The totals are in

Is it just me or has anyone else missed the nice, cool weather of Central America? My goodness it is hot here! I have been home for 5 days and west Tennessee is proving to be the equal to anything Honduras, Nicaragua, or Costa Rica had to offer in the way of heat and humidity. Despite the heat it is nice to be home enjoying real hot water showers and sleeping in my own bed. And flushing toilet paper! Oh, it is the little things in life that bring such joy at times. And for the record, I haven't had any beans or rice either. It will probably be a while before I go that route again.

I have heard from many of you, and I am very much like you when I say I miss being in Latin America. I miss the people, the kids, and even the crazy bus rides up and down the mountains. I miss the devotionals and singing; the awesome moments and the laughter. I miss hanging out with some of the best friends that I have and spending time together. I really miss the fruit juices and the fresh pineapple! I don't miss the daily rain and mud or the muscle cramps, but I wouldn't trade any of it in. It was an awesome summer and a great trip. And in about 5 weeks I will begin planning next year's trips!

I have spent the last 4 days trying to account for the things that were done on the trips this summer. I have probably left something out, but this is what I have come up with for each of the 4 trips this summer. If anyone can think of anything else please feel free to contact me so I can add it to the list!

Costa Rica - June 9-19: Over the course of 6 days we covered the entire town of Buenos Aires knocking doors; painted the church building (house) inside and out; painted a house for one of the members of the church inside and out; delivered about 1 month's supply of food to a wheelchair bound man who is a member of the church and helped pay for several months of his rent; conducted a 5 night gospel meeting; did 3 VBS programs for 3 different schools for about 600 children; had 4 baptisms and 12 responses at the meeting; did 2 VBS skits while door knocking for about 100 kids; conducted a 3 day morning seminar, a church growth class for the men and a personality study for the women; taught 5 nights of children's Bible classes during the meeting; worked 1 day at one of the Indian Reservations painting and working at the community center; conducted 3 days of family and marriage counseling; met with the city council to introduce TORCH to them; met with the city mayor to discuss various work opportunities and future projects we can have with him and the surrounding areas; visited the Arenal Volcano and the Baldi Hot Springs Resort; taught Bible classes and conducted worship services at the local church; purchased 85 Bibles for the local church; rented the tent, chairs, lights, and sound system for the meeting; paid for 1 month of radio and TV time for Daniel Chaves to preach and to promote the meeting; paid for the food for the week for the Torch team and all of the guests who came to work with us; rented the house near the church building to use for cooking and housing the out of town workers; took up a special construction for the Chaves family for upcoming medical expenses; had 18 devotionals

Masaya, Nicaragua - June 19-22: 21 members of the team traveled to Masaya, Nicaragua, by bus (9 hours); participated in the worship service of the local church in Masaya; painted the inside of the church building; conducted a 2 day VBS at a local park for about 260 children; went to the Masaya Volcano; had 5 devotionals

Tegucigalpa, Honduras - June 22-July 4: 21 members traveled to Honduras by bus (8 hours) and arrived to meet up with 3 additional team members to organize the supplies, purchase Bibles, and organize things prior to the arrival of the main team on June 24th; built 12 new houses; repaired and finished 2 other houses; prepared our pharmacy by breaking down meds, counting pills, and labeling all med bottles; sorted and put together 812 hygiene packets; shopped at the fresh foods market downtown; broke down 3 deliveries of food into family sized portions and assembled 1,000 bags of food; distributed the food bags (over 100,000 meals) to various areas of the city; 5 visits to Hospital Esquela; painted the entire playground of Didasko Orphanage; painted the new bathrooms at Didasko; saw 300+ patients during a 2 day medical clinic at Didasko and Tamara; saw 45 patients from the staff at the Mission House during a medical clinic in the cafeteria; distributed 800+ hygiene packets; donated meds to Clinica de Esperanza in Santa Ana; fed lunch to 300 people at the city dump; attended 4 different congregations in Tegucigalpa; painted Jen and Josue Salgado's house; had over 150 girls attend the Daughters of the King at Mololoa; removed mud from behind the church building and dug the hole for the new septic system at Mololoa; planted a vegetable garden in Mololoa; provided seed for the garden at Didasko; did 2 Gatorade blitzes; gave 10 house warming boxes for the 10 sponsorship houses we built; gave away boxes and boxes of shoes, clothes, toys, and stuffed animals; conducted a 3 day VBS at Didasko for about 85 kids per day; performed 3 puppet shows; donated 2 sets of puppets with staging to Didasko Orphanage and the Femosa Daycare Center in Mololoa; stained and clear coated the playground at Femosa; painted one of the retaining walls at the daycare in Mololoa; donated money to begin the tile work at the Femosa daycare center; visited the blind school; visited and worked at the special needs orphanage (Bencoleth); worked 4 days at the Femosa day care center; worked 4 days in the kitchen at the feeding center in Mololoa (The Manna Project); made major structural repairs on the playground at Didasko; provided money to paint the Bible classrooms at the church building in Mololoa (from Sunday contribution); distributed over 900 Bibles; unloaded a 40' container that arrived from the U.S.; visited San Filipe Hospital; 3 days of organizational and clean-up work at the warehouse; painted the hallway of Mi Esperanza; painted the new office of Mi Esperanza; worked 1 day at Nathan Hale's garden project in Zanbrano; visited the Peace Monument; did some serious shopping at the Mi Esperanza store; had a combined evening devo with Paul Bennett's Torch team from Mississippi at the Jesus statue; went shopping at the Valley of the Angels; worked a total of 4 days in San Lorenzo building houses on stilts in a flood plain; had a field trip for the Didakso kids and staff at KFC and a movie with refreshments at the Mission House; loaded a 48' container of medical equipment; had 17 devotionals

Santa Rosa de Copan, Honduras - July 5-11: 20 traveled 9 hours by bus to Santa Rosa to work with Mission Upreach; conducted a 3 day VBS at Esquela de Los Angeles for about 100 children; gave away toys and stuffed animals; painted a HUGE (75' x 18' x 14' tall walls) classroom for a night school; visited an orphanage with 45 children; attended the graduation of a Let's Start Talking program; toured the Copan Ruins; did a walking tour of Santa Rosa de Copan; had a worship service in San Pedro Sula at our hotel; had 5 devotionals

As you can see we had a busy and very productive summer. God did amazing things and showed His power and might throughout the trip. We saw His handiwork everywhere we went. We came in contact with literally thousands of people during our trip and was blessed to be able to serve Him in many different ways. Yet, somehow, I feel we are the ones who came away blessed. It is evident that God reigns over all things and that He is in control of everything around us. May He continue to bless those we were able to minister to on the trip and may He continue to bless us as we return to our various routines at home. it was indeed an honor and a privilege to work with you this summer, may God continue to hold you in the palm of His hand. God reigns!

