Things to know when you are flying the friendly skies

This week you will receive by mail. or group leader, your Torch t-shirt and journal. Also, if you ordered a Torch water bottle you will receive that as well. You should also receive plastic tape that we will be using as identification bands for our luggage. Every piece of checked luggage should have an orange band of plastic tape which will identify the bag as a Torch missions bag. When we arrive in Tegucigalpa it will help find our baggage quickly among all of the other luggage that arrived with other passengers. It is VERY IMPORTANT that every bag have orange tape on the handle. Also, you will have another band of tape on your suitcase handle. If you fly American you will also have a RED band, YELLOW for Continental, and blue for Delta. This will help us sort the bags once we get to the Mission House. If you did not receive tape in your package don't worry, there will be people at the airport the day you depart to help you out. Just make sure your bags are color coded before you check the bags in. If you have any questions about checked luggage, weight limits, extra charges, etc, refer back to the March 1st article.

Just a kindly reminder that everyone going on the trip needs to go shopping for some things that we need for the trip. 1 box of gallon size zip lock storage bags; 1 box quart size zip lock storage bags; 1 bottle of baby shampoo; 1 bottle of de-tangler / cream rise; 8-12 bars of soap; 2 hard plastic soup bowls; 3 metal forks and 3 metal spoons. By farming this out to 150 people we can collect the needed supplies, spread out the wright of the items into 150 separate bags, and save save enough money from the work fund to do an extra food distribution or build an extra house. The June 14th blog has the recommended packing list in case you missed it.

I found a very good article the other day called "The 10 Commandments of Flying." I think all of us need to read it over, it has some great tips and advise. I could not have said it better myself!

1. Look like a pro at the security check-point: For goodness sakes, be ready for the X-Ray scanner before you get there! Have keys, loose change, cell phone, etc. stored in your backpack BEFORE you get to the table where the bins are located. Have your shoes off and your belt off.... they will make you take them off so go ahead and do it before you reach the table! Keep your passport and boarding pass in hand as you go through the scanner. Once your bag passes through the X-Ray machine, grab your bag, shoes, belt, and move away from the rollers and redress. The faster you go through the faster the rest of us get through.

2. Hurry up and wait? When the announcement is made that the plane is about to board, don't jump up and rush to the line to get on the plane. There is no prize for getting on the plane first. You will still be sitting in the same assigned seat whether you are the first or last to board the plane. Wait till your group is called, it makes boarding much smoother and less stressful. Besides, you look pretty stupid standing in the line when you could still be seating in the lounge chair finishing up your Dr. Pepper.

3. Learn to count! You are allowed ONE carry on baggage and ONE personal item, usually a purse, briefcase, etc. This does not mean 1 carry on, 1 personal item, 1 hoodie, 1 pillow, 1 shopping bag, 1 water bottle, 1 blanket, a sandwich and Diet Coke. Be courteous, especially if you are wearing one of those nifty mission t-shirts... people tend to notice you.

4. It is what it is! A "carry on" is just that... a bag that can be carried onto the plane. It should not be so big that you smash the passengers seated on the isle seat as you struggle down the isle to get to your seat. It also should not be so heavy that you have to enlist the help of body builders nearby to get the bag into the overhead compartment. If it is too heavy for YOU to lift, it is too heavy. Also, if your carry on bag has to be slammed, jammed, and shoved into the overhead bin, it is too big. Don't be "that person" that breaks these rules. People notice.

5. De-leverage. When you have to get up from your seat during the flight, don't grab the seat in front of you to pull yourself up. No one wants to suddenly get pulled backwards in their seat so use your hand rests to stand up! Yes, you can do it.

6. Look back Jack! If you get the urge to recline your seat, look back! No one likes to get a laptop shoved into their chest or a hot cup of coffee dumped into their lap because you reclined your seat into their personal space without any notice. Unexpected courtesy is always appreciated. Besides, it is only 3 or 4 inches for you... so take a peak before going back.

7. Not so loud. If you are traveling in a group, please remember you are not the only ones on the plane. People enjoy their space and they enjoy their peace and quiet. Keep your stories, jokes, and talking down so that everyone will enjoy the flight, and not be aggravated at you.

8. Be polite. Chances are there will be people sitting all around you. Stay seated as much as possible. Please ask to be excused if you have to ask someone to move for you to get out into the isle. Say please and thank you to the stewards or stewardesses when the serve you. It is the least you can do. Leave your grumpy pants at home... they are unbecoming on you.

9. Clean up after yourself! Flight attendants constantly walk by collecting trash during the flight. Throw your stuff away! Nobody wants to see trash stuffed into the pocket of the seat in front of you.

10. Get ready... get set.... wait. Just like there is no prize for being the first on the plane, there is not a prize for the first person to stand up once the plane is parked. The etiquette is quite simple: exit by rows. If you are on row 23, take a chill pill and wait your turn. If you want to be one of the first to get off a plane, cough up the extra money ahead of time and buy a first class ticket so that you can sit in the first 3 rows. After all, you still have to wait, and wait some more, for your luggage at the luggage carousel!

By doing these 10 things, you will not only fly like a pro you will not be remembered as the one that..... well, you fill in the blank. If you are going to make an impression, make a good one.

I will be posting emergency phone contact information, how to fill out the forms to enter Honduras, along with other important information in the next few days. For the advance team, 8 days and counting! For the main team, 10 days and counting. My check off list for Monday has 18 things on it... and Monday will be considered a slow day for me! This week will fly by and I just hope I have enough time, energy, strength, patience, and will power to make it though without a melt down. But the adrenaline is pumping and the excitement is building! And I need the U.S. to win their World Cup qualifier match on Wednesday!!!! Can I get an amen out there? It is going to be a great week. Talk to you again soon.

Terry

I can't wait

Thursday, June 17th, 10:00 pm. Life is good.

* Meds ordered for the medical clinic came in Monday. Check.
* I got a phone call from Tim Hines from Honduras yesterday, our container is in Tegucigalpa and should be unloaded into the warehouse this weekend. Check.
* T-shirts arrived from Indiana today. Look GREAT. Check.
* Torch water bottles arrived. Look GREAT. Check.
* Picked up journals and song books from the printer in Jackson. Looks GREAT. Check.
* Tim ordered 2,000 Spanish Bibles. Check.
* Got a phone call from the other printer, Barnabas notes and Spanish songbooks are ready to pick up tomorrow. check.
* Send checks to Healing Hands International to pay for container; check to Barlow sports Jersey for t-shirts; check to Mid-South Solutions for water bottles; already paid for journals and songbooks; already paid for meds; already paid for dental clinic supplies. Check.
* Katie Wells, Katie Gooch, Brandon McKay (student here at Freed), Margaret and I sorted and boxed up all of the t-shirts, water bottles, and journals that are going to be mailed out Friday. Everyone should get their stuff early next week. Check. In other words, my "stressed out over my head" list is shrinking rapidly! I might even get a good night's sleep tonight.

Margaret is still collecting last minute paper work and confirming last payments. Her list is getting shorter but some of you are making life difficult for her. You just can't imagine what it is like trying to round up applications, rules sheets, Spanish release forms, photocopies of passports, photos, letters of recommendation, essays, and payments foe 160 people. And to make rooming assignments. You really don't know. If you did, you would have done all of this a long time ago and you would have made her life so much easier. Between the two of us... we are spent. Our batteries are low and the candle has been burned at both ends. But we can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and unless it is a freight train coming at us at 100 miles per hour, we are about to see the end. And at the end is where the trip begins. and for that we are very excited.

Katie Wells and Katie Gooch gave us a burst of energy that we needed! Once we get everything mailed out we have a week to just get ready for the trip. I am truly getting excited and Tim shared a lot of new ideas that our team might be able to do. New places and new faces that will make the trip refreshing and new, even for some of our long standing veterans. That makes me even more excited. I think we have a great trip planned and it will be such a joy and blessing to work in Honduras again.

I can't wait to see old friends and meet new ones. I Can't wait to see our buses and bus drivers. I can't wait to see the city; smell the diesel fumes; hearing the honking of car horns. I can't wait to look down from the Jesus statue and walk around the streets of the Valley of the Angels. I can't wait to sort beans and crank up the chainsaws and smell fresh cut wood. I can't wait to sing at evening devos with my eyes closed. I can't wait to take a shower with Honduran "hot water." I can't wait to eat beans and rice and eat fresh fruit for breakfast. I can't wait to wake up and be in the middle of a cloud passing by while we are up at the Mission House. I can't wait to stay up late talking to friends and waking up with the roosters crowing and the dogs barking. I can't wait to drink water from a bag and eat Gorditos. I can't wait to see the children with those big brown eyes. These are the things I am looking forward to. I can't wait!

13 days my friends. 13 days till we land in a very special place. If you are a first time rookie, you have to use your imagination to see what I am talking about right now. If you are a returning veteran, you have to use your imagination to SEE what I am talking about right now. It is all about perspective. Open my heart to what You know. So that I might stretch, so that I can grow. My feelings toss me to and fro. Open my heart to what You know. Open my eyes to what You see. To understand what I should be. My feelings get the best of me. Open my eyes to what You see. Open my ears to what You hear. So I can keep You very near. My feelings make it so unclear. Open my ears to what You hear.

