Hello all to all of those back home!! We have finally made it to our destination. Man it has been a very long day. So I´m going to keep it short, we made it!!! And we are all safe!! Tomorrow we start our work. I will keep you all updated each night, if internet permits!! We all love you and we will all miss you. Please keep us in your prayers.
In Him,
Brandy B
Friday, June 30
Friday, June 23
Ready or not, here we come!
Today is Friday, June 23rd, and for those going to Honduras on the mission trips it means we are one week away from departure! Excitement (and anxiety) are running high right now, for all who are preparing to go on the trip. It is such an exciting time, for most, an event we have been waiting for nearly a year. For those of us who have been making the plans and schedules, it is crunch time, trying to tie up loose ends and making sure everything is in order before we leave. So, here is the long awaited information about the trips that are coming up, pay attention and take notes!
We have, in the next 24 days, 3 teams that will be in Honduras. The first July team is made up of about 70 people from Memphis, Tennessee; Benton, Kentucky; Nashville, Tennessee; Montgomery, Alabama; Sarasota, Florida; Kittanning, Pennsylvania; and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Approximately 45 land on Friday, June 30th, from the Nashville airport, and 25 on Saturday, July 1 from the Miami airport. The second July team is made up of 50 people from Columbia, South Carolina. They arrive on July 7th. And the final group is made up of 70 people that come from Memphis, Tennessee; Nashville, Tennessee; Sarasota, Florida; Columbus, Ohio; and Bradenton, Florida.
The July 1 and July 7 teams will be working in Tegucigalpa, and also Comayagua, a large city about 2 hours northeast of the capital. The July 14 team will be working in Tegucigalpa, and Choluteca, about 4 hours west of the capital on the Pacific Coast. All 3 trips have big plans that will include building houses; food distribution; VBS and adult Bible classes; hospital visitations; orphanage visitations; painting projects; service projects and more. The July 1 team will be staying at Hotel Morales in Comayagua and the July 7 team will be staying at Hotel Santa Maria in Comayagua. The July 14 team will be staying at the Hacienda Gualiqueme in Choluteca.
Please take note to the following information concerning the trip:
* Make sure that you are at the airport 2 ½ hours ahead of your departure time. International flights take longer to check in.
* All airline tickets are electronic tickets so all you will need is your passport.
* You are allowed to check 2 suitcases for the trip. Maximum weight limit is 50 pounds. They will charge you if you go over!!!
* You are also allowed a carry-on (backpack) and a purse or handbag. You should pack any important items (medicine, money, credit cards, etc.) in your carry on bag.
* You might want to pack an extra change of clothes too in case your luggage doesn’t make it on the flight (you never know…)
* DO NOT PACK HAMMERS, KNIVES, ETC., IN YOUR BACKPACK OR CARRY-ON BAG!!!! You will have to donate it to the security guys if you do.
* If you have received your Torch t-shirt/ journal, don’t forget to bring them! There are no extras. If you have not received them yet you will get them in Honduras.
RECOMMENDED PACKING LIST:
Bible/ passport
Toilet paper (comfort is everything)
Pepto Bismal (the pink miracle)
Tooth brush/paste
Soap/shampoo
Hand wipes (bring a lot!)
Hand sanitizer (very important)
Imodium (life savers)
Shaving cream/razor
Towel/wash cloth
Deodorant/Q-tips
Insect repellent (Cactus Juice)
Multi-vitamins
Camera/film
Deck of cards
Watch (waterproof)
Work clothes (disposable)
1 set of new twin sheets (white)
2 bottles of Pepto Bismol
Work shoes (closed toed)/Work gloves
Peanut butter/jelly/ Snack food
Laundry bag
Zip-lock bags (sandwich & gallon size)
Flash light/ Alarm clock
Spending money ($50 - $90+)
Hat/visor
Water bottle (s)
Sunscreen (psf 20 +)
Paper/pen/pencil/ Sharpie marker
Backpack
Spanish/English dictionary
Pocket knife/ Sunglasses
Band-aides/ Personal medicines
(Items in bold are supplies to be given away)
Torch Missions Honduras 2006
Tentative Schedule
June 30 - July 11 trip
June 30th (Memphis group, Benton, Kentucky group, the Crew)
12:20 - 1:08 pm: Arrive in Tegucigalpa. Clear customs.
2:30: Get luggage, exchange money, load bus
3:00: Shop at grocery store for lunch foods
4:00: Dinner (fast food in Tegucigalpa).
7:30: Arrive at Hotel Morales, Comayagua.
9:00: Devotional
10:30: Room check.
July 1st (Florida group & Nashville group arrive and do June 30th schedule)
6:00 - 6:30: Wake-up call.
7:00 - 7:45: Breakfast.
8:00: Morning devotional.
8:45: Depart for work assignments (TBA).
4:30: Return to hotel; clean-up.
6:00: Dinner with full team. (Belmont team lands in Tegucigalpa)
7:00 - Mixer games (Brett Mitchell in charge)
9:00 - 10:00: Evening devotional (Belmont team arrives at hotel)
10:30: Room check.
July 2nd
7:00: Wake-up
8:00: Breakfast
9:15: Depart for church services
12:00: Lunch (Wendy’s)
2:30- 4:30: Visitation teams (Hospital, clinic, and special needs orphanage)
5:30: Return to hotel
6:00: Dinner
7:00: Small group discussion time
9:00 - 10:00: Evening devotional
10:30: Room check. (pack luggage for departure tomorrow)
July 3rd
6:30 - 7:00: Wake-up.
7:00 - 7:45: Breakfast.
8:00: Bring luggage to lobby
8:45:Morning devotional.
