Camp: day one

Day one of camp is coming to a close and I am listening to the voices of the campers running around playing a game that I believe is called ‘Capture the Balls’ or something like that. We have eleven cabins with about 60 students. Our team is split between the eleven cabins and I have been very impressed with everyone. Last night we met as a team and talked about the importance of jumping in and making the most of our time. And so far that is exactly what everyone has done.

Our theme this week is ‘Identity’ and more specifically how our identity changes when we place our faith in Christ. Please pray for us as we try to build relationships in our cabins that we would share the gospel with our actions and words.

We will be off to bed soon and Lord willing everyone will get some good sleep because we have some late nights and early mornings here at camp.

p.s. We miss you Hannah. We are thankful you are okay but we are not the same without you. We are praying for you.

more pics

Team rocking out at another school.

Katherine looking good for the camera

Happy Birthday Taylor!

Team sings Padre Abraham with a group of students


Outside of the first school Team 2 did their presentation at


Katherine getting ready for the camp

hello from maddie

Hi, this is Maddie. I am so excited for what’s to come and the adventures in store for the team. On our first day in Honduras we had Honduran Pizza Hut which is super good. If they had Honduran Pizza Hut in the United States the pizza would sell like “hot cakes”! We delivered wheel chairs to some Hondurans and it felt like we were changing lives and that all we had worked for was coming to a great result. On the second day we went to a Honduran public school where kids who lived at the dump would go to get an education. It was amazing seeing people give their time to help others. We then gave lunch to people living at the dump. We found that 800 people, just like us just in a different and more unlucky situation, lived at the dump. It was so sad and so moving and it made me feel like I was a super rich, American. Then I thought about all the food the United States throws away every day! We just have so much meat and perfectly good food that we just aren’t hungry for.

Since this weekend everybody has been just lounging around, working and sleeping. The meals have been great and the friends I’ve made are absolutely awesome. I miss my family from which I got at least million dollar masterpiece from my five year old sister and a definite award-winning and super sweet poem from my seven year old brother. I was touched by that mail and I miss them even more now. “I love you!” to my family at home. I can see how God is working through everybody these past few days. Everybody has a great story to tell, Hannah is safe in the US with her family, and Kike is getting better. I have loved this giant adventure and I hope to have more in the future.

Hola everyone

Hey, it’s me, Hannah Bunting!

So far, we are having an amazing trip! The first day was great and humbling. It was reminding me of my muscle disease and that I kind of related to those people coming to get wheelchairs. The second day at the dump was so moving. It reminded me of how selfish the USA is, I mean, if those Hondurans at the dump had OUR GARBAGE to go through, they could be much better off than they are now, and that is only our garbage. The days before Hannah’s and Kike’s accidents were pretty much uneventful, exciting, but easy going. The day of the accident started out really great, but when Jon, Ken, and Joe raced out we were getting kind of worried. At first we were joking around that it was Brock because he was probably the most likely to get hurt, but when we did not hear anything from Jon, we started getting REALLY worried. As we started to get the details, slowly, one after the other, everyone started to break down. The whole experience was hard, but in the end, it brought the team together more than anything else possibly could. The days leading up to now have been pretty relaxing and uneventful. I have made MANY new friends and learned so much about how God shows his love for us. I am beginning to be very grateful for everything I have. I know that I hear that all of the time, to be grateful, but the realization and the reality of it all doesn’t set in like it does when you are in a country that has people, God’s people, digging through trash all day, every day, hardly making more than 0.2 lempira a day; 30 cents.

Bunch of posts from students

A quick note before I post all the students' blogs. Some of these posts were written before Hannah and Kike got hurt which will helps explain why the students wrote what they did. We have not had internet for the last couple days, but the team is doing really well. I read them your comments that I was able to access while in town. We love your prayers and support. The team worked hard today in the schools and is getting ready for camp on Wednesday. We miss Hannah and are thankful she is doing well.
Jon Anderson

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Dear Fam,

We hope you’re having fun at home without us & stuffffffff.

Give Louie baby a kiss for us. (:

We miss you a lot! And we love youuuu. Jeansleeves.

