Climbing Mountains

Everywhere I went today people were talking about the 7 year old who was killed in Los Pinos last night. Immediately my mind jumped to the 7 year olds I know in Los Pinos. The boy came from a two parent family, which eliminated most of the seven years olds I know. Someone was mad at the father so they beat up his wife and seven year old son so badly that the boy died trying to protect his mother. It really is sad.

I first heard the story from a co-worker as I was rode with security from the main office to our field office. We did home visits and the lady at the first home was talking about it too. She knows what it is like for a mother to lose a child. On October 10th, 2014, her 18 year old daughter was killed. She told me the story, detail by detail.

The daughter always helped her uncle sell tomatoes at the market. The uncle died and left the business to her. She was a great business woman. She washed all of her tomatoes by hand and dried them with a towel, while her competitors just left their tomatoes in a crate, dirty and sometimes split open.

After many arguments, one day the girls competitors got angry and killed her.

The Mom was an interesting lady. Her home was at the very, very top of a mountain. The front yard had amazing views of the whole city. As we approached on a dirt path, we found her pulling a little pig out from under one barbed wire fence, and moving it to the other side of the dirt path to graze in fresh plants and weeds. The pig was making all sorts of grunting noises because it didn't like being pulled by the rope leash that was around its neck.

I was happy to relax on top of that mountain, away from everything below. Walking from the field office to her house was the most dangerous walk I have taken in my time in Honduras. We left the field office with two people who live in that community and walked down to meet another lady who lives in the section we were visiting. Along the way there was a group of 5 men standing across the dirt road. One was carrying a bottle of beer at 8:30 a.m. We stopped before we got to them and called the lady who lives there to come out. She came and walked past them with us. They were staring us down as we walked past. She asked one of the younger ones what was his problem, showing him that his menacing looks didn't upset her. He turned away. Another one said, "Forty Lempiras a bag." repeatedly until she scolded him too. I don't know what he was trying to sell. Drugs I assume.

Turns out that the people in that neighborhood are mad at her. Someone got put in jail and they think that she was the one who turned him in. But she wasn't. We went with her to talk to the mother of the boy who was incarcerated. His brothers won't attend our youth group anymore. She asked the Mom to please talk to her sons. The Mom seems to know that my co-worker wasn't involved, but she said she can't convince her sons and they are headed down the same path that landed their brother in jail for 12 years.

I was walking around in one of the tee shirts that we are supposed to wear in the field. It says "Make Justice" in Spanish. I don't know a better way to translate it to English. I was thinking it's probably not the best shirt to wear around people who are worried that we might arrest them. I think I'll be wearing my "Love Fearlessly" shirt from now on.

We had some free time between the home visits in the morning and the youth club in the afternoon, so I got to hang out with my co-workers at one of their houses. I practiced the message I am going to share on Sunday in my class at church. They said it sounded really good.

We all went out to eat Chinese food together. I was telling them how happy I am to be working with them and serving in such a great organization. Later I learned that the house I visited was the home of the head of the organization. Even my head, head bosses live in the communities we serve. My co-worker lives with one of them. Good thing I love my job and am bubbling over with nothing but good things to say!

The club in the afternoon consisted of twenty five 12-16 year old girls. We all left with a headache, but we got all of the questionnaires done and completed a project with them which gave us feedback about their impression of the services they receive from us. I noticed that the girls seem to be a grade or two ahead of the boys the same age. All of the girls I interviewed were still attending school.

Fany and I went to get my haircut this evening. I have always gotten it cut up in the mountains by my old house, but I decided I don't want to drive up there. The first place we went to was closed. The second place was a dollar more expensive than any other place. I know a dollar isn't much, but haircuts here only cost $3.00 - $3.50 so a dollar is proportionately significant. I thought about paying the extra dollar because it is right by my house. But the lady inside was really grumpy and angry looking, so we left.

Tomorrow we are interviewing fifty kids. Saturday we will be filling out the questionnaire with 100 kids from four youth groups in a different area - the place that is closest to Los Pinos. It's been fun to get around and see all of the different youth groups as well as the communities where the kids live.

I told Fany that last night I was thinking about how happy I am. My life is really good right now! I give thanks to God for bringing me to this moment. I have a church I love, that is teaching me and guiding me. I have a job I love, where I am learning and growing. My family is healthy. I have lots of good friends. All I need right now is $300 more in monthly sponsorship and a haircut. The haircut will be taken care of soon and I have faith God will connect me with the right people to provide the monthly sponsorship. I have never felt this happy and stress free. This is a great time of my life and I am taking the time to enjoy and appreciate it.