I spent two and a half years at Farm of the Child, an orphanage, elementary school, and health clinic in rural Honduras. Our volunteer community was made up of between twelve and eighteen volunteer missionaries and shared living wasn't always that easy. Part of the challenge was we were so different from each other. But even with that, living together under the same relatively small roof often produced intense experiences of teamwork.

Teamwork, however, did not mean harmony. Getting us to agree and work together was challenging. Over time, we discovered our strengths were in our shared awareness of the poverty and suffering in Honduras, dedication to mission, and our ability to forgive one another. When we focused on these strengths, we worked well as a team.

My volunteer experience in Honduras started in early October 1998, just three weeks before Hurricane Mitch hit the country. The hurricane was very devastating and we were fortunate to escape the path of destruction and find shelter in a town called Olanchito. The hurricane parked itself over Honduras and for eight days the rain did not stop. We brought enough food with us, but our supply of clean water was limited. Pink eye broke out and most of the fifty children under our care and many adults were infected. During that first rainy week, we were challenged to contain the children inside small quarters, out of the downpour, and to keep their few clothes clean and dry. We had to stay in Olanchito for two more weeks because roads were impassable and we could not return to the orphanage. For my volunteer community, these weeks tested our ability to work together as a team. During that time, I witnessed much cooperation and sharing within the volunteer group and between volunteers and the local Honduran community. Many of the new volunteers took on jobs that they were normally not accustomed to, such as teaching, leading prayer, or washing lots of dishes. Some Hondurans that lived nearby were kind enough to bring paper and crayons for the children. With few toys or other school supplies, the crayons kept the kids busy and saved our sanity. I think the awareness of the suffering caused by the hurricane helped us realize how fortunate we were and gave us the ability to be flexible and overlook some of the "minor" stresses we were experiencing.

Another factor which helped us develop effective teamwork was a communal sense of mission. The Farm of the Child had a strong mission statement and a history that inspires every volunteer. Farm of the Child was originally founded by Vincent and Zulena Pescatore* in the northern jungles of Guatemala. After eight years in Guatemala, they decided to build a similar project in Honduras. It was at this time that Vincent died in a plane crash. Zulena, a young widow with five children, decided to continue on with her husband's dream and open Farm of the Child in Trujillo. When Zulena recounted some stories, her family's struggles, hearing about her missionary life would keep us on the edge of our seats. Her stories were better than anything Hollywood had to offer. When we as a community were reminded of these specific values, it helped us overcome the issues that divided us and gave common ground to our volunteer commitment.

A final aspect of teamwork that I experienced at Farm of the Child was forgiveness. As you may have noticed, my time with the other volunteers was marked as much by disunion and arguments as it was by cooperation and patience. Being human, it is impossible to live with people for two years and never offend, lose your patience, or irritate them. Most people who volunteer are motivated by strong beliefs on religion, politics, and social justice, and this was certainly the case in my volunteer community. Most of us were not shy about expressing our views and how those views should best be put into action serving the children and the local Honduran community. In addition to our individual beliefs and attitudes, we also went to bed at different times, liked different kinds of food, and listened to different kinds of music. These small things aren't so small when you face them everyday. It is not easy to argue with someone one night and then make breakfast for him or her the next day. There was definitely a steady diet of shoe in mouth and humble pie for many of us in the volunteer house. At one time or another, everyone in the group needed to unconditionally forgive and be forgiven by others. When this did not happen, when we held grudges, not only did the entire volunteer community suffer, but we also impaired our ability to serve the whole Farm of the Child community. When we were able to forgive, there was more of a sense of peace and freedom to do what we felt we were called to do.

All of our jobs were very interdependent, and it was easy to let the frustrations of the workday like power outages, car breakdowns, and money worries, spill into community life. Sometimes a little cooling off time and a late night conversation on the nearby beach helped heal wounds. Other times a fellow volunteer would become a sounding board and a gentle mediator. Attending prayer services together also worked wonders among us. Often, there would be a community event such as a holiday celebration or an energizing volunteer gathering that would remind us that what we had in common was greater than our problems. Fortunately, forgiveness was our greatest strength and was given often. This, more than anything else, was what truly made us an effective team.