Long-awaited blog for Honduras!

As most of you know, Honduras has captured my heart in more ways than one. So sit back and relax, because this is a long one.

This story started before Honduras.

We had debrief after almost every country, and after Guatemala, our debrief was at Lake Atitlán. On the way there, I sat with Naomi, and we wanted to watch a movie. The movie we picked was Sound of Freedom. That movie was about little girls being trafficked and a team going to save them. I had tried watching the movie multiple times before, but every time I tried to sit down and watch it, I would get distracted or had to stop. I never fully understood it. I even went to the theater when it came out and had to leave halfway through. I wonder if this was just God’s timing for me to watch it at the right moment. On this bus ride, I sat down and watched the whole thing and understood everything. After the movie finished, I broke down crying. In Guatemala, I knew the main thing the Lord was teaching me was to have His heart for His people, even for people I disagree with. And now, the Lord was giving me a heart for those girls in that place. I said, “Lord, use me however You want. How can I help girls like this? Where is a community I can go to?” As we continued with debrief, it slowly floated to the back of my mind as new anticipation for Honduras came to the front and what it had for me. But I was also so excited to go home. I knew Honduras would be good, but I thought home would be better.

Once we got to Honduras after the long car ride, I was exhausted. But when we arrived, we were greeted by the sweetest team people, it was the Catracho team. Even though it was late and they were probably tired too, we were welcomed with smiles and hugs. We got set up in our tent that night, and as I went to bed, I thought, “Lord, what do You have for me?” I was intrigued by what was yet to come.

The next morning, we had orientation. We got to meet the team, hear who they were, and get to know a little bit of their stories. They also explained the ministry we would be a part of. We would partake in ministry for children and women, visiting homes and much more. As we sat down, they explained the culture of the mountain we were in. My dear friend Belén came up and explained some things that have been happening in the mountain. She shared how women were being taken advantage of and abused. My heart broke again for the women of this community. I asked the Lord, “Is this what You wanted to show me?” Right then, I knew that He had given me a heart for the women of Honduras. And remember that movie I was talking about? That movie was based in Honduras, and it was based on a true story. Remember the timing—that I was able to watch it fully and understand it right before coming to Honduras? Was the Lord preparing my heart? I think so.

The ministry we were a part of put on a class every Friday for the women, and I was honored to be a part of it. I got to see the women in the community and make friends with them. It felt so amazing to be able to see them and then have them recognize me, know my name, recognize my voice, and feel the Lord’s love through me. What a blessing it was to be a vessel for the Lord. It doesn’t feel right not being there anymore. That’s my home.

Then we got to visit homes around the mountains. At first, it was hard because we had to walk a long way. The mountain was steep, and it was hot. But then it came to my mind how all of these people who live there have to do this every day—climb up and down the mountain to work for their families and put food in their children’s stomachs. I knew if they could do it, I could too. The house visits were something I had never experienced before. My gratitude for my family and what I have will forever be changed because of what I saw. These families had so little, but somehow could love so much. The kids always had smiles on their faces, even though they didn’t know if they were going to eat that day. All they cared about was playing with their friends and spending time with their families. The countless stories I got to hear touched my heart more and more—stories of pain, stories of finding love through hardship, stories of finding the Lord in tough times, and even stories of fear but still relying on the Lord. Such stories of faith that inspire me. We also heard the sad stories. Women being treated like objects to possess. Women being abused, but it’s considered normal because they are used to it. Little girls becoming moms at the age of 16, with 24-year-old men leaving them without support for them or their child. They were taking care of babies instead of being in school. Things like this are not even given a second glance in the community because it’s normal. But that’s not normal. Those girls deserve an education, not the responsibility of raising a family so young.

They deserve to not live in fear of who might hurt them next.

They deserve to dream of more.

They deserve to be treated right.

Jesus, please give me the opportunity to stay in this community, to reach them with You, and to show them real love.

