Rudd's Honduras Trip Summary - July 2007
Sarah and I left on July 10th for 15 days in Honduras. It would take a book to recount everything that happened, but this is a summary. First we went to the north coast of the country. We helped a ministry called Signs of Love with their rural outreaches to deaf folks. It was great to learn how they do their ministry. With the exception of Robin, their director, who was out of commission with Leshminiasis (a parasitic illness picked up in Indonesia) and Jessie, a summer intern from Baylor Univ., all of their staff is deaf. These Honduran deaf adults did all the driving, leading the outreaches, communicating with hearing parents and community folks, etc. It was cool to see them in action. (you can see them too - in the pictures)
After that, we rented a car and hit the road for some adventures. We did some outreaches on our own, meeting again with folks we first worked with in March. One afternoon we met in a mountain community with 4 families. We were going to meet at one of their homes, but the road was being paved and was blocked. Instead, they secured the public school and we met in a nice classroom!
That night we had dinner with a missionary family (the Priday's), who recommended we meet with a Honduran doctor the next day. What an awesome provision of God! This Dr took us in immediately and offered sound advice as well as offered to introduce us to others who would help us. He also said he knew some great language tutors. The details are too much to write out, but through Him the Lord provided unexpected assurance that we are on the right track.
We also met with pastor Modesto and his wife, whom Martha and I met last year. It was good to renew the friendship, and he knew some of some deaf kids in their area. We met again with a family with a deaf son, and they brought along another family with a deaf son. And this kind of stuff just kept happening.
We gave each family we met with a sign language dictionary and we showed them how to use it, and encouraged the hearing family members to sign around the house, so their deaf kids would pick up on it. We have ordered 6 cases of picture Bibles, so we can continue with teaching them the Word on our next trip, as well as make it possible for them to learn the Word of God on their own when we aren't with them.
We also met with an Air Force major stationed in Honduras, who said he can acquaint us with the military's programs and personnel that go into remote areas to provide assistance to those in need. He said their help is a real possibility if we find a village where some community development work would open doors, so we'll see what the Lord does with that.
We got up early and drove to Tegucigalpa (+ 2 hours away) one Sunday to attend the deaf church there. It was good to see friends we had made previously, and after lunch we drove out to an orphanage that has a deaf kid. We visited with friends from our home area there, including one of Grace's basketball team members. Sarah and I both had fun working with Marlon (deaf boy) and the some of the other kids too, and left.you guessed it, yes, a dictionary. He is sharp and had already started to learn signs from work team members that had visited the orphanage.
Our last day was long! Up early in the capital city, we shopped a little and then visited the Happy Hands deaf school, bought some more supplies, then drove 2 ½ hours to Siguatepeque and met with two hearing Honduran ladies. We met previously when they became interested in learning sign language and attended our 3 day outreach in March. We left them, yes, dictionaries, and they are going to meet weekly with local families to learn signs together. Then we "found" a family I met in March also. They have a deaf daughter and we had a great visit. They are poor even by Honduran standards, but are so kind and gracious. We left a dictionary, some clothes, encouragement and a promise to return soon. Then one of those unexpected things happened.
A group of kids had gathered to watch and see what the "gringos" were doing in their poor neighborhood. We had to walk to the house we visited because the road had ended, and when we got back to car, we had about a dozen kids surrounding us. I asked if they knew any deaf kids. They said no. I explained what sign language is and how deaf people "talk". We had brought pencils with the sign alphabet on them, so Sarah got out a bunch. We showed them how to sign the alphabet. Then I offered one a pencil, which he wanted and I gave him one. Then I said "que dice?" - which roughly translated means "what do you say?" He replied "O si, gracias." I told him that's good, but here is how you say "gracias" in sign language. And each kid got a pencil and then signed "thank-you", as we signed "your welcome". And then more kids came.and they learned to sign "please". And more kids came.and just like that, we had introduced sign language to the kids of a neighborhood where a deaf girl lived nearby. That was unexpected blessing!
All this and it was just mid-afternoon. Then we arranged a meeting with a family in Parque Central - the public park in the middle of downtown. Their phone number had changed and we almost missed seeing them. They brought along a cousin, we gave them a dictionary and showed them how to use it, and then along came a family with a deaf son we didn't expect to see - they just happened to be in town shopping. We all had a great visit and then we took off for San Pedro Sula. It was a beautiful + 2 hour drive north to this 2nd largest city in Honduras.
There we stayed with an American family doing deaf ministry. We attended their Monday night Bible study and met about 35 deaf adults. It was great to see their interest in the Word and having healthy relationships. The Lord has provided them with a nice place for a community center and training facility. After that we were invited to a deaf man's house for his birthday party. Actually it was his mom's house. And it turned out we had seen her other deaf son just that morning at the other end of the country in the Happy Hands school. And played with her grandson at church the day before. Naturally, that made us fast friends. She made some wonderful "baleadas" for our dinner, and we had a great time visiting. Then we went to the missionary's house and talked for awhile. And then we packed for the plane ride home the next morning. That was one long, wonderful day! Thanks and praise to our great God!
