The last night (for now)

Last night I was handed a tablet and told to write this blog. About what, I'm not sure.

The last blog has some significance or no significance depending on who you talk to. Many of the ideas, words, and thoughts have been said. Stereotypically, I could sit here pounding away on my keyboard saying how great of a trip it was and how the children were so lovely. While this is very true, I would like to write about not what we did or what we said, but what we learned.

I have learned many things from the children. Things that I will remember and recount from for many years to come. How they are so receptive to love. How they show love for what seems like 24/7. How they are raw in their emotions. How in a place so impoverished, they continue to show joy and humor. How despite our language boundaries they are capable of doing all of these things.

There are many things that stuck to me, but this is one that came to me when writing this blog. As the children continue to play, laugh, and love while I'm in America, I will remember their faces of love and joy. They have affected all of us, and we will bring with us a little part of them.

A quiet morning

This morning is indeed a quiet one after the bustle of yesterday evening. As we eat Honduran French toast and listen to the sharpening of machetes for the morning chores, it's actually rather serene.

Mallory read a devotion this morning about the Spirit being our instinct, what guides our drives and desires when we are living in our relationships with Jesus. One of the questions at the end was, "how are you letting God loose in your life?"

God is loose here. The entire Foundation oozes his grace and love. From chasing children, to riding bikes, to watching the Old testament played out by the kids (with a live baby Jesus in a Santa outfit!), to serving meals and watching the laying of hands, it is evident that the Spirit is at work here in ways we are not accustomed to seeing every day.

We're getting ready to visit the hospital and the jail, and will have a rather relaxing day otherwise with the kids.

Let the Spirit loose today.

-- Jake Lehenbauer

Also, enjoy some pictures from the trip so far!

Honduran Thanksgiving

Ever since 2013 my Thanksgivings have been anything but normal. I wake up in the morning in a foreign country and prepare to feed Thanksgiving dinner to over 200 people in as much of an orderly fashion as possible. It isn't your typical Thanksgiving meal either and this year it was spaghetti chow mein with tomato sauce. This trip was one of the easiest I have ever been on because everything was a lot more orderly than years past. We got to spend more time with the kids instead of running around trying to get the meal prepared on time. I am very thankful that I got to spend time with a lot of my families this week. I saw my Alpha Gamma Rho family the day before I left as I watched two of my good friends become husband and wife and now I am spending time with my St. Luke's family, my Honduran family, and with my mom and dad and my two sisters who are on this trip with me. Most of all I am thankful for the kids at the foundation and how much they love to spend time with me and want me to be their Tio.

- Steven Duda

El dia de accion de gracias

This day is called Thanksgiving in our Usa  and a review of George Washington's declaration of the 1st Thanksgiving , which was o n a Nov 26 explains why citizens of the USA have a national holiday to  be thankful,  google it if you lost your copy!!

Today in La Paz Honduras we heard the Hondurans explain El dia de accion de gracias to peers who had been invited to come eat a meal with the Americans
Since I understand Spanish fairly well , I could hear the long long list of things they declared to God .  Music played while they prayed, 4 policeman who stood in the background with rifles were handed their plates of thanksgiving chop suey by me , 200 people men women and children , mostly children had answered Mama Doris invitation to come to our Thanksgiving feast.. We ate the spaghetti like dinner , they drank pepsi and clapped and danced and gave thanks to God for the blessings of life. I used my Ipad to show the children selfies of themselves which fascinated them as they jockied each other for positions in front of the camera ,  These little boys and girls are the future on Honduras , the hope of a future in this country full of current violence will one day truly be filled with La Paz, by children who are grateful to our Lord God for the light of the world and their savior Jesus.

Sarah Rosado Aka , Tia Sarah

thanksgiving eve thoughts

One day until Thanksgiving, and once again the day's events gave us much to be thankful for. Most of the group is suffering from tummy troubles, but we're hopeful that problem will be fixed now that we got the kitchen water filter back on line. Kudos to David Norvell for braving ant bites and a run in with razor wire to get that project completed...after four separate trips to the hardware store in town  over 3 days for various parts. That is a story in itself, watching the store clerks trying to suppress their laughter listening to David and I try to ask for the parts we needed using our limited Spanish vocabulary.

Walking to town gave us multiple opportunities to observe the poverty of many of the local residents. It is not unusual for people to graze their cow on the side of the road, because that's where the grass is greener. Many on the outskirts of town live in half-finished houses, with ragged dogs lying on the front porch. In town, it's a constant bustle and most people live lives not that different from that in America, but there are always little reminders that Honduras is a country of limited resources. Yet, the citizens are happy.

The Apostle Paul spoke of having learned the secret of being content in all circumstances, whether in plenty or in want. He discovered that he could trust God to know his needs and care for him, and once learned that he could let go of worrying about material things, he was free to live in the moment and care for his fellow man. In America, we have so much that it is easy to lose sight of this important principle. We don't actually need so many things to be happy, and in fact they distract us from our true calling in life, which is to be in constant communication with God as we care for others.

