One Love

Better Late Than Never....For Lumber Delivery & Blog Posts!

2011-06-05T22:08:00.000-07:00

Sorry for our delay in posting.....things have been rather busy here, as you might imagine! So here's brief summaries of the past few days:

Friday - We had a small group visit Hospital Escuela, a government run hospital for children. This can be a very challenging day emotionally, but the group was able to share many smiles and laughs with lots of kids who don't have a lot to be joyful about, given their circumstances and conditions. The building continued, and 3 more families received new houses. We also had a crew continuing to work on leveling several building sites...and this is not just dirt people, we're talking 'poo mud.' A small group also spent the morning packing 240 bags of food, and then went to a local community where they put on a vacation Bible school for 150+ kids, complete with snack time and numerous rounds of BINGO!

Saturday - this group proved that not even mountenaous terrain, faulty chainsaws and late wood delivery could slow them down....Extreme Makeover: Honduras Edition successfully constructed 3 more houses for families in need. A small group also went out and delivered food in a local community, and 100 families can now feel a small bit a relief not having to wonder where their next meal will come from.

Sunday - the group attended Church in the community of Los Pinos, a community where we worked several years ago. It was so powerful to see that despite language barriers or cultural differences, worship is worship, and worship we did! After Church the group had lunch at the food court of the local mall, where they dined on some wonderful delicasies (see 'American food') such as KFC, Wendy's, Subway and Burger King. Some even managed to squeeze in some ice cream from Bakin Robins or dougnuts from Dunk'n Donuts. After the mall, we loaded the buses and paid a visit to the Mi Esperanza store to do a little shopping for a cause. (If you are not familiar with the Mi Esperanza organization, be sure to check it out: http://thewomenofmyhope.org/. Lori Connell and her team are truly changing the future for women and children of this country!) After some serious retail therapy, the group returned to the mission house for a little down time before enjoying an awesome dinner served by local restaurant Taco Loco....let's just say holy guacamole it was good!! We wrapped up with night with a birthday cake for Austin Blaylock, who is now officially a teenager!

There are many more stories and details from all of these events, as you might imagine. But as we all know, actions (or in this case, pictures) speak louder than words.....

day one in the books

2011-06-02T17:27:00.000-07:00

Today the group was sentenced to a day of "hard labor" 3 houses were built and land leveling for two other houses to come. The team broke into 4 teams and headed out on a beautiful blue sky day! Everyone come back tired, hungry and dirty. I always love to see that! Here are few pics from the crews! Enjoy!

Touch Down in the AM

2011-05-31T22:34:00.000-07:00

June 1, 2011....The team touches down tomorrow. All systems go! Come on team!

More ...More buliding and VBS

2010-06-11T05:37:00.000-07:00

More building and VBS

2010-06-10T21:37:00.001-07:00

Enjoy!

Girls Prison

2010-06-10T19:39:00.000-07:00

Living out our mission of Matthew 25 and "walk this way" I took a group of girls to the girls juvenile prison. Girls ranging for 12 to 18 who have all been incarcerated for felony crime. It was a great day of blessing & heartache. No one.....NO ONE is forgotten by God and we wanted to make sure these girls new that we cared and loved them. We brought a group of Mi Esperanza students and graduates to give hair cuts, manis and pedis. We also brought a yummy lunch, jewelry making and a photo frame activity. We shared the word of God and then showed the word of God! The girls from the team were AMAZING!! I am posting pics but you will notice that we can not show the faces of any of the girls from the prison but you can for sure see what a fun day we had!!!

Apologies but here we are!

2010-06-10T18:48:00.000-07:00

I know poor job at keeping the blog up this year, but 100+ people will keep you running and crazy busy. Just hasn't been time to get this done. Skipping devo tonight so that not one more day goes by with no update. This group is amazing!! When we realized that 2/3 of our group was going to be "newbies" we thought, "not sure how much we will get done" but that they have showed us that they are hard workers and will to do whatever it takes to get the job done. Over the past we have built houses, held a VBS with 100's of kids, packed and passed out 400 bags of food to hungry families, visited the government hospital, orphanages, girls prison, feed people at the dump, framed and poured concrete for a children's home...hmm what else!
We (mark and I ) have tried to slow this group down but it just isn't happening!!! enjoy a BUNCH of photos of the team!!!!

Food Packing in record time!

2010-06-06T16:52:00.000-07:00

Ok so really!!! this group of food packers ROCK!!! They arrived at 9:00am and unloaded enough food to feed 200 families. It has to be divided into family size bags to be delivered. A job that usually takes several hours was completed in under 2!!! 200 families received enough food for 2 weeks. When you are among those who live on $2.00 a day this is blessing that is greatly appreciated and an answer to prayer. God said "feed my sheep" we are happy to say 200 families have full bellies tonight!! Here are a few picks more to follow of the delivery, I hear it was a tough terrain.

even more pics!!!!!!

2010-06-04T17:51:00.001-07:00

More Pics

2010-06-04T17:35:00.000-07:00

2010-06-04T16:56:00.000-07:00

Day 2.....4 houses, hospital visit, mucking out of houses, leveling for another, LOTS of fun with Honduran kiddos! It is going great and everyone is working hard and being blessed beyond measure! enjoy some photos!

Touch DOWN!

2010-06-02T20:25:00.000-07:00

First wave a group members are here and settled in for the night! Group of 20 coming tomorrow and the team that is here will be out in Nueva Oriental tomorrow building 2 houses and "mucking" out some others that suffered damage during the tropical storm. Will post tomorrow about the day!

