Iglesia Central Menonita/ Frazer Mennonite Partnership Trip

Despite the fact that we arrived back to the States from Honduras two weeks ago, I can recall our trip as if it was just yesterday. The noises, smells, sights and tastes required my constant attention, and while taking in countryside, climate and so many fascinating and beautiful faces, I had to constantly be recalling myself back to the business at hand: interpreting the conversations of Meredith, Brenda, and Kathleen (and occasionally John’s, when he was tiredJ). Interpreting is constant talk and requires brain gymnastics: one person talks in English, I say the same thing in Spanish, the other person replies in Spanish and I repeat that in English, making grammar, syntax, and cultural adjustments.  I love it!

Besides knowing that my main responsibility was interpreting and being vastly excited at spending time in Latin America, I had no idea what to expect from our trip. Thursday evening when we arrived, I began to get a feel of how Honduras “worked”(so different from PA and Chile), and Friday, while enduring the heat and tiredness residual from our travels, the excitement shown by certain individuals who received us began to be contagious. While we had the purpose of creating these family connections, we were uncertain as to how the whole process would proceed but as we shared our purpose, the table where we had set up our banner of pictures and the Frazer church directory was thronged Friday evening. Iglesia Central members rapidly and enthusiastically investigated and claimed their Frazer counterparts. It was beautiful to feel so wanted and valued.

As we were introduced to the church family over the length of our stay, one of the most special things was to witness the Honduran Mennonite church as a different reflection of the body of Christ in another part of the world. Their desire to relate to us in what they are involved in was evident and we were generously shown the different outreaches in which members are involved. They range from outreach to the Garifuna people group of Honduras, to the Peace and Justice programs serving the poor, HIV positive, and imprisoned across the country, to the small group of young people who are faithfully spending time with the children in the garbage dump of Los Laureles.  As I spoke with Juanita, Elizabeth, and Maureen, who are involved in the above respectively, passion and dedication was evident in their eyes, language and testimony. God is at work in La Ceiba through these passionate women.

     Meredith and I stayed with a family who comes from the same town as Juanita. Ismael and Isidora are also Garifuna and one of the most interesting couples I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. While Isidora was paralyzed by chronic fatigue and Lupus for over twenty years, Ismael ran his accounting business while tending her, cooking, and raising a young family. By the grace of God, Isidora is recovering, picking up her needlework and regularly exercising in morning. Ismael emerged from his years as Mr. Mom as a phenomenal cook. We had a series of lovely mornings with them over breakfast, hearing about their lives and daughter in Kentucky, watching a couple who remains lovingly attached despite enormous challenges.

    I soon felt as one of the young people of Iglesia Central. By speaking Spanish with a good Chilean accent and having knowledge of the inner-workings of Latin culture, I was a shoo-in to be included in the throng of the young women. Maureen, pastor Azucena’s niece, was very keen on including me in their group. When we were at the beach after the baptism Sunday she called me from my napping place under a tree to come join them in clambering on the boys’ shoulders to create three-person-high pyramids in the waves. Later, when I mentioned the beauty of being included, she replied, “I wondered how I would feel as a foreigner and asked myself, ‘What does love look like?’” In this way, and so many others, the partnership trip was a blessed gift to me.