Wednesday, January 25, 2017

I Know the Plans I Have for You

I confess.  I like to be in the know.  I like to know the plan, work the plan, and find ways to modify the plan if I think it can work more smoothly.  I think it is one of the ways God has gifted me, and I try to use this gift of administration judiciously.

However, sometimes in Honduras, plans are just a starting place.  Toss a time into the air, aim for it, but if you miss it then it’s no big deal.  I can even be OK with that plan, as long as I know the time we are shooting for.  It’s the not knowing the target time that drives me crazy.  Ask my teammates here.  I ask “What’s the plan?” because I can’t stand the thought of there being a plan “out there” that I don’t know about. 

This morning, as I was wondering about the plan for the day, I heard these words in my mind: “I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord.  “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  Jeremiah 29:11

Wow.  How many times have I heard that verse?  And yet I still wonder about “the plan.”  I also realized that God has a plan for each of the people here in Honduras.  And today, we were a part of his plan for every person who came to our clinic today.  And we are a part of his plan for a hope and a future for each of them. 


Today our clinic is a new clinic site for Luke 9:2 Ministries. It is located at Casa De Diamante (House of Diamonds), in the village of Guanabano, a community just outside Tegucigalpa.  It is located near a massive city dump and landfill.  Many people in this area earn their living by searching the dump for items that can be recycled.  They collect these items and exchange them for cash. 


This local ministry to the community is both a church and school and was the site for today’s clinic. Their preparation for us was obvious and included dozens of volunteers and even computer-printed room signs.

A group of ladies in the church setup a mini-salon for kids (mostly girls) to come and have their hair shampooed and combed out.



An additional bonus for us was being able to check on the water chlorinator that Luke 9:2 placed here back in March.  I’m happy to report that it is in good shape and being actively used.









Click on the video link  below to see our site today and to see the water chlorinator.


The plan for tomorrow is to relax in Tegucigalpa, eat a special meal together, do a little tourist shopping, and prepare for our trip home on Friday.  We will leave this gorgeous 85-degree weather to come back to the cold!  At least, that is the plan!



1 comment:

Unknown said...

What a great video! Really feels like you're there and it's great to see everyone so deeply involved in making things better for these people. You are all clearly "The Lord's Plan" again this year. The water tank explanation was really interesting. Wonderful that Luke 9:2 is making contributions all year long. Hope you all have a relaxing rest in Tegucigalpa and prayers for a safe and smooth return home for all of you on Friday!