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Today was the longest day yet… and most blessed.

We started this morning with Mass at the Friars house. After that we headed back for breakfast and then to the Casa de Lupe to begin Orientation for the Summer Missionaries. Erica and I lead a few icebreakers before she and I headed off with Segraria for more visits.

One family we visited with had a grove of Mango trees. They knocked a few off and gave us a bag full of them. The poverty is starting to get to me. I can’t believe how much I complain about not having enough “stuff”. These people don’t have anything, and yet they share. Those Mangoes could have probably been sold or used to feed family. But instead, this mother, who’s husband is abusive to her and her children, who is emotionally and psychologically controlled, stopped to sit with me, a complete stranger, and share the little she had. She is the living Gospel.

After lunch, Erica and I went on more visits and saw more and more strange things. Goats, chickens, wild boars in the street. Everyone else just keeps walking and here I am, this crazy gringo taking pictures.

We went back to the Casa de Lupe where Erica was giving a talk to the summer missionaries about the importance of Community. In the middle of it, Carol, who is in charge of the Missioners stepped in the room and asked if I could come with her. Here’s where my life took a violent shove into humility.

There is a boy. He is 13 years old and lives in a neighborhood not too far away. His mother has died. His father has died. All that is left is his 17 year old sister. She takes care of him because he is completely paralyzed and severely mentally handicapped. He never leaves his bed.

The boy’s other family has written him off and treats him like he’s not there. They hit him and one of them has threatened to kill him, to get rid of the hassle. But his sister stays and takes care of him. Everyday.

The Friars have offered them a place to stay for a little while as they wait to hear from a home for disabled children in Tegucigalpa who might be able to take him in. So I was sent with two other Hondurans to pick up him and his sister and there belongings. We were at his house in just a couple of minutes and I quickly realized I was the only person who didn’t speak Spanish. The apartment building was a row of small rooms with an open air corridor down the middle. Their apartment was at the very end and had just two beds and a box.

When we arrived, the boy was on the floor and his sister was putting socks on his feet. We asked how to move him and the woman motioned for us to carry him like a baby. So Wilmer and I, not being able to communicate very well, just enough to lift at the same time, carried this boy out of the only room he’s ever known. I watched his eyes light up and dance as he saw the outdoors for the first time in a long time.

We got him into the truck and then loaded his bed, a box of belongings, and a few bags of clothes. We drove him and his sister back to a group home near the Friar’s house. Wilmer and I carried his bed inside and got it set up and then I went back to the truck, and taking him in my arms, carried him into the room and laid him on his bed. The thing that got me was he never stopped smiling. In the car, as we’d go over bumps in the road he would laugh and laugh.

And all I could think about was all the times I complained and whined about not getting my way. I don’t think I’ll be able to look at myself the same.

After filling up a Water Cooler jug of water for them we went back and got ready for Holy Hour and dinner.

Holy Hour was beautiful as I had plenty of time to read and reflect and think about what a rollercoaster I had been through that day.

Then came dinner.

Carol had arranged for several couples, some engaged, some just beginning to date, and some who had been dating for a while to be at the dinner to talk about the Sacrament of Marriage. And once again, I’m the only one who doesn’t speak Spanish.

I shared a little about my relationship with Erica and why I think it will last. I will only say this. I know Erica loves me with all she has because I know I will never be her everything. I will never be the most important man in her life. Christ will always be the center and through Christ, we are able to share love that exceeds the sum total of the two of us put together. Our love for each other is a love of Christ IN each other. Because of that, we can truly love without taking. We can give of ourselves completely and never be empty.

That’s just another day in Paradise.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 10th, 2008 at 9:31 am and is filed under blog. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site. Your comments will be moderated but will appear as soon as humanly possible.