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From Taylor:

Hey family,

I hope you guys are having fun… even if I am not there(: Luke and Noah, I hope you guys are staying true to your promise that you made me (if you don’t remember… it was behaving and not arguing for mom and dad.) I love you all!!

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Hey, this is Katherine!

This trip has been going amazingly smoothly so far, and we have had no real problems. The last couple days have been pretty crazy and busy, but I am having the time of my life! It was great to go to sleep on Thursday night after having such a busy day of traveling, and I am feeling very energized. I am so excited to be at the camp, and I can’t wait to meet my fellow campers in a few days. It is really cool to experience the Honduran culture, which has its similarities and many differences from American culture. I have to say that one of my favorite parts of the culture so far has been the food. It is absolutely delicious! Every meal so far has had beans, tortillas, some kind of meat, fruits, and vegetables. Yum. Today we are preparing for camp. I have already had some awesome experiences, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the trip has in store for me!

Tom,

Happy Birthday! I cannot believe that you are already 10. Congratulations, brother! I hope you are having an awesome day, and I miss you a lot. I have been thinking about you a ton! I sang you Happy Birthday this morning when I woke up.

I’m sure you would love the fruits and juices here! Every day we have a different kind of fruit juice, and all the flavors are new to me. I have also eaten some of your favorite fruit, MANGOS! They are super yummy! I’m really sorry I’m not with you on your birthday, but I know we are both having a great time! I miss you and love you so much. Pass on my love to the rest of the family! I’ll see you soon!

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Hey peoples! Greetings from Olan in Honduras J We’re having an awesome time here watching the USA vs. Ghana game on a cute little T.V. and learning songs in Spanish for our presentation at a Honduran school on Tuesday. Yesterday we had a great eye opening experience at a garbage dump and a ministry there focused on helping people redirect we their lives so they can get out of living in the dump and loving these very people as well. We all learned so much, I’m sure anyone on this team will tell you now. Today has been incredibly relaxing for most of us. Some of us were dragged “four miles” by a cow on a rope, chiseling chunks of cement, or just sorting colored beads. It’s been awesome, and I hope that everyone is doing well back in the States! Thank you all for your prayer and support, and don’t be sad and cry in a corner if you miss us. It’s O.K. that we’re gone ‘cause we’re just having tons of fun, yes? This team is going to do some great things.

Quick updates

Hey guys,

Kristen again. Jon contacted us quickly, letting us know that wireless isn't working at camp right now. They're just as bummed as we are that they haven't been able to post pictures or more updates yet!

CAMP UPDATES:
Today the students were going into the community to make some presentations at local schools. Students were looking forward to doing a kid-friendly/modified version of the "Everything" drama by Lifehouse. They are probably going to 5-6 schools, reaching 1000 students total!

Everyone has been getting excited about camp!

Our group was scheduled to help with the first session of camp that is for ages 12-15; then the week after they left, the next session of camp was occurring for ages 15-18. Change of plans! The two camps are going to merge into one giant week of camp. This means the team has more responsibilities and needs to make some adjustments to programming with a wider audience. They're up for the challenge! Kike was supposed to be in charge of camp, but the doctors have ordered him to take it easy. Lots of local camp supporters are rallying to help, and it's been cool to see everyone cancel plans to be at camp for the week.

In addition to getting things ready (like crafts, games and teaching), the team is helping get the facility ready--painting the dining hall, putting in new benches around the property and putting water seal on the cabins. Camp starts on Wednesday!!

HANNAH UPDATE:
Yesterday Hannah made it safe and sound to West Palm Beach, Florida, where her mom was able to see her before surgery last night. Surgery on her femur went well. Hannah now has a rod in her leg running from her hip to her knee. She also has a broken hand, forcing the doctors to think of some creative ways to help her get around since traditional crutches won't be an option. She'll be in the hospital recuperating for a few days.

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Thanks for your awesome notes of encouragement! It's been awesome to see the love and support of the Blackhawk community. Feel free to continue leaving fun notes for the students.

