Rainy season is upon us, here in Honduras. I have so enjoyed being lulled to sleep, almost every night for weeks, by the rain. Since there are only two seasons in Honduras, wet and dry, I think I like the wet better. I've always been a sun baby, so Honduras pretty much fits the bill, in rainy season or dry, EXCEPT it's too hot to be in the sun here! I never thought I'd hear myself say those words, but it's true. I get plenty of sun just walking to my class every day or to the playground with the kids or to the little snack stand. That's it, that's enough. Maybe I'm just getting old. Ha
I can't even begin to describe all the things I have encountered here so far with much more planned ahead. There have been many tough times, but the rewards have far outweighed the rocky times.
Some things were strictly out of my hands too, like having to take a taxi from the bus station, after dark, and alone, in the most dangerous city in the world, San Pedro Sula, to visit friends, but I never doubted for one moment God wasn't there right with me. Or, being stranded at the bus station on my return trip back to Tegucigalpa, for 4 hours! I just thank God I can understand and speak the language or I would have certainly panicked in both instances. I'm told, even taking a bus here at night, isn't wise, but what do you do when the bus you were suppose to be on breaks down? Even so, I arrived safe and sound at almost 11:00 pm at night. God is good!
I've had a chance to be on live national radio programs which lasted one hour without breaks or intermissions in which I had a blast! I could see myself doing that many times over, and it looks like I just might. I've enjoyed preaching, which was televised, enjoyed traveling to different states in Honduras(departments they are called), enjoyed ladies meetings, teaching leaders, painting, ministering one on one(my personal fav), speaking in the prison, being involved in a huge crusade in El Salvador(more on this later), going to the beach(in El Salvador), doing medical brigades in the mountains to the very poor, going to a fair, and most of all, making lasting friendships and becoming a Honduran resident! Yes, I am now a Honduran resident. Having to go to immigration every 3 months, and then leaving the country after 4 months, has not been really exciting. Now, I don't have to do that! The things i haven't really enjoyed are the things I do every single day, teaching the kindergarden class, starting at 7am every morning, 7 hours a day, 5 days a week. It is a chore. And to explain the difficulties would be an entire other story. Teaching the 2nd through 6 graders was tough, but this is by far tougher. And it's not just the being sneezed on, snotted on, vomited on, tugged on, cried on or trying to understand Spanish from 4-6 year olds either. Those, in fact, or the easy things. But it's so tough, in fact, that no one wants this job. So why do I do it? Because I'm needed, because I'm here because somebody prayed me here, because my heart longs to be used by God and pleasing to him, because my husband and I were in agreement for this mission, because I wanted to learn the language better, and because living among people from a different country for more than 6 months opens your eyes to a whole new understanding of a different culture you can never get or see through short term missions. The Hondurans told me, after 4 months I was no longer a visitor, but, in their words, "this is your country, Aurora(my name in Spanish) we are your people." I've heard this many times in these short 8 months, usually said through tears and/or a smile. The president of the Bible College I am attending here this year, (which is based out of Tulsa), told me, " you are doing what 1 in only 50,000 missionaries will ever do, Dawne. It's fun to go on short term trips, a week or so or more, but it's work to do what you are doing, a sacrificial life. I admire you and commend you." I'd never thought about that really, I just knew I couldn't ignore the tugging in my heart. Everywhere I've been, a piece of my heart has remained. I still stay in close contact with people all over the world, because my physical body just can't remain in all those places I've grown to love. And you know what's weird? I HATE TO FLY! But I put my trust in God, and go, simply because I'd be miserable if I stayed back.
To name the miracles I have seen or been a part of would take way more time than I have right now. To receive the support financially from people I would have never imagined, has been staggering, to have had many prophetic words spoken over me, with some already coming to past, has been uplifting and humbling to say the least. To have experienced, tasted, and loved this nation, for this extended time, is something I will be forever be grateful for, to my God, because He trusted me enough to send me. Fun, no, I can't say it's all been fun, but I wouldn't change anything about it for all the world. My heart is so very full. I truly thank God for my friends who have texted me or FaceTimed me regularly with your encouraging words to see me through (and my husband, of course) and for all those who have wired money to me "just in time." Maybe, somewhere down the road I will write about all my experiences this year. Some are truly life-changing and others truly unbelievable. (But I have to finish my children's book and my novel, first.)
Even though I still have 3 months left, and much more to do, I just can't say how thankful I am to God for hearing my cry, the cries of my heart, things I've never spoken to another human being, that He has answered this year. I feel so incredibly blessed. I didn't ask for anything, but I only really desired one thing to come to past before I returned home this winter and that was to have a "real honeymoon" which I never had 36 years ago and that desire is being fulfilled way more than I could have ever dreamed or hoped for and it's first class too and completely paid for. Yep, I'm smiling.
By nature, I'm a loner. I love being alone, doing things alone. I'm never ever bored, nor do those words ever flow from my mouth that I am bored, because I'm an artist and I ALWAYS have a million things I want to do at one time that I love doing alone. I've heard my Daddy tell me those same words many times, that he could have been a loner, but, at the same time, I know, as well as my father did, that ministering to people, loving people, helping heal the hurts of people, feeding people, listening to the hearts of people is a fulfillment I simply can't achieve alone and it's something I can't live without. There truly is nothing greater than to be loved and to give love. God is pretty smart, after all His Word says, "the greatest of these is Love." Thank you Lord, for hearing my cry, and filling me up with your Love.
