Car in the Ditch

OCTOBER 16, 2023   |   3.5 MINUTE READ
ETHAN BATSCHELET, MISSIONARY IN HONDURAS

Not where I wanted to be

I wasn’t going anywhere. My right front tire was down in the ditch next to the street, and my left rear tire was in the air, leaving me stuck in a neighborhood that was known for its gang activity.

My first thought was, I’m going to die.

Six men, four of whom were carrying guns, approached the car. One of the men knocked on my window with his handgun.

“It looks like you have a problem,” he said.

I lowered my window about an inch, keeping my eyes straight ahead, and said, “Yes, I do.”

The whole group started laughing and joking with each other, and while I couldn’t understand what they were saying, I could feel my anxiety rising.

How I got here

When I first became a missionary, I was assigned to Grenada. Halfway through that first term, due to circumstances beyond my control, I had to leave and was reassigned to Honduras. I went, but I had a terrible attitude. I didn’t want to be in Honduras, I wanted to be in Grenada.

Through a connection with a local children’s and youth pastor, I began to spend time working with some kids who lived in a nearby neighborhood with a lot of gang activity. As I started to get to know these kids, their teachers, and their families, God softened my heart, and I could hear Him calling me back to Honduras for another term.

One night during that second term, I was craving a hamburger from the McDonald’s in Tegucigalpa. I knew where it was located and figured I could get there on my own, so my host family agreed to let me borrow their nice SUV to drive there. When I got in the car, I saw some papers in the back that belonged to some of the kids I’d been working with. I decided to drive through their neighborhood and drop off the papers while I was already out.

Approaching the neighborhood, I made a left turn at the grocery store and started up the hill. Several people were standing out on the streets, watching me as I drove. I started to get a little nervous, but the road was pretty narrow, so I couldn’t turn around; my only option was to keep going.

That’s when I made a right turn and drove into the ditch.

What happened next

The man who had knocked on my window put his gun away and waved at the rest of the guys. Three of them went to the front of the SUV and started to lift it, and the other three jumped on the back to lower the car onto the road. Once I was out of the ditch, they started to walk away.

I was shocked. This was the last thing I had expected to happen. I didn’t know what to do, so I lowered my window and hollered after them, “Thank you!”

The man who had knocked on my window hollered back, “Thanks for being a dad to my sisters!” 

At first, I had no idea what he was talking about. His sisters? But then I remembered that my host family had been working with two twin sisters from this neighborhood, tutoring them, so I had gotten to know them and worked with them some, as well. I had no idea that this man was their brother.

Instead of driving away

It probably would have made sense just to drive out of the neighborhood and head back home. But I felt the Spirit calling me to park the car. So I did, and then walked over to the group of men. I thanked them for their help and went to the local mom-and-pop shop, where I bought all the three liters of soda they had for sale.

These men and I sat together and chatted for about four hours, getting to know each other a little better. They expressed their respect for me and the work I was doing, and after that point, they were the ones who made ministry possible in that neighborhood. Some of the guys even started coming to Bible study and asked lots of questions!

Later that night, I sat at home and thought about the experience for a while. I had grown up in a small, safe town in Iowa where nothing like that had ever happened to me. God had used these two little girls and their brother to open my eyes to what ministry here in Honduras could truly look like.

This encounter encouraged me to stay in Honduras and minister to that community for the next five years. That day, the Lord introduced me to people who would become good friends of mine. He opened my eyes to His love for everyone as He helped me foster these new relationships. And He showed me that no one is beyond salvation and that He wants to reach everyone with His truth and love, even people that I would have disregarded initially.

ACTION STEPS

PRAY: Who is it that you tend to think is beyond God’s reach? Who do you judge or fear? Ask God to soften your heart towards that person or people group and begin praying for them regularly. Ask Him to provide an opportunity to view them differently and maybe even form a relationship with them! 

GO: Do you have a heart for kids with difficult home lives? Check out our children’s ministry opportunities to see how you can pour into children who are hungry for the truth and hope Christ has to offer.

Author Bio: Ethan Batschelet served as a missionary in Honduras for five years before meeting his wife, Ashley, in 2015. The two now serve at El Sembrador school in Honduras with their daughter, Evelyn. Send them a message through their giving page to stay connected and follow their missions journey!