Martes 6.4

Today we built a house for Maria. It is one thing to build for a stranger that has been selected to get a house. It is another to have known the family for whom you are building. Maria works at Casa and has a family of three children. Since they didn't have a home, her children had to live with family far away. That is going to change tonight. After we finish our work, their family will be together under one roof.

As we were laying floors, Luis realized the center posts were not flush. Though the corner posts were perfect, the center of the walls bowed. I could see the how wheels turn in Luis's head as he tried solution after solution. Ultimately, he used the center beam of the roof as an internal stress member to shore the walls into their permanent positions. The solution is probably best explained with a sketch, however the typical reader of this blog is probably bored and confused by now. Let's just say, "We messed up and Luis came up with a way to fix the problem without tearing out a lot of work.

I was most impressed with the work I saw from Brayan. He has been with Casa since he was very young. He took it upon himself to say that being at home was not healthy for him and sought help. He has been in and out of Casa due to his age, but he works hard to be a good person. Today he is seventeen and working Matt, Nicole and Luis to lead groups on missions. Today I saw him humbly take instructions and boldly step into leadership rolls. He did both in almost perfect form. He listens intently and implements directions with the utmost precision. When instructing, he took time to explain the job and goals in order to impower the person he was instructing. We have seen Brayan grow up and it has been a pleasure.

Timoteo joined us for dinner to talk with Josue, Gordon and Alan about the work at his church. We wanted him to stay for devotion, but he had to get back to his community. Gordon did a great job of leading devotion. It was a good day in Honduras.

Karol and Kelin joined us for the evening again. It is nice to have them around every night. They are very sweet, loving and strong. I love their humor and whit as well. Karol showed me images of a beautiful wooden candelabra that she carved on a lathe in a workshop earlier that day. She is awaiting her professor's recovery from illness before she can do her semester presentation. Kelin and I continued to give each other a hard time. This time, she asked me to share piece of my frozen Twix with her. As we broke one of the bars, she ended up with roughly 80% of the bar.  This was NOT my plan. After sharing my intent to only share a small bite, she swiftly pointed out that this only happened because I didn't really want to share.

Dennis, Doni, Olivia, Jordan and I stayed up with the sisters playing Spoons and Speed. I was not quite the winner of any of the games, but it was good to stay up and fellowship.

“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Joshua 24:15 

Lunes 6.3

Today, we went to the feeding center in a Buen Samaritano. As we walked up the hill we were greeted by lots of faces that remembered us from previous visits. I was happy to see them again and have the chance to meet new faces. This time, we served lunch to the children and spent free time with them.

First, I met Jennifer. She led us in a game of Bailo. This has been my favorite hand game since 2012. As we played, I was trying to be fair and not beat children at a children's game. However, Jennifer would not allow me to bow out gracefully. Even when I tried to make it seem like I lost, she would declare me the winner. It was actually funny. All the other kids took their losses well. Well, except for Alan Greene (one of our elders). We were the last two left. She declared me the winner even though I accidentally skipped a number in Spanish. I didn't cheat on purpose, but I got away with in and was declared winner.

Next, I met Dana. She was into playing one-on-one hand games. Well played a game where you do the motions in repetition, getting faster and faster each time. We had so much fun. We could even do it with our eyes closed.

After leaving the feeding center, we went to Casa de Esperanza to do work on the property. We moved rocks and debris that clogged a waterway causing flooding. We pulled weeds and prepared an area for gardening. The most difficult task was scrubbing the inside of Matt and Nicole's home to prepare for Haley's return from the hospital. Unfortunately, we are not qualified to do this work so this task was not completed. But we have such faith in God and love for Haley that we made an attempt.

Domingo 6.2

Today, we had breakfast with OP before they went back home. I could tell they had an eventful week because it was hard for them to go. They were trying to tie up lot of loose ends and ensure items they left behind had proper homes. I am happy to know them and that they are excited about God is using them.

We attended service in Lomas Diamantes with the Casa Kids. In the past I felt we were "looking in on the service". This time it seemed like we were part of the congregation. We worshipped as brothers and sisters of one body. It was wonderful to worship with Timoteo. His message was moving, we had lunch at the church and there was a baptism at the end of service.

