14 Members updated 06/11/07
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14 Members updated 06/08/07
01 JUNE 07 - FRIDAY
Update by Dr. and Mrs Bucy
Fri.: Orientation. Pastor Sam gave an overview of schedule, instructions, and cautions— very helpful!
Sat.: We had three Bible clubs in different areas around Sabana Grande. About 20 kids attended each one. The Bible club that I was in started with about 6 kids. When others saw the fun we were having the rest started coming, often after changing into fancy clothes. All the group members participated teaching Bible verses, songs, or playing games. In her Bible club, Jessica told the Bible story in Spanish.
For lunch, we ate pastalitos and plantain with sour cream at Giselle’s mom’s house. Delicious, but no one broke Vicki’s record for eating the most pastalitos.
That evening, we had a combined youth activity with Pastor Alan Jackson, who had worked with the Hodges’s when the Jackson’s first came to Honduras. He brought a truckload of youth. We gathered around a campfire at the Hodges’s’ church. The group did their presentation and sang other songs. Then Joe preached with Pastor Sam interpreting. He preached on unity of believers. Then we all roasted hot dogs. A great time of fellowship with our group getting to know some of the Hondurans.
When we drove home, the headlights shone on a herd of beef cattle who had invaded the yard of the Hodges’s’ rental home.
Sun.: About two hours before we were scheduled to leave, electricity went off. Drove through cows to get out of Hodges’s’ place and arrived at church to discover electricity off at at church too. In children’s Sunday school, Kathy Dial taught songs and Bible verse; Jessica taught story of Esther. They had no problem all by themselves controlling the 40 well-behaved children. The rest of the church had a combined Sunday school and Brian and the four guys gave their testimony. A wonderful balance of testimonies.
In the morning service, Stephanie played the piano with Ashley accompanying on flute. Then Ashley played a piano solo for the offertory and the group did their presentation. Two kids from Bible club came to church for the first time! Cindy and Chelsi did children’s church. Though each of the members (except Jessica) feels a little awkward at first in this different culture, each comes away from his responsibilities loving it and excited to do more. Michael preached on Deut. 4, keeping idols out of your life, with Brother Sam interpreting. Our eyes filled with tears when seventeen of Brother Sam’s tender-hearted people immediately came forward at the invitation, from young boys to women and men of the church, even a crippled lady who hobbled her way down the aisle.
For dinner, we went to Arturo and Ligia’s home and had fried chicken, French fries, cole slaw, and flan. Julie had asked Ligia to prepare a Honduran meal, but Arturo’s wife insisted that would be too heavy for the noon meal, and said she’d make us another meal later of Honduran food in the evening. Then we got to see his fields of crops from fruit such as mangos, lemons, and mandarin oranges to sugar cane.
That evening we took a very full busload of our church people to Pastor Jackson’s church about 25 minutes away. The group did their presentation and sang several other songs. Next Pastor Hodges’s ladies choir sang. Then Des preached a powerful message on Jesus’ being faithful to get us through storms. Several came forward. Returned home to find electricity back on. Praise the Lord!
Mon.: Work day at Pastor Hodges’s church. He was thrilled that we were able to complete all 4 projects that he’d thought we get a good start on: painting the stucco on the outside of the teachers’ building, putting in a drain for the church, putting up a wall to convert part of a storage room to a classroom for next year, and painting it and a room that used to be a nursery to prepare it to be a classroom for next year. The group had a great time and worked hard to help in any way they could. Brian and I are so thrilled with the wonderful team members that we have. We have great unity and each of the members has a servant’s heart.
I taught the Bible lesson for the school’s chapel time from the new life of Paul series we brought, and Stephanie taught kindergarten since Krista Dabbelt, the regular teacher, had to be away for the day. We both really enjoyed it.
That evening, we had a rainstorm and discovered that the Honduran repairman had not done a good job on the roof. We kept busy putting buckets under leaks. The group enjoyed watching Brian herd the cattle away with a broom. We also had to keep the doors shut because of swarming termites—we’re getting a grand initiation to missionary life.
