Service.
Today’s group devotion topic again hit the mark when describing our busy day of activities. According to scripture, God has gifted each of us in some unique way and He call’s us to utilize these talents to build his Kingdom. Today would be another day of unexpected twists and turns, with all members of our mission and host team challenged to adjust on the fly and put those talents to work. Again, we were all amazed with the results of this day.
The day started sunny and warm as we made our way up the breathtaking Honduran countryside, with the sounds of the morning turning from busy streets, honking horns, and sirens, to the quiet countryside where cattle, chickens, and other stray animals make their way through the grassy ditches in search of today’s meal. As we neared our destination, we all peered out the bus windows to see if the road would today be open and power restored to the area. While we prayed for electricity and and a smooth day of work and class, we all chuckled as we will ‘put it in God’s hands’ and serve however we can! Electricity, clean water, and food for the table which we consider ‘givens’ are not so for so many around the world. Remnants of the storm remained, but power was on, and we were ready to get a jump on the day.
With a just a couple miles left to our destination Emi (our amazing guide, interpreter and companion for the week) yells out “Here comes the morning massage”, or in other words it’s time to hang on as the bumps, rocks, and holes are a challenge to maneuver. The church and school are quiet again this morning as the students are finishing up their final exams for this school session, but the work crew is ready and eager to get started. Today we began hanging the newly constructed acoustic panels which included the daunting task of hanging several in the back steep of the sanctuary, requiring nearly 30 feet of scaffolding. While most of the team looked up and said “not me”, that’s way too high, off went Juan Carlos and Nico right to the top to begin the task at hand. The work crew continues to gel with relationships deepening despite the language barriers. By the end of the day the team managed to get about a third of the panels in place and ended with high fives and fist bumps for all! —And a teaser for tomorrows blog, a friendly (or maybe competitive) game of futbol is rumored to be going down tomorrow afternoon – this could be embarrassing.
Midway through the afternoon a timid young girl made her way into the sanctuary looking a special someone. As she was introduced to Paul and Alec for the first time, tears came to her eyes as she hugged and thanked them for sponsoring her tuition at the school. Without sponsors, these kids would not be receiving an education. What a special moment – this is the true spirit of partnership with our Honduran brothers and sisters!
Today’s sessions for the women of the church and community focused on communication and family conflict resolution, with another crowd of nearly 60 attending the workshop. Despite some raindrops on on the steel roof, a few minutes without power, and the heat of the day, the session proved again how alike we all are and the challenges that we can help each other overcome. With the comforts of being day 3 of the workshop, the women are chatting, smiling, and laughing as they make their way out after the session.
Our night ended with a rousing discussion of identifying our God given talents and to how we can use these not only here in Honduras, but as we continue are mission work in daily life back in Kansas.
God has given each one of us unique talents and abilities; where much is given, much is expected.
God Bless!