First Church of God - Beckley, WV

HONDURAS was as breathtaking as always in the beautiful, rugged mountains and the crystal clear Caribbean waters. The team enjoyed all aspects the country had to offer, but not until we put in our four days of hard, very hot work. Bucky and Sandy Trail, Dick Gilbert from Blacksburg, and Chance, Courtney, and Tyra Cook made their first trip while 3 of us were veterans to Heart to Honduras-Vickie Prince and Vondie and Teresa Cook. Honduras will not be the same since The Cook Clan went through! They made their mark long before Hurricane Dean came along.

The work days were located in San Isidro where the Heart to Honduras main office is. Between a carpenter (Bucky), a cabinet maker (Dick), and a pastor with some skills (your very own Vondie), the project went quicker and smoother than planned. As a matter of fact, we had two different leaders, first the translator (David), then the project leader (Naldo), leave us to do work elsewhere since everything was under control. The team not only finished earlier than anticipated, but also put trim work in within that time frame. We also gained a mascot or as Dick would say, “A catscot” since it was a small kitten.

One of our R & R Days consisted of lunch at a beautiful lake-front resort called Las Glorias located on Lake Yojoa and then a breathtaking trip to the Pulhapansak Falls. The second day we took a “bumpy” boat ride across Tela Bay to the National Park called Punta Sal. There we had a lunch of the catch of the day (literally caught that morning) and some snorkeling or just beach walking. We ended our day with some local shopping in Tela and, of course, dinner at the Motel located on the beach.

We hated to see the time end, but in the same sense, we were ready to get home (to have ice water again). We made new friends with the locals and with the new Heart to Honduras staff, but we were also glad to reunite with past friends. It was a trip that will be embedded in our minds and hearts forever.

Honduras Trip Trivia:

Did you know Bucky Trail’s real name is Alva? How did “Bucky” come from that?

Chance’s big question of the week- “Why do we bathe in the cold water and drink the warm water?”

Vickie Prince is somewhat scared of lizards.

Did you know that the School of Discipleship students have a praise service at 5:30 A.M. a couple of times a week? We found that out by how loud their praise is.

Bucky found a box of ear plugs the day we left Canchias.

Cattle trucks are not just for cattle.

The showers felt warmer by the end of the week. How did that happen?

Did you know that the businesses do not open until 9 A.M. and close at 5 P.M. because of safety?

Courtney & Tyra like chicken fingers in Honduras. They are made fresh-no frozen foods there!

What happens in Honduras stays in Honduras.