July 7th Update

Dear Friends, here is the latest update from our foundation. We have been in touch with the children and employee's of the Children of Love Foundation daily since the trouble started. All are doing well. Our concerns are eased since all the employees and family are staying at the foundation. It is visited daily by the La Paz police patrol for security sake. There are very few problems in the city and surrounding area. It is mostly in the big cities where all the demonstrations are. The foundation has food and water and necessary goods for the next three to four weeks. We are making plans with my brother and our two lawyer board members to care of the needs of the children and families at the foundation. We need to pray that their will be a solution soon to the conflict in Honduras. God Bless.

Doris Patalano
Children of Love Foundation

Political Trouble

Please pray for a peaceful end to the presidential situation in Honduras. At this time, the community of La Paz has remained at peace. Schools are closed so the children are learning at the foundation. They are doing well even if a little uneasy. We will try to update the blog and the web site as new information is available. They do not have Internet access at this time so information is only available through phone calls.

Fund Raising Dinner on Saturday

Children of Love Foundation
MUSICAL DINNER

When: April 25, 2009

Where: SOCIEDAD CUBANA
5088 Hoffner Ave. Orlando FL. 32812

Time: 6PM to 12.00 A.M.

Music by; Group IRIS

Donation: $25.00 - $30.00 at the door

Information call-407-273-0753

Click here for a Print Out.

Home Again

It is good to be back again with family and friends. Our airplane flights went smoothly. No trouble getting through customs. The Lord blessed this trip from beginning to end.

If you've read through this blog, you will also realize how difficult it was to leave our friends and new family in La Paz. The Children of Love Foundation is indeed a special place. The children are learning about the Bible and are praying together each day. In a society that doesn't have a lot, the foundation provides them with a good home, good food and good care.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

We are so blessed that we have a tremendous opportunity to help the Lord provide a hope and a future for these children. Please consider sponsoring a child ($60/month) or just making a donation to their regular expenses. (You can see http://childrenoflove.org for more information or donation through St. Luke's Lutheran Church electronically [note Children of Love Foundation in the Miscellaneous notes section].)

If you haven't looked at the pictures and videos from our trip, please take a moment to see all that we did during the week.

Photos are on Picasaweb at http://picasaweb.google.com/childrenoflovefoundation/

and recorded videos are available at both:
http://colf.fliggo.com/ and
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/children-of-love-foundation

In miami

We have landed. Everything is on time. See you soon

Christ is Risen, Indeed. Alleluia!

You might say that Easter in Honduras started with a bang.   At 3:30 in the morning the bell beckoned, and we met for our daily routine of a devotion, prayer, singing, and hugs.   Bang! Bang! Bang! Fireworks began our celebration, and by four we were walking the dark streets of La Paz.  Carrying a lantern and a boom-box, we greeted all those we met with singing and the words "Christ is risen, Alleluia!"  What a wonderful reminder of the women running from the tomb to tell others that "He is not here!  He is risen!"  This Easter was full of favorite (and unique) memories that I know we will treasure for years to come. 

We returned from our walk at 6 am. and tuned in to St. Luke's Easter service.  It's incredible that from so far away we could feel so connected to what is going on there.  Thank you to everyone at St. Luke's, especially the technology team and all those responsible for the special music for the day.  We really appreciated a bit of home and family on such an important day.  

Having already celebrated for the past 3 hours, it was time for an Easter egg hunt for the children; you should have seen the excitement on their faces as they all ran to search for eggs.  We also had Easter baskets prepared, so the children had plenty of sugar to eat as they awaited their breakfast.  Good thing we had visited the dentist earlier in the week! 

After some delicious Easter omlettes, we had a bit of free time to read with the kids, color, nap, and have Youth Group with the older children.  Having a special time with the teenagers was something new this trip, and (in spite the frustrations of the language barrier) we had some great conversations and bonding time.   The kids agreed that they'd like to try having Youth group with future St. Luke's groups, and also that they would try to meet once a week on their own (with some guidance from us).  

In the afternoon, a few members of our group went traversing the mountains on a quest for hammocks, while the rest stayed behind for some quality time with the kids (spit ball fighting Tia Leah?)  We also did tye dye and Florida shell mobiles with the kids for special Easter crafts. 

This evening was my favorite because of our good-bye luau for the kids.  They loved the balloons, popcorn, coke with little umbrellas, leis, glow sticks, limbo, dancing, and time together.  We took a break in the middle of our fiesta to say a few words to each child, give them a friendship bracelet and St. Luke's shirt, and enjoy our Easter cards and cascarones from the students at St. Luke's.  

It was a fun-filled evening that was finished far before the kids were ready, but then again we'd been up since 3:30 so it was definitely time.  After our devotions, prayer, and singing we exchanged hugs and "Buenas Noches" one last time.  Can our time here really be over already? The adults headed to the roof to check out the moon and stars and to enjoy the last of our snacks and each other's good company.   

Tomorrow we head home, taking with us our pictures and many great memories, and leaving our love for the beautiful children here.  We are all very thankful for the amazing opportunity to share the good news of our risen Lord.  Christ is Risen, Indeed.  Alleluia!  

  

It's Easter

I'm up late and just realized it's Easter in Florida.  Had another great chat at the evening and realized how important it is for the children of this home to know the love of God the Father through the gift of His Son.  We have talked again this week at great length as to how best to help these children.  

And then I realized again, this is the issue that God had with us.  How to help His children have the best life and best future possible.  As I sit here now, I know that He has given me the best future: Heaven.  And yet, He also gives me the present.  The peace of knowing that He guides my steps even when I don't want Him to.  The peace of knowing that He prepares things for me that I don't yet understand.  That He is looking out to provide all of my daily wants and needs even though I have nothing to offer Him in return.

I am so glad to call Him my Father.   Have a Blessed Easter.

