The mission team to Honduras has been at the El Hogar orphanage and school since Saturday. Here’s how the spent their day on Thursday.
Morning broke with a clear sky and the sound of children performing their first chores. After these chores, the children gathered around the courtyard where we met them for the morning devotion. The teacher this morning spoke very passionately about respect for life, saying that the children should be happy each and every morning that they are alive; for this reason, they should respect their life and what they have been given. The team loved that the teacher told the children that they must all be “shining stars.” The morning’s entertainment featured a battle between Nick and an army of ants. Luckily, the can of Raid that the team found turned out to be the key to victory. Following breakfast, the team jumped in a van for a trip to the agricultural school associated with El Hogar. The driver today was Arturo, a young man who was once a student at El Hogar and who now teaches English to the children there.
The ride to the school was beautiful and thrilling. Driving in Tegucigalpa is always an exciting adventure, full of narrow misses with buses and amazing sites, such as a tiny pickup truck loaded down with a mountain of recyclables. Once out of the city, the winding roads through the mountains were absolutely gorgeous, with views of farmland and hillside communities. Once at the agricultural school, the team went on a wonderful tour. The school produces enough food to practically feed itself, but also enough to supplement the food at El Hogar and the Technical Institute. The children are taught sustainable farming methods for three years and grow a number of crops, such as limes, cucumbers, carrots, corn, and plantains. In addition, they grow king grass, a type of grass that grows extremely tall and is used to feed cows.
Speaking of cows, the farm has a substantial number of them of all ages (including an adorable 15-day-old), as well as chickens, horses, goats, sheep, and a turkey, among other animals. However, the team bonded more with one animal than any other, a dog named 
Delca, who followed the team around for a good portion of the tour. After a much-needed lunch of fresh cabbage salad (from the farm, of course), beef (also from the farm), rice, and what the team thinks was fresh pear and pineapple juice, the team left the farm, but not before we took a quick picture with Arturo.
Once back at El Hogar, the team rested or played soccer with the children before eating dinner. The next 30 minutes were spent in turmoil as the team decided what activities to do with a rowdy army of young boys. The team wanted to maintain order during the evening playtime, so we decided to organize a game of 
Mission Impossible. For those of you who do not know about this game, it is pretty much the best way to keep a horde of young boys preoccupied and under a tiny bit of control. We collected the necessary items and hoped (more than anyone can recall ever hoping for anything in their life) that the game would keep the attention of the boys. Essentially, the boys had to get their team from one side of a room to another without touching the ground by using only the objects that we provided for them . To our great delight, the boys LOVED the game. After a few rounds with increasing difficulty, the teams dispersed and new activities began, including a spontaneous game of dodge-frisbee, which the boys thought was hilarious and which the team thought was a great way to vent a lot of male energy and frustration. Unfortunately, playtime was briefly interrupted by gunfire next door. This was not the first time the team heard gunfire at night, but this was the first time it was close enough to worry. This experience really drove home to the team why a place like El Hogar is necessary. Growing up in a caring and nurturing environment, instead of in an environment where violence predominates, will help ensure that the children of El Hogar have bright futures. With these thoughts in mind, the team retired to the guest hut to rest before the final full day at school.
God Bless,
El Hogar Mission Team
