An Interview with Raúl
Hello All,
Today marks four years that Raúl and I have been a couple and in honor of that, I wanted to do something that I've been planning on doing for a while. For those of you who have been reading my blogging efforts either on this page or on Confessions of a Ragamuffin, you know that Raúl has been an ongoing character in the stories of my life in Honduras since I moved here. While those stories may give some insight into who he is as a person, it occurred to me that I've never taken the opportunity to formally give him the chance to share about himself via this kind of communication. So, what better way of doing that than an interview! Most of this interview was conducted by just lounging on the couch at home, but my husband is always a ham, so he had no trouble talking about himself.
Sarah: Can you describe for my readers your childhood, your family, and where you're from?
Raúl: Well, my hometown is called Tatumbla. Tatumbla is--of all of the small towns around the city--it's the closest to Tegucigalpa. It's a beautiful pueblo with trees and mountains all around, precious people, and there is a lot of agriculture. In my childhood, I lived in Tatumbla. We rented houses. We lived renting from house to house, living with my mom. I spent a lot of time swimming in the nearby river, bringing home fire wood, and I liked to be out and about. I also really liked to play soccer when I was younger. There are six of us kids--I'm the last brother and my sister, Waldina, follows me.
Sarah: Do you have any specific memories from your childhood that you'd like to share?
Raúl: I spent a lot of time with my sister. I was her protector and took care of her. When I was little, I had an accident because a motorbike had fallen on top of my sister. I helped her by picking up the motorbike, so she could get free. But I couldn't handle the weight of the motorbike, and it fell on top of me. I have some scars on my right leg [where the bike pierced his calf muscle], and it's a memory I won't ever forget.
I was raised for the most part by my mom. My dad was around sometimes, but he wasn't around 100% of the time. [His parents have not been together since he was around five-years-old.] My mom raised all of us alone. Since she was young, she's always liked to cook, and she's had a small business selling food. My dad worked in a hospital as an X-ray technician. He studied as a young man and even received a scholarship to finish his studies in Spain. My brother, Nahum, also really took care of us. He's the oldest, and he kind of took on the role of father, leading us toward the things of God. We were pretty united growing up. I mean, we fought sometimes, but we looked out for each other and helped my mom.
Sarah: What was school like for you when you were growing up?
Raúl: I was in school most of my childhood--through sixth grade--in Tatumbla. I was an ornery kid. I got in trouble a lot. One time, I escaped from the school building. But, the class I did like was math. Spanish class gave me a hard time. It was really tough. A lot of those classes were just copying information from the blackboard with no explanation. For the first half of high school, I was in Tatumbla. And really, when I finished sixth grade, after that, my mom wasn't going to put me in school to go to high school and finish. My mom didn't have enough financial resources. But an uncle of mine, Miguel, motivated my mom to enroll me anyway to not lose the opportunity. My uncle told her he'd give me the necessary uniform and books, and that's how I was able to continue studying. When I finished the first half of high school, one of the teachers told my mom that I should study agriculture there because I'd be a useless student in any other subject or specialty. [At that time, he was wanting to study in a technical school with vocational trades.] The teacher said that she shouldn't put me in a technical school because there was no way that I'd pass. But my mom decided to put me in technical school in the city anyway. The first year was really difficult. But I did graduate with my high school diploma with a specialty in electronics.
Sarah: What do you do for a living now?
Raúl: I am a small business owner. I have a business that sells and repairs all kinds of tires--car tires, tractor-trailer tires, heavy machinery tires. I also sell oil, brake fluid, etc., and we do oil changes and some other minor car repairs. My business is called Jehovah Jireh Tire Shop--God's my Provider.
Sarah: What does a normal day look like for you?
Raúl: I get up around 6 or so to get ready for the day. I take some time to do devotions with you. I leave the house between 6:30 and 7. By 7, I'm at work. [His business is in the same neighborhood where we live. It takes him five minutes or less to get to work.] I get everything set up, tires and tools and tire jacks. I get the air compressors going. I have currently three men who work for my brother, Nahum, and myself. We have a second location a few miles from the location where I work. I work Mondays through Saturdays until around 6pm.
Sarah: If you could say something to your teenage self, what would you say?
Raúl: To make good decisions--spiritually and emotionally.
Sarah: What difficulties have you had to overcome in your life?
Raúl: When I didn't have Jesus in my heart, I didn't have the freedom to hug my father because I felt like he hadn't been there for me. It's something that I've overcome, and because of God, I now have love for him. I also struggled a lot with poverty--needing to hitch rides to school or not always having what I needed or wanted. And recently, our family has had to overcome the loss of an aunt of mine who remains close to my heart.
Sarah: What was the most difficult aspect of growing up in a low-income/limited resources situation?
