Honduras or Bust.

Our Week 1 Mission Team arrived safely in Tela, Honduras this afternoon around 3pm local time. We have already sorted a number of the supplies for the coming week and the following medical week. The excitement is building as we go to be with our Honduran friends and members of our partner church, Espiritu Santo, here in Tela.

We left Montgomery around 4:00 this morning, which is always hard. The early wake up was made easier by the promise of our final destination.

I hardly slept a wink on the entire trip down. I always find it hard to sleep on airplanes and once we landed in San Pedro Sula today, the excitement pushed me through to this afternoon.

As we drove down the Honduran highway from San Pedro Sula to Tela (about a 2 hour drive), I couldn't help but people watch. The people here are always moving. On bicycles, motorcycles, cars, pickups, or by foot. There's always somewhere to be and something that has to get done for these people.

The countryside is beautiful. Looking to one side of the highway you see banana and plantain groves as far as the eye can see, and on the other side of the highway you have mountains. The mountains are lush with vegetation of one sort or another.

On the ride into Tela, was overcome by a lot of feelings. One of the stronger feelings was that I feel at home, especially here in Tela!

***Side Story***
While on the ride from San Pedro Sula to Tela, we got stuck behind a pick-up truck carrying two teenage boys in the truck bed. There wasn't anything really that stood out about one of the boys, but the other... I noticed something very familiar. He was wearing an Alabama cap (Script A on the front, "BAMA" on the back). Roll Tide from Tela!

May the work that I've done speak for me: Sawyerville Day Camp 2012

So I was given the opportunity to serve on staff once again for the Sawyerville Day Camp in Greensboro, AL. If you don't know what Sawyerville is you can go here and see what it's all about.

I was one of the Co-coordinators (along with the wonderful Claire Debow) of the newly formed Middler Camp. Middler Camp is designed for 9-11 year olds and it was an absolute blast! These kids are so unbelievable with their seemingly unending energy and enthusiasm. The energy they give off to us as a staff was exhausting, but so life-giving as well!

We started every day with joyful singing and a program based upon the theme word of the day. After program time the kids went through 3 different rotations (Arts & Crafts, program-based activity, and journal time). After rotations there was a big group activity which involved a lot of running around and being silly. Those activities included games like kickball, dance parties, and tag. After lunch we wrapped up our day by spending time at the pool and gym at Marion Military Institute. We're so grateful that MMI allows us to use their facilities! After arriving back at Greensboro Elementary and having a snack and singing a couple of songs, the kids would get back on the buses and go home for the day.

Tuesday we had a drum workshop led by the incredible John Scalici. Check out his website Get Rhythm. John has an amazing way of using drum beats to connect with these kids on a level that I don't fully understand. If you ever get the chance to take part in one of his workshops DO IT!

Thursday was Field Trip Day and Middler Camp went to the McWane Science Center in Birmingham! There the kids explored the hands-on exhibits and watched an IMAX movie about the rescue efforts in Haiti after the earthquake in 2010. I wasn't sure exactly how the kids would do with it. Hale County was one of the many areas of Alabama that was hit VERY hard by the tornadoes on April 27, 2011.

Friday was extra special! In keeping with the theme of the camp, we had Olympic Gold Medalist Vonetta Flowers come and share her inspiration story with the kids at camp. She talked about why it's important to set goals and follow your dreams and to never give up on them! It was especially a treat to see all of her bobsledding gear and HER GOLD MEDAL!

L-R: Me, Vonetta Flowers, Corey Jones, Jessica Harris, Lindsay Joe, Claire Debow

Vonetta's Gold Medal for Bobsledding 

Session 1 was so great in too many ways to properly express! I greatly miss all of my Hale County friends greatly and can't wait to visit them again soon!

Sawyerville Session 2 is happening right now! Check out the Sawyerville Day Camp Blog and see what's going on at SDC each day!

New York, New York...

Well it's only been about 3 weeks, so maybe it's about time that I let you know about the rest of my vacation and whatever else I've been up to...

Unfortunately, I don't really have time to go into great detail right now, so I figured I'd just post some pictures and tell you a little bit about what I was seeing. So here goes...

Times Square - This was my first time here. It was a bit overwhelming at first.

