Last night (Saturday) we had the privilege of seeing one of the former children from the Limon Orphanage.  His name is Hector and he’s not so little anymore.  Though he was a preteen when our team first saw him in the very rough condition that was the old Limon orphanage – tonight we met Hector, the medical student.  Hector is now 22 years old and living with a host family in La Ceiba while he studies to be a hospital lab technician.  He is doing so well and it blessed our team to see one who came from so little survive and flourish!  God is so good.

Today, like most Sundays in Honduras during our ten day mission trips are travel days.  We moved 44 team members, 8 translators, tons of medical supplies, and a trailor full of luggage and equipments across the country from La Ceiba to Limon.  We went from a larger city to a very remote fishing village down the coast.  The trip took nearly the entire day.  The travel experience to Limon typically includes a few planned stops including a fruit stand, lunch at a Wendy’s restaurant and then a gas station just before getting on the long bumpy dirt road to Limon.

Today was a bit longer than usual.  At our first stop where we typically just pick up fruit, we picked up a child too.  Within a few minutes of arriving in Taccoa, Alex Pettigrew  noticed a boy walking by.  Alex immediately realized it was one of the boys from the Orphanage in Limon.  Alex and others went to speak to him and found out that it was Julio.  Julio was a special little 13 year old young man that a previous team member, Colin Raynor took such good care of during the last two trips.  

After we spent time along the side of the road speaking to him and contacting the orphanage, it appeared as if he was back on the streets because he had gotten into some serious trouble at the orphanage and was sent to live with family in a nearby town.  We aren’t totally sure what happened, but we are sure that it was no coincidence that we saw him today.  Of all the places he could have been at that very moment that we passed through town, our paths crossed.  God ordained that moment.  I’d love to say that everything worked out great and that he boarded the vans and went to Limon with us, but that’s not the case.  However, we did take him to lunch with us, buy him some clean clothes and put him on a bus with money for the trip to go back to the town where his family lives.  We pray for him and hope that he is ok tonight.  We are grateful for the goodness and mercy of Jesus.  The Lord coordinated that moment in time this Sunday to bless that little 13 year old boy.  Jesus used that moment to remind him that he is loved by us, his family and by God.  Because of that moment he’s off the street tonight.   God used that moment to teach us to keep our eyes open to what He is doing.  Had Alex not been looking and taking in what was around him, or had he been focused on something else…this whole encounter may never have occurred.  May we always be looking for where the Lord is at work and join Him there.

Today the cross was passed from Johnny Hobson to Dr. Ernie Connor.