Mission: Possible

It’s the day our flight leaves from the Sea-Tac airport at approximately 12:00 a.m. Several Mission Possible (MP) members opted to fly out of Spokane in lieu of driving to Seattle. However, the remaining members took off from Spokane by the car-full sometime in the afternoon.

A few of us left Spokane at noon, after turning in various legal research and writing assignments and completing a few dreaded midterms (Spring Break always seems to be at the tail end of an exceptionally hectic and obligation-filled week).

The group of us leaving at noon wanted to spend a couple of hours in Seattle and to enjoy one last American meal before bidding all the comfort and familiarity of American life adieu. It is Spring Break after all. Also, of note, a recently graduated three-year veteran of MP, Jenna Henderson, currently resides on the West Side and we wanted ample time to catch up with her. Undoubtedly, Mission Possible is one of the clubs that will stay will you long after you graduate and move on to (potentially) bigger and better things.

Long wait at security

At Sea-Tac, making our way through security took an unexpected long time considering the hour of our departure. Yet, approaching 11:00 p.m., the whole gang gathered outside of our gate headed to Houston and shared a collective sigh of “Finally! We’re leaving for Honduras!” It was a long time coming and a lot of effort, planning, and money went into this trip.

We all purchased our favorite reading materials, whether the most recent New York Times bestseller, a variety of every single gossip magazine known to man (I mean, there are 9 girls on this trip), or even a science-infused periodical, and hunkered down in anticipation of the 24-plus hours of traveling until our final destination.

We arrived in Houston at approximately 6:00 a.m. Saturday morning. Most members managed to get some much needed shut-eye on the plane, but everyone knows that plane sleep does not even hold a candle to a good night’s sleep in a bed.

Two hours from Honduras: Time for a Wendy’s break

Our flight to San Pedro Sula was scheduled to depart at 9:40 a.m. and goal numero uno for the whole gang was getting breakfast! Luckily for us, there was a breakfast diner not too far away from our gate. With our bellies full of piping hot breakfast staples, we got ready to board our plane to out of the country. At this point, the weariness and exhaustion from traveling at such strange hours was beginning to give way to lots of excitement because a two-hour plane ride was all that separated us from Honduras!

It’s 11:30 a.m. and we land in San Pedro Sula. Immediately upon disembarking from the plane, the sun slaps everyone in the face. It was particularly hot at this time in the morning and thank goodness the airport’s air conditioning system underwent some serious upgrades in the year we were gone.

Every MPer, even the newbies, loves the San Pedro Sula airport for one reason: Wendy’s! Even the vegetarians in our midst look forward to this hallmark of American eateries because of the French fries and frosties. We pretty much all capitalized on this last stitch opportunity to indulge in some comfort food. Now, please don’t get me wrong, the food we eat in Honduras is indescribably delectable! I point out the excitement over Wendy’s because there is just something about eating American food outside of the United States.

While the majority of us are chowing down, or watching others chow down, our fearless leader, Brad Wilkin, and our group-appointed translator, Steve Roberts, embark upon the task of retrieving our rental vehicles for the week. The rental vehicles are an absolute necessity primarily because we use them to actually transport us to Lepaera, Lempira, an approximate 4.5-hour drive.

Spanish speakers needed

Around 12:30 p.m., the rental vehicles were pulled around front of the airport and we began loading up all of our supplies. For inquiring minds, our vehicles were a Hyundai Santa Fe and the exact same Hyundai van from last year (“el busito”) – it was definitely an awesome “welcome back!” sign.

In each car, we made sure to have a proficient Spanish speaker due to the several security checks that we have to pass through on our way to Lepaera. This year, we did not have our Honduran escort to lead us out of San Pedro Sula, traditionally a hotspot for criminal activity. However, we did have some fantastic directions provided to us from last year’s President, Eldy Quintanilla.

The car ride to Lepaera was very uneventful, which is a good sign considering the area in which we were traveling. Close to 5:00 p.m., we pull into Lepaera and the group quickly enlivened. It’s the most amazing feeling to come back to a rural community such as this one and to notice all of the changes and progress they’ve made in one year’s time. It really cements the bond among the group members, as well as the group as a whole to the community.

Carias and Profe were waiting for us in their usual fashion, beyond giddy with smiles beaming from ear to ear. Also waiting for us was their two daughters, Magdalena (19) and Marlen (12), and the community’s resident Peace Corps volunteer, Darren (“Michael”) Gese. We all exchanged a collective sigh of relief – yes, we made it!

Dinner was served promptly upon our arrival. On tonight’s menu was egg salad, home-made tortillas, beans, and two types of cheeses. We all stuffed our faces and reintroduced ourselves to the family. Hugs and kisses abound. It really is difficult to actually put into words how excited MP was to be there and also the happiness of the Carias family to host us in their home.

Since it had been over 24 hours of non-stop traveling, the group was ready for bed around 8 p.m. The nine girls resumed our place in the living room, sleeping on pallets and blankets, while the guys took turns sleeping in the beds located in the daughters’ room. This year was tad different given that Peace Corps Darren actually lived in the house. It was crowded, but it was good.