“Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” –Jesus (John 7:37b-38)

Water. It makes up over 70% of the earth’s surface and over 60% of the human body. Lago de Yojoa, Honduras’ largest natural lake, covers 30.5 square miles and is 95 feet deep at its greatest depth. It’s located between two of Honduras’ largest cities, San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa, making it a great tourist stop as well as providing biodiversity for nearly 400 species of birds and 800 species of plants.
Over the summer, we took our Trekkers to Lake Yojoa to go canoeing, camping, birdwatching and hiking through the beautiful paradise of the lake. On the final day, at 43 meters tall, Pulhapanzak, Honduras’ tallest waterfall, was one of the most spectacular stops of our expedition. It was there, while listening to the roar of crashing water and feeling the cool breeze of the mist floating up onto our faces that we took a moment to stop, listen, and reflect

Trekkers reflecting in front of the waterfall

 The bulk of the thoughts swimming around my mind up until that point were focused on my upcoming transition. This was to be the last expedition that I would help lead before making the final handoff to Honduran leadership. A mix of sadness at leaving, nostalgia in remembering the years I’d spent with our youth, and the excitement of seeing Luis take on his new role all tumbled through my mind as quickly as the water fell in front of me. Jesus declared to the masses that those who believed in Him would have rivers of living water flowing from their heart. Indeed, as UrbanTrekkers has formed and developed, I have seen the evidence of that living water flowing out into the lives of our youth. I have seen lives transformed. I have seen young peoples’ hearts turned towards their creator, and challenged to live out a life of serving others in Jesus’ name. I’ve seen failing students graduate, anger at family members turned into forgiveness, despair turned to hope, and voids turned to fullness of life. I know God’s
Spirit is moving- it was doing so before I arrived, and it will continue to flow long after I am gone. So in this departure from Honduras, I have a peace that roars loader than the crashing waters of Pulhapanzak. God’s Spirit will continue to flow- through Luis, the second director of UrbanTrekkers Honduras, and through the hearts of those who continue to drink deeply from the well that is Christ.

Kris Schnepf

Founder and former director of UrbanTrekkers Honduras