Raúl: Not having a stable place to live. We lived in--one, two, three, ... approximately eight different houses.
Sarah: What is your greatest fear?
Raúl: My greatest fear--I think--is to not be able to fulfill the call of God on my life. I have the fervor and passion, right, but that's my fear.
Sarah: What are your interests?
Raúl: I like to work and negotiate. I like motocross. I like to see new places and travel. I also like to swim.
Sarah: What is the weirdest thing about US culture for you? At least in what you've experienced with me...
Raúl: Hmm. I don't know. Nothing?
Sarah: Really? I would've thought you'd have a giant list!
Raúl: I don't know. I feel like maybe I shouldn't answer that one. (laughing)
Sarah: What is your favorite place?
Raúl: I don't have a favorite place.
Sarah: Well, then, where is somewhere that you've always wanted to go?
Raúl: Israel, definitely Israel.
Sarah: What was the last new thing that you learned?
Raúl: (laughing) Civics! US civics that is giving me such a hard time. The story of the history of the US. [We had just spent at least an hour studying for the US citizenship test.]
Sarah: What are your strengths in ministry or what aspect of ministry do you identify with the most?
Raúl: I like evangelism a lot because it involves developing relationships with others. I also feel a lot of compassion for people in need who struggle in poverty. Because I have lived that, I identify with what they're feeling and needing. If I can help someone like that, I do. When I see people who can't walk or have special needs it really touches my heart because sometimes we humans can be so ungrateful complaining about everything. When I see people who struggle with lacking a limb or just other situations like that, it reminds me that I should be inspired to gratefulness and to also help. I also really feel for single mothers who may not have someone to help them in their needs. Kids, those that beg in the streets... I'd like to be able to do more economically in have a home for those children or to provide for their education. To help them avoid falling into drugs. But, I also feel compassion for people who struggle with drug addiction. [Is there anyone who doesn't inspire compassion for Raúl? I think not. I would say one of his strengths in ministry is best described as mercy.]
Sarah: How would you describe your personality?
Raúl: I'm extroverted. I like to go places in large groups and be the center of attention and entertainment. I like to tell jokes and be silly and make people laugh. I'm friendly and generally happy all the time. I'm really merciful--a lot actually, even when the person has already betrayed me before. Just very merciful.
Sarah: Borrowing the question from Dax Shephard's podcast, what gives you self-esteem?
Raúl: I like to advance, feel like I'm growing. Triumphs in life.
Sarah: What is an example of a triumph for you?
Raúl: Helping someone who feels lost to feel more stable. Covering someone's need. Seeing growth in my business also gives me a sense of accomplishment especially because I know where I came from. It was hard, but the business has grown. A lot of people when I was younger really underestimated me and treated me like I was good for nothing. But God opens doors, and when He does that, it makes me feel the opposite of what people told me throughout my childhood that I was never going to be anyone in life.
Sarah: What is your favorite part of being married?
Raúl: Oh my gosh. (laughing) My favorite part of marriage is washing dishes. (laughing)
Sarah: Come on, be serious.
Raúl: (more laughing) I don't know.
Sarah: You just don't like anything then? (laughing)
Raúl: No, in all seriousness, I like it when I'm understood and feel loved. I love that my wife cooks new things for me all the time. I also like to talk ... sometimes. (laughing)
Sarah: Have you actually answered yet?
Raúl: What do I like about marriage? I like having that connection. We're still working on that sometimes. But I like when we're living in peace and have joy in our home.
Sarah: I don't even know if I should use that question. (laughing)
Raúl: What I like about my wife is that she's creative. She's always looking ahead at what's coming and can come. She loves challenges. She likes to bring God's Kingdom to earth. She likes to learn more all the time. I feel happy when she has time with her friends and overcomes her fears.
Sarah: All right. Last questions--what are your spiritual gifts?
Raúl: Intercession and prayer.
Sarah: How did you come to know Jesus?
Raúl: Through my older brother. I went to a retreat and had my first encounter with God. It was June 4th of 2003 or 2004. I was 15. That's when I met Jesus. I had a personal experience.
Sarah: (expecting more) Any final words to share?
Raúl: I want to say hello to the people who read this page. I want to wish them all the best, all the pure things and good things of Heaven. Lots of blessings from on high. I hope that God provides every need of every person. God looks at the heart of every person, and I hope that God completes His perfect plan in each one. And I hope they go from glory to glory and--
Sarah: You are truly a Latino. (They are known for their big speeches.) And a preacher at heart.
Raúl: (laughing)
As a note, this interview has been translated from Spanish to English because Raúl's still working on his language learning. If you have anything else you'd like to learn about Raúl feel free to leave us questions in the comment section. If nothing else, it was creative way to spend an evening together.
