Mission Trip Blog

Honduras Mission - Again, Thanks For Your Support

2009-08-12T19:35:00.007-04:00

Tasty Treatments!

Our mission projects have continued although we were not able to be there. In addition to providing the desks and benches that we have highlighted, the gift of a healthier life has been given to 800 elementary school children in Quimistan as they received fluoride and anti-parasite treatments. We are grateful for the generous financial contributions of the members of First Presbyterian and the assistance of local personnel in Quimistan who administered the treatments.

Honduras Mission -- Thank You For The Gifts

2009-08-06T14:15:00.010-04:00

20 Desks and Benches Completed!

When the trip was canceled, there was great concern about the desk/bench project since the wood had already been cut and the rainy season was in full swing. Yovany, the local man who cut the wood, offered to assemble the desks and benches for a nominal cost. He assembled one, took a photo, the desk designer (Bruce Eberhard) gave a thumbs up and 19 more were completed. The next hurdle was how to transport them to the little mountain village of Teoxintales , a treacherous two hour drive from Quimistan. Yovany took it in stride, loaded them on his pick up truck and now they are stacked in the school's classroom ready to be painted. Story to be continued...

Honduras July 2009 --Eberhard Family Teamwork Gets the Job Done!

2009-06-08T08:49:00.002-04:00

Working together, Bruce and Brian Eberhard built the model for the desks and chairs our team will be building in Honduras. They created step by step instructions, complete with photos, so this project will be one our handy team can manage. Beth, Brian and their daughters are leaving for Quimistan this Wednesday. While there, they'll be building a model so we'll have a sample to follow when we get to Honduras. We are blessed to have such willing, capable supporters for this project.

June and Ken Blohm

Honduras July 2009 -- Three Questions

2009-05-28T09:19:00.014-04:00

Three Questions:

---What is your purpose and motivation for going to Honduras?

--- Recount a fearful time in your life. Did you feel God's presence?

---What is fearful about the mission trip to Honduras?

At our last meeting, we broke into small groups to answer these questions.

One person suggested if God calls, we go. Another person, who had been there many times, said that the people call him back to Honduras, particularly the children, who have very little in the way of material things but are grateful and happy in spite of everything. They also have unwavering faith. What can we learn from them?

Many people in the group expressed fears about the trip to Honduras. What to expect? Will we be able to accomplish the physical tasks of building a desk and chair? Will we be able to communicate although we do not speak much Spanish? Some even mentioned the fear of it being too hot! And this from a person who lives in South Carolina! We must remember that Jesus said "Do not be afraid, trust in me."

By being in these small groups, we were able to get to know each other and to express our feelings.

Carol Hidlay

Honduras July 2009 -- Gissel

2009-05-21T18:19:00.004-04:00

Gissel is the reason I am so happy to be going to Honduras. She is a smart, beautiful girl who lives in Quimistan and is part of the Agape Promises Program. This program seeks to help children remain in school and graduate by finding sponsors who will provide funding and create a personal Christian relationship with the child. I have sponsored Gissel for two years and can't wait to give her a hug and tell her (in Spanish, I hope) how proud I am that she is doing so well in school.

Joan Graham

Honduras July 2009 - Have You Seen This Desk?

2009-05-21T18:14:00.004-04:00

One of the team's activities is to build desks and chairs for the villages that First Pres had adopted. Bruce Eberhard volunteered to build a sample for us so we would know what materials to order plus to learn how to do this. Bruce and his son, Brian, built the sample last weekend. The unveiling will be this weekend at church. Where will it be?

Honduras July 2009 -- Who Are We?

2009-05-16T18:54:00.009-04:00

As our mission team builds desks and benches for the village school who are the ones most likely to be:

* Organizing a work plan and assigning jobs?

* Rapidly assembling and building?

* Listening attentively to the team member next to them?

* Eying the wood scrap pile for marionette material?

Well, that might depend on who are the lions, beavers, golden retrievers and otters among us! At our meeting on April 29 we took a personality inventory to gain an understanding of the different ways we might carry out our various mission projects, recognizing that who we are is a gift from God and what we do with who we are is our gift to God.

-Holly Shoaf-OKula

Honduras July 2009 -- La Merienda, The Picnic

2009-05-16T18:38:00.006-04:00

Team Hondouras met for a much-anticipated barbecue where we had a first-hand chance to put our Spanish lessons into practice, especially for eating. We enjoyed los frijoles, los hamburguesas, el pan, and la fruta. (There was more food, but we haven’t learned those words yet.) We all declared: “La comida era sabrosa (the food was delicious)!!!”

After dinner, we had our first hymn practice. Our Choral Director Katie played her guitar and we sang “Come”—or “Ven” in Spanish. There were some interesting accents to be heard. Fortunately, we have three more months to practice.

Your Spanish lesson: los frijoles (beans), los hamburguesas (hamburgers), el pan (bread), la fruta (fruit).

Lenaya

Honduras July 2009 We're Learning Spanish

2009-04-24T16:23:00.009-04:00

Buenas tardes clase…and we’re off with more learning from our profesora Chris Kupcha assisted by Joe Kupcha.

Chris is teaching us how to handle situations such as meeting people and introducing one another. Recently our focus has been on meals and the foods we’re likely to encounter in Honduras.

The next team meeting on April 29^th includes a cookout so we’re going to have an opportunity to practice our new vocabulary…hamburguesas anyone?

Honduras July 2009 -- Getting Started

2009-04-14T09:18:00.002-04:00

Those of you who were in church on March 29 heard the Minute for Mission on our upcoming Intergenerational Mission trip to Honduras. Also, a story was told about the role of the chicken and pig in a ham and egg sandwich. The chicken is ‘involved” but the pig is “committed!”

We now have our roster of 16 folks from First Presbyterian who are “committed” to go to Honduras They will be spreading the love of Jesus Christ to the people of Honduras from July 20 – July 27, 2009. The 11 adults and 5 young adults are:

June Blohm Team Leader

Ken Blohm Team Leader

Gerry Depo

Joan Graham

Katie Gray

Carol Hidlay

Sally Jenkins

Ryan Maddrey

Brock McLeod

Alan Moses

Holly Shoaf-O’Kula Team Leader Clergy

Lenaya Raack

Ashley Reid

Carol Ryder

Aubrie Salzman

Allison Shearouse Team Leader Youth

It is now the time for the remaining 871 members of First Presbyterian to get “involved” and support the mission team and the people of Honduras on our trip. A list of ideas is being assembled and will appear at month’s end on the blog and the Mission Bulletin Board. Be on the lookout for ways in which you can become involved.

You can follow the activities of the team on the blog as we meet each month to prepare for our trip. Please pray for us, that we may guided to do God’s will.

Blessings,

Allison, Holly, June and Ken

New Site for Honduras Agape Foundation blog

2009-03-04T11:55:00.003-05:00

Our entry into the blogosphere last year was a rousing success. Interested readers are able to keep up with events underway in Honduras while the mission teams are there. Feedback has been positive and very encouraging.

It's time now to move the blog for Honduras Agape Foundation missions to its own site. The site we've been using will remain open and accessible for other missions of First Presbyterian, Aiken. The new site will be exclusively for Honduras Agape Foundation missions. Soon the old postings from earlier HAF mission trips will be deleted from this site; they have been moved to the new site already and will be retained there.

The new blog site is: http://HAFMissions.blogspot.com/

A Post-Visit Update

2009-02-04T12:16:00.003-05:00

Here is how Mrs. Amalia's addition looked on Monday after the last team members left on Saturday. It's ready for the roof beams and tiles, the floor, and doors and windows. Wet weather has prevented firing the kiln to complete the roof tiles. A few days of uninterrupted sunshine will enable the builders to finish the construction of this addition to make it the showplace of the neighborhood!

Allen

Closing Impressions

2009-01-31T03:07:00.003-05:00

We finished today in a grande celebración and fellowship with local believers at Iglesia La Cosecha (The Harvest Church) in Quimistán. This was an incredible experience to be welcomed by brothers and sisters in Christ and worship with them in honor of our Savior. We did not understand much of what was said, but agreed that God was honored by the worship service and our interaction with local believers there.

Earlier in the day, Karen and I returned to Santa Clara to spend a few hours encouraging our new friends. I was able to make a short video of the people working on Mrs. Amalia’s house and learned more about that effort. Later, I encouraged Arturo to provide a short tour of the brick manufacturing microenterprise that I also captured on video. We will try to post these videos in the near future for those who are interested.

Also during today’s visit to Santa Clara, Karen was able to spent time talking to Brenda, one of Mrs. Amalia’s daughters who wants to become a nurse. She had a wonderful visit with Brenda and was able to encourage her to pursue this goal even in the face of what may seem like overwhelming obstacles. Please pray for Brenda.

Other events of the day included: A visit to the Agape compound clinic to meet with Dr. Elsa; time with Letitia at the Quimistan health department discussing VBS materials and deworming treatments at local schools; and a meeting with Katie Wooten, the Peace Corps volunteer in Quimistán who, unfortunately, is returning to the U.S. soon but hopes this is only for a short time. Our attempts to arrange meetings with Pat from Cristo Salva or Rob Turner from Boise State University’s Clean Water Club were unsuccessful. We will continue these efforts later.

Thank you for supporting this outreach in Honduras. We have been able to join in a conversation God started with the people of Santa Clara many months ago. In my brief time here, I have witnessed the power of God’s goodness as He opens peoples’ eyes and hearts, and changes both lives and lifestyles. Santa Clara is a community in the midst of an awesome transformation, and we have the joy of playing a small part in the opening stanzas of a grand concert God has scheduled in this place.

“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away! In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish. Matthew 18:12-14 (NLT)”

Ron L.

Living Water is On The Way!

2009-01-31T03:02:00.004-05:00

A long-awaited day became a reality on Thursday as the Samaritan’s Purse pickups pulled into the Santa Clara school yard. They came to introduce the community to BioSand water filters as a major element for reducing diarrhea, worms, and other water-related diseases that are endemic to rural Honduras.

We had been told on Monday to expect a six or seven man team from San Pedro Sula, so we were amazed to see about ten guys pile out of the trucks and begin preparing for the 2 PM community meeting. We learned early in the day that the power in town would be out all day, and we knew the meeting was structured with a PowerPoint presentation and sound system. But not to worry—this team has obviously faced similar situations. They started their portable generator and got everything together and working right on time.

Invitations and informal chats across the fence had alerted every family in town of the meeting. Experience from earlier community meetings made us cautious; in a bold assessment, we were able to have faith that as many as 30 people--maybe 40 at most-- would show up within an hour of the announced starting time. But when the time came, we didn’t have 30 or 40. We had about 60. Within a few minutes, the crowd had grown to 70. Eventually the count was 92. Community leaders said this was a record turnout by far.

The presentation was an overview of the process used by Samaritan’s Purse of Canada when they bring BioSand water filters into a community. Their goal is to put a filter into every home in the community, and to get the residents of the community to build the filters themselves. This meeting was the first of a series, culminating in the beginning of filter fabrication by the community in July. Because of contributions to Samaritan’s Purse, they only ask for a nominal amount of money (40 Lempira, or about $2.21) for each filter.

Another interesting event in this meeting was the presence of Adolfo Leon Otoniel, Director of Community Health Evangelism (CHE) for Central America. Karen had arranged to meet him when we were in Copan last October, and followed up with arrangements for him to be in Santa Clara this week. As we talked with him Thursday morning we asked him if CHE has had any collaboration with Samaritan’s Purse. To our surprise, he told us that the CHE organization has begun evaluating possible collaboration, and that was one determining factor leading to his presence at the meeting. He had come earlier in the day to walk around the village in order to assess general conditions of the town considering the possibility of introducing CHE concepts of pure water, hygiene, and public sanitation—all within an evangelistic framework similar to that of Samaritan’s Purse. So this was an excellent merging of similar efforts, all aimed at improving the health situation in Santa Clara—both the physical health and the spiritual health.

Wednesday in Santa Clara

2009-01-31T00:06:00.003-05:00

Another long day in Santa Clara with places to go and people to meet. The day started with the usual greetings from the children, who always come running to us as we get out of the cars, with arms open wide and smiles from ear to ear. Whenever I see them it reminds me of the joy our Father in heaven must have whenever He sees us running into His loving arms for peace, love, and security.

A couple of us went to the municipal office in Petoa to obtain a permit for cutting a tree to provide lumber for Mrs. Amalia's house. We had a chance to meet with the vice mayor to discuss the ministry of the HAF both in Quimistan and Santa Clara. This was a great chance for us to explain our vision of spreading the love of Christ by partnering with local leaders and facilities such as the Pueblo Nuevo clinic and Samaritan's Purse Office in San Pedro Sula.

After this visit, we took one of the children from Santa Clara to the clinic in Pueblo Nuevo to get some antibiotics for bronchitis. In this visit we learned that the doctor is on vacation for a few weeks. The patients who need a doctor's expertise are referred to the nearest facility, about 45 minutes away in Trinidad. Those who can afford bus fare can go, if they want to take the chance that they might or might not get treatment that day. That's the stark reality of medical care available in these small communities. Fortunately, the nurse was able to dispense the needed medications.

The rest of the morning was spent going door to door to all the homes in Santa Clara to pass out invitations to the community meeting with Samaritan's Purse on Thursday to discuss the upcoming BioSand Water Filter project.

In the afternoon, the men hauled bricks while I had an opportunity to meet with the women of the town to discuss health topics, sanitation, hygiened, clean water, and Justa stoves. While I had been told I would be talking with mothers of newborn babies, I ended up meeting with about 15-20 women of all ages. From that meeting, I learned that most of the women here believed their water was safe, so it was difficult to convince them otherwise. On a positive note, however, they all agreed that the respiratory problems of their community are largely due to their inefficient wood burning stoves and almost all of them were enthusiastic about the possibility of working on improving that situation by building Justa stoves.

All in all, I was pleased to see the response of the community members to this meeting and believe that it is during group interactions like this that community-wide change can have the greatest success.

Karen

A Day in Santa Clara

2009-01-27T23:22:00.004-05:00

Today was 'bonding day' in Santa Clara. While Allen and Ron helped to move bricks from the brick factory to the house being built, Karen worked with several neighborhood children--coloring and just enjoying interactions. By noon, the bricklayers had completed the third course of brick above the top of the windows, and began the stepped brickwork on the two gable ends of the roof.

About mid-morning we walked down the long, steep hill to visit Rosendo and Reyna and their eight children including a 21-day old baby. We finished that three-hour visit with Karen and Allen sitting on the floor with five of the kids playing UNO. Neither of us won, but we celebrated with the winner.

The highlight of the afternoon was a meeting with students who will be able to attend school this year as a result of an anonymous donation to the foundation. The students range from 7th grade to 11th grade. One of the boys wants to become an engineer; one girl wants to be a journalist, maybe a TV newscaster. Another girl wants to study vocal music at the university, and a third who likes English was encouraged to consider becoming a UN translator. The oldest girl there, who had to drop out of school during the seventh grade because her family couldn't afford to keep her in school, expressed a fervent desire to become a nurse. She will talk more with Karen as the week progresses. But mostly we tried to instill in them a desire to do their best in school to prepare themselves as potential future leaders of the country.Front row, left to right, are Ruth, Paola, Nuri, Dalila, Julissa, and Estuardo. Back row, L to R, Francisco, Byron, Marlon, and Brenda. Carlos was away picking coffee; Bryan was making baskets; Esther and Manuel were unavailable.

The evening session of a home group with one of the community families was led by Ron, with participation by the assembled group as well as comments from Karen and Allen. Introductory comments from Rick Warren's book "A Purpose Driven Life" opened the discussion which evolved into emphasis on how our relationship with the Lord needs to be walked out in our relationships with our neighbors.

