Who Are the Needy Ones?

I have just finished reading a book entitles On That Day Everybody Ate, by Margaret Trost.  She went to Haiti with a mission group for a week and ended up being so inspired that she started a food program to feed hungry children called "What If?"  One of the ideas she expresses toward the end is about people in need.
I have heard from various sources that our money would go further if we just sent a check and didn't spend all the extra money for airline tickets, room and board, etc.  I think that comment is made by folks who do not have a clear idea of what this-or any- mission is all about-which is about building relationships.  It is in working side by side and experiencing some of the living conditions, the climate, and the atmosphere and fellowship of others that we begin to truly feel the brotherhood/sisterhood of the human condition.  Only by eating the smae food, working in the same fields-be they construction sites, food kitchens, microenterprise endeavors, or schools, can we really feel and understand what it means to be in need.  Suzy McCall likes to point out that God didn't send a check-he sent his son!  Relationships!
In the United States, I have so much it is somewhat of a burden just to care for the things I have.  I struggle to find places for all the material things I have, and spend a lot of time dusting, arranging, storing, cleaning all my things.  Here a few minutes a day and I am set for the day, ready to go about doing other work at school or at Casa Lamb.  I think I am filling a need of the schools by bringing materials that they need and are happy to have in order to make learning more concrete and fun for the children.  Yet who is the needy one?  A real community is a two way street of those persons who are truly helping each other.  A Christian community is a group of folks, sometimes separated by great distances, who are meeting the needs of each other in Christ's name.  So it is clear about my mission to bring teaching resources to the schools, so the children can have a basic elementary education, which is one of the Millieum Development Goals we have adopted as part of our mission in the world.  But what about how that two way street works? 
After reading On That Day... I can express it a bit better.  I have a need to give.  It is a basic need that gets all too little attention.  Jesus said to do for others as we would have them do for (to) us, and whenever we do a service for others it is the same as doing it for him.  People here also have that same need.  Hondurans are a generous and gracious people, and it is equally fulfilling for them to be able to give.  So they give their love, and set an example for prayer, belief in the goodness of God, and trust in Him that is nothing short of inspirational.  The intensity of their prayer life, their praise life, and their love and trust in God and for each other is a gift of priceless value to me.
Fridays the teachers have devotional time after school.  Everyone hurries through tidying up their classrooms and carries a folding chair up to the second floor soccer field.  We sit in a circle.  A lovely young teacher (she happens to be the kindergarten teacher this year) leads the group in song and praise.  She has a smile on her face, her eyes close in spontaeous prayer and praise, and her voice is sweet and melodic as she leads the singing.  Then all the teachers take part in games.  Last week we played musical chairs.  The "losers" had a turn to look up a Bible verse and then say a few words about how it relates to love.  It was clear by their expressions how heartfelt the responces were.  Yesterday the games were blind man's bluff, and a "sword drill" that some of us remeber from other traditions.  You should have seen how quickly the teachers searched for the verses and ran to the microphone to read their verse.  The blind man's bluff game was to demonstrate how sometimes we as Christians feel superior to others who do not yet have the love of God in their lives.  It was certainly a good way to encourage us to be more understanding of others and not to taunt or ridicule or belittle them, but to love them into wanting to have God in their lives.
We need each other.  Some have a great need to give materially.  Others have a need to give spiritually.  With God's help, we can learn to give of what God has blessed us with and of what we have.  I believe that is a large of part of the "kingdom of heaven."  Thanks be to God for the gift of giving.

Caring for Those in Need

What do you do when you are so poor that you can barely feed your family and then get sick?  Health care is a major topic of conversation in the US, and my views on that aside, it is extremely rare for Honduran people in the country side to get to see a doctor.  My particular nightmare is to have major dental problems here.  But what if I were Honduranian and poor and no dentist to see-EVER?    A dentist that was here with the group for 5 days found out what most people here do-suffer in agony until a dentist comes into the village for a day or two.  Stand in line (very patiently, I might add) for a few hours, then go to see the dentist in a room set aside in a house being "remodeled.":   The patient sits in a plastic yard chair, opens his/her mouth and gets a shot of novocaine.  (Yes, the dentist very thoughtfully brought enough from the US to alleviate pain as he pulled teeth.)  A 90 year old man, with hardly a tooth in his head came in to see the doctor Sunday.  He said he had never seen a doctor before in his whole life.  He was a delightful man, with a battered hat set at a very jaunty angle.  He had a twinkle in his eye and he had a soft gentle voice.  An hour or so later he left, with one less tooth, a pair of red plastic sunglasses.and a baggie full of giveaways, such as Tylenol, tooth brush and tooth paste (yes, even though he had few or no teeth left) and assorted other first aid type of supplies.  His story was all too typical.  Mothers came in with children complaining of asthma like symptoms, several sore throats and earaches.  Many came just to have a tooth pulled.  The medical team could only give simple antibiotics or pain relievers, cough drops, topical ointment, and the dentist, of course had many toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste to give away.  I overheard the pediatrician saying clearly to a young mother-no more soda.  His teeth are rotting out and he will have no teeth left at all at this rate.  Knowing that the supply of clean drinking water is hard to come by, I wondered what alternative the young mother had.  I think the soda here is cheaper than drinking water.  There is something not right in that scenario.  On the way out, the children received a small bean bag stuffed animal, a coloring book and a small version of the Bible.  Several people came in with faces that seemed to be worried or in pain, but many had smiles as they left, glad for a chance to see a doctor that  cared enough to come a long way from home to provide some comfort for a difficult life.  I loved to see the doctors and young people with them as they cared for the patients who came by foot so they could have this one opportunity to see a doctor.  They worked all day long tirelessly giving what aid and comfort they could as lovingly as one can imagine.  The words of Jesus keep coming to me here:  "What ever you do for others, you for me."  What an opportunity and such a blessing to be a part of this mission.

