La Vida en Honduras

December Newsletter!

2009-12-04T20:26:00.001-08:00

2009-10-14T18:58:00.001-07:00

Community health volunteers!

Over the last few months we have been making some really positive progress working specifically with community health volunteers. This has been something that I have been thinking about, planning out and pushing towards for quite some time.

We have been very intentional about setting up schedules, teaching sessions and encouraging their independence in the program with the children. In several communities we have asked new mothers to join as leaders, based on suggestions of the current leaders and observing these women as being active and attentive when they come with their children.

I am learning that the contributions, participation and active example of the volunteer leaders in the community is so important to the end vision of transformation in the community. These leaders live in the community, are mothers (many with children still in the program) and are in constant contact with the other mothers. When they grow and develop in their understanding of what is a healthy lifestyle for their children and families, they live it. Without formal teachings, demonstrations or gifts of food, vitamins or supplements, the rest of the women in the community can begin to see the positive changes and from this learn how to better the health of their family. From there, also, the leaders have a base of trust from which they can counsel and guide mothers in times of illness or problem situations. This trust is so important between the mothers and leaders because often deeply embedded beliefs about things like home remedies for healing sick children or others have caused so much harm. The tradition is followed rather than any other advice only because it comes from a mother or grandmother.

It has been super encouraging for me to see the enthusiasm of many of our community volunteers, as they come for a training and participate and share there experiences. Their presence and place in the health program is invaluable.

Health leaders from the comunities of Agua Sarca, Laure and Colonias Unidas.

Moringa!

The above is a photo of the Moringa tree seedlings, I started them in my backyard and ended up with about 100 little trees ready to bring out to some of the communities. A few weeks ago, Matt & Katie DeKam, a couple who are working with CRWRC & Diaconia in Catacamas, Honduras, came down for the weekend. Matt is an agricultural engineer, and together with Katie, they helped us give a few seminars with some of our communities on the Moringa plant.
Why would this plant be important for our communities and the the health program....you probably guessed it if you didn't already know what Moringa is...it is very nutritious. You can use all the parts of the tree, even dry the leaves and make a powder that can be added to foods (for those who aren't really into salads....which is a majority in the communities :) )

This picture shows how it compares to other vegetables and milk...
Matt used a similar picture in the seminar.

Katie made a soup, and we had one of the mothers mix in some of the powder to tortillas, to show how it would turn out and have a good example of how the women could really use this plant in things that they normally make. Everyone enjoyed the taste test!

I gave each of the leaders a few trees to plant in there own yards, and offered to help them make a small nursery with the seeds and bags we would leave them with. A few of the leaders in almost all of the communities volunteered to work on the nursery, and share the information with the other mothers.

I am hoping that they will continue with the enthusiasm that they showed this day, for starting to use this plant in there daily lives. It's like having vitamins growing on trees in the back yard. Its free and multiplying in amount with each passing day....
I think it is a good example of something that can be sustainable. It is positive and empowering for the mothers also because it is something available for them to do for their undernourished children. It is not expensive or out of reach or something that they need to depend on someone to bring in each month. They just need to grow it, care for it and feed it to their families!

My helpers filling the bags with dirt for the trees...

update on the last post....

2009-06-29T10:43:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update on the situation here in Honduras which has changed over the weekend,

you might have heard through the news...I hope!! The referendum I mentioned which was to take place on Sunday didn't. Instead, the president was arrested by the army and sent to Costa Rica, and a new president installed. Yesterday, in the morning the news channels went off air, and a nation wide curfew was put in place.... Here in Choluteca, all is calm, everyone is just sort of waiting to see what will happen next.

Here is a link to BBC again: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8123126.stm

Continue to keep this country and it's leaders in your prayers.

June 26, 2009

2009-06-26T12:25:00.000-07:00

RAIN

Rain…."will it rain early or late, just a breeze or a heavy storm that floods the streets?"….this topic of conversation has been on the tips of tongues daily if not several times a day for about the last 6 weeks here in Southern Honduras. I would say with good reason, after going through about the last 7 months of desert like conditions, the almost daily rainfall is a very welcome occurrence. It is amazing how fast everything started to turn green and grow. The beauty of the now lush, green landscape is refreshing.

I have never felt bad or had pity on cows before in my life (I don’t think ) but seeing these poor things scrounging around in sandy fields,or in garbage on the sides of the roads with their ribs all showing, during desert season…definitely was a sorry sight.

Cows enjoying? lunch in the dump

The landscape back in March

The landscape now...