Holy Saturday

So much done in so litttle time.  We started this day with the usual beautiful cool morning with a great group for the weekly Saturday program.  We sang, talked about Jesus crucifixtino and watched a DVD on the week from Palm Sunday to Easter.  Then we took the children to the aquas calenites (hot springs) which the children absolutely loved.  There was live music and lots of people in the very very hot pools.  We  then took the kids home and headed to Cumayagua, a city of 111,000 for a little r&r. Off to bed early because we will rise and shine at 3:00 am to walk the streets of La Paz  singing praises on Easter morning. The last few days we have witnessed many processions throughout Honduras - it must be a traditon for Holy Week. Goodnight!  

Amazing. Sitting in a mall in Cumayagua Honduras with free wireless. We had a great swim with the kids today even though the place was packed. 80 kids for the morning program too. We will write more later.

Dia Siete!

Wow! The city of La Paz never ceases to surprise us! We started our morning with the usual routine: prayer, song, and hugs. We then left to the hot springs for an afternoon of "fun in the sun." The view of the mountains was breath-taking! After we returned to the foundation, Papa Patalano arrived and the children had a special presentation for him. Then, we ate and spent time with the children. Later in the evening, the children sang for us and presented us with a gift that brought us to tears (no surprise there). We have planned out tomorrow and are ready to treat the children to a day of excitement! Hasta luego!

Thursday - Washing of the Feet

There are moments that the Lord catches you completely off guard.  Today was one of those days.  

The morning was beautiful here once again.  A light breeze.  Lots of fresh air.  A little extra time as the kids breakfast came at 7 rather than 6 a.m.  There was time after chores to read books and play a little.  We taught the three oldest boys more about the computers and the wireless network that is all hooked up here now. 

The teenagers in the group than spent about a half hour conversing with a Spanish class at Orlando Lutheran Academy.  The questions were simple but it seems that both sides have an interest in continuing these conversations.  

Surprises always come down here when you go to pick up or drop off families.  Some have walked 5 miles in the dust to come to VBS or help out.  For some, it is the daily routine of work.  For almost everyone, the home is small but the people are extremely welcoming.  They are generous and happy to show you what they have (which we would consider meager).  Drying fish and tomatoes were the prizes we saw today.

By the way, for several in the group, this was the first time they ever had fish which was served with complete head and eyes and tail! (See the pictures)  We have been fed like royalty with plenty of good food.  No weight loss while we are here.  :)

But just before supper, we were asked to sit in the chapel.  The oldest three children, Maynor, Marvin, and Marvin brought in buckets of water and towels.  One by one, we heard "In humbleness, we would like to wash your feet in rememberance of what our Lord did for his disciples. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit."  Our feet were washed, dryed and shoes placed back on our feet by the young men.  (See the Ustream site for video: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/children-of-love-foundation)

It is one more example of how the message of Christ's life, death and resurrection continues to work in all of our lives.  Whether we have a lot or a little, whether we have come to serve or be served, whether we have done our best or not, the Lord and Savior of all comes to us.  He comes to remind us that by His death and resurrection, eternity is waiting for us.  And in this world, we have the opportunity to thank and praise, serve and obey Him.  

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Today was a day to remember

We laughed, we sang, we played.

We shared a lot of new experiences,

Many memories were made.

It started with prayer together,

Then coffee and conversation

Some went to the dentist,

The rest helped with the restaurant sensation.

It was opening day for the cafe

Un Minuto con Dios is the name.

The children were the first to eat there

Chili dogs were the claim to fame.

Children arrived early

For VBS, today, day three.

We learned about Good Friday,

And Jesus' death on the tree.

With the lesson, crafts and games

The children all took part.

About fifty were with us today,

Fifty children who do steal your heart!

Then, Amercan Night for the children.

We cooked hamburgers and fries.

With Coca-cola and 7-Up, 

They couldn't believe their eyes.

Later, we walked through the town

And sang a song or two.

Then a great bon fire for all,

With Smore's--which was something new!

The day ended as it began,

Prayer, devos, songs and hugs galore

God has blessed us all with being here

I can't wait to see what He has in store!

Blessing to all of you who are reading this.  May God be with you!  Buenas Noches!

Dia Cuatro - continued

We just posted some more pictures of our VBS posted at http://picasaweb.google.com/childrenoflovefoundation

One other interesting point to today was that as we attempted to plant flowers, we cut an electric line and the water pipe for the house.  After it was 'fixed', we found that no water was pumping from the well.  Thanks to Tio Mike (American Airlines) the electrical part was finally fixed and water is back in the tanks.  Our showers were a bit colder tonight but still refreshing.  The temperature dropped significantly this evening so it will be a great night to sleep.

It is hard to share how much happens here in one day.  The Lord is indeed blessing us through this experience.  We learn every day how important the message of Jesus is to the people of this community in ways we never could even imagine.  Praise the Lord.  Demos Gracias el Senor! 

Dia Cuatro...

Hola! Today was yet another beautiful day at the Children of Love Foundation here in La Paz. We started off today with getting up at 6:15AM and saying our morning prayers with the children. After getting ready, we split up to do small projects around the foundation. Some of us helped transport plants around the Chapel, while others occompanied some of the children to the dentist. For lunch we enjoyed some delicious tortillas with cheese and salsa, and also some fresh watermelon. Later this afternoon, VBS began, and how much fun it was! For our craft the children made two more resurrection eggs, and a book mark with their own special message, or drawing, on it of what they had learned today. For dinner we served the VBS children ham and cheese sandwiches, which were made by the wonderful volunteers! Once everything had calmed down, we had a little free time to shower and rest (and let me tell you, a cold shower has never felt better than after playing with these kids outside for 2 1/2 hours!!). For dinner we had ham, beans, and scrambled eggs, and to drink they served us Coca Cola. Once dinner was over Mama Doris lead us to the Chapel, where the children here at the foundation prepared a surprise for all of us. One by one, they called one of us up, and they each said something special about that person. Believe me, there were very few dry eyes in the Chapel after that! We then ended with our nightly prayers and good nights, and are now ready to rest and prepare for tomorrow! Buenas Noches mis amigos! Hasta manana!

