Honduras Part 3

Everyone on this trip touched me, but there were a few that really tugged on my heart.  The first was a young girl, Stephanie, at House of Hope, where we stayed, that came over the first night holding her infant sister, something very common that I saw.  Stephanie was extremely shy, but I could tell she wanted to be around us and observe.  I said ‘hola’ and she just gave me a shy smile. I asked her name in Spanish and she again just smiled.  So I just sat with them and played with the baby.  Something about Stephanie’s eyes really had me intrigued. Later I learned that she did not speak Spanish, but only Moskito, so one of the orphans asked her name for me in Moskito.  I learned of her horrible life story through the local missionary. This girl has seen and be through a LOT.  She was around one evening during our worship and I was able to motion for her to be on my lap, which I could tell she liked the attention.  I haven’t stopped thinking of her since we left.  I commit to praying for her and her family situation.

The second was Romi.  

At Mama Tara’s there are workers and helpers that aid the 80-something Mama Tara.  One is Romi.  She came to the orphanage with her 4 children because it’s the only way they would be fed, so she works in order for that to happen.  And from what I observed, she works hard.  She cooks, cleans, helped us paint the bars on the windows, she’s still nursing her youngest and has 3 others, while assisting the other 30 something kids there.  She has nothing.  She has been robbed upwards of 3 times of everything and yet still marches on.  The last day I was there I pulled her aside and asked (well motioned) would she like my shoes?  Her face just lit up and she cried.  These were my “old pair”, as I have 2 others at home an as you can see I had a backup, I felt guilty.  She beamed non-stop and repeatedly thanked me.  I hope these shoes supernaturally last many  more miles through her hard efforts.  I will never take my running shoes or any shoes for granted again and I will think and pray for her as I put them on.