Feelings of excitement and pure joy sent my heart racing as I stepped out of the airport and onto Honduran soil once again. It is difficult to explain the love I have for the country of Honduras and its people because it is so immense. What I can say is that I have felt a calling since my first mission in 2002 that has lead to a deep devotion to those in the Agalta Valley. The calling is so clear that there is nothing that would make me doubt where God wants me to be. Therefore, I was not concerned with worldly things such as politics when it came time for me to travel to Honduras this summer. I knew I was going to do God’s work, and that His work outweighed everything else.
However, the political situation has had an effect on the mission. When I saw the despair in people’s faces this year, I knew that my presence would mean something much more significant. We passed aldea after aldea whose residents had mounds of sand for floors that would not be laid. We saw countless children running about aimlessly due to the cancellation of classes, knowing that in addition to cancelled classes, they would not receive school supplies or hygiene kits this year. You can see the heavy burden the parents carry in their eyes. First the recession, then the political unrest, and then the final blow, no missionaries to give them the hope they so desperately need.
When we went to the middle school in Culuco, Leslie thanked us repeatedly for making the trip. She told us that many at the ranch and throughout the valley felt forsaken, but our presence there that week gave them hope. Of course, she didn’t refer to us as simply missionaries, but as close friends who had come to comfort them when they felt all alone. For the two weeks I was there, I was able to work in two aldeas doing mission work. The relief I saw in people’s eyes when we arrived brought me to tears. I knew that there was not anything more important than my presence at that time in that place. God’s work is not always easy or comfortable, but it is necessary. I love these people like they are my family, and this week I began to see how much we are loved as well. Sometimes people worry that some of the residents of the aldeas are more focused on receiving material items or home improvement, but I can assure you that this is not the case. We worked the two weeks we were there, but more importantly we spent time with our friends building stronger relationships and assuring them of our love for them. They were not worried about who was getting a floor put in as much as they were worried about being held. I will tell you that both young and old would come to me just to be hugged and told how much they were loved. That is what they want more than anything, because they have been feeling forsaken.
These past two weeks were the most meaningful weeks of my life because I was able to understand what we really mean to them. Sometimes it was through the smiles and laughter that I was able to initiate despite the rough times they are going through. And at other times it was through the worried and saddened faces of those who were delivering the news of another cancelled trip to a aldea. I saw God’s love, and the love between those in the Agalta Valley and those on the mission trips. The current situation has made everything so much clearer to me. We are more closely knit that most would initially think. We have become family, and amount of love they have for us is indescribable. As we were told by a close friend in El Quebrachal this year, the week we are there is like Easter and Christmas rolled into one. It is the best week of their year, a week that allows them to feel showered in love, comfort, and joy. Therefore, I can only imagine the pain that some must feel when no one shows up. I guess it would be like preparing for all of your family to come to your home to celebrate Christmas this year, even though their won’t be presents because of the financial strains. However, you are comforted by the fact that you will see them and be able to spend time with them. Then, when the day comes, no one shows up and you are alone. It is heartbreaking to think about because it is when we are alone that we realize how much we really love our families and need them.
I thank God that I was able to go on to Honduras these past two weeks, and that for the most part everything the media has been saying was just exaggerated for ratings. The only thing I saw were some road blocks, which did delay our arrival to Tegucigalpa but did not affect us during our mission week. In addition, the road blocks consisted of a group of people standing in a line to block traffic, but doing so peacefully. They were socializing, sharing picnics and relaxing. Yes, that is right, they are the same timid people we have come to know and love. Being with them this week gave them some assurance that they are loved and cared for, but I know that it goes further than that. There is something between us that is of God, something so powerful and influential that it cannot be explained. However, I was able to feel it this year, and understand it better due to how desperately they needed us, and we needed them. I know that when I give all my worries to God and focus on others, I am opening up the doors for God to use me for great things. He showed me the power of his love this week through our friends, just as he showed them through us. This bond created through God’s love by his children has proven to be stronger than any worldly matter, and has enriched my faith and theirs. I must thank Honduras Outreach Inc. for this experience because unlike many other organizations who have been overcome by fear, they have kept their focus on God. It has proven to be a wise choice and allowed us to have the most meaningful mission trip of our lives.
