Destination:
Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Mission: Unknown
When I first looked at the contact
information that was emailed to me about our ministry in Honduras, there was
nothing written except that there were two neighborhoods that our contact
worked with. We all went into the month not knowing what to expect and leaving
completely blown away. I want to start with telling you the story of
Christopher. Christopher is a 16 year old boy, the oldest in his family. The
day before we came, he hit what our contact, Tony, called ‘rock bottom’. Tony
found Christopher passed out underneath a large pile of trash behind his small
brick house. His face was filthy and he had dried blood running down his face.
He was stoned out of his mind from paint thinner. Fast forward one day. We
arrive and Tony proceeds to tell us that Christopher has been addicted to paint
thinner for over 3 years. He had a mission in mind for the month of April
though, that is where Eden comes in.
Eden is the name of the farm, in
which Tony lives. It’s a safe place that he has brought back young street kids
to experience a taste of something different then their normal gang activities,
drinking, drugs, neglectful homes, and poverty. These kids have no hope, I literally
felt the atmosphere of hopelessness fall heavy as I walked around the
neighborhood of Los Pinos. The homes are probably the size of a middle class
living room with probably AT LEAST 5 people per home. The mothers, some may be
working hard and some may have just given up to go hang out with their men. I
was shocked to hear the stastic that some 85% of
children born in Honduras do not have a father’s name on the birth certificate.
Funny enough I fall into that category, so I can relate on some level. The
level I cannot relate on is how these kids have nothing and nothing to live
for.
This
is where Tony’s mission is very different. His ministry is not based on a go
and do basis but I saw him just live his faith by spending time in this neighborhood
and gaining the confidence of the kids and teenagers. I have never seen the
father’s heart displayed in such a tangible manner than Tony and his boys.
Being burned and experiencing rejection time and time again has not stopped him
from trying to love them. He refuses to give up on the boys and he goes into
the neighborhood to simply love on them and live life with them.
Now
back to Christopher, in the past 3 years, he has not gone more than a couple
days clean and sober. Tony gave him the option of staying on the farm for a
month (with no plan after that), which meant he could not go back home, it was
a commitment, that this month would be dedicated to trying to begin a new life.
Tony was fully prepared to experience all of the hardships of withdrawal and
fully aware of the possibilities of how hard it may be. We came prepared with our
battle armor, with prayer, with faith, Christopher, had a very smooth month, he
slept a lot the first few days but after that you started seeing life come back
into him.
So
many had spoken death over him for so long, saying there is no hope for him, he
needs to be in a clinic, why are you still wasting your efforts with him? With
God’s grace and perfect timing, we saw that death get crushed and Christopher,
who refused to go back to school, after dropping out in 2nd grade
level, began inquiring about finishing school and graduating. God is so much bigger;
God strength is made perfect in our weaknesses. Christopher has a testimony and
I pray that He continues to have faith that there is better and God is holding
it in His hands.
“Everyone who drinks this water will
be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed,
the water I give him will become in him spring of water welling up to eternal
life.” John 4:14
That is just the story of one boy,
there are many more and God plans on raising up this neighborhood, He plans on
redeeming and raising up leaders for his snowball effect to begin. His Kingdom
cannot be stopped, His will cannot be delayed.
Christopher in front after his baptism and Tony on the right.
The boys of Los Pinos and our teammates
Henry and me (Henry has been adopted into Tony’s family and has lived with them for 3 months, such a sweet kid with a sweet heart and a great example of how Tony’s pursuance of him has eternally changed his life.)
