“The pain of parting is nothing to the joy of meeting again.” Charles Dickens

I hate saying goodbye to our Roatan family, but I already look forward to being back with them again next year.

Today, we started with a tour of the Sandy Bay facility—hearing Orsy share about this place and how God stirred their hearts and then their feet to take over never gets old. Under the leadership of Orsy and Banessa, Sandy Bay has:
—>space for 48 children in need of a safe home.
—>a school for Pre-K - 9th grade that educates their children as well as 150+ community children.
—>a church onsite.
—>mission housing for short term and long term missionaries, teachers, and dentists.
—>a dental and orthodontic practice that serves the community.
—>a fish farm that feeds the family and the community.
—>a garden and multiple fruit trees.
—>and so much more.
Thank you, Jesus, for the obedience of these two people and the way you are using their giftings to reach and prepare others to also love and serve you.

After lunch with the children, we went shopping Orsy style. There is nothing like it. Everyone should experience it. Better yet, everyone should shop like Orsy! 

We bought food and cleaning supplies for 12 families. Our group divided into 4 groups, each with a translator, and met with one of the community churches Sandy Bay partners with. From there, each group began journeying to the 3 families we were visiting. Group members took turns introducing the team, telling them where we were from, explaining that we serve others because of all Jesus has done for us, and praying with the family. We also passed out dresses from Mike & Margie Aspland as we met families with girls. 

My group was BJ, Trinity, Payton, and Orsy and Banessa. Our 2nd delivery was to an older man named Julio. His wife Marta has had health problems and is wheelchair bound. He is missing work to care for her, and life is just hard right now. Julio told us that they had just run out of food and had nothing more to eat, and we showed up. He recognized the miracle of Jesus and was so thankful. We prayed with him and for him. We also left him a miniature Jesus, like the ones we’ve been leaving in places all week, as a reminder that he is loved and never alone. He immediately put it near the door to his home and said it would be a symbol to him of how God provided for him through us. Hugging his neck brought me so much joy, and I snuck a picture of BJ and Julio hugging.

After some errands with Orsy and dinner, we headed up to play with the children and have our evening devotional with them. Tonight’s devo was over The Good Samaritan. I had one of the new students, Liam, who speaks no English. (Side note, I have been working on relearning Spanish for the past 2 years. This year, I have felt much more comfortable speaking.) I was able to read and then retell the story to Liam before he colored and completed some of the activities. He has the cutest dimples and most precious little smile. 

After devotional, our team spent time giving out pictures to the children that BJ had printed for us. We decorated frames and both the team member and the child kept a copy of their picture together. 

Shortly before the children’s bedtime, Orsy came in and asked us to lower our voice levels because Child Services was there with a new girl. The staff welcomed her, and afterward, Francis walked her into the Family Room on the way to the girls’ bedroom. Everyone greeted her, and then Banessa sent each of the girls in one at a time to welcome her. I can only imagine what she must have been thinking and feeling. Taken away from an unsafe home, yet the only home she’d known, to a strange place in the dark. Strange faces. A strange room. But safe. In our debrief time, we prayed for this sweet, new girl to know she is loved, to feel the peace only God can give, and to be able to relax and rest well tonight.

Hugs and goodbyes with the students is always hard. Several of our little friends are new and have never said goodbye to a team before. They do get used to it over time, and as Orsy says, “They don’t miss you when you leave, but they look for you to come back.” Come back, we will.

written by Holly McMichael

**REMINDER**
You will not see pictures of our team with the children of Sandy Bay.  We found out that the Honduran government doesn't like pictures of minors in homes like Sandy Bay out for public viewing. We certainly do not want to get our Sandy Bay family in trouble so we will not be posting them to a public online place like our website or any social media sites. If you would like to view a private folder that contains all of our daily photos, including the ones with the children you can email me at billyjack@uhbc.net.  Be sure to download an app to your phone called PHOTOCIRCLE.  Once you do, I can send you a link to our private folder. Please do NOT post the pictures, this will be for viewing only.

We decided to combine two days in this post because they were a couple of our relaxing days on the trip after working so hard for 3 days straight.  Day 5 and 6 recap were written by Trinity McMichael and BJ McMichael

**REMINDER**
You will not see pictures of our team with the children of Sandy Bay.  We found out that the Honduran government doesn't like pictures of minors in homes like Sandy Bay out for public viewing. We certainly do not want to get our Sandy Bay family in trouble so we will not be posting them to a public online place like our website or any social media sites. If you would like to view a private folder that contains all of our daily photos, including the ones with the children you can email me at billyjack@uhbc.net.  Be sure to download an app to your phone called PHOTOCIRCLE.  Once you do, I can send you a link to our private folder. Please do NOT post the pictures, this will be for viewing only.

Day 5:

Today we started out with an amazing devotion from my mom, Holly McMichael, on how our words should reflect Jesus and should be sweet, healing, pleasant, and full of praise. After that amazing devotional we got to have church with kids and adult leaders of Sandy Bay. Pastor Marvin from Punta Gorda (a community on the east side of the island) brought the message and his wife Magali led us in worship with YouTube videos. It was so organic and authentic.

We listened to the Spanish version of “Yeshua” and the mixed Spanish and English version of “Holy Forever” and the English version of “Hosanna”. The kids were so loud they drowned out the videos praising God's name. We also got to listen to the amazing sermon in English and Spanish.