In the limited time we have left at the Foundation, I look forward to many more smiles and much more of the children's laughter. That's what keeps us coming back every year. Again, we have much to be thankful for in America, but this place reminds us that the best things in life are actually pretty simple.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

David Duda

Our Journey Continues

We started off the second day of our time here in La Paz Honduras taking in another group from the local community and providing them with clean feet and brand new shoes. Again, the looks of pure joy and satisfaction on their faces when we slipped on those gleaming, unworn sneaks is something most people don't get to experience in their lifetime. What truly touched me were the heartwarming hugs that each and every shoe receiver laid upon us as we gave them the gift of comfortable footwear.
After hours of foot washing, we spent the afternoon fixing and assembling bicycles for the all kids and bonding with them. When all the bikes were in working condition, the kids spent hours racing around the foundation with huge smiles on their faces. We played football, basketball, and soccer all while listening to some uplifting music. While the kids were playing away, a small group of us decided to walk into town to purchase much needed supplies from the local hardware store. During our journey, we received various looks of confusion and amusement as we traveled through the busy streets carrying a very long white pipe. Although, I'm not sure the pipe was the only thing triggering the strange glares as Americans roaming their streets probably isn't a normal everyday sighting.
To top off a very interesting and eventful day, the kids built a beautiful bon fire and the foundation filled up with joy as the children sang and praised by the campfire and called us up to dance. Finally, the night ended with a movie night in the chapel where we all cuddled up with numerous pillows and blankets and watched Disney's very favorited movie "Frozen".

-Sophie Horne

washing feet, spreading love ,

Hoy es......Today is the day the Lord hath made ...let us rejoice and be glad in it. November 23,2015 is here .
Where has the Lord placed us today....Lord send me..... to  wash feet in Honduras...now.

Operation Barefoot Day 1= Splashing Success

Well, today was a good day. It was our team's first real day of mission work and it could not have gone any smoother! The morning consisted of giving the foundation kids new shoes and washing their feet. The sheer joy that illuminated their faces was so heart warming and unforgettable to me. The thought of God wanting us to be in these children's lives is overwhelming yet amazing at the same time. After lunch we did the same thing to employees, their kids, and women that go to bible study at the church here. Their gratitude has made my whole trip worth it thus far.
Then around 3 came the inevitable playing and goofing around with the children. I thoroughly enjoy teaching english to my buddy Christian. Our favorites include months, days of the week, and school subjects. I find it hilarious when they pronounce anything with a J, it's so cute because they don't know that sound (haha, or jaja).
Anywho, after a delicious arroz con pollo dinner there was lots more playing. My highlights always include a classic "chicos vs chicas" basketball game. Girls rule, boys drool, that's all. Just kidding the boys here make it a pretty even match. My all time favorite of tonight was playing "futbol americano" with this adorable little boy Junior. I taught him touchdowns, hiking, and running the little patterns to get open. The best thing that happened was teaching him a field goal. Since he's naturally a soccer star, I figured kicking wouldn't be that hard for him. He proved me right. Using my arms as proxy goal posts, I told him the basic premise was to kick the ball through my arms. And he genuinely did without me cheating and moving a little a few times!! I would yell perfecto! and his smile would just make my night.
So, all in all, this has been the best Monday I've had in a while. My night ended beautifully with a 15 minute long prayer with my group and we each got specific ninos to center our prayers on. Mine's Chrisitan, my english loving little squirt. I prayed that he knows that he, along with every other child here, is loved an immense amount and that they always will be.
Signing out with a big hoo ha! #platanos
-Katie Price

Monday Live Broadcasting

Watch live online at our Youtube channel:   https://youtu.be/ytRYjv-AnBk

Operation Barefoot 2015 is underway!

We've made it!

The trip to La Paz was a relatively simple one today, everyone getting through the airports and on the bus to the Foundation without a hitch. The kids were ready for us, blocking the street with their welcome banner (much to the dismay of some taxi drivers), and ready to give a thousand hugs to all of us.

We then heard songs sang, had a birthday party with cake,ngot to dance (with the kids, to a marimba band!) and watch some very loud fireworks!

But the best part today was being loved by the kids. They were so excited about the program (which they put on every year), that they couldn't help but grab our hands with wide smiles and help us up to dance. The glimpses of life that can be seen in less than of a fraction of a day in this place will always amaze me.

We've got lots in store for tomorrow; lots of shoes to organize, a water filter to fix and some internet to get up and running. But we'll meet it with smiling faces, just like the kids do, and with Jesus by our sides, we'll have the best day of our lives yet.

Feel free to call or message, and let us know what you'd like to know!

Love from La Paz,

Jake

Click here to see some pictures and dancing from today!

Arrived!

The team is safe and sound at the foundation in La Paz.

On the bus to La Paz

In the air....

The flight left Atlanta on time and the team will arrive in La Paz this afternoon.  Please pray for their safety and their time serving the community of La Paz.

Memphis Team...

is loaded up.  

All 17 team members have arrived safely in Atlanta and awaiting the flight to Tegucigalpa!

Orlando mission team....

Is on the way.