Valery
Coctail de Camerones!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Fun and Games at the Breakfast Program
Boys Jumping Rope
Milk Cartons are a hot commodity. They can be used to bring home clean drinking water.
Don Juan and the boys
Milk Cartons are a hot commodity. They can be used to bring home clean drinking water.
Don Juan and the boysMonday, June 22, 2009
Rockets at Church!
Lychee Fruit - Once you peel off the prickley skin, you suck on the milky looking part and spit out the seed inside.
We had about 30 kids for the breakfast program today. One of the families from The River helped out. I think at first the father was concerned b/c his kids had not begun to assimilate yet, but as soon as everyone was done eating his daughters were quickly caught up in a game of tag and language was no longer a barrier. When it came time for the morning group to leave a bunch of them stood outside the fence, still playing with his girls through the fence.
This afternoon The River church had organized some really cool science projects. They made magnets, kaleidoscopes, and harmonicas with the kids. It was fun to watch the kids warm up to the new adults around them. At first the kids kind of sat back, but by the end everyone was running around, screaming and laughing - including the adults. And in the meantime they had learned about color refraction, how sound vibrates and magnetic force! At the end they set off rockets which fly about 300 ft into the air all from air pressure from a bicycle tire pump! On Wednesday the kids will make their own rockets and set them off.
I learned today that I will not actually be going to Utila, which is a remote island off Roatan. In reality we are staying on an even more remote "cave island" off Utila. (I'll let you know what exactly a "cave island" is once I find out myself.) The island is a 30 minute boat ride from Utila. We will have to bring in all of our food. We will have radio contact with someone on the main land in case we need anything, but otherwise we will be all on our own - like Gilligan's Island. There are 2 houses there and we are renting both. I was told today that there is room for 20 people, but we only are bringing 10. I can't wait! We leave one week from today - next Monday and return on Saturday, the 4th of July.
There is a special 4th of July party in Tegucigalpa for anyone who can show their US passport. I am hoping that Tony and I will not be too tired because I would really LOVE to go to the party. We're going to try to make it happen, but it will be a long drive from the north shore back to Teguc that day.
Today Jairo pulled all of the adults aside and talked to us. He said not to be overly afraid, but that the government of Honduras is in turmoil and is ready to explode. The problem is that the president is about to complete his term as president, but refuses to step down. He is trying to have a vote next Sunday to change the constitution. But by trying to have the vote in the first place is against the law.
I have not heard of any people here who support the president. They say he is crazy and very corrupt. Recently he dared the military to come and get him - basically challenging them to try to physically take him out of office.
Anyway, Jairo said that we need to be aware. He said that if the county does go under military rule there will be mass chaos and we must stay exactly where we are - if that is at church or at home, because the streets will not be safe. He has contact with people high up in the government and journalists as well. He was on the phone with them for part of the afternoon trying to figure out exactly what is going on.
Tony described one uprising which he witnessed where people overturned cars and burned tires in the road so nobody could pass. For this reason, when we go to Utila Jairo would like for us to do as much of our traveling as possible before the day begins. Because if nothing has happened yet, it will probably happen on the day we are driving to Utila - the day after the proposed illegal voting.
I'm sure that Jairo will stay in touch with his contacts in the government and be sure it is safe to go. I am thinking that as long as we can get there, a remote island would be the best place to be if the country goes under martial law.
Please pray for the people here. Pray for their continued democracy and that they can get rid of this crazy man in a peaceful way without any violence.
You know I can't have a post without mentioning food so I must tell you about my dinner for the past 2 nights. Last night we had fish which was rubbed in garlic and herbs and pan friend. We also had coctail de camerones - which is a dish my mom and I have loved for more than 10 years, but have never figured out how to make. Tonight we had tamales the size of a Nalgene bottle. Some had chicken, but some had bits of potato and rice. Those were the best tamales I have ever had in my life.
I am enjoying getting to know the folks from The River as they begin to settle in here. They are working on one family's house every morning - building walls, painting, making a cement floor, and a water system. Then they do science and sewing classes at the church in the afternoon. It is definitely a full day for them.
I admire how they are really trying to build relationships with the kids. They hand out name tags so they can remember names. Although their Spanish isn't great they have no shame in trying their best to speak in Spanish, which is also very admirable. If the rest of their classes are anything like today, the kids are in for an amazing week!
This afternoon The River church had organized some really cool science projects. They made magnets, kaleidoscopes, and harmonicas with the kids. It was fun to watch the kids warm up to the new adults around them. At first the kids kind of sat back, but by the end everyone was running around, screaming and laughing - including the adults. And in the meantime they had learned about color refraction, how sound vibrates and magnetic force! At the end they set off rockets which fly about 300 ft into the air all from air pressure from a bicycle tire pump! On Wednesday the kids will make their own rockets and set them off.
I learned today that I will not actually be going to Utila, which is a remote island off Roatan. In reality we are staying on an even more remote "cave island" off Utila. (I'll let you know what exactly a "cave island" is once I find out myself.) The island is a 30 minute boat ride from Utila. We will have to bring in all of our food. We will have radio contact with someone on the main land in case we need anything, but otherwise we will be all on our own - like Gilligan's Island. There are 2 houses there and we are renting both. I was told today that there is room for 20 people, but we only are bringing 10. I can't wait! We leave one week from today - next Monday and return on Saturday, the 4th of July.
There is a special 4th of July party in Tegucigalpa for anyone who can show their US passport. I am hoping that Tony and I will not be too tired because I would really LOVE to go to the party. We're going to try to make it happen, but it will be a long drive from the north shore back to Teguc that day.
Today Jairo pulled all of the adults aside and talked to us. He said not to be overly afraid, but that the government of Honduras is in turmoil and is ready to explode. The problem is that the president is about to complete his term as president, but refuses to step down. He is trying to have a vote next Sunday to change the constitution. But by trying to have the vote in the first place is against the law.
I have not heard of any people here who support the president. They say he is crazy and very corrupt. Recently he dared the military to come and get him - basically challenging them to try to physically take him out of office.
Anyway, Jairo said that we need to be aware. He said that if the county does go under military rule there will be mass chaos and we must stay exactly where we are - if that is at church or at home, because the streets will not be safe. He has contact with people high up in the government and journalists as well. He was on the phone with them for part of the afternoon trying to figure out exactly what is going on.
