A common one-room school in one of the mountain communities called Campo Alegre (Happy Rural Place/Camp).
One of the locals tying on his basket that they use to pick coffee on the impossibly steep terrain.
Two beautiful friends sorting the green coffee bean from the ripe, red ones.
A beautiful flower, one of many that my host mother cares for and loves on behind our house.
It´s strange how the time seems to fly and die at different points in our lives. I´ve had weeks that seem to drag on forever but then others that have passed without even realizing it. But both good and healthy in their own ways. One thing we can´t escape is that time passes. With about a month and a half left, the mix of emotions grow stronger as I try not to pine over things in either Honduras or Honesdale... as the cliché goes, I´m just trying to ¨stay in the moment.¨ At times I´m better at this than others.
Just 2 days ago I dropped a wonderful friend and sister off at the airport here in San Pedro Sula after a quick 5-day visit. I´ll admit it was rushed but full of fun experiences for both of us. It´s always nice to have deep conversations when I get the chance (this culture hasn´t seemed to quench my thirst for those types of talks other than in bible studies). Susan was able to experience, absorb and even squirm a bit with rural Honduran culture, along with the language barrier. But I have to admit how impressed I was with her comfort, confidence, self-awareness, and humility wherever we went. This sort of traveling always promises more lasting memories and, more importantly, offers unequaled opportunities for character building.
As far as my work/church/life goes, I just realized last week that there is an easily overlooked and under appreciated mile-marker in most of our lives where a job or a certain lifestyle change finally sets in and becomes the norm... becomes accepted, and even enjoyed. It was nice to return to the routine, while my attention was called to the feeling of walking into my home, debriefing the family on the last few days of travel and noticing a level of comfort I´ve felt only a few times in the last 8 months. I was home again. So onto something else...
Just a way to think about things a bit differently for you an I... I´ve changed what I call myself down here.
I used to say that I´m a ¨volunteer.¨ And that´s what I´d be in the eyes of most Americans but the fact is that I receive more personal spending money than a large portion of the laborers make to take home. My food, room, medical, and even telephone is paid for by MCC (to which I am forever grateful to those who sponsored and supported me financially) but with the ¨living stipend¨ that we are given each month, I´ve met few Hondurans that can spend as much on personal enjoyment or pleasure. It´s fair to say that although a dollar usually goes further here, the pay is much less as well. We could say that a soda costs 50 cents(US) but that´s a lot when some workers only make the equivalent of $5 a day. But all that to say I cannot, in good conscience, call myself a volunteer to those I talk to here. I´ve conceded to calling myself a service worker.
I´m continually amazed on the roller coaster we take ourselves on/God takes us on to get to points we´ve wanted to get to but didn´t know how to get there. That to say that whatever it is that we´re struggling with, we´ll come out of it, with His permission, and be stronger for it. I was at a meeting a few weeks ago where we were talking about how sin in our lives as leaders (but not only leaders) affects the entire body and how lack of discipline is one of the root causes why the church is not growing or the spiritual lives of many are a bit stagnant. Also the lack of authority in the church. How many will be in sin and yet will not be confronted about it (in a loving, constructive manner) and how this gives way to false testimonies and excused hypocrisy. So what the pastor proposed is that all of us that are leaders in the church either confess and repent of what we are in that is keeping us from living out the fullness of the Lord´s call in our lives, or step down from our position of leadership. Too often leaders are not held to higher standers and in these cases it is better said that the blind are leading the blind... That was pretty convicting for me and hopefully will continue to effect the way I see my life and actions. We also talked about the importance of small groups and personal relationships within those groups and how our priorities to the things of the family of God, truly show where our hopes and dependencies are.
Many people have asked me what I have planned for this next step. I always tell them: ¨Not sure. I have to talk to my church.¨
As I think about what I would do when I come home, I think to my love of the west and almost definite job opportunities out there but have come to realize- in my time down here- that beyond my career, my personal desires, and my deep ties to Oregon, my home church is and should be most important in my life. If we are trying to do this ¨church-thing¨ or be a true family or team, how can we do that without any sense of self-denial or commitment? Having said that, I am looking forward to coming back and sharing my experiences and learning what God has been doing in the lives of my church family in the past year. I´ll be looking for where I can plug in an use the gifts He has given me in His and their service.
I thank you all for the support and love you´ve shown me in my time down here and pray that just as HE has taught and changed me, that you were/are open to what HE desires of your lives; that you would not let past experiences, laziness/apathy, stereotypes or mere doubt block the potential of the best relationship we´ll ever know... the one He´s offering each one of us.
