The Adventure Begins

            In less than 36 hours, I will be off on a new adventure for about 4.5 months in Honduras. While there are many unknowns, I do have a few details that I know that I can share with you all. I’ll be taking classes in Spanish history, literature, poverty development, music, PE (I think), and Honduran culture with the 21 other students from Calvin. Some of the classes will be taught by Calvin professors. The music and PE classes will be at the local university, so that will be an adventure. I’ll be staying with a host family in Santa Lucia (about 45 minutes northeast from Tegucigalpa). My mamá is Doña Gloria and my papá is Oscar. There are 3 siblings living in the home: Estefany (12), Josué (25), and Osman (34). They speak only Spanish and I am supposed to speak only Spanish for the duration of the trip, so I will hopefully learn very quickly how to communicate well. Otherwise gesturing might become my future for a while. I will be observing at a hospital for half of the semester and volunteering at Teletón, a rehab center, for the other half.

            All right, so that’s most of what I know concretely about my future in Honduras. Well question number 2: how do I feel? Am I scared? Nope, I’m terrified. Staying with a family that I only know by a picture and 4-sentence description, living in a new place without any of the familiar comforts of home, communicating solely in a language that I am far from proficient in, seems just slightly daunting. However, there is also peace and comfort in not really knowing fully. I do not know what to expect, so I can just take everything in like a sponge. I’m sad to leave you all, but I’m excited for the people, culture, food, and geographical location that I will learn to love. I’m excited to experience the lessons that God will teach me—for having the opportunity of fewer distractions and for getting closer to Him.

I believe that I am meant to be in Honduras for this next semester and have been preparing for it. When I was in Haiti on a missions trip a couple years ago, I remember the leader saying that this trip might not change your life, but rather be a preparation for something else that God has in store for you. Being surrounded by poverty, cold short showers, going without really knowing any details—there are many parallels that I could never foresee. BUT God did. God has already written every minute detail of this adventure, and all I have to do is experience it. For that I am excited. Life will be hard and challenging, but God will be with me at every step. Knowing that God is at my side, I can have courage to make that step into the unknown and begin this adventure.