Day 4 - Tuesday 8

Today was not the usual. Today required no building what-so-ever. Today was all about visiting those in need of visitation. Building or no, 6:45 was still breakfast time...and the rooster didn’t let up either.

Our first visit was to a free hospital downtown. Although admission and basic treatment is free, more complicated surgeries and extended stays are still rather pricey. Just like the majority of people we deal with in Honduras, this hospital is for the poor and desperate. A lot of the people we talked to traveled hours to get to this free hospital; it was their only hope.

We split into five different groups; each group having its own translator. Our group went to floor two. First stop - the brain injury ward. Having seen just about everything this week, or so I thought, I thought I was ready for this. I thought I could walk in and not be stunned. Our first room was not too bad - we met children ages six to eight that had been admitted with head injuries. One child had been attacked by a dog while he was riding a bike. When he bumped his head, he created a tumor. He has now gone through multiple surgeries with no success. He was up for another surgery today. They were all thrilled to see us and loved the small gifts that we brought. The children’s faces were great - equally as great were the faces of the mothers. Some of the mothers spend all their time with their children, probably getting no visitors and slowly feeling more and more alone. They loved that someone cared enough to come and talk to their sick child.

The next room was where things started to hit hard - the infant portion of the head injury ward. Each child was suffering from some life threatening head injury or abnormality. Most kids were struggling with fluid in the brain. The look of these kids was startling. Their heads were swollen, and the mothers were left helpless. What could a starving, poor mother do for a child with a serious health defect? She was left with no other option than to sit in the free hospital and wait. Each story was full of pain but our message resounded with hope. Each prayer we offered dealt with God’s grace and his healing power. We prayed for miracles. We prayed for healing.

After visiting a couple more rooms, we headed out to the special needs home. This home is for kids who cannot be cared for in shelters or orphanages. They were handicapped in some way, most mentally handicapped. My first thought was how beautiful the facility was. It was a large building with clean and polished architecture. It had plenty of space and many luxuries. After seeing the outside, I, once again, thought I knew what to expect. Upon entering, I was wrong again.

Seeing handicap kids anywhere is heartbreaking. Seeing them struggle with the most basic of functions is horrible. It is hard to watch. But, but, we weren’t there to watch them. We were there interact with them, and show them people still cared for them through their differences. We were there to show love - nothing more. The sadness was short lived because every child forced a smile when some of the toys began to surface. Every child found something they could do. They have joy where others don’t. They find happiness in the simplest of things - that is something I admire in them. Thank God for bringing me to this place and pushing me through my fears. Thank God for me showing me the goodness inside of everyone.

The third stop was definitely the most shocking. The third stop is what everyone talks about when they talk about seeing it all in Honduras. The third stop was feeding at the city dump. Nothing can prepare you for what you see there. I’ve been told many times what happens there, but my jaw hit the bus floor when I saw it. Acre after acre of trash. Miles of people refuse thrown away only to become someone else’s home. People’s leftovers. People’s garbage. Things people can’t stand to keep in their house because of stench and uncleanliness. I watched hundreds of people dig and sit, stand and eat, lay and sleep. I watched hundreds of people run for the bus because they knew we there to feed them. The pushed and shoved to get closer. They formed their own lines (knowing the protocol by now) to get their piece of the meal.

When we left the bus, the smell was overwhelming. Many times I felt myself losing my breath because of the power of the smell. We began to walk around but found ourselves overwhelmed - where do you start? Who do you talk to? What do you say? These people have been living in the city dump - what hope can they have left? I’ve never felt so uncomfortable in a situation in my life. These people have nothing. All they have is what they find in the mounds of trash. Talk about eye-opening.

We watched child fight a buzzard for his meal. We watched handfulls of people leave the line for free food, free and fresh food, to run to a dump-truck emptying it’s load. They have been conditioned to grab opportunity - a dump-truck brings new trash which means new food/clothes/etc. They left the line for pizza to run to a new pile of trash! Poverty has never seen lower depths. Do they need loved? Yes. It is awesome to know that someone is doing it for these people here is Honduras. The state is even building showers for the people of the dump.

The fourth stop of the day was my favorite. Not because of comfort or cleanliness - because I met an angel of a girl who loved to be around us. Her name was Brenda, and she was the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. She was a natural wonder, I tell ‘ya. She lived in a state funded orphanage created to get kids out of unhealthy situations. She was a non-stop smile machine, and she made my day. Thank you, God, for sending us Brenda today. Be with her. Keep her safe.

The end of our day was full of packing food bags. That is something that needs to be experienced to be believed. We over two hundred bags full of rice, beans, spaghetti, lard, sugar, salt, sauce, bullion cubes, flour, and coffee. Our two hundred, plus two hundred from last night, will feed over four hundred families for two weeks. We also packed a Spanish Bible in each bag. These people will be sustained by the love of Christ. They will see first hand what love and forgiveness is like - they can actually taste it!