Jimmy Hughes Children Center from the mind and eye or Nathan Samuel

2009-06-13T16:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday a group of about 40 of us got the opportunity to go to Jimmy Hughes’ orphanage. While we were there we got the opportunity to meet Jimmy Hughes himself and the wonderful kids that his home is taking care of.
We started the day with a 2 hour bus ride through the beautiful countryside of Honduras. When we arrived at the orphanage, Pastor Salvador met us at the front gate and led us into their rehabilitation clinic. There we sat down and were told a little about how things work and how things got started. We were then introduced to Jimmy and he spoke to us, encouraging us to live with a purpose and to live in our father’s image. He is an awesome guy that has lived life and has a pretty intense story.
We were introduced to Ronnie, and his miraculous story of how he survived and protected his sister’s life while his family was being brutally attacked by the MS13 gang. He was the reason that the orphanage opened its doors.
After hearing what Jimmy had to say and eating a little bit of lunch, we went and helped clean up the new bakery and pizza parlor that will be opening up soon on their campus. These new food facilities will be run by the kids in order to help them make some money and learn responsibility. (cupcakes = AMAZING!)
After we got our hands a little dirty helping out, we were able to meet and visit with the children at the orphanage. These kids are all victims of some type of gang violence, and all of them have amazing testimonies. The children loved showing us their rooms and, like every other kid here in Honduras, loved to play a little futbol as well.
We were also presented with the opportunity to go into a home where 5 young girls had children from being victims of rape. These girls ranged from ages of 10 to 15 and they were very glad to share their young children with us. We were able to play with the babies for about an hour and everyone was uplifted by the experience.
Over all it was an exciting and eventful day! Getting to know some of these kids and what has happened to them at such a young age is inspiring yet heartbreaking. These kids have remarkable stories and are heroes to us all! Please keep the staff, kids, and the efforts to help these victims in your prayers.

2 NEW ENTRIES!

2009-06-10T20:07:00.000-07:00

there are 2 new entries below..didn't want you to miss anything!
Peace,
Lori

Build day by Lynn Lowry..Photos by Stephanie Mcnulla

2009-06-10T19:51:00.000-07:00

Today began as a very "normal" day, but then I raised my hand "jokingly" to be in charge of building a house.....and of course, Mark saw me and selected me.....I got to select my 1st "foreman/assistant" who happened to be Owen Parrish......We then divided up into teams and our team was taken to the site, which Mark said wasn't too steep or rocky.....but it was steep and rocky and way up a hill....We weren't complaining and we immediately began hauling wood up the hill and others stayed up to begin getting the site ready.....It was an amazing day and everyone was so wonderful.......I had my two boys there, Kris, Tim, Jeanette, Benj., Chris Smith, Will Hutson, Jennifer Commander and alot of others that were awesome...The names I mentioned are from DF, our church, and it was great being with them and getting to know the others better.......The family that we built for was very humble and gracious and watched anxiously the whole day until we finally finished our new house.....Owen Parrish was awesome and he really was the one that was "in charge" the whole day and got us through our building process.....It is amazing what God can do through us and with us....I never dreamed in a million years that I would be in charge of building a house for some family in Honduras.......especially being able to share this with my husband and two teenage sons.........Our God is an awesome God and so are our people who are here with Torch helping those who need so much.......May God Bless Us All.......Continue to pray for our crew, Mark and Lori and by all means, these people in Honduras....In him, Lynn Lowry

Xtreme VBS by Belita Fowler and photos by Abby Tran and Stephanie Brown

2009-06-10T16:19:00.000-07:00

Well, I have worked quite a few VBS' in my time but none like today. Think about how we do it "US" style - Look at a catalog, pick out a VBS theme, round up the workers, print up the flyers and distribute them, advertise, work out the food, get the air conditioned building ready, plan the craft projects and execute the plan for a couple of hours for two or three days.

Here's how we do it in Honduras: Tuesday morning Mark says we're doing a VBS in the community where we are building two houses today and to put together a program. Rachael 1 and Rachael 2 (translators) get their group of workers together (about 30) and start planning the whole thing. We get to the community and divide into three groups, each with a translator. Each group starts out in a different direction (all very hilly and very steep and rocky). We stop at each house along the way and invite the children to meet us at the community soccer field. After about 30 minutes we turn toward the field which is about 1/2 mile along a little trail.

By the time we arrive, there are children everywhere!! Even without blackberrys, e-mail and cell phones, word really travels fast here. We gather the children at the edge of the field (a large rectangle of hard dirt with two goals at each end made of old pipe). There is not a shade tree in sight, it is 11:30 and the sun is beating down. The children are lead in two or three songs and then a prayer where they repeat each sentence the leader says. About 80 packages of galletas (cookies) are then given out. Now the real fun starts. BINGO is such a big hit here. The older kids help the younger ones play their cards. Their eyes are wide with excitement when they win and get to look in the prize bag and pick whatever they want. There are team members playing soccer with the kids, painting their faces and fingernails, jumping rope and blowing bubbles. This continues for three hours. Then we start the very long trek back up the hills to the buses.

We are hot, tired and very sweaty. Yet we are so blessed and we have been in the presence of God today. We have seen Him in their eyes, in their touch, in their smiles and in their words "Dios te bendiga" (God bless you).

Most kids love VBS and most of us adults do it out of duty. There are very few I've ever worked that I have felt more blessed than the little ones who attended. Today I did and I thank God for that and I know when I see a VBS poster, I will remember and smile.