9:15: Depart for work assignments (TBA)
3:00: Return to hotel. Load luggage and depart for Tegucigalpa.
5:30: Arrive at Mission House / get rooming assignments / unpack
6:30 - 7:30: Dinner.
7:30 - 8:30: Free time.
9:00 - 10:00: Evening devotional.
10:30: Room check.
July 4th
6:30 - 7:00: Wake-up.
7:00 - 7:45: Breakfast.
8:00: Morning devotional.
8:45: Depart for work projects (TBA)
5:00: Return to Mission House; shower.
6:00: Dinner
7:15: Shopping at grocery store.
9:00- 10:00: Evening devotional
10:30: Room check.
July 5th
6:30 - 7:00: Wake-up.
7:00 - 7:45: Breakfast.
8:30: Morning devotional.
8:45: Depart for work projects (TBA)
4:30: Return to Mission House / shower
6:00: Dinner
7:30: Small group (or possible devo at Jesus statue)
9:00 - 10:00: Evening devotional (depending on weather)
10:30: Room check
July 6th
6:30: Wake-up.
7:00 - 7:45: Breakfast (in restaurant)
8:00: Morning devotional.
8:45: Depart for work projects (TBA)
4:30- 5:00: Return to Mission House / showers
6:00: Dinner
7:00- 9:00: Free time
9:00: Devotional.
10:30: Room check.
July 7th (South Carolina group arrives)
6:30 - Wake-up.
7:00 - 7:45: Breakfast.
8:00: Morning devotional.
8:45: Depart for work projects (TBA)
4:30: Return to Mission House / shower.
5:30: Depart for town / going out for dinner (fast food junction)
8:15: Depart for Mission House.
9:00: Evening devotional (combined devo with South Carolina group)
10:30: Room check.
July 8th
6:30 - 7:00: Wake-up.
7:00 - 7:45: Breakfast.
8:30: Morning devotional.
8:45: Depart for work projects (TBA)
4:30: Return to Mission House / shower
6:00: Dinner
7:30: Small group (Barnabas project)
9:00 - 10:00: Evening devotional
10:30: Room check
July 9th (Belmont team leaves to go home)
8:00: Wake-up.
9:00 -9:45: Worship service @ Mission House (with South Carolina group?)
9:45 - 10:30: Brunch
10:30: Load luggage on bus
11:00: Depart for Hotel Copantyl / Check-in.
11:30 - 2:30: Free time at hotel
2:30: Bus departs for mall / dinner
7:30: Bus loads to return to Hotel Copantyl
8:30: Devotional
11:00: Room check
July 10th (Tennessee & Kentucky team departs on this schedule)
8:00: Wake-up.
9:00 -9:45: Breakfast
9:45: Load luggage on bus and depart for airport
10:30: Baggage check-in / receive boarding passes (Continental & American)
1:20: Continental flight departs
2:15: American Airlines flight departs
July 10th (schedule for remainder of team)
8:00: Wake-up
8:00 - 10:30: Breakfast @ hotel
10:30: Morning devotional
11:15: Depart for Valley of Angels (visit orphanage and shop)
5:00: Dinner @ Santa Lucia
7:30: Devotional at Santa Lucia church
9:30: Arrive back at Hotel Copantl
11:00: Room check
July 11th (Florida and Pennsylvania group)
8:00: Wake-up.
8:00 -9:30: Breakfast
9:30 - 10:15: Morning devotional
10:30 - 11:15: Load luggage on bus and depart for airport
11:30: Baggage check-in / receive boarding passes (Continental & American)
2:15: American Airlines flight departs
Torch Missions Honduras 2006
Tentative Schedule
July 7 - July 17 trip
July 7th
12:30: Continental group arrives.
1:08 pm: American group Arrives. Clear customs; claim luggage; load bus.
2:00: Eat lunch across the street from airport.
3:00: Visitation at blind school (or similar project)
5:00: Arrive at Mission House / dinner
6:00 - 7:30: Unpack, settle into rooms
7:30: Team meeting in cafeteria / rules / orientation
9:00: Combined devotional with July 1 team
10:30: Room check.
July 8th
6:00 - 6:30: Wake-up call.
7:00 - 7:45: Breakfast.
8:00: Morning devotional.
8:45: Depart for work assignments (building 2 houses in San Miguel; painting team; food packing team)
4:30: Return to Mission House; clean-up.
6:00: Dinner.
7:30: Devotional at chapel
8:30 - 10:30: Free time / journals
10:30: Room check.
July 9th
8:00: Breakfast for South Carolina group
9:00 -9:45: Worship service @ Mission House (with July 1 team)
9:45 - 10:30: Brunch for July 1 team. (South Carolina team packs toys and flyers for Valley of Angels project)10:30: Everyone departs. July 1 team goes to Hotel Copantyl to begin retreat, South Carolina group for project.
10:30 - 12:30: Lunch fast food junction (Camparos; Little Caesars; etc.)
1:30- 3:00: Pass out flyers for VBS at Valley of Angels
3:00 0 4:30: Visit orphanage at Valley of Angels
5:30: Dinner in town
7:30: Return to Mission House
7:30 - 8:30: Evening devotional
8:30 - 10:30: Free time / journals
10:30: Room check.
July 10th
6:30 - 7:00: Wake-up.
7:00 - 7:45: Breakfast.
8:00:Morning devotional.
9:15: Depart for work assignments (VBS at San Miguel and adult Bible studies; food distribution and hospital visitation)
4:30: Arrive at Mission House
6:00: Dinner.
7:30 - 8:30: Evening devotional.
8:30 - 10:30: Free time / journals
10:30: Room check.
July 11th
6:30 - 7:00: Wake-up.
