Day 2 - "Porque sé los planes que tengo para ti." - "For I know the plans I have for you"

Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not evil, to give you a future and a hope. 

Today was time for us to go to Flor del Campo to see the school "God's littlest Lambs"and get updates on the different programs.  We started in the nursery and daycare that has newly

reopened after Covid and has 13 total children with 4 of them being infants.  We got to listen to Toya give us an update about the program and how excited they are about the new facility.  We will be expanding across the street to a building that will be used primarily as a nursery.  

After this we headed out for a visit with 2 of the families who's children are in the nursery.  The first is a single mother of three.  As we stepped into her one room home, she shared with us how the daycare allows her to work in order to provide for her family.  She works baking bread to sell on the street and looks to find whatever other work she can.  She also makes bracelets to sell and had a nice selection of them at her home.  Needless to say she sold out of her inventory that day and the peeps in our group have a small and powerful reminder of our new friends.  The second family we visited was just as welcoming and equally as grateful.  With a child having special needs, the daycare provides a safe place for his mom and dad to also provide for the family.  Mom works various jobs and dad works as a bagger at the supermarket.   

Next stop was at one of the transition homes for the boys.  These homes are for those Lambs

who have aged out of the children's home and are pursuing their education.  The boys in this home are all in University and volunteer at the school as part of the transition home program.  Mind you this visit is on a Saturday afternoon and these guys were so welcoming and grateful for their mid-morning visitors.  They spoke with us about their studies and life outside of the children's home.  It is just so incredibly encouraging to see them continue their spiritual and now academic journeys!   

After lunch we headed back to the school to visit the "youth in action" programs.  This is incredible program was created after one of the LAMB scholarship students was killed for his cell phone.  He was in the process of getting his law degree.  Youth in action was created to

provide a place for the children of the community to come for fellowship and fun.  Activities include soccer, arts and crafts, dancing, lunch and fun.  The kids were so sweet and a few of the girls gave us their testimonies which were nothing short of amazing.  In addition to this, it was so neat to see how some of the volunteers had also "grown up" in various Lamb programs and were so excited and grateful to be able to give back.  

Our last stop for the day was at the girl's transition home which followed the theme of encouragement and gratitude.  Eleven girls (yep, 11) ages 16-22 live there and are all also continuing their eduction.  We had a wonderful visit and they shared with us some more of their testimonies (seriously, you would think I would have run out of tears at this point) and spoke about how grateful they were for the support of Lamb.  All of them recognize that there are so many that do not have this opportunity.  One of the more heart-

wrenching shares was when one of the girls spoke about how important Lamb has been because where she had been abandoned by her family, she now had a whole new family that loved and supporter her.....

I honestly didn't know what to expect on this trip as it is a bit different then any of the ones before.  It has been so rewarding to build these relationships with kids we have seen grow up over the years.  They are truly amazing people.  

Day 1.2 - "y multiplicaré en gran manera" - "and I will greatly multiply"

After an amazing day at Casa Hogar, we got back to Casa Lamb where the courtyard was set up with tables to seat 30+ people. About 30 minutes later a bus pulled up and out poured 20 of the kids that now live in the transition homes. (meaning they are no longer at the children's home but not quite out on their own completely) We gathered for dinner and caught up with them as laughter, joy, kindness and gratitude filled the area. After dinner we sat and they all

went around and introduced themselves and what they are currently doing. What is amazing is that of the almost 20 kids that were there, ages form 16-21, almost all of them have been with Lamb for over 10 years, some of them for their whole lives! A couple of them were still in highschool, a couple of them working, and the rest of them attending University. They are studying International Business, Law, Architecture, Interior Design, Marketing, Journalism and more. It was so exciting to hear! And then, in ture Honduran style, the testimonials started.....as did the tears. (and not just by me, thank you)

These young adults are so thankful for all that the Lord and Lamb has done for them. They reflected on the hard times they have had as well as the blessings they have had because of their time at Lamb. It was probably one of the most impactful things I have seen here in Honduras. These young adults are the ones that are the future of Honduras and of Lamb, and I am so encouraged to see what the future holds for them!

