Yesterday I finally had new tires put on my car. I've been driving since at least Sunday with a huge hole in one tire. Praise God it didn't explode, and that I am able to ride most places with security so I don't drive as much anymore.
Yesterday morning I asked Fany if she thought the tire place would be packed after work. This week everyone is on vacation and they all leave the city to go to the beach or visit family in the country.
I said, "Fany, do you think everyone will be at the tire shop buying new tires so they can travel for Semana Santa?"
Fany laughed. She said, "Mary Lynn, you know that we don't think about our tires until they are already flat and we are stuck on the side of the road."
She's right, I thought. But I called the shop just in case. It was empty. I got my new tires with no wait.
Today I took the car to the mechanic because even with the new tires, it was pulling to the right. It was just aligned a couple of weeks ago. He took the car out for a drive and confirmed it was pulling to the right. I told him about my conversation with Fany. We noticed three cars broken down on the side of the road, one with an obviously messed up tire. Two more cars were driving on a big highway with their flashers on, going only about 20 mph.
He said that yesterday at 4 pm a lady called and was obviously trying to butter him up. She told him that her kids had their suitcases packed and her grandkids were already in their bathing suits. He told her, "How nice! Are you inviting me to go on vacation with you?" She wanted him to take a quick look at her car before they left.
He said, "No, I don't have time. I have cars here that I've been working on all week." She thought he was joking. He assured her he was not joking and told her that he didn't even want to see her car because if anything DID go wrong with it, she had not left time for him to fix it, and he did not want to be responsible if it broke down while they were traveling. She was angry.
He said to me, "She should have checked her car before she packed her bags and let the grandkids put on bathing suits." I told him that's how I was raised.
I took my car to him two Mondays ago because I knew this week would be busy and next week everything will be closed for Semana Santa. He appreciates the way I take care of my car, although he does make fun of me a little, in a joking way, for keeping it so clean.
However, if my car were broken down on the side of the road I know that he would come and take care of it because he knows that I do everything I can to keep my car running right. For people who only call after they are packed and ready to leave on vacation he has much less patience.
Today is the first day of vacation. Since everyone travels, we don't have work again until next Tuesday! Things run a little slower in Honduras. Semana Santa ends Sunday, but people need that extra day to get themselves, and their cars, home.
On a separate note, somehow I have fleas. Thursday they bit me 28 times on one shoulder. Last night they bit my leg and back. The cat doesn't have fleas, but I do. And the diarrhea is lingering. I took a pill that gets rid of parasites. Ana says her whole family has diarrhea so now I think it's a bug. Normally my stomach is strong as iron, but I must admit this has thrown me for a loop.
And one last thing - Erika called this afternoon. The baby is constipated and didn't poop for 4-5 days. The doctor told her this is normal, but Erika is worried. (Good for her!) She also said that her 13 year old sister who dropped out of school did go to Karla's club today. Not only that, she had a good time and plans to go back. That made my day. At least Kenya will be involved in one positive activity. One step at a time...
Saturday, March 19, 2016
Preventing Sexual Abuse
Thursday at the retreat one of the psychologists asked if I would like to be involved in a project about prevention of sexual abuse. How could I say no to that? (Although in the retreat when we were talking about each other's strengths and weaknesses, my coworkers said that I need to learn to say no because that is one of my weaknesses.) The psychologist said they are doing group therapy with all of the kids in the project, 10 at a time, so she could use my help. The goal is to teach prevention, but also to evaluate which kids are already victims of sex abuse.
Friday morning I got an earlier ride up to the community where I am now working most of the time. (The only time I am now in the other community is for the reading/writing/math class.) I've been traveling a lot with security which is good because my car has been messed up for seven weeks now. We reviewed the program and talked about how we will start using it. We start immediately after Semana Santa.
It is an extra cool program because it is done through play, art and music. None of it is lectures. I think the kids will love it and should open up in ways they never did before. It is called "Sex Abuse Prevention: Playing Can Strengthen Us For Difficult Situations".
