… hemos llegado a tierra plana.
This Spanish phrase translates as, “Thank God we have arrived at flat land,” and was purported to be said by the Spanish explorers when they reached the area that is now the city of Gracias in the western Honduran department (state) of Lempira.
On Saturday, myself and 19 others head out to spend a week working with Habitat Honduras in Gracias. Gracias was founded in 1536 and is a city of 25,000 people. Our team will spend a week there working with two families building their new homes. The area around Gracias is home to many Lenca people, an indigenous tribe to the region. Habitat has begun some work in Lenca communities which are described as the “poorest of the poor.”
In Honduras, 70% of the population lives in poverty. 42% live in extreme poverty classified as earning less than $2 per day. We will have the blessing to get to know families who live very materially poor, but often very rich in family life. Keep our team in your prayers as we travel that God may use the interaction between us and these Honduran families to help ease the burden of poverty in their lives and to cause us to examine the affluence in which we live.
Check out this blog space during the coming week for updates on the work from various team members.