An Unspoken Message Shared — Visiting Compassion In Honduras

Note: This is a guest post from Amy Soden, the tour manager of The Compassion Experience. Amy and the team travel 3 weeks out of every month to bring the event to communities around the US. Last month, they visited a Compassion center in Honduras. 

We were visiting a Compassion center at Iglesia Monte Santo, just outside of San Pedro Sula in Honduras. Last year, San Pedro Sula was listed as the most dangerous city in the world. As we arrived and climbed out of the bus, we stood facing the mountainside with a river and rope bridge before us. We swayed as we crossed, but yet felt joy and safety as we walked with the river running beneath us. Once across the river, we were greeted by 100 children standing on the hillside carrying the Honduran flag with sweet smiles on their faces. Never in my life have I seen such beauty in one view. The mountains, the river, the children, the joy. The children then walked with us as they guided us to the local church that hosts the Compassion center for their area. Compassion’s model is like no other: All projects around the globe are run through the local church.

We spent the morning at the Compassion center serving the kids lunch and playing with them. There were art projects, countless photos taken, and a makeshift Frisbee game. One of our staff starting spinning kids round and round in a circle. The moment he stopped spinning, a swarm of kids would surround him asking for a turn themselves. Late in the morning, half of the kids and staff headed down the hill about a mile to the soccer field. Futbol, you see, is a global language.

Seeing there were just a few kids left, I pulled out a coloring book and crayons and sat down on the concrete floor to color. Before too long I had a few of the younger children surrounding me as we all colored pictures of animals together and attempted to say the names of the animals in each other’s languages. Soon, a mother came to pick up her children and two of the children got up to leave. The younger girl, maybe three or four, walked over to her mama and then back to me. She stood above me with a smile on her face then she practically jumped into my arms to give me the biggest bear hug ever! So sweet. So smiley. By far the highlight of my day.

Upon returning home a few days later, I read a blog post by one of the Compassion Bloggers who was with Wess Stafford in Uganda in February. Wess gave a brief message to the children at the center — he said they were there greeting them on behalf of each of their sponsors. Reading this completely changed my perspective on that hug from just a few days prior. You see, I realized that sweet girl is someone’s sponsored child. Somewhere in this world, her sponsor lives and prays for her, writes her letters and loves her from afar. This week, I had the joy of hugging her for them. Or rather, in her hugging me she showed her joy, hope, love and gratitude for her sponsors. This child knows she is loved and thought about and remembered. I was blessed to receive all of that, on behalf of her sponsor, in that one sweet hug. Wow. Before it was just a hug. Now, it’s a moment, a memory that will stay with me, and a message.

To anyone who has the opportunity to visit a Compassion center abroad, hug those children. All of them. On behalf of their sponsors. Let them hug you and show you their joy. Pass the message along that they are loved and remembered and receive the message in return. And if you happen upon my sweet Youdka, Daniel or Edward, please hug them and play with them; make memories with them. Each moment is a gift both to give and receive.

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Step into the world of a sponsored child at The Compassion Experience. We may be coming to a community near you. Click here to find out where we’ll be next.