Happy Tears Numero Uno

Today is Tuesday and Torch Team #2 is arriving today.  A small group went with Terry to the airport to pick them up.

 

 

The rest of us were building two houses.  One would be mine and it would be built in honor of my friend’s husband, Scott Sander. 

 

 

I “bribed” Tricky Pat Gutherie to be my “jefe” (boss) and he agreed.  We hoped for a site without a long treacherous walk.  There was a short steep walk to the site, which had both lots right beside each other.  You know what that means; we would be competing to see who would finish first!!!

 

 

 

 

Caesar, one of our Honduran friends who works with Torch groups

 

 

 

 

 

The other group’s leader had been studying and thinking how we build down here and he wanted to try something new.  I don’t want to brag, but that had twice has many big many and many more people helping.  My group had two American adult men, two Honduran men, a couple ladies in their late twenties and then about 8 teenagers.  Even though it seemed we were a bit short handed at times, everyone had a great attitude.  Needless to say, we were done almost two hours before them, but who’s counting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We always finish with a dedication.  I explained who Scott was, I presented the plaque and our whole group got in a circle with the lady.  Pat lead a prayer and an intern translated for us.  It was such a humbling experience and such an honor!!  Several tears were shed by all.  Happy Tears!!

Hasta luego!!!


PJ  xoxo
 

Mujeres de Bodega

This is our chapel

Today is Monday, our first day of work back in the capital city, Tegucigalpa.  I got up really early to post my blog because I was having trouble because so many people were on the internet the night before.

Going to chapel



 

 

That would be Terry with the bald head.  You see Lily, our translator, and Bev.

 

 

 

Breakfast was served from 6:30-7:30, Devo was at 8:00 and we were supposed to head out on the buses by 8:30.  This group of about 40 is small, but it has been great because we are all getting to know each other.  We have a good mixture of people from high school to middle age+.  We have a large group from Brandon, Florida, as well as groups from Mobile, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Northern Louisiana, and a few people like me who aren’t in a group from Sarasota, Florida, and Massachusetts.

 

This is me inside the bodega.  Diane and I filled bags for new mothers.  We put a stuffed animal in the bag.




 

 

I say that because, when we got back to the Mission House last night we soon learned we were sharing the campus with at least one other group from West Virginia.  Plus, we have another team coming on Tuesday, so it appears there may be as many as 200 people on campus.  It’s all good, but we may have to be patient when we have to stand in lines for meals.  I’m not complaining though!!

102 bags filled with bottles, baby clothes, toiletries, blankets and anything else we thought would be appropriate.

 

 

Today we had one group visiting Hospital Escuela.  Later, they would be working with a church that was planted by another church here, Los Pinos. Ten acres were donated and it is called El Diamante and this church is experiencing amazing growth.  We were told that there were 9 baptisms on Sunday!!!!  That isn’t something you hear about every day. 

 

 

This is the view from the back of Villa Gracia.

 

 

 

The other group would be digging footers and mixing concrete at Casa de MI Esperanza, a children’s home that we support.  I figured that everyone would want to go to the hospital, so I was prepared to do some heavy work; especially we had several of our men start feeling sick. Diane had also started having an upset stomach and when that happens, you want to be close to the bathroom.  We got permission to work at the bodega. 

 

A few years ago when we were visiting the maternity ward, we thought it would be neat to bring the new mother baby clothes. The mothers have to bring their own linen, and often you will see them lying on the rubber mattress.  The new babies often only have a t-shirt on.  So, the last few years, I have been going to Goodwill and buying baby clothes.  You can find sleepers that look new and they are only $1-2.  We also give them soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, combs, shampoo and other toiletries.  This year, the Spanish teacher at my school, Marissa Aqueron, translated the plan of salvation for me.  I will add a copy of that to the goody bag.

 

We worked about 5 hours and assembled 102 baby bags.  They are all set and ready to be taken when our group goes back to the hospital.

 

Right now, I’m taking advantage of this quiet place and typing out my blog.  Diane and I are expecting to be picked up around 4 and we’ll head back up the mountain for dinner and evening devotional.

 

Hasta luego!!!

 PS: This was not an exciting day for pictures.  Stay tuned, tomorrow I will post pictures from my first house build!

PJ  xoxo

Monkeys & a Flat Tire

Today is Sunday, a day of rest and travel.

Hot, even in front of a fan!

 

We headed back out to Agua Agria to worship with our brothers and sisters there.  After spending the day up on the mountain at Mission Lazarus, we weren’t real excited about heading back to the sweat box. (Sarah said they thermometers were reading 102 degrees the other day before she even tried to use it on the patients!)

 

 

It wouldn’t be Honduras if something didn’t happen.  We had just gotten on the rocky road to our village, when one of our tires blew.  We travel around in an old school bus, so we have a total of four tires.  There was no place to go for a repair and we didn’t have a spare, so we carefully made our 20 minute drive down the rocky road to our village.

