What would you do if…
… you lived in a small town that looked like a Western movie set. Down your street you see yellow, green, brown, and even pink houses- some made of wood and others cement. Down town there are cute little shops where you know everyone who works them. Your family lives in the area, and weekly dinners are at your Aunt’s house. There are also soccer games on Monday nights at the brand new soccer field. The town is safe enough that you can even go out at night and feel safe. The mountains that surround the town are beautiful, but the Palma fields are beyond gorgeous. It almost feels like you are driving through the garden of Eden.
Sounds like a pretty nice place doesn’t it?
If you grew up here, why would you have any reason to leave?
There is only one problem with this town: it’s nearly impossible to find a job. No one is hiring. You don’t have any cash to put down to buy inventory to set up a store. Wealth is concentrated in the hands of government corruption who have damaging taxes to pay for it. If you wanted to start your own business, there is hardly any cash flow in the community to begin with to buy anything. With a hungry family- you would probably move. Maybe to the next town over, except that nearly every city in your country is the same way.
Welcome to Urraco, Honduras- my home city for the month. Its an interesting time to be in Honduras. As thousands of people WALKED from Honduras to the border of the US, we are here with their families. We sat with a family at dinner as they called their father who is working in America. The wife was crying. They have been married for seven years and he has been gone for two. Within three years he hopes to be able to have made enough money to return back to his family. We prayed for another wife as her husband was approaching the Texas border. While struggling through our Spanish we are surprised at the amount of English that is known in the community. That is because almost every family we have gotten to know has someone who has been deported from America, lives in America, or is currently crossing the border. All are in search of one thing: work.
A lot of people think its sad that I won’t be home for Thanksgiving or other holidays this year. While that is true- I have the privilege/choice/calling to serve across the globe for only one year. These families are ripped apart for many years and it’s not really a choice.
I know so many people in America who complain about going to work, don’t want to work, and even a few that actually don’t work. It blows my mind that we take jobs for granted when I live with people who are willing to leave everything they know, live by themselves, and walk a thousand miles fora job that probably isn’t even that great in American standards.
Here and now:
My supporters! Because I could not be here without all the prayers and financial contributions
Our awesome hosts this month- Pastor and Pastora are some of the kindest people I have ever met
Iglesia Zoe- and the work they do for the community
Thanksgiving dinner tonight!
The duck we received as a gift
Baby wipes- when our water is out
My tent because it protects me from bugs
4 cement walls, because they can be rare in many areas of the third world
Palma farms
The children that bring us joy
Plantains- the best Central American food
Truck rides- our main form of transportation
Mountains and beaches
Dunkin Donuts that is an hour away from our village
Our squad leaders who are awesome mentors
Back in the States:
American plumbing
Clean water- constant clean water
Water in general- we have gone quite a few days without it this month
Showers- real showers with warm water
Significantly less government corruption
Freedom to talk about what ever I want to talk about
That we don’t have a rainy season
Fall
Cold weather
Snow (but not too much!)
Beautiful holidays that bring people together
Pizza and other great American foods
Job potential- because graduating from college in America means endless opportunities. I don’t have to work about finding a job, a good job. That even though us College Grads are in debt we have the ability to barrow money because of our future earning potential.
If you are back in America, I hope to get to meet someone from Honduras. And if you do, I hope you ask them about their family. They always love to talk about their families! Most people who migrate to America from the South most likely don’t want America. They want freedom and jobs that America has and a lot of the world does not. There are many issues that our country has (and that is a separate conversation), however, there are many things that we have that the rest of the world craves. Pray for those who are making the journey to America. And don’t just pray- be a friend if the chance arises.
