Originally posted November 28, 2015
It’s that time of year, friends! The Honduran school year has wrapped up, the year is drawing to a close, and the sandy shores of Amapala are calling. It’s time for Beach Christmas 2015!
The quiet waves on the shores of Amapala are a far cry from the noise of the city, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. This annual tradition has become a treasured time for our BC family members. For a couple of days, our BC teens and families get to escape the hustle and worry of the city and trade it in for the serenity of the island of Amapala. Escaping the distractions of everyday life allows teens to clear their heads, families to reconnect and gives everyone a chance to thank God for the blessings of the community he has given us.
This year, Beach Christmas will take place Dec. 20 and 21. Early that Sunday morning, we will load up a couple of busses with people, mattresses, luggage, coolers and presents and set off for the two and a have hour drive to the coast. From there, we’ll load everyone and everything onto a couple of boats and take another hour-long ride across beautiful waters to reach our home away from home for the weekend. Our wonderful beach family hosts will greet us at the shores as we unload everything into the pavilion which will serve as our shelter.
From there, everyone will scatter to jump in the ocean, play soccer on the beach, or simply grab a coke and relax in the shade. After some time of playing, we’ll all come back together for a wonderful lunch prepared by the beach family we have come to know and love. We’ll take a minute to thank God for his blessings and constant faithfulness to us again this year before chowing down on some delicious fish, chicken or shrimp.
Following lunch, we’ll play in the ocean some more until it looks like the sun is about to set. Then, per tradition, everyone will gather their chairs in a circle. We’ll thank God again for his blessings as one by one our BC family members move to the center of the circle to open gifts provided for them by our generous sponsors. In addition to food and transportation, each individual’s sponsorship provides them a new outfit, new shoes and an additional gift (headphones, earrings, additional shoes, etc).
Following the gift giving, we will end the night by roasting hot dogs, pulling our mattresses together on the outdoor pavilion floor and listening to the waves crash as we fall asleep. The next day we will rise, eat breakfast and lunch and squeeze in as much time on the beach as possible before the boat arrives to take us back to shore and our journey back to the city begins.
We’re lucky this year to have several Beach Christmas veterans as well as some first-timers. We can’t wait to reminisce with those who have been before and to make new memories as well. We love Beach Christmas for many reasons. Of course, it’s a fun location and everyone gets presents. But more than that, we love what it stirs in our family- feelings of hope and renewal, of community and gratitude, and a humble acknowledgement of the Creator who has made everything possible.
We would love for your family to be a part of this experience, and we need your help to make it possible. In order to make the weekend happen, each individual will need a sponsor of $125. That cost covers food, transportation and gifts for the whole weekend. Additional gifts of any amount would also be a blessing to help with incidentals (beach toys, wrapping paper, etc.) or gifts for other families we would like to help during the holiday season.
If you are interested in contributing, please visit the Beach Christmas 2015 page to learn more about the individuals needing sponsorship. We will be posting the profiles of each individual available for sponsorship over the coming days, so please keep checking back to see who still has need.
Thank you for your support! We can’t wait to share in this experience with you!