7:00 - 7:45: Breakfast.
8:00: Morning devotional.
8:45: Depart for work projects (TBA)
5:00: Return to Mission House; shower.
6:00: Dinner
7:30: Evening devotional
8:30 - 10:30: Free time / Journals
10:30: Room check.
July 12th
6:30 - 7:00: Wake-up.
7:00 - 7:45: Breakfast.
8:30: Morning devotional.
8:45: Depart for work projects (TBA)
4:30: Return to Mission House / shower
6:00: Dinner
7:30: Small group (or possible devo at Jesus statue)
10:30: Room check
July 13th
6:30: Wake-up.
7:00 - 7:45: Breakfast (in restaurant)
8:00: Morning devotional.
8:45: Depart for work projects (TBA)
4:30- 5:00: Return to Mission House / showers
6:00: Dinner
7:30: Evening devotional.
8:30 - 10:30: Free time / journals
10:30: Room check.
July 14th
6:30 - Wake-up.
7:00 - 7:45: Breakfast.
8:00: Morning devotional.
8:45: Depart for work projects (TBA)
4:30: Return to Mission House / shower.
5:30: Depart for town / going out for dinner (nice, sit down restaurant)
8:15: Return to Mission House.
8:45: In room devotionals / pack suitcases for morning departure.
10:30: Room check.
July 15th
6:00: Wake-up.
7:00 - 7:45: Breakfast.
8:00: Morning devotional.
8:45: Load luggage for Comayagua
9:00: Depart for Comayagua
11:30: Arrive in Comayagua / Check into hotel / lunch / settle in / free time
2:30: Team meeting / depart for visitation projects (special needs orphanage and hospital)
5:00: return to hotel / dinner / free time
7:30: Evening devotional/
10:30: Room check
July 16th
8:00 - 9:45: Breakfast
9:45 - 10:30: Worship assembly at hotel (tentative, depends on local church assembly time, might be able to worship at Comayagua church)
10:30: Day activities and free time / lunch on your own
5:00 - 7:00: Dinner
7:30: Evening devotional
11:00: Room check
July 17th
6:00 - 7:30: Breakfast
7:45: Load luggage on bus and depart for airport
10:30: Baggage check-in / receive boarding passes (Continental & American)
12:20: Continental flight departs
2:15: American Airlines flight departs
Torch Missions Honduras 2006
Tentative Schedule
July 14 - 24 trip
July 14th
1:08 pm: Arrive in Tegucigalpa. Clear customs; claim luggage; load bus.
2:30: Clear customs, get luggage, exchange money, load bus
3:30: Arrive at Mission House, settle in.
4:30: Orientation
5:30: Dinner.
6:30: Orientation / mixer games
8:30 - 9:30: Devotional
10:30: Room check.
July 15th
6:00 - 6:30: Wake-up call.
7:00 - 7:45: Breakfast.
8:00: Morning devotional.
8:45: Depart for work assignments (TBA).
4:30 - 5:00: Return to Mission House; clean-up.
6:00 - 7:00: Dinner.
7:00 - 8:45: Shopping at local grocery store
9:00 - 10:00: Evening devotional
10:30: Room check.
July 16th
7:00 - 7:30: Wake-up call.
8:00 - 8:45: Breakfast.
9:00: Load buses for San Miguel (church clothes / bring outfit to change into after worship assembly)
10:00 - 11:30: Worship @ San Miguel (Monaloa)
12:30 - 2:00: Lunch (fast food junction / pick up pizzas for pizza party)
3:00- 5:00: Visit Dadasko orphanage / pizza party for children
7:00 - 8:45: Dinner
10:00: Evening devotional: small group (in room devos)
July 17th
6:30 - 7:00: Wake-up.
7:00 - 7:45: Breakfast.
8:00: Morning devotional.
8:45: Depart for work assignments (TBA)
5:00: Return to Mission House.
6:00 - 7:00: Dinner.
7:00 - 8:30: Free time.
9:00 - 10:30: Evening devotional.
10:30: Room check.
July 18th
6:30 - 7:00: Wake-up.
7:00 - 7:45: Breakfast.
8:00: Morning devotional.
8:45: Depart for work projects (TBA)
5:00: Return to Mission House; shower.
6:00: Dinner
7:00-8:30: Pack luggage for morning departure
9:00- 10:00: Evening devotional
10:30: Room check.
July 19th
6:30 - 7:00: Wake-up.
7:00 - 7:45: Breakfast.
8:30: Morning devotional.
8:45: Depart for Choluteca (on Pacific coast, 4 hour drive)
12:45: Check into hotel
2:00 - Depart for work projects (TBA)
6:00: Return to hotel / shower
7:00: Dinner in restaurant (note: food not included at hotel, we will eat off of the menu in the hotel restaurant or at Wendy’s, depending)
8:15- 9:00: Free time
9:00 - 10:00: Evening devotional
13:30: Room check
July 20th
6:30: Wake-up.
7:00 - 7:45: Breakfast (in restaurant)
8:30: Morning devotional.
9:15: Depart for work projects (TBA)
4:30- 5:00: Return to hotel / showers
6:00 - 8:00: Dinner (hotel restaurant)
8:45- 9:45: Evening devotional.
10:30: Room check.
July 21st
6:30 - Wake-up.
7:00 - 7:45: Breakfast.
8:30: Morning devotional.
8:45: Depart for work projects (TBA)
4:30: Return to hotel / shower.
5:30: Dinner @ Wendy’s
7:00 - 8:00: Evening devotional.
8:00 - 10:30: Pack luggage for morning departure
10:30: Room check.
