Honduras

After months of planning, waiting, dreaming, worrying, excitement, imagining, nervousness, happiness the day was finally here to go to Honduras. We spent the summer preparing, getting passports, shots, packing, gathering supplies for the people there, getting coloring books, silly bands, candy, and much more. It was so weird for the time to leave to be here. I was uneasy and excited at the same time. We knew very few people going and were taking our two young children, the youngest by 3 years to anyone else going. I had no idea what to expect. Would it be wonderful or terrible or what exactly?? I could cry just remembering how I felt before we left. Because after 2 days I was totally in love with Honduras but most in love with the people. They were wonderful. I immediately knew this would be more than a check it off my list type trip...it had my heart and I couldn't wait to go back again. That is a start to finish description and so much in the middle. So here are those details.

DAY 1:

We left our home 3:45 am to catch a 5:45am flight. We were sleepy but ready. We met the team at the airport and got breakfast and were on the plane. We had a short layover in Miami and then off to Tegucigalpa (sp?), Honduras. We landed and got on the bus with all our stuff and headed to the Presidents house. I was totally taking in all the sights and sounds and smells. Over stimulation!! We toured the house and had a small lunch there. I was nervous about what I ate and drank but went on and tried it all and it was really great. This was a total God thing because if you know me then you know how I struggle with food and knowing were it came from. After we left there we went to the Farm. It was the most beautiful setting on top of a hill/mountain. We learned about Aquaponics. It was neat. Then we went to Baxter University to stay for the night. We had Little Caesar's for dinner and stayed in a bunk house with all the girls. I showered both the girls on their first night of Don't open your mouth, don't swallow water, etc... then we learned to brush teeth with our water bottle water. It was an adventure (one I loved). Then we were all exhausted!! So we were fast to sleep.










DAY 2:

We woke up early to breakfast at the University. Then we loaded up all the luggage and headed to the Dump. This was the most spiritual battle day of my walk. No pics were allowed in the Dump so I have no pictures. It was hard. The smell was so bad, I was dry heaving and crying and couldn't get out of the bus. I tried over and over but the smell overwhelmed me greatly. I started eating tons of mints and putting smelly lotion on my shirt and hands. So finally Charley and Kylee came back from being at the devotional and playing games with the people of the dump. Katie and I had been sitting in the bus while people kept knocking on the window wanting Katie to come out. She was struggling with gagging too. So we all got out of the bus and were able to meet the people and love on them. They wanted our shoes, sunglasses, and pretty much everything we had. It was so sobering to see people living there. The flies, livestock, people digging through trash trucks, dump of everything and knowing people live there. WOW! I was having a day of spiritual struggling. I want to do more and what I saw changed me. I still think of that when I am throwing trash out, eating in nice places, and washing my clothes.

When we left there we were heading to Campamento to spend the rest of the time. Kylee got car sick in the bus on the way there and threw up. We stopped to eat at an Amish restaurant. It was very good (I am still trying everything and not worrying about food, total God thing). We then arrived at Campamento to the most warm, cute, loving kids ever. It was awesome to be loved on and hugged on. Kylee and Katie passed out silly bands and met the kids. We got to meet Yahir and Jennifer who we sponsor from the Daycare center. We bonded immediately with them. We played with them the rest of the day and then went to church that evening. Church service was in all Spanish. It was neat. Then we went to our home for the week at Bob Wilkinson's. He was so nice to let us stay there. My girls loved his dog Mitzi and had a ball with her.

We all fell asleep the minute our head hit the pillow. Another great day!




















DAY 3:

This day started with going to the Day care center for breakfast. We ate every meal at the daycare center. The ladies did a great job cooking for all 49 of us. I didn't love all the food but I definetly tried a lot of it and had a happy heart about it all. We played with the kids and got ready for a day at the city carnival. We each had a couple kids to watch, Kylee even did. It was a little wild and crazy keeping up with them all. It was a very different kind of carnival. Made me feel thankful for our little fairs. But the kids loved it. It was interesting that a couple rides were Disney Cars and Winnie the Pooh. The workers had to actually move one with their own hands to get it to go around. We then bought them all cotton candy and then ice cream(MAJOR SUGAR HIGH). My favorite part was watching Kylee feed this little cute girl her cotton candy. The girls got to have soda in a bag which was fun. Everyone played at the local park and Charley played soccer with the locals. The highlight of the day was going to Yahir and Jennifers house. We got to walk home with them. It was a 2 mile roundtrip walk up and down hills that were close to cliffs. They do this every single day to daycare, school, church, work, store. It was very neat. We brought them gifts and treats and played with them. We visited with the mom and found out she needed a table and pots and plates. We supplied that for her. This was a neat experience for us.



























DAY 4:

This was a work/play day. Charley and Kylee went off to lay concrete in homes today while Katie and I stayed at the daycare and played with the kids. We had craft stations for the kids that we did with them. I did the handprint station with them and these were for their sponsors back in the States. Charley and Kylee were working hard laying concrete. Charley said Kylee did a great job and worked hard. That afternoon at the daycare center they did medical checks on the kids. The kids for the most part were in good condition. They need toothbrushes, vitamins and some meds. The doctor said they were better off than the kids in the town.






DAY 5:

This was our last full day in Honduras. It was a full day but very neat. This day was a build a house day. We went to a different town to get a ladies things that lived in a slaughter house. It was the size of a big bathroom and 4 people lived there. Their belongings fit in the back of a pick up truck. The area they lived was smelly and dirty from all the slaughtering. There were bloody animal horns laying around. We moved her stuff out and then drove to her new home location. While the home was being built a bunch of us went to play with the kids in the "neighborhood". We played soccer, hit baseballs, passed out coloring books, sillybands and walked around. It was a beautiful area and we watched storms roll off the mountains. It was very weird to be surrounded by poverty and poorness and then look up and see God's beauty. We missed lunch this day but I had packed a bag of food so we snacked. A really hard part to this day was when a man walked up begging for money for his family cause they were sick and hungry and we couldn't give it to him. I struggled so much with this and then I ran and filled a bag of the rest of our food and gave it all to him. Defintely not enough but it was something. I can cry again just rethinking this. We also learned the fun game of Ninja. We were able to build a home in a day for this family and give them a hope and a future. It was really neat. Then we headed out to another community to eat famous donuts and watch a dog fight (not really on the schedule and quite frightening). It was a tiring long day but wonderful. This was our last night and we were all sad. Katie had bonded with Bailey and was sad to say goodbye and Kylee just loved it so much that she was so sad to leave too. I didn't ever expect to feel the way I felt.

































DAY 6:

Departure Day...I was heartbroken! I was so sad to think that I couldn't imagine seeing these people again. I loved them all and loved the country. We all said we will be back next summer and so that is the plan. It is wonderful! I think everyone should go to Honduras and love on these people.