THE JOURNEY: Grace in Honduras

Friday, January 13, 2012

Grace in Honduras

7:34 PM | Posted by suzanne |

WOW! this place is beautiful! We left Nashville this morning with snow on the ground and 20 degrees. We arrived this afternoon in Honduras to banana and coconut trees, sunny skies and 85. The people here are really friendly. Our hotel was the first stop. Second, we ate lunch and headed to Copprome Orphanage. Our accountant with 147 Million Orphans (Rhonda Wicks) is the one that led us to Honduras. She has been coming here for about two years and has completely fallen head over heels in love with this country. While meeting with her about 147 business, she has shared with Gwen and I her heart to care for the children in this orphanage and a village named Mt Olivos. She travels here every 6 weeks. SO, Gwen and I started giving her money to bring and feed the children here. She shared with us the desire to put in a well in this village. OF COURSE, we were ALL over that! Last year, Rhonda worked SO hard and raised money for sponsorships, renovations for the orphanage, chickens/coup, water purifiers to name a few things. We were able to help her fund all of these things through the 147 Million Orphans Foundation. Through the holidays, she was sharing with us all that they have accomplished over the last year and we just had to come see! MillerAnne (#4) has yet to go with us on a missions trip. Elijah (#2) has yet to go with Gwen on a missions trip, it is an easy trip....4 1/2 hours..so here we are!

We took a tour of the orphanage and I was in awe of the cleanliness, the huge yard that they have to play in, & the huge kitchen and dining room. As we walked through the sleeping quarters, my heart ached. The beds were lined up side by side. The children here range from 2-19 years old. In the older boys and girls rooms, they have a cabinet beside each bed for their clothes. The teenagers have hung stuff on their walls, pictures are up of Americans that have come to visit. I thought about all of the teenagers here growing into adults. They have a roof over their heads, a clean place to live, food to eat, bible studies to teach them about Christ..andNO Mom or Dad. You would think that as much as I have been around orphans and traveled to serve and love on them that I would grow immune to the heartache that I feel. IT is such a heavy burden on my heart, as I walk and look into each room, I feel as though I cannot breathe. My heart aches so badly. I truly think that I get a SMALL glimpse of the ache that Christ feels for me on a daily basis. Wen I am at home trying to work for 147 and keep up with life with my family, I feel so overwhelmed some days. I come here and SEE....I cannot help but think "what in the HECK have I got going on in my life that is overwhelming?!?!" We are all healthy and we have each other. NO LONELINESS going on in the Mayernick house! WE are overflowing with love.

I am so thankful that I was able to bring Mike, Grace, Michael, Annabelle, and MillerAnne with me this time. Pray with me. Pray that my children SEE that HE is sufficient. Pray that they see the JOY in these peoples eyes when they have NOTHING. Help us to remember when we go home all of the things that we experienced and that they will stay forever etched in our minds.

Tomorrow we will be going into the village. Rhonda says that she has NEVER seen poverty on this scale. We will be able to see the well that now brings these people clean water.

THANKFUL is an understatement. More to come tomorrow:0)