This was the biggest grilled cheese I'd ever had. And it came with bacon! It came from Junior's in Times Square!

Times Square

Radio City Music Hall... Would love to see a show there!

The GE Building at 30 Rock! I went to the TOP OF THE ROCK, which is the rooftop of this building where you can see the North and South of the city. Aboslutely stunning views!

RAAAAWR!!!! T-REX! This was at the Dino Exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History in Manhatten! I met up with my friend Emma Johnston and we nerded out to the sight of these pre-historic beasts!

Triceratops was a bad dude!

We have a T-Rex!

Still don't know why he has eyes.

Biggest turtle I've ever seen... Had to have been 8 to 10 ft long.

Megaladon Jaw!

Roll Tide.

The Theodore Roosevelt Rotunda as you enter through the main entrance of the AMNH.

Seeing a few of the many Episcopal churches in Manhattan was another favorite part of my trip to NYC. I love the architecture and the sheer size of these Sanctuaries. They are beautiful. Here are some pictures.

Grace Church - Union Square

These are a couple of the nameplates mounted on the end of several of the pews doors. Leaving no doubt whose pew it is.

Nave of St. Mary the Virgin Church - Times Square. Breathtaking crucifix above the chancel.

Trinity Church - Wall Street... If you ever get a chance to visit this church and it's chapel (St. Paul's), go and spend a lot of time. The 9/11 memorial at St. Paul's Chapel is heartbreaking and awe-inspiring. Ground Zero is only a block away.

Luckily, the Mets were in town so we caught a game. It was one of the better Major League experiences I've had. The atmosphere was electric. R.A. Dickey pitched a complete game shutout the day after Johan Santana threw the first No-Hitter in Mets history. So much fun!

Outside Citi Field - Queens

Me at the TOP OF THE ROCK! Central Park in the background.

View of Central Park, The Bronx (top left) and Queens (top right) from TOP OF THE ROCK!

Empire State Building and (futher back) World Trade Center Freedom Tower.

One of the cooler things I did was walk the Brooklyn Bridge from Brooklyn to Manhattan! I highly recommend it!

New York Stock Exhange... Wall Street and that whole area of the city was crazy.

One of my favorite things about NYC is that I felt like I was in Seinfeld Heaven! Everywhere I turned was a Seinfeld reference waiting to happen! For instance...

THE SOUP NAZI!!! Or at least the man who was the inspiration for the Soup Nazi. 

That's all for now... I have some more pictures, but I've given you the basic gist of my highlights. I'll try to have a more detailed entry sometime later when I'm not busy (ha... right.)

Until Next Time,

Worth

Home... Home Again.

Greenville, SC

We ate Saturday night in Greenville. Joined by my Uncle and some of his family, we went to a local place call Harry's Smokehouse! It was a tiny little place where you order at the counter and get a ticket with a number. 

I enjoyed the BBQ Hash on Rice with a good potato salad and tasty macaroni and cheese and a sweet tea to wash it down. I topped the hash with delicious mustard sauce that was different in taste and color than the mustard sauce we experienced at The Bullpen in Atlanta. It was a little less robust in flavor, but still had a bold mustard taste all on its own.

The potato salad was wasn't anything too sophisticated, but it was a quality side. The same goes with the mac and cheese. It definitely wasn't anything fancy, but good nonetheless.

I washed it all down with a delicious sweet tea and had a hefty helping of a tasty peach cobbler for dessert. I would definitely recommend Henry's if you're in Greenville!

Asheville, NC - Okie Dokie's Smokehouse

Ribs, Mac and Cheese, Hushpuppies

We used Sunday to take a bit of a break from BBQ. We also wanted to make sure that we'd have enough room for Monday's lunch feast - "Hogzilla" from 12 Bones BBQ in Asheville.

We showed but at 12 Bones very hungry and VERY excited about our chance to take down one of the most famous BBQ sandwiches in the country. Aaaaaaaand it was closed. So we had to go with a back up plan. Luckily, an Asheville native friend of mine, Ryan Folks, took us to a place in East Asheville called Okie Dokie's Smokehouse. 

