In Honduras 80 to 90 percent of birth certificates do not have a father's name written on them.
Let that sink in for a minute.
80 to 90 percent of the countries population is unsure of who their father is.
The head of the household is missing.
Discipline does not exist.
Authority is a joke.
Love is conditional.
Abuse is abundant.
Heartache is everywhere.
Wives and children are abandoned.
Boys remain boys.
Physical strength masks emotional weakness.
Where have all the fathers gone?
I have often heard that the family is God's best example of his love for us and the relationship he desires to have with us. The family, the way God originally intended it to be, is to be a model of his unconditional love. The day a child is born he/she did not have to do anything to earn the love and care of his/her parents. Their love is given freely. The members of our family are the first people we ever interact with in our lives. We learn to communicate from them, we learn how to love, to trust and express ourselves. Furthermore, our parents are our first teachers (through words and actions) of who the Lord is.
No wonder the enemy is persistent in attacking the family structure. When the family structure is corrupted and broken our view of who God is becomes distorted.
Do not buy that lie.
The Lord is not like our earthy fathers both good and bad. He will never leave us, never forsake us. He is always with us, there to deliver us, there to protect us, to love us, to grow us.
Take a minute for that to soak in.
"See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are." 1st John 3:1
Zion's Gate (the ministry we have been working with) focuses mainly on street boys who have grown up in a neighborhood called Los Pinos. Currently, there are 13 boys who are choosing to live with Tony and his wife, Niedia at Zion's Gate. They are receiving an education, becoming a family, and many are seeing structure and authority exercised for the first time in their lives. As a result, they are slowly (but surely) learning how to be leaders as well as men of God who can helped change their country. Like I said, all 13 are choosing to be here. Tony has made it clear that they are free to leave at any point if they so desire. They want to be here. They can see there is something different here.
This ministries focus has allowed the men of O Squad to step up as masculine figures for these boys and to lead by example. As the guys have stepped up, the women have taken more of a background role here on the property.
To me, fathers have been the theme of this first month.
I say this because of the things I have mentioned above as well as some of the personal stories that have been shared from the members of my squad.
Please hear me when I say this: There is so much power and responsibility in being a dad and it should never be taken lightly.
& with that I want to say:
Dear Dad,
Thank you. I'll say it again, thank you. Allow it to sink in. Thank you for not just being a father, but for also being a dad. I did not fully realize how incredibly rare a gift that is until now. You are such an incredible blessing in my life and I apologize for taking that for granted for so long. Thank you for your hard work and your sacrifices that have allowed me to experience so many different opportunities.Your encouragement and support whether for soccer, photography or the world race have always been cherished. Thank you for being a dad. For encouraging my strengths and accepting my weaknesses. For loving me when it is easy but more importantly for loving me when it is extremely difficult. Thank you for being a dad. Thank you for bringing the Lord into our home and raising your children in His ways. Thank you for being goofy with me and Drew and being interested in our lives. For your leadership, example and even your discipline. Thank you for being a dad. Thank you for never leaving and for fighting through the hard times. Thank you for not taking the easy road. Thank you that I have never had to experience abandonment or a broken home.
I apologize for my disrespect, for my rudeness, for my lack of patience at times. I apologize for ignoring advice. I apologize for how distant I have been the past few years and hope to repair that when I get back home. I apologize for not allowing you to be a dad at times.
Allow this to sink in: Thank you for being a dad. Thank you for being my dad.
Love from Melanie.
