Blog Archive

Monday, July 30, 2018

RSM Pursue Your Passion: Bringing Water to Honduras

Joy and her dad at the airport before 
departing for their mission trip to Honduras.

RSM’s Joy Herrmann was one of nine employees to win the firm’s Pursue Your Passion program this year. As a result, Joy was awarded nine days of paid time off, along with $10,000 to pursue a personal goal. Read Joy's story:

I’ve had immediate access to clean water my entire life. My grandfather owned a spring water delivery company, and shortly after I was born, my father started his own. My dad always, while actively avoiding praise or recognition, donated water (and more) to friends, family, athletic events, various organizations, and anyone in need, teaching me generosity and humility.

When I received the phone call that I’d been selected as a winner of RSM’s Pursue Your Passion program, I immediately called my dad to let him know we would be going on a mission trip to Honduras to install a well in a community, and to educate the community about hygiene and sustainability. We were both excited and anxious for the trip! My dad isn’t a frequent traveler, and I’d be preparing for the trip during the accounting industry’s busy season.

Upon arriving to Honduras on Saturday, the hospitable Living Water International (Living Water) staff greeted us and introduced us to our teammates for the week – most of whom had been on previous trips with Living Water, including previous trips to Honduras. We quickly realized we were in good hands, and that we’d met people who would become lifelong friends. Our nerves were settled, we were focused on the purpose of our trip, and we knew we would develop memories that we would cherish forever.

Sunday we attended mass in La Ceiba, a community about 60 miles east of where we were staying in Tela. We arrived at The Lighthouse Church, where parishioners welcomed us with open arms. The church is currently fundraising for a generator due to frequent power outages. The power was out when we were there, so the church was extremely hot, but members quickly shared paper for makeshift fans. The local community was very welcoming, and worshipping among them is something I’ll remember forever. After mass, we enjoyed some authentic Honduras cuisine and took a few group photos.

That evening, we met our drill instructors Nugget and Gershom, and our hygiene instructor Deborah. They quickly became friends and, thankfully, interpreters since my Spanish is more than a little rusty. We developed a game plan for the week. The leader of our group was Pastor Billy, a wonderful person who leads a church held in a motorcycle repair shop in Texas. He also runs a recovery house for women. Billy attended the trip with his daughters Aly and Sierra, who grew up going on mission trips. Texans are known for being friendly and approachable, and that held true for Billy and his family.

Monday we headed to Citrinella, a community with a name amusingly closer to Citronella (candles). We split into two groups; my dad was a part of the drill team and I was a part of the hygiene team. The drill team spent the morning setting up the site and drilling; they quickly hit rock at about 30 feet. The hygiene team taught lessons to a school of approximately 150 children, grades pre-K through fourth. One of my favorite lessons included covering our hands with glitter, then shaking the children’s hands. The glitter representing germs which spread very quickly around the classroom. The children’s laughter, smiles, and positive energy spread as quickly as the glitter “germs”. Monday afternoon, the drill team continued to attempt to drill through the rock, and the hygiene lessons continued.

On Tuesday, we again split into groups; my dad and I were then both part of the drill team. We started the day using a larger drill bit but, once again, were unable to drill beyond the rock. We moved the site approximately 12 feet, under the leadership of Spencer and his wife Amanda – additional members of our group. (Back home in Texas, their family owns the motorcycle repair shop where the pastor holds church.) Once we set up the new location and resumed drilling, we quickly hit the same rock at 30 feet. We moved to a third location about 100 yards away and prepared the site for drilling the next day. On this day, there was a local man wearing a shirt that said “small fry,” who talked to all of us all day, even though we understood very little of what he was saying. “Small fry,” without necessarily intending to, started a team effort of volunteers in the local community. When we moved locations for the third time, he was the first person to help with the digging. Shortly after that, other community members helped prepare the new site for drilling the next day.

Wednesday, we drilled at the new location and again quickly hit the same rock at 30 feet. The last day at Citrinella we taught more lessons to the children, and played with them during recess. They were very excited by the small toys we brought (jump ropes, Frisbees, balloons, and soccer balls). This was one of my favorite parts of the trips; the kids were full of energy and such a joy to be around. Throughout the time in this community, the children often offered us gifts and shared their snacks; we thought this was so sweet since these children have so little. I wished I’d remembered more Spanish so I had been able to communicate with them more easily. The younger kids, in particular, were very kind and would tell us things slowly in hopes we would understand. There was a pre-K boy, Mario, who asked for a red crayon in Spanish. He was so excited I understood him that he then quizzed me on the colors; he’d have me repeat the colors back to him if I wasn’t saying it correctly. He patiently had me repeat back yellow (“amarillo”) about fifteen times. I see Mario as a future educator!

After our final attempt at drilling in Citrinella, we moved to a new community about an hour-and-a-half away, Villa Franka. (The Living Water staff will return to Citrinella later to find a new location for drilling, and I’m hopeful they’ll have fresh water soon!) Upon arriving in the new community, the locals welcomed us and helped prepare the site for drilling the next day. We were feeling a little disappointed that we’d be unable to provide the Citrinella community with fresh water, but upon further reflection, realized that we provided something else: As we were drilling Tuesday, one of the local men commented that the females in our group “worked hard for women”. (Some people in Honduras aren’t used to seeing women perform physical labor, especially alongside men.) We hope that our hard work in addition to the respect shown to our women by the men in our group will encourage men and women in Honduras to work together.

Thursday was a day of physical labor and drilling; we all wanted to help as much as possible but we also realized we needed to take turns and work together to complete the installation of this well in fewer than 48 hours. As our team continued to drill on Thursday, more members of the community joined us to help. One of the locals helping mix cement was working in boots with a large hole. Without hesitation, Sierra took off her rubber boots and gifted them to this young man. The smile on his face when he came out with the new boots on is something I will remember forever, and it reminds me not to take anything for granted. Most of the group donated their rubber work boots to the community following in Sierra’s footsteps – or bootsteps?! By the end of the day Thursday, we successfully hit water at about 95 feet!

Friday was originally supposed to be a free day, but we ended up completing the well in Villa Franka, and having a dedication ceremony. The well we installed had approximately 80 feet of water and will last generations. It’s hard to determine which lives changed more – those there to serve or those being served. The Living Water staff heard that my dad would be celebrating his 65th birthday that Sunday. Without our knowing, they made a special trip into the city to pick up a cake. I was so excited that Living Water “gave to the giver” and “surprised the surpriser”! I’d brought a 6 and 5 candle from home in hopes I could put them in a candy bar (or even a piece of chicken) and sing “Happy Birthday” to my dad. With the help of the staff, our group was able to celebrate my dad around a large, delicious sheet cake with “Feliz CumpleaƱos, Frank” written on top

This was an opportunity of a lifetime, and I am so grateful that I was able to experience this with my dad. We will cherish the memories and the people we met forever. Thank you to RSM for the generosity and support. I am proud to be part of an organization that supports their employees and helps them fulfill their passions/dreams.

Gracias RSM!