Safely back in Houston

We arrived safely (and even early!) back in houston. No issues in the airport. I was the one person picked for a random search of my bags--not once, not twice but three times! I had my checked luggage searched and then at security I was patted down and had my carry on searched. Finally at the gate, I had my carry on searched (again) and was patted down.

Very uneventful flight (and bus ride to the airport) so God is good!

This has been a fantastic trip and I will post some pictures/video when I can.
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On the way to the airport

We were awakened last night to torrential downpours. God was good and held off the rain till we were done with our work!

However, it made for a wet morning getting our suitcases to the bus. We finally got on board with only five minutes off schedule.

We had a bit of a scare a few minutes into the drive. A truck was coming the other way and we heard a large bang and crash. We thought it was a tire, but turned out that the truck passed so close, it hit the driver side mirror and shattered it! A little too close for comfort.
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Excursion day and last day of work

On Sunday, a group of five of us went back to the jobsite to finish the windows on the school. Actually, four of us started. Robert was sick at breakfast and I didn't think he was going so we left. He came out a few minutes later, got a taxi and joined us! The five of us then worked all morning to complete them and headed back. To get back, we walked into town and got three wheeled taxis to the hotel. If you have never ridden one before, it is like riding a dirt bike with a big covered seat in the back. Our two drivers decided to race each other down a dirt road. We have video we will post later.

The rest of the group either stayed at the hotel or went to a national park for hiking. Everyone seemed to enjoy it, although I am not sure Barb intended to go all the way to the top of the mountain. Nate gets the Mountain Goat award for running up and down the mountain--twice!

In the afternoon, we all went to a waterfall and river nearby. About 15 of us decided to go on a guided walk to caves behind the waterfall sounded interesting. What we didn't realize is that involved literally walking through the waterfall! It was an intense experience. I will try to post pictures later--we had a waterproof camera so we will see how it performed.

We had our final meeting and went over logistics for monday. The school administrator invited us to play volleyball and basketball with the kids, so a group of us went over. We lost a game of volleyball, but won at basketball.

We have had a great trip thus far and God has protected us and worked through us. We also have a great team!
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Sabbath at La Torre and the Orphanage

We had an awesome day! We started off with church at La Torre, which is where we conducted the VBS program. The church was full of the kids from the program. We did two of the songs they learned with the whole church.

Once church was complete, we headed back for lunch. We then prepared for taking our vbs program to an orphanage in the area. Everyone in the group wanted to go and help with the program. That was very helpful. We spent the afternoon with 70 kids from the orphanage and clinic. They were all so excited and a lot of our group also brought donated items to have the leaders distribute. We also gave away 30 dresses that our youth at West Houston made. The girls were very happy with their new dresses!! It was a great afternoon.

We have our plan for tomorrow. A few of us are going to finish a few things on the school and the rest are going to the national park.
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Friday report

We had a great day on Friday on the jobsite. We got all of the blockwork done on the bathrooms and put the roof on. We also got all but a few windows installed on the classrooms.

I was very proud of our team and how they pitched in to get everything done. Everyone did what was needed regardless. Of their job assignment. When God puts a task in front of us, he will equip us and provide the right spirit to accomplish his work.

Our VBS team completed their program as well. They had close to a 100 kids again. A lot of them are from the community and don't go to church, so this was a great outreach.

We ended our day with a great worship. We had quite a few of our volunteers give their testimony as to why they volunteer and how they cam to be on the trip. It never ceases to amaze me as to how God works to involve us in His work.
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Completed classroom

Here is one of the completed classrooms. We got them both completed except for five of the windows

Work group picture in front of bathroom

We finished the bathroom today and got the roof on

Thursday report

Our vbs team had another good day. They had 95 kids today and didn't have any issues. It was a nice sunny day so they could have their activities outside.

We got a lot done at the school today. We got all of the siding on the classrooms and some of the windows installed. We got all of the bathroom stalls completed and half of the dividing wall and storage closet.

We still have 6 courses and the roof to put on. We may not finish tomorrow. If we don't, we may have to work on sunday rather than go on our excursion. The group all seems willing to finish.

We had a great worship tonight. We had a lot of folks give their testimony as to why they are on the trip. It reminded me of a question one of my clients asked me: why not use the money that the volunteers spend for the trip (around 1500 per person) to send money down to have locals build the school. It was a good question that I had been asked before. One of the reasons is that these trips are ultimately more about building people rather than buildings. We spend this time away from our normal lives with other believers growing in Christ. We come back with a renewed spirit for Christ and a reminder of how blessed we really are in our daily lives. That is one of the key benefits from us going as volunteers, in addition to a real connection with the people we go to help.

Here are some pictures from today.

EZ Reeves-- strong like bull

Eliel reeves found a new way to carry block.

Our wednesday report

We are halfway through our trip and have met our goals this far.