I am really excited to be part of this project and honored that my coworkers thought of me for this. It is a program that originated in Argentina. We are the first to use it in Honduras!
At 10:30 we all gathered and went out into the community. One of the younger mentors is starting his own club. He needed help getting the information from each of the families he will serve. So the psychologist and I divided our coworkers into two groups and went house to house doing interviews with the parents. Part of the survey is supposed to only be done by a psychologist, so they were happy to have me along.
In the end I got back just in time to meet up with security for my ride home. It was a productive and fun day. I love being out in the community and am eager to put to use my experience in psychology. This is all stuff that leaves my heart full at the end of the day.
Friday morning I got an earlier ride up to the community where I am now working most of the time. (The only time I am now in the other community is for the reading/writing/math class.) I've been traveling a lot with security which is good because my car has been messed up for seven weeks now. We reviewed the program and talked about how we will start using it. We start immediately after Semana Santa.
It is an extra cool program because it is done through play, art and music. None of it is lectures. I think the kids will love it and should open up in ways they never did before. It is called "Sex Abuse Prevention: Playing Can Strengthen Us For Difficult Situations".
I am really excited to be part of this project and honored that my coworkers thought of me for this. It is a program that originated in Argentina. We are the first to use it in Honduras!
At 10:30 we all gathered and went out into the community. One of the younger mentors is starting his own club. He needed help getting the information from each of the families he will serve. So the psychologist and I divided our coworkers into two groups and went house to house doing interviews with the parents. Part of the survey is supposed to only be done by a psychologist, so they were happy to have me along.
In the end I got back just in time to meet up with security for my ride home. It was a productive and fun day. I love being out in the community and am eager to put to use my experience in psychology. This is all stuff that leaves my heart full at the end of the day.
Crossing the Sea
Thursday we all met at the office and were transported to a tourist resort where we enjoyed a day of workshops.
In the morning we learned how to assess the communities in order to evaluate if our program can be effective there. It was interesting.
In the afternoon the social workers set up a bunch of activities for us to show us how we should approach the families and emphasize that everyone has something important to contribute, no matter who they are or where they come from. We did some team building activities and games to demonstrate that each person plays an important role.
Afterward we had a little celebration for the social workers and the psychology student who are now completing their internship with us. They have been with my organization for a year, so I only know my workplace with them in it. I can't imagine us without them. They have organized some really amazing things which I have had the honor to take place in this year. They will be missed!
Next week we are on vacation all week for Semana Santa, so I offered to throw a little going away party for them at my house. I rarely invite people over, so this will be a big deal for me. There are only nine of us. but I am already preparing.
In the morning we learned how to assess the communities in order to evaluate if our program can be effective there. It was interesting.
In the afternoon the social workers set up a bunch of activities for us to show us how we should approach the families and emphasize that everyone has something important to contribute, no matter who they are or where they come from. We did some team building activities and games to demonstrate that each person plays an important role.
Afterward we had a little celebration for the social workers and the psychology student who are now completing their internship with us. They have been with my organization for a year, so I only know my workplace with them in it. I can't imagine us without them. They have organized some really amazing things which I have had the honor to take place in this year. They will be missed!
Next week we are on vacation all week for Semana Santa, so I offered to throw a little going away party for them at my house. I rarely invite people over, so this will be a big deal for me. There are only nine of us. but I am already preparing.
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| Crossing a shark and alligator infested sea |
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| Impacto Juvenil (Youth Impact) |
Such Bravery
Wednesday was a super fun day. In the morning I did home visits with one of my coworkers. We had to visit the family of each kid in his club. We sat down with each parent and filled out a form about how the child is doing physically, emotionally and educationally. I had to be there because part of it needed to be completed by someone with a degree in psychology.
It was interesting to spend the day in the neighborhood where my club is, getting to know the people and my coworkers better. The person I did visits with that morning is someone who is very active in the community. I have always admired him, but never really talked with him personally. Even in his free time he is out on the streets making sure things are going as they should.
