Email 2 July 9, 2007
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San Pedro Sula,
Honduras
Friday, August 24, 2007
Family and friends,
This begins Week 3 of my internship here in Honduras. First, allow me to review Week 2.
Last Monday, Christina, Jonathan, Liz, (fellow interns) and I drove with Monica (Samaritan's Purse HIV/AIDS project leader) to the Northern Coast of Honduras to visit two Garifuna communities, Travesia and Bajamar. The Garifuna people are Honduran citizens who are descendents of Africans brought to the Caribbean by the slave trade. Samaritan's Purse runs an HIV/AIDS program there.
Jonathan and I will be working with five Garifuna communities. Our assignment is to help strengthen the local churches and their ability to evangelize, disciple, and provide a moral voice in the communities. We will meet with local church and community leaders to find out what needs they have (Biblical training, resources, evangelism, children's programs, lessons on issues such as morality, health, relationships, etc.) Then we will develop programs to meet their needs.
Jonathan and I spent Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday developing and translating a needs assessment survey to use to interview community and church leaders, children, and parents. We also brainstormed some potential programs we can create. Pray for us both since neither of us have done something like this before.
On Friday, we interns had the opportunity to work with the animals/agriculture project. We woke up at 5:00 am to pick up 800 chickens, which we then distributed in various communities. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. "So what did you do today? Well, I delivered 800 chickens..." I got to practice driving stick shift on some backroads, which is a necessary skill here.
This weekend, we interns traveled to Mayan ruins in Copan with the Andrew (country director), Laura (project leader of Perscription for Hope and married to Andrew), and Joel (project leader of McGovern-Dole school food program). It was a fun trip, although the drive itself was somewhat intense since Hondurans drive as if there is no tomorrow.
This week, Week 3, we will be traveling to the Northern coast to interview people in the Garifuna communities. Pray that Jonathan and I would be able to build trust with the leaders and churches, and that our interviews would give us a clear direction for how to serve and support the churches. Pray that we would be useful in our role here with SP.
As Week 3 begins, I have had some time to reflect on my experiences. Here are some initial observations:
Honduras is in many ways more religious and spiritually-focused than the United States. There is a great openness to Christianity here, which is encouraging. At the same time, there is an unhealthy level of competition and distrust among the many denominations and ministries here. Pray that we would find a Christ-centered church to be involved in.
San Pedro Sula, the city where we live and work, is the industrial center of Honduras. As such, the city is very much business-focused. As a result, there is a lack of activities to do here outside of the malls and restaurants. However, the culture as a whole is very welcoming and relaxed.
Another observation is the importance of security here. It is not safe to walk outside at night, so we tend to stay in our apartment unless someone picks us up in their car to take us somewhere. It is common to see security officers with rifles or shotguns in front of homes and businesses, an unfortunate reality of life here.
On a more personal level, it has been a challenge for me to open up to the experience. My Spanish skills remain lacking, and at times I want to shut off. On a positive note, I was complimented by a couple who overheard me conversing with a young man in Spanish at a market in Copan this weekend. They said I sounded like a Latino.
At times, I have experienced what I would describe as feeling a need to "perform" or to "serve" while not feeling the genuine motives or desire for doing so. I have a tendency to feel like I must "make things happen" spiritually in my own life and in the lives of others.
Throughout this year, God has been teaching me that it is not my power or ability to be good enough or to have it all together. This reminds me of a verse in 2 Corinthians 12:9, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Christ's power was made perfect in the weakness of the cross, in that he put an end to my sins. His grace is sufficient.
The words from a hymn come to mind: "tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just from sin and self to cease; Just from Jesus simply taking life and rest, and joy and peace."
I wish you the best this week. Thank you for your emails and prayers.
Dios le bendiga! (God bless you)
Stuart