July22nd
6:30: Wake up
7:00- 7:45: Breakfast (in restaurant)
8:00: Morning devotional.
8:45: pack luggage, load on truck.
9:00 - Depart for San Salvador, El Salvador
3:00: Check into hotel / settle in (note: no meals are included on the retreat. Meals are each team member’s responsibility)
4:30: Depart for mall; shopping, dinner
8:30: Arrive back to Hotel
9:00- 10:00: Evening devotional.
11:00: Room check
July 23rd
7:00 - 10:30: Leisure time / breakfast at hotel (Ben, Linda, Margaret leave)
10:30: Worship assembly
10:45 - 7:30: Planned activities / free time / dinner (more details TBA)
8:00: Evening devotional
9:00: pack luggage for morning departure
11:00: Room check
July 24th
7:00- 8:00: Breakfast
8:00- 8:45: Load luggage
9:00: Depart for airport
10:00: Check-in / boarding passes / pay exit fees
1:20: Depart American Airlines back to the states
As always, please remember that all of our schedules are tentative (aka pipe dreams). There are a multitude of things that can cause changes in the schedules and veterans know that being flexible is just part of the experience. But the schedules are here to give those going and those staying back home an idea of what might be going on, and more importantly, where we will be.
Communication is always a challenge for us, but this blog will give you daily reports of what we are doing. When possible e-mails will be sent back home and there might even be the possibility of a phone call every now and then. But please remember, we are in a third world country and we are working a very long and busy schedule from day to day. Emergency phone numbers and e-mails will be posted while we are on the trip so check this blog often.
Wow, after months of planning, dreaming, and praying, the trip is here. I look forward to working with all of you in Honduras, be ready for God to do amazing things through you. For those staying back, keep us in your prayers and thank you for your support. My prayer is that God will be glorified in what we do and that we will be able to make a difference while we are in Honduras.
Terry Reeves
Trip coordinator
We have, in the next 24 days, 3 teams that will be in Honduras. The first July team is made up of about 70 people from Memphis, Tennessee; Benton, Kentucky; Nashville, Tennessee; Montgomery, Alabama; Sarasota, Florida; Kittanning, Pennsylvania; and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Approximately 45 land on Friday, June 30th, from the Nashville airport, and 25 on Saturday, July 1 from the Miami airport. The second July team is made up of 50 people from Columbia, South Carolina. They arrive on July 7th. And the final group is made up of 70 people that come from Memphis, Tennessee; Nashville, Tennessee; Sarasota, Florida; Columbus, Ohio; and Bradenton, Florida.
The July 1 and July 7 teams will be working in Tegucigalpa, and also Comayagua, a large city about 2 hours northeast of the capital. The July 14 team will be working in Tegucigalpa, and Choluteca, about 4 hours west of the capital on the Pacific Coast. All 3 trips have big plans that will include building houses; food distribution; VBS and adult Bible classes; hospital visitations; orphanage visitations; painting projects; service projects and more. The July 1 team will be staying at Hotel Morales in Comayagua and the July 7 team will be staying at Hotel Santa Maria in Comayagua. The July 14 team will be staying at the Hacienda Gualiqueme in Choluteca.
Please take note to the following information concerning the trip:
* Make sure that you are at the airport 2 ½ hours ahead of your departure time. International flights take longer to check in.
* All airline tickets are electronic tickets so all you will need is your passport.
* You are allowed to check 2 suitcases for the trip. Maximum weight limit is 50 pounds. They will charge you if you go over!!!
* You are also allowed a carry-on (backpack) and a purse or handbag. You should pack any important items (medicine, money, credit cards, etc.) in your carry on bag.
* You might want to pack an extra change of clothes too in case your luggage doesn’t make it on the flight (you never know…)
* DO NOT PACK HAMMERS, KNIVES, ETC., IN YOUR BACKPACK OR CARRY-ON BAG!!!! You will have to donate it to the security guys if you do.
* If you have received your Torch t-shirt/ journal, don’t forget to bring them! There are no extras. If you have not received them yet you will get them in Honduras.
RECOMMENDED PACKING LIST:
Bible/ passport
Toilet paper (comfort is everything)
Pepto Bismal (the pink miracle)
Tooth brush/paste
Soap/shampoo
Hand wipes (bring a lot!)
Hand sanitizer (very important)
Imodium (life savers)
Shaving cream/razor
Towel/wash cloth
Deodorant/Q-tips
Insect repellent (Cactus Juice)
Multi-vitamins
Camera/film
Deck of cards
Watch (waterproof)
Work clothes (disposable)
1 set of new twin sheets (white)
2 bottles of Pepto Bismol
Work shoes (closed toed)/Work gloves
Peanut butter/jelly/ Snack food
Laundry bag
Zip-lock bags (sandwich & gallon size)
Flash light/ Alarm clock
Spending money ($50 - $90+)
Hat/visor
Water bottle (s)
Sunscreen (psf 20 +)
Paper/pen/pencil/ Sharpie marker
Backpack
Spanish/English dictionary
Pocket knife/ Sunglasses
Band-aides/ Personal medicines
(Items in bold are supplies to be given away)
Torch Missions Honduras 2006
Tentative Schedule
June 30 - July 11 trip
June 30th (Memphis group, Benton, Kentucky group, the Crew)
12:20 - 1:08 pm: Arrive in Tegucigalpa. Clear customs.
2:30: Get luggage, exchange money, load bus
3:00: Shop at grocery store for lunch foods
4:00: Dinner (fast food in Tegucigalpa).
7:30: Arrive at Hotel Morales, Comayagua.
9:00: Devotional
10:30: Room check.
July 1st (Florida group & Nashville group arrive and do June 30th schedule)
6:00 - 6:30: Wake-up call.
