After two and a half great (but quick!) weeks in California, we find ourselves back in Siguatepeque, enjoying all the Christmas decorations that sprung up while we were gone. Our time in California was wonderful. We were able to spend quality time catching up with family and friends, and enjoy the blessing of living in our country.
As we readjust to life and schedules here, we are realizing how very quickly our last few months are going to go by. We find this early realization helpful in centering our focus on our work for the time that remains. In November we are looking forward to various activities…
We arrived just in time for one more class in the elementary school, to say goodbye to the kids as their school year ended last week. Kristy made the kids a treat from the states (brownies) that were not very attractive looking—due to pan greasing problems—but the kids loved them.
Jonathan is getting his schedule back in order with countless music lessons and meetings with the worship team at church. He will be very busy with the group in the next two months, planning end of year services and activities. Our church here traditionally does not celebrate the liturgical season Advent, nor a Christmas Eve service. Jonathan has worked together with the worship team and other church leaders to design and develop Advent services culminating in a special service for Christmas Eve. Also, he just started a teaching series on preaching (Sat. evenings) with the several people that preach at our church.
We will be busy for the rest of this month into the next helping plan for the church’s traditional Christmas dinner, graduate recognitions, closing program for Sunday School and end of the year fair for the Sunday school children where they spend points (earned for attendance and Bible memorization) on games and buying snacks.
We brought back some key ingredients to help with a Thanksgiving dinner (i.e. gravy, stuffing mix, etc.), only to find the local grocery store had set up a Thanksgiving table with most of the things the “gringos” in the area would be looking for to make Thanksgiving dinner. We shared the tradition with the group of 10 Hondurans that comprise the worship team at church. The experience was meaningful, particularly for us.
As we sat down to eat we encouraged all to share “something” for which they could give thanks to God. Each person went on to share for 5-10 minutes. We did not expect the depth of expression and faith that poured out as we shared the Turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes.
We do not highlight this to suggest that we are happy that our grand American tradition was meaningful for a bunch of Hondurans. Rather, we found them to be exemplary. They seemed to have more desire to give thanks—filled with depth and breadth—in this spur of the moment then we usually do knowing what the holiday represents well in advance. They may lack many things that we in the United States of America may have. One of them is not thanksgiving.
We are thankful for the opportunities that the next three months will present and are eager to see how God will work in our lives as well as Hondurans’ lives as we partner together in ministry. Click here to see pictures from the past few weeks.