After the long day we wished the home group members a heartfelt "hasta mañana"

Allen

A Promise of Clean Water--Eventually

2009-01-27T04:04:00.003-05:00

Folks in the Santa Clara community have been drinking contaminated water for many years, in the same manner as many, many other communities in this country. Those days should be coming to an end this year through the efforts of Samaritan's Purse and worldwide supporters of their clean water program.

Monday we met with Brad Phillips, National Director-Honduras, of Samaritan's Purse of Canada. Final arrangements were made for a meeting in Santa Clara on Thursday, when Misael Baquedan will bring a six-member team to the community to begin discussions.

The team will describe how BioSand filters will be made by the community members and installed in each home at very low cost (i.e., 40 Lempiras, or about $2.12 per family) to provide pure drinking water. Subsequent meetings through the next few months will be arranged with organized groups within the community to teach the importance of combining pure water with hygiene practices and sanitation to attain the full benefits--reduction of gastrointestinal problems from contamination by human and animal waste, worms, and other harmful things sometimes found in the water.

Earlier communications with Samaritan's Purse pointed to a March-April beginning of the work. But a different community already engaged in a similar program recently requested additional filters, so the timetable for beginning the physical work in Santa Clara can't begin before July. The revised schedule was a disappointment, but the potential improvement is worth waiting for after all these years.

The actual physical work will begin (in July?) when a team brings twelve filter molds to the community and trains the people there on how to fabricate the filter housings of concrete, how to set up the filters for operation with rocks, gravel, and graded sand, and how to maintain them to assure continuing good water supply. Perhaps our July mission team will be able to participate in this phase of the work, working side by side with the community members.

Following installation of filters in about 100 homes throughout the community, Samaritan's Purse will provide follow-up meetings at one, three, six, and twelve months to assure that the filters are continuing to perform as intended, and that families are well able to do the necessary maintenance of filter bed quality.

As a result of the contacts our translators made with Samaritan's Purse on behalf of Santa Clara, a neighboring community of Las Minitas will also be included in the program. That will add about 90 families to the group who will one day have pure water and--we hope--healthy kids.

This is just one more example of how we are trying to not only cure medical problems, but to avoid them in the first place. The approach also will encourage community self-help and cooperation as a way out of bad situations.

Allen

A Busy Day in the City

2009-01-27T03:07:00.005-05:00

Monday's trip to San Pedro Sula brought us the new experience of traffic jam, Honduras style. But it was no match for our intrepid driver who boldly went where few dare go and delivered us to The Ark--a family ministry church where our translators worship when in SPS. The principal of the trilingual church school there described their mission and vision, and progress toward their goals.
The vision looked terrific except for the last line--conquer the nations. More Conquistadores? Actually, no. We had a very interesting discussion on the cultural differences in how this word is interpreted. In the Honduran culture, loving couples 'conquer' each other with their love and caring concern. There is no hint of violence or force; it's a process of wooing and winning. That's part of the vision of the school. Their goal is to woo and win the nations for Christ.

Karen struck up a conversation with some of the students who had returned from a two-week intensive training trip to Washington D.C., and was able to go far beyond just "Como se llama" and "Me llamo Karen." This place is a bright light in the country. You just might see some future leaders of the country coming from this Mennonite school that's supported largely by a major Catholic funding source. The principal is a man of God who began a ministry 26 years ago under a tree. Now in its tenth year, the school is building more classrooms in a three-story addition, This will allow them to add a 10th grade in 2009, continuing the plan to add a new grade level each year.

We also visited their day-care center that had 31 at-risk children of working mothers in a poor neighborhood. The kids there were like the others we've seen--hungering for a hug, a smile, a kind word from an adult. They get those at that place.

Allen

But Wait! There's More!

2009-01-25T21:34:00.002-05:00

Seven team members returned home today, and one new member arrived. So until next Saturday, the team remnant here will be Allen, Karen, and Ron. The week's agenda is being finalized and will be concentrated in Santa Clara, where the house-building continues toward completion. We will attempt to carry on with updates on what God is up to there, recognizing that it will be difficult to fill Tommy's shoes as blogmeister. So check in tomorrow night or Tuesday for an update.

Allen

A Day of Reflection

2009-01-24T22:57:00.006-05:00

As the sun sets in Quimistan and on our trip here these past 10 days, the team would like to thank all of our family and friends who have supported us in so many ways. I have asked each team member to briefly reflect in the final post for this trip on the many great experiences that we have shared together.

• You can see the hand of God was at work in the formation of the team as each member brought different gifts to be used in His service. - June

• We experienced the power of the Holy Spirit, enabling us to spread the love of Jesus Christ by providing medical treatments to people in small villages, food to those who searched through the garbage, religious training to children, building new homes, and giving a loving smile to all we met. - Ken

• On our “to do” list was to fashion a protective cover for our auto-refractor instrument – so it was done. - Lee

• This has been a wonderful experience. It has shown what great things can be accomplished with prayer, humor, and dedication. - John

• God’s presence was ever-present throughout this trip, from forming the team to the changes that occurred while here, which opened new opportunities to serve the people of Honduras. - George

• Seeing old friends and meeting new ones. Worshiping together joyfully with fellow Christians in a foreign language I don't half understand. Working on a home which will help ease the strain on a very poor but loving family and joking with the workers and the family. Being able to tell the people with whom I work that we are here to show God's love to them all. Provisioning a home at the end of our stay and knowing we have made a major difference to that family. I thank God for allowing me to be part of all these things. - Jerry

• Jesus taught us “Love one another.” Honduras draws the love to the surface like cream, to be enjoyed by the people of Honduras. - Stephen

• Words cannot explain how much I’ve enjoyed the warm, loving Hondurans I’ve met, and the incredible Christians I’ve served with this week. - Claudia

• Smiling faces, hugs of joy, squealing children, tears of joy and sadness, God’s handiwork in the countryside, and a team of brothers and sisters uniting with the purpose of manifesting God’s love among the people of Honduras - - these are the treasures I carry with me as I move forward in faith along the journey God has placed before me. To God be all the glory for the great things he has done and will continue to do here in Honduras and in the lives of those who’ve been touched by the people here. - Karen

• Evidence of God's caring concern keeps popping up in new ways in new locations. The Foundation continues strengthening the medical and educational outreach in and around Quimistan as we expand our outreach to Santa Clara--building a house for a truly needy family while using bricks made in a new little village enterprise there, preparing to build fuel-efficient vented stoves to reduce respiratory diseases, and working with Samaritan's Purse to bring pure water to every house in the village. Mrs. Amalia was so gracious today, thanking God for bringing help to her family and village. The awesome part is realizing that God has chosen to work through us to bring hope to those who have felt abandoned. - Allen

• I am very thankful and humbled to have been a part of this well-oiled machine that has worked together extremely well as we shared Christ’s love with the wonderful people of Honduras. - Tommy

A Day of Reflection

2009-01-24T22:57:00.005-05:00

As the sun sets in Quimistan and on our trip here these past 10 days, the team would like to thank all of our family and friends who have supported us in so many ways. I have asked each team member to briefly reflect in the final post for this trip on the many great experiences that we have shared together.

• You can see the hand of God was at work in the formation of the team as each member brought different gifts to be used in His service. - June

• We experienced the power of the Holy Spirit, enabling us to spread the love of Jesus Christ by providing medical treatments to people in small villages, food to those who searched through the garbage, religious training to children, building new homes, and giving a loving smile to all we met. - Ken

• On our “to do” list was to fashion a protective cover for our auto-refractor instrument – so it was done. - Lee

• This has been a wonderful experience. It has shown what great things can be accomplished with prayer, humor, and dedication. - John

• God’s presence was ever-present throughout this trip, from forming the team to the changes that occurred while here, which opened new opportunities to serve the people of Honduras. - George

• Seeing old friends and meeting new ones. Worshiping together joyfully with fellow Christians in a foreign language I don't half understand. Working on a home which will help ease the strain on a very poor but loving family and joking with the workers and the family. Being able to tell the people with whom I work that we are here to show God's love to them all. Provisioning a home at the end of our stay and knowing we have made a major difference to that family. I thank God for allowing me to be part of all these things. - Jerry

• Jesus taught us “Love one another.” Honduras draws that love to the surface like cream, to be enjoyed by the people of Honduras. - Stephen

• Words cannot explain how much I’ve enjoyed the warm, loving Hondurans I’ve met, and the incredible Christians I’ve served with this week. - Claudia

• Smiling faces, hugs of joy, squealing children, tears of joy and sadness, God’s handiwork in the countryside, and a team of brothers and sisters uniting with the purpose of manifesting God’s love among the people of Honduras - - these are the treasures I carry with me as I move forward in faith along the journey God has placed before me. To God be all the glory for the great things he has done and will continue to do here in Honduras and in the lives of those who’ve been touched by the people here.

• Evidence of God's caring concern keeps popping up in new ways in new locations. The Foundation continues strengthening the medical and educational outreach in and around Quimistan as we expand our outreach to Santa Clara--building a house for a truly needy family while using bricks made in a new little village enterprise there, preparing to build fuel-efficient vented stoves to reduce respiratory diseases, and working with Samaritan's Purse to bring pure water to every house in the village. Mrs. Amalia was so gracious today, thanking God for bringing help to her family and village. The awesome part is realizing that God has chosen to work through us to bring hope to those who have felt abandoned. - Allen

• I am very thankful and humbled to have been a part of this well-oiled machine that has worked together extremely well as we shared Christ’s love with the wonderful people of Honduras. - Tommy

Big City Shopping Spree

2009-01-24T22:51:00.000-05:00

As a treat for the AP children who helped make our VBS week a success, three team members and translators accompanied them to San Pedro Sula on Saturday for a time of shopping and lunch at the local mall. For many of these kids, this was a treat that occurs only a few times a year.

For those of us from the U. S., it served as a brief reminder of the things we take for granted - - shops full of clothes, books, specialty items, and food to suit any taste. Interestingly, when given a choice of food at the food court, most of the kids opted for Pizza Hut, Quizno’s, or Burger King. Pepsi was, of course, still the preferred drink of the day. The sights and sounds of our brief time there presented a stark contrast to the simpler village life we’ve become accustomed to since our arrival here.

Karen

VBS at Santa Clara

2009-01-24T22:19:00.005-05:00

Our VBS week wrapped up in style, as we ministered to about 70 kindergarten and elementary age kids in the village of Santa Clara. Two of our AP kids, Carlos and Vilma, led the teaching time, and the children joined in enthusiastically as we sang, colored, made bracelets, and played outdoors.

This was an extra special time for all of the team members, both old and new, as we celebrated the joy and love of the Lord with the precious children we have come to love dearly in recent months. At the end of the program, the VBS kids and 20 additional children were treated to a special lunch prepared by members of Mrs. Amalia’s extended family.

At the end of our time, I felt the disappointment of realizing that the fun we had shared with the AP kids and village children all week had come to an end. Fortunately, I carry with me many fond memories of our time working together.

Karen

A Job Well Done

2009-01-24T19:54:00.001-05:00

Yesterday (Friday) I completed construction of the auto-refractor transit/storage case. It is configured to restrain the instrument inside the plywood box, having dimensions of 18” by 24” by 27” high.

The case is fashioned as a box fitting over the instrument, and its supporting nesting fixture that fastens to the base with locking devices. Handles are on all 4 sides for convenient handling.

This task had its frustrations, due to limited material and tools, but it was quite enjoyable to do something I don’t often do.

Lee

The Village by the Road

2009-01-24T14:38:00.006-05:00

On Friday afternoon, I met with our translator’s friend, Serafin Menjivar, who lives along the road. He has 4 children. His 2 older daughters were at the dump when we arrived, looking for 2 and 3-liter plastic bottles. They can sell 100 bottles and get 10 lempira (about 53 cents).

Serafin had 10-15 bags of empty bottles stacked beside his house. He built the house of adobe block as a squatter on government-owned right-of-way, as did most of the other families living there. He has water from the town of Quimistan, but no power. Water is only available in the evening and at night, and costs 30 lempira (roughly $1.60) per month. He lives in the third home on the left from the bridge. No homes above his have water, and no homes along the road have power. The homes above his on both sides of the road get their water from the river. Their biggest needs are food and medical care. Most of the children attend the school at Luz de Valle.

Serafin works part time at the brick kiln in town as a kiln firer. In fact, he has been hired in the past to work at the kiln in Santa Clara. He attends the Monday and Friday night services now and then. He says the services are usually led by a church member, not the pastor.

We went back later for the evening service. It was an amazing scene! Once everyone arrived, there were around 175 present, about 100 of them children. The church had prepared a meal, and after the service everyone was fed a small plate of rice, vegetables and chicken, with 2 flour tortillas and a drink.

The service was started by the youth/children’s director, then the pastor spoke for a while. The service concluded with an evangelist from El Salvador, a friend of the pastor’s. He closed with an altar call, to which about 40 children and adults responded.

WOW, what an evening to behold! The Lord was truly present there by the road. The light for the entire building was provided by a single Coleman gas lantern hanging from the edge of the lean-to porch /patio.

Praise God for small miracles! Everyone was fed a small meal, and Martha gave out small bags of rice and flour to every family present.

George

Impressions of Santa Clara

2009-01-23T17:59:00.006-05:00

Thursday, Jan. 22

One my visit to Santa Clara Thursday, a few things stood out to me about the people. First, they are all very friendly, especially the kids. You can’t pass anyone along the street without saying “Hola!” or “Buenos dias!” They can find fun in anything, from watching the “gringos” beat up on a rock, to playing with their homemade scooters. How many of our kids or grandkids would be happy with a toy like this?

Also, they are very industrious. Most people I saw were either sweeping their dirt front yard, washing clothes or dishes, cooking or preparing food, or some other chore. When I checked on the progress on Mrs. Amalia’s house, I was pleasantly surprised to see at least four of the family members helping out, including two of the kids.

This family is very needy and very deserving of a new house, but they are not sitting there watch it happen; they are actually helping it to happen! Helping folks in the name of Christ feels great, but helping those who will pitch in and do what they can to assist us feels even better!

Tommy

VBS at El Pinal

2009-01-22T23:02:00.014-05:00

Today was another great morning with the VBS Program. After a bumpy, windy, and at times muddy road trip up the mountain, we arrived at the community of El Pinal. We had the privilege of joining the AP kids in presenting the VBS program to about 69 elementary age children. They were all dressed in their school uniforms as they crowded into the classroom. Juan Miguel, from the AP program, took the lead teaching the lesson today, and did a fantastic job of presenting the material and engaging the children in the activities. The children were very enthusiastic and eagerly volunteered to help put the balls on the demonstration salvation bracelet, and perform the motions to the songs. As Claudia and I shared with each other, it seems the program gets better each day!

One special surprise of today’s program came toward the end, as the principal of the school. Jairo Alberto Enamorado, presented the Honduras Agape Foundation with a certificate of recognition for our collaboration to benefit the education of the children and youth of the community. As Jerry accepted the certificate, he reminded them all that we were there to manifest the love of Christ to the children and their families, and that all the credit for any work done belonged to God alone.

After the deworming medicine and the “swish and spit” fluoride treatment, we had some free time to play with the kids while waiting for our ride to arrive. We pulled out the bubbles, the jump rope, and the all-favorite, the digital camera, to entertain the crowd. A great time was had by us all. To God be the glory!

A special thanks goes out to the municipality of Quimistan for providing a driver and 4-wheel-drive vehicle to take half of our VBS team up the mountain safely.

