Not a fan of just wingin' it?... Hate being surprised?... wanna know exactly what to expect?...
Trip Dates: JuLY 23-30, 2024
Trip Cost: $1,200 total with a $600 non-refundable deposit due Easter Sunday, March 31st, and remaining balance due Sunday, June 30th. This cost includes flights, ground transportation, lodging, all meals, and plenty of drinks to keep you hydrated throughout the day. Any other expenses are optional, but not required.
Extra Expenses: Below is a list of optional expenses you may want to plan for. Pricing can be found throughout this page.
Additional Luggage (carry-on bag)... only a personal sized bag/backpack is included on our Spirit flight
Laundry Service... available at our hotel in Tocoa, making it easier to pack lighter
Tours/Excursions... a variety of options available during our last 2 days in la ceiba
Souvenirs... there are plenty of shops within walking distance of the hotel as well as souvenir shops in the airport
Snacks, Street food, Coffee, etc.... all available near the hotel and along our traveling stops
in-flight menu & wifi... Snacks, drinks and sometimes Wi-Fi available for purchase, only with a debit card
Alcohol... Not included on the group tab at dinner
Flights: We are officially booked, flying on Spirit Airlines, the only airline with a direct flight (2 hours 45 minutes) from Orlando International Airport (Orlando, Florida, U.S.) to Ramón Villeda Morales International Airport (San Pedro Sula, Honduras). Below is the official flight itinerary.
Baggage Allowance: Spirit charges for ALL carry-on bags and checked bags, and it’s EXPENSIVE. Included in the trip cost is 1 free personal sized bag. This can be a backpack/bag that follows the dimensions listed below. It may not seem possible to pack for the trip in a backpack, but the majority of the group does it every year. See the “Packing Tips” section below for help with this. If you need to bring an extra bag, the roundtrip cost of a carry-on bag is $116 which must be paid along with your balance. We ask that nobody checks any bags, for a few reasons: we have limited space for large luggage in our vans, we want to avoid waiting for checked bags in the busy airport, and we don't want any lost luggage. It happens! Look below at the size limits/dimensions for baggage with Spirit Airlines. If your bag is oversize or overweight, you will be responsible for any overage charges, and they are very expensive. If your free personal sized bag does not fit in the metal bag container at the gate and is deemed “too big”, they will charge you $99 each way. Remember that liquids must be 3.4 oz / 100 ml or smaller.
Airport Carpooling: We’ll have volunteers assigned to help drive everyone to and from the airport. If it’s easier for you to meet us there, you can wait for us at the Spirit International check-in desk at the airport. We must check-in as a group.
Passport: Please be sure you have a passport with an expiration date of at least 6 months past our departure date (January 31, 2025 or later) or they will not let you through customs in Honduras. You should keep your passport with you at all times or at least have a photo saved on your phone in case we get stopped along the way. You will also need to send Mike Osczepinski a copy of your passport to help with the flight check-in process. In case of a lost or stolen passport in Honduras, a copy on your phone will also help speed up the process with the embassy if an emergency replacement passport is needed.
Online Pre-check: Some time within 10 days of departure, you must create an account and complete the immigration pre-check online. Mike Osczepinski will send the website and a detailed step by step video of the process. You must print the completed form with your QR code and bring it with you. Without this printed receipt, you will not be able to board the flight.
Covid Requirements: All covid testing & vaccine requirements have been lifted for traveling to and from Honduras so no need to get tested or vaccinated. Some stores and the hospital may still require a mask inside so please keep one on hand when we’re out.
WhatsApp: Please be sure to leave notifications turned on for our WhatsApp group chat, especially while in Honduras as this will be the main line of communication for our group. Our group is large and will be split up in different vehicles and at different locations at times so it’s very important to keep the whole group in constant communication, especially with us having so many first timers who will rely on the others to guide them.
