Changes

I rested all weekend.  On Friday I felt worse - like I was coming down with a new cold on top of the cold I already had.  Saturday morning my landlord called and asked if she could come over.  She had woken up and made homemade chicken soup for me.  She came over with the homemade chicken soup and an orange, fresh from the tree.  I told her I felt better already, just from seeing the blessings she brought.

Monday I did feel better, but today I feel great.  I still have a runny nose and little cough occasionally, but I think I have FINALLY gotten rid of the cold.  I have been sick since December 22.  You can imagine I was sick of being sick!

Yesterday we were at the church until really late again.  I got home at 8 pm.  Part of that was because it took us forever to get up the mountain.  At 7:30 the road was FULL of cars coming down from El Hatillo and we were in a traffic jam on our way up.  I was scared there was a horrible accident until I realized that traffic would not be pouring down the mountain if there were an accident.  Finally we came upon cars parked on both sides of the road and lots of people walking up and down the streets.  Apparently the mayor, who lives on a side street  was having quite a party on a Monday night.  I asked Lourdes how all of those people could possibly fit in a house.  Lourdes said the mayor's house is enormous and could fit all of those people.  Today we found out that Jairo's brother was at the party.  I wonder what it was like.  I think half of half of the city was there.

Today was the last day for Chantal, the lady from Canada, to be with us.  We had a going away party for her at the Breakfast Program.  We got her a gift and bought her a cake.  The kids all gave her kind words and hugs.  Chantal was really happy, I think.  I told her what a great help she had been to me and to the preschool class.  I feel completely different about teaching preschool now.  I feel competent and prepared.  Before Chantal came, teaching was a struggle for me.  But Chantal has given me a lot of ideas and confidence.  I am more excited about the class now and I believe we are going to make a bigger difference for the kids.  Tomorrow I will miss her, but I don't NEED her to be here anymore.  She has been a great teacher for me.  I have more photos on my phone.  I will post them tomorrow.

Lorenzo is working on writing his name

Anai in her new school uniform!

In the past I have been too passive and agreeable when people approach me in an aggressive or argumentative way.  I think that sometimes North Americans have a reputation for being loud and disrespectful, so it was important to me that I not be seen that way.  Today someone interrupted an important conversation I was having with a parent.  They started speaking to me loudly and aggressively.  I was so proud of myself!  I tried explaining to the person, but they kept repeating themselves.  Finally I told the person that I heard them, I understood them, but they needed to speak to Lourdes.  They kept insisting that I do what they wanted me to do.  I kept repeating that I heard them, I understood them, and they need to speak to Lourdes.  It felt so good not to get pushed around.  I never let myself get pushed around in the US, and I will not let it happen here either.  Later I talked to Lourdes and Jairo.  Lourdes said I did exactly what I should have done.

Today we had a new couple helping us at the Breakfast Program.  They RODE THEIR BIKES FROM CANADA TO HONDURAS!!!!!  When Lourdes introduced them and said they had come here from Canada on their bikes, Memo (age 4), said, "Porque ellos no tienen pisto".  Basically he said they didn't have the cash to travel in another manner, so that's why they road their bikes to Honduras.  He is so darn funny!  He is the same boy who wears a leather coat when it's hot, rubber boots when it's dry, and looks like he is screaming when he sings.  I love that boy.

Lourdes fell down last night when she got up to go to the bathroom.  She hurt her hip and shoulder.  She also banged her head.  Today the Dr came to the Breakfast program.  He said her head is fine, but her shoulder and hip are bruised.  He gave her a prescription for a muscle relaxer and said she needs to rest for a week.  For the next week Walter and I will run the Breakfast Program.  I hope that Lourdes really takes this time to rest.  I told her she is not allowed near an iron.  She exhausts herself with tons of ironing.  Her discipleship group and I offered to clean her house this weekend.  Jairo is taking care of meals.  Now if we can just get Lourdes to sit down and relax!

I am really liking my new house.  It has been sunnier for about a week now, which makes everything better.  I washed my towels and for the first time since I moved here, they dried without smelling musty!  I can feel the seasons changing.

Keeping Up With Los Sarmiento

I had the strangest dream last night.  One of those dreams where you remember every detail and wonder how in the world your brain could think of those things.  But it was a good one - all of my family from all over the US, aunts, uncles, cousins, surprised me with a birthday party at 6:15 a.m. in Massachusetts.  I told you, strange details.  But not a bad way to wake up.

Once again, I was sound asleep when my alarm went off.  I have slept really well this week.  Possibly from the cold medicine.

Things went well at the Breakfast Program.  Javier was back to cut hair for the third day straight.  He cut about 12 heads today.  The boys all waited in line.  He worked for hours.  He always takes his time with each boy, no matter how long the line is.  He is really good at his job and he makes the boys feel good about themselves.  (Javier is a "graduate" of the Breakfast Program who asked to come back and cut the boys' hair for free as his way of giving back.)

I spent most of the afternoon prepping things for the preschool class.  It is important that I get as many ideas as I can from the teacher from Canada while she is here.  Today I told her in detail about how grateful I am for her help.  I was overwhelmed and not sure where to begin.  Now the classroom is cleaned out.  I know how to use the things that we have.  The kids are the appropriate ages and I have techniques I never would have learned if she had not come.  She has made a huge difference for both me and the kids.

YAY!!! The power just turned on!  I didn't eat much today and was looking forward to an egg, bean and cheese sandwich on a fresh baguette but I got home really late to find we had no power.  Had to make due with cereal.  Now it's 11 p.m.  I'm still tempted to at least heat up some beans for a bean and cheese sandwich.

Lourdes spent the day shopping with the kids who leave for El Sembrador tomorrow. She shopped until they ran out of money.  They are still lacking a few things but they have most of the things they need.  They leave tomorrow morning at 5 a.m.  Today we labeled everything in permanent marker and helped them pack their bags.  Most of the mothers came to help.  I could feel the kids' excitement and the mothers trying to hold back their anxiety.  They are excited too, but it hard for them to say good bye to their sons and send them so far away.

After hours of packing and organizing, Lourdes had a time of prayer.  She thanked God for each boy individually and asked God to help them in the specific areas she knows where they struggle.  I am worried about one of the boys.  My concern is that he may not have the self discipline to study like he needs to.  Lourdes prayed that he will focus less on fútbol and more on his studies.  I hope he takes this opportunity seriously because this could be his only chance at a decent life.  His Mom is mentally ill.  I frequently see her in the streets lacking various clothing items.  He needs to get away and build a life for himself, starting with an education.

Tomorrow 3 trucks will take 9 boys, 8 moms, Lourdes and her sister, Belinda, to Olancho.  Two of the three drivers are already physically exhausted and it is a dangerous drive through areas of heavy narco trafficking.  I feel sick every time they do this drive.  I have been praying about it a lot and will continue to pray until everyone is safely where they are supposed to be tomorrow.  Jairo invited me to go with them.  I was excited.  But then Jairo heard my cough.  It is worse again.  I told him I am not feeling very good.  He told me I could choose to go, but he would prefer that I stay home in bed for 2-3 days.  He asked if I had lots of juice, which I do, and told me that resting does not include doing laundry.  But I will have to do laundry if it is sunny.

