Hospitality

August 16, 2007
I am learning more and more what true hospitality, from the heart, is. Yesterday morning I set out on a 4 hour journey by bus to the capital, Tegucigulpa. I was in need of one more document for the residency process. Sarah, a girl I had met in Michigan last year and with whom I had one or two brief conversations, graciously let me stay with her and even took off work to pick me up and to attempt to get some of her paperwork done at the same office. My wait was much longer and I have to go back on Friday to hopefully pick up the paper that the Migration office says I do not need but my lawyer says that I do. I decided to be on the safe side and get it since a trip to Tegucigulpa requires time and money.

After we finished at the office, we went back to Sarah's house and parted ways but only after she generously shared a peanut butter, chocolate cookie snack that she had brought back from the US. I walked over to a teaching university and wandered around in search of the Phys. Ed. department and a certain professor. The place had changed much in 8 years. Freddy was at the school and teaching so I waited till his class was over and then surprised him by walking in. I had stayed with he and his wife Norma 8 years ago and though I had tried to find them since and call them, I had been unsuccessful. I went back to their house and visited with them. Today I am going back to stay with them for at least one night.

I am blessed and challenged by how willing people are to go out of their way and serve and give to people who they hardly know. In San Pedro I end up staying with various families almost once a week. I know that when I get to the city I want to have a place where I can give and bless in the same way that I have been blessed over the last 3 1/2 months. And I want to learn to give without thinking of price tags, schedules, inconveniences, hidden agendas, or anything except serving because of the love Christ has given to me and my love for Him. I need to allow God to do some work in my heart in order to reach that point.