Visit the following link to view a video of our mission journey.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yu-TDTP1BCU
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Day Seven
Friday 7/17/09
Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, in the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13 ASV)
Wake-up at 4:00 AM came too soon for some of us, however, we all managed to rise and be on our way by 4:45 AM. The early hour was predicated upon the perceived need to allow ample time to handle any contingency, including security roadblocks and/or traffic snarls caused by protesters. The trip to Tegucigalpa was relatively uneventful except for one security check in which our two vehicles were stopped at a military checkpoint (yes, more military presence was evident during today’s trip than seen during our arrival journey) and we all exited and had our documents examined by a stern-faced thirty something officer. That is, he was stern-faced until he came to Matthew, who was standing to my immediate left. As he examined Matt’s passport photo, he glanced up and back at the photo several times and I began laughing because I could see he was translating the hirsute photo image to the relatively shorn young man standing in front of him. A small smile crept over his face and he said, “Long hair,” bringing laughter to all of us. After completing his examinations, he and his troops posed for a “photo op.” Quite an interesting experience, for it turned out he is the suitor of the daughter of the person who has been our armed guard for the week. Yes, we have had an armed guard (pistol and shotgun) throughout the whole time we have been here.
An interesting method of sharing was also practiced by our team from Texas, in the tossing of tennis balls to children as we drove along the roadway. These slightly used balls were usually gladly welcomed by children as toys for their pleasure.
Arrival in Tegucigalpa took place around 9:35 AM since we thankfully encountered no additional extraordinary delays. Newspaper headlines addressed the impasse between the two factions being mediated by Arias in a mainly reportorial manner. We did not see evidence of protesters, much to our relief. We chose to stop at a Tegucigalpa mall for lunch, rather than pausing at an intermediate point for more rice, beans, ground meat and tortillas, having made that decision on the road. The group savored the Pizza Hut pizza with gusto!
We checked into the Honduras Maya hotel for our last night in Honduras, happy to be in that setting, but wistfully melancholy (and maybe a bit guilty) about the relative difference in comfort level when compared with our friends from the village; an impression that was amplified later when our evening meal was enjoyed. We shopped in groups of 3-4 in nearby shops, purchasing trinkets for our loved ones at home. Many of the shops “consigned” hand made items that were brought in monthly from villagers for their income. The workmanship of the different woven baskets, art, pottery and jewelry were so beautiful, making the decision of what to buy difficult.
This journey has revealed a microcosm of the economic imbalance that exists in our world. As Christians, God expects us to address these sorts of issues wherever they are, at home and abroad. The seeds planted here must germinate and produce additional support for Honduras and other regions of need.
Written by Norm and augmented by Marcia
Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, in the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13 ASV)
Wake-up at 4:00 AM came too soon for some of us, however, we all managed to rise and be on our way by 4:45 AM. The early hour was predicated upon the perceived need to allow ample time to handle any contingency, including security roadblocks and/or traffic snarls caused by protesters. The trip to Tegucigalpa was relatively uneventful except for one security check in which our two vehicles were stopped at a military checkpoint (yes, more military presence was evident during today’s trip than seen during our arrival journey) and we all exited and had our documents examined by a stern-faced thirty something officer. That is, he was stern-faced until he came to Matthew, who was standing to my immediate left. As he examined Matt’s passport photo, he glanced up and back at the photo several times and I began laughing because I could see he was translating the hirsute photo image to the relatively shorn young man standing in front of him. A small smile crept over his face and he said, “Long hair,” bringing laughter to all of us. After completing his examinations, he and his troops posed for a “photo op.” Quite an interesting experience, for it turned out he is the suitor of the daughter of the person who has been our armed guard for the week. Yes, we have had an armed guard (pistol and shotgun) throughout the whole time we have been here.
An interesting method of sharing was also practiced by our team from Texas, in the tossing of tennis balls to children as we drove along the roadway. These slightly used balls were usually gladly welcomed by children as toys for their pleasure.
