So here we are 3 months in to the World Race. Crazy how quickly time goes by! Here's a little recap of what we've been doing thus far…enjoy!
Month 1: Guatemala
In Guatemala we worked with a beautiful children's home called "Case de Mi Padre" ("My Father's House"). This beautiful ministry is home to about 20 kids who have either been abandoned, or their families don't have the financial resources to provide for them. We spent our time doing manual labor on the property, and simply loving on kids. The kids are so loving and affectionate, so we received a million hugs and snuggles all month long. International adoption between the United States and Guatemala has been cut off for several years, and internal adoptions within Guatemala are very rare; therefore, the likelihood of any of these children being adopted is very small. However, the great thing about "Casa de Mi Padre" is that they raise the children in a home environment where they treat each other like family. They are taught from the moment they step foot on the property that this is not an orphanage…..this is a children's HOME…their HOME. I remember hearing the staff saying to the kids on a daily basis, "Remember, God loves you, Jesus loves you, and I love you." We had a blast serving with this ministry all month and it was really difficult to say goodbye to those sweet kids.
God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ.This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.
Ephesians 1:5
Month 2: Honduras
In Honduras we worked with two different ministries: Zion's Gate, and Heart of Christ Ministries. Ministry in Honduras was definitely more spiritually, mentally, and physically difficult than in Guatemala. Located just outside of the capital city Tegucigalpa, Zion's Gate works with street kids who live in the dumps, and offers a home to young adults, teens, and children who don't want to live on the streets anymore. They are taught how to live as a family, how to work hard, and most importantly they are taught about the love of Christ.
Tegucigalpa is a large city with many American comforts, so when you're in the heart of the city sometimes you could forget that you're in a third-world country. However, there are pockets of EXTREME poverty all throughout the city. People literally live in little shacks in the garbage.
Tony, the founder of Zion's Gate say's that no one ever reaches out to this population…not even the churches in the area.
Our team's ministry was to go into one of these area's and just hang out and love on people. Most of the guys we hung out with were teens and early 20's…most of the time they were high. But it didn't matter. We weren't there to change them; our job is to love them right where they are…because that's what Jesus does for us.
Heart of Christ Ministries is a safe house for girls who have been victims of rape, incest, domestic violence, and also is a home for special needs children. Our team loved serving with this ministry, and it was also a huge eye-opener to the violence that is a "normal" part of life for so many in Honduras. It's amazing to see the joy these young girls can have despite the horrible things they've been through. I was amazed to look into the eyes of a girl who was pregnant at age 11 because her uncle beat and raped her…and instead of seeing bitterness, I saw joy and laughter. Only Jesus can bring healing like that. Only Jesus.
God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
More updates coming soon about our time here in Nicaragua…
Thanks everyone for joining me on this awesome journey. I couldn't do it without you!
Love, JG
