We are nearing the end of our first month here. One week from today we will be on a 20-hour bus ride headed to Guatemala for our 2nd month of ministry. It’s hard to believe 1 of 11 is done, but I’m excited for what lies ahead.
Life in Honduras has been really great. I expected it to be a lot warmer than it has been here; I spend most of my days in my yoga pants and sweatshirt since it is overcast most days. We are staying in La Hermita/Talanga at a ministry called Corazon de Christo ( Heart of Christ). Gracie & Papi Lee has been absolutely amazing to us and have poured so much spiritually into us since we have been here. The ministry takes in girls who are victims of rape and are pregnant by it. They also have taken in two girls who have cerebral palsy and three of the cutest little boys who were all abandoned by their mothers. The ministry is well known by the village of La Hermita for helping those in need and we are treated well when we are out in the community. It has been such a blessing to be here.
Mornings are waking up at 6am, eating breakfast (cornflakes & coffee), and then taking on whatever ministry we are on for that day. Ministries are house team, village team, float team, and construction team. There are 4 teams from my squad here right now so every 2 days we switch ministries.
If you are the team on house duty, you help cook food for lunch and dinner and then serve it to the rest of the teams, clean all dishes after meals, clean the bathrooms and showers daily, burn trash, carry water up to the bathrooms on the 2nd floor, and take care of all the toddlers, girls with CP, and babies. The village team and float team both go to the village and do surveys looking for women who are pregnant, houses with children under 2 years old, or for a house that has children who are handicapped. The information is collected for a feeding program for the children and if it’s a single mother around 21years old. The construction team has been painting and plastering rooms, fixing doors as needed, and other assorted projects.
Our team hasn’t had any really amazing stories from house visits in the village, but we have been able to have an impact on the staff that work here. I have been incredibly blessed to help in the kitchen when I can and volunteer in there when I’m not scheduled. Olvidia is one of the cooks; she must be close to 50-60. God has brought me so much joy when I get to work beside her. There is a language barrier, but I know enough to talk some to her and we have a good time and laugh when I can’t figure out what she is wanting.
God is definitely teaching me a lot and it has really been about finding joy in the little things. I don’t have to have a crazy awesome story to be changed and transformed by Christ. I am enjoying loving on the kids and girls that are here, the staff, and being a blessing to Gracie & Papi Lee.
