Sunday Morning in Honduras

  By Laurel

From my journal on the Sunday before we left:

  We sang the Greatest Commands in English and then through a second time in Spanish. We were facing the group of believers in the church building on Sunday morning in Gualaco , Honduras . Karla and Claudia were sitting on the front row and they started tearing up while we sang to them... “Amemonos todos, Dios es amor, el que ama es nacido de Dios, el que no ama, no conoce a Dios, Dios es amor, Dios es amor.” Our eyes met, especially Karla's and mine, and I started crying and could no longer sing. Something was broken in her. I knew it. I wanted to be her sister, but that was up to her.

  When the lesson was over, Rigo asked the people to raise their hands if they wanted to be a Christian. Karla's hand shot up in the air, along with seven others. I was psyched up. I tried to tell her how happy I was through my broken Spanish. I think she understood what I meant because she hugged me and smiled through the tears. She had cried when she made her confession of faith. God had broken her.

  We all took a trip to the river immediately. No one went home to change. When we got to the river, we all stood on the shore while some little boys were swimming and some cattle were crossing the river. We sang and rejoiced as one by one our new family members were born. When Karla waded into the water, we Americans sang, “As I went down in the river to pray…” She cried again when she looked back at us on the shore. And then she went under. When she got out of the water, I ran to hug her. Her best, Sunday morning outfit was soaked. She didn't care. She was in love with Jesus now and we were family now. That was all that really mattered.