Mission Honduras LeMars director, Richard Seivert, announced today the organization will be sending a medical / dental team to Honduras in late January 2015.
Preparations for this mission trip began in earnest during the summer of 2014 and continues to today.
He said all things are in place and the team is simply waiting for the day of packing all the medicines and equipment and beginning their mission work in Honduras.
It is estimated the team will see over 1500 patients, including many hundreds of children.
The team is composed of 19 members: 5 medical doctors, 2 dentists, 4 nurses, 1 pharmacist, 1 dental assistant, and 6 translators and support personnel.
The team will locate in Nueva Capital and set up a 5 day clinic right on site.
2023 Team
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Thursday, March 27, 2014
We Say Farewell
And so our mission
draws to a close. Today we breakfasted on scrambled eggs, ham, beans,
pineapple, watermelon, orange juice, and coffee. Then we split into the work
crews needed for the day. The building crew finished installing the electrical
materials and wiring and put in the two windows. Most everyone else painted the
blue bottom of the school building to the north of us. Groups of four students
delivered cross necklaces to the second, third, fourth and fifth graders. The
girls searched out several girls at recess time and gave them each a dress that
Sr. Juanita had made out of pillow cases. Miranda Bunkers kept busy
distributing hair bows and bracelets that her sisters had made. The Santa
Teresa students really enjoyed receiving their gifts.
During our lunch of
rice, stew, tortillas, and salad, we discussed the various chores that needed
to be done before retiring for the evening. Missioners are still going out to
the homes of some of the poorest students to distribute the gift bags. The
houses have been completed, the painting is done, and we’re almost finished
with packing up our belongings to leave behind. As I type this blog, missioners
are showering and cleaning up what they can at this point.
We’re looking forward
to a supper of enchiladas, and I’ve heard that we’re to get a special treat
this afternoon – machatiadas! We’ll all be signing this year’s group mural on
the wall of the building that we painted after tonight’s junta. We’ll also go
through the protocol we’ll follow for our return home.
We’ve just finished an
emotional junta, ending with “Lean on Me,” complete with actions. It was a
fitting ending to an amazing mission trip. I went through every step of our
return trip so all the missioners know exactly what will be happening tomorrow.
We’ll be up early
tomorrow morning, as usual. Fr. Patricio has invited the whole team to join
them in what they call formacion at 7 a.m. It is going to be an emotional
farewell because everyone has made some wonderful friends here. Though we’re
all excited to see our families again, we’ll all miss the friends we’ve made
here. The Honduran children LOVE to hug. Everyone is going to be mobbed with
hugs tomorrow and I know we’ll all be emotional messes. Then we’ll see all of
you at the airport, and it will happen all over again.
There is only one
message tonight from Megan for her mom: “MOM, it would be clutch if you made
and brought your chocolate chip cookies.” J (I hope she
meant for the whole team!)
Adios! We’ll see you in
Omaha Friday night. Thanks for following our mission trip.
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
We'll Make It Work!
French toast tasted
good at breakfast this morning. Afterwards we took our group photo on the steps
outside our building.
Then we had to figure
out who was going where and what projects we could do with the personnel and
equipment available. Our orange paint disappeared from the hallway. Later we
discovered the principal had given it away to the gate guard. So we had to
improvise on that. With Bruce and Alex leaving, Pat needed to know what had to be
done on the upper house. They made a trip up to discuss that.
Dave’s group started
working on the three picnic tables because the paint for the school building
walls did not show up this morning. A couple students went with Pat and Randy
to the lower house. There they worked on installing the wiring, door jambs, and
glass window. We are happy to report that it was finished at 5 this afternoon
and the lights were on when we left the lower house.
The building paint
showed up at noon. After lunch the paint crew went to work on the school wall. Unfortunately,
someone told them to paint blue on the top part of the wall. After a section
was painted, the principal informed them that the top was supposed to be white
and the bottom blue. The crew switched gears and painted the bottom blue.
Students were pulled
off their other crews to help build the picnic tables. The final nail was
pounded into place at 6, just in time for supper.
We also rotated
students to deliver gift bags. I cannot express with words the poverty we
witnessed as we delivered the gift bags. One family deeply affected me. There
were three children and a mother who lived in a shack about the size of a
decent bathroom. The house had a dirt floor with one or two very small twin
beds covered with all kinds of rags and other items. There were no windows, and
the walls were patchworked with posters and plastic to cover the holes. A small
table which butted up to the bed had some small cherry tomatoes and some other
small food item. A small metal bin hung from the ceiling with a few tiny items.