TR

Sacrifice

Hey there! Today has been a lot of fun for us. We left Santa Rosa Copan around 8:30 to head to the Copan Ruins. We got there around 11. It was very hot there! We had a wonderful tour guide named Fidell even though it was a little hard to understand him sometimes. I think most of us a history buff or not enjoyed seeing the Mayan ruins. There were a lot of neat stories behind some of the things there. The tour lasted about 2 hours. After the tour was over, we breaked for lunch and did a little shopping before we left there. We left there around 2:30 to head to San Pedro Sula. It was about a 3 hour bus ride from there. We were all ready to get off that bus!

We got to San Pedro Sula around 6. We stopped first at an area with a variety of fast food options. After we ate dinner, we headed to our hotel... THE HILTON! We were all very excited to get here and to spend the night at a nice hotel! Within 30 minutes of being here, some of the guys already had security in their room... but it was just because their safe alarm kept going off! We met in one of the conference rooms around 8 for a short devo. Joe Jones led us in a few songs and Tyler Steffy gave a short devo. After devo, Terry went over the plans for tomorrow and Monday. This could possibly be the last blog for us because I might not have access to internet tomorrow. Our plans for tomorrow is to meet for worship at 11:00 a.m. After worship service, we plan to go to the mall here for lunch and to hang out for the afternoon. Some of us might catch a movie or just shop. We plan to get to the airport around 9 tomorrow night. Our flight leaves out around 1:00 a.m. We should arrive to Fort Lauderdale around 5 a.m. Please keep us in your prayers as we travel home. Also, this is important information if you are needing to meet us to pick one of us up. We plan to make one stop for everyone living near Nashville at Lipscomb University at the Ezell Center by the softball and soccer field. We hope to arrive to Nashville around 4 p.m. Then the bus will head toward Jackson making one stop in Dickson. I know we are all looking forward to seeing our family! Love you guys!

In Him,

Paige

Coca Cola and Cake

Hey! Today was our last day of work for the trip. We got up, had breakfast, and left the hotel to head to the school by 8:30! We had our usual breakfast, eggs, toast, refried beans, fried plantains, and juice. The crew that was painting yesterday went to finish the classroom.





As we pulled up to the school, the kids once again were greeting us as we got off the bus with hugs! We started the VBS with our usual songs and went right into the lesson for the day. The skit was based on Paul when he went in front of King Agrippa. After the skit, we broke off into our groups. In our groups, we made crowns with a Bible verse glued on it. We played a trivia game with them, ate snacks, and sang more songs with them. When it was time to leave, it was a little bit sad because it was our last day with the kids. We formed a close bond with these kids since we have been spending the last few days together. The principal thanked us for coming and spending time with the students.





After VBS, we went back to the hotel for lunch. We had a little break until 2:30. Then we went to visit the orphanage here. The children here are anywhere from infants to 5 years old. We split up into two groups. Some of us played with the toddlers and up, and some held the little precious babies. They were a little shy at first, but it did not take the kids long to warm up to us. We fed them their snack, and then took them outside to play on the playground. We pushed them in little cars, pushed them down the slides, helped them swing, and even just held them. After awhile, we brought the kids back inside to play some more. All of the children here were very well behaved. We were told some of the stories on how the children got there. The stories were heartbreaking. We need to keep the children there in our daily prayers. We were only there for two hours, but we all got attached in that short time.





We met for dinner at 5:30. The Waldrons took us to this wonderful local pizza place called Weekend Pizza. The pizza was so delicious! After we went with them to the graduation for the students who have been studying English at their school. They had a total of 35 students. We celebrated with them and enjoyed yummy cake. After the ceremony was over, we headed back to the hotel. We had devo with Andrew leading us in singing and Terry sharing a short message with us. We have an early start for in the morning. Please pray for our safe travels for tomorrow! God bless!

In Him,
Paige

No Reserves. No Retreats. No Regrets.

Hey again! Today was another great day with Mission Upreach! We had breakfast again at 7:30 a.m. with eggs, beans, fried plantains, toast, and juice. We left the hotel around 8:30 to head to the school. As soon as we got there and got the bus parked, the kids attacked us! They were greeting us with hugs as we stepped off the bus. It just gave us all energy and enthusiasm for VBS!

The skit for today was based on when Paul and Silas were imprisoned in Acts 16. The kids loved the skit! After the skit, we divided the kids into groups again based on their grade. For about 45 minutes, we played games, sang songs, had snacks, and made chains based on Paul and Silas's imprisonment. We brought them together at the end to sing a few songs and tell them goodbye!

After we left the school, Donna took us to show us the local congregation here in Santa Rosa de Copan. We were all extremely impressed with their building. The average attendance is around 200 now there which is incredible! She showed us all of their classrooms. We got to see one of their basic English classes in action. She then took us to show us the Western Regional Center of Evangelism. There they have training for men to learn the Bible in depth so that they can spread the word in their local neighborhood. They have only 4 students at the time. They study every morning until lunch, and after lunch, they go to hospitals to pray with the families and other places throughout the area. At the school, the men live there throughout the week, and their meals are provided. One of their students is as young as 14 years old.

We then went to where a few of the group volunteered to paint a classroom. They had a huge task! The classroom is not the usual size classroom. Like Terry said, "It was more like an auditorium." They got the first coat of paint on today, but they will be going back tomorrow to finish the job.

We came back to the hotel for lunch. We all got some rest this afternoon since we had another free afternoon. We had a few go out for coffee and to walk around. We met for dinner at 6:30 p.m. The hotel served us another fine dinner! We had salad, grilled chicken with cheese on top, potatoes, corn tortillas, and some yummy strawberry juice! After we finished eating, the Waldrons gave us more information on Mission Upreach.

We finished the night with our nightly devo. Andrew Allgood led us in a few songs, and Tyler Steffy gave us a short lesson on how the trip has impacted us. His quote for the day was, "No reserves, no retreats, no regrets."

Today has been another great day! We have one more day of VBS, and our work here in Central America will be finished! We love you guys!

In Him,

Paige

We really get the afternoon off?

