Friday, December 11, 2009

Que quiero por desayuno?





Santos has been on the streets for many years. Brian met him on his first trip.




Flowers on the trees in our yard.




Micah boys + one Vindicator water gun = me running!



Crabs from the river behind the house.



Ready for the pot? The Micah guys wanted to go make soup...yuck!



Doug Nichols, the Director of ACTION gave us a good piece of advice before we left for the field. "No Bible, No Breakfast." So, with coffee in hand we begin each morning with some time in the word and prayer. We did this back home but were not as disciplined about it as we are here. Since arriving and dealing with the difficulties of transition we know so much more how absolutely vital it is to our survival to stay connected to the Lord. We also have found out how necessary all of you back home are to our survival...your prayers are palpable, truly keeping us lifted and moving each day.

Life in Honduras is not easy. Everyday tasks like grocery shopping, paying bills, and going to the bank require about 4 times more effort than in the states. Except for Sunday, traffic is insanely hectic. While everyone back home is complaining of the cold, we spend each day sweating and sticky...no wonder so few Honduran women wear makeup, there really is no point as it is sliding off your face by noon. The language barrier is frustrating, the degree of poverty that people live in is mind numbing, the bug bites are maddening.

BUT - there is nothing like the peace of knowing you are in the center of God's will. Amidst the difficulties and frustrations, we have an unbelievable sense of calm and a feeling of "rightness" in our lives. We look around us and focus on the beauty of God's creation, the trees and flowers, the birds in colors we've never seen before, the wind in the trees and the smell of lemons. We see the Micah boys with smiles and bright eyes when you hug them and spend time with them. We see the countenance of those on the street lift just a little bit when you talk with them and treat them with respect and dignity. We see the growth in our kids, learning a little more with each day that they, too, must seek the Lord and rely on Him for their peace and safety.

Tonight we begin another transition. Each Friday afternoon we have Street Kid Soccer. We rent the soccer field by the river and invite about 20 kids from the street to play. Afterward they are given a meal of fried rice and tortillas. But it's time to shake things up a bit. Beginning tonight soccer will be drug free. You see, the kids are afraid that if they put their glue bottles down someone will steal it. So they play soccer with it in their shirt, tucked into their pants or holding it in a hand. Tonight we'll have a box with a lock on it and if they want to play they have to write their name on the bottle and put it into the box for the hour and a half it will take to play and eat. Our hope is that as their minds clear from the effects of the glue they will truly be able to hear the message of the gospel and begin to believe they are all valuable, loved people created by God.

The other change we are implementing tonight is the meal. It's going to be Nightstrike Honduran style, with a homecooked meal. Up tonight is my home made spaghetti. Brian is off right now to purchase the thermal container to transport it in so it stays hot and I'm about ready to get saucy!

We'll be starting at 4:00 and would appreciate your prayers that the changes will be well received by the kids we are going to minister to, that the Lord would protect and keep us all safe, and that we would all be open vessels for His love, mercy, and grace to shine forth to those that the world has cast aside.

Blessings and love to all of you that stand with us.

Natasha

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Natasha,
Through Neighborhood Church and Bridgetown, I've been following your journey to Honduras. Thank you for your blog updates. I want to encourage you to keep your head up! You are so brave and God is on your side. I can't wait to hear how the drug-free soccer night went. God is so happy with your obedience.
Blessings!

Anonymous said...

Hi Wiggs':

I love reading about your work. It is just so eye-opening to get a glimps of the huge work you are doing. Soccer night sounds like a winner!

In Him,

Doug

Anonymous said...

Natash,
I've just started to follow your journey. My hubby & I have both been to Honduras on mission trips. The sweltering heat. The bugs. The smells that almost make you wrench. I will be praying for you. Don't lose sight of the forest for the trees. Take curage.
In Christ,
Debora & Kent

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