This year’s mission trip went so well….I can only thank and praise God. Starting from the beginning of our trip until we came back home. Again, praise our Lord for a successful mission trip. I also thank our church family and prayer partner’s for keeping us in their prayers with specific requests for keeping us healthy, safe and to have a Godly attitude.DAY ONE – Saturday, March 21, 2009
Our team of eight met at FLC at four in the morning, it was a bit chilly but bearable. A few of us came earlier because we still had some last minute packing of Spanish Bibles and resources.
This year, our check-in in Norfolk went incredibly smooth (see last year’s blog for our un-smooth morning). Our flight departed on time at 6:05 a.m. and arrived in Newark, NJ. Then we boarded another plane to San Pedro Sula. During our time on this flight a few of us discovered other mission groups with the same purpose of helping the Honduran people. The gentleman to my right was a doctor and was with a team of nineteen doctors and nurses who were going to a different region than us to provide healthcare. The young lady to my left was with a group of sixteen from Pennsylvania who would be spending the week with us in La Union partnered with International Aid. They would be assisting a village called La Zona and possibly another one called Quicamote. They too, will be constructing latrines.
When we arrived in San Pedro Sula it was incredibly humid, I should know better and this being my fourth trip to pack a t-shirt in my backpack…so I just endured my lovely warm sweater.
Kurt and Matteah our International Aid leaders were waiting for us and the group from Pennsylvania after we collected our luggage.
Once our drivers loaded our luggage to a pick-up truck we headed to Villa Nuria Hotel. It was a highly secured hotel with metal fencing (electrical?) and the gate guards carried rifles. This was a new experience for me. Normally we’d stay in a regular hotel without the added security.
The hotel was a beautifully landscaped and not the same Honduras which awaited us outside the fence.
Here we got a chance to fellowship with the group from Pennsylvania plus meet a couple from Michigan that would be joining FLC group for the week in Agua Zarca.
DAY TWO – Sunday, March 22, 2009
After eating breakfast at 6:30 a.m. in the hotel restaurant we began our four hour trip to the southeast mountains and region of Lempira (3000 feet above sea level). The first two hours of our trek is on pavement and the remainder on rugged terrain. Right before starting on non-paved roads we stopped at a gas station with one restroom without a toilet seat, no light nor toilet paper. Those with experience and or those who followed their ‘what to bring on the trip list’ brought out their traveling toilet paper. For those that didn’t and needed it shrugged off their shyness and asked to borrow some. It took a while for both groups and drivers to get through with the bathroom details.
Once we left we all started to see a glimpse of Honduran life. There were a lot of roadside food stands and fresh fruit. There would be people walking and enduring the heat, some would have open umbrellas to help provide some shade as they walked the dusty roads. When we’d pass by homes, people would be hanging inside their doorways and staring at the cars that would drive by.
We arrived in La Union around noon, once there we all selected a bunk bed. This year, thank goodness I got a bottom bunk the top ones are a bit challenging for me.
After a spaghetti lunch, not traditional US spaghetti but yummy nonetheless both groups met in the pavilion where our IA leaders would be providing us with pointers for the week. One was to make sure to greet the head male in the household before the wife, otherwise it’s considered rude. We have to make sure to respect local protocol. Our leaders also informed us of the upcoming activities for our respective villages.
Once finished we all loaded into our designated vehicles and headed for our villages. It was pretty awesome to see Agua Zarca again. Our mission team and some of the villagers met in the Christian church. With the assistance of our translators who double as our drivers translated for the villagers who said they were very happy to see us. They also thanked us for the past for providing the children with school supplies and stuffed animals. We also said we were thankful to be there and thanked them for allowing us to be a part of their community.
Back at La Union some of us rested before dinner. Other’s played basketball or futbol (soccer) with some of the locals and our drivers.
Dinner was delicious, Honduran fare…tostadas, salad and watermelon and cantaloupe. And absolutely delicious coffee!
Tonight was the first time I attended Vida Abundante Church which is on the premises of the compound where we stay. Worship was incredibly loud but beautiful and all in Spanish. Once the preacher started to preach we left since most did not understand a word he was saying.
One of the funny things that our IA leaders recommended this year was to use some of the outside bathrooms whenever ones bowels began moving. Otherwise, either the dorms or shower areas would smell terribly because lack of ventilation. It was even funnier to see people walking with a roll of toilet paper headed for those specific toilets because you knew exactly what they were about to do.
Another bathroom tidbit, toilet paper is not allowed in the commode because their sewer system is not prepared to handle that. So all paper products are discarded in the wastebasket provided.
DAY THREE – Monday, March 23, 2009
Breakfast 6:30 a.m. in ‘el comedor’ (dining room) then at seven we all met in the pavilion for our devotional/worship time. This year we had a guitarist in the PA group play our worship music instead of singing acapella.
By seven thirty we were on the road. At Agua Zarca, Kurt our IA leader divided our group into teams and each team matched with a Honduran foreman. This year I noticed that all the villagers who were having latrines constructed had done their prep work of creating the base for the latrine and the cover for the sewer; this made things so much smoother and faster.
During our lunch time some of us ate quickly so we could meet the village children in the school courtyard. Our mission team guys played futbol with the boys. Our mission team gals met with the girls to clip, file and paint fingernails. They all loved it! Then it was time to get back to work.
Once back in La Union it was time to shower and downtime. Others chose to play basketball.
