A lot of people lately have probably been asking the question, “Why is Honduras important?” There is a political situation going on there that has peaked the interest of many people (while others are oblivious to it). I want to ignore the political situation for the moment and consider why Honduras is important to Christians.
There are over a thousand people who go to Honduras each summer to be involved in mission trips of one kind or another. Of these, several are leaving the USA for the first time ever. Let's look at why Honduras is important to them.
For many, this is their first taste of mission work of any kind. The neat thing about Honduras is that it has the advantage of being close to home (just a two hour flight from Miami or Ft. Worth). There is a variety of things one can do there – visit the orphans, feed the hungry, clothe the needy, build houses, work with medical missions, build school rooms or church buildings, even build a bridge across a creek. There are opportunities to evangelize or just invite people to Bible studies. There is no better way to learn what mission work is all about than to go do it. Once they have gotten a taste, some will decide to prepare themselves as missionaries, likely to some other place than Honduras. Others will become life-long supporters of missions, perhaps even to the point that they understand that this is their reason to be successful in their occupation – not to gain things of this world, but to share their blessings with others with the goal of one day seeing them in heaven.
Most will return to the USA with the additional realization that there are people in need here as well and will encourage their own congregation to be more involved in benevolence with the goal of teaching the gospel to those same people. All these benefits come because they got their first taste of fulfilling James admonition, “religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” (James 1:27 ESV)
Another reason Honduras is important to Christians is because it is often the first time a Christian gets his or her first taste of true fellowship. By this I mean that it is the first time they worship and work side by side and day after day with a group of like-minded Christians. These other Christians aren't exactly like them either. They are from different states and different sized congregations. Some are from rural areas and some are urbanites. Some are even from Texas (I love giving Texans a hard time). I believe it is one of the best things we can do for the community of God – bring people from all over the USA and throw them together into a melting pot of mission work. They begin to appreciate one another more and realize that we are all in this together – trying to make the world a better place and win others to Christ.
Honduras is important because it is for many the first place they will see true poverty. I've heard that some teens have gotten off the bus on their first day out and just started crying. For the first time in their lives they saw how much of the rest of the world lives – in poverty. They see how eager people are to get a used set of clothes or a bag filled with a week's worth of food. They watch as children eat a meal prepared for them at one of our feeding centers and realize it may be the only healthy meal those children will receive that day. They see the smiles on the faces of the children at Casa de Esperanza and understand what a difference can be made in the lives of children born in poverty. And it changes them. Many return to the USA with a greater appreciation for what they have – a home, regular meals, a closet full of clothes. Believe it or not sometimes they even return with a greater appreciation for their parents – and you thought miracles had ceased!
Honduras is important. Pray for her. Pray for every person who lives there. Encourage more to visit and, if possible, go yourself. It might even change you.
Well spoken, Lowell! Honduras is the best training site for anyone wanting to learn mission work. Missionwork 101 we might say.
Posted by: Russ McCullough | 08/06/2009 at 11:38 AM