My first trip to Honduras was in 1997. This first time we were able to enter the country after Hurricane Mitch hit there. I remember hours and hours of flying. Once we were on the ground, we met with church leaders my parents were in contact with. Me being 15 years old, I was just amazed by how everything looked. From the sky and when we drove, there was such beauty in the mountains and greenery of the land at times. In La Ceiba, lots of dirt roads and concrete looking houses, nothing fancy. We were on the coast and just, wow, which was breath taking.
Everything was so cheap. The conversion from US currency at the time it was $1 us dollar to around 7 Lempiras). We could buy a 1-liter coca cola in glass bottle for like 40 US cents. Yes, a large culture shock. That first trip though was not about the beauty of a country. There sure was a lot around, but in reality, that beauty was more of looking at a star with a telescope. What I saw was more like what you see when you go to the city dump to drop off that extra-large broken item, except people living in it.
People think being poor is not having a lot to eat or having to buy out of goodwill or a yard sale. That would be like shopping with a limitless credit card at a Macy’s and staying in a Hilton resort where I see people live in. Many live without clean water, houses made of random pieces of wood and cardboard, families living in tiny houses (forts). In addition, many were missing beds, and children had large bellies due to malnutrition. The large bellies appeared due to malnutrition, parasites and illness. People had to go down to the river to wash their clothes, get water for cooking, and bathing. So many people didn’t have electricity. If it rains their roofs wont truly protects them.
I remember seeing families line up as we brought donations to them. Our team was handing out ziplock bag of rice and beans. If we had some clothes, an outfit for the kids or shoes, not even new or fancy brand name stuff sometimes. When we gave out toys, boy of boy! A simple McDonalds toy and a piece of candy… one would think we gave them Christmas and the best toy ever. I even saw some old toys I may have used a few times get given away. They had more joy and happiness from it in 1 minute than I may have had the whole time I had it.
Our mission team also work on rooftops of the small home. Provided aluminum sheets and labor to improve their homes. The community, the church there, us all working together, was something incredible and powerful. Meeting the people and seeing how grateful they were for these, small to us, things. all donated or gifted to help others from people some of the locals would never meet, this was just such an amazing process and mind-blowing series of events. Everything went to the people and God used it to transform so many lives for HIM.
All to say, this was both one of the most humbling and eye-opening things I have ever experienced. Personally, the things taken for granted or not appreciated: food whenever I want, a house to live in, healthcare, warmth, shoes, clothes, and so much more. How ungrateful have I been or taking it for granted. If you want to see true gratitude to GOD, or the wonders of love, one should go on a mission trip. It can transform your life.
We can preach and send “thoughts and prayers” and that’s nice, but in reality, we have to meet people where they are and by sometimes literal sweat and tears treat them with the same love GOD tells us to. Then transformation happens, then we see change and a bond that GOD can make last for eternity and transform lives to HIS glory.
I have gone on more trips since then, and it is incredible how some of the areas changed and grew; from getting water purification, Churches restored, these villages passing on the blessings, souls changed and brought to GOD. It is so true when Jesus said in Matthew 17:20: ” … Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” “
I have seen the impossible. All it took was some faith and love. – Daniel