in front of him and sets up everything before he arrives.

"He (Mendez) does all of the footwork and sets up the meetings and gets all of the churches cooperating with the meetings," Fraga said. "All I have to do is go and preach."

During his most recent trip, Fraga preached in three different Assembly of God churches. Two were in San Pedro Sula, a city of about 1,000,000 that is known as the industrial capital of Honduras. The other was in El Progreso. Fraga additionally appeared on national television and spoke on the radio.

He also conducted crusades in the towns of San Juan Pueblo and Mezapa, neither of which have Assembly of God churches. Some 4,000 people attended his crusade in Mezapa, and about 5,000 came when he preached in San Juan Pueblo.

Most of Fraga's services are held in outdoor venues.

"They build a platform, and people are able to stand or sit. One was actually in the intersection of one of the main parts of town that was all blocked off. Another was held at what is basically used as a gymnasium and meeting place for one of the grammar schools. It's just a roof with no doors or windows or anything," said Fraga.

People from all different religious backgrounds come to hear Fraga preach.

"Many of them have no background whatsoever," he said.

To attain the large turnouts, a significant advertising campaign is conducted before Fraga's arrival. Ads are aired on both radio and television, and handbills are regularly distributed. Additionally, large posters are displayed in restaurants and in public venues where large numbers of people gather.

"We've had as high as 50 percent of the town come out four years ago in the little town of Chalapa. It's a town of 5,000, and we had 2,500 people come out," said Fraga. As an outgrowth of that crusade, Chalapa now has a church. "The Lord laid it upon my heart to come back home (to Sisters) and raise funds, and we bought some property and built them a church."

According to Fraga, the Worldwide Crusades organization has become well known in Honduras for the work they do, and people there have a real hunger to hear the word of God.

"When they see the miracles happening, they really come out. That in itself draws a lot of people...," he said.

After the spiritual crusade Worldwide Crusades often returns to hold a medical crusade.

"We have doctors, dentists and nurses who go down, and we try to minister as much as we can to the physical needs," Fraga said. "There's a great need down there because medical problems are pretty extensive."

Members of Fraga's congregation in Sisters have been very helpful in raising money to send to Honduras.

"They support us in prayer while we're gone. All of this work is a side ministry of my own ministry. I take my vacation time and go down on these crusades. The congregation is all in agreement with me going. They were the ones that raised the funds to buy that property in Chalapa," Fraga said.

For more information about Fraga's ministry in Honduras contact him directly at 549-2277. Information about the work of Worldwide Crusades is available at their Web site http://www.worldwidecrusades.com.