Today has been a hard day.
The weight of this country and of its people is heavy on me, causing me to seriously question the impact I can make as only one person. To see the fallen world through foggy, gray glasses is much different than rosy, red glasses.
I posted a few months ago about a guest speaker we had at our church. He talked about his life in the gangs and how important it is for Christians to enter into the fires in order to pull out those who are lost, hurt, and seeking an unknown solution. If you haven't read it yet, check it out- Into the Fire, Without Fear.
Recently, the activities of the gangs and their presence has become even heavier on my heart.
While working with the same youth for many months, their lives as I know them have begun to unfold and develop into complex and painful stories. One particular young man stays strongly on my heart.
After being abandoned by the majority of his family and those who were close to him, he went to the gangs. Initially it was only to find drugs and a sense of community, but it quickly evolved into something bigger than he could have imagined. He was mixed up in MS-13, one of the most dangerous gangs in the United States and Central America. Forced to commit unspeakable crimes in order to progress through initiation, he gave up his innocence and traded it for violence. In a miracle that I still do not fully understand, he escaped membership in the gang and just narrowly missed a lifetime of violence, but so much damage has already been done. As I spend more time with him through scattered visits, he opens up more and more about his time in the gang and the things that he has done. Sometimes, he breaks down to tears in remorse, guilt, and shame. The weight of his pain is so evident in his face, in his words, and in his tears.
Through his stories, I have learned more about the gangs and what they do to a person. While claiming to give community, they strip one of one's self, of one's soul.
The pain from these gangs is heavy on any person they encounter. It is unavoidable. Which starts me thinking,
How is there even room for so much pain in the world?
How is there room for so much abandonment?
For so much hate?
For so many tears?
I question the impact I have on this individual's life in comparison to the oppressive past he has faced and will carry with him for the rest of his life. What can I do in response to that?
Turning to my Bible, God is always one step ahead of me.
His words speak so much clearer than those of the gang.
I will not cause pain or suffering without allowing something new to be born.
Isaiah 66:9
The suffering and pain of these gang members, both past and present, is evident. But God is so much more obvious. He is new life, revival, redemption. He is love.
He carries the pain that we cannot bear.
He sent his Son to carry the cross so that we need not carry our past of sin.
He gives us a new life, a new future.
Today is heavy and hard.
The world is fallen and broken.
But tomorrow is possible and conquerable because of Him.
Monday, January 26, 2015
Los Profesores
During the past 6 months, I've been focusing the majority of my ministry and energies towards working in the streets with young people and women. The area that I started in, La Kennedy, has a massive need and I will by no means end my time there, but I will be expanding ministry to other parts of Tegucigalpa! This past week, I was able to spread my ministry to a different area of the city, Los Profesores.
While I am glad that Karla and Ana Rosa have moved out of La Kennedy, Los Profesores is no less dangerous or less poverty-stricken than La Kennedy. To be completely truthful, the guys that go with me to do ministry were even hesitant to go there. But, many months ago, I had promised Karla that if she were to move, I would continue to work with her in her home and with her children. I was not ready just yet to break that promise.
We were able to go down to La Kennedy first and visit with our friends down there. Because it was a Wednesday, there were only three or four people there. Luckily, most of them are working to recycle bottles during the week, so there are rarely more than 5-10 people. Now that Oscar is getting registered for classes, I am no longer working with him in one-on-one tutoring sessions, so we are pretty free to just chat with everyone. It is so nice to catch up and learn more about everyone's lives! I have started to be on the lookout for new prospective students as well, so getting a bit of 'free time' is a blessing.
After visiting La Kennedy, we met with Karla so that she could take us up to her house. The new area, Los Profesores, is located on the other side of town, across from the centro and the mercado, so it is quite a bit trickier to find, especially if you do not know the area. A couple bus rides later, we finally made it to her new house. She and her two children are living with the family of Ana Rosa in a one-room house. We were so blessed to share a meal that they prepared for us and to plan a bit for the future.
