My host brother Jonathan has his typical Honduran cofé con pan (coffee and bread) breakfast before leaving for school.
Doris (my host sister on the left) and her friend return from school.
As a way of representiing a conclusion to my service in Gracias-Lepira, Honduras, I will outline the patterns under which church and clinic usually 'operated'--if you want to describe the actions in that way. I'll share a few small observations/lessons from being a participant of the two groups and touch on my transition to Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Oscar, Carmen, Carmen's mom (all rom the Evangelical church), and Ada arrived early for our last recorder choir participation at the Baptist church.
Some more of my 'alumnos'
La Iglesia Bautista Vida Nueva:
As I briefly mentioned after my first week in Gracias, I was initially a bit distracted by the loudness of worship services in the local Baptist church that my host family attended. Within several weeks, my ears were 'attenuated' to the intensity and I began to understand the basic program that the services followed. The agenda is as follows:
-The service coordinator for the week greets the congregation and visitors are pointed out (or self-identify themsleves) and are greeted and welcomed to the service by the congregation.
-There is a welcome song (led by a praise group) that the congregation sings while greeting one another, exchanging hand-shakes and hugs throughout the church.
-The service coordinator leads the congregation in a reading (on which the message focuse) and a prayer
-The stage is then opened to members of the congregation who want to express for what they are especially thankful to God that evening
-Special participations proceed, if any exist (during my attendance these included recorder choir, brigade blessing, baby presentation)
-The praise group leads the congregation in several worship songs
-The service coordinator leads the congregation in a prayer for the offering and people proceed to place their donations to several baskets at the front of the church, continuing to greet each other en route
-Several more worship songs are lead by the praise group, ending with a slower, more meditative song
-The Pastor (or a visitor/youth leader in his absence) offers the evening's message and concluding prayer
-The praise group leads the congregation in a final song after which members freely dismiss or disperse themselves for more greetings
I have admired the simplicity, cheerfulness, and all-engagement of this church's services. Each element seemed to add to represent and celebrate what it means to be part of Christ's family and a disciple of His. The second week, when a speaker mentioned finances as one of the things we must must manage before God (in the light that they are not our own), he cited Matthew 6:23, where Jesus instructs as part of the Sermon on the Mount that people be in peace with their neighbor before bringing their sacrafice to the alter. I had never heard this verse used in the context of financial service in the church but think it beautifully explains how congregtions (and Christians, throughout) are challeneged to be peaceably whole and to represent this harmonious state by contributing into one basket what they can. Likely the same thing can be said for the idea behind communion (although it doesn't seem that they regularly observe this act). I am not sure from where their worship traditions arose, but I have enjoyed getting to know several of the subtle variations in worship style and believe that they are worth learning from.
Staff at the clinic
La Clinica San Lucas
A day at the clinic begins around 7am when the nurses prepare things for the doctors and the cleaning staff members beautify each room. At 7:30am, all staff members gather for a devotional, led by one amidst by turn. After a reflective comments/discussion and a circle of prayer, the clinic begins its daily operations. There is a 12-2pm lunch break and the clinic closes at 4pm, allowing most staff to leave for home by 5pm. I will share several bits from devotionals that have been memorable regarding the ideas of 'connecting the dots' and 'stepping stones.' One morning, we watched the graduation speech delivered in Stanford University by Steve Jobs, where he mentioned needing to connect the dots of seemingly insignificant circumstances in his life to understand his bright and successful moments. During a morning in which we discussed Psalm 19 (one of my favorites), I noticed that the second verse--"Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge"--might suggest that the 'stuff' that we are supposed to take advantage of and gain from every day is as subtle and ever-present as the cycle of day and night and that it is up to us whether or not we 'connect that day's dot' with the previous days' dots or simply live to get one day older. Wondering about my experience in Gracias as a whole, I thought that 'dots' might be better represented as 'stepping stones.' I am convinced that if we have actually connected a moment's 'dot' (whether it represents a day or year), it will inevitably influence the trajectory of the consecutive 'dot,' thus serving as a 'stepping stone' along the journey.
The terrain between Honduras and El Salvador
In transit to Buenos Aires
While I struggled to keep upright for four hours sitting in the middle (as one of three front seat passengers) when we bounced up and down the winding mountanside northwest from Gracias to the airport in San Pedro Sula, I wondered about how differently I was relating to the signs on the road, homes near the road, and people on the sides of the road than I had when I arrived by the same route seven weeks ago. As we ascended from San Pedro Sula and flew accross mountanous terrain to San Salvador, I wondered if I felt any connection to the city of San Pedro Sula, the country of Honduras, or the region of Central America. I found myself persuaded that I might have gotten a taste of several patches of Gracias and could only claim affection for a small part of the small city and a fraction of it's residents. Rather than feeling that I should/could expand my 'conquest'--if that is a useful label--I am satisfied that I was able to find a sense of home (even if superficial) in a land and amidst a people to which I did not initially belong. The experience and process of doing so, applicable to any location, is valuable in itself. As I descended from the dark night sky into Lima, Peru for my connection flight to Buenos Aires, Argentina, I marvelled at the glorious patterns of the citylights that lined the land like sequens on black velvet as far as one could see. For some reason, I associated this scene with the Spanish conquest and Incan Gold. Did this bright scape reflect the wealth of the place? Do I prefer a well-lit city to a neighborhood where the sun sets at 6pm and the electricity regularly fails from 6:15-7:30pm? I wondered like what the Harrisonburg or Dulles Airport (Arlington) nightscape appears from an airplane and what the asthetics suggest about living in the place.
The clouds are so white (reflect at light so well) for being composed of dust and water
I concluded my final week in Gracias with a visit to a small village with the social worker and Dra. Raquel to hold a fluoridization and extraction clinic for a six grade school, presenting a Russian 'lesson-ito' for Pastor Carlos' (clinic director) English class in the local uniiversity, and visiting the town's aguas termrales (hot springs). I am enjoying spending time with my aunt, her husband, and their twin two-year-old boys in the city of Buenos Aires. So far, I can't seem to believe that I am not in Europe. I hope to continue exploring the city over the weekend, to spend time with family, and perhaps make several day-trips into downtown next week. [Wednesday, February 21st (the morning that I arrived), there was a terrible train accident in one of the lines. This makes me remember Honduran tragedies that occured before I left (a jail burned down, killing most of the inmates, and the capital's market also burned, claiming most vendors' investments and livlihood). I am sure I could name more misfortunes if I vigulently watched the news, but it seems that pain and suffering are never far from any human nation or people (for this most personal and most universal experience is the essence of humanity)] Warm, sunny, end-of-summer greetings from Buenos Aires!
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