Day 4 - 2018

Today's blog post brought to you by guest blogger, Jake Kelley. Great job Jake and thank you so much for your perspective! We will try to post pictures of the wedding in the coming days. In the meantime, you can watch video of the entire service on Washington Street's Facebook page. 

My name is Jake Kelley and I am blessed to say this is my first trip (of hopefully many more) to Honduras. Seeing as this has been my first mission trip and my first time out of the country, it's easy to say that this experience has brought along a whirlwind of emotions. From excitement to love and to heartbreak, this mission has shown me the power of God's love and the need for His love in Honduras. I have primarily assisted in the medical clinics because I plan on a career in healthcare. However, seeing the ailments and disease that riddle parts of the country and how little care is available brings a tear to my eye. In fact, in our first medical clinic of the mission, the first patient I saw was an elderly gentleman who was very excited to see us. After simply taking his blood pressure he shook my hand and said, "Thank you doctor." I later found out I was the first doctor or medical professional he had seen in his life. The sense of gratitude we have received from everyone during our time here has been astonishing. Nearly everyone walks away saying, "gracias!" I can honestly say that God has moved not only within the hearts of those we've come in contact with but also within the hearts of the mission team itself. It breaks my heart to see what situations the people of Honduras face, yet my heart is replenished with joy when I see the smile on someone's face whom we've been able to assist. As a first time missionary, I was unsure of what encounters I would face, yet the things I've seen and done have allowed me to see how truly blessed I am and how I have the ability to spread God's love both at home and abroad simply by showing His love to those around me. 

Day 4 has been a slower-paced yet equally exciting day. We began our day making a trek to a school in El Sauce. We delivered school supplies and soccer balls and were lucky enough to be greeted by the children and their teachers on this beautiful Saturday. 

We arrived around the students' usuall outside play time, so we were able to watch students play games with newspaper, rope, and soccer balls. It was incredible to see what fun they had with those simple objects and how creative they were, making up games to provide endless fun for all of the students. 

After stopping by the school, we traveled back to Valley of the Angeles to shop and prepare for Nahum and Yolani's wedding. Even though I myself am not married, I am very aware of how special marriage is in God's eyes. The wedding today was very beautiful and the mission team was honored to be a part of it. Mr. Barnes officiated the wedding of our beloved friends while a number of other brigade members participated in the ceremony; Elizabeth was even the Maid of Honor! Needless to say, today was a day filled with the same love and compassion that has filled the hearts of all of us along this journey, yet we found even more abundant love in the marriage of our dear friends Nahum and Yolani. I can say with certainty that my life has been forever changed by this mission trip, and I look forward to serving the people of Honduras with the Grace of God in the future. -Jake