June 16-17 - In Their Own Words

OCA Blog for June 16-17, 2006

Well, we’ve made it to Honduras and spent a glorious night in actual beds in a very nice house. My home stay family is a pastor and his wife and four children whose ages range from thirteen to twenty. Today we did a presentation in a park, where, when we got there, there were only a handful of kids. The basketball team went around door to door to gather kids and get them to come watch our show and the mime. At the end of the presentation we had gathered about 80 kids and 20 parents that all heard the Gospel message in mime and in Spanish. We then traveled to a school in a very rural area. It was a very poor school with a pretty beat up basketball court. We’ve all agreed to chip in a bit of our spending money in order to get this school a new basketball court. We put up our speakers and started blaring music. We played and danced around with some of the kids while the basketball team taught a small basketball clinic. We now have two sick members of our team, Annika Johnson and Laura Stadler, who we pray will get better soon as they are spending their days locked in a hotel room. I got to switch home stays in order to fill the void that Laura left, so last night (Friday night) I spent with a new family of a woman and her twenty-seven year old son. I’m getting a little frustrated by my lack of ability to speak or understand much Spanish, so I would ask for prayer for the language barrier of the whole team. Mom & Dad, hope you had fun in Chicago, and if this gets posted before Sakura leaves, tell her goodbye and I hope to e-mail her once I get back. Trav & Diamie, hope you had a blast at the PQs and I can’t wait to see all of you in a week. Luv ya! Hannah


Hey!!!!!!!! Its Laura W here and we’re in Honduras!!! We started our home stays and it absolutely amazing to sleep on beds and have warm showers. Yesterday at the medical clinic it was quite an interesting day… one of the toilets overflowed so we pretty much had poop water all over, on top of all the kids throwing up, haha I’m so surprised we’re not all sick. We got to watch the boys play basketball last night and it was so much fun, they won against a bunch of um really big boys. Tonight we get to eat dinner at wendys and I’ve never been more excited to have a frosty. It has been so amazing to see what god has done on this trip in spite of some minor set backs. I am soooo excited for the rest of this trip, it had been absolutely amazing!! Well gotta get goin so adios amigos!!!! O yeah! Mom and Dad I want you to know that I slept with the cockroaches it was so gross but ya know we got through it. Love all of you!!

-Laura Wollan


Hey Mom and Dad!!! It’s josh patil here! We are in Honduras right now, we came here 2 days ago and we have been having so much fun, and impacting this area so much. Home stays are so cool, I got blessed with a very good family! I am staying with Derek schell and Patrick menefee and where we are staying we have a big pit bull dog which is so much fun to play with. I miss you guys a lot and I cant wait to see you when we get back on Sunday! I hope you guys are having fun in Minnesota!!!


-Josh Patil

Mommy and Daddy!!!! Its Christel! I miss you guys! Mom, your not gonna believe the bugs that were in Guatemala! Ewwey! And by the way, I didn’t write earlier cuz I had no idea you knew how to use the internet!! You didn’t even know what a blog was two weeks ago until I tried to explain it to you! But I heard you were reading it! And no I only bumped my head once…don’t worry! Ive been sweating a ton…whats new… and im getting hairy again… but whats new with that either. We are staying in a homestay right now, me and amy powell, yah…they don’t speak English! It is actually quite funny watching me put my little Spanish knowledge to use! But its fun! AHhh seriously parentals… I just love this! We are working with so many kids everyday and performing and loving and its so great seeing how God is changing me and my attitude everyday. I love all that we are doing here! But I miss you guys more…and mommy sorry I didn’t clean my room before I left, but can you clean it for when I get home? Hehe : ) I want to feel clean and not messy! Thanks mommy…. Well its someone else’s turn to write so I must go… And happy fathers day daddy! I don’t know if ill be able to talk to you tomorrow! I love you both so much!!

-Christel Lee

Hola Hola Minnesnowtans! This be Lindsey Rachel Nicholson… I’ve been meaning to write for a very long time but the first time it didn’t work, but mom and dad you’ll love what I got to do.. myspace.. anyways campur was way different than I expected. There were people living on top of people with trash everywhere. I have to go RIGHT now my bus is leaving but Ill come back later and the campur people were really beautiful and loving even though they didn’t have a lot.. it really made me thankful so ill be back but for now tata

Love, Lindsey


WAZzzzzzzzuuuuuuuuuppppp…..Minnesizemores!!!!

I’m so warm/hot/on fire but these intense days of work are riveting to the soul and the body…..showering feels soooo good. We had the basketball game of the century yesterday night. It was a night game and the lights turned on in the second quarter, Wooddale down 3-15, it started out in the first with them basically wasting us and then we had the open shots but no one could sink them. The second quarter looked better sinking at least 186788939% more of our shots and D1 Rask got fouled any time he was under the basket so he had plenty of foul shots. We then took 24-23 halftime the mime did their thang and it was the best performance that I’ve seen all year. Just a shout out to john Hann the sweetest Jesus around and the fantastic and ever spastic satan Scott.
I forgot to mention that these guys were over 20 and after the mime everyone on the opposing team rose their hand to accept Jesus. That’s already a victory but we needed to finish off the game anyhow. We started the second half and they had their bench team in and their stars out so we got some quality points. Hey it’s Dave talking now, and I just wanted to add to what petey said about the game last night. It was awesome to be able to play some tough competition after we had played our first two games against people that hadn’t seen a basketball before and were in the 5th grade. The other team had some really good players including a twenty six year old that has played his whole life on different teams for Hondurus. We started off really slow, but came together in an amazing way and were able to put a few big scoring runs on them and finish the game strong with a victory. Like Pete mentioned before, that wasn’t the best part of the night. There were a lot of the locals at the game and at halftime the mime team put on an amazing performance that led to every player and most of the townpeople to accepting Jesus as their savior. I forgot that we were playing basketball for those 15 minutes, as God did an amazing thing that not only changed the lives of those players and people, but inspired our team as well. This place is amazing, Pete and I are getting to know the family we are staying with and these last three days were some of the best days of my life. I really don’t want to leave this city, the people are incredible. Well I should get going now, the cement mixer is calling my name! Miss all you guys at home, I’d like to make a shout out to my family, happy father’s day from the guys and I’m sure everyone else, and J keep it real, peace.
Hey paps this is pete I’m havin a great time and keeping safe (Eric I went in huge caves and I’m about to use a machete to cut things.) and I would like to wish u a happy fathers DAY and I hope your present is a great surprise!!! Goodbye!! C u soooooon!!!

PS- Sean says *MUAH!! To Bethann back home!!
Peace outside PETE DAVE SEAN>

Hey Mom and Dad this is Ryan
This trip has been so amazing thus far. We are now in Siguatepeque Honduras. Yesterday the basketball team and the childrens team walked through neighborhoods to gather kids for the puppet show and the mime show. Their were about fifty children that came to the park and it looked like all of them raised their hands to accept Christ. Happy fathers day Dad. I want to say hi to Mom, Dad, Natalie, Emily, Matthew, Eric, Reanna Chris, Megan, Michelle, Chris R., Emma, Austin, and Ella. Please write back.
Love Ryan Flynn

It’s suki- thanks to all the parents that are reading and praying for us. Happy fathers day to all dad’s (especially those in 50548 and to the one with little Alyssa and caleb) love you all. These kids are doing absolutely fabulous- wonderful attitudes, great love for the kids and this community- we are so so proud of them. They are helping in so many ways. I can’t wait for you all to give them big hugs at the airport next week. Parents please leave comments if you can- we are forwarding your messages on to the kids and they are very encouraged by them. Peace out- til next time. suki