Honduras Day 8 and 9

Sorry to have been slacking off the past days. I had a paper due for my online English class last night I was working on and had to finish it. Monday, we took about a three hour drive north towards San Pedro Sula towards a waterfall. Me, Ben, Garrett, Mark, and David all piled in Mark's rented toyota and headed out around 8:30. We got to the national park and there is a waterfall there that is only 30 or 40 ft shy of Niagra Falls. It was completely worth the drive and was just a natural wonder. Mark then asked if we want to go under it; of course, we did. So, we pay a tour guide to take us down to below the falls in some caves. When we got close to the waterfall, you could not see anything. My head was down and could see about a foot away. It was one of the most intense things I have done. Imagine being in the worst part of a hurricane. We got right next to the falls and the guide said the current was too strong to keep going so we stayed put in this cave below the falls. He then took us to this mini waterfall next to it that we could jump off of. It was awesome. Mark said jump and sure enough, we jumped. It was only 10 feet or so, but when you are next to a 140 meter waterfall, it's something else. We then explored and body surfed down some rapids above the falls for a little while. We then left for the 3 hour or so ride back to Tegucigalpa. We got back and went to eat at Nobu, a Thai restaurant. Ben got terreyaki steak and I got some shrimp. Garrett really talked this place up because he had eaten there before. Everything was delicious, but probably not all what Garrett made it out to be...sorry Garrett. Tuesday, we left the house around 8:30 and headed to the warehouse. We sorted through more clothes and Josue and some, I mean all, of his family came to get some stuff. Then David took me, Ben, and Garrett up to this kitchen to serve lunch for the elementry children. In this community, there is a kitchen that is funded by a Baptist group that serves lunch to elementary kids Monday through Friday. We sorted through pounds and pounds of beans taking out the bad ones. Once lunch started, Ben sanitized all the kid's hands when they walked in. Garrett and I were making the plates (beans, rice, goat cheese). That was a very good experience and that lunch feeds a lot of children. We brought extra snacks and gave them to the cooks to take home for their work. About that time, Mark came and picked us up. We had to move a sewing class from one community to another. We went to one community got the 15 or 16 sewing machines (old fashioned ones with the pedals) and chairs, tables etc and brought them to the next community. Mi Esperanza, Lori's ministry, puts on this sewing class and teaches woman skills that they normally are not taught. It was around 4ish when we got done and Lori took me, Garrett, and Ben home. On the way home, we hit some horrible traffic. The police eventually turned us all around because the teacher strike had taken over the road and took over the University. They were burning tires and throwing things at police. Life in Central America. After that, we headed to a soccer game in Estadio Nacional. We took some Hondurans we know and packed in the pickup all the way to the stadium. The game was between Montagua and Toronto. It was a conclave cup (I believe) that is between the Americas basically. Montagua had to win to advance. The atmosphere was unbelievable. The fan section had fireworks; running up and down during goals. The cops got sick of them throwing sparklers on the field, so they came up there with PVC looking pipes and beat anyone who threw one. We were sitting in the nice seats in the corner, so our corner was pretty chill. Montagua ended up losing the game, but it was an experience none the less. Went to eat at Don Chotos and had a bunch of meat on a plate. It was good as always; Hondurans sure know how to prepare meat. Mark loves the blog btw...Tomorrow morning we might go shopping because we don't have to be at the airport till 10:30 am. Thanks for all the prayers and support. Ben and I could not have done this without the financial support and prayer support of all of you. Thanks for reading and the prayers! Also, more pictures are up; they are Garrett's though. So, type in Garrett Fox on Facebook and he is mutual friends with me and Ben to look at them!

Honduras Day 7

Today was the relax day. Woke up and attended church, via internet at Disciples' Fellowship in Bham. Fever went down some not all the way but I am on the road to recovery. Thankfully, no one else is sick. Went to go see Jonathan play soccer at about 11 this morning. His team did really well; he scored a sick goal and they won 5-1, or 5-2. We went to go shopping at Lori, Mark's wife, store that sells Mi Esperanza stuff. Mi Esperanza means my hope and is all about educating woman to break the cycle of poverty. They make pottery, dresses, jewelry, and other neat things. So, Ben and I went shopping there for some people and finally decided on what to get. Y'all should check out that ministry at http://thewomenofmyhope.org/. After that, we came back to the house and Jonathan brought his playstation 2 over to play a FIFA tournament. After about 3 hours, Garrett won, I came in second, Jonathan in third, and Ben in fourth. Ben got eliminated because Jonathan said so. We then went to Creolos and met up with some of Garrett's friends from Unite for Sight. Ben and I got some chicken nachos. Saw Baskin Robbins across the street and decided it would be a good desert. Stopped by Baskin Robbins and had a good talk with everyone about the poverty cycle in developing countries versus developed countries. One of the disheartening things to hear was when Mark told us that the really wealthy Hondurans who live on the mountain are building a concrete wall to keep the rich from having to look at the poor Hondurans. The poverty cycle here is so much more difficult to get out of because of how extreme their conditions are. That is why Mi Esperanza equips some of these women to break this cycle. Anyways, we are home now chilling out and taking it easy. Tomorrow, might check out some waterfalls towards the coast depending on how everyone feels. Keep praying!

