Written by Kelly Ann Gemma
For Alisson Cruz, the annual Harding University mission trip to Honduras was more than just a trip to a foreign country. It was a journey back to the home and culture she had left behind.
Cruz was just 11 years old when she left Honduras to move to America with her mother and brother. She said she was nervous, but also eager to find out if the United States was like what she had seen in the movies.
“I was excited to move to America, but it was hard to say goodbye to my family and come to a whole new culture,” Cruz said.
Cruz said it wasn’t easy adjusting to a new culture and way of life, but she tried to have an open mind while still holding onto her roots, which would always be a big part of her.
Cruz said she realized just how different America was from Honduras when she ate lunch at school and saw kids throw away large amounts of uneaten food. In Honduras, Cruz said she passed dozens of people begging for food on the streets every day.
Cruz made her first trip back to Honduras with the Harding University spring break campaign in the spring of 2009. She said the experience was overwhelming, but she was grateful to have the chance to return.
“I had tears in my eyes when the plane landed,” Cruz said. “It had been exactly 10 years since I left Honduras.”
The mission group worked in a handicapped orphanage for the week, which held children with multiple health issues includingmuscular atrophy, hydrocephalus and mental retardation. Cruz said this was a forgotten place, as their own communities treated the children as outcasts.
“I never thought of Honduras as a third-world country when I lived there, but going back as a missionary really opened my eyes to the needs and struggles people are facing,” Cruz said.
Since her first trip back to Honduras, Cruz has traveled to the country two additional times. She had the opportunity to see her family and also returned to the handicap orphanage. She said mission work has become a great passion of hers, and she plans to visit Honduras as often as possible.
“I’ve always had the dream to open a mental health clinic for people in Honduras and going on these mission trips have reiterated that dream,” Cruz said. “My mom never wanted us to forget where we came from and I know helping my people in Honduras will be something I will continue to do for the rest of my life.”