During service, Timoteo announce that the funds will go toward building a building for the children of the congregation to worship away from their parents. Oddly enough, Josue (our resident translator) incorrectly interpreted this as "funds will be sent to the Dominican Republic." This was corrected, but not before giving Josue an extremely difficult time. It was also nice to have the Casa Kids with us so they could see us worship with them.

After dropping the Casa kids off, the group had downtime while Terri and I looked at the scope of work to be done at Casa. We also set up areas for Donna and Dennis to do crafts tomorrow morning.

During devotion we were joined by 18 people from a group that supports a few kids at Casa. I gave the devotion message, speaking from John 3:16. After devotion I missed the chance to fellowship with the group because Alan and I were talking. We talked about the history of the Church of Christ and why some things are considered conservative, liberal and authoritative. I am learning a lot.

For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained. But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness." - 1 Timothy 4:4-7

Sabado 6.1

Upon arrival in Honduras, we met 5 other people. Dennis & Vicki and Doni are from Antioch, California. Doug & Donna are from Joplin, Missouri. They all mesh well with our group. Once we loaded the buses we were ready to get started.

First, we enjoyed lunch at a mall in the city of Teguchigalpa. Next, we went to Casa de Esperanza to meet with the children in the home. Teri has explained that it is her wish for the kids to really know us on this trip. All of their lives, people have come into and gone from their live at  4-year cycles. Physiologically, it can make them feel alone. Teri also admitted that she won't be around much longer. We have been tasked with changing the cycle for them. There are 19 kids in the home. We have our work cut out for us.

I spent most of my time with Josue, little Josue, Olman, Katy, Marguerite and Yair. I saw Rosie, Noemy, Cindy, Daniella, Jackson, but didn't really spend a lot of time with them. We played futball, keep away and a myriad of other games. Our group just may be perfectly made for the task ahead of us.

After time at Casa, we moved on to the mission house in Ojojona. Though there was a slight mix up with available rooms, we were pleasantly surprised to learn the group currently there was Overland Park (the good friends we credit with getting our Honduras mission off the ground). We caught up with old friends and met new ones that we had heard so much about over the years. Specifically, we learned Olivia Taylor is one of the summer interns. We get to spend the whole week with her again. This was the OP's last night in Honduras. We really wanted to stay up all night with them, but they had a lot of business to cover after devotion and we were tired from travel. 

So far the trip seems to be going smoothly from a mission standpoint. However, all of us are concerned about Haley Fitzgerald  (Matt & Nicole's oldest daughter). She has asthma and has had trouble breathing for almost a week. Things took at turn for the worst tonight, so we are all apprehensive.

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” - Psalms 133:1

This morning was great… sans ice!

I entered the office today thinking of how hot it will be today.  As I walked to my desk, I relished in the idea of getting a nice cup of ice cold water before logging-in to my computer.  I arrived in the 3^rd floor breakroom only to find  the ice maker was broken.  Ugh!  No fretting, I will simply get ice from the second floor for today.  CONFOUNDED!  The ice maker is broken there as well.  A very wise gentleman in the breakroom saw my frustration.  He softly remarked, “There is ice on the first floor.  There was an email written about that.”  I wanted to complain and lash out.  How convenient for the icemakers in this large office to be broken on what may be the hottest day of the summer thus far.  Instead, I thanked him, turned on my heel and trudged to the first floor.

As I walked, I began to think, "How silly I must have looked".  There is so much going on in the world.  Am I really going to allow “my lack of ice” to dictate my mood and reactions today?  I sit all day in a well-conditioned space with free drinks and ice on demand.  There are others down the street (literally) that dread the remainder of the day because they may be battling heat stroke and can do nothing about it.  Thank you, God for the blessings I have each day.  Thank you, very wise gentleman, for reminding me that I should not allow such trivial things to cloud my view of what was otherwise a nice morning.  Sometimes, we need a glimpse of our foolishness to appreciate the blessings before us.

