Making Masks For Missions

PRAIRIE GROVE -- Retired Farmington teacher Melody Key has gone to Honduras 32 times on mission trips and is hoping to go again in August if the country opens up for visitors during the covid-19 pandemic.

But until she can go back, she's doing what she can at home.

Key is making and selling face masks and all net proceeds are going to help Hondurans who have been homebound since the pandemic started. Key has a booth each Saturday at the Prairie Grove Farmers Market.

"Since I can't go, this is my mission," Key said.

Key said she had three mission trips scheduled this year but all have been canceled.

She went on her first trip to Honduras in 2009 and then retired from Farmington School District in 2011. Since then, she said she's gone three or four times a year and volunteers with Kids' Ark International, which is a Bible-based, interdenominational youth camp ministry committed to helping the youth of Honduras.

"I help in the kitchen and the teams do the evangelism," Key said.

While in Honduras, she said she will ride around and feel led to a house that needs food.

"We'll go back the next day and sure enough they need food," Key said.

Key served as an educator for 31 years and said she always considered the school her mission field. She taught in south Arkansas, Springdale and ended her education career at Williams Elementary School in Farmington.

She received several awards while teaching at Williams, including the Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award from the Global Association of Economic Education and the Bessie B. Moore Award for Excellence in Teaching Economics.