Day 7 ~ Shelter

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Well, our last full day in Honduras was a busy one. Today was a full on build day. We spent our day in a community just over the hill from the Tegucigalpa dump. We split into three teams and set out to build three homes today. Due to the large number of mission teams in the area this week, we had a long wait for lumber. One house was started on time and the other two had to wait for hours to begin. We had lots of time to paint nails and bowl with stones and empty gatorade bottles. Many times, the existing house had to be torn down to rebuild it Ours was one of those. This house was made of particle board, cardboard signs, and palettes, We literally ripped the sides of the house down with our hands and it was completely gone in about 45 minutes. Their new home (16' x 16') took 3 hours to build.
It was beautiful and they were so very proud. Two couples share this home. A few minutes after we left the neighborhood, it poured the rain. How awesome to know that these people will sleep in a warm, dry home tonight. So cool.
We met up with the Los Pinos church tonight at El Picacho, referred to as the Jesus statue. It is an amazingly huge statue lit up on the top of a mountain overlooking the city of Tegucigalpa. We worshiped with the Hondurans, singing along in Spanish and in English. This worship service is a favorite to many of our team. It wrapped up our week perfectly.
A huge THANK YOU to Jen and David who opened their gorgeous home and understand that the home God gave them comes with the understanding that it will be shared, (with 40 some people!) The work that you're doing here is huge, honorable, and life changing. THANK YOU to Sandra and all of her cutie helpers who fed us most delicious meals all week long. They have gone above and beyond by washing clothes for us and taking such sweet care of anyone left behind due to sickness. THANK YOU to Matty K, Garrett, Jen, Colby, and Brianna for preparing for us to come and serve and dealing with so many of the details needed seen to before we got here. THANK YOU to Nathan and Melissa for doing the exhausting job of translating for 40 or so people for 7 days. You were all such a blessing to us and were all such a sweet part of our week together. THANK YOU and WE LOVE YOU!!!
A couple of weeks ago I heard something in a sermon that has stuck with me. "God's will will be done no matter what. It's our decision whether we want to be a part of it." Thank God that so many wanted to be part of his will being done this week. Please, friends, remember the people of Honduras in your prayers. They are a precious people and our God is working here.
Goodnight!!!

Day 6 ~ Clothing and Feeding

Hi Friends! We started out our day with the instructions to pack a full backpack. We were told we would be gone all day and it was true! Early in the morning we split into two teams.

Team one was returning to community that we distributed food in yesterday. The house being fixed was on a very steep hillside. They reinforced the wall and dug a trench to keep the water and mud from running in. Steps were cut out of the hillside to make it easier for the family to get up to their home. Finally, a bunk bed built by Kestner and Garrett was brought in to make some space on the floor. We are returning tomorrow to take them a mattress. Two less babies sleeping on the floor. :-)

Team two visited the hospital. This particular hospital is, let's say, not for the rich. They have separate units, however many children share a room. We split into 5 teams with at least one spanish speaking member and were set loose to visit. Our group was stopped immediately by a woman telling us she was a Christian. She wanted us to pray with her about her grandchild was in need of a surgery.

I know the cancer ward, the maternity ward, the burn unit, and the ER were all visited. We were given the opportunity to smile to, hold the hand of, rub the cheek of, pray with, sit with, and hug, many, many, sick children and healthy parents with broken hearts. Most times while we held their hands and prayed with them in English, they were simultaneously praying in Spanish.

Next we headed up to a school in Valle de Angeles to do a clothes distribution and to make a soccer field for the school children. The road up there was VERY rough and narrow and our busses wouldn't make it. Some rode in a truck and some of us walked up. When the first of our team arrived at the top of the hill, the children were just getting out of school. They were chanting and cheering because they were so excited. We were the first team to come here for something other than feeding them. The clothes were set up in a room in huge piles. They were to form a line and 5 at a time given 12 minutes for 20 limps ($1), and were allowed 20 items. We would help them hold their items while they frantically searched for items. We helped many children get to choose for the first time items that they would LIKE to wear. So special. Extra special was helping little boys shopping for their little brothers.


