Landed in Seattle...

We are alive and kicking in Seattle.  We got up yesterday at four in the morning and made our way, first on a bus, then on a flight to Houston, then a rushed connection to Seattle. We literally had to walk directly on our next plane...with time only for a quick bathroom break! Which brings me to the bad news. A tummy bug has decided to attack our little group - even before we got on the bus, two had been sick to their stomachs. On route, we lost another one, and then another one at the hotel.

(By lost, let me be clear, they came down with the stomach flu!). It has not been fun.  The good news is that it is quick and those who had it yesterday enjoyed their breakfast this morning. If you get this today, please pray for the kids as we board a very rocky ferry!!

Just quickly, because I have to go and meet our bus, we have very mixed feelings about being home. Some of the kids have said they already miss Honduras - they miss the mess, the noise, the ninos, the smoothies, the people. They are all looking forward to seeing their families but Honduras has wormed its way into their hearts and that's a good thing. We'll talk more over the next weeks and months and I'm sure your own kids will be able to tell you about their trip far better than I have been able to in a few quick notes, but I hope at least you've known some little bit of what your youth have seen and been doing.  They have been a joy and a pleasure and each of you would have had hearts filled to overflowing if you could have seen your kids respond to the challenges and the children.

I'm late now - sorry to go.

love from all of us

Gillian

Heading homeward...

We are enjoying a final free afternoon, looking for treats to bring home and rocking in hammocks, relaxing and soaking up the very HOT Honduran sun.  Yesterday was an extremely hard working day as we didn't want to leave anything unfinished and there was much to do!  Our painting continued at our little school in the mountains and the final result is beautiful!! Zander sketched out a mural on one wall of the school and many others chipped in to paint it - it was amazing and the local kids were fascinated. They sat cross legged, entranced at what was unfolding before them.  The outside of the school was completed too and we left feeling satisfied at what was accomplished but
very sad that we couldn't do more for these people. There was one older gentleman, the only one with white hair, who held ladders all day, not trusting anyone else to hold it steady for the person that was up in the rafters painting. He was beautiful and reminded us that God was ever present in this man's quiet steadiness. It's difficult to find words to convey our feelings, partly because we need time to sort them out but it was in every single way, our honour to serve these people. 

The playground crew worked until six pm to finish the structure but let me tell you, there are challenges that you know not of!! Rick and Steve, along with two of the boys, arose at 5 am to complete the job before the playground dedication today. Plain and simply, it was hard work but it is done!

Last night, as we had our worship time on the roof of our hotel, the skies opened up and we were treated to the most awe inspiring lightening storm. IT WAS INCREDIBLE! We huddled into the middle of the roof as the warm rain swept in and the thunder competed with our devotional time. WOW!!

As we prepare to go, we have been feasting on cakes that have been prepared for us by the various Mammas that have taken care of us. Our cook, Carla, made us a tres leches cake that was huge, then we went out to a special cafe for more cake with all the Urban Promise staff and now, the owner of our little hotel has made us a chocolate cake, Parents, do not worry, we have been well fed!!

I have so much more to tell you but there is a line up of young people for the computer and I can't stand the pressure anymore. I'll post again (hopefully).

love to you all
Gillian

Full Hearts and Minds!

Again, I'm sorry there haven't been more updates but time has been limited and because I'm an old woman, when we do get time off my brain is overloaded and I can't string a sentence together! But I have the morning free so I will try and fill you in on some of our experiences so that you will be able to ask specific questions when your child's only response to "How was your trip?" is "Good!".

This week has been different than the last one. Instead of four groups, we are three. One group is finishing the playground, one group is helping at Camp Hope and the third group has been painting a school in the community of Amate. Amate is an hour and a half into the mountains, on a dirt road, filled with holes, through some of the MOST beautiful countryside any of us have ever seen. You'll see I'm not exaggerating when you see the pictures. Coffee is grown in the shade of the mountians and corn is grown almost everywhere else. On the side of the road, the Hondurans spread a cloth and dry the corn kernels in the sun to sell to passer-bys. School children wander down the lane in their white shirts and navy skirts if we are in an area with a decent school. Otherwise, we see many children out working, or sitting by the roadside, when they are of an age to be in school. When we arrived in Amate, the whole village was there to greet us. The teacher of the school we came to paint hadn't been paid in five months and walks over an hour from his home to get to work. He is dedicated. The school itself was perhaps the most poverty stricken we have seen. No, not perhaps, it was. Very little, if any, English is spoken in Amate but we fascinated the community as we painted. We had brought a lunch with us, peanut butter and jam, with loaves of bread to make our sandwiches, but the ladies of the village insisited on cooking us a lunch. I could see some of our youth looking longingly at our sandwiches but not one person blinked an eye as we sat down to one of the most humble, yet beautiful meals we have ever had. We left them our lunch in return as we thanked them for their incredible generousity to us.

