Q & A with Pam Caldemeyer
'He takes a broken life and makes it whole and beautiful'

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How are you currently involved with the Honduras Mission?

Shortly after my first trip to Honduras in January 2006 I became a member of the Fuenta da Vida Orphanage Committee. We meet every other Wednesday. During that time we talk about the practical aspects of running the orphanage as well as spiritual matters with the girls. We make recommendations regarding counseling and medical care, school, orphanage staff, and maintenance of the facility. Several of our girls will be moving from the orphanage to a transition home soon to prepare for life on their own. That is new for us and we spend a lot of time talking about what success and happiness for a Honduran looks like. We don't want to push them towards the American idea of success and happiness, but want to help them find their personal gifts and what God has for their future. That involves exposing them to cosmetology, art, sewing, English classes or whatever they think they might like to try. We also talk about ways to support the wonderful staff at the orphanage.

How did you first get involved and why?

When we first came to Grace 14 years ago I was exposed to short-term missions for the first time. Friends of mine would go on trips with Jim Pearce (Grace Missions Director) or Billy Graham Ministries and come back with the most incredible stories of what God was doing. It made me think about how there is so much more to living the Gospel of Jesus than just going to our comfortable churches once or twice a week. I asked God to show me how he could use me. But I'm not a preacher, a doctor, or a teacher or any of the usual professions we associate with being a missionary. I couldn't imagine how He could use me but I just knew I wanted Him to. Then in the fall of 2005 I read in the bulletin about the upcoming trip to Honduras and felt God speak to my heart that we were to go. I bombarded Jim with questions, asking what we would be doing, what tasks we would be assigned to, because we all know that when you go on a mission trip you work! Each time Jim would patiently tell me to just wait until we got there and God would lead me to whatever He wanted me to do. That was very hard for me since I'm so task-oriented. I decided that the one of the things I was good at was loving children. You don't need to have special skills or even know the language to do that. So that's what I would do. And that's what I do every time I go.

Tell a story from one of your trips.

My heart goes out to these girls in the orphanage because they have no mother to love them, no one to hold them when they cry. But many of them are so wounded that it's hard for them to trust us. One little girl in particular, Nora, really grabbed my heart. She is very quiet and shy and always stays on the edges of whatever activity is going on. One night I heard her crying, sitting by herself in her bed. When I tried to console her she just pulled away not trusting my love for her. So I decided I would quietly show her she could trust me. Every time I saw her I would hug her and tell her I loved her. I would ask her to draw a picture for me or show me her doll. Slowly she became less hesitant around me and more welcoming of my attention. Then she began to come to me, quietly standing beside me or playing with my hair. I would pull her into my lap and show her how thrilled I was she wanted to be with me. The night before we left she came to me with a small cloth in her hand. She was learning to embroider in school and had embroidered a small picture for me. I will never forget the moment when she looked up at me with those big brown eyes and proudly handed me that precious little work of art. My heart was overwhelmed by the significance of that gesture and I still cry whenever I look at her gift. I am so grateful that God would love Nora and all these precious girls through us.

How has your heart been changed by your ministry in Honduras?

My grandmother was one of the greatest influences of my life. She was such a strong, faithful and loving Christian all of her life and had a thankful heart always, no matter what hardships she faced. I have always prayed that God would give me a thankful heart and that I would be more like her. I believe He is using this ministry to open my eyes and my heart to how totally good and faithful He is. The Hondurans have almost nothing and often don't know when their next meal will be but they are grateful and so willing to share with you what they have. They trust God to take care of them and they are happy. We have so much and we aren't happy or grateful. One night when we were on our way to church I saw a very poor woman with 6 or 7 dirty and probably starving little children try to share what little food she had with one of our team members. That kind of love changes you forever. It has also been a blessing for me to watch my children's hearts change. They have more of a heart for reaching out to others and are more appreciative of the comforts and opportunities they have.

What was the most recent trip like?

The Christmas trip is always exciting because we share gifts with the girls and the staff. The girls make a Christmas wish list and their Christmas sponsor buys 2 of the gifts on the list. It is wonderful to watch the joy on their faces as they open their gifts! During this trip our team divided into 3 small groups. One group stayed and painted the girls' rooms in the orphanage, one group went with a doctor and medicine up into a mountain village and another went to the same village to help build a small church building. It was quite hot that day and the groups that went to the mountain village had not taken enough water with them. They were so moved when a young pregnant woman walked 1 1/2 miles to the nearest store to buy cold drinks for them and then carried them back by herself. We also had the opportunity to be a part of a very special graduation ceremony. The pastor we work with, Yobani Alas, had been teaching a leadership class of 54 students for the past year. They met every week for 3 hours, sometimes walking great distances to attend class. Now these people will either pastor small mountain churches or lead small groups in their homes. It was so moving to see them process in, wearing caps and gowns and holding lighted candles. This was probably the greatest educational accomplishment most of them had ever achieved and you could tell that they were so proud. After they received their diploma their family was waiting at the end of the stage to hug and congratulate them. It truly was a privilege to be a part of something that will have such a profound effect on Honduras. More and more Hondurans are joining Yobani as he follows the vision that God has given him for his country. It is with our financial support that Yobani can train more leaders and continue working toward our goal of "Helping Hondurans Help Hondurans."

How do you see yourself involved in the next 5 years?

I don't know what God has planned for me with Honduras. I never imagined I would be as involved as I am! But my hope is that I will continue to go to Honduras as often as I can so that I can maintain the relationships that have begun, as well as continue to work with the Orphanage Committee here. My heart's desire has been to show the girls that my commitment to them is long term. They have suffered so much loss in their short lives and they need to know that we love them in a sure and steady way. Every time I go back I see how they are benefiting from the continued relationships with us. The older girls at the orphanage are facing some big life decisions and I look forward to seeing what wonderful things God has for their future. They can be great ambassadors for Christ because they will be examples of how He takes a broken life and makes it whole and beautiful. I am also excited about the economic projects that are getting started. We have some very gifted people on the Economic Development Committee who are working to help our mountain pastors be better able to support their families. This will have a huge effect on families and communities.

Why and how would you encourage others to be involved?

There are many ways people can get involved in this ministry. First and foremost, we need your prayers. Our desire is to stay in the center of God's will for Honduras. It's easy for us to step into this poverty-striken country and think that we as Americans know how to "fix" it. But we need to always follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, remembering that we are there to show these people the love of Jesus above all else. Financial support is always needed and even a small monetary gift goes a long way. The clinic can always use people with medical expertise to get it organized and ready to use. There are always maintenance issues with the buildings on campus. And the girls can always use someone to hug them or braid their hair. But the best way to find out how you can involved is to go to Honduras yourself. While we do work on these trips, the main focus has always been on relationships. Once your heart is connected to these people then God will show you how you can help in the areas that He has already gifted you in. Everyone has something to offer and I can promise you that you will never be the same. You will forever look at life differently and you will have a new family. There is no better way to see the heart of God than to be His hands and feet, to help the poorest of the poor, to care for the widows and orphans.