Has it been a month?

     I can't believe we have been at Emmanuel for a month. Today was hard because we leave tomorrow to see the Tolupan tribe. We had a number a tearful goodbyes. I guess no matter how long you stay it is somehow not enough. I miss my wife Dru so very much. I am ready to go home, but it doesn't make leaving here any easier.  At first a week was not enough so we stayed 2 weeks. That was nice but we wanted more. A month here has been wonderful but I will still leave a little of my heart here with these oh so special children!
     Allan and I have been so blessed to be here at Emmanuel. We have gotten very close to much of the great staff here and we have seen what it takes to run this place. We have seen these tireless folks work from before sunrise until way into the night. We have seen a small glimpse of the sacrifices they make on a daily basis. We have seen children at their best and sometimes at their worst, but we have always seen them treated with love and kindness. Our Lord doesn't rest and neither does the staff at Emmanuel. It is still hard to believe that with so few people, such a great deal is done on a daily basis.
     We have seen the staff and children here endure blistering heat, staggering humidity, terrific storms and still life goes on here. I can't explain it. You just have to be here to witness it! From the time you arrive and hear your name for the first time until you leave with tears on both sides of the window, you receive too many blessing to count! The faces are etched into your heart. This place is full of the Holy Spirit. For a month, I have no real idea what is going on in the outside world. I have watched no TV and I have read no newspapers. There are no distractions here to get in between you and our Lord. It is easy to carry on conversation with God here. His presence is felt everywhere! With a great deal of help from above, David and Lydia have created an oasis in the desert of poverty and hopelessness for these children and given them a chance to heal. They have all been through things that we can't imagine. But with the Lord's help they are healing. There are no psychiatrists, psychologists or social workers on the staff. Only some of the most loving and caring people that I have ever met. Through the power of the Holy Spirit these children are made whole again.
      We leave tomorrow to visit the Tolupan tribe with Reed Skinner and his father Kerry. It is an adventure that we are looking forward to and it will make leaving here a little easier. That and knowing we will return again soon will get us through! Reed and Kim are wonderful missionaries and we look forward to this adventure. Goodnight from Emmanuel!

Drowning out the storm

     The last two days have been different. For one thing I have done something I never, ever wanted to do. I have driven a motorized vehicle in the public streets of Honduras. I don't recommend it to the faint of heart.  I was asked to take our wonderful nurse Carelia to the doctor. She has dengue fever and has been very sick. I told Robert her husband who runs the school here at Emmanuel that I would be happy to take her anywhere she needed to go. Let's just say I made 3 trips out and 3 trips back in and we will leave it at that. Hopefully she will be better soon. This place is not the same without her!
      The rainy season has begun. In just a few short days everything has turned green and flowers are blooming and this part of Honduras is just beautiful! It is too bad that the countries infrastructure is so bad because this place could really be a tourist attraction with the right facilities, lodging and roads. It has mountains, rain forests, barrier reefs and some of the best Mayan ruins in Central America. Getting from here to there and finding a place to stay is the problem. Maybe someday........
        We gathered at the church this evening for what promised to be a great program. The older boys and girls had a drama to perform and then present the lesson for the night then the praise and singing. As the drama finished, which was excellent,  the rains began. I should say the bottom fell out. Rains here don't seem to start as a drizzle. The start with a bang, then they get loud. We had hail that was hitting the tin roof so hard you couldn't hear the lesson. The weather and noise grew louder. The group responded by singing. It was so spirited that when then rain got harder and louder, the singing got louder and more beautiful. The feeling that those of us in the building got was that no amount of thunder, hail on the roof or heavy rain could stop these young men and young ladies. They sang with a joy and power that carried us all into a different place. We were taken by them through the power of the Holy Spirit. Everyone, the volunteers, the staff, the rest of the kids were transported on the heavenly voices of these young people. It was a great service and no power could keep this group from singing the praises of our Lord. It was awesome to witness this tonight.
         Allan and I have gotten close to a lot of kids we had never been around much on previous visits. Many are the older boys. They are such a great bunch of boys. Full of mischief sometimes but full of the love of Christ and for each other. They can be very serious one moment, trying to act all grown up, while hugging you like a little boy the next. They are such a great group and I am so glad to get closer to them. Until the next time.....

