Daily Archives: October 2, 2020

Walk by faith not by sight

Life goes on, maybe at a slower pace right now but we will not be stopped! Restrictions are still in place here but have improved slightly now allowing 2 numbers per day to go out to the bank and shopping.

With so many people out of work for 6 months, needs of all kinds are great. As we continue working alone side the mayor’s office, your giving has enabled us to give help and hope too many, blessings to you.

On one morning we were able to help deliver food to senior adults that were in need. All lived out of town, some in the mountains, some in communities just outside of town.

The last lady lived quite a way off the road so we parked the truck, got the food and started walking into the woods up a trail. There were 3 women and Gene, guess who got to carry the 30 plus pound bag of food all the way! It was a hot day but the trees provided some shade and we made it to the house. The lady came out with a big smile on her face welcoming us with much appreciation.

The following week we helped to distribute 130 bags of food to one of the poorest sections of town. A medical team went along also to monitor the people by taking temperatures and asking questions to see if the virus was active in their area. They gave instructions of washing hands and wearing face masks encouraging each one to take precautions. Thankfully we did not hear of any sickness there and the people were so thankful for the food.

Honduras offers free medical care through several public hospitals around the country. La Esperanza is home to one of these hospitals which is always overflowing with sick people and mothers ready to give birth.  This summer a new neonatal unit was completed but additional supplies were needed to help meet the needs of patients. Our community relief group went shopping and purchased pillows, diapers, coolers for water and a microwave for the new unit. We pray Gods blessings over this hospital and the nurses and doctors there. The old saying goes “free is never free”, that is certainly true in this case. After a doctor approves your admittance you receive a list of all supplies you will need once admitted. You have to purchase and take with you; bandages, medicines, injection needles, even knee joints if being replaced, you bring it all. Also, while in the hospital meals are not provided and baths are not given, family members or friends have to help with these things. There are no luxuries in free hospitals so the stay is a quick in and out.

We revisited one of the communities, a 45-minute drive up the mountain, where we had taken medical supplies. They had contacted the Mayor’s office that things were going well but they needed a few additional items to add to their inventory and had a few questions on paperwork and inventory tracking. Since taxis or buses have not been allowed to operate, a mini pharmacy with basic supplies was set up and run by a selected community leader so that the people could easily purchase needed items.

As we sat and talked with the leaders, they mentioned that the school teachers for their children were coming up once a month and bringing assignments for the children to complete. This was great news! We walked with one man to his house and met his wife and daughters. The girls ran to get their notebooks to show us the school work they had done and that their notebooks were full. Public schools here start in February and end in November so with a few more months of school left they needed additional school supplies.

Working through the mayor’s office we found out there were 36 elementary kids in this school and received a list of needed supplies. As we drove home, we discussed the holiday coming up the next week, Honduras Independent Day. Normally this is a day of parades, street celebrations and indigenous dances. School children learn about and celebrate their country. This year due to the lockdown, all of these events were canceled. The ladies from the municipality suggested that we take school supplies up to the school and join in a small community celebration of Independence Day. Arrangements were made with the teachers and we, Heart of the King Ministries, agreed to purchase the school supplies.

The next week we arrived at the school where the children, teachers and parents had gathered. Several of the kids had on costumes, the teachers had a program set up and a short parade was on the agenda. The children sang, said the pledge, read aloud about the history of Honduras then lined up for the parade. They marched down the dirt road in front of the school as parents stood watching and clapping, it was so much fun. Next the kids were divided into 2 groups for piñata fun! With just a few whacks the candy fell and the children scrambled to pick up the sweets. We then passed out the school supplies and distributed some donated toys to the kids. The parents had prepared tamales, corn on the cob and bread for a delicious lunch we all enjoyed. Honduras celebrated 199 years of independence this year; join us as we pray for the country and its people to grow and be strengthened in the Lord.

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Also at Southwest school, where Gene teaches the Bible class, the students held a virtual Independence Day celebration using Zoom.  There were around 175 students (kinder through 11), with teachers and some parents online.  Each of the secondary classes, 7 through 11, had parts to play in the presentation. The schools are very serious about teaching and honoring their country, history and culture.  There are usually 1 to 2 of these types of celebrations each month and are held the first hour of school.  Independence Day, Day of the child, Day of the Bible, Day of the teacher and many more occasions are celebrated in the schools.  The students are always in charge of the programs, these are great learning experiences for the students.  They learn about the importance of their country, history, culture and how it is important to their lives.  It is also a great opportunity to learn planning, organizing and speaking skills.  Bible classes are going well this year.  The class schedule and Zoom experience has been different but the students seem to be enjoying studying “Who God is”.

Praise God our missionary friends who tested positive for the virus have now been cleared! They still have to take it slow and rest a lot.  But pains, fever and all other symptoms are gone. It’s nice to talk with them and hear them laugh again!  Food distribution continues on, we packed 300 bags two weeks ago, another 50 bags this week and will be doing more soon. As mentioned previously, the needs are still great. New virus cases are still being reported so we continue in caution mode. God has been good to La Esperanza and we are thankful.

For all of you who pray for us, we can’t thank you enough!! There are many times that we have to make a quick decision, times we commit to things and then say to ourselves “what have I done”, and times that opportunities just appear from seemingly out of the blue.  These are the times that we praise God for our prayer partners that have interceded for us and the Holy Spirit who quickens our hearts to act. May the grace and peace of God enrich your lives daily.