Chipley Boy Scout Troop 39 takes their skills to Honduras

While most spend their spring break at the beach or vacationing with family, three boys and two adults from Chipley Boy Scout Troop 39 spent theirs in Siguatepeque, Honduras on a two-fold mission.

The first part of the mission was to construct a site manager cabin for the Pastor and Missionary Training Center as part of Scout Tyler Spangenberâ€™s Eagle Scout service project. The second involved ministering to missionary children who had recently joined the Honduras Patrol of Troop 39 while teaching them scout skills and rank advancement. Scout Levi Smelser led this portion of the mission.

An Eagle Scout Court of Honor was held for Andrew Guevara, a Honduran member of Troop 39 patrol, while the stateside group was on location working. [CONTRIBUTED]

Â Spangenberg led the construction portion which involved framing the cabin walls on-site but off to the side of the cabin itself due to the floor of the cabin not being complete upon the troopâ€™s arrival. Material unavailability led to the delay itself.Â

Once wall frames were complete, the troop assisted in the final flooring work and building trusses for the roof.

â€œThe younger scouts there were able to help with part of this work, but most of the work was done by our older scouts, the adults who went with us and three local adults,â€ Spangenberg said. â€œWhile I did part of the construction work, my role was to coordinate these construction activities. We were able to successfully raise and secure the cabin walls before leaving Honduras.â€

The raised walls of the cabin, built as part of Tyler Spangenbergâ€™s Eagle Scout Service Project. [CONTRIBUTED]

Spangenberg went on to say, â€œAlthough a lot of rain and a change in available materials hampered our work, the group did a great job working together and significantly advancing the total project.â€

As Spangenberg led the build, Smelser led the younger scouts through skills training.

â€œWhen there was no construction work available that was suitable for the younger scouts, my role was to lead the effort to teach them as many scout skills as we could while we were there,â€ Smelser said. â€œWe worked on first aid, nature, cooking, rope work, other outdoor skills, and hiking. We hiked to the top of the coffee farm mountain where we visited with the local coffee growers.â€

The ministry center where the cabin was built helps to promote local coffee growersâ€™ products and also provides part-time employment for several of the local farmers.

The floor of the cabin was delayed in construction but the scouts were helpful in completing the entire project. [CONTRIBUTED]

The trip concluded with one of the Honduran scouts, Andrew Guevara, having an Eagle Scout Court of Honor to pin him with the rank.

â€œWe have seven scouts, all sons of American Christian missionaries who are serving there and that have family ties to Northwest Florida,â€ Scoutmaster Ted Spangenberg said. â€œBeing able to work on the Eagle Service Project and allow the international segment of Troop 39 to interact with our American Boy Scouts was a great experience for all of us. We are working on possibly having some of our younger Honduran scouts join us at summer camp this year in Florida for a greater learning experience.â€

A beautiful sunset over the build site in Siguatepeque, Honduras. [CONTRIBUTED]

Both Spangenbergs and Smelser were joined on the trip by Michael Corbin and his son, Alejandro. Corbin started the patrol while stationed as a missionary in Siguatepeque, Honduras.

For more information on scouting or to sign your child up, visit https://beascout.org.