Last Blog

Hello Everyone, I am writing my last blog because my trip has now reached its end. I arrived back in the United States Thursday night. There were mixed emotions in leaving, mostly sad about leaving the kids that I had been blessed with the chance to get to know. They will be constantly in my thoughts and prayers and even though I won't be there, I pray that God will show His love for them through other people and they would come to have relationships with Him. I hope that my time in Honduras served to further God's kingdom and that my work mirrored His abounding love. Looking back, I can't believe that the 7 weeks are already over. It seems like I just arrived a few days ago and already I am back. After looking forward to this trip for so long, I am now left with, 'well...now what?'. I am not sure what my future holds, but God has given me a peace about leaving Honduras and I am thankful for that. I will miss so many things, but I am grateful for what I have learned and for what Ive gotten to experience and I am ready for the next thing God puts in front of me. If He calls me to return to Honduras, I would be more than willing, but I also am willing to whatever else He wants me to do. He has a sovereign will for all the children that I interacted with and trusting in His will and His hand of provision will bring me peace even though I may never see those children again.

Thank everyone so much for following my blog and keeping me in your prayers. I am so blessed to have such support from my friends and family. Please do not hesitate to ask me about my trip and anyone that wants to listen, I will tell of some great things that God did. And in everything that I did, and everything that I will do, to God be the glory.

Benjamin Worley

Honduras Update February 24th, 2012

Hello everyone!

Sorry it has been a while since I last updated the blog. I’ve been pretty busy and will try to briefly explain what I’ve been doing lately. I am down to less than a week left, which is a sad realization. Austin is taking a visa run to the United States, so we will be traveling together Thursday. I cant believe that 6 weeks have gone by this fast and what I looked forward to all last year is coming to an end.

Kinder has made some progress! An answer to our prayers! The kids are slowing starting to adapt to a school environment and it is making the experience much more enjoyable for us volunteers. Austin and I have also started teaching an English class for first graders in the afternoon with Lily, who also helps out in the Kinder. I really enjoy our afternoons now and even though the kids might not be retaining all we teach them, it is still fun to try because the kids are really eager to learn. We try to think of activities where they can use their notebooks because they are also so excited to have a notebook and pencil that they want to use it whenever they can.

Most of my days here are structured the same with Kinder in the morning and English Class in the afternoon, but each day brings new experiences. Charlie and Amalia have helped us get plugged in during our free time which has been great to always stay busy and use every minute we have. Wednesday we bought 40$ worth of rice and beans, which is 25lbs of beans and 25lbs of rice. It made 16 bags of rice and 10 bags of beans, which we distributed to some of the poorer families in the community. It is amazing how much 40$ can buy and how much of a difference it can make. Austin really wants to feed more families when he returns from his visa run, so anyone who feels like they’d want to help out, you can email him at awfrench@comcast.net. Anyone can make a huge difference in the lives of these kids by simply providing food. It may not seem like much, but most of the families that we fed only have a mother taking care of 3 or more children, so giving food just relieves the mother of one more thing to worry about.

Though I’m not looking forward to leaving, I am looking forward to seeing everyone and sharing what God has done here and everything that I’ve experienced. Thank you for all your prayers!

Benjamin Worley

Honduras Update February 11th, 2012

Blog update 2/11/12

Hello Everyone! This week has been pretty busy and I feel like I’ve done an array of things, from watching the Super Bowl in a American’s bar, to horse backing riding on the beach, to setting up an electrical outlet. It has been a week of ups and downs but I draw near the end of my 5^th week, I had fun times and learned some of what it means to be a Kindergarden teacher from the down times.

Most of the volunteers, with only a few knowing how football is played, went to Ex Patriots to watch the Super Bowl last Sunday. It was a great chance to get some American food and watch a really good game.

This week, as I mentioned in my last blog, this was the first week in Kinder. This is the first time these kids have been out of the house and in a school environment so naturally, there were some issues. On the first day we had quite a few criers and most all of them were very shy. It did not take long for most of them to lose that shyness. By the second day, we had broken the ice enough to have public urination off the playground, a girl push a boy off the playground, and in general, a lot of unruly boys. This week hopefully served as the first step in the process of teaching the kids how to behave in school. We tried our best to discipline them, but not being able to communicate is a barrier. Last year in the Kinder, we had no problems with disobedient children so there is hope for the future. I just hope it doesn’t take until April to get to that point. While the children have been frustrating, I try to start every day with a positive attitude and I hope that the children see my love for them and not just a mean guy who disciplines them.

