Sometimes ministry can be both draining and rewarding.
One afternoon in Honduras can be life as the Hondurians do; A life with no real agenda, just spent building relationship and getting around to what needs to get done when the time comes
OR . .
it can feel like 6 months worth of ministry in a five hour period.
Earlier this week we went on a 6 month journey in a matter of five hours.
Pastor Armando (our contact for the day) picked us up around 1pm.
We were under the belief that we would be sorting jerseys or attending a futbol game since his ministry was one that focused in bringing troubled youth in with sports.
The hour long drive had most of us wishing for barf bags and begging Jesus for the end of the drive to come sooner rather than later. When the van finally did pull to a stop, we found ourselves at the bottom of a steep street that we were then instructed to walk up to the top of.
Fast forward a few wobbly moments and we're walking into what we initially assumed to be a nursing home.
There were elderly patients scattered about the large common room and an air of resolute.
Our host went on to explain to us that, yes, it was a home for the elderly, but that these individuals weren't placed into their care by loving families.
Most of the elderly in the home had been abandoned on the street or were once street kids that grew up. When families felt that they couldn't care for their elderly parents, they just left them in mercados (markets) or other public areas.
I spent some time with the most beautiful woman. I believe her name was Norma but her accent was so thick and her words so slurred that I could have been wrong. She wore the sweetest dress and had the kindest eyes. We spoke about her life, her faith, and some of her dreams.
It was an emotional experience for most of the team and we were trying to process all that had happened as we climbed back into the van.
We assumed we were headed back home,
but we were wrong.
We pulled up to landfill.
Confused, we asked the Pastor what were doing there and he said he wanted to show us the 'trash kids.'
Everyday, thousands of children climb the trash mountains and dig through it to find anything that they could sell or anything that would be useful for their lives.
These children range from the ages of 4 and up. I just stood there, hopeless.
I watched children climb over trash, slip, stand back up, and start cleaning their fingernails with their teeth.
I watched as children took off running like their lives depended on it as new dump trucks pulled in with a fresh load.
I watched as new fires were started (they burn their trash here) without the slightest concern for the children that were just a mere 50 feet away.
I just watched.
We rummaged through our bags and offered up all the food that we could find.
As we drove away, a sense of defeat and concern filled that air of the van.
Our heads were spinning.
We just wanted some time to process it all but we pulled up to a church
and the Pastor took us on a tour of his property.
Then we ended up at a boys home, and followed by that a girls home.
Both of these facilities were set up for 'at risk' children.
Or children that were given the option between the home or jail for their offenses.
A lot of them were street children.
At the homes we played futbol with the kids, we talked to them, joked with them, prayed with them, and just showed them love and acceptance – no matter their circumstance.
As we were leaving the girls home and wanting nothing more than to cry ourselves into a serene nights rest, three of the girls snuck out and escaped into the dark shadows of the alleys.
Our driver took off after them on foot and after about a 30 minute wait, two of the girls were returned home safely.
We spent that 30 minutes giving the situation to God and trying to stay in good spirits.
That night, as we pulled into our home, an overwhelming sense of relief filled the van.
All I wanted was a shower to hide my tears in, my tent, my ipod, and some time with my Father.
The emotions that take over, the realizations that hit, and the moments when you just want to give up can sneak up on you at anytime.
We weren't able to succumb to any of our emotions because EVERY person we interacted with MATTERED; even if the previous conversation broke our heart.
It was an overwhelming since of helplessness in the midst of a situation that we could never change on our own.
In the midst of a situation that only God could change.
I'll never forget that day.
Not just for the lesson that it taught me, but for the eye opening experience of what the world is really like.
<3tasha
