MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Members of a church group gobbled fast food upon their return to West Virginia after becoming stuck in Honduras for two weeks during a mission trip.
Sixteen members of the Morgantown Church of Christ arrived back home early Friday, The Dominion Post reported.
“We all sat down and ate Wendy’s cheeseburgers when we got back to the airport,” church member Devinne Sparks said.
The mission trip that was supposed to last a week turned into 14 days when the new coronavirus pandemic prompted the Honduran government to shut its borders.
Church elder Richard Moore said the group learned Thursday that despite the Honduras border shutdown, empty United Airlines planes were being allowed to land to retrieve U.S. citizens.
The group spent $20,000 for tickets, and “they doubled in price in just the time we were on the phone,” Moore said. “If we would have waited another three or four hours, it would have been over $45,000.”
The church group boarded a plane Thursday afternoon. Moore said he was surprised no one mentioned checking the health of the group members, who will self-quarantine for 14 days.
Sparks said the group plans to build its finances back up and return to Honduras.
For now, the 22-year-old and her mother, Cynthia Shultz, have to spend even more time apart.
“She’s in quarantine, but we saw each other through the door today,” Shultz said Friday. “I’m just so much happier today — so much more at peace.”