This past month marked nine years of living in Honduras and six months of being on lockdown. I can hardly believe either of those things. I honestly feel like the lockdown time is getting to me. If I didn't have so much of my time occupied by grad school, I think I would be feeling a lot more desperate for more fresh air and space and feelings of freedom. Things are beginning to open back up again, but we are still only allowed to go out on certain days based on our ID numbers. Yet, celebrating nine years of living in Honduras has also served to put all of life into perspective. God has been good and faithful for so long, and it is outstanding the things I have lived through in the last nine years. If He has carried me this long, this season is no different. It has felt a bit like being on a ship in the middle of the ocean. I don't know what is going to emerge on that horizon. It could be tumultuous or it could be saving grace. Regardless, I feel oddly steady in the midst of the uncertainty. I have to believe He will navigate me through this as well.
Immigration Testimony
We have great news! The exact same day that I wrote my last update asking for prayer that Raúl would receive his US residency card soon, it
arrived! Some new missionaries offered to bring it down to us,
and it is now in hand. Since it has already been too long for Raúl to have been
out of the US, we have to make a trip and will be doing so for the
Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays with some added quarantine time in November.
Traveling during this season is a bit daunting, but having a unique immigration
situation also paints you into many unexpected corners. We would ask for your
prayers for our protection and also for favor with Border Control. The US
Embassy is still closed, so filing returning visa
paperwork for Raúl would have been impossible. We are asking God for
His favor in not having to pay a hefty waiver upon entry as a result. The other
aspect of travel that is a challenge is that I will still be in grad school
classes, and figuring out how and where to have reliable internet in rural West
Virginia can be an adventure. Honestly, though, I am so ready to see my family
for the first time this year, and I am eager to be able to breathe in some
fresh air outside of the four walls of my house.
COVID and Provision Update
While businesses are now
fully opened, a full-time curfew is still in effect in Honduras which means we
are still only allowed to leave our houses once every ten days unless we obtain
a special permission (which is not easy to get…we’ve tried!). So, at this
point, ministry still looks like food distribution as we are up to 266 provision
bags total, and it looks like maintaining relationships as much as we can.
Longstanding Relationships
Some of those relationships we are taking care of are those with my kids. Josuan is living nearby and working with Raúl, and Marvin has started calling me from prison. He is supposed to be released soon. He has been involved in a group of Christians within the prison and an inmate pastor took him under his wing. Jorge recently celebrated a birthday, and his mother could use some prayers as she was hit by a car and is recovering from her injuries. Meanwhile, Stef and I still communicate, and God has given some good opportunities to share life together. A lot of my recent interactions--virtual and otherwise--have reinforced my decision to study counseling. Giving advice, listening, and being a dependable presence is something that I've already been doing. I don't know what ministry is going to hold in the aftermath of COVID. I don't know how much longer it will be before we actually enter into the aftermath part of the story. It seems like we're still in it, so it's hard to tell what life is going to look like. What I can say is that I've been noticing how many businesses appear to be closed for good and how many more people are on the streets asking for financial help to buy food. Poverty was already an issue before COVID, but I don't really know what the damage is going to be and what my home is going to look like as we emerge from this. I want to be wise and sensitive as a missionary to discern what God's strategies are along with the shifting circumstances. Meanwhile, we continue prayer and worship. And I continue my grad school classes. I am enjoying what I am learning, and so far, it is going well.
Personal Update
This season of COVID has presented a lot of stress for everyone, myself included. I am trying to keep in tune with how I am doing and be pro-active in self-care. That has been challenging at times with periods of insomnia and other stress-related ailments. So, all of that to say, I am looking forward to some time in the States. I know that the entire world isn't really normal right now, so going to the US isn't an escape from reality. But, I am eager for a change of scenery and a feeling of refuge with my family and the hills of West Virginia.
I am so grateful for the ways God has blessed me here in Honduras, led me, and
allowed me to be a vessel of His love to those around me. I don’t know what the
future holds here in Honduras especially with COVID, but my desire is to remain
faithful and to discern how the Holy Spirit continues to lead. Thank you so
much for sticking with us in your prayers and support all of this time. Nine years is
truly a celebration that includes you since I wouldn’t have been able to last
here so long if it wasn’t for the support system of the Body of Christ both in
Honduras and in the US. We love you all dearly!
Sarah
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