Calls & Texts: You’ll have free Wi-Fi available most of the time while at the hotels or in restaurants. Most phones can make free calls and texts while connected to Wi-Fi, but make sure you check with your service provider ahead of time. T-Mobile and some other carriers offer free data in Honduras to text or use the internet and apps, even when Wi-Fi is not available. This is usually obtained by turning roaming on and airplane mode off. Again, be sure to check with your service provider first, as these charges can be VERY expensive if they are not included in your plan.
Translators: One of the most important tips is to not only download the free Google Translate app, but also download the offline Spanish package within the app. This will allow you to use the translator during the entire trip, even without Wi-Fi. If you don’t download the offline Spanish package, it will not work if you don’t have free data or Wi-Fi available. The app will let you type or speak to translate, but also lets you translate menus or other text live with your camera. Meal orders will be taken ahead of time so you will not have to order in Spanish. We will also have plenty of Spanish speakers in our group to help translate if needed. Newbies, don’t hesitate to ask others to help translate. We got you!
Fundraising: Over the 30 days leading up to our trip, we’ll be posting Hondo fundraising promo videos every day on social media with a goal of raising $10,000 with a matching donation of up to $10,000. Donations can be made at www.VineMissions.com . We encourage all of you to share the social media posts daily and also create your own personalized posts to reach your own network of friends, family, coworkers, etc. In addition to this social media fundraiser, we’ve been raising money year-round between t-shirt sales, business partners/sponsors and our church budgeted missions contributions. All money raised will go directly toward the construction and outreach projects we’ll work on in Honduras. We are each responsible for raising our own trip cost. If you need help setting up a GoFundMe page or would like a copy of our Hondo fundraising letter, use the contact form to let us know.
Currency & Exchanging Money: The current exchange rate is $1 to 24.6 Honduran lempira. If you want to pay for laundry service, tours/excursions, souvenirs, snacks, toiletries, etc., most businesses will accept dollars or credit/debit cards, but may give you a lower exchange rate. If you know you will be spending money, it’s best to exchange money at the money exchanger’s booth in the airport when we first arrive. Their exchange rate will be around 23-24 lempira per dollar. They will only accept clean, unmarked, unripped $50 and $100 bills. An ATM is also available just steps from the hotel to withdraw lempira with a small ATM fee. Be sure to contact your bank or check the settings on your Bank app ahead of time so the foreign charges will not be flagged as fraudulent. Our money holders may be able to exchange your leftover lempira back to dollars at the end of our trip if there is enough cash available, but no guarantees. So, don't exchange more than you're willing to spend.
Time Difference: Honduras is on Central Standard Time and will be 2 hours behind/earlier than Florida time.
Ground Transportation: While in Honduras, we’ll drive ourselves in a few rental vans or trucks, allowing our group to split up in different locations as needed. We'll have assigned drivers in each vehicle to share the driving responsibilities. All of the vehicles do have A/C. We’ll have assigned groups for each vehicle with a mix of Hondo “vets”, Hondo "rookies", and Spanish speakers to make things run smoothly. Couples and roommates will ride together.
Lodging: We will arrive in Honduras at 10:00am. We’ll have a 5-6 hour drive (plus bathroom and lunch stops) to Tocoa where we’ll stay the first 5 nights at Hotel San Patricio. Rooms have A/C, hot water, and free Wi-Fi. There’s also a pool. Married couples will have their own rooms and everyone else will share a room (2-3 beds) with 1-2 others of the same sex. On the morning of the 28th, we’ll travel half way back towards the airport to spend our last 2 days at Jungle River Lodge & Hotel Rio in La Ceiba. These are both eco-lodges high in the mountains, on the shore of Cangrejal River. None of the rooms have a/c, but there are screened windows in every room. Please keep in mind, rooms are very limited, and with our large group, we will mainly be spread out in same sex dorm rooms with 3 or more to a room. The few couples will have their own rooms. Please do not ask to pick your room as there are a lot of moving pieces between couples, adults with kids, sibling groups, and other safety concerns to think about. We’ll stay 2 nights, and we’ll head back to the airport very early on the 30th. For photos of each hotel, visit the links provided on the "Itinerary" tab. Again, the rooms are already assigned for very specific reasons and can not be changed.
