We're back in the USA!

We're in Miami and waiting for our flight back to RDU. Everyone is anxious to be home with family and sleep tonight in our own beds!

I have more pictures and videos that I will try and post tonight or tomorrow.

We thank God for the many blessings we've received during this trip and the opportunity to do His work in Honduras. While we are glad to be almost home, apart of us stayed in Honduras...


- Posted from Tocoa, Honduras

El Progresso

We had an nice surprise yesterday evening, when we thought we were going to meet with a few of Juan's church friends, instead the whole church had planned a worship service and dinner for us! We thoroughly enjoyed the time we spent with Juan's church family.




We also had the pleasure to meet several members of Juan's family.




- Posted from El Progresso, Honduras

Leaving for El Progresso

Well were busy checking out and saying our goodbyes. We will drive to LaCeiba and have lunch and do some souvenir shopping. Then we drive across Honduras to El Progresso, where we will stay the night. Looking forward to seeing our families.

Last day's activities

The house was completed today, with floor being finished, doors and roof were completed as well.

Here's the video of the dedication of Philippe's house. It was taken in the evening, so the lighting is not good, but hopefully you can still sense the gratitude of Philippe and his mother.

Last year was the first time we had a water balloon fight and the kids had a blast! The kids were asking when we were going to do it again, so here's the video of the kids going crazy with water balloons!

Last day in Tocoa!

Today is our last day in Tocoa and allot of emotions are starting to show with the realization that we will be leaving our Honduran family. Mike led our devotion this morning and it was based upon Philippians 4: 11-14.


¹¹ I don't say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. ¹² I know both how to have a little, and I know how to have a lot.In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret [of being content]—whether well-fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. ¹³ I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me. ¹⁴ Still, you did well by sharing with me in my hardship.


Mike talked about as we finish up our activities today, we need to remember that it's not as important that we accomplish everything on "our" to do list, but that we take every opportunity to do everything that God puts before us that's on His to do list for us.

We may not see the results of the seeds we've planted, but we hope and pray that we were able to make a small difference in these people’s lives and we are so grateful for God allowing us to do His work, in this part of the world.

Honduras Team Update 04-19-2011

Construction continued on Philippe's house yesterday. The windows are installed, part of floor has been poured and the framework for the roof is complete. 

Some of the team visited the feeding station yesterday, participating in the serving of the food and interaction with the children. Also, toy cars and beanie babies were given out to the children. The excitement on their faces was priceless, as they received their toy.There were approximately 70 children there. The feeding station is part of the ministry of the Open Door Ministries, which also includes the girl’s home and the orphanage.

Donna continued her craft activities with the ladies. The ladies continued to work on cross-stitch and also had the opportunity to learn how to make earrings.

Donna working with the ladies on how to make earrings.

Little girl wearing a dress that was given to her by the team.

Last night we set up an outdoor theater in front of the Salem Baptist Church, where we showed the Jesus story and Fireproof movie. By showing the movies outdoors we were able attract additional people from the community and we had a good turnout. Both movies were very well received. 

Also, the team got a special treat from a church member and the pastor and his wife. They made us dinner of freshly caught tilapia, which was delicious! Donna and I were able to enjoy our's during lunch. 

Pastor preparing a fresh coconut for us to taste.

It's hard to believe that we only have two more days here in Honduras. While we miss our families very much, it will be equally hard to leave our brothers and sisters in Christ, that we have grown so close to, particularly the children. 

Honduras Team Update 04-18-2011

We started today with a devotional, that the Lord put on my heart. My devotional was centered around Matthew 18: 2-5.

² Then He called a child to Him and had him stand among them. ³ " I assure you," He said, "unless you are converted and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child—this one is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ⁵ And whoever welcomes one child like this in My name welcomes Me.

Along with this verse and a book I just read, which I referenced in my devotional, it reemphasized the importance of ministering to the children here, before they are lost due the culture they live in. Even though it's worthwhile to do the physical activities, such as build houses, it's more important we don't lose sight of our responsibility to minister to the spiritual well-being of the people we come in contact with, particularly the children.

Philippe's house is coming together. The welding was done today for the windows,the walls are complete and the floor is ready for concrete. Hopefully, tomorrow the windows and roof will be done and then the floor will be poured on Wednesday, one "volcano" at a time.

Mike and Josh are supervising this young boy as he sifts the sand.


Josh and Blake creating some special memories for themselves, as well as these children.

Donna continued her classes today and the ladies are really catching on how to cross-stitch. Here's a video showing how well a couple of the ladies did as they receive their golden needle.

Here is a video of the children having fun....

Hospital Ministry

Hospital Maternity Ward

Today for the second time this trip, Paul, Mike, Peggy and Melissa visited the local hospital with Nilda, from the Gates of Hope, who assisted Mike with translating. We delivered onesies and receiving blankets along with tracts in Spanish explaining the plan of salvation.  Additionally, we offered prayer for the moms, their babies, their futures and their eternal life.  There were four rooms with eight to ten beds each, filled with young mothers and their infants.  Two of the young women's babies were still born.
We found one mother with no family or clothes and her premature newborn in the ICU.  She asked if we had clothes for adults.  We sorted through the gifts provided by our church members and found nearly a bag of clothes we'll deliver tomorrow.

