My Journey with Compassion Honduras – Child Visit Day 1

I left for Honduras on May 14, 2014, a short six weeks after having returned from visiting my sponsored kids in the Dominican Republic. I wasn’t sure how my heart was going to react, as I had not quite yet finished processing the emotions from my DR trip! I prayed that God would stretch the walls of my heart to allow me to fully experience the emotion of meeting my Honduran kids.

Would I be able to handle it so soon after meeting my DR kids? I asked myself. But I was quickly preoccupied with my luggage staying behind at the San Salvador airport while I was flying to Honduras. Would it arrive in time for me to sort all the gifts I had brought for my kids? I couldn’t even imagine showing up at my first child visit day with no gifts in hand! But then I realized that God had everything under control (as He always does!). He knew the desire of my heart to bless my children, so when we returned to the Tegucigalpa airport on May 15^th, my luggage was there waiting for me, having arrived from El Salvador on a morning flight! Thursday evening was busily spent sorting all the gifts into their respective back packs – what a relief that was!

When I woke up on the morning of May 16^th, my first child visit day in Honduras, I found myself just as excited as I was in the DR on child visit day! The word I chose to describe my experience in the DR was “indescribable” and it was that much, and more, in Honduras. My chosen word for my Honduras trip was “unforgettable” – I will never forget the precious moments shared with each of my 7 (and soon to be 8) Honduran children, each experience being unique in its own special way.

Friday, May 16^th began when my wonderful Compassion host Scarlett Martinez picked me up at my friends’ home where I was staying for my first 9 days in Honduras. We first headed to Compassion project HO204 in northern Tegucigalpa to meet 10 year old Anderson (who shares the same birthday as my father). He was a bit on the quiet side, but that didn’t stop him from giving me a big welcome hug when he saw me! His mom Belkis was also there to meet me! I was taken on a tour of his project, met the project director Sonia, all the project tutors and was shown his child information file by his tutor Sueanne.

 We then headed to his home, where I met his sister Jancy and his cousin (and best friend) Jafet. We exchanged gifts and took LOTS of photos together. His eyes lit up when he saw the World Cup soccer ball I had brought for him!

We then all loaded into the van (me, Anderson, his mom and his tutor) and headed to nearby project HO203 where my 12 year old daughter Faviana was anxiously waiting for me! She was the most sweet, tenderhearted young girl I have met in a long time! 

            She became very emotional when she gave me her beautiful handmade gifts, then we had a tour of her project and met Dr. Carlos Alvarez, the project pastor and medical doctor, an anointed man of God who has grown his church from 50 people 12 years ago to a current membership of 6,000 members spread out over a network of home cell churches! To say I was inspired after speaking with him was an understatement, to say the least!

            We then headed to Faviana’s home, where she lives with her younger sister Sofia and her cousin Gabriela, under the loving supervision of her grandma Reina Isabel, a Godly woman who has raised these three girls most of their lives! I sensed that I have become a mother figure to Faviana as her own mom has had nothing to do with her since she was a small child; it broke my heart to hear this.

            She was thrilled with the gifts I had brought for her and we had many moments to share special words with each other, sprinkled with lots of hugs! As we did at Anderson’s home, we all prayed together with the family, and upon leaving, I was thrilled to meet her great-grandparents Jesus and Eva.

It was time to all pile back into the van, adding Faviana, her grandma Reina Isabel and project HO203 sponsorship coordinator Lidia to the mix. We headed to City Mall for an afternoon full of food, games and lots of fun!!!

We first ate lunch at the food court then headed over to the games arcade! Did we ever have a lot of fun that afternoon, especially on the bumper cars! We followed that with me treating everyone to delicious ice cream, before heading back to drop the kids off at their projects.

 We dropped off Anderson first, and I had the honour of meeting HO204 project pastor Roger Rivera and his lovely wife Carla. Anderson and I must have given each other a least a half dozen “final” hugs!

It was then time to head back to Faviana’s project. She was completely overcome with emotion saying goodbye to me, and I spent quite a long time comforting her. I told her I would carry her in my heart always and that I would return one day to see her again. Her spirits lifted after hearing me say that!

Child visit day #1 was over much too quickly, but my wonderful Compassion host Scarlett had captured so many precious, unforgettable moments acting as my photographer.

I was very grateful to her for her labour of love and was able to relive all these moments in the evening, looking forward with excited anticipation to the following Monday’s child visit day #2 with Eduar Caleb and Emely!

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If you would like more information on child sponsorship and/or how you can be an agent of positive change in the life of one of these precious children of God, please email me at:  judy_8494@hotmail.com or click on this link à http://www.compassion.ca/advocate/judymyers.