I went yesterday with Dr. Don for what we expected to be an 8-hour day of teaching in the schools in Margarita, Rio Esteban, Bambu, and Rio Coco. However, we drove through Margarita and there was no one in sight at the school. We went down a little farther into the village and Dr. Don yelled to some kids “Por que no hay clases??” “Zelaya!!” Fantastic. The teachers union decided that they won’t have classes until Zelaya returns. We realized none of the schools we were supposed to go to would be opened, but, for the 50 millionth time we became missionaries and became flexible. Despite this, it proved to be my favorite day yet. After passing through Margarita, we went to the Bilingual School in Rio Esteban, which was the only one still open because it’s a private school. I recognized all the kids there from Natalie and my hike up to Las Ninguas our first week here. The kids recognized me too, and I was welcomed with screams and hugs. We taught the kids a few songs in Spanish and 
English and then I spent some time with a girl named Francis, chatting with her and teaching her English. At first though, we spent time practicing using the EvangeCard—basically like the Evangecube but slightly more efficient. Then, with as much confidence in my Spanish as I could muster up, I asked Francis about her faith. I asked if she was a Christian and when she became one. She said she became a Christian when she was 13—she’s 15 now. I then asked her if her life changed. Her response: “Si..me siento libre”… “Yes…I feel free”. I don’t even know if I understood that when I was 15. Here’s this girl in the middle of Honduras who has nothing but Christ, and she feels free because of it. She isn’t weighed down by all the extra crap in this world. She’s got all she needs. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by the yoke of slavery” Galatians 5:1. Needless to say I quite enjoyed my time with Francis. Her favorite thing to say in English is “Heyyyyy” and like kinda bobs her head as she does it. Another kid of note at the school was a boy named Osher. I heard him being able to pronounce English really well, so I asked if he spoke English, to which he responded “Yeah I do” in like, the clearest English accent ever. It took me a second to realize he speaks English better than he does Spanish. It was refreshing.
After the Bilingual school, we drove around Rio Esteban, taking in all the sights (the pastor’s house, the high school… basically it haha) and we visited the mother of a woman named Mayra who works in the hospital. We sat in her yard for maybe 20 minutes talking about politics and what she thought of everything. She went to talk about how she doesn’t understand why so many people want to leave Honduras and go to America. She turned around and pointed at her small, beat up home, and said “what’s so bad about living here?” Life here is so much.. simpler almost. People are content with what they have. Fascinating.
Our next trek was to Bambu, where yet again the school was closed as expected.
It was a beautiful drive though and I couldn’t help but be caught up in the beauty of everything around me. I was looking up at the mountains in complete awe and right at that moment, Dr. Don says to me “What’s God telling you”. Weird timing! I was reminded of Psalm 97, which I had just read the night before. “The mountains melt like wax before the LORD”. Can you even imagine?? These gigantic beautiful creations that could literally just melt away at one word from the Lord. If that’s not power, I don’t know what is.
Next stop was the coastal village of Rio Coco. I’d never been there so I was really excited to drive through. The school of course was closed, but we stopped very very close to the beach at a woman named Patricia’s house. Patricia is the director of the schools in Rio Coco and she’s a Christian. She seemed to be very impressed with my Spanish, even taking the time to pull me aside and ask me all about my life. They’re building a casita next to her house and if I was to come back here next year, she said I could live there. Hmm.. :). She was very hospitable and incredibly sweet. And also very eager to learn English as well.
Alas, there were still more adventures to be had yesterday. We went back to Rio Esteban and met in a church with about 6 people (ranging in age from 17-28) who Dr. Don plans on discipling. They’re interested in become missionaries, and Dr. Don is going to meet with them every week. We listened to a few of their testimonies and discussed different beliefs found in the village—different superstitions about childbirth and such. We also discussed what the drug trade looks like. A young man named Elvis said it’s very prominent on the north coast—
mostly people selling. It was fascinating to hear about all this stuff. However, a couple minutes after Deyni arrived at the meeting, Dr. Don decided I should go to the pastor’s house and teach his daughter how to play guitar. So we hopped on the bike and went to their house. He dropped me off and drove away haha. So there I was with this little girl who didn’t speak English and a guitar. God was very gracious to me for the next two hours, giving me the confidence to talk to her (Carol) and her mother and like 5 of her cousins and I was able to understand everything they said back. It was wonderful. I taught them how to play guitar and how to sing different songs. They were so good! And I learned all about Carol and her family. She asked if I liked mangos, and proceeded to give me a bag of like 15 mangos from the tree above me. Carol was the sweetest little girl, we had so much fun. I had been there quite awhile and Dr. Don finally came back, only to find us in the back yard chatting and playing the guitar. I really wouldn’t have minded staying longer. The fact that these kids were speaking Spanish the whole time didn’t even faze me. What a blessing to get to hang out with them!