After an experience we will never forget, we went and had fish and chicken tacos with the kids.  After lunch, Orsy took us out to the beach with the kids and we were able to play in the beautiful clear water for maybe 30 minutes until it started pouring down rain. But neither rain, snow, sleet, or hail, stopped us from playing at la playa. We continued to play even in the rain!

We came back from the beach and played with the kids some more before eating fried chicken and fries from Bojangles and then watched a movie before everyone went to bed.

It was a great way to speak the language of play after 3 days of hardwork!

Day 6:

We started today with another perfect morning devotional by Holly. She shared from Proverbs 11:25 — “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” Holly challenged us to think about how we are allowing the Lord to refresh us, even in the middle of a busy and exhausting trip. And in true Holly fashion, this lesson came with bubbles to play with the kids later. She left us with a question we carried into the rest of the day: How will you allow the Lord to refresh you, and how will you refresh others?
Then it was time for adventure.

Today was our second “off” day—though calling it a “rest day” is a bit of a stretch when you’re being tossed around by waves like a sock in a washing machine. We traded hammers for snorkel masks and headed out for a morning on a catamaran adventure. Spirits were high, sunscreen was applied (by some more thoroughly than others), and we set sail into the beautiful Roatan blue.

The wind was strong and the waves were HUGE. Some screamed. Some laughed. Some belly flopped. Some quietly questioned their life choices. Eventually, we arrived at our snorkeling spot and the views below the surface were totally worth it. Floating in that clear water, it was impossible not to be in awe of the One who made it all.

After drying off we headed to Snappers for lunch—a seafood lover’s dream…or nightmare, depending on your taste. Some dove headfirst into shrimp, fish, and conch!  Others went for the safe bet, chicken.  After lunch, we headed back to our home base for some much-needed rest time, but the break didn’t last too long—soon we were heading back up the hill to play with the kids again. Soccer, laughter, and bubbles are valuable tools when speaking the language of play.

As the sun went down, we gathered for our evening devotional—this time on the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace. NONE of them got burned, unlike some of the ones that were with us on the boat. The story was read in both English and Spanish, a reminder that God’s provision is not limited by culture, language, or fire. Just like He was with them in the furnace, He is with them in every moment of their life.

And just when we thought the night was winding down, Orsy surprised us with a traditional Honduran meal called Tapado, a rich and flavorful stew with coconut milk, seafood, and bananas. It was a taste of culture, home, and hospitality all in one pot.

After dinner, we said our good nights to the kids and walked back down the hill. Not bad for a "rest day."

We started off the morning reading “The Christmas Story” which was a great representation of how all parts of the Bible are applicable at all times. We were challenged to be messengers of joy, since we have already received the message of joy. Mrs. Holly gave us clown noses as a reminder of the joy that we are to spread.

Then, we got right to work on the house again to try and beat the rain coming. We put up one more exterior wall and two interior walls. Nelson needed a helper on top of the framing to nail everything in and Elijah H. jumped at the opportunity and began scaling across the top of the framing. When we finished, we got to take some pictures and pray over Adabelle** and her house.  

After a long days work, we headed back to the children’s home to bring joy to the kids through playing and laughing with them.

Overall it was a FIRE day!

written by Kelsey Johnson and Dresdin Hesson.

**Adabelle is in our group picture in the framing of the house, she is standing next to BJ. The prayer over her consisted of everyone getting to go around the circle and say a one sentence prayer. It was a really powerful moment that we all felt closer to the Lord. It was important to acknowledge why we would come to a different country to serve someone we didn't know.  She is a lady we have visited before because she works in the souvenir shop each team visits before we leave.  The souvenir shop owner gave her a small piece of land (on a cliff on the souvenir shop property) to build a home. From now on, each team that visits will be able to see what was done and continue to BUILD on the love shown to Adabelle and her family.

Well, I forgot to get some students to write up day three, so you guys are stuck with me (BJ) today.  Here we go.

We kicked off our morning with another devo led by Holly where she encouraged us with a message from Ephesians 1:13-14, reminding us that when we trusted in Jesus, we were sealed, covered, and secured. She challenged us that by knowing our eternity is already taken care of should radically shape the way we live every day. She gave out some temporary spiritual tattoos to remind us throughout the day.

Afterwards we loaded up in the big yellow bus again and headed up to the job site. Honestly, Orsy’s driving has to qualify as a spiritual gift. His turns defy physics and fear. Our motto has always been, "In Orsy we Trust." Now we have an additional motto: “If Orsy’s not worried, we’re not worried.”

On the construction site, we continued building a home for a single mom and her two kids. Today’s scoreboard: 2½ walls up, approximately 18 nails dropped, but we still have zero job site accidents. One of the most meaningful moments came when some of our students and leaders paused to write down prayers and Bible verses on the floor beams and walls of the house. As hammers clanged in the background, Sharpies became tools of faith, marking the home with truth, hope, and a whole lot of love.

After a good day’s work it was time for breakfast for dinner—led by our culinary dream team. Elijah McMichael, our trusty Student Ministry Intern, who earned his new nickname “The Bacon Whisperer.” Jake Giroux mastered the fine art of pancake-making by skillfully adding water (well done, chef Giroux). Finally, Holly made sure to tie it all together with a huge skillet of eggs. She makes them for our breakfast for dinner nights at home, so trust me when I tell you they are always EGG-cellent (sorry, had to throw a dad joke in there).

Nightly devos with the kids of Sandy Bay continue to be one of the bright spots of the day. Our students led small groups on the story of Esther. Once again, kids taught the story in Spanish, while our students taught it in English. It was loud. It was beautiful. Somewhere in the middle of the back-and-forth storytelling, the language barriers crumbled and the message came through crystal clear: As Holly often says when she gets to teach this account of Esther, God uses ordinary people for extraordinary purposes.

