Honduras post trip blues... uh, report!

Why the blues? This trip was so confirming and obvious to us that the Lord went before us to prepare our travels, team and experiences that we didn't want to leave! We arrived in Honduras after an uneventful flight (just 12 short hours!) on Sept. 15th and was greeted by our team leader at the airport. After a 2 hour drive south into the heart of the mountains of Siguatepeque, Honduras, we arrived at the seminary campus we would stay at for most of the trip. We met our team and had some rest before dinner together that night.


The next day we spent the day with our team going into the downtown area to experience the Thursday market and to see some of the town. Hondurans are friendly people and always have a smile when talked to so it made it easier to approach the various fruit and vegetable booths. Siguatepeque is a relatively small city of around 70,000 (compared to our home city of Salem, OR) and is very mild in temperature ranging from the low 70s on the coolest days to the low 90s on the hottest days. The rainy season, which ends in October usually, keeps the country very green and lush. Pine trees are more common in the mountains than palm trees. All-in-all, it's a very beautiful, mountainous area.

On Friday, Sept. 17, we all decided as a team to visit a nearby mountain village where a previous CAM team had put in a cement floor and roof over the home of a single mother of 6 children. Before we went, we did a craft project with our boys and the other missionary kids on campus to make a mobile to hang inside the village home.

The drive up the mountain road was rough, but made it to the top where this little adobe house looked over the valley below. The kids came running out when they saw us drive up and were really excited to see us. We went into their home and presented them with the mobile and ball. Their smiles are permanently on our hearts! Their mother was not home as she was working in town (about a 45 minute walk) making tortillas and would return in the afternoon. The oldest girl, probably 12 years old, acted as the mother and cared for her 5 younger siblings while their mom was away. It was a sad situation, but it was a joy for us to bring smiles to their faces. We then played soccer with them in the field nearby with their new ball and bought each of them a soda at the "pulpuria" (store) next to the field.


On Sunday, Sept. 19th, we went to our team leaders church in Sigutepeque. This church was very involved in missions, which is uncommon in Central America. This particular Sunday had a missions focus and one of our team members preached the message (in Spanish) on Acts 1:8. It was a great message of what we could understand.

Monday we packed up our things for a four day trip to the north coast of Honduras. We piled in our team leader's minivan and about 1.5 hours into our trip the van broke a timing belt and the engine seized. We pulled off on the side of the road and looked for the closest shade. By this time and in this area it was much hotter than in the mountains so we sat up on the embankment under some trees. We heard kids behind us and noticed there was a public school. When the kids saw us they all came running to see the "gringos" (as they call Americans in Honduras). We had a captive audience so took advantage of it and sang Jesus Loves Me to them using sign language as well. They loved it! We eventually were invited onto the playground behind the fence where there was lots of shade and lots of fun, energetic kids! Our boys loved the break from the car and played with the other kids while we talked with them all in our broken Spanish. They thought we were pretty funny! What could be looked at as a broken car and spoiled plans, turned into an opportunity to share the love and hope of Christ with kids we would have never met if we hadn't broken down.


About an hour after our divine appointment, our pastor friend from Tela arrived to tow us to town a half hour away. While our team leader went with a tow truck from Tela to San Pedro Sula, we were blessed with time on the beach as a family and our first experience of the Caribbean Sea. We then took a walk in the downtown Tela area looking at all the shops and experiencing Honduran beach culture (which is different than that of the mountainous region).


The next day, Sept. 14, we went to meet Hector and his family in La Ceiba, about an hour drive from Tela. Hector planted a church here and we went to encourage him and minister to those in his neighborhood and church (which is actually his home too). We walked down his street and went by all the homes greeting people as we walked. One woman invited us in to read from the Word and pray for her. Her father, who was in the next room, had just returned from the hospital having his leg amputated from gain green. He had drank too much and had inflicted wounds that caused the amputation (he is a diabetic). We and the others prayed over him and he chose to give his life to Christ! It is sad that for some they need to be on their back (literally) to see the Lord. In this case, the result was eternal rejoicing! After visiting and praying for a few other households we went to Hectors house for a wonderful meal of fried chicken, frijoles, scrambled eggs, goat cheese, corn tortillas and fried plantain for dessert (typical Honduran meal). That night we had a church service there at the house and a cute little Garifuna girl named Dariela befriended Corey (see photo).


On Wednesday, we went to visit Hospital Loma De Luz in Belfate, about an hour or so east of La Ceiba. Fellow missionaries Brad and Trish Ward from New Hope Evangelical in Bend, OR, and resident missionaries at the hospital, met us there to give us a tour as our hosts for the day. They showed us the grounds and also the children's home that was established here to care for abandoned children that were brought to the hospital by desperate mothers. Most of these abandoned children were left to die. They are now getting medical help and a Christ-centered education at the children's home.

After visiting the hospital it had been a full day, so we headed back to La Ceiba. There we had dinner with our team and the pastors from Tela and La Ceiba who we traveled with. It was a great time to refresh and get to know each other better. On Thursday, Sept. 23rd, we headed towards San Pedro Sula to pick up a small van to replace the rental we had from our breakdown. It was cheaper for us to rent a van WITH a driver so the driver went everywhere we went and was always a part of our ministry. We got to know him over these few days and found that he had lived in NY city for a time to raise money to start his own van taxi service in San Pedro. He had fallen away from the Lord over the years and at the end of the trip told us he was recommitting his life to the Lord! When saying goodbye to him, he told our team leader that if we ever need a driver in San Pedro or around the area to let him know and we'd only have to pay him for gas. The Lord used a broken down car to to bring this guy back into a relationship with Him! Praise God!

The next few days we spent back in Siguatepeque at the seminary campus doing odds and ends jobs to help. Kirsten and I were able to get our hands dirty and planted about 40 plants at the main entrance of the seminary grounds. We're excited to see what it looks like when we return! Like these plants we pray that the seeds we planted with those we met on our journeys here will bear fruit. The last few days of our trip we spent with our team and headed back to the north coast. It was a great time getting to know each other, praying with one another and fellowshipping together. One of the days we visited a "state park" which was actually just the jungle that was restricted to the public (small entrance fee). We ventured into a bamboo forest where we came to a mountain river and stayed most of the day there eating picnic style. It was beautiful!


The next day, Sept. 29th, we spent the day at the beach and exploring the town of Tela. Our future ministry here will eventually be on the north coast in either Tela or La Ceiba (or both) so we wanted to familiarize ourselves. That night we spent time as a team and had training from staff from the CAM home office. Afterward we spent the rest of the night playing strategy games :) We were so blessed by this trip as individuals and as a family. The Lord prepared our hearts and those that we ministered to. He moved and we followed. It was an incredible time and we are excited about what the future holds in Honduras for us. We really did not want to come home and felt like we fit so well, but we know the Lord has more to teach us and for others to be more involved in this ministry.


We would love to meet with anyone who wants to know more about our future ministry and what the Lord is doing in Honduras. Would you please pray about being a part of it? Contact us if you would like to know more (503-371-0053 or ckwells1@gmail.com). We'd love to host you for dinner or dessert or ?? Who knows, maybe you will be taking a trip to Honduras someday to minister along side us, short term, long term... who knows but the Lord?! We are asking for your prayers as we seek to be ready for whenever the Lord provides the funds for us to GO!

Blessings,
The Wells Family