Message to Andrea from John Cooper of Skillet

Andrea,

We got to talk to John Cooper at Summerfest. He sent this message to you. We are praying for all of you guys. You are all amazing and we are proud of you. We love you and miss you.

Mom and Dad

Big Adventure

Hi faithful Honduras readers! This is Kristen writing. Various people on staff have been in touch with the team at camp and have told me some new info to post.

On Saturday, half the Blackhawk team went with some people from camp on a scheduled camping trip. Kike is the camp director and was leading the hike; he's sort of like their version of Jon Anderson... with hair. One of the common camp team building exercises includes rappelling down a waterfall, which all went great. It started to rain unexpectedly, so they stopped for safety reasons. Those that had already gone down the waterfall climbed back up the path to the top, which is where the rest of the group was waiting.

On the way up, Hannah Fricke (rising sophomore) slipped and tumbled. Kike was behind her and broke her fall.

Hannah's leg twisted and her femur (the big thigh bone) was fractured. She also hit her head.

When they got back to camp, Jon rode with Hannah to the hospital, and she has been in really great spirits. She got some stitches on her head, and she needs surgery to fix her leg. She hasn't been in much pain (other than when they reset her leg). While at the hospital, Hannah said things like, "It's so exciting to be on an adventure! I know that pain is normally a part that makes something an adventure." Gotta love the resiliency of teenagers!

The other students have been amazing. Even before this accident, they have been praying more on this trip than on any other, which has been bonding them together as a team. They feel very close. The group has been taking a lot of time to process what happened, and they have been acknowledging that this is what it means to do missions -- it involves some risks outside of everyday life.

Jen Bagley (one of the other adults on the trip) spent the night with Hannah at the hospital.

Kike broke his clavicle (collar bone) and a rib, and his face had some stitches and is swollen.

Hannah will be transported back to the States for her leg surgery. Right now, she is en route to Florida on a medical evacuation flight. Our main missionary in Honduras is Ken, and his wife Sue is accompanying Hannah to Florida. Also, Hannah's mom, Carol, is en route to Florida.

The other half of the group was scheduled to go on the camping trip tonight, but instead everyone is going to stay at the camp to help with other preparations. (Plus, it has been raining a lot.)

What can ya do? Pray.
--Pray for Hannah, particularly her air transport, surgery and recovery.
--Pray for Kike, particularly his recovery (both physically and emotionally).
--Pray for Hannah's family, particularly her mom and grandparents who will see her soon yet probably after surgery.
--Pray for camp. This is a lot for the permanent camp staff to process because nothing like this has ever happened. Already the plan has started to shift (with no camping trip tonight), which can be discouraging to students.

The team will certainly continue processing these events. They are encouraged by Hannah's attitude. Her biggest complaint is that she won't be coming back after her surgery like she wants. That has certainly helped give us perspective on her optimism!

The team would love to hear some encouragement, so please leave fun comments!

some more day 2

Hello everyone this is Andrea and Elle!

We are glad to say everything has gone as planned and everyone is healthy. When we arrived in Honduras we went to give out wheel chairs. This experience was moving and good practice for our Spanish. Every person we gave a wheel chair to was incredibly kind, thankful and full of smiles. There was one man that was part of a gang and both of his legs were gone. There was also a really friendly girl that we gave all of our Facebook information to. Now on to are second day and WOW what a day. We don’t think anyone got through the day without having a strong motional experience about what we saw. This was likely a once in a life time opportunity. We went to a school that was teaching children, who lived in a local garbage dump. There we learned a little bit about an everyday life at the dump. Later in the day we actually went up to the dump and feed 200 people. Within four minutes all the food was gone. There was a mountain of garbage and the people worked to find food, cans, paper and stuff for shelter. The peoples’ houses were surrounded by garbage.

The day ended with getting to the camp YAY!! Now we are off to bed and look forward to hearing from all of you.

