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July 12 , 2008
Blog – final
Praise God! Everyone is back to full health upon our departure from Catacamas into San Pedro Sula. Stephenie was able to participate in the last day of VBS and Vijay was better the next day. The 10 hour bus ride with a stop in the Valley of the Angels for lunch and shopping went without a hitch thanks to our awesome bus driver Pepe and God’s hand on our every move. Our stay in San Pedro was a quick stop for dinner, a short night’s rest and a HOT shower! Then we were at the airport at 5:30a on Saturday morning for our flights home.
Two of the families who are now in a new home. We say these are $2500 houses with million dollar views.
Upon completion of each home, we pray over the family and bless the home with Scripture spoken as well as wrap up the paperwork by having the parents sign the new home over to the youngest family member so it cannot be bartered, sold, or rented to others until that child is 18 years old.
Some of our team in El Centro
Glory to the Father!
6 homes completed for families who were previously living in tarp and stick
19 children who live in the Children’s home loved on and hugged as much as possible
350+ children heard more of the love of Jesus, made crafts to remember and played games at VBS
26 people saw God’s hand at work as we served together to glorify Him. We were so very blessed by His grace in allowing us to go and serve. He filled us up with His Spirit and love as well. It is truly a gift to go.....
While it is always a blessing to go, it is always great to be home. We thank you for your prayers and for your support in every way.
A special thanks to Debbie Quinn for helping with the blog posts throughout our trip.
Updated by Tracey Griner
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July 8 , 2008
Tuesday
Two homes were completed yesterday – roof and all – and a third house is framed for a roof today. We got a light rain this morning to cool things off which is always nice. All crews are on site and doing great. Stephenie is on the mend, a couple of people are getting a bit tired but are okay, Vijay is a little under the weather but probably just needs to rest – he is amazing to watch – he works as if he is 30 but knows when to rest. It is such a blessing to have different age groups on this trip and the opportunity to learn from one another. We praise God for His perfect provision in every way for this work.
Updated by Tracey Griner
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July 7 , 2008
Monday
The weekend was a time of catching up on rest and fellowship. After breakfast on Saturday, the trucks were loaded for a half day of work to finish peaking the 3 houses that had been started so they could be roofed first thing this morning. The VBS team took the rest of the kiddos shopping for new shoes, belts and jackets.
 
Checking out the shoe case The new caps were a big hit!!
Do they fit? Room to grow!
Lunch was served at the hotel – yummy American PB&J sandwiches! – then everyone had free time for the afternoon. Some went shopping in the local market, others rested at the hotel, some went for some delicious ice cream, and a couple of the guys went with Chip for his traditional barber visit. At 2:30p the 2nd annual soccer match between the locals and the North Americans took place in El Centro. Thankfully we have several locals on our team since they work for us on site and felt loyalties with us. Jeremy and Jaxon took star roles as goalies and everyone did a great job but most importantly they all had tons of fun. Chip sometimes mistook FUTball for FOOTball and made a couple of tackles but all in all no one got hurt.
 
El Centro Soccer Game—Ole’!! An uphill trek to the Cross
 
Almost there! Beautiful view of Catacamas from the top 
It rained for the last half of the game and they kept playing as if it were bright and sunny. I think ESPN would love the highlights to show their dedication to the game despite the pouring rain. Ben was out for that game because as they were “warming up” in the hotel parking lot, he and Jaxon had a bit of a collision and Jaxon left teeth marks in Ben’s head. Chip and Linda doctored him up and he was fine but we all thought it best that he sit this one out with the rest of us and cheer from the sidelines.
At 5 we went to the local circus which was MUCH better than in years past. They had lions, monkeys, horses, a motorcycle cage of doom, a Spiderman acrobat, some impersonators that had fun with the crowd, and all of it gave bright smiles to the kids of the children’s home. All the workers who have been out on the job sites and their families were invited too as we got VIP seating in the front few rows and the best view in the house….I mean the best view under the Big Top.
For dinner that night we ate at a hamburger joint in town, then headed back around 9 for worship and another encouraging word from Ben.
 
 
The Circus Aileen and Elisa, our interpreters, and Nelson
Some of our boys helped the clown entertain us! 
Honduras “Hurrica ne Harbor”
 
 
Honduras Fiesta! Heather loves the fresh tilapia and plantains!
