Life in Honduras

"'Cause we're alive, alive, alive and we're singing. We're alive, alive, alive, alive in You." Sons & Daughters

Today, I am truly alive. God had to break me down and make me fully reliant on Him, but today it is worth it because I am truly alive.

I am staying, with the six other interns, at Casa Hogar, the children's home in San Buena Ventura that LAMB runs. Due to some financial issues, some of the tutors that live with the kids here (and that are like mothers and fathers to them) are leaving. So in this time of transition, we are here loving on and praying for the kids. A typical day for me starts early, around 6 or 6:30, when I wake up to the sound of children laughing and roosters making their ridiculous noises. We have our daily hour of running water so we can take showers, wash dishes, mop. Coffee is a must for the day that awaits me. At every turn, we have to think about the water we're using because running water here is NOT okay to drink. So everything we cook with or brush our teeth with has to come from a special supply of purified water. I'm not a fan of bottled water...but here it's unavoidable unless you're in the mood for some serious stomach issues. Around 7:30, we all go help in the cabins for an hour. Last week I was in the little boys' cabin tying shoes, making beds, and just occupying energetic little boys while their tutor cleaned. In a precious moment every morning, I walked with them up a hill to their schoolhouse. This week I've been with the big girls which is a very different experience. They can get ready by themselves but they do want to dance around with you and ask about your novio (boyfriend). They're all convinced that I should date  Justin Bieber. After that, we spend our days doing different things. Some days we go to the market; other days we've just taken time to clean; sometimes we've done touristy things like visit the Cristo del Picacho statue; today we did construction with a team who's here from Atlanta.  In the evenings we go back to the cabins to hang out with the kids and get them ready for bed. With my little boys last week, that meant running around and around until they were exhausted and then giving them baths and sending them to bed. With the girls, that has meant playing UNO and hanging out in the kitchen. All the interns meet back up at night to have a devotional time before we crash. Every day has had a new, unexpected surprise. I've discovered that public transportation is exhausting and that doing laundry by hand on a cement washboard is super fun. There have been days where I've had tortillas for breakfast, lunch, and dinnerThe past few days, that surprise has been frustrating conflict within our group. But today, we have moved past it, and I have seen God connect so many different things that I've been learning. And today I took everything to God in prayer, like in Philippians 4:6-7, and just experienced peace and joy. I sang my way through my work and felt refreshed at every turn. I am alive here in Honduras. Like the grass that stubbornly grows in the rocks, like the frogs that appear whenever it rains, like the children who live here that come from abuse and neglect yet still love unabashedly. I am alive. 

I never thought I would fall so in love with such a crazy group of kids but my heart is just overflowing. Fernando with all his drama, Dulce and her amazing goalie skills, Noe who is the most adorable little boy ever but is always up to no good, Sergio and how he likes to tell me I am "crazy, fea, and simpático", Paola with her hilarious laugh and precious smile, Dilcia who clings to me, Angelito and his incessant smile...every single child has staked out a place in my heart. And when I ran out of love and strength and patience and perseverance, God started to love them through me, giving me His supernatural strength, patience, and enduring perseverance. This is why I am alive and singing.