For many that have been on cross-culture mission trips in the past, you know that the experience changes you. I believed that, but never really understood it until now. For those of us here in Honduras this week, there are many lessons we’re learning. Many of the God lessons I’m encountering so far this week I’m going to keep to myself for now. But there’s one I’d like to share…
There’s something about being here- giving food to the poor, waving to a group of children sitting along a fence, and extending a simple “Hola!” to an old man that seems lonley- it’s these moments we experience on mission for God, across cultures, that serve to open our eyes to something bigger. As much as I love serving the people of Honduras, my heart has never beat more strongly for the people in my city, my neighborhood. I think about the hurting people right in my backyard AND the little boy this morning that kept coming back to me for a piggy-back ride in Limone. For me, it’s not Honduras OR Monroe… Rather it’s Monroe AND Honduras.
I say all this to tell you about the most powerful moment of our trip thus far…
As you know by now, we’re in the process of building a new home for the Aguilar family. They have very little money and struggle to even make it day-to-day. We knew we had a special connection with this family, as they have been working side-by-side with our team as we lay out the foundation and frame of their house, during the last couple days. After lunch today, we took a trip to a local store to purchase basic food items (staples such as rice, beans, eggs, lard, etc.) for the Aguilars. When we returned to the work site, most of us went back to work, while a few of us snuck the food we just purchased into their current home and laid it all out for them. Edita (the mother) came into her kitchen to see the food that we had donated and immediately became overwhelmed with tears. One of the pictures below shows this moment where she walked into her kitchen.
Thank you for all the continued prayers back home for our entire team and this special family we have gotten to know this week.
Until tomorrow…
