We spent Friday morning enjoying breakfast conversation about our week and our lives around eggs, plantains, avocadoes, and good coffee. Cindy led the devotion on Galatians 2, reminding us that we are justified through Christ who lives within each of us. We are really on one mission and that is to walk in faith where He leads us. We talked about those back home who have been our "supply lines" so that we could be His hands and feet in Honduras. We sang "Here I Am Lord", a theme of our missional service.
Pastor Junior's family has been a model for that song all this week. We spent the day with his family, traveling around the surrounding area of La Paz. Mattias once again drove the bus carrying us to our field trip. First stop was the city of Cane. We were greeted by white-washed tree trunks that lined the road leading to this smaller town of colorful homes and businesses. The color palate ranged from orange to blue to shades of pinks and yellows. The ornamental designs of their doors and fences made the community look especially quaint. The town has a soccer stadium to celebrate the nation's favorite sport. At one end of the town, we parked the bus and walked toward a huge statue of Jesus with oversized hands. It was fitting for us, as it has seems that both our team and the mission in La Paz have used our hands to serve the people and each other so often this week. Next we drove between rows of banana trees, mango groves, and herds of cows and horse to view an archeological site of the Mayans. The site was used to mark the summer solstice and the growing seasons. Sacrifices of animals were made to honors gods of the Mayan culture that would supply a bountiful harvest. While understanding the ancient peoples' view of religion, we celebrated God's handiwork that He created by his Word: the mountains, the nearby river, the vegetation, and the living things, including a group a cows and young calves next to the site.
We traveled next to a larger city, Comoyagua, translated as "eat and drink". Located in the center of Honduras, as well as the center of Central America, it served as a capital for Spanish settlements and later the first capital of the independent Honduran nation. We visited the Cathedral de la Immaculada Concepcion, opened on December 8, 1711. This Franciscan church held many beautiful stained glass and ornate pieces of work. The front of the church was covered in gold with its depictions of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. In the church is the oldest clock in the Americas. We climbed the steep staircase and received a guided explanation of the clock. It was built around 1100 by the Arabs that occupied Spain. It was sent to Comoyagua by King Carlos III during the colonial period. We were able to watch the clock chime the quarter hour while in the bell tower. We finished the morning shopping at the local souvenir shop, spending our Honduran lempira.
We enjoyed visiting a local mall in Comoyagua for lunch. Our Honduran family guided us to a restaurant area where we found items such as chicken, pizza, and sandwiches. We shared extra fries and leftover entrees with each other, enjoying the mall experience. We found a frozen yogurt stand to have dessert. A large scale chess set provided several team members and Junior Junior, Pastor's son, a chance to match wits. Mattias brought the van to the mall entrance and we quickly boarded for the ride back to La Paz.
We finished the trip by visiting the future location of Pastor Junior's mission. Cureently, the parsonage is being built for his family. The location provides ample space for the church and a school. The family led us on a tour the parsonage built of concrete block and steel trusses. Pastor Joel led a prayer blessing the construction and the future plans at this location.
We returned to the hotel to see the local markets one more time, catch a little nap, and relaxing. We enjoyed a special location at the hotel for our last dinner in La Paz, enjoying pork and chicken, beans, avocadoes, cheese, and tortillas. Again, our team shared side dishes with other members, talked about family traditions of foods and games, enjoying our time together. Alysia led a devotion on James 2, helping us reflect on our continued need to serve after leaving Honduras. We sang "Take This Life and Let It Be" without accompanyment, serving as a strong message abut being ready to serve Jesus on His mission, both home and afar. Final details for the morning travel to the airport were shared. We have enjoyed being the hands and feet of Jesus here. We are also anxious to return to our home to share our love with our families, friends, and those in need in our communities.
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