Hey guys! Today was our first day to work with Mission Upreach. We met for breakfast at 7:30 a.m. The hotel served us eggs, toast, beans, fried plantains, and juice. After breakfast, we loaded the bus around 8:30 to go to a school that Mission Upreach works with. The school was a smaller school than what we have been working with. When we got there, the kids were all waiting for us! Donna Waldron´s son, Harrison, started the VBS with a song to get the kids all energized! Then Katia took over. She started with her usual VBS songs. Some of them are "I'm in the Lord´s Army" and "The Wise Man Built His House Upon the Rock", but of course they are in Spanish. Then Ashley Stewart told the Bible story of Paul´s conversion on the way to Damascus, and then right after we put on our skit of the story! Of course the kids loved Minor´s incredible job of acting out Pablo (Paul). After the skit was over, we broke the kids off into different groups of trivia games, snacks, and a coloring activity. I worked with the coloring activity, and the kids just loved showing us their artwork. They loved it when we took a picture of them with their artwork! When I would take a picture of them and then show them the picture, they would just crack up at the picture! They loved it! With the trivia games, we gave out prizes for the ones who could answer the questions. After the sessions were over, we brought all the kids back together and sang a few more songs with them. When we said that it was time to go, the kids just attacked us all with hugs. I think the kids really enjoyed us being there.

After the VBS, we went back to the hotel for lunch. Terry treated us with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chips, and apples. Harrison promised us to take us on a BIG tour of the city of Santa Rosa Copan. He met us at the hotel at 1:00 p.m. He showed us the town, the Catholic church that is 500 years old, and then took us to the market here. The town is very small so the tour did not last very long. After the tour was over, we went to an ice cream shop and a coffee shop (of course to satisfy Katia and Tricky Pat). The rest of the afternoon was all up to us what we wanted to do. Some napped. Some took advantage of the pool. A few of us went to the park that is right down the road to go for a walk/run. The track circles a soccer field and there was a match going on at the time so it was entertaining.

We met for dinner at 7:00 p.m. Mr. and Mrs. Waldron had dinner with us. The hotel served us steak, mixed vegetables, this breaded potato filled with cheese in the middle, and corn tortillas. We also had a cantaloupe juice drink with it. The meal was delicious!

We had a short devo tonight. Tyler Steffy led us singing and Terry gave us a short devotional. We had to meet after to go over plans for VBS tomorrow. I think we all probably will be calling it a night soon so our batteries will be charged for tomorrow.

We have 5 more days until our 33 days come to an end! We love you guys!

In Him,
Paige

Only 4 hours away...

Hey guys! We have made it safely to Santa Rosa Copan! Sorry about the delay with the post. We arrived around 9 p.m. yesterday and it was raining and storming pretty bad. The internet here wasn´t working last night so I wasn´t able to get on to post anything.

We had a late breakfast yesterday morning at the mission house. We left out around noon. We thought we would make it to our destination by 5 at the lastest... however we found out as we were leaving that it was more like an 8 hour drive. It was pouring down rain for most of the way there. The roads were covered with water so we had to drive a little slower. We made a few quick bathroom stops on the way, but other than that it was a straight drive there. The scenery was BEAUTIFUL! The mountains were gorgeous! We all got lots of good pics! We finally got to Santa Rosa Copan around 9 p.m. We met Donna and her family and they took us to our hotel. We dragged our luggage through the rain and dropped it off in the lobby. Dinner was waiting on us so we went straight to eat. We were starving!! We had not eaten anything but snacks since breakfast! They had prepared for us grilled chicken with cheese on top, tomatoes with mozerrella cheese, rice, and corn tortillas! We also had some kind of fruit drink that was very delicious! After dinner, Phillip and Donna Waldron introduced their family to us. She told us a little about Mission Upreach. The main goal of Mission Upreach is to establish a church in each village. Their first priority is spreading God´s word, and then their second priority is meeting the physical needs of the people. After that we all called it a night.

Happy 4th of July!

Hey there!

So today was the day to say our goodbyes to the rest of the team. We had breakfast together and then loaded the truck of everyone's luggage to head to the airport. We pulled out around 9:00 a.m. On the way to the airport, we sang patriotic songs to celebrate the 4th of July in Honduras. When we got to the airport, we were all told to not let any of the airport luggage carriers take any of the luggage or Terry would not be happy. As soon as we pulled in, they came running over to our buses, but Ken Haab told them right away, "No, no luggage carriers. Go back to your airport." The interns and Terry helped everyone get through the airport. We all had to sadly say goodbye to each other. Friendships were made that were hard to say goodbye to... that is for now of course. Now it is only Terry and his interns, Pat Guthrie, Tyler Steffy, and also Diane Adams and Patty Johnson.

After we left the airport, Terry treated us to Pizza Hut! It was his bribe to get us to come to the airport to help with luggage. I guess you could say it worked. Today is Ashley Stewart's birthday so the waitresses sang Happy Birthday to her in Spanish and made her wear this ridiculous looking hat!

As soon as we got back to the mission house, we all worked hard to pack up all of the supplies left over to take down to the warehouse. After sorting and loading many boxes, we took them to the warehouse and unloaded them. After we got finished, it started pouring down rain. It was literally raining cats and dogs. We were so glad that the rain held off until after we got finished unloading the boxes.

We had the rest of the day to just relax and do whatever we wanted to. One thing we did was skype Brandy! We all miss her bunches! We had free time until 7:00 p.m. Some of us napped, caught up on our journals, or talked to family back home. The guys that were in San Lorenzo working made it back in time for dinner. We were glad to see their faces again! We had a very delicious meal for dinner! They served us mixed vegetables, lasagna, and rolls!

After dinner, our good friend Jen Arnold surprised us! She brought us banana pudding, mixed fruit, and baskin robbins ice cream!!!!!! This was to celebrate Ashley's birthday also! It was soo good! We couldn't thank her enough for doing this for us!

After our treats, we sang songs and Terry talked to us about how he has seen God throughout the week. He also talked about our last week together and how close we have gotten to each other. It is going to be sad when we all have to say our goodbyes next week. I am sorry we did not broadcast devo tonight. I am not for sure if we will be able to for the rest of the trip, but we are going to try! It just depends on the internet connection at the hotel we will be staying at. Our team of 20 will be leaving around lunch tomorrow to travel to Santa Rosa to work with Mission Upreach for the next few days! We are all very excited to go there! All Terry talks about is how beautiful it is there! Please keep us in your prayers tomorrow as we travel! Love you guys!

In Him,

Paige

Hey guys! It is our last full day together. We got up, got ready, and loaded the buses and pulled out of here 8:30 a.m. to go worship with the church at Los Pinos. The ride out there was a little adventurous... Once we pulled off of the main road, the ride was bumpy. We went up and down a few hills that you normally wouldn't think a school bus could make, but we have some AWESOME bus drivers who can drive in anything..