Arrival in Tegucigalpa took place around 9:35 AM since we thankfully encountered no additional extraordinary delays. Newspaper headlines addressed the impasse between the two factions being mediated by Arias in a mainly reportorial manner. We did not see evidence of protesters, much to our relief. We chose to stop at a Tegucigalpa mall for lunch, rather than pausing at an intermediate point for more rice, beans, ground meat and tortillas, having made that decision on the road. The group savored the Pizza Hut pizza with gusto!
We checked into the Honduras Maya hotel for our last night in Honduras, happy to be in that setting, but wistfully melancholy (and maybe a bit guilty) about the relative difference in comfort level when compared with our friends from the village; an impression that was amplified later when our evening meal was enjoyed. We shopped in groups of 3-4 in nearby shops, purchasing trinkets for our loved ones at home. Many of the shops “consigned” hand made items that were brought in monthly from villagers for their income. The workmanship of the different woven baskets, art, pottery and jewelry were so beautiful, making the decision of what to buy difficult.
This journey has revealed a microcosm of the economic imbalance that exists in our world. As Christians, God expects us to address these sorts of issues wherever they are, at home and abroad. The seeds planted here must germinate and produce additional support for Honduras and other regions of need.
Written by Norm and augmented by Marcia
Day Six
Thursday 7/16/09
And the King will tell them, “I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me (Matt 25:40 NLT)
Wow! What a day at the village, where we gratefully did not work in the physical labor sense, but had a celebratory fiesta with our newly found friends. After arriving there in the morning, we were able to examine the local church building and found it to be a beautiful, but somewhat worn structure with a seating capacity of about 160. Several internal artifacts, including a skull and ancient processional drum, were proudly displayed for us.
We then decorated the school yard with a piñata and other hangings from the large yard tree for the fiesta. The children gathered and sang the Honduran national anthem and we responded with our national anthem. This was followed by speeches from Mayor Filipe, our Leader Nancy and the local teacher. The children divided into five groups and proceeded to break five piñatas in a way that brought laughter to everyone. Did they ever scramble after the candy and other goodies stuffed into those piñatas. Then the real Honduran music began with an accordion player and a guitarist (who happened to have worked with one of our teams on the previous day as we filled in the “trench to China”) who played for the next hour as villagers and members of our team danced local dances on the bare earth under the “old schoolyard tree.” Team member Matthew reluctantly agreed to dance with HOI Team Leader Martha (his first dance ever) and came away enjoying the experience. Afterward, several village workers placed a handmade cross around the neck of each of our team members and many chose to hug us, which was probably against custom, but indicative of the relationships that had been created.
We then left the schoolyard to go to the soccer field and witness the final game of the girl’s part of the tournament, which was won by San Bonaventura! You haven’t seen happiness until you have seen people cheer like those girls and their village supporters did. Tearful farewells were exchanged as we boarded our vehicles for departure.
After returning to the ranch and having supper, we worshipped at the chapel (in Spanish with Martha interpreting) with songs, prayer and a sermon. Pastor Norm wrapped things up with a closing hymn (Amazing Grace) and prayer. The ranch then presented us with a memento of appreciation for our contributions.
The hand of God was very evident in work done, relationships established (both within our team and with the villagers) and the figurative and literal building of His Kingdom. We all have been changed by this week in ways we had not imagined and we shall remember it forever.
As noted previously, we still experience God’s presence in surprising ways and know that will continue. Tomorrow brings an early departure (4:30 AM) for Tegucigalpa.
And the King will tell them, “I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me (Matt 25:40 NLT)
Wow! What a day at the village, where we gratefully did not work in the physical labor sense, but had a celebratory fiesta with our newly found friends. After arriving there in the morning, we were able to examine the local church building and found it to be a beautiful, but somewhat worn structure with a seating capacity of about 160. Several internal artifacts, including a skull and ancient processional drum, were proudly displayed for us.
