you should never use defensive tactics against a piñata .

July 31st was Tom's birthday. We celebrated it along with two other team members with a special dinner, dessert and a piñata. The two teens went first and then it was Tom's turn.  Tom grabbed the thing as if it was the "red man" in a training class for the police department and started kneeing it in the chest. It was hilarious.  He didn't bother with the stick.  He didn't need it.  Apparently someone took a video of it so it might appear in the next training class for the Genoa Police department( or Facebook).

Pastor Rigo took the opportunity, when it was his turn to try it, to "choke" and shake Bob the Builder (the piñata), so the candy came out in no time.  I think Tom started a new way to break a piñata.  I don't believe Rigo was ever that aggressive until he saw Tom...  we all had a big huge laugh , which should remain in people's memories for a long time.

Today was the last day the team had here in Siguatepeque.  What a great way to end our time here than with a day at a small pool, riding horses and participating in a baptism. Four of the church members got baptized AND 3 of the team members.  It was a super special day for the coming together of two different worlds for the same cause; Jesus.

 Pastor Greg had never been on a horse before.  He mentioned that it was amazing what a youth pastor will do that is so far outside their own comfort zone.  He thought the horse was very relieved when he got off of it.

See the old red van in the background of the above picture?  Well that is one of the vans that is always breaking down and today would be no exception.  When we got back to the hotel after the day at the pool, we stopped just long enough to drop off the team and then we were going on to delver the church people back to the church.  The van wouldn't start.  No matter how much coaching, it was not to be.  We piled into the box truck and the grey van and took the church people back.  While I ran around to the store, pastor's house, etc, Tom took apart the distributor, cleaned it and put it back together.  It started. Yea Tom!  One of the team members made the comment that Tom did a great job.  Of course he did!  I think I will keep him for another 20 years.

Back to church for one last meal and one last service.  The singing was great as usual.  The people baptized were presented to the church and were prayed for as well. Even the 

little ones prayed. We had to pry the team away.  No one wanted to leave. It was pretty quiet on the way back to the hotel for the last time; not many dry eyes in the group.

I wanted leave you with a few pictures of what the landscape of Honduras REALLY looks like so you can see why people find it so beautiful AND hard to leave here.

Buenas Noches to all.