Hondo Run Down (Part 2)

That Saturday and the Saturday after we spent building a Tilapia farm. We moved granite rocks from one side to a field to the other to create a dam for what would eventually be an excavated tilapia farm. The plan is that the tilapia farm will help bring in $30,000 a year to fund the ministry and surrounding villages. The great part about these aquaponds is that when it’s drained and the fish removed, the soil from it then can be put on soil to help grow fruits and veggies that locals will sell at the market. Everything put into the pond – water, soil, fish – is used and not thrown away. It’s awesome!

 
After spending time at Heart of Christ for a few days we got to help cultivate the land at Zion’s gate: the boys and girls home we stayed at for the course of the month. Most of our time was spent digging a hole for a pipe that would carry used water to a septic tank at the base of the property. Getting to know Ronaldo and Ronnie was great. Ronaldo liked to walk around and say mucho trabajo poco denero to denote the difficult Honduran problem of finding a high paying job even with an economy that has prices that rival if not exceed most American prices.
 
This time also let us see the kids more often, play soccer, and love on them. We got to participate with them in their chores and better understand how the ministry is run. It showed me the importance of teaching kids (which will hopefully pay off if I become a father) how to value where they live by investing time and work into it. You could tell the difference between the kids who had been there long term and who had been there short term. It was eye opening to see the amount of care the kids took in the property whether it is picking up trash they saw on the ground or volunteering to work side by side with us during their free time.