The worship service went wonderful. We filled the church house and many of us had to stand. Jeff Wilson and a man from their church led us in singing and others from our team took part in the worship service. The preacher spoke on Luke 19 focusing on the story of Zaccheaus. Chris Barrantes did a wonderful job translating the sermon for us Gringos. After services were over, we loaded the buses to head to town for lunch. After several attempts of trying to get the bus up the hill, we finally made it!

We all went to lunch at El Patio. It is known as one of the best in town! They serve traditional Honduran style food. They first served us with homemade tortilla chips, salsa, cheese dip, bean and cheese dip. Then they brought us a plate with a variety of plantains, fried cheese balls, and empanadas with potatoes inside. Then they brought us our main course which we got to choose from steak, chicken, or vegetable kabobs with a side of rice. We have never seen so much food on one plate. Most of us did not even eat half of our plate so we decided to box up the left overs to give to some of the local Hondurans. It was a meal we won't forget!

Then after lunch, we drove out to the Valley of Angels to shop, shop, and shop! People had the chance to buy as many souvenirs to take back home. The rest of the team that went to San Lorenzo met up with us there. They ended up getting the foundation started on one of the houses so that Nathan's team can finish it up. At the Valley of Angels, people bought purses, jewelry, pottery, paintings, machetes, and much more. A bunch of people treated themselves to a homemade ice cream bar. We left there around 6:00 to head to the mall for dinner. The mall has a wide choices of food. After we ate there and did a little shopping, we pulled out of there around 8:00 to head back to the mission house.

When we got back, it was pouring down rain. We all went and got ready for devo. Devo started around 9:00 and we had it in the big chapel hall. Terry led us in singing tonight and Tim O'Dell delivered the last devotional. We all shared some of the "awesome experiences" that we witnessed this past week. Some were how we saw how some of us impacted some of the locals here. One of the guys that went to San Lorenzo mentioned how awesome it was to stay in a hotel with AC and a hot shower. Tim spoke on how we can take things back home with us and do service there. After Tim finished, Terry got up to give some end of the trip announcements out. Jennifer Arnold from Mololoa was also with us tonight. She brought over some of the cookbooks that she sells to benefit the daycare there. Everyone closed up their bank and got ready to pack up everything to head back home tomorrow. After all of this, we called it a day!

In Him,

Paige

A Tangled Day!

Hello Torch fans! This is my first time to do the blog so please bear with me! This morning we had a power breakfast consisting of eggs, beans, sausage, and toast. Breakfast was from 7-8 and then devo was following. We had a VERY uplifting devotional from Luke. He arrived on the trip with a foot injury that enabled him from taking part in some of the activities that he had planned on doing. However, he still did whatever he could for the team. He talked about how God humbled him through the circumstances that wouldn't allow him to do what he wanted.

Our plans for the day wasn't a wide variety of work like the previous days. Our team of 24 who manned up to head to San Lorenzo to build as many houses as they could in two days left as soon as devo was finished. The medical team set up a clinic here at the mission house for the Villa Gracia workers and their families. We had a small number go back out to Didasko to finish up the paint job that was started yesterday. Mark Connell, Jenny Lovell, and Uncle Bill went to deliver housewarming kits to the families that we built houses for this week. The rest of the crew had a day of fun planned with the kids from the Didasko orphanage!

The crew that headed to San Lorenzo arrived safely this morning! God did answer our prayers for no rain so that the work could be done. However... plans did not go as hoped. When they got to the work sites, the concrete still was not completely dry and... the measurements for the house did not match up with the Torch construction plan. Our INCREDIBLE engineer Brian Steffy had to put his brain to work to devise a new layout for the houses. They did not get to build a single house today but our hardworking team has committed to start bright and early after their worship service. They are going to complete as much as possible until Nathan's reinforcements arrive tomorrow afternoon. Please keep them and the work being done there in your prayers please!!!!!!

The medical team had a successful day of seeing a total of about 45 patients today! All of the workers and their family were given hygiene kits, toys, clothes, and medicines! Great job to all of the medical staff! They have not only been working super hard during the clinics but also on our fellow sick team members!

Our painting team who went out to Didasko completed the painting of the bathroom! Brett Mitchell took over this work for the day! With his awesome color coordinating talent, the bathroom was completed!

Jenny Lovell and Uncle Bill's home congregation, Western Hills in Nashville, prepared the housewarming kits that were given to the families. Jenny shared her uplifting experience of getting to see the completed houses after the families have already moved in them and made it their home.

Now on to our major project from today! About 30 of the team left around 9 a.m. to ride out to the Didasko orphanage to pick up the children and the staff members to treat them with a day of fun! The first stop was at good ole KFC! The rest of the team members met them there to have lunch with them all. We treated the kids with fried chicken, french fries, and a biscuit. Those kids loved every bit of it! They shined the bones of the chicken! After they ate, they got to play on the AWESOME playground there. I don't think I have seen such an awesome playground in the US as this one was! The kids had such a blast! Even we were climbing around on the playground and having as much fun as they were! We left there around 1:30 and headed to the mission house with the kids! We set a mini theatre in the dining hall! We watched Tangled in Spanish and treated all the kids with fruit punch drink and popcorn! After the movie, we showered them with toys and our last goodbyes until next year that is...

We met for dinner around 7 tonight. The lovely cooks prepared a fancy and yummy last dinner for the team! They did an incredible job! I do not think we could ever thank them enough for all the food that they prepare for us! We had barbecue chicken, mixed vegetables, pasta, and homemade rolls! They spoiled us!

Right after dinner... we lost power again... We started devo with no lights. The singing was powerful! Tim delivered the devo in the dark. After sharing with us a few of the quotes from the Book of Awesome, he talked with us how our time here is running out, but our service to the Lord does not have to stop when we leave. We all then shared of ways that we or our home congregations reach out to the community! The lights decided to come back one during this time. We rushed to try to start the live stream of the devo so that ya'll could catch the end of it.

On another note, Brandy the blogger safely arrived to Nashville around 9:30 tonight and had someone arranged to take her home to Corinth, MS. Please keep her and her family in your prayers as they mourn the loss of her father. We love her and already miss her!

Also, please continue to pray for the group in San Lorenzo, our safety, and all the work that has been done this week! We love you guys and can't wait to come home to you and share our own personal stories!

In Him,

Paige

Welcome to Honduras

Well guys...welcome to Honduras!! Last night we had our devo and did the broadcast with no problem. I was even able to keep the live feed going while I went to a meeting. At the meeting the power went out. This of course means no internet. So I wasn't able to post the blog last night!! Sorry, but maybe this will make up for it.

