This past week has been hands down the most influential event in my life to date. There are truly no words that could even begin to explain what I experienced. From seeing the faces of the families when we are screwing on the last bolt, to seeing 2 of the people on our team get baptized in Honduran water. Becoming a family with not only our team but the locals that helped us along the way which was the sole reason the last latrine we built got completed despite the not only physical but mental challenge it posed. It’s something I will never forget. You may wonder why I am writing about my mission to Honduras when this blog is about the World Race. Well… my time in Honduras not only prepped me for what is to come in the upcoming months but also gave me the confirmation I had been praying for.
We left for Honduras early Tuesday morning (June 6th), landing later that night. Right away I experienced immense culture shock. This experience was my first time seeing firsthand an intense amount of poverty, and to add to it with a group of my church family that I was only slightly acquainted with. Little did I know that within the next week, those people would become closer than family. During our time there we helped bless 10 families with latrines, each one proving to be more of an adventure than the last, and providing kids with a VBS program where they can learn about Jesus’s love for them. However, that mission was so much more! Even now being home for 3 days I can’t think nor talk about it without a flood of memories coming back reminding me of the best experience of my life! Being able to talk with the locals and families we were serving, singing Spanish songs with our driver, and building a relationship with him that made saying goodbye the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. It’s crazy how the Lord can put people in your life even for a week that mean so much.
Upon returning home one of our leaders reached out and asked me, “Where is your heart at?” to which I answered, “I think I forget it in Honduras…” The struggle of coming home has given me confirmation from the Lord that missionary work is where I’m supposed to be. However, being home has also put a load of guilt on me, that I have such an easy life here in the States and my “issues” are nothing compared to what these people face on a daily basis to simply live. So often I have taken for granted the small things. Being able to flush toilet paper down the drain, or drink out of any faucet without having to second guess if it’s clean.
Honduras changed my life in a week, which makes me excited to see how 4 different countries can in 9 months. The Lord has made it clear that I’m not supposed to be in the States, there are so many unreached people, people that others walk past. It has been placed on my heart to reach as many as I can! On our last night there we looked deeper into the story in which the ministry we served with got its name, which I encourage each of you to read.
Luke 16:19-31