Now that the grass is growing and there is food and water for them, I think it’s safe to say that they are definitely happier!

COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION & POVERTY

Recently I had the opportunity to help Noel (coworker in Diaconia) plan and participate in a community-planning meeting in one of our communities.

Each community that is involved in community transformation makes a plan, discusses their history, current needs, and creates a

community map, among other things such as just being involved in this process. In this particular community the purpose of the meeting was to go over the previous plan made a few years ago to review what has been accomplished, what changes have occurred such as new or no longer existing houses, indicators of well being and needs that still exist.

The meeting demonstrated the types of attitudes towards ones individual development that exist in all the communities, and I think, in all of us. Some members are actively involved, sincere in their evaluations of how things are and what needs exist, and see value in the development of not only material things but also in areas such as literacy, education and unity as a community. Others see only their own needs, and what opportunity there is to get something.

One activity was for the community members to evaluate themselves and their community, and, of the 72 homes, place them in 3 different levels of well being. Level 1 being highest: house, car, land, savings account etc., Level 2 being on a lower scale of material wealth: house, ability to send children to school, small business, land etc., and the level 3 for those with the least, materially: no house or one made of mud, or sticks, live day to day to eat, children perhaps can’t attend school etc. While discussing how many of the community would be evaluated at which level, it was obvious that a very small number went in level 1. Some of the community members began to argue over how many should be in level 2 over level 3. It seemed that many wanted to see themselves as the most "poor" (level 3). It is something that I have heard in people before: “I am poor, we are poor” as if it is WHO they are, and not a circumstance, regardless of where they would actually be placed on a scale such as this.

I believe this shows an attitude that contributes greatly to ones ability or potential to develop (not just materially) and it exists to different degrees in everyone. Perhaps it is a lack of hope or ability to see what we actually do have, or a “grass is greener on the other side” mentality.

I have been reading parts of a book called "Walking With the Poor" by Bryant Myers, in it he describes the attitude seen in some of the members at this meeting as a "marred identity". A marred identity, is the result of a history or current injustices, deceptions, being subjected to patronizing higher powers or organizations and a distorted worldview, according development scholars. He makes a conclusion of those who "accept their marred identity and their distorted sense of vocation as normative and immutable, their poverty is complete. It is also permanent unless this issue is addressed and they are helped to recover their identity as children of God, made in God's image, and their true vocation as productive stewards in the world God made for them"

I realize how complicated the issue of poverty or even label "poor" is, more and more daily and through experiences like these. It reminds me also when I see those in this community and others, who although faced with the same challenges, are NOT accepting and succumbing to the "marred identity" but rather, are moving forward in hope and God's grace. I see it as a lesson, a point of reflection, important for everyone.

HONDURAN POLITICS:

In the last few days some things have happened here in Honduras to warrant a state of political crisis or instability. The following BBC story explains a bit of what’s going on.:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8120161.stm

On Sunday the president will try to hold a referendum outlawed by the Supreme Court.

Please keep Honduras and this situation in your prayers in the coming days.

2009-05-04T10:20:00.000-07:00

I guess a few months have gone by without a blog update.

I am going to try and be better at keeping up with it, although I know it’s not my strong point. I’m not sure why I am so evasive about writing blogs, maybe because I often feel I don’t really know what to write about…there’s a lot that is happening all the time (as in everyone’s lives) and so sometimes it’s hard to summarize into a few paragraphs…especially when you get behind a few months!

The last few months for me have involved a lot of traveling, visitors and extremely hot weather. My parents came to Choluteca in February. They came out to a few communities and did a lot of work for our office project in Choluteca. I really think it was their coming and helping that actually made this idea of an office space happen!

Then we traveled together to the Bay Islands for a few days on the north coast of Honduras. Deanna and Joel have since been here in Choluteca, Deanna working at the Christian School and a city orphanage daycare center, and Joel helping with the construction of the new parsonage. Gloribel & I continue in the communities, with growth monitoring and teaching sessions. We have also started the group for girls in one of the communities, Azacualpa. We have had 3 meetings so far, the girls come and are really excited for it, they have actually been there waiting for us to arrive the last two Saturdays!

Their enthusiasm for this group, I feel is a confirmation that is a good thing and

hopefully will be an effective avenue for teaching, encouraging and mentoring.

In April I have had a couple different CRWRC events. The first was a retreat in Nicaragua for all CRC staff/missionaries in Latin America. Aside from being at a really relaxing & beautiful place on the beach, it was also really good to meet and have some good conversations with so many others that are working here in this area.

