After a three hour scenic drive, with the last ten miles taking an hour as it was a slow arduous trek up the mountain on a single lane windy curvy rocky dirt road with one stop…backing up to find a spot to let the oncoming truck pass by, we finally made it to the long anticipated village of Sampedrana. No electricity, cold mountain water showers and rustic accommodations.
When we arrived, lunch was prepared for us. It was more of a feast…fried plantains, slice of avocado, the best refried beans ever, a serving of seasoned ground beef (I think), fresh homemade flour tortilla and my new favorite thing, la de crema, move over sour cream! Yea! We have a cook in Sampedrana as well and if anything that is surprising on this trip is the good food (as opposed to beans and rice 3 times a day, which would have been fine.) What a treat it has been to get to try all this authentic Honduran food. I fear I might put on a pound or two and something about that is just not right!
Soon after lunch we got to work right away. We loaded our back packs with bags of rice, beanie babies and the bracelets, hair ties & flip flops the Clippards brought. What a great God idea that turned out to be, the night before we left the Clippards made a trip to the dollar store. The girls loved these items. The beanie babies were a hit too made possible from a church wide collection.
We broke up into two groups making sure families were together and both groups had local translators. We then hiked either up or down the mountain from the main road to remote houses to distribute the items. Once we had made visits we made our way back to the truck jumped in and went a little further down the road, reloaded our back packs and resumed our visitation process.
When our entourage arrived at a home, we obviously made quite a stir. Every family graciously received us. The kids lit up when the gifts came out and the adults lit up with delight when the rice bags came out. Everyone was open to our praying with them and many invited us into their homes.
Feeling I didn’t have much to offer and couldn’t’ understand what was being said, with the first home, I placed my hand somewhere on the house and began to pray while the items were being distributed. From the beginning I felt led to pray three things. I prayed against any spirit of religion that was present and asked for a spirit of relationship with Jesus to fall upon the home and family. I prayed that the children would remember this day for years to come and when they recalled it they would connect the toy and/or memory with Jesus and remember that He loves them. The last thing I prayed was a bit selfish, but it came to me and since you can’t hide anything from God, I prayed it anyway. I asked God that this family would know Him personally and that God would bring us all together again one day in eternity.
At the second house, I felt led to pray the same thing, but when I began to pray the last part about us being united together again in heaven, I opened my eyes as I prayed. I looked around at the faces, some had their heads bowed as we were praying as a group by this time and eyes were closed, while others were gazing at the one praying. It became overwhelming at the thought of being able to share in the same language someday around the heavenly banquet table and to have one of them say, “you were one of the ones in that group that came by our house…” To hear their thoughts, their feelings, and their perception of this day… Tears began to fill my eyes as they are doing now as I type this.
The thought that God would grant my request is beautiful beyond words. This third request brings the first request full circle. It is all about a relationship. Having a relationship with the One who created us and loves us and out of that divine relationship arises the desire to have genuine relationships with others. It is about Jesus through the Holy Spirit connecting us all together through His amazing love.
As we walked back to the truck after one of our stops, the translator began to share with us one of the stories. One of the homes had three widows living together with nine children. Their husbands had all been killed in different local fights. They had banded together to try and make it. My heart broke. It was at this house, the second or third one that we had been to, he began to tell the children that each time they looked at their beanie baby, their bracelet or flip flops to remember how much Jesus loves them.
I had no idea that was what he was saying to them yet God had placed it on my heart to pray they would connect Jesus to that moment. The Holy Spirit is at work for those who open themselves up to Him. He uses us to bring light into darkness. What a privilege. We are living out the verse from this morning’s devotion.
“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us. That your way may be known upon the earth, your saving power among all nations.” Psalm 67:1-2
May your message continue tonight as we show the movie. (The church building has a generator as well as solar power for temporary use of lights and electronics)
Thankful for:
- God using us even though we don’t know the language
- The receptivity of the homes today.
- The work of all the missionaries before us who built a bunk house for us to stay in and built the church.
- Safe travel from Teguc to here.
Janae, I have treasured each of your posts and all the beautiful pictures you have posted. As I have followed your trip to far away lands I am reminded, again, of the relationship you speak of; God creating me because his universe was not complete with out me, me seeking God through his son, Jesus Christ, because I am not complete without them, God leading me to be in relationship with others so that they might know His grace and mercy and blessing and God leading you to witness to others through your sweet spirit. Viola – you and I met and all these years later we are privledged to be able to reconnect in relationship, one to another – through Him. God Bless you girl – you truly bless others!!