Ben's Honduras Day 6

hey. this is ben. today, drew had a lousy excuse of being sick and had to leave right as we began building the house, how convenient, therefore we were left with 5 people to build the house. today i did more work than i did any other day this week. we started out digging holes for the posts (this is about the time drew decides to come up with the sick excuse). we put the posts in the holes and made sure the house was square and everything. we then basically nailed a bunch of wood to these posts and it eventually became a house. during this process, i helped making the walls, nailed supports into the floors, roofed, and chainsawed. mark, jonathon, and i roofed while garret and lori built the floor. while on the roof, jonathon dropped a 4 by 4 on my finger, so i have a busted finger now. it hurts a little to type at the moment... we finished the house and marlon was very touched. he gave us all a hug. we all went into to the house and prayed before we left. its awesome to see people so touched. afterwards we went back to the connell's house to clean up and check on drewypoo. he is alive, but definitely has a fever. he didn't make up an excuse. after we cleaned up, garret, mark, and i went out to eat at this argentinian restaurant. it was excellent, as was everything i've have eaten in honduras. the waitress slapped a big o thing of meat in the middle of the table for us to munch on. there was also an "all you can eat" salad bar. after we left there, we went to micky d's to get drew a burger. now we are back at the house, sittin in the living room with the laptops on the top of our laps. drew ate his burger and seems to be doing fine right now... keep praying for us the rest of this time in honduras for God to give us strength to do his will.

Honduras Day 6

We went to go build a house for one of the bus drivers today, Marlon and his family. The land has to be flat in order to build on; Marlon's land needed some work so they brought in a backhoe. The road was so muddy and a dump truck, yes a dump truck, got stuck. So after an hour or two we finally got started; I got sick actually and had to leave. I got dehydrated and had a really high fever. Luckily, it was only me; not Ben or Garrett. So, that being said. I'll have to force Ben to write a blog because I wasn't there; I was sick all day. Hopefully I won't have to go to the doctor, but it's all good. Look for pictures as we continue to update them and hopefully Ben will write it by tomorrow! Keep praying for good health and for us to obedient to His will.

Pictures

The rest of the pictures I'll put on my Facebook and on Ben's. Too many to add on this blog. Look me up Drew Lowry or Ben Wright

Honduras Day 5

Picked up Garrett this morning from his hotel and he is staying with Mark till we leave and helping out. After that, we headed out to the Bodega (Warehouse) and gave away clothes to the bus drivers for TORCH. The bus drivers brought their families and we sorted through boxes and let them pick out what they could use. We were a block away from the blind school and were gonna meet up with some other Gringos to play with the kids. Me, Ben, and Garrett walk over there and no one was there. So, we found a smoothie place across the street that made great smoothies. Ben and I both got banano y pina con leche smoothie (banana and pineapple with milk smoothie) while Garrett got strawberries and banana con naranja (oranges). We finally saw the bus come with the Gringos and figured out that the blind kids were not in school. They actually went to meet with the First Lady of Honduras, which was a neat experience for them. We headed back to the Warehouse and helped the families load up. Then we took some boxes in Mark's truck for Manuel y Resa for their families in Mona Loa (Melvin tagged along too). We then got to Mona Loa and unloaded the boxes. The mother of Manuel and Resa cooked us lunch for helping them out. So, while we waited, me, Garrett, and Ben decided to play some soccer on the field next to the house. We finally decided it'd be Gringos vs Honduranos. We had a couple Hondurans on our team, because they wanted to play with the Gringos. We played against some younger kids so we won. One of few times I could ever win in soccer. Garrett was really good and Ben and I weren't. The Hondurans laughed at how bad we were. At least we gave them some entertainment. We then went inside and ate some lunch (fried chicken wings, corn tortillas, rice, beans, and goat cheese) of course with a Fresca (local drink from heaven). Goat cheese is very salty and more of an acquired taste. She made it; so I ate it. It was amazing. We left there and looked at Marlon's house site (he is a bus driver for TORCH). Marlon works really hard and is a taxi driver when not driving for TORCH. He had some land towards the dump and we undoubtedly decided to build for him. He has a family and just a hard worker. So, tomorrow he will receive a new house. Praise the Lord! We returned to the school for the blind kids and spent about an hour with them. They were awesome. They sang us two or three worship songs (I will call upon the lord was one en espanol of course); the singing had harmony, solos, everything. We sang a few worship songs as well. One boy taught me Spanish. He would feel the parts with his hands and tell me to repeat the Spanish word for them. He was very smart. The presence of God was truly felt when these kids were just happy to be alive and well. The singing was beautiful and a gift from God. Hearing and interacting with these kids remind me constantly that Jesus is alive and is here. After that, we met Timmy Tao a Honduran handy man. Mark wanted to meet with him and see if there was anything we could do to help the lady whose land was caving in(the lady whose land we dug for yesterday). He said there was absolutely nothing we could do until January, when the rain stops. Timmy Tao then wanted to show us a house site for a lady he knows. He took us towards Santa Lucia (four or five hundred year church). We hiked up a mountain. I mean it was steep. No one would build for this woman cause it was such a difficult spot, so we are! The view was beautiful and ironic because from one side of the valley there was a neighborhood with multi-thousand dollar homes where the current president lives and the other side of the valley that had extreme poverty with no electricity. Something for the president to wake up to every morning. We then headed home and after almost an hour of traffic got back. We went to Pollo Supremo that had the best chicken nuggets I have ever had, sorry Chickfila. Then took the usual trip to Baskin Robbins for a pequeno cono for only 30 limps or a little over a dollar. Home now, and big day tomorrow. Starting to work at 7:30 and building a home for Marlon! Keep praying; they are definitely felt. Also, Garrett has pictures of today and will be taking pictures of the rest of the trip so I'll put those up as soon as possible.