Karen

Us Against The Rock

2009-01-22T22:08:00.005-05:00

We began yesterday to chip away at a large rock that was blocking a culvert under the road at Santa Clara. We used sledge hammers, cold chisels, a pick, and finally a grinder. All of these, with a large supply of elbow grease, finally got the job done. We defeated the rock, but I’m sure that in the morning when I feel the aches from infrequently-used muscles, I will know that the rock put up a good fight.

The ditch should work, though, and that’s the important thing. The aches will go away, but the drainage ditch will stay and, I pray, be a benefit to the folks of Santa Clara.

All in all, the project was a lot of fun. It was a great experience to work for the love of the people there, and for the glory of God.

It has been a privilege to be a part of this ministry, and I thank God for leading me here at this time. If Vanna, my “piano-banger”, or Robyn are reading this, I didn’t lift the sledge hammer over my head.

John

To El (Pinal) and Back

2009-01-22T20:32:00.001-05:00

We have returned to Quimistan from El Pinal. It is bar none the worst piece of road on which I have ever driven! It was all dirt road and must be horrid in the rainy season. I would not be comfortable driving when the road was wet. What am I talking about, I was not comfortable driving today!

It has not rained here for three days and there were several places where the mud holes had ruts a foot deep and the road dropped off at the side into a small drainage ditch. In other places the "road" was a narrow path in the center between two ditches about a foot deep. No room for error. At other places the road was a wall on one side and down the hill on the other. Obviously hacked out of the side of the hill for some reason, possibly a logging road.

They have a sewage system and apparently water but I believe there was no electricity. All over town, they were drying beans on tarps. It is apparently the industry of the town. I am told they get 12 lempira (about $0.64 ) for each pound. They also grow corn and probably some coffee. I saw some pigs and chickens. The town is very small, but there is a church of good size in a large field on one end of the town and small Catholic church at the other.

The people very much appreciated our visiting and caring for the children. The school principal presented Honduras Agape Foundation with a certificate of appreciation from the school for construction of the classroom. I am told that our construction forman came to this site daily on a bicycle during the project. I might walk it, but ain't no way I would do it on a bicycle!

Jerry

Adopt a Village – Visit to Las Montanitas

2009-01-21T21:45:00.008-05:00

This afternoon, five mission team members went with the medical brigade to Las Montanitas, a village First Presbyterian Church in Aiken has adopted for 2009. Las Monitanitas means “little mountains.” The village sits in a small valley surrounded by large mountains. It is a peaceful location that reflects the beauty of God’s creation.

As we arrived, many of the children ran out to greet us with big smiles on their faces. It is a typical example of the villages in Honduras reflecting inner happiness and faith in their God, although they have little in material things.

People lined up outside the local three-room school awaiting their visit with Dr. Elsa and nurse Edith. This team performs medical exams and dispenses medicines without cost. Today, the medical brigade saw 55 patients.

About 100 families live in this agricultural area, with no available electricity. Over 125 children attend the local school, which provides classes for kindergarten through 6th grade. For children who want to go on to the 7th grade, they need to travel to a village 20 minutes away. No public transportation is available, so they are dependent upon rides from local residents who may have a car. As a result, not many children receive an education beyond 6th grade.

As the team headed back down the mountain to Quimistan we reflected on what a blessing it was to share our love with these wonderful people.

Ken and June

Attack on Drainage Ditch Rocks

2009-01-21T21:44:00.001-05:00

In Santa Clara, Arturo and others have installed a drainage culvert under the road that leads to his house and others. There are two very large rocks in the culvert that have been blocking the free flow of water, and the water backs up and covers the road during heavy rains. They asked if we could help remove the rocks. We purchased a sledge hammer and a couple of cold chisels, and spent several hours attacking the rocks, making little ones out of big ones. It was sort of like “Cool Hand Luke” working on the chain gang. We have made good progress, but still have a ways to go.

George

==============================================================

I went up to Santa Clara today to work with the house builders. It was a good day. In the afternoon, we worked to break up rock in a drainage ditch. It will take another day of work to finish, but the road will be flooded less often because of our labors. It was another chance to tell them that we are here to show the love of Jesus to the people of Honduras. The kids are fun to play with... some of our group gave balloons to them and taught them to fill them with water and then squirt it. There is a sink built sort of like a window box just outside the window of the house just uphill from where we were working, building another house. We were looking up and saw a small pair of hands, struggling to reach to the faucet with a balloon... after at least four attempts, the child finally got the balloon around the faucet and turned on the water. Whoever it was, was really working at it and having just as much fun as we were.

If you still have young children, have some fun with your kids today. They are a gift that you will only have for a few more years.

Jerry

A Gift From God

2009-01-21T10:36:00.000-05:00

Too often we take the things people do for us for granted. Last night, we took time out of our busy schedules to recognize Maynor, our HAF coordinator here in Quimistan. He manages all of the requests from each of the Foundation committee chairs with efficiency and care. Whether it is to schedule a vacation bible school, coordinate a construction project, schedule the doctor and nurse to visit a village, or assist in the coordination of a mission trip, Maynor handles it all with a smile.

Maynor will be completing his second year of support to the Foundation next week. On February 4, he will be celebrating his 28th birthday.

A dinner was held tonight with all of the missionaries to honor his service to the Foundation. Allen and committee chairs spoke glowingly about his contributions to their efforts in supporting their programs and activities.

God works in wonderful ways. We are blessed he sent Maynor to us to assist us in spreading the love of Jesus Christ to the people of Honduras.

June and Ken

All Parts of the Body of Christ

2009-01-21T10:05:00.002-05:00

Praise God that Jesus is Lord of All! The eleven Honduras Agape Foundation missionaries this week include five Presbyterians, three Baptists, two Methodists, and one Episcopalian priest partnering with Pentecostal Holiness pastors and other believers to share God's love with the people of Honduras. As a first time "Missionary," I am amazed and thrilled to see all that the HAF is working to accomplish here. HAF has improved schools, medical care, and homes for so many. God has blessed HAF with an incredible network of Honduran believers who have much love and faith, and lots of connections! There is a HAF office and a full-time Honduran volunteer in Quimistan, as well as local doctors, nurses, and a lawyer to help HAF with its mission in the area.

For all of you at home who financially support HAF and the AP students, I see your money being well spent to improve the lives of some of the world's poorest and to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. Ephesians 4:4-6

Claudia

Jicaro Day for VBS

2009-01-21T07:30:00.015-05:00

Tuesday, Jan. 20

Today I attended the second VBS session, held at the “Escuela de Rep. Venezuela” school in Jicaro, about 20 minutes of dirt road from here. There were about 4 dozen kids and another dozen or so adults and babies outside. The AP youth took the lead today in presenting the same message described in an earlier post. Arabely did most of the teaching, with Karen and Claudia in supporting roles. The session was again followed by deworming medicine and fluoride.

But I’ll let the pictures below tell the story.

Tommy

[Teaching the Gospel]

[Making bracelets]

[Coloring fun!]

[Preparing the deworming medicine]

[Down the hatch!]

[Demonstrating the fluoride]

[Swish and spit!]

[New toothbrushes]

[And a good time was had by all!]

The Justa Stove

2009-01-20T23:32:00.000-05:00

This morning, after we got the work started in our home construction in Santa Clara, we went over to another village to see a Justa Stove. This stove has a small (about 4-5 inch cube) fire box which discharges the hot gases to a two-foot-wide, shallow chamber which allows only about an inch below the griddle surface and then exhausts into a chimney through a large exit chamber. The area around the fire box is filled with wood ashes. They act as an insulator and keep the heat at the cooking surface.

This stove has several advantages over the typical wood-burning fireplace. The griddle is much more substantial and good metal; it burns only about 1/3 as much wood for the same temperature at the cooking surface; the smoke is removed from the cooking area and therefore does not cause lung problems.

We received a very good demonstration of the way the stove works and how they are built. The organization that builds the stoves charges 110 USD for each one, and the recipient must build the base for the stove. Of course, if we can obtain or build the cooking surface ourselves, we can build the stoves ourselves much cheaper than the “dealer price,” which includes material, labor, and travel expenses. I truly believe that we can provide a real benefit to many people with these stoves.

Jerry

Update on the Dump Situation

2009-01-20T23:28:00.002-05:00

I had a follow-up meeting with Martha and the pastor of the Assembly of God church, concerning the people who live along the road and who go to look for things at the dump. We found out there are 38 families including over 60 children in this group. I was provided with a list of the families, including the names and ages of the children. On Sundays, when the children meet, they have approximately 150 children, including the above 60. They are always fed a heavy snack after Sunday School.

Asked if they provided any food during Monday and Friday evening services, they said ‘No.’, but were considering starting a feeding program. I asked what the cost would be to start such a program at those two gatherings. They will have an estimate for me before we leave. Martha, Arturo, and I plan to attend the service next Friday.

God continues to work.

George

VBS Brings ‘Light’ to Luz de la Valle

2009-01-20T15:43:00.005-05:00

Monday, Jan. 19

Being in Honduras is such a joy! We had 62 in attendance at Vacation Bible School (VBS) in the Luz de la Valle (Light of the Valley) school Monday. The 7 Agape Promises (AP) youth who volunteered to help were fabulous in leading the lessons, crafts, and games. Vilma should be in show business – she is very outgoing and a great teacher. She and Juan Miguel are senior AP kids, and both are wonderful young people. Juan is an enthusiastic and well-spoken leader.

There were 12-15 parents who attended VBS, and they were very engaged in the lesson. We felt that this was the first time many of these children had heard the Gospel message. Karen’s lesson taught about God’s love and creation, heaven, sin, Jesus’ sacrifice cleansing us from sin, and growing in our faith. Each concept was represented by a color, and the kids made bracelets using beads of each color. Our prayer is that the children will remember the lessons each time they wear their bracelets.

After VBS, the children had snacks, and we administered deworming and fluoride treatments.

We have had a blessed Monday, and look forward to 3 more VBS sessions at 3 other schools in the area this week.

Claudia

A Very Productive Day

2009-01-19T23:37:00.004-05:00

I went to Santa Clara to work on the Amalia's house with Steve. There are fourteen people living in a rather small Bajarike (stick and mud) house. At least their stove vents outside, but can you imagine cooking on a wood stove in Honduras? We are building a three-room brick home just down the hill. We originally expected to be adding to the home, but the slope of the land just would not allow it. They will now have two homes and a bit more privacy than they may otherwise have had.

[looking down the hill at the new house]

[looking up the hill toward the old house]

At lunch, we were treated by the Amalia family to the local version of burritos, which consists of two soft corn tortillos about three inches across, with beans, a bit of egg (and at other times possibly sausage) and some of the local cheese in between. They also offered some of the local "pica diablo" salsa tabasco, which is a relatively typical and moderately hot tabasco-style sauce.

After lunch, we were taken to Pueblo Nuevo, where we toured the local clinic. The Foundation paid to repair the roof on the clinic and to paint it inside and out. The place looks very good and they have a sign in front of the building which states the roof was repaired using funds from Honduras Agape Foundation "manifestando el amor de Jesuchristo a la gente de Honduras" (To show the love of Jesus Christ to the people of Honduras). I think that is pretty special. About 45-50 people who come to that public clinic every day and will see a message of God's love because of their new roof. We also visited a family with 4 children who live in a stick and mud shack beside the road, on land which does not belong to them. We gave them some provisions, including sardines, hot dogs, beans, rice, pasta, margarine, eggs and butter for about $16. Oh, yeah. We also gave the kids a bag of cracker jacks.
--
‘Too hard’ does not equal ‘not required’.

Jerry

George Meets God at the Dump

2009-01-19T23:03:00.003-05:00

Last Saturday I discussed with Martha Thomsen the situation at the dump. Many children and adults scavenge through plastic bags, looking for food scraps and other items of potential value. I expressed to her that we have a strong calling to provide help to these people. She said that she was also concerned about this problem, and had gone to both her cousin the Commissioner and the Mayor to ask that the dump be fenced in and access-controlled. Since she then went back to Nebraska for a time, and nothing has been done in this regard.

It was determined that it was now time to revisit this issue. She called a minister friend who came by, and we discussed the problem with him. He agreed to meet at 10:00 a.m. today (Monday) at the dump to assess the situation first-hand.

When I arrived at Martha’s home this morning, she had assembled not one, but four pastors to visit the dump. We prayed before we left, and such a prayer I have never experienced! There was a Power present in the room with us, as Martha, the four pastors and I were praying. We went to the dump and no one was there except for the dump keeper. He said people usually arrived later in the day, between 11:00 and 1:00, when the big dump trucks from the factories came to dump their stuff. He opined that most of the people who come live by the road between the dump and the bridge.

We left with a schedule to return at 11:45. When we returned, they were only 2 boys there, and they confirmed that they lived by the road. One of the boys mentioned that a pastor came and met the families on Monday and Friday evenings. One of the pastors with us knew him and called him. He arrived about 10 minutes later. He is the pastor of the Assembly of God church in Quimistan. He also has Sunday School for the children by the road, about 60, on Sunday morning.

He also is a dentist, and has a practice in Quimistan. His dental clinic is next to the church, and a block from the HAF office.

We have a meeting Tuesday at 5:00 to discuss how we might partner to help these families. PRAISE GOD, a ministry and a dental contact in one meeting!

George

Agape Promises Reception

2009-01-19T09:10:00.003-05:00

As is our custom during our mission trips, we have a reception for all of the AP students. Today, we had 41 of the 47 attend. The primary purpose of today’s activity was to celebrate our 2 recent high school graduates. On behalf of the foundation, they were presented with Spanish language copies of Rick Warren’s, A Purpose Driven Life.

Each of the graduates spoke about their experiences as part of the Agape Promises program. They thanked God for His help in completing their course work. They also challenged their fellow students to trust in God, work very hard, so that in the coming years they will be receiving the same recognition.

The missionaries put together their theatre talents and presented a HAF version of the Good Samaritan. The children really enjoyed the “drama”, especially the part where Jerry was beaten down by the robbers. All appreciated a wonderful lesson on God’s love and caring.

The missionaries served a delicious lunch to the children, including a very special dessert.

Ken & June

A Day of Praise and Thanksgiving

2009-01-18T23:15:00.007-05:00

Today was a busy day! Following a start to our auto-refractor training video, we attended Sunday School held this morning by Martha Scarlett Thomsen here at Delfina Village. Over 50 children took part in the singing, praise, and worship service, which included a snack. Among other things, Martha also shared her testimony, and her nephew Abner gave the message.

Following lunch, we went to the weekly Bible study held for the Agape Promises children at the kindergarten in Quimistan. The younger children met in a classroom, while the older ones met outside. After the study was over, we brought all of the children back to the Village to spend some time with us. (More details about that tomorrow.)

We were also thankful today for the safe arrival of the rest of team, Allen and daughter Karen Livingstone, Claudia Meadows, and Stephen Burdette. The day concluded with a welcomed first glimpse of the sun since we got here.

Good night.

Tommy

=============================================================

A visit to Little House of the Roses, an Episcopal Group home in San Pablo. The house was started by Dianana Frade, wife of the former bishop of the Diocese of Florida.

There are 50+ girls, ranging in age from pre-k to high school. The girls attend either local schools or the international school, where instruction is in English.

At present, 13 graduates are in college, with one about to finish dental school. An impressive record!

The school provides the services of a social worker, a psychologist, and a chaplain. There are also enrichment classes in dance, arts, & crafts. Some of the artwork is sold to help support the school.

In addition to the group home, there is a clinic, a food ministry, an intensive residential language school, and a retreat center, due to open in March or April in Pueblo Nueva.

It was an informative and uplifting trip. The Holy Spirit was present. Thanks be to God!

