Thursday's Photos

New school uniforms via Mi Esperanza and a generous donation!
Vultures, cows, dogs, cats, and humans fighting for leftovers of trash of a 3rd world country


The back of the van where we served the food at the dump

Thursday, Day 5 of Honduras

Disclaimer: To any one reading this I ask that you also go look up the song "10,000 Children" by Dave Barnes because it perfectly describes the emotions felt by many of us today.
Our day started off as usual (minus anyone being sick and unable to go with the group) by us eating breakfast and leaving with Mark to go out and start it up. Mark had told us last night we would be feeding people at the dumps today and from his voice and many warnings from Drew and Ben we all gathered that it was going to be a pretty emotional and eye opening experience. Drew even described it to me as a "hell on earth" type of place, needless to say I was a little nervous about our visit there.

Around 9:30 or 10:00 we all took an adventure into a super market to buy enough meat, cheese, bread, and cookies for 300 people. We piled our goods onto the conveyor belt leading up to the cash register and waited to see what the grand total would be. It rounded out to be about 2600 limps (or 126 dollars). 126 dollars to feed 300 people...pretty unreal to think about when one meal for us back home for far less people can cost that. We then traveled to the warehouse and made our sandwiches, bought some tangerines and water and made our way to the dump. All morning the group had been praying for strength throughout the entire experience and we were all pretty unsure of what this particular Honduran experience would hold. Again, nerves.

Arriving at the dump the stench is the first thing that hits you, the smell is simply unreal. Not so much nauseating but it's certainly something you take notice of. The smell didn't hold our attention long though, because as soon as we got to the top a sight laid before us that I'm positive I cannot describe in words. Cows, vultures, dogs and people all scrounging through filth and trash searching for anything of value. Piles of looming trash all around and here and there there would be a person laying down to take a rest. As we got closer I began to see how the people working in this place were dressed. Most had on long pants and shirts, some sort of make-shift mask and sunglasses to block out the bacteria filled dust that is constantly blowing around in the air. Mark told us that many people here "huff" glue because it suppresses their appetite because food is simply so hard to come by or buy. So the sandwiches we were giving them were a much needed meal.

We had a game plan in action before opening the van's doors...but nothing prepares you for what was to come. We pulled up and all but two of us got out to pass out water bags. People (men, women and children) immediately swarmed to get their share of food and water. This is the opportunity I really got to see around and view my settings. The dump is like Drew said, "hell on earth." There seems to be no hope in sight. Starving animals and people are walking around desperate for anything at all, the closest thing to hope is the city off in the distance; and for most that's just a reminder of the life they will most likely never have. People crowded the van and those of us giving out water and were definitely pushing to get their food, but honestly I cannot blame them. If I hadn't eaten I would probably be even less behaved. Everything happened so quickly it was almost impossible to process anything happening around us at the time. I don't think (for me at least) anything set in until we had left and were sitting in the Texaco parking lot talking with Mark afterwards.

Mark talked with us about the injustice of the situation we just witnessed. How man and animal were on a level playing field and how children were climbing through filth to find valuables. He said asking why wasn't really a solution to the problem, but simply asking how we ourselves as individuals can change to make it even a little better. Small changes grow to bigger ones. I began to try and process this...without much luck. I became frustrated with the fact that I (as do all the other guys here with me) want to fix the problems we just saw. We don't want to see those kids younger than us suffering in ways that are honestly unfathomable to us. Mark began talking about verses in the bible that talk about walking in the light verses the darkness. He said that he believes it doesn't have to do with sin and no sin, but rather knowing and not knowing. He said we could no longer say we were in the dark about the dumps here...because we now know. As we started back I turned my iPod on and immediately started listening to the song mentioned above. I began questioning and asking God, "Why can't we do something to fix this? This isn't fair? Why do those kids deserve this yet I live in a land of luxury back in the United States?"

As I vented I heard the chorus saying: "Only love can save us all." "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." 1 John 4:8. That's when it hit me like a ton of bricks. We, as sinners, as Christians, as humans cannot change anything. Only God can bring about change. Luckily He chooses to work through us and bring about motivation for us to change our habits to help situations. But for there to be true change we have to rely on the Lord to be it. All I can do is talk...I'm not math or science major...and Paul Fox knows I don't do well in history at Auburn University. I'm not super intelligent. I am no athlete (as the guys will tell you after watching me attempt to play soccer today with the Hondurans after passing out school uniforms). I am not super strong in my faith. And I certainly don't have a strong immune system as we saw the first three and a half days here in Teguc. But, that's all okay isn't it? When we are weak, He is strong. And I'm coming to terms with this. When I can't do anything to change an unfair situation, it is only in the Father's hands. As we decrease He infinitely increases. And we should be okay with that. Something I'm learning while here is that it's not necessarily about our talents and passions that God uses. That's much too selfish. We should (and I am still struggling with this) desire just to be used by Him for His glory. I'm not sure if any of that rambling makes sense? It hasn't even fully processed in my own mind to be truthful. All I can say for sure are these two things: Honduras is and is continuing to change mine (and the guys here)'s hearts in a big way. And God is God and that's all we need to know. Continue to send your prayers for they are well heard and needed. I cannot wait to share this entire experience with anyone who will listen. All the little things I feel like we can do, will certainly be suggested.

Missing my family, friends, Dr. Pepper and Momma G's nachos,

Evan

Wednesday's Photos 2

Terry and Melvin going to get some tools!
Windmills were everywhere were we went. Another country along with Honduras invested in putting these in to help generate electricity. They were huge! And it was very windy.

Wednesday's Photos

The home!
Finished product!
MIXING with the Hondurans laughing and watching.
AFTER THE TILE BUSTING
BEFORE

Wednesday, March 14

Sorry for not posting yesterday. Two reasons: we were worn out and Honduras decided to cut off the power at Villa Gracia last night.