Food: Please inform Mike Osczepinski of any allergies or diet restrictions, and you'll be taken care of. You're in good hands.
After leaving the airport, we’ll stop for lunch on the way to Tocoa at Tío Dolmo, a popular buffet style Honduran Restaurant chain with a variety of meats and sides to choose from.
During our time in Tocoa (first 5 days), we’ll eat breakfast every morning at the restaurant of our hotel with typical breakfast items available to choose from: eggs, sausage, pancakes, fruit, tortillas, frijoles, juice, coffee, etc.
Lunch will be served each day on site at the orphanage property where we’ll be working. Lunch will consist of simple finger foods: empanadas, cuban sandwiches, rotisserie/fried chicken, plantain chips, salsa, fruit, etc. We'll all eat the same thing to keep things quick and simple for our large group.
For dinner, we'll go out to a few restaurants in town. Because of our large group, we'll either eat family style platters or we'll choose from a few limited options (chicken, steak, fish, etc.) to keep the waiting time to a minimum.
There will be plenty of cold water and Gatorade provided on site all day to keep you hydrated. drink as much as you need! You will sweat a lot!
During our time in La Ceiba (last 2 days), we'll eat breakfast and lunch at the lodge. They'll have options similar to Tocoa.
For our dinners in La Ceiba, we'll drive a bit further up the mountain to another resort, Omega, where we always look forward to some special buffet style or family style meals which include a variety of meats slow cooked for several hours in their custom built smoker.
We'll be heading to the airport very early on the 30th for our morning flight. Everyone will be on their own for food at this point. There is a Dunkin', Wendy's and a handful of other restaurants in the airport food court as well as a few small snack shops near the gate.
Morning Devotionals: Each morning, during breakfast, Pastor Mike will share a devotional and prompt us with a thought for the day. We'll discuss our plans and goals for work and any other outreach for that day so everyone knows exactly what to expect.
Clothing To Pack: You’ll want to wear light, comfortable clothing to work in during the day. Tennis shoes are best for working in and for playing soccer with the kids. There will be muddy and rocky terrain where we're working so open toe shoes won't cut it. Also, most of the tours/excursions in La Ceiba require closed toe shoes. Feel free to bring some nicer clothes for dinner if you'd like. You’ll have an hour or so at the hotel to get cleaned up before dinner each night. Pack a swimsuit! There’s a pool at the hotel, a river and natural rock pools at the lodge, and rafting and island tours available. While we won’t have access to washers and dryers, our hotel in Tocoa does have a laundry service available with same day service for 45-70 cents per piece of clothing. This should allow you to pack lighter.
Other Items to Pack: toiletries (liquids must be 3.4 oz / 100 ml or smaller), insect repellent containing DEET (protects against Zika Virus), sun screen, Hand sanitizer, gel/hairspray (keeps lice away), work gloves, pen for filling out customs forms on plane, book or headphones for the flights and van rides, and a few game changers..
Ultra Compact Power Bank for Android
Small and portable, no need to use a wire or carry your charger with you, displays battery life on digital screen
Ultra Compact Power Bank for iPhone
Small and portable, no need to use a wire or carry your charger with you, displays battery life on digital screen
4 Pack of Cooling Ice Towels
Soak them in water and drape around your neck to stay cool. It gets hot in Hondo and you'll be pouring sweat in no time.
4 Pack of Packing Travel Organizer Cubes
You'll be able to pack so many clothes in these cubes. They're a huge space saver when you're trying to fit everything in a backpack.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014VBI5MS/?coliid=I1M9QR9KACN2U4&colid=21VV3RR8OHTBT&psc=1
Packing Tips:
1. Use the packing organizer cubes to stuff way more clothes than normal in your backpack.
2. If space is still tight, only pack for half the days and plan to use the laundry service half way through the trip to rewear all your clothes a second time.