John Keeler

Saturday Night

2009-01-18T09:57:00.002-05:00

Hi all,

Just a quick note to show you how we ended our day on Saturday. This is the group after dinner having dessert at Shirley's, the top night spot in Quimistan!

A Day of Adventure

2009-01-17T22:22:00.012-05:00

Saturday morning the Vacation Bible School student volunteers and Reyna Suyapa, our Bible study leader for Agape Promises, met to receive training on how to conduct the VBS sessions.

George Dewhirst and Andrea, our translator, led them through the creation of the Salvation Bracelet. Father John demonstrated the very large beads. The color of each bead has a significant biblical meaning, i.e. yellow is Heaven, black is Sin, red is Jesus blood, white is cleansing our sins, and green is growth in faith. We practiced each of the songs, which accompany this project, and read the Bible verses. Andrea continued to keep us all honest on what each of the colors represent. This is a great project with meaningful messages for their spiritual development and growth. The team is off early Monday morning to visit the first school.

On Saturday afternoon, Ken and June, along with Maynor, our local HAF administrator, went to see one of the villages, Teoxintales, which First Presbyterian Church adopted for 2009. It took about 2 hours to get there over winding mountainous roads, which were muddy from an early morning rain. It was truly an adventure!

The village has approximately 300 people, which include 100 children in school. There is a three-room school there that educates children until the 6th grade. Since the local Junior High school is too far to commute, this is all the education the majority of the children receive.

It is principally a farming community whose products include coffee, cardamom, corn and beans. We had the opportunity to meet several of the village townsmen, who gave us a tour. They also invited us to have a cup of their homegrown coffee, which was excellent.

The medical brigade, doctor, nurse and medical supplies, which we sponsor, visited this village in November. There had been no medical support there up to this time. With the donation from First Presbyterian Church, the medical brigade will be able to visit the village every two months at no cost to the people.

Ken & June

A Day of Planning and Change

2009-01-17T10:31:00.006-05:00

Friday started with a typical short-term power outage, and the weather cycled several times between drizzle and partly cloudy. Some things did not go as planned. The Internet service here was not available all day. Much was accomplished, however, in terms of meeting with local personnel and checking on facilities for information exchange and strategy. A box for housing and transporting the auto-refractor was designed, and most of the materials were procured. Hundreds of brick were transported from the Santa Clara brick-making facility, in preparation for the house construction project being started a few hundred yards away.

The evening was concluded with a very lively, 2-1/2-hour worship service in a local Quimistan church.

We know we will get done what God wants of us, because we know He is still in charge. I was reminded of that this morning as I focused on the very center of the picture above, taken Friday morning.

Tommy

==============================================================

Friday was a day that dominated our need for flexibility, because very little happened as planned. It was raining hard in Santa Clara, so the plan for a large group to go work on Mrs. Amelia’s home did not happen.

Tommy and Lee worked to design and procure materials to build a transport and storage case for the auto-refractor. Father John Keeler, Ken and June reviewed the Agape Promises Bible study program with it’s leader, Reyna Suyapa Castillo and Maynor, our administrative Assistant. They also discussed how we can provide academic support for students struggling in school .

Jerry and George went to Santa Clara with our translators , so that Jerry could review construction progress on Mrs. Amelia’s home. The second objective was to help transport bricks from the brick kiln to the work site; about 450 bricks were moved. (Stay tuned –pictures of that to follow.)

In mid-afternoon, Arturo got a call requesting a Honduras Agape Foundation (HAF) representative for a live TV interview to discuss the our mission, with a focus on the Quimistan Valley Scholar (QVS) Program. They were really looking for the initiator of this program, Sam Turnipseed, who was to be on our team, but George filled in for Sam. The interview covered a brief history of how the HAF came to Quimistan, along with what has been accomplished in the area in home construction, school physical plant improvements, and efforts to improve the health of the children. Next, George discussed the background of the QVS program, stressing that it was a combined effort of the local community and HAF. Scholarship recipients are selected locally. Funds provided by HAF are matched by money raised locally dollar for dollar. He also pointed out that the program was to help out the brightest, but very poor young person who would not, without this scholarship, be able to attend university. George also emphasized it was important for all the children to work hard in school to obtain a good education, thus improving their lives in the future.

Following the TV interview, George also gave a live radio interview on a local Christian radio program, covering the same subjects.

George

2009 HAF Mission Season Off to Good Start!

2009-01-15T21:20:00.006-05:00

Greetings to our friends and loved ones back home!

This morning, the first contingent of the January mission team, consisting of George Dewhirst (of Beaufort, SC), Lee Coulter, John Keeler (of Elberton, GA), Jerry Taylor, and Tommy Thompson, left Aiken about 4:30 this morning for their 7:15 flight out of Columbia. They were met in Atlanta by Ken & June Blohm. After a slightly bumpy flight, but otherwise uneventful trip, we all arrived safely in Quimistan around 3:00 p.m.

The second part of our team will arrive Sunday afternoon.

Following greetings by old friends and new, we got down to planning our work projects. Check the next installment for a progress report on Santa Clara, where we plan to go to work in the morning.

Today’s 12-hour trip, following a short night’s sleep, has been physically draining, but we are emotionally and spiritually pumped, and look forward to doing God’s work in the coming days. We miss you all, but are glad we can keep in contact this way.

Keep praying!

Tommy

Another attempt to post

2008-10-05T09:17:00.003-04:00

Here's something I put together Saturday evening. Unfortunately, the internet connection was intermittent, and after three unsuccessful tries I decided to go to bed. So read this as though you had seen it Saturday evening.

Allen

Wow! Overload city! The conference closed about 4:30 this afternoon, ending three heavy days of presentations, lots and lots of Q&A, and many side discussions. Now the question is this: "What do we do next?" The posting Thursday night mentioned a meeting with Adolfo Leon to discuss the CHE program. Here's a photo showing Karen at the left, Suyapa and Arturo across the table, and Adolfo the the right side of the table.

Thinking about what we have learned will need some soak time before we're able to report many specifics. Each of us will have picked up concepts, impressions, and guidelines that need to be shared among our team to consolidate our thoughts. For tonight, I'll just jot some thoughts that struck me as important. Some of them were confirmation of what I had thought previously, and some were new.

One overall bit of advice is that we need to remember we are not in Honduras simply to help Hondurans. We are there to help Hondurans help themselves. We're in Honduras not to lead programs, but to support them. That's a big difference in approach. We're pretty good at deciding what problems they have and how we are going to fix them. The problem is that our fixes might not really be what the Hondurans want or need. A better way is to first ask the Hondurans what things they think would make their lives better, what stands in the way, and whether and how we might work with them to improve their situation. The fixes need to be theirs. We can offer support, but they need to own the solutions. That stands the best chance of imparting a new sense of accomplishment and overcoming a history of powerlessness and hopelessness.

When we can live with the families in their conditions, and work alongside them to help them make their lives better, we will begin to understand the meaning of a mission trips as a vocation rather than a vacation.

Changing the cultural norms of the society won't happen any time soon. The adults generally are firmly entrenched in "the way things have always been." As bad as we might think things are, these folks are survivors. They know how to get by. They have learned to accept things as they are. They know the familiar; they have learned to fear the unfamiliar. So why change?

Education of the children is probably the most promising way to impart a gradual shift of values and behavior. Often that requires that the children first have food so they can think about something other than constant hunger. They also need to be healthy--free of parasites and infections. There won't be quick fixes; we're looking at small improvements occurring over a period of several years, probably with many failures and disappointments as we go along. So we need to be alert for small victories in the lives of the people we work with. Here Karen and Arturo are discussing how we might do that.

The levels of violence, drug use, alcoholism, spousal and child abuse, and homicide have been on the increase in Honduras. Poverty is increasing with the general increase in food costs and other expenses. So hopelessness continues despite many years of intervention by hundreds of organizations who have sent thousands of people in teams to Honduras to help. If we are able to benefit from the partnering we can do through improved communication of recent years, maybe we can learn from each other's successes and failures.

That's a dump of thoughts in my head this evening. By morning maybe they will have taken some shape. Tomorrow we will drive back to Quimistan and begin the rest of our lives. During the week we will do several on-the-ground activities and compare notes to develop a coherent picture of some next steps.

We are hopeful that we'll have internet access there; last week we were not able to establish a connection that was possible with our summer teams. If you don't see entries on the blog, that will be the reason.

Greetings from Ninth Conference on Honduras

2008-10-02T23:39:00.003-04:00

We're late checking in, but finally we're on the blog.

Sam and Roxanne arrived in Quimistan Monday afternoon and immediately proceeded through a whirlwind list of TO-DO items---some personal, some representing the Foundation. For example they visited Sra. Umanzor to thank her for the support she gave us this summer by providing us the use of her kindergarten for the eye clinic. They also visited with the Quimistan directors of the Quimistan Valley Scholar program, discussing the protocol we will use to provide the matching funds as they receive local funds from the community.

One unpleasant surprise was to find that the teachers across the country are on strike because they have not been paid in the last six months.

Karen and Allen arrived on Wednesday, and the four of us with Arturo and Suyapa all drove to Copan to participate in the Ninth Conference on Honduras. The overall theme of this three-day conference is "Building Gobal Partnerships" . . . the idea being that if groups and individuals working to help Honduras learn to work together closely, coordinate, and share information and ideas, then many of the solutions to core development problems and issues will more easily, efficiently be realized.

For more information about the conference, go to projecthonduras.com.

The kickoff speaker for the conference was Ambassador Hugo Llorens of the US Embassy in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. He expressed great appreciation to the tens of thousands of individuals and thousands of groups involved in volunteer, humanitarian, and development efforts to support the people.

The first day of the conference was exactly what we have been looking for. We located many other individuals and organizations active in medical, educational, agricultural, and children's homes. The format of the conference encouraged a lot of interaction allowing identification of who has what experience over the broad range of developments.

After the sessions we were able to spend about an hour in discussions with Adolfo Leon, who has responsibility for the Community Health Evangelism program across all of Honduras. His insight regarding the effectiveness of different approaches to development will be helpful to the Foundation as we consider possible new directions in the coming year.

For those of you who have sweated through our summer trips to Honduras, you'll be surprised to know that the conference center today was air conditioned. Roxanne was actually cold enough to return to the room to gather up sweaters so we wouldn't all be freeze-dried by the end of the day.

More tomorrow.

Allen

We've Seen Jesus

2008-08-08T01:32:00.002-04:00

Our journey is coming to an end. Following services at the Agape Church and ice cream at Shirleys, we are in for the night and enjoying refreshing showers and conversation on the front porch. Earlier today we asked each team member to spend some time in reflection. We asked them to consider how they saw God at work in Honduras. The following words are just a few of their thoughts.

…….I saw God at work today in Suyapa and Arturo’s school in Santa Clara. I saw hope for the village because they are there to help the people. The visual image that will always stay with me is seeing the love and happiness in little children’s eyes. I saw hospitality today when Janice bought ice cream for the children who live on the highway.

…….All of the physical possessions that we gave away during the trip cannot even compare to the gift of blessings that I have received from the people of Honduras. Even more than this, the gift of Jesus Christ and His love that we have passed on will never compare to any of the physical possessions that anyone could ever give.

……..The Lord has been near to me this week with little blessings. The cool breeze in the morning and the evening, the clouds which provided cover at Copan, His hand of grace that held back the storm until the team could complete the celebration of new family homes. God our Father has enjoyed teaching me how to be more like His Son and His daughter in Christ.

………I’ve seen Jesus in the faces of the children, through the love the mission team has shared with the people and with each other, in new friends, in answered prayers, through the generosity and kindness of the local people, through the hope of the poorest of the poor, by pushing people out of their comfort zones and achieving what they set out to do.

……..I’ve seen Jesus in flowers bright and butterflies and in the sparkling of the children’s eyes. I’ve heard Jesus in fast paced tunes and clapping hands of songs and words I can’t understand. I’ve felt Jesus in handshakes and hugs- both strong and mild and in the caress of the fingers of a Honduran child. I’ve witnessed the generosity of Jesus in North Americans giving a little and getting back joy and trust and then seeing the hand of poverty turn around and give back to us. In EVERYTHING we’ve been told or shown that my Jesus has made His presence known.

……….This is a difficult question for me because I saw Him everywhere from the beautiful children with their gorgeous dark hair and sparkling eyes to the giant 300 year old Kapok trees. God surrounded us with so many opportunities for Him to work through each of us to witness and help the sadness, neglect, and cruelty here in Honduras. As we leave tomorrow, I will take this knowledge and experience to share with those at home so they may try to understand the needs of these people that can only be met through God.

………I have seen Jesus in my Honduran brothers and sisters in Christ who minister to the poor so compassionately everyday.

………Where did I see Jesus? In the morning sunrise, in the still muggy night, in the uphill climb to Pinal, in the joyous sound and wide smiles at Pinal, in hearing 1,2,3,4,5, in looking for rocks with Randell, in the laughter of good friends sharing a joke, in meals with the group, in Wilmer, in the faces of my family in photos from home, in Arturo and Suyapa, in faces covered with filth, in the outcast of society, in hugs and tears, in new and old friends, and in places like you see Christ at home.

……..I saw God work everyday on this trip. It’s amazing how our simple plans for the day can turn into a miracle for the people here. I have so many stories about the hope in people’s hearts in Honduras. We were sent here to spread the Word of Jesus, but the amazing part is that the people here are actually teaching US the “word”. Everyone is so appreciative of anything we give them, but mostly they simply enjoy our presence. The smiles of these people are strong enough to touch your heart instantly. I will always remember the children who greeted me with open arms. I WILL be back to visit Honduras in the near future. Mississippians think that they are hospitable, but they have nothing on the people of Honduras. These people trust us; they hug us. They shine with the light of the Lord. In Honduras, you are never lonely, hungry, or unhappy. They would not be like this without their trust and faith in Jesus Christ. He is among these people. This experience will stay in my heart for a lifetime.

……..In the eyes of four recently orphaned children, I saw Jesus. They are His children whom I have known and loved for several years. I could sense their pain in the loss of their mother and have love and compassion for them by the power of the Holy Spirit. I have seen Jesus in each team member as each responded to the unbelievable needs in this place. I have seen Jesus working to bring forth truth in a place of lies and deception. It is not difficult to see Jesus here. Everywhere I turn, I see Him.

We are so grateful to all of our family and friends for sharing in our journey. We have felt your prayers and have been strengthened by your daily encouragement.

To God be the glory,
“Jim” Jeff, Janice, Justin, Anne, Donna, Emory, Callie, Andrew, Randell, Cameron, Marquita, Ashlee, Avent and Jack

Mucho Gusto (Nice to Meet You)

2008-08-07T00:10:00.011-04:00

Helping with the communication in Honduras has been extremely entertaining throughout the trip. Those of us who can speak Spanish wait with great anticipation for Mississippians to try out their newly acquired language skills.

Emory has been putting her Spanish: For Dummies to use. I think everyone here now knows she likes chocolate, seeing as that was one of the first phrases in the book. Avent, on the other hand, has clung to more of an essential phrase, or part of it anyways. In her desire to communicate with the people, she has asked at every place we go, “El baño?” So, if you need to know where the bathroom is, ask her. There’s a very good chance she’ll know.

Apparently Janice is dyslexic when it comes to the Spanish language. “You’re Welcome” in Spanish is “De Nada.” She has essentially told numerous Hondurans to “go swimming” with “Ne Dada” (nadada) after they tell her “Thank You.” We let this go for the first week before correcting her.

