Team No. 7!

What fun we had with this team from Pennsylvania!  The island kids loved Anna and Samuel!

Then and now!

Left to right: Directors now and then of Helene site - Dan Fortune (1998-2004), Larry Benson (2004-  )

                  

               The week just went by too fast!  I am sure some of those           

               mornings or afternoons of carrying wood and equipment,

               hammering, holding boards in place, etc. did not seem that

               fast to the team working!   We only wish we had had more 

               time to spend with the folks who gave their time to come and

               build the pirate ship for the playground.  It will be a constant 

               reminder of how much you care! 

     Many days of fun ahead!

   The smile tells it all!  

   And the scrap wood pieces make great weapons for these "pirates!" 

        getting closer!

   day by day, board by board...

Here's all the hard work to make a lot of extra play for our students!

Ship Ahoy!

(My apologies!  It has been a very long time since I added to my blog!  I am continuing the timeline for our short term mission teams that visited Helene this summer - 2008)  Our next team after the Texas STM was from the state of Washington.  Contributing the special touch for our playground project was a piece of equipment that looks like a pirate ship!  For days students had watched from the back porch of the school to see the hill transformed into a clearing and a concrete block frame and then a wooden form to a fantastic climbing gym.   

Reach, teach, and send to South Africa

One of the special treats with the Texas team is the fact that Joe and Averyl Morris were with them.  Actually, Joe and Averyl were first with us!  Joe came to Helene in 2002, almost 2 years before our family arrived.  He and Averyl were married in January of this year, living in Roatan, traveling quite a bit in their honeymoon year.  Averyl is from South Africa, although her home has been in Roatan for the past 17 years.  At this posting, they are in the midst of planning to return to South Africa where we believe God is leading them in ministry.  They have been involved in working with the refugee camps during two different trips back to South Africa since they have been married (that is, since January of this year!) and their messages reverberated with the burden they have for the people there.  Averyl had come to Helene with Joe to do an internship a few weeks before the Texas team arrived.  She learned what "outside of your comfort zone" means and was a tremendous help to Brandy in the kitchen.  We are honored, Joe and Averyl, that you are continuing what God is doing in South Africa, and that you are a part of our AM family. 

Texas team!

Team # 5 (if you're keeping up with it) was from Texas.  Larry and I spent almost 5 years in Texas at the seminary in Fort Worth.  Emily was born there, also, so we have sweet memories of the "early married/always broke" stage of our lives.  Those years were some of the richest of our lives because of the way we saw God work and provide for us, and because of the friends we were blessed with during that time.

This team worked hard to help build an islander's home and various other construction projects, including the school playground.  Before we knew it, another week had flown by and they were posing for the team picture before leaving the island. 

at the airport

All too soon it was time for the team to leave...here we are at the airport, trying to have a little more fun before we said goodbye!

This was really tough for me.  some of the folks on this team were only 6 or 7 when I tested them in homeschooling, or just barely a teenager when we were all at Kids Camp, or maybe I have just met them for the first time.  I always have a hard time saying goodbye, but they are like family. When I see these young people again, they will be in college, or no longer teenagers at least.  They have been so much fun and are so dear to my heart. 

finding the Winners' Circle

here's one winner

We even had some girls participate...

Paddle, paddle, paddle

You go out beyond our boat dock, manuever around a buoy, and return for the final stretch.

Next, you get in the dory, keeping your balance, paddle as hard as you can toward the open sea...

ever heard of dory racing in the Olympics?

For the dory race, first you have to get the dory headed in the right direction...

Before this team left, they held a "Helene Olympics" of sorts at three locations on the island.  Our Olympic events were somewhat different than the world competition.  We included such activities as machete cutting, dory racing, darts, etc.  The English school even dismissed early one afternoon to participate and  cheer the dory race.  The winners are seen with new fishing rods.  The only thing we were missing was the Honduran national anthem.

Work on the deck between Classrooms 1 and 2 was completed and the "field" on the new playground was already in use by mid-July.  Several teens on the visiting team helped out in the school.  The students really enjoy the attention, and the teachers can tackle some of those jobs that we simply cannot do for lack of enough hands, feet, or crowd control!  

