Yeah for Friday – we got to sleep in until 7am!!! It has been a life altering trip full of memories of people I know we will never forget. We met for breakfast for the last time in the dining hall. It was sad to say goodbye to the staff and Ken the director. Dr. Brent Hambrick talked about this trip and what a blessing it has been working with us. He gave us a list of things Oliver (the Honduran dentist) and Ruth (the Honduran doctor) need. It is surprising how many lives can be changed with a donation of just a few hundred American dollars.
Joe Aldrich led today’s devotional and he, like Dr. Falco, thanked us for making him and his family feel welcome. He said that 80% of the people Jesus ministered to were poor and even though we in America may work with our poor, here in Honduras we have seen the true meaning of poverty. He told us that Dr. Hambrick translated the song the Honduran choir sang for us last night. It said: Spirit of God fill my life, fill my soul, fill my being with your presence, with your power, with your love.
Whoever is kind to the needy pleases God. He read from Romans 6:23, Romans 5:8-9, and Galatians 5:22-25. “But the Spirit produces the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…We get our new life from the spirit so we should follow the Spirit.” He and George had asked several people about what moments they saw during the trip that represented the fruits of the spirit and here are just a few:
1. Jenee Woodard for the way she worked tirelessly with the kids at VBS. There were times when VBS was packed up waiting for medical to finish and Jenee would come up with creative ways to keep the kids occupied.
2. Kim Andrews who generously made hundreds of snacks for the Honduran kids as well as our own. She gave them the love and attention they needed even when it was the end of the day and she was exhausted.
3. Hector Leanos who worked hard and with endless energy and spirit. He never took a seat on the bus if a woman was standing.
4. Roberto has done everything and asked for nothing. While we were sleeping he was working on translating the devotionals every day. He represented FBFCO last night like a true pastor. He has been invaluable as a translator.
5. Dr. Bob and Beverly Gates for putting this mission trip together. Without the desire in their hearts to serve, we wouldn’t be here.
We had about a half hour after breakfast to pack up and get our suitcases to the bus. All of the equipment and any left over toys and food were left with the Honduran people. There were two groups today – one group went to the falls and the other group went the other direction to go shopping. I was on the bus that went to the falls which happened to be just a few miles up from the church that we helped build. The waterfalls were absolutely gorgeous!!! They had to be about 100 feet high and the mist and noise from them was awe inspiring. Some of the group paid the 100 limpiras (which is just over $5 U.S.) to go through the caves. That adventure took them behind the falls where they were told they would get a little wet – they came back SOAKED!!! Apparently they had to go through a couple of caves and a few pools to go behind the falls. I walked down a set of steep, slippery concrete steps to a landing and got some great pictures of the falls. A few others in the group rode the zip line for 300 limpiras - it went from one side of the falls to the other. Kim Andrews paid for our interpreter Willian to go across on the zip line. He has never gone to the falls and had a great time on the zip line. While we were exploring we saw what Lorie Woodard told us were leaf ants. They are strange red ants because the army of what had to be over 10,000 ants was carrying leaves. Their trail went from a tree and we followed it for about 100 feet to their anthill. They were easy to follow because each ant had a leaf that they carried above their bodies.
After the falls, we got back on the bus for the 3 hour ride into Tegucigalpa. About a half hour into the trip our bus started having mechanical problems. The smell of burning clutch was awful and I don’t think we got over 25mph. Our bus driver did his best to get us up and down the hilly highway but our bus wasn’t going to make it to the city. Several members of the group broke into song as Joe Aldrich played guitar and we all silently prayed that the bus would make it. During the ride, Dr. Gates and Dr. Hambrick talked about how they made this trip happen. While they were working together last year in Haiti Bob and Beverly thought it would be a great mission to bring a group of believers together for a mission trip. So Dr. Hambrick helped them with the planning and financial requirements.
They made a phone call to a mechanic who was supposed to meet us in town but we never made it. About ¾ of the way there the bus died so we got out and waited. And waited. And waited. After waiting for almost 2 hours Dr. Gates, Hector Leanos and Sonia got into a taxi and took the drive into town to get us dinner – from Wendy’s. When they got back Hector said that the girl’s face who took their order was shocked when they ordered 40 double cheeseburgers! Our bus driver decided to pull over right in front of a police station as that seemed to be the safest alternative since the sky was getting darker and darker. It is a beautiful night – not cold and only a few thin clouds in the sky. The quarter moon gives a little light but the sky is so clear and away from all the city lights you can see dozens of stars. Wayne Stacks and Josh Hatley gave some of us a lesson on what certain constellations while the kids ran around chasing each other and playing duck, duck, goose. The replacement bus arrived just after 9:30pm. So after 3 hours of waiting - cheers and clapping erupted from a very weary crowd. The first stop was 10 minutes away to a gas station so that those that needed it could use the bathroom. Some had already improvised on the side of the road. After the long and bumpy bus ride into the city we arrived at the hotel at 12:27am tired and ready for a good night’s sleep on a REAL MATTRESS!! Part of the group waited up for the rest of us to arrive and even carried our luggage up the stairs to our rooms – what sweethearts!! I asked Roberto what the main points of his sermon were last night and he told me there were 4:
1. The exodus out of Egypt
2. The resurrection
3. The Bible
4. The Good Samaritan
I will have him type up a summary and post it tomorrow because the reaction from the Hondurans was overwhelmingly joyous.
We head to the airport tomorrow (or I guess it’s actually Saturday already) at 9:30am and will get on the plane for home. I’m not sure if I will be able to get anything out before we leave but I will send a final note tomorrow from Sacramento if not. Signing off from Tegucigalpa – good night all.
Aprill Edwards