Tony described one uprising which he witnessed where people overturned cars and burned tires in the road so nobody could pass. For this reason, when we go to Utila Jairo would like for us to do as much of our traveling as possible before the day begins. Because if nothing has happened yet, it will probably happen on the day we are driving to Utila - the day after the proposed illegal voting.
I'm sure that Jairo will stay in touch with his contacts in the government and be sure it is safe to go. I am thinking that as long as we can get there, a remote island would be the best place to be if the country goes under martial law.
Please pray for the people here. Pray for their continued democracy and that they can get rid of this crazy man in a peaceful way without any violence.
You know I can't have a post without mentioning food so I must tell you about my dinner for the past 2 nights. Last night we had fish which was rubbed in garlic and herbs and pan friend. We also had coctail de camerones - which is a dish my mom and I have loved for more than 10 years, but have never figured out how to make. Tonight we had tamales the size of a Nalgene bottle. Some had chicken, but some had bits of potato and rice. Those were the best tamales I have ever had in my life.
I am enjoying getting to know the folks from The River as they begin to settle in here. They are working on one family's house every morning - building walls, painting, making a cement floor, and a water system. Then they do science and sewing classes at the church in the afternoon. It is definitely a full day for them.
I admire how they are really trying to build relationships with the kids. They hand out name tags so they can remember names. Although their Spanish isn't great they have no shame in trying their best to speak in Spanish, which is also very admirable. If the rest of their classes are anything like today, the kids are in for an amazing week!
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Can Life Be Better Than This???
Banana milkshake in a bag.
Carlos and me hangin' out
Carlos and me hangin' out
Wow, what a day - I don't even know where to start! How about the beginning? I was supposed to meet Lourdes and Jairo to go to the airport. They asked me to walk to the point, which is about 15-20 mins and they would pick me up there. Then Jairo called to say Walter would pick me up at the house instead. We talked about getting off the plane in a new country. Jairo asked me what I remember when I got off the plane the first time I visited. He talked about the different language and new people. I told him I just remember thinking, "This place is INCREDIBLY HOT!" Not very insightful, I know.
Walter and I joked about how much luggage all of the ladies had when I visited the first time. I was explaining to him that we were worried about the luggage in the back of his pick up truck. He asked if they were afraid it would get robbed, and I said No! They were afraid it would all fall out! (It was stacked over the top of the cab.)
Finally the from The River church arrived. The airport has little tv monitors at the place where we waited, so we could see them collecting their luggage after they got through customs. They looked exhausted and they had kids with them, but they were all still going strong (well, not strong, but they were all still going) at 8 pm tonight.
We went back to the church, where they were excited to see all of the changes since the last time they visited. Tony came by to say that 20 boys showed up this morning on time at 10 am to help move all of the construction materials from the road to the house. Ninety pound boys carried 100 libre bags of cement on their backs up a hill, down a hill, across a stream, up the side of a mountain and across a billy goat path to the house they are going to work on. They carried countless pails of gravel, and more pails of sand on their shoulders until their shoulders were red and their arms were bruised. And they never complained. After working like this for 4 hours we brought 20 pizzas to them. They stopped and ate, but were soon working again to finish up the work. I was so proud of them. None of them are very big, but they worked HARD. It was a blessing that there was no rain and lots of clouds hid the sun, so the weather was ideal for such physical labor. You can see pictures of the area where they worked under photos I posted previously entitled "A Stroll Through Los Pinos" if you want an idea about the billy goat path.
After getting a little food in their bellies the boys finished quickly and headed back to the church where they played soccer for a while before it was time for their Saturday church school classes. I was so proud of them. And they were proud of themselves and all of the work they had done. One of my new words this week that I learned in Spanish is "proud" - orgulloso.
Jose is a leader of one of the classes. He said that every boy in his class worked with Tony today - although last week when he asked them to volunteer only two raised their hands. However, today he asked for volunteers to cook for family night on Friday and every single one of them volunteered. Looks like they are learning about how good it feels to serve others!
I had time to talk to Jairo about a few things today. It is always such a blessing to spend time one on one with Jairo. I think that is another reason I feel good today.
Walter and I joked about how much luggage all of the ladies had when I visited the first time. I was explaining to him that we were worried about the luggage in the back of his pick up truck. He asked if they were afraid it would get robbed, and I said No! They were afraid it would all fall out! (It was stacked over the top of the cab.)
Finally the from The River church arrived. The airport has little tv monitors at the place where we waited, so we could see them collecting their luggage after they got through customs. They looked exhausted and they had kids with them, but they were all still going strong (well, not strong, but they were all still going) at 8 pm tonight.
We went back to the church, where they were excited to see all of the changes since the last time they visited. Tony came by to say that 20 boys showed up this morning on time at 10 am to help move all of the construction materials from the road to the house. Ninety pound boys carried 100 libre bags of cement on their backs up a hill, down a hill, across a stream, up the side of a mountain and across a billy goat path to the house they are going to work on. They carried countless pails of gravel, and more pails of sand on their shoulders until their shoulders were red and their arms were bruised. And they never complained. After working like this for 4 hours we brought 20 pizzas to them. They stopped and ate, but were soon working again to finish up the work. I was so proud of them. None of them are very big, but they worked HARD. It was a blessing that there was no rain and lots of clouds hid the sun, so the weather was ideal for such physical labor. You can see pictures of the area where they worked under photos I posted previously entitled "A Stroll Through Los Pinos" if you want an idea about the billy goat path.
After getting a little food in their bellies the boys finished quickly and headed back to the church where they played soccer for a while before it was time for their Saturday church school classes. I was so proud of them. And they were proud of themselves and all of the work they had done. One of my new words this week that I learned in Spanish is "proud" - orgulloso.
Jose is a leader of one of the classes. He said that every boy in his class worked with Tony today - although last week when he asked them to volunteer only two raised their hands. However, today he asked for volunteers to cook for family night on Friday and every single one of them volunteered. Looks like they are learning about how good it feels to serve others!
I had time to talk to Jairo about a few things today. It is always such a blessing to spend time one on one with Jairo. I think that is another reason I feel good today.