A huge blessing to many of us was the gift of watching World Vision in action in this community. As it happened, they were there on the same day we were painting and so we got to see children making out their Christmas cards to their sponsors and watch others being registered for sponsorship. You can imagine how we felt. We can't find the words yet, but we will try to as we process all that we have seen. Another blessing was that we witnessed many of the children wearing Toms, shoes that many of our youth have bought in Canada. This company promises to donate one pair of shoes for every one they sell and we saw some of these little children wearing their Toms! There is so much more to tell you but some of it you need to hear through the words of your child, not through me.

Today, we are finishing up the playground and there will be a dedication tomorrow. Our last group of three will go up to Camp Hope this afternoon and then our work is done.  There are many mixed feelings as our time runs out.  Some want to move here, some are eager to get back to family and friends, but I think it's fair to say that everyone feels different in some way. The youth will need time and your support to be able to sort through some of what they have seen and to make a choice about what their response will be. The leaders too!!

I can't remember what I have described to you all and what I have left out but as I sit here the sun is shining and we can hear the children from the school next door playing in the courtyard. This morning I went out early to drop off some laundry and the little store was playing worship music. In the evening, almost everywhere you walk, you are never far from a church service. The singing rings through the cobbled steets along with the roar of the little open air taxis and the barking of the stray dogs. Please pray for us as we leave and travel home. Pray that we have patience with each other as we get up very early Thursday morning to make our way to the airport. When some are tired, they get louder, while others need peace so we will need all your prayers!!!

There is so much more to tell you but that will have to wait.

lots of love from all of us to all of you.

Gillian

A Word from Tammy

This has been such an amazing trip and today we are having a great day. We started this morning visiting the ruins. Steve said they were more fantastic than any ruins he has seen. The lush jungle, the mackaw birds, and the incredibly knowledgable guide all added to the experience. This afternoon some played soccer against a local team with the staff of UP (Urban Promise), some went swimming at a resort, some shopped, and some slept. Personally I did some necessary errands and drank the most delicious smoothie of my life - mango, pineapple, strawberry. Thank you for all your prayers. God is working in us and through us.

Love, Tammy

Carnival at Camp Hope

Yesterday was, for most of us, our last day at Camp Hope. Camp Hope is on the outskirts of Copan and the hike to get there is through a very poor neighbourhood, across a trickle of a stream and up some very steep, jungly hills. Most of the youth love this walk and we are greeted by small children along the way. When we arrived we set up our carnival while being surveyed by small kids hanging on to the outside of the fence watching our every move. Some of us have struggled with the fact that many of the children who aren't registered in the camp come to watch the festivities but aren't able to join in...for various reasons. It's hard. But lots of things have been hard here and we are learning that our views of the world may, in fact, be undergoing some major shifts.

Some of the children at Camp Hope are malnourished and all are certainly impoverished..it was our great privilege to run our simple carnival for them. They cleaned us out of candy in no time flat and then we went off to the local soccer field, soccer ball in hand, and played a game while the surrounding neighbourhood all came out to watch!! It was hilarious! In our defense we aren't used to the heat!! When we finished we all hiked back down to town, handing out our leftover Canadian pencils along the way....We'll show you the pictures of that when we get home.

A few of our group continued to work on the playground we are building. I think it is a little bit of a lesson in patience. There is no hardware,  are no swings and no instructions! If the team needs lumber then they walk in to town to go and find it, and then walk back to use it. It's slow work but we are determined.

I had sent you all a previous blog but it has disappeared into cyber space...If anyone has any ideas how I could find it I would love your input?! I've got to run now but I'll continue later!

lots of love from all of us to all of you!

Gillian

The Missing Blog

This is where the missing blog with pictures will be once it is found in cyber space!

Hola Mes Amigos!!

We are sorry we haven't had time to blog everyday but we have hit the ground running this week and we are sweaty, tired, but very purpose-filled and purpose-ful!! We have been working the camps this week and, while our work has been challenging...it has also been our great privelege to be able to serve the children of Honduras.  And they have served us...

We are currently rotating between three camps, Camp Peace, Camp Joy and Camp Hope and this morning we ran the whole program at Camp Joy...for the first time using the carnival we had prepared back home and brought with us in giant Ziploc bags.  The kids loved it and so did we!! The youth have spent much time connecting with and loving these kids and it has been a great joy to watch our youth serve out of the openness of their hearts and through the strength and love of the Lord Jesus.  We have come to rely on the Lord's strength in a way that is new to many of us and God has been faithful in filling us up to overflowing!!

One of the highlights for many of the youth was a dinner that was made and served by some local families whose children participate in Camp Hope.  This is a very poor area but they are RICH in generosity and hospitality! They prepared a feast for us and our youth were overwhelmed!  They tried all kinds of new dishes and local drink made of rice and some other ?? ingredients!  We had an amazing time but I'm going to let your children fill you in on the details.....it was amazing.

I've got to run...the youth are joining some local youth for the afternoon so we need to make haste.  

Please be assured that although some have suffered from tummy bugs we are all coping remarkably well and our New Life Youth have gone, are serving and are most certainly SHINING!

lots of love from all of us to all of you!!

Gillian