October 2003

Dear Friends,

I recently was thinking about writing a letter and struggled to come up with a theme or a story to share. Then a thought in the form of a question came to me. The question is: Are you bankrupt? I was thinking of a total concept of bankruptcy and not an economic one, of having spent all that is inside of oneself including all of the values on which to draw on in everyday life situations.

Not long ago, a young couple was looking for work. Fernando came to our house with his mother, recommended by our neighbors. He spoke rapidly and somewhat nervously about his desire for work and willingness to begin immediately. His rounded face and indigenous features often came to quick smiles with his eyes dancing with a glimmer. There was little background information about Fernando other than he had worked in San Pedro Sula on a large farm. He married locally in the village where we live. He is about 20 years old and his wife is only 16. They have a son who is one year old. Their youth combined with big responsibilities and little education is typical in Honduras.

The high walls and serpentine razor-sharp wire are indicators of the concern for security. The last president was elected on that issue, promising a strong crackdown. It is hard to help your neighbor if you can’t trust him/her.

Once again our bankruptcy was challenged. Did we have the value of giving someone another chance? Even though there was no proof that he had done something wrong doubts started to arise. Fernando had been involved in some problems previously but with a new opportunity perhaps he could be rehabilitated? Can we forgive others and let them start anew? Vera Shaw in her book Thorns in the Garden Planet speaks of “inner pollution,” which can be characterized as self-centeredness and self-interest, and how these negative values must be overcome in order to act positively in the outside world. We need to have a stockpile of values to rely on in order to act positively in the surrounding world; otherwise we will be acting negatively based on bankrupt skepticism. In our mission activities and work we often find that things don’t always come out as we would wish. People do not always act with a basis of positive values. We work with people with little formal education who do not have a credit rating or even anything to use as collateral. We feel that “preaching the gospel to the poor” by affording opportunities to people is the best way to “heal the brokenhearted” (Luke 4:18-19). These “poor” people often respond in ways much greater than expected. Take the example of Jesus in the community of Estanzuela, Copan: after he passed on the first heifer from the cow he received from Heifer Project to another family he then sold the second offspring to replace the roof on his house.

On the other hand, governmental and institutional officials often seem to be those who are internally bankrupt and do not carry out values-based actions. So many problems could be overcome if there were inner changes within people.

We decided to give Fernando the chance to continue to work as the caretaker/watchman. Our bank of values and beliefs tell us that everyone should be given another chance, and that by forgiving we can allow people to prove that they can learn from past errors when there is the desire to do so, when there is an opportunity, and when God’s will is allowed to take form within them.

The struggles around us are strengthened by the love of our inner family and the development of our daughters as they grow and thrive. Your prayers for us and for people in Honduras who are faced with decisions to make about their well-being and their struggles for a better life are also a great source of strength.

Greetings,

Tim and Gloria

The 2003 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, page 249