I have made a few realizations over the last few weeks. I know this is a semi long blog but
stick it out! I want you to
realize something.
It’s hard to wash each individual piece of clothing
separately and by hand. Sometimes
Cinnabon is not the best choice for an afternoon snack. Cran Apple juice is like Christmas in
your mouth. Never feel like God
misses an opportunity to use you.
This month has been a struggle or I should say it started
off as a struggle. It has sort of
felt as though we were being too safe.
I say that being fully aware of the dangers in this world and in
Honduras. But I also have come to
the realization that I came on the race to be out of my comfort zone and to
truly realize my faith in God. And
I believe in a HUGE God.
Here is where the struggle ended. Ministry was not what it was intended to be at the beginning
of the month and ministry ended up involving a ton of sitting around. But for those who know me I made a ton
of friends, mainly 10-15 year old street kids. These kids are awesome. They are always waiting at us at the church and they just
love goofing off, playing soccer and talking it up. They have become my ministry this month. Even so, I have had a few opportunities
to go up into Los Pinos where we were suppose to be doing ministry and it has
completely wrecked my life.
You see I have come to realize that this is life for these
families and kids. I go up in
there for 6 hours a day they hardly ever leave.
Here is what one of my days looks like:
7ish Am: I wake
up look up in my tent and either with complete joy or frustratingly think,
“This is my life, Month 2!”
7:30 Am: Every
once in a while I get in a really good work out and feel ready to punch the
devil in the face or run a marathon.
8ish Am: We have
breakfast, usually oatmeal or refried beans on something. I actually enjoy it minus all the
sugar. We have also been having a
devotional, which we have referred to as, “Getting Ozzified for the day!”
because we read out of Oswald Chambers’ “For His Utmost Highest”. I can wait to talk it out with that guy
someday. You should get it!
10ish Am: The
bus arrives to take us to Los Pinos, a 30-minute ride depending on
traffic. Along the way I reflect
on the morning and get caught in looking at the businesses, tiendas and just
street activity. The streets are
crowded and there is always something that catches your eye and reminds you of
how different this place is from back home.
11 Am: We are
usually praying in the church or waiting and hanging out with the street kids
outside of the church. The church
has a stairway leading down into just a one-room area and has the feeling of a
cave. Although the outer edge under
the ceiling is open to the outside.
11:30 Am – 1 Pm:
We sometimes get to make visits or we plan for English lessons. On Wednesdays we take the kids to play
soccer in a fenced in, concrete soccer gym. It gets intense!
1 Pm – 4 Pm: We
have English lessons, usually consisting of 4 students or no students. In which we hang out at the Potpourria
(store) at the top of the church and with the kids. This is where I want to you
to understand the realness of the situation down here. Because up top I said that we were
being too safe. We are in a
dangerous area. Although the fact
of the matter is I feel completely at peace and safe.
I want to tell you about walking up into Los Pinos. There is one main road that goes
through the different sectors of Los Pinos. Sector F is the one that Tony does the most work with; we
are usually hanging out in Sector H.
But I have had the opportunity to take Luis, one of the kids that live
with us at Tony’s house to his house.
And I have got to visit some other people in the community. Here is what it looks like. We walk down a dirt hill from the
church and cross over the main road and then we head into Sector F. Sector F is built on the side of a huge
hill. So you walk down and up
either on a dirt road or on broken concrete slabs but everywhere is covered in
trash. Houses are built into the
side of the hill and to get to them you climb on tires as steps or use roots,
pvc pipe, or whatever is handy to help you climb the hills.
You come into contact with people on the roads and say hey,
only usually responded with funny stares.
Dogs run through the rummage of sewage and trash. You constantly jump over running sewage
or creeks. Occasionally somebody
you pass is high, sniffing or drunk.
Kids stop what they are doing to look at you and all you can do is smile
and try and give them some high fives and keep on walking.
But then you get to where you are going and you can overlook
the city of Tegucigalpa or the valley below and everything is good. The couple places we visited we were
greeted with kisses and hugs and the kids, wide grinned with rotted out teeth
run to you for you to pick them up and love on them. They are full of joy that we don’t get! I don’t get it. And it’s something you think you
understand but then you see them.
Even a grandma looked at me and asked, “When are you coming back?” I was speechless, trying to choose the
right words. “I want to, but I’m
not sure when that is!”
Fathom this; the most dangerous place is the place that I
see hope and an inexpressible joy.
Would you risk it to be in that place? Because ever sense I so called, “Went in”, I want to go
back. The world needs to see the
eyes from a child in Sector F. A
child that has so little, tattered clothing, a smell that makes most people
cringe but a smile and a laugh that echoes through my head for the rest of the
day.
4 Pm – 11 Pm:
The team does Feedback and recaps.
We have watched movies, played cards, we have amazing dinners and have
had some awesome squad worship. We
have even created a Frisbee golf course on the compound. And then it’s headlamp time and back to
the tent where I have been falling asleep to The Avetts or The Killers.
Life is Good!
God is Good!
Somebody asked me this question, “Would you risk it all for
a community like Los Pinos?” No
answer needed but really think about it!