After we talked for a while, he dropped me off at 'the point' and I walked home alone for the first time. I stopped at a little vendor that Karla took me to once before and got a banana milkshake served in a plastic bag with a straw. I felt like I'm finally not such a tourist anymore - welcoming people at the airport and wandering the streets on my own. In one of my talks with Jairo he said, "You're one of us." and Evelin joked that the gringos came today, but that I am no longer a gringa.
When I got home Karla took a picture of me with my milkshake in a bag. Then I called my mom, for only the second time since I've been here. We were in the middle of talking when Karla and Jose invited me to a bible study, so we headed back to church.
After the bible study we were invited to dinner to welcome the visiting church members. We gathered at a local home and ate pupusas. Afterward Jairo spoke from the bible about all of the things we have to look forward to during this group's time here. He spoke about the work we will do, the relationships we will build, and the growth that can happen within us. Tony asked me to head up the breakfast program this week. He will be working with the new group that is here doing the construction project before the sun gets too hot. I said I will be happy to do it, and felt honored that he asked.
I am really looking forward to church tomorrow. I am so lucky to have this experience. Evelin asked me today how many weeks I have left here. I told her that I don't want to think about it. I can't imagine not having Karla to talk to everyday. I have gotten used to my pink bedroom with my tiny bed. (Ok - I'll admit that I was complaining today b/c with no dryer all of my pants don't shrink so they are falling off, but seriously, laundry is my biggest worry.) It is going to be very hard to leave. I want to soak up every minute. Karla asked me today if I would consider taking a job here working with underpriveleged kids being adopted into the US. Her friend called to offer her the job, but Karla says she thinks her English is not good enough...
When I got home Karla took a picture of me with my milkshake in a bag. Then I called my mom, for only the second time since I've been here. We were in the middle of talking when Karla and Jose invited me to a bible study, so we headed back to church.
After the bible study we were invited to dinner to welcome the visiting church members. We gathered at a local home and ate pupusas. Afterward Jairo spoke from the bible about all of the things we have to look forward to during this group's time here. He spoke about the work we will do, the relationships we will build, and the growth that can happen within us. Tony asked me to head up the breakfast program this week. He will be working with the new group that is here doing the construction project before the sun gets too hot. I said I will be happy to do it, and felt honored that he asked.
I am really looking forward to church tomorrow. I am so lucky to have this experience. Evelin asked me today how many weeks I have left here. I told her that I don't want to think about it. I can't imagine not having Karla to talk to everyday. I have gotten used to my pink bedroom with my tiny bed. (Ok - I'll admit that I was complaining today b/c with no dryer all of my pants don't shrink so they are falling off, but seriously, laundry is my biggest worry.) It is going to be very hard to leave. I want to soak up every minute. Karla asked me today if I would consider taking a job here working with underpriveleged kids being adopted into the US. Her friend called to offer her the job, but Karla says she thinks her English is not good enough...
Friday, June 19, 2009
Hot Breakfast, Sweet Dreams
It's Friday! So today we had the first and second graders join the breakfast program and then served them a hot breakfast of eggs, sausage, queso fresco, avocado, 2 tortillas, a fresh slice of pineapple and a cup of juice. Karla did a lesson about something - she was explaining it to me in Spanish on the way to the church, but I didn't understand and I wasn't able to watch so I never learned what it was about. It had something to do with believing in God and bread rising. Tony and I noticed that when the school kids were done with their breakfast, the school kids who also attend the breakfast program on the other days of the week were the ones who stood and collected dirty dishes from their peers. They seemed to take pride in washing the dishes of their peers and knowing the whole routine.
Last night I went to bed early. I was able to get a load of wash done and almost dry before the rain came, so that was nice. I was praying about a lot of things before I went to sleep. I was freshly showered with clean sheets and I had good dreams. One of my dreams was that while I slept Lourdes and Karla came into my room and stood above me and prayed for me as I slept. The dream felt very real. I woke up feeling loved, peaceful and safe. The feeling has stayed with me through the day.
Tomorrow morning I will go with Jairo and Lourdes to the airport to pick up the people from the church in California. Tony gave me a choice of carrying 40 lb bags of cement across a small stream and up the side of the a mountain, or going to the airport. For the past two weeks I planned to help with the physical labor but given the choice I would much rather be at the airport. It will be fun to welcome the church members since I can remember being in their position. The teens from the church are helping carry the cement and water too, so no one person should have to do too much work. Tony has emphasized to the teens that this is the way the church can help this specific family. He pointed out ways that each teens' family has been helped as well in different ways. I think this is good, because it keeps the teens grateful and humble at the same time.
Heather - you will find this funny. After contemplating what size bag I should bring with me to carry my things back and forth to the church I bought a small bag which is perfect. But lately I have had several people tell me that it is very dangerous to carry my computer in a computer bag when I'm walking on the streets. Everyone here carries their computers in a backpack so that nobody can tell they have a computer. Of course I almost packed what would have been the perfect backpack, but at the time we thought it was too big for an everyday bag and too small to fit much for my carry on, so I left it home. So, note to K2 members who might be carrying a computer with them: bring a backpack for it. Computer bags are not safe here if you will be walking on the streets.
Last night I went to bed early. I was able to get a load of wash done and almost dry before the rain came, so that was nice. I was praying about a lot of things before I went to sleep. I was freshly showered with clean sheets and I had good dreams. One of my dreams was that while I slept Lourdes and Karla came into my room and stood above me and prayed for me as I slept. The dream felt very real. I woke up feeling loved, peaceful and safe. The feeling has stayed with me through the day.
Tomorrow morning I will go with Jairo and Lourdes to the airport to pick up the people from the church in California. Tony gave me a choice of carrying 40 lb bags of cement across a small stream and up the side of the a mountain, or going to the airport. For the past two weeks I planned to help with the physical labor but given the choice I would much rather be at the airport. It will be fun to welcome the church members since I can remember being in their position. The teens from the church are helping carry the cement and water too, so no one person should have to do too much work. Tony has emphasized to the teens that this is the way the church can help this specific family. He pointed out ways that each teens' family has been helped as well in different ways. I think this is good, because it keeps the teens grateful and humble at the same time.
