Dear friends and family,
One day, about a month before leaving Costa Rica, a deep sense of nostalgia came upon me, filling everything in me, down to the marrow of my bones. I asked myself where that feeling was coming from because, although I was absolutely torn about leaving the beautiful country of Costa Rica, the feeling didn’t appear to be stemming from Costa Rica specifically, but from someplace else. I sat staring at the mountainous scenery in the backyard of our mission house contemplating life when the word “Honduras” randomly popped into my head. No sooner than two fingers can be snapped, my head began swimming with the possibility of returning to Honduras this summer through my church (something that I’ve participated in for the past 7, almost 8, years) before going to school!
As I sat there pondering just how much I was going to miss Costa Rica, the Lord very clearly, and quite sassily, whispered, “well, if you’re going to miss Central America so much, why don’t you go back to Honduras, just two countries north of Costa Rica, before starting school this Fall?” Before the Lord had even finished speaking I had a “yes!” in my spirit and immediately contacted Jim Pearce (one of my church’s pastors who leads the teams to Honduras) as soon as I got WiFi to ask if there were any spots left on the team and enough time to join. Sure enough, there was enough room and just enough time to hop on board! (I took this as confirmation from the Lord that I am, indeed, being called to go). I seriously can’t tell you how excited I am to be returning to one of my favorite places in the world. I was only 12-years-old the first time I went, and have just so happened to go every two years since then (in fact, if I go again this summer, I’ll incidentally be carrying on my “two year tradition”, which I find to be quite ironic!). My heart is in the ministry at Fuente De Vida. My heart goes out to the girls living in the Hogar. My heart is in Honduras.
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Okay now for some information on the Honduras organization. Fuente de Vida, founded in 1993 by Andre Vandenburg, is an Christian, non-profit organization whose motto is “Helping Hondurans Help Honduras”. Essentially, the heart behind this motto is to love, encourage, and equip Hondurans in ways that will enhance and build stronger communities for the present as well as future generations, versus throwing money in their faces and leaving them to figure out the rest for themselves. In addition to this, the teams that go down to Taulebé Honduras place a huge emphasis on intentionally loving on the Hondurans, particularly the girls living in the Hogar de Niñas. While the primary focus on many mission trips is in “getting the job done”, Fuente De Vida focuses on building lasting relationships. Not that focused labor is inherently a bad thing, but it tends to take away or lessen the relationship aspect, which I consider the most important part of a mission trip: manual labor and projects will last for a time and then pass away, but a genuine conversation or simple smile can change someone’s life forever.
Honduras is the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere (Hati being the first), and the average Honduran makes approximately $1,500 per capita income—significantly below the poverty line. Most children drop out of school after completing the 6th grade, and that’s if they’re fortunate enough to go to school in the first place. Several years ago, Fuente De Vida completed the building of a K-12th school, which has been ranked #2 in the country! It provides quality education from a biblical standpoint for nearly 500 poverty-line students as well a warm lunch everyday (a meal which may or may not be his/her only meal for the day). Fuente De Vida is rapidly expanding and contains several other buildings within its parameters in addition to the school and mission house. A new church building, with a growing congregation, was just completed several years ago, and a medical clinic is currently being built. Then of course, the Hogar de Niñas (or, Home for Girls—the primary focus of Fuente de Vida’s ministry) is home to about 20 girls ages 2-18 who are either orphaned or rescued from abusive situations. Every single girl who lives in the Hogar is simply precious. Whether they know you or not, they come running to the gate upon your arrival to jump on you and greet you with the biggest hug you’ve ever gotten. They love fiercely. They are unforgettable. They are princesses of their Heavenly Father, and I can’t wait to see them again, face to face. I strongly believe that the Lord is calling me back to Honduras this summer to pour into the community, love on the girls, and carry out His will for my life. I seriously can’t wait to see what God has in store for me, and look forward to continuing to spread His love across the globe even after my arrival home from the Race.
I’m currently still living in Ecuador with only 1 short month left on my Race (what? can you believe it?) and I kindly ask for your prayers in both the rest of my time here as well as the 2 weeks I’ll (Lord willing) be spending in Honduras this July (3rd-17th). While financial support is needed (and much appreciated), I value your thoughts and prayers more than any amount of money. However, if you do feel led to give, the cost of the trip is $1,050 and here are several ways in which you can give:
- Mail checks to HFoL with “Samantha Grady July trip” in the memo line.
- Directly give me a check made out to Honduras with “Samantha Grady July trip” in the memo line that I can directly mail to HFoL (you can wait until I get home or give it to my mom—which ever you prefer :).
- Donate online via the HFoL webpage with “Samantha Grady July trip” in the description box.
I love and miss you all so much! Just 1 short month and I’ll be home to give all of you hugs and kisses.
Blessings,
-Sam