7:00 - 7:45: Breakfast.
8:00: Morning devotional.
8:45: Depart for work assignments (TBA).
4:30: Return to hotel; clean-up.
6:00: Dinner with full team. (Belmont team lands in Tegucigalpa)
7:00 - Mixer games (Brett Mitchell in charge)
9:00 - 10:00: Evening devotional (Belmont team arrives at hotel)
10:30: Room check.
July 2nd
7:00: Wake-up
8:00: Breakfast
9:15: Depart for church services
12:00: Lunch (Wendy’s)
2:30- 4:30: Visitation teams (Hospital, clinic, and special needs orphanage)
5:30: Return to hotel
6:00: Dinner
7:00: Small group discussion time
9:00 - 10:00: Evening devotional
10:30: Room check. (pack luggage for departure tomorrow)
July 3rd
6:30 - 7:00: Wake-up.
7:00 - 7:45: Breakfast.
8:00: Bring luggage to lobby
8:45:Morning devotional.
9:15: Depart for work assignments (TBA)
3:00: Return to hotel. Load luggage and depart for Tegucigalpa.
5:30: Arrive at Mission House / get rooming assignments / unpack
6:30 - 7:30: Dinner.
7:30 - 8:30: Free time.
9:00 - 10:00: Evening devotional.
10:30: Room check.
July 4th
6:30 - 7:00: Wake-up.
7:00 - 7:45: Breakfast.
8:00: Morning devotional.
8:45: Depart for work projects (TBA)
5:00: Return to Mission House; shower.
6:00: Dinner
7:15: Shopping at grocery store.
9:00- 10:00: Evening devotional
10:30: Room check.
July 5th
6:30 - 7:00: Wake-up.
7:00 - 7:45: Breakfast.
8:30: Morning devotional.
8:45: Depart for work projects (TBA)
4:30: Return to Mission House / shower
6:00: Dinner
7:30: Small group (or possible devo at Jesus statue)
9:00 - 10:00: Evening devotional (depending on weather)
10:30: Room check
July 6th
6:30: Wake-up.
7:00 - 7:45: Breakfast (in restaurant)
8:00: Morning devotional.
8:45: Depart for work projects (TBA)
4:30- 5:00: Return to Mission House / showers
6:00: Dinner
7:00- 9:00: Free time
9:00: Devotional.
10:30: Room check.
July 7th (South Carolina group arrives)
6:30 - Wake-up.
7:00 - 7:45: Breakfast.
8:00: Morning devotional.
8:45: Depart for work projects (TBA)
4:30: Return to Mission House / shower.
5:30: Depart for town / going out for dinner (fast food junction)
8:15: Depart for Mission House.
9:00: Evening devotional (combined devo with South Carolina group)
10:30: Room check.
July 8th
6:30 - 7:00: Wake-up.
7:00 - 7:45: Breakfast.
8:30: Morning devotional.
8:45: Depart for work projects (TBA)
4:30: Return to Mission House / shower
6:00: Dinner
7:30: Small group (Barnabas project)
9:00 - 10:00: Evening devotional
10:30: Room check
July 9th (Belmont team leaves to go home)
8:00: Wake-up.
9:00 -9:45: Worship service @ Mission House (with South Carolina group?)
9:45 - 10:30: Brunch
10:30: Load luggage on bus
11:00: Depart for Hotel Copantyl / Check-in.
11:30 - 2:30: Free time at hotel
2:30: Bus departs for mall / dinner
7:30: Bus loads to return to Hotel Copantyl
8:30: Devotional
11:00: Room check
July 10th (Tennessee & Kentucky team departs on this schedule)
8:00: Wake-up.
9:00 -9:45: Breakfast
9:45: Load luggage on bus and depart for airport
10:30: Baggage check-in / receive boarding passes (Continental & American)
1:20: Continental flight departs
2:15: American Airlines flight departs
July 10th (schedule for remainder of team)
8:00: Wake-up
8:00 - 10:30: Breakfast @ hotel
10:30: Morning devotional
11:15: Depart for Valley of Angels (visit orphanage and shop)
5:00: Dinner @ Santa Lucia
7:30: Devotional at Santa Lucia church
9:30: Arrive back at Hotel Copantl
11:00: Room check
July 11th (Florida and Pennsylvania group)
8:00: Wake-up.
8:00 -9:30: Breakfast
9:30 - 10:15: Morning devotional
10:30 - 11:15: Load luggage on bus and depart for airport
11:30: Baggage check-in / receive boarding passes (Continental & American)
2:15: American Airlines flight departs
Torch Missions Honduras 2006
Tentative Schedule
July 7 - July 17 trip
July 7th
12:30: Continental group arrives.
1:08 pm: American group Arrives. Clear customs; claim luggage; load bus.
2:00: Eat lunch across the street from airport.
3:00: Visitation at blind school (or similar project)
5:00: Arrive at Mission House / dinner
6:00 - 7:30: Unpack, settle into rooms
7:30: Team meeting in cafeteria / rules / orientation
9:00: Combined devotional with July 1 team
10:30: Room check.
July 8th
6:00 - 6:30: Wake-up call.
7:00 - 7:45: Breakfast.
8:00: Morning devotional.
8:45: Depart for work assignments (building 2 houses in San Miguel; painting team; food packing team)
4:30: Return to Mission House; clean-up.
6:00: Dinner.
7:30: Devotional at chapel
8:30 - 10:30: Free time / journals
10:30: Room check.