Usually we have our walk to the cross on the last morning of our trip, however with the schedule change and the influx of rain we have had this year, Chip thought it best to go this weekend so we wouldn’t miss it. We left our hotel at 6:30a and walked through the city to the cross and on up the steps in silence reflecting on our experiences so far. At the top we had a time of worship and devotion thoughts by Ryan and Kevin and then gathered around the cross while Chip led us in prayer. That is always a wonderful time for us – we love being up there and looking over the entire city and knowing that God loves and cares about each and every person there. God, show us how to administer Your sweet love to each and every person we meet – not just here in Catacamas but everywhere we walk. It rained that afternoon so we would have been rained out had we waited – great call, Chip!
Sunday after church, we took the kids to the pool for fresh fish, plantains and a fun time of swimming and games. Since we cannot be here throughout the year for each child’s birthday, this is the time we celebrate with a group birthday party with cake and all the festivities. They always love being thrown into the pool and games of keep away and sweet Eduardo always loves hanging on Linda’s back the entire day.
We took the kids back to their home and then came back to clean up and have some down time with each other at our hotel. We look forward to starting the week and seeing what all the Lord has in store.
VBS got started today with a bang! 100 kids in the morning and 200 in the afternoon. They enjoyed crafts and story time as well as games out in front of the church. It is amazing that the kids always remember our names and look forward to getting to know the new ones on our trip. They always ask about those who are not here with us and pray for us all throughout the year. Linda does a great job heading up this team and I know they have a fun week in store.
 
Game time outside the church Crafts made by the kids
Story time
Stephenie was not feeling well Saturday night and is still a bit under the weather but we believe she is on the mend after spending almost the entire weekend in bed. Please continue to pray for the health and safety of all of us, and pray especially that she gets well soon. Her heart is with the children here and she is not able to help with VBS at this time. I know she is excited to get into that so pray for her to have a quick recovery.
3 down, 3 to go.
Updated by Tracey Griner
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July 4 , 2008
FRIDAY
GOD BLESS AMERICA!! We began our day today with the aforementioned song, and more than a few of us had tears in our eyes as we sang at the top of our lungs, celebrating the birth of our country in the third world country of Honduras! We were reminded by Saulo that we are North Americans, and they, too, are Americans, from Central America!
The VBS crew took half of the children shopping today for school shoes and other necessities to keep them well supplied for the remainder of the year. We could not have done it without Mariela, who lives with the children and works at the home. She knew where to shop and the needs of each child. The Mercado(Honduras version of The Mall) burned last month here in Catacamas, so the shopping was a little different this time around. The girls got new skirts and tops, and the boys received new shirts and jeans. The stores we visited were not exactly like we have in the states, as you can see in the photos, but we got the job done! We had to wait at one store for several minutes for them to go get change for our limpiras—twice!
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Mariela helped the girls find what they wanted in the cramped little store. Most of the sizes were all mixed together, so finding the right size and style was sometimes frustrating! All ended in smiles. |
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The boys were totally enamored with themselves in the full-length mirror! They were easily distracted from the shopping! |
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Elsa looks for the perfect fit. |
The Smiles!!
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On the job sites today, the houses grew to the tops of the peaks! Yea! It was the first day that we really got the sunshine and less rain—much warmer, but the evening was nice and cooler. The ladies, minus Deb “Moss the Hoss” and Natalie Neumann, VP of Conway Construction Co., got part of the day off as they completed their part of the work! The others then worked late to peak all but a wall or two which is all that remains to be done except for the roofs. As the jobs near completion, fewer workers are needed as the work becomes higher up and more specialized, so there is some downtime during the day. Ben took advantage of the time to befriend some of the local children on the site. You must see that video when we return! Natalie filmed the children following Ben in some game-like moves, and the children were delighted when she replayed the video for them to watch! Too bad we did not have a backup camera to film the kids watching themselves! The CC C0. were laughing hysterically as they watched the kids watching themselves!