Within the next month, the women are going to begin to sell soup! Here in Honduras, street vendors are more common than sit-down restaurants, and much more affordable. Ana Rosa had told me that she had previously sold sopa de mondongo, tripe soup, but was forced to stop because she could not afford (via time and money) to do it on her own. After a bit of discussion, the ladies agreed that they would like to do that in order to start taking a hold of their future and support their children. I will have more news on this when we start purchasing the materials and enter the next stage for their business.
I was also able to spend a little time with 13-year-old Elida, who will start 4th grade this next week. While she is not super excited to go back to school, she is promising to start and finish out the year strong. I had been concerned earlier because there was a large gap in funds for her supplies, but I am so happy to say that someone has stepped forward and decided to sponsor her for the jump-start of the year. Praise God!
Unfortunately, I do not have any pictures from this past week because we were very hesitant to bring cameras into Los Profesores. Now that I know (sort of) the area, we will be able to bring a phone or a camera to take pictures next time.
I am so excited for this new branch of street ministry and so blessed for God's provision to make it happen. Within the next couple of weeks we will be planning purchasing the utensils, pots, etc. for the women to start their small business, Elida and Oscar will begin school, I will start a new devotional with the women, and we will continue to build new relationships and foster old ones in both La Kennedy and Los Profesores.
God is so good and faithful to this new, growing ministry!
If you would like to help jump-start Karla and Ana Rosa's soup business, let me know! They will need pots and utensils to start and the ingredients as they sell the soup.
As always, donations are tax-deductible and can be made through World Outreach Ministries at
www.worldoutreach.org/dontaions
simply click my name from the drop-down box
or
World Outreach Ministries (Jennifer Olsen)
P.O. Box B
Marietta, GA 30061
While I am glad that Karla and Ana Rosa have moved out of La Kennedy, Los Profesores is no less dangerous or less poverty-stricken than La Kennedy. To be completely truthful, the guys that go with me to do ministry were even hesitant to go there. But, many months ago, I had promised Karla that if she were to move, I would continue to work with her in her home and with her children. I was not ready just yet to break that promise.
We were able to go down to La Kennedy first and visit with our friends down there. Because it was a Wednesday, there were only three or four people there. Luckily, most of them are working to recycle bottles during the week, so there are rarely more than 5-10 people. Now that Oscar is getting registered for classes, I am no longer working with him in one-on-one tutoring sessions, so we are pretty free to just chat with everyone. It is so nice to catch up and learn more about everyone's lives! I have started to be on the lookout for new prospective students as well, so getting a bit of 'free time' is a blessing.
After visiting La Kennedy, we met with Karla so that she could take us up to her house. The new area, Los Profesores, is located on the other side of town, across from the centro and the mercado, so it is quite a bit trickier to find, especially if you do not know the area. A couple bus rides later, we finally made it to her new house. She and her two children are living with the family of Ana Rosa in a one-room house. We were so blessed to share a meal that they prepared for us and to plan a bit for the future.
Within the next month, the women are going to begin to sell soup! Here in Honduras, street vendors are more common than sit-down restaurants, and much more affordable. Ana Rosa had told me that she had previously sold sopa de mondongo, tripe soup, but was forced to stop because she could not afford (via time and money) to do it on her own. After a bit of discussion, the ladies agreed that they would like to do that in order to start taking a hold of their future and support their children. I will have more news on this when we start purchasing the materials and enter the next stage for their business.
I was also able to spend a little time with 13-year-old Elida, who will start 4th grade this next week. While she is not super excited to go back to school, she is promising to start and finish out the year strong. I had been concerned earlier because there was a large gap in funds for her supplies, but I am so happy to say that someone has stepped forward and decided to sponsor her for the jump-start of the year. Praise God!
Unfortunately, I do not have any pictures from this past week because we were very hesitant to bring cameras into Los Profesores. Now that I know (sort of) the area, we will be able to bring a phone or a camera to take pictures next time.
I am so excited for this new branch of street ministry and so blessed for God's provision to make it happen. Within the next couple of weeks we will be planning purchasing the utensils, pots, etc. for the women to start their small business, Elida and Oscar will begin school, I will start a new devotional with the women, and we will continue to build new relationships and foster old ones in both La Kennedy and Los Profesores.
God is so good and faithful to this new, growing ministry!
If you would like to help jump-start Karla and Ana Rosa's soup business, let me know! They will need pots and utensils to start and the ingredients as they sell the soup.
