Pen pals senior Kelsey Long and her sponsored friend Briani send each other letters, pictures and gifts through Evangelical Free Church. Long was expecting to leave Oct. 24 to meet Briani for the first time in her hometown, Honduras.

The trip was canceled two days before they were scheduled to leave when unexpected protestors filled the streets, making it unsafe for travelers to visit.

Long and her parents put months of preparation into the trip and were excited to meet the girl they had been writing to for months.

“My parents and I read our guide manuals for what to expect with cultural differences, got immunizations, scheduled our flights and hotels and got gifts for the Compassion International centers, as well as gifts for Briani and her family,” Long said.

Long and her family sponsor Briani through Compassion International, an organization that pairs children in need with people that want to help. The main goal for the trip was to see the various Compassion International centers, visit with the children that were being sponsored to get to know them beyond the letters and to teach them about the Lord.

“My family helps financially provide things so she can get an education and daily necessities to equip her for her future,” Long said. “It is so unique and incredible to be able to help in the process of accomplishing a child’s dream.”

Long’s travel group was sent an email explaining that there were roadblocks on many of the streets that they were going to use to get around due to violent political protests and that the trip had been canceled. 

“I was devastated and bitter when I received the email, but more than anything, I was concerned for the children and their families’ safety,” Long said. “The trip being canceled means that I stay home, and home for me is full of safety and first-world things that I take for granted. For Briani, home isn’t safe all the time and they don’t have access to a lot of the things I do.”

There was a mutual feeling amongst the travel group of sadness when the news came out that they were not able to go. Going to Honduras with a large group would attract a lot of attention to the people they were visiting.

“Everybody was heartbroken but thankful that we didn’t put a target on the children that lived there or ourselves at risk for danger,” Long said. 

There is another trip being planned in place of the canceled trip. As of right now, the travel group will leave around May.

“We might try to find a different time to visit her later on because I have already missed Homecoming and I will miss [King Of Hearts], so I want to be able to have a last dance with all of my friends,” Long said. 

There are opportunities for everyone to be involved with Compassion International. Children can be sponsored for $38 a month or by donating money or goods.

“It is so worth it. There is a special time over Christmas where the organization sends a catalog with various ideas to help. You can send goats, pigs and chickens, as well as mosquito nets and medical supplies,” Long said. “It is so gratifying knowing that I am helping someone else who is less fortunate than I am and knowing that anyone else can too.”

Although Long might not be able to visit Briani with her church, she plans to visit her before she goes to college.

“I can’t wait to hug her and meet her and her family because they occasionally write to me as well,” Long said.