Honduras
Newsletter from Kyle Huhtanen for January-March 1997
1st Quarter (Jan-Mar) '97 report:
Kyle Huhtanen / Honduras Missions
Here is the report from Kyle. Included are two stories
Kyle sent to share his thoughts and feelings. The grammar may seem a bit strange
in the stories, but it is because Kyle is now getting so integrated with the
people in Amacuapa that he has started unconciously mixing English and Spanish
in some of his letters.
Amacuapa Valley Missions Report - First Quarter 1997
The Lord's hand is molding us into this work. The first two months here are
completed and we have grown each day to understand more of how we can be used
as tools to minister to these people. It has interrupted our personal goals
at times, canceled plans, and reshaped priorities, but we leave this introductory
time with energy and encouragement that we are joining a work larger than ourselves.
Because this valley is a forgotten land in many ways, our presence in this community
is one that draws curiosity. "What are you doing here?, and when are you
leaving? " are the questions that often came out this month. It is a question
that they ask later, rather than first. There are so many people here that have
never experienced God's unconditional love. Simply our presence and continuing
presence in these people's lives (because everyone IS in everyone's else's life
here in this small community) has and can continue to be a strong demonstration
of the Love of God. March was a month that brought this community together.
The warring families, bad vibes, and egos were put aside to unite in bringing
the blessing of running water to Amacuapa. The work has been a grueling task
that centered around digging a trench about 5 miles long to accommodate the
tube. This community work was an opportunity to be with and learn from the men
of this town. The men in this culture are callused with multiple layers of self
protection that makes their heart so distant from their speech. With time, we
hope to penetrate the shells of a few of these men with the guidance and help
of God's hand. The work has been burdensome to our muscles, but full of enlightenment
and challenge for our hearts and minds. I thank God for the blessing of being
involved in a project with such integrity and for a common good to all who live
in our community. The request of the Church was the call that brought us both
here and it is where we have begun our work. We are anxious to do things, but
hesitant to be the leaders of these new activities and ministries. In our vision
we have continually reminded ourselves that the vision is centered around
empowering the leaders here for the future. Efforts are currently focused around
teaching and encouraging these men to take leadership roles. Organizing
and conducting seminars about the importance of the family, of the strength
and power we have as a body, and about marriage and matrimony have been a portion
of these efforts. Using Church meetings to have class series and address different
age groups allows us to currently have an adult class about The Creation, a
class for new and non-Christians, a class for children, and a time for teenagers.
These classes have inspired us and the participants who have attended. The Church
gatherings in general have received a lot of visitation this month and we are
excited to say a work project with first priority is making more benches to
accommodate our needs. We envision our work to grow continually more outwardly
focused as we plan to join the members in spreading this good news to the other
communities that are in the valley. We are growing daily as a team to perform
this work for God. We are currently five in our house. The pictures will give
you some idea of our world. Eberto, Angel, and Juana ( our cook), are our companions.
There is a feeling of comfort among us now and I believe we all share the desire
to grow and really lean on one another in the struggles. If God permits, April
will be a month of moving forward and rejoicing in the water of life. Our request
is that you continue to pray for this project. For the Church leaders: Anael
and Chanito, for the hearts of Verhilio, Umberto, and Chepe, for us that we
may seek wisdom in making the decisions we are called to make. God has blessed
us all richly. I thank God regularly for the support we have from you and know
he is blessing you for it.
Dios le Bendiga, Your brother, Kyle Huhtanen
Story I 4-8-97
Many of you have asked that I share my stories when able and I too share this
desire because I feel this is the best way to preserve them for myself. So many
things happen in a town so small. They all make good stories, but with their abundance
I fear that some may get lost. While I desire to hand write these and some I have,
I find that modern technology is attractive to share them with you all in the
absence of a copier. Today I write, because my mind will not rest after the news
of this morning. I should not be surprised, but I find myself in shock at the
death that landed in this town today. Death is not something that is silent here,
and by no means rare. I feel in the past five days there have been two deaths
here in this town, although they would only say one. I left early this morning
to help a man in our neighboring community move sand for a floor. While in between
trips his wife informed him that family in Amacuapa were victims of death. A boy,
with a chilling age of twenty-three had been shot in the mountains by an "enemy."
The man, Sorrando, asked the details and then passed them along. There was no
surprise in the manner of death, no shock, no discussion of why. Only an exchange
of sadness and we returned to work. I suddenly became anxious to return to my
town and learn of who this affected. I soon learned upon my return that it was
the Torres family, one of the big three, that had this loss today. While today
was a big day to finish the water project the conversation of the death did take
priority. I listened with confusion and reflection at the contrast of thought
about the value of life and sadness this loss should bring to mind. While ladies
packed bags for the trip to the mountains, the men talked of the family, who was
left, how they were related, and how this was just another episode that needed
response from the family. A boy so young, an explanation so arbitrary, a way of
life so foreign. The explanation brings a new reality to my mind of what Olancho
culture sees as the pattern of life. To see that the pistol they carry really
does hold solutions to preserve their peace of mind. The reflect on the history
of this land which is filled with wars and turmoil over who should be given the
rule of the land. The realization that my label cowboy land brings with it more
than the jokes of cowboy boots, horses, and sombreros, but a mind set of independence
and pride that leaves little room for the practice of mercy and forgiveness. So
I said there were two deaths in this town this week. I do feel that there may
have been. While ignorant of many details, the story is a sad one in any path
it takes in the future. It is a story so common and sad that it doesn't even make
the headlines of our town's happenings. Our neighbor lost a daughter Sunday night.
