Mt. Granadilla, Comayagua, Honduras.

When I say that our teams Flocka Sheep and Selah are living on the side of a mountain in the jungle, I mean that completely literally. We are living out of our tents, eating meals made on clay ovens, munching under a tarp roof whilst seated on carved benches, and our toilet consists of a porcelain potty on a cement platform surrounded by wooden steaks with tarp wrapped around it. A nail in the side of the wooden post stands in for a toilet paper roll holder, and the trash bag nailed in on the other side is designated trash can for our used toilet paper. 

The place where we’re staying has two wooden buildings– the church and conference building— constructed by the previous World Race team that served here (shout-out). It’s where we host church, saw wooden planks, teach children Spanish. We worship in the evenings and share Team Times on opposite ends of the building. In the mornings, we spend our quiet times in the surrounding wood and at night we lay on the porch to star gaze. Between the lunch tables and the church, you’ll find most of us.

Our food is made for us here. The kitchen is covered by a tarp roof, and three clay ovens, massive pots and pans and clay bath with a ridged slanted platform makes for our sink. Our diet has consisted of refried beans, corn tortillas, bananas, eggs, chicken, hot sauce and “cafe.” Days where we have pancakes topped with “meil” and “crema de mani” (honey and peanut butter) for breakfast are automatically full of potential. 

Our teams are partnering with a ministry called Catracho Missions. It’s an organization based in the mountains of Comayagua that works with the indigenous people of the mountain. From teaching women how to sew and make food from the local resources, to holding classes that teach how to read and write (for both adults and children), we find ourselves surrounded by many able-bodied and joyful people.

We live in the jungle. No we don’t have wifi.

But, just for you dedicated supporters (and our families, I guess), we’ve made it a point to visit the city about once a week, but since the trek is far (and sometimes dangerous in the bed of a pick-up truck with ten other people), it gets expensive, so our access to the internet is very limited. Rainy days are a no-go.

This country has many stray dogs and many chickens. It has been difficult to live surrounded by dogs that I am unable to pet (or, at least, am strongly recommended not to); however, the cook’s dog, Oso, and a stray dog that has been adopted into the ministry’s good graces, Zapato, are two that we’ve been told we can pet, and several of us have taken full advantage. 

It rains frequently, but there are no thunderstorms. We are literally living in the clouds as they pass through the mountains, so often times it becomes very wet and, well, cloudy. Sunny days are never taken for granted. If you pray hard enough, the sun might stay out long enough to recharge our solar lanterns and dry our clothes.

Aside from our two teams, there’s a team of Hondurians (or Catrachos) that work here with us. It’s made up mainly of teen boys and girls in their 20’s (as well as two guys visiting from Argentina), and they have been such a blast to work with. From playing soccer on the dirt field to singing worship spontaneously under the stars, we love all of them.