- Tia Gail.

Video of Palm Sunday

Besides some of the videos at Ustream, we have just uploaded a video to http://colf.fliggo.com  It is a video of the Palm Sunday processional put on by the kids.  There is a smaller, quicker version and then a larger one if you want more quality (but it will be a little slower to download).  I am working on a tour of the entire property here.

NOTE:  The video must be prepared at the site and was not ready yet at 2:25p.m. Eastern.

Tuesday Morning

Another beautiful day.  The clouds have cleared a bit so we have a better view of the surrounding mountains this morning.  The kids are busy doing chores (they probably have about 2 hours on a normal school day but they worked at different projects for probably 5 or 6 hours yesterday).  We are trying to put together a bid for some of the electrical work, gather supplies for building some new tables for the restaurant and moving some flowers to the chapel area to spruce it up for Easter.  Talk to you later.

First Day of VBS

Hola from Honduras!

This morning we woke up at 6 am. We started our day with prayers with the children and a wonderful breakfast. This morning we worked in the garden with the children, chopping up the mounds of dirt. The children helped with us and we were able to plant squash and other flowers. It was the first time for some to use a pick axe and a "whacking stick." Luckily no one chopped off any toes! We finished around lunch and we helped around the foundation and got ready for VBS. The children are out of school so we had all of the children during VBS. We had a little over 60 children today. Some of the children walked approximately 5 miles today in the 101 degree temperature. It was amazing! Today we talked about Palm Sunday! We made palms and sang "Hosanna to the King." We went outside to play clothespin tag and waterballoon toss. Make sure to check out the awesome pictures. The kids had a great time! What an amazing opportunity to witness to these AMAZING children!

Palm Sunday

This Palm Sunday in Honduras was quite an experience. Our morning began early with prayer and singing. By 7:30, everyone was outside the Foundation to witness a Palm Sunday procession unlike anything any of us had ever seen. The children dressed in colorful clothes carrying their palm branches and walked us to the end of the street that leads to the Foundation. They even had a donkey on loan from a neighbor especially for the day. When we got to the end of the street, we started the procession back to the Foundation with one of the older boys riding the donkey and the other children running alongside putting their palm branches on the ground for the donkey to walk on. The procession led us all the way to the chapel where we gathered to sing and pray and thank God for sending Jesus. The children were very excited to share this day with us. Breakfast followed and we soon gathered in the chapel again for worship when we participated with the 11:00am service from St. Luke's over the internet. We also talked about how wonderful it is that Jesus has come to us and has made us one family. What an amazing gift. Later that day, a group of us took a trip to a nearby river to swim. A few rounds of "Marco Polo" and a couple of sandcastles later, we drove into the mountains to visit a coffee and banana farm. We came home to a wonderful soup for supper. Before heading to bed, our group met to make some final preparations for the first day of VBS. Tomorrow it begins. This has been a Palm Sunday we will not soon forget.

Busy Day Sunday

We're sorry for not getting a post done last night. Yesterday was worship, swimming, organizing, talking, shopping, and playing. We will write a little more later this morning but wanted to let you know that we did post pictures this morning. Visit http://picasaweb.google.com/childrenoflovefoundation for photos. We will try to upload the video of the procession also later today.

Palm Sunday!

A great start to today.  Go to the http://ustream.tv/channel/children-of-love-foundation  and look under the recorded shows section for a view of the songs and pal sunday procession!  After worshiping with the 11 am service via the web, we are off to the banana/coffee farm and then swimming at the river.  The Lord is good.  More later.

We're here

Wow! Our fliights were smooth and even the Tegucigalpa landing was fine. We had about an hour wait at customs but it was all worth it. The kids greeted us all with lots of hugs and two Spanish songs. They finished with God bless America in English.

The bus ride took about two hours so its now 3 pm Honduras time. We will spend a litle time relaxing and unpacking before dinner. Check back later.

Everyone sends a hello to family and friends.

Miami Airport

So far so good. Everything is on time. We had a lite meal and have a little chance to relax. Next stop: Tegucigalpa Honduras and then a 2 hour bus ride to La Paz. We will write when we arrive.

Check in complete

Its early but we are ready to get on our flight to miami. Everyone seems happy and ready to go. All flights are on time so we will report back soon.

Trip 2 - Final Preparations

We are almost ready! The 14 individuals on the second mission trip are in the final stages of packing. The supplies arrived today. The t-shirts are printed. The supply bags are packed. The letters from our school classrooms are being finished.

Please pray for this trip as we continue to take the Gospel to the people of La Paz. We will try to have live video as often as possible of activities around the foundation. VBS will take place from 2-4 p.m. La Paz time which is 4-6 p.m. Eastern Daylight time. Check the links on the side for both photos and live video feeds through Ustream. Check in and chat with us during the Ustream feeds. See why we are so encouraged by the children of La Paz.

The eight day -- fun, siestas, and sadness

Dio numero ocho

Our last full day in La Paz has brought us to the end of an incredible and heart warming journey. For some of us it was the first time we had a chance to make new amigos, for others it was a chance to visit with extended family. Our day began very early today as we had to be ready for a government inspection so everything had to be in tip top shape. La Paz is in a valley in the mountains and it is currently the dry season... and there is dust and smoke everywhere. The Ninos de Amor work very hard to keep everything clean but go the extra mile to make sure that there is no extra fines when an inspector is coming. Edty is the main person in charge here when Mama Doris is out of town and she was in full commander mode to make sure everything was just right. We spent the morning cleaning with the children and then getting setup for Bible school in the Chapel at 9 am.

