I had spent only a week in a country that I had just learned about the year prior; and yet, there I was, on an airplane from Honduras to Miami, bawling like a child. This dramatic display of tears could have been caused by (a) an extreme lack of sleep, causing me to be emotionally volatile; (b) the extreme aridness of the aircraft; or (c) I had made some unexplainably deep connections with some kids that I was certain I would not see again. I was a bit dramatic--hard to believe.
The next summer, I returned to spend my summer at Casa de Esperanza, a Christian children's home outside the capital city, Tegucigalpa. For ten weeks, I became a part-time dad (okay, really, I was just a goofy gringo who had to use charades to get my point across). For ten weeks, I spent many hours a day wrangling children, working on homework, organizing meals, leading morning devotionals, and doing my best to keep all 18 children alive. For ten weeks, I butchered a language and successfully communicated about 43.7% of the time; and for ten weeks, I learned many new qualities about God--lessons that have continued to shape my adulthood. Side note: It was also at this time that parasites infested my gut, and I lost 30 pounds in three weeks. Not the healthiest weight-loss program, but it was effective.
After that summer, I begged my parents to let me drop out of college no less than three times a semester. I just did not understand why I needed a college education if I was going to work in Honduras. Thankfully, my parents prevailed, and I attained my teaching degree, visiting Honduras each summer. It was during my college years that I knew that one day I would be able to combine my education with my passion for the work in Honduras.
Through my work in the public school system, volunteerism, and my trips abroad, I have come to the conclusion that education is one of the few ways to end poverty. The problem is that in the places that are plagued with profound penury, education opportunities are only available to those who have the financial means to acquire it; there is a reason poverty is described as a cycle.
Though I knew that I wanted to use education as a way to help those in Honduras (and, really, wherever I went), I was concerned that if I moved to Honduras, I would just be another missionary doing redundant work in a nation that was already replete with missionaries. After graduation, I began teaching in the States with the faith and knowledge that one day the right opportunity would open to me.
Last January, my friend, David Logue, contacted me and asked me to consider joining his ministry, Mountain Top Ministries. Mountain Top Ministries provides to eight boys a loving home, effective education, a Chirst-centered family, and opportunities to leave a life of poverty. These boys are able to attend bilingual schools, go to church weekly, and work alongside mission groups from the United States. Mountain Top Ministries also works with a homeless ministry in the center of Tegucigalpa (providing food, shelter, and a way to learn more about Christ through the congregation there), a thriving women's ministry, and short term mission teams.
At the end of last year, one of the full-time volunteers unexpectedly left the ministry, leaving David to raise the boys by himself. Knowing my desire to move to Honduras, David invited me to join the ministry. After a lot of prayer and conversations with those I love, I determined it was not the right time to move to Honduras because of prior commitments and lack of funds; I knew, though, that the door was not closed and, in God's timing, I would join the staff of Mountain Top Ministries.
And, finally, the time has come for me to make plans to move to Honduras. After almost ten years of talking about it, I am still shocked that it is actually happening. In January, I will be moving to Honduras for, as of now, an undetermined amount of time (between 6-10 months, though God may have other plans). Because the Honduran school year begins in February, moving in January allows me to help David as he prepares for a new school year and the introduction of two younger boys to the ministry. While I will be helping David with the daily tasks of the ministry, I will be focusing much of my time on helping the boys with their studies. The boys have been highly successful with their studies thus far, and I hope to enrich this experience for them. This education, coupled with a love of Christ, will allow these boys to be powerful lights in a dark world.
Until the move, I will continue to teach at Edison Middle School (a place I hope to return to after my time in Honduras). Between now and January, I will be saving my money and raising funds to not only cover my costs, but also to benefit Mountain Top Ministries. If you would be willing to help fund my trip, you can either contact me at jtspivy3@yahoo.com or donate using the PayPal button to the right. More importantly, if you would like to begin partnering with Mountain Top Ministries, check out their website, http://www.mtmhonduras.org. Above all, be in prayer for Mountain Top Ministries as they (can I say "we," yet?) enter into a time of transition.