July 9th
8:00: Breakfast for South Carolina group
9:00 -9:45: Worship service @ Mission House (with July 1 team)
9:45 - 10:30: Brunch for July 1 team. (South Carolina team packs toys and flyers for Valley of Angels project)10:30: Everyone departs. July 1 team goes to Hotel Copantyl to begin retreat, South Carolina group for project.
10:30 - 12:30: Lunch fast food junction (Camparos; Little Caesars; etc.)
1:30- 3:00: Pass out flyers for VBS at Valley of Angels
3:00 0 4:30: Visit orphanage at Valley of Angels
5:30: Dinner in town
7:30: Return to Mission House
7:30 - 8:30: Evening devotional
8:30 - 10:30: Free time / journals
10:30: Room check.
July 10th
6:30 - 7:00: Wake-up.
7:00 - 7:45: Breakfast.
8:00:Morning devotional.
9:15: Depart for work assignments (VBS at San Miguel and adult Bible studies; food distribution and hospital visitation)
4:30: Arrive at Mission House
6:00: Dinner.
7:30 - 8:30: Evening devotional.
8:30 - 10:30: Free time / journals
10:30: Room check.
July 11th
6:30 - 7:00: Wake-up.
7:00 - 7:45: Breakfast.
8:00: Morning devotional.
8:45: Depart for work projects (TBA)
5:00: Return to Mission House; shower.
6:00: Dinner
7:30: Evening devotional
8:30 - 10:30: Free time / Journals
10:30: Room check.
July 12th
6:30 - 7:00: Wake-up.
7:00 - 7:45: Breakfast.
8:30: Morning devotional.
8:45: Depart for work projects (TBA)
4:30: Return to Mission House / shower
6:00: Dinner
7:30: Small group (or possible devo at Jesus statue)
10:30: Room check
July 13th
6:30: Wake-up.
7:00 - 7:45: Breakfast (in restaurant)
8:00: Morning devotional.
8:45: Depart for work projects (TBA)
4:30- 5:00: Return to Mission House / showers
6:00: Dinner
7:30: Evening devotional.
8:30 - 10:30: Free time / journals
10:30: Room check.
July 14th
6:30 - Wake-up.
7:00 - 7:45: Breakfast.
8:00: Morning devotional.
8:45: Depart for work projects (TBA)
4:30: Return to Mission House / shower.
5:30: Depart for town / going out for dinner (nice, sit down restaurant)
8:15: Return to Mission House.
8:45: In room devotionals / pack suitcases for morning departure.
10:30: Room check.
July 15th
6:00: Wake-up.
7:00 - 7:45: Breakfast.
8:00: Morning devotional.
8:45: Load luggage for Comayagua
9:00: Depart for Comayagua
11:30: Arrive in Comayagua / Check into hotel / lunch / settle in / free time
2:30: Team meeting / depart for visitation projects (special needs orphanage and hospital)
5:00: return to hotel / dinner / free time
7:30: Evening devotional/
10:30: Room check
July 16th
8:00 - 9:45: Breakfast
9:45 - 10:30: Worship assembly at hotel (tentative, depends on local church assembly time, might be able to worship at Comayagua church)
10:30: Day activities and free time / lunch on your own
5:00 - 7:00: Dinner
7:30: Evening devotional
11:00: Room check
July 17th
6:00 - 7:30: Breakfast
7:45: Load luggage on bus and depart for airport
10:30: Baggage check-in / receive boarding passes (Continental & American)
12:20: Continental flight departs
2:15: American Airlines flight departs
Torch Missions Honduras 2006
Tentative Schedule
July 14 - 24 trip
July 14th
1:08 pm: Arrive in Tegucigalpa. Clear customs; claim luggage; load bus.
2:30: Clear customs, get luggage, exchange money, load bus
3:30: Arrive at Mission House, settle in.
4:30: Orientation
5:30: Dinner.
6:30: Orientation / mixer games
8:30 - 9:30: Devotional
10:30: Room check.
July 15th
6:00 - 6:30: Wake-up call.
7:00 - 7:45: Breakfast.
8:00: Morning devotional.
8:45: Depart for work assignments (TBA).
4:30 - 5:00: Return to Mission House; clean-up.
6:00 - 7:00: Dinner.
7:00 - 8:45: Shopping at local grocery store
9:00 - 10:00: Evening devotional
10:30: Room check.
July 16th
7:00 - 7:30: Wake-up call.
8:00 - 8:45: Breakfast.
9:00: Load buses for San Miguel (church clothes / bring outfit to change into after worship assembly)
10:00 - 11:30: Worship @ San Miguel (Monaloa)
12:30 - 2:00: Lunch (fast food junction / pick up pizzas for pizza party)
3:00- 5:00: Visit Dadasko orphanage / pizza party for children
7:00 - 8:45: Dinner
10:00: Evening devotional: small group (in room devos)
July 17th
6:30 - 7:00: Wake-up.
7:00 - 7:45: Breakfast.
8:00: Morning devotional.
8:45: Depart for work assignments (TBA)
5:00: Return to Mission House.
6:00 - 7:00: Dinner.
7:00 - 8:30: Free time.
9:00 - 10:30: Evening devotional.
10:30: Room check.
July 18th
6:30 - 7:00: Wake-up.
7:00 - 7:45: Breakfast.
8:00: Morning devotional.
8:45: Depart for work projects (TBA)
5:00: Return to Mission House; shower.
6:00: Dinner
7:00-8:30: Pack luggage for morning departure
9:00- 10:00: Evening devotional
10:30: Room check.
July 19th
6:30 - 7:00: Wake-up.
7:00 - 7:45: Breakfast.
8:30: Morning devotional.