Jueves 5.6

I woke up to find a text message that my God-Brother (Vernon C. Broadus III) passed away in the early morning. I felt as if I was reading wrong. Reginald and Alivia were taken too soon. Vernon C. Broadus Jr. died in May. Now this! I don't know that this family can take anymore loss. Honestly, I didn't want anyone to know and I wanted to stay busy all day. I managed to do that, but I still thought about him, his wife (Tara), mother (Diana) and daughter (Alec). Kris is the only one on the trip that knows what is really going on.

We went to the market, distributed food at the feed center and did crafts with the kids. I tried to concentrate on the kids but found I was distracted. My ribs hurt, but it paled compared to my confusion. I couldn't understand exactly what happened. He was fine just yesterday. All I recall is the last time I saw him... At the dance recital. His wife and daughter were on stage together and I was telling him how well I thought they did.

Today was our last day of work. We arrived at our dorm to find the store flooded. I found it easier to comfort Terri than to comfort myself. I was happy to see Karol and Kalin again. They helped clear and clean the store before dinner. Christina showed up also. We roasted marshmallows and caught up. All three of them are still working hard in school. Christina is getting her Master's degree and hopes to return to help Casa one day.

So much happened today, but it us shadowed by the fact that I have to re-enter reality in a few hours. Why this? Why now?

"No I'm not colorblind, I know the world is black and white. Try to keep an open mind, but I just can't sleep on this tonight."- John Mayer

Viernes 5.5

Today we split the group in half to build two houses. The day was filled with tension. Initially, we all thought we would split teams according to skills. However, the Tennessee group wanted to remain together because of promises to parents. We accepted this and the tension began. I won't go into details because the lesson is not there. I knew Texans were competitive, but today I learned the depths of our passion for competition. Mistakes on both sites were made, but I can say mistakes from the Texas group were a direct result of lack of concentration, haste and strong wills. During our break, we had time to be reminded of the reason we are here.

I realized how small we were as I saw the state of the community. I saw a mother and her daughter grateful to have a home. I saw neighbors celebrating as they watch a new structure come together. I saw hungry children, barely clothed as we toiled over who was in charge or next steps to take.

We had to acknowledge that our petty quarrels will not matter after we have finished these two houses. It will not matter which house was completed first. It will not matter who drove the most nails or which wall was put in first. At the end of the day two families received two houses completed because someone prayed for their well-being. God was not happy with our conduct, but he still used us to do his work.

As I write, I am embarrassed as I recall our behavior. During one of the house dedications, the father, Walter, commented that we worked as a family to build a home for his family. I suppose God put the language barrier in place so that Walter could not see the times we were not being brotherly. If we were a family, we were disfunctional. At the end of the day God will do what he wants to no matter how we behave.

"If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another."- Galatians 6:25-26

Miercoles 5.4

Today was dump day. I dreaded the experience because of events from last year. Individuals were unable to download their thoughts because Torch ministries came to visit and took over our devotion. The message was hard to grasp because our minds were on other things. In fact, I could only remember the opening to the message because I was focused on what had happened earlier in the day. However, I resolved to go with the flow and try to talk about effects of the dump on an individual level.

While at the dump, things were very light. The experience was not as harsh as it has been in years past. I met Walter and Kevin while playing odd man out (futbol). They were free spirited and very friendly. After giving a solid body check to Jared, my ribs were extremely sore so I took a break on the feed truck. Next, we had devotion in which Kevin and Walter were more than happy to sing songs. It was fun and uplifting. Finally, we went to the cliff's to see the valley and hills beyond the dump. We had never gone this far into the dump. I was surprised that it became remarkably organized and peaceful once you got far enough behind the initial piles of trash.

Nelson at the Dump

After the dump, we ate lunch at Burger King. This time it was the good one. Thought they still served me the wrong burger, the meal as service were great. Kristin, Suzanne, Bryn and I had a nice time.

#dogoodweargood

Next, we visited Mi Esperanza. This is a place where women can learn trades to make money. Trades include sewing, jewelry, computer skills and various other things that we take for granted. Mi Esperanza is a place that allows these women a safe job in which their work directly benefits the worker. For this reason, the have a store that is 100% stocked by products the women have produced. I used this opportunity to purchase souvenirs. I was a little worried about Kristin in the store. There were so many small pieces cute of jewelry, she could have easily spend $1000. However, she did hold back. She only spent $200.

