Honduras - Day 2

Our first morning in Honduras started after a much needed full night of sleep and was elevated further by the aromas of fresh coffee, sausage links, and pancakes that wafted up the staircase as I descended to breakfast in our hotel. As this day consisted mostly of travel by van, we had a fair amount of downtime before hitting the rural roads to enjoy a morning of praise and worship to God.

We were greeted warmly by handshakes and cheerful exclamations of “Hola!” from the smiling faces of dozens of children as we made our way into the school which would serve doubly as our place of worship. The service was distinguished by several songs infused with catchy Latin flare, jovial dancing, and the ever-present, unmistakable, and earnest expression of love. I did not know the words that were being sung by the congregation, but I could feel the conviction with which they built up the high energy of the room.

The youthfulness of this group of devout Methodists could not be understated. Although the children departed prior to the sermon to go about their own programming, they were proudly recognized by the multi-talented Pastor Rigo as he invited them on the stage. They also played a vital role when most of these same kids ran up and enthusiastically placed their lempira banknotes in the offering plate. As someone who has not yet been blessed with the miracle of fatherhood, I could not help but allow my heart to be warmed by this extraordinary display of dedication to God and their community.

Although most of the service was in Spanish, Pastor Rigo was gracious enough to give a bilingual sermon so that his English-speaking visitors could get the beautiful message of the day. In this message, he discussed the miracle Jesus performed when giving a blind man his sight. He made several important parallels to the modern day, the importance of faith, as well as the importance of an all-inclusive church community. Jesus did not exclude even the most derided members of society, and in fact, it was those whom he often spent the most time with. As Christians, this is but one example of behavior that Jesus set that will never lose its importance, especially as our decollate world grows more fractured by the day. 

After Sunday service, we were treated to a delicious meal of grilled chicken, mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables, and of course, Banana soda. We got to share this meal with Rigo and his family, our gracious and talented interpreters, and some family members of our partner program in Honduras. I felt even more blessed to be able to see the fruits of Resurrection’s global mission in action: I had the unique pleasure of speaking to a 9 year old girl who is being sponsored by one our leaders – a girl who would otherwise not be able to afford to go to school.

I was absolutely left speechless by the independence and focus of this young lady. As the youngest member of her class, she had previously fallen behind but was able to dedicate the hours and reps to get ahead and thrive. Because of this opportunity, she can now pursue her dream of becoming a dentist! I will also note that her mother was very happy to announce that this child (her youngest of 7 kids), was one of only two that had a desire to learn to cook so she could continue the tradition and preservation of her precious Honduran culture. The mother lamented, “None of the kids today want to learn their heritage, they just want to order food that someone else made!”

After lunch, we embarked on our journey to Danli, where we will spend the most of the remaining week of our service. We had a roughly two and a half hour ride through the Honduran countryside, a never-ending adventure of curvy roads that rose and fell like a roller coaster. The expedition was colored by a unique biodiversity that included tropical foliage, vast hills, and majestic mountain ranges of pine and oak trees. I have traveled now to four different continents, but this was among the most unique of all God’s creations that I have personally witnessed.

To celebrate the close of a successful day, we walked down the street from our lodging to an authentic Honduran restaurant to enjoy a delectable assortment of local dishes, including the famous pupusa, a corneal flatbread with cheese. It may have been unwise for me to have a second plate (we ordered a lot), but sometimes you just have to seize the moment.