Day 2

By Kyra Jaehn

Being in Honduras is amazing! As soon as we got off the plane there was a feeling of excitement that no one could get rid of. Even when I was a little homesick I never lost my excitement for this trip! There is so much to learn here and all of the residents are so willing to share with us. When I first came here I thought we were going to make a huge impact, more then being impacted, but I was wrong. Everywhere I go I can see God working through people. For example, today our group went to a school for the children of people who work in a dump. The people living there are literally searching through piles of trash for food and shelter for their families. This school is providing education for children who live in the dump and I find that awesome. So far, all the people I met are so friendly and helpful, I feel very welcome. I hope that as this trip goes on we will make more bonds with the people here and both impact others and be impacted!

Safe & sound!

The team called! They made it!

Jon told Mary that it has been the smoothest start to the trip they’ve ever had!

All the luggage made it.

They distributed the wheelchairs, which was a really cool experience. They are hoping to post some pictures from that within the next few days.

They are all hot and tired but really good! Right now, they are heading to take showers and rest before going out to dinner tonight.

The plane has landed!

Hey everyone,

Kristen & Mary reporting in for the team.

• The team made it from O'Hare to Houston
• Mary talked with Jon after they boarded the plane to Honduras; they had to run to catch that flight, but they all made it
• The plane has landed in Honduras (according to the Continental web site)
• We haven't heard from the team, but we knew it would be really challenging to get all the luggage, find an international phone/calling card right away, and make it to the wheelchair distribution on time
  

So... assume no news is good news. :) They got on their plane, and it landed. Internet and phone access are just spotty as they are getting situated. They are probably busy giving the gift of mobility as they are distributing wheelchairs!

And they're off!

These are not the most amazing pictures ever, but I promised a mom that I'd post them.

Here, the luggage and students are fully boarded on the bus, and the driver is closing the storage compartment underneath! And they're off!!!!

Another example of those supportive families! Coming at one in the morning to see their students off.


[In case anyone is wondering why we depart and return in the middle of the night, it's the only flight/time frame available for our destination.]

This was the best departure in YEARS!

Last year, the team was forced to cancel the trip due to political issues.


The year before that, the bus didn't show up. (The company thought the reservation was for noon instead of midnight!) Parents scrambled to drive down their students in the middle of the night.


So... we are thrilled they are en route as planned! WOO HOO!!

-Kristen

More packing party pictures!

Here are some additional pictures from tonight's Packing Party before the big departure!

STUDENTS & LEADERS


Jen & Joanna -- amazing leaders, deflating soccer balls and packing craft supplies

These young ladies can barely contain their excitement! Most have had countdowns on their facebook status for about 18 months! Olan, Taylor, Hanna, Hannah, Lillie, Emma with Maddie in front.

FAMILIES

The trip participants have awesome parents & siblings supporting them along this journey.

ALL OUR BAGS ARE PACKED...

Each of the bags have a "Caution -- Do Not Enter" tag. We hope it will help identify the bags when we arrive to the airport in Honduras... but we also hope the airport security doesn't think it makes our bags suspicious! Brother-sister combo Jed & Olan show off the bags.

The layover is only an hour. Pray that all the bags make it!

Honduras, Here we Come!!!

Hi my name is Elle Aspinwall. I am 14 and going to Edgewood High School in the fall as a freshman. I was part of the missions trip last year that was a no-go and am super excited that this is actually happening tomorrow. All my friends and family are keeping me in their thoughts and prayers, especially that I will be able to deal with all the bugs. For the past week every bug I see, I have tried to not be scared :) I hope it helped, but I am afraid that the bugs may be a little bigger in Honduras than they are in Wisconsin. Heading back to church at 12:45am to catch the bus to Chicago and then we leave for Honduras at 5:35am. Just hope that Starbucks is open in the morning at the airport so that I will be able to stay awake and enjoy the day tomorrow when we arrive. Ready or Not, Honduras, Here we Come!!!!

The Adventure Begins . . .

Their bags are packed and the team is ready!

I hope Honduras is ready for them . . .

. . . if all goes well, they should arrive Thursday AM.

Blessings on your travels!

Linda Hershberger, Ben's mom

[tutorial for comments]

To all the awesome followers of this blog:

The team would LOVE to receive your encouraging comments! While in Honduras, every few days the team tries to read the comments aloud together.

