Saturday, July 5
On Saturday, the team ventured out to its farthest destination. Battling the rain and treacherous terrain, Elmer delivered us safely in our trusty bus to Santa Fe Abajo. The schedule of events for today was similar to yesterday in that we broke the ice with the Tu Ti Ta dance, our lesson about the importance of every part of the body of Christ portrayed in a skit and Brian’s Mr. Potato Head (Señor Papa) analogy. The community of roughly 100 young Hondurans was split into three groups and took turns in our Workshop, Crafts, and Games stations. Some special moments from today included the reunion of Papa Joe and Maria Katy. Maria Katy is a young girl with a large birthmark on her face and some developmental issues. She immediately grabs the hearts of all who meet her. This reunion was a very touching moment for everyone.
The Workshops gave us a unique glimpse at what these children see affecting their community. Their desire to make their world a better place, their honesty and their willingness to openly share astounded the team. The Craft station continued to invoke excitement from our younger groups; however it was surprising how the older teens took to an activity involving what Americans would consider a children’s craft. Aside from the soccer played during the Game station, our daily USA vs. Honduras soccer match was canceled due to the impending rain and an eagerness of the community to watch the Costa Rica World Cup game unfold. The day as a whole went down as a win for our entire group and everyone is excited to repeat our successes in the following days here in Honduras.
Our team was surprised this evening by the appearance of a giant Honduran grasshopper after our devotion and sharing time. Those that were brave enough to get a close look estimated the length to be 4 inches long. Our encounters provided much excitement and laughter with the team members. Shenanigans ensued, and opportunities to pose for “selfies” with the grasshopper occurred before we all retired to bed for the evening.
The First UMC Youth Team