Last week I was in Ecuador. I was there with Irene(director) & Ana (bridger) of CRWRC Honduras for the Latin American team leaders meeting. We met with other CRWRC directors from other countries in another really beautiful place in the jungle. The week was filled with trainings, meetings and chasing away monkeys with bamboo poles when they tried to steal things or interrupt the meetings.

Parts of this week that I especially enjoyed (aside from the monkeys) was visiting several different communities to see and learn from people involved in projects and programs that are connected with CRWRC. I did learn a lot from these examples, but more I think, it was encouraging and motivating, filling my head with lots of ideas of how we could use some of these techniques in our program. I was also encouraged from the many conversations and advice that came from the experience and wisdom of the many CRWRC veterans…Betty Wood from Ecuador has been with CRWRC 36 years!

This week I will say goodbye to Deanna and Joel. The last 2 months having them around has been such a blessing to me in many ways. L

Next month I will be working on a proposal for a grant for a program to work with HIV/AIDS in our area. We actually submitted it once already, after having written it fairly quickly and without really knowing what is involved in writing a grant proposal….well it got sent back with a “REDO” type of response J kinda like school! Anyway now we have more time and more insight on how it should be done, so we’ll see, it’s due at the end of the month. The grant and push for the program is coming from the Embrace Aids campaign through CRWRC.

Feb. 18, 2009 - "American Dream"

2009-03-06T14:50:00.000-08:00

When I first came to Honduras I was startled at the continuous realization of how many Hondurans had left family, friends, spouses, children and homes for the United States in search of the “American Dream”. I say continuous because it seemed to me that every time I met someone new, eventually they would mention a somebody they had in the US. (I live with 3 children and their grandparents, all of the parents of the children are in US )

A statistic I found said 11% of all Honduran families have a relative living abroad, meaning about 1 million Hondurans have left in search of this dream, and 93% go to the USA. I use the phrase the “American Dream” because it something that I have heard and read often by those describing others who have left or live in the US, in conversations but also on the news or in the newspaper. It seems that this really is the "ideal" of many, despite the common knowledge of danger and hardship in just arriving there and the difficulties of finding work, a home and community in a new country and language. I am describing the journey of one who seeks to go to US illegally, which is how the majority (95%) go. So many, seeking to find a way out of poverty and hardship that they live in here, and the ability to provide for those they leave behind, are willing to take the risk with their life, well being and the law, and so they go…”mojado” or “wetback”.

I guess this is on my mind at the moment because it hit close to home recently. A few days ago as we were walking along the road, my coworker received a call that her daughter had left that day, for the US. I have gotten to know her pretty well, working together for the last 6 months. She is strong and proud, having gone through a lot in her life ( she grew up with an alcoholic father, 16 siblings, became a mother at 16 years old, had an alcoholic husband, then lost her husband and 12 year old daughter within 3 months). On various occasions when we have talked about these things, I have never seen much emotion from her. As she got off the phone yesterday she broke into sobs telling me that her 21 year old daughter has left, leaving with her 3 children ages 5, 2 and 8 months, and a partner who would drink away their money for food. The pain and fear she was feeling for those children, whom she has cared for as much as their mother in many ways, was clearly visible in her face.

When a person leaves for US illegally there are many uncertainties; running out of money along the way, border crossings, or even the reality of never seeing your loved ones again if they make it across the border to US. I don’t really understand how so many people manage it, but I can imagine how difficult and risky it must be to go with 3 young children. They left without saying goodbye.

I ask for your prayers for her and her family.

January Newsletter

2009-01-08T05:08:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year

2009-01-08T04:59:00.001-08:00

If you are wondering what kind of crazy climate anomaly has happened in Honduras...you can stop wondering, the photo is from Thunder Bay, ON.
I spent 3 weeks there for Christmas, and I have just returned yesterday to the heat of Honduras…there is not a trace of snow here, don’t worry!

A late merry Christmas and blessed new year to all! I hope you all enjoyed the time of celebrating our Lord’s birth, wherever and however you spent the time. I had and wonderful and refreshing time at home with family and friends.