Here's what ya do:
When you're on the blog reading what someone wrote, at the bottom of that post CLICK where it says "Comments." (It may have the specific number of comments that are currently listed.)

WRITE whatever you want; remember it's on the web so don't post anything really private (or embarrassing to your student!).

You have to SELECT one of the options in the drop-down menu. I would suggest "Name" near the bottom. TYPE whatever you want [Bob and Jane Smith, for example]. And then just click Post Comment!

Lesson learned from the past: Don't just write "Love, Mom" because we might not know who that is. :)

Itinerary

Here's the rough itinerary for the Middle School Honduras Team (19 students and 7 adult leaders, 26 total).

We're going to Honduras... ya never quite know if it's going to work out as planned!

Wednesday, June 23 -- Packing party and late night departure

Thursday, June 24 -- Fly into Tegucigalpa; distribute wheelchairs from Advent Conspiracy with Free Wheelchair Mission

Friday, June 25 -- Reach out to kids that live in the dump (literally); drive to Siguatepeque (where camp is located, Campamento Cerro de Luz)

Saturday, June 26 to Tuesday, June 29 -- Prepare for camp; go for an overnight mountain hike; give presentations in local schools

Wednesday, June 30 to Sunday, July 4 -- CAMP!! Students will be fellow campers at the bilingual camp while adult leaders will be camp counselors

Monday, July 5 to Tuesday, July 6 -- Debrief in Tela/La Ceiba

Wednesday, July 7 -- Depart from San Pedro Sula; arrive back in Madison late late late that night

Thursday, July 8 -- 7 pm Show & Tell
Everyone is invited! Join us in the Underground as the students share stories and pictures!

Maddie Schumacher

Hi, I am Maddie. I just graduated from the 7th grade at Edgewood Campus School and I am turning 12 at the end of July. I have two little brothers and a little sister. My mom is going on this trip, too as a leader.

I am super excited about the trip. There are a couple of reasons why.

Reason #1: My little sister was adopted from China. When my parents, my grandmother, and I went to China to get her there was a lot of poverty. Poverty unlike the poverty in Madison or even in the United States in general. Now, I was only seven years old, but the homelessness and need in China affected me enough that I felt God was calling me to go to Honduras and spread his word. And I know I'm not gonna be able to make every Honduran I meet Christian, but I feel God is using me to reach others.

Reason #2: I want to meet new friends. Honduran and American. At our first meeting as a team I did not know the names of more than 75% of the group. Now I know every person's name and I am very excited to adventure with them in the deeps of Honduras. I'd also like to meet a few Honduran friends so that I can learn about their culture. It seems cool how they live so differently than we, Americans, do.

Reason #3: I am very worried about the boundaries I put in front of myself usually and my usual comfort zone. I am a pretty picky eater, and I am usually not up to try things. But a few days ago my family and I went to a Vietnamese restaurant and I couragously tried an egg roll. I felt good about myself that day even though I know that the "green eggs and ham" that Honduras will serve me will be a lot more unusual than egg rolls. Also, in China I saw needy people on the side of the road who were begging for money and they made me have this feeling inside. I thought they were dirty, unclean, and particularly ugly people. And I didn't want to look at them. And that is totally wrong. I want to experience new things, meet new people, and change my view of people from "that" to something new that is caring, hospitable, and welcoming instead of the icky thoughts I thought when I was seven.

I am unsure, though pretty ready for the challenges Honduras and, more importantly, God present before me. I want to grow in God through this trip and I hope I experience more outside my comfort zone rather than within it. My greatest hope is that I grow in my relationship with God along with my relationships with friends and that my family doesn't miss me too much!

The End.

-Maddie S.