After Mi Esperanza, we walked through the shops in Ojojona. I was happy to run into Daniel. He is driving a taxi to provide money for his son. It's not much, but it is much more than most men in his situation have done in Honduras. I tried to offer him encouragement. We walked back to the rooms through old town. It was a nice stroll. When we got to the hill, Suzanne Gordon and I decided to jog. It felt so great to run again. My leg seems well (as I prayed). Now, I have to get over my bruised ribs and I can get back into my running groove

Torch joined us for dinner and devotion tonight. It was not as bad as I dreaded. I still had trouble paying attention to the message, but the praise and worship was good. I 'twas happy to catch up with Sisqo and various others that joined us the previous year. After devotion, Bryn, Suzanne, Kevin and I played a very loose game of Scrabble. It was at this time that I also realized Clara reminds me of the girl from "The Ring." It's not all the time, but her hair was wet and down and she was making this face that freaked me out. I think she was getting a kick out of it.

It doesn't appear that many people were highly disturbed by their visit to the dump. I would like to think it is because the situation has improved in this place.

Martes 5.3

Kristin gave us some thoughts for devotion this morning. We were all excited about building our first house. She talked about her mindset as she came here each year and left with the work impacting her profoundly.

Bethany- Squirrel

I was excited about building the house, but I was more excited to return to Lomas Diamantes. I hoped that I would remember the kids and they would remember me. As soon as we stepped off I the bus, the kids were ready. I was approached by a group that contained Sue Annie, Daniella, Juan Jose and a few new faces. Later in the day I saw Jessica who seemed to be looking after a little boy. During the excitement of one of the games the boy was accidentally run over by two kids. He was not hurt and did not cry until some of the other boys started pointing and laughing. As soon as I saw him crying I picked him up and brought him to the area where no kids were allowed (to ensure the older boys recognized that their folly allowed him to places they were not allowed.)

"Como te llama?" I asked.

In a very small voice he answered, "Marquito."

"Que?"

Again his voice was soft, "Marquito."

"Marquito? No! Marquito es fuerte! Hablas mas fuerte!"

"Marquito." His voice was slightly stronger.

"Mas fuerte!" I showed him a muscle.

"Marquito!" He was timid but firm, so I put him down.

"Ahora, va a jugar!"

He returned to the game clear eye and a bit stronger. I pray that he will remember that he is strong and the taints if others hurt now more then his fall.

Later, Luis asked Suzanne and I to work on installing the roof. We were both a little surprised, but took on the challenge. Nelson and Joseph did a great job of leading us. Ultimately, we worked well as a team.

I may have bruised my ribs. At one point I was climbing a wall to relay messages from within the house. The house design was recently changed, so the normal footholds were non-existent. I had to support myself on with my arms and core. At one point I leaned on my chest to give my arms a break. It was at this point that I may have bruised my ribs on both sides. I hope they heal quickly. I am itching to build another house. This one took 6 hours though it was most people's first time. I really think we can beat this time.

"Thou preparest a table before me in the midst of mine enemies; thou annointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over."

- Psalm 23:5

Lunes 5.2

We went to Hospital Escuela. Our trip seemed to fly by, but it was wonderful. We visited orthopedics, nutrition and oncology. I was worried about having a hard time in oncology. With my history, I wasn't sure if I could handle seeing children with various cancerous conditions. I was afraid to conjure memories of my grandmother and the hope of her recovery that will never be realized. I was surprised at how I was able to handle this. It was a comfort to see the smiles in the children's faces though their bodies were betraying them. I didn't go to the most intense area of the cancer ward, but I think I can save it for another time.

We went back to Casa de Esperanza to clear an area for a wall. In the course of our work, we also handled a number of other chores. This included bike repair, refrigerator sanitation and various other acts of cleaning. If an individual had to handle these things, it would have taken quite some time. As a group, we were able to complete the work fairly quickly. I spent the remaining time with Josue (the twin) riding and working on his bicycle. He is a meek yet headstrong boy. It is hard not to treat him like he is made of glass, but he can be independent when he wants. He is bright and sweet. His illnesses (and possible undiagnosed disorders) seemed to disappear when he was allowed to do his own thing. He really like airplanes and to see the moon. "La luna!" He would yell as he gazed at the heavens. 