3. Only pack your essential toiletries that you can't buy in Hondo (cologne/perfume, makeup, special hair care products). Any basic toiletries like shampoo, conditioner, soap, deodorant, toothpaste, etc. can be purchased directly next door from our hotel at a pharmacy.
4. Same goes for snacks. No need to pack a ton of snacks. The pharmacy has plenty right next door to the hotel. We also stop at a gas station daily to pick up ice for the coolers, and we can always make a stop at any of the grocery stores in town if needed.
5. Wear your tennis shoes to the airport so you don't have to pack the bulky shoes in your backpack and just bring one pair of sandals or slides for dinners so you don't have to wear your dirty work shoes. no need to get all fancy.
Weather: HOT! And June & July are part of the rainy season so you can expect some rain showers. During the months of June & July, the average temperatures are: high - 95°F, low - 80°F, humidity - 85-90%. Drink plenty of fluids! We'll have an endless supply of drinks to keep everyone hydrated.
Work: Most of our work will take place on a new property with no buildings in place yet, other than an outhouse and a storage shed. The outhouse does have a real toilet and running water. We will continue where we left off last year, building our first children's home on the site. Some of the work we'll be doing will consist of digging, mixing concrete, laying block, laying out plumbing and electric, etc.
taking breaks: We'll be working our butts off in the hot sun, so if you need to sit under the shade for a while or take a power nap in a van with the A/C running, take your time. Relax, regroup and don't kill yourself trying to keep up. We are never more than 10 -15 minutes away from our hotel and we will have multiple vehicles, so if you need to rest at the hotel, it's cool. Someone will get you back safely and can pick you back up later if you're ready to come back. If you get sick or you're just too exhausted to leave the hotel, we've got you covered. Food and drinks can be delivered to your room if needed.
Electrical Outlets: The wall outlets in Honduras are the same as in the States, so you do not need any power converter/adapter for your cell phone charger or anything else you need to plug in.
Taking Photos & Videos: While there is no hard rule on taking photos and videos, please just use common sense and be mindful and respectful of where we are and who is around. There will be times when we may visit with some local "G2 families" supported by Generous Grace (a non-profit managed by Mike and Reina) or visit an orphanage site or other non-profit organizations' sites in town where we've been invited to visit. taking photos and videos at these locations will be perfectly fine and even encouraged to use for social media updates for our supporters and those following our mission trip online. Also, at the main feeding station (las Brisas) where a local ministry serves inside of a designated dining room building, taking photos and videos are perfectly fine there, and the kids love it. but the other two feeding stations are "pop-up" feeding stations setup in the middle of very impoverished neighborhoods where the families do appreciate our help, but may feel embarrassed to have their photos taken. We do not want to invade anyone's space or make them feel uncomfortable so we would ask that you are very discreet or keep the photos and videos to a minimum here. Mike Osczepinski will capture some discreet video with a small camera to include in our trip recap video, but we will treat these areas differently than the others. The same goes for any visits to the local hospital and at the wall (a small neighborhood in La Ceiba).
Tour’s/Excursions: To end our trip, we’ll have 2 fun days in La Ceiba. We won’t do any work on these days. This will be a time to relax after 5 long work days in Tocoa. There will be a variety of tours available to you at your own expense, or you can skip the tours and swim and cliff dive at the lodge where we’ll be staying. If you do plan on doing any tours, please bring cash, and don’t forget to tip your tour guides. Most of the tours will require closed toe shoes, and you’ll want to bring sunscreen and mosquito repellant. There are only so many tour guides so we will discuss the tour options ahead of time and may need to narrow them down to a few choices. There will be enough time to do tours both days, but the longer tours may only be available on the last day since they leave early in the morning for those tours. Tour options include:
Jungle Hiking up to El Bejuco Waterfall
Rafting the Rio Cangrejal - Half Day
White Water Swimming / River Hiking / Tubing
Horseback Riding in the Cangrejal Valley
Canopy Tour with zip line and hot springs
Cuero y Salado Wildlife Refuge
Cayos Cochinos snorkeling boat ride
Click the link below for photos, prices and more info about all the available tours:
https://www.villaspicobonito.com/tours-activities/
Social Media Updates: While in Honduras, we want you all to POST, POST, POST! We have a large group and the more of us that share content, the more potential for raising financial support to continue the work and also potential to inspire others to join us on the the next mission trip. Flood social media as much as possible with your daily content.