Terry

Praise God from whom all blessings flow

Has anyone out there noticed how fast the days are passing by, or is it just me? I keep getting e-mails from people saying that they can't wait for the trip and it can't get here fast enough, while I am sitting here trying to slow things down and squeezing every second out of the day! Margaret and I are averaging about 7 hours a day on Honduras stuff right now, not to mention all of the other stuff we do. Steve Kemp and I were talking the other day and have decided that we can't wait to get to Honduras to enjoy the slower pace down there! And anyone who has been down there can attest, the pace is not slow in Honduras!

As far as updates are concerned, I am happy, grateful, thrilled, pumped, and jubilant to tell you that the container is in Honduras! It arrived in port late last week and hopefully Mark Connell and Tim Hines are in the process of getting it to Tegucigalpa. Unless something goes terribly wrong, which it should not, our supplies will be in the warehouse waiting on us when we get there. I have pretty much marked it off of the "stressed out of my head" list. T-shirts are done and will be shipped to me Tuesday and should be in my hands Thursday. I spoke with the printers and everything is still on track to be done Thursday for me to pick up. Water bottles are supposed to arrive Thursday also. I ordered $6,000.00 of medicines for our clinic this year and the medicines have already arrived. This will be the best stocked pharmacy we will have ever had on a trip! I have talked with Mark Connell and all of our buses, vans, trucks, drivers, etc are set and ready to go.

So, Thursday will be a very busy day for us here. I am hoping to have some volunteers here Thursday afternoon to help sort, count, and box up t-shirts, journals, water bottles, etc. so that we can get them in the mail Friday. If all of that happens as planned, the vast majority of the "stressed out of my head" list will be crossed off and I will be a happy camper. Friday I also go to the bank to order my money. For large withdrawals, you have to order money a week in advance to make sure they have enough on hand to fill our need and to service the regular daily customers. I will then head over to Nashville this weekend for the last fund raiser Western Hills church is doing and attend Erin Mann and Eric Yow's wedding. Yes, this is the same Erin and Eric who will be with us on the trip this year! Talk about dedication!!! Will and Allison West, you might have started a trend.

HERE IS THE PACKING LIST FOR THE TRIP. Anything in BOLD is either required or highly recommended... everything else is just important.

Bible; toilet paper; Pepto Bismol; toothbrush; tooth paste; soap; hand-wipes; hand sanitizer; Imodium; shaving cream / razor; wash cloth; extra towel (towel is provided at the mission house and hotels); deodorant; Q-tips; insect repellent (Cactus Juice brand highly recommended); vitamins; PASSPORT; camera; film / memory cards; deck of cards, rain jacket; watch (water proof); work clothes (disposable); personal medicines; hammer; flip flops (for the shower); work shoes (2 pair of closed toed shoes); work gloves (disposable); laundry bag / large trash bag; flash light; alarm clock; duct tape; spending money ($100 - $150+); Hat; water bottles; sunscreen (psf 20+); paper / pencil / pen; backpack; Spanish / English dictionary; snack foods; Gatorade / Kool-Aid / Crystal Light; pocket knife; sunglasses; Sharpie; Band-aids

Besides the items listed on the packing list, we need everyone to spend a little bit of money and bring the following things with you for the trip. the items listed did not make it onto the container before it was shipped that we need for the different projects we will be doing. You will be able to get all of this stuff easily for under $20. Shop wisely, some of this stuff will be cheapest at the dollar stores instead of Wal-Mart:

1 box of gallon size zip lock storage bags; 1 box of quart size zip lock storage bags; 1 bottle of baby shampoo; 1 bottle of de-tangler / cream rinse for children; 8-12 bars of soap; 2 hard plastic soup bowls (white if possible); 3 metal forks and spoons.

The zip locks are for the food give aways and the hygiene packets that we will make and give away at the medical clinics. The shampoo and cream rinse will be for the girl's "make over" project called Daughters of the King. Our team of volunteers will be going into a village and do a "day spa" for the little girls in the village. We will wash hair, do fingernails, toe nails, give out costume jewelry, and give each girl a t-shirt that will say "I am a daughter of the King!" and a new pair of flip-flops. The soap and shampoo will also be given away in the hygiene packets. The bowls and silverware will be given to a feeding center (The Manna Project) that serves hot meals to 100-200 children a day. In other words, the money you spend for this stuff is going to make a huge difference in someone's life!

Now, that covers what you are supposed to pack. There are several things that you are asked not to bring on this trip. Everything we do is for a purpose, and we ask everyone to adhere to these requests. We are on a media fast during the trip. Things that distract you from the focus of this trip are discouraged. We want you to be focused on the trip and meeting and mixing with the team members while on the trip. Please do not bring the following:

Cell-phones (you can use your cell phone for an alarm clock ONLY); lap top computers; Walkmans; I-Pods; books or magazines; hand held electronic games; etc.

We will have computers set up at the Mission House for people to use from time to time to send e-mails back home. There will be sign-ups to use the computers and a time limit per person. Remember, there will be 160 of us on the trip. You will not be able to use the computer every day and the amount of time you have on the computer will be very limited. For those on the trip that must have access to the computer (college students taking on-line classes, adults who have to access the computer for work purposes, etc) we will have additional computers set up for you to use. In addition, we will have emergency phones that we can use to call the States if needed. Please remember, the blog will be updated daily and people back home will be able to keep up with us and read about the activities, projects, and ministries that take place.

Much more information will be coming as the trip grows ever closer. Please e-mail me if you have any questions or comments. If you are a group leader please make sure this information is passed on to your team. The count down has started. 16 days and counting! Mark Connell / Larry Sawyer's trip just finished up with their trip this past weekend. Tim Hines / Gayle Davidson's team arrived and is on the ground now. Things are rolling and great things are being done in the name of Jesus. Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him all creatures here below. Praise Him above ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen!

Terry

Mas agua por favor!

Last Thursday I decided to do a final fund raiser for the work fund. Jenny Lovell got me in touch with a company out of Memphis that does all kind of promo stuff. I found a nifty 32 oz aluminum water bottle and decided to make a push to sell some before the trip. Minimum order was 96 so I was a bit nervous about it. I sent out an email letting the team know about the bottle and promptly sold over 100 bottles in less than 24 hours! So I decided to order a few more if anyone is interested. I only have about 20 and they are $10 each. I am going to predict that they will go very quickly... so if you would like to get one email me soon.

The past week has been brutal trying to get everything done before deadlines. But, unless something goes terribly wrong, everything should be done on time. The t-shirts are ordered and should be getting inked this week! The journals are in print right now and will be done early next week! The Torch song books are in print and will be done this weekend. The Barnabas note cards are in print and will be done early next week. The Spanish coloring books are in print and will be done early next week. The water bottles have been ordered and will be silk screened this weekend and back to me next Thursday.

Sunday I met with Dr. Schwartz, who lives here in Henderson and teaches at Freed-Hardeman. He has a clinic in town and has been doing medical missions for years. We met after church services Sunday night and discussed medicines that I will need to order for the medical team this summer. This has been a challenge for me for the past several weeks as we have been trying different ways to get prescription meds for the trip. However, Dr. Schwartz not only can write scripts for the meds, he can order them at wholesale prices... saving us a LOT of money. Wednesday I will finalize the med order and it will be in about a week before we leave for Honduras. I am constantly in awe of how God works.

This weekend we had a mini reunion here at school when 2 of my roommates from Freed-Hardeman were here with their wives. We had a great time wandering the campus and talking about all of the changes that have taken place since we were here. Old buildings that are gone and the 8 new buildings that are here now. Since both are businessmen we had lengthy discussions about torch and how we can position ourselves for the "next step" in our vision of growth for the next several years. They shared great ideas and fresh insight to what Torch is doing and the way we can expand our resourcing and networking. Oh, and we ate some Jack's Creek BBQ too! If you have ever been here you know what I mean... if you haven't... so sorry for you!)

Margaret is almost done with the 3 way split assignments mid-way into our trip. About 45 will go to Catacamas July 6-9; 65 will go to Choluteca July 7-9; and about 50 will stay in Tegucigalpa. We are still pounding out details about what the 3 teams will be doing in their respective places, but finalizing rooming lists have to be made this week so that we can send the lists to the hotels that we will be staying at during this part of the trip. Margaret and I met with Tara (Ulmer) and Jerry Yale this evening. We discussed the work we are going to do in Catacamas and got a lot done towards that part of the trip. Tara lived in Catacamas for a year and will be the point person when we get there. I even chatted with Timeteo Estrada (in Spanish!) a few nights ago about plans for Choluteca. (thank the good Lord for Babble fish translator!!!).

So, with just 3 weeks to go, there is still a lot to be done. We are STILL missing paper work! Senor Margarita is not happy and when she is not happy.... well, you probably know the rest of that one, right? And we are waiting on a lot of money to come in. This week is the dead line for checks made out to Western hills Church of Christ. I cannot tell you how important it is to get your money in on time. It takes time for checks to be deposited. It takes more time for checks to clear and be released. It will take time to order the money so that we can withdraw cash from the bank (weird, right? I have to let the bank know a week in advance how much I am going to withdraw so that they will have enough on hand....) So I need to hear from all of you out there to find out what your plans are... we have heard from some but there are many more that we have not heard from as of now.

