The following post is from one of our team members, Barb, and how she spent her day when many of the rest of our team went to the park and shopping in Valley of Angels. I asked this team member about including her story in this blog because it is bittersweet; it is delightful and yet depressing ... a rose among thorns, the reality of life in Honduras.
In January, 2013, I began my sponsorship of a sweet little girl named Fabiola. She lives in Tegucigalpa, Honduras and she happens to be from the first church we served during our time in Honduras last year! From the moment the sponsorship was started, it was my intention to meet this child if the LORD would allow. Since January, we exchanged several letters, mostly written by her mother (as Fabiola just turned 5) but accompanied with beautiful drawings! In June, I began the process of filling out all of the proper forms to arrange to meet Fabiola during the time that we would again be there on mission. The meeting would be planned for October 2nd, 2013. Fabiola and her family were not made aware of my visit until five days beforehand!
October 2nd arrived and precisely at 8:30 in the morning, I was picked up at the mission house by a Compassion host/translator named Carmen. We took a 40-minute van ride to the inner city of Tegucigalpa. The humble homes lining the dirt road added to the heart-breaking work that God began in me during the previous year.
We pulled up in front of a modest building that was covered in layers of cyclone barbed-wire. There was a group of roughly 30 young children in crisp looking uniforms outside and I wondered aloud, "Is that for us?!" Carmen smiled and said, "Let's go!" I wasn't ready for the moment that I stepped out of the van and a chorus of little voices greeted me with a song! The children began clapping and continued singing as I looked on through a torrent of tears. Carmen pointed to a little girl in pink near the end of the group closest to us and said, "That's her! That's Fabiola!" I had figured as much but it was so surreal to see her in person after having only one fairly old photo of her to look at for the previous nine months!
After the singing the children were ushered inside and Fabiola was pulled aside so we could share our first 'hello' and a long awaited hug. We were both clearly nervous and somewhat shy. I could barely muster an "hola" through my tears and the only words that came to me were, "Oh my goodness!" Carmen took over as photographer for the day and invited us to hug as she wanted to capture this moment for me on camera.
That photo has become my favorite. Fabiola wrapped her arms so tightly around my neck. I didn't want to let go of her! We toured her student center and I had the honor of seeing where all of the correspondence between the sponsors and the children are translated. I also had the privilege of seeing other children in the process of writing to their sponsors! It made the entire thing so real to me!
After touring the school and seeing Fabiola's classroom, we boarded the van for a short (and bumpy) ride to her home. We were greeted by her mother, Patricia. She was a tired looking woman with an inner beauty that shone through her gleaming smile. She too hugged me tightly and I didn't want to let her go either! We all sat together in their modest sitting room and talked for quite some time. Questions flew back and forth between Patricia and I as she told me about her family and I told her about mine.
I had been enjoying the company of Fabiola and Patricia in their home for about an hour when suddenly a volley of automatic gunshots rang out from what sounded like maybe 300 feet away. My eyes naturally grew wide as I looked at Patricia and then to my host. On our way into this area of the city, my host told me, "I don't like this neighborhood, I don't go into this neighborhood ever, unless I need to." I could understand why now. She spoke rapidly to Patricia and during the commotion, our driver came rushing inside speaking rapidly and nearly out of breath. I asked my host if we were safe and she translated for Patricia who said, "We're safe, it doesn't concern you, you're inside. This happens day and night. It's life for us." She didn't even get up to shut the door. Fabiola was unphased. My eyes welled with tears and my heart was pounding so hard in my chest. I had never experienced anything like this before and I struggle with knowing that this is how they live every day.
I then had the honor of presenting Fabiola and her family with gifts that I had brought. A whole duffle bag full, to be precise! Several friends and family members had given me special things and practical things to give this needy family. My favorite gift to give however, was a very special doll that I had been so blessed to find back in June! Upon presenting her (Marvelous Maria, as she was named) to Fabiola, her mother began to cry as she explained that Fabiola had wanted a doll for so long! Fabiola was beaming and said that she would take Maria to bed with her every night. This filled my heart, and my eyes, to overflowing!