Last week, after five years of volunteering, he was officially given a part time paid position with the organization where I volunteer. I watched him fill out his schedule in the past. I thought he was paid full time, when in fact he was a volunteer. I remember the week that I was being nosey his schedule said that he worked seven days per week and was only free on Tuesday morning.
Last week I observed the same with another coworker. She is paid for part time work, but according to her schedule and what I observe, she works more than full time hours.
My coworkers are dedicated to our organization and to bettering their communities. I have a lot of respect for them. There is no such thing as 9-5 for them. They serve 7 days/week and are available to the people they serve almost every waking minute. Literally. Most of their houses are open as gathering places for the kids and graduates of their clubs. Sometimes they complain about it. But mostly they don't.
We only made 4 home visits on Wednesday morning because they were spread all over. We spent hours climbing up and down steep mountain paths. It's been hotter than ever lately. Even at night it doesn't cool down. I put on sunblock, put on a baseball cap (that's what people do here when it's sunny) and enjoyed my day but I was extra grateful for a shower that night. I drank two liters of water before noon and never urinated once all day. Sorry if that was TMI, but that's how hot it is!
I was a little nervous because since Sunday I had been suffering from diarrhea. I couldn't eat, but somehow the diarrhea still came. Thankfully, it didn't strike while I was out doing home visits.
It was interesting to see the different kinds of parents. Some parents have a lot of kids and remember every detail about every one. Other parents seem to have no clue how their kids feel or what they are up to.
The home that struck me most was a single mother. She lives in a tiny shack made of tin roofing with barbed wire strung around most of it. When we approached she came out of her house cleaning her hands. She had been making tortillas.
A little girl with a pretty braid in her hair was clinging to her mother's leg. Her face was covered in something red, maybe tomato sauce. She was sucking on an ear of corn. She was just learning how to talk. It's interesting to see when people take the time, in the midst of such deep poverty, to put braids in their little girls' hair.
My coworker told me he had been trying to get the son of this lady to come to the club for years. Finally he is coming. He is in extremely high risk of falling into dangerous activities. According to the interview, the mother said that as of yet, he is still just playing soccer. She believes he is not yet involved with gang members or people who use/sell drugs.
The mother explained that he never finished first grade although she put him in classes, his father's family enrolled him in classes and his grandparents have enrolled him. She said her son is very rebellious and has never been successful in school. It is not clear if it is a learning or behavioral problem.
The mother is 43 years old, almost my age, and pregnant with her 7th child. Very pregnant. She has never had medical care because she can't leave her home unattended or it will be robbed. Also she can't afford to go to the doctor.
There is no income in the home. We never did figure out how they live. That was the only time she didn't answer us directly. I figured the father of the baby who is not yet born was providing for them. But my coworker asked the right questions and we learned that my assumption was wrong. I admire the way my coworker asked tough questions in a direct, but kind way. He asked if the father of the baby is providing for the family. No, she said. He is in jail. He was abusive to me and I pressed charges.
I almost fainted. Here is a woman, 8 months pregnant with no way to provide for her family, and she has the guts to press charges against the father of the unborn child. What a strong lady. Most Honduran women don't even know that they have a right to press charges. Even if they know their rights, most will never assert them. They know too often the police don't do their job, and may even protect the offender.
My coworker and I both told her how brave she is and how much we respect what she did. But in the end our admiration doesn't put food in their bellies.
I will never forget that lady. Still, today, I find myself thinking of her often.
After we left my coworker told me that he has been wanting to talk with her for a long time because all of the neighbors have talked to him about her. They said she was being physically abused and threatened.
Seeing how tiny their home is made it more real. Her son who is now in the club told my coworker a man came every night and raped his mother. Now we know that the boy must have had to see and hear everything. How horrible. The boy said he couldn't take it any more, and one night he got up and punched the man. The man always threatened to kill the family. We are hoping it is not to late to find a better path for this young man and his family.
