San Pedro Sula May 2009

100X Honduras May 2009 mission trip

Nueva Esperanza

Our team returned on Monday feeling very blessed to have been part of something so special last week.  Our time at the Nueva Esperanza home building our huge and wonderful playground system was very challenging but in the end an incredible experience to be part of.  

As I mentioned in my blog, the Esperanza orphanage is a home where there are 105 orphaned children (ages 0 to 13) living in a harsh environment they call home.  The conditions here are rough and with only a few staff here at any given time the children do not have a lot of structured time or activities.  The nursery now has 31 babies in cribs with 2 workers.  And most of the children just hang out with little to do to pass the time.  So that is why we came.  That is why we built such a large state of the art playground system.  Red Dot wanted to really transform this home by bringing a wonderfully fun and exciting activity to these special children.  And I believe we accomplished just that!

Our team worked long and very hot hours from Sunday to Friday solving problems seemingly every hour as we raced to finish our playground gift before it was scheduled to be unveiled at a ribbon cutting ceremony and Tu Eres Especial carnival for the Esperanza children.  This playground was larger and more complex than the two our 100X teams have installed in Guatemala.  That complexity along with some manufacturing errors made for some real challenges!  But our guys solved every problem that came our way and used their gifts and abilities to complete the job with excellence.  And the completed playground certainly had that "Wow! factor" we always want to leave the children with on our trips.  

On Friday afternoon, Honduran government officials and news media arrived for the official ribbon cutting ceremony.  I had the opportunity (with our team standing beside me) to share with the audience and media what Red Dot 100X is about and why we do what we do (James 1:27).  And I shared that because these orphans are children of God (1 John 3:1) they deserve Red Dot's best and that this past week this 100X team, their effort, and this playground were our very best. 

Our team then threw our Tu Eres Especial carnival for all the children.  First and foremost, after waiting patiently all week the boys and girls excitedly ran and played all over the playground. But the kids also had all different kinds of carnival booths to play at to win prizes.  We also had all the hot dogs, corn on the cob, popcorn, and soda that these children could want.  Over the course of 2 hours, our guys and the Esperanza boys and girls had a wonderful time together and before we left we handed out teddy bears to all of our special new friends.

Casitas Adolescentes  

Last week, our team also shared special moments with the 85 teenage girls living in the Casitas Adolescentes orphanage.   We spent three separate evenings with these incredible young ladies.  The attention and love our men showed the Casitas girls was really special. And the strength of the connection the girls had with our team was certainly unique.  Frances, the great Buckner director for Honduras who helped us all week, told us that this was the quickest she has seen these girls bond with a visiting team.  On the last night we made a surprise visit and gave each one of these young ladies the "Tu Eres Especial" book that teaches them that God specially created them for great things and that He loves them very much. 

Over the last year our Red Dot teams have formed special relationships with many of the children at the Casitas home and our company is committed to helping the home and these extraordinary young ladies.  This summer our 100X program is blessed to have the opportunity to open a new transitional home for 8 of the girls to move into.  These are girls who do not have the prospect of moving back in with family.  Over the next few years, these young ladies will have Christian house parents and tutors chosen by Buckner to help prepare them educationally, emotionally, and spiritually as they transition into adulthood.  This wonderful home will open for these girls in June and they are very excited (see a few photos of the new house in the Photos section for this trip)!

Concluding remarks

There is a quote from one of my favorite songs that says, "Now that I have seen, I am responsible.  Faith without deeds is dead."  In 2008, Red Dot saw the desperate need of both the Esperanza and Casitas orphanages.  So now we are responslble to help these children... we cannot turn a blind eye to them.  And with God's guiding hand I believe our 100X program is living up to our responsibiltiy here in Honduras through the work of our mission teams and the opening of the new girls transitional home.  

I am so proud of how our team of 11 men represented themselves, their families, and Red Dot during our week in Honduras.  They gave all of themselves as they served and loved these orphaned children in such great ways. And thanks to all in our Red Dot family... EACH of YOU were part of what our team accomplished because everyone at Red Dot contributes to what is given to these precious Honduran boys and girls.  Everyone at Red Dot helps 100X impact the lives of not only the children currently living in these homes but also the lives of the children who will live in these homes for years and years to come.  

Tod Bush
Director of Red Dot 100X

Team Members:  Tod Bush, Jimmy York, Barton Davis, Peter Graves, Robert Wheeler, Morgan Fryar, Dusty Snyder, Matt Wells, Matt Asato (Buckner Dallas staff), Roberto Tejada (Buckner Guatemala staff), and Jason Gadman

Trips