Kinder lasts from 7:30 – 11:30 so after lunch we have had free time. Most of the other programs that we thought we were going to get involved in haven’t started up yet so for this week we found little odd jobs and activities. Charlie had us set up an electrical outlet in a dental clinic, Amalia brought us along to visit some of the families in the community and Austin and I have just taken a soccer ball to a local field and played pick up games with whatever kids were out there. We got to play with some of the same kids I taught in VAP so it was good to get to see them again and get to run around with them.

Friday, I went with most of the volunteers on a camping trip to the beach. We rode horses down the beach for an hour or so and then set up tents. It was my first time riding a horse and it was a bit scary but fun once I got the hang of it.

Thank you for continuing to read my blogs and praying for me. Please pray that the next week will go well in Kinder and that God will work through me.

Benjamin Worley

Honduras Update February 4th, 2012

Hello Everyone! This week is technically our week off between VAP and school starting so Ive gotten some down time which was nice. We have done some work on the bathroom project. We have finished pouring a 3 inch cement floor so this afternoon we are going to start building the actual structure. We took the day off yesterday to give a good 24 hours to let the cement dry and today we have to wait until 1 o'clock till the wood arrives. We were hoping to be done on Monday but we got a little behind due to the rain so Im not sure the updated finish date.

Last Tuesday marked my third week being down here. It was a weird feeling that it has already been this long and now I am over the half way mark for my trip. It is easy to get caught up in the routine and forget that my time done here is precious and soon its going to over. I have been trying to make the most out of every second and realize that this could be my last time down here in Honduras. Thursday, 3 new volunteers came in. They are three girls, one from Boston, one from Scotland and another from England. It was nice to meet some new people.

Yesterday I helped out with the registration for PEP. School down here only lasts a few hours of the day down here and is broken up into 2 different sessions. Some kids go in the morning and some in the afternoon. PEP is an extra program for the kids to learn English when they are not in school. Registration was held at the church where I did VAP so some of the same kids I taught were signing up. It was nice to see them again even if it was just for little while. I am exited about starting Kinder Monday and I hope that God will work through me, showing His love to the children. With the realization of my limited time remaining, I hope I really make the most of it. Please pray that I will be completely open to God's will for me and He will do big things through me, affecting everyone I meet.
Benjamin Worley

Honduras Update January 30th 2012

Hello Everyone! It’s been tiring couple of days here. VAP ended Friday and we have been working on the bathroom since then. Austin and I went into Cieba after the VAP party on Friday afternoon to get groceries and Chris and Jim, the two other guy volunteers, came with us. They helped us a lot with some good things to get and we stocked up on milk and frozen chicken. We are improving day by day on cooking and shopping. This week is an off week between VAP and school starting down here so most of the volunteers took a vacation to El Salvador. There are only 5 of us left so it feels pretty empty right now. 3 more volunteers are coming in on Thursday, which will pack out our house. There will be 9 people sharing one small kitchen space. It is going to be…interesting.

We got an early start Saturday and worked till lunch with a minor setback of all our stake markers disappearing. When we asked where they all were, one boy brought out a broken one and said that this was all he could find. After lunch, we got our first taste of Honduran rain. It made the concrete a little wet but we pressed on and got one row of block laid. The rain was frustrating at first but at the end of the day it was somehow funny and I just couldn’t help but laugh as we carried all the tools back to the house, drenched in the pouring rain. We got to have a good conversation with some of the volunteers that night and I got to tell them a lot about Christianity. I am thankful that God placed that opportunity for me and I hope that I planted a seed of some sort. We went to church again Sunday and then just rested the rest of the day. It was awesome to just kick back a little. We biked down to the river and cooled down. It is really cool to bike through the fields without being able to see anything but fields and trees all around you. It is really beautiful down here and I don’t feel like pictures really capture the full effect. We finished laying three rows of blocks for the toilets today and tomorrow we will start on the floors and the woodwork. Please pray that God will give us the strength to work hard on the toilets and help us to work as if we are working for him and not for man.

Benjamin Worley

p.s. More pictures will come soon in my Facebook album 

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2793875400042.2135623.1053133458&type=1

Honduras Update January 26th 2012

Hello Everyone. Today is a day of mixed emotions because it has been a good last couple of days but today was the last day of VAP. We are having a small party tomorrow for all of the kids. Were going to play a few games and give them some food and then for the finale, of which the kids are most excited, were going to let them through water balloons and soak all the volunteers. Today when we told them, I had a lot of kids looking at me with eager eyes. It wont be bad for us either because cold water feels good in 90 degree heat. Win win. We were teaching the kids about different countries this week and we showed them Mulan to represent China and gave them rice and vegetables (which I cooked) to give them a taste of some real Chinese cooking. Today though, they painted a mural, which consisted of painting representing education and the future of El Porviner, which actually means “the future” in Spanish. They enjoyed getting to paint pictures and it was a great ending to two fast weeks. I hope that I’ll be able to see the kids again, maybe around the neighborhood or during activities in the future. I don’t really know what the future holds. Kinder will start February 6^th so Ill get meet a bunch of new kids and I am really excited for it. It will bring back more memories of last spring break and I am excited to make new ones.

