It ONLY took 25 hours and 2 border crossings to get to Honduras. I say that very sarcastically. When we got on our first bus around 3 p.m., I had thought to myself, “oh this won’t be that bad.” Then, around 6 p.m., we got off the bus to cross the Guatemalan border. We had to carry all of our back packs and day packs through the line. As we walked up I was thinking to myself, “well this isn’t very fun.” It was hot and all the stuff was so heavy. It was then that I looked up and there was an elderly woman. She was probably carrying the same amount of weight as me or most likely more. My heart broke for her. It was then that I was humbled. This is just adventure for me. For so many, this is a way of life. Long bus rides, border crossings, long walks, carrying heavy loads, and so much more are normal for others. In that moment, I thanked God and changed my attitude. We crossed the border and got on another bus that was even smaller and more cramped. About 12:30 a.m., I was struggling. My legs had been crammed for hours. I then decided to sleep on the bus floor, just trying to ignore the gum stuck on the bottom of chairs. Also, trying my hardest to avoid thinking about how we all had walked through sewer water multiple times during our first month. One thing that was undeniable is that we were traveling down dirt roads with many pot holes, so the ride was bumpy. At one point I did fall asleep and when I woke up I was so surprised I had fallen asleep. Because by then my legs, back, shoulders, everything ached. At 2:30 a.m. we stopped and of course the bathroom was closed. So there it was, the time had come that we as a collective had to pop a squat. We all were lined up behind another bus passing toilet paper down the line. In this moment I realized what a blessing hand sanitizer is. As we got on the bus I couldn’t help but find the humor in this moment. I just kept thinking if this is the worst bathroom situation we find ourselves in, I will be so very thankful. We then got on the bus and would travel for 15 more hours. No, there were no more pop a squat parties. I know you were really wondering about that. The trip went on very smoothly after that. We crossed the Honduran border and brushed our teeth in the immigration parking lot. Riding along, we took turns sleeping on the ground and so on and so forth. It was funny to me how I was then grateful for the time I had on the filthy floor. When we arrived at the host home, it made me laugh as everyone talked about how clean the floors were. I myself was thinking how excited I was to sleep on a clean floor. Who was this? Who is this person that is happy to GET to sleep on the floor? I’ll get to the point, don’t worry. Fortunately, my team was assigned a room with bunk beds. I can’t explain to you how blessed I felt last night as I went to sleep. There are so many things we take for granted in this world. Most of the time we thank God for things like our careers, houses, cars, phones, etc…But how many times have you prayed and thanked God for things like toothbrushes, soap, deodorant, etc…? I’m guessing those usually aren’t on you’re list. I know I personally hadn’t thanked God for my toothbrush in years. When I was little I would pray for everything in my sight. Thanking God for ketchup, salt, spoons, knives, napkins, etc….Guys what if we were as grateful as we were when we children? That child-like faith is something I am striving for on this journey. Thanking God for every little thing and truly meaning it. I can’t tell you how different this world would be. What are you thankful for?
