I wanted to take some time to really give you a solid
picture of what God is allowing us to do in Honduras. He has opened the door to many ministry opportunities and is
continuing to bring forth many others.
As I have shared before, we travel to Los Estados Unidos (18th
Street gang village) every Monday.
We meet with the homies’ (gang members in prison) families and the guys
play soccer with the kids. We
start off the afternoon in one house and have bible study with a local
family. For fun, we have been
teaching them how to cook certain foods and have played some really hilarious
games.
 |
| We tied donuts to strings and raced to see who could eat them the fastest! So funny! |
Once we are finished, we walk to another house and visit
with a very special family. They
are an older couple that just recently had a baby girl, along with having three
other daughters and an older son.
The father has been out of work for months and has no way of providing
for his family. God, however,
always provides and someone has volunteered to support this family every
month. The girls are dying to go
to school but they have not had the funds, so this monthly support is helping
the young girls attend school.
When we visited last week, we walked in the home to find the baby
screaming and the mother all alone and struggling to keep strong. Stress and worry flooded her face but
she put on a smile for us. We sat
down with her and we shared with her that her family would be receiving support
money every month. She began to
cry and relief took over sadness.
Our last stop every Monday is Norma’s pulperia (corner
store). Norma is a precious woman
with a teenage son and daughter.
She also has an older son who is in prison. Every week, Norma prepares food for us and offers us a place
to sit and relax. She refuses to
take money for the food she prepares.
Language is still a barrier for me but no words are needed when you look
at her face – tired, afraid and weary.
The police raid her home on a weekly basis because they are purposely
looking for a reason to cause trouble.
The police know that her oldest son is in prison for gang activity and
they are hoping to accuse her younger son of the same offense. However, he is innocent. When we visited two weeks ago, her
younger son was gone. The police
had raided her home at 4 in the morning the Thursday before and beat him. They saw the boy wearing Nike tennis
shoes (Nike is one symbol for the 18th Street gang) and came to
attack him. Because she was
fearful of what may happen, Norma sent her son away for a couple of weeks. Her daughter lives in fear and suffers
from panic attacks on a regular basis.
If you read my previous post, you heard about the family
that lives in severe poverty by the river. We saw the need and prayed that God will allow us to help
this family. Because of the
financial support I receive from so many generous hearts, myself and another
person were able to fully supply new clothes, shoes and other necessities for
this family of almost 30. Last
Saturday, we spent our morning and afternoon bathing the children, cutting and
styling everyone’s hair, painting nails, dressing them in their new clothes and
taking individual/family photos of them.
There are no men that live there because they are in prison. Due to this, they never get to see
their family. The photos that were
taken will be shared and given to the men in prison, which will be one of the
only connections they still have to their families.
Every other Tuesday, Ms. Lisa and myself lead a teen girl’s
bible study. Young girls from
Valle (Valley of the Angels) meet with us in a little church. Ms. Lisa and I have scheduled topics
that we feel are important for these girls. The girls have so much energy and are thirsty for love and attention. It can be challenging because they have
a difficult time focusing and really listening to what we want to say. However, God is allowing us to love on
them and spend time with them, and sometimes that can be just what people need.
Hard to believe that I only have four months left in
Honduras. God has already spoken
to my heart about where my path may lead.
My heart has been burdened for people who need love and a voice, and God
has shown me that He desires for me to continue with missions. While my path may take me away from
Honduras, I have said many times before that we are all called to be
missionaries. There are needs in
all corners of the earth. Along
with having the opportunity to live in Honduras, God has opened another door
for me to travel to Africa. In
July, I will spend two weeks in Kenya.
During my time in Kenya, I will be ministering to the local people,
helping to finish building a school for orphaned children and loving on those
on those sweet children. I am
eternally grateful that God is orchestrating opportunities for me and many
others to serve Him around the world.
My prayer is that you would pray for these ministries, the people and
for the needs of so many. Pray
that they would be met and pray that God will burden your heart for how you can
help serve. I know that sometimes
we cannot be the one to actually go, however, God allows us to serve by giving
to those who can go. For what you
have already given and for what is to come, thank you for your spiritual
support and for your financial support.
Changing lives and spreading the love of Christ in Honduras and Africa
would not be possible without generous hearts. I am simply the body that God is using and you are just as
much a part of this as I am.
If you would like to support this mission in Honduras or my
upcoming mission to Africa, you may e-mail me or write a check to Lauren Wood
(please send to Canton First Baptist Church Canton, NC 28716 and write Honduras
or Africa in the memo blank).
When God’s people
are in need, be ready to help them.
Always be eager to practice hospitality.
Romans 12:13