I have a feeling Josue is going to be one of the stories we see on the on television. The one where a guy had humble beginnings and achieved in spite of insurmountable odds. And everyone will ask how he was able to do this great thing. He will reply, "It is by Gods grace that he surrounded me with a community that loved and supported me. This community gave me th resources I needed and loved me how I was. for this, I am forever thankful to Him."

"I will praise thee; For I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are they works; and that my soul knoweth right well." Psalm 139:14

Domingo 5.1

This morning I led a quick devotion based on Luke 1:37. I talked about how God can accomplish things through us without the luxury of Starbucks and Microsoft.

Service in Lomas Diamantes was great. I am excited about working in this community and returning each year. The service was simple. Proferio wrote it and Nicole translated. They both have genuine passion when talking about the Lord.

Emma Selfie

Kris and I had lunch with Nicole, Emma and Haley. While there, we met Timoteo (Luis's father) and family. I had balleadas and horchata. I loved the balleadas, but not a fan of the horchata.

After lunch, we returned to Lomas Diamantes to connect with youth (Christians and Non-Christians). I met so many kids and tried to make connections, but only some of them remembered my name. I plan on working on that in subsequent visits. However, I will work to remember Juan Fernando, Fernanda, Juan Jose, Angie, Daniel, Daniella and Jessica.

The group from Tennessee arrived and were pretty tired. They are half teens and half adults. Hopefully they will be more social tomorrow. Nelson (intern) led devotion tonight. Jared led singing, but not all of the group fully participated. Hopefully, we can get the Tennessee group more involved in the singing tomorrow night.

"Greet all brethren with an holy kiss" I Thessalonians 5:26

Honduras V: Vamos al Aeropuerto.

Away we go. Jared and I sat in the back of one of the church vans as Chuck drove us to the airport. We played a very literal game of telephone after realizing we could hear nothing from the back of the van. This is a good time to get some sleep.

We made it into Honduras in a rather lack luster manner. There were no major hiccups and the journey was pleasant. We went directly to Casa de Esperanza to play with the kids for a few hours.

We arrived home to find the campus was out of water. No showers tonight, but no big deal. We hung out, joked and played with Haley. Some songs from Frozen may have been sung... Okay, all the songs from Frozen were sung.

Devotion for tonight consisted of a quick orientation by Nicole and Missionay words of encouragement by Matt. Later on Jared, Gordon, Nelson and I played a game of 42. We won't talk about the results of the game.

I have learned that a lot of the people we worked with in the past are no longer around. Chino, Daniel and Dorian are doing other things for various reasons. So much can change in the course of a year. Inspite of the shortage in personel, Matt, Nicole and Terri are doing a great job with their ministries. They continue to be full of fire.

"Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."- Phillipians 1:6

Honduras V: A Prayer

Lord,

Help me to get focused and remain focused on your purpose for me here. Help me to remember it is not always for me to lead, but to follow. Help me to see and accept changes with joy and content. Help me to look for place that my gifts will be of use and allow others to use theirs as well. Help me to have sympathy and empathy when it is needed.

Give us all the love for one another to work as a body to further your kingdom. Help us to see your hand at work in seemingly unlikely places. Help us to be bold for you and not to shy away from opportunities to be your hands and feet.

Amen.

Sabado 4.8

This is the last day and as usual I don't know what words to write. I didn't take pictures of my new friends and I don't know why. Last night, Robert, Josue and I marked the week for 2015. We have started laying groundwork together again. But, Olivia and Cathrine will be on their way to college. I hope Josh will be there- the silent soul with so many God given talents. Riley and Robert, Jr. so much life ahead of them, I hope they choose to make this a big part of it. Ashlynn & Courtney, Stone & Aaron each have big hearts that will lead them to do great things for the Father's kingdom. Carla & Robert, Deana & Sean, Melissa, Milagro & Robert and Leanne are leading their children in the right direction. If there was ever a substitute for Jerry, I am glad Alan was sent in our direction. And no words can express the love I have for Ann and my newest friend Robert.