Heather - you will find this funny. After contemplating what size bag I should bring with me to carry my things back and forth to the church I bought a small bag which is perfect. But lately I have had several people tell me that it is very dangerous to carry my computer in a computer bag when I'm walking on the streets. Everyone here carries their computers in a backpack so that nobody can tell they have a computer. Of course I almost packed what would have been the perfect backpack, but at the time we thought it was too big for an everyday bag and too small to fit much for my carry on, so I left it home. So, note to K2 members who might be carrying a computer with them: bring a backpack for it. Computer bags are not safe here if you will be walking on the streets.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Catching up
Tuesday was my day off. We didn't do much because it started pouring in the morning. There was a short break around dinner time, and then it rained all night. Some friends had come over for dinner and were waiting for the rain to let up a little so they could leave. Meanwhile on tv, the news showed the streets of Tegucigalpa completely flooded. They stayed until late, but the rain never let up. They ended up having to leave in the rain. I was worried about them getting home safely.
It is so dangerous to drive when it rains like that. When the rain is coming down the streets are like rivers with waterfalls entering the streets from water pouring down the mountains between the houses and cascading into the street. Last night when my cab took me home from church some of the streets were still flooded with water or rocks and sand that had flowed down from the mountainside. It's hard to explain unless you see it - kind of like a landslide that lands in the middle of the road.
Karla came home with a whole bunch of sticky notes and announced that every day we are going to pick 5 new words and post them on the wall. When I learn them, we move them to the other side. When I wake up in the morning I practice the words in my bed. Throughout the day Karla asks me the words, and when I go to sleep those darn words are almost the last thing I think about. But it's working. I thought 2 months here would be enough to enable me to get a bilingual social work job when I return to the states. However, like with so many other things in life, I am realizing that the more I learn the more I realize that I don't know. I am not feeling confident at all about a bilingual job in two months.
Once again I am trying to do laundry. Lack of water and lack of sun continues to make laundry and arduous task. But at least I do not have to wash everything by hand as I have seen others doing.
Once again I am trying to do laundry. Lack of water and lack of sun continues to make laundry and arduous task. But at least I do not have to wash everything by hand as I have seen others doing.
Yesterday some people passed through and gave out toys to the kids at the breakfast program. I took some photos.
Also, Don Juan pointed out a boy who really needed some new clothes and shoes. We found a spiderman shirt, which did not appear very new (or clean) but he loved it and gave him a pair of shoes. He showed up wearing his shirt and his shoes today. Usually he eats and leaves immediately. But today he brought his little sister who was about 3. When he was done eating he played with a dog. The dog chased him around and around the church. After watching him outrun that dog for at least a half an hour I now understand why his nickname is "conejo" (rabbit). He is so darn cute! I am hoping that soon he will socialize with other boys, but sticking around and playing with the dog is a step in the right direction.
Today I ran the breakfast program alone. About 40 kids came. Tony has been doing work on his house this week so he asked me to help out. Things went really smoothly today. I am working to try to balance the fun with making sure that the kids clean up and leave when they are supposed to. They are doing better at playing together so that is no longer a problem. But we are attracting tons of bees and bugs because they try to escape without cleaning. Today I only had to say "Hasta manana!" (until tomorrow) and they all left! This has never happened before.
Jairo just came in and I need to talk to him. More later...
Jairo just came in and I need to talk to him. More later...
Monday, June 15, 2009
Observations
Did you ever think about the words for some of the traditional songs we sing in English? Karla has been walking around the house ever since I got here humming "The Ants Go Marching One By One..." Finally yesterday I asked her if there were words in Spanish for this song. She said she wasn't sure. So I translated it for her. How silly this song is! And it's been raining so much here I found myself saying "It's raining, it's pouring...." Then I tried to translate that to Spanish for the kids and they thought I was crazy (once again). Jose asked me why is the old man snoring? I said I have no idea! I've been singing these songs all of my life and I never thought about the words before.
Today we started teaching Valery sign language. She was so excited! She really loved it! Sometimes it is hard for her to express herself. If you don't already know, Valery has Down Syndrome. School is very hard for her. It is hard to understand when she talks, but we are hoping that she can use signs along with her words and she will not feel so frustrated about communicating. It was cool to see her so engaged and having fun while learning. Thank you to my sister-in-law, Dina, for information about sign language. The flash cards really help!
I ran the breakfast program with a lady, Gladys, from the church today. The kids tried to get away with things, but we kept them straight and everything went well. Tomorrow is my day off.
Today we started teaching Valery sign language. She was so excited! She really loved it! Sometimes it is hard for her to express herself. If you don't already know, Valery has Down Syndrome. School is very hard for her. It is hard to understand when she talks, but we are hoping that she can use signs along with her words and she will not feel so frustrated about communicating. It was cool to see her so engaged and having fun while learning. Thank you to my sister-in-law, Dina, for information about sign language. The flash cards really help!
I ran the breakfast program with a lady, Gladys, from the church today. The kids tried to get away with things, but we kept them straight and everything went well. Tomorrow is my day off.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Valery and Dana Sophia are Home!
Today was a day that Jose and Karla have been looking forward to since I arrived. Their daughters left right before I got here to spend time in the country with Karla's parents. Karla's sister, Karina, who also lives in this house (and will now be my roommate) was with the girls. It was perfect for me to get to know Karla and Jose without the girls around. But as all of you parents know, 2 weeks without your one and six year old is a long time. Jose dropped Karla and me off at church, then went to the bus station to pick up Karina and the girls.
In the meantime we learned that someone stole the battery from Walter's truck up in La Tigra last night after he got home from the concert. So Jose dropped off the girls at church. He and Tony bought a battery and went up to La Tigra. Once again, Karla and I were stuck at church (last time was a week ago when Tony got a flat tire after the futbol game.) This time we were starving so a lady offered to drop us off at Pizza Hut so we could feed the girls. Tony and Jose met us there. They said someone clipped the wires off the battery and probably stole every car battery around, which is strange because La Tigra is such a remote area.
I was so exhausted after only sleeping for three hours last night. My heart was still pounding at 6 am from that stupid coffee yesterday afternoon. We went to look at houses on land up above the church. They are building Honduras' version of condos up there. I didn't have my camera, but imagine bright colored cement stucco townhouses side by side. Personally, I was discouraged by that sort of development, but the houses were nice inside and very cheap because of the location. They had balconies and the views of the mountains were really amazing. I wonder what that area will look like in 10 or 20 years.