The Dump from the mind and eye of Jason Burt

2009-06-09T06:59:00.000-07:00

There really are no words that can describe what I saw today and how I felt. Today we visited the city dump. Why would we go there? The answer is rather unreal... we took food to the people that live there. At the local dump, there are over 200 men women and CHILDREN who make their lives there. They live in cardboard boxes and scrounge through the trash not only looking for things of value they can sell, but most shockingly, for the food they will eat that day. Seeing people in such desperation as to be digging through the trash along with with vultures and dogs will forever change me. Several people there had their faces covered with ski masks or shirts not only to block the smell of the trash, but most were probably concealing the glue they were sniffing in order to help curb their hunger. We met a young man who actually grew up in Texas. He was deported back to Honduras but upon arrival found that his father had died and all of his papers such as birth certificate and such are gone. He spoke perfect english and said to us that he was very embarrassed for us to see him like that. That he had been living in the dump for about 6 months. We asked him what he did the other night when we got 5 inches of rain. His answer, "i just pulled up a piece of plastic up over me and laid on the ground." We saw several cars there. People that live in the city will come out to the dump and pay the folks that live there a few lemps to scrounge through the garbage and find them recyclable things and bring to them. Tonight as I was eating dinner, I could hardly stand to do so without feeling guilty and when I took my plate to scrape off the scraps into the trash can I immediately thought of those people and realized that in a day or so, they will be digging through that trash and eating that leftover food and scraps from our meal to feed themselves and their family. Still searching to justify that one in my mind. We are truly blessed in our way of life and I'll never be the same after experiencing that culture. On a little brighter side, it was incredibly rewarding to see the smiles on the faces when we drove up. Meeting such a basic need even if only for a day was amazing. A few of the girls in our group broke out the fingernail polish and painted the little girls fingernails... you could just tell it was giving them back a sense of humanity. Even a couple of the guys there got their pinky fingernail painted too.

A couple of days behind!

2009-06-08T18:59:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone,
I know we are a couple of days behind..so I wanted to post and let you know everything is OK. We were without internet saturday night and yesterday we got home to late to get it on. The group is out in an OLD honduran town called Santa Lucia having devo at a 500 year old church..very cool! Sooo I think it will be tomorrow night that we might get up a new post. Alot has been going on..House building, VBS, Hospital visits, feeding at the dump etc.. so there is much to tell but you will have to be patient, but know everyone is well!!

Here is a photo from Devo that I thought I would share tonight, it is not everyone one but 1/2 the room!!!

Peace
Lori

Day 2 by: Alberta Merritt Photos: Jason Burt

2009-06-05T18:21:00.000-07:00

I went to Hospital Escuela today. For me "hospital day" is the hardest emotionally but it is also fun in some ways. One way is seeing the kids from infants to teens in pain and knowing that there is nothing you can do tot ease their pain, but you can always make them smile. Even if you can't speak spanish you can still make goofy faces, painting the girls nails, throwing a ball, or even just saying a prayer makes them feel better. The hospital is my favorite place because I get to paint my face like a clown which brings so much joy to the kids and even some adults. It also my least favorite because it makes me feel helpless, but with God's help I survive. Alberta

(today a group of Torchers went to the government hospital for he poor. This is the place you go when you have no money, no insurance and that would be about 85% of the country. People travel from all over the country to come here because for many it is the only option for them. It is a hospital that serves many with next to no resources. It is a place that people go, but unless they can "find" the money to get medicine, treatment then they just don't get 'fixed". For many they spent the couple of dollars they had, to the expense of not eating, to get their child to the hospital. There is no money for medicine, operation or what ever the need. It is a place that needs HOPE. It is a place where people know they are not forgotten. Often all we can do is pray with families, but it is those prayers that mommies and daddies appreciate deeply because they know it is in God they trust and to know others will intercede on their behalf brings the hope they are looking for.)

Day One..From Tyler Priest. Photos by Jason Burt

2009-06-04T16:50:00.000-07:00

Ah, here it is late afternoon, and there is already a sense of joyful satisfaction, the kind of satisfaction that will give us fuel for the remaining time here. For myself and several others, it’s our first full day in Honduras with Torch Missions, headed up by the wonderful Mark and Lori Connell.

The weather couldn’t be better. What is supposedly hot for Honduras is a near perfect day for me. No rain so far, a cool mountain breeze last night, along with a beautiful sunset. We made it to Tegucigalpa smoothly, with all of our people and all of our baggage. It was beautiful to see old friends coming back together around the mission of God, and new friendships being forged that very first afternoon. We stopped off at good restaurant to get an autentico taste of Honduras (including some mango appetizers from the back of Mark and Lori’s truck). Then it was on to Villa Gracia, which is a little drive up into the mountains from the city. We got settled in to our spaces, gathered for dinner, enjoyed a time of worship, and then most of us weary travelers hit the hay. Others with untold reserves of energy watched the futbol game between the US and Costa Rica.

We hit the ground running this morning. After breakfast, we split up our 50+ misters and sisters into two teams, jumped on our respective cheese wagons, and for the first time, took a left turn out of Villa Gracia. Instead of turning right and heading back down to Tegucigalpa, we went a bit further up in las montanas, to the small village of Perguin. It was there that Mark had made contact with some very needy families, some of whom are known by a worker at Villa Gracia.

The view from where we worked was quite nice. The nearby green mountains were continually dappled in shadows from the rolling clouds. Banana trees dotted the roadside, The village was agricultural, peaceful, but clearly materially poor, at least according to the norm of Western affluence. We got off the bus, hauled our tools down a dusty mountain road to the worksite, and began to get our hands dirty.

The lumber truck showed up and made it much closer to the work site than we had expected (thanks be to God). We unloaded the truck and started knocking wood around. Owen and Garrett, our group leaders, did a great job facilitating the construction, always commissioning bystanders, getting us all involved, and making it happen. Our ladies, much like those on Garrison Keillors Lake Wobegon, are all strong. I noticed a few guys stepping it up so they wouldn’t be outworked.

Toward the end of the job, I ended up on the roof nailing down corrugated tin with a few others, while there were lots of folks nailing down the floor and such. The whole house was shaking and rattling with the scattered rhythm of the hammer and the nail. It was a glorious cacophony. It feels really good to work with our hands, fully giving ourselves to the needs of others. It’s easy to lose track of me, my feelings, and the stuff I want.

We finished out the house, and Owen called us all inside. We gathered with the children who will be moving into the house later today, along with their grandmother who takes care of them while their parents spend the day working. We huddled up, prayed a prayer, and sang A Shield About me. You’re my glory, you’re the lifter of my head. No doubt, God was lifting the humble heads of a whole family, with the blessing of a new house. And the window view out of the Torch cabana is worth a million dollars.