Yesterday morning, we drove out to Santa Ana. It was Mark, Dillon, Ben, Terry, Matt, Evan, Melvin, Melvin's sister Oneda, and myself. Barrett stayed back to recover another day, which was much needed for him. Mark Tindal, not exactly sure how to spell it, does a lot of work in that town. It is about 2 hours south of Teguc. It was beautiful. We met Jonathan Estrada (he and his brother Luis work full time for Mark) and the day began! Me, Terry, and Melvin headed over to get some tools and a dump truck unloaded a whole load of dirt and gravel, which in Honduras only means one thing: mixing cement.

We were breaking tile on what will be a home for teenage women who were taken by the Honduran equivalent of DHR in the US. So, orphans, ones with dysfunctional families, etc. From now till the end of summer, Mark Tindal will be working on making the place livable for the ladies coming in.

We would be mixing cement and Jonathan, Melvin, and his sister would sit and laugh at us at how slow and inefficient the Gringos were. Jonathan would reach out his indicating he wanted the shovel and be twice as efficient in half the amount of time. It was amazing. We mixed about 7 or 8 loads. One load is a lot of work. However, we got 3/4 of the porch done and it was looking good!

It was very hard work, but very rewarding. You learn to respect the work ethic of the Honduran people because they do that labor every day to earn around $300 a month. Amazing.

En el nombre de Jesus,

Drew

March 13 - Tuesday

(Drew posted most of this in his post - If you're going for brevity read his haha. Either way!)

So, I’m a little late posting this because I have been the most recent victim of the bug that’s going around all the guys since we got here (I blame Drew by the way - it was him first). Yesterday, Matt, Terry, and Ben stayed back because they weren’t feeling well and were trying to recover. Isbill, Drew, Dillon, and I headed out with Mark yesterday morning and rode to a town on the outskirts of Tegucigalpa to build a house for the family of 13. I was so excited for it and felt the anticipation on the ride there. When we arrived, the family ran up and was waiting on us to see the wood delivered by the wood truck. They were all smiles. Poor Isbill had to stay in the van because he wasn’t feeling well at all still from being sick before. Around 3 other Honduran men and an 18 year old boy, Daniel - a former gang member trying to turn his life around - and younger boys in the family also helped build. We measured off the foundations of the house and Mark squared it all off and we all began to dig holes for the 4x4 posts to be the corners of the house. About 15 minutes into breaking into the ground with posthole diggers and large metal rods (name escapes me now), I was feeling pretty dehydrated and extremely tired and light-headed. It was a really hot day with no cloud cover. I proceeded to go to the van to try to cool off and shortly thereafter lost all of my breakfast and any liquid in my stomach. I decided it would be best to stay in the van and let the other Hondurans, Mark, Drew, and Dillon do the work because I would be absolutely no help and probably would do nothing but get even more sick, to the risk of having to cut the build short to take me back.

While we were in the van for maybe around 5ish hours, between vomiting and “passing out” from not feeling well, Evan and I talked. We both were extremely disappointed that we couldn’t help build and agreed that we basically felt worthless and were even using some of the bottles of water that the builders kept coming to get. I cannot lie, I even had at the forefront of my mind “God, why have you brought me here to feel like this?” “These people need a house and here I am sick as a dog, feeling terrible, I should have stayed in the states if I am going to be like this.” Of course, my “pain” and sickness did not help my mindset. I would go back and forth between this and between knowing, as Romans 8:28 says, that God works for the good of all those that love Him. While staying in the van trying to find some comfort for what seemed like 2 days, I looked up and the basic wooden house with a tin roof had been erected and the finishing touches were being put on. Other community members were gathered around watching. Mark came to the van and asked if Evan and I wanted to come pray with the family, if we were able. We went inside their fresh new home, with the kids running around with smiles on their faces and the mother/grandmother smiling in what seemed thankfulness and joy. She was thanking Mark for the house and from my little Spanish knowledge, I understood him basically say, “This is not anything that we have done on our own, it is God and the glory belongs only to God - ‘sólo a Dios’ - only to God and ‘Todos Dios. - All God” We all linked hands, builders and family, and Drew prayed in English followed by Daniel in Spanish. At this point, I began to weep, trying to hide it for some reason. It all rushed and hit me at once. This family of 13 with no home - no home or place to call their own, no shelter - now had one of the most basic of all needs. You can think of it all you want but it is never the same until you see the looks on that family’s face, see what they are living in, and the overarching joy in such dire physical circumstances. I looked at my friends, Dillon and Drew, who were sunburned and worn out and who had worked so hard to provide this family this wonderful, simple gift; I looked at Mark, who lives among the Hondurans and does this on a daily basis for the people of Honduras, giving the glory only to God; I saw Daniel, a former gang member, praying over these people. Nothing but complete joy and humility and thankfulness ran over me. What a beautiful picture!! I felt God taught me a lesson yesterday - even though I knew Romans 8:28 in my head I had the chance to truly experience it. I was there for a purpose, even if I had dug part of one 2 foot hole for 15 minutes. I had the chance to witness God’s wonderful work through our group (including the Hondurans) in all of our lives, and the chance to participate in prayer as a group for this family. I don’t even know what to follow up after this besides to God alone be the glory - he intertwined each of our lives for His glory for His purposes. Sólo a Dios.

Eternally forgiven sinner by an eternally GREAT God,

-Barrett

“For we know that God works for the good of all those who love him, who have been called according to HIS purpose.” -Romans 8:28-29

Tuesday's Photos

Some of the ninos we built a house for today!
Dillon with one of the ninos!
5 of the 13 ninos
House site!
This is a house site from two years ago. Just wanted you to get an idea of what the houses look like. More pics to come!