The ribs were good, but the highlight for me was the hushpuppies and fried pickles. The fried pickles weren't too heavily battered, but very greasy. This worked really well with the BBQ Ranch Sauce. Apparently, Okie Dokie's fried pickles have been featured in Southern Living. So were their hushpuppeies! The Hushpuppies were fluffy and light. They served for an absolute perfect balance between the house sweet BBQ sauce and the heaviness of the ribs! If you ever make it to this smokehose, DON'T FORGET THE HUSHPUPPIES!

BBQ, BBQ and more BBQ...

So I left my computer at home, which is completely unhelpful when you are trying to keep an up to date blog. Luckily, I found a computer and I'm ready to tell you about my trip so far.

Atlanta, GA
1) The Yacht Dog (a.k.a. "The Georgia Dog") - Euclid Avenue Yacht Club

This was our first stop on our Tour de Q and OH MAN was it a good first stop! The staff was super friendly and very unpretentious, which was a surprise.This place was kinda dark with kinda dingy wooden tables and chairs. Although uncrowded at the time we were there, the pictures on the walls show that it was/is a biker bar. The wall hangings are fun and quirky. Fake fish hang from the walls, accompanied by nets and various nautical equipment. EAYC has a great atmosphere!

Now, for the food! The Yacht Dog is a 1/4 pound all beef hot dog on toasted poppy seed bun! On top of the dog was relish, onions, and BRUNSWICK STEW! It is absolutely impossible to cleanly eat this dog, but it's SO worth it! The stew adds something that can only be understood by eating a Yacht Dog yourself. I can say without any hesitation that this is THE best hot dog I've ever had!

I left the EAYC feeling full and satisfied, but not over-stuffed and miserable, which was a huge plus considering I cleaned my plate. Everything about this place was better than it had to be.

Sides: Tater Tots - golden and delicious!


2) 1/2 Slab of Ribs - Bullpen Ribhouse

Friday night we went to the Bullpen Ribhouse, a sports bar and grill across the street from Turner Field. We were thinking that it was be a convenient spot to get some overpriced ribs and and a few overpriced brews before the game and that would be it - no big deal. Little did we know that these ribs were actual well above average and the sauces were OUTSTANDING! There was a number of sauces to choose from: a couple of different hot BBQ sauces, a very solid/no frills house sauce, and our favorite... the Carolina Mustard Sauce!

 These ribs were the surprise of the trip so far! The ribs were tender and very flavorful! Add to that the choice of delicious sauces and great moist cornbread to sop up the leftover sauce on your plate and you have yourself a very satisfying and succulent feast! One of the best parts of the ribs at the Bullpen was the simplicity: good ribs, good sauce, good stuff! Helpful Hint: 1/2 rack is PLENTY for two people.

Sides: Cornbread!

After dinner we headed across the street to see the Braves play the Nationals. It was a great way to end a great day of delicious food and drink. Maybe a bit overpriced, but the experience is worth it!

Intro and Vacation Plans

So, I've never blogged before or ever been good at keeping any journal of any kind, but I figured I'd give it a try anyway.

My vacation starts in a couple of days and I'm going to be traveling to a  a lot of cool places and eating a lot of good food. Since these are two things I'm especially fond of, what better way to document my vacation than taking pictures/videos and writing about it... right? Right!

So here's the plan for vacation...

PHASE 1: BBQ (and Beer) Tour... On Friday, Mr. Daniel P. Strandlund and I will embark on a tour that he found in an issue of Garden and Gun (or at least our version of it). The idea is to travel to different cities around the southeast eating at some of the best BBQ places along the way and checking out some of the coolest local watering holes along the way. 

Here are the tour stops: 

Friday... Atlanta, GA

Saturday... Greenville, SC

Sunday... Asheville, NC

Monday... Chattanooga (time permitting), Birmingham


I'll be posting pictures and such of all the fun we encounter... Well, maybe not all.


PHASE 2: New York City!!! That's right! I'm headed to the Big Apple for a few days to see the sights and, of course, eat good food. This will be my second time visiting NYC, although my first time was for only about 8 hours, so I'm not really counting it as a for real visit. I'm super pumped about getting up there and can't wait to spend some real time in the big city!


See you on the road!


-Worth