One of the first things that hit all 65 of us travelers upon arrival in Teguc was how great the language barrier would be. I don't think any of us anticipated just how little we would recall from high school Spanish classes and how that would affect communication for the week. But in one of our first devos of the week, we were all reminded how far reaching a smile can be. For there are no boundaries with our tones of voice, our attitudes, and our actions. We soon discovered that much can be said without using words.
The children of Honduras were the highlight of the trip for me. We were able to visit an orphanage outside the city in the beautiful countryside and spend the afternoon with 86 boys who had been abandoned or given up by their parents. Also at the building site each day, many children came to help us and be around us as we worked on the house. They were so excited to play with bubbles, coloring books, and learn the game of 'Tag'. It was true joy to see their faces light up around total strangers that could barely ask their names.
Then there are the people at Baxter, the preaching institute where we stayed. Within an hour of our arrival, I had 'amigas en la cocina', the ladies who cooked for us all week. I was also able to meet a beautiful family (Sebastian, Rachel, and Hadid) who were students at Baxter. It was a great blessing to encounter these Christian brothers and sisters each day and be reminded that there are warriors for the Lord in such faraway places.
"Missions are less about the transportation of God from one place to another and more about the identification of a God who is already there. See God where others don't. And then you point him out. Be more like a tour guide. We don't take Jesus to people who don't have him, we just point out to the people a God who is already present in their midst." -Rob Bell, Velvet Elvis
And I believe that as we point out God to these people, we are able to glimpse His love just as much through them...
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