For Immediate Release For more information
Randy Souza
Feeding The Nations
Teens Moved by Poverty in Honduras
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -A team of 15 from Provident Ministries, Feeding The Nations, South Bend, Ind., spent part of this summer in Honduras distributing nearly $250,000 worth of food and vitamins, and having their lives forever changed. While there, they stayed at Hope Center Orphanage in the Valley of Angels outside of the capital of Tegucigalpa and helped with the orphans. They visited a prison for gang members, fed the needy in three villages and reached out to the garbage dump where many call the landfill their home.
"We tried to prepare the kids beforehand for what they would see, but seeing it is different," said Rachelle Page-Wood who led the mission along with her husband Josh. "It was an opportunity for them to see truly desperate people and accept that there are people less fortunate."
The team's mission was to reach the people of Honduras who live in extreme poverty with an average annual income of $920. The group wanted to reach out to those living in the local garbage dump, but for security concerns, the distribution had to take place off-site. "We couldn't let the kids off the bus there because people would swarm them. Some people ran up to the bus and tried to get on. We had a contact that was able to arrange for us to go to someone's house, so families came from the landfill to get food."
Though they had planned to distribute food and supplies, they also performed dramas and witnessed to the people of Honduras. The team, however, did not anticipate receiving as they did. Page-Wood reported that the people gave to them as well. "The people ministered to us by how open and friendly they were. Even though they were poor and we were there to give them food, they gave us their craftsmanship, pottery, carvings and most importantly their love."
While the vast majority of teenagers spend their summers working on their tans and maybe earning some extra cash, this group of 15 made a bigger investment. One that will offer greater returns in their lives and the lives of those they touched.
For more information, visit www.feedingthenations.org or write Feeding The Nations
P. O. Box 2438, South Bend, In 46680