Heart break and Hope

Honduras is a place where many people live in constant hope.  They pray that God will provide and so are thankful when prayers are answered.  They pray as the Lord's Prayer models, give us our daily bread-for today-asking only that basic needs be met, one day at a time.  St Paul tells us we are the body of the church-to be the hands, feet, eyes and heart to carry the message of God's love and to serve our neighbors and love them as we love ourselves..  Each of us can only be one part of the body, but when there is a need we can be eyes and ears and heart to share the needs of those for whom we pray-"let not the needy be forgotten, nor the hope of the poor be taken away".Redactar
Today we heard that an 11 year old girl was taken in by the safe house for sex trafficked young girls, called She Dances.  Eleven!!!  That is 6th grade age.  I remember my daughter at 6th grade, still much more child than young woman.  It enrages me to think of an 11 year old in such circumstances.  The circumstances of the 13 year old with a year old baby by her grandfather also enrages me.  And my heart breaks to think of these specific two young girls in the clutches of such evil.  These girls need much care and love to overcome and change the lives they have lived so far.  The children of the poorest of the poor need the basic education they get at El Cordero and San Buenventura in order to better their circumstances in the future.  These girls, these children, are not statistics or abstract images of "somewhere in the world."  They are flesh and blood neighbors with broken hearts and longing eyes and souls that are desperate to know the love Jesus can give them.  What is my duty?  What is my responsibility?  What is my calling?  How can I serve them and share the love I have experienced?  Dear Lord, help me serve them as you would have me do.  Pray that we can find a way to give them reason to continue to grow, learn to love and trust, and hope.

Highlights of the Week

I have attended two special events that have highlighted this week.  Both are amazing examples of God's work here in this place of stunning contrasts.  Carla's wedding is a story of grace and hope.  Carla is a young woman, I think still a teen, who has two children, one from a rape.  The first child is now living at the Children's Residence.  While living at the Children's Residence (SBV) she found it impossible to adapt.  She is bipolar and the drastic change in her living circumstances were not something she could easily accept, despite the love and care she was given.  A child who been so abused often finds it difficult to accept the idea that anyone could care for them.  Although I do not know if this was exactly what she was thinking, she did not find it possible to stay at SBV and kept running away.  She was living with a boyfriend, the father of her baby son.  She was told by a patron of the home that she needed to get married if she was to keep receiving aid in the way of food and shelter now that she was living away from the home.  So Wilson and Carla got married Friday night.  Their current dwelling is very sad, but typical of many here-off in the hills, dirt floors, no running water, spaces between the boards that make up the walls of their house, and only one small room.  The only cooking surface is outside and the latrine is uphill from them.  Yet Friday night they were given a beautiful wedding any young couple would appreciate.  Full length bridal gown, many bridesmaids in attendance from the Children's Home, a banquet for all and cake.  All the children of the Home were in attendance, dressed up in bows and ribbons, fine clothes, and fresh haircuts for the boys.  The wedding honored their relationship and their relationship to God.  Carla was a lovely bride, though she seemed a bit stunned to be the recipient of so many gifts.  It was a wonderful example of the acceptance the children find at SBV.  All the girls, ages 10-13, of the bridesmaid party were beautiful, poised, gracious, and proud.  There was cake-a beautiful three tiered cake with tiny groomsmen and bridesmaids on a divided staircase with the bridal couple in the center. It was certainly a very special occasion and a remarkable gift to the young couple.  I hope and pray the the love they experienced that night will them keep in the days to come, as their lives will not be easy.  Most of all, I pray that they feel the love God has for them, and will find strength in the shelter of his wing.
    Thursday night was Ladies Night Out with the Atlanta team and others from the Charleston group that joined in.  The ladies are part of the Community Assisstence Program of LAMB, which serves the poorest of the poor in La Cantera.  They are elderly (some as old as 92), or single mothers with no means of support.  CAP provides food and other services as it can for them.  Ladies Night out is a special dinner provided by the Atlanta team, with decorations and gifts of  grooming products, and food staples.  Two women from Atlanta had helped them sew skirts and make hand bags.  They were all dressed up for the occasion.  It is one of the most moving events of my year when I am able to share in their joy.  The gift of seeing their faces light up with joy and happiness is immeasurable.  There are "games" and dancing afterward-silly things that make everyone smile and laugh out loud with fun.  Brightening their lives for a while is what it is all about.  Sharing their joy in Christ makes it meaningful for a lifetime.  For women who live in a constant state of hope, it is a gift of love.  For those of us who serve them, a lesson in grace.
     School starts tomorrow in Flor at El Cordero, and I am due to help get the school at SBV set up to start soon.  We are still two teachers short there, so please pray that teachers will soon be found so the children will not miss out on much more of their school year.  I am planning to check out the possibility of helping some with more furniture for the preschool classes.  There is to be a demonstration of a "typical" day in preschool on Saturday.  I hope to show the teachers some activities that can be done easily at the beginning of a school year.
     I so appreciate this opportunity to serve and share in this ministry.