After dinner we all met back in the dining room. Tonight Matteah asked both groups what we saw in the villages. Those who were new saw things like dirty children, lack of hygiene, poverty. For others who’ve been coming for a few years now saw a definite improvement in health and prosperity.
DAY FOUR – Tuesday, March 24, 2009
We arrived in Agua Zarca a little before 8 a.m. Today most of the teams started on a new latrine. The one I worked on today was inside a porch that had an overhang. This was good because it meant we didn’t have to spend time creating a roof for it. However the space was cramped so movement was limited but workable.
Behind where the latrine would eventually be was a beehive. Apparently the homeowner found the beehive which is inside a tree trunk so he chopped the tree and saved the hive. It’s about sixteen inches in diameter and four feet wide and hangs to the side of his home with some wire. He covered the open sides of the trunk with wood and opens them when someone in the village wants to buy some honey. We were leery of the bees at first but according to the locals they don’t sting, the ones in that hive anyway.
We broke our lunch early again and met in the school courtyard. The guys played futbol again. The girls got their hair cut but it was assembly-line style. Our mission team consisted of four women so one washed hair with shampoo and conditioned in the outdoor cement basin in the schoolyard. The second one rinsed with a large bucket. Third step their hair was combed free of tangles. And finally, they got their haircut of choice.
During this process we discovered that most of them had head lice. Usually when lice found in these regions it’s is due to poor nutrition.
After our day was over in Agua Zarca we took a tour of the clinic in La Union. It is very small but clean. This year I was pleasantly surprised to find they had an infant incubator.
DAY FIVE – Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Today in the village it seemed like we didn’t have much work to do. I was re-teamed with the Michigan couple, this gave me an opportunity to get to know them better. Also was a chance to get speak with the homeowners and the children.
There were a few times I would try and catch a baby chick or a chicken, don’t ask me why but I just wanted to hold one but didn’t have any luck. Next thing I know I turn around and a four year old hands me a full grown chicken….which I gladly take and awkwardly hold. Then later she also hands me a baby chick which I liked better. Yes, pretty funny.
Today during our lunch time with the children we were going to spend time with them but they in turn invited us to the ‘campo’ to watch them play futbol. Their campo is where they play football in an almost flat field. I asked Kurt if it was okay to do that for about fifteen minutes, he said fine. Well, I didn’t realized how steep the hill was to get to the campo but I was terribly out of breath as most of our group. It seemed like the children were holding our hands and pulling us upward.
What I found out when we got there is the boys wanted to play a futbol game with our guys. So they made two teams and played. I think it turned out to be thirty minutes but we had to return to our work sites, so I had to be the bearer of bad news. I was so happy to be walking back ‘down.’
When we left Agua Zarca we headed to a different part of La Union where IA has an ongoing agricultural project there. They are educating the villagers how to properly grow successful crops.
DAY SIX – Thursday, March 26, 2009
Today we finished incredibly early. Our team divided into two groups and visited/prayed with each of the families we assisted in constructing the latrines. As we visited we told the families we were going to meet at the school at eleven because we wanted to give out some things for the children.
At eleven I told the kids about the school kits (50 kits) which I left with the teacher to distribute later. We also gave each child two booklets in Spanish that teach about Jesus and a complete Bible. The boys also got a comb and the girls received either two rubber bands or a hair claw.
Our group went back to the church to unwind but someone asked if they could play baseball with the kids until classes started again at one. I said sure and most of the group was gone for about an hour or until 1:30 p.m. Every time we visit the village the school teacher is always flexible with her time because she says the children are so excited that we are here and it’s only for a short time.
This was the day of goodbyes…..the children were asking if they will see us next year. I could only say what I’ve usually said in the past, only if God allows us to come back.
When we arrived in La Union we made a quick stop at the Christian Bilingual School (K-7th) to drop off the donated books for their library.
This time around we had a chance to visit a coffee processing plant. They showed us the process starting from the picked coffee bean to the drying process. At this point the coffee is green and unroasted which is then shipped off to the city to get reprocessed, roasted and packaged.
During dinner time in La Union all electricity went out at the compound. We don’t know what happened. However, good thing many remembered to bring flashlights. We didn’t meet at our usual seven. But people did hang out where basketball/futbol is normally played and cement bleachers are provided. I laid down watching the beautiful stars which seemed so close you could grab them. The night began cooling down from the hot day and it felt great.
DAY SEVEN – Friday, March 27, 2009
There is still no electricity within the compound. The ladies in the kitchen managed to make us a nice breakfast. I noticed they used the adobe stove which is heated by wood. Also, there were some battery operated machinery which insured we got hot coffee.
A little after seven we met for the last time in the pavilion for worship and devotion.
Today seemed especially hot and our bumpy ride a little tougher. Once we got on pavement it was so nice. Soon thereafter we stopped at a gas station that had a mini mart. Nice cold drinks and snacks, the pleasure of convenience.
Finally we were back where we started, Villa Nuria Hotel.
DAY EIGHT – Saturday, March 28, 2009
We left the hotel at 5 a.m. to catch our 7 a.m. flight out of San Pedro Sula. Then it was to Houston, Texas; Newark, NJ; and Norfolk. Our families were waiting for us at 11 p.m. Home Sweet Home.
BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR NEXT YEAR’S MISSION TRIP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Blessings,
Maria Winchell
FLC Missions Leader
missions@freedomlifechurch.com
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