Itinerary and Prayer Suggestions

Well, folks, ... before you know it, we're going to be on that plane on our way to Honduras.  You've done so much for us already ... we are eternally grateful for your contributions, your support and your encouragement.  While we're away, there's just one more thing you could do for us ... may we ask??

PRAY~PRAY~PRAY~PRAY~PRAY~PRAY

Below is a (borrowed) basic itinerary corresponding to prayer suggestions for anyone who is interested in carrying us along in prayer.  

Saturday, 9/28/2013 - Travel and Arrival - ...for travel challenges, Customs and all medical supplies passing all airport check points ...for unity among the team, encouraging one another, sensitivity to the needs of the team, flexibility with daily assignments and rooming, etc ...

Sunday, 9/30/2013 - Settling in and Preparing - ...Praise to be able to celebrate and worship with other believers in a Honduran church; protection from illness among the team and their families back home; restful sleep ...

Monday and Tuesday, 10/1-2/2013 - Medical/Evangelism Church One - ... for team members to be sensitive to the needs of the Hondurans; for the team to be efficient while showing patience and Christ-like love; for the team to evangelize with boldness and honesty to bring glory to God ...

Wednesday, 10/3/2013 - Mission House, Ranch and Local Trips - ... for other World Gospel Outreach ministries; for safe travels while visiting cultural spots; for a relaxing day to recharge for tomorrow ...   

Thursday and Friday, 10/4-5/2013 - Medical/Evangelism Church Two - ... for the Lord's blessing on each person seen by the team; for strength and perseverance for the team while serving; for a great moving of the Holy Spirit among the Honduran people ...

Saturday, 10/6/2013 - Departure and Travel - ... for a safe return home; ability to communicate effectively to people back home the thing each person has learned; emotional reentry and recovery ... 

... and this is my prayer for myself and the team!!  ENJOY!!

Blessings and Trunk Packing ...

It is amazing to us, ... but not even sure why we're surprised ... how much God blesses the work that is done in His name!  If God is for us, who can be against us??  (Romans 8:31)  

LOOK at THIS!!!  People are STILL GIVING!!!

AND, in the last two days, we've received another $275 from supporters (even some who already contributed a few months ago) to help expand the efforts towards supplies needed to take down with us.  No, ... we don't stop collecting ...because there's no stop to the NEED.

We are truly blessed by all the support we have received, by all the supplies and contributions that have been given, by the encouraging words and the prayers ... 

Have we said that we are overwhelmed?

Have we said that our cup is overflowing?

The supporters of Team #3913 are Amazing ... 

SUPER AMAZING!!  

YAY GOD!! Yippee Jesus!!  It's all for YOU!

Last night we packed the trunks that we will take down with us.  These trunks take the place of "normal" checked luggage.  All the team member gets for his/her self personally is carry-on items.  Whew!!  Can we make it a whole week on a carry-on??  Of course, we can!

Here's Molly guarding the snacks and treats for those who came to pack trunks.  Really, I think it is the snacks and treats that need guarding from Molly!!!

Let the chaos begin!! 

Really ... trunk packing is slightly chaotic as all the team members begin moving and packing and weighing at the same time. We are definitely a "productivity-sort-of-people"!

There are items that are in boxes, bags, cases, etc ... and we try to eliminate extra packaging as much as possible to save our "weight" for actual items.  We set a target weight of 47 pounds per trunk to allow for differences in trunk shifting and airport scales.

Each trunk has to be logged, numbered and labeled for our benefit and that of the staff at the Mission House we will be bringing them to.

After each trunk is packed, logged and weighed, it gets put in the trailer that will travel with us to the airport.  This system is all very scientific, you know~

Thanks to ALL those who helped to pack the trunks!!

Many hands make light (and FAST) work!!

Mission Team Updates - LOTS of 'EM!!

Hola todo el mundo! (Hello Everyone)

We are nine days from boarding the airplane to Tegucigalpa, Honduras!!  I can't believe its just about that time already!  There has been so much going on here and many preparations to complete, which is probably why it seems the time has gone by so quickly.  Being a team (co-) leader is quite a bit different than when we weren't "leading" on our first time to Honduras last year.  We have learned a lot and we hope that we've helped a lot.  It has been an interesting, enlightening and enriching experience. 