We were sitting around in the kitchen at church tonight, waiting to go home.  Everyone was anxious to get some sleep because they all have to be at the church at 5 a.m.  I learned that in Honduras you have to take an eye exam, do a blood test, and pay money to get a driver's license here.  A drivers test is not necessary.  That explains a lot.

One of the boys asked if I know how to drive.  I told him I have been driving for longer than he has been alive.  Everyone in the kitchen cracked up laughing.  They said I am really funny in Spanish and they bet I'm even funnier in English.  You may not think so from reading this blog, but I'm pretty sure that I am funnier in English.

I have been appreciating how easily I understand full conversations now.  I don't put together pieces and try to figure out what they are saying, I actually know almost every single word.  It is so nice.

I came up with an idea for a new tv series.  It is called "Keeping up with Los Sarmiento".  It is a based on the true story of a missionary who moves to Honduras with her cat and tries to keep pace with Lourdes and Jairo.  I really don't know how they work as hard as they do.  I am younger and in better physical shape than each of them (Jairo has diabetes and Lourdes has fibromyalgia), but I cannot keep up with them!  Maybe one day I will tell them that they are on bed rest.  But I doubt they would listen.

Buying Machetes

The past two days have been incredible.  Incredibly good.  Yesterday I thought Jairo was going to pick me up at 8, but he never came.  I have learned not to call.  They are always on their way eventually so I find something productive to do with my morning waiting times.  Usually I do some extra bible study while I wait.  Yesterday I started cleaning.

Since I got back from Christmas in the US, my clock radio has been making crazy noises when I plug my iPod into it.  I have tried and tried to fix it, but nothing worked.  Yesterday I sat down and prayed about it.  I said to myself, this is the silliest thing I have ever prayed about - that God would make my iPod work - but I miss listening to music and I don't have money for another speaker system.  So I told God, I know this is really silly.  I am sorry to come to you with such a minuscule thing, but I cannot get this thing to work so I would appreciate it if you could.  I plugged in the iPod and waited for the noise.  It always takes a few seconds before it starts making the noise so I have been fooled before, thinking it was fixed when it wasn't.  I waited, but no noise came.  Then I turned on the iPod and MUSIC PLAYED!

I was so happy I ran around my house saying, "Thank you God!  Thank you!"  Then I had a very clear realization.  God said to me, "If I care about silly little things like this, imagine how much I care about the big things.  Stop worrying so much!  I am taking care of everything."

I have been really concerned/worried/upset because I thought I was going to receive my washer and dryer when my church in the US sends a big delivery in March.  They told me they could do it.  But recently I was told there is not much space.  I have been praying and asking others to pray that there will be room for my washer and dryer.  It is hard to live in the mountains without those things.  My washer is broken and I have never had a dryer since I moved to Honduras.  In El Hatillo (since it is rain forest environment) there is seldom sun and it is cold.  The climate is not conducive to having dry clothes.  When I moved to El Hatillo in December I thought I would just have to hold out until March and I'd have dry clothes to wear.  Then I got the bad news about lack of space.  I started getting kind of freaked out.  But now God has told me very clearly to calm myself down and trust in Him.  If he cares about my iPod, he certainly cares more about my bigger worries.

Having my iPod come to life was a wonderful way to start my day.  I was cheerful when I got to the Breakfast Program.  However, due to a series of events which you wouldn't care to hear about, I was very late.  When I walked into the preschool room the class was over and they were already lined up to wash their hands for lunch.  I told them their line looked great and I loved how they were all being quiet.  They were so excited to see me!  It was as if I had been gone for weeks, not just an hour late.  They all called my name, wanting my attention, anxious to tell me about their day and smothered me in hugs.  I was at least four kids deep in hugs for a while.  As they ate dinner, they told me how good they were that morning.  Hearing all of the older kids tell me about his positive behavior one of the younger boys said, "And tomorrow I washed my dishes all by myself and I didn't even cry!"  His sister pointed out that he meant to say yesterday, not tomorrow.  He agreed he wouldn't cry today when it was time to wash his dishes too.  Kids are so funny!  This was the first time I really understood how much they care about me.  I'm not just the Gringa who  teaches their class.  They really care about me.

With my heart full of love from the kids and full of gratitude to the lady from Canada who ran the class on her own, I went outside to help Lourdes prepare the 9 boys to leave for El Sembrador.  I met a couple who are from the states, but were visiting the Breakfast Program for the day.  They asked how I got here.  I ended up telling them the whole, entire story.  I don't think I've ever done that before.  Usually I summarize.  But they really enjoyed it.  They would say, "Wow.  That is amazing."  And I would say, "Wait - It gets better!"

They loved the Breakfast Program and their excitement reminded me even more about how blessed I am to be here.  Sometimes I get carried away with worrying about things like money, or my washer and dryer, and I forget how I waited to be here for so many years.  I forget that there are others who would love to be in my shoes.  I forget that I have an amazing life and I need to appreciate every second of it!  But this couple helped me to remember.

They asked for the information as to how they can make financial donations and said they will pray about it.  I was honored.  We only met for about 2 hours.

Jairo dropped them off near my house and turned around, headed the other way.  I wondered why he didn't drop me off, but I try not to ask too many questions.  He always has a plan.  Lourdes ended up asking him for me and he said he was taking us all out to dinner.  I'm not sure why.  It was no occasion that I am aware of.  We picked up Lourdes' sister and her boys, Joss and Aaron each brought a cousin, and the 10 of us went out for pizza.  It was good, but not as good as the place where we went for my birthday.  Afterward I was so sleepy.  They dropped me off at home with a full belly and I went to sleep quickly, after a few minutes of coughing.  My cough is not as deep as it was and I am coughing less.  But I still have a nasty cough.

Today I got to wake up music from my iPod on the clock radio!  That was nice.  I've never been a buzzer person.  It was warm early in the morning.  Down in the city it got pretty hot.  It was at least 80 degrees when we all packed into the car after the Breakfast Program to go shopping.  We had to get things for the boys who are leaving in 2 days for El Sembrador.  Can you believe machetes are on their Back to School list?  I had fun in the machete aisle with Jairo.  I've never been in a store that had a machete aisle.  Here machetes are used instead of lawn mowers.  They actually do a much nicer job.  Every day there are people on the sides of the road and in the medians cutting grass with machetes.  My landlords pay someone to trim their whole property, even up the side of the mountain, with a machete.  It is very common to pay someone else to clean your house or to do yard work here.  People who are not wealthy have a nanny because there is always someone who needs a job or a meal.  Most of my adult friends have someone who cleans their house 1-3 times per week.  They assumed I would do the same.  It is written in the rental agreement that I will pay for my own housekeeper.

Oh, but I got off topic.  So Jairo and I picked out machetes.  I told him it was my first time carrying a machete.  He leaned over and whispered in my ear, "I think everyone is looking at you.  And they are saying, 'Oh no!  Look at the Gringa with the machete.  Watch out!  She looks dangerous!' "  It was funny.  I liked carrying the machete.

Tonight we are staying late at the church.  I didn't know it until about 4 pm.  Jairo made a big dinner and then went upstairs for a meeting with all of the committees.  I guess they are each discussing their plan for the next three months.  I hope I will get a car soon so I don't always have to keep up with the Lourdes and Jairo's schedule.  They are hard to keep up with!