Our vbs group had another good day. They had over 90 children again today. They are getting into a rhythm with their helpers and with the kids. We are also considering conducting the program for a nearby orphanage on Sabbath.

We got the roof on both classrooms and half of the siding on one of the rooms. We also got half of the stall walls completed today. Unfortunately, we only got two courses done on the middle section. It is the most difficult block laying because of all of the plumbing. As my luck would have it, the walls weren't plumbed and laid out precisely, so we had to do a lot of cutting. Ray Wolff and I spent most of the day getting just those two done. However, the tough part is over and we should be able to move more quickly tomorrow.

We had all of our team back today after one was sick yesterday. Thank the Lord that we have been injury and sickness free!

Here are a few pictures of our progress.

A rainy third day

We had a great day, albeit rainy. We did get all of the outside block walls up and grouted! It was a lot of work and we stayed late to get it done. The team did a great job and stayed in there! We had about a 30 minute period of heavy rain that stopped our progress. Unfortunately we don't have the roof on yet, so we had to huddle in a tool shed till the heavy rain passed.

The vbs crew had 104 kids today. They had the same rain challenges we did, so they had to adapt and conduct some of the program inside the church. They did a great job and the kids are enjoying themselves immensely.

We have a picture of the completed outer walls. We have a lot of work still to do, but have a great halfway point.

Second work day report

We had a great second day of work and first day of children's ministry. The team had 82 kids for their first day and will surely have a lot more tomorrow. They have great helpers from the church and all of the kids enjoyed themselves.

We made a lot of progress on the jobsite as well. We got all done with the eighth course and halway through the ninth! We also got all of the trusses on one schoolroom and ready to set on the second. We are on schedule at this point.

Our group is meshing well and everyone is getting to know each other better. We have a good group that is willing to pitch in to get the work done.

Here are some pictures of our progress.

End of Monday photos

Here is our progress at then end of day two. We got the trusses set for one of the classrooms and ready on the second.

We also completed all of the eighth course and half of the ninth for the bathrooms. We are making great progress!

Laying down on the job

Gino, Ray and Claudell laying down on the job. Sometimes the jokes just write themselves........

First day successes

We had a great start to our work week. We got four courses of block done on the bathrooms, tied the rebar and poured the concrete. Tomorrow, we will set up the scaffolds and start laying more block.
We got all of the trusses made and the wall structures in place for the classrooms. They made great progess today.

The weather was great today. Not too hot and we had a nice breeze all day. We only had one injury. Roxie Wolff slipped on a block and fell. Nothing major, but she has sore ribs. Her two sons are taking good care of her!

Our childrens ministry team met with the local church members and are organized for tomorrow. The church is very energized and ready to go.

Glenn Pringle arrived safely AND he was able to get Barbaras bag from the airport. A little scary that he could just walk out with it, but she is glad nonetheless.

More to report tomorrow.
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Fast start to the week

We had a great start to our work week. We got four courses of block done on the bathrooms, tied the rebar and poured the concrete. Tomorrow, we will set up the scaffolds and start laying more block.
We got all of the trusses made and the wall structures in place for the classrooms. They made great progess today.

The weather was great today. Not too hot and we had a nice breeze all day. We only had one injury. Roxie Wolff slipped on a block and fell. Nothing major, but she has sore ribs. Her two sons are taking good care of her!

Our childrens ministry team met with the local church members and are organized for tomorrow. The church is very energized and ready to go.

Glenn Pringle arrived safely AND he was able to get Barbaras bag from the airport. A little scary that he could just walk out with it, but she is glad nonetheless.

More to report tomorrow. The pictures are of our progress today.

Sabbath at the school

We arrived at the hotel on Friday at around 4 pm. After we got everyone to their rooms, we all went over to the school and viewed our worksite. It had a nice breeze, so we hope that continues! They already had the steel up for the bathrooms, so we don't need to do that on Sunday. The other two classrooms are right next to it so we are all in the same area. The Maranatha foreman is Edward. We worked with him last year and in Chile, so we know each other well.

After we viewed the site (and Gino and Claudell helped unload sand) we headed to the hotel and had dinner. We had worship and then went through introductions. We have a mix of veterans and first time missionaries. Part of the trip is to get to know each other. Our stories, our faith and our experiences will help build each other in Christ.


We all had a good nights rest. We went to church at the school. We had a great bible study. We were fortunate enough to have one of the teachers translate the sermon for those of us that don't understand spanish!

After church, we ate with the students in the cafeteria. Afterwards, the manager, Henry, gave us an overview of the school, its ministry and future. The school is celebrating 50 years of existence in July. They have 485 students and are overflowing. The work we are part of will allow them to double their capacity and extend their ministry.

The school is very excited to have us there and is willing to help however they can. We have three of their bilingual students that will help with translations for the childrens ministry.

We are at the hotel now and people are relaxing, getting ready for the children's ministry or enjoying the hotel grounds.


The pictures are of our group heading to the job site and of Henry.

