International Habitat for Humanity – Puerto Lempira, Honduras
Summer 2011 – June 17 to 26, 2011
BACKGROUND INFORMATION Flower Mound United Methodist Church (FMUMC) will be traveling to Puerto Lempira, Honduras in June 2011 to build homes through International Habitat for Humanity! Please join us!!!
International Habitat for Humanity has been building homes across the globe for many years including Honduras. In Puerto Lempira, Honduras, they have recently aligned themselves with a local ministry entitled Send Hope: www.send-hope.org.
Send Hope is a 501c-3 non-profit organization founded by Dr. Tom Brian in Allen, Texas. Tom is a member of First United Methodist Church (FUMC) Allen. He started Send Hope to help the people on the Moskito Coast of Honduras. Send Hope focuses on four main areas:
Short term medical, dental, and construction trips
Providing items such as food, school supplies, and clothing
Helping children with medical needs in Honduras and the United States
Helping students achieve their educational goals
The Miskitos are a group of Native Americans in Central America. Their territory extends from Cape Camarón, Honduras, to Rio Grande, Nicaragua along the Mosquito Coast. There is a native Miskito language, but large groups speak Miskito creole English, Spanish, and other languages. The creole English came about through frequent contact with the British. Many are Christians. The name "Miskito" derives from the Miskito language ethnonym Mískitu and is not related to the Spanish word "mosquito," which derives from the word mosca, meaning "fly", also used in Spanish for the insect.
This area is extremely isolated as there are not roads leading to the east coast of Honduras. The only way to travel to Puerto Lempira is by plane or boat. Learn more about Miskito here at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miskito
International Habitat for Humanity will be breaking ground on a new project in Puerto Lempira this fall in conjunction with Send Hope! They hope to build 25 homes this fall and 25 in the spring. We will visit shortly after these initial 50 homes are built. FMUMC will coordinate our trip through Ms. Charis Johnson in the Dallas International Habitat for Humanity office.
A few years back, Tom brought a young girl back to the United States from Puerto Lempira named Chelma. Chelma had two club feet. She was operated on here in the United States and is now a healthy, 13-year old girl. In August of this year, Chelma will be coming to live with Tom and his family for two years. It is quite possible we will be able to have Tom and Chelma come to FMUMC this fall to share firsthand what life is like in Puerto Lempira.
THE TRIP On Friday, June 17, 2011, we will depart from DFW through either Miami or Houston to San Pedro Sula, Honduras. From there, we will board a chartered plane that will stop in La Ceiba on our way to the final destination of Puerto Lempira. Puerto Lempira is located on an island in the middle of a large lake just off the east coast of Honduras. We will return on Sunday, June 26, 2011.
We will be staying at the Send Hope children’s home where they have 16 beds. The children’s home is near the airport. Should the trip grow beyond 16, there are other accommodations available in the town of Puerto Lempira. It should be noted that the children’s home is not air conditioned.
Other Details Charis recently returned from Puerto Lempira. She has been on several International Habitat for Humanity trips. When she goes, she typically packs a suitcase full of food. She said that she brought back a suitcase full of food from Puerto Lempira as the food there was quite good! The diet mainly consists of tortillas, rice, beans, and fruit.
Houses are built off of the ground to prevent termites. This type of construction also provides shelter for animals underneath the house. The homes are built from mahogany given that the country is rich with this wood, and there are export restrictions. International Habitat for Humanity is working a deal with the government to provide the wood for free and deliver it to the worksites.
The work day will start early in Puerto Lempira…6am! The purpose is to beat the heat of the day. Typically works stops at 11am, and then we will siesta. Work will resume in the late afternoon until dinner time.
Age Restrictions There are no restrictions on the number of children we bring that are ages 13 to 18. If they are younger than 13, they are accepted on a case by case basis. Children will be asked to get a reference form filled out by a teacher from school and will need to fill out an application to be approved that asks simple questions such as:
Will their parents accompany them on the trip?
What experience have they had with mission trips?
All this is done to guarantee that the child is mature enough to handle international travel and actively participate in, instead of detract from, the group’s mission experience.
COSTS It is anticipated that trip costs will range from $1,000 to $1,500 per person not including airfare. Airfare is estimated at $500 per person.
Our goal is to take at least 16 individuals to Puerto Lempira; therefore, total trip costs will likely range from $24,000 to $32,000 including airfare.
FMUMC is currently applying for a scholarship through International Habitat for Humanity to defray the cost of the trip for individuals and FMUMC. Furthermore, we will undertake fundraising campaigns to assist in defraying the cost of the trip. It is our goal to get the trip costs to at or below $500 per person.
During our first, to-be-announced organizational meeting, we will discuss more details including fundraising plans.
SIGN UP NOW! Please sign up by emailing Dave Cotten . Should you have any questions, please feel free to give Dave a call on his mobile phone at 214 - 914 - 4051.
