Today was a long day of travel in the van back to San Pedro Sula.  We usually spend our last night in Honduras near the airport so we don’t have any issues with travel on the actual flying day.  So today we spent about 7 or so hours in the van driving from Tocoa back to the big city near the airport.  The van ride, as usual, was a lot of fun with lots of giggles and laughter, music, singing and silly games.  Also a few naps scattered here and there, with some breaks for stretching.  

It is also a time when you have some quiet time to reflect back on the week and all the things we witnessed and were part of.  This has been a truly special week where we have seen so many blessings and even amongst the most poor of all, we saw hope, love and gratitude.  Even in their suffering and pain, these people still some how remain faithful to God.  They know they are loved and that He will provide some how.  To have that kind of faith and strength is amazing.  The team spent time building relationships and creating friendships that will last for a long time.  Relationships are what it is all about.  Community and love and support from another when things are good or bad.  That’s the meaning of all we do right there.  We are not meant to exists alone, but to build each other up and be the village for one another.  

A book I recently finished, “I’ll push You” talks about this very idea of community and support and being pushed beyond your comfort zone.  Learning to lean on people in ways that may be uncomfortable and realizing how much we need each other to get through this crazy thing called life.  It’s a story of friendship and love, hope and sacrifice.  It talks about the deep connections that we all long for.  These are all things that are the most important part of mission.  Connections that last and grow and push us out of our boundaries, and perseverance in the face of adversity.  

I can’t begin to explain the deep love I have for everyone I meet here in Honduras.  Their smiles, their hugs, their compassion and caring.  I miss them all so much when I am gone.  God gives each of us a unique mission in life.  I am truly blessed and thankful for all that I am able to do and for the many blessings that have been put upon me.  

The team had a dinner tonight together to celebrate the week and enjoy each others company all together one more time before heading home.  Such a fun and amazing team, and I am proud to know them all.  

Now as the team rests and prepares for the journey home, we keep everyone close in our hearts and prayers and remain in constant contact.  The work continues when we are gone and it’s until we see again, which we know will be soon.  Never goodbye.  We fly home tomorrow, so prayers for safe and uneventful travel.  

Blessings,

Shelley 

 Today was our final work day for the week.  With the help of Hector this week, we have been able to get the shelter up and built in two days.  We really were Hectors apprentices and he really must take all the credit for the shelter.  He is a local guy who works in construction and was the one who helped build the special needs school.  He volunteered his time this week to help build the shelter, and thank goodness he was there, because I am not sure we would have done anything anywhere near as nice as what he did. Still, we had fun helping with the project, driving nails in wood and climbing ladders.  Everyone got to participate in the project in some way.  When we were not working on the shelter, we were helping in the feeding center with the kids.  A few of our team actually got to the feeding center at 7am to help prepare and cook all the food for the kids.  Lots of chopping of vegetable and preparing chicken and rice.  Some of us spent a little time on the property cleaning up trash also.  Honduras does not have the infrastructure for disposing of trash properly so there tends to be a lot of it around.  It’s unfortunate given how beautiful a country Honduras is.  

After our morning of work and finishing the shelter, we ate lunch and then went out to do some more home visits before hitting the river.  The home visits were particularly hard for some of our team members.  Such poverty with young women caring for so many kids under one household, little kids that had lost their mom and kids that had severe disabilities.  These visits can be so hard but I think they are so important.  Important to show love to otherwise marginalized families and families struggling in general.  One of the families today was so thankful for our visits because she said they had just used the last of the food in their pantry.

After home visits, we walked to the river – which ended up being a longer, hotter walk than anticipated, but still the team enjoyed the water and time sitting in the shade visiting.  We did a short devotion and talked about how even though we are a world apart, we are kept together by God and nothing can separate us.  After a little more swim time, we headed back to the vans. 

After cleaning up we headed to church for the final service for the week.  It was a lively service with lots of joy and smiles.  So good to be with everyone again for our last night.  We then headed to dinner with Pastor and Lorena, Christian and Silvia and a few others.

Such a great last day, lots of laughs but also some tears, but mostly joy. It is always such an honor to be part of this community.  

Tomorrow we hit the road for the long drive back to San Pedro Sula where we will spend the night before our flight home.  I will probably do one more blog before the flight home but for now, goodnight!

Blessing, Shelley 

 There are many days when we come down here when it’s difficult to understand the level of poverty and suffering and the why.  We are not meant to understand it all and simply have to have faith that God has all people in His hands.  One way I think a team can cope with that is with the incredible bonding that happens as a team and the times we spend enjoying each others company and laughing together.  

