A boy sits in class with his glasses slipping down his nose as he reads from one of the twenty copies of The Great Gatsby present in the classroom. Every day, he gets a free education, food, water, a place to sleep, and enjoys the perks of advanced technology like music, Google, and air conditioning. That same boy travels to the third world country of Honduras and comes home with open eyes and a new appreciation for life.

Junior Dalton Teeler recently journeyed to Honduras, Roatan in an effort to help orphaned children smile more during the holiday season. He and his family spent five days delivering medical supplies, basic necessities, and presents. They also spent quality time with the children having fun and hanging out.

Leaving home and getting to their destination was surprisingly the hardest part of the trip. Airports, travel by car to where they would be sleeping, and trying to keep everything and everyone together was quite the challenge. Still, Teeler managed to find bright spots along the way.

“We were driving up a mountain with the presents in the pouring rain,” Teeler said. “We got stuck and we all had to get out and literally push the car up the mountain. It was actually fun, and has become one of my best memories from the trip.”

Among the moments spent with the orphans, Teeler recalls eating ice cream with the kids, playing games, and getting to know them all better. The living conditions were not the best, but the kids were still able to find things to smile about. Being face to face with such a completely different way of life allowed Teeler a new perspective on his own.

“I saw what it was like to live in a third world country,” Teeler said. “Actually being there and realizing how little they had made me realize all the things I take for granted and appreciate how blessed I truly am.”

Honduras is a struggling third world country settled between Guatemala and Nicaragua. As one of the poorest countries in Central America, Hondurans suffer from extreme poverty, the world’s highest crime rate, poor education opportunities along with high dropout rates, and rampant disease. Despite the immense adversity faced by so many, it is still a place of hope and a home to many good people.

“There’s a really bright kid named Gabriel,” Teeler said. “He will get to go to college because of our missionary group. That has to be the coolest thing about all of it…helping people.”

Having only been in the country for five days, Teeler said he learned a lot from the experience. There are good people everywhere, appreciating the good things in your life is important, and your surroundings don’t control your happiness.