Strengths and Weaknesses

How have you seen the way God turns things upside down - strengths are weaknesses and weaknesses strengths?

DIANE:

When the Lord first called us into missions, we kept saying to each other, "We feel so unprepared for this!" But One Mission Society helped us to see that He has been preparing us for this our whole lives. The biggest thing we have both learned is that in our weakness He is strong. We have been learning and are still learning to trust Him in our WHOLE missionary experience. In all aspects of our lives we are trusting Him. Everything from funding our trips to the language problem, to our safety when we are in Honduras, He has been providing in every way. We truly could not do this in our own strength. When we first came to OMS we expressed the doubt we had in our ability to do the job that we had been called to do, as Church Multiplication Facilitators. One of the men we were talking to told us this, " The Lord does not call the equipped, He equips the called." It is something well known and often repeated there at headquarters. That relieved some of our fears of the unknown then. We knew we were clearly called! So He will equip us and He Is! As with Gideon in Judges, our weaknesses are His strengths. He has provided for us and we know that will continue as long as He wants us to do this. Thank you for your prayers and support.

Hey - how's the weather down there???

Q:  What has the climate been like during your visits?

A:  Gary -  We have made spring and fall trips so far, but in Honduras there are essentially two seasons, rainy and dry.  During our trip in October, it rained frequently and heavily but not for the entire day.  During our June trip, I don't believe it rained at all.  Both the rain and the temperature are greatly affected by the mountains. Tegucigalpa is in a central mountain valley and the temperature there seems to be in the range of 65-80 degrees most of the time, however in October we went to San Pedro Sula down closer to the Caribbean in the coastal plain and the temperatures there were a good 10 degrees warmer.  Generally, the climate is wonderful.  In the mountains, the humidity is low, and although the humidity is much higher at lower elevations, we both really appreciate the warm weather.

Gary shares his perspective on Latin American prison

Describe the prisons.  We hear that Latin American prisons are terribly dark scary places.

I recognize that the prisons of Latin America are generally considered very dark and scary places, but we haven't experienced that to a large degree.  First, I want to explain that we have not been into the cell block area so we can't really comment on those living conditions but in the general population areas things seem fairly good.  Because of the climate, they do not have or need windows, the open yard areas are bright, clean and the inmates have flowers and /or vegetables growing in the available areas.  There were open areas where the inmates were playing soccer, and the inmates seemed fairly contented.  They do not wear uniforms but instead wear clothing supplied, I assume, by their friends and family, with most being dressed in jeans and soccer shirts or tee shirts.  Almost without exception, they are meticulously clean.  In each of the prisons we visited, there was a hand laundry area and what seemed to be miles of clothes line with clothes being hung out to dry.  When considering a comparison of the living conditions in the prison with the way they live in their communities outside the prisons, I believe the prisons are well kept.   They have very adequate chapel facilities equipped with musical instruments including sound system, guitars and a drum set.

How receptive are the prisoners to the Word of God and Jesus?

My general impression, and one which is supported by the growth of the program, is that the men in the prison are open to the Gospel and hungry for any and all "outside" attention.  They are all enthusiastic worshippers and the chapel really rocks during the services.  They participate in the Bible classes and offer not only questions, but answers and suggestions to one another in support of their faith.

Having an active rather than a passive faith seems to be a new experience, part of this because of their cultural ties to the Catholic Church and the obvious formality of that type of worship experience.  I believe their enthusiasm is in large part due to realizing they can know Jesus, not just worship him hanging on the cross.  Both are necessary, but neither to the exclusion of the other.

Have you wondered what Hondurans think of the United States? Diane ponders this question.

What is the perception in Honduras of the United States and people from the United States?

DIANE SAYS:

Judging from the warm welcome that we receive from everyone we come in contact with in Honduras, I would say that the Hondurans love the United States and all that it represents. Many people we meet say that one of their greatest dreams is to visit the United States. A few of the family members of our in country hosts live or have lived here in the US. They seem to all have positive feelings to the United States. One young man who was involved in our Train  and Multiply class, told us it was his fondest dream to come to the US some day. He is a teacher there in Honduras and has learned English by volunteering when mission teams come to visit. He speaks English very well. And even teaches English in school, although his primary emphasis is music. We struck up a great friendship when I heard him listening to current Christian music on his phone between class sessions. He really likes Casting Crowns! It was very neat to share the love of current Christian music with him.