My personal favorite, though, happened today and included the one and only Cameron. After reading a story in both English and Spanish at a Kindergarten school, the teacher and her daughter offered us some chicken tacos. In Latin America, it is considered rude to not accept something when someone offers it to you, so we all ate and enjoyed. Afterwards, when we were heading towards the truck, I stopped to talk to the daughter who helped with the tacos. Cameron came over and wanted to let her know that he liked the food. So, he rubbed his belly and said “¡Mucho Gusto!” They young lady looked at me confused and rightfully so since Cameron just said “Nice to meet you!” as opposed to “Me Gusta” which means “I Like.”

But, the language errors work both ways. The Spanish-speaking people like to try their hand at English too. For example, Wilmer, a local bus driver with the coffee plantation, was trying to figure out the word for “boss” in English. In Spanish, it is “jefe” (pronounced hef-ay). So, Wilmer referred to “Jim” as the “heifer.” Not exactly a cognate, but a good shot nonetheless, and a good laugh.

There are still a lot of wonderful things God is doing here and the language barrier will not stop the Lord from accomplishing his mission. I’m sure each person has there own personal stories to share when they get home, though nothing can compare to the first hand experience. Today’s main mission was giving to those in dire need. We traveled the streets and highways of Quimistan with a few locals who know of those in the greatest need. We provided clothes, Mississippi State backpacks, school supplies, Christian literature (in Spanish), and prayer bracelets. We took the time to read bits of the literature to them too not knowing if they could read it themselves. Needless to say, many people were grateful for what they received.

We appreciate all of the thoughts and prayers from home. They are encouraging and uplifting to us. Prayers are being answered every day.

¡Gloria a Dios! (Glory to God!)

Ashlee Drake

"Ruined" for the day

2008-08-05T22:10:00.003-04:00

Hello, my brothers and sisters in Christ. This phrase was taken fairly lightly while I was at home. It was more like a phrase the church down the street would say rather than I would…but as I have lived among total strangers I have come to know my family does indeed include “those down the street”. Humility is hard to find in this day and time. It has been found here in Honduras. Until now, I haven’t seen true heartbreak. The heartbreak of a mother who is without hope and her children are now without hope. I haven’t seen starvation where the needs are not met unless someone takes a special interest in that hungry human being.

I actually haven’t seen much in Starkville either. I’ve been called out of my boat by Christ to come and see my family in a whole new way. I have been called out of my workplace to follow Christ into a world which is full of hope, love, joy, peace, and prosperity. I have had my hand held by Christ here, in this place, by the least little girl or boy at a local school who cannot talk to me, but looks at me with big brown eyes of sincere love and adoration. Why? Why would such light come from such a hot, “dark” place?

The Word of God and His son Jesus Christ.

In America, in Starkville, I spent hours upon hours driving my mother to the eye doctor in Jackson. How much time I wasted driving and sitting? God was depositing in me the ability to help those who cannot see. How you ask? God lifted me up out of a misery of vertigo here in Honduras and sent me to an eye clinic, a clinic with local people who needed help picking out glasses. How quickly I was able to help them…it was like I suddenly understood the purpose of all that time sitting and waiting. I had learned to serve others.

The team here is made up of the most wonderful disciples of Christ. Each one gives a talent which is beyond expectation of the others. Jim provides confidence in love and administration. She is able to walk around down here with the Holy Spirit trying to keep up with her. I’ve never seen anyone get about like that in such a hot place. Donna is the story teller. She keeps our minds stimulated and our hearts in order. She also takes a special interest in cleaning up,,,,(hehehe), but she is a joy to watch when she sees a child or adult she knows from here. Anne is the one responsible for taking Christ’s gifts from one land to another. She diligently keeps track of her packages. Fedex has nothing on Anne Buffington! When she is not delivering American Mail here, she tells the most delightful stories. Her version of a Christmas Carol just about caused me to buy a package of depends to wear here. Avent is the singer of the bunch. For anyone back home who cannot speak Spanish, Avent is the one who can teach you. Just ask her how to find and use the facilities at First Presbyterian Church. Callie has been our local horticulture specialist. We will see the most beautiful flower or plant and she informs us all about it. Callie has truly walked by faith here, leaving behind her child to come here to prepare school supplies for hundreds of other’s children. Speaking of school supplies, we have Emory. Emory has the leadership skill of being first in line to sort, stuff, organize, and prepare for others, as well as the ability to teach the local team members how to wait for true beauty. No matter what, she arrives “on time” and in perfect order. Our resident choir member, Marquita, has been called from her boat of life to come here and provide medical care for us and the community. She dispenses medicine and goes to look at a hospital available for use. Her skills are most useful when the team boys decide to rile up her maternal instincts. You have never seen a Mama Bear to compare! Finally, we have Ashlee, our “get Smart” member. She speaks Spanish. She plays soccer, which is the favorite game here. She works on the construction site. She enjoys passion fruit. She embraces life and inspires me to no end. Live it now is her motto.

Oh, the men, yes, let’s talk about them. You have RANDELL, the pastor of the bunch. If he’s not telling us little witticisms, he’s spreading the Gospel to all. Justine has caused all the local beauties to follow him in awe. He looks into their eyes and they just melt.
Jeff is the Bob Vila of the bunch. He has come down here with a mission of construction. He not only is able to tell a captivating story, but he is able to direct order where there is none. Andrew is the information technology (IT) specialist. If it weren’t for him, none of you or us would be able to “talk”. Andrew is the tallest member of our family here, but he watches out for those of us who can’t see what’s coming. He can speak Spanish and is able to help us “talk” in person, as well. Cameron, unfortunately, is the little brother here that the big brothers pick on. He will be glad to return home. He has learned the hard way that Vacation Bible School is nothing on these five brothers he has had to room with for over a week! Jack is what I call an intelligent comedian. I watch and wait for what he will say next. Just like Jerry Seinfeld, he picks up on the funniest things and when he speaks, it’s exactly on target. If Jack thought his parenting skills weren’t going to come in handy, just think about how living with the men who are the over grown teenagers I’ve just described. From what we have heard, their card games have supplied electricity for the local community for the next ten years!

The previous message was presented by the early morning member of the bunch. Now that the day has come to an end, I can add the field trip we bad boys and girls took to Copan. Our guides, Suyapa and Arturo sent us away for the day to see the Mayan Ruins. What am I to say about this is that God’s hand was near to us all. We were given the best tour of our lives. We stood at the base of statues hundreds of years old which were designed to remember those who had been here before. We stood at the base of temples used to celebrate life in ways we cannot imagine. We saw the local horticulture which provided trees for comfort from the sun and branches for the beautiful wild macaws. When God created the earth in six days and took a rest, he created special people who were intelligent and artistic to this day. In addition to this, the Lord blessed us with precious cloud cover, therefore, no sunburn or misery of heat today. Praise Him!

Well, that’s our family here. I hope you have a fresh outlook on your life, our life and God’s children from Starkville and Honduras! Adios

Janice Kinard

A Day of Blessings

2008-08-05T00:18:00.002-04:00

“God is great, but sometimes life ain’t good. And when I pray, it doesn’t always turn out like I think it should. But I do it anyway. I do it anyway.” These are the words to a Martina McBride song which Donna used yesterday morning for our devotional. They have really touched us today as we have seen much that our North American eyes have struggled to grasp. This morning Callie, Emory, Jeff, and Andrew were headed to Pinal to deliver book bags for the children there. Due to torrential rain last night, the road was washed out, and so they offered to help around Martha’s compound. When taking a truck load of our trash to the local dump, they were met by children who promptly searched the bags to find whatever they could. That’s tough to witness. This afternoon we visited homes and took groceries and supplies to those in need. We completed our work at the eye clinic, read Bible stories to local kindergarten children, and ended our afternoon with the “pounding” of the two families who have received new homes this summer. (Pounding means that we deliver groceries, supplies and a Bible for the families) When we drive around through the pot holes and the mud, we see much poverty, but no despair. You see, our Honduran friends have faith and a strong love for our Lord. We are all wishing that life could be so much better for them, and yet they know no other world. Maybe it is a good thing that they are not consumed by all the material possessions that tend to get in our way on a daily basis.

If you think we are all down and out tonight, don’t worry. We have celebrated Janice’s and Avent’s birthdays at Mehia and Goyita’s restaurant (complete with Sponge Bob party hats). We wanted to thank our Honduran friends who have been working so hard to make us comfortable this week, so we treated them tonight. Goyita even made fried chicken and French fries! After dinner we sang and laughed. It’s getting quiet now. I am sure that there will be many prayers of thanksgiving tonight for a day full of blessings.

With gratitude for prayers that He answers in His way,

Anne Buffington

Coffee Anyone?

2008-08-04T00:11:00.003-04:00

Life is good and God is at work in so many different ways here in Quimistan. After spending Saturday morning at the Pinal construction site and the eye clinic, a select few of us got to take a tour of our dear friend Wilmer's coffee plantation. The sites and smells of the coffee beans and various fruits gave many of our team members the "perk" they would need for Sunday.

Early Sunday Morning we loaded down the truck with soccer balls, coloring books, and a homemade rope swing, and headed for the Agape compound to spend some time playing with 46 of the local kids. With Frisbees flying and bubbles popping, there was much joy and laughter among both the kids and the team members.

When Sunday afternoon rolled around on the grounds of our humble abode, we met 40 of the boys and girls who are sponsored through Agape Promise. After the children and team members introduced themselves, Anne B. distributed handmade angles, crosses, hearts, flowers and fish (all made by her daughter, Cathrine) to the kids to take home as a reminder to them of Christ love for us. We also ate a meal with the children, had a drama on the story of Ruth, and finished off by having the team lead the kids in a rousing rendition of the Hokey Poke. Though we could all be labeled as professionally trained baby sitters after today, we had a great time with the Agape kids. There was much joy had today in Jesus name, and hey..."That's what it's all about!"

Finally, we ended the day by attending the night service at the Agape Church. After the team sang a few of ye ol' favorite hymns for the congregation, we took our seats to hear the sermon given by our own Randell Foxworth. He was a faithful instrument in the hand of God, reminding us of how God sends us the power of the Holy Spirit through His word. It was a great testimony to the truth and hope that can only be found in Jesus. Great job Senor Randell!

Well, I think we will call it a day folks. Spirits are high here, and there is definitely not drought in the laughter. Thank you for your prayers. Please continue to pray for God's work amongst the people of Quimistan and for the team members. Adios amigos!

With hope from Quimisitan

-Cameron Beaty

A week in pictures

2008-08-02T11:46:00.017-04:00

Good Morning,

To satisfy the thousands and thousands of emails that we have received from home, today we will post more pictures than usual. I am updating the blog here in the air conditioning while everyone else is working. Well.... Its all true except the part about the air conditioning. The weather has been quite cooperative, it may be, at times, as hot as it is in Mississippi, but not for long. It stays overcast here for the majority of the day. For those of you that don't know how the schedule is down here, there are about fifteen in our group. We have several projects going at one time. People can go to the same one all of the time, or change from one to another every day or so. The projects right now are (1) building a classroom for a school, (2) flouride treatments for the children, and (3) operating an eye clinic and trying to fit people with the correct glasses. Here are a few photos from the various projects:

Emory and Avent here are excited after completing the ten minute correspondence course on how to operate the "i"(sp?) machine.

This is Suyapa(Right), the wife of our translator, with a local woman and her new Specs.

Randall and Janice preparing the treatment

Schoolchildren taking medicine to fight against parasites.

Emory explains (in English) exactly how to do the treatment.

As is evident by the thumbs up, these are just two more satisfied customers!

This is Ashlee with her soccer team that played close to where we are builing the school in El Pinal. If you cannot tell, the boy on the far left in the blue shirt is the team captain.

After breaking TWO shovel handles, Jeff thought that the best thing to do was to get Cameron to help hold this one up, while the school children continued to dig the footings.

This is Jeff and a local contractor, Jerso, who is assisting with the school project. Please note the RSC cap that Jerso is wearing.

This is one of the local delivery trucks. We stopped and spoke with the men briefly. We realized that this was definitely a more environmentally friendly, efficient, gas saving delivery service, than anything we have in Mississippi.

This afternoon, some of us are planning on going to a coffee plantation. Check back tomorrow for a full report.

Andrew

Jim's new glasses

2008-08-01T23:52:00.006-04:00

Hola Ya'll,

We pulled up our chairs to God's table and feasted today til our hearts were full. We felt His hand at the Pinal school construction site, another rural school where we played with the children and provided flouride and worming medications, at the eye clinic, and at the La Cosecha Church tonight.

An elderly gentleman at the eye clinic was waiting for his pair of glasses when Pablo and our fearless leader Jim pulled out the pair on the left. I wish you all could have seen his face. He laughed a jolly laugh and then put them on his face! Humor crosses all barriers!

Before church, we were able to present the keys to one of the new homes that so many of you have worked on this summer. We gathered with the family for prayer and songs. What a very special opportunity for us all! The church service was very different from our Presbyterian ways, but we clapped and smiled and clapped and smiled and stood and clapped and smiled through it all. The pastor there did a dance that was a cross between James Brown and Elvis. Afterwards he taught us the moves so we can teach them to Olin. We are expecting a performance next Sunday.

We have so many pictures, but we are too tired tonight to share them! Andrew plans to get up in the morning and post many of them to give you an idea of what we have been doing. Thanks again for your prayers. We feel them

Rinse and Spit

2008-07-31T22:25:00.007-04:00

After a good nights rest a group of us traveled about 20 minutes to a school where we did more fluoride and worm treatments on students there. Most of them enjoyed the worm treatment (banana flavored!) but, the fluoride was a little more difficult. (The picture to the left is them "swishing") The kids were so appreciative of us being there and playing frisbee and football with them afterward. They also loved our cameras! We took tons of pictures of them and they were so tickled to look at them on the screens.

A group also went to a construction sight where they started building the foundation of a school. They carried boulders up a hill to start the building process.

Right before lunch Marquita, Avent, Donna and Jim went to a "home" with Martha where she showed us where 2 families were sharing a living space. We all agreed that we had never seen anything like this before, our hearts broke with them.

After lunch, we went to the eye clinic where we saw 25 people, which we hope in the next couple of days will increase with "town talk". The people were so grateful to be able to see better.

We had a wonderful day and saw some old friends and met many, many more! Please keep Randell Foxworth in your prayers, he has been feeling bad all day. Thank y'all for all your prayers and support! We wouldn't be here without you and the Lord's grace that brought us here!

Avent Clark

Off to a good start

2008-07-30T23:24:00.005-04:00

A flat tire and delayed construction materials kept our crew from heading to the work site this morning, but it didn't keep the men from working! After an inspiring devotional from Randell and a delicious breakfast, they assembled 120 backpacks in record time. Another crew headed to La Guana, a rural village about 30 minutes away from our home base. There we visited the Marco Aurelio school where we provided flouride treatments and worming medications to 140 students. The teachers here are on strike, so mothers of the children were filling in today. Of course the children captured our hearts. The kindergarten kids filed in one by one with their hands on each other's shoulders and lots of smiles. Only one child cried, but a few stickers and some warm hugs went a long way.

After lunch, our group headed to a local kindergarten where we will begin the eye clinic tomorrow. None of us seem destined to have a profession in the medical field! We practiced on each other with the auto refractor and had Emory believing that she needed coke bottle glasses! Don't worry. We will have perfected the process by tomorrow afternoon! Donna has us doing the math problems before we go to bed tonight!

We couldn't end the night without a visit to Shirley's for ice cream. We are all happy and well and missing our dear families and friends.