Next weekend I will be mailing out the t-shirts and journals (and water bottles if you ordered one). Margaret will be getting in touch with you if you are missing any paper work. Let us know if you have any questions, concerns, etc. My next posting will be the packing list and other trip information you will need. Can't wait to see everyone in Honduras, it will be here soon! Are you ready? I am. Make me a servant, Lord make me like You. For You are a servant, make me one too. Make me a servant, do what You must do... to make me a servant, Lord, make me like You.
TR

Alpha and Omerga team listings

As the trip gets closer, more and more preparations are being finalized. Prayers were indeed answered as the container left Nashville and is on its way to Honduras. According to Healing Hands International, the container will arrive in Porta Cortez, Honduras, on June 6th. From there the container will clear customs and will be trucked to Tegucigalpa and unloaded into our warehouse. Hopefully by the time the advance team arrives everything will be ready for the team to organize and sort for the main team to use when they arrive on July 1st.

Artwork has been sent to Laura Barlow up in Indiana and the t-shirt orders are in. In just a couple of weeks our shirts will be ready to mail out to team leaders. I am working on this year's journal right now and it will be ready to go to print early next week. Margaret is done with the rooming assignments and will be sending it to Lori and Mark Connell this week. Food and lumber orders will also be made this week. Spanish coloring booklets are being printed this week too. Margaret sent out e-mails reminding group leaders and individuals of missing paper work that needs to be sent in. The books of much importance (yes, there are 2 this year due to the size of the team!) is filling up and will be done soon. A lot of stuff has been done so far!

The Alpha and Omega teams have also been assigned. From here, Nathan and I will begin our scheduling of projects and plans. Coordination between the two teams will be critical to make sure we have enough supplies and equipment each day for both teams and that we do not cross paths during the work days. It is important that we do not over work an area or omit an area due to oversight. It will be even more challenging since a third Torch team, Mark Halbert's group from Mississippi, will also be in Honduras while we are there. But this makes the work that much more exciting as we map things out. We have made contact with several people in Honduras who are helping us with our plans. Greg Vaughn from Good Shepherd's Children's Home and Jorge Castillo, from Didasko Orphanage have responded to our e-mails and we have projects set up with both groups. They are very excited about our group coming this year to work!

Here is the listing of the Alpha and Omega teams. A lot of time and thought went into dividing the main team into 2 teams to make sure there was balance of age, talent, and experience within the 2 groups. Let me know if you are not on the list! Hopefully I did not leave anyone off (or spell any names wrong...)

Alpha Team / Team leader: Terry Reeves

Laura Barlow, Kristen Black, Leah Phillips Black, Allen Burris, Kedra Burris, Lester Burris, Maddie Burris, Rebecca Burris, Kevin Cline, Clint Coley, Jonathan Coxwell, Brittni Dudley, Garrett Elder, Joanna Fussell, Joel Fussell, Keith Fussell, Kim Fussell, Linda Gilstrap, Steve Gilstrap, Patrick Gutherie, Ken Haab, Sandi Haab, Lee Hagewood, Patrick Harvey, Midge Hendershott, Gary Hendrickson, Will Hendrickson, Rodolfo Hererra, Lauren James, Taona Kaulem, Steve Kemp, Allison Lincoln, Cindy McClain, Brittany McMahon, Brett Mitchell, Judy Mitchell, Reid Mitchell, Teresa Moon, Liza Moore, Dave Moorer, Loye Moorer, Drew Myers, Hannah Myers, Jeremy Myers, Tim O'Dell, Debra Overfield, Nathan Overfield, Katie Palmer, Beth Parsley, Jake Parsley, Lou Ann Rader, Margaret Reeves, Magdalena Rigg, Melanie Rigg, Darci Roberts, Natalie Sassine, Brittany Schneider, Carrie Schneider, Steve Schneider, Rita Sloane, Brian Steffy, Ashley Stewart, Jennifer Subic, Gayna Taylor, Jenny Taylor, Pam Timmerman, Ethel Townsend, Scott Townsend, Becky Warren, Seanne Warrior, Katie Wells, Melissa Wilson, Leah Wright

Omega Team / Team leader: Nathan Reeves

Diane Adams, Amanda Allen, Jessica Ashley, Meagan Baldwin, Zach Baldwin, Terri Barber, Whitney Barber, Brandy Barnett, Hunter Beaird, Cynthia Bennie, Sarah Bennie, Jerry Brown, Justin Brown, Daniel Burnell, Nathan Carroll, Marah Casey, Kaleigh Chaffee, Kennedy Cheatham, Terry Cheatham, Ken Fehling, Hailey Frazier, Andrew Gary, Tyler Gist, Katie Gooch, Amy Hein, Dan Hein, Sarah Hinson, Jenna Hostetler, Josh Hostetler, Emily Holton, James Johnson, Patti Johnson, Taylor Johnson, Jacque Jones, Joe Jones, Loni Beth Jones, Lonnie Jones, Jake Lovell, Jenny Lovell, Janelle Mabry, Jansen Mabry, Brandon Mann, Jody Mann, Valerie Morgan, Josh Myers, Kevin Newcomb, Daniel Osborn, Brittany Peppers, Rachel Potts, Zachary Quillian, Karen Reeves, Chad Roberts, Beth Rosenblum, Bruce Rosenblum, Judy Rosenblum, Michael Rosenblum, Christina Saenz, Mariano Saenz, Katie Schlemmer, Tara Shea, Austin Shivers, Angie Solar, Hannah Taylor, Matthew Taylor, Ray Thomas, Ray Thomas, Sara Tucker, Butch Weaver, Patti Weaver, Allison West, Will West, Matt Wilkinson, Eric Yow, Erin Yow

We will also have a few from the team that will be on both teams as needed. Besides the medical people, we have several additional translators on the trip this year: Flory Chacon, Jose Chavarria, Kristi Duran, Jesenia Jimenez, Esperanza Massana, Walter Mendoza, Minor Perez, Rene Puente, Chase Turner, and Christopher Wright.

Remember, next week is the deadline for final payments if you are paying by check. All checks need to be made out to Western Hills Church of Christ / Torch Missions 2010. Please mail all checks to us here so we can record them before sending them on to WHCOC. After June 3rd cashiers checks can still be sent to me until June 20th (made out to Terry Reeves). after June 20th final payment must be made in cash. Please do not send cash in the mail!!!! Cash needs to be hand delievered or brought with you to Honduras. Let me know if you have any questions on this.

More information to come! 34 days and counting! Are you ready? It is going to be amazing!

Terry

Did you hear that sound?

Whoosh!

Friday, June 14: It is now 45 days until the Advance Team arrives in Tegucigalpa. 6 1/2 weeks until 13 team members will arrive at airports in Memphis and Nashville at 4:00 in the morning to board our planes. 45 days until all of the plans will become a reality. 45 days until the gears begin to turn. I am excited, nervous, stressed, tired, and anxious. This is true of me every year about this time, but this year even more so... this is the biggest team I have ever led and it is at best, overwhelming. 165 people are signed up and ready to go for this year's trip. 165........

Every year, once we have returned from Honduras, plans begin for the next trip. Taking a blank piece of paper, I begin dreaming and writing down things and places , ideas, opportunities, challenges, goals... you know, the ingredients, necessary to plan a mission trip. Trip leaders contact each other and we set the calendars with dates of each team's trip, and then it begins in earnest. Emails and phone calls go out to groups and people, the faithful and loyal veterans, who mark their calendars and then it begins. Teams are recruited, sign-ups begin. Deadlines are given and fund raisers start. Applications go out and deposits come in. This is standard stuff... nothing new about any of this. But this year has been different.

Individual team numbers remained constant. New teams came on board. Past Torch members returned. New faces, fresh ideas, relentless excitement, flooded the scene. More paper, more notes. More dreams. Plans kept getting bigger, more detailed. I reached out more and more to different people for input and ideas, for answers and opinions. I began delegating projects to different people, which, by the way, is very difficult for me. One by one, projects were assigned, some are things that we need done every year, and new ones. And, slowly but surely, the projects have been completed. Others are in the works even as I write. And I look and see a trip that is better planned and prepared than any trip I have ever led. But so much is still to be done.

So, with that in mind, I need to post information that is important for the trip. 45 days may seem like a long way away, but I can assure you, it is not. The next 6 weeks will go by quickly and there is still much to do. By now, all applications and deposits have been turned in. Round 2 is about to come to an end. Round 2 consisted of the following:

* Torch Missions rules sheet signed and notarized.

* Spanish release form (for those under the age of 18) signed and notarized

* A photocopy of your passport made

* Plane tickets purchased

Paper work should be mailed to me and in my possession by Friday, May 21st. Flight information should be emailed to me immediately. [Note: If you have not bought your ticket by now you are now in jeopardy of not going on the trip. Some flights are booked and sold out and others only have a few seats left on them] It is very important to have all of this done by May 21st so that round 3 can be finalized. Round 3 is making your final payments for the trip. Final payment is due June 3rd if paying by check. We must have time for checks to clear the bank and we can withdraw the funds to take with us to Honduras. After June 3rd all payments need to be made in cash.

