The Honduras mission team is almost at the end of their trip to El Hogar. Read about their Friday.
Though it was the team’s final day at El Hogar, it was without a doubt one of the best. So without further ado, I present to you our final full day:
The day began with one last morning devotion about respect, followed by a scrumptious meal of pancakes. As the rest of the team was preparing for the day, Chrissy and Daniel slipped off to watch the spelling bee that the children had been preparing for all week. Just an hour earlier we had seen a little girl cramming with flashcards, so we were excited to see how the competition turned out. 
The children were gathered in the auditorium and competed in groups of three. It was a wonderful site to see, and the children seemed both very excited and very happy. After observing this for a while, the team loaded into a van for a trip to see what will become the location for girls once they graduate from El Hogar.
The children were gathered in the auditorium and competed in groups of three. It was a wonderful site to see, and the children seemed both very excited and very happy. After observing this for a while, the team loaded into a van for a trip to see what will become the location for girls once they graduate from El Hogar.You see, girls have only been attending El Hogar for about four years, and no system is currently in place to continue the education of girls once they graduate, like the Technical Institute and Agriculture School for the boys. For this reason, the El Hogar staff have purchased a piece of property with two houses in BEAUTIFUL St. Lucia, a city up in the mountains outside of Tegucigalpa. We toured the currently empty buildings and listened to the plans for them. 
It was an amazing experience to see the vision that the staff have for the scope of El Hogar. The plan is to have the girls living at this new facility while attending private high school. What a gift that will be for the girls! We also had the pleasure of touring the houses with a team from Canada that included a former Director of El Hogar. The city of St. Lucia was also very enjoyable, with great mountain vistas, cobblestone streets along the mountainside, and the oldest church in Honduras, dating to around 1500.
It was an amazing experience to see the vision that the staff have for the scope of El Hogar. The plan is to have the girls living at this new facility while attending private high school. What a gift that will be for the girls! We also had the pleasure of touring the houses with a team from Canada that included a former Director of El Hogar. The city of St. Lucia was also very enjoyable, with great mountain vistas, cobblestone streets along the mountainside, and the oldest church in Honduras, dating to around 1500.Once we worked our way back to the main road, we traversed the rural mountainside to La Valle de los Angeles, a “tourist village” with great crafts and goods for sale. After we finished exploring the many shops, we piled into the old van for the return trip to El Hogar. Excited at the prospect of grabbing food at a restaurant on the way home, the team hardly noticed when the engine failed to crank the first time. By the second time, we understood.
The driver, Raul, let the van roll backwards out of the parking space and towards the parking lot exit. However, the van became stuck on an obnoxiously large bump, so all the males present helped push the van backwards over the bump . Then we helped the van turn about 90 degrees and gave it some speed down the hill. Raul then managed to get the engine started, and the men all jumped in, a regular “Little Miss Sunshine” moment.
The driver, Raul, let the van roll backwards out of the parking space and towards the parking lot exit. However, the van became stuck on an obnoxiously large bump, so all the males present helped push the van backwards over the bump . Then we helped the van turn about 90 degrees and gave it some speed down the hill. Raul then managed to get the engine started, and the men all jumped in, a regular “Little Miss Sunshine” moment.The team then made it to the restaurant, which had the best bean and cheese dip ever, as well as homemade guacamole (yes, be jealous). Full from this meal, the team made its way home, now slightly less phased, but still excited by, the wild Honduran roads. The team then rested during the afternoon and prepared for the talent show that was planned for the evening. The show was far better than we could have ever imagined, and we are not talking about the act that we prepared. The children put on a MARVELOUS performance of the three little pigs, and several brave souls sang in front of the assembly.
The team also had a chance to share some talents. Daniel and Nick put on a clown juggling act, and Chrissy and Daniel did handstands. The children loved the act, especially when we called for a volunteer. After this, we presented the children with a slide show of pictures from the week. They very much enjoyed this, as they feel very special when they see pictures of themselves.
The team also had a chance to share some talents. Daniel and Nick put on a clown juggling act, and Chrissy and Daniel did handstands. The children loved the act, especially when we called for a volunteer. After this, we presented the children with a slide show of pictures from the week. They very much enjoyed this, as they feel very special when they see pictures of themselves.However, the most touching moment of the evening came when children got to stand up and say what was on their hearts. The kind and touching words of thankfulness that came from the children, translated by our very own Chrissy, truly moved the team, and we were grateful for the chance to share our thoughts and thanks back with them. With many emotions stirring inside, the team made its way back to the volunteer house to pack and go to sleep, with the gentle sound of rain falling on the old tin roof.
God Bless,
El Hogar Mission Team
P.S. Stay tuned for one more blog entry! We have a very special activity planned for tomorrow morning before we head back to the States!
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