During the preparation time for this trip, we focused on the mountain medical teams and serving the children. This morning Nury gave us a tour of Barnabas House and explained the broader scope of the work of Friends of Barnabas here in Honduras. In addition to the mission medical clinics, there is a cardiac surgical program, an oral maxillofacial surgical program and an extended care program for children who have medical issues with needs that cannot be met during our mission team's clinics.   Major focuses are education and healing. The children and their families face tremendous obstacles and Friends of Barnabas works to provide nutrition, education, medical supplies and love.

After our tour, Larry, Patti, Hadley, and Mary Beth performed our commissioning ceremony. An important part of the ceremony was receiving a gift that we are supposed to give away to someone we meet during our trip; we were asked to look for someone who has made a great impact on us.

We also attended a bilingual church service at the church right outside our gate. They were very welcoming and it was interesting to hear familiar songs sung in Spanish.

We finally got see what was inside those 50-pound duffel bags that we moved several times since the Richmond airport yesterday morning! The team spent the afternoon packing vitamins, pain relievers, Tums and prenatal vitamins in individual bags and then packing the bins to take to the clinics this week. Hygiene kits were also assembled; they included flip flops, toothbrushes and diapers for the families. With all the packing done, we started to load the bus but it started pouring! What a spectacular storm! We all grabbed our raincoats and shoes and got the duffels put away. Finally, we were set for tomorrow.

I have to apologize to my daughter HALEY who is with me here in Honduras! That's what sleep deprivation will do to an old schooler !

Looking forward to tomorrow and our first clinic! God continues to bless us all as we have prepared for this day!

Terry Thompson for the

Farmville Team 2