To date 126 people have sent me their travel information. I am waiting for 39 others to send me their information. 126 is great, especially at this time of the trip planning. However, since there are so many going, not to mention other groups that might be traveling the same time we are, we are behind schedule. Round 2 paper work needs to be turned in on time so that I can sign up and purchase our supplemental travel insurance, Once that is done, I can begin the final preparations needed before we arrive in Honduras. Lumber has to be ordered. Sites have to be finalized. Food has to be ordered. Bibles have to be ordered. Reservations need to be made to visit hospitals, children's homes, orphanages, and schools. Oh, there is still a lot to be done. 45 days.... and counting!

T-shirts are going to be ordered within the next week or so. Journals will be going to print soon. Hopefully our container will be shipping out next week. [Note: For those who might not know, Nashville was struck by a devastating flood about 2 weeks ago. It was the worst natural disaster to ever hit Tennessee. Hundreds of millions of dollars in damage. Among the things damaged was empty containers. The floors of the containers buckled from the water damage and new containers have had to be brought in from other places. Because of this, our container did not arrive on the scheduled time and Healing Hands has been waiting for another container to arrive to load our supplies]

Things you need to do:

* Send in all required paper work on time!

* Pray that our container will make shipment in time to arrive for our trip!

* Read Matthew 25 once a week and focus on ways that this chapter will impact you on the trip

* Continue collecting toys, stuffed animals, crayons, finger nail polish, etc

* Pray for the people of Honduras; pray for our team members

* finish raising your funds for the trip

* Make appointment for any shots that your doctor might recommend

RUE2B: a servant... humble... sacrificial... a vessel... a mentor... merciful... loving... challenged... uplifted... focused... touched... amazed... exhausted... poured out... prayerful... mighty... an ambassador... salt... light... broken... purposeful... patient... gentle... kind... Christ-like... a burden bearer... trustworthy... faithful... joyful

TR

I love it when a plan comes together!

Back in the early 80's America tuned in each week to watch a group of renegade ex-special forces veterans save the day in the classic series "the A Team." After 5 seasons the TV show went to re-runs and even spun off a cartoon series. Who can forget the colorful characters such as Sgt. B.A. Baracus, Lt. Templeton Face Peck, Capt. Howling mad Murdock, and Col. John Hannibal Smith. (OK, the younger generation probably has no idea who these guys are... too bad so sad). The show featured lots of action, fight scenes and exploding vehicles, rarely with anyone ever getting seriously hurt! Regardless if you watched the show or not, classic quotes abound from the show. "I pity the fool" was Mr. T's line of choice. But the most famous line of the show was Col. Smith's, "I love it when a plan comes together." And that, is the phrase of the day. I love it when a plan comes together.

For weeks, actually months, groups all around have been collecting supplies to send down to Honduras on the container we scheduled to ship. The 40 foot container was going to have 20,000 pounds of Indiana's finest corn, plus various goods collected for the trip. Our plan was partially derailed when we found out that Honduras was suspending importation of corn into the country due to an over abundance of the crop in their country. With 50% of the container now on an indefinite hold, and the scheduled shipping date looming, I considered down grading our container from a 40 footer to a 20 foot container. However, the price difference was minimal so I decided to keep the 40 footer. All I can say is that I am glad I did! I love it when a plan comes together!

I stumbled upon an Amish/Mennonite business here in Henderson that does wood working. They build storage sheds, gazebos, and playground systems. I drive by it every time I go to Jackson (which is all of the time). I saw a really nice playground system that was on display and decided to go in and find out how much it would cost. I was thinking that a pre-built one would be easier to reassemble than building one from scratch. After meeting the owner, we found that we had many things in common. He had just recently returned from Honduras, visiting friends that work at a private Christan school in Tegucigalpa. It was Los Pinares where Jen Arnold and Katie Wells worked (and Mr. Miller). He had also been to Sarasota to visit family and friends in November. He knows the Hostetlers and the Yoders, both families have participated on our trips before. Now, you tell me, what are the odds of running into a guy in Henderson, TN, who knows people that we know in Honduras and in Sarasota, where I used to work as a youth minister??? By the time the conversation was over I had a $3,900 playground system for $2,500 with free shipping to Healing Hands the day before everything was due there. I love it when a plan comes together!

Now, I knew from seeing the size of the playground system, that was only going to be partially taken apart, that a good part of the container would be filled up with swings, slides, A frames, tower, roof, climbing wall, and picnic table. If only we could come up with enough stuff to fill the rest of the container. However, I did not know how much supplies the various groups had collected during the past several weeks. It would not be until a few days before everything was due at Healing Hands that I would find out. As I began compiling the shipping manifest that would be required for the container, I asked the various groups how many boxes of supplies they had so that I could assign shipping numbers to their boxes. every box has to have a shipping label on the outside of the box with a description of what is in the box. It is a tedious job that takes time, patience, and coordination. I love it when a plan comes together!

Boxes were going to be coming to Healing Hands International from several different places. Sarasota, FL. Memphis, TN. Centerville, TN. Henderson, TN. Nashville, TN. Huntsville, AL. Mitchell, IN. Kittanning, PA. Mobile, AL. I was assigning numbers and packing instructions. Numbers were constantly being adjusted as supplies kept coming in and totals changed. It was crazy. It was insane. It was madness. It was just the way I liked it! The final numbers were given out. Emails with the box numbers and contents came in. Cutting and pasting, changing font and font size, formatting and reformatting, it all came together. 12 pages later we had 550 boxes inventoried!!! Medical. Dental. Hygiene. Toiletries. Toys. Stuffed animals. VBS supplies. Art supplies. School supplies. Clothes. shoes. Tools. Cookware. Food. I love it when a plan comes together!

Thursday was "D" day... delivery day. All of the supplies was to come to Healing Hands on Thursday. No small task, considering where everything came from. Sarasota, FL, and Kittanning, PA, had sent their things down early. It had been stored in a storage unit in Nashville. West Tennessee and Memphis also sent their things to Nashville early. Margaret and I arrived in Nashville at 8:30 and met Steve Kemp and his son Justin. We loaded all of the stuff from the storage unit and headed to HHI. We got their about 10:30. Jenny Lovell and Daniel Burnell were already there unloading supplies from West Nashville. After their boxes we stacked on pallets we unloaded our rental truck. We took a lunch break and shortly thereafter Allen Burris and company showed up from Indiana. then Michael Rosenblum, from Huntsville, and Tim O'Dell and friends, arrived at the same time. 4:30 and we were done and heading back to Henderson, TN. 550 boxes arrived in less than 5 hours, already numbered, labeled, and inventoried. I love it when a plan comes together!

There was only one snag. Joe Smith informed me, once everything had arrived, that I was going to need a bigger container! Yep, the one we had was going to be too small. We are going to need an over sized container. It should be there in about a week. Which is good, because I have more stuff to take over there next week. We were all tired, sleep deprived, and worn out. But it was an amazing journey to get to last Thursday. And to be honest, I am not so sure that God isn't watching all of this and saying, "I love it when a plan comes together." What do you think? This was a classic, "Where did you see Jesus today?" moment.

.......................

So, in about a week the container will be loaded and on its way to port where it will be loaded on a cargo ship and sent to Porta Cortez, Honduras. From there it will be trucked over to Tegucigalpa where Mark Connell and / or Marc Tindall will unload the container and store it in our warehouse until we arrive. The Advance Team will arrive a couple days ahead of the main team and will organize all of those supplies and stage them so that we will be able to rock and roll when the main team arrives. Soon I will be putting in the order for lumber and tin for houses, and ordering truck loads of food to be delivered to the Mission House for sorting and re-packing for door to door distributions.

.................

Rules sheets and Spanish Release Forms went out last week. In the next couple of weeks they are due back, filled out and notarized. Also, photocopies of passports will be due. And just a reminder, final payments for the trip is due in less than 6 weeks (38 days to be exact). you are certainly welcome to send in your payments early. Several have done just that. And finally, if you have not booked your airline ticket, you are just about to run out of time. The Continental flight from Houston to Tegucigalpa is nearly sold out, there might be a couple of seats left on it. So, American TACA, and Delta are now the 2 main choices for those of you still waiting to buy. If you are waiting for prices to go down, I wouldn't hold your breath. With the oil spill in the Gulf right now, fuel prices are going to start climbing and so will airline prices. Book now of be ready to fork out a lot more money to "fly the friendly skies." Remember to send me your flight information as soon as you book!

RUE2B... amazed? 61 days and counting!!!!

Terry

round 2

I got off of my soapbox a couple of days ago. Thanks for all of the compliments on the article but I am not planning on getting in the pulpit any time soon. I believe some of the best sermons are preached by simply getting out there and living your faith. We are living testimonies of who we are and whose we are. What we say, how we say it, where we go, what we do, how we react, you name it, a sermon is being broadcast in living color. Sermons of this nature are not bound by gender, age, skin color, education level, or ethnicity. Preach away, your audience awaits you.

OK, round 2 begins. Round 1 was collecting the 1st payment for the trip (deposit), applications, and making deposits at the various hotels and lodging facilities we will be using this summer. To date we officially have 167 people on our team. I am still awaiting applications from just a few people that are from Costa Rica... and a couple of stragglers who shall remain unnamed. We have 9 people from Costa Rica that will be traveling to Honduras this summer to work with us as interpreters. I am excited to meet this group and work with them because I am quite sure we will be working with them again in 2011 on the Torch trip to Costa Rica. As of right now I think we have 20 interpreters on the trip, the largest number we have ever had on a trip.

