We left Toronto this morning just as the sun was coming up and could hardly believe we were on our way again. To Honduras. Toronto airport seems much easier to get through these years and probably due to automation of bag checks and customs. Though the amount of people seemed to remain the same. Lots of them. Must be all heading south like we are. The biggest lineup was to Starbucks for our morning coffee! We had about an hour layover in Atlanta and met up with Dave from Kansas City who joins our team for the week. Other than one bag (thank goodness not a personal one, but one filled with crafts) not making it, there were no incidents worth sharing! The bag is on its way from Atlanta and will arrive tomorrow.  We are waiting for Dave in this picture hoping he made his connection.

You will remember us telling stories about the runway of Tegucigalpa. The shortest runway we have ever seen with a mountain at the end of it. Always a tricky and exciting landing! Today the pilot assured us we were in great hands as he used to land big planes on aircraft carriers in the navy! Sure enough – a good landing with lots of heavy breaking well before the end of the short runway and the mountain.

Erika and Gustavo met us with the big bus and the big boys from the school, to load it and it was a joy to be back and to show the new members of the team the sights and sounds of the city.  Got all the luggage on and us as well.  With the new big bus today, we and all the luggage fit!

It is fun to see familiar faces and new ones. The children that we know are growing and we will learn what the year has been like for them as our week progresses.

It was lovely to have Erika take us on a tour, for it seems there are lots of changes - in the classrooms, how they use the buildings, times of classes, shifting of timetables, etc. We met up with Nora, the resident dentist, who told us about the dental clinic. The equipment of a full dental clinic being donated by a volunteer dentist a number of years ago and how she looks after the teeth of 250 children from all of the schools. This also includes many family members of the children who come to have dental work done. What a wonderful program.

It is different arriving here on a Friday, for the children are in class, but we are planning and preparing how we might do our activities with the kids. Tonight after supper we checked out the situation and found all the girls in the art room and we will plan our crafts for that space as we think we have some fun activities for them.

A cooling rain tonight and the evening temperature is perfect. Alan has started his routine of making us all a cup of tea when we get a moment to sit. It has been a long day since all of us got up at 2:30 when our alarms went off.    But the night was not to end too soon, as we wanted to have our sharing and meditation time.  This got delayed by the demonstration that went on in the street just a block away from our campus!  There are still much upheaval in the country after the election that took place in November and while the country has settled somewhat since then, there is the odd demonstration that takes place.  Tonight it was close by El Hogar and we could watch it over the fence!  It was peaceful and there was singing and cars honking, but no incidents but we were grateful to be safely inside the campus and the walls of this place.  

We look forward to tomrrow and all that it will bring!