Today marks four years that Raúl and I have been a couple and in honor of that, I wanted to do something that I've been planning on doing for a while. For those of you who have been reading my blogging efforts either on this page or on Confessions of a Ragamuffin, you know that Raúl has been an ongoing character in the stories of my life in Honduras since I moved here. While those stories may give some insight into who he is as a person, it occurred to me that I've never taken the opportunity to formally give him the chance to share about himself via this kind of communication. So, what better way of doing that than an interview! Most of this interview was conducted by just lounging on the couch at home, but my husband is always a ham, so he had no trouble talking about himself.
Sarah: Can you describe for my readers your childhood, your family, and where you're from?
Raúl: Well, my hometown is called Tatumbla. Tatumbla is--of all of the small towns around the city--it's the closest to Tegucigalpa. It's a beautiful pueblo with trees and mountains all around, precious people, and there is a lot of agriculture. In my childhood, I lived in Tatumbla. We rented houses. We lived renting from house to house, living with my mom. I spent a lot of time swimming in the nearby river, bringing home fire wood, and I liked to be out and about. I also really liked to play soccer when I was younger. There are six of us kids--I'm the last brother and my sister, Waldina, follows me.
Sarah: Do you have any specific memories from your childhood that you'd like to share?
Raúl: I spent a lot of time with my sister. I was her protector and took care of her. When I was little, I had an accident because a motorbike had fallen on top of my sister. I helped her by picking up the motorbike, so she could get free. But I couldn't handle the weight of the motorbike, and it fell on top of me. I have some scars on my right leg [where the bike pierced his calf muscle], and it's a memory I won't ever forget.
I was raised for the most part by my mom. My dad was around sometimes, but he wasn't around 100% of the time. [His parents have not been together since he was around five-years-old.] My mom raised all of us alone. Since she was young, she's always liked to cook, and she's had a small business selling food. My dad worked in a hospital as an X-ray technician. He studied as a young man and even received a scholarship to finish his studies in Spain. My brother, Nahum, also really took care of us. He's the oldest, and he kind of took on the role of father, leading us toward the things of God. We were pretty united growing up. I mean, we fought sometimes, but we looked out for each other and helped my mom.
Sarah: What was school like for you when you were growing up?
Raúl: I was in school most of my childhood--through sixth grade--in Tatumbla. I was an ornery kid. I got in trouble a lot. One time, I escaped from the school building. But, the class I did like was math. Spanish class gave me a hard time. It was really tough. A lot of those classes were just copying information from the blackboard with no explanation. For the first half of high school, I was in Tatumbla. And really, when I finished sixth grade, after that, my mom wasn't going to put me in school to go to high school and finish. My mom didn't have enough financial resources. But an uncle of mine, Miguel, motivated my mom to enroll me anyway to not lose the opportunity. My uncle told her he'd give me the necessary uniform and books, and that's how I was able to continue studying. When I finished the first half of high school, one of the teachers told my mom that I should study agriculture there because I'd be a useless student in any other subject or specialty. [At that time, he was wanting to study in a technical school with vocational trades.] The teacher said that she shouldn't put me in a technical school because there was no way that I'd pass. But my mom decided to put me in technical school in the city anyway. The first year was really difficult. But I did graduate with my high school diploma with a specialty in electronics.
Sarah: What do you do for a living now?
Raúl: I am a small business owner. I have a business that sells and repairs all kinds of tires--car tires, tractor-trailer tires, heavy machinery tires. I also sell oil, brake fluid, etc., and we do oil changes and some other minor car repairs. My business is called Jehovah Jireh Tire Shop--God's my Provider.
Sarah: What does a normal day look like for you?
Raúl: I get up around 6 or so to get ready for the day. I take some time to do devotions with you. I leave the house between 6:30 and 7. By 7, I'm at work. [His business is in the same neighborhood where we live. It takes him five minutes or less to get to work.] I get everything set up, tires and tools and tire jacks. I get the air compressors going. I have currently three men who work for my brother, Nahum, and myself. We have a second location a few miles from the location where I work. I work Mondays through Saturdays until around 6pm.
Sarah: If you could say something to your teenage self, what would you say?
Raúl: To make good decisions--spiritually and emotionally.
Sarah: What difficulties have you had to overcome in your life?
Raúl: When I didn't have Jesus in my heart, I didn't have the freedom to hug my father because I felt like he hadn't been there for me. It's something that I've overcome, and because of God, I now have love for him. I also struggled a lot with poverty--needing to hitch rides to school or not always having what I needed or wanted. And recently, our family has had to overcome the loss of an aunt of mine who remains close to my heart.
Sarah: What was the most difficult aspect of growing up in a low-income/limited resources situation?
