We hit the market early in the morning (and demonstrated good math skills computing prices with the exchange rate!) then headed for a day at the beach.  The mesmerizing beauty of the Caribbean, the steady breeze, the cloudless sky- what a great day of refreshing!  We piled into the bus one more time for a wonderful celebration with our translators and the Buckner crew.  Following a typical Honduran dinner, a time of blessing and encouragement to our new friends rounded out our time together.  As we recounted the time spent with the children, each of us confirmed what an incredible blessing God has given us in sending us to serve in Honduras.  We will carry these children in our hearts, and our prayer is that the Lord will use our time here to make an eternal impact in their lives.  Gracias a Dios!

Sra. Kates

It’s the last day of the Second Baptist Mission trip and I feel great about the impact we had on all the kids.  I’ve never seen children so happy and content with almost nothing at all. Seeing the living conditions of the orphanages has really put life in a different perspective for me. I now realize how selfish I am and how many everyday things I take for granted. The kids want nothing but to be loved. Of course they love the crafts they make but the smile on their faces when you simply hug them is priceless. I could just see God working every second that I was with them. I would absolutely recommend this trip or any other international mission trip to anyone. I promise you it will change your life. I hope that one day before heaven, I and the kids I created special relationships with will cross paths again. This trip has been an absolutely amazing experience and I have felt overwhelming joy the entire time. I have no doubt that there is a God and that He is good and that He made this trip the success that it was.

-Hunter

This trip has been a great experience. Yesterday at the orphanage a little girl asked me over and over again to spin her around in the air. Every time I did it she had the biggest smile on her face. She was laughing so hard that she was crying. Just seeing the joy on her face made this trip all more worth while.

-Hannah

La manana en San Pedro Sula es magnifica!  El sol, los colores brilliantes, las flores y la gente- todo es maravilloso.  Our hearts are full with the beauty of Honduras.  The sun, the brilliant colors, the flowers and especially the people.  The children are so full of joy and so open to us.  The SBS students have been amazing!  What a blessing it is for me to see them in action here.  Each one has a unique way of expressing love to the children and the children are so very responsive.  Our bus driver, Kimi (short for Arquimedes!) is full of fun facts about every topic.  Our mission coordinator, Luis, has a servant’s heart and is taking care of every detail for us.  And our translators, Gabi, Michelle, Joshua and Marcio (easily voted the best looking Honduran any have ever seen!) help us at every turn.  I have discovered a new way to present material in Precal class as well- listen for the “boom-chic-a-boom!”

Sra. Kates

Hola from Honduras! I’m just recovering from all the crazy things we saw yesterday. In the morning we went to visit the children at the orphanage and it may have been the most eye opening thing I’ve ever experienced. Seeing the way those children live breaks my heart and makes me so thankful for all my blessings. It was amazing to be able to love on those children and I hope that will plant a seed of hope in their hearts. After the orphanage we went to Las Brisas for another day of VBS. Our craft was supposed to be paper bag fish, but the kids quickly realized that they could be used as a weapon and began beating each other on the head with them all day instead. There were also many more kids in attendance and at one point 50 kids were in a classroom swarming me wanting attention and help with their crafts. Though it was stressful, seeing the joy on those kids’ faces made it all worthwhile! Kendall and I have befriended our bus driver Kimi who may or may not be the funniest man alive. We’ve been having afternoon coffee with him while he tells us stories. Speaking of which, the coffee here is INSANELY GOOD. I fully intend on bringing back pounds and pounds of it to the states. We are having so much fun and never want to come home!

Adios!
Shannon

Honduras has been a pretty epic place. The food is to die for! And so are the relationships. After being here for two days, we have met so many people and everyone greeted us with a warm welcome. The people here are already our friends- it’s awesome. Being a veteran from last years Honduras trip it was pretty boss to see how much all the young’uns have grown during the past year. I was so excited that the kids remembered me.  Honduras is mi favorito.

Matthew Ryan Cox

Greetings fellow bloggers! Kendall here from Honduras!! Yesterday was our first adventure at Las Brisas and it was amazing! The children’s faces when we walked in were unforgettable. The smiles on their faces brought joy into my heart and made the experience even better. The children were taught about the creation of the world which paired perfectly with the mariposas bonitas (beautiful butterflies) that they made in arts and crafts. Speaking of butterflies, ask Mr. Chancey how much he likes butter…

Hasta Luego Chicos!
-Candela

It was a beautiful day in Honduras!  After a tasty Honduran lunch at Power Chicken, we checked into our hotel, had a time of orientation to learn more about Honduras, then set out for a tour of the neighborhood where we will work.  Weekend traffic is crazy here and Honduran drivers are crazy, too!  Our bus driver was up to the task, dodging donkeys, pedestrians, motorcycles and vehicles coming at us from every direction.  We are looking forward to worshipping with local believers and seeing the children at the community center.