One of the things I love about coming on mission, is not only the work we do down here, the relationships we build and the things we learn and grow from, but its the times spent in laughter, with the USA team and the folks from the community and Honduran team.  We have had more than our fair share of laughter this week.  There are no language barriers with laughter and it’s one of the simplest ways to spread joy.  Laughing speaks the same language.  So while the work we do here is serious and important, so is the joy that we can experience while we are here.  Some of it comes from sheer exhaustion from the week and you have no sense of control anymore and laugh at the silliest things.  Some of it is just how sometimes things spontaneously happen – take our visit to the hardware store this morning.  I don’t think anyone could have prepared the store owners for the silliness that happened in there and the goofing around, and they didn’t seem to mind one bit and enjoyed the “show”. I could try to explain it but I’m afraid I just wouldn’t do it justice.  Needless to say we had a great time purchasing supplies for our construction project today with lots of smiles from lots of people.  

Team bonding, I believe, is crucial to a successful mission.  You need to have good partnership, flexibility and understanding.   I have to say I think this team nailed it this week.  It’s been awesome and I’m proud of the amazing team they have been.  

After our day began at the hardware store we headed over to the Tocoa feeding center where we were to begin construction of the outside shelter.   Hector, our Honduran partner, had it all figured out and we were really and truly there just to lend moral support and a hand every now and again.  So there was  a lot more down time today than anticipated, but the team embraced the time and had so much fun playing with the kids from the school and the community and helping out where needed in various different spots.  There were home visits and trips back to the hardware store, food prep for the kids and more.  We dug post holes for the shelter and then mixed concrete and set the posts.  Hector then got to work cutting wood for the roof.  It’s coming along!  

After our day was done, we headed back to the hotel for a little down time before dinner and devotion.  Some of us decided to cool off in the hotel pool and some took naps.  The heat takes it out of you as well as the constant emotional ups and downs and physical aspect of being on mission.  But it’s worth it and we get up every day, feeling tired but ready to go. 

We enjoyed dinner together as a team, again with lots of laughs and then a wonderful time at devotion, reading scripture, singing songs and praying and then sharing our highs and lows for the day.  It was a great day and we are ready for more tomorrow.  Tomorrow is our last work day before we make the trek back up to San Pedro Sula again.  

Blessings, 

 Today was our second full work day and today we continued with the painting of the church in La Ceibita.  But before we arrived at the church we had the chance to stop at the grade school and say hi to the kids and teachers.  We got such a wonderful welcome from the kids and were almost bowled over with hugs.  So amazing and awesome to feel so welcome.  They are such great kids.  I wanted to chat with the principal about future projects but he was not at the school so we planned on having me come back later on that day.  

So we headed back to the church and began with painting for the day.  Some of the team got to go and help get the food ready for the kids in the feeding center and they had a blast learning how to make tortillas from scratch.  

The painting of the church was lots of touch up and busy work going around posts and filling in spots and took some time to do. The backside of the church had never been painted so that required a few different coats to get it to take.  

I woke up with a cold which kind of stinks but so far it hasn’t been bad enough to knock me down.  It did require a few extra breaks for me today though as I was feeling a little low on energy.  

A mix of helping in the feeding center, home visits and work on the church, kept the team busy today.  

At one point in the day during one of my breaks, I took a walk around the church and just smiled at the amount of community members and church members that were there that day helping.  Even kids as young as 9 were helping to paint.  It was such a wonderful thing to see.  It seems no one needs to ask for help, people just step up and do it.  

Later in the afternoon I drove back to the school to meet with the principal.  The purpose of the meeting was to find out what kind of projects the school wants our youth team to be doing while they are here at the end of June.  It was a great meeting and Xavier the principal is energetic and enthusiastic . 

Back to the church to keep painting and do the finishing touches while half of the team went out into the community do home visits.  

We finished the painting of the church in good time and everyone seems happy with the result!  Because we got done a little early, I took the team for ice cream to cool off from the day.  Then time for dinner and devotions as usual.  Our devotions are some of the most sacred time we have in the days besides visiting with the community members.  We spend time in the word and singing and praying and sharing from the day.  It’s always great to hear about everyone’s experiences because you get a different perspective even from the same event.  The team is really bonding, not only with each other but also with the community and making new friends.  It’s only day two and it’s been a great week.  

Tomorrow we head over to Tocoa to the other feeding center and our project for the next two days is going to be building a shelter.  Fun! 

Blessings,

Shelley 

 Today was long, and exhausting, but amazing on so many levels.  Our day started with breakfast at 7am followed by a devotion and singing before climbing in the van and heading out to La Ceibita.  When we arrived in La Ceibita we worked on preparing the bags for the home visits.  Working together we got it done in no time and then started preparing the outside of the church for paint.  There was some scraping and cleaning that needed to happen. Two of us from the team headed into town to pick up the paint with Pastor and Lorena.  We did not know until we got there that they wanted us to pick out the paint color.  So Alyssa and I spent some time debating and both of us knew we wanted it to be colorful and bright.  Paint colors that you just simply don’t see on buildings in the US.  