Now begins the task of sending out and collecting the next round of paper work. First, I will be sending out the Torch rules sheet this weekend. The rules sheet must be signed and notarized and sent back to me. This is a very important document and everyone has to sign one. It is very important that a team this large be aware of the rules and procedures that will be used for the trip. Everyone, including adults and team leaders, will be held to the same rules as other team members. Second, I am sending out the Spanish release form. This form is for anyone under the age of 18 who will be going on the trip. Those under the age of 18 are considered a minor and we must have written permission for you to travel out of the country with our group. This form, written in Spanish, must also be notarized. An English translation form will be sent along with the Spanish form so that parents will know what the document says. the English translation sheet is NOT to be filled out or notarized. Third, I need a photocopy of your passport. A color copy is best but black and white is OK. Once we arrive in Honduras passports are collected and stored away in a safe place for the duration of the trip. We carry the photocopies with us as we travel about the country. This is to insure that passports will not be misplaced or lost during the trip. If you do not have a passport yet, or are waiting for your passport to come in, please remember to send a photocopy to me as soon as soon are you receive it.

Our container is scheduled to be packed and leave Nashville next week. All supplies must be in Nashville no later than Thursday. The container is going to be full of supplies. We have collected a lot of stuff from tools; chainsaws; clothes; shoes; medicines; toys; stuffed animals; cooking utensils; playground equipment; and more. Although we have not received everything yet, I am estimating that over 500 boxes of supplies will go on the container. This will not include supplies coming out of the Keys in Florida, where Ken Haab's team will be packing their collections up and bringing it down in their baggage. Last minute supplies will also be brought down by various people when they fly down to Honduras.

After the container leaves Nashville a lot of the stress of the trip will be gone for a while (of course it will not be completely gone until I know it has arrived in Tegucigalpa and unloaded into the warehouse). Tasks at hand are dividing the main team into the Alpha and Omega teams. Fund raising continues and plans are still being shaped as to what our specific projects are going to be for the trip this year. As always, the amount of money we have in the work fund will determine how many houses we build and how many food distributions we will be able to do. I hope everyone of the team will dedicate efforts to bring money for the work fund. To show the power of a large team, if everyone brought just $20 with them to add to the work fund we would be able to build 2 additional houses or 1 extra food distribution to feed 300 families!

Please do not hesitate to email me if you need any additional information or have any questions. If you are not in a group or do not receive an email with the rules sheet and Spanish release form, get with me right away so that I can send it to you. 69 days and counting! Getting excited? Getting nervous? Getting ready? I can't wait!!! More news to come soon. Stay tuned....

Terry

Seriously, folks

I am not exactly sure how many people actually read this blog. The site counter seems to indicate that several people at least stop by to take a look every now and then. But I am about to get up on my soapbox to preach a little while. If you continue reading, you might want to put on a pair of steel-toed boots. I am just in one of those moods this morning and feel a need to "preach." Hey, it happens sometimes.

I want to start off by asking a question. In Matthew 28:18-20 it reads, "And Jesus came and spake unto them, 'All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen." Mark 16:15-16 sates, "And He said unto them, 'go ye into all of the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believes not shall be condemned." My question is very simple. "When are we going to take these 2 passages of scripture seriously?" No, really, that is my question. Can someone please give me an answer?

When I read these 2 passages, I am drawn to the fact that JESUS is issuing a command. Not a suggestion, or a recommendation, but a command. To me. To you. To anyone that has put on the name of Christ. Christians. Believers. Followers. Disciples. He said GO! Where? Unto all of the world. Why? To teach and to preach the gospel. To baptize believers into Christ. To bring the lost into a saved relationship with Jesus. Am I crazy, but isn't that supposed to be a big deal? Isn't that supposed to be important? If the answer is yes, why is there no sense of urgency? Because I am telling you, I don't see or feel any sense of urgency today. At least not in the circle of people that I am running into these days.

Now, please do not take all of this the wrong way. I am not casting judgement on anyone or trying to read people's intent. But I am on my soapbox and I just feel like I need to say some things that are on my mind. For the past several weeks (months, actually), I have been spending quite a bit of time planning our mission trip to Honduras. That should not be a surprise to anyone that knows me. This involves several things from recruiting volunteers to raising money to pay for work projects we are going to do while we are in Honduras. So I deal with lots and lots of people from lots of different places. And, after doing this for 19 years, I have actually come to expect to hear certain questions and comments on the subject of short term foreign mission work. But for some reason these questions and comments have really gotten to me recently. It has really worked its way into me and I just feel the need to address it.

Raising money for a mission trip is a tough job. Everyone out there that is reading this and has ever been on a trip knows this. The trip is expensive and very few of us have the money to just reach in our wallets and pay for the trip. I am a big boy and I can take "no" for an answer from people who don't help. I understand that not everyone has the ability to help send people on mission trips. I also know that I am willing and capable of doing additional work to pay from my trip too. I will do whatever it takes to come up with the money to go on a trip to Honduras, or wherever the team is going. But recently someone made the comment, 'I just can't believe ya'll are trying to raise money to go on a trip to Honduras this year with the economy the way it is." (the ya'll probably gave away the fact that this comment was made down here in the deep south)

Normally a comment like this just runs off my back like water on a duck. But not this time. I am standing on my soapbox and I am preaching and I am repeating my question, "When are we going to take the great commission seriously?" When? When! For goodness sakes, people are LOST in sin out there. LOST IN SIN. Lost as in they are not going to go to heaven if they die today. Lost as in spending an eternity of punishment and torment. If we do not reach them NOW, they are doomed. What is it exactly. Is it the fact that we do not care? Is it because we do not know them? Is it because they are different than us, different colored skin or a different language or culture? Exactly what is it that makes people ask these questions? Because I hear it all of the time.

"Why do you have to spend all of that money and go all the way to Honduras? There are people in our own back yard lost." I hear this one a lot too. May I go back to my original question again? "When are we going to take the great commission seriously?" For goodness sakes, if there are people lost in our own back yard, put on your shoes, walk across your lawn, and go talk to them! They are lost! They are dying! Does no one care? People are so concerned about the amount of money we are spending to go to Honduras to help put homeless people in houses, and feed the starving, and put clothes on the backs of the naked, is that what is keeping these people from going out and helping their neighbors that live in their own back yards? Let's get serious. People in our own back yards certainly should be reached. But why are we not reaching them? Is it because we are not going? Is it because we are not boldly speaking the truth to those we come in contact with every single day? Is it because we really just don't care?

I live in Henderson, Tennessee. This is a mecca for the church. The deep south. Home of Freed-Hardeman University. A place where people come to learn how to live and how to make a living. A place to study the bible. Where preachers and youth ministers are trained. Where missionaries prepare to go out into the field. Where people meet their husband or their wife. Where living in a Christian atmosphere is so common it is taken for granted. There are lots of people right here in Henderson that are lost. Right here in our own back yard. And they are in YOUR back yard too. They work at the grocery store where you bought milk yesterday. They work at the hardware store. They are the Wal-Mart greeters. Your next door neighbor. The girl that sits right across from you in English class. There they are.... what are you going to do? Reach out? Or keep right on walking.

Now, if you know someone that is going to Honduras this summer, they will be leaving their home congregation for less than 2 weeks. If a few people leave to go work somewhere else, I am pretty sure that a lot of people will be staying back at home during that time. Maybe during that time, instead of wondering why the Torch team was raising money during these economic times to reach out to the people of Honduras and not reaching out to the people in their own back yard, those who stayed behind could get out and do that local work. What do you think? Novel idea, isn't it? What is keeping the rest of the congregation back from doing mission work at home while we are sharing the gospel to people from another nation?

Because I am telling you the truth, if is bad here in the US economically, just imagine how bad it is in Honduras. Trust me, it is bad. 55% unemployment rate bad. We need to preach the good news to Honduras just as much as we need to do it here. The last time I checked, our souls are worth exactly the same as theirs. "For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world and loses his soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" Matthew 16:26. We are all precious in His sight, and Jesus dies for ALL. We need to go out into ALL of the world... during economically good times and bad. We need to go out unto all of the world, including your next door neighbor and the one who lives in a wooden shack on the side of a mountain.

We need desperately, to get out of our comfortable, air-conditioned church buildings and off of the padded pews. We need to get out of our suites and ties and out of our leather shoes. We need to get out of this mentality of "going to church" and become the church. We need to stop dressing up and looking the part and roll up our sleeves and become the part. We need to stop talking and start doing. Because until we take this seriously, and feel a sense of urgency, what good are we? How can we sit safely in our little world and ignore the rest of the world? Don't be fooled, a tree will be known by its' fruit.

So, as I get off of my soapbox I am wondering to myself, am I going to get a shout out of amens or am I going to get steel-toed shoes tossed at me like President Bush? One thing is for sure, we will continue planning the trip. We will continue recruiting for the trip. We will continue raising money for the trip. And we will continue doing the will of Jesus by answering the call of Matthew 28 and Mark 16. And Galatians 6:10, "So then, whenever we have the opportunity, let us do good to all men, especially those of the household of faith."

