Crunch time!

Less than a week to get your applications and deposits in to me. Hopefully next week I will be able to send out information about our team. I should know by then the size of the group, the congregations represented this year, and will be able to begin designing the work for the summer based on the projected work fund. Several have been asking via email about what we are going to be doing this year. Once I have applications in hand I will be able to estimate how many houses we are going to build this year along with food distributions (these are the two most costly items in our work fund). Once that is done I will be able to contact Mark Connell and begin arranging for orders to be placed concerning wood, tin, nails, hinges, and bulk food orders. He will also begin searching candidates who are in need of housing.

We have landed some big donations / purchases for supplies this year. We have plenty of toothbrushes, toothpaste, bar soap, Tylenol and antacid tablets. Our focus now is on Pepto Bismol, cough syrup, antibiotic creams, chewable children’s vitamins, adult vitamins, toys, and stuffed animals. We will also be collecting crayons and various school supplies. We will be collecting supplies until May 24th. We will begin packing the supplies and have them ready to go by the first weekend of June. Because we are not shipping a container this year we are not collecting much in the form of clothes, shoes, or other bulky items. We have received some of these items already, which we will send down but we are not going to do a big drive like we have done in the past.

We are planning an area wide Torch retreat the first weekend of June (June 5-7). Anyone going is invited but especially if you are within driving distance of Nashville. Jenny Lovell is working on securing a place for us and I will post more information as soon as we have it. During the retreat we will sort and pack all of our supplies that will be going to Honduras into the Torch duffel bags. Once they are packed they will be labeled and ready to go. The duffels will then be sent out to everyone that is going on the trip to check in as one of their 2 suitcases for the trip. Considering the cost of a container (over $6,000) we will be saving a lot of money. I will post specific information about weight restrictions and size limits on luggage later on as the trip grows closer.

If you have not done so, please send me an email with your flight information on it. I need to have this information in the book of much importance so I will know when you are flying in and the time you arrive. Otherwise you might get to know the workers at the airport quite well while you wait for me to come get you!!!! Or, you could be creative like Brett and July Mitchell and venture off on your own to try to find me (actually I would prefer that you stay at the airport… it makes finding you a bit easier!). I have received several flight confirmations already and for those of you that have sent the information to me I thank you!!!

Please let me know if you have any specific questions about the trip. The Mitchell, Indiana group has been using a constant email feed for information the past several weeks. Even though they have never been to Honduras before I believe they will be as ready as any group going down just by the sheer volume of questions they have been asking me. I will be posting more and more specific information, as we get closer to departure.

Time is flying by. For me, spring break is just about over and then it is 9 weeks of classes and we are done for the year. 4 weeks into June and we are leaving on a jet plane. Can’t wait; hope you are as excited as I am! Hasta luego mi amigos! Dios te bendiga!

TR