Yesterday we started the morning at 7 am for breakfast. For breakfast we had french toast, and fruit, and coffee!!! After breakfast we had devo in the chapel. The Canadian (Brett Mitchell) spoke to us. He talked about walking in the light, in our actions, and our homes. He encouraged us to surround ourselves with Godly people. He also encouraged us to be aware of what we see and hear and encouraged us to listen and watch positive things.

After devo our teams got together to leave. We had a team that went to the hospital and to the Special Needs orphanage, a team that loaded a container at the bodega then handed out hygiene kits, a team that worked in the daycare and feeding center and dug a hole for a septic tank in Moaloa, and a paint team.

The first team went to the hospital for a few hours to play with the kids and bring a smile to there faces. THe group was able to go throughout the hospital to different wards to visit the with the families and patients. Afterward they loaded the bus to go to the special needs orphanage. There they loved on some really special kids. The children have a variety of different complications. Our physical therapist were able to work with them as well. After they had visited for a while they loaded the buses and headed back to the mission house.

The second team went to the bodega first to unload a container with medical equipment that was being shipped to a different location. This team of BUFFTRUCK, had earlier in the week unloaded the same equipment. After they had finished they went to a community and handed our hundreds of hygiene kits. Once finished they made their way back to the mission house.

The third team went to Moaloa. Here the team split in three, a puppet team went to the daycare, a group worked in the feeding center and the last group dug the rest of the hole for the septic tank and moved mud. Moaloa was the same community the team had worked in the day before doing daughters of the king. THe team says that many of the kids were wearing the dresses that had been handed out at the daughters of the king. The team was able to love some sweet little children!!

The last team of about 10 went to paint a good friends house. Jennifer Arnold, who moved to Honduras about five years ago (give or take) needed her and her husbands house painted. Her husband built their home a few years ago but it was never painted. We were honored to paint their beautiful home!! It was awesome spending time with a sister that has followed God's call. WHen this team finished we loaded the trucks and came back to the mission house for dinner and devo.

For dinner we had rice and a chicken soup thing. IT was really good!! After dinner we met in the dining hall for devo. Tonight Tim O'dell added to his book of awesome and brought us some encouraging words about God reigning over His creation. After devo IT GOT DARK!!! So most everyone settled down and went to sleep.

I have enjoyed writing the blog so much this year. I hope you all have gotten, somewhat, of an idea of the experiences your loved ones are having. This will be my last blog, but Paige Atkinson will be taking over for me for the remainder of the trip. Please continue to pray for those who are working here and those who will be traveling. The majority of the team will leave out Monday morning. Time has went by so very fast and long lasting friendships have formed. We will all be seeing you soon!! Love you guys!!

In Him

Brandy B

Just some pictures

Broken

Good day to you all!! I can’t believe this trip is almost complete. Tomorrow a small group is heading back to the states, sad times!!! The rest of our group will be leaving Monday the 4^th of July. Of course Terry’s interns will remain in Honduras for about another week working in a different location. All I can say is WOW!! God is good and I am so grateful for my brothers and sisters I have been able to build a closer relationship with!!

Ok today…Today started with breakfast at 7am. For breakfast we had fried eggs, toast, beans, and a mysterious enchilada thing (fyi it was good, just didn’t look so great). After breakfast we had a devo. Brian Steffy led us in our thoughts!! He discussed with us the meaning of TORCH. He said that his goal as a TORCH board member was to break us all so God can rebuild us!! It was a moving lesson!! I have come to Honduras several times and have been broken down many times. God has been such an amazing part of my life and I really do owe most of it to this experience. I would not be who I am today without it!!!

After devo the construction crew left out. We had two teams today that went to build homes. The construction teams have been amazing this trip. They have been working through rain, and lots of mud!! They are fabulous!!

Another team left out to participate in the daughters of the king. The first group came in and washed the little girls hair, feet, and hands. They also fixed their hair did their nails and gave them a dress!! At lunch this crew delivered about 250 bags of food to the same village. Another crew came in after lunch to do another group of young girl’s hair and nails. Before they got their they had visited the hospital to spend time with the sick and injured!!

The last group was the VBS crew. The team left for Didasko at 11am. Once they arrived they played with the kiddos until some of the others showed up. The team did lesson two. The VBS crew did an awesome job. After the skit the children played games, did a craft, had snack, and watched a puppet show. After VBS we loaded the bus and headed back to the mission house for dinner and devo.

For dinner we had TACOS!!!!!!!!!!! It was so good!!! After dinner we met for devo. Tonight Tim discussed with us God reigning in our lives completely no matter what trials we face or obstacles we have to endure, GOD REIGNS!!!! After devo we discussed the schedule for the next day. Then we all spent some time together!! The love here is fantastic!!!!!!

Thanks so so much for your prayers!! I love you all and am so grateful for the support!!!

Love you all

In Him

Brandy Barnett

Yesterday’s gardening!!

They went to Zambarrano to assist Nathan Hale with a gardening project he is working on. There was several acres of land that was on a mountain in a rural area. Nathan has learned about an approach to organic farming. He believes is this approach is suitable for Honduras that will increase yields exponentially when compared to conventional farming. One particular plant, called the morinca (no sure what this is) is considered a “super food” due to its high nutritional content. The juice is used to pray on plants to increase their yield and the seeds of the plant are used to kill microorganisms in the water for drinking. Finally, Nathan has a worm farm. Without going into how the process works (though it is very interesting) worms are used to convert waste into compost for his garden.

Todd Mikula

Light or dark?

I hope you are all doing fantastic today!! Our group continues to work hard serving!! Please continue to pray for the work!!

Today started at 7 am for breakfast. Today we had pancakes and fruit, of course I ate mine like a peanut butter sandwich YUM-MIE!!!! After breakfast we met for devo at 8am. Todd Mikula from Bell Shoals led us in our thoughts. After devo we split into our groups. Today we had two construction teams, a VBS crew, a garden crew, and a food packing/blind school visitation crew.

The first team that left was the construction teams. The team built in the La Tigra Rainforest again. The construction teams have had an amazing opportunity to see God's beautiful creation!!! Words can not describe the beauty.

The second group left early as well to go meet with Nathan Hale to start a garden. THey worked all day with Nathan gardening. There was a group of 40 that assisted with this task!!

The VBS crew stayed at the mission house until 11am. They worked on learning lines, in Spanish, to do skit one at Didasko. The team consisted of about 25 people. They had about 80 children in attendance.