As always, donations are tax-deductible and can be made through World Outreach Ministries at
www.worldoutreach.org/dontaions
simply click my name from the drop-down box
or
World Outreach Ministries (Jennifer Olsen)
P.O. Box B
Marietta, GA 30061
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
New Year, New Ministry
Changes seem to come naturally with the coming of a new year, and this year will be the start of many changes and transitions for me here in Honduras. Some changes will be easy, and some will be difficult, but I am confident that they are all the will of the Lord and the plans that He has.
Because I have neglected to write blogs for quite some time, I will start from the beginning of the transitions that have transpired in these last months.
As you, or most of you, know, I was living and working alongside Zions Gate Ministries just outside of Tegucigalpa for the first 8 months of my time in Honduras. In November, the head of the ministry left Honduras to go on sabbatical in the states. While I recognized how beneficial this could be for the ministry in terms of growth and progress, I was beginning to feel that my ministry goals and visions no longer aligned with those of Zions Gate. I no longer felt at peace with the way my time was being spent knowing the Lord's calling for me to do street ministry. With the ministry head leaving, it was time to take on a great deal more responsibility and commit fully to the ministry and its future. Although the need was clear, I could not commit to something that I did not see in God's plan.
After vising the states at the beginning of December, I began to think more strongly and seriously about what leaving Zions Gate would mean for me and my ministry. With tremendous support from the Honduran Fellowship, I have decided to break off and start my own formal ministry working in the streets.
While there are many changes in where I am living and the ministry in which I am under, my work will not be changing. My focus will continue to be in the streets working with women and young people. More than anything, I have seen that education brings hope and a future to those who have nothing else, and I will continue to move forward in the capacity that I am able in order to bring education, whether it is formal classroom teaching or informal vocational training.
After working with 17-year-old Oscar in La Kennedy for several months, he is finally ready to begin school again. Because he will start again in 3rd grade, I had been tutoring him in math and reading comprehension as preparation. At the beginning of February he will start a dual program that will allow him to finish 3rd and 4th grade in the same year so that he can 'fast-track' the earlier years that he has missed. He is excited for this huge opportunity and is looking forward to advancing in school. If you would be interested in supporting Oscar in this upcoming year, please let me know! With your help, you could bring him a new future.
My hope is that Oscar will be the first of many who will be able to restart their education and eventually finish school. Because of the gang influence and heavy use of drugs such as marijuana and paint thinner, many young people have only finished school up to 2nd or 3rd grade. With the right resources, personnel, and finances, it would be possible to oppose that norm and bring hope for a future to members of the new generation.
Aside from tutoring Oscar, I had also been doing a small Bible study of the gospel of John with the women of La Kennedy. Through the study, I was able to both disciple the women and build relationships with them. After much talk about their desires and hopes for their future, I had though strongly about how I could help them with vocational training rather than simply bringing food or resources, and God answered my prayers faithfully! Rayna Cohen, founder of Four Letter Word, visited Honduras in November and has committed to a partnership in order to work with these women. Together, we are researching possibilities and resources to train them so that they will eventually be able to become self-sufficient.
Within the past month, several of the women have moved out of La Kennedy and into a new colony, Los Profesores. I will continue to do ministry and serve in La Kennedy, but I will also be expanding my ministry to this new colony in order to continue to work with Karla and Ana Rosa. I am so excited about the new opportunity to do ministry in a different place and for the work of the Lord to be spread to a new area. Pray for this new branch of ministry, both for protection and provision.
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "pans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11
Currently, I am residing in Ciudad Espana with the family of Luis, a young man I met at Zions Gate, until I can find a suitable house for myself. It is crowded and loud with 8 of us in a one-bedroom house, but it is wonderful to have a family and community. Initially I did not look at living here as a ministry in itself, but it most certainly is. Here I am able to spend time with each member of the family and have even spent time in the word with their abuelita (grandma). Outside of the house, there is a great need for help and service in the city. There are countless young people that are starting to experiment with drugs and the gang presence is not lost. Pray that the Lord will show me His plans in this new place so that His will may be done!
With many transitions and changes come many challenges. I am confident that the Lord is working and that His work will be seen.
