There are no coincidences in Honduras.

 There are no coincidences in Honduras is a phrase that was spoken this morning at devotion and has been on my mind a lot today as work through our various different missions here in Honduras.  It seems like every time we come down here, something big or small is placed on our hearts and in our path.  We don’t always know what it means, or what to do with it, but we know it wasn’t a coincidence that it was put there.  Yesterday (Tuesday) Mike our team leader, was at the Cricol and our mission coordinator pointed a house and said, I think that was on the news a few days ago.  Turns out that house was an orphanage and was on the news because 6 people were arrested due to sexual abuse of the children.  Now there are 2 good people taking care of 28 children and now the orphanage is lacking funding.  That same afternoon, out of the blue, some government officials came to us and asked us for help.  Not a coincidence, God put this in our path and it has been heavy on our hearts.  These poor, already broken children, have been traumatized and are now potentially lacking some basic needs due to lack of funding.  What can we do for them in the short term, and how we help them in the long term?  We don’t know, we just know we need to and can’t ignore this call.  How this plays out we don’t know but we will do what we need to do to help where we can. So, please keep these kiddos in your heart as you go about your day.  They need our support.  

Today was a good day in the mission field though with lots of progress being made in the feeding center with the children’s dining furniture, shelving for the pantry and other projects.  Lots of helping hands have been making the work go fast and even strangers offering tools and offering to help.  Its a great community.  

Several of our team members were invited today to be part of the Honduras Independence Day parade.  So that was a treat, to be part of that.  

We continued seeing patients, this time in Tocoa and today was our busiest day yet.  I believe around 73 people seen.  Some really tough cases with extremely poor vision too.  But, we managed to get glasses for just about everyone who needed them.  Readers or prescription.  People are so very grateful for the ability to see when they didn’t have that before.  You can’t help but smile at the lit up faces when they pop those glasses on and see clearly for the first time.  At least today we got to be in air conditioning for the day which was great.  The CRIE (school) is letting us use their classrooms since the kids are off of school due to the Independence Day celebrations.  

Tonight we went to the church in La Ceibita and we all did communion together, which was so beautiful.  Pastor is still in training and is not able to do communions, so Mike and John were the ones who officiated the communion.  Afterwards we were given dinner made by the ladies of the church and just before, Valery came and jumped in my lap.  We sat together all throughout the dinner and I shared my plate with her. That little girl clearly loves vegetables!  I let her eat as much as she wanted.  She needs it more than I do.  

It was a great day.  I just love coming here and I love the people I meet along the way.  You can’t help but feel the love and faith in the people here.  

Tomorrow is our last work day.  It has as usual, flown by.  I will be sad to leave, but also glad to get home to my own family in the USA.  Especially Josie, who has been really sick with Covid.  She’s better now, but it was hard to be gone while she was sick.  

Time for rest! 

Lisa stacking chairs in the feeding center.  Built, sanded and varnished! 

Mary Ann varnishing a table

Kurt and Jorge sanding wood

People waiting to be seen in the optical clinic

Thomas working in the yard with his new glasses!

Looking at the feeding center with the beautiful mountains behind

Clancy also varnishing tables!


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