We then decorated the school yard with a piñata and other hangings from the large yard tree for the fiesta. The children gathered and sang the Honduran national anthem and we responded with our national anthem. This was followed by speeches from Mayor Filipe, our Leader Nancy and the local teacher. The children divided into five groups and proceeded to break five piñatas in a way that brought laughter to everyone. Did they ever scramble after the candy and other goodies stuffed into those piñatas. Then the real Honduran music began with an accordion player and a guitarist (who happened to have worked with one of our teams on the previous day as we filled in the “trench to China”) who played for the next hour as villagers and members of our team danced local dances on the bare earth under the “old schoolyard tree.” Team member Matthew reluctantly agreed to dance with HOI Team Leader Martha (his first dance ever) and came away enjoying the experience. Afterward, several village workers placed a handmade cross around the neck of each of our team members and many chose to hug us, which was probably against custom, but indicative of the relationships that had been created.
We then left the schoolyard to go to the soccer field and witness the final game of the girl’s part of the tournament, which was won by San Bonaventura! You haven’t seen happiness until you have seen people cheer like those girls and their village supporters did. Tearful farewells were exchanged as we boarded our vehicles for departure.
After returning to the ranch and having supper, we worshipped at the chapel (in Spanish with Martha interpreting) with songs, prayer and a sermon. Pastor Norm wrapped things up with a closing hymn (Amazing Grace) and prayer. The ranch then presented us with a memento of appreciation for our contributions.
The hand of God was very evident in work done, relationships established (both within our team and with the villagers) and the figurative and literal building of His Kingdom. We all have been changed by this week in ways we had not imagined and we shall remember it forever.
As noted previously, we still experience God’s presence in surprising ways and know that will continue. Tomorrow brings an early departure (4:30 AM) for Tegucigalpa.
Day Five
Wednesday 7/15/09
But those who exalt themselves will be humbled and those who humble themselves shall be exalted. (Matt 23:12 NLT)
Another venturesome day in Honduras as we again worked on building or improving villager’s homes, providing health assistance, participating in VBS, and administering/refereeing the soccer tournament. The soccer tournament is indeed a success, uniting many villages for competitive fun and Christian fellowship.
Two homes were “mudded,” which means we worked alongside village residents and used our hands to place mud into house walls formed from a matrix of split tree limbs and woven branches, held together by vines used as twine. Talk about a very messy task, but then the results are wonderful as the proud owners posed for pictures in front of the finished project. A blessing was also said, seeking God’s continued presence and placing a spiritual emphasis on everything. At two other locations, we dug or filled lengthy trenches to enable water lines to be brought to villager’s homes. In one case the trench went up and down a hill for a distance of more than two hundred yards.
Our VBS activities included having more than 100 students create a craft project consisting of a model house made from a paper bag, decorating it, placing in it paper hearts with messages written on them and also the letter to God written yesterday. It was thrilling to see the children proudly carrying their craft homes later in the village.
A delightful break from our normal evening routine occurred when we went to a restaurant about seven miles from the ranch and enjoyed a pleasant meal of either fish or chicken. Indicative of the relaxed gregarious state our group has reached, upon leaving the restaurant and as we boarded them, one of our two vehicles experienced a cabin gaseous intrusion that led to several occupants quickly exiting the vehicle. Although surprising, it was not serious and order was soon restored and several local residents seemed amused by the visiting “gringos.”
Not surprisingly, we still experience God’s presence in surprising ways and know that will continue.
Written by Norm and augmented by Marcia.
But those who exalt themselves will be humbled and those who humble themselves shall be exalted. (Matt 23:12 NLT)
Another venturesome day in Honduras as we again worked on building or improving villager’s homes, providing health assistance, participating in VBS, and administering/refereeing the soccer tournament. The soccer tournament is indeed a success, uniting many villages for competitive fun and Christian fellowship.