I don’t know what it was about yesterday that was so perfect. Maybe it was the fact that I felt so connected with these communities. Maybe it was the fact that I could spend time just speaking to people. Maybe it was the fact that God’s beauty couldn’t be avoided wherever I went. Maybe it was the fact that I could listen to a bunch of little kids in a random back yard leading worship with each other, using the skills I had just taught them. It’s days like that that remind me I’m here for a reason.
“Every blessing you pour out I’ll turn back to praise”
Lauren
English and then I spent some time with a girl named Francis, chatting with her and teaching her English. At first though, we spent time practicing using the EvangeCard—basically like the Evangecube but slightly more efficient. Then, with as much confidence in my Spanish as I could muster up, I asked Francis about her faith. I asked if she was a Christian and when she became one. She said she became a Christian when she was 13—she’s 15 now. I then asked her if her life changed. Her response: “Si..me siento libre”… “Yes…I feel free”. I don’t even know if I understood that when I was 15. Here’s this girl in the middle of Honduras who has nothing but Christ, and she feels free because of it. She isn’t weighed down by all the extra crap in this world. She’s got all she needs. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by the yoke of slavery” Galatians 5:1. Needless to say I quite enjoyed my time with Francis. Her favorite thing to say in English is “Heyyyyy” and like kinda bobs her head as she does it. Another kid of note at the school was a boy named Osher. I heard him being able to pronounce English really well, so I asked if he spoke English, to which he responded “Yeah I do” in like, the clearest English accent ever. It took me a second to realize he speaks English better than he does Spanish. It was refreshing.After the Bilingual school, we drove around Rio Esteban, taking in all the sights (the pastor’s house, the high school… basically it haha) and we visited the mother of a woman named Mayra who works in the hospital. We sat in her yard for maybe 20 minutes talking about politics and what she thought of everything. She went to talk about how she doesn’t understand why so many people want to leave Honduras and go to America. She turned around and pointed at her small, beat up home, and said “what’s so bad about living here?” Life here is so much.. simpler almost. People are content with what they have. Fascinating.
Our next trek was to Bambu, where yet again the school was closed as expected.
It was a beautiful drive though and I couldn’t help but be caught up in the beauty of everything around me. I was looking up at the mountains in complete awe and right at that moment, Dr. Don says to me “What’s God telling you”. Weird timing! I was reminded of Psalm 97, which I had just read the night before. “The mountains melt like wax before the LORD”. Can you even imagine?? These gigantic beautiful creations that could literally just melt away at one word from the Lord. If that’s not power, I don’t know what is.Next stop was the coastal village of Rio Coco. I’d never been there so I was really excited to drive through. The school of course was closed, but we stopped very very close to the beach at a woman named Patricia’s house. Patricia is the director of the schools in Rio Coco and she’s a Christian. She seemed to be very impressed with my Spanish, even taking the time to pull me aside and ask me all about my life. They’re building a casita next to her house and if I was to come back here next year, she said I could live there. Hmm.. :). She was very hospitable and incredibly sweet. And also very eager to learn English as well.
Alas, there were still more adventures to be had yesterday. We went back to Rio Esteban and met in a church with about 6 people (ranging in age from 17-28) who Dr. Don plans on discipling. They’re interested in become missionaries, and Dr. Don is going to meet with them every week. We listened to a few of their testimonies and discussed different beliefs found in the village—different superstitions about childbirth and such. We also discussed what the drug trade looks like. A young man named Elvis said it’s very prominent on the north coast—
mostly people selling. It was fascinating to hear about all this stuff. However, a couple minutes after Deyni arrived at the meeting, Dr. Don decided I should go to the pastor’s house and teach his daughter how to play guitar. So we hopped on the bike and went to their house. He dropped me off and drove away haha. So there I was with this little girl who didn’t speak English and a guitar. God was very gracious to me for the next two hours, giving me the confidence to talk to her (Carol) and her mother and like 5 of her cousins and I was able to understand everything they said back. It was wonderful. I taught them how to play guitar and how to sing different songs. They were so good! And I learned all about Carol and her family. She asked if I liked mangos, and proceeded to give me a bag of like 15 mangos from the tree above me. Carol was the sweetest little girl, we had so much fun. I had been there quite awhile and Dr. Don finally came back, only to find us in the back yard chatting and playing the guitar. I really wouldn’t have minded staying longer. The fact that these kids were speaking Spanish the whole time didn’t even faze me. What a blessing to get to hang out with them! 
I don’t know what it was about yesterday that was so perfect. Maybe it was the fact that I felt so connected with these communities. Maybe it was the fact that I could spend time just speaking to people. Maybe it was the fact that God’s beauty couldn’t be avoided wherever I went. Maybe it was the fact that I could listen to a bunch of little kids in a random back yard leading worship with each other, using the skills I had just taught them. It’s days like that that remind me I’m here for a reason. “Every blessing you pour out I’ll turn back to praise”
Con Libertad,
Lauren
this is beautiful, lauren.
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