After spending some more time with the kids before their 9:00 pm bedtime, we came back to our mission housing and had a time of reflection.

Our prayer tonight is simple: that the kids we’re serving—and anyone we meet—might come to know the same confidence, joy, and peace in Jesus that we’ve found.

Bring on Day 4. We’re sealed, we’re sent, and we’ve got pancakes.

written by BJ McMichael

**PLEASE NOTE**
From here on out you will not see pictures of our team with the children of Sandy Bay.  We found out that the Honduran government doesn't like pictures of minors in homes like Sandy Bay out for public viewing. We certainly do not want to get our Sandy Bay family in trouble so we will not be posting them to a public online place like our website or any social media sites. If you would like to view a private folder that contains all of our daily photos, including the ones with the children you can email me at billyjack@uhbc.net.  Be sure to download an app to your phone called PHOTOCIRCLE.  Once you do, I can send you a link to our private folder. Please do NOT post the pictures, this will be for viewing only.

The day began at 8 a.m. with a devotional on John 15:5. We reflected on how two people working together are stronger than one—especially when facing the challenges of this world.

Afterwards, we hopped on a big yellow dog (school bus) with the world’s best driver, who skillfully navigated winding mountain roads, sharp curves, and deep valleys to get us to the construction site. After unloading the tools and lumber, we had a short, but tough hike across rugged terrain to reach the site. Some of us nearly fell, but thankfully, everyone made it safely. The volunteer work in the community this year was to continue building a house for a single mom, Adabelle, who works for the souvenir shop that we stop at every year.

Her house was being built on the side of a mountain with a 40-foot drop (editors note, remember parents that teenagers can exaggerate at times, it was more like 39 and 1/2 feet)—with no room for error. A few beams were already in place, so we started by carefully climbing out to them and hammering boards into place. Once that was done, we hiked back to the bus and returned to the school for lunch. We enjoyed rice, egg salad, regular salad, cantaloupe, and pineapple juice—it was delicious.

After lunch, most of the group took a much-needed nap. Refreshed, we got back on the bus during rush hour and returned to the build site. This time, we had to put up a wall—with no floor beneath us. Balancing on thin boards with no safety straps (editor's note, this time they are not wrong), we struggled to build the wall correctly but eventually got it right. Then came the hard part: setting it up over the cliff. Standing on the edge, we held it in place while our amazing builder, Nelson, secured it with nails and support beams.

After that wild experience, we returned for dinner—some had tacos cooked by Mrs. Holly, while others tried authentic Honduran food at a local restaurant, then some still came and ate the tacos that were made. After dinner we hung out with the children in the living room until it was time for the devotional and we all were able to lead a Bible study on Noah’s Ark while broken into smaller groups. The children read the story in Spanish while we read in English. They loved it.

We played until their bedtime at 9 p.m., then returned home, shared words of affirmation, and reflected on the day—what God taught us, and how we grew from it.  We are both looking forward to day 3 and finishing up the walls for Adabelle's new house tomorrow!

Written by Elijah Hesson & Zach Steffa
Edited by BJ McMichael

We made it through the rain—literally and figuratively—and we’re officially on the ground in Sandy Bay, Roatán, Honduras! Loaded with luggage and full hearts, we made it to the airport with plenty of time to spare, boarded the plane, and touched down safely on the island. And we didn’t slow down from there. The moment we landed, we headed straight to the children’s home at Sandy Bay Lighthouse Ministries—a place that holds so many memories for our team. To be honest, it feels like coming home.

First things first: food run. We stocked up, fueled up, and got right to the best part—reconnecting with some of our favorite kids on the island. Smiles, hugs, laughter, and catching up on life, school, and adventures with Orsy and Banesa—it was the kind of reunion that reminds us why we come back. But this time, something new greeted us. LOTS of new faces. The home has welcomed many new children since our last visit, and our hearts are bursting as we begin building brand-new relationships. The joy, the energy, the love in this place—it’s contagious. We are soaking up every moment.

Tomorrow holds even more purpose as we begin working on the construction of a home for a local woman in the community. It’s always a privilege to serve not just within the walls of the children’s home, but in the broader community that surrounds it.

Keep us in your prayers as we dive deeper into the week ahead—building, serving, playing, loving, and listening. We’re already seeing God at work, and we can’t wait to see what He continues to do as we bring a little Jesus to the Sandy Bay community, and experience a little bit of Jesus from the beautiful people of Roatan!

Be sure to check back each day as team members give us a recap of the daily events.

BJ McMichael
Minister of Students and Outreach

Day 7

Sorry for the LATE POST! We had a long, busy, and AWESOME day on Tuesday so we decided to get some rest and update everything on the way home. The internet was being a little difficult on us during the trip and it also made it easier to do it this way.

We started out the day by dividing and conquering! It started early for Christina and JoBeth as they heard a knock on their door. It was Orsy asking if they could be teachers for the day because one of the teachers for the school couldn't make it that day. These ladies did an AMAZING JOB working with the kids and stepping up for the school and the children.

Everybody else go to work on finishing up our part of the fence. The concrete girls flexed their muscles shoveling gravel and dirt preparing the concrete. Then we started a concrete wheel barrel parade that ended at our new found masonry experts. They put a layer of concrete on the wall and beams to get it ready for the next group to come. After lunch we finished the job by filling in the dirt that was dug for the foundation of the wall. It was another HOT yet fulfilling day as we finished the task faster than Orsy thought we would.