The few local people I have met thus far have an ease of simplicity, humility, and general gratitude about themselves. What a contrast to myself when I’m caught up in the middle of the stressful week. The complexity of my material life leaves little room for any kind of ease or simplicity that I admire in the local Hondurans. But all that can be so quickly set aside here. The pace of life up here in the mountains makes it easy to lose track of time. The sun looks like it’s close to dinnertime. It’s a Thursday, right?

Building houses makes one hungry. It’s been a hard day’s work, and the smell of something delicious is wafting from the dining hall. These senoritas know how to cook.

We are super thankful for your thoughts and prayers and support. From beautiful Honduras, Grace and peace to you in Christ.

Photos by Jason Burt

First Wave!

2009-06-04T08:41:00.000-07:00

Touch down in Teguc.!! The first wave of group members arrive safe in Teguc. around noon yesterday! After a "local" lunch we headed to Villa Gracia so everyone could get settled. Toady the group is off to build 2 houses. We will blog tonight about the day!
Lori

8 weeks..

2009-04-10T19:42:00.000-07:00

to touch down in Tegucigalpa!
This year's theme is from Isaiah 58:10. For the next 8 weeks spend time reading Isaiah 58 each day in preparation for the trip!

The word of the Lord

2008-06-13T09:38:00.000-07:00

Isaiah 58

6 "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?

7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness [a] will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
"If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.

11 The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.

12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

13 "If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight
and the LORD's holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,

14 then you will find your joy in the LORD,
and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land
and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob."
The mouth of the LORD has spoken.

Hospital Esquela

2008-06-12T17:58:00.000-07:00

People went in several directions today: some went out to the Jimmy Hughes children’s home (don’t call it an orphanage!), some went to Santa Ana, and others went to the hospital. I didn’t go to any of those. Larry and I accompanied Lori Connell as she drove around Tegucigalpa to exchange money (from dollars to lempiras), order supplies for a medical clinic we have planned for Saturday, and make plans for other events for the group. Mark and Lori spend a lot of time every day with those tedious tasks, and it makes the trip successful for all of us. It turned into quite an adventure, but that’s another story for another day.
When I volunteered to write the blog for today, Lori asked if I would write about visiting the hospital, since it’s such an important part of our trip and nobody has written much about it. To be honest, I put off going to the hospital as long as I could. It’s such an emotionally draining day, and sometimes I just feel so helpless there. But I went Tuesday, and as always, at the end of the day, I was glad I had gone.
Hospital Escuela is the public hospital for children. There are some nice, modern hospitals in Tegucigalpa, but Hospital Escuela is not one of them. Most of their equipment is outdated or out of order: there is only one working x-ray machine in the whole 4-story building. Although they have made some effort to brighten up the wards with paint and a few pictures, they are still dismal and unsanitary by American standards. When we got to the burn unit, a doctor was cleaning a child’s burned hand by pouring water over it into a bucket on the floor, which was never removed during our hour-long visit.
During another group’s visit, a boy had just overheard the nurses talking about the fact that he was going to have both feet amputated. Another boy was at the point of death from apparent starvation.
Many parents are not able to stay at the hospital with their children, and those who do are very uncomfortable. They might have a chair to sit/sleep in, but they might not. Some of them had been there for weeks or even months. The kids in our children’s ministry at the Okolona Church of Christ in Louisville had put together hospital comfort packs for children and adults in sandwich-sized Ziploc bags. I just know some of them are future Torchers! The parents were so appreciative of the simple offering of lotion, shampoo, lip balm, soap, paper and pen, and similar items. The children also enjoyed their gum, stickers, color sheets, crayons, and small toys.
We have a translator with every group, but even with the language barrier, the patients enjoy the attention from the American visitors. Especially in the orthopedic ward, where they children are not “sick,” they love having someone to play and color with. The nurses are kind and attentive, but they don’t have a lot of extra time with the patients. And we always try to pray over the children: if the translator isn’t close by, we just pray in English. Sometimes they will pray in Spanish at the same time, and it’s great to know that God hears and understands both at once.
There are two oncology wards at Hospital Escuela. The inpatient ward, where generally the children were very ill, was restricted to a few visitors at a time, but members of our group (mostly teenagers) were able to coax many smiles with bubbles, nail polish, and loving touches.
We have developed a well-deserved tradition of taking the hospital visitors out for ice cream at the end of the day. While it is not especially taxing physically, emotionally it wrings you out. It is a mixture of despair and hope that stays with you for a long time.
Okolona, thanks for the cards you made for the group: it is so nice to read that you are praying for us. And for all the families and friends back home, thanks for your support and love. We will see you soon.

Jennifer Sawyer

In the outpatient cancer treatment ward, a little nail polish can be a welcome distraction.

Our translator, Jeremy, stayed with this little boy a long trying, coaxing him to eat.

This little girl had had extensive skin grafts for her burns. Notice the hospital comfort pack!

This is the guy getting his burned hand “cleaned.”

A day in the life of Rachael Fowler in Honduras

2008-06-11T21:04:00.000-07:00

Today a group of 25 of us had a ‘day on the move,’ literally. Our day began with a ‘Gatorade Run.’…….This means riding through the city on our TORCH bus, looking for the “street cleaners,” which are local Honduran people who clean up the trash in the city streets, and passing out Gatorade to them. You would not believe how something as simple as a bottle of Gatorade could bring so much joy to someone, especially someone who often times doesn’t even gets acknowledged, and furthermore never gets any type of ‘thank you’ for what they do. In addition to the extreme gratitude of the street workers, it’s always fun to see the reaction of the local Hondurans as a bus full of “gringos” (a.k.a. Americans) is driving through the city and then running down sidewalks passing out drinks and yelling “en el nombre de Cristo” (in the name of Christ) and on a few occasions “en el numero de Cristo” (in the number of Christ), hahaha!!

