Dear Friends,
A few weeks ago, as I was driving home from church, I noticed a large plume of smoke off in the distance. During this time of year, it is common for farmers to burn their fields to clear it for planting. Unfortunately, this is also our dry season, and it’s just as common for these fires to rapidly get out of control. I could tell that this fire was definitely out of control. As I drew closer to my house, I began to realize that the mountain on fire was MY mountain. Uneasily I pulled into my residential area, praying that my house was okay. My house is the last house in the residential area, and there are lots of trees and empty lots. As I drew closer to my house, I began seeing burn marks on the side of the road. Then, I saw the fire. It engulfed the entire right-hand side of the road. My neighbor’s house (a few lots over), was surrounded on three sides by the flames, and they were outside with their garden hose, trying to keep the fire at bay. One thing you have to understand about Honduras is that we have no addresses and very few street names. We can call the fire department, but we can only give them vague directions as to where the fire is. Plus, the nearest active fire station is 45 minutes away in the city. When there’s a fire out here in the country, we’re pretty much on our own. When I got to my house, I could scarcely believe my eyes. The fire had already come and gone, leaving only the scorch marks. The fire had burned right up to the very edge of my fence and stopped. Not a single blade of grass on my property was burnt. My house was fine except for the lingering smell of smoke. Praise the Lord, no one was hurt during this fire! I am so thankful for His protection!
Every year in the month of March, our church hosts a ladies’ conference. Many churches from all over Honduras come for this two-day conference. This year, I invited my 8th – 9th grade girls to come to the conference. I was so excited when six of them accepted the invitation! They stayed with me from the end of school Friday afternoon until Saturday afternoon, and they stayed the night at my house. We were able to spend time together and play games. But it was also encouraging to see their interest in the lessons and be able to discuss some of the questions that they had after the conference.
I am also thrilled to see the spiritual growth in several of my students. A few of them have really taken an interest in reading their Bible and praying. They have started coming to me and asking me to pray specifically for their spiritual lives. One of them started attending church more regularly and was baptized a few weeks ago. He’s now helping on one of the bus routes. Praise the Lord!
Please continue to pray for the spiritual growth of my students and for the growth of my bus route. Please pray that I can make a difference in their lives.
Sincerely,
Ericka Wright