The last team consisted of about 25 people as well. This team worked the first half of the day sorting and packing bags of food that will be delivered tomorrow. The team packed about 250 bags of food. After sorting and packing food the team loaded the bus and went to Rosa's store. Rosa is a lady that used to work here at the mission house. A few years ago a team built her a home in the La Tigra Rainforest where she is still living. She is no longer working at the mission house and has her own store in the city. She has been struggling recently so the small team went to her store to buy a drink and other goods. After that we went to the Blind School to visit with the children there! The blind school is such an encouraging experience. The children are so beautiful!! They also sing for us. There is a guy, who is blind, that plays the piano while the children sing!! It is amazing how God uses all of us!! After they sang to us we sang to them. It was pretty awesome!! Afterward we came back to the mission house to meet up with the rest of the team for dinner.

For dinner we had beans, rice, and beef tips. MY FAVORITE!!!!!!! After dinner we loaded the bus to go to the Jesus Statue. (Sorry we did not broadcast, it was a last minute decision to go since we finally had a dry night.) At the Jesus Statue we took lots of pictures then had devo. Mark Connell led us in our thoughts. He discussed the light vs. the darkness. He explained that being in the light meant we have an understanding of something. If we walk in the light then we have an understanding. If we walk in the dark we are blind to that understanding. He went on to say that now we have been to Honduras we are walking in the light, we have an understanding of the poverty most of the world faces. He also encouraged us to continue walking in that light, the light of serving others no matter where we are!! After devo we loaded the buses and came back to the mission house for announcements.

We were given the schedule for tomorrow and then we came to the dinning hall and had cobbler prepared by Joe Jones (aka Little Joe). It was delicious!!! Afterward we all made our way to the bed!!

Thank you all for reading the blog!! I hope you all are getting so what of an idea of our trip so far!! Hopefully we will be back online tomorrow night!! Until then, GOOD NIGHT!!!!

In Him

Brandy B

Time

Hey to all of you back home, from all of us in Honduras!! I hope you are all doing fantastic. The work here continues to progress!! Thanks for the prayers and thoughtful comments.

Today started like everyday, breakfast from 7-8 am then devo. For breakfast, we had eggs, beans, potatoes, and coffee. After breakfast we had devo at 8 am. This morning Malvin Allgood brought us our lesson. He discussed the importance of walking in the light and being examples to others. After devo we divided into our teams. Today we had a construction team, a team that moved mud and dug a huge hole for a septic tank, a food distribution team, a team that went to the landfill, a team that worked in the feeding center and the daycare at Moaloa.

The construction team and the Moaloa group left at 9am. The Construction team went to build a home in the La Tigra Rainforest again. A group of about 12 went out to that worksite. The Moaloa team consisted of three teams a small group worked in the daycare, another in the feeding center, and the other worked digging a hole for the septic tank. They worked all day working to move mud that had slid down and is pushing against the church building. Tyler Steffy said the mud was about 8ft high. Apparently, they reduced the pile to about 4ft.

The Food distribution team sorted food and made another 250bags of food. Once they were finished they loaded up and delivered 300+ bags in an hour and 15 minutes!!! It was awesome!! After we finished we came back to get the construction team.

The crew that went to the landfill left at about 11 with food to feed about 300. Once they finished they went to Moaloa to get that group.

The teams met back at the mission house at about 6ish for dinner!! Tonight we had fried chicken, potatoes, salad, a role and our choice of drink (water, coke, banana, grape). The meal was sooooo good!! After dinner we went to the chapel for an early devo. Sorry for those who logged in at the scheduled time, we will be back on our normal schedule tomorrow so tune in!!!! After devo we set up computers for people to email while others played catch phrase.

Thanks for all the prayers!! I hope you are enjoying the blog!! Until tomorrow, GOOD NIGHT!!!!

In Him
Brandy B

Are you a Fan?

Hey guys!!! I hope you all are doing fantastic back home! The team is working hard to minister to the Honduran people. However, I think I speak for many when I say the Honduran people are actually ministering to us.

Today we started with breakfast between and 7-8 am. We had cereal, fruit and toast. After breakfast we had devo. Chris from the Bell Shoals group led us in our thoughts today. He asked us if we were fans of Jesus. He then explained that being a fan is not such a good thing. He said everyone can be a fan, but it is the follower that counts. We can all “sport” the WWJD items, and the quote scripture, but what is it really if there is no action. Are you a fan or a follower?

After devo we split up into our groups. We had two construction teams, a medical/paint team, and a food distribution/hospital team.

The medical/paint team went to Didasko today. The paint crew worked to repaint the playground (Terry’s World) that was built a few years ago by Terry’s TORCH team. The medal portion of the playground now looks like McDonald’s with the red and yellow paint. The huge portion of the playground was painted green, it will also have some gold as well. While the team was painting the medical crew was extremely busy with a lot of patients. The team saw close to 130 today with a potential of seeing many more!!!

The hospital crew went to the hospital for visitation. After spending a few hours there, they went to deliver food in a village that is new to our particular TORCH team. They delivered about 160ish bags of food. I heard several stories of the grateful attitudes the Hondurans displayed. One of our translators told me a story of a little girl. She said they were walking together and when the little girl received her bag of food for her family she told Tatiana thank you and that she was unsure she would have food to eat another meal. God is so Good!!! He puts us in the best positions to serve. I’m not sure why it is so easy to see that here and not back at home, but it is.

The Construction crew built in the La Tigra Rainforest. They built two homes. One of the homes was for a blind lady. One of the team members told a story of the lady requesting they pray after the home was complete. The construction team also said the site they were building at was a long hike!! The team had to carry all the wood (about 600 lbs total) and the tools to the site. They said it wasn’t bad going down, but coming up was a different story. They Also said the children would be sprinting past them making fun of the slow gringos. The kids are such a blessing!!

For supper we had beef, rice, and salad!! YUMMY!!!! After dinner we had our devo. (Which is online on the ustream account). Tim O’Dell has done a wonderful job with the leading us in our devos. After devo Terry gave us the tentative schedule for tomorrow. Then we came back to the dinning hall for cake to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries. Then it was off to bed!!

Thank you all for the prayers and comments!! Also thanks for the emails!! I don’t have a way of printing direct messages off that you guys are sending me, but I’m trying to get with those who have them so they can read them. Remember they are able to receive emails themselves. They are given days when they can get on to email. Thanks again!!

In Him

Brandy B

I’m sorry this is late!! This is Holly Beth’s perspective on her experience from the construction last Saturday.

My name is Holly Beth; this is my first year coming to Honduras. Yesterday was a very busy day because we got up at 4:00 AM and did not get to bed until 11:30PM. Saturday morning I was so sleepy I could barely keep my eyes open and my dad signed both of us up to build a house. I was so excited by my body was not. It took me a while to get my body moving. We went and ate breakfast, went to the devotional and then off to the bus that would take us to the construction site.

