in the poorest conditions on earth. They know that there are no
These were her words, “Dori, you have to stop bringing these poor
guarantees in this life, that today is a gift from God and tomorrow people into the church. The rich kids don’t like it and the church will
is only a possibility.
fail and we (meaning her husband and family) will never be able to
go home.” They were Gringos from the U.S as I was.
They have a wealth of wisdom to share with us. So much of who
I am today is a direct result of my time with them. I wouldn’t trade I thought she was joking but soon realized that she was completely
those years, as difficult as they were at times, for anything. The
serious and also felt very justified. I was furious and could have
most amazing journey of my life began in 1995. I was invited by
easily unloaded on her with both barrels right there in the middle of
SOMA, one of the mission organizations of the Episcopal church the church. What a good example that would have been. An angel
to be a part of a pilot project to minister to children at risk in a
must have stuffed a sock in my mouth but I did manage to tell her
third world country. Eleven of us from all across the country met that, in the history of the Church, I could not believe God would
in Houston and then flew on together to Honduras. I remember
allow a church to fail because it reached out to the poorest of the
my first impression as we landed. There was one man standing
poor. She walked away and I didn’t hear a thing during the service.
on the runway holding a fire extinguisher. I remember thinking “I I was seething.
really hope there isn’t a big fire.” There wasn’t. We landed safely,
That week I received a letter saying that the breakfast program
bouncing to a stop in front of the tiny terminal.
was being suspended indefinitely because the adult Sunday
Our mission was to
School class needed the parish hall space.
last 10 days. For me
There were three people in the class. My
the mission will never
time in Honduras changed my life. I came
end. As I began to
back seeing the world around me in what
get acquainted with
I can only describe as a paradigm shift. I
some of the children
observe the same things but from a vastly
I started loading
different perspective.
them in my Nissan
Our nation is in crisis, like nothing we baby
Pathfinder every
boomers have experienced. People are losing
Sunday morning
their source of income and, often through
and taking them to
no fault of their own, are among our growing
breakfast. Honduras
homeless population. We see it happening
has some of the same
right here in Comfort, Texas. I have heard that
fast food restaurants
one in eight Texas children go to bed hungry.
that we have in the
We cannot let this happen. I truly believe that
states but they were
God has chosen us to be alive at this point in
not interested in a
history. Scripture says that we are a chosen
group of street kids disrupting their Sunday business. There is a
generation, chosen to be here at this time and place. Did you know
very rich upper class there and the business owners did not want
that there are more people alive today than have ever died? Take
to risk having them offended by a group of dirty street children.
a moment and think about that. We are contemporaries with more
So, with the help of the ladies of the Episcopal Church where
than half the people who have ever been born.
I served as an assistant, we moved the breakfast program
Throughout history the Church has had its greatest ministry and
to the fellowship hall. Soon we had over 60 children every
growth during the most difficult of times. Here we are again. As
Sunday who came for breakfast and singing. Then they went
Christians in today’s trembling world, we have the opportunity to
on to regular Sunday School. To me it seemed like great things
be part of the Church’s finest hour.
were happening. Then came a Sunday morning that changed
everything. That morning we had served over 100 people
breakfast. We had begun inviting the mothers of the children and
they came, most with tiny babies in their arms. After breakfast I
was sitting in the church when the pastor’s wife came up to me.
www.fbgwoman.com
31