Monday Meetings

Every Monday morning the institution where I serve has a time of devotion for all staff. It's really the only time I see the all of people who work on the projects. They make up 4/5th's of the organization, but I only see them in passing.

In our time of devotion we sing Christian songs and sometimes Honduran folk songs, which are fun to learn. Then someone gives a message and we pray together. Finally we share what happened the week before and what is to come.

This week they mentioned that 700 people attended a fund raiser in Chicago for my institution! They raised a lot of money toward building one new office where we could all fit.

They also had a meeting with Chicago city leaders about how to fight the violence in Chicago. Since I lived in Chicago for 15 years, it's close to my heart. It's my favorite big city in the US.

Initially Chicago leaders were adamant that violence in Chicago stems from different causes, so techniques we use in Honduras wouldn't apply. But after a few hours together, they realized that if a tiny organization like us can fight corruption in a government like Honduras, then they could surely handle the city of Chicago.

Between 2013 and 2016 the homicide rate in Chicago tripled, he said. (Other statistics I've read said it doubled.) In the last two years Chicago's homicide rate per population has soared higher than that of Honduras! Most stunning to me was that he said the impunity rate is also approaching that of Honduras, with 80-90% impunity in the worst sections of Chicago. (Honduras is 94-96%.) Wow! Glad I'm not doing social work there anymore. That is sad.

But I digress. Back to the devotional:

Before the devotional began I had a couple of minutes to chat with the leader of my community. She is also becoming one of my closest friends. We are together almost every day through work and we really enjoy working together. For the sake of anonymity, I will call her "Star".

I told Star that yesterday God showed me more clearly what he meant about spending three months "floating on the water". I had told her those words too. She laughed when I explained that it wasn't literal, but that I need to put my time in NY into God's hands and practice "floating" while He takes the lead. We know we should always live like this. That is when God is most powerful. Star and I are expecting big things from this trip!

This week my boss gave the devotional message. It was awesome! I felt like God was talking directly to me.

Her title was "How can we please God?" It was a lot of the same things Pastora Ruth discussed yesterday at church. My boss really got into it and so did the rest of us. At the end everyone clapped, which is unusual.

She talked about pleasing God by sitting in the back seat and letting God take the wheel. She said of all the ways to please God, that is most difficult for her. I poked Star and we both laughed. It is unsettling for me, too. But I'm going with it! Seems like something God is really trying to show me lately.

After the devotional we all separate into our individual projects. Impacto Juvenil is doing community projects right now. I was prepared to jump from community to community, taking photos of work the kids are doing to better their neighborhoods. However, it appears everyone is still getting quotes and figuring out logistics, so my week will be a normal one. Full, but not as crazy as I imagined.

Star and I got the chance to talk to our boss about inconsistency at the swimming class. Our boss immediately said she will take care of it. I love the way she gets things done.

Also, it seems we they may have resolved a problem in one of the communities we serve. The working relationship at that location between the people there and my coworkers (as well as the kids we serve) is strained. For more than six months we've been looking for another meeting place that's safe and still convenient for the kids. We may have found one! That would be a huge blessing.

Lastly, I am super excited to say that the therapist in Los Pinos asked a special favor of me today. He wondered if I would accompany him, Lorenzo, Carlos and Junior on an outing! I said of course!! I was so happy he thought of me! He said he knows how special I am to those boys. He's been looking for a way to reward them for their hard work at school. They have all been studying like crazy and working harder than ever since the meeting with their Mom after Easter. He wants to show them that dedication pays off. Sometime before I visit the US we will all go out together as a reward for their hard work. That will be a great day!

He is also starting a special tutoring project for kids with learning disabilities in Los Pinos based on the needs he sees with Lorenzo. I am so happy to see the kids I fell in love with when I first moved to Honduras get their emotional, psychological, and educational needs met!

Many things have been coming full circle in my life lately. Although I really don't want to leave Honduras for three months, I have peace knowing that the kids will all be in loving and capable hands while I'm gone. I can relax and enjoy my time there. At the same time, with all of these cool projects going on I fully look forward to coming back.