This month my whole squad is living together (and sharing one bathroom) at the property of Zion’s Gate Ministry. Our main contact is an American named Tony. He and his wife Nidia run Zion’s Gate Ministry, which is a multifaceted ministry based in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
Regrettably, I was relatively unaware of the things going on in Honduras before I arrived in this sunny, mountainous country. I didn’t realize that Honduras is the murder capital of the world. (This is mostly due to organized crime so don’t worry, Mom. There are armed guards on the property with us.) In addition to this, Honduras has widespread gang problems, an exorbitant population of kids living on the streets, and a nearly nonexistent presence of male role models. With all of these problems, there is a resulting presence of widespread drug use, prostitution and sex trafficking, disease, and poverty.
As I’ve learned about the Darkness that shrouds this country, a compassion has begun swelling in my heart. It has therefore been such an honor to work with Tony, who is a wise and passionate man that deeply desires to see the nation of Honduras restored from the widespread brokenness.
A primary goal of Zion’s Gate Ministry is to minister to boys who live on the streets and in the dumps of Tegucigalpa. Tony and Nidia have unofficially adopted nearly a dozen boys, most of whom now live permanently in Tony’s house. The boys are of all ages, and most have a history of homelessness, drug abuse, violence, and crime. Tony and Nidia have taken the responsibility of parenting the boys though, and because of this, they are attending school, doing chores, learning about respect, responsibility, and the Gospel.
Though our ministry last week was off-site with “Heart of Christ”, this week Team R.O.A.R. has been working at Zion’s Gate. Tony assigned us a very important job for the week: building a rabbit cage.
So for the past week, Team R.O.A.R. has been constructing the most extraordinary rabbit house you’ve ever seen. Really, it’s more of a rabbit mansion. We had to begin by landscaping around the cage, which involved shoveling and hauling heavy rocks and dirt. Then we needed to deconstruct part of the already existing cage, which used to contain monkeys back when this property was used for a nightclub.
We’ve had a very limited amount of supplies, but that’s allowed us to be more creative and resourceful. When the saw broke in half, we wrapped cloth around one end and kept going. When we ran out of paint within the first hour of painting one morning, I decided to clean the kitchen, sweep floors, and wash the dishes in the main building until more paint could be purchased. One morning we were scheduled to begin around eight, but we didn’t get started until two because that’s how it works sometimes in the developing world.
The whole project has taken four days, and there is still a bit of painting left before it’s completed. I’m very proud of Team R.O.A.R. though. We’ve worked so well together, and we’ve been enjoying each other’s company while spending hours upon hours doing manual labor out in the chilly weather.
I think that a few years ago I wouldn’t have been satisfied with coming all the way to Honduras to build a cage for a few rabbits. I would have been disappointed because this isn’t “orthodox mission work.” But I’ve learned a lot about missions in the past few years and I’m consequently totally at peace with spending 8+ hours a day sawing, hauling, and painting for the sake of a few fluffy bunnies. Because it’s not about the bunnies. It’s not about their mansion either.
This work is about the boys of Zion’s Gate – boys who once had only a life of poverty and crime but now are adopted into a loving community. These boys have seen more brokenness in their childhood than most people see in a lifetime. The bruises and scars that line both their bodies and their minds are deep wounds, but the love and acceptance they find at Zion’s Gate allows for much healing and restoration. They have a bright future here with Tony and Nidia, and if I can help brighten that future by helping them start a small rabbit-selling business – I couldn’t be more satisfied.
