In less than three hours from leaving the states, we were immersed in Honduran culture. (Well almost. Our host did have Little Caesars waiting for us outside the airport, ha!) The flight into Tegucigalpa reveals both tin and clay roofs dotting the rolling hillsides, getting closer and closer together until they are seemingly stacked on top of one another. It reminds me of the photos I’ve see of Santorini, Greece, only splashed with a myriad of bright colors. The people are eager to offer a wave and an ‘Adios!’ to your ‘Hola!’ as you pass by.
We’re incredibly blessed this month to be together with another team at our ministry, a last minute change of plans from a host who joyfully agreed to take us on less than 48 hours notice. So twelve American gringitas board a small bus and travel an hour and a half north to a small village in Talanga. Here, Mommy Gracie and her husband Papi Lee founded Heart of Christ (http://heartofchristhonduras.org/) and have been fighting for justice, particularly women’s justice since 2005. They try to break the pattern of femicide and abuse prevalent among women and female children in a culture that regards domestic abuse and domestic murder as a private matter. More to come on that in future blogs.
Our days are filled with blessings, grace and discipleship. Mostly we help love on the kids living here in the children’s home. The ten kids range from 1 to 10 yrs old, joined by the 15 yr old mother of one of the 4 yr olds. Most have terrible stories of abuse and rape to their mothers, and sometimes to themselves. As heartbreaking as those stories are, God shines so beautifully through their giggles, their embraces and their sense of wonder.
We play frisbee, we count en Espanol, we swing, we name parts of the body, we play soccer, we learn colors, we practice taking turns, we pray together. When we’re not with the kids, we help make tortillas, do dishes and laundry, break bread together (well, tortillas), take bucket showers, drink lots of coffee, learn about Honduran culture and the injustices here. But mostly, we seek God together, and we are learning just how loved we really are.
“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” ~Zephaniah 3:17
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