That afternoon another coworker and I led our club of kids for the second time. She found out just before the club started that her husband was one of the 2000 people who lost their jobs that day. He worked for the state doing traffic stuff. My other coworker's uncle as also let go after 30 years of service there. None of them will be paid and there was no advanced warning. It was very sad.
Despite the heavy weight on my coworker's shoulders, we had a great time in the club. This week we talked about dreams. Kids who live in extreme poverty never learn to dream. They believe they have no control over their future and that they will struggle to get by, just as their parents do. On Wednesday we helped them learn to dream. Many want to be teachers, doctors, or police. We talked about Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks as examples of people who dreamed of a better world and took action to make a difference.
We had to explain a lot about racial discrimination because these kids are all the same - brown. At their age I don't think they have much experience with different races. Except me. I am an oddity to them. But in a good way, because they all think it is amazing and good to speak English.
At the end of the day I was supposed to go to intercession at my church. But I got out of work late and there were protests, so I called Pastora Ruth and told her I couldn't make it. The most famous Honduran environmental activist was murdered a few weeks ago and a man related to her was killed right afterward. People were protesting that, as well as the closing of the Transit Authority. I was also driving around with a big hole in the side of my tire. All in all, it was best for me to stay home that night.
It was interesting to spend the day in the neighborhood where my club is, getting to know the people and my coworkers better. The person I did visits with that morning is someone who is very active in the community. I have always admired him, but never really talked with him personally. Even in his free time he is out on the streets making sure things are going as they should.
Last week, after five years of volunteering, he was officially given a part time paid position with the organization where I volunteer. I watched him fill out his schedule in the past. I thought he was paid full time, when in fact he was a volunteer. I remember the week that I was being nosey his schedule said that he worked seven days per week and was only free on Tuesday morning.
Last week I observed the same with another coworker. She is paid for part time work, but according to her schedule and what I observe, she works more than full time hours.
My coworkers are dedicated to our organization and to bettering their communities. I have a lot of respect for them. There is no such thing as 9-5 for them. They serve 7 days/week and are available to the people they serve almost every waking minute. Literally. Most of their houses are open as gathering places for the kids and graduates of their clubs. Sometimes they complain about it. But mostly they don't.
We only made 4 home visits on Wednesday morning because they were spread all over. We spent hours climbing up and down steep mountain paths. It's been hotter than ever lately. Even at night it doesn't cool down. I put on sunblock, put on a baseball cap (that's what people do here when it's sunny) and enjoyed my day but I was extra grateful for a shower that night. I drank two liters of water before noon and never urinated once all day. Sorry if that was TMI, but that's how hot it is!
I was a little nervous because since Sunday I had been suffering from diarrhea. I couldn't eat, but somehow the diarrhea still came. Thankfully, it didn't strike while I was out doing home visits.
It was interesting to see the different kinds of parents. Some parents have a lot of kids and remember every detail about every one. Other parents seem to have no clue how their kids feel or what they are up to.
The home that struck me most was a single mother. She lives in a tiny shack made of tin roofing with barbed wire strung around most of it. When we approached she came out of her house cleaning her hands. She had been making tortillas.
A little girl with a pretty braid in her hair was clinging to her mother's leg. Her face was covered in something red, maybe tomato sauce. She was sucking on an ear of corn. She was just learning how to talk. It's interesting to see when people take the time, in the midst of such deep poverty, to put braids in their little girls' hair.
My coworker told me he had been trying to get the son of this lady to come to the club for years. Finally he is coming. He is in extremely high risk of falling into dangerous activities. According to the interview, the mother said that as of yet, he is still just playing soccer. She believes he is not yet involved with gang members or people who use/sell drugs.
The mother explained that he never finished first grade although she put him in classes, his father's family enrolled him in classes and his grandparents have enrolled him. She said her son is very rebellious and has never been successful in school. It is not clear if it is a learning or behavioral problem.
The mother is 43 years old, almost my age, and pregnant with her 7th child. Very pregnant. She has never had medical care because she can't leave her home unattended or it will be robbed. Also she can't afford to go to the doctor.