RUE2B... bold! "Preach the word! Be ready in season, out of season; Reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with great patience and instruction." II Timothy 4:2

Terry Reeves

the great escape, part 2

A few days ago I posted some of the fantastic things we saw on the scouting trip to Costa Rica. And while we were indeed captured by the beauty of the land and the amazing sights, that was just a side benefit as to why we were there in the first place. The scout team's primary goal was to meet with a local missionary and discuss the plans to bring a mission team to Costa Rica May, 2011. After several weeks of emails and phone calls, Minor Perez, my shady Costa Rican (another of his many nicknames!) made nearly all of the arrangements needed before we arrived.

Speaking of nicknames, I received a few emails asking why Ben Wright had so many nicknames on the trip. All I can say is that he actually had more than that! And also, what happened in Costa Rica stayed in Costa Rica! Well, that is not really true, but I will not go into detail on the blog... but I will give out Ben's email for those who want to find out the real deal with Ben and his nicknames! It is up to Ben as to whether or not he will give out the details. We certainly shared a lot of laughs along the way.

OK, back to the scouting report. As a side note, I have always wanted to go to Costa Rica since I was in 6th grade. My history teacher assigned all of us a country to do a report / presentation on and I was given Costa Rica (and Brazil). After researching the country and finding photos for my nifty display board, I was sold on the fact that I needed to go there. Then, I met one of my best friends in the whole world, Tim Hines, in Miami. He grew up in Costa Rica. That was, for all practical purposes, the seal of the deal for me. Since then I waited for the opportunity to arrive. This spring finally gave way the the opportunity to go to Costa Rica with inexpensive airline tickets, a pre-paid hotel room, and vacation time.

Fast forward to 2009. I moved to Henderson, Tennessee, to work for Freed-Hardeman University as a dorm supervisor. Lo and behold, 2 of the students in my dorm were from Costa Rica. 167 plus 91 equals 258 and there you go... the scouting trip began. (Forget the numbers, stick with the point) Now, don't mis-read what I am saying, this trip was not to fulfill my desire to go to Costa Rica because I wanted to visit there. It is way beyond that now. After spending 19 years working in Honduras, and visiting Guatemala and El Salvador, I have come to the realization that the gospel needs to be spread into Latin America and that Central America is starving to receive the good news about Jesus. Torch is positioned to do just that.

Spring break, 2010, was selected as the "go date" since I was out of school on break and the others were able to use some vacation time. Steve flew on American Airlines, using a travel voucher from last year's trip that had to be used before April 2010, out of Nashville. Ben, Jill, and Brian flew on Mexicana Airlines out of Washington, DC. Margaret, Minor, and I flew Spirit Airlines out of Atlanta. We landed first, around 11:30 am. Steve followed at 12:30 pm. The rest landed at 3:30 pm. San Jose's airport is very large, modern, with a quick and efficient customs agency. We were off the plane, through customs, and had our luggage within 30 minutes of landing! A quick stop at the rental car agencies allowed us to work the agents and get a good deal renting a 15 passenger, 5 speed, diesel van. We were off to the races by 5:30 pm (after a stop at Minor's grandmother's house to drop off some goodies he brought her and to pick up a cell phone).

By 6:00 were driving through Cartago, a large city at the base of Cerro de la Muerte. It was already getting dark and was drizzling rain. Perfect weather to drive over the mountain of death! We were all exhausted from our flights and Ben, Margaret, and Steve were battling congestion problems. As we took on the very large mountain (well over 11,000 ft) the 3 had major problems because their ears would not adjust to the changing altitudes. Steve had the worst of it and we eventually had to stop for a dinner break, both because we were hungry and to allow the 3 travelers a chance to try to get their ear drums adjusted. The trip was a slow go due to fog, rain, and very, very slow trucks trying to creep their way up the narrow 2 lane road. After some delicious fried chicken we finished the journey and found our way to Buenos Aires around 9:30 pm.

We met Daniel, the local preacher in Buenos Aires, at a Bus / truck stop. he guided us the final couple of miles to our hotel. The small, simple hotel was a welcome sight to 7 very weary visitors. It took very little time to unload the van and check into our rooms. Minor, Steve, Brian, and I took time to visit with Daniel to go over plans for Saturday before hitting the hay. We visited for about 45 minutes in the outdoor dinning area of the hotel discussing different ideas of what we wanted to see on Saturday. And, just like Honduras, the vast majority of the plans we made were out the window before we ever left the driveway on Saturday! Oh yeah, this place will be perfect for what we do!!!

The hotel was small, only 25 rooms total. Very basic, and certainly not fancy, it seems to be a perfect place to house a mission team. It is quiet, clean, and does have hot water showers and AC. The beds were comfortable, especially for those who are exhausted, and is located in an area of town that allows a very easy drive into town and to the church building. It is secure and very reasonably priced. Rooms averaged $25 per night for 2 people. there is a small dining area and the meals were very good and reasonable priced. We ate breakfast for about $4. It included beans and rice, scrambled eggs, sausage, and fried plantains and a salsa made of tomatoes, onions, and peppers.

Our first stop Saturday morning was the market area to buy toothpaste, tooth brushes, deodorant, and other items forgotten for the trip. It was hot and the sun was out. By 10:00 seeking shade was one of our top priorities. Once that was done we drove out of town to one of the Indian reservations (there are 6 total) in the area, home to about 45,000 native Indians. Our comfortable 15 passenger van became an awesome 4x4 off road mule as we left the paved roads behind and took on dirt, gravel, and rock bedded roads. I am sure Economy Rental Car had no idea what their van was going to be up to during the week!

We drove through miles of pineapple fields before reaching the rain forest area where we dropped down into the Cabecares Indian reservation. It was a gorgeous site as we saw unspoiled natural beauty all around us. Lots of cattle along the way caught our eyes, especially the ones who thought they were mountain goats! Cattle was spotted on the sides of very step hillsides and all I could think of was how good the grass must have been up there to get the cows to scale the hillside to get there! We crossed dry river beds and one river on a make shift bridge (the main bridge had been washed away in a flood last year and the new one was not in place yet). Houses and small pulperias were spread out and we did not see a lot of people along the main road.

There are members of the church living on the reservation and we drove deep into the reservation to go visit one of the families. We got as close as we could and then hiked it back to the house. A primitive wooden house with a dirt floor was tucked into dense foliage and trees. The family was large (about 8-9 lived there) and very friendly and glad to see us. We had a short devotional with them and then stayed to visit for a while and take photos. It was such a beautiful place! Their yard was full of banana trees; orange trees; mango trees; lemon trees and coconut trees. they were growing papaya, beans, and gourds. The used the gourds for cups and water pitchers. The used bamboo as pipes to transport water from place to place. It was amazing!

After our visit we traveled back into town and drove around Buenos Aires. It in not a large town (about 45,000) but it is easy to get around. It is a rural town and agriculture is the main source of income for the area. There are a few neighborhoods that appear to be where the wealthier people live, but by in large most houses are very simple block houses. They are well kept and nicely painted and decorated, and certainly give the impression of a middle class. There is, however, one very poor section of town. Wooden houses, very similar to the ones we would find in Honduras, are located off a dirt road leading into the neighborhood. Some houses had dirt floors while others had concrete. The city had electricity to the village but they did not have sewage lines or running water. Water spickets were within easy walking distance. We could see a lot of ministry opportunity here. We visited a family who were members of the church in this neighborhood and Ben and Jill brought toys, stuffed animals, and balloons to pass out.

Later Saturday afternoon we met at the house that serves as the church building. The current congregation is about 25 adults, with several children. The congregation is less than a year old and has already outgrown the house. But the house has a large back yard and Daniel and his son-in-law built a open air building for the church to meet. It has handmade church benches, wooden lap siding, and a tin roof. Daniel ran electricity to the building so there is lights and outlets to plug in fans. It has a gravel floor and is very nice. Children use the house for bible classes.

We had a mid-afternoon Bible study on Saturday. Daniel asked me to teach the class. They are studying the book of James and I taught a lesson on the last 5 or 6 verses of chapter 1. Minor interpreted for me as I used the dry erase board to draw pictures of Daniel to use as my illustrations! After the Bible study we went over to the Chaves' home for refreshments. We had a wonderful time visiting and eating fresh fruits and ice cream. It is obvious that they have dealt with gringos before. Daniel is a veteran preacher of nearly 20 years. He is a graduate of the Bible training school in Panama. He is a great man. Not only does he preach, he does daily bible studies and goes door knocking on a regular basis. he is a great song leader too!

Daniel is married to Maribelle, a wonderful Christian woman. Margaret and Jill really hit it off with her and the 3 of them became instant friends. Daniel and Maribelle have 3 daughters. Their oldest in married to a preacher who works in San Jose. Their middle daughter, Daniella, just got married 2 weeks ago to Vidal, who is planning on moving to Panama within the year to begin training to become a preacher. Their youngest daughter is Jennifer, who is 18, and is as typical a teenager and you can find. I took great delight picking on her throughout the weekend. I told her that I only pick on people that I like.... but I am not sure if she bought it or not.

