Honduras Mission - Day 2

Woke up to the sound of roosters crowing at 4:00 in the morning. I thought they were supposed to do that when the sun came up. Maybe God was preparing me for this by waking me up that early for weeks before this trip.




Day two brought me a pleasant surprise. We were given a tour of the mission base which is called "The Ranch". We were taken into the new children's ministry building where we found a group of women making baskets out of pine needles. The ministry caters mostly to the Honduran women because they are the minority of the country. We entered through a door that led us to a large open room and there was my surprise. An entire kitchen made from pine that was milled at the site. A missioner named Gary Strickland set up his wood shop, built the cabinetry, and installed the kitchen all in the same building. I believe this was one of main things that God wanted to show me. I was floored and at a loss for words.
After our tour, we loaded up and headed to "The Invasion". This is a large plot of land where the poorest of the poor invaded and started squatting on the land. A little girl wearing a purple Blue's Clues t-shirt, approached me as soon as I stepped out of the van, grabbed my hand and walked me up and down her street. I am not very good with my Spanish, but I knew what she was trying to show and say to me. "This is where I live".
Most of the homes were stick framed with tarps. Some were logged and some were concrete block with corrugated metal roofing. There is no electricity or running water and there is trash everywhere. The children were amazing and beautiful, and they all had smiles on their faces. Even in the midst of their poverty, they seemed happy and as if they truly get the meaning of life. We played futbol, football, took pictures and even did some repairs on a few homes. After a few hours, it was time for our visit to end. It was hard to say "Adios". The people of "The Invasion" will be on my heart and in my prayers for as long as I live.