Jen Katzfey

The bulletin last week had an announcement about the political situation in Honduras and other Latin American countries.  Having just left Honduras, we got to see firsthand the effects of the gangs and violence. We met a young man now 21, who at age 14 was being trained to be a hit man for a gang. At 14, he was carrying a gun and was also training in the martial arts. Our in-country partner with Soles4Souls, Raul, an MMA fighter himself and gym owner, agreed to train him if he gave up this life on the street.  He gave up the gangs and now is an incredible success story.  Next month, he will be fighting for the Latin American belt in MMA.  We met a few others from this program, and became very attached to them, particularly young “Sammie,” who at 11 years old had seen a life of poverty and starvation until he was taken in by Raul at age 9. He described the joy of his 101 birthday, where he had a party at the gym. A gym where the values of Mind, Body, and Soul are taught.

Each location we visited, the church, the gas station, the restaurants, were all walled or fenced, with armed guards at their entrances.

But what struck me the most during our visit was the Malnutrition Center in El Progresso, which is supported by the Catholic Church. A place where hospitals send children in dire need to be rehabilitated, often to be reunited with their families.  The children there, including a 9 month-old girl, arrived weighing just 2.2 lbs. At this place, we also met Carlos, age 15. At 13, he was a typical kid,playing soccer and sports with his friends.  When we met him, he was in a wheelchair, he couldn’t  speak. He was completely there mentally, but he could not speak or walk or leave the chair. When he arrived at the center, he was completely malnourished and had been badly abused by his father after his mother left.    He had a tracheotomy as well as colostomy bag. He had many broken bones, which were all visible under his skin. Meeting Carlos was a very powerful experience for our whole team.

Carlos could communicate with gestures and told our missionaries he wanted to take a walk.  With the help of Raul’s team, they took a short walk. While on the way,Carlos eagerly pointed to a store.  “Do you want to go in there?” they asked. He eagerly shook his head. Once inside, he pointed to a bottle  of soda. They asked him which flavor he liked and bought him a soda. Carlos beamed with excitement.

Raul told the students who went with Carlos that it was probably the best day of his life- hanging out with kids his age and enjoying a soda. The gift for our students to be able to give someone the best day of their life- priceless.

Being a missionary isn’t about what you can do or give. It’s about seeing God at work in all the places we travel, near and far. It’s about encountering Jesus’ compassion and transformative  power.  Thank you for allowing the hearts and minds of our missionaries to be transformed through this incredible experience with Soles4Souls. Without your generosity, it would not be possible.

Jen Katzfey