Allan's Honduran Birthday

     Today was Sunday and it is the day we chose to celebrate Allan's birthday, which is really tomorrow. Katja, who runs the office and keeps things smooth as silk here arranged for a cake to be made for Allan in town. This afternoon the cake was delivered to us. I had originally planned to have the older children's bible study group help him celebrate. Since there would be no staff present it was a guys only event. We do have to be careful here. We took 10 or 12 of the older boys to the tienda with the cake and bought drinks to go along with the cake. It was a large beautiful cake and tasted even better than it looked!  Mariela, who runs the tienda, cut the cake and told Allan it was a Honduran tradition for him to get the first bite. Yes Allan fell for the face in the cake trick! I don't know who enjoyed it more, the boys, Allan or me! It was a fun time had by all!
      I felt bad because the girls weren't included. There are no secrets at Emmanuel. Everyone but Allan knew he was getting a cake and was having a party, so I know they were disappointed. We bought drinks and chips and brought them back to the big girl's kitchen so they could have them with there supper. Not the same as a party but I hope they enjoyed a little treat!
       Tonight we went to the Bible Study group that meets weekly for the older boys and girls. It is a wonderful program and it is one of the few times you will see the older boys and girls together. They live very segregated lives here as they must. It is very interesting to watch them sit together and interact. It has been very special to spend this time with them because they are so special. These are the leaders of Emmanuel. These are the boys and girls that all the others look to emulate. If Honduras is to have a future, I believe these children are it. They are bright, talented and full of the Holy Spirit.
        After the Bible Study, the boys and girls voted on a name for their group. Out of five that were submitted last week, the group chose Embajadores de Cristo,  Ambassadors of Christ! This group truly are Christ's Ambassadors. After a spirited election for the name, Allan got to enjoy yet another cake. They celebrate birthdays falling in each month so Allan was able to celebrate with 2 other boys. It has been a fun filled day for us both.
      We have been here enough to where the kids let their guards down with us. I have always been close to a few of the nearly 500 kids here, but the older boys are harder to befriend. They know they are past the cute stage and I think most know that what lies ahead for them will not be easy. But I think Allan and I have gained trust and respect from them and we both feel very good about this. Even though they try to always act tough, most enjoy a hug as much as a child in the little kid's yard! And I think I might enjoy it  even more!

The storm at Emmanuel

     This trip for Allan and me has brought us many new experiences. Rain in Honduras for one. Normally in January when we always come with our team, it is very dry. I think it thought about raining once but changed it's mind.  I think the rainy season has started. We have had several nights of rain followed by oppressive humid HEAT! Yesterday we tried something completely different, a violent thunder storm with very high winds, hail and torrential rains. It lasted less than 45 minutes but did a good bit of damage to many of the roofs here. The clinic's roof was damaged more than most and the big tree at the little girls house is now half it's former size.
     We had just started afternoon clinic when it hit. Lots of children were caught in the small clinic with us. As the roof left us rain began to pour in and the lights went out. A young boy was brought in with a large gash in his chin. Carelia and I got him to the exam table and she began her work. She calmly reassured this scared little boy that he was going to be alright. It took her a while to stop the bleeding to assess the cut. It was wide and deep. I held the flashlight while she took care of him. The lights came back on but water continued to pour through the ceiling. She went about her task as if this is normal procedure, which it is I suppose.  Remember we have about 20 scared ninos in here with us wanting to see everything. She gives him a shot of lidocaine to deaden the pain and prepare to stitch his chin. He fought back tears as she gently sewed and tied each stitch in his chin. We took care of him then tried to cover as much of the medication and other important things in the clinic as possible. We took the three sick children with us to the volunteer house due to the condition of the clinic.
        A beautiful morning greeted us as we went out to see the damage. A few trees, lots of dirt washed away, and lots of ceiling tiles around. Amazingly the big boys were out early cleaning up and repairing damage.  In no time they fixed the clinic roof, the little girls dining area, and anything else that needed it. By afternoon everything was fixed and there was little evidence of the previous night's drama! The work of these older boys was as amazing as the storm itself. They take such pride in their home.  There is a lesson for us all in this.
        Tomorrow is the Lord's day and service will be special as always. Here at Emmanuel everyday is the Lord's day! Can I have an AMEN!

