FIRST TIME MISSION TRIP TO HONDURAS

In 2008 I had the opportunity of a lifetime to go to Honduras on my first mission trip. I had been asked to consider the trip for almost a year. It takes many things to prepare for an adventure such as this and an overseas mission trip adds its own unique requirements. Passports, shots, and the huge change in culture are but a few of the things one must face. The greatest barriers are the culture change and language. Our mission was to build fourteen houses with masons who spoke no English. It was surprising to find everything run democratically. Nothing happened without a vote. Material was allocated by house and inventoried in precise detail. Our tools were counted and stored so they would not disappear. In the past years a water supply storage tank and delivery pipes had been installed, water storage containers (pillas) were provided to raise their standard of living. Latrines were built to improve health conditions.

With poverty all around them, the villagers could still laugh and sing praises to our Lord. The children were at first curious and then became just as kids everywhere. Even though they suffered from malnutrition, they would share what they had with each member of the family. They know the Lord and would show it by wearing crosses, praying, and showing respect for those that the love our Lord.

During our days of construction, teams formed to work at each site to carry stone, mortar, concrete blocks or wherever was needed. No automation at all; Shovels mixed mortar on the ground; muscles and sweat moved things from storage areas to site; It was the order of the day. When a house was constructed to the top of the windows, the crew would move to another house. The owner of the house was required to have enough sand, rock and gravel ready before the construction was allowed to start. Each house was allotted a certain amount of cement and steel. The material would be moved to the site only just before the construction was to start to prevent theft. Material was audited when it was stored and when it was moved.

One afternoon when we returned from lunch three homeowners started to load cement and steel for their homes onto our truck without getting approval from the man in charge of material. The homeowners had loaded nearly 90 bags of cement at over 100 pounds each when the man in charge stopped them. I came over to the cement storage area to get a drink of water when a huge argument started between one of the homeowners and the man in charge of material. I sat on the ground with my back to the disagreement and prayed. The dispute got louder and the homeowner, who was mentally challenged, did not understand that he could not just take material for his house without permission. Men began unloading the cement bags as the argument continued. Our Honduran leader joined the heated discussion and it intensified even more. The children began to taunt the mentally challenged homeowner. Remember that this was all in Spanish.

Finally talk and arguing subsided and the men began to reload the truck. They had handled the 100 pound bags three times. I thought the argument was over. I turned to see the homeowner standing by himself with his fists clenched at his side with no one standing up for him. I could see how alone he must feel so I stood up, walked over to him and hugged him. It was like hugging a steel column rigid with anger. I held him for what seemed like forever. He started to soften and I could feel the anger slowly ebb away. Finally he hugged me back and smiled and kissed my cheek. He now had someone standing with him and did not feel all alone.

Ernie, our Honduran leader, told me later that what I did was extremely dangerous. The homeowner had threatened him and the material man with bodily harm by way of a machete. He said what I had done probably saved the project from going into chaos as fragile as it was at this stage. I told Ernie that the Holy Spirit indicated to me that the homeowner needed a friend to stand with him. It was answered prayer on the spot. Afterward, one of my teammates and I talked about what happened and reality set in. We held each other for a long time and just cried. Our Lord works in mysterious ways. The rest of the story is that same man was given special help from the rest of the villagers to get his rock, sand and gravel for building his house. When it was finished he danced inside and exclaimed, "I have a house and now I can get married!" Mission trips are a great joy for me. Hard work assisting villagers come to a better living standard and bringing the Word of our Lord to all, brings a 200% return to the team. You always get more in return than you invest. A word of advice to anyone interested in the mission field; Try it, you may fall in love with it.

Pastor Ellis Boughton, Yellow Creek Church of the Brethren