While half of us were doing the "yard sale", the other half were working on a piece of land that the kids like to try to play soccer on. It had a nice size hill that needed leveled out before we could add the goal posts that we brought along. The tools available were post hole diggers, spud bars, and several hammers, as our shovels were still being used on the house site. The field is done and goal posts are up and the kids that helped had visible pride in the project that they worked so hard on.

We had 1 hour to speed race through the shopping village in the Valle de Angeles. We are, as it turns out, seriously good speed shoppers. We had a blast and we're bringing you home some goodies, well, some of you. :-)

We enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Las Tejas.

We left here and fed at the homeless shelter in downtown Tegucigalpa. A young precious girl named Amber has made a life here providing for the hurting, hungry, and homeless of this town. They are fed 3 hot meals a week here. The smell of....I don't even know what, was coming off of these poor people. Many have turned to smelling fumes of some sort to take away their hunger pains. God is working wonders through Amber who not only feeds them but provides shelter when they are sober and love always. Please keep her ministry in your prayers as it is one that reaches so very many people here.

We're tuckered out but VERY blessed by what God has done though us and with us today. Our last full day is tomorrow. We'll be building 3 houses in the dump community if all goes well with getting wood. Please remember us in your prayers. Goodnight!!!

Day 5 ~ Emotions

Today was spent experiencing heart-rending scenes of surreal poverty, but also sharing and receiving the joy that service brings.



We started out the day returning to the community where we passed out food bags yesterday. We ran out of bags before we could get one to each family, so we had promised to come back. As we descended down the trail, familiar faces started to appear. There were games of hacky-sack, nails were painted, toys and stuffed animals were given out.


We also spent some time talking with Mothers in need of new houses. One house was comprised of a concrete block wall from another house that simply had a structure of wooden frame and tin attached. We are always amazed at how these sweet people can take whatever they have at hand and make it work, but in this case, the tin was all recycled from other houses, and had many holes for rain to poor through. Another remarkable thing about this community is the fact that last year their small church house was rebuilt. It was obviously the pride of the community and they were excited to open it up and show it to us. These mothers and families had chosen to ask for a new place to worship before new homes for themselves.




Next we went into the Tegucigalpa dump to serve lunch. It's so hard to try to describe with words or even pictures what it's like in that place. Swarming hordes of vultures, flies, cows, dogs, people, trucks, and bulldozers shock your senses as you drive in. We got off the bus, and several of our team passed out a meal of beans and tortillas, while the rest of us took bags of pure water and handed them out. We shook hands, played ball, and did our best to bring the love of God. After we got back on the bus, it was pretty obvious that we as a team needed to take some time and process what we'd just experienced. We sang in the echo of the basilica, and then talked about how the dump impacted each of us. Some described it as Hell on earth, and wondered at how these people have the courage to continue living there. We were encouraged by Jen as she told the story of Hagar when she was pregnant with Ishmael and she'd been kicked out of Abraham's camp by Sarah. God took care of Hagar's needs and Hagar named that place Beer Lahai Roi, saying "You are the God that sees me." God sees those people's struggle and we did too. We know that other teams like ours will continue to return to remind them of that.


Our afternoon was spent walking in the community of Los Pinos and carrying food bags to the families there. Los Pinos is a place that we've returned to many times over the years, and there were many happy reunions! After handing out our bags, we gathered with the people in the Iglesia courtyard to share popcorn and cotton candy.

In the evening we enjoyed a delicious meal from Taco Loco, then crepes belga from La Creparia! Our team is seriously committed to serving the people of Honduras in the name of Jesus. Almost as serious is the commitment that some of our team members have to playing soccer, which was proved as more than 15 went to play indoor soccer at 11:00 PM! No broken noses or busted lips this year, so it was a definite success.