After wrapping up the Gatorade Run we went by our Bodega, a small room we use for storage, and we began an assembly line to move 250 bags of food from the room out to the bus. Several days ago, fellow TORCH team members spent an entire day packing food that would eventually feed hundreds of hungry families in some of the poorest villages around the city……And so today, that is just what those bags did. Each of these black plastic bags of food contain rice, beans, flour, lard, tomato paste, bullion, coffee, sugar and pasta. Just one bag of these simple staple foods will feed a family of 5 for about 2 weeks……and for most of us, that is almost impossible to imagine. After an assembly line & some creative use of rolling office chairs, we got the bus loaded down with those bags of food and headed out to distribute them in a community called Via Nueva Sector 8 (a place where our group worked for several days back in 2003). Once we arrived, we then hauled 150 bags of food up the mountain, not to be confused with hills like we have in the US, and placed them in the Church so we could organize a plan. We divided into four groups of six people, each group with a translator, and then with every person carrying two bags of food, we dispersed across the mountain and began distributing the bags of food. Tonight as I sat down to eat my dinner here at the Mission House, I stopped for a moment, because as I looked at my plate of food, my mind was suddenly flooded with images of the faces of the kids, the moms, the grandmothers and the aunts who looked as us with tear-filled eyes today as we handed them a bag of food and said “God Bless.” And as I took my first bite of dinner tonight, it was like God just gave me a sense peace as to say, ‘don’t worry, because tonight, they’re eating too.’

Today our group also organized and hosted a Vacation Bible School, complete with singing, praying, a puppet show and cookies, for tons of the kids in the village. Another highlight was watching as a group of the kids devoured ice cream cones we bought them from the local ‘ice cream man.’ And for me personally, the highlight of my day, and one of the greatest of my trip thus far, was being able to see my little friend Allan, along with his two brothers and mom, who I met back in 2003 when we worked in this village for the first time. There are truly no words to describe the feelings and emotions you feel when you return to see someone you met several years ago but were only with for a few days, and yet still feel like you’ve never missed a beat…..it’s truly a God thing!

God has truly changed my life through this trip over the past ten years and I feel so blessed to be able to continue to be a part of this team. And though we are here to serve the people of Honduras, every year I leave asking myself, who was really the one who was blessed by this trip??

Please check out the pictures below from our group’s day on the move!!

What to do with 230 children...EAT PIZZA!!

2008-06-10T11:12:00.000-07:00

From Lynn Parrish

Not your typical Monday today. Today we traveled to an orphanage about an hour and a half outside of Tegucigalpa---Good Shepherd. We dropped the house crew off and then drove out into the country. About 230 children live at this orphanage and all of them have a story to tell. They all gathered at the fence as we arrived and we could see the excitement in their eyes. We got off the bus and began to play. There was a nice, big open space surrounded by about ten cottages with big porches. The variety of things to do was amazing: on one porch they were coloring, painting nails, and playing a game of Old Maid (works in any language!); in the yard there were bubbles, jump rope, a soccer game, playing with those great big balls, playing Purple Stew (awesome!) and Pato Pato Ganzo (Duck Duck Goose!) and a hand game, Follow the Leader, Monkey in the Middle, sack races, on the playground, as well as photographers trying to capture it all. Most of us had a following of several children that stayed with us all day. They were great to talk to because many of them knew some English. We could tell they were well-cared for and well-mannered. When lunchtime rolled around, Mark drove up in his truck with the back seat FULL of Little Caesars Pizza--- 100 of them I believe. What a thrill as they all lined up and came through getting cheese, sausage or pepperoni plus a juice box. There was enough for as much as they wanted, for us, and then a little left toward dinner tonight. The pizza party was sponsored by the 4th and 5th graders at Disciples’ Fellowship who raised the $600 for it by baking cookies, brownies, pies and other goodies and getting donations for them one Sunday morning. I want to say to Bailey, Jackson, Jenna, Lauren, Lexie, Abby, Miranda, Nathan, Hayden, Priscilla, Stephanie, and Will---IT WAS AWESOME AND I CAN’T WAIT TO SHOW YOU THE PICTURES! I hope you can see what a big part you have played in God’s work here today; I pray that each of you will have the opportunity to come and join us in the next few years. After lunch we played more, braided hair, and just chilled. The hard part of the day was saying “good bye” as they clung to us and gave us the biggest hugs you ever had; we told them “Jesus loves you” and “I love you” and then tore ourselves away. Who was blessed more today? I guess it’s a toss-up…

Words from a few

2008-06-08T16:45:00.000-07:00

From Adriene Newton:
Today I went with the group to build a house. It was amazing! I helped some with putting up the walls and working on the floor, but we had a bad set of wood so it was kind of hard. I spent a lot of time playing games with the kids. Two kids that I met a couple of days ago came running up straight into my arms about 30 minutes after we arrived, and it was such an amazing thing because I realized I had made an impact on these kids. We colored a lot, and they taught us a game in Spanish! I can’t say I remember all of the words thought because they all talk so fast!! We decided to teach them a camp song that Rod knew called “purple stew”! They wanted to learn a song in english and they loved this one!! The house was for a family of about 11 I think. We prayed with them and a bunch of the kids when we finished, and they were so greatful for the house. I made a big connection with all of the kids there and it was really hard to leave, but we had a blast out there!

From Kyle Gyurke:
Today me and my dad went to build houses. It was my first time in Honduras and it was life changing. The kids were so much fun, even though I don’t know much Spanish I used what you might call charades to communicate a lot. But the whole community came so me and a couple of people went and played with some kids. We taught them an American song that is a fun one that the kids loved. They didn’t even know what it said or what it was even about they loved it. The house was so much fun building. I met new people from the states that were so nice. Some of the kids I meant I even knew by name some of them were o’henry, osbalvdo, and Christian. They were so nice they taught me Spanish and I taught them some American phrases/words. Great fun and I cant wait to do it again.

