I’m lying on my back on a blanket, catching glimpses of the bright blue sky between the swaying tree limbs that arc over me. The cool wind and the shade offset the heat of the day, but the warmth still seems to amplify the smell of pine. The hills and mountains surrounding the valley have fallen under the hush of afternoon, and the only sound I hear is the whisper of wind in the trees that cover the hillsides; occasionally the wind grows strong enough to elevate the sound to a stage whisper. To my left a horse wanders lazily through a field, the tall grasses hardened and yellowed by the dry season, while a grey mare and her new foal graze in the grass at the bottom of the hill.
I sit up just in time to see two puppies galumping up the hill toward me. One continues up past me, while the other stops to play, and I can’t help but laugh at her antics as she tugs on my blanket and tries to kiss my face. Eventually the other returns, and they wrestle and roll down the hill a bit before they head back down to continue their romp through the shade beneath the trees.
Welcome to Eden.
This might sound like a fantasy, or some poor attempt at fiction, but it’s not. This is where we are staying this month. At an international retreat center called Eden, 40 minutes outside of Tegucigulpa, Honduras. Our first three days here have been spent planning ministry and recovering from jet lag– plus a great deal of time spent just marveling at the beauty of this place.
We are some of the first people to be staying here, as it has only been open about four months. Some of our time here will be spent finishing details, like painting bathrooms and making a sign for the road leading up to it, and the rest of the time will be focused on creating relationships with some local street kids. Our contact, Tony, has spent two years building relationships with kids and teenagers whom everyone else has given up on, and one at a time the Lord is working unbelievable changes in these kids. During our time here, we are inviting twelve of these boys to leave the streets, and come to Eden. We want to give them a break from the nothingness of the streets, where the only thing they have is a $1.50 can of paint thinner, which they huff to numb the hunger and hopelessness. We will cook for them, explore with them, work on projects with them, and hopefully–day by day–show them the love of the Lord, which contrasts so sharply with the rejection and judgement they’ve received from the rest of the world.
This is going to be difficult. I’ve never worked with teenage boys who’ve had experiences with gangs and drugs. But Tony has slowly unearthed hearts of gold in each of these boys, and that’s what I’m focusing on. My limited Spanish will help a little, but my attitude and faith is so much more important. This will be our second month specifically focusing on demonstrating the Gospel through our actions, rather than preaching it, and I am thrilled for the challenge. And even when I feel tired and drained, He created me with an overwhelming love of His creation–so all I have to do here is go for a walk on the trails or play with the puppies, and He’ll fill me back up.
Please keep us in your prayers this month, and especially for the boys; pray that our love for them will mirror Christ’s: absolutely unconditional.