Once we settled on a color, we began negotiating with the sales person to bring the price down for us a bit since it was higher than we had budgeted.  He was helpful and willing to work with us and ended up bringing the price down and throwing in some free rollers etc.  While the paint was being mixed, we had the chance to chat with some of the people working in the store.  They were in interested in what we were doing and what we were going to paint.  Pastor Orlin explained where we were from the history of the church etc. It was a great time just chatting and sharing information and I asked them if they went to a church.  They replied that they did not, but they seemed interested in finding out more about the church in La Ceibita.  So I invited them to our Thursday service and they exchanged numbers with Pastor Orlin.  

Later on we talked about the opportunities that God presents to us during our day that we don’t expect.  We went to the store to buy paint, and left having planted and unintentional seed for leading someone to faith. God is good and works in mysterious ways for sure!!  

We drove back to the church and distributed brushes and rollers and the team got to work painting.  It was slightly surprising how much we got done and the team worked really well together.  It was such a blessing to see everyone taking time away from painting to interact and chat with community members instead of just being focused on the paint job.  There was lots of laughter and giggling as one of the girls thought it would be funny to tickle us all.  

I got some time visiting with my little girl Valery and also got some time playing with her new baby sister Sadie.  

Once we were done for the day with painting, the team cleaned up the brushes etc and we spent the rest of the afternoon visiting folks in their homes in the community.  It was hot, and several people were really feeling the heat as we walked from house to house.  But, they handled it well.  It’s always a little hard to visit some of these families due to the needs that they have. We are so blessed and simply don’t realize the many blessings we have.  One of the houses we walked to was at the top of a steep rocky hill that was hard to climb.  Struggling for air in heat and working hard to reach the top, we soon forgot about the work it was to get up there after we spend time with a women named Maria. She was blind and explained that walking up that hill is very difficult for her that sometimes she feels like crying.  Most of the time, her adult daughter carries her on her back.  

After our home visits, we dropped off some of the church members back at the church and then headed back to the hotel.  After some time cooling down with a quick snack, we got the call that we were being invited to Zumba at Lorenas friends house. So off we went, still in our paint clothes and sweat from the day and the majority of the team had a blast doing Zumba with Lorena and her friend.  Lots of great team building and laughter tonight.  

Back to the hotel, dinner time and devotion time.  Lots of sharing of highlights of the day and low times.  The team is exhausted but content with how are day went.  Hoping everyone gets a great nights sleep so we can get back at it again tomorrow.  

Blessings,

Shelley 

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 The team got some much needed rest last night with a slow start in the morning to give everyone a chance to catch up and get settled for the week.  We met for breakfast and then followed with a worship song and a prayer and quick reflections on our journey so far.  Afterwards, we travelled to La Ceibita to attend church with our Honduran family.  It was and always is, a beautiful sight to get out of the car and see all the smiling faces of the kiddos and the love they show us.  Lots of hugs and laughter as we catch up and say hi.  I gave my sweet girl Valery squeezes and we then went into the church to join everyone for worship.  

Worship in Honduras is always so joyful and passionate.  People don’t hold back in their prayers and their faith and it’s uplifting and amazing to see and hear.  Pastor delivered a wonderful message about being “awake” and listening to what God needs us to do.  There were welcomes and introductions from the team and I talked for a little bit to the congregation and thanked them as always for their open arms and hearts.  

After church we sat outside and ate a delicious lunch that was prepared for us before heading back to the hotel to change for the rest of the day.  

We had the opportunity to spend some time out by the ocean in Trujillo just hanging out, team building and getting to know each other a little better.  Lots of laughter today.  Always good for the soul and for team building.  After a few hours at the ocean, we headed back to the hotel to clean up and get ready for dinner.  We then had dinner served at the hotel since most places appear be shut down on Sundays.  

Following dinner we had a wonderful devotion and time for sharing and worshipping God together.  It has been a wonderful blessing of a day with a spectacular sunset tonight.  

I’m excited and ready to go and can’t wait to see what God has planned for us this week.  It is such a blessing to be here. Tomorrow is a full work day, so time for some rest.  

Blessings,

Shelley 

The Wisconsin team arrived safe and sound in Tocoa this evening around 7pm.  We had quite the sprint through the airport to change terminals and get to our gate otherwise we would have missed our connection. Once we landed we were told we had 15 mins to make the next flight!  By Gods grace we did.  And of course, true to Honduran style, we rush onto the plane and sit for a while – hurry up and wait!  It was also a miracle that our luggage all made it with such a short connection.  Customs was a breeze and no issues there, so we got out of the airport in good time and off to the vans to make the long trek to Tocoa.  A stop to pick up lunch and then we were on our way.  

