As you know from my last blog I should be in Bulgaria right now but that was not God’s plan. In my first day here in Honduras 7 days ago I got off the bus after spending the night in Nicaragua after a long bus trip. The funny thing about it as I walked into the complex of Zion’s gate it immediately felt like home. It is really hard to explain living out of a tent set down on a rock path that holds all my stuff doesn’t feel outside the normal. I guess that is how you know God has truly called you into something. My heart is here.
It only gets funnier. If you read some my early blog you know that I worked the last two years at a place called Eagle Ranch a group home for boys and girls from the age of 8 to 18. Well guess what the ministry I am directly working with right now is. It is a group home for boys and possibly for girls in the future. The boys here come from a place called Los Pinos(LPs). It is basically a displacement city. At one point here there was a hurricane that destroyed many homes and the government moved most of those people to what is now LPs. So it did not have a very great start. Many of the families there live out of dumps. The boys are exposed to huffing paint thinner at ages as young as 7 or 8 year olds old. They are longing for some kind of community that they aren’t getting at home so the turn to the streets. Many are involved in gangs. There is one boy here that the community leaders of Los Pinos had made a decision to take him out. Yeah you read that last line right. He is only 17 years old. The other day the founder Tony told us a story about a friend of that young man. He apparently had some problems with another gang in LPs and a group of other teenagers stoned him to death. So you can tell just from stories like this that there is so much need here. The boys need family, which Tony is providing for them, and so much more. The way it works the boys can come and go as they please but Tony as them to make a commitment to turn away from the streets and come up with a plan. His slogan is “Once you have a plan, I have a plan.” If they are willing to do that he gives his all to them. My heart cries out for this boys and I want to know there stories so much more. I pray God opens doors for me to be able to go deeper with them.
Yesterday we went to a place called Enfa( not sure if that is spelled right). It is a place for girls that were on the street making trouble. So the government placed them there. They also take care of mentally handicapped kids that have been giving up by their parents. From babies all the way up teenagers. It is a pretty amazing ministry. They teach the girls about hygiene and they also try to teach them a trade. We will go there every Thursday. Each time will be different. Yesterday my team led worship. We did some songs in Spanish and some in English. Afterwards three people from my squad gave their testimonies with three amazing people from my squad providing translation. That was powerful for me and I believe the girls too. Today will be going in the streets with posters in a busy traffic stop and just trying to show the people that they are loved. I have never done anything like that so it will be a new experience for me. Tomorrow we will be taking over a soccer field in one of the most dangerous colonies here. We will be setting up places to play with the kids and just be able to spread the word to those in that community. I will be able to tell you more about that ministry after I have served there tomorrow.
I am very excited about my time here. I am already learning so much about myself in a few shorts days. Sorry about the long blog. I had to write another one just so I wouldn’t have you reading for days. Please keep all these ministries in your prayers and me. Keep me being fully funded in your prayers as well. I know God made me for this. And I want to be able to see it to the end. And Read my second blog when you get a chance.