There is no income in the home. We never did figure out how they live. That was the only time she didn't answer us directly. I figured the father of the baby who is not yet born was providing for them. But my coworker asked the right questions and we learned that my assumption was wrong. I admire the way my coworker asked tough questions in a direct, but kind way. He asked if the father of the baby is providing for the family. No, she said. He is in jail. He was abusive to me and I pressed charges.
I almost fainted. Here is a woman, 8 months pregnant with no way to provide for her family, and she has the guts to press charges against the father of the unborn child. What a strong lady. Most Honduran women don't even know that they have a right to press charges. Even if they know their rights, most will never assert them. They know too often the police don't do their job, and may even protect the offender.
My coworker and I both told her how brave she is and how much we respect what she did. But in the end our admiration doesn't put food in their bellies.
I will never forget that lady. Still, today, I find myself thinking of her often.
After we left my coworker told me that he has been wanting to talk with her for a long time because all of the neighbors have talked to him about her. They said she was being physically abused and threatened.
Seeing how tiny their home is made it more real. Her son who is now in the club told my coworker a man came every night and raped his mother. Now we know that the boy must have had to see and hear everything. How horrible. The boy said he couldn't take it any more, and one night he got up and punched the man. The man always threatened to kill the family. We are hoping it is not to late to find a better path for this young man and his family.
That afternoon another coworker and I led our club of kids for the second time. She found out just before the club started that her husband was one of the 2000 people who lost their jobs that day. He worked for the state doing traffic stuff. My other coworker's uncle as also let go after 30 years of service there. None of them will be paid and there was no advanced warning. It was very sad.
Despite the heavy weight on my coworker's shoulders, we had a great time in the club. This week we talked about dreams. Kids who live in extreme poverty never learn to dream. They believe they have no control over their future and that they will struggle to get by, just as their parents do. On Wednesday we helped them learn to dream. Many want to be teachers, doctors, or police. We talked about Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks as examples of people who dreamed of a better world and took action to make a difference.
We had to explain a lot about racial discrimination because these kids are all the same - brown. At their age I don't think they have much experience with different races. Except me. I am an oddity to them. But in a good way, because they all think it is amazing and good to speak English.
At the end of the day I was supposed to go to intercession at my church. But I got out of work late and there were protests, so I called Pastora Ruth and told her I couldn't make it. The most famous Honduran environmental activist was murdered a few weeks ago and a man related to her was killed right afterward. People were protesting that, as well as the closing of the Transit Authority. I was also driving around with a big hole in the side of my tire. All in all, it was best for me to stay home that night.
Capacitación
Tuesday I started the training to teach reading and writing in Spanish. It was very interesting. They developed a curriculum specifically for the population I will teach. It is based on phonetics, which works perfectly for the Spanish language. I learned that my boss is the person who created the program. I think it's great and can see how it should work really well. It's practical and gets straight into the things they need to know.
I almost didn't receive the training Tuesday because some man, a head honcho I am sure, was in town from Sweden. I think he used to be my boss's boss when she worked developing this curriculum. He came into the room where I was learning and said that he had heard all about me. He said that really it would be best if people from within the community are the ones to give this class because missionaries always burn out and leave the people hanging. He said that happens all of the time in the jail communities they serve, so they started training the inmates instead of sending someone in from the outside. I am sure he is right, but it wasn't too encouraging.
I left the training with all of the materials and resources I need to start the class. If I have any questions the people who taught me are really sweet and will help in any way they can. I feel confident I am set up for success as a teacher of reading and writing in Spanish. I was wishing the class could start right away, instead of waiting until after Semana Santa.
My mechanic and I spent the afternoon looking for tires for my truck. Half of Honduras have the same exact vehicle, but my mechanic spent all day Monday and we spent half of Tuesday looking for tires. They don't seem to exist here.
I ended up buying a different size than the manufacturer's specs. But the mechanic said they would work. They didn't have them in stock, but I got a good price ($300 for all four instead of $500-600 which is what we had seen at all of the other shops). Friday I went back and got them put on the truck.
