I went to Honduras wandering. I had no idea what was awaiting me until I got there, and saw it with my own eyes. The people of Honduras have nothing, yet the smallest things can make them happy.

One of the most memorable occurrences of our trip took place at that little village no mission had traveled to in several years. The little kids there had never seen white people and ran whenever we came near. But once they grew accustomed to us, and knew that we were there for good reasons, they became curious.

So many things happened that day, but one event has stayed in my mind.

I was walking out to the van, which was parked in front of our temporary clinic, and a little boy followed me to the door. I looked at him and smiled and proceeded to unlock the door. He continued to curiously stand right behind me while I searched through my backpack for something to snack on. I fumbled through everything, and then packed it all back in. And then I looked around, and saw the little boy standing there with my empty blue water bottle. He was holding it up near his face, and I reached for it and said "gracias". I thought it was so nice that a little boy would pick up my water bottle for me. If he wouldn't have told me that it fell out, I would have surely lost it. But then I turned back around and he was still there. And tears were falling from his eyes. His little fingers were pointing toward the blue bottle in my hand. He wanted my bottle. Coming from America, this was hard to understand. We value little. A water bottle means nothing to a kid in America. So I thought a little. I knew that it was my only water bottle, and if I gave it to him, I would be thirsty for the rest of the day. But that didn't matter to me despite the 100 degree plus heat. I put the bottle in his little hand and made his day that much brighter. He solemnly walked away and I never saw him or my bottle again.

While in Honduras, I never did think of that event again. But the day we came back to Birmingham, it hit me. We took my mother out to eat, because it was mothers day, and while sitting at the restaurant I remembered it. My family was asking me all about the trip, and for some reason, that event came to my mind. I started to tell them the story but couldn't complete it for tears. I don't know if I have ever cried around complete strangers, but I did that day. It's amazing what going to Honduras will do to you.

I'll never forget that little boy. And I'll never forget what he taught me. The smallest of things can make us all happy.

Story from: Shawn Terrell
Team #1