Thanksgiving 2004 - From Honduras
As I walked home today in the pouring rain, I began to think of all the things for which I am grateful. I was heading home to my wife and three daughters. We have been together in a three-room house the size of my garage since the 14th of September. We have no running water. We bathe by pouring a plastic coffee mug full of water over our backs. Karen and I share our only bathroom with three teenaged daughters. I burn our toilet paper each night in the back yard. We all sit at one kitchen table, the only useable table in the house. We pump our drinking water by hand. We wash our clothes by hand. We walk everywhere. We sleep under mosquito nets. Everything we were stupid enough to leave outside at night has been stolen, including our hammock.
Despite all this, or perhaps because of it, we’re happy. There is peace in our home. There is laughter in our home. The girls play together constantly. Often they stay up late into the night talking in their bedroom-- giggling, laughing, crying. The other night while listening to music, Gabrielle and Michaela jumped up and spontaneously began dancing with one another. They had us in stitches. My wife has never looked more beautiful to me. She has told me this is the happiest she’s ever been. We walk downtown everyday to buy fresh fruit and vegetables. She holds my hand like she used to when we first dated. I’ve watched her change from a woman who hates to cook to a chef delighting in yet another way to make tortillas. Her tortillas now far surpass the local’s. She doesn’t want to go home. Oh, she will of course, we all will. Forced together in such close quarters, we’ve bonded in a way that in today’s fast-paced lifestyle is nearly impossible. The tension in the faces is gone, as are the curt replies. The need to rush is non-existent. In fact we when get to church on time, we’re nearly always the first ones there-by a half an hour! Visitors pop in anytime, all the time and are always welcome. There are no intrusions. There are no thoughts of, “Gee, I really need to get back to work.” We’re blessed to have befriended two wonderful American missionary couples and their children. They’ve gently taken us, the floundering chicks, under their wings. As a result, we’ve grown incredibly close in an unusually short amount of time. We get along splendidly. Best of all, there is time to pray, to read and meditate upon the word of God. There is joy unspeakable which results from spending so much time in the presence of the Living God.
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my savior. For He who is mighty has done great things for me and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.” (Luke 1:46-50)
Don’t forget to say “Thank you” today!
Shalom,
Ed Eagan
Despite all this, or perhaps because of it, we’re happy. There is peace in our home. There is laughter in our home. The girls play together constantly. Often they stay up late into the night talking in their bedroom-- giggling, laughing, crying. The other night while listening to music, Gabrielle and Michaela jumped up and spontaneously began dancing with one another. They had us in stitches. My wife has never looked more beautiful to me. She has told me this is the happiest she’s ever been. We walk downtown everyday to buy fresh fruit and vegetables. She holds my hand like she used to when we first dated. I’ve watched her change from a woman who hates to cook to a chef delighting in yet another way to make tortillas. Her tortillas now far surpass the local’s. She doesn’t want to go home. Oh, she will of course, we all will. Forced together in such close quarters, we’ve bonded in a way that in today’s fast-paced lifestyle is nearly impossible. The tension in the faces is gone, as are the curt replies. The need to rush is non-existent. In fact we when get to church on time, we’re nearly always the first ones there-by a half an hour! Visitors pop in anytime, all the time and are always welcome. There are no intrusions. There are no thoughts of, “Gee, I really need to get back to work.” We’re blessed to have befriended two wonderful American missionary couples and their children. They’ve gently taken us, the floundering chicks, under their wings. As a result, we’ve grown incredibly close in an unusually short amount of time. We get along splendidly. Best of all, there is time to pray, to read and meditate upon the word of God. There is joy unspeakable which results from spending so much time in the presence of the Living God.
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my savior. For He who is mighty has done great things for me and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.” (Luke 1:46-50)
Don’t forget to say “Thank you” today!
Shalom,
Ed Eagan
posted by Eric Stephens at 21:56
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