Men in this valley were created first with the reason that &they would know
best. While I think many of us in society have now come to believe that woman
was created second in order to add reason to the arbitrary decision of man, this
is a quite a bit more than a foreign theme here. A "boyfriend" was visiting
and the night got dark. We in our culture have certain associations with the dark,
yet there's take on a little more serious form. When it is dark here, it is very
dark. A people who are so tranquilo here during the day have allowed all malicious
energy to vent and take solution in the night. So, what happened you ask. Well
, it was that pistola that I joked about in the first month I was here. All day
it sits tranquilo in the belt, in the pants, looking like an ornament, but at
night it becomes the enforcer. He told her she was leaving home to become his
woman with the encouragement of a pistol. Few saw, and fewer saw reason to dispute.
He came with his pistol, and this became law. So the mother is torn apart with
the loss of her nineteen year old daughter and has literally been sick because
of the incident. Yet, when the next morning when this man awoke all was tranquilo
in his town I expect. People would talk, and give commentary, but nobody would
take action, no one would question him. The pistol would be an ornament, lifeless,
yet the story of the night holds its mission. Is this the end of her life? No,
but maybe yes. This culture doesn't give a lot of second chances to women. To
be thrown into the family of another here is to be stripped of who you are and
what you know. My observation brings that if she is not happy with this man, she
can only hope he spends little time at home and therefore she can seek refuge
in other women in the community whom she can share and try to find self with while
washing the clothes, preparing the food and carrying the water. This is the story
of today and it will be a stored in my memory more than most here in this town.
For them it is life, for me it remains the hurdle they have in experiencing life.
Death here whether expected or not is celebrated with an abundance of food and
partying. It is the time to pull an all-nighter, to leave the trend of day to
day. And so they left today. Are they sad, yes I think so. Does it call for a
time of reflection, it seems to, but this reflection is not one I identify with
and it gives me plenty of food for thought.
Story II
I often find myself questioning the reality of poverty. Are these people poor.
When arrived, yes, everybody was poor. With time and observation, I find myself
having put a scale on who is more needy and who is alright. I sometimes find myself
thinking that they have more than I. Of course this is a thought of exageration,
but the whole idea of comparing their poverty makes me see that their real poverty
is not found in the lack of things they own. Rather, the poverty that is over
abundant here is the poverty of knowledge, the abundance of ignorance, and the
helplessness that this leaves in their lives. Would they admit this. Few would.
Most, NO. Why? Because their is no lack of pride in this town. Yes, they are ignorant
of much knowledge, but very aware of who they are, and this, they want to preserve.
Yet, I reflect more on the ignorance they face everyday. What a challenge this
is. How do you overcome an ignorance level without the priority of obtaining an
education? While the young sometimes see the benefits in learning more and more
importantly, the opportunity to leave this town, the old have forgotten this benefit
and many don't see the need to send them. And then I wonder how much of a loss
is it to live without the knowledge of how the sun and moon cross the sky everyday.
The story behind the beauty of the stars and the miracle of rain from which the
waters above. We, in our society "superior" have turned education into
a way of life, and this I often and still cherish as blessed. To grow is the success
of living life. Education is a wide avenue to growth. Yet, sometimes in our life
of education, do we apply knowledge, or do we sometimes sacrifice the application
in order to take a shortcut for more education? While this is confusing, I see
the application of a level of knowledge here. These people live off the land and
therefore the direct application and sourceof knowledge is from the same source.
What make the beans more plentiful by chance is applied for all the beans and
the crop is more plentiful. A clever technic, an efficient method all become the
knowledge of how to. While elementary, it is compelling. One could say it is simply
a learned pattern and indeed I agree it is. Yet, have we, in our pursuit of destroying
ignorance, created a life so indirect in its existence that the application of
our knowledge is a lost possiblity. Yes, we learn about the plant, we learn about
the animal, but does this lead us to take better care of the animal, to be able
to raise the garden. I contest in many cases, no. We are unable to live with our
abundance of knowledge without the few who have inherited and paid their dues
to practice the patterns. These are the people who provide our food, clothes,
and shelter. And yet I see our path to this current state. How much better can
it be if we research it. Oh, it can be much better. Cotton can be make stronger,
plants can be made more fruitful, animals more productive. We saw and we pursued.
To accept the reality is not the manner in which a motivated society functions.
To create the new reality is where I come from and that is what doesn't exist
here in Amacuapa. A dream for creating their reality. In a few, yes, but those
are the ones who leave for the city. The old are the ones of influence in this
town and they are the ones who stayed, because they saw no need to change this
pattern of reality. Is this wrong, I can't say I am convinced it is, but it is
perplexing. Yet, this is the thing that holds many of them from understanding
the emptiness of their life without God. The accepted reality that this is what
life is in its abundancy. To seek for a new reality, a new sense of who they are
and can be done through their talents and dreams is not a pattern of thought,
not a thought that crosses their minds.
And so sometimes
I find myself wanting to challenge their world of pride and contentness, just
to leave them with the realization of their emptiness without God. It is a strange,
because I can't say I have done that, but my presence has sturred more curiousity
than my words currently can. It is a level, deep and below the surface for them.
Many would rather dwell on the river, on the soccer game, on the weather, etc.
To peal back the skin on this culture is to ask them to look for a new reality.
ITS A LONG JUMP AND I CAN ONLY PRAY THAT A FEW MAKE IT TO
THE OTHER SIDE.
LogicEtc.