The mother had left the three children, ages 11, 8, and 6 alone for the week
while she went to be with her sister whose husband had been killed in an
accident, according to the neighbor. I have no idea how the children were able
to find any food. Fortunately, they are all students and receive a small meal
at the school. It was truly a shock for the whole group to see. A photo below shows
the group with the children on the side of the home.
We’re all starting to
feel a sense of accomplishment. The picnic tables are done. We’ve totally
finished one home. The sand and rocks have been carried down the mountainside
for the chicken coop project. One full building is completely painted and
another will be completed tomorrow. Six gift bags were delivered by six student
missioners. The second through fourth graders have had multiple English lessons.
We shopped for our souvenirs after Mass in a church from the sixteenth century
and visited a beautiful oasis in Santa Lucia. We helped children at a feeding
center. We’ve enjoyed immensely interacting with both the school children at
Santa Teresa’s and at the feeding center. Obviously, much has been accomplished
by this year’s team.
I’d like to sign off
tonight with a quote by Dan O’Brien. If you need any explanation, you’ll have
to ask him. “There is no mission without i.”
Missioner blogs follow:
Kennedy Rolfes: Hey Mo!
I am having a blast down here and can’t wait to tell you all about it! Of
course, I did break the bank shopping. ;) It’s in my nature!! Missing you like
crazy and the countdown is on! Love you to the moon and back!
delivering gift bags |
audience for drilling |
table 3 |
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Then Feed Just One Food Makes a Difference
It is with a heavy
heart that I write tonight’s blog. Unfortunately, Bruce and Alex must return
home early so they can be with their dad/grandpa, who is really missing them.
We all agree that they should return, but we’ll really miss them.
Pancakes for breakfast
this morning and watermelon. As soon as we finished eating, we put everyone to
work. Even though we were heading to Talanga at 8:30, we definitely didn’t want
any of us sitting around too much. A few missioners treated the wood that is
going to be used to build three picnic tables, and the remainder of the
missioners carried sand down the mountainside in gunny sacks. Actually, they
formed a line and passed the sacks down until they reached the Hondurans who
carried it the rest of the way.
As stated earlier, we
headed for Talanga – a two-hour trip – to visit the Feeding Center. While we
were touring the facility, we discovered boxes of Then Feed Just One food.
Excited, we examined the labels on the boxes. THEIR FOOD WAS FROM GEHLEN,
SPALDING, AND EMMETSBURG!!! The children who were in the feeding program were
possibly eating the food we packed last May. That was truly eye-opening for all
of the missioners. Many of us commented on that at junta tonight. Many people
mentioned that now that they’ve seen the food actually being eaten by children
who were probably getting their only meal of the day, they know the importance
of our packing event.
Lunch was peanut butter
& jelly sandwiches, chips, and granola bars enroute to Nueva Capital from
Talanga. Traveling today gave everyone the chance to experience Honduran driving
at its best. No one has figured out the horn honking language of the Honduran
drivers. I think you have to be a native Honduran to understand it. Sofia,
Marta’s oldest daughter, ate her very first peanut butter & jelly sandwich
while with us today and said it actually wasn’t that bad.
As soon as we returned
to the compound, we all went to work moving sand and gravel down the
mountainside. The people here are building a grand chicken coop toward the back
of the compound. They were slowly moving a bit of sand and gravel each day, so
we told them we’d make sure the pile was moved for them. They were extremely
grateful.
After a supper of
pupusas (corn tortillas surrounding melted cheese and a pinch of pork paste, I
think, and grilled; then you put shredded cabbage like slaw on top of it),
Janet got out her guitar and we had a singalong. Tonight’s junta was
thought-provoking. There were plenty of emotions after our experiences at the
feeding center.
Actually, I think
everyone is starting to get a little emotional because we all know our mission
experience is drawing to a close. I’m also sure that some of the missioners are
realizing they miss their families, though they might not admit it. I predict a
bus full of tears when we leave this place.