8:45: Depart for Choluteca (on Pacific coast, 4 hour drive)
12:45: Check into hotel
2:00 - Depart for work projects (TBA)
6:00: Return to hotel / shower
7:00: Dinner in restaurant (note: food not included at hotel, we will eat off of the menu in the hotel restaurant or at Wendy’s, depending)
8:15- 9:00: Free time
9:00 - 10:00: Evening devotional
13:30: Room check
July 20th
6:30: Wake-up.
7:00 - 7:45: Breakfast (in restaurant)
8:30: Morning devotional.
9:15: Depart for work projects (TBA)
4:30- 5:00: Return to hotel / showers
6:00 - 8:00: Dinner (hotel restaurant)
8:45- 9:45: Evening devotional.
10:30: Room check.
July 21st
6:30 - Wake-up.
7:00 - 7:45: Breakfast.
8:30: Morning devotional.
8:45: Depart for work projects (TBA)
4:30: Return to hotel / shower.
5:30: Dinner @ Wendy’s
7:00 - 8:00: Evening devotional.
8:00 - 10:30: Pack luggage for morning departure
10:30: Room check.
July22nd
6:30: Wake up
7:00- 7:45: Breakfast (in restaurant)
8:00: Morning devotional.
8:45: pack luggage, load on truck.
9:00 - Depart for San Salvador, El Salvador
3:00: Check into hotel / settle in (note: no meals are included on the retreat. Meals are each team member’s responsibility)
4:30: Depart for mall; shopping, dinner
8:30: Arrive back to Hotel
9:00- 10:00: Evening devotional.
11:00: Room check
July 23rd
7:00 - 10:30: Leisure time / breakfast at hotel (Ben, Linda, Margaret leave)
10:30: Worship assembly
10:45 - 7:30: Planned activities / free time / dinner (more details TBA)
8:00: Evening devotional
9:00: pack luggage for morning departure
11:00: Room check
July 24th
7:00- 8:00: Breakfast
8:00- 8:45: Load luggage
9:00: Depart for airport
10:00: Check-in / boarding passes / pay exit fees
1:20: Depart American Airlines back to the states
As always, please remember that all of our schedules are tentative (aka pipe dreams). There are a multitude of things that can cause changes in the schedules and veterans know that being flexible is just part of the experience. But the schedules are here to give those going and those staying back home an idea of what might be going on, and more importantly, where we will be.
Communication is always a challenge for us, but this blog will give you daily reports of what we are doing. When possible e-mails will be sent back home and there might even be the possibility of a phone call every now and then. But please remember, we are in a third world country and we are working a very long and busy schedule from day to day. Emergency phone numbers and e-mails will be posted while we are on the trip so check this blog often.
Wow, after months of planning, dreaming, and praying, the trip is here. I look forward to working with all of you in Honduras, be ready for God to do amazing things through you. For those staying back, keep us in your prayers and thank you for your support. My prayer is that God will be glorified in what we do and that we will be able to make a difference while we are in Honduras.
Terry Reeves
Trip coordinator
Monday, June 12
Mount Trashmore
24 of us just returned from a week’s work in hurricane battered New Orleans. We left Sarasota at 5:30 am on Monday and arrived in the Big Easy around 8:30 that evening. Over 200 volunteers were assembled for evening devotional led by Tim Hines. The singing was quite good, especially for those of us that had driven all day to get there. Groups were there from Texas, Kentucky, Georgia, and Florida. We were all there for the same reason, to help get families get back on their feet.
Tim heads up Hilltop Rescue and Relief, a church of Christ disaster response team, located in the St. Bernard Parrish. It is quite the operation, from logistics to support, Hilltop has got it. Hilltop was given the use of an elementary school by the St. Bernard Parrish council and it has been converted into a command center for the volunteer operation. Classrooms have been converted into sleeping quarters with cots to sleep on and air conditioning to help ease the pain of the New Orleans heat and humidity. A large room has been converted into a cafeteria and assembly hall, another the kitchen. Other rooms serve as showers, laundry room, and storage rooms.
Hilltop has received thousands of dollars worth of food and equipment for the clean-up effort. Trailers carry wheel barrels, shovels, rakes, sledge hammers, crow bars, hoes, and other tools to the work sites. Volunteers stay to cook 2 hot meals a day and bread, meat, and snacks are provided to take lunches to the job sites. Just about anything you can imagine that you would need is there and the volunteers who help run this program are amazing.
Days start out at 6:00 when wake-up takes place. 6:30 -7:20 is breakfast and morning devo starts promptly at 7:30. At 8:00 you are given your work orders along with a map. Finding your site is one of the hardest things you will encounter since nearly all of the road signs have been blown away from the storm. But with some creativity and imagination, along with some graffiti on houses, addresses to the work sites can be found. Owners of the houses are there waiting for you, which is a neat experience, and something none of us will soon forget. Hearing their stories really helps put everything into perspective as you get ready for the very hard work ahead of you.
They call it de-mucking. The term does not do justice to what you are about to do. It is the hardest work I think I have ever done in my entire life. De-mucking means going into a house and removing all of the contents that are in it that were destroyed and ruined by the storm. We worked in St. Bernard Parrish where over 27,000 homes sat under 5’ to 9’ of water for over 3 weeks. Literally everything inside the homes were ruined by the water and wind. And, to make it worse, the houses that we worked in had been left untouched for nearly 9 months after the storm had hit.
You can only imagine the condition of the houses when we entered them. The floor was covered in a thick, gooey black mud that was 6” to 12” deep. It was given the name “poop mud,” for obvious reasons, and it was a nightmare. We had to force our way into the houses and begin shoveling the mud out of the door openings just to be able to get into the houses to get to the wet and moldy furniture, paintings, dishes, clothes, bedding, etc. Room by room we would go clearing out all of the belongings, looking for anything that might still be salvaged. The heat was sweltering and the smell was almost unbearable. And we found a lot of bugs living in all of the muck.
