Thursday, June 12, 2008
We Have Arrived!
We arrived safely in Honduras around 3:00 pm (5:00 Aiken time). We are all settled in at Sister Martha's compound with everything we need. The accomodations are most excellent and the weather very similar to Aiken: hot! We do have wireless Internet at her house, so posting blogs should be easy. Thank you for your prayers. Things have been smooth sailing thus far!
JUNE MISSION TEAM DEPARTS
Just before 5:00 a.m. on June 12, eleven youth and adult missioners left South Aiken Presbyterian Church for Columbia Airport to begin their journey to Quimistan, Honduras. The team members are: Jeff Ray (team leader), Collin Ray, Bob Prather, Cecelia Newman, Mike Lambert, Donald Josey, Marycruz Figueroa, Barb Mahannah, Beth Eberhard, Christa Eberhard, and Eric Lambert. They will be joined in Atlanta by Rebecca Prather and Sarah Prather (coming in from San Antonio, TX, and also by J. Taylor Cummings (coming from Jackson, MS), bringing the total team size to 14.
Those of us remaining in the States send our thoughts and prayers with the team. We look forward to hearing from the team members about their activities during their 10-day stay.
I pray that all the team does and says during this trip will not only benefit the people of the Quimistan Valley, but will also glorify God, as they spread the love of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
God bless and keep you all.
Tommy
Friday, April 4, 2008
TEAM WRAPS UP QUIMISTAN PROJECTS
Our team completed all of its projects on Thursday and Friday. Lee and Tommy completed installation of additional lighting in Pastor Anna’s office, and installation of a door on the storage room where Bruce and Jim installed shelving earlier. Bruce and Jim completed construction and installation of shelving and doors at the Light of the Valley elementary school. They, with help from Lorraine and Maxine, also completed construction of two large, stand-alone bookcases for the church office.
On Thursday, Maxine and Lorraine conducted two bread-making classes for local women. This was part of a test to determine the feasibility of providing locals a skill that they could use to earn an additional income. Other parts of this test include determining if adequate baking ovens are available, and if there is sufficient interest in such a venture by the locals.
On Friday PM, we toured several houses that had been constructed by Foundation volunteers over the last 2-3 years. And finally, we visited a local souvenir shop.
We depart for home Saturday AM.
Adios from Quimistan.
Jim
On Thursday, Maxine and Lorraine conducted two bread-making classes for local women. This was part of a test to determine the feasibility of providing locals a skill that they could use to earn an additional income. Other parts of this test include determining if adequate baking ovens are available, and if there is sufficient interest in such a venture by the locals.
On Friday PM, we toured several houses that had been constructed by Foundation volunteers over the last 2-3 years. And finally, we visited a local souvenir shop.
We depart for home Saturday AM.
Adios from Quimistan.
Jim
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
TEAM VISITS SANTA CLARA 4/2
The team spent this AM in Santa Clara, which is the home of Arturo, one of our translators described in a previous blog. Arturo is Bolivian and his wife is Honduran. He worked in Miami in the financial industry, and his wife worked as a Peace Corps recruiter. They moved to Santa Clara in mid-2007 to establish a new church. As shown in the photos below, the church is an open-air structure that also serves as a kindergarten during week days. Arturo is the pastor of the church. His wife teaches the kindergarten.
One of their first initiatives was to engage the locals to pick up trash in the village and repair an unpaved road. The village was very clean compared to other towns.
They have worked with several locals to re-establish a brick-making and roof tile business. They mix the mud with their feet, fill the molds by hand, and then hand stack the brick and tiles in a wood-fired kiln. The bricks, which are about 2x larger than US bricks, sell for 3 Limpiras (about 16 cents) each. This skill had been lost in Santa Clara. Arturo recruited 6-8 “village ruffians” as workers. He said that this initiative is bringing some pride back to Santa. There did not seem to be any other businesses there.
Arturo and his wife plan to enclose the open-air church/ school structure. This couple is having a great impact on this small village, which has a population of about 500. It shows what a few dedicated people with a few resources can accomplish here.
Bruce and Jim started a new project to build 2 bookcases for the church office. Tommy and Lee started a new project to install additional lighting in Pastor Anna’s office. This, along with other electrical jobs that they have done, is complicated because very few breakers or disconnect switches are installed. Bruce invented a new fly trap made of an empty 2-L plastic bottle. He was very disappointed when I found that his idea had been stolen and the exact design was on the internet. No flies have been caught yet!
Jim
One of their first initiatives was to engage the locals to pick up trash in the village and repair an unpaved road. The village was very clean compared to other towns.
They have worked with several locals to re-establish a brick-making and roof tile business. They mix the mud with their feet, fill the molds by hand, and then hand stack the brick and tiles in a wood-fired kiln. The bricks, which are about 2x larger than US bricks, sell for 3 Limpiras (about 16 cents) each. This skill had been lost in Santa Clara. Arturo recruited 6-8 “village ruffians” as workers. He said that this initiative is bringing some pride back to Santa. There did not seem to be any other businesses there.
Arturo and his wife plan to enclose the open-air church/ school structure. This couple is having a great impact on this small village, which has a population of about 500. It shows what a few dedicated people with a few resources can accomplish here.
Bruce and Jim started a new project to build 2 bookcases for the church office. Tommy and Lee started a new project to install additional lighting in Pastor Anna’s office. This, along with other electrical jobs that they have done, is complicated because very few breakers or disconnect switches are installed. Bruce invented a new fly trap made of an empty 2-L plastic bottle. He was very disappointed when I found that his idea had been stolen and the exact design was on the internet. No flies have been caught yet!
Jim
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