With gratitude for opportunities to serve,

Anne Buffington

Greetings

2008-07-29T23:12:00.004-04:00

There is the sound of laughter and yawns in Quimistan tonight as a tired group is getting ready for bed. Our flight was on time, and we were greeted at the airport by Arturo and his wife Suyapa. Our first mode of transportation proved a little slow! We couldn’t figure out how to get all fifteen of us on the back of this wagon, so we opted for Arturo’s truck and a van made for eight. We squeezed in fifteen!

Our accommodations are great although we’ve decided to visit the local “Lowe’s” in the morning to purchase more fans! We will be up early for daily devotional followed by our first instructions of the day. Half of us will be constructing a classroom at Pinal, a rural village about 45 minutes from here. The rest of us will be doing fluoride treatments and giving de worming medications to local school children in neighboring villages. Can you say “Swallow and smile”??

We have already seen many friends and are anxious to meet more. Thank you all for supporting us and loving us in so many ways. Here’s to a great night’s sleep.

With gratitude for God’s provisions in getting us here safely,

Anne Buffington

Adios!

2008-07-18T23:43:00.004-04:00

Our last day in Quimistan opened with a beautiful devotion from Vanna. She emphasized we should allow God to dwell in us in every and each thing we do. He has showed us an amazing group of people, who love him fully and without embarrassment even in the face of great adversity. However as we return to our daily lives in the U.S., we cannot just simply readjust our priorities as a result of our Honduran experience. God has no desire to be top priority. He does not want to be a part of our lives, even if it is the largest part. He instead wishes to be present for every part of our life. If we allow Him to do that then his love can flourish and truly become alive through us.
Well pretty quickly we figured out our plans for the day were irrelevant. God decided all of Quimistan Valley should be covered by an unrelenting downpour. No work was done this morning at the schools or construction sites. Instead we were able to very neatly refold all of our clothes, pack, finish books (team recommendation: The Shack by William P. Young), and fellowship. It was a great time to absorb the events of the week and prepare our hearts and minds for the return to the United States. In the afternoon, a few team members were able to return to the dump we visited earlier in the week. The way the children ravaged and picked through our trash that day struck particular nerves very deep. We were able to pack rice, beans, and fried chicken into individual bags that were hopefully split evenly amongst the twenty odd people who canvas the road into the dump. We also toured previous home sites, went to the supermarket, picked up our large order of machetes, and visited La Flecha for souvenirs (all in the rain). All our loose ends have been tied and the week has come to a gentle conclusion. We thank you all for your interest, comments, and prayers. Pending our travel tomorrow, all that is left to say is..........ADIOS!!!!

Brittany Klein

Copan

2008-07-18T00:03:00.004-04:00

Copan was a great experience for all. Despite the sickening, curvy roads that we had to take to get there, the outing was immensely enjoyed. We even got to eat pizza and hamburgers! As you can tell, we are all very tired due to our busy, adventurous day. The picture below captures one of our many moments at Copan. Our great tour guide, Antonio Rivers, took this picture for us.

Jenna and Morgan

All in Day's Work

2008-07-16T22:46:00.003-04:00

Lots of work was done today. Once again, the group separated in construction for houses one and two, flouride and deworming treatment in the morning, and eye clinic in the afternoon.

Kathy and Mike returned to House #2 to finish up some work needed there. After this morning, no more assistance is needed at that home. House #1 had lots of help available. Sam, George, Jenn, Vanna, and I (Jenna) went over to make ourselves useful. Even the children wanted to help as they carried concrete blocks over to the house with us. Since there were so many people, Vanna and I opted to play with the children for a little while. Armed with Bubbles and a beach ball, the children went wild and were very excited to play games. They especially enjoyed "mono en el medio" (monkey in the middle) with their own rules to the game. Needless to say, all of us were extremely tired from our various activities. At left, Joey tries to interest the kids in a photo.

Morgan, Roxanne, Andrea, Blakely, Brittany, Joey, Arturo, and Suyapa (Arturo's wife) went up to Pinal to deliver more fluoride and deworming treatment for about fifty school kids. Despite stories of rocky roads up to Pinal, the path was smoothed out for them thanks to the municipality. The teacher in the school their had contacted them a few days ago asking for them to do that. Much to our surprise, the one who okayed the deal has become a very valuable resource for us. His daughter, Andrea, has translated for us the past two days in the clinic. He is also Martha's cousin. Afterward distributing the medicine, everyone played various games with the children there as well. Bubbles and jump roping were among the top favorites.

Today was the last day for the eye clinic. We were able to see and assist 79 patients today. That brings the eye clinic's total to 311 patients assisted. It was very exciting to know that we helped that many people in and around Quimistan.

Even though so much has already been done, we know that we can't do everything. It is very fulfilling to see the small steps taken to completing a larger vision. Stay tuned for tomorrow's excitement at Copan (the Mayan ruins).

Jenna Francis
Pictures chosen and input given by Morgan Fletcher

2008-07-15T23:02:00.003-04:00

As Jenna and I sit here, we are somewhat at a loss for words. Each day brings with it something new and unforseen. Even though we are doing a lot of the same task, the people that we come into contact with make each experience different.

This morning the majority of us loaded into a vehicle destined for a school in Banderas (a small community up the highway). Apparently the maximum capacity of the vehicle was surpassed. We were stopped by the national police who then questioned Arturo extensively as to where we were going and why. By the grace of God, the police had compassion on us, and we were not ticketed. This was truly amazing seeing as how the fine for this infraction is very hefty. This incidence goes to show how God honors those who are trying to serve them. Nonetheless, we certainly didn't want to push our luck, so we took two trips back.

Once in Banderas, we administered the typical deworming medication and fluoride. Because it was a smaller school than the others, we were able to do more with the kids. I had made little cross necklaces to give to some children, and it turned out that I had enough for all the grade school kids. The kindergardeners got to play with lots of balloons. After the passing out of necklaces and balloons, eight of us grabbed bags of purchased rice and beans from the back of the truck to go door to door evangilizing. We found families who were in great need of food, and told them about the love of Jesus. Each bag of rice and beans had a little Spanish track included so that the families could read more about God and being saved. Brittany, Blakely, George, and Jenna remained at the school to play numerous games with the children. When we got back the kids were in the midst of a "Blakely Says" game. I joined in and it soon evolved into follow the leader and "Hot Avocado" (there were no potatoes available). In the picture George is in the middle of an intense game of Duck, Duck, Goose.

The construction group made great progress today. Only one person is needed at site 2 tomorrow, because basically all that is left to do is the roof. The materials for that are not yet available. Site 1 will be the greatest concentration tomorrow. Team members will be doing concrete, steel bars, and other things to catch it up the level of the other house. Whoever goes in the morning will for sure be plently busy.

We have gotten the afternoon eye clinic down pat. The people come in in an organized fashion and leave with a pair of glasses that helps them to see. I have been taught a very valuable lesson today. Every day that the clinic has been opened thus far, I have been in the examining room. I have been the operator of the auto refractor. Today I wanted to see the final stage of the process, so I checked Jenna out on the machine and went to the fitting room. After a while, I noticed that some of the people were very greatful, while others were not so much. When I got back I started thinking. We are not here to receive praise. Our sole purpose in coming is to spread the love of Jesus. It is instances like that that make you remember why it is that you came. I am very appreciative for being shown a different perspective on the issue.

After dinner tonight, some of the more adventurous missionaries (Blakely, Jenna, Brittany, Jenn, George, and I) went to see close friends of the veteran team members play soccer. The boys, and one girl, were really excited that we came to watch. Their ages ranged from probably about 8 to 17. The field was extremely small, but they played better than any American kids that I have seen.

Until later,

Morgan Fletcher
(Jenna has become my blogging buddy. Even though she did not have to stay up, she has chosen to stay with me to keep me company and pick out pictures.)

Monday is Funday

2008-07-14T22:52:00.006-04:00

Hola! I have decided to be blog queen tonight as we are stuck in the house due to a terrential downpour. In fact, it has rained nearly every night we have been here. We are not complaining though because the clouds keeps the temperature down! Something the morning constuction team was very happy about.

Mike, George, and Sam along with Kathy, Blakely and I (Brittany) went to home site 2 this morning for construction and a little play time with the kids. Try as I might, I couldn't seem to find a picture of the men working (although I'm sure it did occur). Blakely and I were goaded into a fitness challenge and found ourselves hoisting "bloques" up to the brick masons on the scaffolding. The other most common request--"cemento" allowed Kathy to earn her keep. Sam demonstrated his uncanny ability to summon rooster crows from all over town. If only I could post sound bytes...

There are close to 15 children who live in or very near the home, and every single one of them loves balloons! There were Bombas, Bombas, Bombas everywhere. As many of these children were barefoot, we also made a game of tracing their feet on notebook paper to estimate shoe sizes. Kathy was then able to return after lunch with donated shoes that fit the children that needed them. This home site is in its final stages as work on the roof will commence tomorrow.

The other members of our group---sans Ken and June who flew out this morning--traveled to Jicaro school to administer anti-parasitic medicines and fluoride. There are 24 students at that school, 22 of which were present today, and they span grades 1-6. In previous trips, the foundation helped to complete a row of bathrooms and security bars on this site. After fluoride, the group travelled to a kindergarden in Pinalejo to assess opportunities for future projects.

The eye clinic was open again this afternoon and around 45 patients were seen. There was some confusion during the set up which caused a pile-up of anxiously waiting patients at the door. Pablo's bilingual skills were very helpful in organizing and calming the crowd. After the initial bump, things moved well. The photo shown on the right is of a particularly thrilled gentleman who needed some very strong glasses. When I put them on him and Jen asked if he could see the letters of the eye chart, it was hard for us to distinguish his answer amongst all the giggling. I have found the eye work to be particularly rewarding as gratitude is shown through wide eyes and smiles.

We had a leisurely dinner and a lot of time for group fellowship this evening.

Hasta Manana!

Brittany Klein

2008-07-13T23:25:00.008-04:00

Today was an adventurous day. After breakfast, we did some housekeeping and played some games before the Agape Promise children arrived. After gathering for another delicious meal, Joey, Mike, and Kathy performed a wonderful skit telling of the story of David and Goliath. Of course lots of help was given by Jenn, our gifted translator. The kids thought Mike's impersonation of Goliath was funny, especially as he taunted David, who was played by Joey.

The Agape Promise children were then taken back to Quimistan by Roxanne. They won the "packed like sardines" award in the truck.

Upon her return, we went to Santa Clara. Much excitement occured on the way there, when the police tracked us down. However, despite Morgan's belief that we were in trouble, they were just there to join us on our journey. With them as our escorts, we truly felt like we were in a parade, guns and all.

There was a birthday party in Santa Clara for a little boy, Ronnie, who turned four. Unfortunately, we missed his party, but he was extremely delighted for the presents that we gave him. Out of his ballons and toy cars, Ronnie like his Tickle-Me Elmo the best. He couldn't stop making it laugh.

After visiting the family, Arturo and his wife took us down to see their mission work for the village of Santa Clara. The main focus is this area which holds a kindergarden Monday through Friday and church as well. It then started to rain, but afterwards, we hiked down a ways to a small home that a family of eight lives in. The children loved the bubbles, ballons, and candy that were given to them as well. The hike back up surpassed Blakely's wildest dreams, since just this morning she wished we would go for a walk.

Arturo had one more activity on our agenda planned for us. We visited a little boy, Jeronimo, and his family outside of Santa Clara. It was an eye opening experience for everyone to see the abject poverty. As you can see in the picture, this family was living in nothing more than a house of sticks with burlap and collected trash on the side of the road for money. It was touching to see the resilience within this family despite their conditions.

There was a quick dinner, and off we went to the Agape Church. Sam wasn't kidding when he said they were spirited. Brittany and Blakely loved the little girls who did the ribbon dance and wished they could have joined them. It was a new and interesting experience. It was pouring down rain after the service but that didn't prevent the brave souls of Blakely, Jenn, Morgan, George, Brittany, Vanna, and I of running over to Shirley's for some yummy ice cream and soda treats. It was a great way to end an adventurous day.

Jenna Francis and Morgan Fletcher

2008-07-12T23:33:00.004-04:00

So . . . another day in the mission field under wraps. Today was a very long but productive day. After devotion and breakfast, one group (of 12!) headed out to the kindergarden for more eye examinations. We were able to set up two eyeglass fitting stations which really sped up the process. At one point, the fitters had gotten ahead of the examiners. That was truly amazing. I got very comfortable with the auto refractor, seeing as how we helped 95 people today. Blakely continued checking everyone's blood pressure and examined the patients' eyes for irregularities. Andrea and Ken were particulary helpful with doing the figuring for all of the prescriptions that the machine had compiled. And without Arturo, we would have been up the creek. Arturo has really helped out greatly with all of our translating needs in the examing room and more. We joke with him about opening his own clinic, because he enjoys so much predicting each person's eyeglass strength. He is certain that he is always right. A career in optometry is probably not in his future! Jenn and June have also done a fabulous job translating in the fitting room. After the power came back on after lunch, we were able to get cranking again. People kept pouring in. We examined some of Mrs. Martha's (the owner of the ranch we are staying at) workers' eyes towards the end of the day. The picture that we have included tonight is of a boy who came to the clinic with his mother. Everyone thought that he was really cute. As it turns out, Brittany had taken a picture in the other room very similar to the one that I had taken. I thought that he wanted to see his picture, but apparently that was old stuff to him!

The construction group, consisting of Mike and Sam, continued their work at one of the sites today. I think that it was worksite number 1, but I am not totally sure. They mixed concrete and filled the cinder block walls. The excitement of the day came when Jose Pinto, the foreman, was moving a stack of blocks. Mike heard him shouting what sounded like "snake" in Spanish, and it definitely was. Jose had uncovered a small rattle snake, ready for action. Thankfully, Sam acted quickly and came to the rescue with with what turned out to be his quite deadly shovel. The afternoon was also busy. Mike said that the locals didn't want the missioners to have to sit around! He said that he learned things about construction that he had never known before. Check out the progress on the house!

After dinner this evening, Jenna, Joey, Roxanne, and I attempted to go to the ever popular Saturday night event. . . a soccer game. The boys in town pay 15 limpiras and get to play from 7:00-9:00. Unfortunately when we arrived, there was no soccer to be watched. I think that we hadn't gotten the memo. Roxanne took us on a tour of the town, and we went to Shirley's. While at Shirley's we figured out that the big Honduras vs. Guatemala game was on TV. We are thinking that that was probably where everybody was. Anyways, we came back here and started the blog.

Jenna has stayed up to keep me company while doing the blog tonight. Forgive me for any typos or mistakes. Everyone else has gone to bed, so I think that we are going to go join them. We hope that everything is well back in the States, and we will send another update tomorrow.

Buenas Noches!

Morgan Fletcher

July 11, 2008

2008-07-11T23:48:00.007-04:00

After breakfast the group separated into three sub-groups. The first consisted of Roxanne, Andrea, Vanna, Brittany, Blakely, June, and Ken; they returned to the school to finish giving the older students fluoride and deworming treatment. June, Morgan, Andrea, Roxanne, and Brittany got up the courage to try the fluoride themselves. It was apparently an interesting experience.

The second group attempted to aid in construction of the two homes. However, they did not need everyone who was available to help. Instead of three people per each home, they only needed three total. Therefore, Joey, Mike, and George stayed while Kathy and Morgan went to the school to help out the others. George moved cinder blocks at the first site and then went to help the second afterwards. Joey and Mike also helped around the site in whatever capacity was needed. After lunch, Sam traded job positions with Joey. The new group filled the cinder blocks with concrete. They say they're feeling the burn now. George and Mike took a break for a brief photo opp.