Steve Johnson from Bell Shoals church of Christ entertaining the children before church.

 

 

It always is wonderful to worship in Central America.  The members always sing out with passion.  No can say they are truly participating in the song service.  Jeremy Myers , a youth minister from Cave Springs, Arkansas, gave the sermon and did a wonderful job.  I was actually one of the lucky ones and got to sit in front of a fan.  IT WAS STILL HOT THOUGH!    

If you look in the background, you can see Bev and Amber waiting for the bathroom!


 

 

 

 

At the end of the service, the ninos came in from Sunday school and handed out cards they had made.  It was very sweet and touching. Also, Sirhan got up and thanked us profusely for helping the community and showing the community that the inglesia de Cristo (Church of Christ) wanted to help them. (Even though it is the only church building there, everyone in the village does not attend church.)  Outside of the church, we learned that some of the ladies had made us a treat.  It was like a fried tortilla with refried beans and parmesan cheese on it.

 

 

 

This was right across from the church, the piglets were sure enjoying the mud!!!



 

 

 

We always spend 20-30 minutes hugging and saying “Proximo Ano”. (Next Year)  We are always sad to say goodbye and the little follow us to the bus, holding our hands, hugging and laughing with us.

views on the ride back

 

 

 

 

 

We had a long trip back to Teguc, but it was fairly uneventful.  As we went up the mountains, the temperatures start to drop and we started cooling off.  We did take a bathroom break at a very nice place that had a restaurant and a small free zoo out back.  It was a nice place to look around, buy water and stretch our legs.

 

This monkey was enjoying the water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We stopped for dinner in Teguc and made it back to Villa Gracia around 7.  Room assignments were handed out and we had a short devotional.  There is another group here from West Virginia, so we have many people trying to use the internet.  That’s why I’m typing this around 5:30 am on Monday.  I’m not exactly sure what I’ll do today.  Some of us are coming down with tummy issues, but I’m still fine!!

We know we are close to the city when we see these.

 

Hasta luego!

 

PJ  xoxo

 

 

No Trabajar!!!!

morning devo

 

Normally on Torch trips, we work 6 days a week.  I guess our leaders took pity on the fact that we had been working in indoor steam rooms for 3 days and they let us have a day off!!!

Walking up to the covered pavilion where we had lunch, heaven on Earth!



 

 

 

First of all, we could eat breakfast anytime between 7 and 9, so that meant we could sleep in.  I sleep till after 6, which was late for me.  Devo was at 9:30 and the plan was to hit the road around 10.  I was very excited that we were headed to a beautiful place I had visited on my first Torch trip.  We drove about an hour up into the mountains to a community called San Marcos to spend time touring Mission Lazarus.

 

Local wildlife, One of these landed on my shirt later!

About 10 years ago, they were able to buy thousands of acres of land for a great deal and their mission was started there.  Jarred (Brown?) has a great story of how he ended up there.  He was not a Bible or a missions major, but a business/finance major, but he had gone on a mission trip.  After graduation, he started a lucrative career, but basically gave all of that up to come down here.  When he called his dad, his dad said, “Honduras has enough poor people, they don’t need one more!”

This is my delicious lunch, chicken skewers.




 

 

 

I won’t be able to describe all of the things they do as eloquently as he did, but I’m going to add their website address and list at least a few of the things they do.  Their main goal though is to plant churches. http://www.missionlazarus.org/

This is a cool gift shop they have built.

Leather making school

(Dairy farm, gardening, beef, evangelizing, job training, medical clinics, economic development, orphanages, coffee plantation, and I’m sure many more things.)

 

I am up on the mountain surrounded by coffee bushes.

 

The land was as beautiful as I remembered, but there were many additions.  Mission Lazarus is now equipped to house and feed mission groups and actually other groups that might travel through.  We ate a delicious meal of either beef or chicken under a pavilion up on a mountain.  The views were breathtaking!  The temperatures were probably 30 degrees cooler, plus it was very windy and there was no humidity.

 

After lunch, Jarred shared about Mission Lazarus and answered questions.  As he was talking, I had an insect that was about 4 inches long land on my shirt.  It’s a good thing I’m not scared of bugs because I didn’t scream and interrupt our speaker.  

 

This is the chief of the coffee production. No, his name is not Juan Valdez.






 

coffee, up close


 

 It was a little hazy, but we were looking at Nicaragua and a volcano. (Maybe not in this exact view.)



We stopped at this patio, enjoyed the sights and had a fresh brewed cup of coffee.




 

 Selfie from an overlook.

Jarred also offered us a four wheel tour drive tour up into the mountain and about 26 of our group took the tour.  I have lots of pictures, so enjoy!!!  I won’t try to describe them all.  Tomorrow is Sunday, our plan is to worship with the brothers and sisters in Agua Agria and then make the 3-4 hour trip back to Teguc.

 

Hasta luego!!

 

PJ  xoxo