 I met Sharon on our first mission trip to Concepcion del Norte, Honduras in July of 2007. We were there doing construction on a parsonage and working with the A.M.I.G.O.S. school lunch program. I knew after meeting Sharon and spending just a few days with her that we were going to become good friends. From running through airports, bouncing around the car up the long dirt road to Concepcion del Norte, Bathing children and combing lice out of hair, feeding families, delivering school supplies to area schools, to unloading A.M.I.G.O.S. buckets, it has been an amazing journey together and it’s a journey just beginning. I remember hearing Deysi’s (Daisy’s) story before our July 2008 trip to Honduras. It was during our August trip that I had the opportunity to meet 3 of Deysi’s children after church one Sunday morning. I remember seeing them and the image of their sad little faces is still fresh in my mind. It is hard for any child to lose a parent and at such a young age these children do not fully understand what is happening. They know that their mother, a woman who loved them and gave the ultimate sacrifice for them, is not coming home. Similar tragedies like Deysi’s happen all the time in Honduras and throughout the world. When Sharon mentioned her idea about an orphanage and a program that would allow people in the states to sponsor children in and around Concepcion del Norte, I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of. Having been to Honduras on two group mission trips and then a ‘fact finding mission trip’ for Daisy’s children I have had the opportunity to meet these children and their families. These are children that with a balanced diet, an education, and proper medical care could go on to live long productive lives.
Our ‘fact finding mission trip’ in August really gave me a whole new perspective on these families and the struggles they face everyday. From living without clean water to no food to feed their children, to no electricity or plumbing, most of us can’t imagine but this is reality everyday for these families. To meet an 11 year old girl who has never been to school because her mother can’t afford a uniform and shoes just breaks your heart. To see children that have lice so bad their necks and scalps are covered in bites and scabs, it breaks your heart. These parents can’t afford food let alone basic medical care for these children. Something must be done. It’s going to take a lot of hard work and support but things can get better for these children. Like children in the United States, with the right support, resources, and education these children can change the world.
People often ask me why I go to Honduras and how I can be around such poverty and sadness. “It’s not about me.” That’s what I tell people now. I understand that I cannot change the world and I can’t save every child, but if I can help one child or one family then I have done my job in Honduras. We all have the ability to change the lives of these children and their families. You may not be able to help with material things or money, but we all have a voice and we can tell their stories. Educating ourselves and others about the reality in Honduras is the first step in helping to provide the basic necessities to these children, necessities they desperately need to prosper. Hearing the stories and seeing the pictures of these children on this website may be the closest you ever come to meeting them, but we hope that if you are moved by their stories and you believe in what we are trying to accomplish in Concepcion del Norte that you will support us in any way you can. From throwing your pocket change in a jar, to putting aside $5 a month, every little bit helps. It may seem a small amount to us, but that money means the world to these children and their families.
 Que Dios le Bendiga, (God bless you,) Amanda |
