We got off to a little earlier start this morning (5:45) so
we could be on time to Mass in Santa Lucia. It was nice to watch Fr. Doug
concelebrate with the Honduran priest. The priest’s homily actually focused on
our mission group. He told his parishioners they needed to be like our mission
group and help the poor. He said it wasn’t enough for them to give money; they
needed to go out to places like Nueva Capital and work with the poor people of
their country.
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| Attending Mass at Santa Lucia, built in the 16th century |
After Mass we visited a beautiful oasis created by Marta’s
brother. He has a large acreage with various plants, including trails on which
to explore the area. He even provided us with a couple of his college students
to take our missioners on a tour. Then we had a Honduran sandwich with food
prepared by Marta. The sandwich had what she called stewed chicken, which
tasted a little like barbecue to me. Then she had sliced tomatoes, shredded
cabbage, and shredded beats you could put on the hoagie bun. We also ate banana
chips, watermelon, pineapple, and mango – all fresh and delicious.
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| Fr. Doug concelebrates |
Then it was off to Valle de Angeles for our tourist shopping
day. The missioners were given almost two hours to find the perfect souvenirs for
their families. We also got to eat ice cream! I believe most missioners took
advantage of that chance.
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| Starting to fill the first of 25 gift bags |
As soon as we arrived back at the compound, the group went
to work building bunk beds. Bruce put everyone on a special job, and it looked
like an assembly line. Though the crew was unable to finish them tonight, bunk
bed work has been added to the work schedule over the next four days.
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| Wood measuring and cutting crew |
Tomorrow’s goal is to get Paola’s house painted, wired, and
roofed. Then, as soon as Pat’s crew gets the doors on, it will be completed.
Hopefully, there will be a finished house photo on the blog tomorrow night.
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| Frame-connecting crew |
Here are the latest missioner messages -
Molly Suntken
Hey family!
I love it here! I am having a great time. It’s been hard work, but I am so
excited to finish the houses and let the families move in. Today we went
shopping, and I got a lot of cool souvenirs for you guys! See you in a few
days. I love and miss you all.
Rachel Kellen
It’s so amazing here. I’m having a great time here, even
with the hard work. People became smart after watching me struggle with the
first nail. In total I have now hammered five nails. Instead, I have been
carrying boards and holding them in place. I am excited to start painting. This
is such a fantastic experience. Thank you, Mom and Dad, for letting me go! Love
you bunches!
Mary and Nathan Klein
Hi, Jim, Emily, Michelle, Matt, Becca, Marilyn, Vince, and friends! We are doing great here! We have one house almost done, and the other
two have all the walls up. We are
getting a lot better at using a hammer. J It’s been really fun to meet the moms and
children who will be getting the new homes.
One little boy (Javier) said his new house was so big! One of the bedrooms is bigger than his whole
old house. The poverty is very hard to
see, but the people are so beautiful.
We hope you are all doing great, too!
We definitely miss all of you and will be very anxious to see you when
we get back. We love you!
Brittany Schmit
Hey, Everyone! Everything is going great. I am having an
amazing time down here. So glad you gave me the opportunity to come. All the
Hondurans are so welcoming. Not to mention I’ve become a pro at hammering
nails. Can’t wait to tell you guys all about it. Miss you all!
DJ
Thanks for the UNI updates! I heard Wichita St. won too, MVC
baby!! I can’t wait to hear how they do in the upcoming rounds. Glad that the
kids miss me along with Emerson. I miss you guys too. This trip is exceeding my
expectations. I can’t wait to see you all and talk to you. Lastly, shout out to
all the Iowa St. fans who said that ISU was better than UNI - haha!! Also Ryan
Stoll haha Kansas lost to a team UNI beat. Love you guys and miss you all!!
David “Dizzy” “Sure-Foot” “Google” Puhl
Hi, Mom and Dad and the sibs! Thanks for the (unhappy)
updates on the tournament. It’s been amazing to work on the houses and learn
how to use power tools and hammer nails (even if some of the kids are a lot
better than me). I’ve loved getting to
know the kids and have fun with my fellow Missioners. Love you guys and miss you all!
