Church

Well, as promised, here is the second installment of recent Honduras updates.  Our church doesn't have a name.  In fact, when people ask where I go to church, I'm kind of at a loss for words because I don't feel like I attend a church.  I feel much more like I am a part of a local body of believers, a small body, but a body nonetheless.  So, the body of believers of which I am a part meets in a small house on the outskirts of town in barrio Calan.  The majority of people in this area are very poor.  None own cars, making it difficult to attend a regular church in town somewhere.  Most live without electricity, clean water, ample food, and security.  For example, the sister in whose house we meet makes 600 Lempiras  a month as a maid for a large house nearby.  That's 30 bucks a month.  As is the case far too many times in Honduras, she is a single mother with 5 kids--her  husband was murdered a few years ago.

As it goes, this is the story of many people in my church.  The majority demographic are widows with anywhere from 1-5 kids, all living on scrap income, trying to make ends meet.

For all the sadness and poor conditions that I could tell you about, that's not what I want to focus on, because that's not what they focus on.  These people are growing in Christ.  I can't say that all are believers in Christ, but for those that are, I see them growing in the likeness of Christ, and for those that aren't I see them growing too.  They are committed to prayer and meeting regularly and tithing.  I would say that over 60% of the Hondurans that attend are illiterate, not a very shocking statistic considering that most, since a young age, have worked just trying to support their family, eliminating the possibility of attaining a formal education.  I am proud to say that I am a part of this local body of believers.  Their commitment to growing in the likeness of Christ inspires me each and every week.  I want to share a few stories of recent happenings with people in this body.

Hermana Candida is a single mother with a little girl. (By the way, hermana or hermano means sister or brother and is very common to put in front of names here, just so you're aware).  She lives about a 45 minute walk from where we meet on Sunday mornings and Tuesday evenings prayer, but she is always the first to arrive.  I have seen more growth in this sister in the past few months that anyone else.  She, like many, only attended school through the third grade and never learned to read.  Determined, however, hermana Candida taught herself to read using the Bible.  She now reads very well.  He is always the first one to volunteer when a reader is requested.

A few weeks ago a thief broke into hermana Candida's home and stole almost all of her plates and dishes.  The next week, the thief returned….to ask for forgiveness.  He felt so bad about what he had done he had come to return what he had stolen and ask for her forgiveness.  Hermana Candida, in response, told him: "No.  If you had to resort to stealing them, you probably needed them more than I did anyway.  Why don't you just keep them?"  What did Jesus say again, something about "if they steal your shirt, give them your cloak too?"  Talk about Christlikeness!  This story made me beam with pride over her growth in Christ.  How many of us Americans, after having something stolen from us, would suggest that the thief keep what he took if he offered to return it?!

Hermano Geraldo is probably closing in on 80 years old.  He lives with his elderly wife in a house just up the hill from where we meet.  He attends faithfully and is always ready to share, as we do every week, what he is thankful to God for.  A few weeks ago, at our weekly Tuesday afternoon prayer meetings, we prayed that he would find a job.  Two days after praying that evening, he found work.  In fact, he didn't even go looking for it, but the work came looking for him.  I guess that's just God saying, "Hey, look what I can do!"

These are just two examples of the ways that people in my church are growing to be more like Christ.  I would ask that you continue to keep this body of believers in your prayers.  Pray that they would, despite their circumstances, trust that God is faithful to provide all of their needs.  Pray, also, that they would realize the call to follow Christ and do so with their whole life.

As always, stay tuned for more updates soon….