We are now back in the office in Tegucigalpa planning and looking ahead for the new year but more specifically for the next few months.
Some things we hope to see begin or continue in our programs:
- a program for girls 12-18yrs for relationships, a forum to address different topics pertinent to their lives, to promote growth spiritually and socially as well as in confidence and knowledge. We are still forming ideas of exactly how this will work but we are hoping to start in a few communities this January.
- An office for our team in Choluteca. We are hoping to maybe rent a room from the church to use a meeting, planning, working place. I think it would also help organize and unify our work together in the south.
- Continuing more regularly the series of teachings we have started on nutrition, in the 12 communities. This is sometimes hard to coordinate, because of travel, communication, time and the other programs, but it is so important so I want to focus and try harder to make it more of a reality.
- a day or day and a half long workshop type thing for all of the heath leaders of the different communities. We would do this in Choluteca and have them all together, to further equip & empower them as the leader in their community.
- One time teachings in some of the communities on social issues such as domestic violence and abuse. We are thinking of seeking the help and expertise of a social worker from another organization to do this.
- Constructing outdoor stoves; (the “stove” is a clay structure used to cook with a fire), the majority have this inside the house

And there’s always more ideas in the works! I am excited to see a lot of this planning become reality or perhaps take on different direction, as can happen also. Please ask the Lord for His blessing in this all; for the people in the communities, for us as we work together and that we may always be looking to Him – that our plans would be His plans, and never without His guidance.

PS:
- a while ago I added new pictures, from September-December, so if you click on the slide show thing you can look at them.
- I was given a very intelligent idea by my very intelligent-facebook using sister, she said I should just update the “facebook” status when I update this blog so people would know. I guess more people check out facebook regularly than this blog…hmm can’t imagine why ☺…but it’s a good idea I think I will try.
- I also just made my second newsletter which some of you may be getting my either mail or email, but if you don’t I will try and post it here if you interested :

Some random thoughts and stories...

2008-11-23T17:13:00.001-08:00

Since we returned from Naranjo last week, we’ve continued to be quite busy, trying to get to all the communities disparisitando (de worming) and giving vitamins. This is done with the health program twice a year.
Maybe you wonder why this is necessary…

one example: ----- a young, single and poor mom in Azacualpa, happy to hear that the medicine was coming after her 2 year old daughter vomited up a worm that was trying to crawl out her mouth, a month or so ago. Why were the worms trying to crawl out her mouth…because her stomach was continually empty and even the worms were hungry…
I know…it’s pretty revolting (maybe too much for a blog post?) , but not uncommon, which is why de worming is done every 6 months.

This story is not really about why the necesity of de worming meds..just somthing that happened and is a bit amusing and disturbing all in the same time... We were in Laure, weighing, and giving out the medicine. A young guy arrived with two little girls for their turn. “wow, how cool” I thought (because it is rare to see a dad bringing the kids to these events. My admiration faded however after Gloribel asked the name of the youngest girl, to register her weight, and…he couldn’t remember…but quickly defended himself saying that the girls were not his, but he was just the uncle. “ok, I can give him grace for that, maybe he has like 15 nieces, and that would be hard to keep track of the 4 names each one has” I thought. He left pretty quickly after that, but since he didn’t bring a bag or bottle for the vitamins he sent one along with a neighbor lady…who quickly informed us that he was in fact the father of the girls….hmm, maybe he was just having a mind block….

I would like to share a small, but gratefully noted development in one family in Azacualpa. I noticed the children a few months ago, the first time I visited this community. The two little boys, 1 ½ years and 8 months, are living with their grandma because their mom had abandoned them, and are seriously malnourished. The little one also had a severe skin infection of some kind, with big boil-like sores all over his body. Gloribel gave her counsel and soya to start feeding to the children the first month. The next month, grandma didn’t bring them to be weighed,so we went to her home and found the baby lying on the cement floor and both boys in the same, or worse condition. The baby she was feeding only a bottle 3 times a day, and sometimes it’s only corn water and not milk. We talked more with her about how they need to be eating more than this, more foods, not just milk.
Ok so this month, the baby is visibly looking better – eyes shining, more color and playing (these are all good signs) and grandma told us with a big smile that she is feeding him foods and he likes them!! (and he gained a pound – 14lb at 9 months) It is just really good to know that she is trying, and it’s helping. Little changes, a little bit at a time but very signifigant in my mind.

And finally, I would like to give an update on my garden as I have been asked on a few occasions. Perhaps I could better illustrate with some comparative photos:

Here is a lady I met selling watermelons, I asked here when she had planted them (thinking...may or somthing) "September" she told me.....hmmm

Here is a picture of my watermelon plants in my garden, planted also in September...they started growing first, and so I thought they would be my star plant....

I think I don't need to say much more about my garden eh?

So we are off this Tuesday to Amapala, which is a little island where we work in two communities. We will be there for about 2 weeks, as there is another Canadian group coming to do projects with the community.