Premature baby in ICU

Each of us was touched on various levels by the experience of seeing these young mothers who don't have the means to nurture or support their babies.  Many of the new mothers were "babies" themselves who displayed expressions of desperation rather than joy.  We pray that God will intervene in the lives of all the mothers and babies we encounter to provide hope for a better future.
We plan to visit the hospital again before we leave Tocoa on Thursday.

Young Mother with Newborn

Donna's Post

Some of you might remember me telling you about the lady who had twin girls (identifying them with nail polish)...she wanted me to come in to see them. She had a dark one-room house, approximately 12x14, with a dirt floor and what appeared to be a boulder underfoot just as you stepped thru the door. Update...she now has a level concrete floor! And BTW, she has 2 older children. So that's 6 in a one-room house. Can you imagine? The oldest, a boy, always looked angry in the pictures...that might have been his macho-look...I don't know, but this year he seems happy...smiling all the time. He was helping with the younger kids, too.


- Posted from Tocoa, Honduras

Palm Sunday Procession

Here's a link to the Palm Sunday Procession this morning at the local catholic church across from the hotel we are staying.

Philippe's house construction continues

First of all we are aware of the storms that hit NC today and we pray for everyone's safety. Several of us called home today to make certain our loved ones were okay.

It was a long day for the team members working on the house as they continued building the block walls and moving "allot" of dirt and breaking it up so the concrete floor can poured. It was in the 90's today and the guys worked from 8:30 a.m. to dusk, which is around 6:30 p.m. They were extremely tired and need a well deserved day of rest tomorrow.

A group went to the local hospital to hand out receiving blankets and other items.

Donna is still not feeling well and Andy had a rough day. Please be in prayer for them to get well.

There was a double wedding at the local catholic church across from our hotel, which was interesting to observe.

Didn't have any pictures to share today, but hopefully will have some tomorrow.


- Posted from Tocoa, Honduras

The team has arrived!

The rest of the team has arrived in Tocoa!

Unloading all of the luggage out of Juan's truck

After the team arrived we broke up into two groups; one group went to the grocery store to pick up peanut butter, jelly, snacks and bread. Most of our lunches for the week will be peanut butter sandwiches. The second group went to the bank to exchange US dollars for Honduras limps; the exchange rate is 1 USD equals 18.895 Limeira. It's always an ordeal to get anything done at the bank, what should have been a 5 minute transaction took approximately 45 minutes. Oh well I keep forgetting we are on Honduran time! 

After lunch we all headed to the Salem Baptist Church to begin the activities. But before we could go we had to push Juan's truck so he could jump start. It seems the new alternator he put on his truck is overcharging and causing the battery to heat up and loose its charge. But it wouldn't be a normal trip if something didn't happen to Juan’s truck!

Pushing it back into the parking lot to get a good start.

Pushing Juan's truck to jump start the engine

When we arrived at Salem Baptist Church we first had to unload some suitcases  to take inside the church.

Next the team headed over to Philippe's house to join the the local workers in building the house.

Donna continued her cross-stitch classes today with the women of the church.

She received her gold needle for finishing her first project!

The team had dinner at one of its favorite places to eat, which is an outside restaurant serving real good Honduran tacos. 

Before I sign off tonight I would like to ask everyone to say a prayer for Donna; she has been struggling with some respiratory issues and is having a rough time. The dust and the trash burning have been giving her fits.

- Posted from Tocoa, Honduras

Salem Baptist continued

The ladies continued with their cross-stitch and jewelry crafts today. Donna has been giving out gold needles to the ladies who have been doing well with their cross-stitch. Each time she gives one the ladies all clap. It's very special to see how proud they are of their accomplishment.

To keep some of the kids occupied today, Donna gave them a puzzle to work on. After I gave them some guidance they caught on and were able to complete the puzzle in a couple of hours. It was special when they finished they started calling my name for me to come and see their finished puzzle. I told them "muy buena", which means very good. They were excited they had finished! Some of the kids also wanted to play hopscotch, so I let them take the chalk and draw their own squares. They got a big kick out of the blue chalk dust all over their hands.

























Philippe's house is coming along, but I don't think the walls will be finished by the time the rest of the team arrives.



























The rest of the team will be in Tocoa around noon tomorrow. Praying God will give them safe passage on the last leg of their trip to Tocoa. Looking forward to them getting here.

I'm getting more comfortable driving around town, except for allot of the roads we have to drive on are dirt roads and "very" bumpy! My body is taking a beating with these rough roads!

Here is a few more pictures of the kids.

Signing off for the night....




























- Posted from Tocoa, Honduras