It was about 1:00PM, the frame of the house was up, and we were working on the floor and roof. Well, see earlier I drank two bottles of Gatorade and by this time, I really had to “GO!” So I walked up to the gate of the house of the lady that we were building the house for and said “Bano?” which means “Bathroom” in Spanish. Shaking her head in agreement that they had a “Bano” the mother said something to the little boy who guided me to the little Outhouse. Oh my, Oh my, what a sight! This was my first experience using an Outhouse and it was not as fun as you might think. There was no door but only a curtain, which did not go all the way to the ground. When the wind blew, the curtain flew up and exposed everything to everyone. The boards on the back wall had large gaps between them, like an inch and a half! The smell was, as you can imagine, was pretty bad.

There was a little store down the road was bright green with orange trim. About six of us went to the store for the second time for more drinks. I got another red Gatorade and one bag of water… thirty minutes later, and of course, I had to use “IT” again. Fortunately, there were two other girls on the crew and so I asked one of them to sand outside the Outhouse curtain/door to make sure the curtain did not fly up. When I open the curtain to go into the “Bano”, you will never guess what was waiting for me right above the concrete hole. A CHICKEN, *gasp*, yes a chicken, a live chicken. I burst out laughing and looked back at the girl who was watching the door and said, “What do I do?” She laughed too and said, “Just go in and use it.” The owner just laughed and watched as we struggled to figure out what to do. I said, “Really, I can’t do this!” The door guard replied, “You can do this, I have faith in you.” I said, “Ok fine.” I went and slammed the curtain door closed, Ha, Ha. This chicken was not fazed by my presence; it continued do those things that chickens do. I must say I find it very uncomfortable to have a chicken in the bathroom with me.

Back to building, we were half way complete on the floor and the roof and I have to admit that a hammer, nails and I do not work well together, at all. However, I continued to try and was on the roof helping with the last few nails. A couple of nails, not a problem, boy was I wrong. First nail, I take aim and smack thumb. Second try, I take aim and smack index finger. Finally, on the third try, I hit the nail and it was barely in the wood but not for long. I moved my fingers from holding the nail; I take aim and send the nail sailing out of sight. Second nail, fifth try, I get someone else starts the nail and I quickly bend it over. With help, I finally get the nail all the way into the wood. The final nail I hammered like a pro, in the wood in four swings and I did the Corn Bread Dance in my mind. Ask me about the Corn Bread Dance when you have a minute.

On the bus and headed back to the Mission House. Oh NO, I had to “Go” again, *sigh*, what next, a donkey in the bathroom? Welcome to Honduras

I would not trade it for anything.

WAL-MART???

Happy Sunday to you all!!! I hope you have all had a blessed day of worship!! Our group was blessed with the opportunity to visit with three different churches today.

The first group left at "8:15"...well they were suppose to (welcome to Honduras). They went to worship with the Mateo Church of Christ.

The second group left at 8:30ish. They went to worship with the Santa Ana church family. Anne Dorris from the Collegeside C of C writes:

I really enjoyed worshiping at Santa Ana today! When we arrived we could hear the members singing before we even got to the building. Although we didn't always know what they were singing, it was so encouraging to be part of their worship service. If the church sang a song in Spanish that we knew we'd sing it in English. As we's been warned about, there was a dog roaming around in the building. During the singing portion of the service it used the podium as a fire hydrant!! WELCOME TO HONDURAS!! It was so neat to see the Americans support Santa Ana monetarily. The collection plate was running over with limps and dollars. After service the members greeted us and told us thank you for being there. many of the orphans from the nearby orphanage hugged all of us as well. We were all so encouraged by the children's singing (in Spanish and English). They sang so loudly!! They were so happy to be there and were truly singing to God with the heart of a child we learned about in the Bible. It was such an uplifting morning! God is Good and His love is universal.

The third group left at 8:45 to go to the Moaloa Church of Christ. When we arrived in the small community we had to hike down a muddy hill to get into the actual community. Due to the muddy roads the bus was not able to make it down and back out. Once we got into the community we had to cross a creek and up a muddy hill to get to the actual building. We were greeted by some of the members when we arrived. Once worship began more children arrived. It was awesome returning to Moaloa and having children remember you!! The children were so beautiful!!! Worshiping with our brothers and sisters was so uplifting. After worship we spent several minutes greeting the members and playing with the wonderful children. We have a second grader on our team (Austin). Watching him with the children was awesome. He played soccer for a few minutes with some of the children and also played with others before the game. He is so precious, and when he is with the Honduran children is so uplifting to see how God is using him!!

After each service each group went to different locations to eat lunch. Everyone was able to pick from a variety of different food places. At about 2:30 each team made it's way to the Mi Esperanza store to shop for some awesome items!! WHile people were shopping a small group went to the bodega to sort through clothes and prepare bags for the families that signed up to come to the medical clinic tomorrow. Once we were finished the groups came back to the mission house for a while.

At about 6pm we loaded the buses to go back to the city to mall to eat dinner. When we arrived we were greeted with a big sign that said Wal-Mart!! WAL-MART? In Honduras? Are you kidding me? This is about my 13th trip to Honduras and I have NEVER seen a Walmart!! I know that this is probably a dumb statement, but I was actually shocked to see it!!! Sadly I didn't have the time to go to the Wal-mart but I did get a picture of the sign!!!

At abou 8pm we loaded the buses to return to the mission house for devo. Devo was late tonight so sorry if you were not able to join in :( Tomorrow night we should be back on the same schedule!! You can get the link from my previous post!! Hope you will all join in with us in our devos!!!

After devo Terry reviewed the "plans" for tomorrow so individuals could think about what they want to do. Once he had give us the plans we prepared for bed.

I hope you are all enjoying the blog!! Please feel free to share comments and email me at brandyb06@gmail.com if you would like!! Love you all!!

In Him Brandy B

Motivation

I hope you all are doing well back home!! The group is doing great things here! God is so very good!! Today was a long day of work for all of us.

It started with breakfast at 7 – 8 am. This morning we had eggs, potatoes, and toast with juice and coffee. It was so yummy!! After breakfast we had morning devotional. Steve Johnson, from Tampa, spoke this morning. He asked everyone what motivated us. He said people are motivated by three things: fear, rewards, and love. He said the best motivation is love. He encouraged us all to be motivated by love.

After devo we split in our groups. Today we had 3 sorting groups, 3 building teams, one hospital visitation team, one veggie shopping team, a small team that went to Didasko, and a team that unloaded a container.

