Day Three: Disciples

"If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free." John 8:31-32.

Another amazing day and it is getting late, so one last story. Ginger and Mike have been in Honduras a little over a year now. They have put together a remarkable Spirit-filled staff who obviously enjoy working together, and so work very effectively. They have spruced up the mission house, made a decision that the mission teams will eat more like Hondurans (tonight we had sopa de polla made by Rosa with chicken, rice, plantains, bananas, yucca, carrots, cilantro and green peppers - I think Keith just had fourths!), have established official residency, and are really committed to making an impact here. Mike shared with some of us that but for his two daughters in North Carolina he would never leave here.

Recently, Ginger has been searching for a way to establish a closer relationship with the ladies in the communities in which the mission teams work and praying for an opportunity to do so. Yesterday, an opportunity presented itself when her new friend Lizzy and some of the ladies of the church invited her to assist them in fixing today's lunch (also chicken soup) for the Honduran workers and staff members. Ginger was excited until they told her that she would have to catch the chicken and wring its neck. Reluctantly, she agreed she would do it but she worried about it all night and into the morning. She invited some of us to go with her for moral support. So a group of us set off down the hill and back up the next hill to witness the event. Ginger, still not sure how she was going to do this, and climbing up the steep hill, kept praying to herself: "I can do all things through Christ Jesus, who strengthens me."

When she arrived, there were four ladies and several teenagers and children waiting at the house. They began to shout and laugh when they realized she had actually shown up. They then pointed to the chickens in the yard and picked one out for her to catch. After several hilarious attempts to catch the chicken Ginger finally succeeded with the help of one of the boys at the house. She reluctantly killed the chicken, cried a little, and then discovered that they expected her to kill, pluck, singe, and dress three chickens to assist them in making the soup. They patiently taught her how it was done with great laughter, smiles and some serious head shaking. A key moment occurred when she took off the latex gloves she had on and began to handle the chickens just as the other women did.

Throughout this entire scene those of us who were there observed the excitement and appreciation that these ladies had that Ginger was there to be with them, learn from them, and share this part of their lives with them. Nothing Ginger could have done, could do more to build the trust and relationship she had prayed for. She remarked that when she prayed to Jesus for an opportunity she never thought it would involve killing, plucking and dressing chickens. Like Jesus, however, she humbled herself, met her new friends in their homes, showed them respect and love, became a servant to them, and witnessed to us all.

Later, as our team members sat in the church and ate the sandwiches we had prepared, we watched in admiration and respect as Mike and Ginger sat at a table with a white table cloth in the back of the church which the ladies had prepared. The ladies of the church had dressed up for the occasion. The Honduran workers and staff, the church ladies and the Greenes had a wonderful, laughter filled time of fellowship as they ate the meal that Ginger had helped prepare.

All over the Christian world, for centuries, famous artists have painted beautiful depictions of what they imagine Jesus' disciples looked like. But if you really want to know what Jesus' disciples look like click on these pictures.