Tomorrow Lourdes is spending the day shopping.  Among other things, the boys still each need 3 pairs of shoes and a pair of work boots.  That's 36 items of footwear in total.  I wonder where the money will come from.  They need brown shoes for a new school uniform, black shoes for church, tennis shoes, and work boots.  She also has to buy socks, tee shirts and underpants for them.  Two of the boys have almost nothing of their own to bring.  The rest don't have much.

Sometimes I sit here with a full tummy and I think about all of the people I know who are my friends in Honduras who won't eat tonight.  I'm not thinking of only people from Los Pinos.  I really know a lot of people who are scraping by.  Some of them are extremely hard workers too.  But jobs are few and far between, and when they do find work it doesn't pay much.  I am getting better about not letting food spoil before I eat it and only buying what I will eat.  It's hard without a car because my natural instinct is to stock up when someone takes me to a store.  But I have been going without things that I used to think I needed to have in my house out of habit.  I don't have as many choices when it comes time for dinner.  But I have food.  That is what matters.

I spent some time talking with the lady from Canada who is helping me.  Usually we just talk about class related things.  She has been here about 2 weeks.  It is somehow reassuring to me that she is going through some of the same struggles that I did.  She is smart and strong.  She will be fine.  I'm not sure I was very helpful to her.  I remember being really frustrated when I talked to people about things that bothered me and they replied, "That's how it is here."  However, I found myself saying to her, "That's how it is here."

10 Months in Honduras

Ten months ago today I moved to Honduras.  I remember spending so much time wondering if I would raise the finances necessary to stay.  To be honest, I was doubtful.  I kept trying to convince myself that I would feel okay if I had to return to the US because I had given it my best shot.  I tried hard not to get attached to anyone or anything here.

And then, little by little, the finances started coming.  People doubled their monthly donations.  People I had never met before offered enormously generous donations.  Others kept telling me they had complete faith that I would stay.  It took me longer to believe.  I think I was protecting my heart.

I'll save all of the memories for my actual one year anniversary in Honduras, which I plan to CELEBRATE!

I can't lie.  There have been rough times.  But there has also been more joy than I have ever known before.  I love my day to day life here.  I am blessed to have some wonderful friends, both in Honduras and in the US, who are very supportive.

The Breakfast Program, which is the reason I was called to be here, has gone from about 40 kids every day to over 100 kids.  This is especially meaningful to me because the Breakfast Program is not new.  It has been feeding 20-40 kids for more than five years.  But this is the year that is more than doubled in size.  We are doing lots of good things there.  I have no doubt that we are touching many lives.

On Friday we will send 9 boys from Los Pinos to El Sembrador.  El Sembrador is a private Christian school many hours away.  Three of the boys are returning for their second year, one (Bismar) for his third year, and five are going for the first time.  They are being given the opportunity to completely change their future.  They are excited!  Some are even talking about going to college in the US, which is a realistic goal after they complete their education at El Sembrador.  They are learning to dream big and make their dreams come true.  Imagine going from living in a shack with a dirt floor, no running water, no electricity, and an outdoor fire for cooking in one of the poorest areas of the city, to a beautiful prep school in the country.  It is a huge transition, but they understand the importance of what they are being offered.  We are so excited for them!

Bismar and his mother.
He is so handsome in his new suit and she is so proud!

Jairo presented Bismar to the church for prayer before he leaves.

A lady from Canada is here for a few weeks.  She is a kindergarten teacher.  She has been spending every day helping me organize and plan activities for the preschool kids.  With her help, we have completely changed the Breakfast Program.  Now the kids have to be four years old to be in the preschool class with me.  We have a separate classroom for the 0-3 year olds.  The older kids take turns caring for the youngest.  Lourdes is tutoring "los medianos" (the 7-11 year olds).  Walter and Chayito are teaching "los grandes" (12 and up).  I am really excited.  Especially since the program continues to grow.  Now there is room for everyone to learn..  It is nice to have them each in an environment that is age appropriate.  I think this new arrangement is going to make a big difference in the children's education.  I am really grateful to the teacher who is helping us implement everything.  It is a blessing to me because I was feeling overwhelmed and a little discouraged.  But now that I see how productive our class can be, I have a new sense of motivation and excitement.

Veronica, whose Mom (Doña Albertina) died a month ago, has been keeping herself busy helping Marlin in the kitchen.  She seems to be doing very well.  Bismar and his mother are also doing well, as you can see.  Cancer took Bismar's father on New Year's Eve.  Christian (Conejo)'s grandmother is dying.  His mother saw me at church this week and asked me to come to the house and pray with the family.  I was very honored that she asked.  I explained I will need to find someone to go with me into Los Pinos, but I will go as soon as possible.  I am hoping to go Wednesday.  Clara, who has leukemia, is getting chemotherapy every week.  A family from the US was planning to come visit, but were unable so the money they would have used toward the trip will pay for Clara's treatment for a year!  Clara is thin, but still strong emotionally and physically.  Pat Pike, back in the US, still needs prayer.  The Drs have chosen not to close his stomach because each time they tried he got an infection.  He is not able to process food and was diagnosed with pneumonia last week.  He is a strong man with a new wife so we are praying for a quick recovery from pneumonia and that the Drs will choose to close him up soon.  I don't mean to be a downer, but I know some of you are eager to hear these things.

Yesterday Marcela (my landlord's daughter) and I went for a walk.  It was a gorgeous afternoon, for which I was grateful because the sun doesn't come out very much in the mountains lately.  We decided to walk toward La Tigra.  We passed Shalom, turned the corner where all of the signs for La Tigra begin, and headed up the hill.  But we got side tracked by stopping to visit Marcela's grandmother.  She has the most beautiful yard.  Part is a vegetable garden, part fruit trees, beautiful flowers, different kinds of vines, and the biggest jade plant I have ever seen in my life.

We took a tour of the yard, sampling mint, basil, cherry tomatoes, and taking photos.  Then Marcela's uncle invited us to go for a ride with him "up the mountain for just a minute".  We put a garden bench in the back of his pick up truck and headed out.  Four hours later he dropped us off at home.  I was shivering as the sun had gone down and it was cold up there, but I loved every second.  We visted Marcela's grandfather's land. He used to live in La Tigra.  (La Tigra is a rainforest which is protected as a National Park.)  He also used to grow coffee there.  We visited the land where the coffee plants still grow.  I think her Uncle is going to farm the coffee.  It was really interesting.  I had never seen a coffee plant before.

Pictures from Marcela's Grandmother's yard:

Huge jade plant

Pictures from La Tigra:

Coffee plants

I still have a cough, left over from the flu I got in the states.  It is finally getting better.  I don't need the nebeulizer anymore and I haven't vomited from coughing in over a week.  I feel good, but need to get back into shape after resting for more than a month.  Marcela and I are planning to start the Insanity Workout as soon as my cough gets better.  We will also swim in a month or two when the weather is warmer.

I am hoping to get a car soon.  It is hard to run simple errands when my home is so far from everything.  I am loving the new house and being in the mountains, but I think I will love it even more when it warms up and when I have my own transportation.  Everyone is awesome about getting me where I need to be.  I never feel like I am burdening anyone.  Jairo, Walter, and my landlords always seem more than happy to help out.  But sometimes I miss the independence of having a car.

