Well, it has now been about a week since I have entered Honduras, and four if you include the travel time. There is so much to absorb that I am losing track of how long I have actually been here. I have met so many people, learned some very new words, and am attempting to foray into the thinking of the Honduran culture. Most importantly I have seen and felt God’s care for me, His child – teaching me more about who He is and just how much I can trust Him.
So the story on traveling. Not even out of Toronto airport, and already God is showing His guiding hand. The customs lines for entering the United States (I had an eight hour stopover in Houston, Texas) were enormous and as timed ticked the lines were not moving. At this rate, I was going to miss my flight. I was standing in line and the plane was already boarding. Noel, a fellow Canadian and Siguatepeque Bilingual School teacher was also planning to be on the same flight, and we had agreed to try and meet at the airport. So, using guitars as the markers, we eyed each other across the lines and introduced ourselves. God was in the timing of that meeting because, as he was quite a bit ahead of me, I passed under a few ropes to join him so that I would not miss the flight. As it was, I ended up being the last person on the plane – the gate was closed/closing as I ran up. If I had not jumped ahead I would have missed it for sure. So, obviously God wanted me to be here.
Houston International Airport: Jonah’s Whale
I was extremely homesick in the eight hours we waited, buried in a corner. I really wanted to find a flight home. But I knew that God wanted me in Honduras, and that I had the support of so many people behind me, that I had to give it a try.
We boarded the flight for San Pedro Sula, Honduras, and within just over two hours we landed. (After about 19 hours en route). We got our baggage of the cart and headed through customs, where, in my great brilliance, I left behind my carry on bag with my LAPTOP (with notes for classes, Skype, my music, and whatever have you), Bible, worship music, and visa papers. (Yep, folks, pretty much my most important piece of baggage.) I did not realize this until we got to the hotel. We turned around to go back, but in Honduras, the airport is not open 24 hours, so customs was closed. Sylvia (the ‘school director’) and her father had met us at the airport, and they were quite worried, because she was not sure how honest people would be. Needless to say, I did not sleep much that night. However, many people’s prayers were heard and when we returned early the next morning the suitcase was there with everything! Praise God!
Some people might consider these things to be of minute importance in the scheme of things, but to me they speak of God’s hand in my life at every moment. And I continue to see His mercy and care every hour. I have an excitement for being here that I did not even imagine I would have. The best way for me to sum up my experience so far is found in Eph. 3 – I am starting to “comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height – to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge: that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” For those of you praying for me – I have felt your prayers transform my homesickness into peace, and my insecurity into trust in God. Thank you my prayer warriors – please keep interceding!
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