The Honduras mission team has returned home safely. Thank you so much for all your prayers! We could feel them! We had a wonderful week serving the Lord. Below is our update from our travel day on Saturday.

Update 10.24.09

The day began early with breakfast and final packing. Jo Ann made muffins and scrambled eggs. Group pictures were taken, and lots of luggage loaded into the pickup. Just as we were ready to leave, Carolina came by foot with hot donuts fresh from her mom’s kitchen. Dennis had arranged this for a treat. We were outside under the gorgeous Honduran sky, while Carolina sang a solo in English. It was very touching song about how Jesus Christ is ABLE to do anything, including to “heal right here and now” and “to make something beautiful out of me!”

Then it was into 2 vehicles to head to the airport. We again had stops for road construction, and local vendors use the opportunity of stopped cars to sell roasted ears of corn on a stick. We also saw what looked like farmers markets along the way, set up on Saturday, just like in Iowa. After about an hour and a half we were in Tegucigalpa, but not yet at the airport. The traffic jam in the city was unlike any you have seen in Iowa. At one point it took us 45 minutes to drive about one half mile. For starters, there are very busy city intersections with no traffic control signs at all, and stalled semi trucks and cars under repair right in the traffic jam, as well as road construction underway right in the thick of it, (also with no cones or flagmen.) To pass the time, Dennis bought a local newspaper for 6 limps (about 33 cents) from a vendor taking advantage of the stopped cars. When we arrived at the airport, check in went very smoothly, and we even had time to wait a little, and buy a souvenir map of Honduras or maracas for those who desired. The airport and flight staff we all very helpful and fluent in English. As we waited to board, a plane arrived from the US and a group on a short term mission walked in right past us to start their week in Honduras. The plane was not full, so most of us were able to get a row of 3 seats to ourselves and we had a fun loving attendant who gave us extra snacks. Our layover was in Atlanta, where we ate and relaxed for a couple hours and reconnected to our families by phone. We also went through customs there, which went smoothly, and each worker checking our papers welcomed us back to the country.

The final flight to DM was a much smaller and fuller plane, and many of us caught a nap, which is a great time to get a friend’s photo!

Many exciting things are still going on in Honduras in our absence, such as plans to put the trusses in place and roof on before the end of the year, and the upcoming wedding of 12 area couples on one day in December. These are established couples who have never gotten legally married due to the cost of the license (equal to about 25 US dollars.) Our translators shared with us that many couples there never get legally married, and that wedding rings are also not used. Now that these couples have become Christians, they want to do the right thing and be married. Jo Ann plans to help with cake and decorations to make all this possible and affordable to the 12 couples. The church on site will be used for this exciting occasion.

Also, pastor training is ongoing in the same small room that we set up sewing this week and the room is also used for Sunday school for teens on Sundays. We witnessed the projector being used effectively for lay leader training in the sanctuary on Friday evening.

Many thanks to Kenny Van Dusseldorp that took us to the airport at 3:15 a.m. on Friday and Matt Terlouw who picked us up Saturday evening at 11:30 p.m.

Thanks for all the support and prayers, we all had a very safe and healthy week, full of opportunities to be God’s ambassadors, and enjoy some new adventures at the same time. Please pray for the team members as they transition back into their daily routines.

Blessings!

The Honduras Mission Team