Missioners’ blogs:
Emily Pratt- Hey mom
and dad, everything is going great down here today. Going to the feeding center
was quite an experience. The children there were really excited for us to be
there today. I miss you guys. Shopping on Sunday was actually fun for me. I got
you some great stuff. Tell Sally I miss her very much. Catherine, I hope all is
going well at college, and I got a few things for you too. Tell Katie and Billy
hi for me. To all of my friends, I hope you are having lots of fun at school
and in the cold weather. It is very nice down here. See you all soon.
Megan Livermore: Hey
family and other people! J
All is well in Honduras, and I love hearing from all of you guys back home,
makes part of my day! Honestly, not too excited about the weather everyone is
talking about back home, but I cannot wait to see you guys! Kelsey, I miss
hearing you make fun of me everyday too, but no worries because almost everyone
down here is, so it’s like I never left! David, sorry to hear that posting on
the blog is difficult for you, but I am beyond glad to know you are following
our journey down here. It means a lot to know that all of you guys are
following us, keeping up to date on our journey, and most of all praying for
our group. Mom, Dad, the sibs and Kinnick: I miss you guys soooo very much and
no worries, we will have plenty of stories and answers to share with you guys
when we get back! This trip has been amazing so far! #omaha #yahoo
Jim and Michelle Klein:
Hola to Mom/Mary, Matt, Nathan, and Emily. It was great to hear from you. We
are glad Emily did great at volleyball. We are doing very well. It was fun
playing with the kids at the feeding center in Talanga today. They asked us to
play pato, pato, gansaje (duck, duck, goose), but they didn’t play by the same
rules. We enjoyed the view as we traveled, but the driving was interesting. Emily,
Dad is worried about getting his spot back. You’d better enjoy it while you
can. We love and miss you and will see you soon.
Patrick (not Megan)
Livermore: Howdy. This is my first blog so here I go. Mother, Father, I am having a swell time
down south of the border. This might
surprise you, but it is hot down here. I
miss all my family, including the runt.
Hope you guys are having fun back in God’s Country. Next topic. Hello, Cecilia and such. I forgot you guys
were still there. I am curious if you
guys accomplish anything in class. Time to go.
This has been PatRick on MH’s blog. Yahoo. I’m out.
Adam Sitzmann: Hello to
everybody that’s reading this, especially my family. It’s been a blast down
here so far. I’m really missing everybody, and I am looking forward to sharing
my experience when I get back. I’m missing everybody. I, for sure, haven’t been
hungry so far. I also finally buckled down and ate some peanut butter, not the
worst stuff ever. I also did read all of my English book
down here during our siestas. See you all soon!
P.S. To Abby: Please
clean off my golf clubs for when I get back on Saturday. I, for sure, am going
golfing.
Carolyn Bickford: Tell Mya that I'll be over on Saturday to watch Frozen with her, and I'll give both Mya & Cayden a hug. Paige & Marshall, I'll Facetime with you on Saturday. Looking forward to talking & seeing all of you. I hope Pakka & Angel are okay. No one has given me any information on them, so I assume everything is going fine. I'll text Lyndsi in Atlanta, tell her that please.
Monday, March 24, 2014
Back to Work
This morning began, as
usual, at 6 a.m. We breakfasted on eggs, ham, beans, watermelon, juice, and
coffee. Missioners were divided into three groups: teachers, house one, and
house two. The teaching went well. Our students are really getting into the
swing of being teachers. Crews at both house sites installed two doors, cut out
windows, and painted either interior or exterior walls or both. The students
are definitely learning all kinds of useful skills. I think they are becoming
part Honduran, as I’ve seen some of them improvising materials as needed. One
item today was a paint stir stick made from a piece of rebar and bent into a
hook. Then it was turned by the drill. That was Bruce’s idea, but I’ve also
seen the students doing things Honduran style.
Everyone seemed to be
dragging a little today. I guess shopping takes more out of them than work
does. After a lunch of grilled chicken, rice, and beans, I ordered a mandatory
siesta for everyone. I also forbid any soccer games so their bodies could get
rested. I think it worked because I’ve noticed a lot more energy tonight. Some
are singing songs with the Honduran children. Some are doing their laundry by
hand. All have had their cold shower. And I think there are a few card games
going on.
It’s just about time
for junta now. I will finish the rest of the blog afterwards.
We had lots of sharing
at junta tonight, which is nice. The students are having a great experience.