Two homes were “mudded,” which means we worked alongside village residents and used our hands to place mud into house walls formed from a matrix of split tree limbs and woven branches, held together by vines used as twine. Talk about a very messy task, but then the results are wonderful as the proud owners posed for pictures in front of the finished project. A blessing was also said, seeking God’s continued presence and placing a spiritual emphasis on everything. At two other locations, we dug or filled lengthy trenches to enable water lines to be brought to villager’s homes. In one case the trench went up and down a hill for a distance of more than two hundred yards.
Our VBS activities included having more than 100 students create a craft project consisting of a model house made from a paper bag, decorating it, placing in it paper hearts with messages written on them and also the letter to God written yesterday. It was thrilling to see the children proudly carrying their craft homes later in the village.
A delightful break from our normal evening routine occurred when we went to a restaurant about seven miles from the ranch and enjoyed a pleasant meal of either fish or chicken. Indicative of the relaxed gregarious state our group has reached, upon leaving the restaurant and as we boarded them, one of our two vehicles experienced a cabin gaseous intrusion that led to several occupants quickly exiting the vehicle. Although surprising, it was not serious and order was soon restored and several local residents seemed amused by the visiting “gringos.”
Not surprisingly, we still experience God’s presence in surprising ways and know that will continue.
Written by Norm and augmented by Marcia.
Day Four
Tuesday 7/14/09
Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me (Matt 18:5 NKJ)
Well, we were able to rise on time and despite some minor aches, leave Rancho el Paraiso on our second day’s journey to our village of San Bonaventura. The trip takes about thirty minutes over a dirt road through the mountains where the beautiful vistas are somewhat offset by the twisting turns and guard-rail free road edges, stimulating thoughts revolving around the phrase, (What if?” We encounter donkeys, goats, cattle, horses, ducks, dogs, chickens and people on the road and they sometimes do not yield, even though we have the right-of-way. However, one quickly learns to go with the flow.
A lot was accomplished today as we placed cement floors in five more homes, giving their owners a great sense of pride and gratefulness. Walls and a roof were placed on another home with the same resulting joy experienced by the owners. We shared Christ with them by blessing each home with a prayer. At the school, Marcia & Heather had a mobile clinic in a empty room for the mom’s. They taught nutrition, hydration, first aid, and amazingly CPR to 12 young mothers. We also laid hands on one young man in healing prayer, with all the mom’s assisting. This was indeed a powerful moment from Christ. The distribution of simple personal first aid kits went well. Many continued to show up throughout the day for kits as word spread.
In our VBS, students were taught about the meaning of belonging to Jesus Christ and asked to write a letter to God . The results were heart-warming. They also learned about the meaning of Christian sharing.
A regional soccer tournament began today, under the administration and sponsorship of Lester and Ken from Texas and Dennis from Virginia. Twelve teams consisting of 12 - 15 year olds from throughout the region are participating, yielding an exciting first days activity. The finishing games will occur tomorrow.
Overall, we are experiencing God’s love in ways we had not considered and expect it to continue throughout this journey.
Written by Norm and augmented by Marcia.
Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me (Matt 18:5 NKJ)
Well, we were able to rise on time and despite some minor aches, leave Rancho el Paraiso on our second day’s journey to our village of San Bonaventura. The trip takes about thirty minutes over a dirt road through the mountains where the beautiful vistas are somewhat offset by the twisting turns and guard-rail free road edges, stimulating thoughts revolving around the phrase, (What if?” We encounter donkeys, goats, cattle, horses, ducks, dogs, chickens and people on the road and they sometimes do not yield, even though we have the right-of-way. However, one quickly learns to go with the flow.
A lot was accomplished today as we placed cement floors in five more homes, giving their owners a great sense of pride and gratefulness. Walls and a roof were placed on another home with the same resulting joy experienced by the owners. We shared Christ with them by blessing each home with a prayer. At the school, Marcia & Heather had a mobile clinic in a empty room for the mom’s. They taught nutrition, hydration, first aid, and amazingly CPR to 12 young mothers. We also laid hands on one young man in healing prayer, with all the mom’s assisting. This was indeed a powerful moment from Christ. The distribution of simple personal first aid kits went well. Many continued to show up throughout the day for kits as word spread.