A TRUE Honduran Bloem (Blog+Poem)
Hoy (today) we built a house
No lie, we saw a mouse
It went real well
The view was swell
And the torrential rains did us douse

Food and drink were passed left and right
All in the numero of Cristo’s might
Kids on the mountain laughed and played
As everlasting bonds were made
While a song at devo lasted all night

All in all the bowels are healthy
Any of the sick are being o so stealthy
Injuries to date have been few
The bloets compose a great crew
In all this poverty our love for God is so wealthy.
Amen
-Garrett Fox, Jason Jones, John Kingrey, Owen Parrish, and Taylor Smith

Some pics to enjoy ....

Trip On!

2008-06-07T09:21:00.000-07:00

The trip has certainly brought a new experience and one that has caused chaos to our daily schedule. The airport we are now, for the time being is 4 ½ hours away by car, a bit longer for our busses, so you can imagine the logistical nightmare we are dealing with.
On top of that every day we have to visit the local airport to work on return flight information. We are learning a new level of patience and flexibility. Hang with me I will post ad often as I find the time!

We have been working in a community named Via Oriental. Torch has been a part of this community for several years. The need is great and the families are struggling even more to survive with the rising food and fuel costs. We bought to “loads” of food yesterday that was packed up for individual families. Each bag contains rice, beans, four, sugar, salt, pasta, tomato paste, boullion, coffee, lard, the staples for a family and will feed them for about two weeks. Each load will do about 220 bags. Since last year the cost of that load of food has increased by close to 500 dollars. This increase is crippling to the people here. Our need to feed this year is greater than ever. Some would say “it is only a band-aid to the problem” But to say this is not at all understand the painful reality to poverty.

House building! 4 houses in 3 days..yeah we rock! In two days Mark has received 34 hand written requests for houses in ONE community…I am glad I do NOT have his job! Our house crews have been awesome! 4 families have homes that did not, as one of our volunteers said when she finished “that is just AWESOME!” we have had some new house crew leaders step up to the plate and take on the roll of crew leaders. Owen Parrish, Garrett Fox, Jason Jones..Thanks guys!! This is a task that really has an amazing sense of accomplishment…to walk away and know that a family has a house to live in and be sheltered is really hard to describe.

This year we are blessed with two dentist. We have been able to conduct 2 clinics in two different communities. This is a job I WOULD NOT WANT but Todd and Joe are awesome! They are bringing much needed service to the communities and relieving much pain for many people. Their dedication and patience is amazing to watch!

Enjoy a few photos of our first days. I will try to post often and get others to share their stories. Thanks for supporting those that are here! Jesus calls us to care for his people..that is what we are all about!

Closed for this year

2007-06-16T09:03:00.001-07:00

Update

2007-06-13T15:40:00.000-07:00

The group is off to Roatan. I know it has been a few days since the up date but the days have been long and late, as well as most of the kids have been on their own computers or friends keeping in touch with home...

Here are a few more pics...

2007-06-08T09:55:00.000-07:00

Hello family and friends!

It has been nothing but exciting here and the work that is being accomplished in the name of Jesus is nothing short of amazing!! We have built 7 houses, prepared food for 200 families, been digging footers for a daycare center in San Miguel, visited the hospital everyday, visited the blind school and Jimmy Hughes Orphanage for children victim to gang violence. And there is still more to do..more houses, classrooms and playgrounds, medical clinic!!! shooo you tired yet????!

EVERYONE is working hard and living by the motto of "stop global whining"! We all have MANY stories to tell and I hope to get someone on to write tonight and share with you about today!!!

Views from here.....

2007-06-06T22:10:00.000-07:00

Mirna (by Cheryl)

2007-06-05T09:35:00.000-07:00

After the third day of my first mission trip experience, i finally feel able to put a few thoughts together. I have already seen so much and had so many different emotions it is hard to process it all. The children are beautiful. When they see you, you see genuine happiness and excitement in their eyes. They cling to you as if you have known them all their life. I could honestly spend my 12 days here with them. I am experiencing other things though, as so much help is needed here. The level of poverty is difficult to comprehend even when you are in the midst of it. Yesterday was definitely the most difficult day for me. My sister asked me to go to the mountain with her to check on a 19 year old girl who had a baby on May 18th. The baby died 8 days later and Mirna was just "not right" since then. Lori had taken her a week ago to the Public Hospital where they told her she had an infection, did a procedure and sent her home without antibiotics. When we arrived, i took one look at her and knew she was in critical condition. We told her we were taking her to the hospital, and she asked if she could "shower" first. Well a "shower" on the mountain is tough, as there is no running water. But she cleaned herself up and then insisted on walking down the mountain to the car. She would not allow us to carry her. We got her to a private hospital where she has been admitted and scheduled for a hysterectomy today. She had a massive infection that spread throughout her body and when she was treated at the Public Hospital they punctured her uterus. As if this is not sad enough,she is still silently grieving the loss of her baby. I don't think i have ever seen such sadness in someones eyes. Mirna has no parents, her brothers and sister take care of each other. So i guess Lori and I want to be near her now to fill that roll. I will keep you posted on her progress, and just pray i have the strength to be help her. Carly, we are coming back next year together.

Working with the kids!!!! (by Jason and others)

2007-06-03T14:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to Villa Oriental and went around looking for kids to play with, but that wasn't a problem because there were plenty of kids out looking for us. Raquel,Karla,and Hannah got the kids to sit down and sing church song. It was impressive how all the little kids knew the songs and sang along. Tori, Kaylyn, Beatrice, Kyndra, Rachel, and lots more had fun playing with the kidS such as coloring, tag,duck duck goose and other games. After hard day playing with the kids under the sun Jonathan, Vince, and Melissa invited the kids to eat ice cream cones. All the kids were very happy. It was a great day! We had lots of fun!!