God, you are amazing. Your grace is unbelievable. Your power is unfathomable. Thank you for giving us chance after chance. Thank you for rescuing us from hopeless situations. Although our problems are different than the ones here in Honduras, they are still there. Although we struggle, you receive us back happily. Thank you for never leaving us alone. God, never leave me.

We pray a special prayer for the kids we met today. Seeing grown-ups struggle is hard - seeing children suffer is sometimes unbearable. God, heal them. Take away their afflictions. If it is possible for them to be made well, we pray that is done. God, provide comfort for all the families faced with dire situations. Grant them patience and understanding to deal with what life throws at them. Help them to see they are never alone. Help them to see that someone is always around who loves them. Someone can redeem them. Someone can give them salvation from a life that sometimes seems to much to take. God, be evident in Honduras.

Andrew Moore

Day 3 - Monday 7

6:45 comes early, let me tell you. 6:45 means breakfast time in Honduras. 6:45 also means time for good food. The food that Via Gracia makes is wonderful. Every meal we eat here (breakfast and dinner) is awesome. I definitely look forward to it - if you can look forward to anything at 6:45.

Today was our first building day which means hard work. When we say building, we mean b-u-i-l-d-i-n-g. From the ground up, the house begins to take shape. It is a very exciting thing to see. We supply the materials. We supply the labor. All we need is the location. That has been a slight cause for concern this year but never enough to stop progress. Today, we broke into three different teams building three different houses. From nothing to something in a few hours - it was awesome to be a part of.

The day started with carrying lumber again, which is the hardest part of the mission trip so far. We carried...and we carried...and we carried. The first four hours of the day were spent carrying and preparing the first site. It required all thirty of us to get the job started. Once the job was underway, our team left to build on another site. Before I move on to our site, there is a cool story that goes with site number 1 and 2.

We had begun moving lumber for site 1 yesterday. We carried it as far as we could go but could go no further because of the high grass. We dropped it, all of it, enough for one whole house, in the middle of this path. The owner of the “soon-to-be new house” was to stay and watch it all night - in Honduras, if something is left unwatched, it is in danger of being stolen. He had to stay and watch. Not only that, he had the chore of clearing a path for us with his machete. Today, when we arrived to unload the second truck full of lumber for the second house, we found the first pile of wood had been moved. It was no longer where we left it - it was now where we needed it to be. We were told quickly that it was the man whose houses we were building. He, in between guarding wood and hacking down grass, moved every piece of wood by himself. By himself. It took 30 of us well over an hour to do it half the way down the hill. His first words today, “I’m sorry I can’t help you any more than that.”

The houses we were building on the first site were for him and his family. He had thirteen people living in his 15x15 home. We were able to provide a Christian brother with room - something he has had none of. While work was being done today, he dug out stairs for our workers, so they wouldn’t fall like he did the day before. His love and generosity is absolutely overwhelming. A man with nothing at all, gives his everything for some strangers. He exerted every ounce of himself to make work easier for us. I came into this trip feeling like I was here to help them because I had it together, and they didn’t. I had money, and they didn’t. I am finding out rapidly that these people are head and shoulders above me in selflessness. Personal comfort means nothing. Exhaustion means nothing. I am over and over again being blown away by generosity from people with nothing to give. Amazing.

Our site was a breeze today. No hang-ups - no set-backs. Other than Joe Spivy being locked in the bathroom for thirty minutes, everything was smooth sailing. Another cool story from today that just has to be told: it was mentioned in our morning devo about kids and their lack of father figures. We were told most, as in 80 to 90 percent, are without a male role model in their lives. If you have the opportunity, be a role model. Show them how to swing a hammer. Pat them on the shoulder. Do something to show them you care for them. My wife prayed for God to put someone into our lives today that we could be mentors for.

From the very moment we loaded the bus in the morning, there was a strange face among us. He was only ten to twelve years old, but no one recognized him. He loaded the bus like any other member of our team, and we set off. After helping in the lumber carrying process I described earlier, he reboarded the bus and came to my site. He spoke no English; he seemed to just want to help.

As the day wore on, he started to show a comfort with me that I hadn’t seen coming. He began to smile at me. He began to tap me as we passed ways. He showed me an ornery side that none of us knew he had...frankly because none of us knew him. I couldn’t communicate with him verbally, but I could in other ways. I knew his name was Mannuel; that was enough. Even later, when we came home for dinner, he sat right beside me. We later found out that his mother works at Via Gracia, where we stay. He asked his mom if he could come to work with her and spend a day with a mission team. He did - he boarded our bus - he joined my team - he attached himself to me. God is amazing.