After house hunting I took a two hour nap. I felt bad because I was invited to join Lourdes for a gathering at her house, but as I said to Tony, I had no energy to socialize with strangers. (Lourdes was having a party to say good bye to the members of her Spanish class and I don't know any of them.) I would have really enjoyed going if I had any energy at all.
Now I am adjusting to life with a house full of people. The girls seem comfortable with me so far. And Karina is very easy going, so she will be a good roommate. Karina will learn tomorrow when she shows up for class if her college teachers are still on strike or not.
And my last good news is that one of the ladies whom Tony and visited came to church today. She brought her daughter, who is 16, and both boys who are in the breakfast program. Tony had me introduce them to the church and welcome them. Afterward the Mom said she really enjoyed it and she will be back next week!
In the meantime we learned that someone stole the battery from Walter's truck up in La Tigra last night after he got home from the concert. So Jose dropped off the girls at church. He and Tony bought a battery and went up to La Tigra. Once again, Karla and I were stuck at church (last time was a week ago when Tony got a flat tire after the futbol game.) This time we were starving so a lady offered to drop us off at Pizza Hut so we could feed the girls. Tony and Jose met us there. They said someone clipped the wires off the battery and probably stole every car battery around, which is strange because La Tigra is such a remote area.
I was so exhausted after only sleeping for three hours last night. My heart was still pounding at 6 am from that stupid coffee yesterday afternoon. We went to look at houses on land up above the church. They are building Honduras' version of condos up there. I didn't have my camera, but imagine bright colored cement stucco townhouses side by side. Personally, I was discouraged by that sort of development, but the houses were nice inside and very cheap because of the location. They had balconies and the views of the mountains were really amazing. I wonder what that area will look like in 10 or 20 years.
After house hunting I took a two hour nap. I felt bad because I was invited to join Lourdes for a gathering at her house, but as I said to Tony, I had no energy to socialize with strangers. (Lourdes was having a party to say good bye to the members of her Spanish class and I don't know any of them.) I would have really enjoyed going if I had any energy at all.
Now I am adjusting to life with a house full of people. The girls seem comfortable with me so far. And Karina is very easy going, so she will be a good roommate. Karina will learn tomorrow when she shows up for class if her college teachers are still on strike or not.
And my last good news is that one of the ladies whom Tony and visited came to church today. She brought her daughter, who is 16, and both boys who are in the breakfast program. Tony had me introduce them to the church and welcome them. Afterward the Mom said she really enjoyed it and she will be back next week!
Lucas Leyes, Flat Tires, Ants and Rojo
Today Jose and I got up early to take about 20 older kids from the church to a conference in the morning
. The main speaker was Lucas Leyes, a Christian motivational speaker from Argentina. He was very dynamic and had a lot of good things to say, but at times even the native Spanish speakers couldn't understand him because he spoke really fast. The conference was held in a large, nice auditorium. It ended at 1:30 and we were starving so we went back to the church and ate pizza, then processed everything with the kids. Then the kids played soccer at the church while they waited until 6:30 pm to go to a concert that was included in the cost of the conference.
I saw two babies about the same age as my nephew, Jack, at the conference. I am not homesick, but I sure do miss Jack. I want to give him a big smoochy kiss in his neck and listen to him giggle. I look at pictures of him every day. My friends here are probably sick of hearing about Jack, but they continue to look at pictures and say how cute he is. I would love to hold him and have him wrap his arms around my neck. I miss my little bug!
After the conference Jose and I went to run some errands, one of which was to pick up his car from the mechanic. Walter and I each pointed out that Jose's front tire was really soft and needed air. He told me he likes it like that because if it were too hard it would pop in all of the pot holes. So we picked up Karla and went to a few stores. Luckily at one store we happened to park in a puddle and Karla noticed that air was bubbling out of the puddle from the tire. By that point the tire was flat, so we hurried into the car and drove along a main street where there were various guys set up along the road selling used tires. Finally we found a place that had the right size. By that point the rubber was starting to tear apart, but we made it. We got a new tire and went to celebrate with a cup of coffee. I never drink coffee, especially at 4:30 pm, so I was up all night. It was a small cup, but my heart was still pounding at 6 am this morning. While we were inside one of the cars near ours got robbed. We were freaked out because we had just bought a scanner for Karla's computer for work. It was in plain sight in the window of the hatchback, so we lucked out. Better to have to replace an old worn out tire, than to loose a brand new scanner! I should mention that this was another afternoon of absolute torrential downpours. The streets were rivers again, cars stalled in the middle. It definitely makes driving exciting!
We went back to the house and were unloading the car when Karla started jumping around and screaming in Spanish. Her arms were full and she dropped everything and ripped her shoe off. I had no idea what was happening - I thought she got a bee in her shoe, so I picked up her bags and carried them in for her. But then as we were leaving I was standing outside the car waiting to get inside when I was attacked by little red ants. They were all over my feet and flip flops and pant legs. I did the same screaming dance that Karla did. Jose kept telling me to get into the car (to get off the ground and away from the ants) but in my mind I wanted to get all of them off me before I brought them with me in the car. Man, those suckers have a mean bite! And they are hard to get off you because they are so small. I'm sure all of the neighbors got a good laugh from my screaming and jumping around, swatting at my feet.
We returned to the church just in time to leave for the concert. There was a huge line outside so there was a lot of anticipation. I don't think any of the kids had been to a concert before. By the time we got inside there were only seats for our large group in the back. When the music started everyone stood up and two boys who I work with every day at the breakfast program had no chance of seeing anything. I thought maybe I could get them a quick view of the stage from the side aisle so I grabbed them and took them with me. We ended up watching the whole concert from the very front row! They were so excited! It was cool to see them having so much fun jumping up and down dancing. They also took the worshiping part very seriously. At one point the band asked everyone in the audience to get onto their knees, so we all squeezed onto our knees and prayed. Then they had us reach out to the people next to us and pray with them. They talked about speaking positively to people - saying nice things to your family and friends. Then they asked us to say nice things to the people around us. The girl in the picture above was a complete stranger. She turned to Milton and Bismar and words flowed from her mouth for about 3 minutes about them being important in this world and in God's eyes. She said they each have a special future in store for them and she will remember them in her prayers always. It was so perfect because I could have never said all of those things in Spanish the way she did. By the end Bismar and I were both crying. Afterward I hugged her and thanked her. I explained my limited Spanish and she said she was happy to have spoken. How awesome to see young teens (13, 14) treat each other like that!