Wednesday night service in the dark

     I hurried to service Wednesday trying to beat the rain. It was all around us with thunder and lightening. I made it early and got to listen to the choir and band practice. The lights were out but it was still light outside. The music was all acoustic and wonderful. They sang one of my favorite songs here ESTOY AQUI.  It is just so powerful in it's rhythm and beautiful in it's words. Every time I hear it I am moved to tears and covered in goosebumps. I think it is a Holy Spirit thing.
     The children come in first, the older and middle boys first followed by the older and middle girls. They are all so ready to worship! Jordan on keyboards and Charlie on drums lay down a beat that is just infectious. The whole room is moving as the choir and the rest of the band comes in, then the praise begins in earnest.  It is so great to be able to sit in the sanctuary and take part in this.
      After finishing their songs, the team from Wesleyan Drive Baptist Church in Macon, Ga. presented  music with their members singing and playing guitars. They are a small group in numbers but very large in talent. Amazing Grace and I'll Fly Away have never sounded so good!
       For me the highlight of the night was about to come. Although the lights were out and the fans were off, everyone was enthralled by our lesson from their pastor. I can't count how many times I have heard the story of the Good Samaritan but this was one of the best.  He put the question to us: which one of the 4 characters in this parable am I?
      I can't help but to think about this parable as it pertains to Emmanuel. Time and time again I see these children help each other throughout the day. They take care of those less strong of body or weak of mind. Over and over I see this. The wonderful missionaries that staff Emmanuel, who have made such sacrifices to be here to minister to these children.  The teams who come great distances at great expense to minister to these children. They all love the Lord with all their heart and all their soul and all their strength and with all their mind, and they love their neighbor as themselves. We are all neighbors on this earth. Each and every one of us.
      The service ended, the storm was over and the lights were back on and it was cool as the sun went down on another joyous day at Emmanuel. There were hugs from the children as we walked back to our houses with promises of another day.

The children

     It is amazing how involved you can become with some of the children here at Emmanuel. I am sure mine is not a unique experience but you get very close to certain kids here. We love all the children, know most of them, but are very close to only a few of them. They become very special to you and your family. They may be a child you sponsor or maybe a child that you were drawn to when you first set foot here. There are several children here that have a piece of our heart.
      I think one of the reasons it is so hard to leave here each time is because you feel that you are leaving part of your family behind. I certainly feel that way about "our kids" and I think they return those feelings. We try to send a little something on each container for each of them. Some nice shampoo, conditioner for the girls, hair grease for the boys, toothpaste and toothbrushes, deodorant, and a letter. Ah, the letter. There is probably nothing that we could do that pleases them more than just writing them a letter. Something so simple but something so powerful in its effect. They love to get letters almost as much as they like writing them.
     I can't believe the friendships I have with people I never knew until we met on facebook due to a picture of mine that they found or one of theirs that I found of a child here. From Pennsylvania to Maine to the Carolinas, to Tennessee to Alabama all the way to California. We take pictures of our kids for each other. We give messages to our kids for each other. We chat about how we miss them and how can we get back to see them sooner. The devotion shared is almost cult like. All for these beautiful, wonderful children.
     I am also very touched by the devotion that I witness each month associated with the Container Loading in Chattanooga. From the people in Gainesville who always have supplies, clothes, food, and gifts to those who help us get them to the warehouse each month. Then there are the wonderful folks in Chattanooga. Enough can't be said about them. They plan, store, find, and load the container each month and with the precision of which the Marines would be proud!  All because they connected with their set of kids.
     It is hard to describe to folks that have never been to Emmanuel just how we feel. I suppose this blog seems a little crazy. But those who have been here I think will understand exactly what I'm talking about. That beautiful smile or those gorgeous eyes or that shy look they give you. That face that stays in your mind's eye every day. Whenever we feel down all we have to do is close our eyes and we are magically transported back to this very special place!