Andrea Carlson

Hello,
I am Andrea Carlson. I just finished my freshmen year a Memorial High School. I was part of the No-go-Honduras team last year. It was a great disapointment to find out after all our planning that the trip had been cancelled. I believe the trip being cancelled last year made me even more pumped for the trip this year. The AMAZING team this year is more then ready to go and reach out to Honduras in every way we can. I know we will be moved greatly and have tons of fun in the process. I was also part of the Middle School Honduras team in 2008. When we went down we were supposed to do two camps, one for younger kids and one for older kids, but unfortunately not enough people signed up so we put the camps together, giving us a few days with nothing planned. So the first day we repelled down a water fall, wich was a great team building event. Then the second day we went to an orphanage, which was a very moving experience. The kids there were super polite and giving. After that we finally got to do the camp. I was put in a cabin with all Hondurans and it was a challenge trying to communicate and get to know my cabin at first but by the end I had made some really great friends and learned TONS of spanish. I am super excited to see what will happen with all our plans this year, and I am hoping that our team will help others grow in their faiths and that our faith will grow as well.
Thank you for your support!

Honduras 2010

Hey, I'm Hannah Fricke and I am one of the members of the 2010 Honduras team. I just finished my freshman year at Waunakee High School. I was one of the members of last year's Honduras, but we were unable to go because of the coup that occurred.
I am looking forward to this mission trip for multiple reasons. First of all, having the opportunity to serve in Honduras is an amazing experience in itself. I am excited to experience a new and distinct culture, and to see God in different ways. Along with that, I also hope that this trip will strengthen my relationship with both Christ and the members of my team, along with new people I meet in Honduras.
Of course, with such a huge opportunity as this, I am also nervous for a couple of things. There is, of course, all of the little things that could go wrong down there, such as the diseases, or problems with transportation, or not packing everything that I need. I also will need to put myself out of my comfort zone and interact with new people, taking into consideration the language barrier that exists.
Although there is a lot to be apprehensive about, I pray that this mission trip will be a huge success and that everything (at least to a degree) will fall into place as planned. I would like to thank everyone for their support as we venture as a team to Honduras this year.
~Hannah Fricke

Honduras 2010 Joshua Bunting

Hi! My name is Joshua, and I am a freshman going to Honduras. I enjoy music, technology, running, and tennis. I am very excited to go to Honduras this year. I am hoping that I will be able to venture outside my comfort zone and visit a country and culture I have never experienced before. I also hope that we will be able to spread the gospel to those in Honduras, help out at the camp, and learn from the Hondurans. I will also be able to use my Spanish skills in actual context! One thing I am a little worried about is the foretold diharreaga(i think i spelled that wrong) and health problems, by people who have already gone, but I know it would be a umm, character building experience..... Anyway, I can't wait to see what God has in store for this team, and what lessons, we learn and people's lives we touch.

-Joshua

kyra jaehn

Hi I am Kyra Jaehn and i am going on the Honduras missions trip for 2010. I am 13 and I go to High Point Christian School. I enjoy all musical intruments( including vocal) and i love artwork. One thing that is intresting about me is that i am a vegetarian ( not a vegan). Most people ask how this will affect my eating in Honduras but I'm not worried about that. My family eats a lot of meat so i am used to just picking around the meat.

I am very excited for this upcoming missions trip because I hope it will renew my faith in God. I stuggled a lot through 5th and 6th grade with my relationship in Christ and I have just begun to rebuild that. I think that this missions trip will help with that. I also want to go on this trip because i really want to spread the gospel and impact other people. I know that all this wont happen at once but i hope that what we do in honduras will leave a good mark that grows over time.
The thing i am most neervous about is bugs. I have a insect phobia. I even scream when a ladybug comes in my room!( as you can imagine my dad is a little annoyed by this :) ) I hope that i wont overreact when a bug comes to me. Thanks for your support in sending our team to honduras.
_kyra

2010 Honduras

Hello my name is Brock Christian and I am on the 2010 Honduras team. I go to Prairie View Middle School in Sun Prairie. I like playing basketball and running in track and Cross Country.I have been a part of Blackhawk since i was in 4th grade. Last year I was also on the team but we did not have the opportunity to go. I want to go to honduras because I think that it will be fun to introduce jesus for the first time in a different culture for me and so I can meet new people. I am really exsided to go to honduras I think that it will give me the opportunity to see things a whole different way. I can't wait to go to Honduras this year and spend time with the team and other people at the camp. The End.