Last week, I said goodbye to one hundred little pairs of eyes. For seven days, I and eight other North Americans had lived among the children of El Hogar, a school and orphanage in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. This organization seeks to offer hope and love for children of need in a Christian environment. Before I arrived, I couldn’t quite conceive of the adventures to come. But as soon as I stepped off the airplane, one thing was apparent: In boundless ways, I was coming from a different world than these children knew. The boys and girls I met are the poorest of the poor within their country. Many of their homes of origin lack running water, electricity, and the other niceties that I associate with my own home. Before coming to El Hogar, they didn’t have 3 meals a day. They also lacked sufficient health care and resources for proper hygiene.  As I discovered these facts, I knew that my own background did not match the lives I was encountering.  On top of this, I didn’t speak the same language or share the same cultural practices as the children. I wondered how I would be able to understand their needs and extend a bit of God’s love over the course of my visit. 

 

As the week began, my fears about relating with the children eased. I soon realized that the discourse of play is universal. If I, or another one of my teammates, brought out a soccer ball, we instantly had twenty eager friends. Through games of Twister and Memory, I learned new words, shared fun, and gained a bit more of the children’s trust. But the week was filled with more than just recreation. There was work to do and new things to learn. Each morning, I joined the children in reading class, where I took my turn pronouncing Spanish words, most of which the children had to correct me on. Later in the day, while the children continued their studies, I boarded a van to the school’s agricultural campus, where I helped begin construction on a fishpond. At the end of the afternoon, I returned to the primary school, where I sought out one of the children needing special attention. In my rudimentary way, I asked about the child’s day and expressed concern and care using techniques that would convey meaning to a ten-year-old. As the week progressed, I kept recalling a saying attributed to St. Francis of Assisi: “Preach the Gospel at all times; use words if necessary.” I hoped St. Francis was right – that the kingdom of God would be seen in my actions – but I still had a nagging question in the back of my mind: Did my brief time in Honduras really matter, and if it did, what was I to make of it in light of the kingdom of God? 

 

I’m not sure that I will ever really know the full impact or significance of our team’s time in Honduras. A few signs that I witnessed—the farewell tears of one little boy and the lingering hugs of several others—confirmed that we had connected with at least a few of the children. But in some specific ways, I know that the trip was important, not only for those that we visited, but also for those on my team. By visiting El Hogar, our team was able to deliver supplies to the staff so that they can sustain and continue the ministry to Honduran children in need. The children themselves had a chance to interact with a tangible person who could show them love and offer them prayers. Our team, aware of God’s heart for these children, had a chance to respond in specific ways, offering some of our God-given gifts so that others can flourish. Now that we are back in the United States, others in our parish are asking about ways to help, and so the means for expanding care for God’s little ones are growing through further support and prayers. But in more ways than one can count, we received blessings too. Perhaps more than anything, we received a glimpse of the kingdom of God in the faces of the children whom God has touched at El Hogar. We came to know, at our very core, that God sees and responds to the needs of real people, some of whom did not know God, but who are now learning of Him. So as I return home, I think of those one hundred little pairs of eyes who are living at El Hogar. And I pray that in every way – through word and deed –the kingdom of God would expand to them and to those in the un-reached places who are precious beyond words to God.