They are doing everything asked of them and more; they are true examples of
what Pope Francis wants us to be. What wonderful examples of American students
they are showing the Hondurans.
Missioners’ blogs
follow:
Mariah McCarty: Hello
again! I can’t put into words how amazing this whole experience is, but I can’t
wait to share it the best I can with you when I get back. I’m not going to lie,
going shopping for souvenirs for family and friends made me really miss everyone
yesterday. I can’t wait to see all of you! :) Good news: The kids no longer
laugh when I speak in Spanish. Improvement! Ps. Mom- have you heard anything
about jobs? Megan- I miss our sister talks. Love you all!!
Miranda Bunkers: Hey
family! I`m starting to miss you all. Never thought I`d say that. J But everything is going good here! Yesterday while shopping,
there was a young boy that was selling grasshoppers made out of a palm leaf. He
said that it was for him and his brother so they could eat because they are
orphans. Come to find out that the money was being used for inappropriate
reasons. I will explain later. Just thought I would share one of the many
stories to come! Can’t wait to see you all on Friday!! Love you and see you
soon!! <3 o:p="">3>
Rebecca Feller: Okay, Mother,
haha you are so funny. Thanks for giving me an option about the trip, but where
is it? I’ll let you know if I want to go when I get back from this trip.
Dan ‘OB’: Yes, I am
still alive here in Honduras. Poor Richard, sorry about the possible nightmares
after you saw the pictures of me painting, thickest paint I ever had to work
with. Learning a lot, but it is quite difficult. Someone forgot to tell me that
almost everybody doesn’t speak English. Going as far as I can with a smile and
sharing a piece of (for all those concerned – sugar free) gum. The weather here
is quite enjoyable, and I have been extra attentive with the sunscreen. Ming,
hope you are doing ok and not going crazy or hungry because I have been gone so
long. Looking forward to sharing a smile, hug and a piece of gum with you.
Living arrangements are Spartan, but we have plenty of water (cold showers) and
the food is better than expected. Elen, miss you, hoping Kyle is keeping you,
Abby and Hurley entertained. Tell Mom that the candles are working. The crew is
starting to open up and our evening meetings are getting more productive. My
distance girls you are so lucky you didn’t come with me - every hill is a 14th.
I believe I could have a successful XC team here, but everybody plays soccer.
Wednesday I get to teach English, so you know the students will have funny
lines to share with their folks when they get home. Also, got the times from
the meet on the 18th, and ladies, there is work to do and I hope
that you are working hard for Gina (She is coaching you, right?). Once again it is time for me to ‘mingle’
along with my thoughts of home, looking forward to seeing all my familiar faces
again on the 28th.
Kennedy Rolfes: Hey,
Mom and Dad! Bout time you blogged me…..I was waiting for you to! Trust me, I
am pleasantly surprised myself that I am doing laundry, dishes, and other
chores. However, that does not mean I will do them back home. ;) Yes, you are
correct, I was one of the burnt ones haha. By the way, I did get asked if I
could cut off a piece of my hair and give it to someone. They love red heads.
;) I am loving every moment of being here and am so thankful for you giving me
the opportunity to come here. It is absolutely beautiful and the Honduran
people are too. They are so friendly and loving. I especially love the
children. My Spanish is coming along great too. I am surprised how well I can
speak and interpret. I miss you both very much and can’t wait to see you soon. Tell
Kylee I miss and love her. Love you both to the moon and back. Mariah, I’m
sorry you had to do our duet alone, but on the bright side, I will be back this
weekend! I miss you so so so so much along with our baby dancers. I hope they
are behaving for you! Missing your laugh more than anything. I can’t wait to see
you! Love you, Rae Rae.
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Santa Lucia & Valle de Angeles
Sunday began a little
earlier than normal because we had to take off for church. We ate French toast
and watermelon with coffee and orange juice. Everyone did their chores and
brought in their laundry from Saturday night. Then it was off to Santa Lucia.
In the village of Santa
Lucia we attended 9 o’clock Mass at Santa Lucia Church. The church was
beautiful and contained many historic artifacts that Father explained to us
after Mass. He also had our whole group come into the sanctuary and explained
to the congregation what we were doing in Honduras. He welcomed us and thanked
us for helping his countrymen. The crucifix behind the altar was given to the
church by King Philip of Spain in the sixteenth century. There was a painting
of Jesus on the cross that was from seventeenth century, and a statue of St.
