March 12, 2010

Day 2

Posted by Ashley

3 comments

So, today was WONDERFUL! We had breakfast this morning at El Sembrador and then we went on a tour of the farm school (we saw the cows-and one had JUST given birth and the calf was still in a ball on the ground! So neat! ). In case we haven’t really described the farm school I’ll tell you a little bit about it. It is truly an amazing ministry. El Sembrador is a boarding school for boys, that was started about 50 years ago. The boys have normal classes in the morning and in the afternoon they work on the farm. In addition to farm work they learn woodcarving and welding skills.

While we were there they were making desks to sell to other schools and some BEAUTIFUL woodcarvings!! We LOVE the idea of this school! It is intended to be self-sufficient so that they can raise enough money by selling their crops and products they produce, which is wonderful. But the greatest aspect in our opinion is that it’s not just missionaries coming and passing out food or even having them work for a while for it; it’s teaching them professions that they can use to earn a living for their lives. It’s like the saying “it’s better to teach them to fish than to give them a fish” or something to that effect, and this saying is truly being put into action!

Okay so after lunch we headed to Manuelito. We rode to Manuelito with a pastor from Tegucigalpa that speaks VERY little English. Because I can speak some Spanish I sat up front with him and we talked the whole way here (about 3.5 hours) in Spanish!! This was the MAJOR confidence boost that I’ve been needing. His name is Jorge-a different Jorge than the one that started Manuelito-and he taught me so much about how to address people and common phrases. He also said that he understood me VERY well so I felt much more confident practicing when we got to Manuelito and we had a great conversation with one of the older kids, David, who is learning English.

I have to admit that I was a little discouraged this morning. As amazing a ministry as El Sembrador is, I never felt a home there and didn’t feel what I was expecting to feel while we were down here. But when we got to Manuelito the dynamic absolutely took a 180. At the farm school the boys were shy around us and it was difficult for us to converse much with them. Within minutes at Manuelito the kids were talking to us and soon after they were hugging us and we were all playing soccer (with beachballs anyway, you have to start somewhere right!?). These kids are what I was expecting; they’re sweet and loving and easy to talk to.

We also met a group from Calvary Christian Church in St Louis, MO that have been coming down here for about 8 years. They actually helped build the initial building, and almost every building since!! Their church sends 3 teams each year and they have been an amazing partner with the Manuelito Project! It’s been so neat to hear about them and how they got involved. Many of them have come down every year since their first trip which really says a lot about how God is touching people with these children and how He’s using them to reach out to the kids, as well.

Okay, I’ll wrap this up, sorry I know it’s long already This morning while I was reading I read this passage that I want to share from Ephesians 2:19-22.
“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. “

This text really touched me. We are no longer foreigners to God, and in His eyes we’re all the same. I was feeling very much like a foreigner this morning and this afternoon/evening I haven’t been feeling that way at all. I just feel like I’m in the center of God’s will for my life; like I fit in because we all have in common the fact that the Holy Spirit lives within us. ¡Que Dios les bendiga!

EDIT: Here is a video of Ashley and Jorge talking in the car about the usage of Ustedes. http://vimeo.com/10129631