Today's lesson was on the 4th commandment "Honor thy mother and father" which is really interesting to do at an orphanage! Iliana lead them to have the kids call out any authority figure that they could and wrote them down. Then Robby Rojas led them in a lesson to discuss that even all these authority figures are subservient to God. The children did a presentation, then we had some coloring for them and handed out backpacks. We had time for some tug of war, the kids then had some lunch and played on the playground, with balls, or jump rope. What a fulfilling end to a wonderful week. After all the kids left bible study many of us had the chance for a little afternoon siesta. Some of us just used the concrete floor in the chapel!

We played with the kids some more and went for dinner at Chincha's. When we came back to the foundation the kids had a wonderful and moving presentation for us and we all received a CD of Punta music from Tecka. Tomorrow we leave in what is certain to be an emotional day. This will be our last post for this trip. Pray for our safe return and for the children at the Foundation, and all the people of La Paz. Perhaps one day we will have regular services here.

Hasta la vista from Team 1, 2009.

Our seventh day -- a free day to explore

Dia numero seite

Another Beautiful Day in La Paz! Soccer, helicopters, pizza, shopping and a sense of accomplishment. We got off to an early start this morning, we had been told to be up and ready by 6:00AM if we wanted to accompany the kids to school today. Some of the smaller children were to take part in some soccer matches, not a normal school day. Well, we got up, but either it was a miscommunication or a great joke, because the kids were not leaving early!
We had hoped to be able to cheer our kids as they displayed their skills, but unfortunately we had not anticipated the pre-game ceremonies, which included numerous speeches, a ten minute prayer and an eleven minute national anthem! Leaving before the first ball had been kicked, we rushed back to make sure that we didn't miss our ride.
We all headed out to the nearby military base in Comayagua (yes 15 of us in the communal pick up, very roomy compared to previous rides!). Rhonda had set up a meeting for us with some U.S. Military personnel stationed at the base. The base is a joint Honduran / U.S. Establishment and is an essay in contrasts. Let's just say that our glimpse of the Honduran Air Force left us.......er completely underwhelmed. Our guys on the other hand were everything that you hope for and expect. Great people who were extremely appreciative of the Girl Scout cookies that Rhonda's daughter had collected for them. Lots of photos and smiles and a warm feeling about what they do for us. The Blackhawks and Chinooks were pretty impressive too. Onward to Comayagua, the nearby metropolis, well city, okay it's a small town, but it does have a Pizza Hut! So what if it was only 10:30 in the morning, pizza was calling us! And we answered.
The food at the Foundation has been awesome and the service impeccable, but sometimes when you're miles from home, you need some comfort food. And pizza worked!
Having satisfied our appetites we then attempted to satisfy the need to shop! That didn't take too long, no galleria mall, no Macy's, Target or Gucci stores. Yep, we found a couple of tacky tourist shops, easily recognized by the fact that they were willing to take U.S.$'s! Yes even here in deepest Honduras, the mighty greenback works! There were some interesting sights in this small town, Stephanie was a little unnerved, at one point asking Rhonda if she was trying to get us killed! A lot of panhandling, strange smells and four heavily armed guards at the Western Union! The ice cream was good and the experience well worth it!
Back at the Foundation in the early afternoon, we were able to begin to feel a sense of accomplishment. The swings were set in concrete, the see-saw was..... er painted ( loose term, I'm not sure that even a blind man would be pleased to see it!) and the tether ball was put in place! Within a couple of hours our sense of achievement was complete: we all witnessed the children playing on the 'playground', our 'playground'.

Day 6 - the end of VBS

Dia Numero Seis

Welcome to day six in Honduras! Today was our final day of Vacation Bible School. And a beautiful day it was. We started our day walking the kids to school and painting the slides. We had a fabulous breakfast of eggs with peppers and tomato and fried bologna with tortillas. The kids showed up promptly at 9:00 and we spent the day discussing the Prodigal Son. The kids really enjoyed when Robbie wrote the word “sin” on flash paper, lit the paper with a match and it disappeared-just like our sins in God's eyes. We put the pictures we had taken 2 days ago into frames and decorated them. The activity was tug-o-war, which the kids already knew how to play. Of course, it was boys against girls. And of course, the girls won! Then we did the kids against the adults. Kids won. And we always end the day with candy!

Today was also American day. That meant we cooked hot dogs and hamburgers, thank you Rick and Marc-they were great! AJ and Rhonda make rice krispy treats. The kids sat at our table with stars and stripes plates and cups and we served them. They seemed to really enjoy the meal. After we cleaned up from dinner, we all went into the chapel that was filled with 150 red, white and blue balloons and streamers. We spent a great deal of time running with balloons, beating each other. It was fun but way hot! The kids got bubble gum and bubbles. After most of the balloons were popped, the kids from the foundation put on a program for us to thank us for coming to help and love them. They sang “Proud to be an American” in English. The kids also sang some other songs and then presented us with a gift as they said we were their heroes. It was very touching. We spent the next hour dancing with the kids. Even though it was a school night, Doris called the school earlier and got the morning kids excused from school so they could stay up late with us. After the kids went to bed, we went to the chapel, set up the projector and watched an old episode of “The Office”.

It was a great day. It will be very hard to leave...

Day 5 -- a day for miracles

Dio numero cinco

Well, today is day five of our trip, and it's been eventful so far to say the least. Right now, we're winding down our busy day. We have just finished our dinner and also said goodnight to all the kids. All of us are gathered round the dinner table in the porch, and everyone is talking about what ingredients make the best hamburger. Wait, no, now they're talking about the best deep fried foods. The candidates are snickers and pickles so far.

Today's VBS lesson was on the miracles of Jesus. We spoke to the children today about the many miracles he performed and acted out a skit on the feeding of the 5000. The children made pescado out of noodles. The early morning group got a chance to speak to some kids from St. Luke's Lutheran School through Skype. The 2 slides and the base for the see-saw were cemented in today and tomorrow everything gets assembled and painted.