Ashley Schmit
Hello to everyone back home! I miss you all, but I am having
a great time down here! I can’t wait to tell you all of my stories and hear
about all of the things that I missed! I hope that Mom and Kaylee had fun in
Chicago and that the boys survived at home alone. Also happy birthday to Cody
on Tuesday! Special shout out to Mrs. Lehmann’s first grade class. - I miss you
guys and can’t wait to get back into your classroom when I get back! Bye for
now!
Keith and Michaela Bretey
Greetings from nearer the equator! We are happy to inform
you all that the farmers’ tans have set in. They represent hard work and good
times under the hot Honduran sun! But even more, they represent a labor of love
for our Honduran brothers and sisters. We’ve made lots of friends here, and
Keith’s Spanish vocabulary has expanded exponentially under my influence, as I
attempt to serve as an interpreter for my work crew! I was sure glad when
Kathya (Carlos’ daughter) came on Friday afternoon and spoke English well!!
We’re having a great experience; all is well.
Jackson—loved your act of solidarity in sleeping on the
floor like we are. Mom and Carlyn – we miss you tons! Love you lots. CBY
P.S. Bruce and J.D. have been assigning nick-names, and
today I was dubbed “fork lift”… coulda been worse….
Abigail Chagolla
Hola familia!!!! Los extranos mucho, cada dia pienso en los
dos. Me estoy divirtiendo mucho en Honduras. Estoy bien quemada, pero bien
contenta. Hoy fuimos a misa y empeze a llorar por lo hermoso que estaba el
servicio. El coro la mejor parte de la misa, porque cantaron canciones que
conocia. Solo los queria decir que los amo y los extrano a ti y a papa.
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| Slat installer crew |
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| Frame finisher/mover crews |
DJ, love the updates & I'm glad that the trip is exceeding your expectations. I was a little worried about that since you have been hearing about all our trips since you were 4 years old. We are so proud of the work all of you are doing. I want to go & build houses instead of water projects -seems easier than digging through rock. UNI lost last night but they fought hard-still proud of them! Love you & can't wait to see you!
ReplyDeleteDJ, hope all is going well, looks like you guys are making quite an impact. I know it gets hot and tiring but keep it up. You only get so much time. Friday's March Madness games in Omaha were pretty fun to go to. Both Wisconsin and Witchita State looked quite good. I didn't meet one Witchita State fan that had any worries about playing Kansas. They are pretty confident in their program. I'm looking forward to Easter to hear how the trip went.
DeleteCarolyn, did I see that Mrs. Schroeder was subbing for you? I hope for her sake you are not teaching a computer class this year haha. Keep up the great work, so cool to be able to follow you guys online.
David, good to hear from you and see you in the pictures. Enjoy the moment. We miss you. I will send your message & picture out to family. Dad
ReplyDeleteThanks for the shout out to the class! LOL! We miss you! We can't wait to hear all about your trip! Thank you for the daily updates; it makes us feel like we are right there with you. David, Jozef wants a machete. Morgan and Mel, Morgan and Taylor want a shout out! Nicole, Marisa says *waves a lot* hi! WE LOVE YOU ALL! Bye!
ReplyDeleteCSP class :) ;) ;p
Hi, DJ! It's like you never left! Paris says she misses you; she has not had anyone to argue with. The squirrels are still looking for their nuts; they just keep searching. School is so quiet since you've been away... We hope you stay safe and are thankful for the daily updates. God bless you; peace out!
ReplyDeleteChurch History Class pd. 4
Josie, it is so great to read about all that you are doing and to see the pictures of you in action on the blog. It makes us feel connected to you. I can't wait to hear about all of your amazing experiences when you return!
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't the same watching our Sunday night show without you. But I made Devan stay and watch it with me so we could talk about it.
Evie and I went to Spencer for her shower and everyone missed you there. Evie says that she is sooo proud of her big sister and misses your kisses! She is making some fun new sounds that you will enjoy hearing.
Love you and miss you!
Mom
Ethan Mousel says, "DJ, you better check yourself!" Mrs. Bickford, your favorite students miss you! We've enjoyed the comments from the missioners, but we need Abby's translated. Brogan requests you bring back a Honduran. Was the ice cream good? Was it Blue Bunny? Aubree says, "Please bring back lots of food." We miss you and are so proud of all the work you are doing!
