UHSM Honduras 2026 day 7
Our last full day in Roatan began with a devotional from Holly that challenged us to look at Psalm 23 in a fresh way. Most of us know the passage well, but she encouraged us to see it through the lens of God's loving boundaries. The Shepherd surrounds His sheep with His goodness, protection, joy, and provision. When the One who is infinitely wiser than us leads, our best response is simply to follow. It was exactly the reminder our team needed as we began our final full day on the island.
After breakfast and devo we took a tour of the ministry. Orsy and Banesa serve the children and the community in so many ways. Not only are they a children's home, but also a provide an affordable private christian school, extrememly affordable dental services to the entire community, food distrubution, and so much more.
After listening to Orsy, we split into teams. The ladies headed to the children's home where they stained the newly replaced wood, helping preserve and improve the facility for years to come. Meanwhile, the guys tackled a project at Beacon Lighthouse School, installing new lock sets that were purchased through the generosity of our church. Another life skill checked off the list! Parents, don't be surprised if your student suddenly volunteers to replace a doorknob when they get home. Results, however, may vary.
We then enjoyed lunch with the children, and let me tell you, the Honduran ribs were incredible. If there were a mission trip award for "Most Likely to Ask for Seconds," there would have been plenty of competition.
In the afternoon, Orsy took us shopping for food and supplies for ten local families. Somehow, with military precision and years of experience, we purchased everything we needed in under ten minutes. If you've ever tried to get thirteen people through a grocery store in the United States, you know this may have been one of the greatest miracles of the entire trip.
Once back at home, we assembled the food bags and headed out to a nearby village to distribute them. This is where the day became difficult to summarize.
There are so many stories.
Stories of families faithfully persevering through circumstances most of us can barely imagine. Stories of gratitude. Stories of faith. Stories of God's presence in places the world often overlooks. We could fill pages with what happened during those visits, but honestly, words on a screen wouldn't do them justice. We hope you'll join us for one of our future share times so we can tell you more.
Our students climbed steep hills, navigated rocky paths, and walked terrain that left many of them wondering how people manage it every single day. We also handed out dresses to some of the little girls that were made by Marjorie Aspland and her Sew Fun group. We LOVE seeing the girls' faces light up when they get them. One of our groups even saw an Operation Christmas Child box in one of the homes. See if you can locate it in the Day 7 pics. Yet at every home, they stepped forward with compassion and confidence. They listened. They prayed. They shared why the Lord had brought us there. They represented Christ well.
Church, you have every reason to be proud of the students coming through our student ministry because they represent what many of you have taught them troughout their years in preschool, children, and student ministry.
One of the greatest privileges Holly and I have is watching their faith grow in environments like this. We've seen students move beyond simply learning about serving to actually becoming servants. We've watched them become more confident in praying out loud, sharing their faith, showing compassion, and trusting God. These moments remind us that God is not only working through them—He is also working in them.
After visiting the families, we returned to spend our final evening with the children. The night was filled with games, laughter, conversations, hugs, and memories. There were smiles everywhere, but there were also a few tears beginning to appear as the reality settled in that goodbyes were waiting for us the next day.
As you pray this week, please continue to pray for our Sandy Bay children, for the families in the village we visited, and for the churches and ministries we are partnering with throughout Roatan. Pray that God would continue the work He has started in their lives and in ours.
As our last full day came to an end, we were reminded of something important: mission trips are not ultimately about the projects we complete, the locks we install, the wood we stain, or even the food we distribute. Those things matter, but they are not the greatest thing.
The greatest thing is people.
People made in the image of God. People loved by God. People worth crossing oceans for because God sent his son Jesus from heaven for us!
And maybe that's what we'll carry home most from Roatan—not memories of what we did, but reminders of who God loves.
And He loves them every bit as much as He loves us.
After breakfast and devo we took a tour of the ministry. Orsy and Banesa serve the children and the community in so many ways. Not only are they a children's home, but also a provide an affordable private christian school, extrememly affordable dental services to the entire community, food distrubution, and so much more.
After listening to Orsy, we split into teams. The ladies headed to the children's home where they stained the newly replaced wood, helping preserve and improve the facility for years to come. Meanwhile, the guys tackled a project at Beacon Lighthouse School, installing new lock sets that were purchased through the generosity of our church. Another life skill checked off the list! Parents, don't be surprised if your student suddenly volunteers to replace a doorknob when they get home. Results, however, may vary.
We then enjoyed lunch with the children, and let me tell you, the Honduran ribs were incredible. If there were a mission trip award for "Most Likely to Ask for Seconds," there would have been plenty of competition.
In the afternoon, Orsy took us shopping for food and supplies for ten local families. Somehow, with military precision and years of experience, we purchased everything we needed in under ten minutes. If you've ever tried to get thirteen people through a grocery store in the United States, you know this may have been one of the greatest miracles of the entire trip.
Once back at home, we assembled the food bags and headed out to a nearby village to distribute them. This is where the day became difficult to summarize.
There are so many stories.
Stories of families faithfully persevering through circumstances most of us can barely imagine. Stories of gratitude. Stories of faith. Stories of God's presence in places the world often overlooks. We could fill pages with what happened during those visits, but honestly, words on a screen wouldn't do them justice. We hope you'll join us for one of our future share times so we can tell you more.
Our students climbed steep hills, navigated rocky paths, and walked terrain that left many of them wondering how people manage it every single day. We also handed out dresses to some of the little girls that were made by Marjorie Aspland and her Sew Fun group. We LOVE seeing the girls' faces light up when they get them. One of our groups even saw an Operation Christmas Child box in one of the homes. See if you can locate it in the Day 7 pics. Yet at every home, they stepped forward with compassion and confidence. They listened. They prayed. They shared why the Lord had brought us there. They represented Christ well.
Church, you have every reason to be proud of the students coming through our student ministry because they represent what many of you have taught them troughout their years in preschool, children, and student ministry.
One of the greatest privileges Holly and I have is watching their faith grow in environments like this. We've seen students move beyond simply learning about serving to actually becoming servants. We've watched them become more confident in praying out loud, sharing their faith, showing compassion, and trusting God. These moments remind us that God is not only working through them—He is also working in them.
After visiting the families, we returned to spend our final evening with the children. The night was filled with games, laughter, conversations, hugs, and memories. There were smiles everywhere, but there were also a few tears beginning to appear as the reality settled in that goodbyes were waiting for us the next day.
As you pray this week, please continue to pray for our Sandy Bay children, for the families in the village we visited, and for the churches and ministries we are partnering with throughout Roatan. Pray that God would continue the work He has started in their lives and in ours.
As our last full day came to an end, we were reminded of something important: mission trips are not ultimately about the projects we complete, the locks we install, the wood we stain, or even the food we distribute. Those things matter, but they are not the greatest thing.
The greatest thing is people.
People made in the image of God. People loved by God. People worth crossing oceans for because God sent his son Jesus from heaven for us!
And maybe that's what we'll carry home most from Roatan—not memories of what we did, but reminders of who God loves.
And He loves them every bit as much as He loves us.
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