Sunday morning Brian Steffy taught the adult Bible class. He did a presentation about how big God is and used a lot of Christian evidences, including astrology. Ben Wright preached the sermon. He discussed the crucifixion of Jesus from the viewpoint of Barabbas, the thief that was released to the crowd. Minor interpreted both the Bible class and the sermon. We had a good attendance, well over 30, with several members absent. We met several of the members, all wonderful people who were so friendly. After worship services we went back to the motel to finish packing up and had lunch with Daniel and his family. We spent the better part of an hour discussing plans for the mission team that is now scheduled to arrive in May, 2011.

We truly did not want to leave. Our 3 day scouting trip went by so quickly. But during that short period of time we became friends with an outstanding evangelist and his family. We watched as God opened our eyes to amazing opportunities in the area. We found a hotel to meet the needs of the mission team; places to buy food and supplies; found a hospital to do visitation; and learned of an orphanage nearby that we can work. We found neighborhoods that would be ideal for food distributions. We found a neighborhood where we could build and repair houses. and we found a congregation of faithful Christians eager to receive a campaign group to help them reach those in Buenos Aries and beyond.

As we close the book on the scouting trip, at least for now, we now focus on the work at hand for the Honduras trip. April is here and we are now less than 3 months from the trip. There is much to do and time keeps on rolling right along. April is the deadline for collecting supplies; sending supplies to Nashville to be loaded on the container; shipping the container to Honduras; and paperwork includes photocopies of passports; notarized rules sheets; and Spanish release forms for those under the age of 18. It is going to e a busy month and it will go by fast.

That's it for now, check the blog on a regular basis, we will be posting new information weekly. Continue to keep our trip in your prayers, there are many people spending a lot of hours right now behind the scenes working to make the preparations go as smoothly as possible for the trip. And if you have not bought your airline ticket yet, I suggest you do not wait much longer. Seats are becoming scarce, especially out of Nashville on American Airlines. And don't forget to send flight information to me when you book! Take care. RUE2B?

Terry

The great escape, part 1

This past week 7 very brave souls took a journey that none of us will soon forget. OK, we were not that brave, but we did take a trip and we will not forget it anytime soon. The week is over and the scouting trip to Costa Rica is in the books and a new work is in the second phase of planning. Allow me to report what we have seen and done.

The scouting team consisted of Brian "McGyver" Steffy; Steve "Sparky" Kemp; Margarita Conchita Reeves; Never Ben Wright (aka Nervous Nellie, the food nazi, and blown gasket); Jill "Jewels the walking blond joke" Wright; Minor "Cinco minutos" Perez; and Terry "El Jefe" Reeves. With a team like this, you know anything but the ordinary would happen. I am proud to report we lived up to this reputation. We have come, conquered, and left our impressions everywhere. Gringo mania is now a commonly used expression in Costa Rica (at least in some circles).

Let me begin by stating the obvious: Costa Rica was well named. This country is the most beautiful place I have ever visited... and that includes west Tennessee. Ken Haab's popular word, "Lush," was used to the point of overuse. The vast array of flora and fauna was amazing. The dense jungles, rain forests, cloud forests, and desert-like vegetation was like a field study of biology. The mountains, volcanoes, canyons, vistas, plains, and coastline a study of geology and geography. The monkeys, birds, sloths, lizards, crocodiles, and insects was like a study in zoology. In other words, we were overwhelmed (very similar to many of the classes I took in college). In all honesty, words cannot describe what we saw.

Of course my main point of reference for comparison is Honduras. Which is not a fair comparison, but it was really the only one I had to work with for the trip. And for many of you that are reading this blog, it is the only point of reference you have, too. Since I have traveled all over Honduras I found myself comparing different towns, cities, areas, etc. with what I saw in Costa Rica. I constantly found myself (along with the others) saying things such as, "This reminds me of Choluteca... this reminds me of the road that we use to go out to Didasko... this reminds me of the road that leads out to Santa Ana... this reminds me of the intersection that we see when we enter Teguc from the Good Shepherd Children's Home... this neighborhood reminds me of Los Pinos...." Minor, who attends Freed-Hardeman and is from Costa Rica (and our guide / interpretor for the trip) has never been to Honduras. All of our references were driving him crazy...

When asked by Nervous Nellie Wright what the most obvious contrasts were between Honduras and Costa Rica, the team came up with a few things for the list. 1. The country is obviously better off financially. 2. The roads are greatly superior (I would even go on to say wonderful). They were well paved, striped, and had reflectors (known as cat eyes in Costa Rica because they are red). 3. The cars are nicer. And the buses. 4. The air is cleaner. 5. There is VERY little trash and litter anywhere. The country is very clean. 6. There is a lot of grass and it is well manicured and trimmed. 7. The people are better educated and therefore able to get better jobs. 8. The core family unit is much stronger. The male presence in the homes is obvious. 9. Traffic laws are actually obeyed! 10. There is a very strong middle class which makes the infrastucture more stable.

We found many similarities as well. 1. The natural beauty of the two countries are very much alike. 2. Both are very mountainous. 3. The foods are very similar: lots of beans and rice with chicken, beef, pork, and fish. Lots of fresh fruits. 4. Both are major exporters of pineapple, bananas, and coffee. 5. The people of both countries are very welcoming and American friendly. 6. Both countries operate on Latino time (starting and ending times seems to be a point of reference and is not to be taken literally). 7. The opportunity for evangelism is great. Both countries are very open and willing to study and learn. 8. Tegucigalpa and San Jose are both huge cities with lots of traffic congestion. And like Honduras, most of the Costa Rican population can be found in about 5 or 6 major cities. 9. Futbol is king (aka soccer). 10. American influences (resturants, grocery products, fashion, etc) are everywhere.

During the week we were here, we traveled about a bijillion kilometers. If you want to convert that into miles, it would be 1,200 miles, more or less (mas o menos). And most of that is driving up and over mountain after mountain, on winding and curving roads. I would have to use the power of square to calculate how many times I pushed the clutch in to change gears on the 15 passenger van we rented. I would also need a calculator to add up the number of 1 lane bridges we crossed. We saw the aftermath of several rock slides, toppled trees blocking the road, and road erosion, causing driving to become constant "We nearly met Jesus today" moments. Not that meeting Jesus is a bad thing... we just didn't want to be early arrivals.

We traveled to the southern part of Costa Rica, to the area of Perez Zeledon and Buenos Aires. This valley produces tons of pineapple and other fruits. We were able to see one of the 6 Indian reservations located in this area. Over 45,000 native Indians live in this area. We also traveled to the western Pacific coast to see Manuel Antonio National Park. We saw miles of Coconut farms in this area. Although hot as blazes, Choluteca still wins in the "heat index" competition! We also went to the very mountainous northern region where Arenal, a very active volcano, can be found. Coffee plantations line the hillsides and thermal hot springs can be found here. We also stayed in the central area of the country, just outside San Jose, where lots of factories, international business outsourcing centers, and huge shopping districts can be found.

The fellowship of the team came to an end on Tuesday when Brian was the first to go back to the States. Steve followed on Wednesday while Ben and Jill left Friday (today). Minor, Margaret and I leave Saturday. We were supposed to leave Friday but God blessed us with an extra day when we found out that our plane was overbooked. We bravely volunteered to stay and fly home tomorrow. In exchange for our kindness and sacrificial spirit, we were able to stay in a very nice hotel tonight with dinner and breakfast provided (and complimentary round trip tickets for a future flight of our choice). But, best of all, we were able to spend the entire day with Rodolfo (Rudy). Today was his day off from work so he took a 2 hour bus ride from Cartago to be with his Gringo papacita and mamacita. We even had time to have Rudy pull a phone prank on Nathan (although Nate claims he did not fall for the prank because he recognized Rudy's voice.... personally I do not buy it!).

My next posting will go into detail about the meeting we had with the missionary that is working in Buenos Aires and the planning sessions we had with him. As I close, I will use a phrase that is used in Costa Rica... Pura Vida!!!!! May God bless the efforts of this week as Torch makes plans to bring our 1st team to Costa Rica in May, 2011.

Terry

The race is on....

I pulled an all nighter last night. The past couple of weeks has been brutal as far as my work schedule, going through Honduras paperwork, and recording checks and making deposits! Thank goodness Margaret has been here to help and my sister-in-law Jenny has had my back. WE have received well over a hundred applications so far and I am expecting a couple dozen more in this week. We have deposited several thousand dollars and a lot of it has already been sent south. Hopefully as I write this blog our reservations are made for the hotels in Tegucigalpa, Choluteca, and Catacamas. A lot is done but much more to do.

The race is on. To buy airline tickets. I have already received a LOT of flight confirmations! People are booking flights right and left and seats are starting to go fast. I have confirmations on all 3 carriers so far... American, Continental, and Delta. I am expecting to have some of the Florida group book on TACA before it is over. So, if you are playing the "wait and see" game, watching and waiting to see if ticket prices go down, good luck. Just remember, there is only a certain number of seats on each flight, and once they are gone, they are gone. Buying early will allow you to get the flight you want on the days you want. AS the old saying goes, "The early bird gets the worm!" Or, in this case, the early Torcher gets the seat!