As each group returned to the motel, we showered up and prepared for our surprise—we and all the children and workers had a genuine, all American, backyard Bar-B-Que complete with hot dogs(we called them American tortillas), watermelon, birthday cake, and a HUGE fireworks display! Chip explained to the crowd through Saulo´s translation what Independence Day means to us Americans, and everyone was eager to share in our celebration. We even found a fellow American here in Catacamas who was kind enough to make a huge pot of chili for us and joined us when he heard we were having hotdogs. All of the nearby neighborhoods came out to watch the fireworks and listen to our American music, and most of them had a hotdog! Most of the kids had never seen a hotdog before, so we guided them through the buffet line of dogs, chips, potato salad, cole slaw, and all the trimmings! Many came back for seconds, and nearly all loved the ice cold watermelon. The fireworks were awesome, and we all watched from the hotel courtyard, cheering and shouting our appreciation of each display. The children’s evening ended with the strawberry-flavored birthday cake, a sweet ending to a sweet celebration!
| Chip used a little Honduranian ingenuity to get the fire hotter under the hotdogs—He used a hairdryer to blow on the fire! Crazy, but it worked! |
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A feller needs some help when it is his first hotdog! Lots of help! |
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Being in Honduras makes us all realize how very blessed we are to live in our country, with all of our freedoms and conveniences that we take advantage of every single day. Here we see bars on every window and door, poverty on every street, and yet some of the most beautiful scenes of nature. We all should get down on our knees and thank God for His grace, for giving us an American birth and all that comes with being a citizen of the United States of America, a country born from religious persecution. May we never forget that we are stewards of all of God’s blessings, and let us use our tremendous wealth and opportunities to serve others. After all, it all belongs to the Lord, and as we sang last night, “This world is not my home; I’m just a-passing through…” GOD BLESS AMERICA, and HONDURAS.
Updated by Tracey Griner
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July 2 , 2008
THURSDAY
It was back to work as usual today after a night of heavy rainfall—I awoke once and thought the bathtub water was running, until I remembered that we have no bathtub! Today was again overcast and relatively cool. We’ve yet to see a day of sunshine, but we are not complaining! Even though the sun is not prominent, we have living evidence on many of our people concerning where we get the term “red neck!” The sun’s rays seem to penetrate even the added layers of sunscreen we reapply during the day. Today’s construction was delayed by over an hour of rain when we were just getting started, which slowed us down a bit, but by the end of the day, the houses were nearing completion and should be very close to completion on Friday. Wow! Three houses in under five days! Isn’t God awesome?! Thank you, Lord, for giving us this unique opportunity to serve you and your people here in Honduras!
Some of us girls were able to help the ladies cook for our group and the children’s home and all the helpers. Saulos’ wife, Marisol, is an awesome cook, and she knows how to cook so that the gringos will not get sick. She has some of the local women to help her, and they really were entertained as we gringos tried our best to imitate their style of making flour tortillas—it was muy dificul! Did you know that flour tortillas contain coconut milk? We had a competition to see who could get their dough to the right consistency first! It was a hoot! We were using a cinder block fire pit and an adobe stove with wood fires. We made 50 lunch plates for us and the construction crews and helpers, and as soon as lunch was completed, we started on supper! The huge cast iron pot of beans took all day to cook, complete with peppers and pork rinds. In the meantime, the women were doing the laundry by scrubbing the clothes with bromide bars on the concrete scrub boards! The real problem was getting the clothes on the lines to dry, with all the rain. We are so spoiled—thank God for Maytag!
Making flour tortillas
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Big pot of beans on the fire |
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And, we are three more strong today—Turbo, Amanda Sears, and Randy Brewer made it here safely early this afternoon. Great! Our supper with the children at the home was marvelous—our flour tortillas, baked bologna, the beans, and a plantain side dish—YUM!! We headed back to the motel for our evening devotional, and Ben began a continuing, interactive lesson. We built our foundation with God, and we will continue building our “house” in the next devotional—Ben is doing a great job! It is obvious that he has spent a great deal of time preparing for our praise time, and it is the perfect ending for each day! Hasta manana!
Updated by Tracey Griner
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July 2 , 2008
Wednesday
Wow! Is it Day 3 already?! First, I have to say that we met the children last night, and what an experience! As we were driving up to children’s home, we could see the children through the windows, jumping up and down, running down the hall, squealing, “Gringos!” We were greeted at the curb by hugs and kisses! They were so loving and very excited to see us, even those of us they had never met before! Apparently, few visitors are allowed inside, so the anticipation of guests had them all anxiously awaiting our arrival. We only had a few minutes to meet and greet since it was almost bedtime when we were able to see them, so we cannot wait to see them at church tonight! Some will be in school, so we will have to see them later.
Did you hear about the work day on Tuesday? We are all now well versed in moving mountains—that’s biblical, isn’t it?? The first move we made was from the roadside to the bottom of the next hill.