I think God is giving me opportunities to witness to some of my fellow volunteers because not many of them know Christ. At first it was a little discouraging, because coming down here, I thought that I would come across some awesome people who have dedicated their lives to the Lord and I was hoping to be encouraged and motivated by their stories. Not to say that the volunteers here aren’t awesome, I have enjoyed getting to know all of them. But I know that the Lord put these specific people here for a reason. I think I have figured out a couple of those reasons. I think He is teaching me that though I may be in a place far from home, comforts, and encouraging friends, and though I sometimes feel alone, He is still by my side and if I lean on Him, he will give me comfort. I also think that He put these people here for me to set an example and share his gospel. Sharing the gospel to people I hardly know is an area where I feel very weak, and it is an intimidating and nerve racking situation. So please pray that I will do all that He has planned for me down here and that He becomes strong in my weakness. Pray that I will lean on Him and cast my worries and fears on Him and I would not quench the Spirit working through me. Thank your for your prayers,

Benjamin Worley

Honduras Update January 23rd 2012

Hello Everyone, thank you for reading these blogs to see how I am doing. Some times it gets pretty difficult down here and it really encourages me to know that so many people are praying for me. This weekend was pretty busy. Austin and I got up at 6:30 to help build a toilet and shower for a local family. And when I say family I mean around 32 people living on a small compound. It was great to see all the volunteers helping out to get this family what I always take for granted. In the afternoon, I left on a hiking trip to a local mountain range called Pico Bonito. We hiked through a National Park and spent the night right by the river. While it wasn't the most comfortable sleeping conditions, it was worth it to see the sunrise in the morning. It was beautiful and made the whole trip worth while. We came back Sunday morning and attended a church service at the house of a missionary. It was great to see people who have dedicated their lives to God and their worship was very encouraging. After church we went back to work on the toilet. We accomplished our goal for the weekend which was digging a wide 8 foot whole and pouring the foundation for the walls. I will upload pictures later of the progress we made. We will continue to work on it next weekend and hopefully by then my muscles will be rested because they are all aching right now. It made it a bit harder to play with the kids today but I managed to entertain them. This is the final week in VAP and we are talking about world cultures. Its been a couple of tiring days but Im enjoying the last days of VAP. Please pray that I will be open to what God has for me down here and that I would be a light of Christ to everyone I encounter.
Benjamin Worley

Honduras Update January 19th 2012

Hello Everyone! Its been a great past couple of days! We've been focusing on nature this week in VAP, like I mentioned in the last blog. Yesterday we talked about animals and everyone made their own animal masks out of paper plates. They enjoyed that, so much in fact that they made 2 or 3. I made a elephant and a crocodile and for never being very good at art, I'd say they are pretty good. It has been awesome hanging out with Edith again from last year. She has been constantly hanging on my arm and following me around. She keeps me constantly smiling the whole afternoon. I try to concentrate throughout out the days on what God might be trying to teach me, and I felt like today it was the crazy amount of love that He has for everyone. I look around the room of kids, and especially at Edith, I feel what I think is something like a fatherly love that a dad feels for his kids. I just fill up with joy when I see them smile and laugh, and the more that Edith or Brendi grabs on my arm, the more that joy increases. Now that love is only a fraction of the unimaginable, crazy love that God has for us. I think that the joy I feel when one of the kids stretches up his hands towards me, wanting to be picked up, is what God feels when we even partially grasp our desperate need for him, and like a child, reach up to him, knowing we cannot do it on our own. And that joy goes both ways, when we, with childlike humility, run to God with open arms, trusting Him in everything, we find more joy than the world could ever offer.
Matthew 18:1-4 Romans 8:35-39

It has been an awesome last couple of days. I am extremely thankful for what God has shown me and for your constant prayers,
Benjamin Worley

