UHSM Honduras 2026 day 1 & 2
**Please read the photo gallery disclaimer at the end of this blog!
Greetings from Roatán!
Our Honduras Mission Team has officially begun what is already shaping up to be an incredible week. This year, our team consists of 13 people (8 students/5 adults), and God is already using this experience in powerful ways.
Day 1:
Our journey began bright and early on Wednesday morning as we gathered at the church at 5:30 a.m. There were sleepy eyes, unicorn pillows, and probably a few students questioning whether mission trips really needed to start before sunrise.
After making our way to DFW, we boarded our noon flight and arrived safely in Roatán. Once we got settled in, we received instructions from Orsy and got a better picture of the ministry opportunities ahead of us for the week. Then it was off to shop for groceries and supplies for our meals. Nothing says "mission trip" quite like pushing shopping carts through a grocery store while trying to calculate how much food 13 hungry missionaries can consume in a week.
Before the day ended, we were able to spend some time playing with the children at the mission home. It didn't take long for laughter, games, and conversations to spark new friendships while rekindling friendships that had been waiting an entire year for this reunion. Smiles, laughter, soccer balls, and playground games don't require a translator. It was the perfect way to end our first day and get ready for what God had planned next.
Day 2:
Thursday morning began with a devotional led by Holly from Proverbs 11:25:
"A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed."
She challenged us with a simple but profound truth: We are blessed by giving. We are refreshed by refreshing others. In God's economy, we receive by giving ourselves away.
It turned out to be the perfect message for a day of serving.
At 9:00 a.m., we loaded up and headed to our construction site. A previous mission team had already completed the foundation and beams, and our assignment was to install floor joists and, hopefully, begin framing a wall. Throughout the day, everyone grabbed a hammer and got to work.
Spoiler alert: Parents, we have some exciting news. We have officially removed one of your students' favorite excuses: "I can't do that."
As it turns out, they can. They can work hard. They can sweat. They can carry lumber. They can swing a hammer. They can figure things out.
You're welcome.
Around noon, we returned to the mission for lunch. The menu featured arroz con pollo, potatoes, salad, and fresh watermelon. After a morning of construction work, nobody needed convincing to eat. Then it was back to the worksite. By the end of the afternoon, we had nearly completed all of the floor joists and made tremendous progress toward the next phase of construction. It was encouraging to see what can happen when a group of people simply show up willing to serve.
But some of the most important work happening this week isn't taking place on the construction site. As we traveled back and forth through the community, our students continued to witness living conditions very different from what many of them had ever experienced. The sights they are seeing are creating conversations, questions, and reflections that go far beyond the four walls of a church.
God is opening eyes and softening hearts.
When we returned to the mission that evening, breakfast-for-dinner was waiting. Eggs. Bacon. Pancakes. Fresh fruit.
And perhaps most miraculous of all...
Zero complaints.
Those of you who work with teenagers know that this may be one of the greatest miracles we witness all week.
After dinner, we spent time with the children before gathering at 7:30 p.m. for our devotional together. I divided everyone into small groups that included both mission team members and children from the home. The lesson for the evening was El Mar Rojo—The Red Sea.
First, our mission team members attempted to read the lesson in Spanish with a little (in some cases, A LOT) of help from the children.
Then the children read the lesson in English with help from our students. The result was something beautiful. Kids teaching students. Students encouraging kids. Words being translated. Questions were being asked. Laughter filled the room. Friendships deepening.
It was one of those moments that remind you ministry isn't always found behind a podium or inside a church building. Sometimes it happens when two people sit side by side, helping each other understand the life of Jesus and his call upon our lives to serve others.
Those are the conversations that matter.
When the children headed to bed at 9:00 p.m., our team gathered on the front steps of our housing for our nightly debrief. We laughed about the "wetter", there is a story behind this, I promise.
But we also talked about more meaningful things. We talked about what we had seen and what we were feeling. We talked about what surprised us. We talked about what challenged us.
And as each student shared, it became increasingly clear that God is doing something significant inside every member of this team.
Some are learning gratitude. Some are learning compassion. Some are learning perseverance. Some are learning that serving others changes the person doing the serving.
As we wrapped up the evening, our minds returned to Holly's devotional from that morning.
The world teaches us that we gain by holding on.
Jesus teaches us that we gain by giving away.
Thank you for praying for our team. Please continue to pray as we serve, learn, grow, and watch God work in ways that are bigger than any of us could have imagined.
More updates to come!
**Photo Update & Child Privacy Notice
You may notice that many of the photos we share publicly from Honduras primarily feature members of our mission team. This is intentional.
The Honduran officials and children's home leadership have asked that photos showing the faces of the children not be posted on public websites or social media platforms. We are honored to respect those guidelines as we serve alongside them.
If you would like to see additional photos that include the children, we are sharing those through a private photo album using the PhotoCircle app. Don't worry—it is completely free to download and use.
Simply download the PhotoCircle app, create a free account, and then email BJ at billyjack@uhbc.net to request access to the private Honduras Mission Trip photo album. Once you're connected, you'll be able to enjoy many more photos from our time serving and building relationships in Roatán.