Roughly 365 days sepetate us, but I can't wait to do God's work with you once again. Until then,

"The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace."- Numbers 6:24-26

Viernes 4.7

It has been four years and I have never been to the market. The group is given money and a specific amount of food to purchase. Our goal is to barter in order to get the best price for our food.

So there wasn't much bargaining to do on our side. Lydia knew the lady already and always gives her a good price. Maybe next year.

We ate lunch at the market. There wasn't much to eat outside of pork, so I am not going I feel top notch for the rest of the night. I hung out with Catherine (Cat)- Sharon's daughter for lunch and we walked around for awhile. I think Cat and Sharon are pretty neat.

I don't know where we are giving this food away, but it is taking forever to get there. There has been a lot of traffic all day. I think I have taken 3 maps while riding to this site.

The trip was long, but well worth it. As it turn out, we gave food  Aguaquital. This is the same community in which we built a church last year. I got a picture of the board everyone signed.

It is also the last place we saw Kristin. I wish I could have gotten a picture of the child that will be taking care of her now.

We had catered tacos for dinner. They were good, but I was pretty full from the food from the day. So I was not in the best mood when Dan told us to simply take what they had given us. I didn't want all that food and I felt wasteful. However, Terri had a great idea. I have the pork taco to Alan. When I are all that I could, there was still enough to give Tibby (the dog) a decent meal.

Josh gave the message at devotion. He did a great job. It was short, but the passing of the ball was long again. I think James Smith had the right idea when he began this activity. It is a good way for missionaries to talk about their experiences, focus on the work before them and talk through their struggles.

The rest evening was a bit uneventful. I was rather withdrawn because I don't want to leave my new friends. I am not sure which relationships will continue and which will fade away. However, I have hope the the healthy ones will remain.

"And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." -Matthew 16:18 

Jueves 4.6

Today, I get to build a house. I get to build a house here!

This is a property given to a woman named Brenda. Her son Adonis Carlos was a kid at Casa, but ran away. His sister is Lupe- the girl with whom I was doing math earlier this week. Brenda and Adonis were baptized a few weeks ago and have turned their lives completely around. She had previously invited family and friend to sing praises when we prayed over he house. It was pretty nice.

All of us were extremely exhausted when we returned to the mission house this evening. Everyone was lethargic. I didn't have much of an appetite and really wanted to lay down, but not in my room. I gave the message for devotion, but I think I rushed through my thoughts too fast. I was happy that everyone was able to participate in the ball activity- sharing where they saw Jesus. Matt shared that he had never seen so many positive activities (especially futbol) at the dump. Robert talked about Jerry and we all prayed for Ann, Matt, Terri and Nicole.

After devotion, Leigh was finally able to rub the knots out of my calf, so I slept well through the night. A group of us sat and talked and laughed together. I forgot how goofy Olivia can be and had a great time talking with Sharon. We had great fellowship.

"Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do." -1 Thessalonians 5:11

Miercoles 4.5

Today is the day of the dump. There are a lot of new people so I am sure this is going to be a rough day. The first year I went, I was impacted. The second year, I felt intrusive. In year three, I felt part and protective. I wonder what this year will be. I asked Lydia if it gets easier (she goes every week). She said it is one of her favorite things to do. I hope that is how I feel today, but I don't ever want to forget how I felt the first time.

It got better. I have so much hope! The dump has changed drastically since my first visit. The people are very orderly. I only made one round to deliver food. I spent the rest of the time playing futbol. After awhile, we sang we prayed.

Eating at Pizza Hut was quite the experience. Like. Burger King, they seated us and presented menus for us to order. In the states, no one eats at Pizza Hut. Haley joined us, so we had a family sized meal complete with a pecan pie dessert.

Next, was the school for the blind. As soon as I walked through the door, I was greeted with a big hug from Darey. There were many hugs from the other kids that were very warm and welcoming. One boy wanted to work on futbol skills, so kicked the ball around with him. That is, until I rolled my ankle and fell.

It was quite an embarrassing moment. However, it wasn't as bad as when I was sitting in the side and a thirteen year old girl decided to strike up a conversation. At one point in our conversation, I decided to ask her about siblings.