Cristy and Amy took another turn in the kitchen to help prepare lunch for the Sandy Bay children and for those of us working up an appetite with the security fencing. It was a FANTASTIC meal. Bar-b-que chicken (Roatan Style), beef, refried black beans, homemade tortillas and chimole. SO, SO GOOD!

After we finished working Orsy wanted to take the team back to the beach. Since the kids wouldn't be able to go, our team decided that we wanted to stay and spend as much time as we could with them. So we waited patiently for them to finish their homework and chores (Honduran summer break is between November and January) and then got to playing.

Around 7:30 pm we began our devotional time and broke into our small groups and read the remainder of the Bible stories in Spanish and English with the kids. Everyone REALLY loved our devotional times and there was so much interaction between our students and the Sandy Bay Kids. At the end of each devotional, some of our students shared their story of when they came to know the Lord with their small group. It was a sweet time of hearing our students share their love for the Lord.

After devotional time, Orsy and Banesa had ANOTHER surprise for us. They had made one of our favorites, Conch Soup. It was absolutely AMAZING! They don't do this for every group, so we feel very special when they treat us with this type of hospitality. Another of many reasons why we love our Roatan home.

There won't be another post after this, because Wednesday was full of goodbyes, and see you laters. However there is little doubt that the Lord used us to leave a mark, so we will end the blog updates with a challenge Holly had for us this week.

One of our devotionals we looked at Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: if either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."

She challenged us with these questions:
1--Who are your more than ones? Your people?
2--Who do you need in your barrel? How will you connect with them?

Thus the picture of the monkey's in the cement of the fence. If you look closely you will see each of our names there. We are cemented in the Lord, He is the one that holds everything together. He is the one who holds us together. He is also the one who helps us stay connected to each other. We came for one purpose, to glorify the Lord and tell his story by our actions and by our words. We did that and we leave Him with those we care about in Roatan. However we also bring the Lord back home with us to continue serving others here in Huntsville.

Pray for our friends at Sandy Bay.
Pray for our team as we see how the Lord desires to use us back home.
Pray for our student ministry as they continue to tell their story to their families, our community and our church.

Day 6 (Holly and BJ)

We started out the day with another great devotional from Holly.  We all received a yo-yo and talked about how important it is for the yo-yo to be tethered to our hands to function properly. So it goes with the Lord. John 15:5 reminds us that He is the vine and we are the branches, and If we remain (stay tethered) to Him, we will bear much fruit (function properly). She challenged us to think about how we are “remaining." It was the perfect way to start the day.

Afterward, we had an excursion planned for the team. We spent some time growing together as a group and went on a catamaran to do some snorkeling, had an amazing lunch, and then a tour of the island by Orsy. It was encouraging to see and hear how Orsy wants to allow the Lord to use Sandy Bay Lighthouse ministries to reach every village on the island.

When we got back to the home, it was time to have our devotion with the kids.  The lesson was over Zacchaeus, and our team broke into small groups and read the lesson in English, encouraging the kids then to read the lesson in Spanish. We wrapped up our time together by talking about what we liked about the story and ended in prayer. That’s when Brayan (pronounced BRY + UHN) captured all of our hearts tonight. 

Our family has bonded with Brayan over the past 3 years. This sweet boy was removed from his home because his mom was unable to care for his many siblings and him. Others stepped in to care for his brothers and sisters, but no one would take Brayan. (Thank you, Jesus, for Sandy Bay and Orsy and Banesa!) Because he has some special needs, he is periodically left out by some of the other children. To us, he truly has been such a joy. While he doesn’t say much, he is fluent in the language of play and always has a hug and a smile.

Tonight, Brayan not only shared his favorite part with the whole group but also volunteered to pray to close our devotional time with the children. My heart (Holly) was overwhelmed. This was his first time to do this in the three years we have been coming; in fact, it is probably the most words I have ever heard him say! What a HUGE deal! This kid who was not wanted by family and is often overlooked by others prayed to the God of the universe who will ALWAYS WANT him, who created him on purpose and for a purpose! Oh, my goodness! It doesn’t get any better than that. In his sweet prayer, he thanked God for Momi and Popi and that he has a place to live; twice for his food (the boy likes to eat); for the gringos–he said he loves us. He thanked the Lord that we came to be with them and for safe travel back home.

Before he prayed, he told the group about his favorite part: no one would let Zaccheus see Jesus, so he climbed a tree to see him. Jesus really wanted to see Zaccheus, too. We believe that Brayan saw himself in this story, was encouraged that Jesus wanted to be with a man like Zachheus, who was ignored and disregarded by others, and was emboldened to share and pray before the group. God is doing something in Brayan. Please join us in praying for him and that he truly knows how much the love of Jesus is for him.

After Brayan prayed, we continued with a tradition of printing current pictures of our trip with the children on a portable printer that we bring to the island. That's when it was my turn (BJ) to be overwhelmed. I printed a picture of Zachary Steffa playing with Brayan in the water from this year's Sunday beach day trip. When I handed it to him he laughed his Brayan laugh, gave me a hug and then ran off to his room. Little did I know he was coming right back with a photo album in hand and EVERY ONE of our pictures with him over the years. Even the pictures of us that we print and send in the boxes of Crocs we get them for Christmas. This was a gift of wonder when it comes to God's great love for me and our family. A kid who is often overlooked (as Holly stated before) doesn't let the kindness that others have shown him get overlooked. Even if we only make a difference in this one kid's life during our time of ministry to Sandy Bay, I know that is enough for our family!