Honduras Day 4

Last night, we went to an upscale Tegucigalpa restaurant, Roja Bajo (Roja something). The food was incredible. It was Italian/Honduran. Both Ben and I got fettuccine alfredo with mushrooms and jamon (ham). We tried some beef sushi or something of that sort. I just ate it. While we were there, some very wealthy Hondurans walked in with their own bodyguards. One guy had two woman around him and 5 bottles of expensive liquor. It was very odd, sad to see the drastic difference of the people at the dump and the people we saw eating. Today, it was a beautiful day here in Tegucigalpa. We first went to a lady's lot in Mona Loa (I write it how it sounds not properly, sorry). We gave Walter, a little boy who many Gringos like, a card from Rachel Fowler. Then we headed to the lot only to discover that the land had collapsed. Mountains around here were not meant for buildings to stand on. Mark told us that unless concrete walls are in front of and behind the houses; erosion will destroy the houses. So, we started digging in mud today to try and level the land to try and get a wall in. After an hour, more erosion, and fire ants, we decided that we needed an expert. So, tomorrow we are meeting with a guy who knows what to do. Hopefully, we can get the Mayor of Tegucigalpa to help us. The lady we are helping has a handicapped boy and the Mayor basically handed the responsibility over to Mark and TORCH. However, Mark might get them back involved. After we left there, we ate at Manuel's house by the river/soccer field at Mona Loa. We had chicken/rice/corn tortillas in this homemade sauce. Beans are usually in every meal, but they are now more expensive than beef. Then we picked up a birthday cake for a Honduran the Connell's know really well. The nino was turning 5 and very appreciative of the cake and truck toy we brought. After that, we left and went to pick up Garrett and one Honduran friend he met. The boy he met wanted a house. So we went up to Zone 5 area; there were over 150 TORCH houses in the community we went in. The lot the boy had actually was not his. He was gonna buy it from the "mayor" of the village. However, this is such a risky investment. The "mayor" can charge him and take his money and either kick him out or once he can't make a payment the "mayor" gets a free TORCH house. It is a corrupted, shady system; however, this is the story of the government/legal matters of Honduras. Mark is letting me, ben, and garrett decide where we are gonna build Saturday. We looked at one possible site where a mom, dad, and little girl were living. It was a shack and barely big enough for one person. The next house was one of the worst I have seen. It held one lady, Elga, the front was supported by a 2x2 post held up by a rock cause of rot. The sight was sad. On the way out, we got stopped 4 or 5 times asking for us to build them a house. I don't see how Mark does this everyday, but he does. Not by his own strength, that is for sure. We ate dinner at home with Jonathan, a Honduran boy who basically the Connell's "adopted", and it was excellent. On the way home, I would look out and see Mormons, not to bash Mormons, walking around with their suits and bibles not talking to anyone. These people do not need slips of paper or to be told about Jesus. We, as Christians, are told by Jesus to meet their physical needs and by that will meet their spiritual needs. Of course the poor will say whatever to get food/money/any betterment of their situation. Frankly, I would say anything to feed my family in their situations. Jesus is all about relationships; that's what Mark is good at and TORCH is all about. That is why we are here in Honduras and that is why we are here on this Earth. Keep praying and working at the warehouse tomorrow and look at more house sites!

Pictures of the Dump

Pictures don't do what we saw justice, but this is a glimpse of life there. These photos are not mine; last person that brought a camera got it stolen. These are from a guy who I met last year in Honduras.