By the end we were exhausted but we all had a fabulous time. I was so happy to be able to share it with Milton and Bismar. They are very special boys and already show strong leadership potential. I think a lot about what the future holds in store for them. I know it is an experience none of us will forget.
. The main speaker was Lucas Leyes, a Christian motivational speaker from Argentina. He was very dynamic and had a lot of good things to say, but at times even the native Spanish speakers couldn't understand him because he spoke really fast. The conference was held in a large, nice auditorium. It ended at 1:30 and we were starving so we went back to the church and ate pizza, then processed everything with the kids. Then the kids played soccer at the church while they waited until 6:30 pm to go to a concert that was included in the cost of the conference.I saw two babies about the same age as my nephew, Jack, at the conference. I am not homesick, but I sure do miss Jack. I want to give him a big smoochy kiss in his neck and listen to him giggle. I look at pictures of him every day. My friends here are probably sick of hearing about Jack, but they continue to look at pictures and say how cute he is. I would love to hold him and have him wrap his arms around my neck. I miss my little bug!
After the conference Jose and I went to run some errands, one of which was to pick up his car from the mechanic. Walter and I each pointed out that Jose's front tire was really soft and needed air. He told me he likes it like that because if it were too hard it would pop in all of the pot holes. So we picked up Karla and went to a few stores. Luckily at one store we happened to park in a puddle and Karla noticed that air was bubbling out of the puddle from the tire. By that point the tire was flat, so we hurried into the car and drove along a main street where there were various guys set up along the road selling used tires. Finally we found a place that had the right size. By that point the rubber was starting to tear apart, but we made it. We got a new tire and went to celebrate with a cup of coffee. I never drink coffee, especially at 4:30 pm, so I was up all night. It was a small cup, but my heart was still pounding at 6 am this morning. While we were inside one of the cars near ours got robbed. We were freaked out because we had just bought a scanner for Karla's computer for work. It was in plain sight in the window of the hatchback, so we lucked out. Better to have to replace an old worn out tire, than to loose a brand new scanner! I should mention that this was another afternoon of absolute torrential downpours. The streets were rivers again, cars stalled in the middle. It definitely makes driving exciting!
We went back to the house and were unloading the car when Karla started jumping around and screaming in Spanish. Her arms were full and she dropped everything and ripped her shoe off. I had no idea what was happening - I thought she got a bee in her shoe, so I picked up her bags and carried them in for her. But then as we were leaving I was standing outside the car waiting to get inside when I was attacked by little red ants. They were all over my feet and flip flops and pant legs. I did the same screaming dance that Karla did. Jose kept telling me to get into the car (to get off the ground and away from the ants) but in my mind I wanted to get all of them off me before I brought them with me in the car. Man, those suckers have a mean bite! And they are hard to get off you because they are so small. I'm sure all of the neighbors got a good laugh from my screaming and jumping around, swatting at my feet.
We returned to the church just in time to leave for the concert. There was a huge line outside so there was a lot of anticipation. I don't think any of the kids had been to a concert before. By the time we got inside there were only seats for our large group in the back. When the music started everyone stood up and two boys who I work with every day at the breakfast program had no chance of seeing anything. I thought maybe I could get them a quick view of the stage from the side aisle so I grabbed them and took them with me. We ended up watching the whole concert from the very front row! They were so excited! It was cool to see them having so much fun jumping up and down dancing. They also took the worshiping part very seriously. At one point the band asked everyone in the audience to get onto their knees, so we all squeezed onto our knees and prayed. Then they had us reach out to the people next to us and pray with them. They talked about speaking positively to people - saying nice things to your family and friends. Then they asked us to say nice things to the people around us. The girl in the picture above was a complete stranger. She turned to Milton and Bismar and words flowed from her mouth for about 3 minutes about them being important in this world and in God's eyes. She said they each have a special future in store for them and she will remember them in her prayers always. It was so perfect because I could have never said all of those things in Spanish the way she did. By the end Bismar and I were both crying. Afterward I hugged her and thanked her. I explained my limited Spanish and she said she was happy to have spoken. How awesome to see young teens (13, 14) treat each other like that!
By the end we were exhausted but we all had a fabulous time. I was so happy to be able to share it with Milton and Bismar. They are very special boys and already show strong leadership potential. I think a lot about what the future holds in store for them. I know it is an experience none of us will forget.
Friday, June 12, 2009
God is moving in Los Pinos!
After the breakfast program was over this morning Tony invited me to join him in visiting another family in Los Pinos. The funny thing is that we had originally planned to go out for lunch and meet with a friend of his, but we learned at the last minute that his friend was out of town.
At first I told Tony that I would stay behind at the church to work on my blog because the wireless internet I've been tapping into at home has not been available lately. But then I thought, "What the heck? I might as well go." As we left it started to rain, and then I saw that we were not driving, but walking straight up the hill behind the church. I thought "Oh yuck, what have I gotten myself into?" and the boys kept joking that the home we were visiting was far, far up the hill. When we got to the top of the road it started to downpour and we all ran, screaming into a little open ended cement garage sort of thing to take cover from the rain.
Finally the rain let up a little and we ran to a boy's house who lived nearby. His mother was happy to invite us in and show us her one room home with a refridgerator and tv! I think she said she had 5 kids in total living with her in one room with a single bed and a full sized bed. She asked us to sit down on the beds, which were perfectly made, I felt like I would dirty them from having run through the rain to get there. She was very happy to meet Tony, saying that she hears her son talk about "Tony, Tony" every day. Tony invited her to come and observe the breakfast program any time she wished. He asked if she has a church she belongs to. She said she does belong to a church, but it meets at night and she can't go alone at night because it is not safe, so at this time she doesn't go to church. She said that God is still an important part of her life every day, and she prays, but it is not safe to go to church alone. We talked for a few minutes more, and then we got ready to leave to visit another home.
As I stood to leave she took my arm and held me back while the others left. It's kind of a blur now, but she asked me if she could come to our church on Sundays. She said she would really like to come to our church. I was surprised because I hadn't said much during the visit. I told her of course, we would love for her to come to the church. She said she didn't want to go alone, so I told her I would be there at 9:00, looking for her and I hoped she would come.