Lucy from the eighteenth century and was given to the church by the mayor of
Tegucigalpa. On the wall next to St. Lucy was a plaque of small medals that the
priest said were verified miracles performed by St. Lucy, the patron saint of
eyesight. She’s the patron saint of eyesight because of how she was tortured
for her beliefs.
After church we walked
a few blocks to Marta’s brother’s house. Her brother is a biology professor in
Tegucigalpa. He’s created an oasis of six acres in Santa Lucia. There were all
kinds of trees and plants, as well as fountains, in various areas throughout
those acres. Each section is devoted to a specific culture. There are paths
that run throughout the whole “oasis.” There was also a three-room house being
used as a museum. The students roamed the paths. Some of us took advantage of
the hammock or pergola, where he served refreshments. We also ate our picnic
lunch of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Unfortunately, the return walk to
the bus was approximately nine blocks uphill on cobblestone roads.
Then we were off to
Valle de Angeles to shop. The students were given two hours to find their
souvenirs and have ice cream. Everyone tried to find the best items for their
family members and friends. It is interesting to note that when given the
chance to choose their shopping chaperones, all of them chose the men. Randy’s
group was the largest so Dan agreed to help him. Bachelor Pat got to escort
four of the girls on their shopping excursion. Needless to say, he had his
hands full just trying to keep Caroline from wandering off! AND his was the
last group to return to the bus.
Supper was lettuce,
cucumbers, carrots, radishes, chicken, and rice. Once again, everyone dined
sumptuously.
We began junta with
music tonight. Janet played guitar and led a sing-along. As junta progressed,
it was apparent that all are truly absorbing their mission experience. Of
course, we all noticed the contrast between the poverty here in Nueva Capital
and the over-abundance of money in some of the other areas of Honduras. The
importance of maintaining the feelings we’re experiencing and the lessons we’re
learning while on our mission trip. Many missioners already have shared that
they know how difficult will be to leave here. Imagine: they have no electronic
devices, are sleeping on a mattress on the floor with a room full of other
people, are doing hard physical labor, washing their clothes on a washboard, arising
at 6 a.m. every day, are allowed only 60-second cold showers, and they are
going to have difficulty leaving. That should tell you a lot about these
missioners!
Notes from the
missioners:
Carolyn Bickford: Hi to
all my family members. Drew, please call Lyndsi and check on how the dogs are
doing. I heard that Angel had to go back to the vet for her eye. Mya, Cayden,
Paige, and Marshall – I love you all very much. I hope your parents are helping
you pray for our mission group. I look forward to seeing Mya and Cayden on
Saturday. Paige and Marshall, I’ll get there as soon as possible. Jay, Miranda,
Drew, and Ali – yes, I miss you also. I hope you’re checking out the blogs so
you’re know what we’re doing. Take care of each other!
Colton Kneip: Hi mom
and all, thanks for letting me know about everything. We are all having a blast,
and I guess I kinda miss my family and friends at night when we’re lying in
bed. Friday will come fast, and we’ll see you soon!
The Importance of Water
Saturday began at 6
a.m. Our breakfast of pancakes, oranges, and mangos was consumed at 6:30; then
the groups took off for work. Since there were no students in school today,
Linda kept a paint crew to do the green layer on the bottom of the school building.
The rest of the missioners were split between the two building projects. Much
progress was made at both sites. The upper crew got the roof on but did not do
any painting. The lower crew did not get the roof on but did get some painting
done. Thus, I’d say they’re pretty even on their progress.
We agreed that today’s
lunch was our favorite: enchiladas with tomatoes, cabbage, and cheese. There
were many happy people when we got to have a twenty-minute siesta after lunch.
The afternoon chores
consisted of the paint crew finishing their green base. The rest of us strung
crosses that we’ll distribute to the Santa Teresa students on our last day. Our
table definitely strung many more crosses than the men’s tables.
Fr. Patricio, the head
of the schools, celebrated Mass in the compound at 3. He took the opportunity
to welcome our group and to point out how important it is to do service, like
we are doing.
Marta then did a
laundry lesson for the students so they could clean some of their clothes using
the pila. Some of the girls generously offered to do laundry for the boys.
