God is Strength in Our Weakness

I will admit, these last couple of weeks at the language school have been really tough. I want to back in Comayagua serving, but this is where God has me right now. It is sometimes hard to enter into the lives of the people because life is complicated and so often difficult. I just want to be able to change the situations I see, but I can´t. It is a great frustation to me and a cross that I will carry during my time here: knowing how much my fellow human beings suffer and being powerless to change the structures and situations that have caused that. I guess, as Christians, we put our hope in God that He can still work in this broken world and can, as St. Paul says, use our weaknesses and make them into strengths. What I can do is humbly let the Lord guide me as I walk with the people here for a short time and pray that He will use me as an instrument of His love, even if I am unaware.

A Land of Contrasts

Once again, hello from Guatemala. There isn't much new to report. Basically, I am just going to class and trying to master Spanish. It's funny, the more I learn, the more complicated it seems.

Something that has really struck me since I arrived is seeing how Central America is such a land of contrasts. You see the best and the worst of humanity, the super rich and the destitute, hope and despair, good and evil side-by-side. In a first world country there are a lot more gray areas that we have created. I am still not sure how to reconcile some of these contrasting realities, but a friends of mine once told me to love the questions themselves. And someday, God will show me how all these pieces fit together.

Three Countries in Three Days

These last couple of days have been an absolute whirlwind. I arrived in Honduras, had only one day in Comayagua, rode the bus to Antigua and started classes the next day. I´ll start at the beginning.

The flights went well. God is good and everything worked out despite the strangely long lines at SeaTac and the tropical storm that was supposed to hit the northern coast of Honduras that morning.

Arriving was a little overwhelming. I couldn´t help thinking what have I gotten myself into? But was we drove north I began to see again the beauty of Honduras, both natural and in the people. Being welcomed back into the community was wonderful. I jumped right back into the life there.

Then I caught the bus bright and early to begin the fourteen hour bus ride to Antigua. It was long, but uneventful. It is really, really strange to see Central America through the eyes of a tour bus window. I looks very different than when you have to walk the dusty streets and enter into the lives of the people.

Now I am residing in Antigua, Guatemala with a wonderful women named Doña Hilda. She rents out several rooms to foreigners working or studying here. So far I really like Antigua. It is a tourist destination, which again is weird, but that means it is pretty safe, especially during the day. I appreciate being able to walk around by myself. I have been doing some exploring, trying to get a handle on the basic layout. Antigua is quite pretty, surrounded by mountains and two volcanoes. (Don´t worry mom, they have never threatened the city.) Antigua is an old colonial city so there are cobblestone streets with old buildings close together on either side.

I also started class. My teacher is great. I know that I need to study Spanish to be able to serve so I will offer that sacrifice to God and try to study hard.

Nearly There

This is my last day at home. I am just packing up my stuff and getting ready to leave tonight. Yes, I am a little nervous. But I feel so blest. I have been longing to return to Honduras for two years since God has placed this seed in my heart and now He has called me to (finally) return. I hope that while I am in Honduras I will be given the grace to truly serve, without thought of what I might get out of it. There is so much brokenness in Honduras and a difficult reality of life that often remains hidden from day-to-day life in a first world country. It will be difficult to return to. But there is also so much joy; I have never seen true joy and beauty like in the villages of Honduras.

Well, I guess next time I write I will be in Honduras or Guatemala for language school. I wish everyone back home the best. You will all remain in my prayers.

Gracias

The title of this post says it all. Thank you so much to everyone who helped me get to this point. Thank you for your financial support, without which I could not be going to Honduras. The generosity of everyone, including the anonymous donor, inspires me.

Update on the Preparations

I just wanted to post an update since it has been a while. (Sorry!) Mostly I have just been trying to tie up loose ends in the logistics department. There are so many little things to do that it has sometimes been difficult to focus of the much more important spiritual preparation. St. Paul says to do everything we do for the glory of God, but, though the Lord is slowly teaching me, I still don't quite understand this.

I am excited to go though. I've noticed myself imagining what things are going to be like in Honduras based on my experience last time. I need to stop doing that because this time will undoubtedly be different. God will have different things for me to do and different things to teach me. I must be open to the directions of the Holy Spirit.

I'll leave with a quote from the Conference of Latin American Bishops, as quoted in Redemptoris Missio:

The best service we can offer to our bother is evangelization, which helps him to live and act as a son of God, sets him free from injustices and assists his overall development.

Patience

Right now I am in a period of preparation and formation. While I know how important that is, I think God is teaching me patience! It seems so unreal that I am actually returning, but I just want to go already!