ReplyDelete8th Grade Theology Class
Morgan, It is so nice to see all the pictures of you. It must have been quite a job getting you up and on your way at 5:45 yesterday morning. I am so proud of you - can't wait to hear all about your adventures!
ReplyDeleteCarolyn & Francis - thank you so much for the blogs. We remember when our 3 older children went on Mission Honduras back in 2002, 2004 and 2008 and we didn't hear anything for a week or more. We appreciate this connection so much with the entire team's activities. Nick & Deb Puhl
ReplyDeleteHi Ashley! I'm so glad we can follow you on this blog! We look forward to the updates from your mission trip daily. Tim, the kids and I are all thinking and praying for you and your group. I hope you are doing well and having a great time. Love, Jody
ReplyDeleteRachel, It was so nice to hear from you. The house is really quiet without you. Sounds like you know the profession that you will not be seeking....construction! LOL. God may not have given you the gift to hit a nail, but I'm sure you will make up for it with a paint brush. Anxious to hear all your stories when you get home. Love you bunches! Mom
ReplyDeleteHey mom, hope everything is going well in the country of Fabio (aka Honduras). Cayden went pee in the toilet 2 times today. The Hawkeye's lost last night, but at least they made it to the final 32 teams. Look forward to you getting back, we will have to dust off your golf clubs soon so we can get out golfing.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth and Team,
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the blog post, about how the priest encouraged his parishioners to be like you and go out among the poor, we are confident this year's Team is living the 2015 theme of "Always There." You are there among the people who need you most right now in their lives. You are there living Christ's example of Servant Leadership. We pray daily for your work and safe return.
Connor misses riding to school with you and sharing stories. It’s just not the same when he tells us the play by play of Soccer practice and you’re not there rolling your eyes. The Minot trip was fun but cold; they still have snow and cold weather which we were glad to leave behind. Dad, Connor, Caleb and Zach burned the ditches, tilled the garden, and cut up the wood from the fallen tree.
We send our love, hugs and prayers as you each develop your relationship with God and the Honduran people.
Love~ Mom, Dad and Connor
Mark and Nicole - sounds like yesterdays journey was a good time.... and a stop for ice cream... that had to make your day Nicole! Grandpa and Grandma send their love - they read the blog daily and search the photos for you both. They cannot wait to hear the stories first hand and to give both of you a big hug. Becca admitted yesterday she is missing her dad and sister.... cant wait to see you Friday.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like the work on the houses is moving along well. It is so exciting to know that our group has such a impact on the families that get these homes -- not houses, but homes for their family. Something that we take for granted is such a gift to these families. It is something they will forever treasure.
Our prayers for the mission team continue and we will see you on Friday.
Love - Kris and Becca
Hi Mary & Nathan - It was so good to hear from you and to know that you are doing great! I'm not surprised, it doesn't take long being around the people there in Honduras to catch their spirit of Joy and Love. Hearing what Javier had to say about his new home is pretty powerful. We miss you and can't wait to see you Friday night. Keep up the good work and we will keep praying for all of you! Jim & Emily
ReplyDeleteLucas and JD, have you found each other? It's great to read the blog each day and watch the progress. We are very proud of what you are accomplishing. Mitchell misses you more than he will admit. We can hardly wait to hear about all of your stories and all of your "new" names. Keeping all of you in our thoughts and prayers! Love, Mary and Mitchell
ReplyDeleteHey mom, hope everything is going well in the country of Fabio (aka Honduras). Cayden went pee in the toilet 2 times today. The Hawkeye's lost last night, but at least they made it to the final 32 teams. Look forward to you getting back, we will have to dust off your golf clubs soon so we can get out golfing.
ReplyDeleteHey guys! It is so exciting to read the blog every night and see all of the progress being made. You all make us back at home so proud of what you are doing. Im glad you are all enjoying it and working hard. Seeing the photos makes me want to head back there so badly. Cant wait to see you all again! Good luck with the rest of your Mission and God Bless you all.
ReplyDelete