Honduras Day 3

Great day today. Long, but good. Started out and went to the warehouse to sort through some boxes and pick out the shoes. Had a good crew today; Garrett, his roommate, and a Honduran he met went around with us today. After we sorted through all the boxes, we left and headed for the city dump. I was told that recently over $50,ooo was raised for the dump ministry. Hot lunch is served there twice to three times a week. I have been before, but it is still very difficult emotionally to go. It is as close to one of the worst places I have ever and will ever see or be at. To see human beings digging through trash alongside buzzards and cattle was sickening. However, just the meal they received and playing soccer with the kids brought some hope. The Lord will provide. After the dump, we headed back to the warehouse to get some shoes. We left the warehouse and headed to El Peligrine (something like that) to pass out some shoes. The road to get there was bumpy and we actually went by Villa Gracia (where big groups from TORCH stay at). On the way there, traffic started picking up in a rural area. We wondered why and saw a car had plowed into a telephone pole and there were live wires across the road. Mark looked at us and said, "Welcome to Honduras!" Then the police showed up; they were so clueless it wasn't even funny. There were 20 different people with 20 different ideas and none of them worked together. Story of Honduras. Some man attempted to cut the wires; I actually looked away cause I was about to see someone die. However, thankfully he backed out and did not cut it. They ended up using a tree to prop them up to let small trucks and cars by (something the Gringos aka Us the Americans suggested hours ago). We got to the village and delivered quite a few pairs of shoes and passed out soup/rice packets for cooking. We gave a whole box of food to a grandmother who had over 50 grandchildren. The view, once again, was beautiful and God's hand/presence was definitely real. The children and community were very gracious. God provided for them; they did not know we were coming, yet they trusted in Him. Talk about trust. This is from Lori Connell, "We can hide behind words but our actions speak the truth of our hearts." We took the whole crew home and are about to go out to eat in the city. God is good. Keep praying and all is well in Tegucigalpa!

Honduras Day 2

Last night, we ate at Usami, a nice Japanese restaurant in Teguc. We had shrimp and tried lots of different sushi. The sushi was excellent and I had never had it before. Ben got the eel sushi and loved it; I got the shrimp/asparagus sushi. No AC to sleep in but when it is in the 70's and no humidity, sleeping is not a problem. Built a house today somewhere near Los Altos. Not exactly sure, all the villages run together. Me, Ben, Mark, and an intern (Paul) met with another TORCH mission group to build it. There were about 15 people there so it was a big crew. We dug up HUGE boulders, not rocks, boulders. Maybe a bit of an exaggeration, but it took us a long time to get the holes dug. Ben got to get a lot of first time experiences in, from chain sawing some supports to carrying in 2 by 4's all afternoon. It was great. After a few vehicles getting stuck, no door hinges, and a lot of wood/faith, the house was built 6 hours later. I could not take my phone up there and that is my camera. However, the view was incredible. It's amazing because in the States people would have paid millions just for a lot. The house we built overlooked lots of the mountains and La Tigre (national forest) I believe. The lady who we built for today lived in a 15 by 15 shack that was leaky, rundown, and had a dirt floor. She had at least two kids, more I am sure and no husband (typical for the Honduran poor). She now has a 16 by 16 house that has a wooden floor and does not leak and will last a long time. She broke down when we presented the house to her. It made all the money/time to get down here, sweat/blood breaking the rocks, and effort worth it. God is truly good and he will ALWAYS provide when we least expect it. She had been praying for a house for who knows how long. All the sudden God, through a group of Americans, provided for this lady. It's good to see something so simple mean so much to someone. Something that is lost sometimes in the States. Also, the teachers and taxi drivers are going on strike tomorrow, story of Honduras. If people get mad, they strike. The corruption here is unbelievable. We got stopped twice at "police checkpoints" today and they tried to catch us doing something wrong to make some money. It's so ridiculous to see these policemen trying to take money from people who wear what they have. But as stated in John, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand." And I trust Him completely. Keep praying and who knows what the rest of the week has in store!

Estamos en Honduras!

We arrived safely in Honduras! It's beautiful even though it is raining. We are staying at Mark's house this week. Got off the plane and after 45 minutes of Customs we got through. As soon as we walked outside, Mark asked me to change into tennis shoes cause we are gonna work. Sure enough, we worked, of course, after a good, local Honduran meal by the stadium. We have a few things lined up this week: building a house for a family tomorrow, going to the city dump on Wednesday to deliver food, that's about as far ahead as scheduling gets in Honduras. Looking forward to what God has in store!

Packing....

Looking forward to going. Ben and I finally decide to actually get everything together today besides the plane tickets. We hope to meet a church friend down there, Garrett Fox and meet up with him. Pray for safe travels and for us to do His work. "For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead." James 2:26

About to leave

We are about to leave.