We closed in worship with a few songs from Turner and just when we thought we were wrapping up, they all wanted to stay for more...it was amazing to see how connected and engaged they all are! At about 9:15 we wrapped up our 6pm dinner...with our hearts overflowing.

Day 1 - Reencuentro Alegre - Joyful Reunion

Today started with a wonderful breakfast at Casa Lamb before we piled onto a small bus to head to Joy Academy and Casa Hogar (the “children’s home”) near San Buanaventura. This is about a 45 minute drive south of Tegucigalpa into the mountains. The scene is a mix of beautiful and tragic, depending on where your focus lies. With a 60% unemployment rate and hardly any sort of social safety net, the beautiful mountain landscape is lined with shacks barely held together and scenes of people selling anything they can on roadside stands that include food, crafts, and articles they found from the trash. Driving in Honduras is exactly as you would expect it, controlled chaos with a third language of “horn” fluently spoken by every driver. As it typically has in the past, the drive turned into an awesome time of fellowship as we all caught up and shared stories of past trips to Honduras and the excitement and hope we will see in the programs here at Lamb.

Our first stop is The Joy academy which is a bi-lingual school located within a short drive of Casa Hogar and currently has around 20 students, grades 1-6. We arrived at the school situated on a beautiful property in the mountains and filled with some of the cutest kids on the planet. No, really, it’s a bit ridiculous. As we toured the small school, each class greeted us with their introductions and a brief explanation of what they were studying and an occasional sharing of their favorite animal or subject, all in english. I was fortunate enough to receive a picture of a búfalo from Jackson which was 100% appropriate for me…. ¡Sé el búfalo! It was a great start to the day!

Loaded back up we headed to Casa Hogar to see the progress that so many of us had not seen for years. The beautiful 30+ acre property situated in the mountains was once again welcoming, peaceful and quiet… as most of the children were in school. We toured the offices and the early stimulation program where 4 children ages 2-4 are preparing for kindergarten.  Immediately 11 mature adults melted and did our best to entertain.

Shortly after our visit with the little ones, we headed to lunch hosted by Steve and Debbie Buckner, who are full time missionaries that live in Casa Hogar. Debbie prepared a wonderful meal for us and we got to catch up with them and hear more about their lives in Honduras. Please be sure to check out their page HERE. They are truly an amazing asset to Lamb and most importantly the children of Casa Hogar.

Steve gave us a tour of his woodshop where he works with the boys making everything from small crosses to furniture. Steve’s time with them in the shop is providing a wonderful outlet for these young men who are starting to learn the discipline of patience, and the value of their work (among many other things) as they are able to sell what they make.

After our lunch we hiked up the mountain with Jacob who is a missionary from the states that works at the children’s home. His wife Jenny is a teacher at The Joy Academy. Jacob’s main focus is the agricultural side of things, including the farm/garden and the chicken and goat pens. Jacob brought us up to see an old friend, Ariél, who is one of the amazing Hondurans that works at Casa Hogar. I had the pleasure of meeting him years ago where I learned the fine art of mixing mescla and building a wall. Ariél can do anything from build a house to build a wall to tend one of the best farms south of Tegus…..Add to that a great heart and a love for the Lord, he’s a Lamb….

Ariél and Jacob showed us the rows of crops and the system they had in place. From hundred of pounds

of sweet potatoes to some of the best looking lettuce you will find, the farm supplies enough vegetables for the children in staff year round. We then walked down to see the sheep and chickens that are a new addition to the children’s home. With almost 100 chickens, there is no longer a need to purchase eggs anymore and as the herd of sheep begins to grow, well, the children will have plenty of meat as well…..

Before loading up and heading back down the mountain we stopped by and visited with Debbie and got to see her craft room. Debbie spends her days working with the children (all ages) with arts, crafts, jewelry….you name it! She has an amazing gift and heart for them and it shows up all over the walls of the classrooms, homes and offices throughout the campus. Down the hall is the tiénda where we got a chance to purchase anything from purses, to jewelry, to woodworking projects; all made by the children.

The ride back to Casa Lamb was filled with laughter and joy as we all reflected on our day at Casa Hogar. It was a great way to start our trip here in Honduras and we were on cloud nine with how encouraged we were……..we had know idea what the night’s activities were going to bring.