The last thing we did today was a new feature of our mission trip. We were going to feed the homeless. Homeless life is always a challenge to work with, but, here in Honduras, there are added challenges. We were warned sternly about the dangers associated with going downtown at night. Crime is high. Drug use is high. This wasn’t building a house for a member of the local congregation.

We met up with the founder of the mission, Amber. She ran us through the ground rules, and we were off. We were to complete three different stops with the food that she had prepared and feed up to 100 people. We were told that one thing will stick out - hopelessness.

Through every stop we made, the hopelessness of these people stuck out more and more to me. They were without food. They were without water. They were without home and shelter. The worst part - they were without love. They had no one to run to. No one to ask for help. No one to pick them up when they are at their lowest point and turn them back around. They had no one to love them. It was heartbreaking to watch. How do I interact with a nineteen year old drug addict who’s been living on the street for five years? What can I say to this kid? The most we could do is put our hand on their shoulder and show them we love them. When seemingly no one else in this world cares for them, we do.

The experience of this particular mission was eye opening. Seeing grown people, living a life of a homeless drug addict, hugging our group members and pouring out their soul was nothing short of intense. I praise God that I have hope. If my everything in this world was taken away, I would always have a hope for something better. These people need Christ as much as anyone I’ve ever met. They are no less worthy - they are screaming for it. They need a way out of this hole - Jesus is the way out.

God, thank you so much for being my father. For giving me life. God, thank you for being with me through everything that I experience. Having you with me is a comfort and a source of strength. Whether it is moving crazy heavy boards or meeting Spanish-speaking homeless people, you are always with me. What can I fear if you are with me?

Lord, work through us this week. Speak through us to people who need to hear. Lead us to the ones who you have chosen. God, you are our everything. All my faith is in you. Take all of me, God. Leave nothing for me - take it all. God, help us to serve you tomorrow with all of our hearts. We love you.

Andrew Moore

Day 2 - Sunday 6

On to day two - new day, new challenges. My first cognitive memory of the day was special; I was woken up by something - something I don’t get to hear ever. A rooster. A rooster woke me up. You might be thinking that, “Hey, that sounds pleasant.” Well, you would be half right. I would have been nice had it not been four in the morning. And then again at 4:15. And then again at 4:30; you get the picture. That was certainly an interesting way to get things started today. Believe me, it didn’t ruin a great night of sleep. The team was exhausted from being up for 41 hours straight (give or take a few). I slept very well.

Day two started with, “Now today is a busy day.” I am beginning to believe Donna when she says things like that. For the first time, we were not able to wear nice clothes to church because the work began before and continued immediately follow services. We ate breakfast at 6:45 and packed the bus for a hard day’s work. Today was “Community Repair Day.”

Instead of building homes today (which there was a little of), we worked on improving homes of local church members. On the way to church, we stopped twice to unload wood for work to be done later. The first site was interesting. We were going to fix the wall and roof of a lady’s home...but the home was straight up a steep hill. With nothing like stairs, the climb was treacherous. Carrying a fourteen foot 4x4...the climb was a little more than treacherous. What I saw was awesome - thirty group members formed work line and passed the wood up the steep hill. What would have been a near impossible job for one turned into a little job for thirty. How great teamwork can be!

The second site was even crazier - we formed a work line, but the distance was too great. We were needing to carry enough wood to build a small house 1/5 of a mile (the distance was never measured so that is a guess). The line was saved by the fact that the last half of the path to the house was under four feet of weeds. The wood was taken as far as possible with the intent of finishing the transportation of wood tomorrow.

Finally, we were able to go to church. We attended the South Israel Church of Christ. The congregation was small but very loving. Most of us attended services while a small number of us held a VBS for the kids. The service was great. I have never witnessed anything like it; it was awesome to see brothers and sisters from so far away sharing in the love of Christ. God’s love covered all of that ground. God’s love is the same for them as it is for me. I need to be reminded of that constantly. He doesn’t love me any more than He loves them. I am no more worthy of His grace. God has protected and blessed the small congregation of South Israel. God is working in the church. God is evident to these people.

My favorite part of that church - they are all about helping their community. Every word they spoke was about going out into the city. Every prayer they prayed was about strength and courage to change the people around them. They truly, truly care for the people of Honduras. I admire that about them - in a world of poverty and hopelessness, they stick out and ask what they can do to help.

After church was over, the repairs began. We split into different teams; my team got “the mud job.” With a name like “the mud job,” my expectations were pretty low. The hike to get there was long and steep. Upon arriving and see what we were up against, things got a little hairy. We could see the end product in our minds, but we had to figure out how to get there. Three new walls needed erected and part of the roof needed redone. With close to five hours into the house, we are nearly done. We had to stop short of completion but hope to get back soon to finish the job.

