From Searching to Serving

By Mike Tenbusch | November 26, 2021

Three years ago, Ronia Romero led the expansion of our Paso a Paso (Step by Step) scholarship program in Honduras from San Pedro Sula to Tegucigalpa.  In a very short time, she has seen young people like Josue go from a daily battle to survive working the city’s sprawling dump to flourishing in school. Josue even ran in the great IntSam Global 5K with his friends to bring food to his community.

Pictured left is Josue with his family shortly after his admittance to the Paso a Paso program three years ago. Pictured right is Josue again with his friends, celebrating after completing their races.

As she drove home after the race a few weeks ago, Ronia was struck by a sense of awe.  It wasn’t just the miraculous growth in scholars like Josue.  It was also the fact that complete strangers from around the world were running with them to help their families.  She wanted to do something to celebrate her gratitude, and the idea came to her to ask our scholars if they would like to make breakfast and bring it to the people working in the dumpsite the next Saturday morning.  They loved the idea!
 
Two weeks ago, Ronia, our scholars, and their mothers woke up early to make 150 breakfast meals for families working in the dump that day.  They mixed eggs with beans, cheese and ham and rolled them into tortillas. “We have a saying here in Honduras,” Ronia told me, “If a breakfast doesn’t have beans, it’s not a good breakfast.”    
 
They arrived at the dump just as the sun filled the sky and served the meals to surprised but weary workers.

Just over 500 families are still making a living in that dump each day, and our scholars were shocked to see how many more children were working there—far more than before the pandemic hit.

”It was good to see people smile when they received the breakfast,” Ronia said, “but so sad to see the hunger that remains.”
 
Wanting to do more, our scholars and their mothers made a commitment to return in December with hot coffee and tamales—a traditional Christmas meal in Honduras.  In just three years, they have gone from working in the dump to serving those working there now.  Like you, they are answering the call of Jesus to love their neighbor in thoughtful and consistent ways.
 
As we pause to give thanks for the blessings of God in our life this weekend, I thank Him for you, and for this transformation celebrated in a Thanksgiving breakfast you helped to make possible.