(I wrote the first part of this my last day in El Salvador and the second part my first days in Honduras.)
I hate goodbyes. Hate them. I always cry. It makes me so sad and it is especially hard when you know, most likely, you won’t see these people again.
How am I going to do this 10 more times this year? How????
The good thing about goodbyes though, the hard, terrible, makes you want to cry goodbyes, is that it means you are friends. You have made a difference in their lives and they have made a difference in mine. I have friends, great friends in El Salvador. Friends who have invited me for food, asked me to play with them, chased after me, laughed with me, talked with me, cried because I was leaving. Friends. They are beautiful. They are wonderful. I probably won’t see them again in this earthly life, but I SO pray I will see them in heaven. They are so special to me. Two weeks ago I was thinking, “What are we even doing here? Are we even making a difference?” And today, I can’t stop crying because there are so many goodbyes to say to so many wonderful people and I am not the only one crying. I mean something to them and they mean something to me.
I wanted to show you a few pictures of my friends from El Salvador, but our internet time here in Honduras is short and slow so I am not able to upload any photos right now, but here are a few photos that I already had:
The neighbors doing my hair and makeup just for fun!
Our neighbors: Mateo, Jaqueline, and the ever-so-silly Isreal after the completion of my hair and makeup! 🙂
My teammates and I playing basketball with some of the locals.
One of the schools we visited in Apastepaque.
A sad goodbye to El Salvador, but Hello Honduras! We arrived here safely in El Tizatillo, Tegucigalpa on Saturday, February 11th. Here is a little information about our new country!
HONDURAS!!
"Hondo" comes from the Spanish word for depth and there's lots of depth to Honduras. It's home to the Aztec and Mayan civilizations, whose ruins are still stand. Honduras is mostly mountainous and the weather's as tropical as it gets. What really runs deep in Honduras are its needs. Honduras is the third poorest in the region, after Haiti and Nicaragua. Like her neighbors, Honduras has had her of share political/military troubles, e.g., the six-month constitutional crisis in 2009. There's a need to reach out to the youth, not just to keep them out of trouble (e.g., gangs) but for them to know their worth and that they're loved.
We have met our ministry host, Tony, and he has told us some of what we are going to be doing. We will be working with street kids most of the time, in all sorts of ways. It sounds amazing and I can’t wait to get started! Will definitely share more in another blog. Thank-you for your prayers!
Financial update: Only $3,356.65 to go to reach my July deadline of $15,500!! Thank-you so much to you all for continuing to give!
