 |
| Tegucigalpa, Honduras, from the plane |
 |
| Our Farm School Team, visiting "El Hogar in the City" |
 |
| Contemplation |
Dear
Faith Partners,
This
year I went to the farm school in search of new experiences. This was
my fourth year going to Honduras but my first at the farm school. I
had visited the farm school for a couple of hours during our tours
while we stayed at El Hogar but I never received the full experience
until last week. When we first arrived I didn’t know how I would be
impacted by the new experiences I would have. The lessons I learned
from the boys at the farm school were amazing.
I loved to see how the
boys supported each other. The older boys would make sure the younger
boys had what they needed when they were doing homework and in the
dining hall they always shared their food and drink.
I also saw
determination in many of the boys who came to the farm school to make
a better life for their families and their community. The boys had so
much pride in the fact that they would soon be able to provide good
lives for their families and better their communities by providing
jobs and helping the economy in the future. Thank you for praying and
supporting us on our trip. Every time I go to Honduras I learn new
lessons and I am continually grateful for this opportunity.
-Nia Warren
 |
| Brotherhood |
 |
| New Friendships |
Dear
faith partners,
I
have been on mission trips before, and I have loved all of them. I
have played soccer before in foreign countries, against people with
whom I could not communicate directly with, and loved it. But this
trip was different because it exceeded my previous expectations;
there’s a little magic down there in Honduras.
The
first day upon arrival, I was told there was a soccer game. I tore
open my suitcase and grabbed my soccer clothes and my ball. Expecting
a barefoot game on a gravel or concrete campo, I was in awe
when I saw a green, massive field with the mountains shining in the
distance below brilliant blue skies. All the boys had cleats and I
was in my flip-flops. I stared timidly at the older, stronger boys on
the Escuela Agricola team. They were fast and tough. I was the
only girl; this was not a new phenomenon for me, yet it is still
intimidating. However, on my very first day, all the boys greeted me
with hola Maddie! a nice warm smile, and their very own cleats
they generously let me borrow.
After
the first day, that field became my home, and the boys became my
brothers. They helped my confidence grow in my poor Spanish (they
hardly spoke English), in my playing skills, and they helped me to
open up to people I hardly knew---there was one moment after the game
when, without speaking, two of the boys grabbed my shoes, water
bottle, and both my hands and we sprinted back to the dinner table,
just because.
Soccer
is a rare thing that can bring people of different places and
languages together. You fight for victory in the hot sun, you pass
the ball to your teammate, they make a move and suddenly it’s a
GOAL! Though language was certainly a barrier, we became friends
through futbol, not through words.
I
came to El Hogar to build friendships and learn about another
culture. Being a part of experiences like slaughtering chickens and
getting up at 3:40 am to milk cows are the kind that make you step
out of your comfort zone—I don’t think you could be more alive.
Within the animals, children, and the mountains of Honduras it is
almost impossible to miss the powerful and unifying forces of God in
the World.
This
was my first time going to Honduras and I hope it will not be my
last. After hugging all 60 boys on our last day and reading all the
sweet notes they wrote to me, I could not help thinking how cool it
would be to go back in November to see them graduate and return the
following summers. Sometimes I am sure the boys made me more happy
than all five of us made them.
This has been one of the best weeks
for me of all time, and I sincerely mean it. I am an amateur
photographer, and often take pride in capturing special moments, but
for the first trip ever, I managed to take less than 200 photos
because I was out having adventures I’ll always remember. I have so
much gratitude for you kind folks who helped this week happen. Thank
you, thank you, thank you.
Much
love,
Maddie
Hordinski
 |
| The Team with Eduin (blue shirt) and his family |
 |
| And last, but certainly not least, we finally have our own mural in the dining hall! |
