It has been somewhat easy for me to write blogs while in Costa Rica and Nicaragua, but now here I am, in Honduras, my favorite country out of all of them so far and I have no idea what to say. I have no idea how to explain to you the month that I had and how to explain everything I got to experience. There really are no words to express my feelings and emotions right now. It's hard for me to understand why this country, why these people? Why am I crying about leaving the murder Capitol of the world? Why can't I seem to get these faces out of my head? Why is it that these kids stories play over and over again in my thoughts? Why is it that I feel completely safe around them? Why is it that no matter what type of day I'm having, just seeing there faces as they walk up to me to give me a kiss on my cheek will always put the biggest smile on my face.
Let me introduce you to the reasons why I smile….
Christopher is a little different than all the other boys, he doesn't come from the streets of Los Pinos but he still had his share of rebellion and not knowing what's best for him. He often gets over looked a lot by missionaries and supporters because he doesn't come from a dumpster or have a really bad story. All I know is that this boy has so much depth to him. He has so much desire and adoration for this ministry site of Zion's Gate. He is such a leader and all the other boys look up to him. His dream some day is to take over this ministry. He wants to take the kids off the streets of Los Pinos and give them a home to stay in. Please pray for Christopher! Like I said, he has so much drive and determination he just doesn't know where to start…
This boy right here Ariel, is probably one of the kids I'm closest with. His smile melts my heart every day. He is one of the hardest workers I ever met. He is always the first to volunteer to help one of the missionaries here. He also comes from the streets of Los Pinos. He used to smoke a lot of weed but does not do that any more because he is following The Lord and wants to go far in life. One thing he never got into was drinking, and that's probably because his dad was an alcoholic. His dad had a lot of issues. When he would drink he would get really depressed and would try to kill himself and he would do it in front of Ariel. There was a time that his dad tried stabbing himself to death right in front of him. And just a year ago Ariel walked in on his dad after he hung himself. It's still really hard for him, just the other day Ariel was really sad so I asked him what was wrong and he said he was thinking about his dad all day. He is still working through a lot but he is such a strong person and will go so far in life! I can't wait to see where he is in 5 years
Henry is tough on the outside but nothing but a softy on the inside. There is nothing, he can't do. He is so talented in all that he does. He comes from Los Pinos and has quite a past. He was affiliated with a gang, used to do drugs, and robbed people. He is a a very intelligent person. He found out a way to break into people houses and steal there cable chords and melt the medal off the end of them and sell the medal for money. It was affecting thousands of people in the city and it actually made it into the newspaper to keep a look out for him and his friend. They soon were caught, Henry got away with it, but his friend is now in jail for the next year. When Henry first came on the property, it was hard for him to give up that lifestyle. He was still taking part in things he shouldn't be taking part in. So they kicked him off the property for a week to go back to Los Pinos to live on the streets to see what type of life he wants to live. Praise The Lord he came back a week later and he hasn't been the same since. He is nice to all the younger kids and helps them with there homework. He helps out around the property and he is helping out with all the missionaries that come through. He is always the first person to come give you a hug and let you know how much he loves you.
Luis has such a genuine heart. You never would have known that at such a young age, he lived a life on the streets invloved with drugs. But now he lives at Zions Gate and is pursuing a life to please God. Just today he told me that He was sad the past two days, but today we woke up and prayed and read the Bible and since he did that he was having the best day ever! He was also the first to share his testimony and give a little sermon on a sunday afternoon. God is so evident in his life by the way he treats others and the joy that he exudes. When he used to live on the streets of Los Pinos he didnt attent school but now he is attending a private christian school and loves it.
Carlos is 14 years old and you can say he is the crazy one of the group! The first day I got to Honduras the first thing he did was play a prank on me and start wrestling with me. He's not afraid to be himself. Even though he is a little rough, he has such a playful heart. He was one of the first people to volunteer to get up at 4:30 every morning to take us to our ministry site since we had to take the public bus. He may be young but he knows how to protect. And when he is not playing pranks on you or trying to wrestle you to the ground, he will be the first to fall asleep in your arms!
Marcos is one in a million. When I first got to Honduras he wasn't on the property because he was being disrespectful and not following rules. Hearing stories about how he would sneak out to smoke weed, not go to school, disrespect people, I thought I was going to be dealing with some tough kid. But when I got the chance to go to Los Pinos and meet him, all the things I heard about him went out the window. For some reason, I saw a scared little boy trying to fit in, trying to find his place in the world, and looking for love. Ive known all the other kids longer than I knew Marcos but that doesnt matter, God started building a relationship between us the second I saw him. God gave me His eyes to see Marcos. He is such a sweetheart and has the desire to do good, he just needs help on what that looks like..
If you follow me on facebook, you probably heard me talk about Fernando before. He is only 12 years old and he used to live in a dumpster. He was addicted to paint thinner and use to rob people to get money so he could get paint thinner. This is the life he USED to live. He is now a happy 12 year old boy. He works hard, does chores, goes to school, and loves to dance! He was the first boy to approach me while in Honduras and helped me put up my tent a windy day! This sunday we are throwing him a surprise birthday party! It will be the first birthday party he has ever had. Please pray for this sweet, sweet boy.
William is one of the youngest kids that hangs out on the property. He doesnt actually live with all the other boys though. His mom works at a resturaunt, so while his mom works all day, he comes over and also attends a private christian school that is being supprted by someone back in the states. This is such an amazing thing because people are pouring into his life so much at such a young age! He is being taught so much and loved so much. He is growing up to be a godly young man!
Jennifer, Dania, Amalia are three beautiful young ladies that are little spit fires to say the least. They all come from the neighborhood of Los Pinos. They don't live on the property yet but they soon will because of a missionary that raised over 30 thousand dollars to build a girls home so they can stop living off the streets. The house is so close to being done, but since it's not all the way done I only get to hang out with them on the weekends. They don't know a lot of English yet but that doesn't stop them from wanting the build a relationship with you. They have genuine hearts, and they are all working so hard to better there lives.
These are the reasons why I smile. These are the reasons that my heart hurts for the fact that in just a few days I wont see them again. It might be nieve for me to say this, but I am coming back to this country. I want to watch them grow. I want to see them succeed in life, I want to watch them pursue Christ with all they have. I want to watch all of this again. I dont really know what that looks like yet, but when I find out I will share it with you..