Others of our team broke into 2 smaller crews to build a couple of houses. By most of these people's standards, they are mansions. However, you would all be shocked to see the quaint 16x16', one room cabins we build. These home are ultra simple with a single door and a single window. At least in the past 3 years, TORCH has been able to build the homes with wood floors. How small of a thing does that seem to our lifestyle? It's truly amazing to me that in one day, 2 complete homes can be built from the ground up. There are no words to describe the feeling you get from seeing a family of or more as they walk into their new home. We also conducted VBS style activities with the community kids while the construction was going on. It was a very VERY successful day. There are several photos from the first 3 days already online. These will be updated as often as possible. You may also want to check out Jason's Blog.

quick news

2007-06-02T15:35:00.000-07:00

The majority of our group arrived yesterday with 6 more arriving today and one more tomorrow and everyone will be here! YEA!! However the b'ham group did not receive their luggage and it did not arrive to day so please pray that it will come quickly!!!!!
SO far so good!! Great work day today but I am going to let a team member blog tonight so stay tuned to here about our day!!!

First Arrivals

2007-05-31T21:27:00.000-07:00

Today the first part of our group arrived! They are the part that is from Arkansas and Chicago. NO problems..all the luggage arrived! Wow that went well!!
We took a quick trip to Santa Ana to pick up tools and had a great lunch of traditional Honduran Pupusas...YUM!!!
Settled into the mission house and are ready to begin working tomorrow while the second wave of team members arrive...Alabama, Florida, Mass., New Hampshire, Kentucky, Virginia all coming tomorrow!!!
Stay tuned!!!

One of two things....

2007-05-29T13:22:00.000-07:00

Christianity can be built around isolating ourselves from evildoers and sinners. creating a community of religious piety and moral purity....OR Christianity can also be built around joining the broken sinners and evildoers of our world crying out to God, groaning for grace.

Jesus said.."It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means; I desire Mercy not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners" Matthew 9:12

So what's it mean?

2007-05-26T07:56:00.000-07:00

Ok so our theme this year is Ordinary Radical...not an original name, I can't claim it, it came from a book I read this year. Several people have asked me, so what's ordinary radical mean??
There is a quote on this blog, "we can do no great things, just small things with great love." I really like that idea..because we often think that what we do has to be BIG, it needs to STAND OUT. But the reality is with every small act of love we ARE changing the world. With the spirit of God that begins in our hearts, it extends through our hands to a broken and hurting world. It is in little acts of love that the spirit in us will take over the world! It is understanding that we will not win the masses to Christianity until we live it....If you think about it..it is a radical thought to put others first, but it is not a summer mission thought...it is a thought for our lives!
It is about taking ordinary (not normal, because living for other's is not normal) acts to show the radical love of God!

Are you ready......

2007-05-23T09:55:00.001-07:00

packing list

A GREAT ATTITUDE
Light weight jacket or sweatshirt: Gets cool at the mission house at night. You can buy a Torch one here (first come first serve)
Sunscreen
bug spray or oil
Allergy medicine (if you are prone to allergies)
basic first aid stuff (band aids, neosporin, pepto, Imodium, pain reliever) it's good to keep this in a ziploc in your backpack
roll of toilet paper for your back pack
2 pair of work shoes (closed toes)
toiletries
extra towel or two
hand wipes and hand sanitizer
water bottle
back pack
work clothes (cut offs, scrubs, t-shirts..no sleeveless for work sights)
kid stuff (give away stuff and games, nail polish, hair stuff)
Bible
Journal (it is a really good discipline to write everyday and process your feelings and thoughts)
"mountain food"..this is to pack to take with you to your work sight everyday. Anything that is transportable and ready to eat. tuna packs, granola/energy bars, trail mix, canned fruit/veggies, peanut butter crackers....think protein and energy food, not empty calories.
"snack food" for hanging out at night you might want a snack
Personal money: $150 to $200 is usually enough. This is for times we go out to the city to eat, spending on snacks, souvenirs, tipping bus drivers, church contributions,any other personal items. You will also be paying for a Banquet meal usually around 13/15 dollars
hammer if you want your own personal one

FYI's

1.There is laundry service it is $4.00 for a wash dry and fold (last years price I don't know if it has gone up)

2.You will receive two meals a day at the mission house, breakfast and dinner.

A look at last year...

2007-05-21T19:23:00.000-07:00

The journey is downward

2007-05-20T14:22:00.000-07:00

"For Jesus did not seek out the rich and powerful in order to trickle down his kingdom. Rather, he joined those at the bottom, the outcasts and undesirables and everyone was attracted to his love for people on the margins. (we know that we all are poor and lonely anyway, don't we?) Then he invited everyone into a journey of downward mobility to become the least" Shane Claiborne

During your time in Honduras you will be asked to love those at the bottom, not pity them, but to love them. Those who have been forgotten and live beyond the margins. Sometimes it will be easy when you see a beautiful little child that steals your heart, sometimes it will be hard..poverty is not pretty or glamorous.
Scripture tells us in Matt. that when we serve "the least of these" we are serving God himself, so as you serve and you want to turn your head...remember as you look poverty and oppression square in the eye you are looking into the face of God.

Ask the poor

2007-05-12T14:32:00.000-07:00

In a resent read......I read this quote....

"if you want to know who the Christians are...ask the poor."

Scripture tells us of a Christ that is very concerned with poverty, oppression and social justice. As you prepare for your journey to work among those living in extreme poverty in Honduras, re-read Matthew 25:31f. No I mean it,READ IT. Don't say to yourself.."I know it, I've heard it" READ IT again and again and feels it's weight and how it reveals the heart of our God and....what....who...is to be are concern in this life.....hint, it is not ourselves! :)

Application Essay from Garrett

2007-05-10T18:24:00.000-07:00

I thought I would post this for all the "new" team members coming this year. Enjoy!

