Well, I am about halfway through the month in Honduras. It has been a different month so far, but I definitely have some things Id like to share with everyone at home.
First, the ministry we are working with in Honduras is called Zion’s Gate, a property open to the street kids of Honduras. The property is run by a man from the States named Tony and his wife, Nidia. This couple currently has about five children who live with them on the property escaping a life of poverty, drug addictions, homelessness, and other pains. Tony and his wife allow these children to make life changes on their own while offering the resources and encouragement necessary. With their help, these boys are back in school and mere shadows of who they were only months before.
As a squad of 45 people, we have been blessed to live on the property with Tony, Nidia, and the five boys for the month. We have all been tent camping in a run-down restaurant building and sharing two cold-water showers, and three toilets that flush by pouring a pitcher full of water into the bowl. You can imagine it is taking some getting used to. But inconveniences aside, we have truly been privileged to live with these boys and get to know their individual personalities.
Carlos: The very first night we arrived, we were a few hours late, and when the bus pulled up late at night, all the boys were waiting in the street to greet us. The first one to throw his arms around me was 13-year-old Carlos with his BIG personality! He immediately swung my 55lbs pack on his shoulders and took off running towards the restaurant. About five steps in, the full weight of my pack landed on his back, and his legs crumbled beneath him. He fell face-first onto the tile floor and couldn’t get back up, laughing his head off. I had to run over and lift the pack off of him. He stood up, hugged me, and took off running with my pack again. Later in the night, he came to my tent and gave me a necklace with a “C” on it that had been a present to him. Then he said “te quiero mucho” and ran off. This is a boy who months before had been living in the streets, sniffing paint-thinner, and doing whatever he needed to do to survive. The changes I have been allowed to experience in these little lives, blows me away!
Well after that night, I woke up the next morning with my first “World Race” sickness that lasted for a full week. I was confined to my tent with a raging fever, body chills and aches, and headache. I left my tent for food, water, and occasionally for some fresh air. During this time, I slept. A lot. But I also had a lot of time for reflection of my month spent in El Salvador, my purpose on this race, and conversation with God. Although my body was struggling, after this sickness my mind and spirit was rejuvenated.
Since being better, my team has been working with a pastor who coordinates soccer games for youth in poor communities. His ministry is present in the States, Honduras, El Salvador, and a few other countries. He truly is a blessing to the lives of the youth he comes into contact with and has a testimony of service and faith! We have been working in the office sorting thousands of jerseys into sizes and colors for the teams. While working in the office we have heard so many stories from this pastor’s life, specifically one I HAVE to mention.
Because he feels called to work with the youth in these poor communities, he comes into contact with some very desperate youth. Well one day, he found himself out with the children past dark in a bad part of town. He stopped to tell us that this is a very discouraged thing in Honduras due to the gang activity. But he had stayed out for unnamed reason and was walking back to his car at night by himself, when he heard running footsteps of a large group of people just over the hill. He picked up his pace knowing what was about to happen. Well, before he could reach his car, he was confronted with about 30 children with various weapons. They asked him for his watch, he gave it to them. They asked for his wallet, he gave it to them, And then they asked for his shoes, and while he was taking them off, he heard them discussing who was going to take his life. He handed over the shoes, and asked if he could have one final word, and they said make it fast. He looked at the children and said “God loves me, and God loves each of you so much. He even died on the cross for every single sin you’ve committed or will commit.” Then he lowered his head because he didn’t want to see how they were going to kill him. A few minutes went by, and nothing had happened. A while later, he slowly lifted his head, opened his eyes, and saw 30 children crying. One gave him back his wallet, another his watch, and the last gave him his shoes. Then they left. The faith this man had saved his life.
His faith, as well as Tony’s, is encouraging and a challenge to my own faith. I am being so encouraged to strengthen my faith, and I pray that the stories I am able to relay are encouraging to your faith as well.
The next two weeks I have in Honduras will be spent working on a house where one of the street kid’s family lives. We will be putting in new support beams, working on the kitchen, and building an outhouse in the back (They don’t even have a hole in the ground to take care of business). We will also be building a 90ft staircase up a dirt hill to alleviate the dangerous travel that happens everyday in the community, up and down that hill.
Thank you so much for reading and I miss every one sooo much. Please continue praying for me!!
