We first
met Chris by his reputation. And it
wasn’t good. Chris was known as the
petty thief who lived somewhere near us, and made it so we couldn’t leave a
chair out on our tiny deck, or hang laundry outside to dry. He was known to remove light bulbs from
outside lights and turn around to sell these light bulbs to neighbours. Chris really liked to steal from Son Rise
mission and we suspect that he was the thief who ran off with one of our
computers – even though it had been fastened to the table with a cable-lock. Our desperate thief yanked the computer until
the plastic case broke away from the lock.
The day my
computer went missing, I met Chris. In
my sweetest voice, I appealed to him to keep an eye out for my computer. In an equally sweet voice, he assured me that
he would. The computer was long gone,
but Chris wasn’t.
When two
2x4s needed by Larry for a project went missing from our deck, Larry chased
after Chris. I think that was the beginning of their relationship. Larry and
Chris developed an interesting friendship. Chris began stopping by our place almost on a
daily basis sometimes just to chit chat but most times it was to make a little
cash. Sometimes he would offer to rake
the beach in front of our house. Sometimes he had something to sell us. He
frequently had small lemons, or hot peppers, or could get us a deal on
bananas. Once he offered us Jack
Sparrow’s silver spoon! Most of his requests required payment of 20 lempiras – even
Jack’s spoon! By now you’ve figure this out.
Chris needed a daily income to support his habit. We paid, knowing we
were contributing to his addiction. We justified it as security. When Chris had
money, he wouldn’t be stealing, at least from us – usually.
Chris never
married his girlfriend, Laura. They had two sons who lived with their mom
nearby. The boys and their mom had no
respect for Chris – for good reason. The
youngest son and his mom would have nothing to do with Chris. Chris, having no
work, provided no support to his family.
Eventually,
Chris’ addictions demanded more than petty thieving could provide. He had short
stays in jail. He needed stitching up at the hospital from jumping a fence and
landing barefoot on broken glass. A few major fights caused Chris to recognize
he had few choices. After hitting rock
bottom, he went to Miss Peggy asking for help. Peggy was able to connect Chris with a rehab
center in Zambrano, Honduras. This
location was far from the island, far from Chris’ family, and far from those
friends who encouraged Chris in his addiction.
Chris
participated in the six-month program to overcome drug addiction. He then decided to stay an additional six
months in the second phase of the program which consisted of discipleship training
with a focus on God’s purpose and calling.
In a reference written to us, Chris’ pastor and mentor wrote: “Chris has proven to be consistent in his search
to overcome the mistakes of his past and is now harvesting the results of the
life he now has in fellowship with the Lord, as opposed to a life without
God.” Chris has gone on to serve full-time
in the ministry at Zambrano contributing in various ways. He supervises the teen boys’ dorm, conducts Bible
studies at a nearby jail, takes shifts as the night watchman, as well as
serving in general maintenance and assistance for the facility.
Part of
Chris’ rehabilitation involved seeking forgiveness from those he has hurt. Imagine Larry’s surprise when he received a
message from Chris on Facebook, apologizing for his behaviour in the past! Chris has always been very eloquent, and this
letter was definitely Chris at his best. Larry and Chris have continued to
regularly communicate. Chris sends Larry
interesting photos and anecdotes. At
times he asks Larry for advice on how to fix or maintain.
We were
excited to hear that Chris had encouraged his oldest son, Isaiah, to come start
school at the facility. Roatan offers
little for local teen boys and Isaiah on the brink of making poor choices. A few months later, Laura arrived to
participate in the rehab program herself.
She brought with her Lestil, the youngest son. Over the past year, Laura too, has found her
peace with Jesus. Moreover, Chris and
Laura have found their peace together.
And yes, this story has a fairy tale ending! On March 25, 2017, we were so excited to travel
to Zambrano and witness Chris and Laura’s wedding. They were married in an outdoor wedding at
the facility where their lives really did come together. Their friends at the Zambrano facility
assisted in arranging and providing a beautiful celebration of God’s love. Isaiah and Lestil preceded their mom to the
altar. Laura’s father accompanied Laura and presented her to Chris. They shared
vows of commitment and shared communion with Christ. This was a celebration of God’s goodness! Neither Larry nor I, nor many who had
encountered Chris in Roatan, would have ever anticipated this day. A broken Chris had travelled to
Zambrano. Only God knew of the
restoration awaiting him – a restoration of not only a single life, but a
restored family. We’re rejoicing with
them. Happy Easter!
Therefore,
if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the
new has come. ~ 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)