"Tienes hijos?" She jumped at laughed at the question. Only then did I realize that I said 'hijos' and not 'hermanos'. The group got a kick out of the creepy American asking her if she had children.

A group from Mississippi joined us for dinner and devotion. It was pretty weird because the groups were divided the entire night and the message had nohing to do with Honduras. We learned that Jerry Taylor's health took a turn for the worse. It was harder to focus on singing at that point. I just wanted to give hugs to Ann and Olivia.

After devotion, Karol, Kaleen, Olivia, Lydia, Leigh, Gordon, Josh, Josue and I walked to the festival in downtown Ojojona. It was a bit difficult to have fun at first because we were most concerned about protecting the women. Finally; some sat down for a small meal. Karol and Kaleen took me walking to see some of the buildings. My tour was abbreviated when Lydia told us they were being swindled into paying for food they had not asked for. Josue was able to haggle a bit, but the guy was so drunk that he angrily gave up. We walked back to the mission house and talked until about 11:30.

"For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit."- 1 Corinthians 12:13

Martes 4.4

This morning was a slow but fun. We had Honduran beans that I love so much. Willis was at breakfast. He didn't call me Denson Brother. I wonder what his name for me will be his year.

Collectively, we are building one house, doing a medical clinic and working a new feeding center. Skillman will have a presence at all of the sites today. I am with the feeding center group, but I think I will be able to meet with the medical group during the second half of the day.

The feed center was calm and easy. The system they have is very organized. It is also obvious that Hope for Honduras has a strong presence in the community. Most of the people (adults and kids) asked about Matt.

When we started serving Nicole shared some of her favorite scriptures and a prayer with he group. After everyone was served, we spent a little time playing with kids and taking pictures.

We arrived at the clinic a little after noon. The line was very long, but the people were very patient. There was only one major case that went to the hospital. I spent time with a new friend (Cat) guarding the exit door.

The evening was pretty simple. I wrote something for devotion tomorrow and went to bed. Most if the group went to the festival in Ojojona. Tomorrow is going to be a big day.

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight." -Mark 1:3

Lunes 4.3

Today was the first day that the five of us worked on our own. We went to Casa to mix sift sand, mix concrete and build a CMU wall. I have always been fascinated with the Honduran process of mixing concrete. I have also always wanted to try my hand at masonry. I can tell you both are VERY difficult.

At about 3:30, I took a break because the kids were home from school.  I watched as Doris was helping Lupe with her math homework. It was long, but it was also nice to see her work through it. She did very well, she just needs to take her time.

The Kansas group had already arrived by the time we made it home. I was sad to learn that Jerry Taylor was ill and could not come. However, Ann and Olivia were able to make it.

Devotion this evening was huge. There were 35 plus people and it is only going to get larger. The message was a bit odd, but the singing was wonderful. I met a lot a great new people. We also hung out with Dan and Lee. The discussion was not as deep as last night, but it was fun. I am very interested in what tomorrow will bring.

"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." -Matthew 18:20

Domingo 4.2

God saw my desire and fulfilled it. Today, we have service at Cruz Chitarra and then a second service at Richard's church in Ojojona.

Both services were great. Dorian delivered the message at Richard's church. Though I didn't understand everything, I was able to follow along in the bible.

We are lunch at La Branza. I am enjoying a nice Chicken Fajita. However, Dan is getting the worst service ever. First, they gave his order to someone else. Then they took a long time to replace his food. When they finally replaced it, his chicken was not fully cooked. It was a bad situation.

After lunch, we had down time to catch up with Lydia before going to Casa to put varnish on the new playground. It is great seeing Lydia as an intern. She has the best work ethic and she is very mature. I hope God continues to bring good things into her life.

Karol and Kaleen surprised us for dinner tonight. It was great to have there company and learn what is going on in their lives. I want good things for the because I believe they are good people. Both of them have been working toward bright futures, love each other and keep God at the front of their lives. They have tests this week, but still made it to devotion. They ever roasted marshmallows with me. They are such wonderful people. I hope they continue on the path that they are on.

"Greet all the brethren with an holy kiss." -1 Thessalonians 5:26