Honduras Update January 17th 2012

Hello Everyone! Thank you for following my blog. It really means a lot to know that people are praying and thinking of me. I am very blessed to have friends and family that care about me. Monday was kind of a hard day and I ended the day worn out and a little discouraged. But today, God answered my prayer and gave me a really encouraging day. I led my first activity today in VAP and even gave the instructions in Spanish. Google Translate really comes in handy! The lesson today was on water, so we discussed a kid-version of the water cycle and the kids made their own river and made a town surrounding it. They had a lot of fun playing in the dirt and the volunteers just got to sit back and watch them. It was fun for both of us. Sarah (another volunteer) taught me how to say "do you remember me from last year" and I asked Edith and she said she did! It was a very cool surprise and I was really happy to know that she didn't forget me. Today was just like a day last year in the Kinder because I had Edith and Brendi crawling on my back and laughing the whole time. It was a great afternoon and a big encouragement when I needed it. Austin and I successfully made our first real dinner that wasn't pasta or peanut butter sandwiches. We made some ground beef and vegetable tortillas and it was a great feeling to be completely full. We were lucky to be in a house with 4 girls because their cooking help has been very handy. Thanks again for reading my blog and keeping me in your prayers. Please pray that God will show me His will for this community so that I can faithfully serve Him.
Benjamin Worley

Honduras Update January 15th, 2012

Hello Everyone. On Friday, we had our first beach day. All the children from the three different VAP locations met at the beach and we all got to enjoy the morning getting in splash fights and throwing some of the lighter children into the water. It was fun to be able to entertain the kids without saying more than "uno dos tres" and tossing them into the water. Friday afternoons are when most of the volunteers go into Cieba for the weeks supplies so Austin and I accompanied them and just spent the rest of the night hanging out around the house. We took our first weekend trip to Tela this weekend. It is a town about a 45 minute drive but the bus we were on made so many stops it took twice as long. We stayed in little cabanas right by the beach which looked very pretty from the outside but we soon found that we were sharing our cabana with a few rats. We travelled with a few other volunteers and we all just spent the afternoon on the beach and then we took a walk into the city to look around and have dinner. It was nice getting to know the volunteers more and getting to experience a completely new place together. Im looking forward to the week ahead and getting to continue VAP on monday.
Thank you for your prayers,
Benjamin Worley

Honduras Day 2/3

Hello everyone! Austin and I went into La Cieba today and got a mobile Internet stick, which makes it much easier to post blogs. We got to get a lot of groceries like peanut butter, jelly, bread, and pasta noodles and sauce which will be the content of many of our meals due to lack of cooking skills. Yesterday was our first day out on the sites. Austin went to the Kinder and I went to a church about a 15-minute bike ride away. We held two 3 hour-long sessions that were similar to a VBS. The kids are out of school until February so we hold sessions where we play games and do some reading activities. We held one in the morning for some of the older 8-10 children and the afternoon session was for the younger 5-7 age kids. I got to see 3 kids that were in the Kinder last year while I was down here: Angel, Jose David and Edith (the girl in my Facebook profile picture). I don’t think they remembered me and don’t know the Spanish to ask if they did, but it was still awesome to see them again. They were 3 of the most memorable kids from last year and I was very thankful that out of all the children in El Porviner, God brought them to our program. God is ever present in the beautiful nature, friendly people, and English speakers when we need them most. Buying a phone today would not have been possible without a nice man, who just so happened to be in the same store, who knew enough English to translate between us and the salesperson. Most of the transition getting used to the environment change is completed and I enjoying the life here. The lack of Spanish can be an inconvenient barrier but can also lead to a funny experience. A friend of some of the volunteer, Jose, was trying to teach Austin and I a new card game and we had to communicate using body language until we got someone to translate. Tomorrow I will be going back to the church for the VBS activity, what we call VAP, please pray for my spanish skills and that I can an instrument for God's will in this place.

Benjamin Worley

Honduras Day 1 1/10/12

Blog 1/10/12 Day 1

Hello everyone! Im posting this today because I just got some wifi but this is a post from yesterday.

It was an early start to the day, leaving the house at 6:15. Plane from Atlanta to San Pedro Sula ended up being better than expected because thanks to the connections that Mrs. French provided, we got to fly first class. It was an unexpected luxurious start to the trip. We made it to San Pedro Sula and could feel the heat as we stepped off the plane, 90 degrees. Finding and buying tickets for a small 19-passenger plane in an unknown airport with no Spanish abilities can and was a little difficult but God put a few key English speakers in our path to make the trip much easier. Everyone ended up being much friendlier and more helpful that I anticipated. We soon boarded the small plane and took a short 30-minute flight to La Cieba. At La Cieba, we were picked up by a taxi and soon drove by familiar pineapple fields and saw streets we remembered from last April. Being in El Porviner brings back many good memories and I hope that this will be just as memorable. I was informed that I would start working tomorrow at what has just been called “the church”. Austin will be staying and working at the Kinder. I am excited about what this trip will bring and I pray that God moves in a big way and that I would just be obedient to His will in this place.

Thank you for your continual prayer,
Benjamin Worley