The pictures below are Brayan through the years. Please join us in praying for him.

Day 5 ( Aaron Hesson, Charlie and Amy Benson)

Today was more relaxed with no work on the schedule because it was Sunday.  However, it was the most impactful for me. (Aaron)  We went to church with the kids of the home and heard their little voices praise our Father in heaven.  One of the songs that we sang was in Spanish called, “Suelto” and talked about God’s perfect plan…sometimes it’s hard to believe that these kids have experienced God’s perfect plan after hearing some of their stories.  That song was followed up with “Child of God”  That put us (Charlie and Aaron) on our seats!

Suelto (Spanish version)
Suelto or I Give You My Dreams (English version)

Pastor Marvin preached a message of God using the most isolated and unchosen among us to do His work with illustrations of David and Goliath and how Israel was God’s chosen people, not because they were more than, but because they were oppressed.  And of course, he followed it up with a message of the Gospel.  After I wiped my tears and gathered myself it was time to have lunch and go to the beach.

Some might say that going to the beach doesn’t sound much like a mission trip, but when you’re goal is to build relationships with children, it becomes quite essential.  We played in the water with starfish, made sand castles, and lost a beach ball to the current.  Most importantly, watching the kids be loved on by our team.  The parents of our boys should be incredibly proud of the young men they are becoming.  I’m sure the pictures that are added will show our boys in action with the young kids. And of course, the young ladies as well as they nurture these kids as if they are their own kids or young siblings. We had plenty of fun and enjoyed some island drinks minus the spirits.  After the beach, we went back to the home and had pizza and played some more to continue to build those relationships.  

It has truly been a blessing to be able to serve with my UHBC family, who is such an amazing team of kids and adults! Sandy Bay Lighthouse ministries is truly a wonderful organization from the kids here being cared for by a wonderful staff who truly love these kids! I (Amy) have loved serving in the kitchen and washing dishes with the ladies! Looking forward to serving and seeing some more of this beautiful island!

Day 4 (JoBeth Coleman, Kelsey Johnson, Dresdin Hesson)

We started today with a devo by Mrs. Holly. We learned that we should be like ducks in the rain and just let things roll off our shoulders. We learned in Psalms 103:8 that God is abounding in love and slow to anger, which serves as a great reminder of how we should treat others, with love and compassion. We were given rubber ducks which provided multiple opportunities to practice our lesson since the boys squeaked ALL DAY LONG.

After devo we headed into town to grab groceries. Grocery shopping with Orsy is like shopping on a game show. We can safely say we are professional speed shoppers. After grocery shopping, we prepared bags to take into the community at Punta Gorda. We broke into three groups when we arrived in Punta Gorda to bless 16 families with food, toiletries, toothbrushes (donated by our local pediatric dentist Dr. Frazier), dresses made by church members and prayers.

Mrs. Jo Beth and Dresdin’s group visited 5 families. One that stood out to them was a family that consisted of a grandpa, grandma, daughter and numerous grandchildren. They asked for prayer over their health because the grandma was an amputee and the grandpa had vision issues. The daughter was also concerned about caring for her parents. They were truly grateful for the groceries we provided and the prayers we covered them in. The children also enjoyed the candy we handed out.
 
Kelsey’s group also visited 5 families one of which was an expecting mom with two kids. She asked for prayers for her and her kid’s health. She welcomed our prayers and was extremely appreciative of her groceries. Her kids were also very excited about getting candy. The kids in Punta Gorda were really excited about the dresses we were able to give which was special for Kelsey because she made some. One girl’s whole face lit up when we gave her a dress.

After we arrived back at the children’s home, we went straight to play with the kids until we had breakfast for dinner. Once we cleaned up from dinner, we went back up the hill to hang out with the kids. We look forward to spending time with the kids every day and are very excited for time at the beach with them tomorrow. We ended our day with a debrief to discuss how we were impacted by what we saw in the community and how the Lord is moving in each of us.

Day 3 (Trinity and Holly McMichael)

We started devotional at 8:30 am with Holly. She used Barrel of Monkey Keychains to illustrate how God designed us to be linked together. He created us to need one another and our different gifts, talents, and abilities. We looked at Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, and the main challenge question was, “Who are your more than ones?”

After devotional, we started back to work on the brick wall we are building. We were separated into groups: one group was sifting sand and pouring it into buckets for the mortar; one group working on rebar, and one working with the mortar and the bricks to build the wall and fill in the gaps.

We enjoyed a delicious lunch with the kids—ham tacos, chimole, and salsa verde. I (Trinity) really enjoyed the Fresca flavor today, since it was my favorite, strawberry.
 
After lunch, we continued work on the wall until 5:00.  Orsy surprised us with a trip to the beach with just our group and he and Banesa. We were able to experience a beautiful sunset on the beach while playing in the refreshing water. We were all grateful for Orsy rewarding our hard work with such a nice treat.

We wrapped up the day with devo time with the children and the story of Mary and Joseph leaving Jesus in the temple when he was 12. Our group is made up of David, Noemi, and Eduardo, who are all 11-13 years old. They took time reading the story in English and Spanish. It is exciting to see how well they are learning both their native language and a new language. Since both of us love teaching and children, it is fun to spend time with them like this; all three of these children are ones we bonded with the first year, so we love seeing them every year, finding out how much they are learning, and seeing their growth.

We are tired after a long day but looking forward to going into Punta Gorda tomorrow to take groceries and supplies to families.

