I never knew I had a little brother in Honduras… but that’s
what happens when you travel the world: you
discover family. Henry (see previous
blog for his story) is definitely the little brother I never had. He’s a
punk and needs to be smacked around sometimes, but I love that kid to
death. I teach him English every morning
and in turn get to practice my Spanish as I explain things to him and learn
corresponding words and phrases (it’s definitely a win-win situation.) He’s a
quick learner and we have a ton of fun together.
We went on an adventure to a cave in the mountains the other
day, used a machete to clear the path, crawled under barbed-wire fences, climbed
a tree like little monkeys, and romped around with the puppies… it was a blast!
We also swam wayyyy out into the ocean with one of the other guys at the beach on
Thursday while he warned me about impending sharks below. He likes to tease me
about a fictional creature called a “garrobo� that is apparently two meters
tall, lives in the mountains by the farm, and its favorite dish is human
beings. He says the garrobo is waiting for me under my bed so I shouldn’t go to
sleep, haha.
He likes to play futbol together, work on projects around
the farm, and teach me the lyrics to Spanish reggaeton songs. He gives me
advice about life, teaches me things about Honduras, and is super patient with
my Spanish; if I don’t know a word he’ll explain what it is until I understand
(what a good teacher!) I see him off to school every day, make him sandwiches,
and pray with him before an exam. One day before Tony left with Henry he said, “Ok…
I’m taking your son to school now!�
So precious.
Henry calls me his “hermanita� (“little sister�… even though
I’m older than him), and always greets me with a smile, a gigantic hug, a kiss on the
cheek, and a “te quiero mucho, Jenny� (“I really love you�). He is incredible.
My love for this kid runs deep; this is definitely the strongest connection I’ve
had with anyone throughout the race so far and I’m so grateful for that.
The past few days have been a bit rough since he’s been
realizing how soon I’m leaving and he doesn’t have the emotional maturity to
deal with it well; after all, he’s been abandoned by pretty much everyone he
knows since the time he was a small child and therefore has some deep wounds in
those areas. We had numerous talks about it yesterday and we were both pretty
emotional… tears and all… but I know we’ll stay in contact and I believe he understands.
He’s learning more each day and becoming more and more
transformed into the man of God he was created to be. I can see him being a
leader for the Lord, a soldier in His army. God has big plans for Henry’s future: not only to completely transform and redeem his life but to bring light,
truth, transformation, and redemption into the lives of others as well. I can’t
wait to see how the Lord is going to use him… He already is. I prayed with him for a while
last night about all of this and I truly believe the Lord is touching his heart
in a special way; I’m so grateful to be a part of that process and a part of
his life. Please continue to keep Henry in your prayers. 🙂
Here are the names of some of the other kids we’ve been
working with… they all hold a truly special place in my heart. Please continue
to lift them, their families, and their communities (specifically Los Pinos) up
in prayer.
Henry,
Carlos, Fernando, Josue, Christofer, Luis, Fannie, Jennifer, Daniella, Dania,
Ariel, Ronni, Noamy, Carlitos, Jimmy, Hector, Oscar, Aroni, Steven, Carlos
(another one), Sandra, and Nicole
Thank you
SO MUCH for your prayers and love!! 🙂
“Consequently, you are no longer
foreigners and aliens, but fellow
citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the
foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone. In Him the whole building is joined together and
rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God
lives by his Spirit� (Ephesians 2:19-22).
At the end of our hike… Honduras is beautiful 🙂
Ashely, Henry y yo 🙂
The gang after an intense game of “Sardines” with no power (aka… we couldn’t see a THING! So fun!)
Henry!
On a boat to Ama Pala Island to meet the president of Honduras!
Road trip to the beach (aka Ama Pala) 🙂
He loves playing “Sorry” 🙂
Mi hermanito y yo on our hike up the mountain. LOVE HIM!
