Since COVID hit in March, Honduras has been mostly under stay-at-home orders. That means many people have been out of work for several months and have been struggling to feed their families. In April, we began seeking donations in order to pack and distribute food provision bags to families in need. Thanks to incredibly generous support, we have been able to distribute bags to 300 families per week since April. The bag contains staple food items which will last the family about a week.
Our teens and on-the-ground staff work diligently each week to make this effort possible. They have felt blessed to be able to serve so many, but also heartbroken by the incredible need in the country. Over the next couple of weeks, we will be sharing the personal testimonies of our staff members regarding their experiences with food bag distribution. The first is Marilu, one of our loving house parents who has been a part of the ministry for the past few years. Please take a moment to read her perspective:
Marilu
"This is a short story about my experience handing out food bags. There are so many stories I could tell, but I have to shorten or leave out some because of space and time. I’m excited to share that I had the privilege of being the first staff member to begin packing the food bags with our youth. It was an opportunity to see and prepare their hearts so that we could complete this work filled with love and dedication. We began by reflecting on how important what we were doing was for so many families that would have the opportunity to receive one of these food bags. I was impressed to see that despite the hard work and the time necessary to complete it, they did the work very well.
We have so many stories that have come out of the food distribution. I would like to share with you about a day that there were so many people that I knew there was no way we would be able to serve them all. The Holy Spirit reminded me that we could still bless them through a prayer, and I asked that they bow their heads and pray to God. I prayed that those that didn´t receive a physical blessing that day could still feel the joy, peace, and hope of God and know that in the near future they would have an opportunity to receive one. It was very impactful to see that despite not being able to reach so many of the population with food, the reaction of the people that didn´t receive anything was just as I had prayed. They were calm and full of joy, the joy that only comes from God's presence. I have been filled with so much satisfaction, and my heart has overflowed with joy seeing so many special things happen in the lives of the people that are receiving food bags - people who are blind, pregnant women, young mothers, disabled people and the elderly as well as young people with a great need for food. In this way a huge amount of people have benefited throughout this crisis. We have even been able to help out our own neighbors - one of whom is a single mother of a baby who recently had open heart surgery, and another is a taxi driver who has been left without income by the transportation restrictions.
There would be too many stories if I stopped to tell you each one that I have experienced, so I leave you with this brief summary of this great blessing we have received. I can say that I personally have seen the fulfillment of many of God’s promises in my own life through being a part of this great project.
Blessings to all!!" - Marilu
If you would like to make a contribution toward food bag support, you can do so here.