After breakfast, Sam, Jenn, and I went up the

mountain to Pinal to assess a possible con-struction project for their school. While Sam and Jenn evaluated the situation, I played with the school children as they taught me "pica" and other playground games. They also loved seeing their picture displayed on the camera. I enjoyed getting my picture taken with the children.

After lunch, those who were not part of the construction crew went to the kindergarten where an eye clinic was set up. Half of the group tested the patients' eyes, and the other half fitted eyeglasses for them. We were very busy the whole time. Blakely was particularly helpful taking blood pressure readings for those with a history of high blood pressure. Kathy and Arturo (in the background) aided a young boy with the auto refractor.

We then gathered around for dinner for some food prepared by Gloria from her restaurant. Unfortunately, a huge storm came up, so George and Arturo had to bring the food to the hacienda. After dinner, ten of us decided to attend a local church, La Cosecha. Despite the language barrier, we were able to get a good idea of what the pastor was saying due to his enthusiastic hand gestures. We were also able to talk over ice cream and soda at Shirley's, a local convenience store, so that everyone knew what was said.

Overall it was a productive day. We are very tired due to our hectic schedule. Pictures will have to wait until tomorrow.

!Hasta luego!

Jenna Francis
(with gracious input from Morgan Fletcher)

Diving In 7-10-08

2008-07-10T21:57:00.008-04:00

Although we are living large in a TRUE hacienda with real mattresses and shower heads, we managed to get a little dirty and jumped into work this first full day in Quimistan.

Sam, Joey, Kathy, Jennifer, George, and Mike were first off the ranch this morning en route to one of the ongoing construction projects. They hauled mountainous piles of dirt into the homes to level the surface in preparation for concrete floors.

Meanwhile Morgan, Jenna, Brittany, Blakely, Vanna, Andrea, Roxanne, June, and Ken went to Quimistan Elementary to distribute anti-parasitic medications (banana flavored!! Que rico!) and fluoride treatments to about 300 children. By the end of the day the girls and boys were competing for the loudest "Hola!", and all members of the team were blessed by their enthusiasm. Maynor and Arturo were invaluable helpers in the organization and instruction of the activities.

Midway through treatments the kids took a break for recess (recreo) and gathered in mobs for BUBBLES.

The eyeglass clinic was prepared and some team members were trained for the fittings that will start tomorrow.

The food has been amazing and has left us very tired. So tired we believe we are past our blogging capacity. Hasta Manana!

Brittany Klein

(with gracious input from Morgan and Jenna)

First Morning

2008-07-10T11:21:00.005-04:00

Hola! We are here. We have had a safe trip and are enjoying everything. The compound is truly amazing. Everything is really beautiful.

Today we are going to be doing fluoride treatments in the school, eye exams in the clinic, and construction on the two homes. We are currently awaiting transportation to the school. The construction team has already left.

Hopefully today will be filled with a lot of opportunities and evangelism. We will send more later.

Morgan Fletcher

July-A Mission Team Starts Off Early

2008-07-09T12:20:00.005-04:00

Part of the mission team going to Honduras for the first 10-day trip in July started bright and early today. Team members gathered for a 5 AM departure from Aiken, SC en route to San Pedro Sula airport and then by bus to Quimistan. The photographer just happened to capture the team leader with her mouth open, telling the team to look happy for the camera!

Projects for team efforts this trip include continuing construction of two houses begun by a different team in June. Eye testing and eyeglass fitting is planned, as well as anti-parasite treatments and fluoridation treatments at several elementary schools in neighboring villages. Neighborhood visits will let the people know that God loves them. Some team members will be assessing feasibility and priority for several new projects that have been proposed for future teams, and will check on the progress of the Quimistan Valley Scholar program which has begun to receive funding from local Quimistan citizens. As the team gets settled, periodic postings may provide some updates regarding their findings.

The first challenge, of course, is checking in at the airport. Everybody is responsible for one of the trunks holding lots of stuff to be taken to Honduras--clothing for distribution, medicines, miscellaneous items needed there. But first is to be sure each person has a passport and a ticket!

Go with God's blessings, team members. Take God's love and spread it around wherever you find yourself.

Saturday, June 21, 2008: A Dios

2008-06-22T00:10:00.003-04:00

Adios de Honduras! Adios is one of the handful of Spanish words that every member of our team knows and uses frequently. Adiós, of course, is Spanish for "goodbye". Literally translated, the word is the contraction of "a" (to) and "Dios" (God), from the old Spanish phrase "A Dios vais" ("You're going to God", meaning to the Kingdom of Heaven). As we say goodbye to Honduras on this our last evening, it strikes me that there could be no more meaningful phrase.

Adios to Honduras. To God we show our love, by sharing ourselves with the people of Quimistan. To God we give our thanks, for protecting us and giving us this opportunity. To God we dedicate our work here. To God we give the glory. A Dios!

Blessings,
Beth Eberhard

Friday, June 20, 2008: Dear Children of SAPC

2008-06-21T00:21:00.007-04:00

Dear children in the three and four-year-old Sunday School Class at South Aiken Pres,
I understand you have been talking about the mission of building houses. Mr. Bunch told me that you have been saving your offerings since Christmas to buy cement blocks to build houses in Honduras. You raised $50! I want to tell you what your gift has meant to a family here.
You have helped Miriam’s family. There are eight children that live in the house with her and her husband. They live in one room that is probably smaller than your bedroom. There is a dirt floor, and chickens run in and out of the house all day because there are no doors, just sheets covering the doorway. The children have no beds. The roof leaks and they all get wet when it rains. There is no bathroom, no tv, no air conditioning, and no furniture except for one small bed. The kitchen is outdoors
In Honduras, their money is called Limpera instead of dollars. A cement block costs eight Limpera. Your $50 bought more than 100 cement blocks. That’s enough to build a whole wall for their new house. Their new house will have a real floor, strong walls, and a roof that doesn’t leak. It will have a bathroom, two bedrooms, and an indoor kitchen and sitting area. Best of all, because of your gift and those of others who also gave money, Miriam’s family will know that you love them enough to give them a house and hope for a better life. They will know that God is using His children to help them.
When you go to bed tonight, look around your room and pretend it is Miriam’s house. Then imagine that some people you don’t even know love you enough to build you a house. Then you will know how God uses kids like you to show His love to all His children.
Gracias from Miriam’s family!
Blessings,
Beth Eberhard

P.S.

Do you know Donald Josey and Mike Lambert? They had a contest to see how many blocks they could hold on their stomachs. Donald won, with eight blocks!

Thursday, June 19, 2008: poverty and hope

2008-06-20T08:12:00.020-04:00

Today our work was of a different sort. Arturo started us off with a talk about the poverty in the area of Santa Clara, a village about half an hour down the highway. We then piled into two trucks and headed down the road. Our first stop was to deliver the tote bags filled with school supplies to a school that Sister Martha was instrumental in founding. To get to this school, we had to walk across a suspension bridge that looked like something out of Indiana Jones. This was the only way over to the village.

After walking a ways down a winding path, we arrived at the school. Sister Martha had started this school because many of the children can’t make the long trip to the nearest school. It has only been in existence for 2 ½ months, but had 30 students in grades 1-6. Four posts and a metal roof, an old blue tarp for one wall, simple desks, and a small blackboard on an easel were all that made up this school, but it is already making a difference in this small village. Unfortunately for us, the students were on a one week vacation while we were there, so we were unable to actually hand out the tote bags to them. Many of the children were off in the woods gathering firewood, but while we were there several students did wander in, so we were able to take a few photos of the children with the totes.

Back across the bridge and into the trucks we went for a half hour ride to the small village of Santa Clara, population about 500. Arturo and his wife Suyapa live here, dedicating their lives to trying to make a difference in the lives of the villagers. Suyapa has started a preschool, another wall-less, floorless shelter where anywhere from 2-15 toddlers come for food, games, and loving care.

In the field below the preschool was a brick-making business that Arturo had started to provide jobs for the local rough necks. The business itself is quite interesting. The men dig mud out of a hole, then mix it with sand. The mixture is then put in wooden brick molds, dried, then fired in a kiln for 18 hours. Each brick sells for about 3 limpera (15 cents). The work is hard, but provides some income and pride to the young men who have stuck with it.

Just when we thought we had seen the worst poverty there was to see, we pulled up in front of a shack that blew us away. The walls had been adobe, wattle and daub style, but had broken down and been replaced with tarps and anything else the owner could find. Arturo brought some granola bars to the two young children who were there (Thanks to Ann Prather, for the forethought to pack so many!). The little boy, wearing only a dirty tee shirt, had such a smile on his face when Arturo gave them the food that it literally went from ear to ear. According to Arturo, many of these children don’t do well in school because they are hungry, not because they have missed breakfast that day, but because they haven’t eaten for a couple of days.

There can be no ending for this narrative, because poverty is never-ending. The Bible tells us the poor will always be with us. However, the hope for the future lies in these children, through good health care, education, and love. Arturo and Suyapa are on the right track.

Blessings,
Beth Eberhard

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

2008-06-19T08:47:00.006-04:00

A quick report on the building progress, and then on to the real business in Quimistan: The footers are finished at house #2 and we are ready to start building the walls. At House #1, we got the stones in place, smashing only a few fingers in the process, and the footers are almost halfway done.

Before working on the house, we made a trip to the Honduras Independence Bilingual School, where the children performed a show for us. Afterwards, we interacted with the children so that they could practice their English on us and they could hear our American accents. Hopefully, we didn’t throw them off track with our “ya’lls!” One of the songs they sang for us was “We Are The World.” While I’m not a big Michael Jackson fan, this song brought me to tears because the lyrics, sang by these precious children, are right on target. At the risk of breaking all kinds of copywrite laws, I am reprinting the words below.

We Are The World
By Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie

There comes a time

When we hear a certain call

When the world must come together as one

There are people dying

And it's time to lend a hand to life

The greatest gift of all

We can't go on

Pretending day by day

That someone, somewhere will soon make a change

We are all a part of God's great big family

And the truth, you know love is all we need

[Chorus] We are the world

We are the children

We are the ones who make a brighter day

So let's start giving

There's a choice we're making

We're saving our own lives

It's true we'll make a better day

Just you and me

Send them your heart

So they'll know that someone cares

And their lives will be stronger and free

As God has shown us by turning stone to bread

So we all must lend a helping hand

[Chorus] We are the world

We are the children

We are the ones who make a brighter day

So let's start giving

There's a choice we're making

We're saving our own lives

It's true we'll make a better day

Just you and me

When you're down and out

There seems no hope at all

But if you just believe

There's no way we can fall

Well, well, well, well, let us realize

That a change will only come

When we stand together as one

[Chorus] We are the world

We are the children

We are the ones who make a brighter day

So let's start giving

There's a choice we're making

We're saving our own lives

It's true we'll make a better day

Just you and me

Enough said.

Blessings, Beth Eberhard

Tuesday, June 17, 2008: Progress

2008-06-18T01:10:00.005-04:00

Another day of hard work in the hot sun, but progress is being made. At site #1, La Casa de Muchos Muchachos, we finally finished leveling the site and today we started digging the trenches. Although the ground is rocky and hard, it is not as bad as the ground of the house they did last year, so they tell me. The rocks were delivered today, so possibly tomorrow we will be ready to put the rocks in their place around the trenches. Progress on the second house was evident as well. The stones were placed in the trenches and concrete was poured in and around the stones.

Most gratifying to me personally was progress I saw in one of the children. Franklin, a boy of 11, was not in school yesterday. When we asked why, his mother said (as best as we could understand) that he wasn’t learning how to read or write so his mother thought school was a waste of time for him. Yesterday, I played a game of addition flash cards with his younger sister and him. He had trouble with the simplest of facts, so when our time was done, I left the cards with him. This afternoon, I took out the cards again and played the game. This time, he knew quite a few of the addition facts that he had struggled with yesterday. He had been studying! He is still far below what he should know, but progress is progress!

The evening ended with dinner at Gordida’s restaurant and an “Un-talent” show by the team members. Although I thought Eric should have won for his rendition of fingernail clipping, the judges said that Sarah, Christa, Marycruz, and Cecelia’s group had the most “un-talent” for their song and dance routine. Progress in all areas today: on the work site, with “our” children, and in our relationships with each other and the Hondurans.

Blessings,
Beth Eberhard

Monday, June 16, 2008

2008-06-17T01:27:00.006-04:00

For those of you who may have doubted the wisdom of sending so many youth on this trip, doubt no more. They have proven themselves over and over again. Today was a hard work day, leveling the ground at La Casa de Los Muchachos with pickaxes and shovels, and lugging huge rocks to put in the trenches at the second site. There are no work shirkers here. As a matter of fact, we adults often have had to insist that the kids take a break and leave some work for the rest of us. They have wielded pickaxes, bent wire for rebar, and lugged rocks heavier than themselves (especially Marycruz). They have become dirtier in an hour than most teenagers get in a year, and have sweated buckets. They have endured the heat, the lack of fast food, and a dearth of appliances and electronics with absolutely no complaining. Their enthusiasm and energy have boosted us adults when we have run down.

They have interacted with the children at Agape as well as at the work sites with friendship and laughter. The language barrier has been no barrier for them. Actually, their command of Spanish has been immensely helpful to the team. Even those who don’t speak Spanish as well have had no problem communicating with the children, who latch onto our kids and want them to stay forever.

They have bonded with each other deeply. Although Rebecca and Sarah were strangers at first, they are strangers no longer, fitting in as if they were the missing pieces to our puzzle. The kids are considerate of each other’s feelings, laugh and tease and play, and have accepted the crazy idiosyncrasies of us all without being judgmental.

In sum, the teenagers on this team have added energy, enthusiasm, and excitement to this trip. Their conduct at work and at play has exemplified our Christian ideals. Parents, you should be proud of your children. I know I am.

Blessings,
Beth Eberhard

Father's Day, June 15, 2008

2008-06-16T08:59:00.004-04:00

Sunday: Father’s Day. Many of us were separated from our fathers, but we were not separated from our Father. Since Sunday morning is reserved for the children’s Sunday School, and Sunday evening for worship, we spent the morning touring the houses that the Honduras Agape Foundation has built. In many cases, the old house was still in use as an extra room, so it was interesting to see the old and the new side by side. The contrast was stark: on one side a hovel, on the other a home.

In the afternoon, we all went over to the field by the high school for Sports and Games Day. Children, teens, and adults mixed as they played Twister, egg relays, and water balloon volleyball. After the games, they got down to the serious business of soccer. The Hondurans treat soccer as they do religion: fervently. Collin, Eric, and Mike joined in the game, while Donald tried to find a uniform big enough for him.

While the guys played, the rest of us enjoyed playing with the children. The seed pods of a locust tree provided much entertainment as swords, building blocks, and pokers. Giggles, tickles, hugs, and laughter provided the cement for the day’s labor.

In the evening we headed over to the Agape church for their evening worship service. Marycruz served admirably as translator, a job even an adult would find difficult at best. Her understanding of both languages and composure in front of the congregation has made her an invaluable member of this team. After the sermon, the service took a different turn as a healing took place. When it became a little too intense, we quietly left, as did most of the congregation. While this form of worship is hard for us to understand, we do understand that God works in different ways for different people. And so our day started with long distance wishes for our fathers, and ended with worship and celebration of our Father. Not a bad way to spend a day.

June 14, 2008

2008-06-15T00:06:00.008-04:00

This morning we started at two sites, but ended up spending most of the time at only one. After arriving at the site of the second house, we passed out tennis balls to the children and gave the girl whose birthday was yesterday a Beanie Baby doll as a gift. Just as we started to work, we were told that we all needed to go to the first house, La Casa de Muchos Muchachos, because construction at the second house had to wait for materials to be delivered “manana.”