There were a lot of other things I've been meaning to write about, but I needed a little respite from the computer.  I will get back to blogging regularly now.

And in the news - Jairo told me that the murder rate was the highest it's ever been last month.  He also told me that the unemployment rate in Honduras is 48%.  While I was still staggering from that statistic Jairo said it's no wonder people are stealing and turning to illegal activities.  Unfortunately, he's right.  Puts things into perspective, doesn't it?

Massive Weapons

One of the ways life in Honduras is different that the US is that here it is extremely common to see police, military, or private security guards carrying huge automatic weapons.  Stores, restaurants, and banks hired guards to stand out front with "armas" (guns) across their chest.  Wealthy people hire private guards to accompany them wherever they go.  I'm still not really accustomed to seeing such big guns all of the time.

Every morning I walk down the side of the mountain to the huge gate at the entrance to the property.  Usually I wait inside the gate until I see Jairo's car coming for me because there can be random people walking on the road.  There seems to be more foot traffic than car traffic on the road.

The bottom of the driveway from inside the gate.

On this day, when I got to the gate Jairo was already there waiting.  I noticed a truck on the side of the road and a group of about 8 men walking toward us as I got in.  After I was inside I turned around and looked back at the group.  The front man had a huge machine gun strapped across his chest.  The rest of the men were all very intimidating.  I asked Joss what was going on.  I wondered why she wasn't locking the door and ducking under her seat.  She didn't seem aware of the gang of men carrying guns.  Jairo and Lourdes also seemed unconcerned.  Finally I said to Joss, "Why are they walking toward us with that huge gun?"  I really thought we were in danger and nobody else saw what I was seeing.  Joss turned around and looked.  She said, "Oh, that's the Governor.  He comes up here and goes for walks.  He used to have about 20 guards and all of them carried big guns.  Looks like he has cut down a lot."

Then I noticed a man in the middle of the formation wearing bright orange Crocs.  I guess he is the governor.    Apparently he likes to walk in the rain in front of my house.  Yikes!  That was kind of freaky.

Happy Days

After being sick with the flu for three weeks I am finally feeling better.  My cough still freaks people out.  It is definitely the worst cough I have ever had in my life, but I feel good.  Last night, for the first time in weeks, (with the help of cough medicine) I slept through the night without a 1-3 hour coughing spell!

Sunday was really nice, Monday was a good day and today was "super bien" (really good)!  All three days have been 12-14 hour days, so the fact that I am tired like a normal person rather than exhausted like I was for the past 3 weeks tells me I must be getting over the flu.

Sunday I got to see Fany, my former neighbor and friend, at church with her family.  It was great to spend time with Fany's baby, Laura.  It took her a few minutes to warm up to me, but then she crawled into my lap.  She is walking on her own.  She was taking a few steps last time I saw her, but now she is steady on her feet.  I was so happy to see them!

After church I made a huge lunch.  I lost a lot of weight when I was sick and my clothes were all baggy, so I have been trying to eat a lot.  My landlords invited me to dinner with their extended family.  We walked together to Hermida's sister's house which is farther up the mountain into the rain forest.  It was a beautiful walk.  We were on top of one mountain, looking down into the tops of trees below us.  Across the valley was another mountain with a few white clouds at eye level.  It was cool.  Carlos told me about all of the paths he knows that wind through the mountains and where the paths go.  He has lived here for a long time - before it was populated.  He knows these mountains like the back of his hand.  But he is disappointed as he sees fences go up so he can no longer walk the trails he has enjoyed over the years.

Yesterday was out first day back at the Breakfast Program.  It takes time for word to get around after an extended vacation.  We only had 41 kids.  But it was so nice to see them!  There were lots of hugs and we made goals for the new year.

Also, four boys got accepted at El Sembrador!  I was so excited when Lourdes told me the news.  That means four more boys from Los Pinos will have a chance for a better education and even college if they choose!  It is really a life changing opportunity for them.  We already have 6 boys enrolled in El Sembrador, which is a private, Christian school.  One will not return when this vacation ends in February.  But the other five will return along with the four new students.  We have a lot of work to do in the meantime.  The boys need to have a sufficient amount of presentable clothes, financial sponsorship, and emotional preparation.  Once they leave they won't return or see their families for months at a time.  It is difficult for them to be so far away.  But they know this is a tremendous opportunity and an honor.

On Monday night Lourdes and Jairo had a big barbecue at their house.  A lot of teachers from Pinares, Aaron's school, and some people from church  were there.  Lourdes asked me to be the translator for her when she spoke to the teachers.  I'm not sure why since her English is superb.

I spent the rest of my time with Josselyn and Marcela.  We had an evening of girl talk.  I enjoyed it a lot.  Part of me is so grateful that I do not have to deal with the struggles of being 20 years old.  Another part of me wonders where all of the years went.  How did I get to be this old?  I feel a lot closer to 20 than my birth date says I am.  I think they expected me to have some answers for their quandaries.  But, despite the fact that I am more than twice their age, I still don't understand men and why they do the things they do, so I wasn't much help.  We had some good laughs though.  They are strong girls with their heads on straight.

Today we had over 70 kids at the breakfast program.  We arrived to find the kitchen full of teenage boys making pupusas with the help of Marlin and Yareli.  Since the kitchen was packed I re-arranged the preschool classroom.  Lourdes has a new approach.  In the past the older kids used to leave the Breakfast Program soon after they became teenagers.  But if they are not at the church, they are in the streets and that is not safe or healthy.  So we have been encouraging the teens to stick around.  Lourdes decided that she wants to divide the kids into 3 groups.  I work with the 2-6 year olds.  Then Lourdes separates the 7-12 year olds and has them do a different activity than the teens.  On Tuesdays and Thursdays Chayito, a psychologist, has classes with the teens.  So far they have worked on self esteem and sex ed.  We have seen a big difference in the way the boys and girls interact.  They boys don't punch the girls for attention anymore. We overhear them talking about their personal space.  It is really nice.

The boys took over the kitchen!  They even cleaned up afterward.

The preschool class has grown from 7-12 kids every day to now over 20 kids every day.  Today there were three new kids whom I've never seen before.  I was looking at pictures of the first day of preschool class.  Only one boy has left.  The rest all come consistently, which means they understand the expectations and things run smoothly.

Today we played outside.  When they are at home many of them don't have a safe place to play outside.  We had relay races and played a game where one kid is the wolf.  They sing a song to the wolf  and in the end the wolf says he is going to eat them.  Then the wolf chases them and tries to "eat" them all.  I never realized what a big hit the relay races would be.  I have a helper, Jorjito.  The relay races where his idea.  He is about 11 years old.  I have gone through a lot of helpers.  Jorjito is the best.  He is not too bossy, but he keeps everything organized.  He could probably run the class without me.  Today Jorjito challenged me to a race.  I accepted.  And lost.  The kids cheered for us and loved watching us run.  It was really fun.  Memo had on his big old rubber boots but he is still a fast little guy.  Micol got hit by a car and his parents never took him to the hospital, so one leg doesn't run very well, but he had fun.  At one point I told them the food is ready, let's pray and go eat.  For the first time ever, they said no, they wanted to have more races.  Since they are still on vacation from school we had time for a few more races before we prayed.

