Hey y'all! Yesterday Art asked if somehow we could turn off the spicket and I am happy to announce that we have scraped our plans to build an ark to float home and actually experienced a few glimpses of sunshine today! The rain stopped just as we were getting ready to leave and started again once we made it safely back to Casa de Alfredo. 

Surprisingly, today was the chilliest day yet as far as temperatures. Most of us spent the day bundled up in the one long sleeve or fleece we packed since Honduras isn't usually chilly! We were blessed to serve El Diviso community today which is up on the tippy top of a mountain, which afforded us some absolutely spectacular views.

This was Team #1's third visit to this community in the last 4 years. Thanks to the last few days of rain, it was by far the most slippery and muddy village of the week. It was the kind of mud that sucks your boots off. Between the temperatures and the pictures of the snow from home and the slickness of the mud, we could almost pretend we were ice-skating!

Thomas sharing morning devotions

We were so humbled by the members of this community. In the eye clinic, Lynn gave her cross away to a 12 year old girl named Mildred who is the youngest of 13 children. Mildred was an invaluable asset to the eye clinic today, as she kept the records organized and the flow of community members going. Roger also had the opportunity to connect with a community member and gave his cross away to a elderly lady in her mid-70's who suffers from Parkinson's. She touched the hearts of everyone she encountered today and our prayers are with her and the rest of this community.

Unfortunately, this community had extremely poor dental hygiene. Our dental assistant Art recalled one family with 5 people who needed extractions, with a total of 11 teeth pulled. There was one young girl who had to have 6 teeth removed. We were able to provide toothbrushes and tooth powder to every person who entered our clinic and a brushing demonstration was given, so hopefully this will have a positive impact and we will be able to tell some improvement if we are blessed with the opportunity to serve this community in a coming year.

As we headed down the mountain after finishing the last day of clinics for this team in 2013, we of course encountered some excitement as the bus slid into the ditch on a curve and had to be pulled out using our trusty winch. Thank God for that winch! When we arrived back at Casa de Alfredo, it was time to say goodbye to our translators who had served alongside us for this past week. Some seasoned members of the team commented that these translators were some of the best ever and that the best word for them is "stellar". It is definitely sad to say goodbye, but our hearts are filled with joy at the prospect of returning and seeing these friendly smiling faces in January 2014.

Melvin Martinez and his daughter Anna who translated.

 We are now in the midst of inventory, which is no one's favorite part of the week. Tomorrow we will rise early and head 4 hours to Copan to see some ruins and get ready to re-enter our American lives on Sunday.

I can only speak for myself, but I know that this trip has definitely changed my life and it wouldn't have been such an absolutely amazing experience without the staff of the Friends of Barnabas Foundation here in Honduras, our stellar translators, the community members I got to serve, and of course my positively spectacular teammates, especially our fearless leader Don Pierce. I am so profoundly grateful and humbled to have had this experience and to have been a part of a team that truly puts their faith into action.

Love to everyone!

Hannah Lambert and the rest of Team #1 

Don Pierce

Ellen Bruny

Virginia Rhines

Jamie Eubank

Lynn Johnston

Art Utley

Bill Curry

Roger Hart

Dick Burch

Jim Eckart

Larry Girvin

Bert Norfleet

Joe Toler

Thomas Lott