Soon we were hard at work leveling the ground at the first house. We thought we were making good progress until we realized that the trench we thought they were digging turned out to be the depth the whole site needed to be: at least another 18 inches. Each wheelbarrow load had to be taken to the dirt pile. It wasn’t long before the kids had made a game of it, taking a running start down the hill and then up the ramp to the top of the pile, the onlookers yelling out their scores. One of the little boys, a three-year-old boy wearing only a tee shirt, delighted in waiting at the top for a ride in the empty wheelbarrow back down. This little guy later picked up a shovel and did his share of shoveling dirt. Some of the rest of the ten children who lived here came down to visit. One little girl carried her little brother, who was about two years old. The little boy had a cleft palate, with his upper lip and nose split and his front teeth twisted around at a grotesque angle. His older brother appeared to have also had a cleft palate, but his had been surgically repaired, leaving only a scar on his lip.

We met Jenny, the 20 year old sister, who had a four month old baby. She surprised us by giving all the girls on our team gifts: rings, earrings, or fingernail polish. She seemed better off than the rest. Her baby was chubby and appeared in good health. Someone said they thought Jenny was sponsored by someone.

In the evening, we all dressed up and headed over to the Agape church for a youth group meeting. The kids played several games, including Musical Chairs and Pinata, heard the band play several songs, and then afterward went over to Shirley’s Restaurant for soft drinks and ice cream.

Observation of the Day: The difference between the life of a sponsored child and one who is not sponsored is night and day.

Blessings,
Beth Eberhard

June 13, 2008

2008-06-13T23:49:00.003-04:00

Today the reason we are here became evident.
This morning we split into three groups. Tyler and Michael Lambert went to La Escuela de Jicaro, a one room school for 30 students in grades 1-6. Before today, they had no electricity. Today, florescent lights burned in the room for the first time.
The second group of five youths led by Bob Prather went to the house I will call La Casa de Muchos Muchachos, because ten children live here with their parents. The house has two rooms: a sleeping room with one bed (remember, ten kids!) and an outdoor kitchen with a roof but no walls. Our group started leveling ground to build them a new house today.
I went with the third group to a site where construction had started on a house for another family. We were digging trenches for the foundation. To say these people are dirt-poor is an understatement: they don’t even have dirt, only rocks and smaller rocks. Our job was to dig the small rocks out of the ground in the trenches, which will be filled later with large rocks and concrete added. In between working, we would play with the neighbor children. One of the girls was having her sixth birthday today. I would have guessed her to be around 3-4 years old.
In the afternoon, we went over to the Agape Church compound to play with the Compassion children, several of whom were sponsored by us. While we were there, they were served lunch: a small bowl of black beans, a fried egg, a corn tortilla, and a drink. For many of the children, this is their only real meal of the day. One girl was there with her young brother, who wasn’t sponsored by Compassion. She shared her meal with him.
The children and our youth played many games this afternoon: Duck, Duck, Goose, Elbow Tag, volleyball, and of course soccer. All the while, relationships were being forged. Many of these children are starved for affection because their parents have large families and are struggling to survive. Today, they were lathered with attention and love.
This evening, after our meal, we reflected on the day. Michael Norton said it all, “We can’t do everything, but we can do something.”

Blessings,
Beth Eberhard

We Have Arrived!

2008-06-12T19:28:00.002-04:00

We arrived safely in Honduras around 3:00 pm (5:00 Aiken time). We are all settled in at Sister Martha's compound with everything we need. The accomodations are most excellent and the weather very similar to Aiken: hot! We do have wireless Internet at her house, so posting blogs should be easy. Thank you for your prayers. Things have been smooth sailing thus far!

JUNE MISSION TEAM DEPARTS

2008-06-12T17:00:00.006-04:00

Just before 5:00 a.m. on June 12, eleven youth and adult missioners left South Aiken Presbyterian Church for Columbia Airport to begin their journey to Quimistan, Honduras. The team members are: Jeff Ray (team leader), Collin Ray, Bob Prather, Cecelia Newman, Mike Lambert, Donald Josey, Marycruz Figueroa, Barb Mahannah, Beth Eberhard, Christa Eberhard, and Eric Lambert. They will be joined in Atlanta by Rebecca Prather and Sarah Prather (coming in from San Antonio, TX, and also by J. Taylor Cummings (coming from Jackson, MS), bringing the total team size to 14.

Those of us remaining in the States send our thoughts and prayers with the team. We look forward to hearing from the team members about their activities during their 10-day stay.

I pray that all the team does and says during this trip will not only benefit the people of the Quimistan Valley, but will also glorify God, as they spread the love of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

God bless and keep you all.

Tommy

TEAM DEPARTS QUIMISTAN

2008-04-04T23:35:00.003-04:00

TEAM WRAPS UP QUIMISTAN PROJECTS

2008-04-04T23:21:00.000-04:00

Our team completed all of its projects on Thursday and Friday. Lee and Tommy completed installation of additional lighting in Pastor Anna’s office, and installation of a door on the storage room where Bruce and Jim installed shelving earlier. Bruce and Jim completed construction and installation of shelving and doors at the Light of the Valley elementary school. They, with help from Lorraine and Maxine, also completed construction of two large, stand-alone bookcases for the church office.

On Thursday, Maxine and Lorraine conducted two bread-making classes for local women. This was part of a test to determine the feasibility of providing locals a skill that they could use to earn an additional income. Other parts of this test include determining if adequate baking ovens are available, and if there is sufficient interest in such a venture by the locals.

On Friday PM, we toured several houses that had been constructed by Foundation volunteers over the last 2-3 years. And finally, we visited a local souvenir shop.
We depart for home Saturday AM.

Adios from Quimistan.

Jim

2008-04-04T23:20:00.000-04:00

TEAM COMPLETES QUIMISTAN PROJECTS

2008-04-04T23:15:00.001-04:00

TEAM VISITS SANTA CLARA 4/2

2008-04-02T22:19:00.001-04:00

The team spent this AM in Santa Clara, which is the home of Arturo, one of our translators described in a previous blog. Arturo is Bolivian and his wife is Honduran. He worked in Miami in the financial industry, and his wife worked as a Peace Corps recruiter. They moved to Santa Clara in mid-2007 to establish a new church. As shown in the photos below, the church is an open-air structure that also serves as a kindergarten during week days. Arturo is the pastor of the church. His wife teaches the kindergarten.

One of their first initiatives was to engage the locals to pick up trash in the village and repair an unpaved road. The village was very clean compared to other towns.

They have worked with several locals to re-establish a brick-making and roof tile business. They mix the mud with their feet, fill the molds by hand, and then hand stack the brick and tiles in a wood-fired kiln. The bricks, which are about 2x larger than US bricks, sell for 3 Limpiras (about 16 cents) each. This skill had been lost in Santa Clara. Arturo recruited 6-8 “village ruffians” as workers. He said that this initiative is bringing some pride back to Santa. There did not seem to be any other businesses there.

Arturo and his wife plan to enclose the open-air church/ school structure. This couple is having a great impact on this small village, which has a population of about 500. It shows what a few dedicated people with a few resources can accomplish here.

Bruce and Jim started a new project to build 2 bookcases for the church office. Tommy and Lee started a new project to install additional lighting in Pastor Anna’s office. This, along with other electrical jobs that they have done, is complicated because very few breakers or disconnect switches are installed. Bruce invented a new fly trap made of an empty 2-L plastic bottle. He was very disappointed when I found that his idea had been stolen and the exact design was on the internet. No flies have been caught yet!

Jim

BACK TO WORK IN QUIMISTAN

2008-04-02T22:16:00.002-04:00

TEAM VISITS SANTA CLARA

2008-04-02T21:49:00.002-04:00

MISSION TEAM REPORT FOR APRIL 1

2008-04-01T23:23:00.000-04:00

Tuesday is another beautiful, hot day in Quimistan. We enjoy seeing feedback on our blogs.

This morning Tommy, Lorraine, and Maxine visited Banderas elementary school, which is about 20 minutes from Quimistan. They took gifts of clothing, toys, and personal care items to the children. All of these items were collected in Aiken and brought here by the team. Forty-six children attend the one-room school house that has no running water or electricity. Because of the possibility of the children falling through the rotten floor of the outhouse, the children must go home or use a neighbor’s outhouse. The teacher’s desire for improvement of her school was very evident and obvious to the team members.

The main needs of the school are a new outhouse, renovation of the kindergarten room, and a better place to prepare lunch meals for the kids. Currently, each parent must provide lunch for all of the students on a rotation basis.

The only public source of drinking water in Banderas is from a hand-pumped well at least about 0.2 miles from the school. The photos below show how the locals get this water to their homes. The school is considering a project to pipe this water closer.

As a way to show their appreciation to the team, two boys pulled their shoes off and climbed a cocoanut tree to retrieve several cocoanuts and loaded them into the team’s pickup truck. .

Lee completed installation of ceiling fans in the women’s dorm. The fans make it much easier to sleep during these hot nights.

Tommy and Lee installed screen wire over several ventilation openings in the mission dorm building.

Bruce and Jim completed the first phase of the project to construct and install shelving and doors at the Light of the Valley elementary school. They will complete this project by installing doors on shelving that was built by a previous team.

Jim, Maxine, & Tommy

CONSTRUCTION AND REPAIR PROJECTS CONTINUE

2008-04-01T22:30:00.001-04:00

TEAM VISITS BANDERAS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

2008-04-01T22:08:00.001-04:00

MISSION TEAM VISITS LOCAL SCHOOLS

2008-04-01T07:22:00.002-04:00

MISSION WORK AT QUIMISTAN CONTINUES

2008-04-01T00:39:00.000-04:00

After the dental clinic was completed and part of our team returned home, additional projects were started while work continued on other projects. Roxanne took Maxine, Lorraine and Tommy to the Las Vegas Kindergarten and the Jicaro Elementary School. They distributed clothing and personal items like soap, lotions, shampoo, etc. to the children. Lee stayed behind to buy hardware for installing the fans in the ladies’ dorm. Tommy rejoined Lee after returning from the trip to the schools.

On Sunday Bruce and Jim completed the project to construct and install shelves in the church supply room. We had plenty of help from young boys who arrived early for Sunday school. The project to construct and install shelves in the Light of the Valley elementary school was started Saturday. It was decided the work of framing in the openings would be done on Saturday afternoon to minimize disruption of classes. After some communications entanglements we arrived at the school only to find the gate to the ten foot fence was locked. The key was in San Pedro Sula so all of the equipment, including a 75 lb generator, had to be transported over the fence. But the job got done and done safely.

On Sunday afternoon the crew had lunch with the Agape Promises kids. We had a nice meal that was prepared and served in the new cafeteria. Afterwards the kids were entertained with balloons, bubble blowing and kite flying. The luncheon was an opportunity for some of us to meet for the first time the child we are sponsoring and for others to become inspired to sponsor new children.

The shelves for the Light of the Valley School have been installed and work on the doors will begin Tuesday.

Bruce

Carpentry Projects at Quimistan - photos

2008-03-31T23:00:00.003-04:00

PHOTOS FROM SUNDAY & MONDAY

2008-03-31T22:39:00.003-04:00

DENTAL TEAM DEPARTS; OTHER WORK CONTINUES

2008-03-30T10:58:00.002-04:00

The dental team completed their work on Saturday, March 29. In three days, they treated 67 patients and did 4 exams, 25 cleanings, 92 extractions, and 93 fillings. They had planned to “close shop” at about 4 PM, but they were told that 5 more patients had come, and they all needed extractions. They finished with these five, but there were 5 more, and then more. They finally finished at 6:45 PM.

Since Charlie, Randy, Karen and Dave are leaving today, I asked them for a few summary comments.

Dave - " It's a marvelous thing to see what God can accomplish if people are willing."
Charlie – “Once again the Lord has joined, through His grace and love, the people of Quimistan and our missionary groups. You would think that after all of these years that He could do no more, but I have been blessed beyond compare. God is good. Let us thank him for our friends.”

Karen – How can I summarize in 2-3 sentences my feelings about an experience of a lifetime? As always, I have been blessed beyond measure. God is so good and He uses the beautiful people of Quimistan to show me His perfect love. “

Randy –
“ 1. The joy and encouragement of serving God with fellow Christians.
2. To expectantly watch and know the seeds planted by the team will grow and spread in Quimistan and home.
3. The amazement of what God can accomplish when we go forward in His strength and not our own.
4. How thankful I am for this team’s attitude and gifts. It was a joy to serve with them.”

Lee, Tommy, and Dave completed installation of the new ceiling fans in the men’s dorm room. They will do the same in the women’s dorm room next.
Bruce and Jim began installation of shelving in the Light of the Valley elementary school. The main difficulty was getting our supplies and us over a 10-foot- high gate, since no one has a key for the lock.

We have two men assigned to our team as translators. One is named Arturo, who is 45-50 years. His native home is Bolivia. He and his family lived in Miami for several years, and he worked for a mortgage firm. Last year, he and his wife moved to Santa Clara, which is about 30-40 minutes from Quimistan. They wanted to move there since that was his wife’s native home, and they wanted to start a new church in Santa Clara. They have done this. Arturio is the minister and he talks about this with a lot of passion. When they established the church, they had about 10 attendees. Now, they have about 30, many of them children. Arturo has become a good friend to us.

Jim

SATURDAY , FINAL DAY OF DENTAL CLINIC PHOTOS

2008-03-29T23:24:00.001-04:00

A Routine(?) Day in the Dental Mission

2008-03-29T08:40:00.003-04:00

Charlie Wyont set a record yesterday. He extracted 22 teeth from a 42-yr-old woman. He said that he had never extracted that many teeth from a patient at one time. This type of situation shows the importance of the dental health program, especially the oral hygiene training. Also, it is indicative of the overall health of the Quimistan population.

When I asked Randy about his day he said "Oh, it was pretty routine". I think that Randy is being too modest. The dental team successfully treats some very serious dental problems under less-than-ideal conditions. These include inadequate lighting, no suction, no x-rays, and dental chairs that require them to stand all day ( 8-10 hours).

The rest of the team rearranged their work priorities because of the delay in material delivery. Tommy, Lee, and Dave continued their electrical work. Bruce and Jim started work on shelving for Pastor Anna.

I saw an amazing transformation today. While Bruce and I were working on the shelving, Francisco, the AP child that he and Maxine are sponsoring, showed up. Bruce changed from an impatient curmudgeon to a patient, doting grandfather figure. Bruce integrated Francisco into our work applying glue and nailing. Bruce chided me for not starting the nails straight, which made Francisco's work more difficult. After a few minutes, several boys showed up to help. Francisco was obviously proud to be working with his sponsor.

Jim

QUIMISTAN PHOTOS FROM FRIDAY PM, 3/28

2008-03-29T08:05:00.002-04:00

2008-03-28T10:11:00.000-04:00

OUR SECOND DAY IN QUIMISTAN

2008-03-28T10:01:00.004-04:00

We rose at 6 AM to prepare for another exciting day. Randy and Charlie, along with Lorraine, Maxine, and Karen, will continue their dental work. They saw 17 patients yesterday doing extractions, fillings, cleanings, and oral hygiene training. This is Randy's 7th trip to Quimistan and Charlie's and Karen's 4th trip. Over this period, they have provided dental care , including fluoridations, for several thousand people.

Bruce, Lee, Tommy, Dave, and Jim will continue their repair work around the mission complex, and to construct book cases.

Additional photos are on a separate blog.

Jim

PHOTOS FROM OUR FIRST DAY

2008-03-27T23:21:00.000-04:00

Attached are some photos of our activities on 3/27.