P.S. forgot to mention that we spent part of our afternoon yesterday touring the campus of the wonderful Mi Esperanza ministry. Mi Esperanza operates under the assumption that if you put tools in the hands of women to enable them to care for their children's needs, then those children will be healthy, happy and educated, and that's a powerful way to affect change in Honduras. Mi Esperanza teaches computer and business skills, sewing and beautician classes, and also provides micro-loans so that graduates can start their own businesses. They support the ministry with a shop stocked with purses, skirts, dresses and other things produced by the students. So our team had a blast shopping with purpose!

Day 4 ~ Worship

Our team worshipped this morning in Santa Ana, a beautiful tiny town with quiet streets and some very beautiful gardens. Our service was held in a small building with concrete floors, metal chairs, and puppies running in and out every few minutes. Definitely not the kind of church service we are used to, which made it all the sweeter. Worshiping beside these people was so cool. Matt Bortell led us in English worship songs. The Honduran children singing the name "JESUS" at the top of their lungs when we sang "Firm Foundation" was a highlight for many of us. Someone is obviously teaching his name in this place. There was a song leader for the Spanish speaking as well. We had a guy translate the lesson for us, a very good one on wisdom. At one point, we were all singing the same song, at the same time, in our own language, to the same God. Amazing.
After church we went to an orphanage called Casa de Esperanza, or House of Hope. The kids were so excited play with us. They had all been in worship service with us that morning. All of the little boys were given Matchbox cars, which they played with all day. The girls got stuffed animals and were really sweet in their sharing. For lunch, we had a pizza party with them. We even got to look around in their little shop, where several of us laid down some cash.
:-) Jen showed some of us that had never been there around. She explained a little about how things work here. WE heard a few of the childrens' stories and I can't really even express how much these kids need and deserve the love, attention, and support that they get here. We would love for you to take some time to look at their web site, www.cdehonduras.org.
We had a bit of down time this afternoon and many of us napped! YAY! Then we put those big bags of food to good use. We went to a very depressed neighborhood and passed these bags out to the families. I have posted a couple of pictures to TRY to convey the devastation here. They don't do it justice. In order to keep order, we walked to the bottom of the long hill that was crammed with homes. We started at the bottom and worked our way back to the top. We gave them food, a Bible, and told them "God Bless You". There was a little boy, very little, whose house we passed at the top. He ran through the crowd till he got to the base of the hill and was speaking desperately to Lacey. "My daddy has ulcers on the bottoms of his feet. He can't work, he can barely walk. Please can we have some food." We had passed his house. He thought he was forgotten. Too many are. Ugh. Bless his daddy, whom we met. Bless his heart for caring for his family. We're returning tomorrow because many saw us but we ran out of food. We'll spend time with them tomorrow, sitting on their door steps and holding their children.
Please keep us in your prayers. Tomorrow we will do one of two feedings at the dump. We are all having a wonderful time and LOVE spending so much time together in Jen's beautiful home. Love from Honduras to home!

Day 3 ~ Visiting

What a beautiful day here today. It was packed full of time with kids. We spent the majority of our day loving on children who need time with people who show them that someone cares.
This morning we headed out to Good Shepherd. This is an orphanage up on the most beautiful mountain. The owners teach these children how to care for all of their own needs. They farm, wash their own clothes and take care of the animals. There is a different feeling here. The kids are very well cared for and seem happy. That is definitely not to say that they didn't eat up our attention. They ran to the bus to greet us and get to spend some time with us. The girls were pretty much immediately getting their nails painted and their hair done. They were very patient and graciously accepted anything that we wanted to share with them. On the other side of the field there was a massive soccer game. The kids had such a blast and even got to play in jerseys that we were able to share with them.
This afternoon was a bit different. We went to an orphanage that is a boys home. The boys here are basically jailed. They are kept behind bars because if they were not, a life of gangs,drugs, and murder is almost impossible to escape. We were told that last year this visit was just so heartbreaking and desperate. This year was a little better. The owners have added fencing in the back so that the boys are finally allowed to be outdoors some. There is a large wall on the outside, within the fence. Nathan, a Honduran friend and artist, kindly drew a mural on this wall to add some variety to what they see. Our job today was to paint the mural. It is very good. The colors are pictures were bold and beautiful and the message even more so. "Jesus is Everywhere." The boys were invited to help us paint and they very much enjoyed this. They were calm and peaceful even for just a few minutes.
Meanwhile, several of our guys were making another long term difference. They brought lumber and spent 2 or so hours teaching some boys how to build a table and stools. These were needed for the home anyway but those boys LOVED learning to do something with their hands that produced something so awesome. Our guys were so patient and kind with them.
This evening we returned for some delicious dinner and then moved immediately out to the garage to begin the job of making food bags. The process is really something to see. Rice, beans, salt, coffee, chicken bouillon, lard, tomato paste, spaghetti, sugar, and flour are bagged up and an assembly line is made to add the items into a large sack. Sometime this week our team will go into the mountains to deliver these amazing bags of food to families that have no idea where their next meal will come from. We will hand them their food and we will hand them a Bible. That is where their next meal will come from, from their God who is working hard through this team this week.
Lane and Luke are doing better. Thanks for the prayers.

