Honduras
On a Mission!!!
Day 1: We gathered at Great Oaks Church at 6pm and talked through some details of the trip, packed up the vans, prayed a bit, then took off for Chicago. We had an adventurous journey through the cornfields of Illinois, thanks to our captain Warren Yates and his malfunctioning GPS. But we made it! Our stay at the Garden Hotel next to O'Hare was fabulous. We enjoyed some deep dish from Gino's East. Then a college student, Ryan Ciganek, who was a Campus Life student at MTHS came to our hotel and blessed by leading us in worship and prayer! Then it was pretty much lights out. Great day!
Day 2: Well, it started off pretty good, free coffee at the hotel at 4:15am. Loaded up again, had a shuttle driver who had a New York accent. Dropped off at the airport tipped him, gave him an awkward hug and off to the ticket counter! Then the day started to move rather slowly, a bit too slowly. So slow in fact that we ended up missing our flight by 10 mins or so. FRUSTRATING!!! Delta did, however, redeem themselves with rerouting us to Miami today and we fly from there to San Pedro Sula, Honduras tomorrow afternoon. The team is doing well despite our travel woes.
Please continue to lift our team up in prayer as we wait patiently in airports today!!!
Day 3: Today was a much smoother day. Group 1 left for Honduras at 1:20pm EST and landed about 20 mins later at 1:40pm MT, you figure it out! When we got here we found every single one of our bags that arrived yesterday, so praise God! The first group then went to Maurico's house and enjoyed an afternoon eating and hanging out while we waited for group 2 to arrive. They arrived a bit later than expected and we all are now here and can't wait for tomorrow, which by the way will be at 6am. Staying in San Pedro Sula tonight and traveling to the YFC camp in La Entrada de Copan tomorrow. Working and VBS tomorrow. This country is beautiful!!! Keep praying for the team, mostly tired from traveling!!!
Day 4: Today was our first full day in the country. We arrived at the camp at 9am and Maurico our main contact as well as this country's national YFC director gave us a brief tour of the camp and explained the ministry that happens here throughout the year. Then we started the work. One group of us began digging a trench to be filled with cement for a fire ring here at the camp. The other group has been cleaning, painting, washing windows, and a host of other things. In the afternoon we started our VBS program for the kids, ages 7-10 years old. This seemed to be the favorite part of the day for our team. It was so much fun to bless the children, play games with them, make a craft or two, then share the story of David and Goliath with them. God is so good!
Day 5: This morning we continued with our work projects. It was a tiring day with many of us hitting the wall around 4pm. We hosted the same 35 kids for VBS and shared the story and skit of Jesus feeding the 5000. Each day we have a student share their testimony to the kids. We also played a massive game of kickball with them and it was a blessing for us. Each night we have had team time filled with sharing as well as reflections on scripture.
Day 6: Today once again continued with working. This day was filled with getting the camp ready to host the Central America Youth for Christ Leadership Conference. So descending on the camp are groups from Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Belize and Puerto Rico. Talk about a multicultural experience! It has been a blessing for our team to able to meet so many people from many different nations who also love and follow Christ.
Day 7: The leadership conference is underway and the camp has come more alive. Today we finished our work projects and the team has really transformed this camp, very exciting! The work was hard but the reward is greater. Today around 3pm there was a downpour. Something that doesn't happen that often in this dry season. So we finished the work went to the soccer field and played in the mud. So refreshing, muddy, and fun!
Day 8: Today we had breakfast at the camp then we loaded up the bus and went to the Mayan Ruins at Copan. This is one of the major tourist attractions found in this beautiful country. We had a local YFC volunteer, Calvin, give us the tour and explain the Mayan culture and what life was like for them. Many pictures were taken and the team really enjoyed this relaxing day of sight seeing and shopping. When we got back to the camp we went on a hike up a small mountain that overlooked the camp. At the top of the overlook was a cross. This was on Good Friday so it brought me back to scripture when Jesus was hung on a cross to die on top of a mountain in Jerusalem.
Day 9: Today reminded me of the story found in scripture where Peter, James, John and Jesus were on top of the mountain and Peter wanted to stay on top of the mountain due to the experience they just had. We felt the same, we wanted to stay and continue this amazing work that God had set out for us to do. But we had to go back down the mountain today and return home to the life we know although this experience has changed each one of us in some way!
worship...
pizza at hotel...
much needed sleep...
Janelle and Morgan gettin it done at customs...
on bus to San Pedro Sula...
something funny just happened...
poolside at Maurico's casa...
prework meeting at camp...
Janelle getting painting that wall silly...
fellas hard at work...
students at VBS...
Jesus feeding the 5000...
the work continues...
Central America Leaders Conference...
fun in the rain...
Ali and Lindsey at the ruins...
more from the ruins...
the team...