We have a small but mighty team with lots of energy! We are a team of 8, with 5 ages 20 and under, so it’s been a lot of fun. Our van ride was very energetic with games, and laughter and silliness, lots of snacks and the occasional nap.  Lots of goofing around and enjoying getting to know the new girls, Callie and Alyssa.  

We made a few stops along the way to stretch our legs and use the bathroom but they were short.  We actually made it to Tocoa in really good time, around 7 hours so that was great.  

Also true to Honduran style, as we were approaching town, Milton was coordinating dinner with Pastor Orlin and we were invited to a quinceanera for a member of the Ochoa family.  Feeling underdressed and sleep deprived, we were welcomed with open arms and hugs from the family.  These are the reasons my heart stays here a little when I come.  The love we are shown by the people we also now consider our family.  This is what it is all about – relationships and connections.  This is what it’s like to live in community and show unconditional love for one another.  Yes, the day is long and the drive can be brutal – and I’m sore from sitting all day.  But, I’d do it over and over and over again because these people here are just as important to me as the people I care about at home.  

Looking forward to an amazing week in mission working along side our friends and family in La Ceibita and Tocoa and visiting with the community.  For now it’s time to rest!  

Blessings,

Shelley 

 The week leading up to mission, especially if I am leading a team, is often stressful and full of busy work.  Stuff needs to get done around the house, I need to make sure that all my ducks are in a row before I leave the country.  Grass needs to be cut, things need to be packed, life, adulting stuff.  I have to pack for the trip and make sure I am prepared for different scenarios being a team leader.  What if a team member gets sick – do I have what I need to help them if so.  Do I have extra toothbrushes packed for the team, should someone accidentally use the tap water.  Extra meds, first aid, emergency contacts, paperwork, checking in of flights, and Honduran customs forms.  So much busy work!  But in the bigger scheme of things, these are the least important to be focused on as we prepare to go on mission.  I sent my team this message today, but it’s every bit of a reminder to myself as it is to the team.  

“Hey everyone. I hope everyone is packed and ready to go and excited to be the hands and feet of Jesus. It’s a beautiful thing and we are blessed to have the opportunity to be part of someone’s life in a positive and impactful way. Even if it’s as simple as praying for someone, hugging someone, telling them they are loved. Remember, we have “work” to do but the real work is the relationships we build and the love of Christ that we show in all that we do. Remember this mission is not about you and everything you do should be to glorify God. There will be days when you feel like complaining or questioning the why and frankly there will be times when you will brought to tears. Hold your head up and give it to the Lord knowing He loves all his people and his plan is greater than anything we could imagine. (Also please remind me of this as the week goes on because there is often a melt down from me). That is my prayer for us all as we make this journey to Honduras. Blessings and safe travels and get some rest tonight!  Tomorrow will be LONG!”

So as I sit here with my girls enjoying the beautiful evening and fire and all the blessings we have, I am grateful, thankful and blessed for all the beautiful things in my life.  Especially the blessing of mission.  What a gift and an honor to be able to be the hands and feet of Jesus.  

Tomorrow, a team of 8 people leave for a long journey to Tocoa Honduras.  We leave at 6am, and will end our day sleep deprived and exhausted, but excited and ready to go the next day.  Keep us in our prayers as we navigate tight connections, running through airports, and all the other possible things that come with travel.  Bless us for safe travel and most importantly, to keep in the forefront of our minds, the reason we are there.  

Blessings, 

Shelley 

 Well today was a travel day.  We always travel to San Pedro Sula the day before our flight so we can make sure we don’t miss our flight the next day.  Never know what traffic is going to be like and it’s an 8 hour drive.  The drive didn’t seem to bad, just long and my back was a tad bit sore after we got here.  Feels better to be moving around.  After we arrived at the hotel and freshened up, we had our team dinner together at a restaurant in the city.  It was amazing and so good to spend time together as a team. 

It’s always bittersweet for me to leave.  Happy to be going home to my family but sad to be leaving my Honduran family.  Our translators and the folks in La Ceibita and Tocoa have become such good friends and we love every single one of them.  Our work could not happen without our translators – they are priceless to us  So important to the work we do here, but we also just have so much fun together.  They work hard and never complain  They are kind, compassionate and loving towards everyone they meet.  They are a blessing.  It was especially nice for me to have Bessy as my translator this week.  She is the best!!  

This week has been a blessing all around.  We met so many people.  I think I have the numbers right – 800 patients in the clinic, thousands of prescriptions given, 400 kids in the school, 100 in optical, 100 in VBS in La Ceibita and 100 in VBS in Tocoa.  100+ kids fed lunch every day, 100 patients seen in the cricol, etc etc.  It’s been a busy week!  But such a blessing.  Thankful to have such a great team with no drama, that has passion and compassion for the work down here.  

Tomorrow we fly home but we always leave a piece of our hearts here in Honduras.  Until next time!  

Blessings, Shelley 

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