Prayer was interesting today.  Jarvin said he wanted to pray for his sister and her new baby, who are both doing well.  Then Memo, who is three, said he wanted to pray.  First he said he would pray for the Breakfast Program, then he said he would pray for K2 the Church.  By the time he prayed he was praying for half the world.  I was so proud of him.  He covered his eyes with his hands and had a good, long talk with God.  When I told Lourdes she reminded me that when I first got here Memo was almost non-verbal.  If you asked him a question he would grunt instead of saying yes or no.  Now he is praying in front of the whole group!  What amazing progress.

Lourdes and I had to run some errands.  We ended up getting back to the church really late.  Jairo was sitting on the sidewalk in front of Eunice's office waiting for us.  We stopped at the grocery store on the way home.  I ran in with Jairo to grab a few things for myself.  At the check out Jairo said he was going to make a new invention for dinner.  I looked at his ingredients and said, "You need broccoli."  A minute later Jairo said he couldn't stop thinking about the broccoli.  He had already paid, but he decided to grab two heads of broccoli and invited me to join them for dinner.  Jairo and I cooked.  We made a baked pasta dish.  It turned out so yummy!  Lourdes' sister, Belinda, her two boys and Walter all ate with us.  Everyone loved our creation and wanted seconds.  We got lots of compliments.  Finally, at 10 pm, Jairo dropped me off at home.  He still had to go down to the city to run more errands.  I was tired, but happy.

I'll end with a funny story.  Today as we were walking in our nice line to wash our hands after the races, I noticed one of the preschool kids was limping.  I pulled him out of the line and had him sit down.  When I asked what was wrong pointed to a spot on his knee.  I could see nothing.  I asked if he fell down while we were playing.  He didn't answer.  I asked if he hurt his leg today.  No response, just more pointing. Finally he got up and walked with no limp to wash his hands.  Later he was sitting on his older brother's lap.  I told his older brother to keep an eye on Samuel's knee because there might be something wrong with it.  He asked Samuel about his knee.  Samuel pointed to the same spot, but said nothing.  As we talked Samuel hopped off his brother's lap.  He started pulling on the back of his shorts.  Then he put his hands inside the back of his shorts and was writhing around and groaning as though he was in pain.  I asked if he had ants in his pants.  That was the only thing I could think of which would cause him to yank on his shorts and appear to be so uncomfortable.  He shook his head no and continued writhing.  His brother asked if he had ants in his pants, but again we got a silent no.  Finally I told his brother, "Pull down Samuel's pants and see what is wrong!" but the brother threw up his hands and did nothing.  So I said okay, sit here and watch me.  (In the back of my head I was thinking, oh boy.  In the US this would be a lawsuit.)  I pulled down Samuel's shorts to find that the back side of his underpants were completely wedged into the crack of his butt!  So I straightened them out and immediately he relaxed.  I asked if he felt better and he nodded yes.  His brother and I laughed.  Then I pulled Samuel's shorts back up and buttoned them around his big belly.  I said, "Wow!  Your tummy is full!" because his shorts would barely snap.  He smiled and shook his head yes.  Then he ran off to play.

Jairo said he had a stressful day today.  I told Jairo the story about my most stressful event of the day - unwedging Samuel's tremendous wedgy.  Jairo laughed off and on for over an hour.

Lourdes and I are thinking we will have 90-100 kids tomorrow as word continues to spread that The Breakfast Program has resumed.

Wednesday

Coughing until you vomit is no fun.

Neither is discovering that your new sofa is covered in mold, and it is starting to grow on your walls.

Especially when you were up all night, shaking and clenching your teeth because you are hypersensitive to the only cough medicine that works on this cough.

Fortunately today is sunny, and since I am not tired I popped out of bed at dawn and started washing.  Did some research on how to get rid of mildew.  I'm not too hopeful it will stay gone as my downstairs is carved into the mountain with no good airflow, but at least for now it appears to be clean.  We'll see if it dries.  From what I've read on the internet, they say vinegar is the key.  Bleach will make the walls look white, but will not stop the mildew from coming back.  So I bleached, let it dry and the used half a big bottle of white vinegar on the walls and sofa.  I still have to do the cushions, but I am waiting until tomorrow when the humidity is supposed to be out of the 90's, all of the way down to 69!  If only I could get the sofa out into the sun and back in if it rains.  That would be ideal.  But the weather changes so quickly and it's a tough job.  I don't have two big men at my beck and call for that.

I have been keeping the window open in the downstairs as much as possible, but it started when I was gone for two weeks and has gotten worse with five days of constant rain while I was sick in bed.

Yesterday Marcela took me to the city really quickly.  She needed a tank of gas.  I needed to restock my house with groceries after being gone.  We went to the closest super (supermarket) called Mas x Menos (translated More for Less).  Locals like to say you pay more and get less, but I had never compared before.  It is a chain which has a lot of things from North America.  I shopped there once with a team when I came for the first time and we all thought it was very exotic.  Now I find myself shocked at how North American it seems compared to the other supers.  Shelves full of plastic wrap and tin foil, Brawny paper towels, two areas of baking supplies, Stoneyfield and Chobani yogurt.  Of course, all of this comes at a price.  It cost FIVE TIMES what a normal shopping trip costs and I didn't even get bread, cheese, or sandwich makings.  I will never do my general shopping there again!  But it was nice to see what is available to those who can afford it.

Lourdes said that her meeting with a Canadian organization went well.  They are open to helping us in a variety of ways.  In the past they have sent teams in for 2-3 days.  Now they may spend months, or even send a single person to work directly with us for extended periods.  Lourdes is excited to have the help.  Five more days until the Breakfast Program starts up again.  It usually is smaller the first few days until word gets out that we are open again.  I wonder how many kids we will be serving by the end of next week.

I am also wondering how Bismar is doing.  His Dad died while I was away.  He has always been one of my favorite boys, very hard working and serious about his studies and his faith.  I hope he is okay.  Lourdes says he still plans to go back to private school.  I'm sure it will be hard to leave his grieving family behind, but I hope he is able to find the strength to go.  This education is his chance to rise above poverty and have a new way of life.

An old picture of Bismar and me as I give him Dr Suess' book Oh, the Places You'll Go before he goes away to school.

Safe in Bed in Honduras

No posts for a while.  I've been sick.  In fact today my cough has a strange new tone to it that I know my Mother would not like.  Might google whooping cough later.

I got back to Honduras on Friday after more than 12 hours in airports/planes.  It was uneventful except I got really excited to see that I left out of a gate in Denver that is right by the New Belgium Brewery.  But since my taste buds weren't working there was no sense in getting a beer.

Colorado was great.  But I didn't do most of the things I had planned.  Never got to see my friend Julia.  Never wished my friend Heather a Happy Birthday.  Never phoned my violin teacher who is old and may not be around by the next time I get to the US.  Didn't ski.  Didn't take pictures of my nephews.  Didn't get to see the Dooleys.

So what did I do for 2 weeks in Colorado, you may ask?  Well, the first day I shopped with my Mom and the second day I shopped alone for things for people back in Honduras.  That evening I got sick with a nasty flu so I spent the rest of the time on the couch or in bed.  I did make it to church to see my Mom sing in the choir (barely).  And I saw an old friend and met his family on NYE, which was super nice.  Had a surprise party for my Mom's 70th birthday, which was a complete success.  But otherwise I was asleep.

