¡Puedes jugar fútbal!
This month we are in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. We are staying on a beautiful property that houses street boys. These street boys have seen more than I could ever imagine. They have lived in the most unimaginable places and they have been exposed to more drugs and addictions then I could ever imagine. Here in the city the drug of choice is paint thinner (aka thinner). They like it because it numbs your senses so for someone who can't afford food they find paint thinner and they will no longer feel the pain of hunger or of physical violence ect.
These boys are so hungry for love. Every time I see them they ask for hugs and attention they can't get enough love from all of us. They take our stuff and try to scare us so we will keep our attention on them. It can be very frustrating but ultimately it is so humbling to have them crave our attention so much they will resort to trickery to get it.
Most kids born in Honduras has no father marked on their birth certificate for reasons like the father isn't interested in being a father to mom doesn't know who it is because of rape or multiple partners. This is why Honduras is call the fatherless nation.
Here at Zion's gate we have the opportunity to change that for the better. We get to teach young boys how to be good men and fathers by sharing our lives and living life with them.
Along with living life with these boys we have two ministries. One is praying with people at the local hospital. The other is going down to an abandoned house called the yellow building. In the afternoons it is a local hang out for some of the people that live around this area. Here they play lots of soccer and do thinner. Each afternoon we have gone done to this place and hung out with kids that were on drugs and played lots of soccer.
I have enjoyed playing with them. When we first got down to the yellow building we were the first Norte Americanos (North Americans) to ever enter this area. Needles to say they were very skeptical of us. The cool thing is that we were allowed to try to play with them. Even our girls were asked join in on the games.
After about 3 games I was told by one of the guys there "¡Puedes jugar fútbal!" This is a huge compliment. It means 'You can play soccer'. Not only did I get it from a Honduran but also a guy and down here its not often that you get a compliment from a guy especially about fútbal.
The second day we were there I was chosen to be on a team with 2 of their best players. And they chose me as their partner! We play 3 vs. 3 and winner takes on the next team up. We dominated the entire day. We lost 3 out of 12-15 games. Andrew and Zack (teammates) were not thrilled to lose to me. It was so great. On our time off the field I learned that Davíd and Olsen were my partners. Davíd is attending the university here for computer science and Olsen works with his family.
I have enjoyed being at the yellow building and will miss my time with these people that society has cast to the side. They have a lot to offer and could use more love and support to show that they are not worthless. This month we have had the opportunity to be like the disciples in Matthew 9. We have worked with the sick. For Jesus said "it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.
