The Work of Listening

The next day I came with my work gloves and my broad -brim hat expecting to be out in the fields digging in the dirt but was called up by Frank (Paco) my team leader to visit some of the families. We visited one family who wanted to talk about some of their issues. They had started well, by great industry they had been very successful growing crops. The father was very energetic , a real farmer, and had passed that on to his sons. They had started out paying on their land, and then they had missed a payment even though they'd been making a profit on their crops. It looked like he was taking money that should have gone to land payments and put it into things that would enhance his production like paying a tractor to plow his land, buying fertilizer, etc... or spent it on family stuff. AGROS , not being a bank, depends on people paying back loans so they have money to help others in the community with projects and developing. They had to press hard, giving him a dead-line to pay the missed payment and the next one (with missed payments interest starts to pile up). They family was upset that a certain percentage of the next harvest was ear-marked for debt payment. "What will we live on?" "Can you get AGROS to lighten up". The family said the last harvest hadn't been that good, though AGROS had carefully evaluated the value of their produce. 2 things came up. One was that they were trying to help a daughter, whose husband had been killed, leaving her with 2 young children. The other was that our friend had borrowed money from friends. I was grateful for our friend Carmen who carefully worked to translate the whole story. I was thankful for Frank who is an excellent arbitrator/peace-maker.I felt like we were wrestling as we listened and prayed and asked questions and explained things.

We visited another home, that of the young woman who had died. They were ready to leave and they wanted their money back, which they'd put into the farm. They were angry and full of blame for those they thought responsible for their daughter's death. We listened ...and listened. Then Frank shared gently how the Devil's work was spreading lies. That's how he destroys people and communities. He spoke of Jesus, how his message was of how God loves us , forgives us, and calls us to Himself. That's how He heals and saves people and builds up communities. It seemed that just being there even when we had no words that God's Spirit moved through us. All through the week and even now our friends and the challenges they face there on the hard ground of Honduras move my thoughts. Sometimes it"s like a cement-mixer and sometimes like a fountain.

Each night as a team we discuss the events of the day. Sometimes I feel that this is when we really get to work as we express our hopes and fears for this village, this country, and these people. The sense that God is here, is very strong. We care, but He cares even more.

Til later, Gilberto.