I asked Fany on Friday morning if she thought the tire shop would be packed with people buying tires for their Semana Santa trips. She laughed and said, "No Mary Lynn. Nobody here thinks about their tires until they are on the side of the road with a flat." She was right. There was no line at the tire shop.
Tuesday afternoon I found the banana bread lady. I asked how her father is doing. She said she missed four days of work, but it was not because of her father. It was because her 16 year old daughter keeps passing out every day at school. She took her daughter to the hospital and they said she needs to see a specialist. There is nothing they can do without the specialist. However, there are no appointments with the specialist until July!
I asked if she considered going to a different hospital. She said yes, she would go on Friday to a different hospital because her daughter is passing out every single day. She believes and was told it is something neurological. I told her I would pray. The girl's name is Gisell.
I almost didn't receive the training Tuesday because some man, a head honcho I am sure, was in town from Sweden. I think he used to be my boss's boss when she worked developing this curriculum. He came into the room where I was learning and said that he had heard all about me. He said that really it would be best if people from within the community are the ones to give this class because missionaries always burn out and leave the people hanging. He said that happens all of the time in the jail communities they serve, so they started training the inmates instead of sending someone in from the outside. I am sure he is right, but it wasn't too encouraging.
I left the training with all of the materials and resources I need to start the class. If I have any questions the people who taught me are really sweet and will help in any way they can. I feel confident I am set up for success as a teacher of reading and writing in Spanish. I was wishing the class could start right away, instead of waiting until after Semana Santa.
My mechanic and I spent the afternoon looking for tires for my truck. Half of Honduras have the same exact vehicle, but my mechanic spent all day Monday and we spent half of Tuesday looking for tires. They don't seem to exist here.
I ended up buying a different size than the manufacturer's specs. But the mechanic said they would work. They didn't have them in stock, but I got a good price ($300 for all four instead of $500-600 which is what we had seen at all of the other shops). Friday I went back and got them put on the truck.
I asked Fany on Friday morning if she thought the tire shop would be packed with people buying tires for their Semana Santa trips. She laughed and said, "No Mary Lynn. Nobody here thinks about their tires until they are on the side of the road with a flat." She was right. There was no line at the tire shop.
Tuesday afternoon I found the banana bread lady. I asked how her father is doing. She said she missed four days of work, but it was not because of her father. It was because her 16 year old daughter keeps passing out every day at school. She took her daughter to the hospital and they said she needs to see a specialist. There is nothing they can do without the specialist. However, there are no appointments with the specialist until July!
I asked if she considered going to a different hospital. She said yes, she would go on Friday to a different hospital because her daughter is passing out every single day. She believes and was told it is something neurological. I told her I would pray. The girl's name is Gisell.
Monday
My internet has been down and I have not been home for them to come fix it. So I was unable to post from my computer this week.
Monday my coworker and I climbed to the top of Villa Nueva, then went over the back of the mountain to find a tiny spot hidden away from the rest of the world. That is where my boss wants me to teach reading and writing.
My coworker believed there was really only one person interested in the class. She had raised the idea several times but people always had excuses for why they couldn't attend the class. We expected the trip was a formality in order for our boss to realize her idea wasn't going to work.
Here are two photos from the top of the mountain. One is looking backward, toward Los Pinos. The second is a photo of what I saw when I got to the top and looked over the other side. It was quite surprising!
There are only about 8 houses back here. Until very recently they didn't have electricity. They still don't have running water.
The first house we visited started out just as expected. The lady said she could never learn because she banged her head and can't retain anything. I told her there is no pressure. We just wanted to give her the opportunity, but if she didn't want to that's fine. Then her daughter poked her head out. She didn't seem interested either. Nobody in the house (nobody I talked to all day) had finished first grade.
The woman said she wished her son would come home because she would like him to study. But he was out running errands and she had no idea when he'd get back. I told her if God wanted her son to be in the class, he would get home before we left. A couple minutes later everyone looked behind me with excitement. Her son walked in the door!
