The world watched hurricane Mitch sweep across Honduras in October 1998, but nobody could have expected what happened next. Nobody expected the hurricane named Mitch to cross Honduras, pause over El Salvador as if on vacation for a few days, and then turn and casually meander back across Honduras before turning north, into Guatemala. In Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras, it rained for three weeks straight. Entire neighborhoods washed away in the flooding and mud slides, while inhabited islands disappeared completely off the coast line. Life across Central America stopped in shock.

    Motivated individuals around the world reached out in November, to try to help, while survivors in Honduras searched for their lost family members. A particularly motivated group of students from Gordon College asked World Relief how they could get to Honduras, to help in any way they could. I was given the opportunity to accompany this young group of very dedicated volunteers as they flew from suburbia U.S.A, into the worst disaster Honduras has seen in over a hundred years.

    The experience of this trip has profoundly influenced every participant's life. My wife and I have been very encouraged to know that almost all of these students went overseas again the following year, and one of these students returned to teach in Honduras for a number of years. This trip was a turning point for me as well, because I was able to experience what I believed about America helping what I know about the Third World. I was able to watch young Americans who had a little bit, share with victims in the Third World who had virtually nothing. I was able to watch volunteers melt emotionally, at the realization that they themselves could not save the world, but that their compassion was deeply appreciated. I watched young volunteers share grief with young victims, and then as volunteers and victims seemed to agree, together, to look forward with hope for a better future.

    These volunteers came back from this trip motivated to do so much more, and I came back having seen where my two worlds can meet. I am a 2nd. generation Missionary Kid born and raised in Africa, with American citizenship (and Norwegian ancestry). This trip was the turning point which confirmed for me that I should drop my part of the rat-race in America and concentrate my efforts overseas. International Documentary Photography, to bring people closer together around the World, is where my heart has always been.

    I extend my personal thanx to all who made this trip, and these photographs, possible. I am particularly grateful to the students from Gordon College, the staff at World Relief, and the amazing people of Honduras.

I thank you kindly,
Hal Noss
Peace
         www.HALNOSS.COM       e-mail: halnoss@halnoss.com

All Images Copyright Hal Noss 1998, all rights reserved.
Larger images are available for Review on CD
PS:  Please let me know what you think about volunteers taking trips like this one, and please reference this website, www.HALNOSS.com, in any communications you may have about these images.