Their trip will take them to Orphanage Emmanuel, a Christian children’s home for about 600 boys and girls ranging in age from infancy to late adolescence. The team from Heritage will dig trenches to install a sewer line, play with attention-starved toddlers and spend time with children who yearn to know that someone cares. The children will remind them of Christianity’s power to help us all face adversity – and that contentment does not hinge on material possessions.
The Heritage Honduras team plan to travel to the orphanage in September 2012 with a team from nearby Hillside United Methodist Church. They are motivated by a desire to deepen their faith and follow the commands of Jesus to help those who need help.
Get a sense of what the mission trip is like by watching this video made by the teens from Hillside UMC in 2010:
This quote in the video, from a woman on one of the Hillside trips, sums up the experience:
“We come down here thinking that we’re going to help the individuals that live here, we’re going to make a difference in their lives and – surprise – we come back a changed individual.”
Visit the orphanage’s website at Orphanage Emmanuel.