Tues.: In the morning, Chelsi taught the Bible lesson for chapel and Julia taught kindergarten for a couple of hours to allow Krista Dabbelt, who has hurt her back, to rest. Julie has said our timing was perfect to help with the school. We learned that Stephanie had been sick since 2:30 in the morning. She rested, with Mike staying to keep an eye on her. Then we did our presentation at a public school and sang several songs. There were about 150 kids. Jessica started teaching the Bible story from the salvation series in Spanish but some of the kids started getting loud and running around. The teachers ignored their actions. Several of our girls started praying on the side and soon the situation calmed down. A whole group of little boys who had been sitting on the edge of the sidewalk kept moving closer and closer to Jessica so that she soon had a crowd at her feet.
That afternoon the group rested with Brian and me trying to communicate to you and failing. Then about 4:00 we went to supper at Jose’s house. We had delicious homemade tacos and enchiladas before going to the evening service at 6:00. Pastor Sam had the congregation sing verses in Spanish, then English. It was fun. Chelsi played for the hymns, and Kathy Flack and Ashley sang a duet. Then Brian preached. Pastor Sam had asked him to give a sermon on missions to get some of his members interested in the mission field. It was a stirring message with Pastor Sam translating, and more than 20 going forward telling God they were willing to give, pray, and go if God called them.
Returned home. More cows, worse leaks. New repairman is supposed to come Thursday. Rearranged some sleeping arrangements to accommodate the leaks.
Wed.: Stephanie arrived all perky, saying she was over her 24-hour virus and really wanted to participate in day’s activities. Julia taught Bible lesson at school. Then we all went to two more public schools. We marveled at how well behaved the children were at both schools. We did the presentation in the classroom with another class cramming into the same room. We sang several songs and Joe gave a gospel lesson with Pastor Sam interpreting. Then we hiked up the mountain across a small stream, under barbed wire, and over rocks to the next school. At the second school, Robert gave the gospel lesson. At the end, the teacher came up and said she was thankful that in addition to the mental education she was giving the students, we could come to help with their spiritual education. Then she gave us all special Honduran cookies. At both schools we gave each of the students’ two gospel tracts and a book of John and Romans.
Thurs. We drove 3 hours after a half day at school to participate in Pastor Chester Sherren’s evening service. The group did their presentation. Mike and Stephanie sang a special and Mike preached on living for heavenly rewards with Pastor Sam interpreting. We spent the night in a very nice hotel.
Fri. We painted the inside of Bro. Chester's church in La Paz . Pastor Sam said this will be the first time that Pastor Sherren has had a group to help him. He’s an older missionary with several medical problems. Tonight we travel back to Sabana Grande.
Thank you for your prayers. They are really making a difference.
The Bucys for the Honduran team
25 MAY 07 - FRIDAY
04:30am – all team members left for airport
Although their eyes were heavy from only 5 hours of sleep each team member was excited to be finally leaving on their long anticipated journey
05:15am – team checked in to board plane
The check in process went smoothly with Dr. and Mrs. Bucy making sure that everyone was present and all their luggage was check through to Tegucigalpa
06:37am – plane left on time
08:18am – plane arrived in Houston on time
09:35am – take-off delayed in Houston: plane experiencing engine trouble
Passengers are switching planes; new arrival times are being calculated
10:50am – plane taxied down the runway and took off
12:49pm – ARRIVED in Tegucigapla, safe and sound!
26 MAY 07 - SATURDAY
11:40am - Everyone on the team is doing well and yes they do have all of their luggage.
30 MAY 07 - WEDNESDAY
3:40pm - The team is busy visting schools and working around the church.
07 JUN 07 - THURSDAY
CONTINENTAL AIR LINES FLIGHT: 0755
CONTINENTAL AIRLINES FLIGHT: 3242