Try. Trip. Rinse. Repeat.: Photos to Start the Year 2016

Everyone always seem to like pictures, so here are a few from the first 6 weeks of this year...

La Esperanza, Intibuca
One of Honduras's oldest and coldest cities, La Esperanza as known as "Paradise in the Highlands." It's a beautiful Spanish colonial town with a lovely cathedral on the old town plaza. The town is rich in indigenous (Lenca) culture and history. Due to it's altitude and corresponding temperature, it also produces a good deal of fruit and vegetables normally found in temperate climates such as broccoli, cabbage, apples, peaches, etc.

Cathedral Exterior.

Cathedral Interior (Note the elderly lady at the front. Upon entering the church, she slowly approached the front walking on her knees in reverence).

La Gruta: a Catholic shrine site carved into solid rock by local prisoners in days gone by.

SANTA ELENA- Santa Cruz de Yojoa

It was great to have Stacey's brother Richie with us for a week this month. We ran up to a national park (PANACAM) one evening to poke around the rain forest.

Another day we ran across a line of leaf-cutter ants at work here at the office.

CALICHE - Santa Cruz de Yojoa

Hog project in Caliche.

Jose Jimenez was trained by Samaritan's Purse International in basic veterinary care. Pictured is his own hog pen.

Fredy chats with Pastora Jesus about her own hogs. In this project, the community provided all lumber and labor. The municipal government provided sand and concrete block. Upper Arlington Lutheran Church (Caliche's sister church) provided the remaining materials and hog purchase through Heart to Honduras. We're seeing great results so far.

SANTA BARABARA - Santa Barbara

Eduardo (neighbor kid) and I took off birding one Saturday and ended up at this beautiful river outside of Santa Barbara. After a morning full of wood storks, Amazon kingfishers, and 42 other species, we headed back to Las Lomitas.