Ever fill a basket of Thanksgiving food for a needy family, donate non-perishables to a food bank, or deliver a meal to a new mother (or dad whose wife is on a mission trip – ahem)? It feels good, right? You are delivering not only food, but sustenance, life.

There have been times I have felt the pang of frustration, looking at my somewhat barren fridge, wondering what I will feed my family for dinner. At worst case, I serve them cereal or leftovers, order take-out, or zip to the grocery store. No such luxuries in Honduras. The Children’s Village here provides 3 meals a day to 90 children, plus the men, women, and visiting missionaries who care for them. They get by okay, but there is no room for extras.

One of our tasks for the week was to take team funds and fill those refrigerators. For a gal who usually detests grocery shopping, I had a blast!

A small group of us drove 15 minutes to a nearby town of Cuyamel, a little “bedroom community” of sturdy shacks, clothesline-filled yards, and warm people. We didn’t know exactly where we were headed, but our 4 requests for directions were met with kind eyes and smiles. We finally found the “super-mercado,” an un-air-conditioned building the size of 7-11, stocked with essential family needs. No extras. The usual shopping carts were inaccessible to us, as they were in use as the produce aisle. We each picked up a small carrying basket and started filling. Carrots, tomatoes, green beans, chorizo, flour, rice, cereal, ketsup, cream, cheese, toilet paper, shampoo, 24 whole chickens. Piles and piles of food. We were able to splurge where the village house mothers cannot: cake mix, frosting, raisins, lotion. In total, we spent over 12,000 lempira, equivalent to about $600 for the three houses (boys, girls, preschoolers). A king’s ransom.

Our team was blessed to see the wonder in the eyes of the proprietors, a kind family who helped us at every turn of our shopping spree. After we paid, we drove away thinking of the bounty of their day’s profits.

Oh, how I wish I had snapped a few pictures. The refrigerator before and after. Our loot at the grocery store. The smiles of gratitude for provision, both at the village and the market. This was a thanksgiving I will never forget!