However, the political situation has had an effect on the mission. When I saw the despair in people’s faces this year, I knew that my presence would mean something much more significant. We passed aldea after aldea whose residents had mounds of sand for floors that would not be laid. We saw countless children running about aimlessly due to the cancellation of classes, knowing that in addition to cancelled classes, they would not receive school supplies or hygiene kits this year. You can see the heavy burden the parents carry in their eyes. First the recession, then the political unrest, and then the final blow, no missionaries to give them the hope they so desperately need.
When we went to the middle school in Culuco, Leslie thanked us repeatedly for making the trip. She told us that many at the ranch and throughout the valley felt forsaken, but our presence there that week gave them hope. Of course, she didn’t refer to us as simply missionaries, but as close friends who had come to comfort them when they felt all alone. For the two weeks I was there, I was able to work in two aldeas doing mission work. The relief I saw in people’s eyes when we arrived brought me to tears. I knew that there was not anything more important than my presence at that time in that place. God’s work is not always easy or comfortable, but it is necessary. I love these people like they are my family, and this week I began to see how much we are loved as well. Sometimes people worry that some of the residents of the aldeas are more focused on receiving material items or home improvement, but I can assure you that this is not the case. We worked the two weeks we were there, but more importantly we spent time with our friends building stronger relationships and assuring them of our love for them. They were not worried about who was getting a floor put in as much as they were worried about being held. I will tell you that both young and old would come to me just to be hugged and told how much they were loved. That is what they want more than anything, because they have been feeling forsaken.
These past two weeks were the most meaningful weeks of my life because I was able to understand what we really mean to them. Sometimes it was through the smiles and laughter that I was able to initiate despite the rough times they are going through. And at other times it was through the worried and saddened faces of those who were delivering the news of another cancelled trip to a aldea. I saw God’s love, and the love between those in the Agalta Valley and those on the mission trips. The current situation has made everything so much clearer to me. We are more closely knit that most would initially think. We have become family, and amount of love they have for us is indescribable. As we were told by a close friend in El Quebrachal this year, the week we are there is like Easter and Christmas rolled into one. It is the best week of their year, a week that allows them to feel showered in love, comfort, and joy. Therefore, I can only imagine the pain that some must feel when no one shows up. I guess it would be like preparing for all of your family to come to your home to celebrate Christmas this year, even though their won’t be presents because of the financial strains. However, you are comforted by the fact that you will see them and be able to spend time with them. Then, when the day comes, no one shows up and you are alone. It is heartbreaking to think about because it is when we are alone that we realize how much we really love our families and need them.
I thank God that I was able to go on to Honduras these past two weeks, and that for the most part everything the media has been saying was just exaggerated for ratings. The only thing I saw were some road blocks, which did delay our arrival to Tegucigalpa but did not affect us during our mission week. In addition, the road blocks consisted of a group of people standing in a line to block traffic, but doing so peacefully. They were socializing, sharing picnics and relaxing. Yes, that is right, they are the same timid people we have come to know and love. Being with them this week gave them some assurance that they are loved and cared for, but I know that it goes further than that. There is something between us that is of God, something so powerful and influential that it cannot be explained. However, I was able to feel it this year, and understand it better due to how desperately they needed us, and we needed them. I know that when I give all my worries to God and focus on others, I am opening up the doors for God to use me for great things. He showed me the power of his love this week through our friends, just as he showed them through us. This bond created through God’s love by his children has proven to be stronger than any worldly matter, and has enriched my faith and theirs. I must thank Honduras Outreach Inc. for this experience because unlike many other organizations who have been overcome by fear, they have kept their focus on God. It has proven to be a wise choice and allowed us to have the most meaningful mission trip of our lives.