One very special highlight of this STM week was a surprise fireworks display for the 4th of July.  This actually happened on the 3rd of July because the west coast team would be downisland on the 4th before leaving Honduras on Saturday and we did not want them to miss this holiday celebration.  Not long after supper was cleaned up, we were all told to follow the flashlights that took us to our boat dock.  We had an amazing vantage point for the fireworks being shot out over the sea.  We knew nothing of the behind-the-scenes efforts that brought this event.  Fireworks cannot be transferred by airplanes, so they had to be bought within the country of Honduras.  Through a friend on the mainland, fireworks were purchased, brought to another city about 6 hours away, placed on the ferry that travels daily from the mainland to Roatan.  Larry then traveled downisland that morning to pick them up at a shipping company (and the boat was late arriving).  Then he took our normal trip by taxi to our boat, 40 minute ride to Helene, arriving just 2 hours before the fireworks were ignited!  We oohed and aahed and quietly watched the glow, concluding with none other than "America the Beautiful."  Thank you, Kitty Hawk.

  

After two weeks with our graduated seniors, we welcomed two teams, one from the east coast and one from the west coast of the U.S.  The west coast STM had never been to Helene before, and the east coast STM was seasoned by one year of experience.  Both groups were great together.  We took great joy in hosting our dear friends from Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills, NC, where we live in the states.  In that glorious place called OBX, you're a neighbor with anyone from the "Banks", no matter what township.  We were even more thrilled to see this team spring forth from two congregations who combined efforts to make a mission experience available for both churches.  Two major construction projects were accomplished, putting a roof on Bro. Elbert's new house and finishing a deck between Classrooms 1 and 2.  We also had a dentist and a promising dental student for a week!  

Here's a parting shot with the team inside the futbol (soccer) goal built for the area that will be our field.  Futbol is the sport of choice in Honduras and always the favorite of the boys, some girls, at recess.  The young men's team in Helene is called Estrella and they participate in the final championships almost every year.  The goalposts thrilled the schoolchildren who have moved them to a couple of locations so that they have the real thing as opposed to the imaginary goalposts we have been using.

In some of their "spare time" the team learned about iguanas that are a delicacy on the island.  With the help of some island friends, the iguana shown here was prepared and served during one of our evening meals.  The adventure in catching an iguana is as much a part of the experience as the eating.

Here's another scene at the playground - the team took turns each day digging out the hill and preparing the foundation.

The next week in June we hosted a team from Oregon that have made two trips a year to Helene.  During Spring Break they promote family-oriented mission trip and another, Senior Mission Trip right after their high school graduation.  Thirty folks strong arrived to do several projects, including rebuilding some footbridges on the path in a community over gulley areas from heavy rains.  A deck was begun for a shaded area during recess and there was a continuing project from last year - a lot of teams have made this happen - creating a playground for the school.  For two weeks this STM pulled weeds, raked tall, coarse grass, leveled the ground, spread loads of sand...you get the picture!  A very tedious job.  Not to mention digging the foundation for a special piece of equipment - keep following this blog!  

more Grace

Here's one more post from our first week with teams in June.  One evening all us ladies spent a fun time making dolls from materials that Grace Brethren brought.  Friendships form from moments like this as you can see in the picture of Jarina (from Helene) and a young lady from Ohio.  One week is such little time to spend.  We are excited this team already has plans to return next year!

Here come the teams!

Today is a VERY hot, sultry Sunday.  The air is heavy and still because a small tropical storm named Dolly is on a path toward Belize and this always pulls the air from the south of it (basically where we are).  This leaves us with no breeze, not even a flutter in the trees.  A great day for doing absolutely nothing!  That brings me to doing something about my blog.  I cannot believe that an entire SEVEN WEEKS have gone by since my last entry!  But we have been just a little busy...

The beginning of June started our STM "season."  STM stands for Short Term Missions and teams from all over come for one or two weeks to join us in construction projects, assist in our school, accompany our medical staff and overall get a taste of real mission action.  We host teams from churches, schools, organizations, businesses as well as individual families or couples.We really enjoy this "company" throughout the entire year, but the summer months are the most popular because this time period accomodates most American vaca

tions from school or work.  Instead of writing an entry focusing on the school here in Helene, I will spend a few posts telling about each week of our STM blitz.

