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