Thank you for following our trip and praying for us. We are grateful for you! God is good.

Day 2 (Cristy, AJ, & Zach Steffa)

Morning (by Cristy Steffa)
We woke up, had our breakfast and devotional  went to have a tour with Orsy. He shared how the orphanage came about and all the work that has been done. Hearing some of the stories of these sweet children was heartbreaking, but I was thankful to hear and see how they are taken care of here. Once the tour was over majority of the group worked on building a cement wall. While Amy Benson and I went up to the kitchen area to help Francis and Banesa with lunch. The highlight of my day was washing dishes with three year old Joseph.

Afternoon (by AJ Steffa)
After some lovely food and a well needed nap the team got back to work. I continued where I left off this morning placing the mortar in between the bricks and wheelbarrowing the mortar to the wall that we are building. Thankfully we had nice shade and breeze to finish the day.  After a hard day of work we had dinner and some free time to play with the kids.

Evening (by Zach Steffa)
Once I  finished working on the fence I went and played with the kids and played basketball with Erick and Josh. I played basketball with them until 7:30 which was devotion. I started off by getting to pray over everyone. Then BJ had us split up into small groups of 1-3 kids per leader. I was with Yensey. Yensey is one of the newer children to the home and I read the story of David and Goliath in English and Spanish to her. She made fun of my pronunciations of the spanish words but she helped me with them even though she cannot read. After the devotion the kitchen crew bought a cake for Aaron’s birthday and we sang happy birthday in english and spanish. After eating cake we played and hung out with the kids until their 9:00 bed time.

Well, after a slight plane delay, we finally landed and HIT THE GROUND RUNNING!  Not many pictures because our students wanted to start playing with the kids at Sandy Bay IMMEDIATELY so we all just jumped in.  We wanted to be present in the moment because before we know it, we will be on a plane headed back home.

Take a look who decided to join us!  That's right, Charlie and Amy Benson.  Holly and I are so excited to have them here, with this team, at this place.

There are many familiar faces, and some new, but still the same place we love to serve the Lord. Pray for us tomorrow as we start working on a new fence on the property.  More to come tomorrow.

Remember, these blog updates will be written by some of our students and some of the adults on this trip. Feel free to leave a comment, ask a question, or type out a prayer and I will be sure they get to read it and answer back.

Thank you church for giving Holly and me the opportunity to really challenge our students as they put feet to their faith. We are proud of them and honored to serve alongside them.

BJ McMichael

Please be in prayer for our 2024 Honduras Mission Team!

After a day of fun yesterday, it was time to get back to work today.  We started the day off with a devo by Mrs. Holly about Ephesians 2:10 reminding us that we are God’s handiwork created in Him.

We spent the morning finishing the dirt work on the new tool shed, getting ready to pour concrete tomorrow. We enjoyed lunch and a little play time with the kids before heading back to Punta Gorda to minister to the families we visited Tuesday. When we delivered food on Tuesday, we learned more about the families so we were able to make a bag to take back that catered to their needs. The children were so excited to see what we had brought for them! We also gave each family a printed picture that we had taken with them on Tuesday.

The first family we met was a lady named Bianca.  She had four children, two of which were twins. That was pretty neat since our family has four kids, two of which are twins. The second family was Carmen, who had three boys and was eight months pregnant with a girl. The last family we visited was a grandma with her daughter and two year old grandson.   She welcomed us into her home and told us about her faith.  

During our adventure, we saw a little girl wearing one of the dresses we brought with us and donated to the church of Punta Gorda. Since we have personally been involved in making the dresses (Kelsey made three of the dresses we brought), it was a full circle moment getting to see a little girl so happy to be wearing one.

On the way back to the children’s home from Punta Gorda, we stopped at a local bakery for a treat…yummy! Then after a delicious spaghetti dinner, we headed back up the hill for devo time with the kids. Orsy had a special pot of conch soup made for us that we had to try first.  The food has definitely been delicious!  

Kyndall, Kelsey, Cesar and Mrs. Holly shared their favorite bible verses.  One of the kids from the home, David, was brave and shared his favorite verse as well which was John 3:16.  BJ followed that up with a message about how salvation is a gift that we can only receive if we accept it. We then surprised the kids with croc charms!

Michelle and Kelsey Johnson

Yesterday was a day of fun and play, so during devotional, I played a video of babies laughing. We were all smiling or laughing, too. I shared that our Heavenly Father, like parents, loves to hear us laugh and see us enJOY what He has given us. Jesus did not only come to earth, die for our sins, and rise again so that we could have eternity with Him but also so we could have abundant life here. We took turns reading verses about joy and rejoicing, for example Psalm 126:3, Psalm 118:24, and Philippians 4:4, and I gave the group giant bubbles to remember to have fun and let “filled things spill things” with those around them. 

Jake Giroux’s cousins own a catamaran company that takes people snorkeling. They graciously give our group a HUGE discount to enjoy this opportunity. After breakfast and devotional, we drove to the loading dock and set off; Orsy, Vanesa, and Sharon were able to join us. We all enJOYed playing and laughing together and seeing beautiful Roatan—above and under water. As extra fun, it was extremely windy yesterday morning, so our first boat ride to the snorkeling location included enormous swells that crashed into the front of the boat and came up under the trampolines made of cargo net where many of our students were sitting. Soaked, we laughed the whole way.

For lunch, Orsy took us to Snappers, an open air restaurant with a beautiful view of the bay. BJ has been looking forward to this lunch since last year.