Unfortunately, Kyle will have to get his laundry off the basketball hoop in the
morning. Even a few of guys did laundry for some others. It’s hard to believe
they actually enjoyed doing laundry
Many of the boys played
soccer before we had supper. Supper consisted of grilled beef and pork on
tortillas with pico de gallo. We have definitely been fed well.
As we talked during
tonight’s junta, quite a few missioners expressed the difficulty we were having
not giving the Honduran children our water, and how important water is. It is
quite apparent in this region where we are working because they have to buy
their water – not just drinking water. Water trucks drive through the area all
day long selling water. Some of it is just river water that they use for
laundry or making cement. We also have had to purchase all the water we are
using, so we try to conserve as much as possible. We take so much for granted.
Now that we are witnessing what happens in a country with a shortage of water,
we can start appreciating what we do have and not waste our precious
commodities.
The students are having
a wonderful time without their electronic devices. They’re getting the chance
to really talk to each other and play together in simple ways. It’ll be
interesting to see if that continues once they return to the States.
Here are the latest
missioner messages:
Randy and Sadie: Hello everyone back home! HAPPY BIRTHDAY,
MOM! We hope you are having a great day, and Presley is treating you well!
Everything here is going pretty good so far besides some minor details. The
first day Randy ripped a hole in his work pants so he just fixed them up with
some duct tape; they are still holding strong on Saturday. Yesterday I realized
hammers and I do not get along well! So I got moved to mixing cement instead.
We finally got juice, but we had to jerry rig it and steal juice from the
neighbor’s house. We are guessing Tim
and Julie got engaged! Tell everyone Hello from us and we miss them all. Also tell Ali that baby needs to stay in
until Friday. That’s the first day that works for us. ;) By the way Jake, Bruce
misses you!
Megan & Patrick: Hello, family? Anyone there?! Why have
we not heard from you guys lately? J
We love and miss you guys (even though Patrick has not said it. I think he does
anyways) and would LOVE to hear from you guys! The days are passing faster than
ever, and I am learning the meaning of Honduran time! That will definitely not
help out with my senioritis, at all! Anyway, we only have 6 days left here, and
I am not sure how I feel about that yet. I miss you guys, yet I don’t want to
leave here! #yahoo #omaha
PS. Patrick found out that Iowa lost…some words were said.
Rebecca Feller: Hello mother and I guess Les, I love and
miss you tons. Umm do you know where the Senior Trip is and if I am going? Also
Mother I just want to let you know that I am surviving off tortillas and peanut
butter. I somewhat know how to do laundry but doesn’t mean I am going to do it
at home just yet. And last but not least please have cheeseballs for me when I
get to Omaha. Can’t wait to see you, Cathy, and Lyns. Love you very much and I
miss you tons! Kisses!
Dave & Janet Klein:
Hi everyone, we are having a great mission. Dave has been helping build the home, and I
am doing many things – pictures and helping with other projects as needed. We are seeing another part of Honduras – the
school children have been a lot of fun giving a lot of hugs and very high
energy. During the day the children are
all over in the grounds. Recess is total chaos.
Hope everything is going well at home.
Hello to all the students at Emmetsburg Catholic.
Brady Heying: Hi mom and dad. The trip is going great. First
off, I wish I could say that it doesn’t surprise me that Iowa lost. We have
been doing a lot of work in the past couple days. Linda has been taking
advantage of being my aunt and used it as a power to use against me. I told her
I was going tell grandma on her if she didn’t start to be nice to me! Anyways,
I have to shower and get ready for bed now. Goodbye, I will see you soon.
Caroline Ascherl: It’s been so great to hear from everyone!
Mom and Connor, I hope you are making it okay without me there. Thank you so much for all the prayers. Connor
don’t lie, I know you miss me.J
Caitlin you were completely right about everything on this trip. I have so much
to do when I get back, and I don’t even care! Dad, I wish I could tell you that
I’m a pro at the building sites, but I’m pretty lost on everything. Patrick has
good instructions though, and he’s been keeping an eye on me just for you, Mom!
Spanish Class, I would just like to let you all know that what we are learning
IS RELEVANT! Mrs. Wrather, you would be proud of my speaking. I think I deserve
a 5 for speaking points because I am doing GRRRRREAT! Also Happy Belated
Birthday, Stefan, I hope it was great, and I can’t wait to see you! I have so
much to tell all of you and I can’t wait to see you.J I think about you all. Good night!
