Dear Friends,

Hello from Honduras! I trust you will all be watching the soccer game this evening Honduras vs. the USA. Honduras may be small, ill, and poverty- stricken, but it is also prideful and they’ve got a pretty good soccer team!

It’s finally July. I’ll share a story from June…I arrived, last month, at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in San Pedro Sula for the weekend with a car full of youth and two tired women. We were arriving from five lovely but exhausting and hot days visiting women’s groups in the Northern Region of the country. Night was falling and Julio had given me specific instructions on how to arrive at the church. We never passed the tollbooth he mentioned. We never saw the exit he explained, and, before I knew it, we were headed into the heart of San Pedro Sula. The muffler had cracked several hours earlier in the car ride and every time I stepped on the gas, the exhaust would fly like it was coming out of a 50 pound whoopee cushion. We were all sick (I was on my second antibiotic in two weeks), covered with a sweaty film of dirt (I think my hair could have stood straight up on its own) and, needless to say, I was incensed.

He and I argued on the cell phone about where we were. He was convinced we had not followed his instructions. I was positive he thought we had come in on another highway. He was entirely amused with the situation. I was wickedly angry that he would not send a helicopter or the national guard to come and find us.

At long last we arrived and I sprang from the car ready to attack. The next morning, we were to begin a two day workshop working with Sunday School teachers, and I expected that evening, a room full of Senoras, ladies that had been teaching Sunday school for years. Imagine my surprise when, before I could let an unholy word fly from my mouth, I was greeted by a handful of laid-back youth, led inside by the hand, hugged, kissed, pointed to the bathroom, and led to the table where dinner was waiting. I sat and ate, surrounded by friends while they unloaded the truck and carried our bags upstairs.

Okay, it wasn’t quite that poetic, but almost. Julio and I hissed evilly at each other for a few humorous minutes in the corner, but I was indeed welcomed so warmly and taken care of so quickly by familiar youth and friends, that I had no choice buy to give thanks for God’s gracious family, sit and eat.

I don’t know why I hadn’t expected that the room would be filled with youth. Probably 90% of the participants were youth. Of course I see young people working in church leadership constantly: planning and leading worship, acting as church presidents, leading Sunday school, organizing events. It was such a welcome surprise to find my friends that evening, eager and ready to participate in the workshop. Their presence was made all the more poignant by a conversation I had recently had with a friend about the changing leadership dynamics within the church.

One of the greatest successes we’ve had in the last year is a general admission on the part of the adults that the youth, indeed are valuable members of the congregation, and, all the more, that they are valuable leaders in the congregations.

With this admission, the church leadership really is shifting more and more to the youth. (When I write youth in this context, I’m referring to young people between the ages of about 18 and 25).

Throughout the workshop that weekend, I was entirely impressed with the maturity and leadership on the part of these young people. One of the young women from Olancho, Dunia, was recently invited to work part time in the national church offices. One afternoon, as I was chatting with her, I realized that, as a result of her preparation as a teacher and her participation in various workshops, she had several very important skills upon which we should capitalize. We invited her to help lead a part of the training that weekend with the Sunday school teachers, and we were completely and pleasantly surprised with her successful performance.

The youth in the ICLH, and their almost innate nature of service never fail to surprise and humble me. Oneil, one of the young men from San Pedro Sula, made a comment something to the effect of: “as Christians, we are called to serve the poor. What do I do when one of the very poor children that I care about deeply is not permitted by his father to attend school? He is instead directed to sell bananas in the street. His father never received an education, and doesn’t understand why his son now deserves this right. How do we react and respond as a compassionate church body in this situation?”

Many of the ICLH youth are educated, dynamic and energetic. They are also, with the help of various church workshops and other events, quite passionate young people that have articulate and candid opinions about poverty, globalization, and government.

I have seen a handful of shy, poor young people be embraced by the vibrant, enthusiastic youth body and they are transformed into active leaders in their own community. Young people in the church are in a distinctive phase of life, and not just because they are coming of age and learning about themselves. The theology of a young person is unique, temporal and significantly impacting. I thank God for this transformative and healing new leadership within the ICLH.

Please remember in your prayers: Ada and Keyra, two youth evangelists in Tegucigalpa and San Nicolas Mario, the youth director in San Pedro Sula Charles, and all the other youth that have domestically violent home lives.

Peace,
Lindsay

Lindsay Mack
Iglesia Cristiana Luterana de Honduras
Apartado Postal 2861
Tegucigalpa M.D.C.
Honduras, C.A.