Thank you for helping us protect the privacy of these children while still celebrating all that God is doing through this mission trip!
Greetings from Roatán!
Our Honduras Mission Team has officially begun what is already shaping up to be an incredible week. This year, our team consists of 13 people (8 students/5 adults), and God is already using this experience in powerful ways.
Day 1:
Our journey began bright and early on Wednesday morning as we gathered at the church at 5:30 a.m. There were sleepy eyes, unicorn pillows, and probably a few students questioning whether mission trips really needed to start before sunrise.
After making our way to DFW, we boarded our noon flight and arrived safely in Roatán. Once we got settled in, we received instructions from Orsy and got a better picture of the ministry opportunities ahead of us for the week. Then it was off to shop for groceries and supplies for our meals. Nothing says "mission trip" quite like pushing shopping carts through a grocery store while trying to calculate how much food 13 hungry missionaries can consume in a week.
Before the day ended, we were able to spend some time playing with the children at the mission home. It didn't take long for laughter, games, and conversations to spark new friendships while rekindling friendships that had been waiting an entire year for this reunion. Smiles, laughter, soccer balls, and playground games don't require a translator. It was the perfect way to end our first day and get ready for what God had planned next.
Day 2:
Thursday morning began with a devotional led by Holly from Proverbs 11:25:
"A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed."
She challenged us with a simple but profound truth: We are blessed by giving. We are refreshed by refreshing others. In God's economy, we receive by giving ourselves away.
It turned out to be the perfect message for a day of serving.
At 9:00 a.m., we loaded up and headed to our construction site. A previous mission team had already completed the foundation and beams, and our assignment was to install floor joists and, hopefully, begin framing a wall. Throughout the day, everyone grabbed a hammer and got to work.
Spoiler alert: Parents, we have some exciting news. We have officially removed one of your students' favorite excuses: "I can't do that."
As it turns out, they can. They can work hard. They can sweat. They can carry lumber. They can swing a hammer. They can figure things out.
You're welcome.
Around noon, we returned to the mission for lunch. The menu featured arroz con pollo, potatoes, salad, and fresh watermelon. After a morning of construction work, nobody needed convincing to eat. Then it was back to the worksite. By the end of the afternoon, we had nearly completed all of the floor joists and made tremendous progress toward the next phase of construction. It was encouraging to see what can happen when a group of people simply show up willing to serve.
But some of the most important work happening this week isn't taking place on the construction site. As we traveled back and forth through the community, our students continued to witness living conditions very different from what many of them had ever experienced. The sights they are seeing are creating conversations, questions, and reflections that go far beyond the four walls of a church.
God is opening eyes and softening hearts.
When we returned to the mission that evening, breakfast-for-dinner was waiting. Eggs. Bacon. Pancakes. Fresh fruit.
And perhaps most miraculous of all...
Zero complaints.
Those of you who work with teenagers know that this may be one of the greatest miracles we witness all week.
After dinner, we spent time with the children before gathering at 7:30 p.m. for our devotional together. I divided everyone into small groups that included both mission team members and children from the home. The lesson for the evening was El Mar Rojo—The Red Sea.
First, our mission team members attempted to read the lesson in Spanish with a little (in some cases, A LOT) of help from the children.
Then the children read the lesson in English with help from our students. The result was something beautiful. Kids teaching students. Students encouraging kids. Words being translated. Questions were being asked. Laughter filled the room. Friendships deepening.
It was one of those moments that remind you ministry isn't always found behind a podium or inside a church building. Sometimes it happens when two people sit side by side, helping each other understand the life of Jesus and his call upon our lives to serve others.
Those are the conversations that matter.
When the children headed to bed at 9:00 p.m., our team gathered on the front steps of our housing for our nightly debrief. We laughed about the "wetter", there is a story behind this, I promise.
But we also talked about more meaningful things. We talked about what we had seen and what we were feeling. We talked about what surprised us. We talked about what challenged us.
And as each student shared, it became increasingly clear that God is doing something significant inside every member of this team.
Some are learning gratitude. Some are learning compassion. Some are learning perseverance. Some are learning that serving others changes the person doing the serving.
As we wrapped up the evening, our minds returned to Holly's devotional from that morning.
The world teaches us that we gain by holding on.
Jesus teaches us that we gain by giving away.
Thank you for praying for our team. Please continue to pray as we serve, learn, grow, and watch God work in ways that are bigger than any of us could have imagined.
More updates to come!
**Photo Update & Child Privacy Notice
You may notice that many of the photos we share publicly from Honduras primarily feature members of our mission team. This is intentional.
The Honduran officials and children's home leadership have asked that photos showing the faces of the children not be posted on public websites or social media platforms. We are honored to respect those guidelines as we serve alongside them.
If you would like to see additional photos that include the children, we are sharing those through a private photo album using the PhotoCircle app. Don't worry—it is completely free to download and use.
Simply download the PhotoCircle app, create a free account, and then email BJ at billyjack@uhbc.net to request access to the private Honduras Mission Trip photo album. Once you're connected, you'll be able to enjoy many more photos from our time serving and building relationships in Roatán.
Thank you for helping us protect the privacy of these children while still celebrating all that God is doing through this mission trip!
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