Last night I was having dinner in a restaurant in Omoa on the coast. The only other people in the dining room were a young couple, very much in love. There was a lot of cheek rubbing and kisses and gentle caresses. As I was waiting for my dinner to arrive, two young street girls came in selling something out of a big, yellow plastic tub covered with towels. Their clothes were dirty and one of the girls was sniffling badly. I dismissed them with my usual "No gracias." Then they went over to the young lovers. The young woman asked them some questions and talked to them for awhile. While they were talking, their dinner came out. What happened next surprised me. The young woman handed one of the plates to the girl, who took it to another table while the young man told the waitress to get them something to drink. The young lovers shared the remaining plate and the girls ate half of the plate they had been given. Then they took the rest to the counter and had it put in a go bag, no doubt to take the remaining meal home to mom. It was the most Christian thing I think I have ever seen.
I was so convicted! I see these little children all the time, already working. They stand in the middle of the streets at red lights in San Pedro Sula selling peanuts or mango slices for 20 Limpera ($1). They stand on each other's shoulders juggling oranges and then go car to car asking for one or two Limpera (5-10 cents). In Tela, they walk around selling pan de coco or handmade jewelry. In Puerto Cortez, dried fish or tortillas. I hate to say it, but it seems that I see them so often that I just dismiss their existence. I still have a lot of problems understanding Spanish and I have a particular problem understanding their little voices. But it never even occurred to me to try to talk to them. Honduras pays for public school through the grade of 6. After that, they have to pay for more education and many, many cannot afford it. Some 40% don't even make it to the sixth grade because they have to get out and work to help feed the family. What a horrible plight for a child!
My friend Fredy drives our bus for us when we have a group in country. He makes $20 a day. In between groups, he has only odd jobs, and that is difficult because he has no car. He has three beautiful little girls. He told me today that he knows he will never have anything to leave his children. That is why their education is so important to him. It costs $170 a month for a good, bilingual school. He struggles to keep them in school AND keep food on the table. It is very difficult for Fredy and he needs help, but his girls are blessed that they have a daddy that works so hard to care for them. Many are not so lucky
God forgive my my coldness towards those of whom heaven is made.
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