Then I went down to where Tony was waiting and told him what happened. He asked if I wanted to go back and pray with her. I said yes, but I'm not good at praying in Spanish. He said the language is not important, just ask her if she wants you to pray. So they all waited outside (we had about 5 kids with us) and I went back and asked if I could pray with her. We held hands and prayed together. I prayed that she would come to church and gain a sense of community so she would not feel alone. After our prayer she said she is very excited to come to church on Sunday - so now one of my prayers is that if she comes I will recongnize her! So many faces are new to me here. She seemed genuinely moved and I really think she could be here on Sunday. If not, Tony and I have another plan...
Then we went to the next house. The mom in this house was very animated. She seemed like a strong willed woman. To make a long story short, the very same thing happened again. The lady asked me as everyone else was leaving if she could come to church. She said she will seem me there. We'll see what happens! I suggested to Tony that we visit a couple of homes every Friday. He liked the idea. At the very least we can meet the families of the kids.
At first I told Tony that I would stay behind at the church to work on my blog because the wireless internet I've been tapping into at home has not been available lately. But then I thought, "What the heck? I might as well go." As we left it started to rain, and then I saw that we were not driving, but walking straight up the hill behind the church. I thought "Oh yuck, what have I gotten myself into?" and the boys kept joking that the home we were visiting was far, far up the hill. When we got to the top of the road it started to downpour and we all ran, screaming into a little open ended cement garage sort of thing to take cover from the rain.
Finally the rain let up a little and we ran to a boy's house who lived nearby. His mother was happy to invite us in and show us her one room home with a refridgerator and tv! I think she said she had 5 kids in total living with her in one room with a single bed and a full sized bed. She asked us to sit down on the beds, which were perfectly made, I felt like I would dirty them from having run through the rain to get there. She was very happy to meet Tony, saying that she hears her son talk about "Tony, Tony" every day. Tony invited her to come and observe the breakfast program any time she wished. He asked if she has a church she belongs to. She said she does belong to a church, but it meets at night and she can't go alone at night because it is not safe, so at this time she doesn't go to church. She said that God is still an important part of her life every day, and she prays, but it is not safe to go to church alone. We talked for a few minutes more, and then we got ready to leave to visit another home.
As I stood to leave she took my arm and held me back while the others left. It's kind of a blur now, but she asked me if she could come to our church on Sundays. She said she would really like to come to our church. I was surprised because I hadn't said much during the visit. I told her of course, we would love for her to come to the church. She said she didn't want to go alone, so I told her I would be there at 9:00, looking for her and I hoped she would come.
Then I went down to where Tony was waiting and told him what happened. He asked if I wanted to go back and pray with her. I said yes, but I'm not good at praying in Spanish. He said the language is not important, just ask her if she wants you to pray. So they all waited outside (we had about 5 kids with us) and I went back and asked if I could pray with her. We held hands and prayed together. I prayed that she would come to church and gain a sense of community so she would not feel alone. After our prayer she said she is very excited to come to church on Sunday - so now one of my prayers is that if she comes I will recongnize her! So many faces are new to me here. She seemed genuinely moved and I really think she could be here on Sunday. If not, Tony and I have another plan...
Then we went to the next house. The mom in this house was very animated. She seemed like a strong willed woman. To make a long story short, the very same thing happened again. The lady asked me as everyone else was leaving if she could come to church. She said she will seem me there. We'll see what happens! I suggested to Tony that we visit a couple of homes every Friday. He liked the idea. At the very least we can meet the families of the kids.
Special Gifts
This morning I was greated by at least 8 boys swarming around my cab outside the gate of the church. Then one of them stepped forward with a gift for me. Of all of the kids in the program, he is the only one with whom I have had to be very strict. He is a bigger boy and he sometimes bullies the others, so I 
was very surprised to receive a gift from him.
was very surprised to receive a gift from him.I absolutely love it. I would say that I can't wait to hang it on my wall at home, but that's not true because I am in no hurry to go home. But when I do get home, one of the first things I will do is to put it on my wall. It's shaped kind of like it should be a waterfall. His mother makes them to sell.
When the boys saw how excited I was about the gift, they all began hugging me. Wish I had a camera for that. About eight 12 year olds wrapped around me with hugs. Another special gift!
This morning we had a special breakfast because there was no school this week so we made a hot breakfast of panqueques (pancakes) with strawberries and bananas inside. For the people who helped, Tony made a special batch with chocolate inside. Yummy!!!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Thank God for Muncho!
It started raining today sometime in the early afternoon. I was doing some work (or maybe writing my last blog entry) when it started. At one point I was ready to go home, but after Tony's experience with two flat tires in three hours during the last heavy rain I figured I would wait it out.
At one point the rain let up temporarily, but Muncho, my taxi driver, didn't answer his phone. And then it started raining again. After 3 hours I finally tried calling again. When he tried to pull into the church driveway I thought his car was going to get swept away by the flood running down the street. He ended up stopping in the middle of the road, where the road was highest and the water was lowest to let me in.
He immediately said he does not usually work when it is raining. I explained that I know how dangerous it is because of Tony's two flat tires from pot holes that were hidden by the rain last week. Meanwhile we're driving down streets that are absolutely flooded with more rain coming down the mountains and pouring out from between the houses like huge waterfalls. I tried to take a picture, but for some reason it didn't work. The picture above is just looking outside from the office to the church.
Anyway, Muncho and I both got home safely - he lives right up the street. I paid him some extra money and told him that I appreciate that he came to get me. He said to call him when I need a ride tomorrow, and I told him it will be a little earlier because we are serving pancakes tomorrow!
An added sidenote: I think the add for Geico insurance is not as crazy as it may seem. Last night I noticed a small little lizard, I assumed it was a geiko, on the living room wall. Now I see a bigger one crawling along the top of the wall in my bedroom and it does talk!!! It makes little clicking/churping sounds like a squirrel. The funny thing is that yesterday I heard the same sound and I asked Jose what it was. He told me it was a bird. Does he think I'd be scared of a geiko or did he not hear the same sound that I was asking about? Anyway geikos can talk in their own geiko lanuage. I'm listening to it right now.
