MUR May 25 NL

MAY 2025
Mission UpReach Newsletter
Special Edition!
Volume 18, Issue 3
WELCOME TO OUR
MAY OF MOSES
This year we would like to open a new opportunity for
supporting the 23 young men who currently reside at
our Project Moses farm. We have recently launched a
sponsorship program for these students, and look forward
to your involvement! Our motivation is for several reasons:
we would like to have some assurance we will have enough
funds coming in to cover expenses; we would love for
each young man to have a personal “family” connection to
their sponsor; and we want to share with you the joy of a
personal connection to the recipient of your donation.
WHAT IS PROJECT MOSES?
Project Moses is a program focused on helping 12-18 year
old boys from disadvantaged circumstances achieve a
highschool education. Our slogan is “Developing leaders to
fulfill dreams” and that is a key aspect for how we manage
their time here at the Project. Throughout their time here
they will be asked about their dreams and their vision for
the future. We encourage development toward that dream
and help them seek the right opportunities to further
invest in the future God has for them. Our call is not just to
pour into the lives of these students, but also to influence
their community in the hopes that they too may lead their
people toward God’s promise.
STATS
Number of Years
MUR Has Been
Running
Project Moses
Number of
Students in the
Program in 2025
Number of
Communities
Represented by
Current Students
WHY MOSES?
Moses experienced two times in his life where he was
withdrawn from his family and from his calling. Firstly,
when by the faith of his parents, he was floated down the
river Nile to be discovered by the princess. God moved
him away from his family where he received the finest
education the world had to offer. He was trained to be a
leader. Later, after he retreated to the desert God taught
him another form of leadership, shepherding. He was later
called back to his people to lead them to the promise that
God had for them. It is after this image the Project strives
to form and develop young men into Christ-like leaders.
We use educational opportunities, spiritual development,
and the natural environment to build abilities and that
will serve the students well in their future. But always
with a greater call in mind.

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Blessed by
SPONSORSHIP HIGHLIGHT:
MAYNOR
Committed, humble, a desire to overcome.
These are just some of Maynor’s qualities.
We are glad to be a part of the personal,
professional and spiritual formation of this
young man. Starting at a young age, he worked
at his father’s side, cultivating berries, passion
fruit, corn and beans.
During the coffee harvesting season, from November to February,
he traveled to Copán to cut coffee. Through these means his family
subsists. Scarce resources and opportunities in his childhood has
given him a profound gratefulness and led him to show effective
performance in our program. One of these deficiencies is the lack
of opportunity to continue his education. He lives 12 km from the
nearest educational center and due to the mountainous terrain,
scarce economic resources, lack of public utilities and personal or
public means of transportation he would not have been able to
continue studying. With your sponsorship, you are investing into
Maynor’s future. A talented young man who, despite being born into a
challenging environment, dreams of a better future. By supporting his
education, you are not only giving him the tools to achieve his goals,
but you are also giving him the opportunity to inspire other young
people in his community.
APRIL CELAQUE HIKE
Before the boys were sent home for their Easter break,
everyone piled onto a green, Mission UpReach bus and
headed out of town for the 2nd annual Celaque Excursion.
Justin Harbison, Tyler’s brother and a professional in
wilderness experiences made a trip to Honduras to lead
the adventure for the boys. Justin began demonstrating
the use of a compass to the boys and allowing them to
orient themselves towards north and later orient towards
the goal. This lesson was given as a metaphor in how we
measure things in our lives to know whether we are doing
the right thing.
The boys were the last group to leave the trail head but
were the first to arrive at the campsite below the summit.
Their youthful exuberance made short work of the 5 miles
and 5000 ft of elevation gain. The afternoon and evening
was spent making camp and enjoying the fellowship and
isolation in the cloud forest of Honduras’ tallest mountain.
have experienced, but the view and beauty of the sunrise
was a worthy prize to withstand the cold. This summit
experience was accompanied by a reflection on the mountaintop
experiences of life–moments when we can think
on the questions of “where have you been?” and “where
are you going?”
To close the adventure they had a worship service on the
side of the mountain and they made the trip back down to
the bus. This past week, Tyler and Francis welcomed all the
boys back and on Tuesday called the boys together for a
final devotional where they placed 4 new “stones of help”
on the ebeneezer that was first constructed last year. As
they enjoyed the view from the summit at Celaque, they
reflected on how God has brought them to this place and
thought of the future that God has laid out for them.
After a 3am wake up time to arrive at the peak just before
sunrise, a stiff breeze and 35° F temperature met them and
was most definitely the coldest weather any of the boys