The job felt...great. I loved seeing the woman and how grateful she was for our help. I loved seeing the children’s faces on seeing strangers help with their home. The home they live everyday in. The home that floods every time it rains. Knowing that someone cares enough for them to do this - nothing could be more valuable. Nothing could show Christ’s love to them more than giving of our time - forgetting our comfort and thinking of someone else’s. Christ was there, and Christ was evident.

We were extremely touched by a few of the little girls that lived there. They were quick to show us their appreciation. They were quick to speak to us and share with us. They were thrilled to see people, people they didn’t know, want to spend a little time talking to them. Over and over again - people want to be loved. My wife and Brenna got very close to one of the girls. This girl spent all day with us: talking, drawing, and writing thank you notes. Before we left, she gave out her gifts. Instead of being happy with our gift to her, she wanted to repay the favor. Not having a lot of money or resources, she gave of what she had. She gave two small stuffed animals; maybe animals she keeps close to her heart. Maybe something she cherishes. She gave a lot of thank you notes to us - all with personal messages of how grateful she was. Lastly, she gave one half of a best friend necklace. To someone she just met today, she gave one half of her best friend necklace. Something most people would be slow to give, she gave with no hesitation. Christ was there, and Christ was evident.

God, you are amazing. The world you have created is inspiring. The world I saw from the airplane is indescribable. Thank you for your hand and your willingness to give this world of yours a try. Thank you for creating all of this for us - all of this so we can see and share in your glory. All of this shows us how awesome you really are.

God we especially pray for strength in the days to follow. We pray that we keep our energy up and spirits high. We pray for your hand to hold us and keep us from harm. God, hold us close to you. God, never let me go. Help us to see the need around us. Help us to withhold nothing and give everything. Give all of ourselves for these people who desperately want to feel loved. God, I want to be more like your Son every day. I want to embody true love for the people around me.

Andrew Moore

2010 Day 1 - Saturday 5th

Today is my first day on my first mission trip. Every experience is a new one. Every sight is a new vision. I really had no idea what to expect; I still feel as though I haven't seen anything yet.

Our morning began...early. That is the best way to put it. We met at GC at 12:30 this morning. After a great pep talk and some devotional time, we loaded our bus and started our dark journey to Columbus. My wife will let everyone know how cold it was on the bus; she is not afraid to tell it like it is.

Without incident, we arrived at Columbus. Without incident, we checked our luggage. Without incident, we boarded our plane. Without incident, we switched planes and did it all over again. God has set a clear and problem-free path for us so far. We cannot thank Him enough for His amazing role in our travels. Horror stories always surface when people speak of international flights - we won't be joining in on the stories this year. Thank you, God, so much for being with us and being evidence on our trip. Without fail, God, you are faithful, and you are merciful to us.

Once we arrived in Honduras, we headed out to the Good Shepherd orphanage where over 200 children have found a loving and caring home. These kids have come from all kinds of living arrangements and all have different stories of what got them to Good Shepherd, but one thing is the same for all of them - they are loved.

Upon arriving, hearing the kids' screams of excitement, the energy became infectious. Their smiles led to smiles from our team. Their joy led to joy overflowing from the sliding door of our yellow bus. The best thing about these kids - they wanted nothing from you but a little attention. They didn't want you to sweet talk them. They didn't want your money. They didn't desire anything but a little love. Seeing them attach themselves to a group member was amazing. Whether it was playing soccer (and I don't mean recreationally...I mean all-out), coloring in a coloring book, or making paper airplanes, these kids were happy. They were content. It wasn't about their horrible past family life. It wasn't about their one-time life on the streets. It was about here, and it was about now. How awesome to see God in those little faces.

It was hard for me to find my place at the orphanage. I don't speak Spanish and most of them speak no English. We are lucky to have some Spanish speaking members, so the obstacle is not impossible. No matter how hard it was for me to speak to a child in whom I have no connection, no shared memories, no common bonds, all they wanted to know was that I love them...even for just that one second. Even if it was only a trading of names, there was love shown. Even if all we did was pass the soccer ball back and forth with them, there was love shown.

God, you are awesome. Your works are as great here in Honduras as they are at home. Your love is just as evident here as it is back in Parkersburg. Thank you for not forgetting about these people. Thank you for being with them through all they do. Thank you for changing a country in need of change. Thank you for bringing me here - for showing me so much in such a short time. God, break down the walls I have around myself - take away all selfishness I have inside of me. I want to live for you this week. God, you are everything.

Andrew Moore

Adios Honduras Mission Team 2009!

Friday pictures

Thursday Build pics