Outside the Bubble
In June of 2005, I went on my first mission trip to Tegucigalpa, Honduras. My sister had been on this trip before and I had heard about the life-changing experiences; however, I was not sure of what kind of impact it would have on me. I had been surrounded by my own respective American bubble, like so many others. Life was comfortable, nothing was wrong, and the least of my thoughts and worries was the needs of poor people. But after my trip, I experienced a part of the world that allowed me to gain a mental perspective that cannot be fully communicated in words alone. I eventually discovered that by adhering first to the dire physical needs of the people of Honduras, I was able to reach a level of spiritual connection that was genuine and real.
I could just see it in their eyes. As we unloaded the truck of wood that would soon become a livable house, tears came to the eyes of the recipients. Not tears of sorrow, but tears of answered prayers and hope for their families. We didn’t build mansions, just a sturdy 18’x 20’ shack, with a sloped tin roof to keep the rain out and a new wood floor rather than the usual muddy earth. In a house about the size of your bedroom, families of 4 up to 15 people can start new lives. Many poorly built homes of families are often washed away by frequent floods and mudslides on the mountains, so the more reliable homes we build can be life-saving. We also delivered boxes of food to needy families. One box can supply a family with healthy meals for weeks, giving them time to save money for other important things.
In Honduras, relationships are inevitable. I developed a special bond with my fellow workers and we still keep in touch. But I became friends not only with my fellow workers, but also the native people. This can be somewhat unexpected considering the language barrier, but I encountered incredible people all the time. Whether playing Frisbee, bingo, or soccer (the local favorite), I gained friends that I will never forget. Just one glance at a picture brings back some fond memories of my Honduran buddies.
After my experiences and the sights I had seen, I realized that I had gained a new perspective not only of poverty in the world, but of the importance of relationships in life and of the absurdity in the way Americans idolize material possessions.
In America, we are trained to think that anyone can succeed if they just put their mind to it, so we tend to disregard the poor. In Honduras, kids usually grow up and live where they were born because they couldn’t afford an education, or they had to drop out of school and get a job with low wages to support their family; therefore, impoverished people just give birth to another poor generation that is trapped by their surroundings. That is why in Tegucigalpa, we try to give a jump start to a generation, one community at a time. I have been to Tegucigalpa twice now, and I have come to the conclusion that all they need is a little hope.
Garrett Fox

2 weeks!!!!

2007-05-09T20:19:00.000-07:00

Ok update...

1. Scroll down and read the preparation posts I did and read through them and spend some time in prayer and meditation these next two weeks.

2. Larry will be bring the Torch hoodie they are $15.00 so plan on that if you want to buy one. He will also will have a t-shirt for $10.00. I have no details on what that will look like.

3. The trip shirt "Ordinary Radical" will be handed out in Honduras! Any suggestion on a shirt color??? Always a big decision :)

4. Pack kid stuff!!!!!!! Make room!!!!..... we will really need it and need your help to get it there..THANKS
(small toys, crayons coloring and activity books, hair stuff, nail polish, jump ropes, bingo games etc...)

5. Don't forget a water bottle, a backpack, and Imodium!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Looking forward to seeing everyone!!!!

Count down...

2007-05-01T19:00:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe we have one month to go till the trip. I hope you have been preparing your hearts for our time of service through prayer.
Something we need to do for this trip.....

We have no container coming...SOOOOO I am asking everyone to pack up some small toys, crayons, coloring books, games, candy, hair stuff, blow up balls etc..that you or the team can us at the hospital as well as in the communities.
Thanks everyone in advance for the help with this!!!

Torch Sweatshirts:
Larry Sawyer is willing to bring along more sweatshirts this summer but would like to know if anyone is interested and if there is anyone who ordered one last and didnt receive it? Comment on this post and I will get him the info..if you want one put the size you need.

Keep checking back for up dates as well as give out this addy for your family and friends to follow the news of the trip.

We Seek Love, We Ask What True Love Is, & Ironically the Answer Is Right In Front of Us

2007-03-18T16:05:00.000-07:00

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves.”

This week pray for the people of Honduras with whom you will meet this summer. Pray for your love for them to reflect the love of Jesus!

Romans 12:1

2007-03-01T16:11:00.000-08:00

Meditation 3

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-THIS is your spiritual act of worship.

2 Corinthians 5: 14 & 15

2007-02-17T18:35:00.000-08:00

Mediation 2

For Christ's love COMPELS us!..that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and raised again.

John 13: 34 & 35

2007-02-08T18:20:00.000-08:00

Meditate on this scripture this week...

"A new command I give you: Love One Another. As I have loved you, so you MUST love one another. BY THIS all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another"

Feel free to use the comments area to share how God is speaking to you as you prepare for our trip.

taking it all in

2007-01-30T18:15:00.000-08:00

I am sitting on the back deck of Casa de Esperanza in Santa Ana and ending the 2nd day of my trip. It doesn't take long to remember why I love this place and why my heart feels so strongly about the work here.
It is nice to feel needed, no? But it goes so far beyond that...it goes to the very heart of the gospel. God is at work in this world and we can either choose to be a part of not. We can choose to continue to think of our own well being or we can look out beyond our the walls of our house, the boarders of our towns, cities, our country to see the very "least of these". we can open our hearts to them and realize that my soul is the happiest and the most at rest when I am looking out for his sheep!
If you have been with us to Honduras before, begin your prayers now for your time here and the people you will encounter. If you are a first timer, pray for an open heart to receive this mission before you!

Our theme is ORDINARY RADICAL..serve in the ordinary and love in the radical!!! Start chewing on that one!

Lori

140 days and counting!

2007-01-13T17:36:00.000-08:00

Honduras summer 2007 is 140 days way...are you ready?!