WWW.MISSIONUPREACH.ORG PAGE 3
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHT:
STEM CLUB AND SOCCER LEAGUE
We have grand plans for the STEM club in 2025. Building on
the success of the Robotics projects in 2024, Tyler was able
to acquire three more robots to allow for more boys to get
hands-on experience with building and programming. Tyler
has spent the first module of the 2025 STEM club activities
focusing on logic and problem solving. The progress is
already evident with how the 8th graders this year have
taken advantage of the robots and the skills they learned
last year to enter a robotic contest at their school and win,
thereby securing 25 points towards their grade in their
Technology class. Currently three of our older students have
started their robotics module and are eager to solve some
more complex problems building on the programming and
design skills that they have learned. The outlook for internal
programs is looking good this year with a robotic module
scheduled as well as chess and basketball soon to follow for
the late summer initiatives.
Additionally, soccer began in earnest on the first day of
March this year. With a three week preseason and a couple
friendly matches, the boys were raring to go. Building on
the opportunities of last year, Project Moses spearheaded
the creation of a private school soccer league in Santa Rosa
de Copan. The league contains four other private schools in
the area that have a comparable male student population
and has made for some highly competitive games. They
are now three games into the brief six game season. The
stiff competition has the “Disciples” (named by one of our
graduating students last year) still looking for their first win
but it has been a great experience for these boys to step
onto the pitch and compete at higher levels each week.
Tyler’s experience in athletics has inspired these efforts into
character formation for the Project boys and will continue
to be a way that he engages with them directly and seeks
to develop values and capacity to overcome obstacles.
CURRENT WEEKLY BIBLE STUDY:
THE BOOK OF JOHN
The most important aspect of the development of our
young men is an overarching focus on spiritual growth that
permeates all we do. Weekly attendance of church and
youth group is a given, but instruction on spiritual discipline
and values is a daily occurance. Currently Phil and Donna
Waldron are leading a Tuesday night Bible study on the
Book of John. This has been a deep look into the life and
context of our Savior, and the focus and participation that
the boys have given shows an eagerness to learn more. The
time spent learning with an elder in their church has been
a blessing as they get to feel that true investment in their
lives that creates a noticeable change in their own personal
investment in faith.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
Sponsor a student in our program! (Instructions
on the last page!)
Share this campaign with friends and
family who might be interested. Stay
tuned for videos we will be sending out
via email and social media as a great way
to get the word out!
Consider putting together a team for
a construction brigade to update our
dormitory facilities at Project Moses.
Contact Donna Waldron to learn more.
donna.w@missionupreach.org

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HOW TO SPONSOR
A PROJECT MOSES STUDENT
The first step is to go to our sponsorship platform at
projectmoses.reachapp.co/sponsorships. (Scan QR code to
direct you right to the site.) There you will be able to view
each student’s profile waiting for a sponsor. It includes
photos and general details as well as a personal description
of who they are so you can get to know them.
Each monthly sponsorship is $600 and includes all the
costs related to each individual student. As you probably
know, we house, clothe, feed, educate, transport, provide
medical care, and direct them on a very personal level.
Your sponsorship gives the student the hope of a brighter
future. This opportunity opens up new learning experiences
that wouldn’t otherwise be available for the average
teenager here in Honduras. You can empower them to
educational success and give them a real connection that
just demonstrates that there is someone else out there who
cares. This sponsorship connects you to a community here
in Honduras; and through your support of one student, you
are pouring into the lives of their family and their
community. You can have a true partnership with us to
encourage and edify the student
to succeed. You can give a young
man the chance at being a first
generational (literate) High school
graduate. The Project is willing
to facilitate your visit so that
Sponsors can get to know the
youth in-person and personally.
You can experience what the Project means to those who
are a part of this program.
Reach out to Tyler Harbison, Director of Project Moses,
with any questions, or request to join our “Project Moses
Network,” an exclusive group that will receive regular
updates on the goings on at the Project. This inside scoop
will keep you well-informed on how you can be praying for
the Project and the boys throughout the year!
tyler.h@missionupreach.org
2025 Brigade Season
Please contact us:
Brad Russell Medical Team (TN)...... February 22-March 1........ Medical
Belton Youth Group (TX)................. March 8-15...................... VBS
VCOM Medical................................ March 30-April 6............. Medical
Snellville Church of Christ............... May 31-June 7.................. VBS
Southside Church of Christ.............. June 28-July 5................. Medical
Southside Church of Christ (KY)....... July 12-19........................ Medical
Grand Junction
Church of Christ (CO) ..................... July 19-26....................... Medical
Pine Tree Church of Christ (TX)....... July 26-August 2.............. Medical/VBS
Mission UpReach Board
Scott Bedichek, Ft. Worth, TX
Phil Berry, Lakeland, FL
Kory Cummings, Ft. Worth, TX
Wayne Kellis, Gilbert, SC
Dorris Gulley Shelton, Dunwoody, GA
Other Giving
Jeff Simpson, White Oak, TX
Adam Spencer, Longview, TX
Donna Waldron, Santa Rosa de Copán
Phil Waldron, Santa Rosa de Copán
Mission UpReach is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. We can assist you to designate MUR in a
corporations’ matching gifts program, or giving through a United Way campaign, or
as you prepare wills for your estate.
Our mailing address is as follows:
Mission UpReach, Inc.
3221 Dundee Road
Longview, TX 75604
Please send all checks, donations and
correspondence to this address.
You can correspond directly with
Phil and Donna at:
Phil and Donna Waldron
Apartado Postal #255
Santa Rosa de Copán, Copán
Honduras, Central America
donna.w@missionupreach.org
Phone: 706-534-7060
facebook.com/missionupreach
instagram.com/missionupreach