I then had the honor of presenting Fabiola and her family with gifts that I had brought. A whole duffle bag full, to be precise! Several friends and family members had given me special things and practical things to give this needy family. My favorite gift to give however, was a very special doll that I had been so blessed to find back in June! Upon presenting her (Marvelous Maria, as she was named) to Fabiola, her mother began to cry as she explained that Fabiola had wanted a doll for so long! Fabiola was beaming and said that she would take Maria to bed with her every night. This filled my heart, and my eyes, to overflowing!
Soon we were back in the van and headed to lunch at KFC, Fabiola's choice! It was a sweet time of fellowship and delicious food! Fabiola played on the play equipment for a while before we took off once again in the van. We had about an hour to spend at the local mall while we waited for the Chiminike Children's Museum to open. We visited Wal-Mart and I bought Fabiola some things for her new doll including a stroller. She was thrilled with this and pushed the doll all over the mall and later, all over the museum!
We made it to the museum and I had so much fun playing with Fabiola at the many interactive exhibits! There was no translation for the laughter and smiles that all of us shared. We went from being nervous and shy to chattering and hand holding as she took me from one exhibit to the next! I never wanted the day to end but I knew that this was our last activity during the visit.
On our way back to Fabiola's neighborhood there was a hold up of the traffic. We soon noticed about 20-30 police officers gathered on the side of the road ahead and an equally large group of bystanders standing about five feet from the police. My host suggested that a motorcycle accident had occurred. There was some conversation between our driver and my host who quickly translated that he thought that perhaps someone had been shot. We pulled up alongside the scene but I couldn't see anything. We had to make a u-turn to be on the side of the divided road that led to Fabiola's street and upon passing the scene (this time on Fabiola and Patricia's side of the van) I sat up and looked out to see what had happened and there in the middle of the road a man was lying, shot to death. His entire body was visible except for his face which was covered by a handkerchief or a cloth of some sort. There was a very large pool of blood around his head and people were snapping photos of the gruesome scene. Though I was absolutely jolted by what I had just seen, it was much more disturbing to see that Fabiola and Patricia didn't react. Neither of them flinched. Fabiola didn't yell out. Patricia didn't rush to cover her eyes. Death and violence are such a normal part of their lives - it seemed as typical as it is for us to see someone walking a dog or jogging in the park. It was beyond difficult to know that I would be saying goodbye and leaving them to this depraved life. My heart was so heavy and I turned away from them to look out the window and hide the tears that quietly streamed down my cheeks.
On our way back to Fabiola's neighborhood there was a hold up of the traffic. We soon noticed about 20-30 police officers gathered on the side of the road ahead and an equally large group of bystanders standing about five feet from the police. My host suggested that a motorcycle accident had occurred. There was some conversation between our driver and my host who quickly translated that he thought that perhaps someone had been shot. We pulled up alongside the scene but I couldn't see anything. We had to make a u-turn to be on the side of the divided road that led to Fabiola's street and upon passing the scene (this time on Fabiola and Patricia's side of the van) I sat up and looked out to see what had happened and there in the middle of the road a man was lying, shot to death. His entire body was visible except for his face which was covered by a handkerchief or a cloth of some sort. There was a very large pool of blood around his head and people were snapping photos of the gruesome scene. Though I was absolutely jolted by what I had just seen, it was much more disturbing to see that Fabiola and Patricia didn't react. Neither of them flinched. Fabiola didn't yell out. Patricia didn't rush to cover her eyes. Death and violence are such a normal part of their lives - it seemed as typical as it is for us to see someone walking a dog or jogging in the park. It was beyond difficult to know that I would be saying goodbye and leaving them to this depraved life. My heart was so heavy and I turned away from them to look out the window and hide the tears that quietly streamed down my cheeks.
Goodbye came sooner than I wanted, of course. It's amazing to have only spent one day with Fabiola and Patricia but to feel such sadness upon parting. All of us cried now. Tears also require no translation. I hugged Patricia and she thanked me and told me that she loves me so much. I then had to say goodbye to Fabiola and it broke my heart. I held her close and cried, telling her that I love her and will think about her and pray for her everyday. She told me she loves me too and that she can't wait to see me again! I kissed her forehead and she wiped a tear from my cheek and said, "hasta luego" which means "see you later", not "goodbye".
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