Prayers for Women of the Mountain

The other day, I was praying for the women on the mountain and I decided that I wanted to share with you all about some of the hard realities on the mountain, and how you could all be praying!

Life on the mountains in Comayagua is not easy, especially for women. The living conditions are primitive, and many people are unemployed, or if they have a job they still struggle to put food on the table.

This week, a few of us began building the foundation for a new house being built on the mountain. The house is for the daughter of one of the women who lives on the mountain and has been employed by our hosts to cook meals for our squad.

[Stacy] is 32 and one of her daughters is 15 with an almost 2 year old. [Stacy] has a few older children and also has two kids who are around 5 and 7. [Stacy] is a beautiful women who works insanely hard for her family. She is also joyful and I have gotten the privilege to see her hilarious mischievous side as well! Unfortunately, as hard as she works, most money that she makes is taken by her husband and used for buying alcohol on the weekends.  A practice far too familiar of men in this community.

The older daughter and her daughters baby currently live in a one room shack that only has enough room for a single, wet mattress that they both sleep on. During rainy season, which we are in the middle of, the already small room is often flooded and they sometimes walk in water and mud.We began building a house for them a little further up the mountain, where their house is less likely to be victim to a mudslide.

The dynamic of [Stacy’s] family is unfortunately commonplace for the Hondurans living on the mountain. While not the rule, the majority of the women on the mountain are used to having very little say in their families, and being controlled by the men. Domestic violence and abuse is far too common. It is not atypical for women to get pregnant at the young age of 13, 14, or 15. Often the women cannot read or write, and with nothing to distract them, they often end up following the same patterns of their parents and grandparents.

Its hard to see. In fact, the power dynamics and the way that these women are treated makes me mad.

The situation is heartbreaking but not hopeless. The Lord has not forgotten this place and I fully believe that He has a plan to restore and completely flip the script of the dynamics on this mountain. There is change happening and it’s coming from the women! Our host, Tania, has a women’s ministry where she teaches women about who they are in the Lord and also teaches them skills so that they can begin to make money for themselves.

In the Bible, God used women to reveal His Kingdom. Women were the ones who’s devotion to the Lord was a catalyst to changed hearts in the community.

• Mary was the one trusted to bring the news of the empty tomb. (John 20:18)
• Mary, Joanna, Susanna and other women were willing to go wherever Jesus was and were financial providers for Jesus ministry. (Luke 8:1-3)
• And God used Rahab to take a huge risk, house spies, and her life was spared and she her and her descendants became huge influences for the Lord. (Joshua 2)

Jesus sees women as vessels and powerful tools. I have no doubt that, amongst other things, God is going to use women to change the atmosphere of entire families on this mountain. There will be entire families following the Lord because one woman said yes.

Yes, some of the realities on this mountain are absolutely heart breaking, but there is so much hope! There are a bunch of kids that run around our campsite everyday, looking real cute and finding every excuse to be in our space. Not complaining! Sometimes they hop in our tents and sometimes they badly braid our hair. Most of the kiddos belong to the women that work in the kitchen, and a few just live down the street and spend all day with us just because they like being here.

When I look at these kids, I can’t help but think of the new generation that they could represent on the mountain. I think of them being outrageously loved by a massive group of missionaries; Hondurans and Americans alike. I think of them living right next door to a church and how they are going to see that God offers them something different than they’ve seen before. I think of the love they are going to experience, how God is going to use it to change them, and how God is going to use them to introduce others to Himself.

God hasn’t forgotten the people on this mountain and He never will. Here is a list of needs that you can be praying over the people of this community:

-That funds would be provided for a school on top of the mountain so kids that don’t yet have access to education will have it.
-That the women would feel seen and known and see themselves with potential and the eyes of the Father.
-That more and more women would be provided opportunities to make money so that necessities such as food and clothing are always available.
-That the men of the mountain would be followers of the Lord, humble leaders of their households, and that alcoholism would not be a factor in their lives.
-Pray that during during rainy season, their homes will be protected and secure and that any spirit of fear due to the rains would be replaced with a spirit of peace.

Thanks for your prayers! They are powerful!