In our VBS, students were taught about the meaning of belonging to Jesus Christ and asked to write a letter to God . The results were heart-warming. They also learned about the meaning of Christian sharing.
A regional soccer tournament began today, under the administration and sponsorship of Lester and Ken from Texas and Dennis from Virginia. Twelve teams consisting of 12 - 15 year olds from throughout the region are participating, yielding an exciting first days activity. The finishing games will occur tomorrow.
Overall, we are experiencing God’s love in ways we had not considered and expect it to continue throughout this journey.
Written by Norm and augmented by Marcia.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Day Three
Monday 7/13/09
“Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome” Samuel Johnson
Our day began with a bang as several of us visited the ranch’s dairy barn at 5:30 am (local time) to witness “The milking of the cows” and perhaps also participate. Most did successfully milk a cow, including Pastor Norm. After breakfast, we journeyed to San Bonaventura to begin our work week. Norm gave a blessing to the village in Spanish and feedback indicates most of the words were understood (it was quite challenging to prepare and practice the blessing.
Dividing into three teams, our tasks consisted of pouring five cement floors, digging a ditch for a water line at a home, installing a roof, and holding an afternoon VBS session, which included handing out bandanas to be individually personalized with a student’s name, Bible verse and other block images. There were about 130 students in a classroom designed to handle around forty and it quickly became evident that students are quite similar, regardless of nationality. The students were immensely pleased with the handmade bags from St. Andrews Presbyterian women. While the VBS team was at work at the school, the afternoon work team worked on the construction of a new house. When we arrived, the frame stood with sticks crisscrossed along the frame. The men brought the tin up the plank to the roof frame and secured them. The women and team men slapped the red clay mud to the sticks to create the walls. The youth and young men were using a pick and shovel digging the clay from the earth nearby to use for the wall clay. What amazing progress it was in 2 short hours. The house was nearly complete.
Working during the day under the shining sun quickly reminded us what manual labor is all about and also the importance of drinking plenty of water to avoid dehydration. Local villagers were part of the teams and their work ethic was a joy to behold, as they seem to appreciate our presence. Many of our “high points of the day” were the squeals of giggles and laughter from the children experiencing bubble blowing fun. Upon our return to the ranch, the surrounding mountains were no longer encased by clouds, enabling us to appreciate God’s handiwork. There will be no problem sleeping tonight. Tomorrow’s tasks will be quite similar to today’s and sore muscles await our morning rising.
Written by Norm and augmented by Marcia.
“Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome” Samuel Johnson
Our day began with a bang as several of us visited the ranch’s dairy barn at 5:30 am (local time) to witness “The milking of the cows” and perhaps also participate. Most did successfully milk a cow, including Pastor Norm. After breakfast, we journeyed to San Bonaventura to begin our work week. Norm gave a blessing to the village in Spanish and feedback indicates most of the words were understood (it was quite challenging to prepare and practice the blessing.
Dividing into three teams, our tasks consisted of pouring five cement floors, digging a ditch for a water line at a home, installing a roof, and holding an afternoon VBS session, which included handing out bandanas to be individually personalized with a student’s name, Bible verse and other block images. There were about 130 students in a classroom designed to handle around forty and it quickly became evident that students are quite similar, regardless of nationality. The students were immensely pleased with the handmade bags from St. Andrews Presbyterian women. While the VBS team was at work at the school, the afternoon work team worked on the construction of a new house. When we arrived, the frame stood with sticks crisscrossed along the frame. The men brought the tin up the plank to the roof frame and secured them. The women and team men slapped the red clay mud to the sticks to create the walls. The youth and young men were using a pick and shovel digging the clay from the earth nearby to use for the wall clay. What amazing progress it was in 2 short hours. The house was nearly complete.