7 of us (Brian Steffy, Steve Kemp, Ben and Jill Wright, Minor Perez, Margaret and I) will be flying down to Costa Rica this coming Friday! Margaret, Minor, and I will be driving to Atlanta to catch our flight on spirit Airlines (Ken Haab, I hope you have been telling me the truth about this company!!!). Our trip will be focused on meeting the local minister at Perez Zeledon, in the southern part of Costa Rica. The church there was started about a year ago and is prime real estate for a campaign group. It is going to be an exciting trip, especially since we have to drive over the 11,350 foot tall Cerro de la Muerte (the mountain of death). Seriously, I am not making this up!

We will be meeting with the preacher, visiting several hotels in the area (looking for just the "right" one... not too nice... not too bad... just right"). We will also be visiting the local hospital to meet with administrators about visitation procedures, etc. We will also look for stores where we will be able to buy supplies such as bulk foods for food distributions. There is also an orphanage nearby that we plan to visit. We will worship at the local congregation and meet the members too. We will also drive around the area to see the neighborhoods and the outlying areas and look for a possible retreat location.

All of this is preparations for the May, 2011 trip to Costa Rica. I have had Costa Rica in my sights for the past 3 or 4 years but did not have the right contacts until recently. Minor Perez, one of the students at Freed-Hardeman that lives in my dorm, is from Costa Rica and has played a huge part in organizing this trip. He, along with Isaac Barrentes, who is also from Costa Rica, will help plan and organize the May trip next year. Ben Wright, from Kittanning, PA, will be co-leader of the trip. To say we are excited about the trip would be an understatement!

So, I am expecting this next week to fly by! In the next 4 days, besides my regular work load, I will be focusing my energy on the Costa Rica scouting trip and the Honduras trip. For the rest of you, focus on fund raising and buying airline tickets! I can assure you, June 1st will be here before you know it. And before that final payment is due, there will be additional paper work that will have to be turned in. rules sheets, photocopies of passports, Spanish release forms (those under 18), to name a few.

Using white water rafting as my illustration, our trip looks like this so far: November - January we picked out our rafting outfitter; February we picked up our gear for the trip; March we loaded the raft and pushed off into the river and have now started down steam... and the roar of the white water can be heard ahead!!! It will not be very long till we will be in the middle of the rapids and flying down the river! If you have rafted before then you know exactly what I mean! If you haven't... then all I can say is try to get ready! Tighten up your life vest, strap on your helmet, 'cause we are about to go on a ride!

Man, I am so excited! I know you would never know from reading all of this, but believe me, I am so ready to go on the trip this year. And I know most of you are right there with me. Come on in, the water is great! "I heard the voice of the Lord saying, whom shall I send, who will go for us? Then I said, here am I, send me!" Isaiah 6:8

RUE2B?

TR

I'm leavin' on a jet plane

March 1st. Oh my goodness, it is already March 1st! Today is the deadline for all of the early birds who signed up to go to Honduras this summer. I have received dozens of applications and deposits and to all of you I want to say "Thank you!" I have also received dozens of emails begging me to hold their spots because "the check is in the mail." To those I say, "the grace period is in effect." I want to discuss the parable of the 10 virgins and the oil for their lamps, but I am going to pass on it. The final mission team roster will be complete in about a week.

I am excited! Just about every night I am having a phone conversation to a group leader discussing the trip. Nate and I have been talking a lot and making tentative plans about the dividing of the team. Plans are in the works to have meetings with several of the "segundos" to discuss the projects and plans for the summer. Healing Hands has a container scheduled for us to ship out in less than 6 weeks, groups are collecting supplies, and storage buildings are starting to fill up. It is hard not to get fired up about all of the stuff going on right now!

But today I am posting flight information. Some have already bought tickets and are just waiting to pack their suitcases and go! But for the rest of us, the numbers game has begun. Watching websites, checking prices, and comparing fares will become a daily routine until we lock in on that great deal on a flight. So, with that in mind, let me share with you your flight options and some websites of interest. Good luck and may the hunt begin!

The first thing to remember is to book your flight on the correct dates!!! We will depart on Thursday, July 1 and will return on Sunday, July 11. The second thing to remember is that we are flying into Tegucigalpa, Honduras! The third thing to remember is to double check the first two things before you buy your ticket. Now that we have that straight, let's proceed to the booking station.

You have 4 carriers to choose from to fly into Tegucigalpa on July 1. They are: American Airlines; Delta airlines; Continental Airlines; and TACA. All have multiple departure cities, except TACA, which is limited to just a few places. Depending on where you want to leave from greatly determines your flight options and ticket cost. Almost all American Airlines flights will connect in Miami, Florida, where you will change planes. Nearly all Continental Airlines flights will connect in Houston, Texas, where you will change flights. Delta flights normally route though Atlanta. TACA typically leaves from Miami.

All 4 carriers have websites that you can go to check flight availability and price. You can book your ticket on these sites using a credit or debit card. Here are the websites:

American Airlines: http://www.aa.com/

Delta Airlines: http://www.delta.com/

Continental Airlines: http://www.continental.com/

TACA Airlines: http://www.taca.com/

You can also search for tickets on several different discounted websites. these sites are used by lots of people and sometimes you can find cheaper fares on them than the actual airline sites. Here are a few sites that you can search:

http://www.expedia.com/

http://www.cheaptickets.com/

http://www.cheapotickets.com/

http://www.kayak.com/

http://www.bookingbuddy.com/

You can even do it the old fashioned way and use a travel agent. However you book your ticket, keep a few things in mind:

1. Ticket prices right now are pretty high. Depending on where your departure city is located, ticket prices can run between $400 - $800 right now. Prices should drop and most likely will start dropping soon. Checking websites on a regular basis will help you see the market price as it goes up and down.

2. There is no "best time" to buy your ticket. I have been told that the cheapest rates are posted late, late at night when most people are in bed. I do not know if that is true or not, I can only tell you the prices will vary from week to week. you just have to be patient and be ready to pounce when the moment is right.

3. Do not wait too long to buy your ticket. There is over 180 people ON OUR TRIP ALONE looking to buy tickets! This does not include the other mission groups out there that will be traveling at the same time we will be going to Honduras. Buying early guarantees you a seat. Waiting for that great deal could cost you if the flight sells out. If a ticket price falls in your budget / price range, buy it!

4. Once you have purchased your airline ticket, email me your flight itinerary so I can know when you are coming in and on which flight. Once the entire team is booked I will be able to generate a flight list that can be sent out by email so that you can see who is on your flight and how many team members you will be traveling with on the flight.

Here are key airport codes you will need to know when you are searching for flight information (this is just a short list, if you want to fly from another location, simply look up the airport code on the airline website when you are looking at flight information):

Miami: MIA

Nashville: BNA

Memphis: MEM

Houston: IAH

Raleigh: RDU

Washington, DC: IAD

Birmingham: BHM

Atlanta: ATL

If you are flying on American Airlines, you will most likely connect in Miami. The flight information from Miami to Tegucigalpa is as follows: MIA to TGU on AA flight #953 departing at 10:15 am and arriving at 10:35 am.

If you are flying on Delta, you will connect in Atlanta. The flight information from Atlanta to Tegucigalpa is as follows: ATL to TGU on Delta flight #551 departing at 10:10 am and arriving at 11:45 am

If you are flying on Continental Airlines you will connect in Houston. The flight information from Houston to Tegucigalpa is as follows: IAH to TGU on CO756 departing at 9:10 am and arriving at 11:14 am.

If you are flying on TACA Airlines from Miami your flight information is as follows: ATL to TGU on TA375 departing at 3:00 pm and arriving at 4:30 pm with one stop.

So, when booking your flight, choose your departure city and Tegucigalpa as your destination. Make sure your flight information is accurate with the correct dates going down and returning. Make sure to check all flight options to make sure you have enough time in between connections to make your flights and that you do not have any overnight lay overs (sometimes the cheapest flights will have you traveling at odd hours with overnight connections.... you do not want to do that so make sure you have your connections selected accurately!!!) Double and even triple check all information before you purchase.

Baggage.

You are allowed 2 pieces of luggage to check onto the plane. Here is the most recent policies on baggage:

TACA

1 carry on and 1 personal item.

No charge for up to 2 bags as long as they weigh LESS than 50 pounds. 51-70 pounds a charge of $55 will apply per overweight bag. Over 70 pounds is $125 and will be considered "Standby" (AKA That Ain't Coming Amigo"... the bag will be late coming down)

Delta:

1 carry on and 1 personal item

2 bags (under 50 pounds) free. If over 51 pounds: $50 per bag. Over 70 pounds will not be allowed on board!

Continental Airlines

1 carry on and 1 personal item

1st bag is free (up to 50 pounds) 2nd bag will cost $30. Bags over 50 pounds will be charged $50 per bag. Any bag over 70 pounds will not be allowed to board the plane.

American Airlines

1 carry on and 1 personal item

2 bags (under 50 pounds) free. Bags over 50 pounds will be charged $50 per bag. Bags over 70 pounds will not be allowed to board the plane.

I know that was a lot of information. But hopefully this will get you off and running in the right direction. there are 1-800 help numbers on all of the websites if you have specific questions about booking your ticket. Good luck finding your right ticket and the right price. It might be March 1st, but time is ticking and tickets will go fast. There are only so many seats on a flight so make sure you are get one! Let me know if you have any questions, I will be glad to help any way that I can. We will have people traveling from all over the U.S. but we will all have the same destination. RUE2B?

TR