One Saturday In Honduras

We spent last Saturday living what we envisioned before we came as a “missionary’s life”. We started the day with a simple breakfast shared with a Honduran family we have come to love, the Cerna Family, Elvin, Wendy, and their daughter, Clarisa.  Homemade zucchini bread, juice made from fresh blackberries ($1 a pound), feather fresh eggs, and watermelon (I am getting pretty handy with the fresh squeezed and baked stuff). Then we were off.  Our first stop meeting new friends, Wendy’s family; SWEET family through and through. 

 They live in “Campo Alegre” {Happy Camp} and they work very hard to live up to that name.  First of all in this community there are no cantinas (bars). If someone from the community drinks too much and starts to behave poorly… others from the community tie the rowdy drinker to a tree until the next morning!!! I love it!!!!!!! Now that is a community watch program!  We enjoyed the day laughing near a babbling brook while Wendy and her mother cooked over an outdoor stove.

They have a stove inside but everyone thinks food taste better cooked over the flame… and I agree everything was delicious.   Later Elvin, Marcelino, Maritza, Wendy’s father and I slipped away to visit a village called “La Pimienta” (The Pepper). Although physically located close to Campo Alegre it was like going to another country in another time. 

The people were very poor, most lacking in simple basic necessities.  

 

Through the blessings of previous teams we were able to take several suitcases filled with clothes, linen, some shoes, and treats for the children. We also provided each family with food.  One “viejita “(old lady… in a loving way) shared how God always provides on time!

  

We had the chance right there on the dirt road to share Christ and His message of hope.  

Keep La Pimienta in your prayers, as you see from the pictures many do not have shoes, running water, and they have no school or church.  Later we returned to Campo Alegre for coffee and another opportunity to share Christ with a single mom and her daughter. It was an awesome day - no logistical demands, no schedule, no phones just a great day with great people sharing about our great God!!! 

On the way home I watched the sky and saw the stars blinking at us.  God made that sky, hung those stars and yet with all that power He is still concerned about the people living in a remote village on the side of a mountain name La Pimienta. I love the Lord and I am honored and pleased to serve Him wherever He sends me!!!!!!!

If you want to see the entire set of photos of La Pimiento I have them posted on facebook.

What’s The Exchange Rate?

Too Funny Not To Share

Sometimes life is so funny you get muscle failure in your cheeks from laughing so much… this evening was one of those sometimes.  In the States Maritza received a $5 allowance every week.  Coming here still wanting to give her a little change and teach her about tithes and offerings and using finances wisely I set her allowance at 20 lempiras. She looks forward to Saturdays when she gets her allowance.. ya know big time with 20 lempiras. After she sets aside what she needs to she and a friend pull their change and have a feast from the campus concession. Today she asked me how much is 20 lempiras worth in American money.  Without thought I told her about  “$1”… her mouth dropped open and then it registered why she was asking.  She was undone and I was cracking up, her allowance has been equivalent to $1 per week since our arrival. She walked away shaking her head mumbling something about “that’s cheap”… I was still cracking up!     

Uncertain Tears

I’m not sure what I expected but I know for a fact that I wasn’t ready of my first trip to a state operated orphanage. As we pulled into the compound surrounded by high walls topped with bobbed wire I saw them; a flowing river of anticipating eager little ones. They had no idea what our plans were for the morning or what “precious” cargo we carried; they only knew there was a bus load of people for them. For the moment, they would be special and the center of attention. For this morning it was all about them. Some of the children with darkened eyes and already firm scowls stayed their distance, while others moved in quickly greeting the disembarking bus riders quickly claiming a heart and a hand; yet others shyly waited in the shadows, desiring to be chosen.

With supplies unloaded our medical team went to work, the puppeteers set up stage, sound plugged in, the barber started shaving heads, while everyone else scattered to rooms and areas with children. I lost Maritza to the baby room as soon as her feet touch the ground. That’s where she met “David” The care provider did not know his name. Like most infants in the orphanages here David was abandoned. I called him David after the child no one considered who became a man after God’s own heart, a king, a leader, a worshipper – David!

Every room with children filled with laughter, hugs, merriment, and care… except one. The room with the padlock. These were the children who were determined to have severe mental and emotional problems… padlock, fenced window, isolated from others, a hole to view the world through. A few members of our team pushed small stuffed animals through the fist sized hole in the door. I saw a child share his drink with the occupants by turning his cup up to the hole pouring its contents through as eager lips caught the drink before it hit the floor. I kept thinking “this is better than being homeless right?”

The puppet show, singing, music, dancing, treats, gifts, hugs and love was all we could do for the moment in that moment. We drove away and they stayed; the iron doors closed and locked keeping in, keeping out, keeping secrets.

I have not felt this was since my 1^st trip to Haiti in 1997 when in Citi Soli, a community where raw sewage ran down the streets in front of make shift houses built on a dump, a little girl with too big red shoes ripped my heart. I shed tears but for what purpose; frustration, shame, greater brokenness, or am I angry again? It was never God’s plan for government to take care of orphans – it’s the responsibility of the church… we missed it! Now David, Sparkle (in the pictures she is the one with the close-up of her face) and countless others are suffering in third world like modern day 1920 throw back “asylums” – because we missed it. One of the next phases of Tree of Life Ministry here in Honduras is an orphanage… God give us grace and favor that building and operation will proceed rapidly and God grant mercy for your children.