My Mom and her friend Monica

Mom and Me

Jack, Dina and Joey

Had a few false alarms where I thought I felt better.  And then it would hit me all over again.  UGH!

My first day back in Honduras, Walter and Reina picked me up from the airport.  They asked if I wanted to go out to lunch.  I really only wanted to see Jetty, and I was exhausted so I declined.  We stopped at the pulperia for juice.  Then I headed home.  I barely got my suitcases unpacked.  The next day I got up long enough to eat lunch with my landlords and do a load of laundry.  Then it started to rain and has been raining since.  My sheets are thin, but they still aren't dry.  I don't dare fold them for fear they'll get moldy.  It has been raining non-stop for 72 hours.  Cars can't make it up my driveway.  It's paved, but when it gets wet it's impossible.  For the past hour someone has been out there burning their tires.  Not sure why they don't park below and walk up.  Anyway, it is very humid.

Last night Lourdes and Jairo threw a welcome back party for me!  It was really nice.  We had a huge Honduran feast.  Jairo made special chicken wings I have never had before.  Everyone kept asking if I liked the food and it was so good!  I missed Honduran cooking.  We had a nice salad with snow peas, broccoli and carrots.  There was Lourdes' special rice, cheese, and garlic bread.  Yum!  Every bite was delicious.  Marcella was there as well as Walter and his siblings, Carolina and Norman.  We watched the last two movies of the Lord of the Rings series.  Apparently they had been having a Lord of the Rings festival all day. I didn't mind that I only caught the last two.

Jairo made a big point that they were happy to have me back and that the dinner was in my honor.  It was super sweet.  I think everyone had a good time.  Lourdes gave me some cough medicine.  She said, "Here, just like your mother."  I said, "No, because if you were my mother I would scream and cry and fight with you.  But I'll take it."  It actually didn't taste that bad.  She is buying more for me today.

So I have been officially welcomed back to Honduras.  Now I am told to rest until I feel better.  I have everything unpacked and put away.  Lourdes sent me home with a million movies, since I have no cable and will soon have no internet.

Sorry to all of you I didn't get to talk to when I was in the states.  The good news is that if I can afford it, I am hitting Salt Lake in June.  It means renting a car, which is expensive, and gas...  But God willing I will be in Salt Lake soon.  In the meantime, I am safe in bed in Honduras.  I had a great time with my family, but it is good to be back with this family too.

Jetty seemed to handle my absence just fine.  She didn't seem to miss me, but now is happy that I am spending so much time in bed.

And the truck is still spinning its wheels in the driveway.

My teeth are falling out of my head. Or they will be soon.

Tomorrow I leave for the US.  In typical Honduran nature, I don't have my passport.  I'm not worried about it.  The lawyer who is working on my residency goes each month to prove that my residency is in progress.  They stamp my passport and I am allowed to stay an extra month.  (Otherwise I'd have to leave the country every 90 days to get my passport stamped in the US, Mexico or Costa Rica.)  Yesterday I got a frantic call from Eunice.  I never heard her voice so anxious.  She needed some papers.  At first I didn't know what she was talking about, but it turned out that she needed the itinerary for my flight tomorrow to the US and the flight back to Honduras in January.  I was not at home and couldn't get internet so we went to another friend's house.  First everything was fine, then her internet didn't work.  I could hear desperation in Eunice's voice by that point.  The lawyer was standing, waiting in her office, and it was taking me forever to send the papers he needed.  Finally all of the paperwork went through.

Today Jairo explained that the lawyer went the day before yesterday and suddenly they asked him for new paperwork (the itinerary) which they have never needed before.  The lawyer tried to contact Jairo, but Jairo was out fishing so his phone didn't work.  Seems like there is often a new hoop to jump through.  I guess everything got straightened out because I think I would have heard something by now but legally yesterday was the last day I should be in the country.  Maybe I am an illegal alien.

Yesterday my friend Raquel had business downtown.  Since she was already halfway to my house she invited me to come home with her for lunch and stay until rush hour traffic died down.  We made shrimp and broccoli pasta with garlic and olive oil.  It was yummy!  Raquel prayed over our food.  She thanked God for bringing us together as friends and for letting us be such a great support for one another.  She said she knew our relationship came from God. When she finished I told her it was funny because I wrote an email to a close friend in Salt Lake the day before and said the very same words.  In some ways, Raquel and I are very different.  She likes flashy clothes and high heels.  Her hair and make up are always just right.  I am more "simple" as they say here.  But our hearts are alike.  We are both seeking after God.  And we both really like working with kids.  Raquel works with young girls from 10-15 at the church.  She has a tough group.  I know them because they all come to the Breakfast Program too.

My new friend, Raquel, and me

We chatted the day away.  She speaks only Spanish but that doesn't slow us down.  Last night she told her husband that she was talking to me just like she talks to everyone else and I still understood.  I told them I have been receiving compliments on my Spanish and that people often ask if I'm from Argentina.  Edward, Raquel's husband, laughed.  He explained that the shape of my face, my light skin and my hair could make me appear Argentinian.  He said I should also take it as a compliment because many Honduran men consider Argentinian women to be very beautiful.  Then he added that he, personally, prefers darker skinned woman - his wife.  :)

I got to see Raquel's house and we visited her neighbor, Keila, another lady from the church, when we needed the computer.  Keila has a daughter a little bit older than Laura.  Being around Keila's daughter made me miss Laura.  We had coffee and talked for a while.  Then we went back to Raquel's house where she showed me her wedding photos.  Not only were they beautiful, they were also funny.  Raquel was married seven years ago so all of the younger people have changed a lot.  The wedding appeared to have been an amazing event.

By the time we were done looking at pictures, rush hour traffic was over.  Raquel and Edward drove me back up into the mountains.  It was a long ride.  Probably about an hour from her house to mine.  We told Edward about something we had seen on the highway as we were leaving the city that morning.  It was very odd.  A big truck had stalled in the middle of the highway, so traffic was jammed.  Suddenly we looked next to us and there were four men wearing black ski masks perched on each of the four corners in the back of a pick up truck.  They were dressed in black from head ( literally) to toe, with bullet proof vests.  They were all pointing their machine guns at an older man, about 55, who was sitting on the bed of the truck with his back against the cabin.

Raquel said, "How sad that he is being arrested in front of all of these people in a traffic jam."  I asked her how she knew they were really police.  The pickup truck was unmarked.  None of them had anything identifying them as police.  I asked if we were headed in the direction of a jail.  She said no, we were headed out of town.  When we told the story to Edward I said it was really confusing because I couldn't tell who were the good guys and who were the bad guys.  I assumed it was a kidnapping.  But Raquel assumed it was the police.  Edward admitted that these days, either Raquel or I could be right.  I told Edward I didn't look at them very long once I saw what was going on because I didn't want them to shoot me!  He said that I don't have to worry because I am a gringa.  He asked if I've ever noticed there is lots of bad news in the papers, but bad things don't happen to outsiders, especially from the US, because there would be too much pressure and (in a country where 90% of murders are never solved) they would find the people who did it.  He said in reality I am well protected here because everyone knows that my country will get to the bottom of things if anything were to happen to me, so I am lucky to be North American.  I said in that case, I don't want people to think I am Argentinian!  I am going to wear a tee shirt that says "I am gringa!"  and put stickers all over my car saying "Gringa!" "Gringa!".  Raquel and Edward were laughing because in many cases it is easier for me not to be from the US.  In Honduras, as in many other countries, North Americans have acquired a negative stereotype.  Because of that, I never imagined myself going out of my way to say that I am North American.  But maybe I need a little sign - not "Baby on Board", but "Gringa on Board".