I think also that the Latin American people are a very warm and welcoming people in general. So this is the way they respond to all strangers. In reading about some other cultures, that is not the case. We feel very blessed to be so welcomed into their lives. When we are there, we are part of their family and are treated as such. The Latin American people definitely have the gift of hospitality. I do not think it is just because we are from the US - they are just a very giving people. We feel so blessed to be a part of this ministry.

Gary answers a challenging question about Honduras

Do the people seem happy in Honduras?

That is difficult to say.  I don't see a lot of laughter and there doesn't seem to be a lot of joking around. The people do not seem sad or unhappy, so much of what I am experiencing could be cultural, or my presence may make them behave differently.  

They do seem significantly more reserved than the Colombians we have worked with. While happy may not be the word I would use, the people generally seem contented.  They all seem very family oriented and they are a loving and caring people.  Even those in prison demonstrate a kindness and consideration to us as outsiders and at least while we were there for one another.

Diane answers some questions about music!

For those of you who don't know - Diane has a new favorite song every five minutes so asking her these music questions was a no- brainer!

What kind of music do you hear in Honduras?

We did not hear music except in the car sometimes when we were driving to the prisons. Also, when we were staying with Herasmo and Nora they would put CDs on in their livingroom. I think they were christian music - some instrumental and some not. When we were at Luz and Romeo's house, Luz would be singing hymns when we got up in the morning. It was part of her devotional time. Their music is beautiful and mostly very upbeat.

Do they listen to American Christian music?

We met one man who was a part of our training class who listened to American Christian music. He spoke English very well so he related to the words well. We had not had a chance to get to speak with him prior to the training. But during one of the breaks, I heard him listening to an American Christian song on his phone. I told him I loved the song he was listening to (I cant remember what it was, now) and that was when I found out he spoke English! Well, that was really exciting and we became great friends after that. We drove him to his home after the training was over and we were singing songs we knew in the bus. Some English, some Spanish. He is a music teacher in the school there and also teaches English. He is married and has a one year old son. He learned English by helping American missions trips who were traveling to Honduras. His dream is to come to the United States some day. We are now friends on Facebook and the bridge to our friendship was music!

Does music play an important part in their worship services in Honduras?

We had the privilege of attending a church worship service both times we were there and it was a blessing. They are much more enthusiastic than we are in the United States. There is a lot of hand raising and many songs before the pastor speaks. We also had the privilege of attending many worship services in the prisons that we visited. There was much singing with great enthusiasm there. They really are happy about what the Lord has done for them and they are not afraid to show it! We always marvel at their enthusiasm.

HOT SEAT!!! - Gary takes a turn at some bigger questions!

Thanks to those of you who have sent questions!  We might have to do this more often!

What does the social structure look like in Honduras?  Like the “rich” and those in poverty?

Gary 

We, of course, are seeing what we are shown, but that said, we have driven through agricultural areas on the way to prisons. We have gone on prayer walks within the inner cit of Tegucigalpa and we have see a broad spectrum of the population in the prisons. 

I believe that the families we are staying with, the Ramirez- Reyes families are in the upper middle class. They live in the suburbs, in the mountains surrounded by their El Tigre National Park.  Their homes are quite similar to ours and their life style is not so different from ours.   Their kitchens are very like ours although they don't seem to have dishwashers.  Everything else is similar in the kitchens having the standard electric or gas ovens and stoves microwaves and all of the typical small appliances. 

Likewise their bathrooms are similarly equipped to our the bathrooms.  One of the big differences in Honduras and I believe all over Latin America is the water supply.  The supply is adequate in volume, but not in quality.  The caution "Don't drink the water" should be taken seriously. 

They have radios and televisions and they are routinely on in the background.  I don't think they are as attached to their TVs as we are.  There aren't a lot of children that we interact with, but Daniel the grandson is the one we do get to see and he seems to like his television, but again not to the extent that most American children do.  Daniel is bright and interacts with adults well .  I believe he is in 1st grade and attends school each day.  The similarities in their life style and ours is far more striking than the differences.

