First off, let me start by saying that Honduran sunsets are incredible. I’m sitting here on the property we’re staying at watching one set over the mountains as we speak… while a Honduran police officer watches over my shoulder. Don’t worry, don’t worry. He’s supposed to be on our property… but his hovering at the moment is still kindof weird.
We’re actually staying in a pretty safe area in Tizatillo, Honduras – just outside of the capital of the country, Tegucigalpa. Our host just thought it would be a good idea to have police officers on site 24/7 for the time that we’re here… which I’m thankful for considering that we’re sleeping in tents outside with all of our possessions in them.
Our host, Tony Deien, is amazing and is greatly respected in this community. He convinced the Honduran government to send officers to watch over us free of cost for him – saying that it would be good marketing on their part – so outsiders would hear from us and see that Honduras is a safe place to stay.
Being in this place and working with Tony, his wife (Nidia), and friend (Cassie, who actually was a World Racer a couple years ago) has been a pretty sweet experience so far. I respect the three of them so much and really admire the way they do things. I’m really learning a lot about what solid ministry and love should look like.
Allow me to explain a little more in depth:
We’re staying on the property of Zion’s Gate Ministry, which is also where Tony and his family live. The story behind this place is pretty amazing. It actually used to be a famous nightclub called the Cotton Club, one of the most popular in Tegucigalpa. For years it was a place where drugs, exploitation of women, and alcohol abuse ran rampant. Around 8 years ago the owner became a Christian and shut her nightclub down- after realizing what a harbor for sin it had become – and up until a few years ago it sat alone in vacancy… until Tony and Nidia came along.
The owner of the Cotton Club had refused to rent out her property to anyone who had selfish, worldly motives behind the business they desired to create with it. She wanted her land to be a place of transformation, something that promoted good things and freedom, something that was the complete opposite of what it once was. So, it wasn’t until Tony and Nidia came along with their ministry – Zion’s Gate – that she decided to hand it over to renters.
Zion’s Gate is a place of freedom, love, comfort, and transformation. In short, Tony and his wife take in children and teenagers off of the streets and allow them to live on their property… but even more than that, they allow them to become part of their family. Currently they have 10 kids officially staying with them – 9 boys and 1 girl – but there are almost always more than that hanging around the property. In addition to that, they’re currently building a home on their property that more young girls can stay in as well as a home for one of the families they have been working closely with.
One of the first things I noticed after stepping onto this property last Friday afternoon was how comforting and loving this place is. It’s so obvious – you can literally feel it in your soul and see it in the eyes of everyone who steps onto this land – to the point where we each immediately felt like this was our home too. People flock to this place. Shoot, even dogs flock to this place because they know that here they will be taken care of. It’s so apparent that God’s hand is in this place.
The way things are done here is incredible. Tony and Nidia truly take in each child as their own. They love like crazy and provide as much as they can. They run around playing with each child, taking interest in each one’s interests while allowing the children to do the same with them. They ask hard questions and challenge each child to be the best they can be. They have family meetings at the end of each day where they study some verses from the Bible, talk about how the day went, and discuss how each person can work to become the best individual they can be. They are not afraid to discipline. They send each child to school and encourage each one to do the best they can with their education. They train each of them up as leaders. Their hope is that, by doing all of this for these children, each one can become a positive leader for their country in their adulthood. That they can be one of the men that will marry and not leave his wife and children behind (85% of children here don’t have a father present in their lives). That they will invest in a career they love and be one of the factors that can change the economy here (65% of people don’t have solid jobs). That they will be able to step up and lead this country along in doing what is right.
The most beautiful thing to me is seeing how much these kids love Tony and Nidia. There is almost always one child with each of them at all times. When we all sit down for group meetings or church, there are almost always at least two kids sitting with each of them – holding their hand or leaning on them. When you step into their home you will often times find them all hanging out, enjoying each other’s presence. It’s amazing. And yes, I do realize that things aren’t always perfect here. Tony will be the first to admit that. They go through hard times with each child. They really have to lay down the law and discipline each one – probably pretty often (just like any parent would have to with their children). BUT, it’s beautiful to see that despite those hard times and strict discipline, love still abounds like crazy here. The kids keep coming back. Tony gives them a choice to stay or go… and every day these beautiful young people decide to stay.
The more time I spend here the more I realize how much I can learn from Tony and Nidia. I have found myself on certain days wondering why I’m here. Wondering why God asked me to leave my home in America to live as a nomad for a year. Wondering what kind of an impact I can make in a month… and through seeking answers to these questions and having a solid discussion with one of my leaders, I came to realize that I’m here to learn. I believe that God is preparing me to step into something big after this (hopefully something along the lines of what Tony and Nidia do here at Zion’s Gate) and that this year is a time He has set out for me to prepare myself for that something. This year I’ll see how numerous different ministries are run – some being efficient and some not so much. Working with such places will help me solidify my views on how I think effective ministry should work. It will help me discover even more who I am as a person and what I want to get out of life. It will draw me nearer to God.
I’m excited for this next year. I know it’s going to be challenging and really difficult at times, but I’m excited. I’m excited to look back in December and see how much I’ve grown. I’m excited to see God in new ways. I’m excited to spend time with people like Tony, Nidia, and Cassie – to enjoy life with them for a time and learn from them. I’m excited to see where God leads me from here. It’s going to be pretty amazing.
🙂