Kelly Full: I am not sure how to greet my parents because
everyone has used up all the clever ones. Hi Tony and Kristine. I miss you guys
a whole heck of a lot, and I can’t wait to see you both even if I have to wait
a little bit longer to see you mommy. I’ve been thinking about you guys a lot
while working these past few days and all of the important lessons you have
taught me to prepare myself for the future, and I’m sad to say it took me so
long to realize this was a gift instead of an annoyance. Thank you for
instilling in me a good work ethic and a sense of responsibility. Say hi to
everyone at home for me, Rosalie Kris Emily Emilio Riley Grandma Gabriel and
Lucia. I’m having a blast here, but I’m also counting down the days until I get
to see you again. Dad, I might bring a mutt home.
Friday, March 21, 2014
Our Work Continues
First of all, all of us here in Honduras want to
tell everyone who helped support our trip with money donations, product
donations, purchasing raffle tickets, or in any other way – THANK YOU! At our
junta tonight and last night we all expressed our gratitude, knowing that
without your support, we would not be able to be here on our mission trip.
Our third day in Honduras began with a breakfast of
cereal. It took a little adjustment on our part because the milk was warm. It’s
not refrigerated until after it’s opened. We also had fruit, juice, and coffee.
Then it was off to work.
We were a bit more organized today so everyone got
off to work shortly after breakfast. There was no paint crew today, so the
students were split into two building crews and a teaching crew. There were a
few moments of anxiety when we thought we’d misplaced Caroline. I searched for
her on the closer work site, but she wasn’t there. That’s when I began
panicking until I returned to the school to find she’d been doing the dishes
with Alex. I guess no one noticed that Alex was missing.
Once again everyone pitched right in and did
whatever was asked of them. It’s unbelievable how cooperative, hard-working,
and pleasant the students have been. What wonderful kids you all have! I’ve not
heard a single complaint, nor has anyone tried to be lazy or hold back on the
job. They try to talk with the children here and use their limited Spanish. I
heard one student say he should have paid attention in Spanish last year. The
Honduran students are constantly surrounding us with hugs and greeting us both
with words and smiles. I believe 90 students were taught their English lessons
today. All of the third graders and part of the fourth received English
lessons. Both houses have the outside walls up and some of the inside walls.
Tomorrow the roofs will go up and the painting will begin.
Lunch consisted of tuna noodle casserole and
tortillas and fruit. The first order of business after that was to unpack all
the donated items. Everyone sorted items according to the signs posted by Linda
and Janet in the library. After all the items were sorted, we prepared gift bags
for 36 families, which we’ll distribute on Wednesday and Thursday. We also gave
a couple bags of items to a lady named Andrea who works with street children in
Tegucigalpa. She does amazing work and is quite the woman!
Supper was balleadas and watermelon. Believe me,
everyone was stuffed! Another great junta gave us the opportunity to share all
we’d experienced for the day. As I type the blog, the students have walked up
the mountainside inside the compound with some chaperones to see the lights of
Tegucigalpa. It’s a gorgeous site. And now I hear them spending a little time
unwinding by playing some games together. I don’t think they’re missing their
electronic devices very much. It gives them lots of time to TALK to each, laugh
with each other, work with each other, and enjoy each other.
We’re all anxious to get back to work in the
morning. Last night we had a little better rest. Only some of us heard the
roosters crowing all night, the dogs serenading the surrounding area, but I
think everyone heard the bus’s horns early this morning. A couple took cold
showers tonight, but none are anxious to take any shower longer than 60
seconds.
Thanks for your comments. Please keep them and your
prayers coming our way. Know that everyone is healthy and greatly enjoying
their mission trip. Missioners’ blogs follow:
Corey Sitzmann: Mom, Dad, Friends, and Family, I am working very hard, mostly at playing
soccer to beat the Hondurans. Ask anyone here.
Dad, you’d better be doing my chores. I don’t want my heifers dead when
I get back. Miss you, mother! I will continue to work hard and see you all on
Friday or Saturday. Bill Sitzmann, Adam sends a heartfelt Happy Birthday your
way.