She took him into the house and talked to him. He came out looked at me. He is very timid and a little slow intellectually. I asked if he would like to learn to read and write. He said yes quietly but eagerly, with a gleam of excitement in his eyes. It was clear the desire was there.
That was a pivotal moment for me. That gleam in his eye changed everything. There were people who wanted to learn! He was clearly one. And from that moment on I became eager to teach him.
I thought back to what my boss had said. We needed at least 5 people in order to justify me climbing the mountain and teaching the class. When I first climbed the mountain, if I am honest, I have to say I was hoping we would not get five people to commit. I know another community that is more accessible and has more people who have asked for someone to teach them to read and write. I really wanted to teach them. But after seeing the look in that boy's eye, my attitude changed. Even though he was only one person, I wanted to make sure he had an opportunity to learn.
As we all celebrated the fact that God had brought Luis home in time to sign up, his sisters started to get excited too. By the time we left the house, the two sisters were on the list. My coworker had them make a commitment to God that they would attend 12 classes. The mother made a commitment to God that she would make sure they went.
My first students:
The second house we visited was a 58 year old lady who is one of the founders of the community. She gave the land to our project for our gathering spot.
This is where the classes will be held. It's a very peaceful setting.
She initially said she didn't want to attend the class. Everyone has an excuse. Her's was that her left forearm was injured. When my coworker pointed out that the lady is right handed she still wasn't interested. Once again, I told her we were not there to pressure her. In fact we only want people who are truly motivated on their own. If this class didn't interest her, that is fine.
We were about to leave when suddenly her facial expression changed. I think it had to be God, because she didn't respond to any of our words. She wouldn't even open the gate and let us in. But after her facial expression changed she asked me to sign her up. So I did! She said she will make a commitment to attend 12 classes, and we will reassess at that point.
Then we found a lady with a small child. She said she has to work and can't get home in time for the class. But in the end she too decided that she could get home by the time the class starts. So she asked me to sign her up. She said she will be really happy to sign her name on her checks. She is afraid that someone could steal her pay as long as she is signing with a thumb print. (Remember none of these people can write their full name. A few can write their first name. Most sign with a thumb print.)
Then we climbed up a steep, skinny trail to houses built on top of a huge rock. There we were not well received. We climbed through a barbed wire fence to a house of two ladies and a young girl. One lady said that she would like to attend. She had her hair wrapped in mud or kind of wet muddy mixture. I think it must have been a lice treatment. I'm not sure. The dirty stuff kept falling into her face, but she acted like it wasn't there, so I did too.
On our way out we signed up a 15 year old girl with a baby. She wasn't going to attend because her family was very negative about it. But then she heard that the young boy and his sisters signed up. She is a good buddy of one of the sisters. So she decided she wants to take the class too.
She lives in a place that has mud blocks about chest high. What is finished so far is very nice. It was a new experience for me to see someone living in a house with no roof and only half of the walls.
By the time we left we were surprised. Seven people were on our list! Since then, the lady with the headwrap got a job. So I think we will only have six. Four are teens and two are older ladies.
This week is Semana Santa (Holy Week). In Honduras the whole world travels for Holy Week and everything is closed. Even the hospitals barely have staff. I have put a ton of money into my car and it seems never ending, so I will not be traveling this week.
Next week the reading and writing class will begin. We are all very excited!
Monday my coworker and I climbed to the top of Villa Nueva, then went over the back of the mountain to find a tiny spot hidden away from the rest of the world. That is where my boss wants me to teach reading and writing.
My coworker believed there was really only one person interested in the class. She had raised the idea several times but people always had excuses for why they couldn't attend the class. We expected the trip was a formality in order for our boss to realize her idea wasn't going to work.
Here are two photos from the top of the mountain. One is looking backward, toward Los Pinos. The second is a photo of what I saw when I got to the top and looked over the other side. It was quite surprising!