In the afternoon, we went on a tour of the mangroves, trees with root systems submerged under water, so they provide a canopy overhead and a peaceful tunnel to pass through. These narrow passages are meant for one way traffic, but when our boats encountered another boat, they shimmied past one another without even touching. Halfway through the tour, we were able to swim and refresh ourselves in pristinely clear water. 

We enJOYed dinner with the children, and during our evening devotional with them, Michelle, Nathan, Jo Beth, and Melissa shared their favorite verses. Sandy, one of the teenagers in the home, prayed to close us; he thanked God for each of the missionaries who had come and asked him to bless each of us.

Of course, a day would not be complete without playtime, so play we did—basketball, Uno, bracelet making, tag. The day ended like it began—with the sound of children laughing. And I believe our good, good Father was smiling as we enJOYed one another!

Holly McMichael

Our day began with a wonderful devotional by Mrs. Holly (or Mom) about seeing others differently, the way Jesus sees others.  Then we finished pick axing and digging the dirt for the tool shed and/or twisted and tied our way to finish the rebar as well.  

After an amazing lunch, consisting of chicken, rice, beans, coleslaw and watermelon, we took a 45 min ride to the community of Punta Gorda to hand out food and serve. We divided into 4 different groups which included a translator. Some groups walked up steep hills to get to the people we were serving, while others walked on uneven ground. JoBeth, Elijah, Andrew, Trinity had the opportunity to serve a lady who had 2 kids and one of the girls was wearing one of the dresses we gave to a pastor to pass out to the community last year.

The second lady we had the opportunity to serve was an older lady with 3 grandkids living with her. She told us that she had just ran out of credit today, and the day she ran out we were able to give her new groceries. She also confided in us that she was discouraged in her faith and fallen away from God and us giving her the food and blessing her encouraged her to get back with God. We shared scripture, prayed, and sang hallelujah with her.

Our third family to serve had 2 kids and they were very open to prayer and thankful for us. We plan on visiting these families again on Thursday to meet other needs we noticed needed to be met.  

We came back to the mission house and had a delicious breakfast for dinner. Then after dinner we went and did a devotional with the kids.  Elijah, Dr. Knight, AJ, Trinity, and Andrew shared their favorite Bible verses with the kids (with Melissa translating of course). Then we passed out the dresses (from SEW FUN MINISTRY which is a dress making ministry for Mission Trips in our church) and Camp @ the Heights T-shirts the church donated to the kids. Then we played with the board games that our Kids and Preschool Ministry collected for Camp @ The Heights for the next hour and had a ton of fun with the kids.

We were very thankful for the cooler weather God blessed us with today but are also extremely grateful for the blessings we provided for people and the memories we made that will stick with us forever. We pray we have a safe and fun day tomorrow on the catamaran.

JOBETH COLEMAN (Table Talk Leader)
ELIJAH MCMICHAEL
HOLLY MCMICHAEL

Bright and early in the morning, the team woke up eagerly to begin the days work. Mrs. Holly motivated the team with the morning devotional with an illustration with a slinky on a staircase. As children, many know that a slinky will move down the staircase, almost as if it weren’t meant to be played with on the staircase. In comparison, we are made to follow Jesus and the path he has created for us. Taking this information with us, our personal friend and owner of the ministry home “Papa”, or better know as Orsy, gave a personal tour of the children’s home. To begin this, he showed an emotional video of the home’s past and beginnings. Many things like the evolution of the home and the growth of the school, not only internally, but also externally into the community were explained. Moving forward, the group embarked on a small tour of the facility in its present form. We witnessed the “break time” the kids were currently on, and their faces were full of enjoyment and excitement. By observing this, we knew that this kids truly accepted the mission home as their true home.

After the tour of the campus the team began to start working under the hot Honduran sun, but don’t worry we had pretty of water to keep us going. We started digging and cutting steel rebar to lay down the foundation for a new tool shed for Sandy Bay Lighthouse Ministries. While we were working, we had the kids stop by to keep us company, even an old friend Noel who was at the house last year when the team came. Once noon came around we were help to take break to have lunch with the Kids. We had Hamburgers and French fries that were prepared by the wonderful cooks here on site. After lunch we got back to work but this time the Lord blessed us with shade.

After we completed our work the kids were calling for us to play with them. Some of the games we played with the kids are tic-tac-toe, basketball, and dancing. One game that the kids like to play is similar to made you look but instead the kids say “crac cuello” which means neck crack in English. Mrs Holly made some wonderful chicken tacos for dinner. After dinner we went up with the kids to play some more this time consisted of listening to music and dancing with the kids. At 7:30 we gathered with all the kids in the living room where BJ presented a devotional, with Melissa to help translate. BJ talked about being afraid and that we need to rely on God when we are afraid. As a group we were able to surprise the kids with all of the games that we were able to purchase with the money raised by our preschool and children’s ministry from the offering at Camp at the Heights. All the kids were super excited and immediately began playing with all of the games.

ANDREW COX (STUDENT MINISTRY INTERN AND TABLE TALK LEADER)
AJ STEFFA
NATHAN SCHWEITZER

Our Mission trip to Roatan Honduras is here and that means our UHSM Summer is now officially kicking off!  After serving at Camp @ The Heights last week, we left the church at 5 am on Saturday to catch an 11:41 am flight.  We all made it safely (including our luggage) even though mine almost didn't make the trip.  Pro tip for traveling; luggage you pack for a trip can't help you if left in the front seat of your truck.