The group that stayed at the mission house divided into three sorting teams. A hygiene kit team, pill sorting team (medical), and food team. The groups worked hard all day sorting all the items. The hygiene team finished with 800+ bags which demolished last years record of 700 something! The medical team packed and counted and labeled A LOT of medicine for the clinic that is scheduled for Monday at Didasko. The food team packed 250 bags of food that will provide over 1,000 meals total. Later we added fresh fruits and veggies to the bags!! It was a very productive, fun day for us sorting. I am pretty sure the hygiene people will be smelling soap for weeks!!

The teams built three homes today. I will post more about that. I have an individual that will be providing me with details of the build. I will also post more about the group that went to the open market as well. I forgot to ask people before they left to try and have me something written so I do apologize. Kyle was the only one who was given time so big thanks to him!!

Kyle Johnson

Bell Shoals C of C

Florida

The 18 member hospital team started off the day with a “quick” pit stop at the warehouse, which of course turned into 3 hours of unloading a semi-truck (Welcome to Honduras). After 33 metal hospital beds and other various heavy things were stored the team finally made its way to the hospital. We spent over 2 hours visiting the kids and their parents, attempting to speak Spanish (¿ Quieres pintar?), handing out a ton of toys, coloring with the kids, and overall just trying to bring them happiness despite all their suffering. Seeing them smile was very uplifting, and hopefully they were able to see God work through our actions. Matthew 18:1-6.

For dinner we had chicken, rice, salad, and a roll. Like I said and will always say YUMMY!!! After dinner we had our nightly devo. Don’t forget to check in for devos. We will start at 9 pm central time!! I’m not too sure if we will be here tomorrow night but check in, here is the website http://www.ustream.tv/channel/torch-devos

Tim O’Dell is going to be speaking each night. Tonight he spoke about how God reigns over the family. He spoke about the “stuff” that consumes our lives like facebook, TV, work, ect. He stressed not to worry about that “stuff” and let God consume our lives. Very encouraging, and much needed words. I know I have let the “stuff” in my life get in the way. Let’s try and let go and let God!!

After devo Terry told us the “game plan” for tomorrow. We will be splitting into three groups to worship with three of the congregations in Honduras. It’s going to be an AWESOME day tomorrow. We all then went our own ways and headed to bed!!

I know you guys are all lifting us up in prayers each night, THANK YOU SOO MUCH!! Our team is almost complete, we have one more coming in tomorrow and then we’ll will 120 strong!! God is GOOD!!! Love you all!!

In Him

Brandy B

And then there were 106!!

Wow!!! Can I just say WOW!!! This group is AMAZING!!!

Ok first I feel like I need to introduce myself!! My Name is Brandy Barnett. I will be trying my best to keep all of you informed on the happenings while we are in Honduras. Feel free to email me if you have any questions!!

Today 22 of us started out at about 9:30 am making our way to the airport!! On our way we did a small gatorade blitz (with juice boxes) and also handed out boxes of food. It was a pretty interesting event. We would stop and a couple people would get off the bus and provide street workers with a box of food and a drink. We passed out about 50ish boxes before arriving at the airport.

Once at the airport the group of 22 awaited the arrival of about 90+ people coming in. As people arrived we assisted with baggage and made sure the team members got on the correct bus. After about 2 hours we had just about everyone. There were a few members that will be flying in tomorrow so that is why I say "just about everyone." The team split into three groups. One bus went to one eating location (burger king), another went to a different (KFC, Popeyes), the last bus stayed and ate at the burger king and popeyes near the airport. After each group ate they went to the grocery store to buy snacks for lunches each day! The rookies have been great!! They have listened and kept to the schedule!! THis group has been awesome. For those of you who understand that time does not exist in Honduras, this might be a shocker. We were an hour ahead of schedule, yes AHEAD!!!! Like I said I really like this group!!

Once we all made it to the mission house we had our first orientation on campus rules!! After the rules each person received their rooming assignments and made their way to the rooms. Once everyone was settled we had dinner!! Tonight...Spaghetti, salad, and a roll!! For those who are reading who are worried about how loved ones will eat....DON'T!! The food here is fabulous!!

After dinner we had devo. Terry Reeves led us in our thoughts. He discussed how God can use us all to do great things no matter how big or small!! He discussed the importance of each task that will be done on this trip and the importance of allowing God to use us!!

Once devo was complete we had the second orientation for TORCH rules. Terry's interns prepared skits to demonstrate what not to do. I think that we might have it recorded and if we do then I will be posting that!! After orientation we departed for bed!!

WE will have a group of about 12ish coming in tomorrow and I think the group will be complete by Sunday. I hope you all are doing well back home. I also hope you enjoy reading the blog. I try to be as descriptive as possible. I promise you will not hear just from me. Members of the team will be writing up their experiences as well and I will post them.

Lastly we will be streaming the devos live. Our devos will be at 8:00 pm here, 9:00pm Central time, and 10:00 Eastern. Feel free to tune in!!! Here is the link!! http://www.ustream.tv/channel/torch-devos. Hope you all can share in our devos!!

If you have any questions feel free to email me at brandyb06@gmail.com.

In Him

Brandy B

Preperation

Hey guys!! Hope you all are doing wonderful!! The interns are have been working hard today to prepare for the group coming in tomorrow. Today started at about 7ish. For breakfast we had fruit, french toast, and juice.

We left the mission house at about 9:30 and went to the grocery store to buy snacks for lunch. Afterward we went to the bodega to start sorting boxes into piles that would make it easier to locate items that will be given away. The team worked hard to complete the task. Our team also painted for Mi Esperanza as well. Before leaving we loaded the bus with all the hygiene and medical boxes to bring back to the missions house. Once we arrived at the mission house we unloaded the bus and sorted the supplies.

When we were finished with that we got showers before dinner. For dinner we had a really nice meal; potatoes, veggies, chicken, and a roll!! It was so good!! Once we had finished we began preparing the bank envelopes, and barnabas notes so that would be ready for the group. The small group is still working on organizing all of the final details.

Tomorrow is going to be an eventful day. OUr group will be 120+ people once we are all together. I'm looking forward to meeting all the newbies and reuniting with old friends!! Please pray for safe travels and a productive work!!

Thanks for all the prayers!!

In Him

Brandy B

Finally!!!!

After long hours on a bus, we have made it!! Our group is now in Tegucigalpa!! When we got here we went to eat lunch at Burger King or Churches Chicken. Then we went to the bodega (warehouse) to sort our supplies!! After about an hour we headed to the mission house to clean up and get ready for dinner. We ate out for dinner. Some went to the mall to the food court and some went to a steak house. We then came back to the mission house for devo!!

I hope all of you back home are doing well. I will be posting more tomorrow, the group arrives on Friday and we are looking forward to there arrival!!

Love you all!!

Brandy B