Back From Honduras

By Chuck (Sharing Compassion)

I wanted to provide a follow up to my previous article now that I have returned from Honduras and decompressed. It has been just about a month and truly I am blessed. The trip was everything I imagined and more. Incredibly the itinerary was exactly how I had prayed for it to be. If you followed my blog or wish to view my overall reflections they are there. I did however want to bring some closure to my trip here on this site:

1. Honduras will always have a special place in my heart. The people I have met and become friends with are like family. Gaby, a translator from our 2009 trip, took her own time to meet us at the airport and make sure we got to the hotel OK. We were able to have a birthday dinner with her later in the week and enjoy her company. Our host Scarlett and her daughter Goldie (another translator from our prior trip) went above and beyond their duties. They were our translators and transportation. However on the one free day we had they took us sightseeing and shopping. They also took the time to take us to the Compassion country office in Tegucigalpa which was unplanned.

2. Satan did try to ruin the trip at the beginning. Three of our four suitcases were delayed in Miami. Our daughters suitcase made it but the ones with our clothes and the one with the gifts for the families we would visit spent an extra night. It was just a nuisance but we overcame.

3. Linda is an amazing young woman. She has grown up so much and every time we go to Honduras she gets more beautiful. She is doing great in school, helps out at the project and is part of the worship team. She is learning to play the guitar. Her party was small but awesome. We played a special part in the ceremony and I am sure it was everything she wanted. One of the cool things is (she knows I love Disney) that she used the Disney font on her invitations. It is small things like that that endears us to her. Her home is better than I could have hoped. It is safe and structurally sound. She is my princess.

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Back to Honduras

By Chuck (Sharing Compassion)

In less than three weeks I will be returning to Honduras to complete a promise I made over four years ago.  Those of you that know me understand that my journey with Compassion began in 2007 when I met my first sponsored child Linda. To make a long story short I looked into her eyes and my heart was broken. I understood we could make a difference! I became an advocate and Area Coordinator for Compassion and the focus of my life changed because of this one little girl. Back then she made a special request of me. She told me that she had no father and she thought of me as "her father." Talk about an honor. She asked me to attend her Quinceanera when she turned fifteen. For those that are not familiar with this occasion it is similar to our "Sweet Sixteen." It marks the transition from childhood to young womanhood. I promised I would do my best to be there.

We returned to Honduras in 2009 to visit then our three sponsored children Linda, Jeyelly, and Jorge. Number four was to come shortly after the return from that trip. We knew Jeyelly's sister (Sofia) was available for sponsorship but we would not be able to sponsor her until the end of May. I debated having Compassion bring her to the meeting day but did not want to get either of our hopes up. Therefore we kept it a secret until it could actually happen. I took the time to sit down with Linda and tried to tell her (through a translator) how important she was in my life and how she had changed my focus. She was just as responsible as me for getting other children sponsored. I promised I would be back for the Quinceanera.

So here we are just about 17 days until we return back. This time we are taking our daughters Courtney and Stephanie. Our flights are made and the hotel confirmed. All I am waiting on at this point is our itinerary from Compassion and the Honduras Compassion Country office. We are hoping to spend one day with each of our children. We want to visit their home (and pray there) and their projects. We want to take them to lunch and just have a special day with each of them. Then of course we have a day set aside for the Quinceanara. We are actually hosting and paying for this. Compassion will assist with all of this including in country transportation, translators and other things. I am excited that both of our daughters are excited about going. I had kind of felt we were forcing them to go along with us but it is a blessing to know that they are just as excited as we are. Everything is starting to fall into place. I am asking for prayer that this trip will be everything God wants it to be. I have looked forward to this for the past four years and am just afraid that our enemy will try to mess things up. You know how sometimes things you really look forward to just don't live up to expectations? Pray that this trip is truly special for all of us. There is a bit of a political situation developing in Honduras over the next two weeks. Pray that this does not change or affect our trip. Most of all this is about Linda- Pray that this day is truly special for her. 

In 2009 I started my blog to allow people to experience my second trip to Honduras. This time I will again be updating it with daily experiences and pictures so please check it out between (6/11-6/17) as well as my Facebook. In the meantime we covet your prayers as we begin our final preparations.

Chuck is a Christian husband and father who has served in part-time ministry for 18 years, and is a deacon at his church. He has been a Compassion International Advocate/Area Coordinator for several years, finding families to sponsor Compassion children throughout the world. His passion is letting others know how important it is to release children from poverty. Be sure to check out his blog, Sharing Compassion.

Two Years of Anticipation

By Chuck (Sharing Compassion)

It's time to return to Honduras on another Compassion Sponsor Tour. To say we can't wait is an understatement. This time we have three children to see. The team has been assembled by God and the adventure is about to begin. Starting today and throughout the trip I am going to blog our story. Two years ago I kept a journal but now I will blog it onto my site. Feel free to join me and to check it daily (well, hopefully daily) as to what has happened.

I have a lot to share including some of the stuff God has been doing with our team, some of the people that he has brought together and of course my thoughts on going back. The last time my life was changed! Who knows what He has in store this time.