Last Monday I was honored to attend the Honduras of Life board meeting where Pastor Yobani Alas was the guest for the evening. (he was in the US for three weeks visiting churches etc.) As some of you may know Yobani is the pastor of the Fuente' de Vida ministry in Taulabe' Honduras...this is the ministry that Honduras Fountain of Life partners with. When I first arrived in Honduras in 2008 he was the first person I met. I had mentioned in a previous blog that he asked me then if I spoke Spanish...I sheepishly replied no but with his normal exuberance he proclaimed "We will teach you"! I still can't speak Spanish!! LOL Anway, Since that first meeting I have come to admire this Godly man who for 25 years has served the people in the mountains of Central Honduras...he has continued to listen to God and when at his darkest times he never gave up his faith. During the meeting he recanted many stories of how God has used him and the ministry and how he never lets an opportunity pass without sharing the love of Christ in either word or deed. He has helped to plant 60 mountain churches, open a home for the elderly and widows, continues to be head over the Hogar de' Ninas that is home to girls that are abused, malnourished and come from terrible backgrounds, and the Fuente de Vida school. He spoke of starting a work and eat program, similar to Lord's Acres here. Where people would help to work the gardens, in exchange for fresh vegetables
"Feed a man a meal and he will be satisfied for a day, feed a man's soul and he will be satisfied for life". That is one of his mottoes and one that Honduras Fountain of Life follows. We can go in and buy food, build buildings and hand out things of material nature (HFOL does help when necessary) but they have chosen to build relationships with the community and the ministry in Taulabe that has stretched over 10 years.
People often ask me what I do when I go and I have to answer with a chuckle "I play"... :-) I play with the kids in the playground of the school where 350 students attend the Fuente de Vida school and another 300 attend the Compassion International School. They love to laugh at the goofy American who can't speak Spanish & who calls them monkeys but also trust them to use my camera as they take pictures of themselves and of me. I sit on the porch of the Hogar de Nina and color, or just sit and rock with a little one in my lap, or become the arms that catch a giggling girl when they jump from the edge of the pool. (we usually take the girls of the Hogar swimming while we are there) I hate to wash dishes at home but I could wash dishes all day beside my sweet friend Elvia. All of this while reminding them they are loved and not while I am there but when I come home to the US.
On previous trips I have helped to sort the mercy closet that is home to shelves and shelves of clothes that are available to those in need; paint the hogar and school; host a women's retreat for the teachers of the school and workers of the church; assisted in medical clinics and taken photos, handing them out from an instant printer....whatever is needed to be done.
We often go with a "plan"....and it is often tweaked or changed, depending on what is needed when we arrive but this year it is my hope to have "Art Day" for the kids at the school. When I came up with the idea I imagined finger painting with the Kindergarten but it has blossomed to possibly spending time with each grade. We have not settled on a project yet but we are searching Pinterest and other sources for ideas.
Please pray for me and the team of 20 others as we prepare for our journey in July. Pray God will give us direction on where to go with the Art Day idea....or lead us in other directions where the need might be. Whatever it is..we are there to serve as Christ came to serve us.
Stay tuned!!!