My stuff is all packed to go to Colorado tomorrow.  Really I didn't have much to pack.  I have no clothes that will serve me well in the snow.  My Mom and I have plans to hit up Ross and TJMaxx for some socks and warm clothes on Friday.

Today I went to the dentist.  Walter's girlfriend, Reina, opened her own clinic.  It is really nice.  She did it all herself.  She has all of the things any dentist's office in the US would have.  I had told her that I needed an exam so she called Lourdes last night and invited me to come in today - her second day in business.  There was another man in the hall, waiting for an appointment as I left.  I think she will do well.

In my whole life I have had one cavity.  But I was concerned about my teeth because after I was here a few years ago, visiting only for three months, my dentist asked what I was doing differently because my teeth were a mess.  He said since I am not using tap water to brush that I need to make sure my mouth is very wet or the toothpaste doesn't work as well.  And he found the first cavity I have ever had in my life.  I have now been in Honduras for nine months.  I last visited my dentist in the US in March.  At that point we knew I was leaving, so he did a thorough exam.  However, today Reina showed me that I have ELEVEN cavities.  I totally freaked out.  I couldn't believe it!  She went and got a mirror and showed me the ones that I was able to see.  She was right!  I have little dark spots on the sides of my teeth.

I have been complaining to everyone about how much sugar they use here.  At the Breakfast Program they add sugar to Lipton Iced Tea mix or to Tang.  A long time ago I asked if they realize those things are already mostly sugar.  They said yes, but the kids like it better this way.  They add sugar - not a pinch, but a cup or two - to spaghetti sauce.  When I questioned that I was told tomato sauce (Hunts in a jar) is too acidic, so you need the sugar to take away the acid.  And soda.  I have never been a soda drinker.  I water down my juice so it's more than half water!  But at every get together and at most people's homes, if you are offered a drink, it is soda.  I vow I will not drink soda anymore.  And I will be more faithful about brushing my teeth at night.  I eat more sweets here too.  Not anymore.  I cannot afford to have eleven cavities every nine months.  My poor teeth!  Luckily the visit cost on $25 US dollars.  Each cavity will cost $22.  I can't afford to have them fixed right now, but later - a few at a time.  I feel sick to think I have eleven cavities.  I told Walter that although I love Honduras, my teeth don't like it at all.  I was also wondering if possibly this could be related to my hair falling out.  Aren't hair and teeth related?

Anyway, everything is great except my teeth.  I am looking forward to visiting my family in Colorado for two weeks.  Today when Jairo came back from fishing he gave me a big hug and said, "We are going to miss you when you are gone."  I am not lonely here any more.  I am making good friends and I have a lot of support.  Oh - and I was called on stage at church last Sunday by Jairo and Ethel, the head of the elders.  They presented me with a plaque from the church and a certificate from the Breakfast Program.  They thanked me for my hard work.  Ethel told the church that since the preschool class started it went from 8 to over 20 kids.  They prayed for my safe travels over Christmas and thanked me for serving here.  I felt very honored and appreciated.

Ethel telling the church how the Breakfast Program has grown and that I will return after Christmas to continue to serve.

Final Countdown

I am headed for Colorado in two days.  I can't say I'm headed home, because if I had a home in the US I guess I would say it is Salt Lake.  But my brother, mother, cuñada and nephews live in CO, so that is where I am going.  I hope to have enough money to be able to go to Utah for a week when I go home in June.  I miss my friends there.

Yesterday I was taking out the garbage and I realized I will miss this place when I am gone.  I think I will be excited to come back.  Everyone here keeps asking why I'm only going for two weeks.  Mostly it's because I have a cat here.  Two weeks is the longest I feel comfortable leaving her in someone else's care.

They also tell me to relax and enjoy my vacation.  Yeah, right.  I have so much to do I'll be lucky to get it all done in 2 weeks.  I have to take care of tax stuff while I'm there, sign a bunch of legal forms, do a ton of shopping (with no money - that should be really fun), spend quality time with family, and somewhere along the way find my Christmas spirit.

I am excited about one thing.  Usually I don't really like New Years Eve.  I used to either work, or stay home to avoid drunk drivers on the roads.  But this year I am looking forward to ringing in the new year with a friend from high school, his wife and family.  We haven't seen each other since the mid-eighties.  They just moved to Colorado 6 days ago from Germany.  He is in the military.  I am looking forward to catching up and spending some quality time with them.

When I get back the house should be in full working order, with electricity upstairs, running water downstairs and a few other last adjustments complete.  Looks like I will not be betting cable or internet in this house.  It is so remote there are only two companies who service this area and their prices are outrageous.  Lourdes said I am welcome to come by their house whenever I need internet and there is internet at the church.  But this will definitely change my blogging habits.  Usually I spend a couple hours in the evening working on this blog.

I am hoping to have a car soon after I get back.  Jairo has been searching since July with no luck.  I am tempted to ask him if we can just go to a dealership.  But he really doesn't want me to spend the extra money I would pay there and I really don't have the money to spend.

Today I am going out to lunch with my friend Raquel.  At some point I will get together with Evelyn Michelle.  She is home, visiting her family on Christmas break from college in the US.  Marcella, my landlord's daughter who is going to take care of Jetty has been fully briefed.  So all I really need to do is put a few things in a suitcase and head out.  Since I don't have many warm clothes here, there is not much to pack.

Quilts!

A few months ago a friend of Jairo's sent boxes and boxes full of canned turkey, bags and bags full of quilts, and buckets and buckets full of candy, lotion and hand sanitizer.  On Friday we had an "invite only" Christmas Feast for the kids of the Breakfast Program.  We gave the kids each a quilt and a goody bag full of candy, lotion and hand sanitizer.  (The canned turkey is long gone, but the kids loved it!)

At the Christmas celebration over 100 kids enjoyed Jairo's steak fajitas, rice, an apple, grapes and a salad.  They are getting accustomed to sit down meals with table clothes and decorations now.  They loved it and were so appreciative.  For many of these kids, this is their first blanket.  How many blankets do you sleep with at night? 

Jose please don't take apart the decorations :)

Anai is excited about her new quilt!

Beautiful Cessia

Anderson is eager to use his new quilt

Lorenzo!  His blanket has a heart, so he can always remember he is loved.

Our Christmas decorations.  Jairo calls it an African theme :)
Boats, Frogs, Turtles, Giraffes, and a giant burro
all hand painted by the kids!

Where to start?

Today was a really great day for me.  But it was also a day where the ugliness of living in the deadliest city on earth seemed all too real.  Don't worry.  I did not personally have any near death experiences.

