Gracias, a Dios

Honduras. Day 6.

Built my first house for the year today.

We went and picked up the TORCH group at Julio’s mission house and then loaded them on the bus to head to Mirador Oriente. Some of the group then shuttled on Marc’s truck to Sector Ocho to build the new church building, and the rest stayed in Oriente to either build a house for a lady and her family or cook and feed the children at the town’s “cafeteria.” The house building process started slow, and Marc told us interns to let the TORCHers do most of the work so that they could get the experience. So when Marc said he had to go to town, me and Nolan loaded up and went with him. We picked up a bunch of cement, and then we got Burger King (I admit, I felt a little bad, knowing that the work crew was missing out). Then we got more supplies, dropped some stuff off at the church site in Sector Ocho and then went back to Oriente.

The house had come a long ways when we got back. It was at the point where I came back and pretty much jumped right up on the roof to finish it with Louis and his little brother, David (Marc said that interns could roof because the TORCHers didn’t know how yet). After the roof, something interesting happened.

There was this drunk guy that was trying to talk to a bunch of the TORCHers and some of the ninos in the community. Um, that’s a no-no. So I went up to him and told him and talked to him and then told him basically that he had to go (he was scaring a bunch of the kids). He kept asking for food, and when I finally got it across to him that we didn’t have any, he started asking for everything I had. He wanted my pants, my shirt, my shoes, and my hat. After a while, he wasn’t too happy, and he got right up in my face and I could smell the tequila all over him. It was frustrating because the TORCHers were taking forever to get on the bus, but eventually they all got on, and I convinced the guy to leave us be. He said he needed stuff for his family. I told him I would pray for him and his family, but we had to go. And I think I may have said that just so that he would leave. But no. I really am going to pray for him and his family.

God, be with Jose and his mother. Bless them, and guide them to you.

And when we were finishing up the house, and the day was winding down, I met a guy named Ruben. He was an older gentlemen, missing a few teeth and wearing some tattered clothes. But he said he went to the church in the community, so we chatted about that for a minute or two. And then I told him that it looked like WE were going to finish the house today (as if the day’s work were all about what we had done; yeah right). But, to this, Ruben just looked up and said, “Gracias Dios” (“thank you, God”). Most people would have said “Thank you” to us. But Ruben had the right perspective; Ruben saw the bigger picture.

Ruben thanked God. And I saw Jesus in Him for that today.

Another great day in Honduras.