Crazy Awesome Week

When I entered the Des Moines International Airport a week ago, I didn't know what to expect much less what I would see when I arrived in Honduras. I knew I would see poverty unlike anything I could have imagined. I also knew I was going to see different landscape but what I didn't expect to see was the amount of work that group of 12, primarily college students, could accomplish in a week. Before this trip began, I knew we would be working in a feeding program in the children's home we were staying at. I also knew that we would be building a house. I didn't know that in building a house Mike, Caleb, Justin, and I would have to dig a hole that was nearly 12 feet deep. This was our big project for the week. When we arrived at the job site, we were told it needed to be about 8-10 feet deep. As we hit around 6 feet, the depth changed because we were told that we needed to hit sand so that the water, the hole was for a septic system, would drain. This project consumed the majority of the guys time on the trip. When we were back at the children's home, I had a chance to speak to the children that stayed there. It was amazing to see how positive these children were. They were constantly smiling and laughing. A few kids gave me nicknames. To one girl who couldn't understand that Hunter was my name, I was Honduras. To one boy who I told batman was my amigo, I became known as superman. Being around these children has been a blessing. It reminds me of why I love kids. Their energy, their joy for life, their finding fun in simplicity, everything these kids did was a shock. They were content with having so little when I've recently been focused on whether an xbox or playstation sounds like a better purchase. God has laid these kids in my heart. I would love to see them again. For this reason it will be hard to come home, but for the fact that my pals won't take pictures of me while I'm relieving myself on the road it will be nice to be home. It will be nice to see my family and friends and be able to have air conditioning but I will never forget what I have seen in Honduras.

Blessings,
Hunter W. Thorpe