We had about a BUNCH of concrete blocks to move down the hill and up the other side, so Jeremy put us right to work as soon as the first groups got off of the trucks. By the time we had them transferred, the other group arrived! The newcomers didn’t miss all of the fun, though! We still had another hill to span, and double the number of blocks!
As we were beginning the new challenge, God saw fit to cool things off with a wonderful shower that turned into a drenching! Fortunately, the little lady and her family next door invited us to come under her shelter and most of us managed to remain “relatively dry-ish,” which is a suffix Chip seems to add to everything Hondurian! We were slipping and sliding in the mud, making standing a problem, much less heaving a big block! What an experience working side by side with the locals and the homeowners, men, women, and kids!
After a series of grunts, groans, shoes buried knee-high in the mud, and concrete blocks dropped and heaved up to the top, our mountain was moved, all blocks were on top, ready to make a home. Now, that was satisfying! We always had an eager audience of children nearby, smiling and wanting to help. Some little ones who weighed almost as much as the blocks were carrying them up the hill right with us, giving us little room to complain!
We finished the night with a devotional led by Ben Moss, and he is doing a great job!
Now, for Wednesday! The work teams of Conway Construction, The Hatfields, and The McCoys (which has no one on it named “McCoy”, but Chip thought, well ...enough said!) got close to halfway finished with three houses that started the day as just a pile of blocks! They are all at least 5-high by block measures, with a day of rain slowing them from time to time! We really don’t mind the rain, as it cools and refreshes, as long as the sun is covered! We have had an enormous amount of rain this year, so it has been cooler than normally so. These building pads are on flat ground, and all three are very close together. It was an exhausting but very fulfilling for the workers today, but they left the sites with the satisfaction of seeing the families watching their new homes become a reality!
We had Chinese food at a nice local restaurant Tuesday night, and tonight we were able to eat with the children at the home. It was great fun to share the beans, guacamole, chips and tortillas(both homemade!), and a boiled egg for our supper with the children. One could hear much talking and laughter as we seemed to span the language gap with large gestures and lots and lots of hugs and smiles!
The devotional was once again very stirring as Wilma shared her walk with our Lord, blessing us all with her story. Later, our day came to a close with Jeremy Brewer entertaining us card players as he managed to, while sitting perfectly still, ride his plastic chair to the floor as all four legs decided to break and fall apart! Of course, we were all concerned with his well-being as we guffawed and shrieked with laughter!
WISH YOU WERE HERE!! LOVE TO ALL!!
Updated by Tracey Griner |
July 1 , 2008
Tuesday
We have arrived in Catacamas! Praise God for His protection and grace in the arrival trip. All flights went well with about an hour delay in Miami leaving for San Pedro. We were greeted by our brother, Saulo, as well as our bus drivers Pepe and Tito. Elisa and her family and Allan were also there to welcome us to their city and guide us to Pizza Hut. We were all quite ready for a bite to eat! Our approximated 8 ½ hour drive from San Pedro Sula to Catacamas was delayed over an hour while we watched the sun set over a recent traffic accident on a two lane road. They had to wait for the police to show up and make their report before anyone could pass through. Deb got out her guitar and created a campfire environment right there on the bus to pass the time. We got to our hotel around 2a.m., unloaded the bus and bedded down around 3a….or 4a.
This morning Chip has already taken the crew leaders and Israel, the foreman out to the sites and all looks good and ready for a start. We will all be moving blocks on the first site this afternoon on an uphill—er, mountain location….this way when they are ready to start building, the blocks will be right there for them.
Everyone enjoyed a wonderful breakfast this morning at the hotel mess hall and we are all in good health after a good night’s rest. Ben encouraged us this morning from Psalm 91 and now we are just hanging out a few minutes until the trucks come for us for the sites.
Personally, I am so happy to be here and see our brothers and sisters again. It is such a blessing and gift to be able to participate in this mission and I am so grateful for all the people who are praying us through it. Please remember to pray for Roberto and Blanca as they are in Virginia now while Blanca is recovering from knee surgery (broke her knee in two places a few weeks ago) and Roberto awaits surgery on his lungs. We will miss seeing them terribly but pray God’s blessing over their health and their travels.
Updated by Tracey Griner
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July 2 , 2008
Safe Arrival
We received a report that the team has arrived in Catacamas safely. Please look back here for more updates.
Updated by Cassy Lawson at 2:28 am
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June 30, 2008
Arrival in Miami
Made it to Miami. All is well. More later.
Sent via text message by Tracey Griner at 11:47 am |
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