Rumors run rampant on both sides with people trying to create their own news, so one must be careful about what you believe otherwise you would be run ragged. Today there were rumors of the former cabinet members returning to set up a parallel government. So far, that has not happened. Also rumored is the closing of a radio and television station that is "spreading lies" and promoting violence, etc.....pro-Zelaya. I agree they are not helping things, inciting violence, and sometimes sharing and propagating lies, but closing them down seems to be the kind of thing that is going on in Venezuela. Channel 36 here is off the air with the traditional bar colors with a message over them "This is what the "coup guy" Micheletti wants." I say "coup guy" because I can not think of a better translation for golpista.
The group left yesterday. With a fair degree of certainty I can say there has never been a group here with more flexibility thrown at their schedule, with more different and new things that they did...it was very tiring for me personally, but amazing at the same time. I am so glad there was a group here during all this...otherwise it would have been too tempting to just stay at home and out of harm's way (like there was any harm) instead of doing what God wanted us to do.
The shoe distribution in Sampedrana...we were 
supposed to go on Wednesday, but with the curfew could not make it there and back in time. We went Thursday, and maybe it was a good thing, because although we had only 300 pairs of shoes and about that many already on the list...somehow we gave out more shoes than that to the many, many people that were waiting for us, despite not knowing we were going to be there for sure until 6:00AM that morning. There were many times when we would say we did not have any more of a certain size, only to see several minutes later we still had those sizes. Perhaps they were misplaced, perhaps....a lot of reasons, but there was hardly anyone we had to turn away for having a size they could not use. That figures to be a miracle in my book. The group washed their feet before giving them the shoes....it was humbling, amazing, and very cool. These shoes came from Samaritan's purse through Hazel Dell...a group that was not able to come, and they told us it was a rule of that organization to wash their feet, and it certainly seemed like a great idea. If we get the privilege of doing this again...we would do it in a heartbeat. Almost everyone came in with flip flops or work boots, and many of the group noticed that their feet did not fit at all what they were wearing. Having new shoes...for many there it was a first.
Friday we shook things up again by trying to three things...visit the hospital, do food in San Juancito, and then squeeze in some souvenir time.
The hospital was the same but different (a phrase used many times during the week.) Sad stories, kids who yearned to be touched, to be loved, to be told someone cares. Hearing the story of a child Oscar visited was especially tough (as if the rest were easy)....his mother shared that he was playing with some neighbors and she was not watching for a while. The result was his hand broken so badly, so many place and so many bones sticking out...that the hand had to be amputated. Thinking about how a parent reconciles that...not watching, someone doing that to a small boy (he was maybe 5) and leaving him...and how his live will be now with only one arm...it is hard to even understand.
The food we distributed was from that same group that was unable to come....pre-packaged ready to heat and eat food that is loaded with good stuff people need. Different from the corn we have received in the past (currently we do not have any corn) in a different way exciting stuff. My group visited a mother who was sick with two sick kids, a mother whose son just died two weeks ago (shot by the nephew of her sister's husband, whom we also visited) and an older woman of the Church who recently fell and hurt her head pretty bad. I could go on...it was some powerful times of prayer, sharing, and several tears, all lead by several members of the Church there that did a great job of using that blessing from God to reach out to people that definitely were carefully chosen, and being shown Christ's love.
supposed to go on Wednesday, but with the curfew could not make it there and back in time. We went Thursday, and maybe it was a good thing, because although we had only 300 pairs of shoes and about that many already on the list...somehow we gave out more shoes than that to the many, many people that were waiting for us, despite not knowing we were going to be there for sure until 6:00AM that morning. There were many times when we would say we did not have any more of a certain size, only to see several minutes later we still had those sizes. Perhaps they were misplaced, perhaps....a lot of reasons, but there was hardly anyone we had to turn away for having a size they could not use. That figures to be a miracle in my book. The group washed their feet before giving them the shoes....it was humbling, amazing, and very cool. These shoes came from Samaritan's purse through Hazel Dell...a group that was not able to come, and they told us it was a rule of that organization to wash their feet, and it certainly seemed like a great idea. If we get the privilege of doing this again...we would do it in a heartbeat. Almost everyone came in with flip flops or work boots, and many of the group noticed that their feet did not fit at all what they were wearing. Having new shoes...for many there it was a first. Friday we shook things up again by trying to three things...visit the hospital, do food in San Juancito, and then squeeze in some souvenir time.
The hospital was the same but different (a phrase used many times during the week.) Sad stories, kids who yearned to be touched, to be loved, to be told someone cares. Hearing the story of a child Oscar visited was especially tough (as if the rest were easy)....his mother shared that he was playing with some neighbors and she was not watching for a while. The result was his hand broken so badly, so many place and so many bones sticking out...that the hand had to be amputated. Thinking about how a parent reconciles that...not watching, someone doing that to a small boy (he was maybe 5) and leaving him...and how his live will be now with only one arm...it is hard to even understand.
The food we distributed was from that same group that was unable to come....pre-packaged ready to heat and eat food that is loaded with good stuff people need. Different from the corn we have received in the past (currently we do not have any corn) in a different way exciting stuff. My group visited a mother who was sick with two sick kids, a mother whose son just died two weeks ago (shot by the nephew of her sister's husband, whom we also visited) and an older woman of the Church who recently fell and hurt her head pretty bad. I could go on...it was some powerful times of prayer, sharing, and several tears, all lead by several members of the Church there that did a great job of using that blessing from God to reach out to people that definitely were carefully chosen, and being shown Christ's love.
1 comment:
By far probably one of the most challenging, rewarding, amazing trips ever...still processing so much that happened and that I took in...and still super tired! God is so good! I am praying for you and the fam and the people of Honduras! GOD BLESS!!!
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