"Please note: All photos are private and pictures with non-Still Waters people are not to be forwarded without permission. Please contact Lisa with questions."

Day 7, Friday, July 11, 2025

Today, our final day of cultural connection and reflection was a meaningful gift. We began our day with a delicious Honduran breakfast provided by the mission house staff and then headed over to Ciudad España and Juan Wesley School. A large portion of the time we spent at the school was with the students whose education we sponsor, and it was a gift to connect with them and their families. We also got to enjoy the company of the student that is sponsored by the youth. Meeting them again, or for the first time, face to face and being able to see the impact we are making was deeply moving. Tears and hugs were shared.  We were also given a tour of the school where we got to see the classrooms, common spaces, and other offices. 

We returned to the mission house for a traditional Honduran lunch before leaving to go to Valle de Angeles, for our culture day. We enjoyed shopping for souvenirs to bring home and connect with the translators in a beautiful city high in the mountains. Rain did interrupt our day but Nicole reminded us that beautiful things can come from things that aren’t so beautiful on the surface as she saw rainbow reflections in the puddles. 

To celebrate our week, we went to a fancy restaurant for dinner in the capital city, Tegucigalpa. We got to celebrate the hard work and compassion of the interpreters as well as say a formal thank you. 

We closed our day and our week with a reflection on the week, sharing the ways our hearts have been touched and changed.  We were amazed at how each person brought an essential component to the trip to weave us together in amazing ways even as God used us this week and beyond!

Day 6, Thursday, July 10, 2025

We started off today with an early morning hike up a mountain to see a large cross that oversees the city of Danlí. The hike can be challenging as the mountain is steep, however, It is a very rewarding hike and the view was worth every step! In the presence of the beautiful view we were able to join together and pray over the city and the community of Danlí. 

Once we returned to the hotel it was time to pack up and head to the mission house in Tegucigalpa.  The mission house is the United Methodist center for Honduras; it has lodging for mission teams as well as a kitchen and dining hall where we eat. The mission house has a wonderful staff who serve delicious meals and oversee our stay. 

After unloading we visited the Cristo del Picacho statue that watches over the capital city of Tegucigalpa. Some of our team has been before, for others it was a new sight, but being able to see the entirety of the city is truly amazing and will always be a special moment. From above the city, we were also able to visualize the flood that destroyed many lives and resulted in a building of a small city called Ciudad Espana in 1998. The people of Ciudad Espana would need a school, and that was the impetus for building the Juan Wesley School, now a school of over 300 students, 10 of which members of our church sponsor. Within the presence of the statue we took time individually to reflect about our experiences so far including God moments, challenges and how we overcame them, joyful moments, and all of our favorite memories. 

We returned back to the mission house to have dinner together and prepare for our last day here in Honduras, and closed with devotions, which have become an amazing part of our daily rhythm.

Day 5, Wednesday, July 9, 2025

The last day of VBS was bittersweet, we had to say goodbye to the children and adults in the community, many of which our team had connected with. It was a joy to serve over 90 kids from Danlí this week as well as many family members that were present during our mornings. Our lesson on the final day considered faith and we taught them the Story of Abraham in Genesis 12 faithfully following God’s will as he was told to find the new land. A teacher from Central UMC gave the lesson along with a song. Afterward we continued the activities outside with more dancing.  This week we have used faith in many ways to go out into the community and let God work through us. It was heartwarming to see the children memorizing the Fruit of the Spirit song and sing it as they left with snacks, smiles, and joy. The children got to take their cross craft home to symbolize what they have learned this week: Patience, love, and faith. 

The afternoon was very rewarding as we applied finishing touches to the Sunday school classrooms. The revived vibrant colors on the dividers and the clean coat of white on the walls was a beautiful reminder of renewal and hope. 

We were also rewarded with another Ice Cream trip to cool off and celebrate. 

Worship this evening was incredible.  The congregations of Central UMC and the Still Waters team have connected in such powerful ways, and the prayers that we shared for each others’ congregations were so powerful.  The Haas family shared three songs, combining with Danli Central UMC’s praise team, a beautiful visual and audio reminder of the unity of our congregations.  Our partnership is developing in ways that we could never have imagined.  We are dreaming about the ways this partnership will grow and strengthen.  Central UMC invited all the Still Waters and then the translators forward and prayers given. (Picture shown below of the translators.) We closed this evening with devotions and so many tears of joy for the way God is moving. 

Day 4, Tuesday, July 8, 2025

The VBS lesson at the high-need school today focused on universal love and how we can show love in our daily lives. To teach the children about God’s love we utilized the story of the Good Samaritan as told in Luke 10. The Sunday school teacher from our partner church Central UMC brought the story to life using quizzes and games. It was important to highlight to them that God’s love doesn’t only come from Him but through the love of the communities. We used a heart craft to reflect on love where the children wrote how they show love. One way our team showed love was by learning sign language to communicate with a deaf student who felt disconnected from the other kids and activities. Even a simple gesture can make somebody feel understood and can create more joy in the world as God works through us. 

After VBS, we saw the mountain where the city’s garbage is kept and burned, where many of the residents spend their day. Despite the dangerous conditions, they make a living by collecting bottles and other items that can be resold to recyclers or taken home. As we made our way back down the mountain we saw many of the students from VBS ironically returning home or back to work with smiles on their faces. Although it was heavy on our hearts, this moment put into perspective the daily lives of our students and how joy can be found in the midst of struggle. 

In the afternoon, we again returned to our partner church Central UMC where we continued painting the Sunday school classrooms. Nicole ended up with a paint-speckled face :)

Afterwards, we traveled to an empty plot of land which Central UMC has purchased as they plan to build a parsonage for their future pastors. We prayed and shared blessings for the land and future of the church. 

We plan to continue to partner with Central UMC, maintaining the current building, supporting new projects, supporting the goodwill of the community, and continuing to connect.  Pastor Peña and Pastor Lori spent the afternoon discussing possible future ways that Still Waters Church can support Central UMC in Danlí, strengthening their ministry and empowering their outreach into the community. We're very excited!

Day 3, Monday, July 7, 2025

We started our morning at a high needs school where we led our first VBS lesson focused on the fruit of the spirit. Today, we focused on patience and used the story of the walls of Jericho falling as told in Joshua 6. An amazing moment for most was watching a young adult from Central UMC (our partner church) step up to take a leadership role in the lesson.  It was a gift to see strong leadership developing from the church with whom we partner, to carry a legacy of love and connection to this school long after we return home. In this lesson we sang songs about the walls of Jericho and the fruit of the spirit, played games to enforce patience and trust, and crafted colorful paper trumpets so the children could reenact the Jericho march, filling the classrooms with laughter. Although we were there to teach VBS, our primary mission was to show love and share joy with the community, regardless of personal challenges they may be experiencing. As we shared a snack toward the end, we knew that this snack was more important to the children than we could really comprehend. 

In the afternoon, we returned to our partner church, Central UMC in Danli, where we spent time with Pastor Peña under the leadership of a professional painter from his congregation painting the Sunday School classrooms. At one point we lost electricity and light while painting but we kept working despite the darkness. What a joy to help strengthen our partner church’s ministry through upgrading their physical facility.