Hope
Means Change.
Today we return home, but each of us returns
full of hope for the future for the boys and girls we met this week
at El Hogar de Amor y Esperanza.
Prior to leaving for
the airport for our afternoon departure we packed and spent the day
hanging out around campus. This was a perfect time for reflecting on
the week and spending time with the kids for a few more hours.
Some of the kids go home for the weekend to spend time with their
families but most remain on campus since visiting their family is not
possible or even an option.
The boys, at least the majority of
them, went to a local military base for the day to meet with a group
of officers to learn what life in the Honduras military is like.
Those boys who stayed behind were either too young to go or may have
been left behind due to mischievous behavior during the week.
The girls were all on campus and several were asked to clean the
volunteer house to prepare for the next group arriving later this
afternoon. Watching the young girls work together was
endearing. The girls seem to always be happy and to truly enjoy
each others' company. They have friendship they would have
never experienced outside the walls of El Hogar. Just like
any young girls they love to dance, sing, play and just be silly.
Outside of El Hogar these gifts of life would not be possible for
these girls.
The week has been full of new experiences and
many reflections. I know I have learned a lot and I believe I can
safely speak for everyone in our group we have all grown in some way
and will always have this experience to reflect on.
In
reflecting on the week here is my top ten list for the highlights.
• Seeing the discipline and focus these children have to
reach their goals and make a better life for themselves and their
families.
• Learning about the opportunities these children
will have once they complete their education as well as hearing
stories of previous alumni who now have productive lives and families
of their own.
• Seeing the love and respect the children
have for each other and the way they take care of each other as
family. This is the environment that Claudia Castro has created
and is the reason the El Hogar model is successful.
•
Witnessing the dedication of the staff and their commitment to
improving the lives and futures of these children. Some staff
members have been at El Hogar for over 35 years. They are
extremely dedicated to changing the lives of these kids.
•
Seeing our young people - Aron, Nia and Celeste - rekindle
friendships from previous visits and form strong relationships with
children who seek and need positive role models.
•
Experiencing the pride in a mother's face and the true love in her
heart as we toured the tiny, tiny room that she called home. Words
were not needed to recognize the gratitude she had for our group and
the work of El Hogar.
•
Interacting and working
side by side with the team from Christ Church Cathedral and enjoying
every minute, no matter how tired or emotionally drained we may have
been at times. We all gave 110% and would have happily given
more if asked.
•
Learning about the lives of the children prior to coming to El Hogar
and how being at the school has made each child feel safe, provides
them each a place of their own to sleep while feeding them three
meals a day, all of which were seldom a part of their lives on the
streets.
• Feeling the love of these children through
many hugs, smiles, laughter and sometimes tears.
•
Recognizing the many talents of the children and seeing them proudly
display their talents whenever given the chance.
It was
a wonderful week and we all had a lot of fun. God's love and
good work was apparent all around us and we were able to share our
love with those that need it most. Providing hope to children
that previously had none can change the world one child at a time.
At El Hogar they do just that each and everyday.
The
encouragement and support from our faith partners helped to make this
trip a reality and thanks alone can not express our gratitude.
Our presence on campus made a difference in the lives of these
children and in our lives as well. Thanks for being a part of
this experience.
Love and hope always, Karen.
Dear
Faith Partners,
Saturday
had a slower start than the rest, and I slept in, which for me meant
getting up at 6 a.m. instead of 5:30. I had made an art of tiptoeing
into and out of the shower without waking Enrique (Aron) and
Guillermo (Slocomb), my two roommates. Usually, at that hour, the
only sound was the muffled 'shhh' of the shower next door in Olden
and Eric's room. This morning I was surprised to see half of the
volunteer crew (excluding my roommates - of course) up and dressed,
cleaning the guesthouse, organizing donations, and reviewing the
agenda for our quickly waning time at El Hogar.
By 7:30 a.m. most of the older boys
were waiting anxiously on the driveway between the auditorium and the
front gate. (On weekends they attend supplementary military training
to prepare them for yet another career option when they become old
enough to serve their country.)
The younger boys, the girls, and three
older boys who claim that they are "just not interested in the
training" stay behind. The latter are notoriously mischievous,
so I quietly translate "not interested" as "not
allowed".
One of the second graders who had made
a portrait for me called out, "Mauricio!" He broke
formation to give me a hug. In the picture, he had portrayed me as a
superhero, the kind you would see in an anime cartoon. He had given
me the gift yesterday along with strict instructions to "take
care of this picture" because he might not be able to make
another one.
Although he is a talented artist, he
knows that his slim, wide-ruled notebook may be the only one he gets
this school year; he'll need the paper for schoolwork. The picture
was etched onto the plastic cover, and the jagged edge indicates he
might have had some trouble cutting it free.
He was soon joined by another boy who
had written me a letter. And a third boy who thanked me for his piano
lessons and said he can hardly wait till next year, so we can pick up
where we left off. Another piano student gifted me his blue ink pen,
which I used to draft this blog. When his teacher learns it is
missing, he will have to earn enough points to buy a new one. After
returning a few hugs, I retreated to the volunteer house to keep from
crying in front of them.
Recalling the past several days, my
thoughts settled on a particular scripture that is painted on the
wall of the Technical School: "Now there are varieties of gifts,
but the same Spirit." (1 COR 12:4 NASB) As many as 32
volunteer groups will be transformed by El Hogar this year, each
individual participant bringing a unique set of gifts and a desire to
use them for the glory of God -- seeking the kingdom of God here on
earth.
Many disciples will pass through El
Hogar. Many churches will make mission trips to Honduras and
throughout the world for many worthwhile reasons...like the man and
his son sitting next to me on the flight from Tegus to Atlanta. In
that regard, we are not unique.
Here, perhaps, is where we must
differentiate ourselves: Scripture implores us to "seek first
His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added
to you." (MATT 6:33 NASB). If we came to Tegus seeking the
kingdom of God, then the question becomes, "What exactly is
being added?" Some might say that by doing good work in the
world, we can expect to be blessed in return, a kind of
reap-what-you-sow perspective. But I believe our message today is
deeper than that.
This week we've seen that seeking the
kingdom of God adds not only happy things like "a full heart,"
"eager hugs," and "adorably misspelled thank-yous,"
but uncomfortable things like "clearer perception of the world
we we live in," "a burden of responsibility because we are
called to be the hands and feet of Christ," and "the
challenge of using our gifts on levels that we would not normally
push ourselves to achieve."
It is no secret among our mission team
that I left Tegus with the disappointment of not being able to do
nearly as much as I felt led by the Spirit to do. But I also left
with the joy of knowing that my greatest opportunity to serve El
Hogar may lie just ahead.
In addition to the things that have
challenged us, made us uncomfortable, wearied us, and broadened our
view, the 10 of us are returning home with full hearts, beautiful
memories, unspeakable joy, and great expectations for the boys and
girls of El Hogar who have so transformed our lives.
A Prayer attributed to St. Francis:
Lord, make us instruments of your
peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury,
pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where
there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to be
consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be
loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in
pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born
to eternal life. Amen. (BCP 833)
Maurice Harris
