One day until Thanksgiving, and once again the day's events gave us much to be thankful for. Most of the group is suffering from tummy troubles, but we're hopeful that problem will be fixed now that we got the kitchen water filter back on line. Kudos to David Norvell for braving ant bites and a run in with razor wire to get that project completed...after four separate trips to the hardware store in town over 3 days for various parts. That is a story in itself, watching the store clerks trying to suppress their laughter listening to David and I try to ask for the parts we needed using our limited Spanish vocabulary.
Walking to town gave us multiple opportunities to observe the poverty of many of the local residents. It is not unusual for people to graze their cow on the side of the road, because that's where the grass is greener. Many on the outskirts of town live in half-finished houses, with ragged dogs lying on the front porch. In town, it's a constant bustle and most people live lives not that different from that in America, but there are always little reminders that Honduras is a country of limited resources. Yet, the citizens are happy.
The Apostle Paul spoke of having learned the secret of being content in all circumstances, whether in plenty or in want. He discovered that he could trust God to know his needs and care for him, and once learned that he could let go of worrying about material things, he was free to live in the moment and care for his fellow man. In America, we have so much that it is easy to lose sight of this important principle. We don't actually need so many things to be happy, and in fact they distract us from our true calling in life, which is to be in constant communication with God as we care for others.
In the limited time we have left at the Foundation, I look forward to many more smiles and much more of the children's laughter. That's what keeps us coming back every year. Again, we have much to be thankful for in America, but this place reminds us that the best things in life are actually pretty simple.
Happy Thanksgiving to all.
David Duda
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