This trip has really brought together the members of our group. However, it's truly difficult to describe what it's like out here by using words only. Sure, I can tell you about what we did today, how VBS went, and the like. But can I can't tell you what it feels like to sit with 14 of your best friends at the end of a hard day in Honduras singing Don McLean “Miss American Pie.....”. I can't tell you what it feels like to get a giant hug from one of the kids here at the foundation, nor can I tell you of the feeling of pure joy you get when you interact or play with them. Only people who have been here can understand the overwhelming poverty of this place, and understand the hope that the foundation brings to children who live here.

But, I was asked to write about today, so that's what I'll do. Plus, Rick really wants to go to bed and he can't until I finish this blog and he posts it. We'll see how long I can draw this out.... muah ha ha ha.... So this morning we woke up, and walked the kids to school. Then we got ready for the first round of VBS. VBS in the morning was for the older kids and it went good. For lunch we had fresh fruit. We had pineapple and watermelon. Afterwards we walked the next group of kids to school. Then we had the second round of VBS. It went good too. After picking up the kids from school, we went to eat dinner. We were supposed to have hot dogs and hamburgers, but we had rice and pork instead. The food was awesome. Afterwards we played with the kids until bedtime. And that brings us to now. All the lights outside are off, and Rick and Rhonda are waiting for me to finish. So I'm going to stop now because I value my life. See you all when we get back!

P.S. New pictures will be up tomorrow! You can always watch us live (when we are broadcasting) on http://www.ustream.tv/channel/children-of-love-foundation

Tomorrow is "American Day" so look for the red white and blue

Day 4 -- Into the groove

Dia numero cuatro


¡Feliz Navidad! It's Christmas in the arid heat of La Paz as we Americans teach our beloved Honduran children about the birth of Christ. Today's Vacation Bible School involves opening the greatest present of all (a small nativity set symbolizing Jesus' birth) and a ridiculous amount of Spanish Christmas music that was very out-of-place in this environment, but led to copious amounts of laughter by both Hondurans and Americans.
For lunch, the amazing Mama Doris made us some very tasty, yet intentionally mispronounced, quesadillas with pico de gallo. We happily chowed down as the wind blew. While we ate, the kids giggled, and the resident chickens wandered around our feet; better than any restaurant.
After lunch, I was fortunate enough to go along with David, Matt, and Marc Jr (aka Winston), as well as two of the men who help out at the Foundation, to the banana plantation about 25 miles outside our gates. The four Americans road in the bed of the pick-up truck, just absorbing the scenery and the 60 mph+ speeds. After winding through the mountains and waving to every Honduran walking along the road, we were greeted at the plantation by about 25 Hondurans picking and sorting coffee beans. Onto our mission, we followed our bilingual, machete-wielding guide Zias into the plantation, which was less a farm and more a dense forest of coffee bean and banana trees balanced on a 45 degree angle on the side of the mountain. Despite the lack of an actual path, us four very different Americans dove into the trees behind our guide, on to slide down the slippery slope of the mountain, chop down banana trees with Swiss army knives, and snack on fresh-as-it-gets bananas while sitting on rotten logs. After climbing our way back to the truck, we careened back down towards the Foundation along with about 100 bananas. By the time we returned to La Paz, we were windblown, but thankful to be alive and smiling.
After some chilly showers and excellent dinner of ground meat, rice, and yucca, we joined the kids for the nightly devotions and songs, made much more entertaining by some can-can dancing and hokey pokey. So do the hokey pokey and turn yourself around, 'cause THIS is what it's all about.

Day 3 - VBS Begins

Dia Numero Tres

Hola! We made it 6:30am through another day in Honduras! It started off by waking up to the fire alarm sounding bell at which is conveniently right next to Steph, Ili, Danica, and my room. We all walked down to the table in the back and drank coffee and ate some Honduran cookies. Soon after, a couple people in the group walked the younger kids to school about ten minutes away from the foundation. The rest of us took cold showers, played with the older kids, or did other things. Then we had an amazing breakfast which included tortillas, black beans, sausage, and fried plantains. Today was our first day of VBS, we have it two times per day. One for the older kids, and one for the younger kids. Our Bible lesson was that God keeps His promises. When el ninos got there we played musical chairs and they loved it...including me. After we finished playing that, Danica did a wonderful job reading the prepared Bible lesson in Spanish. Next we did a rainbow craft, and the highlight of the day was definitely the water balloon game. We had fruit for lunch, and soon after some of us walked the older kids to school. After the younger kids came back from school, we played with the jump ropes we brought from back at home. Then we had another VBS for the younger kids. Afterwards we played with the kids and they had a blast taking lots of pictures with my camera. We had dinner and then had our group Bible study get together. Now a couple of us are still up and enjoying the cool weather with a couple of snacks including puppy chow!!

Day 2 -- Our first full day

Dia Numero Dos

Waking up to roosters crowing whose inner time clocks seemed to have missed the whole 'daylight savings' deal was the start to quite an eventful day. The children made us a lovely pancake breakfast which was well equipped with personal syrup bottles to top it off. Many of us were woken up, however despite the many cups of coffee (Rick Betteridge taking in a grand total of six), with our first shower experience. Needless to say, there wasn't much water wasted due to the extremely cold temperature. After getting cleaned and digesting our food we were able to travel to the Honduran farmers market. Here we ran into a bunch of uncommonly seen objects; for Matt Bretzke it was the very low strung ceiling tarps, and for the rest it was the massive pile of fresh raw meat and babies laying in the merchandise on the table. We were also greeted with head turns and stares, being the epitome of U.S. Tourists. Back to the foundation we went after having stopped at the local grocery store to pick up beverages. We got to play with the kids outside and bond with them before heading out on a very dangerous (for us) journey to the river. Talk about 19 people in the back of a pick up, 25 in total, going through pot holes and up mountain sides. Now add speeds reaching up to 60 mph and you get a bunch of Americans holding on for dear life for about 40 minutes. Once we reached the river the children that joined us eagerly stripped down to their bathing suits and jumped in. Meanwhile the engineers in the group decided to reform the river with rocks to make it easier to cross. Relaxing and enjoying the beautiful scenery wrapped up another wonderful time with the children. Then it was back on the road and to the foundation for some rest and grub. They accommodated our American ways with some grilled cheese and what tasted like liquid banana laffy taffy soda. We mapped out our next day here in Honduras, aka the start of VBS, and sang songs with the kids before they went to bed. Capping out our night on the roof, tomorrow comes another eventful day!

