Everything is still so surreal. I've been here for a little over a week and yet it still doesn't seem possible. It blows my mind that God has actually gotten me and the rest of my squad here, to a foreign country that is unlike anything I've ever seen. There have already been a few surprises (I'm discovering that such is life on the World Race) such as our route getting changed, resulting in a midnight bus ride to New York City's JFK Airport. At that point nothing really mattered, I was just ready to get started. As I settled in and learned about the culture of this nation the enormity of the task at hand began to weigh heavily on my heart. Monday we were able to take a tour of the city. Part of that tour was a visit to the Peace Monument, which sits atop a mountain in the center of the city. Honduras is a nation of just under 8 million people (2010 estimate) and Tegucigalpa, the nation's capital, is a city of just over 850,00 people. It is a nation that has been rocked by violence from widespread gang influence and corruption at many levels of the government, both local and national. As we looked out over the city, we were asked to pray for peace, integrity and that the Gospel and glory of God would be made known in this country. This seems like such a simple task and yet it completely overwhelmed me. You want me to pray for an entire city? You want me to pray for an entire nation? Sure i've done it before but this is Honduras, not the US. I'm not really sure where this came from. Perhaps it was a little bit of culture shock. Perhaps it's because it is such a common thing in the US. Perhaps it was a little bit of pride. Maybe it was all of the above or a completely different reason that I have yet to discover. Then the song 'God Of This City' began to play over and over in my head easing some of the pressure. I realized that this city and this country, with all of their problems, aren't too big for him. My job is to do what I can while i'm here, to build relationships with the people that have been put in my path and to be a light in this dark country.