Safely in Honduras

Our team arrived safely in San Pedro Sula and we are on our way to Pena Blanca. Everyone got the luggage except for Barb, who didn't get one of her bags. They say they will deliver when it arrives.

The day is beautiful and we are on our way!
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On our way to Honduras

Our groups are all in the airport and ready to go--except one. Glenn will join us on Sunday as he had an emergency he had to take care of.

The rest of us are in Houston and Atlanta airports ready for our mission experience. Old friends meet and new friends are made awaiting for the trip to begin.

Please keep the group in your prayers for safety and for God's leading on this trip. I will do my best to keep updates on the blog.
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Pena Blanca Honduras Mission trip Information

We are about to embark on our next Mission journey.  On February 24th, 28 volunteer missionaries will travel to Pena Blanca, Honduras to help with expanding a school campus and conducting children's ministries in the town.

The school currently is out of space and doesn't have enough room to accommodate all the students who want to learn.  The entire project will double their existing capacity and help kick-start their bi-lingual educational program.

We will be the first of many groups there.  The way that the campus will expand is with a series of what we call One Day Classrooms (ODC for short).  A picture is included.  We will construct 2-3 of these ODS structures during our time.  In addition, we will construct a room that EVERYONE will use.  What is the one room that EVERY child will use every day?.........

That's right, we get to build one of the bathrooms!  Our group will build the block structure that will house the bathroom for one of the groups of ODC structures.  Not glamorous, but will be used every day.

In addition, we have a group that will lead out in a children's ministry outreach in one of the neighborhoods near the school.  This outreach is always very impactful and helps build the community and tell the children about God's love for them.

We will do our best to update this blog on a daily basis, pending internet or cell phone connection availability.  Please keep the group in your prayers as God is leading and working through us.  None of us our professional construction workers, but with God's help, we will accomplish our goal.

Thanks!

Final day of work

We completed our work on the job site, dental/medical and VBS on Friday. We completed all three of the metal school buildings and got the frame up for the fourth. We completed the bathrooms and did some other concrete work.

We completed the work around two and then took pictures with the kids and the Maranatha crew on the jobsite. Some of our group took donations and bought some clothes and shoes for the kids hanging around with us all week. They we so happy because for them it was like christmas and birthday wrapped into one!

Our dental / medical team had a good final day with over 50 patients treated. The dental chair didn't make it though--it will remain here. Not even duct tape could save it.

Our vbs team had over 300 children for their last day! It was an amazing finish. We had four of our volunteers decide to help out with that ministry on Friday and they were definitely needed.

When we returned and had dinner, the principal from the school came and thanked us and presented each of us with a gift of a Honduran flag. It was very special and they stayed to have dinner.

We had a great worship again and completed the week.

Ray and Ely Don were late to the bus this morning, so they had to reenact a skit from the bible. We choose Balaam and his Donkey. Ray got to be the donkey.

We are conducting the church service tomorrow. Our vbs group taught the entire team two songs for us to present, hand motions and all. A great way to end the day!
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Dedication day

We finished the back wall and completed all the block on the school today that we are scheduled to complete! The team did a great job. We will help with a few other items tomorrow and clean up early.

We completed the music room today and had a dedication of the room. We are dedicating it to Rachael's mother and had a nice service.

The vbs group had a great day as well and had over 200 kids. The medical team had an interesting day. Dr dewar has been sick and had to take some time today to feel better. They still saw 70 patients. However during the next to the next to last patient, the dental chair broke! Doc had to finish the surgery on his knees! They taped the chair up and had the last surgery. We will send some duct tape tomorrow to fix it.

Claudell is leading us out in a game of Mafia again tonight.
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Dwindling numbers

We have had a number of folks get sick this week. Today we had two more get sick from the heat in addition to the three at the start of the day. However they are all better and should all be back tomorrow.

Our vbs crew had over 200 children and had a great day. Our medical team is dealing with some sicknesses of their own but had another good day and saw over 70 patients.

The construction crew completed all of the interior walls and one of the school buildings. We are almost done with another building and have the roof on the third. We got 6 courses on the back and are on target to finish by Friday.

We are having a traditional Honduran dance group at the hotel for a little cultural experience tonight.

We had an interesting experience today. The government has decided to privatize the schools and have the cities pay the teachers. All of the mayors were meeting in our hotel today and the teachers decided to strike here! Some of our team had to walk back mid day because the roads were blocked! We had a lot of military around as well. No issues, but interesting nonetheless!
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Tuesday's report

We had a great day today. We finished the front wall and got four courses on the back. The second interior wall has 12 courses and they might finish tomorrow.

We have one of the one day schools completed and the other one will be done tomorrow. We are making good progress on the third.

Our dental and medical team had another good day and saw 60 patients. They are getting more organized as the week goes on.

Our vbs team had 180 kids today! They are still getting their volunteers organized, but are doing well.

We have been having great worships this year in the evening. We have all been very blessed each night.
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