Day 1 -- the arrival

Dia numero uno

We are leaving for the airport as early as 5am in three groups. One group meets at St. Lukes Church at 5am. The other two groups leave from homes and all arrive at the airport by 5:45 am.

All 14 members of our group are through check-in with no bags over 50 lbs and on our way to security. We only have a couple people needing to get some carry-on bags looked through, myself included, but did not have to leave anything behind and most importantly we did not get any snacks confiscated. We catch our first flight of the day from Orlando to Miami 7:20 am. Then we started our short layover in Miami waiting for our flight to San Pedro Sula that would be leaving at 1:00 pm. We had some time to wander the Miami airport and find breakfast/lunches and even time to take some naps on the floor outside our gate. Now loaded onto the plane in Miami we are headed out of the country and to Honduras. The flight is in between the two and three hour mark and quite uneventful, thank goodness. Off the plane and going through customs at San Pedro Sula airport. We are happy to see that all of our personal bags and extra bags with VBS supplies have arrived and we walk into the main terminal area and are greeted by several of the kids from the foundation and they sang a couple songs for us including, “How great though art” and “God bless the USA”. We rode back on the bus with the children, so we had the privilege to play/get to know the kids on the near 4 hour drive from the airport to the Children of Love Foudation in La Paz, Honduras. As we pull closer to the foundation we see that there are fireworks being shot in celebration of our arrival. After getting the bus unloaded and room assignments figured out we hear the bell for dinner and everybody goes running since we have not eaten for several hours and are excited about the first meal in Honduras. We sit down to homemade tortillas and pico de gallo. Then plates with rice, chicken and potatoes are brought out and set down in front of each of us. The food is gone very fast, because of the good taste and the hunger that had taken over. Shortly after the kids are called over for prayer and we join in and listen to their prayers and songs and we get hugs from every kid and they tell us goodnight and then they are sent off to bed. We are finishing the night with some quick plans for the next day some prayer and setting up for our linked worship service in the morning. We are now free to wander around the grounds of the foundation and take in the amount of stars in the sky and the different smells, sounds and sights around us as we turn in for the night.

P.S.  Steve:  Thank you for sending the router!!!!

Day -1... getting ready...

Excitement.

Worry.

Joy.

What are we feeling?  All these things and more!  Can't wait to get started on our trek to La Paz!  I can't wait to meet all the kids!  

Thank you Lord for blessing us with the ability to be with these wonderful children.

Rick

Where are we going?

If you have ever wanted to see where the Children of Love foundation is located click here.

This will show you an overview of the location in Google maps.

If you need to call, from the U.S. dial 011 504 774-2073
In Honduras, dial 774-2073

For non-emergencies, send an email to childrenoflove@stlukes-oviedo.org and the group leader will direct the message to the appropriate individual.

Schedules

Schedule Week ONE

SATURDAY, March 7
5:00 AM Arrive at St. Luke's
7:20 A.M departure from MCO
Arrive SAP @ 2:20 p.m., 3 hour drive to La Paz, BBQ and Dance

SUNDAY, March 8
AM: Worship/Devotion with children in the prayer house, pack the school supplies
DAY TIME—Mountain and River Trip – Cut bananas to take back to Foundation, [truck only] visit the school and hand out donations
EVENING—planning meeting and prep for VBS

MONDAY, March 9
Work Day
AM: Visit the rest of the school and give donations (walk kids to school)
10am-12pm VBS Older Kids: God Keeps His Promises—the promise of a Savior
2pm-4pm VBS Younger Kids: God Keeps His Promises—the promise of a Savior
PM: Afternoon Bible study with group of ladies from the community (Doris)

TUESDAY, March 10
Work Day
7-10am Walk kids to school, prep VBS, work on playground
10am-12pm VBS Older Kids: The King is Born (CHRISTMAS!!!)
2pm-4pm VBS Younger Kids: The King is Born (CHRISTMAS!!!)
PM: study with the kids & help with preparations for those who will do First Communion

WEDNESDAY, March 11
Work Day – Evening open
7-10am Walk kids to school, prep VBS, work on playground
10am-12pm VBS Older Kids: Jesus works miracles—miracles of love! (Feeding of the 5,000)
2pm-4pm VBS Younger Kids: Feeding of the 5,000
5:30 PM—The American’s are making dinner! for the Foundation kids

THURSDAY, March 12
Work Day – Evening rest and dinner out
7-10am Walk kids to school, prep VBS, work on playground
10am-12pm VBS Older Kids: Jesús always loves you. His love is perfect! (The Prodigal Son)
2pm-4pm VBS Younger Kids: Jesús always loves you. His love is perfect! (The Prodigal Son)
7-10pm VBS Celebration (surprise) with the community kids

FRIDAY, March 13
AM: work on construction projects
Afternoon: trip to Comayagua for shopping [truck & car]

SATURDAY, March 14
AM: Saturday Foundation community program, help out
Afternoon: finish building projects, make necessary preparations for team 2

SUNDAY, March 15
Morning goodbyes – three hour drive to SAP airport 2:25 pm Departure
Arrive 10:20 p.m. @ MCO

Schedule Week TWO

SATURDAY - April 4
5:00 A.M. Meet at St. Lukes
7:20 A.M departure from MCO
Arrive TGU @ 11:00 a.m., 2 hour drive to La Paz, BBQ and Dance