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| Looking back |
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| Looking ahead |
The first house we visited started out just as expected. The lady said she could never learn because she banged her head and can't retain anything. I told her there is no pressure. We just wanted to give her the opportunity, but if she didn't want to that's fine. Then her daughter poked her head out. She didn't seem interested either. Nobody in the house (nobody I talked to all day) had finished first grade.
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| This lady said she bumped her head and can't learn You can see her house is very humble |
The woman said she wished her son would come home because she would like him to study. But he was out running errands and she had no idea when he'd get back. I told her if God wanted her son to be in the class, he would get home before we left. A couple minutes later everyone looked behind me with excitement. Her son walked in the door!
She took him into the house and talked to him. He came out looked at me. He is very timid and a little slow intellectually. I asked if he would like to learn to read and write. He said yes quietly but eagerly, with a gleam of excitement in his eyes. It was clear the desire was there.
That was a pivotal moment for me. That gleam in his eye changed everything. There were people who wanted to learn! He was clearly one. And from that moment on I became eager to teach him.
I thought back to what my boss had said. We needed at least 5 people in order to justify me climbing the mountain and teaching the class. When I first climbed the mountain, if I am honest, I have to say I was hoping we would not get five people to commit. I know another community that is more accessible and has more people who have asked for someone to teach them to read and write. I really wanted to teach them. But after seeing the look in that boy's eye, my attitude changed. Even though he was only one person, I wanted to make sure he had an opportunity to learn.
As we all celebrated the fact that God had brought Luis home in time to sign up, his sisters started to get excited too. By the time we left the house, the two sisters were on the list. My coworker had them make a commitment to God that they would attend 12 classes. The mother made a commitment to God that she would make sure they went.
My first students:
The second house we visited was a 58 year old lady who is one of the founders of the community. She gave the land to our project for our gathering spot.
This is where the classes will be held. It's a very peaceful setting.
She initially said she didn't want to attend the class. Everyone has an excuse. Her's was that her left forearm was injured. When my coworker pointed out that the lady is right handed she still wasn't interested. Once again, I told her we were not there to pressure her. In fact we only want people who are truly motivated on their own. If this class didn't interest her, that is fine.
We were about to leave when suddenly her facial expression changed. I think it had to be God, because she didn't respond to any of our words. She wouldn't even open the gate and let us in. But after her facial expression changed she asked me to sign her up. So I did! She said she will make a commitment to attend 12 classes, and we will reassess at that point.
Then we found a lady with a small child. She said she has to work and can't get home in time for the class. But in the end she too decided that she could get home by the time the class starts. So she asked me to sign her up. She said she will be really happy to sign her name on her checks. She is afraid that someone could steal her pay as long as she is signing with a thumb print. (Remember none of these people can write their full name. A few can write their first name. Most sign with a thumb print.)
Then we climbed up a steep, skinny trail to houses built on top of a huge rock. There we were not well received. We climbed through a barbed wire fence to a house of two ladies and a young girl. One lady said that she would like to attend. She had her hair wrapped in mud or kind of wet muddy mixture. I think it must have been a lice treatment. I'm not sure. The dirty stuff kept falling into her face, but she acted like it wasn't there, so I did too.
On our way out we signed up a 15 year old girl with a baby. She wasn't going to attend because her family was very negative about it. But then she heard that the young boy and his sisters signed up. She is a good buddy of one of the sisters. So she decided she wants to take the class too.
She lives in a place that has mud blocks about chest high. What is finished so far is very nice. It was a new experience for me to see someone living in a house with no roof and only half of the walls.
By the time we left we were surprised. Seven people were on our list! Since then, the lady with the headwrap got a job. So I think we will only have six. Four are teens and two are older ladies.
This week is Semana Santa (Holy Week). In Honduras the whole world travels for Holy Week and everything is closed. Even the hospitals barely have staff. I have put a ton of money into my car and it seems never ending, so I will not be traveling this week.
Next week the reading and writing class will begin. We are all very excited!
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