Hondo Sunday: The Sunday following our trip, August 4th, will be Hondo Sunday at The Vine, as always. During both services, Pastor Mike will call up some members of our group to join him on stage and share some of their Hondo memories with the congregation. This is another big opportunity to gain new financial support and to inspire others to start planning to join our next mission team. You don’t want to miss it!
Typical Mission Day Schedule: Our days are very flexible and ever-changing, but below is a sample outline of what a typical work day looks like for us...
*7:00am – Eat breakfast at the hotel restaurant
*7:30am – Group devotional time
*8:00am – Leave hotel and head to the orphanage site
*8:15am-12:30pm – Group splits up to work on various projects and outreach:
*Construction at orphanage site (digging, mixing and pouring concrete, laying block, plumbing, electrical, etc.)
*Side projects (Construction, repairs and upgrades at local families’ homes or other ministries' facilities)
*Shop for supplies and materials for our construction projects
*Visit the local hospital to hand out care packages for mothers giving birth
*Visit the pharmacy to purchase medications needed for patients at the hospital
*Serve food and spend time with the kids at one of three feeding stations
*Shop for clothing, shoes or other needs for local families or ministries
12:30pm – Group meets back at the orphanage site for lunch
1:00-5:30pm – Group splits back up to continue working on various projects and outreach
5:30pm – Head back to the hotel to get cleaned up and ready for dinner
6:30pm – Leave hotel to head to dinner at a restaurant
9:00pm – Arrive back at the hotel for the night
*call it a night and head to your room
*head across the street to hang out as late as you want at our group's reserved hangout spot at another restaurant
Useful Resources:
G2’s website - https://www.generousgrace.org
Hotel San Patricio’s website (hotel we’ll stay at while in Tocoa) - https://www.facebook.com/hotelsanpatriciohn
Jungle River’s website (lodge we’ll stay at while in La Ceiba) - https://www.jungleriverlodge.com
Tour/excursion info - https://www.villaspicobonito.com/tours-activities
A free online Spanish Course - https://studyspanish.com
Immigration Pre-Check - https://prechequeo.inm.gob.hn
Passport Application - https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply.html
Tocoa Info - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tocoa,_Col%C3%B3n
La Ceiba Info - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Ceiba
Scriptures: Below are some scriptures to help get your mind in mission mode.
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:27)
For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. (Deuteronomy 10:17-18)
At the end of every three years, bring out all the tithes of that year’s produce and store it in your towns, so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. (Deuteronomy 14:28-29)
Do not deprive the foreigner or the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you from there. That is why I command you to do this. When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. When you beat the olives from your trees, do not go over the branches a second time. Leave what remains for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow. When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, do not go over the vines again. Leave what remains for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow. (Deuteronomy 24:17-21)
Then you and the Levites and the foreigners residing among you shall rejoice in all the good things the LORD your God has given to you and your household. When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied. Then say to the LORD your God: "I have removed from my house the sacred portion and have given it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, according to all you commanded. I have not turned aside from your commands nor have I forgotten any of them.” (Deuteronomy 26:11-13)
“Cursed is anyone who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow.” Then all the people shall say, "Amen!" (Deuteronomy 27:19)
Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. (Isaiah 1:17)
If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, if you do not oppress the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your ancestors for ever and ever. (Jeremiah 7:5-7)
I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy. (Psalm 140:12)
Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God. (Proverbs 14:31)
Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done. (Proverbs 19:17)