Last night I was invited for dinner with my new landlord.  She and her husband and I stayed up until 11 p.m., getting to know each other better.  The nice thing is, the more I know them, the more I like them.  We have a lot more in common than I imagined.  Carlos likes a lot of outdoor things and Hermida is into health and exercise.  I am hoping to talk Carlos into helping me plant a garden in the spring.  Hermida and I made plans to hang out again on Saturday, but they made it clear that I am always welcome to visit.

Morning came quickly.  I slept well but it was cold!  One of those nights where you put your head under the blankets and you wonder if your feet will ever get warm.

At the Breakfast Program Lourdes and I designated a quilt, which we received as donations, for each child.  They are beautiful quilts.  We had over 100, which is good because today at the Breakfast Program we fed 95 kids.  Tomorrow we will have a Christmas/End of the Year party.  Each child will receive their quilt, a cup and a special meal which Jairo and I shopped for today.

I loved choosing the right quilt for each kid.  The quilts were different sizes and textures.  Jose is always dirty, so he got a darker one.  Lorenzo's quilt was my favorite.  Lourdes chose it, but I couldn't have chosen any better.  It is gorgeous shades of brown with one patch that had a red heart sewn on.  Lorenzo, the boy who can never get enough love, will now sleep with a heart on his blanket.  If his parents don't sell it.  I asked Lourdes if I can write Lorenzo's name on the heart.  Then at least if his parents sell it, everyone will always know the rightful owner.  I am going to tell him that the heart signifies the love that God and all of us at the church have for him.  I'm pretty sure he gets no love, or even any attention at home.

Lourdes corralled the kids into a "reunión" while the rest of us counted the kids and cooked and plated the food.  We ran out of cups and forks.  Since tomorrow is the last day of the Breakfast Program until January, we were trying to use up all of the food.  We were successful.  After all of the kids and cooks were fed, there was not a drop left.

Lourdes, Don Juan and the kids have been working on the garden a lot lately.  We got a big donation of ceramic animals.  Lourdes really enjoys painting them.  Crafts are not my thing, so I haven't been helping much except to tell them how wonderful everything looks.  Right now we have a burro, boats, giraffes, frogs, turtles, and I'm not sure what else, living in the garden.  They painted pine cones and put them in a tree.  As I left they were stringing lights.  We are hoping the animals don't get stolen before everyone has a chance to enjoy them.  They will be very tempting to grab on the way out of the church.

On the way home we tried to get tickets for Lourdes to go to a concert.  This morning she learned that one of her favorite musicians/poets is performing tonight.  It turned out that the tickets were sold out and being sold by scalpers at double the face value, so she didn't get to go.  She said she was fine with that because if God wanted her to be there, He would have made sure she had a ticket.  The concert started at 8 pm, so she figured it was probably wise for her to be at home and not out late at night anyway.

We stopped at a mall to see if the ticket agencies had anything left but they didn't, so we did some window shopping.  Everyone else grabbed some pupusas from the food court for dinner, but I have left overs that need to be eaten tonight so I just got a liquado, which is like a milkshake without the ice cream.  The man at the liquado place asked where I was from.  I told him the United States.  FINALLY, FINALLY, FINALLY it was explained to me why people are confused when I say I am from the US!  This has been happening since June and I could never figure it out.

Last night when I was talking with Carlos and Hermida, Carlos commented that I have a great accent.  I told him that is very funny to me because when I lived in the US, my friends who only speak English made fun of me when I spoke Spanish.  They said I was saying Spanish words but with an English accent.  I also told Carlos about the times Alexis Pacheco has complimented my accent, but I thought he was joking.  Last night, after talking to Carlos, it finally sunk in that my Spanish  might actually be pretty decent.  This morning I saw Alexis and told him that I had mentioned him in conversation last night.  When he asked why I told him it was about my accent.  He explained that most North Americans are not able to pick up the accent the way I do and that he loves the way I speak.  Then this evening the man at the liquado place said that he expected me to be from a different country within Central America, or possibly South America because my accent is "bien suave" (really soft).  Wow!  What a compliment!  He said if I spend another six months here I will be Latina.  :-)

I am surrounded by people who speak great English, but believe that their English is not very good.  I guess it only makes sense that I would believe my Spanish is not as good as other people think.

While we ate (and I drank my liquado) Jairo told me about Bismar's neighbor being killed last night.  At 8 pm, men broke into a single father's home tied him up in front of his 2 young kids, hung him so if he struggled he would strangle himself, then took gas and set fire to the house.  The man was well liked in the community.  He was never known to bring home any women or do anything but work and care for his kids.  Neighbors cooked for him sometimes, since he was a single father.  In return he would bring them bags of rice or uncooked food to pay them back.  Lourdes and I visited Bismar's house only a few months ago.  To have something like that happen so "close to home" is hard to hear.  No police ever came to the scene.  I asked Jairo why, thinking maybe it had to do with corruption.  Lourdes said that police will not go into that neighborhood.  In Chicago I worked in areas where the police and firemen would not respond.  Now I am doing the same in Honduras.

Jairo also told me that Bismar is really struggling.  Bismar has always been very special to me.  He attends a private Christian school about 3 hours away, which the church pays for with help from sponsors.  His father has been dying of cancer for a while.  The last time I was there he looked very sick, but I had heard he was getting better.  At Thanksgiving Bismar gave thanks for his father being healed.  Apparently that was more hope than reality.  Recently Bismar's uncles came to take his father home with them.  They told Bismar they have natural medicine.  Everyone cried as he left, knowing they would probably not see him alive again. But Bismar has been hiding in denial.  Today Jairo took Bismar to run some errands.  He told Bismar that Bismar needs to get used to the idea that his father will probably die.  He asked Bismar to consider what he will do if his father passes.  Bismar said that he will stay in school.  He understands that in the long run, that is how he can help his family best.  Jairo reminded him that if he drops out he will have no opportunities.  I am praying if/when the time comes, Bismar will stay in school.  I know it will be very difficult for him.

Bismar also shared something with Jairo.  He told Jairo, "I cannot go out on the streets and beg, but our family has no food."  His mother used to sell tortillas.  She is so distraught she is now sick and cannot cook tortillas to sell.  His older sister is fighting with the family and ran away.  Yesterday his older brother and his mother were arguing to the point that his brother almost hit his mother.  Bismar is the youngest.  He doesn't know what to do.  He is watching his family fall apart.

Jairo gave Bismar food from the church and money for some more food.  With Bismar, we know that the money will be used wisely.  I will try to find ways to help Bismar too.  I have never known such an exceptional boy, so completely devoted to God, his studies and his family.

Bismar and me when I gave him "The Places You'll Go"

Lourdes and I talked about how things like this make us look at our own lives and our families and truly thank God for the way we are blessed.  Sure, sometimes things are tough for us.  But when we look at our own lives compared to the burdens that others have to bear, we can't help but thank God and be grateful.

Oh, Lourdes also told me that I need to get a haircut before I go home for Christmas.  I had been hesitant when my hair was falling out.  But that seems to have stopped within the past 10 days.  I told her I agree.  I need to get a haircut because my Mom will have a fit if I go home looking like this.  She said good, because if I had said no she was going to force me to get a haircut anyway.  She has even decided what style would be good for me.  See how well I am cared for here?    :)