Anthony and Jennifer (43 seconds)

 

Questions, questions…when you get a minute

Shelly here,

Ed,  Chrissy,  Rob,  Julie, Bev  and kids -  you were often in our thoughts today as we drove down to Ogunquit, Maine where we will be spending the  March Break.  We have been tuning into the blog every chance we get and are appreciating your frequent updates.  Given the number of hits the blog has been receiving, I’d say there are many, many people who are enjoying hearing about your adventures in Tegus.  When you get a chance, here are some questions I’d like you to answer for me:

• How hot is it?
• How does the hotel compare to North American standards?

• Do you feel relatively safe walking around in the vicinity of your hotel?
• Have you seen any scary bugs?
• Did Brett and Lindsay’s suitcase arrive yet?
• I want to hear all about our little Jennifer that we sponsor when you meet her tomorrow - lots of details about the dump project in general
• Is everybody staying healthy?
• How’s Emily making out taking two anti-malarial pills per day?
• What are the first impressions of the kids?  How are they dealing with the whole experience?

Well, i guess that will keep you busy for a while, eh?  I look forward to continuing to hear about your daily adventures and I can’t wait to see all your pictures when you return home!

Love to you all!  I’m so, so sorry that we can’t be there with you, but know that we are there in spirit with you.

Shelly

 

The Journey Ends for Four of Us

Hi everyone, David and Shelly here. We are sad to announce that the journey to Honduras for us and for Sherri and Cliff has ended as of tonight.

After a long day at Halifax International Airport, American Airlines has canceled our flight to New York. The earliest possible re-booking was Tuesday afternoon at best and then there would be all the re-scheduling with TACA airlines into Honduras…the end result was that we probably would not get to Honduras until late Wednesday or possibly Thursday. All four of us are at peace with the fact that for some reason this trip was not meant to be for us and our itineraries are now completely cancelled and American Airlines is refunding the tickets.

We all ask that you please pray for The Laidlaws and The Lights - for their safety and for their spiritual protection. We are all sad and very disappointed to not be joining the rest of the team. We are definitely there with you in spirit and look forward to reading of your experiences.

God is in this trip and He will accomplish the mission!

 

The Difference 10 Minutes Makes

David here. Well, today certainly has not unfolded as anticipated. What would a group trip like this be without a little drama…

Shelly and I were scheduled on a 6:20AM flight out of Halifax this morning through New York and arriving in Miami just after noon. The plan was that we would take 24 hours to rest in Miami Beach before uniting with the Laidlaws and Lights on Saturday for our journey to Tegucigalpa.

Shelly and I walked up to the American Airlines check-in counter at 5:30 and were told they had “closed” the flight 10 minutes prior and we were not allowed on. Apparently, the “rule” is that they cut off the passenger list 60 minutes prior to take-off. So, it was our fault. That said…I have been flying minimally twice a year for 18 years to the US and this is a first (it is also the first time on American Airlines…and the last).

Again, it was our fault - I admit it. However, the rudeness of the AA representative was almost unmatched in my travel experiences. She was cold and unsympathetic and really unwilling to “try” to help us reschedule. She said she booked us on a flight Saturday afternoon, but when we later went on the AA web site, our reservation code was coming up as “itinerary canceled”. I then spent 35 minutes on hold with AA customer service. Finally Cindy answered and she informed us that the AA rep in Halifax had completely canceled our entire travel itinerary and we were not booked on the flights on Saturday at all! Fortunately, Cindy empathized with our plight and reworked things as best she could.

There was also a long ordeal with TACA Airlines, our carrier from Miami to Tegucigalpa…but I won’t bore you with that anxiety. The result is that Shelly and I are leaving Saturday afternoon from Halifax, spending Saturday night in Miami, and arriving (as far as we can tell) on Sunday night in Tegucigalpa.

I am exhausted and going for an afternoon nap.

 

Ready For Take-Off!

Hi, David here. This week has been a whirl-wind of activity. Work really has been overwhelming…just trying to get a million things done and taken care of so that the corporate world is at peace while I am away :-)!

Here it is, Thursday night at 7PM and finally finished. Before I put the computer away and finish packing. Shelly and I leave at 6:30am. The only good part is that we arrive in Miami just after noon and we get a day of rest in Florida. We meet up with the Laidlaws and Lights at the Miami airport around noon on Saturday and then we head for Honduras.

I am very excited…but also afraid and apprehensive as well. I have never seen 3rd-world poverty first-hand and I really think it will crush me on the inside. It will definitely be a culture shock. Pray for me. I know this will be a life-impacting journey.

As far as I can tell, our hotel in Tegucigalpa has a business centre with computer and web access, so we intend on keeping you updated each day.

Let the mission begin!

 

Freezing Rain and Time to Pack!

Shelly here.  And glad for the freezing rain and school cancellations.  It gives me a much needed day to prepare for Honduras (laundry, packing - what to take, what to leave) and also to create sub plans for this Friday and the Monday after March break.  (Sorry Ed, I heard your flight from NF today got cancelled).  Feeling excited but also a bit nervous - wondering what we might be facing in terms of conditions, how we are going to communicate through cultural and language barriers, praying that all of us will remain healthy while down there….any and all prayers back home here for us will be most appreciated.  I invite you to post comments and questions - I promise to answer them all to the best of my ability with the technology access that I’ll have.