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Published: October 13th 2008
Wow! OK ... time has FLOWN by. It's hard to believe I've already been back in the states for 7 WEEKS! Part of me feels like Honduras was in a completely different life ... but another part feels as if I could wake up tomorrow and be back in the mountains of Copan or La Joya and feel just as at home as ever! The life changes God brings about are really incredible.
SO! Here's a bit of a recap and catch-up for my final weeks in Honduras ...
During my stay in La Joya we had 2 mission teams from the States come down. One was medical and construction, the other was construction and whatever else needed to be done to keep us all busy. 😊
I did a bit of help with the medical team, checking blood pressure, giving parasite medicine, a bit of translating . .. I also painted, mixed cement, worked on a fence, and helped with an inventory of the clinic's medicine.
It's always a special time being with teams. I love to share the closeness and the struggles and blessings and growth. There's also crazy times, fights over fruit-roll-ups, bunk-bed super man jumps, riding in the back of pick-ups for a 3 hour drive, bus break-downs, maple leaf stories, spanglish Bible lessons, swing dancing, and lots of picture taking! It's special to be able to bond so closely in such a short amount of time and it's always hard and sad to say Good-Bye. But lives were changed, spirits grew and God uses these times to push us forward.
After the second team left I had a blessed couple days to relax at La Joya and "catch up with myself" before heading to Copan for my final good-byes. My new, dear friends in La Joya kept telling me, "Don't go! Stay longer!" Oh how I wanted to!!!! Several times I was tempted just to change (or even cancel) my ticket back to the states! But God had a reason and purpose for me to return when I did. So the best I could do was tell everyone I wanted to come back as soon as God would let me!
My two guardian angels, Joel and Daniela, went with me to Copan. It's an 11 hour trip on 3 different buses. We were able to make it all in one day. It was exciting to be back in Copan after my several week absence. The three of us stayed with my host family in my "old room", which was waiting for me just as I had left it.
My host family was so happy to see me! It was wonderful to be with them that last weekend! Aura's meals and tortillas were better than ever! Sunday morning we made a hike to the family's corn fields, about an hour away, to bring bags of ears of corn back. Marvin, Joel, Daniela and I stopped at the Copan River on the way back for a swim. I LOVE HONDURAS!!!!!
Sunday night they had a special good-bye service for me at church. That touched my heart! A few people shared memories or verses of encouragement. I also had a chance to share with them about how special my last year and a half had been with them, how they were in my heart forever, and how much I would miss them all. Then the children gathered around me as Pastor Nahun prayed. I hadn't realized until that moment how absolutely I loved the people there. I hadn't realized how deeply I cared for them and how special they were in my heart. I mean ... I just didn't want to leave them! And then Pastor Nahun, my host dad, told the story of how they almost told the missionaries "No" before I came, that they wouldn't have me stay with them. When I heard that I couldn't help but cry! It had been such a GOD-THING that they had even agreed to me staying with them!
So with tears running down all our cheeks, we continued the night with delicious mexican taxos (the ones I had for my 24th birthday last year). AMAZING!!!
The weekend wasn't all sad though. I had a lot of fun playing tour guide for Joel and Daniela, who had never been to the town before. We went to the Mayan Ruins and I explained the history, etc. what everything was ... he he he. I also took them to some of my favorite restaurants, and the Bird Park ... we went to a birthday party, and visited a church in Santa Rita, a nearby town.
ALSO in Santa Rita we got to meet up with a friend of mine, Anna, who is working at a bilingual school there for the next year! I put her in touch with the director there and she came down in August, just a few weeks before I left. It was wonderful to see her for a couple days, although I wish I could have been with her longer!
Monday morning I woke up thinking it was my last day in Honduras. Joel, Daniela and I would be leaving on the 2 pm bus for San Pedro and I'd fly out late that night. I was looking at all I had to pack and do and thought, "If I just had one more day ...."
SURPRISE!!! I found out that my flight had been canceled and I would have to leave the NEXT day!!! How incredibly amazing is our God??? It was such a huge "I love you" gift from Him!
So the three of us got one more day together, I got to pack nearly "stress-free", my host brother and sister got to go to the stream with me one more time, I got to say my good-byes at school ... It was so lovely!
My guardian angels went with me all the way to the airport where we had our last Honduran meal of tacos, took goofy pictures and just enjoyed each other. Because it was so late they left a few hours before I took off. It was the first time I'd been traveling "alone" since leaving Copan to go to La Joya back in July.
Waiting to board it became more clear to me that I was really leaving Honduras and going back to the states. There were some "gringos" traveling in a group. To be honest, they really did seem foreign to me. They were all talking English, they were really white and really tall and laughing about stuff that I didn't seem to get. So I sat closer to the Latinos and felt better. 😊
God gave me a gift and I sat next to Hondurans on the flight. Even though I slept and we didn't talk much, it was just nice to know they were there.
I made it to Detroit, no problems in costumes or with luggage (PRAISE GOD!). I had a little bit to sit outside before Angel picked me up. It was a nice transition time and I used it to read my Spanish Bible and re-read the cards Joel and Daniela had made and given me before I left.
It was wonderful to have Angel pick me up and drive me back to the family farm in Lawton. Although I was completely exhausted, the two of us chatted non-stop on the way. I quickly realized just how much of a transition I was in for. The two of us stopped to get something to eat and all I wanted was BALEADAS! Nothing American was even appetizing to me. During our trip we decided to pray for someone we had been talking about and half way through my prayer I switched from English to Spanish! It was just easier to express what I wanted to in Spanish!
The next two week were especially "challenging" as I adjusted to life back in the States. My Spanish CDs became all I listened to. I was only writing Spanish in my journal. Reading my Spanish Bible. And how odd that everything I had been looking forward to back in June (home food, my car, English radio ...) just didn't hit the spot. "I miss Honduras ... I miss my friends back there ... Why am I even back here?"
It took a bit, but God soon nudged my heart and mind back to Detroit and what He has waiting for me there! THAT has made me incredibly excited!!!
I'm still using Spanish as I keep in touch with Joel and Daniela through e-mail, Facebook and Skype. They say it's not "that bad" yet. 😊 I'm hoping and praying that I'll be able to take a visit trip back to Honduras early next year!!!!! Whatever God has planned, the country and people are deep in my heart and I know that He will allow me to return and see everyone sometime in the future!!!
Thank you to all who have prayed, supported and encouraged me during my time in Honduras!!! God stretched, challenged, and grew me so much! And I know the LIFE-ADVENTURE has only just begun!
Psalm 66:10-12
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Ben
non-member comment
Hola April
Hola April, muchacha gracias por actualizar tu blog, I did really miss your last entry I usually open the entries in the Central America tab, y tu blog estaba bajo la viñeta de Norte America. So I miss your open house at the church. However I hope this is not the last time you type something for your readers. Te deseo la mejor suerte de el mundo en todas tus actividades. Me puedes escribir en caso que quieras conversar en Español. Adios