One day, we got the opportunity to go to a city called Tegucigalpa. We taught recycling to students at a school partnered with the U.S. Embassy. We didn’t get to stay long, but it was an amazing opportunity to make connections and talk to these kids. They were my age, so it was really cool to hear their stories—stories of kids the same age as me, but from a different country. We lived differently and had different experiences growing up. On the drive there, we saw the beautiful mountains and the sunrise. I remember thinking, “What a beautiful place.” Later, on the way home, I saw the beginning of the sunset. I was just thinking about how beautiful His creation is. That night, I found out that Sound of Freedom was about the kidnapping of two Honduran children who were lured out of Tegucigalpa. I had been in that same city just earlier that day.

It hit me right in the heart.

How is this even possible? Why does this happen?

It happens even in beautiful places like Tegucigalpa, and it happens right under our noses.

Lord, bring me back here and use me to help these kids.

As I told you before, I was welcomed with open arms by the Catracho team. This is a group of young people who love the Lord and love to serve Him. This ministry was started by a couple named Paul and Tania and their family. The rest of the team consists of eight boys and seven girls. The boys are Sean Paul, Jonathan Nevin, Justin, Luca, David, Andrew and Ariel. The girls are Belén, Cynthia, Valery, Maria, Amanda, Ellien and Ashly. You may ask, how am I coming back? Well, let me tell you the story. As we were settling into the base, I was able to talk to Pastor Paul. He was showing a few of us the program they were starting in January: a theology class. I was immediately intrigued because in high school we had a lot of theological debates, and they always grabbed my attention. I didn’t know when I would have a community like that again after high school. At this point, I was already registered for college, so I didn’t know if this was really for me. But ever since I made the decision to go to college, I felt tied down or held back. I think the Lord was still calling me into missions, but I knew that felt scary and unpredictable. As he continued to show me more about the program, I really felt like this was something I should be a part of. Pastor Paul connected me with one of the girls on the team, Belén, who continued to share more with me about the ministry and the program. Even though it had only been about a week and a half, I knew this was on my heart for a reason. I continued to pray about it, and I felt an unexplainable peace. I realized this opportunity was placing me exactly where I felt called to be. The team brought me in and let me be part of everything behind the scenes so I could get to know the ministry more. I joined their morning devotionals before ministry started. I got to see how they worked as a team, how they grew through mistakes, and how deeply they loved and supported one another. I saw what a true family looked like and honestly, it was a family I wanted to be part of. So even though it seemed early, I made the decision to become part of the team.

Some people told me, “Zoey, you’re taking this too fast. What if it’s just the adrenaline of something new?” And sometimes those questions got to me. But throughout the month and a half I was there, the Lord continued to show me and reassure me that this is where He had called me. He showed me His heart for the children, for the ministry I would soon be part of, for the women I would build relationships with, and so much more. He also gave me the opportunity to become an English teacher. And I thought, “How am I supposed to do that, Lord? I don’t know any Spanish.” How was I supposed to learn Spanish in nine months? I wanted to learn Honduran Spanish, understand biblical terms, and be able to teach.

I prayed, “Lord, if this is what You want me to do, show me a way to learn.”

One day, we were asked if anyone would volunteer to go to another ministry for the day. There were only three spots, and I raised my hand and I got to go. That ministry was run by a sweet lady named Sara, who is American but moved to Honduras years ago and started her own ministry. I got to talk with her and hear her story. One of my main questions was how she learned Spanish, especially Honduran Spanish. When I heard her speak to the kids, she sounded like a local. I thought, “How can I become like that?” She told me she learned through a class provided by a Christian organization that teaches Honduran Spanish and even tailors it to your role, like teaching.

If that isn’t from the Lord, I don’t know what is.

That was a direct answer to every question and doubt I had.

Isn’t He so faithful?

So now, I am learning Spanish.

And I’m returning to Honduras in nine months to become a teacher and to be part of another family.

Thank You, God, for giving me this opportunity.

If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading the whole thing. There is so much more I can’t wait to share, but for now this will do. The next step is fundraising. Please prayerfully consider supporting me with my adventure coming up! Thank you all so much, love you guys. 🤍