Month 2 of 11: Talanga, Honduras
Ministry: AMOR (Aaron’s Mission Outreach)
Overview:
This month we had the opportunity to work with another team from our squad, The Joy Bombs. Working with this particular all girls team was a great opportunity for us to deepen relationships with others on the squad. In addition to working with another team….it was all squad month! Meaning, our whole squad lived with each other in our self created “hammock hotel”, tents in the back, and 16 beds available in the ranch style home. Only two teams stayed at the house to work with AMOR and the other 5 teams left at 7 am each morning to work with two other ministries.
Our ministry this month involved manual labor. The work included digging trenches for the foundation of a fence around the property and digging up the bank in the front of the house. Surprisingly, I loved throwing the pick ax. It was a great work out and I loved getting dirty and throwing my all into the work we would do each day! The days were long and hard but each and every day God showed me how he renews my strength to get me through each day. This month of ministry was different because it allowed us to minister to the ministry and serve Daryl and Darlene, an amazing couple serving the people of Honduras.
On Thursdays AMOR prepares food and feeds three different schools up the mountain. Cooking starts at 6:30 am and we load up the trucks by 9:30 and are off until 2 giving each child a spoonful of whatever is made, two tortillas, and juice!
On the second Wednesday our teams had an awesome opportunity to visit the foster/children’s home of another American missionary family from Oklahoma. The kids that were a part of their home had truly heartbreaking stories, but it was awe-inspiring to witness how God’s light is shining greater than any darkness that might appear in Honduras.
Weekly Schedule:
Monday
-Breakfast at 6 am
-Devotions with both teams, Daryl and Darlene at 7 am
-Started working around 7:30 am digging trenches!
-Lunch prepared by 2-3 people from both teams
-More work outside
-Prayer meeting at 4 pm
-Dinner around 7 (TEAM AWAKENING’S (my team) DAY TO COOK!)
-Team time and feedback
-Teachings by one of the three squad leaders
-Quiet hours at 9 pm
Tuesday
-Breakfast at 6 am
-Devotions with both teams, Daryl and Darlene at 7am
-Started working around 7:30 am digging trenches, moving bricks, or sanding posts
-Lunch prepared by 2-3 people from both teams
-More work outside until 1:30
-Shower time to get ready for church up the mountain. We left around 3:30 pm and experienced the most amazing drive in the back of the truck through the countryside and up a mountain in Honduras.
-Church on the mountain from 4-6
-Arrive home at 7 just in time for dinner
-Team time and feedback
-Quiet hours at 9 pm
Wednesday
-Breakfast at 6 am
-Devotions with both teams, Daryl and Darlene at 7 am
-Taught English at the local school 4th, 5th, and 6th graders! (Ages 8-14)
-Lunch at a Mennonite restaurant
-Spent the afternoon at the foster/children’s home
-Drove home and made it back around 4:30 pm
-Free time, team time, and feedback until dinner at 7 pm
-Worship with the squad under the stars at 8 pm
-Quiet hours at 9 pm
Thursday
-Breakfast at 6 am
-Start cooking for feed the kids day at the schools at 6:30 am. Our teams helped mostly with making tortillas with one of the lovely ladies from the church.
-Head up the mountain around 9:30
-We would stop by 3 different schools all ranging in the number of students. The first school our teams fed had two schoolhouses, the second had three, and the third was a small one room school house.
-As we would drive from school to school our teams would sit in the back of the trucks eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chips, and a banana or apple all while admiring the beautiful scenery.
-Both weeks on our way home we stopped by to see a 90-year-old blind woman that attends the church. The last Saturday we were there we witnessed her accepting Christ into her heart and baptism in the river!
-Free time, team time, and feedback until dinner at 7 pm
-Teaching by one of the squad leaders
-Quiet hours at 9 pm
Friday
-Breakfast at 6 am
-Devotions with both teams, Daryl and Darlene at 7 am
-More work outside digging trenches! We started work around 7:30 and would go through the morning; periodically taking breaks for water and to rest
-Lunch prepared by 2-3 people from both teams
-More work outside until around 3 or 4 pm
-Free time, team time, and feedback until dinner at 7pm
-Free time/hangs with the squad
Saturday
FREE DAY!
Sunday
-Breakfast whenever we woke up
-Free time, team time, feedback until 3:30 pm
-Load up the trailer, hop in and head to church!
-Church from 4-6:30 pm; A few of the guys on our squad had the awesome opportunity to preach at the various services
Sights
-Beautiful mountains and hills
-Sunrises as I did my morning yoga outside
-Dirt roads
-Honduran cowboys
-Bright Stars at night
-Mixture of greenery: palm trees, pine trees, cactuses
Sounds
-Horses
-Kids laughing and playing
-Sounds of a pick ax
Smells
-Tortillas
-Cattle
-Diesel
Random Things I Learned
-Ants are feisty little things and their bites are of the devil
-One may kill ants off with diesel
-Adios is what you say instead of Hola on the street
-Coke kills parasites
-Peanut butter = Gold
Activities on our Days Off
The town only had a couple Internet cafes and it was a far walk into town, so each Saturday on our day off from ministry we took two buses into Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras. The hour and a half drive through the Honduran countryside would sometimes feel longer than it was.
-The first mall Cascada had a Walmart and Movie Theatre
-We saw Source Code Jack Ryan
-The mall also had Cinnabon, TGIFridays, Dunkin Donuts, Auntie Anne’s pretzels, and other American food options
-The second mall
-Smaller but had wifi and a really great Thai restaurant
-City Mall
-Huge!
-Had Johnny Rockets and Applebee’s…DeAnna and I treated ourselves to a burger, fries, and milkshake…totally worth it
-Easily accessible wifi
A BIG Thank You to those who donated to my fund this month:
Walter Wallace
Dana Hoyes
Matthew Hooper
Avery Laffey
