Honduras Part I – a travelogue of John and Susan Park
by Susan Park, SAMS Associate Missisonary
Our plane leaving Pittsburgh was delayed about half and hour while they de-iced it. When we arrived in San Pedro Sula it was 90º! Talk about extremes!
So much has changed since we lived there. We discovered that now to fill out the customs form, you have to do it with a QR code on your phone. (Cell phones are everywhere now.) We walked right past the posters so the fellow who was helping us, did it with his phone for us. When all eight suitcases and backpacks went through their x-ray machine, they pulled aside the big black one. “What is this?” “It’s a donated used sewing machine. It’s going to a workshop for poor women in the capital to learn a trade. And there’s another one in that suitcase.” And I handed him the letters from the workshops explaining that they were all donations. I was praying that he didn’t want to open the machine case itself as it was stuffed full of thread in all the spare spaces, which would have spilled all over the place. Praise God, they didn’t open any of the others and let us go without having to pay any duty on what we brought in.
Not having gone to bed the night before because the shuttle picked us up at 3 AM, we took naps until dinner time. Bp. Lloyd Allen met us and we got caught up on what has been happening in the diocese and the plans for the workshop that John and he would be teaching with the new deacons and those who are pursuing the permanent diaconate.
Up at 6 the next morning to head to Tegucigalpa the capital where I would see the workshops and drop off the machines and supplies. Bishop Lloyd sent me in a church van with a driver to help with the two suitcases, a sewing machine, and my backpack so that I didn’t have take a bus. About 6 hours later, after trying to follow GPS and getting vaguely lost, we arrived at the Jericho workshop and school where we dropped off the first machine and met Noah (son of former SAMS Missionary Betsy Hake) who introduced us to the women in charge of the workshop. We unpacked the very full, very heavy suitcase with the sewing machine and materials. Noah showed me around the school as well and introduced me to some children from an outreach project they have. Unfortunately, I was not able to meet with Betsy as she was away on a much-needed sabbatical. The Jericho Villa where Betsy lives and has the children’s home and another school is several hours further away out in the countryside, so I was not able to go there. The far photo has some of the items that are for sale made in their workshop.
Then onto LAMB Institute where I would stay with SAMS missionaries, Steve & Debbie Buckner. LAMB was founded almost 25 years ago by former SAMS Missionary Suzy McCall as the Latin American Mission and Bible School to train Hondurans in discipleship and as missionaries. Now the program focuses on children who have been abandoned. The youngest is only 6 months old. When they turn 18, the government regulations state they must move out, so they have established a transition house where they live and help them finish schooling to be able to get a job. Their recent project is a home for those who will not be able to live on their own; 2 children who are blind, 2 with cerebral palsy, and 4 others with mental health and behavioral issues. They also have a school on the campus and another in the village down the road. They have a farm where they raise a lot of their own food, as well as chickens and sheep.
This is Alexi, who was my driver, with the sheep eating sugar cane
The other man with the chickens is Ariel who works the farm.
The children are encouraged to help as well.
Debby unpacking the supplies
Debby was delighted to get the sewing machine and supplies as she teaches all kinds of handcrafts with the girls. You can see the pile of fabric as well as the supplies in the suitcase. It was stuffed full as was the sewing machine case. Steve teaches wood working, helping them learn about tools and how to use them. They have a store that’s in an old school bus. When the crafts are sold, a tithe goes to the church and some money goes to cover the use of the tools or the supplies and some money goes into a savings account for the children which is theirs when they turn 18.
Crosses that the girls made with “diamond dots”
Steve, Debby and me.
As is often the case, there was a misunderstanding. Alexi, my driver, didn’t have family there to stay with. Praise God, Steve knew of a hotel they had used for groups that was close by their house. But it took only cash, so we went in search of an ATM 20 minutes away. The first one kept rejecting my cards, only to find that it was broken. The fellow outside the Municipal building told us where to find another one, which thankfully was just down the road. Success! Back to the hotel to pay for the room, only to find that the owner wasn’t there, only a security guard who didn’t have change for L/.500 bills. So I gave him most of the money, gave more to Alexi and told him to go buy breakfast in the morning so we could break the bill and pay the rest that we owed. Well, Alexi was the only one staying there and the guard wanted to go home, so he just gave Alexi the key to the gate so he could come back in after he left for dinner.
This was a receipt for the money I gave him; a corner torn out of a book.
Saturday morning, Steve took us around and showed us the children, the farm, and the buildings. It is amazing what God has done in such a short period of time. Then we took off back to San Pedro Sula, another 6 hour ride. I was glad to get back to the hotel and rest.
Thank you all for your prayers. The next letter will cover what John is doing.
To learn more about John and Susan Park and their ministry please visit this page.