A Place of Contrasts

Yesterday Suzy showed me a picture of an infant she meet in the hospital earlier that day.  His name is Moses and he has a huge growth almost the same size as the entire trunk of his body.  (See Suzy's blog at http://suzymccall@blogspot.com)  The pediatrician who was examining him said it is rare but treatable in the US.  Here?  Well, he has been abandoned by the mother who most likely feels the only hope he has is to be left there.  Without medical attention he has little or no chance of survival.  I don't know what will happen to him, but I am praying for that little boy, just as I am the little girl I saw dancing in the island of the highway last week.
At Flor del Campo, the school El Cordero, has a nursery day care.  Nurseries here are called Sala Cuna.  There are about 12 babies/toddlers in the big room that is neat, clean, and well tended.  The day care staff (two of the teachers I have been working with) obviously are very loving toward the children, and care for them very well.  I look past the lack of toys and materials to work with and see the love they are being given, the safety they have during day, the nourishment and know that these babies are the fortunate ones.
I don't know why there are babies born with serious birth defects.  I don't know why societies abandon the poor to fend for themselves.  I don't know why health care is lavished on some and denied to others.  I do know that every baby is loved by God, and for no other reason, I am compelled to love them too.

Learning the Honduran Way

   For a person who REALLY likes to be able to plan her day, anticipating each event and activity of the day,  and who greatly values predictability, living in Honduras is giving me plenty of opportunity to become as flexible as a former kindergarten teacher needs to be.  As I have been away from the classroom longer and longer, I find I am (was?) settling into far too much of a rut.
Yesterday morning I had anticipated being picked up at a certain time, and going about the shopping trip planned for the day in a given way.  Yet 30 minutes before the set time I was to be picked up,  (those who know me know how little I like sudden changes of plan) a different driver came to get me  Neither of us were able to communicate very well.  Eventually I was given to understand, I think, that there had been a change of plan and so I went to El Cordero with him.  Once I got there, I came to realize that the original driver was at Casa LAMB to pick me up, yet I was no where near!  OK.  Not a big deal, but I hated to be the cause of an unnecessary trip for a person who is already extremely busy.
The way ones gets anything out of a store here to keep your receipt in hand as you exit the store and at least one person checkes everything over-a la Sam's Club style.  I stood at the door of one store waiting for Brenda to finish her purchases, and yet, although I had already been checked and my receipt marked OK, everything had to be checked again before I was allowed to leave the premises.  There does not seem to such a thing as a quick trip.
Today I had thought I would be at school all day so I arranged for the taxi driver to pick up at 3:15.  Yet at 12 we all had to leave for the fumigator to do their job.  Are they following me around?  Another sudden change of plan to recall the taxi before the fumigation started.
Despite the fact that I have been here 4 times before, and here already for 2 weeks, I marvel at the way things get done.  This is a statement, not an valuation.  Yesterday as I went shopping with Brenda, the English teacher at El Cordero (the school) in Flor del Campo, I wondered what the message was in what I was experiencing.  I think it may be that I am still being shown that there are many ways to get a job done, and that there is no "right" or "wrong" way to do many of the things I get persnickity about.  As some of you know, I am very "picky" about a good number of things, and this may be a message that I need to lighten up and go with the flow.  Dare I say that I could become more spontaneous?
As I was thinking about the events of the day, I suddenly became more aware of the transitory life that Jesus lived.  Not planning in detail the events of the next day or two ahead, but rising to greet the challenges and opportunities of each day as they came.  Traveling about constantly, accepting the hospitality of people on his path, using each day to teach, heal, and show us the way to live in true community with God and each other.  The most important thing is not to have a life so perfectly planned that nothing is unanticipated, but to meet whatever comes my way with grace and openness, and to use each experience to the best of my ability to love and serve God and my fellow companions.
The flower is not concerned for his clothing, nor the birds for their home.  But everything is given to us as we need it by our gracious God.