As the time has come for me to leave my last and final country on the race, the Lord has broken my heart for this place.

It’s funny how the Lord works—how kind and gentle He is. How He desires every part of our hearts, and how He desires to hand us His very heart in return for our own.

Honduras was never on my agenda. It was never somewhere I desired to go, never a place I thought my heart would break for—but the Lord had other plans.

In my mind, it was always supposed to be Nicaragua. It was always meant to be the countries listed on the World Race website when I first signed up. Thank goodness the Lord had other plans.

From the day I arrived in Honduras, my heart was hardened to the idea of it. I didn’t want to be a part of the ministry. I didn’t want to visit the houses in the villages. I didn’t want to open my heart or my eyes to what the Lord had to show me here. And now, here I am at the end, on an airplane looking down at this country, already longing to go back.

So what changed?

Through the Lord’s gentle pursuit of my heart—His quiet words and steady reminders—my heart has changed. My eyes have been opened. Thank you, Jesus.

This country holds people who are desperate—needy for the Lord. They are in need of Jehovah Shalom, the only One who brings peace. They are in need of freedom. They are in need of a God who carries a motherly love—a love that many have never felt. This country holds people who are unaware of just how desperate they are for Him.

One of the first nights here, I sat at the Father’s feet, asking for just a glimpse of what He sees here. And He was so kind to answer me.

He revealed to me the strongholds covering this country.

There is such a grip of fear and anxiety over the people here—yet at the same time, peace and security are exactly what the Father is eager to give His people.

There is a hold of control over the men here, often coming out on their families in the form of abuse—yet our God is a God who sees each of His people, a God who is in control of all things. He holds out in His hands protection, unconditional love, and healing for His people here.

There is a hold of addiction over this country—yet our Savior died on the cross and rose again, holding victory in His hands, able to break every chain and bring freedom to the people of Honduras.

There is a spirit of hurry, of overwork—yet the Lord is Honduras’ Shepherd. He is faithful to lead His people beside green pastures and still waters.

The Lord shared so much of His heart with me, and I would love to share some of it with you.

The Lord said so clearly to me:
“I have a motherly love for you to give to my people in this country. I give you open arms to receive them with my love—
a love that is safe,
a listening ear,
a love that desires the best for the one it loves,
a smile,
a love that is both forgiving and teaching,
an honest and tender love—
simply a hug.”

I understood these words when the Lord shared them with me, but I didn’t yet understand how deeply these people needed this kind of love.

One of our main ministries here was house visits. We were living on a mountain surrounded by villages, so each day we would hike through the mountains and visit as many families as we could.

At each home, I noticed the same patterns. Fathers drowning in addiction and control. Mothers overcome with grief and pain. Both so hurt and in need of the Lord that they had nothing left to give their children—no time, no love to spare. There was such emptiness without the fullness of the Father’s love within these families.

These children were desperate to be loved by their mothers—to be held and fully seen.

Almost all of these mothers had become mothers when they were children themselves. Many women here are married and have their first child between the ages of 11 and 15—never having known a mother’s love, never learning how to give it.

If the children here aren’t already mothers or fathers themselves, they carry the responsibility of caring for their siblings.

House after house, I saw this. House after house, my heart broke for these people.

Until one day, I visited a different house—a house that felt light, that felt joyful.

I spoke with the mother, and she shared her life with me. She wakes up at 4 a.m. every morning to prepare breakfast for her husband before he leaves for work at 5, then continues her day caring for her children and family. She didn’t do it out of obligation, but out of love.

This was so different.

The whole time we talked, she didn’t push her children aside or ignore them. She invited them to sit with her. She hugged them and loved on them the entire time I was there.

I cried tears of joy.

The Lord was moving in that house. There was a stirring—a beginning of change.

The Lord is moving here despite the outward appearance of the country. Beneath the surface of all the pain and hurt is the joy of the Lord. There is joy in the waiting—a joy that outlasts pain, a joy that overcomes all things, because Jesus has overcome all.

Thank you, Jesus, for the change of plans. For leading me in a way I didn’t know I needed. For breaking my heart in ways I didn’t expect. For opening my eyes and ears to all You had for me here. Thank You, Jesus, for being Yeshua—the God who saves.

Honduras will come to know the Lord as a loving Father. They will know Him as the Shepherd He declares Himself to be in Psalm 23. They will find freedom and every good gift He freely gives.

Honduras will one day become a country known for the motherly love its people carry.

There is hope rising in Honduras.

The Lord will restore and rebuild the hearts of the people here.

Redemption will come.

Until then, we will labor in prayer on behalf of each family here. What a gift it is to labor for the lives of others.