Literally a mountain of trash accumulated outside the house by the road of each house we worked (we worked on 6 houses while we were there). We had to separate bio hazards, such as paint and batteries, in one pile, electronic devices in another. Appliances had their own pile too, with everything else going into the pile we called “mount trashmore.” Then came the task of breaking away all of the drywall from the house and pulling out all of the nails that held it in place.
Needless to say we took a lot of water breaks during the day to stay hydrated. It was extremely hot and humid and Hilltop provided lots of purified drinking water for us. Each of us drank a gallon or more a day. By the end of the day we hardly had the strength to go back to Hilltop for a shower. Dinner was from 6:00 till 7:00 and we ended the day with a devotional from 7:30 till 8:30. Lights went out promptly at 10:30 (and not a complaint from the group!). Sleep was what we all desired more than anything and 10:30 couldn’t come fast enough.
I have to admit I was quite proud of our team. We had a wide age range, from those who just finished 6th grade to our senior leader, Jim, who at 68 worked us all under the table. We had more girls than guys and the girls certainly held their own. But we left New Orleans with a feeling of accomplishment, a realization that we really did make a difference while we were there. Not only did we see Jesus at work in the attitudes and hard work of those around us, we showed Jesus to the families that we helped. And that was awesome to say the least. If you would like to find out more about Hilltop Rescue and Relief go check it out at their website at www.hilltoprescue.org . Maybe you, or somebody you know, would like to go and volunteer some time there. Believe me, we left plenty of work behind for others to do.
Terry
Tim heads up Hilltop Rescue and Relief, a church of Christ disaster response team, located in the St. Bernard Parrish. It is quite the operation, from logistics to support, Hilltop has got it. Hilltop was given the use of an elementary school by the St. Bernard Parrish council and it has been converted into a command center for the volunteer operation. Classrooms have been converted into sleeping quarters with cots to sleep on and air conditioning to help ease the pain of the New Orleans heat and humidity. A large room has been converted into a cafeteria and assembly hall, another the kitchen. Other rooms serve as showers, laundry room, and storage rooms.
Hilltop has received thousands of dollars worth of food and equipment for the clean-up effort. Trailers carry wheel barrels, shovels, rakes, sledge hammers, crow bars, hoes, and other tools to the work sites. Volunteers stay to cook 2 hot meals a day and bread, meat, and snacks are provided to take lunches to the job sites. Just about anything you can imagine that you would need is there and the volunteers who help run this program are amazing.
Days start out at 6:00 when wake-up takes place. 6:30 -7:20 is breakfast and morning devo starts promptly at 7:30. At 8:00 you are given your work orders along with a map. Finding your site is one of the hardest things you will encounter since nearly all of the road signs have been blown away from the storm. But with some creativity and imagination, along with some graffiti on houses, addresses to the work sites can be found. Owners of the houses are there waiting for you, which is a neat experience, and something none of us will soon forget. Hearing their stories really helps put everything into perspective as you get ready for the very hard work ahead of you.
They call it de-mucking. The term does not do justice to what you are about to do. It is the hardest work I think I have ever done in my entire life. De-mucking means going into a house and removing all of the contents that are in it that were destroyed and ruined by the storm. We worked in St. Bernard Parrish where over 27,000 homes sat under 5’ to 9’ of water for over 3 weeks. Literally everything inside the homes were ruined by the water and wind. And, to make it worse, the houses that we worked in had been left untouched for nearly 9 months after the storm had hit.
You can only imagine the condition of the houses when we entered them. The floor was covered in a thick, gooey black mud that was 6” to 12” deep. It was given the name “poop mud,” for obvious reasons, and it was a nightmare. We had to force our way into the houses and begin shoveling the mud out of the door openings just to be able to get into the houses to get to the wet and moldy furniture, paintings, dishes, clothes, bedding, etc. Room by room we would go clearing out all of the belongings, looking for anything that might still be salvaged. The heat was sweltering and the smell was almost unbearable. And we found a lot of bugs living in all of the muck.
Literally a mountain of trash accumulated outside the house by the road of each house we worked (we worked on 6 houses while we were there). We had to separate bio hazards, such as paint and batteries, in one pile, electronic devices in another. Appliances had their own pile too, with everything else going into the pile we called “mount trashmore.” Then came the task of breaking away all of the drywall from the house and pulling out all of the nails that held it in place.
Needless to say we took a lot of water breaks during the day to stay hydrated. It was extremely hot and humid and Hilltop provided lots of purified drinking water for us. Each of us drank a gallon or more a day. By the end of the day we hardly had the strength to go back to Hilltop for a shower. Dinner was from 6:00 till 7:00 and we ended the day with a devotional from 7:30 till 8:30. Lights went out promptly at 10:30 (and not a complaint from the group!). Sleep was what we all desired more than anything and 10:30 couldn’t come fast enough.
I have to admit I was quite proud of our team. We had a wide age range, from those who just finished 6th grade to our senior leader, Jim, who at 68 worked us all under the table. We had more girls than guys and the girls certainly held their own. But we left New Orleans with a feeling of accomplishment, a realization that we really did make a difference while we were there. Not only did we see Jesus at work in the attitudes and hard work of those around us, we showed Jesus to the families that we helped. And that was awesome to say the least. If you would like to find out more about Hilltop Rescue and Relief go check it out at their website at www.hilltoprescue.org . Maybe you, or somebody you know, would like to go and volunteer some time there. Believe me, we left plenty of work behind for others to do.
Terry
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