Stay tuned for more updates on this new ministry and how it grows!
It is never too late to partner with me for the new year! Donations are always tax deductible and help support ministry in La Kennedy, Los Profesores, Ciudad Espana, education, family ministry, and my life here in Honduras.
To donate, visit
www.worldoutreach.org/donations and click my name from the drop-down box
or mail checks to
World Outreach Ministries (Jennifer Olsen)
P.O. Box B
Marietta GA 30061
Because I have neglected to write blogs for quite some time, I will start from the beginning of the transitions that have transpired in these last months.
As you, or most of you, know, I was living and working alongside Zions Gate Ministries just outside of Tegucigalpa for the first 8 months of my time in Honduras. In November, the head of the ministry left Honduras to go on sabbatical in the states. While I recognized how beneficial this could be for the ministry in terms of growth and progress, I was beginning to feel that my ministry goals and visions no longer aligned with those of Zions Gate. I no longer felt at peace with the way my time was being spent knowing the Lord's calling for me to do street ministry. With the ministry head leaving, it was time to take on a great deal more responsibility and commit fully to the ministry and its future. Although the need was clear, I could not commit to something that I did not see in God's plan.
After vising the states at the beginning of December, I began to think more strongly and seriously about what leaving Zions Gate would mean for me and my ministry. With tremendous support from the Honduran Fellowship, I have decided to break off and start my own formal ministry working in the streets.
 |
| Some of the women of La Kennedy |
While there are many changes in where I am living and the ministry in which I am under, my work will not be changing. My focus will continue to be in the streets working with women and young people. More than anything, I have seen that education brings hope and a future to those who have nothing else, and I will continue to move forward in the capacity that I am able in order to bring education, whether it is formal classroom teaching or informal vocational training.
 |
| Oscar enjoying birthday cake and Coca Cola at his birthday party |
My hope is that Oscar will be the first of many who will be able to restart their education and eventually finish school. Because of the gang influence and heavy use of drugs such as marijuana and paint thinner, many young people have only finished school up to 2nd or 3rd grade. With the right resources, personnel, and finances, it would be possible to oppose that norm and bring hope for a future to members of the new generation.
Aside from tutoring Oscar, I had also been doing a small Bible study of the gospel of John with the women of La Kennedy. Through the study, I was able to both disciple the women and build relationships with them. After much talk about their desires and hopes for their future, I had though strongly about how I could help them with vocational training rather than simply bringing food or resources, and God answered my prayers faithfully! Rayna Cohen, founder of Four Letter Word, visited Honduras in November and has committed to a partnership in order to work with these women. Together, we are researching possibilities and resources to train them so that they will eventually be able to become self-sufficient.
Within the past month, several of the women have moved out of La Kennedy and into a new colony, Los Profesores. I will continue to do ministry and serve in La Kennedy, but I will also be expanding my ministry to this new colony in order to continue to work with Karla and Ana Rosa. I am so excited about the new opportunity to do ministry in a different place and for the work of the Lord to be spread to a new area. Pray for this new branch of ministry, both for protection and provision.
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "pans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11
Currently, I am residing in Ciudad Espana with the family of Luis, a young man I met at Zions Gate, until I can find a suitable house for myself. It is crowded and loud with 8 of us in a one-bedroom house, but it is wonderful to have a family and community. Initially I did not look at living here as a ministry in itself, but it most certainly is. Here I am able to spend time with each member of the family and have even spent time in the word with their abuelita (grandma). Outside of the house, there is a great need for help and service in the city. There are countless young people that are starting to experiment with drugs and the gang presence is not lost. Pray that the Lord will show me His plans in this new place so that His will may be done!
With many transitions and changes come many challenges. I am confident that the Lord is working and that His work will be seen.
Stay tuned for more updates on this new ministry and how it grows!
It is never too late to partner with me for the new year! Donations are always tax deductible and help support ministry in La Kennedy, Los Profesores, Ciudad Espana, education, family ministry, and my life here in Honduras.
To donate, visit
www.worldoutreach.org/donations and click my name from the drop-down box
or mail checks to
World Outreach Ministries (Jennifer Olsen)
P.O. Box B
Marietta GA 30061
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