Raúl: Not having a stable place to live. We lived in--one, two, three, ... approximately eight different houses.
Sarah: What is your greatest fear?
Raúl: My greatest fear--I think--is to not be able to fulfill the call of God on my life. I have the fervor and passion, right, but that's my fear.
Sarah: What are your interests?
Raúl: I like to work and negotiate. I like motocross. I like to see new places and travel. I also like to swim.
Sarah: What is the weirdest thing about US culture for you? At least in what you've experienced with me...
Raúl: Hmm. I don't know. Nothing?
Sarah: Really? I would've thought you'd have a giant list!
Raúl: I don't know. I feel like maybe I shouldn't answer that one. (laughing)
Sarah: What is your favorite place?
Raúl: I don't have a favorite place.
Sarah: Well, then, where is somewhere that you've always wanted to go?
Raúl: Israel, definitely Israel.
Sarah: What was the last new thing that you learned?
Raúl: (laughing) Civics! US civics that is giving me such a hard time. The story of the history of the US. [We had just spent at least an hour studying for the US citizenship test.]
Sarah: What are your strengths in ministry or what aspect of ministry do you identify with the most?
Raúl: I like evangelism a lot because it involves developing relationships with others. I also feel a lot of compassion for people in need who struggle in poverty. Because I have lived that, I identify with what they're feeling and needing. If I can help someone like that, I do. When I see people who can't walk or have special needs it really touches my heart because sometimes we humans can be so ungrateful complaining about everything. When I see people who struggle with lacking a limb or just other situations like that, it reminds me that I should be inspired to gratefulness and to also help. I also really feel for single mothers who may not have someone to help them in their needs. Kids, those that beg in the streets... I'd like to be able to do more economically in have a home for those children or to provide for their education. To help them avoid falling into drugs. But, I also feel compassion for people who struggle with drug addiction. [Is there anyone who doesn't inspire compassion for Raúl? I think not. I would say one of his strengths in ministry is best described as mercy.]
Sarah: How would you describe your personality?
Raúl: I'm extroverted. I like to go places in large groups and be the center of attention and entertainment. I like to tell jokes and be silly and make people laugh. I'm friendly and generally happy all the time. I'm really merciful--a lot actually, even when the person has already betrayed me before. Just very merciful.
Sarah: Borrowing the question from Dax Shephard's podcast, what gives you self-esteem?
Raúl: I like to advance, feel like I'm growing. Triumphs in life.
Sarah: What is an example of a triumph for you?
Raúl: Helping someone who feels lost to feel more stable. Covering someone's need. Seeing growth in my business also gives me a sense of accomplishment especially because I know where I came from. It was hard, but the business has grown. A lot of people when I was younger really underestimated me and treated me like I was good for nothing. But God opens doors, and when He does that, it makes me feel the opposite of what people told me throughout my childhood that I was never going to be anyone in life.
Sarah: What is your favorite part of being married?
Raúl: Oh my gosh. (laughing) My favorite part of marriage is washing dishes. (laughing)
Sarah: Come on, be serious.
Raúl: (more laughing) I don't know.
Sarah: You just don't like anything then? (laughing)
Raúl: No, in all seriousness, I like it when I'm understood and feel loved. I love that my wife cooks new things for me all the time. I also like to talk ... sometimes. (laughing)
Sarah: Have you actually answered yet?
Raúl: What do I like about marriage? I like having that connection. We're still working on that sometimes. But I like when we're living in peace and have joy in our home.
Sarah: I don't even know if I should use that question. (laughing)
Raúl: What I like about my wife is that she's creative. She's always looking ahead at what's coming and can come. She loves challenges. She likes to bring God's Kingdom to earth. She likes to learn more all the time. I feel happy when she has time with her friends and overcomes her fears.
Sarah: All right. Last questions--what are your spiritual gifts?
Raúl: Intercession and prayer.
Sarah: How did you come to know Jesus?
Raúl: Through my older brother. I went to a retreat and had my first encounter with God. It was June 4th of 2003 or 2004. I was 15. That's when I met Jesus. I had a personal experience.
Sarah: (expecting more) Any final words to share?
Raúl: I want to say hello to the people who read this page. I want to wish them all the best, all the pure things and good things of Heaven. Lots of blessings from on high. I hope that God provides every need of every person. God looks at the heart of every person, and I hope that God completes His perfect plan in each one. And I hope they go from glory to glory and--
Sarah: You are truly a Latino. (They are known for their big speeches.) And a preacher at heart.
Raúl: (laughing)
As a note, this interview has been translated from Spanish to English because Raúl's still working on his language learning. If you have anything else you'd like to learn about Raúl feel free to leave us questions in the comment section. If nothing else, it was creative way to spend an evening together.
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