Making a Difference, Part II

In my last post I wrote about a Louisiana lady, Laurie Matherne, who is making a difference in the slums and poor neighborhoods near Tegucigalpa, Honduras. I wrote about her involvement in a feeding program through a medical clinic ministry called "His Eyes", but I wanted to mention a few other things that Laurie is doing.

The church Laurie works with, El Cuerpo de Cristo (The Body of Christ), shares a plot of land with the His Eyes Clinic in the village of Nueva Espania. This church also has a feeding program, providing nutritious meals to about 160 poor children every Sunday. The importance of a few good meals a week for these children is hard for us to grasp here in the States. But consider this: cheap food, which is mostly what these poor families can afford, tends to be "junk" food. I am reminded of this every time we visit Honduras and try to buy groceries. Most of the small neighborhood stores are filled primarily with chips, cookies, candy, and other sugar-laden processed foods. There is very little in the way of meats, vegetables, and fresh foods. As a result, malnutrition and related health issues such as diabetes are prevalent in Honduras. These feeding programs are a small but essential step in the right direction.

Laurie also offers and conducts English language instruction through the church. Many of her students are adults--the mothers of the neighborhood children. Laurie explained that their desire to learn English is primarily in order to be able to help their kids who are taking English in school with their homework assignments.

Another planned project is the establishment of a small library at the church. The importance of such a thing is again hard for us to comprehend here in the U.S., where almost every community has a library and a book store or two. But in most areas of Honduras, a safe place for children and adults to come and read is rare. Laurie's library is modest at present, containing only a few volumes. With time and additional donations, she hopes to add more titles, as well as additional shelves, tables and chairs. Her most requested book is the Bible.

Laurie Matherne is a busy lady, humbly following the example of Jesus Christ in a tough place. Her work is not high-profile or glamorous, and I would imagine that it is often frustrating and very lonely for a single lady so far from the comforts of home, friends, and family. And yet, this is what I believe the Bible teaches following Jesus is to be about--showing God's love by ministering to those in need; bringing hope to people who live in a place where hope is in short supply.

Please visit Laurie's blog and see how you can help support her efforts.