Emily Pratt: Hey everyone. The experience down here has been
great. It is lots of playing and talking with the little kids. Building the
houses has been work, but it pays off when you see how far you can get in one
day. Mom and Dad: Tell Sally she is a really spoiled dog, and that I miss her
greatly. I miss you guys too. The
weather down here has been nice, and I can say I haven’t gotten burnt very badly
yet. See you guys soon. J
Jim and Michelle Klein: Hi Mary/Mom, Matt, Nathan, and
Emily. We are doing very well. I (Michelle) have had a lot of fun painting and
building houses. I (Jim) have worked both days at one of the houses. It was
pretty neat meeting the families we are building the houses for. The kids at
the school are very friendly and full of energy. It has been a fun challenge to
talk with them. It is also very difficult to get them to stop touching the walls
with wet paint because they want to see if it is dry or not. We love and miss
you all (especially Emily, from Michelle).
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Hurry Up and Wait
Rise and shine this morning occurred at 6 a.m. Everyone got
up fairly quickly; however, I predict that will change toward the end of the
mission trip. It IS rather noisy here at Santa Teresa. The roosters are a bit
confused because they started crowing at approximately midnight, the dogs never
did quit barking (and believe me there
are a lot of them), and I think the first bus’s loud horn started blaring at
4:30. Most of them didn’t need their wake-up call, except to let them know when
to dress for breakfast.
We ate eggs, refried beans, sausages,tortillas, potatoes, and tomatoes. There was also orange
juice and Honduran coffee. We have definitely been eating well.
The student missioners were split into several groups for
today’s work assignments. We were ready to work at 7; however, we had to wait
for the translators who had a little trouble getting here. Then there was a bit
of confusion as to which tools should go to which work site, where the supplies
actually had been stored, exactly how to go about building, a meeting with the
Honduran contractor, and the transportation for one of the building crews.
Nonetheless, the two building crews were finally under way and making great
progress by the time we ate lunch. The paint crew also had some difficulty getting
the paint brushes to work, finding rollers and paint pans, and getting the
paint to spread properly. In the end they actually finished painting the full
top portion of the whole preschool building. They have only a 3 foot section
along the bottom of the full building to paint green and the project that was
expected to take the full time will be completed on Saturday.
The only group that encountered absolutely no obstacles or
difficulties was the English teaching group. Our English teachers taught 127 Honduran
second and third graders. It’s fun to hear them coming up to each of us to
practice their new English skills. “Hello – good morning – good afternoon-please-thank
you-what’s up?- and the beginning of the “head, shoulders, knees, and toes”
song.
Lunch today was rice with chicken and vegetables, cheese, watermelon,
and tortillas. Supper consisted of tacos, rice, tortillas, pineapple, and
watermelon. We are definitely being fed delicious meals.
Everyone got to take a 60 second cold shower this afternoon.
A few of the boys played soccer for a while after work, and the girls have been
enjoying some conversation with Andrea, who is Marta’s daughter. She helped
today with translating at one of the work sites. She’s fitting in wonderfully
with the girls.
We had a nice junta tonight and had a bit of free time.
Bedtime will be at 10 so everyone will be ready to go to work in the morning.
Thanks to everyone for their comments. Hello to my family,
most especially to Mya, Cayden, Paige, and Marshall. I hope everything is going
well at home.
Some of the missioners took the opportunity to write notes
to you today. They follow this blog.
Miranda Bunkers: Hey everyone, everything is going awesome!
Today we started our jobs, and it seems like we will be a very fast crew. We
are further along than what we expected. And mom, yes, I am staying hydrated
and I luckily was not one of the three that got fried. I miss everyone talk to
you later!
Mariah McCarty: Hola everyone! Today was our first day here
and it was a lot of work, but we accomplished a lot and had a blast. And I,
unlike Miranda, am one of the burnt ones. The people here are so generous and
welcoming it is truly humbling. It is a whole different world here, and I can’t
wait to tell all of you the stories. Cole-thanks for watching Flounder :) Adios
until later!
Megan & Patrick Livermore: Hey guys! All is well and we
are working hard so no worries! Today I have learned that patience is key, and
so is sunscreen…curse our Irish heritage.
#yahoo #omaha Anyways We love you
guys tons!
Adam Sitzmann: Hey everybody, it’s been really fun here so
far! So far I have assisted in starting on one of the houses and helping with
teaching English. I’ve also been playing a lot of soccer down here. Well, see
you guys in a little bit. See ya!
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