One thing we didn't leave behind was our desire to reconnect with the kids we had to leave behind a year ago.  It didn't take long before they come looking for us the moment we drove onto the property.  And, our group did what they do best, speak the language of play.  We've hit the ground running and we haven't stopped.

Sunday morning started with a devotional challenge by Holly McMichael to let our light shine from Matthew 5:14-16.  She dropped a major truth bomb by saying, "Filled things, spill things," and we ought to be spilling the light and love of Jesus all over the island this week.  After that, we experienced a beautiful worship service time with our Pastor friends Marvin and Magali.  Their love for the Lord is so contagious and witnessing their desire to serve the children and staff here at Sandy Bay is one of our favorite moments of the trip.

After that we had lunch with the kids and then we were off to the beach for some more sun and fun!  This picture that is the thumbnail is one of the best pictures of the day.  Just two days ago, Cesar was not coming on this trip due to a passport error on the government side of things.  After the help of our Congressman Pete Sessions office, we were able to get him another appointment and a passport in hand on Friday right before our trip.  Watching the pure joy on their faces lets you know that Cesar is spilling out the love of Jesus all over these kids.

After our beach time we came back to the home for some pizza, let the kids go and study for some exams they have in their school tomorrow, and of course wrapped up the evening with some play time.  It's hard to believe day 1 and day 2 are in the books.

Now it's time for day three today.  We will start the cement work on a new tool shed on campus to help make some room in the dinning room for the home.  Pray for us today because it is HOT and we will be doing outside work that will drain us.  However, we will still want to have enough energy to play with the kids.

Thank you for praying and thank you for sending us here!
BJ McMichael

Leaving anywhere can be such a bittersweet moment. As we wrapped up our last full day we got to experience a lot of the island of Roatan. We had a drive tour of the island, also  a boat tour through the mangrove tree tunnels (large rooted trees that come out of the waters) and ate some local and non-local food (there is a pretty decent Tex-mex on the island ran my a Houston couple). When we got back it was play time with the kids.

Everyone knows that this is the last night, but there is no sadness. Joyful hearts and voices rang throughout the basketball court, courtyard and all around the bunkhouses. We had devotional time (which for me is a lot like how we do family worship at home) and for the last two nights we spent a little extra time with the older kids there and talked a little deeper about God’s Word. Wonderful conversations followed by some basketball and games.

We board tomorrow with joyful hearts ready to share what God has shown us in order to continue to make His name known throughout the world. Thank you for coming along on this journey and praying for us while we were here.

⁃Richard and Jenny Woodard

After some eggs, sausage, and coffee we were off to work. Today the guys finished the concrete and the ladies finished staining the rails. While the guys were driving out to the spot we were working at, we found out we would be down a worker. We were definitely bummed and began to dread the concrete work. Yet God provided, just as we got to the spot, two locals were walking up and asked if they could help. Because of the extra much appreciated help, we finished this last section of concrete at 11 that morning.

We came back to Sandy Bay and got some lunch. It was quite interesting because what we would call a tostada in Texas, was what they called an Enchilada. Later we got a full tour of the property and Orsy told us his story and how he came to operate the ministry. It was truly inspiring to hear how God worked in his life to lead him to where he is now. Finally, a couple of the guys loaded up and drove back out to Punta Gorda to pick up the concrete mixer and check the concrete. When we came back to Sandy Bay we had another great night of hanging out and playing with the kids. Can’t wait to see what is in store for tomorrow!

⁃M. Connor Lyon

Today we started the day off with a breakfast of eggs, sausage and cinnamon toast. Then we got ready for church.   We gathered with all the family and a few visitors to worship the Lord. It was amazing to hear them worshiping and singing in Spanish. They are very passionate about worship and it made me realize that sometimes we just sing the words instead of praising our Savior with all our hearts. They also sang two songs in English.  Translator Yourgen was there so we could understand the prayers and the sermon delivered by Pastor Marvin. It was so neat to think we were here in Honduras worshipping in Spanish about the same time our church was back home worshiping.  

After church, we ate a quick lunch and got ready to go with the whole family to the beach. We had so much fun playing with the kids in the water. And we learned Mr. Pete is pretty good at building sandcastles.  We even saw some fish and a stingray. Hailey saw an octopus while snorkeling at the beach.

We ended our day back at the  home with a birthday party for Mrs. Banessa (the Mom at the home) with barbecue and cake.  Then some of us played more basketball and Uno with the kids before bed.

We are so grateful to be here serving as a family!

~ Jason, Stacey, Hailey, and Hannah Cotton

Today started late! After days of intense labor We we’re able to sleep in a bit. Breakfast today was pancakes and bacon cooked by the men. After many laughs and conversations shared at the table, we decided to finish up the  staining of the guesthouse! With the help of all we were finally able to complete the 1st coat, so now we’re on to the 2nd coat!

For the outing  today we went snorkeling ! I have never been snorkeling before so I was sort of nervous to be diving into 50ft deep water. After some self motivation I took a leap into the water and I’m so glad I did. I was able to look down and see all the beautiful fishes in the ocean. Pete lead us to seeing a puffer fish and a sea lion fish. I was truly amazed at Gods creation! While looking down at all the different species in the ocean all I could do is smile and think “ wow God made all this!” It made me think back to the verse Colossians 1:16-17.

16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

God created all the beautiful fishes and plants I saw in the ocean and he holds them all in his hands. It is truly amazing who our God is. Snorkeling gave me the opportunity to not only see fish but to appreciate God’s creation! This is a lifetime experience I will never forget.

-Kayla Williams