Saturday, June 12, 2010

Day 7 - Friday 11

Countdown is over. Today is the last day. Today is our last chance to build for these people, and what better place to build than the dump. The dump was the most shocking thing we have seen; these people live in a place you wouldn't want to drive by because of the smell. A place you wouldn't want to walk through because of the filth. What better place to build and establish stability. They truly need.
Our day started with news that Donna was sick. Donna is sick! What can we do? Is everything canceled? No, Anna to the rescue. We have two group leaders for a reason. You've heard the expression “When you mess with fire, you're going to get burned.” Well, in Honduras, “When you mess with the water, you are going to get sick.” Donna was down for the day, but the show must go on. The mission must be completed. These people living in the dump must see Jesus today.
We left for the dump early in the day. We also repacked all of the food bags (about 300 of them) into the bus. We were going to do a food distribution in the dump community. Once the bus was ready, it was back to the place I will never forget. Back to the place that will forever remind me of how blessed I am. We are going back to the dump.
The dump community we were building in was off to the side of the dump. It was separated from the hills of trash by a hill of grass. That barrier really kept the smell out, which was awesome. I don't think I could have taken that smell for a whole day. It really is debilitating. We were building two houses today within two hundred feet of each other. It was nice to be close to everyone today. Usually, the groups are so spread out that we never see each other. Today was different. Today was a group effort to accomplish something special.
There were two sites: a mud site and a rock site. I got the rock site, and, let me tell you, I definitely got the best site. The mud site was nasty. It was a pool of mud and filth. The posts dug for the houses itself were sitting in pools of tepid water. Each site progressed well, though. Through the obstacles, we finished them in record time and without incident. We did, however, experience our first day of rain. It did hold off until we were almost done with the second house, though. God is amazing, and he has given us the best week of weather imaginable. The rain could have prevented us from finishing today, but God held it off for us. God is faithful and God is kind.
With both houses being completed, we were ready for the food distribution. It was a different experience because it was raining. We were forced to give the food out of the back of the bus. We returned to the bus after the build to see a line of 100 to 125 people – all waiting for their food. They knew why we were here. They knew we would give them food. Through the rain, we handed out as much food as possible. Each family received at least one food bag. When that was done, we headed back to the mission house. Commence operation “Get Me Out Of These Wet Clothes.”
Dinner today was a treat. We went to Jen's house (the missionary we've been working with all week) and ate Taco Loco. This is the coolest business I can imagine. You plan a party. You hire Taco Loco to come to your house and prepare their food. They bring their own stove and food. You watch as they get ready to rock your taste buds. They make a platter for each person. Each bite is better than the last. I had to sit down because my knees were getting weak. I needed resuscitated because my pallet was in shock. I loved it.
Now that the week is over, I totally enjoyed myself. The trip was worth it. The trip was needed. It was my first mission trip, so there were many things I needed to learn. I feel like I needed to see these things. God brought me here to show me I am not alone in this world. There are billions of people in this world that need Christ and are screaming for his peace. There are millions of people in Honduras that need Christ and are yearning for his forgiveness. I needed to see that. God is bigger than I am. God is bigger than my problems. God is bigger than my bad days and bigger than my addictions. God is massive, and he is capable of so much goodness.
Thank you goes out to all the members of the GC team. Thank you for working hard and giving of yourself. Thank you for taking time of your schedules to give to people in need. Honduras is not the same because you came and sacrificed. People in Honduras will never forget the things we have done for them. They will never forget the love and care that we showed them. Children will grow up remembering how we treated them and loved on them. They will remember our example for forever. Many kids need us. They need to see that they aren't alone. They are forgotten. They are completely abandoned. Someone, even if it is a stranger, cares for them. Cares for them so much they would give of themselves for them. Cares so much they would sacrifice for them. Thank you for making a difference.
Thank you to God for this opportunity. Thank you to God for pushing me this week past my comfort zone. Thank you to God for putting me somewhere in desperate need of disciples of Christ. Thank you to God for never leaving me when I felt overwhelmed. For never leaving me when I felt in despair or heartbroken. Thank you to God for being with me every step of the way and giving me strength.
God, you are my everything. God, you are worthy of a lot more than a week of my time. You are worthy of my life. Everyday is yours, God. Take from me everything. Strip me from my selfishness and pride. Take all the obsessions and addictions from my life. Leave me with nothing but your love and grace. Help me to remember the things I've seen here in Honduras. Never let me forget your love shown here. I want to live a life more worthy of you. I want to give as much as I receive. I want to be a servant – someone who will wash another's dirty arms and legs. I want to be a giving person – someone who will give of their last possessions. I want to be Christlike – someone who will love and hug the unlovable and the unhuggable.
God, thank you. Thank you for everything. Thank you for my blessings. Thank you for my struggles. Thank you for my ups and my downs. Thank you for this week. Thank you for your Son, most of all. His life is worthy of all of this. His sacrifice begs me to do the same.

Andrew Moore

1 comment:

Janna Menear said...

What a beautiful blog to end what must have been a beautiful week for both the team and those in Honduras. Praying for you all for health and safety as you return to the US.

Janna