A really special day at Emmanuel

     This Sunday started like any other here at Emmanuel, the day beautiful as the children with their best clothes and ready to praise the Lord. A new team from Macon, Ga. arrived as the team from San Antonio, Tx. left. A good sermon by their pastor and wonderful music started the day right! Time with the kids is always welcomed. We had planned to take our 2 favorite girls, Daniella and Vanessa to lunch at the tienda at Emmanuel, along with Vanessa's younger brother and Sinia, our new sponsor child and her little sister Brenda. We wanted to take Daniella's sisters but I was afraid that would be too many kids to handle, so I said we would make another trip later with just them. We began to round up the kids with the last stop at the little girls. I went to tell the big girl supervising the yard that we were taking them and coming back to the group saw Daniella holding Sinia and Brenda, hugging and kissing them, which is not unusual here because the children do love one another and care for each other  but this was somehow different. Daniella was crying and the little girls were so happy. Daniella said she thought we couldn't take her sisters! I had no idea that Sinia and Brenda were her sisters. Family here at Emmanuel is so important and keeping a sense of it is something for which the children here cling. Being able to spend the day with these two families to combine with ours to make one big family was really wonderful.
        Each one of the children here have a story. While Emmanuel is an orphanage, all the children are not orphans. Some are, having lost parents to drugs and alcohol, murder, gang warfare, the slow starvation and related diseases we know collectively as extreme poverty. But some of these children have  a parent. Some families couldn't afford another mouth to feed so they sent them here. Some wanted an education for their child not available in all parts of Honduras so they sent them here. Some were failures as parents for a multitude of reasons so the children were removed from the homes and sent here. Their may be some, but I have never heard of any child being turned away from here. The folks here at Emmanuel love and nurture these children as if they were their own. I have never seen a more dedicated staff at work anywhere.
        Since my first trip here, I have always been in awe of what is done here. How can so few people manage to care for so many children? Every child here feels love from the first minute of their arrival. Each staff member, no matter what their jobs are, go about them with love, caring and kindness. And that is not a typo, I mean jobs because they each have 3 to 4 jobs plus they have their own families. Every thing they do is done with Christian love and it shows whenever you interact with the children. The children tell you that they don't want what you have, they want you to have what they have! They want and pray for you to have the same relationship with the Lord that they have. They love to write you letters and in them they say that they are praying for you and that our Lord has a plan for us and we must open our hearts to the Lord. I spent a life time listening to some of the great preachers and they never were able to connect me to the Holy Spirit like these tiny Evangelists here. I know of no one who has come to Emmanuel and left untouched by these children. You are forever changed and in very positive ways. All of your priorities are reset.
          This is not to say that all are happy endings here. Some children rebel against the rigid structure that must exist here to make it work. Some run away. Many who age out of here and leave don't face a rosy future. Honduras is one of our hemisphere's poorest countries. They are few natural resources, decades of  corrupt government policies, high unemployment and gang warfare. Drugs are becoming more of a problem. David and Lydia's goal has always been to bring these children up with the Lord and to to send them out to spread his good news. I believe in that they have been extremely successful.

A weekday at Emmanuel

     Allan and I have had a couple of very interesting days. We spent Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning taking some kids to the town to buy shoes and clothes and hair products and such. It always and adventure. Allan knows many of the local merchants and being Honduran they are always very friendly. It is always great to go to the ice cream parlor for some of the creamiest ice cream anywhere! The kids love it too!
      Emmanuel is in a period of transition. Many of the long term volunteers are finishing their time here so there on only a few left. Allan and I have spent Tuesday afternoon, night and most of Wednesday in the clinic. We aren't sick but they need someone to stay with sick kids. Tuesday night we had to very cute little boys with us. But beyond that it gave us a chance to watch Gerson and Carelia at work. These two dedicated souls look after the almost 500 children here. They provide attention to the health needs of these children 24/7. The fact that these are 500 of the healthiest children you will ever see is a testament to their skill and dedication. They fix scrapes, sew up cuts, take care of bites, fevers, parasites that the skills with precious few physicians could muster on a daily basis. They do it with a smile, a prayer and a hug! And the clinic is just one of 3 or 4 jobs that each has here plus each have families. Being on staff here is a 24 hour a day job! The love that all of the staff show the children is amazing!
       Tonight's service was very special. The message was delivered by one of the team from Charlie and Abbie's home church in San Antonio, Tx. It was a splendid message followed by an amazing series of baptisms. Several members of the San Antonio team were baptized. Then several of the Emmanuel boys. But what followed left me in tears. Two of our very special girls here who we extremely close, Vanessa and Daniella, were also baptized. These two girls have taught me and those who know them so much about triumph over adversity and faith in the healing power of the Holy Spirit. They both have seen such terrible things in their short lives, yet they still have the strongest faith in the Lord! I could not have been more moved or more proud of and by these beautiful young ladies. Our God is Awesome in Power!!!!

Sunday at Emmanuel

    Sundays at Emmanuel are very special. You wake up and you can feel it in the air. The sounds of the children getting ready for the Lord's day is like so many angels hurrying about. You have to get there early or you just might miss something wonderful. The children are dressed in their nicest clothes, especially the girls. They are all so beautiful. The band and the choir get ready and the music starts to build and soon the place is alive with the sounds of praise for our Lord! I am always amazed at how so few musicians, choir and the rest of the congregation can sing with such abandon. I am covered with goose bumps as the Holy Spirit cradles me in it grasp. And today we had the great privilege of hearing Papi (David) deliver the lesson. I love his sermons! We don't often get to hear them so today was a treat. After church we got pictures of all the kids in their finest Sunday clothes.
      This afternoon Allan and I spent with some of the older boys from the bible study group washing the staff trucks and karts. It was so nice to be with these fine young men. We don't often get to be with them because they are always working or are in school. We were raising money for a pizza party. It was wonderful fellowship.
      Tomorrow we go to town because the container with the food we sent has not arrived. Don't fret, we are not starving. Their are too many wonderful cooks here for us to starve. They are so sweet to make sure we have something to eat!  We should be find out what they will need us to help with this week as well. The sun is setting on yet another fantastic and beautiful day in Honduras. Till we meet again!
Blessing to all!

