June 20th
It’s hard to believe our week in Honduras has almost come to an end. It's impossible to sum up our experience this week with words and pictures but with strokes of thought, I will paint a picture as best as I know how.
It’s hard to believe our week in Honduras has almost come to an end. It's impossible to sum up our experience this week with words and pictures but with strokes of thought, I will paint a picture as best as I know how.
Awaking this morning, most of us were feeling the exhaustion of the week like we hadn't yet and in need of a second wind to carry us through our last work day. With a cup of coffee in some of our hands, we had our devotion and, once again, another bright and flavorful breakfast cooked by three lovely and kind Honduran women.
Upon finishing breakfast, we loaded the bus and headed to Santos Chinchilla bilingual school to present "Jesus Is King" to thirty bright eyed and curious children. The students and teachers are so warm and welcoming to us gringos and gringas. There are many things I have observed about the children here, one thing in particular, is how patient and well behaved they are... at least the mass majority.
We said our goodbyes and headed back to Tranquilidad to complete our last day of planting trees. Completing the day with fifty-seven trees was incredible to see. When you are down in the dirt and planting one by one, you don't realize the amount of work taking place - or so says the one blogging today- but it is something to step back and look at what one team did together. I imagine what this grove will look like when the trees are tall, bearing fruit, and one day feeding many children. Tranquilidad means tranquility and God has given Sam and Roxanne a land truly fitting for the word. Sitting on a hill, the land is surrounded by the breathtaking rolling mountain view and the lush tropical plant life of beautiful Honduras. Standing in the middle of the grove, I asked Sam if he had to pinch himself. Sam paused for a moment and said with a slight smile, "all the time." The team worked hard and accomplished a lot but there is still so much work to be done.
Afterwards, part of team showered and part of the team forfeited the shower to travel downtown and watch the football game, I won't tell who is who other than I was in the shower group so I am unable to blog about the happenings there but I can tell Sam is quite the party planner. Sam and Roxanne planned a dinner party with the mission team, Tranquilidad workers and their families. Driving back from downtown, Sam spotted a mariachi band walking on the side and hired them to play for us. Not to mention he had ordered flan for the night. They couldn't have planned a better way to seal the envelope of our week. Live music, great food, flan and the company of the families of the men working day after day to bring Sam and Roxanne's divine dream to life.
Gravity is the first word I thought of when attempting to sum up this week with a single word. It's as if there is a horizontal pull realigning us spiritually, physically, emotionally, and mentally. Being an American is a wonderful thing but it can be harsh in it's own way. The hustle of life, the drive to succeed no matter who you can trample to get there, and the constant comparison of what others have and what we don't. It's too easy to fall into the trap of no matter how much we have, more is never enough and the need we have for our wants haunt us throughout our life. Through all the brokenness and poverty there is so much beauty here. Smiling faces, a strong sense of community, a vibrant culture, and a land more beautiful than I can describe. So many verses flood my mind. It's a reminder to be content with what we have and where we are in life. But more than that, we have not been created to build our kingdom on earth. Though God desires to bless His children and desires that we would experience the joy of life, no where in scripture does God give us the option to live for Him and for ourselves. This will mean something different for everyone.
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We said our goodbyes and headed back to Tranquilidad to complete our last day of planting trees. Completing the day with fifty-seven trees was incredible to see. When you are down in the dirt and planting one by one, you don't realize the amount of work taking place - or so says the one blogging today- but it is something to step back and look at what one team did together. I imagine what this grove will look like when the trees are tall, bearing fruit, and one day feeding many children. Tranquilidad means tranquility and God has given Sam and Roxanne a land truly fitting for the word. Sitting on a hill, the land is surrounded by the breathtaking rolling mountain view and the lush tropical plant life of beautiful Honduras. Standing in the middle of the grove, I asked Sam if he had to pinch himself. Sam paused for a moment and said with a slight smile, "all the time." The team worked hard and accomplished a lot but there is still so much work to be done.
Afterwards, part of team showered and part of the team forfeited the shower to travel downtown and watch the football game, I won't tell who is who other than I was in the shower group so I am unable to blog about the happenings there but I can tell Sam is quite the party planner. Sam and Roxanne planned a dinner party with the mission team, Tranquilidad workers and their families. Driving back from downtown, Sam spotted a mariachi band walking on the side and hired them to play for us. Not to mention he had ordered flan for the night. They couldn't have planned a better way to seal the envelope of our week. Live music, great food, flan and the company of the families of the men working day after day to bring Sam and Roxanne's divine dream to life.
Gravity is the first word I thought of when attempting to sum up this week with a single word. It's as if there is a horizontal pull realigning us spiritually, physically, emotionally, and mentally. Being an American is a wonderful thing but it can be harsh in it's own way. The hustle of life, the drive to succeed no matter who you can trample to get there, and the constant comparison of what others have and what we don't. It's too easy to fall into the trap of no matter how much we have, more is never enough and the need we have for our wants haunt us throughout our life. Through all the brokenness and poverty there is so much beauty here. Smiling faces, a strong sense of community, a vibrant culture, and a land more beautiful than I can describe. So many verses flood my mind. It's a reminder to be content with what we have and where we are in life. But more than that, we have not been created to build our kingdom on earth. Though God desires to bless His children and desires that we would experience the joy of life, no where in scripture does God give us the option to live for Him and for ourselves. This will mean something different for everyone.
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