Adventures here in Tegus and at home

We woke up this morning and didn’t really feel like going to another project. We’ve taken in so much that it’s very hard to absorb it all. So much of what you see breaks your heart. Then we also have to wrestle with how all of this changes our lives.

But, on the other hand, we knew that another part of us wanted to go to the project, even if it is overwhelming.

Today’s project was in an area that’s much friendlier in some ways, but the buildings there are in rougher condition. The pastor started a church there by preaching under a tree. They’ve bought some land and have begun to develop the site. The shack that was there a year ago has now developed into a much bigger building, and you can see the start of further building. It’s not at all polished, but it’s more than adequate.

We helped serve the kids meals. They were attracted to another member of our group who has red hair. When we started moving toward homes for some visits, an entourage followed her.

The two homes we visited today are children who are sponsored by members of our group. It was good to see where they live after spending the day with them yesterday. In the first home, the mother spends the day making tortilla shells, cooking them over a wood fire. A member of the family takes the bus into town and tries to sell them on the street.

The second home was immaculate. The home is run by an 18-year-old girl, who cares for her 11-year-old brother. The men in the family are generally in trouble with the law or AWOL. Six out of ten of the Compassion children in Honduras are from homes in which the father is not present. The mother of this particular family lives a four hour drive away working, sending money back when she can. This 18-year-old big sister does an amazing job with her brother, and so far it looks like he will not follow the path taken by the other male members of the family. Please pray for him, and his sister.

We are completely overwhelmed. Over lunch we asked many more questions about how Compassion operates. I was prepared to be critical of some aspects of their operation before I came, but I have been completely impressed by how well they implement their projects. Their books are open; the training is thorough; the projects are impressive in all the right ways – not the buildings, but the staff and they way the kids are cared for.

Because of a traffic accident, we had to drive through a part of town that’s not really safe for tourists. Got to see part of Tegus that we wouldn’t ordinarily get to see. Up until now we’ve said that our driver handles his bus like a bike. Not true. I don’t think I could handle my bike as well as he handles that bus.

We got back to the hotel to learn that our daughter fainted on the subway on her way to school today. She even made the news. Not what you want to hear when you’re thousands of miles away. She’s fine, but it’s a extra we weren’t planning on. Let’s hope the rest of the week settles down for her.

Tonight: some debriefing. Tomorrow: a trip to the country office. This trip is coming to an end. I think it will change us in some pretty significant ways.