Back at Emmanuel

     Arrived at Emmanuel bright and early Friday morning. Emmanuel is an orphanage founded about 25 years ago by Lydia and David Martinez and the Lord. Today is home to almost 500 children. I have never felt the Holy Spirit like I feel it here. The work that is done by a very special FEW adults to care for the physical and spiritual needs of these beautiful children is amazing. If you have ever been here the first thing you here on your return visit is your name. The children never forget you! You can never forget them either!

      Allan and I  settled into the Volunteer House. We have the place to ourselves right now. I'm sure that will change soon. We have seen many of the female volunteers who were here back in January.  Several of the Danish students are still here. It is wonderful to see young adults giving of themselves like this! 

      Our first stop was the Toddler House. There must be 60 or 70 of them. What a job to keep up with them. They are so precious. I think I could stay here for the rest of our visit. It is always good to see Glenda who cooks for them and always fixes something for me when I visit her. She is such a sweet lady and one of the best tortilla makers in Honduras. She prepared some green mangos for us. What a treat! 

       Saturday we got to meet what is left of the families of two of our very special girls. Both of these girls lost parents in terribly violent ways in front of their faces. This is not a unique story here at Emmanuel. Most of these children have seen things that would make your blood boil. Yet they are constantly singing the praises of our Lord! They constantly encourage us to follow HIM.  Allan and I both were honored to meet these wonderful families, sisters and uncles, grandmothers and nieces and nephews but no parents. 

       Saturday evening we went to Bible Study with some of the staff and the older children. It was all in Spanish, but I could understand it. The Holy Spirit speaks the same language to everyone and the Holy Spirit was present with us. If you look into the eyes of these children you can see our Savior!

        Tomorrow is Sunday and that means church and do they have a great service! I can hardly wait!

Day #2 in Tegucigalpa-Esperanza the Human Dynamo

     We spent the first night in beautiful Santa Lucia high above Tegucigalpa. It is such a beautiful little town.  Most of the streets are cobblestone and very narrow but gives it great flavor. Our Inn was very nice and we had the most wonderful breakfast. Very friendly as are most Hondurans you meet.
      Kim Skinner picked us up and we went to meet her friend Esperanza who helped start the day care ministry for single mothers almost 32 years ago. She is in her 70's but runs circles around the rest of us. She is respected everywhere.  In Suyapa, a suburb of Tegucigalpa, she ministers to all in need. We went to her house to get her and we delivered eggs to many of her neighbors. The town of Suyapa is ripe with gangs but you feel safe with her.  She showed us the daycare center, preschool and nursery. The church is Honduran and the ministry is Honduran and it is amazing.
       Later that morning Kim took us with her to meet as many of the 10 single mothers she is working to help. We walked up the hills outside Teguc that you see from town and wonder how anyone can live there. Allan and I were so blessed to be allowed to help Kim deliver eggs to her mothers and their neighbors. We were so humbled to witness the strength and character of these beautiful women. The pride in their homes and children beamed on their faces.  They was no running water. It had to be carried up in buckets or large bottles.  It was done with a smile on their face.
        Even against these odds, the Holy Spirit was so evident everywhere!  It was such a wonderful experience to share with Kim, these wonderful women and Allan. We will never forget our time there and these strong, Spirit filled women.  I will never eat another egg without remembering Kim and her ministry!
        Next: on to Emmanuel!

First days in Tegucigalpa

Allan and I arrived in Teguc without a hitch. It was a great flight, thank you Delta, with the same crew that we have traveled with in the past. We were met by Reed and Kim Skinner who are missionaries to Honduras from Gainesville, Ga. We spent day one at one of the day care centers that Kim works with through their church. We visited "homes" along the river. I can't say enough about the spirit of the Honduran people. They do more with less. There is a lesson in this. We are staying in Santa Lucia in the mountains outside of Teguc. It is very beautiful and green.  Tomorrow we go to day care at the church in Suyapa and meet the folks there.
      We are staying at a very nice bed a breakfast. It has beautiful views of Teguc at night and the mountains. The basilica is right below our balcony. The town is really pretty with pastel stucco houses. Parks and lakes and lots of football fields.
       Tomorrow we visit Suyapa and another church sponsored daycare in Suyapa. We know more about it then.