A few weeks ago, we had our final "team-building" activity.  These activities are designed to help a team work together, solve problems together and build a "team" relationship.  Our team has actually grown significantly since we began the Team Meetings at the beginning of this year.   

(One of our team-building activities included having all the team members to hold onto the ropes that were attached to the red bucket you see in the photo, which was filled with ping-pong balls.  The object was to work together to maneuver the ropes in such a way as to tip the bucket so that the balls went into the lower bucket.)

 

(None of the balls may touch the ground.  They have to go directly into the the lower bucket.)

 (Uh-Oh!)

 Initially, the team for our church consisted of twelve people.  This is considered a small team, not to eliminate our ability to serve in Honduras, however, we would be limited on our ministry opportunities, specifically, Optical would be reduced by 50% and Concrete would be eliminated.

 (On our second attempt, we did it!)

 

(On our third attempt, several of us had to be blindfolded and rely on the instructions of our peers!

We still were able to do it ... not too shabby!)

 After multiple questions were raised and several discussions later, it was agreed and decided that we would combine our team with the other church that would be serving in Honduras during the same week.  We are excited about the newly formed team and the greater opportunity that it presents.  It is not US and THEM ... it is WE ... and together, WE will serve OUR LORD as WE serve the people of Honduras.

(Our other activity was a bit more challenging ... especially for those of us who have a hard time with logic puzzles.  This one was like a logic puzzle. )

(There were a few guys who tackled the problem and came up with ideas how to complete the task.) 

(Colleen jumped right in to making the ideas work!) 

(I'm one of those people who is really bad at logic puzzles so I can't even begin to try to describe the goal of the task.  Hopefully, you sort of get a good idea from the progression of the photos.)

(Ultimately, we were able to complete the task, ... really on the first try.  There was lots of discussion, a few problem-solvers and the rest of the team members who followed the lead.  Great TEAM WORK!) 

(I just like this photo because it looks to me like my dear-sweet-husband is making me walk the plank!) 

Just last week, we had a "Pill-Packing-Palooza Party!"

We ordered nearly $5,000 of Medicines (Pills and various Ointments) and we got busy preparing them to be distributed in Honduras.

Here's one of our great team leaders, Brian, our trooper-of-a-team member, Deb, and our Super Enthusiastic and Invaluable Missions Director, Pam ... 

There were many hands for all the work that had to be done ... thanks so much to everyone who took the time to be there!!!

... very happy busy bees ... 

For those of you with heartburn and indigestion issues, is this a delightful site??  I'm just curious ... 'cuz that's a whole lot of antacid tablets! 

No, this is not candy they are counting ... they are ibuprofen pills ... REALLY! 

Most of the pills are counted out in quantities of "30" and put into portion-sized bags for disbursement to the people who need that particular medication. 

Here's Bob (trying not to lose count) and Becky (labeling the bags) ... having the time of their lives!!  LOL!

Leader Brian has become the designated "shoulder-masseuse", typically providing this service to our teammate, Deb, due to her recent shoulder surgery.  However, for those "other" tense, busy-bees, he shared the service because of their hard work!!  So, here's Deb's objection, stating, "Hey!  You're giving her MY shoulder massage!!"  

LOL ... all in good fun, Deb, ... we know ... YEP, this team sure knows how to have F-U-N!  Yippee, Jesus!! 

Next Up:  Trunk-Packing - the final rung on the ladder of our preparations!!!  

Sewing Ladies ... We Thank You!!!

On behalf of the October, 2013 - Honduras Mission Team, thank-you for all your hard work, dedication and creativity in lovingly sewing eyeglasses cases for the optical ministry provided by the World Gospel Outreach brigades.

What a tremendous gesture of love that will surely make a difference in the lives of needy people!

The sewing ladies from church have sewed like crazy!!

I, of course, felt the need to sort them by pattern and count them ... do you know how many there are here on my dining room table???

600!!!!!

(2012 - Honduran child recipient of eyeglasses)

We appreciate YOU!  May God bless you as you 
have blessed others!