Drew: In the beginning of the day we had the privilege of going to p Adolecentes. Our trip there started with us leading them in worship (singing praise and worship songs in Spanish; doing some our concert music; and some gave their testimonies). After that was done, they got to lead us in worship. The lady there had taught the kids praise songs, with motions (AWESOME). To be perfectly honest, I did not know the first few songs, but then were told to hold hands with the people next to us. Then a song that we frequently do in chapel (“From the Inside Out” by Hillsong), and in that moment, I have never felt more close to God. It was almost like He was right in front of me, and all I could do is just break down and try to get out the words and scream them in English while everyone is singing in Spanish. But, here’s the thing, these kids have been through more than I can ever imagine, but the are still somehow able to sing “Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades.” Then, we got to hang out with the kids, which was very fun. I’m not going to forget them, I can’t spell their names, but if you ask me, I’ll be able to tell you their names in a heartbeat. There was an evident language barrier because of my lack of Spanish, but it was amazing because I wrote down a Bible verse, and they don’t speak English, but she recognized the Scripture passage and was able to quote the verse. This, for me, was one of the best parts of the trip.
Ben: El Carmen was probably the saddest place we visited, in my opinion. Granted, all the other centers were sad in their own way, but this one was more so then the others. Going into a place where security guards are armed with large seemingly automatic weapons and all the young men (for that is what they are) are behind bars, causes one to think twice before getting closer. At first we were all terrified with all the girls hiding behind Kyle, but after the first, oh, about 30 minutes or so our fear transitioned into sadness. I went into one of the dormitories with Katie, Mr. Eduardo, and Mrs. Poplin. All the boys lined against the wall as we distributed Coca-Cola. As we asked them their names and ages, repeatedly I heard the number “Diecisiete” (17). Since I’m turning 17 on March 25, I felt a sort of bond with these guys. At that point I realized that the only real differences between myself and the young inmates before me were our location in the world and the level of grace God had granted us. It also dawned on me that if wasn’t for the grace of God in my life, I would be in their position or worse. When we had been at the orphanage for little children, we were sorry for them because they had been abandoned. Despite this they were delighted at our arrival and showed us love as we shared ours. When we had been at Mujeres Adolecentes, we were sad because they had been abused. Yet despite this, they showed the grace of God through their worship and their overall happy attitudes. At El Carmen, though, there was very little evidence of God’s grace that I observed although some did seem to show a grasp of the Gospel, meaning that they were close, we believe, to being saved. The majority of the men though seemed unremorseful. This place needs lots of prayer. The staff needs lots of prayer. But most of all, the youth need prayer, especially for their spiritual condition and their future (both temporarily and eternally).
When we went to the Genesis Center, I got really excited. The place was covered in weeds, the buildings were decaying and cob-webby. As my Dad would say, “It has potential.” From purely an engineering’s perspective I saw that this place could and would look really nice when it was completed. On the following day we had visited Tree of Life. This place was, more or less, a completed version of Genesis. Seeing this showed me even more how much potential Genesis could have and much it could impact the lives of the Honduran orphans. Granted, this is not as important as the spiritual levels of the people we have been dealing with, however, this is a place that will eventually be used for the spreading of the Gospel, so it is also important. I have a love of building things and being constructive. When I saw this place, it made me realize that cleaning up this place would be something I would love to participate in. Though I may never see this place again I may be able to use the ideas I have gained here to promote the Lord’s work in other parts of the world, if it be His will. The Genesis Center truly is a new beginning.
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