With regard to the poor, we have only experienced the poorest from a distance, driving by in the car.  In the city of Tegucigalpa, we drove many times by dumpsters where people were going through the dumpsters looking for anything of value, to eat, or something they might barter with. Because it is  a warm climate year round, the typical dress for most of the poor is for men tee shirts and usually jeans or trousers and their shoes were often flip flops or knock-off Crocs. The women generally are in tee shirts and skirts or slacks.

The homes in the inner city were varied.  Many of the structures were very old, the construction of most buildings was reinforced concrete, or brick.  The city's middle class homes were large enough and generally included multi-generational family members which was true at the Ramirez-Reyes family homes in the suburbs. 

The homes of the poor in the mountains were likewise mostly of concrete or brick.  Roofing material is mostly corrugated metal.  They have no electricity or running water and although not seen, the only possible type of sanitary facilities would have been out houses.

Some statistics on poverty in Hoduras

Social indicators

Population, total (2010)	7,600,524.0
Population growth (annual %) (2010)	2.0
Population density (people per sq. km) (2010)	67.9
Rural population (2010)	3,891,468.3
Rural population density (rural population per sq. km of arable land)	0.0
Rural population (% of total population) (2010)	51.2
Birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people) (2009)	27.1
Death rate, crude (per 1,000 people) (2009)	4.9
Mortality rate, infant (per 1,000 live births) (2010)	20.3
Mortality rate, under-5 (per 1,000) (2010)	24.0
Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (2009)	72.5
Labor force, total (2009)	2,795,831.1
Labor force, female (% of total labor force) (2009)	33.9

Poverty indicators

Number of rural poor (million, approximate) (2010)	2,545,020.3
Poverty headcount ratio at rural poverty line (% of rural population) (2010)	65.4
Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty line (% of population) (2010)	60.0
Income share held by lowest 20% (2007)	2.0

Education

School enrollment, primary (% gross) (2010)	115.7
Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) (2007)	83.6

Health

Health expenditure, total (% of GDP) (2009)	6.0
Physicians (per 1,000 people)	..
Improved water source, rural (% of rural population with access) (2008)	77.0
Improved sanitation facilities, rural (% of rural population with access) (2008)	62.0
Prevalence of HIV, total (% of population ages 15-49) (2009)	0.8

Agriculture and Food

Food imports (% of merchandise imports) (2009)	18.8
Food production index (1999-2001 = 100) (2009)	145.0
Crop production index (1999-2001 = 100) (2009)	153.0
Cereal yield (kg per hectare) (2009)	1,751.6
Fertilizer consumption (100 grams per hectare of arable land) (2008)	107.7

Environment

Land area (sq. km) (2010)	111,890.0
Forest area (% of land area) (2010)	46.4
Arable land (% of land area) (2009)	9.1
Irrigated land (% of cropland)	0.0

Economic Indicators

GNI per capita, Atlas method (current US$) (2010)	1,870.0
GDP (current US$) (2010)	15,400,319,554.0
GDP per capita growth (annual %) (2010)	0.7
Inflation, consumer prices (annual %) (2010)	4.7
Agriculture, value added (% of GDP) (2010)	12.5
Industry, value added (% of GDP) (2010)	26.5
Manufacturing, value added (% of GDP) (2010)	18.4
Services, etc., value added (% of GDP) (2010)	60.9
General government final consumption expenditure (% of GDP) (2010)	18.0
Household final consumption expenditure, etc. (% of GDP) (2010)	79.8
Gross domestic savings (% of GDP) (2010)	2.2

Trade

Merchandise exports (current US$) (2010)	5,741,923,698.0
Merchandise imports (current US$) (2010)	8,549,547,323.0
Balance of merchandise trade (US$ million) (2010)	-2,807,623,625.0
Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) (2010)	797,390,628.3

Government finance

Revenue, excluding grants (% of GDP) (2009)	21.0
Expense (% of GDP) (2009)	24.3
Present value of debt (% of GNI) (2010)	14.0
Total debt service (% of exports of goods, services and income) (2010)	7.6
Official development assistance and official aid (current US$) (2009)	457,100,000.0
Deposit interest rate (%) (2010)	9.8
Lending interest rate (%) (2010)	18.9
External debt, total (DOD, current US$) (2010)	4,167,957,000.0

Technology and infrastructure

Mobile phone subscribers	0.0
Fixed line and mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people)	0.0
Personal computers (per 100 people)	0.0
Internet users (per 100 people) (2010)	11.1

Source(s)

Source: World Bank Indicators