Hey Honduras team,
It’s finally time to give you a few more details about your trip! This summer is going to be an incredible one where you’re going to see God do great things in you, and in the people of Honduras. It will be hard at times, but know that it’s all worth it. Get excited!
You guys will be working with a ministry called Zions Gate Ministries which is outside of Tegucigalpa, which is the capital city. Zions Gate’s ministry vision is: To offer willing individuals the unique opportunity to dynamically live and participate within a residential Christian community promoted and defined in the Holy Bible. To provide temporary and permanent housing for all individuals desiring to explore, learn, grow and actively engage in their Christian faith freely. To seek and invite ‘outcasts’ of society to join us in a vibrant community of faith so their lives can be reclaimed; being future leaders demonstrating to the entire world the everything is possible through the power of God!
While in Honduras your team will get to do a wide variety of things in ministry, all centering around building relationships. Every day you will have the opportunity to bring hope to the one’s labeled by society as “basura” (garbage) through living life as Christ would – 24 hours a day. You’ll live in a Christian community with Honduran teens who are in the process of radically changing their lives. You will encounter poverty stricken people living in the poorest of living conditions. The heart behind the ministry is is that sincere and personal relationships build trust and through trust you are able to effectively share the Gospel to those who lack hope.
Your ministry contact’s name is Tony Deien. A little about Tony: He came to know the Lord about 6 years ago. After hearing a message at a church in Salt Lake City, he went to Honduras for a month to be discipled by a pastor. He later returned for a 6 month trip, but felt led to move to Honduras full-time. His passion and vision for the ministry in Honduras is to promote Christ and to work with the “forgotten” and those who have lost hope and to see restoration in their lives.
(Please do not contact the ministry on your own or allow your parents to contact them either. We want to protect and honor their privacy.)
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Cultural Norms and Sensitivities:
Communication: Be aware that the acceptable distance for Hondurans is closer than that of most North Americans. Prepare your reaction in advance if/when a local goes beyond your personal space. He/she might feel offended if you back off at once. As in every culture, your gestures, body language, and facial expression communicate volumes of information so listen and pay attention to your environment.
Greeting: Give a firm handshake when greeting a man and less firm when greeting a woman. Establishing eye contact in an inviting way is important.
As always, if you have any questions about anything listed here, please let me know!
