Well, to put it simply, Honduras captivated my heart and has got me missin' it and it's people. The Lord was so good all month; working in my heart, bringing my teammates closer, and being ever present in our ministries.
We stayed at Zion's Gate, a piece of land in Tizatillo (right outside Tegucigalpa) with 3 houses, a dorm, and a central building.. as well as a couple of sweet rope swings and tree-houses. 7 years ago, a man named Tony began his relationship with Jesus Christ, and in the years to follow he went hard for Jesus. Quick version, Tony visited Honduras seeking discipleship and ended up moving there. Shortly after moving, he was able to acquire the land and building that are now Zion's Gate- formerly a super popular club, full of drugs, alcohol, and all things night club.
Tony and his wife Nidia, along with other staff and volunteers take in and provide a refuge for street boys, where they are provided with a safe place to call home, a drug free environment, an education, food, clothes, and a family full of love & Jesus.
The second I stepped off the bus and onto the property, I was overwhelmed with a sense of home and a swelling of love in that place. Over the month we spent at Zion's Gate, I got to know each of the boys, who all kept a piece of my heart in Honduras. They stole hugs often, taught me Spanish, made me laugh 'til I cried, cheated at Uno, gave the wettest wet willies, threw dead snakes at me, let me machete grass with them, tickled and tackled, made fun of my not up to par futbol skills, and showed me the sweetest picture of how Jesus is a life changer.
You see, for some of them it has only been a few months since they were involved with gangs, using drugs, and living in the streets. Tony spends intentional time in the streets where he has the opportunity to meet each of the boys. I was able to visit the area that many of the boys at Zion's Gate came from, and the picture of 13 year olds getting high on paint thinner is an image that won't quickly, if ever, leave my mind. However, living life alongside several boys who came out of that life is an image that over powers the aforementioned.
Zion's Gate is a safe place where the children Tony and Nidia adopt into their family get to experience real, raw family life. The boys are free to come and go as they please; nothing holds them against their will, but most choose to stay and when they do, are required to abide by the rules. Both Tony and Nidia are committed to following The Lord's will and law, and are amazing examples of grace and selfless love.
Aside from living at Zion's Gate, and being involved with ministry on site 24/7, my team was also assigned a variety of other ministries over the month:
We spent a week at Heart of Christ with an incredibly strong woman who fights to protect and save battered and abused women and children, and takes them into her home at any time day or night.
We also spent time hanging out at an abandoned house, referred to as "the yellow house", where we got to build relationships and play soccer with adolescent boys.
Alejandro, a pastor who we quickly befriended from Nicaragua, accompanied us to the hospital in Tegucigalpa where we prayed for people. We discovered that many of us needed and wanted to learn to be still and wait on His voice and guidance. Some of us had visions or God gave us words, which both lead us to the people we needed to pray for.
Our goodbye to the boys and the rest of the family at Zion's Gate was full of tears and hugs, but with a heart full of hopefulness that I will get to return. The Lord used this month as a time for softening my heart, and teaching me how to speak the things He has given me discernment about in a gracious and loving way. I have also grown in the ability to trust my team and to be open and vulnerable with them, which a beautiful and vital thing in friendship.
Things I loved about Zion's Gate & Honduras:
-family meetings with Tony & Nidia's family each night after dinner
-playing soccer nearly everyday
-beautiful mountains that surrounded us
-gorgeous sunrises I caught every morning from my hammock
-the growth in my team and unity that God began building in us
-swapping testimonies with the boys
-practicing Spanish
-learning to cook Honduran food with Noemi in the kitchen
-no internet access: really allows us to focus on what's important 🙂
Thanks for reading! You can be praying for my team this month as we have been assigned an ATL month- ask the Lord. We are not assigned to any contact, city, or ministry, and can pretty much get into whatever ministry The Lord leads us to! Prayer for patience, God's guidance and clarity, and continued growth in unity would be much appreciated! As I finish typing this, we are in Granada, Nicaragua and are headed to Managua tomorrow. If you've got any contacts or know of any ministries in Nicaragua, please share!
At last, fundraising. I am currently just shy of $9,000 and have a deadline in 3 weeks. I need to have $11,000 raised by October 1, and then $15,500 by December. So, if everyone who reads this blog can donate $20 (I'm thinking about 100 people will read this..) I will be at my deadline!
What's more awesome than that?! If 100 people can commit to a one time donation of $65 or 3 months of $22 per month, I will be completely funded… so close!!!! God's provision and faithfulness to me so far has been outrageous, and I have no doubt He'll continue to provide as I am following His will.