Our first team of the "nonstop teams for nine weeks" was Grace Brethre

n church from Ohio.  They were a great bunch of folks who had never been to Helene before.

I kept staring at one lady in particular who just looked so familiar.  It turns out that we both grew up in Memphis, Tennessee and were only two years apart in school, even having had friends through mutual friends.  It is just amazing to me how God brings people in touch with each other.  I had so much fun walking down memory lane, recalling many of the same events in that city at that particular time period. We remembered many of the same places that have changed from our youthful years.  What a terrific way to kick off the season. 

It's not Kite Runner, but...

We have a big wooden box the size of a shipping crate in our school.  It holds all the equipment and games students may take outside for recess.  One of the boys in my 4th grade class found an old kite one day a couple of weeks ago.  He worked with it and got it in the sky.  Suddenly, it became the target item for recess.  When I left suddenly to make a quick trip to the states, I told my class to be good and work hard.  "I just may have to bring you something."  Immediately I heard, "Ms. Sheila, can you bring us a kite?"

It just so happened that I found kites for $1 apiece at Wal-Mart so I was able to purchase one for each fourth grader.   As soon as I was back in the classroom, the excitement was evident.  Two students kept nosing into my "teacher pile" to see if they could find the kites.  Then it was time to dismiss and the only reason they had come to school that day had arrived.  A light rain was falling, but it did not deter the efforts of at least three to launch their new kites.  It's kind of our own version of Kite Runners.

Recess!

Children all over the world love recess!  Here are a few of my students playing UNO during recess.  Football (soccer to Americans) is the chosen activity during recess by most children.  We also have legos, puzzles, coloring books, bats and balls, and jumprope.  One of our American teachers recently introduced double jumproping so we all take endless turns trying to learn that new skill.  After recess we have a snack and Readaloud time using books donated to our expanding library.  Books are a precious thing here, not found crowding shelves as they do in many American homes. 

This is my 3rd/4th grade class last year - 2007.  Our school year runs from February to November like schools in Honduras.  I really like this schoolyear schedule better because we do not have such an interruption in learning because of holidays.  We emphasize reading and writing English which is the native language of the Bay Islands.  But the favored subjects of the students and myself are Bible and geography.  The "outside" world is mostly unknown to these students, except for what they see on tv or movies.  We seek to give them a worldview that does not focus on themselves alone; it's not all about "we."   

Teacher Buddy

Here's Ms. Dola with me back a couple of years ago.  We taught Kindergarten together for a couple of years in the Helene Christian Bilingual School here.  Now we teach in separate classes.   We are the same age and both of us have three children.  She has worked for years to bring more education to the island of Helene.  she tutors students after her class at the English school.  She is responsible for getting the "college" program established in Helene.  College follows 6th grade in Honduras and is similar to American middle school education.  It is a privilege to work with Ms. Dola and share our lives together.  Pray for her health as age continues to bring new issues to deal with all the time.

City Girl Learns to Hold a Chicken

I never knew anyone could ever pick up a chicken without being pecked to death!  The kids were up to no good with this bird, but they showed me how to hold it for a picture.  Having lived in a city until I was 35, (and city girls don't have much to do with CHICKENS), I found out they really aren't as vicious as I thought.  Here on Helene, chickens are everywhere.   They crow at all times of the night.  They can fly.  And they can't walk without plunging their necks out first.  This city girl is getting an education.

Island with a View

From our highest vantage point looking to the east, the islands of Morat, Barbaret and Guanaja are in the distance.  There are hundreds of islands like this in the Caribbean Sea.  Our call is to our island of Santa Elena and others like it, that God's grace may be shared and prove abundantly wealthy in ways that cannot be seen or touched.

Monkeying Around

This little guy lives in Gumbalimba Park on the island of Roatan in the Bay Islands of Honduras. We visit this park often as we host teams of folks who come to work alongside us on another island named Santa Elena, or Helene.  Gumbalimba Park is filled with flowers, iguanas, macaws, ferns, and a few monkeys as well as a cave museum, cactus garden, snuba, and hiking areas.   It is a really awesome display of God's creation.