Day 2 ~ Build Day #1

We're not wasting any time here in Honduras. Today was our first build day. The Nashville School in The Valle de Angeles was in need of some classrooms. That was our single job for the day. The project was one 16x16 room for the kindergarteners. The other was 32x16 for the high school students. It was huge undertaking and a learning experience for many of our team that have never had the chance to build a Honduran house. It didn't come easily however. The day was long (8 a.m to 8 p.m.), and wasn't without incident. Although he's fine now, a hammer fell from a roof beam onto Luke Davis' head. He has a pretty nasty cut and did pass out but his mom is taking good care of him. :-) A pretty huge storm came through as clean up was beginning. The job is almost finished. Just a few finishing touches.
The kids were amazing here. There were about 200 students there for their last day of school. We took the popcorn maker and the cotton candy machine. This is a bilingual school and the kids are encouraged to use their English with us. They were very mannerly and were so thankful and excited to get some gifts and some time to play with our team. Tomorrow, when I can track down the right cords, I'll post some pictures of them.
We knew going into today that building these rooms would benefit the children for years to come. We were aware that the director of the school, Miss Valerie, would be so grateful. What we didn't expect was how showing up would affect, Cesar. Cesar is one of the owners of the school. He was aware that we were coming but had forgotten. When he pulled up to the school, he was stunned at how many of us there were. He was humbled and embarrassed by the fact that he had nothing to offer all these people. He didn't have food or money to offer our team. He was told that there was NO expectation from us at all. We were doing it because we love our God and want to help the school that helps so many. Cesar, who apparently shows little to no emotion, broke down in tears. He asked, "what would make someone care enough to come out here and do this without pay?" Miss Valerie shared Jesus with Cesar today.
Please keep a couple of specific things in your prayers for us. Obviously, Luke's head. We want him to heal quickly and not have any trouble with it tomorrow. Also, my 11 year old, Lane, came down with strep throat yesterday as we were landing in Tegucigalpa. He is quite sick. We stayed home all day today. He really wants to work alongside the rest of our team. Please ask God to heal him quickly, too.
Thank you!
Goodnight!

Love Out Loud ~ Day 1 ~2011

Dearest friends and family,

My name is Jenny Bortell. This is my first time in Honduras, my first mission trip. I'm here with my husband and 3 kids. My daughter, Lacey and I will be putting together some blogs for you all at home to share in our daily experiences. So, on that note:

We are HERE and we are safe. Our traveling day was just wonderful. We had no problems at all. Everyone arrived when and where expected, we were on time, our flights were perfect, our luggage arrived, in other words, God was working in every detail. Jen and her interns have given us a welcome above all others. We have such a beautiful and comfortable place to base our week and to renew ourselves.

We visited Casitas Kennedy today. It's an state run orphanage that is the first stop for all orphans needing to go through processing. These sweet kids need some loving and we were there to shower them with it! There was popcorn, cotton candy, and of course, some soccer.

Tomorrow, we will fill you in on some more details but tonight, some sleep is on the menu. Thank you all for your prayers and you support getting us here. We will hit the ground running tomorrow at 7 a.m. to build some classrooms for some very special students. :-)

Goodnight!