Our schedule for the week will be changed after the first trip when we know a little more about what is completed the first week. This schedule is TENTATIVE.
SUNDAY, April 5
AM: Worship/Devotion with children in the prayer house
DAY TIME—Mountain and River Trip – Cut bananas to take back to Foundation
EVENING—planning meeting and prep for VBS

MONDAY, April 6
8 am - 10 am Work Projects
AM: Walk kids to school
10am-12pm VBS
Afternoon - Work Projects
Evening open

TUESDAY, April 7
8 am - 10 am Work Projects
10am-12pm VBS
Afternoon - Work Projects
Evening open

WEDNESDAY, April 8
8 am - 10 am Work Projects
10am-12pm VBS
Afternoon - Work Projects
Evening open

THURSDAY, April 9
8 am - 10 am Work Projects
10am-12pm VBS
Afternoon - Work Projects
Evening rest and dinner out

FRIDAY, April 10
Still to be decided
Good Friday service/evening outreach program

SATURDAY, April 11
prep for Sunday, help out around the Foundation, play with the kids,
afternoon trip to Comayagua for shopping

SUNDAY (EASTER), April 12
Easter worship services

MONDAY, April 13th
Morning goodbyes – two hour drive to TGU airport, 12:10 p.m. departure
Arrive 8:00 p.m. @ MCO

What might a work day look like?
6:30 am Wake up, get dressed have some coffee & toast or biscuit
7:00 Work on odd jobs, prepare for VBS, walk young kids to school, etc.
10:00 VBS Older kids
12:00 pm Lunch
2:00 VBS Younger Kids
4:00 Finish up working, showers, play with kids
5:30 Dinner
7:00 Bible Study
8:00/8:30 Pray and say goodnights with the kids

Bible School Plans - Week one

Honduras Bible School
Week one
Day 1: God Keeps His Promises
Songs:
Bible Story: tape measure & chain
o God made a promise way back with Adam & Eve, reminded Noah, Abraham, King David, Isaiah, etc.
o Bible verse of the Day

Craft:
o Rainbow pictures with cotton ball clouds with “God keeps His promises”
o Take photos of each child
Activities
o Jump rope
o Supplies needed: 2 large jump ropes

 Supplies needed: tape measure, strips of colored paper, scissors, cotton balls, glue, rainbow pictures, crayons (already there)

Day 2: God fulfills His Promise: The King is Born
Bible Story:
o Do you know who Jesus is?
o Nativity scene
o The King is Born Video (20 min)
o Bible verse of the Day “ _____________ ”
Craft
o Coloring book
o Snow flakes
Activities
o Hopskotch
o Chalk & pebbles
Supplies needed: coloring books, video, nativity set, white paper, scissors

Day3: Jesus is True God—The Miracle of the feeding of 5,000
Bible Story: Feeding of the 5,000
o Video (10 min)

Craft:
o Pasta fish 
Games:
o Soccer & football
o Supplies needed: soccer ball, ball pump, football, flags
Supplies needed: blue paper, glue, pasta, video

Day 4: God promises to always accept us.

 Bible Story:
o Prodigal son video (20 min)
o God’s love is big!!

 Craft:
o Picture frame that says “God’s love is big!”
o Supplies needed: foam frames, sparklies, foam pieces to decorate, markers, video


Activities
o Relay races
o Supplies: buckets. spoons & balls, water

Trip Packing & Tips

What to Bring ‘09
Work clothes you can get dirty
Tennis shoes & sandals
One or two shirts and a pair of shorts or pants to wear for dinner out or at night
Towel, washrags, shampoo, and soap
Sanitary wipes or gel for hands
Mosquito wipes or spray
Sun screen
Hat
Sunglasses
Personal fan (small transportable kind)
Imodium, aspirin, etc.
Personal snack foods (peanut butter, crackers, popcorn, granola bars, etc. are good choices.) There is also a local store where items are available.
Spending money (cash--to be exchanged at the airport into Lempiras) for souvenirs, snack food if desired, one evening out, and food at the airport/travel days ($45 should be more than adequate for food needs)
CASH for tax upon departure from airport $35 (they accept USD or lempiras)

Leah’s suggestions:
Ziploc bags for clothes (nice to have somewhat clean clothes on the last couple of days)
A clean sheet & pillow case (just feels nice to have your own, especially if you are sensitive to dust—it is dry this time of year.)
Bring your own water bottle

Other Items to Note
Luggage is limited to 2 bags per person not to exceed 50 lbs. (AA will charge an excess baggage fee)
You are entitled to have 2 bags (weighing less than 50 pounds), plus a carry-on. We need each team member to have one of those 2 bags be filled with VBS supplies and stuff for the kids. Please bring your second bag to our final meeting. They will be packed and ready for you to take on Sunday morning.

Tips
Don’t be wasteful: Because they have so little, the CLF people and their neighbors are sensitive about waste. Please save water or Gatorade bottles as they can be reused. If you will not reuse it yourself, give it to the ladies in the kitchen. Plastic plates, cups, and silverware will be washed and reused.
Be flexible: schedules and plans change, sometimes often, just be relaxed and be ready to pitch in or change plans when necessary
Food Stuff: because schedules can be flexible and taste buds vary, you will probably want to bring some granola bars, trail mix, or other snack food. Be sensitive to the fact that children at the Foundation don’t have those things and please consume them either in your room or out of sight of the kids.
Clean your plate if you can: The food is different for most of us, but use the little kid principle and “try it, you might like it.” Be ready to say “no thank you” if you don’t think you can eat something and makes friends with the person next to you…she might like yuka!
Money: The SAP airport has ATMs so you can take money out there or utilize one of the money changers to change some money (amount needed will vary). Be sure to plan for $5-6 for dinner out on Friday, snacks at the Mercado (has lots of snack food and drinks), and any souvenirs you might want.
The Kids: They will love you and hug you like crazy! It’s wonderful. The younger children attend school in the morning and the older kids go in the afternoon…so there are always children around.
Treats/Gifts: Please be mindful about handing out candy or other little items. It’s best to do for everyone, instead of giving a treat to one or two children. Also, please check with the CLF staff (Mama Doris) first if you have any question.
Bathroom: showers are cold, but you won’t care much when its hot. Don’t flush anything except the ultra-thin toilet paper that is in the bathrooms. Please use the garbage can instead.

