Larry Smoak, a friend who has been living and working in Honduras for many years, recently emailed us this story. It gives another, different glimpse into the lives of those in Honduras.
I don't want to post his email here for fear of spamming (I accidently posted mine and have been getting many strange offers in my email box), but please contact me if you would like to contact Larry, be on his email list of prayer updates, or just learn more about what he is doing. He can also be reached through the Acts Foundation
Here's the Story:
For most North Americans it is difficult to picture the rugged lives of these boys and what it means to be on a running team headed for the country's biggest marathon. Most of them have grown up children of "campesinos," which in English we would call a country bumpkin farmer. Their campesino fathers wrestle a living out of about 5-8 acres to produce the family's minimal diet of corn, beans, bananas and rice, but are considered by society as the ignorant poor. Most of these boys have grown up with on average 6 siblings in a house about the size of your kitchen, made of mud and sticks, with a dirt floor and a palm thatch roof. Now, they are delighted to be able to attend secondary school at all and much more to enjoy the opportunities that arise from being at Instituto El Rey. So, rejoice with me as we watch these boys, who are considered by society as ignorant and worthless, dig deep into themselves and find out what they are really worth.
In mid-March we announced again that up to 15 boys who ran a half marathon course along our mountainous dirt road in less than two hours would qualify to go to "El Maraton de La Prensa," the most prestigious race in all of Honduras.
So the boys started running a little here and there. And beginning in April I went to IER every Thursday during PE class to lead the interested boys in their running. We discussed how much to run, diet, stride and form, and spiritual parallels to running. And we ran together. Most days there were the typical junior high boy complaints, the "I cant's" and the "I'm sick's." But I would ask them “What do you really want?” And we would quote together "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
Then the day of the time trial arrived, and I thought we might have five or six boys qualify. If the steamy 95 F and 85% humidity, and the rocky, mountainous 13.1-mile course was intimidating to me, a seasoned marathon runner, I wondered what was going through the minds of these boys. I encouraged them to run as brothers and not as competitors against each other, that in pairs they would encourage one another when each wanted to give up. The goal I told them was to love each other as one team in their running, and to dig down into themselves and see what really calls the shots in their lives when things get tough. Was it their body and its desires or their inner man that united with God’s Spirit trusts and obeys our Heavenly Father?
At 8 a.m. the gun went off, with Jay and Ryan escorting us in two trucks, one to provide drinks in front and the other to pick up the stragglers. The boys ran well. In fact they surprised us all. There were the three front runners, David, Lesbin, and Denis who ran the whole way as a group and crossed the line in 1:39. In fact most of the boys paired up in groups and encouraged each other. Duani, who ran in long pants and cheap tennis shoes, crossed the line in about 1:44. He announced in front of all his teammates, I would have given up if it had not been for Fernando here who encouraged me to keep going. The two ran the last mile hand in hand. Then there was Kevin who at the last minute decided to race the time trial even though he had not trained for it. Many times he felt like quitting, and began to walk on several occasions. But Ryan was there with the truck to give him a little toot with the horn, to say, "You can do it!" So Kevin kept on keeping on until he crossed the line in 1:54, last of the qualifiers, dead tired, but delighted to be headed to San Pedro Sula. Fourteen out of 18 runners qualified.
Now, on Saturday, June 25th the boys and I will travel to San Pedro Sula to run along side of about 1,400 runners from Honduras, Latin and North America. For some of them it will be the first time in the most modern and industrial city of Honduras. With crowds of people lining the streets to cheer them on, these boys and I will push ourselves once again. We may not win a gold medal, but we will proclaim to ourselves and to a world that has little idea they even exist, who they really are, beautiful creations and redeemed sons of God.
Thank you for helping make my life here possible by your prayers and support. Please continue to pray that God’s life and love would be the one thing revealed in and through me.