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.