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!