Breakfast Program
Painting white shoes black.White is not popular here.
SNOPPY???
I started the day yesterday by calling my mom. Really, I had nothing to say, but it was nice to talk to her. Usually we talk almost every day when I am in the states. I know that she can tell from my voice how I am truly feeling - so now she knows that I am truly happy here. It was a good way to start my day.
I've been riding to the church and back home with my taxi driver, Muncho. He understands that I'm working on my Spanish so he talks to me about the days' events and helps me with my words. The problem I am facing now is that I have learned so many words so quickly that I am getting the words confused with each other. The words for rain, to cry, and to wear are all similar. I think I have said that I cried my clothes instead of wearing them.
On the 19th the first church group is coming. They have agreed to the idea that Tony and I came up with about spending their time focused on one specific family. By the time they are done the family will have a water system, a cement floor and real walls for their house with fresh paint. Today we learned that we will need to first fumigate the house and treat the family with a cream to get rid of a bacteria that lives in their dirt floor and on their bodies. To me it sounds like an enormous process which must be done in a meticulous manner or the home and the people will continue to have the bacteria. Tony is confident that we can do it all precisely as needed. I am glad that HE has confidence because to me it seems a little overwhelming. After we are done with this project the church has invited Tony, two boys from our church, the family that they are working with while they are here, and me to Utila for 5 days to relax, snorkel, and spend time at the beach. Utila is a small island off Roatan. Everyone tells me it will be a great time. I am very excited.
Yesterday after the breakfast program I stopped procrastinating and wrote a letter which I have been worrying about since Tony asked me to do it. There is a store here similar to Costco and Tony was hoping that we could work out some sort of deals with them. I am comfortable with the idea of writing a letter, but less comfortable about asking for something. In the end it turned out great and I was proud of it. Instead of being business-like, I think I portrayed the real feelings of the breakfast program and all of the different ways it benefits the children as well as the community. Now I hope that the letter serves its purpose and the store owner is willing to help us in some way with the breakfast program.
I've started to help more with organizing the breakfast program. It's not much work - just delegating to the kids and then supervising. It's nice because then Tony can spend more quality time with the kids. Today I got a picture of them all playing Uno together.
Yesterday was another futbol game. Walter came over and watched it with Karla, Jose, and me. This time Honduras won so everyone was happy, dancing around, firecrackers outside. It is cool to see everyone wearing their Honduras soccer shirts on the day of the game. Where ever you look, people of all ages are wearing their shirts and talking about the game.
I am hoping that it will not rain tonight. I really need to wash my clothes, but there is no water until tonight. (I still don't understand this water system at all, but Muncho says that tonight at 8 pm there will be water.) I am hoping that I can wash everything tonight, then hang it to dry for tomorrow. I wish that I had one more pair of jeans with me. I don't want to buy another pair here when I have more than enough jeans in my closet at home.
Tonight Jose and I will watch the Magic vs the Lakers. I am looking forward to that.
Saturday I am invited to go with a group of kids to a conference from 8 am - 1 pm. Then there will be a concert (I'm not sure if the concert is for them, or by them.) at 7 pm. It will be a full day. Karla wants to ride roller coasters in between. We'll see...
Today was the first day Carlos did not show up for the breakfast program. Although we don't expect him to be at the church every single day, we are wondering how he is spending his time today.
I've been riding to the church and back home with my taxi driver, Muncho. He understands that I'm working on my Spanish so he talks to me about the days' events and helps me with my words. The problem I am facing now is that I have learned so many words so quickly that I am getting the words confused with each other. The words for rain, to cry, and to wear are all similar. I think I have said that I cried my clothes instead of wearing them.
On the 19th the first church group is coming. They have agreed to the idea that Tony and I came up with about spending their time focused on one specific family. By the time they are done the family will have a water system, a cement floor and real walls for their house with fresh paint. Today we learned that we will need to first fumigate the house and treat the family with a cream to get rid of a bacteria that lives in their dirt floor and on their bodies. To me it sounds like an enormous process which must be done in a meticulous manner or the home and the people will continue to have the bacteria. Tony is confident that we can do it all precisely as needed. I am glad that HE has confidence because to me it seems a little overwhelming. After we are done with this project the church has invited Tony, two boys from our church, the family that they are working with while they are here, and me to Utila for 5 days to relax, snorkel, and spend time at the beach. Utila is a small island off Roatan. Everyone tells me it will be a great time. I am very excited.
Yesterday after the breakfast program I stopped procrastinating and wrote a letter which I have been worrying about since Tony asked me to do it. There is a store here similar to Costco and Tony was hoping that we could work out some sort of deals with them. I am comfortable with the idea of writing a letter, but less comfortable about asking for something. In the end it turned out great and I was proud of it. Instead of being business-like, I think I portrayed the real feelings of the breakfast program and all of the different ways it benefits the children as well as the community. Now I hope that the letter serves its purpose and the store owner is willing to help us in some way with the breakfast program.
I've started to help more with organizing the breakfast program. It's not much work - just delegating to the kids and then supervising. It's nice because then Tony can spend more quality time with the kids. Today I got a picture of them all playing Uno together.
Yesterday was another futbol game. Walter came over and watched it with Karla, Jose, and me. This time Honduras won so everyone was happy, dancing around, firecrackers outside. It is cool to see everyone wearing their Honduras soccer shirts on the day of the game. Where ever you look, people of all ages are wearing their shirts and talking about the game.
I am hoping that it will not rain tonight. I really need to wash my clothes, but there is no water until tonight. (I still don't understand this water system at all, but Muncho says that tonight at 8 pm there will be water.) I am hoping that I can wash everything tonight, then hang it to dry for tomorrow. I wish that I had one more pair of jeans with me. I don't want to buy another pair here when I have more than enough jeans in my closet at home.
Tonight Jose and I will watch the Magic vs the Lakers. I am looking forward to that.
Saturday I am invited to go with a group of kids to a conference from 8 am - 1 pm. Then there will be a concert (I'm not sure if the concert is for them, or by them.) at 7 pm. It will be a full day. Karla wants to ride roller coasters in between. We'll see...
Today was the first day Carlos did not show up for the breakfast program. Although we don't expect him to be at the church every single day, we are wondering how he is spending his time today.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)