When the sun shines bright in Honduras, that can only mean one thing- it’s time for an ice cream stop. Our team was able to do just that at the close of our day. We were taken to a homemade ice cream shop that had the best ice cream and real fruit bars I’ve ever had. Although I wasn’t about to try the Pineapple & Chili bar.
Much progress was made on the house for the Aguilar family today. We got to the site first thing in the morning in order to avoid the hottest part of the day (meaning it was only 80 instead of 90). When we arrived, Edita was already cooking some of the beans we brought for them the previous day, along with other staples. We spend most of our time finishing up the trusses, nailing tin on one side of the roof, and we finally used all the rocks from the pile for the base of the cement foundation and sidewalk leading up to their house. The family was thankful for the sidewalk because when it rains, their yard mostly floods. After eating lunch at the job site and finishing our work for the day, we cleaned up back at the hotel and traveled to Casa Hogar Vida.
Casa Hogar Vida is a project that is close to pulse of Elevate Church. This is a small village for those infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS. In this culture there is much stigma and persecution surrounding this. Many men actually commit suicide once they discover they have the disease. This, of course, leave many widows and orphans.
Within this village, the goal is to be self-sustaining. So, they make all the blocks on site for the homes in the village (and other markets around the area) We were able to see the process of how these bricks were made and sun-dried. We then saw the coffee room, where they roast Honduran-grown beans, followed by a trip to the craft shop, where many of us purchased hand made crafts from the people of Casa Hogar Vida. All these things aren’t to make a large profit, but to create jobs for the people that call this place home.
We were able to spend some time at the orphanage of Casa Hogar Vida playing with some of the children. We gave them glow sticks and other toys and had fun helping them use the yo-yos. The children there range in ages from 2-15, including a set of twins. One of my new friends I met today is Brian. He is 7 years old and had a smile on his face from the moment we arrived. You see him below playing with his new yo-yo.
After our time at the orphanage, we spent time with some of the other kids living in the community that seemed to come from every direction. Dave and I found a group of kids to give candy to (see below).
The leadership here shared with us that they recently received 400 applications for the homes here in this village. There are currently 19 that are near completion and will be ready for families next month for families that are affected and effected by HIV/AIDS. One house costs only $6,000 to build. Many of the families that will receive a new home are in extreme poverty and do not own a house or property. The goal is to help individuals and their families live with dignity and find hope in their situatuon.
I couldn’t imagine being in a better place this week for such a time as this. God is using us in a great way to not only touch the lives of one family, but to be touched ourselves and to have our eyes open to God’s Kingdom that is at work all around this world.
Until tomorrow…