Your carry-on: Pack some clean underwear just in case. Trust me. :)

Spanish Practice

Practice these phrases:

¿Cómo te llamas? What is your name?
¿Cuántos años tienes? How old are you?
Cuantos? How much
¿Me pueden ayudar? Can you help me?
Me llamo es .... My name is ...
Jesús te ama. Jesus loves you.
¿Quieres jugar? Do you want to play?
¿Te gusta ..... Do you like....

Rocket Spanish – Check out the newsletter for other practice items
Newsletter 11 - You can access newsletters 1-10 through links at the bottom.
Quiz/Worksheet 34 - All you ever wanted to know!

Covenant

2009 St. Luke’s Mission to La Paz Covenant

Agreed upon guidelines for team behavior and function

Why write one? A covenant helps to clarify expectations for group members. It also provides a process by which to open up communication regarding needs and concerns of team members. Finally a covenant strengthens the team and therefore the work that it does

We agree to honor one another as members of God’s family during this experience by treating each other in the following Christian manner…

Demonstrate the fruits of the spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and faithfulness)

Love one another

Communicate openly.

>Be responsible for preparing our “task areas” completely and communicating our needs to the others in the group.

We will honor the work of the Children of Love Foundation and the culture of those we serve in the following ways…

Learn about the culture of our surroundings and show respect

Try new things (like food)

Show appreciation (please, thank you, etc.)

Respect the rules of the CLF and help the children to do the same (for example, the kids would rather play with us than do their chores or go to sleep. It is our role to support the leadership of CLF and its rules and routines)

Be flexible and patient! Schedules change.

When in doubt talk to the trip leader or Mama Doris before acting.

We will represent our Lord and our church by agreeing to the following guidelines for speech, dress, and behavior…

Modest dress

Appropriate speech (no profanity, use words that build up rather than tear down)

Alcohol consumption (The official policy of CLF is “Alcohol and tobacco may be used at the Foundation, using discretion when and where it is being consumed. Smoking and drinking areas are established.) This is an item that we need to define further as a group and will do so before finalizing this covenant.

Practice Matthew 18

Practice the 24 hour rule (If you have a conflict or issue with a teammate, you should approach them to talk about it or deal with it within 24 hours, rather than let it fester.)

When someone refuses to follow this covenant, we will handle the problem with the following consequences…

Practice Matthew 18

The primary purpose of this trip is to share the message of the love of God and salvation through Jesus Christ alone.

I will give my best to communicate those messages by participating in the leadership of the Bible school program, participating in evening team Bible study, and praying for and with children and staff of the Children of Love Foundation.

I will do my best to live witness to the children of the orphanage and the La Paz community.

Alcohol/Behavior

“Chain of command”

Don’t make promises you can’t keep.

Video Possibilities

These videos are all available in Spanish from the Nest Family Video site. The resource books are available for about $10 each. We will have to decide if that is worth it.

http://www.nestfamily.com

Signs of the Times Interactive Video on DVD with Resource Book
Jesus uses parables to teach His disciples to be prepared for the day He comes again.
Built Upon the Rock Interactive Video on DVD with Resource Book
Jesus is asked to judge an inheritance dispute, but instead He uses this divisive conflict between brothers to His Beatitudes.
The Parables of Jesus Interactive Video on DVD with Resource Book
Experience and learn from three of Jesus' best-loved stories in this new title from our New Testament library.
The Messiah Comes! Interactive Video on DVD with Resource Book
Journey with Jesus' disciples as they discover His true mission in this title from our New Testament library.
Worthy is the Lamb Interactive Video on DVD with Resource Book
Experience the Passion of Christ and witness the fulfillment of ancient prophecies in this release from The Animated Stories from the New Testament.
King is Born Interactive Video on DVD with Resource Book
The true significance and meaning of Christmas are revealed in this powerful story of Jesus' birth.
Lord, I Believe Interactive Video on DVD with Resource Book
Lord, I Believe is a collection of three stories where Jesus teaches His disciples the power of faith.
He is Risen Interactive Video on DVD with Resource Book
He is Risen is the story of the greatest miracle of all, the resurrection
John the Baptist Interactive Video on DVD with Resource Book
John the Baptist is a story of courage and conviction seen through the life of one of God's greatest prophets.
Miracles of Jesus Interactive Video on DVD with Resource Book
Witness the many miracles of Jesus.

Flight Schedules

1

Carrier Flight Number Departing Arriving City Date & Time City Time American Airlines 828 ORLANDO INTL SAT 07MAR 7:20 AM MIAMI INTERNTNL 8:20 AM American Airlines 941 MIAMI INTERNTNL SAT 07MAR 1:00 PM SAN PEDRO SULA 2:20 PM American Airlines 942 SAN PEDRO SULA SUN 15MAR 2:25 PM MIAMI INTERNTNL 6:40 PM American Airlines 1046 MIAMI INTERNTNL SUN 15MAR 10:20 PM ORLANDO INTL 11:20 PM

2

Carrier Flight Number Departing Arriving City Date & Time City Time American Airlines 828 ORLANDO INTL SAT 04APR 7:20 AM MIAMI INTERNTNL 8:20 AM American Airlines 953 MIAMI INTERNTNL SAT 04APR 10:40 AM TEGUCIGALPA 11:00 AM American Airlines 954 TEGUCIGALPA MON 13APR 12:10 PM MIAMI INTERNTNL 4:20 PM American Airlines 1758 MIAMI INTERNTNL MON 13APR 7:00 PM ORLANDO INTL 8:00 PM