Working during the day under the shining sun quickly reminded us what manual labor is all about and also the importance of drinking plenty of water to avoid dehydration. Local villagers were part of the teams and their work ethic was a joy to behold, as they seem to appreciate our presence. Many of our “high points of the day” were the squeals of giggles and laughter from the children experiencing bubble blowing fun. Upon our return to the ranch, the surrounding mountains were no longer encased by clouds, enabling us to appreciate God’s handiwork. There will be no problem sleeping tonight. Tomorrow’s tasks will be quite similar to today’s and sore muscles await our morning rising.
Written by Norm and augmented by Marcia.
Day Two
Sunday 7/12/09
For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ (Phil 3:20 NKJ)
One item must be put to rest, for I am certain many are still concerned about our team’s safety. Aside from the various police and armed security guards, which are necessary in our travels, we have seen no evidence of the military or any aspect of the media reported unrest in Honduras. As related to us by those here, that activity was located around the Tegucigalpa airport and did not spread anywhere else. Needless to say, this makes our mission more readily engaged, but we were also certain God had blessed this trip. Team members include Heather and Dennis from Virginia, Lester, Randy and Ken from Texas; and Nancy, Marcia, Kris, Jamie, Matthew and Norm from St. Andrews.
Today involved more travel as we left Juticalpa this morning and journeyed about four hours to the ranch. Since it is the rainy season, the countryside is lush with many hues of green flora. This leg of our journey gave new meaning to the terms “guard rail missing,” “deep valley” and “where is your faith.” Along the way we stopped in our village of San Buenaventura and had general introductions with many villagers, including the two leaders. All present (about 100) introduced themselves by first name as did our team. It was a joyous moment. As the opportunity arose, some members of the team would toss tennis balls to children on the roadside, much to their delight.
Upon arrival, leader Nancy immediately marshaled her team and we rapidly unpacked the luggage that contained the many items brought for the villagers and redistributed them into appropriate containers. This afternoon involved an orientation meeting and tour of the ranch during a light rain. The surrounding mountains were shrouded within clouds, but appear to have an astonishing majesty from the few glimpses seen when breaks occurred in the cloud cover.
Tomorrow begins our work activities in the village and we can hardly wait for that which God will reveal.
Written by Norm and augmented by Marcia.
For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ (Phil 3:20 NKJ)
One item must be put to rest, for I am certain many are still concerned about our team’s safety. Aside from the various police and armed security guards, which are necessary in our travels, we have seen no evidence of the military or any aspect of the media reported unrest in Honduras. As related to us by those here, that activity was located around the Tegucigalpa airport and did not spread anywhere else. Needless to say, this makes our mission more readily engaged, but we were also certain God had blessed this trip. Team members include Heather and Dennis from Virginia, Lester, Randy and Ken from Texas; and Nancy, Marcia, Kris, Jamie, Matthew and Norm from St. Andrews.
Today involved more travel as we left Juticalpa this morning and journeyed about four hours to the ranch. Since it is the rainy season, the countryside is lush with many hues of green flora. This leg of our journey gave new meaning to the terms “guard rail missing,” “deep valley” and “where is your faith.” Along the way we stopped in our village of San Buenaventura and had general introductions with many villagers, including the two leaders. All present (about 100) introduced themselves by first name as did our team. It was a joyous moment. As the opportunity arose, some members of the team would toss tennis balls to children on the roadside, much to their delight.
Upon arrival, leader Nancy immediately marshaled her team and we rapidly unpacked the luggage that contained the many items brought for the villagers and redistributed them into appropriate containers. This afternoon involved an orientation meeting and tour of the ranch during a light rain. The surrounding mountains were shrouded within clouds, but appear to have an astonishing majesty from the few glimpses seen when breaks occurred in the cloud cover.
Tomorrow begins our work activities in the village and we can hardly wait for that which God will reveal.
Written by Norm and augmented by Marcia.
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