A few photos...

2008-11-18T18:27:00.000-08:00

How much more things or people do you think can fit in this truck before the back hits the ground...:)

A really happy and cute baby (there is no shortage of those here) that hitched a ride with us one day

This is a group in Buena Vista of women working on the first activity in a series that we are starting on nutrition. I used photos of my kids from the Philippines, the before and after shots, to illustrated the differernce and what happens to a child when they are severly malnourished. They had to compare the photos and write their observations, then we talk about it as a group. It seems to have gone well so far, the women are really astonished and drawn into conversation when they see the photos...

The husband of Flora, a health leader in Colonias Unidas,
and the adorable little Ruth!

A week in Narnajo… November 15, 2008

2008-11-14T14:41:00.000-08:00

I will first just say that please excuse my blogging…the entries don’t necessarily get put on in order or in the time they they were written…but maybe that doesn’t really matter that much. But anyway that is why these last few are written 3 weeks apart and put on in the same day.

I just spent the last week and a bit in the beautiful community of El Naranjo,

helping with a group that came from Edmonton. They came to work with the community on building cement floors in a bunch of houses and the church. Although I feel physically very tired after this week, it was also refreshing and a lot of fun for me to spend this time both with the group and with the community there. I was able to help the ladies with cooking, washing clothes and preparing for the group, and also on other days translating and shoveling some cement ☺

So if any of you from the group are reading this, thanks again for all your efforts in Naranjo and for sharing a really good time! I’m sure I would have never been able to play hockey in a dusty rock field, or maybe not even have made it swimming in the river if it weren’t for you guys being there!!
Hearing some of the people from Naranjo also talk of this last week and seeing their faces when they do, I believe they really treasure this friendship they have with their “Canadian brothers” and are so thankful also for the help that it has brought to the community.

Top 10 - November 1, 2008

2008-11-14T14:39:00.000-08:00

The Diaconia vehicle has been broken for the last month, so Gloribel and I have been riding buses to all the communities. I was inspired to share some trivia with you!

Top 10 things you can buy on a speeding, way-over-crowded, huge, pothole-dodging, recycled, old school bus:

1. Water in a bag, coconut water in a bag, juice and of course fresco
2. Tacos, burritos, crispy plantains with cabbage, tomato and hot sauce (in a bag of course), roasted corn-on-the-cob, and many other food choices
3. Gum and candy
4. Melting ice cream
5. De-worming medicine (with a deal for whole family de-worming offered)
6. Face cream
7. Cream for toe fungus
8. A song from a blind violinist
9. A prayer from a crippled evangelist
10. Oh yeah…a ride to your destination ☺

Encouragement - from October 28, 2008

2008-11-14T14:35:00.000-08:00

I have to admit that I have been feeling discouraged and a bit pessimistic at times, in the last while, when realizing the depth and width of the some of the challenges or roadblocks that are apparent in some of our communities. The seeming lack of interest, enthusiasm or motivation in the communities... and also from within at times…and I know I haven’t really even been here that long yet.
But then, as I am continuing to learn, God shows Himself …unexpectedly and for me timely, through the heart of some people we met with yesterday.
Yesterday we went to a community called Naranjo, where we have the health program and also where teams from Canada have come yearly to work with the community in projects of building cement floors and cisterns. We arrived for a meeting with the beneficiaries of this years project. During the meeting it seemed to me that this was a community that was really trying. It is definitely not without it’s problems, common to all the communities, but it seemed there is a desire to put in effort, work together for change. Things such as the fact that all those who needed to be, were there, on time, were actively discussing with the leader and amongst themselves the issues and necessities of the upcoming project…may seem insignificant but I don’t think so, in comparison to the indifference and lack of involvement I have seen in other similar situations…this was very encouraging.
We stayed the night at the home of the pastor, Lucio, and his family. He is an older man, gentle, with eyes and a smile that just reflect joy…I think of a spirit filled with love of Christ…He seems so convicted and faithful, as I was learning being around him and his family, and also watching him lead the meeting earlier.
They gave me one of the 3 beds to sleep in that night, in the home where 7 people live. In this little room of basically beds from one end to the other and one hammock and 7 of us, I went to sleep listening to Lucio pray and praise, with his wife…for everyone, literally! Naming everyone, from his children, grandchildren, cousins, relatives, church members and each of us!
I just thought it was something beautiful and encouraging.

¡Fresco! October 18, 2008

2008-11-02T15:15:00.000-08:00

Each time we visit communities, weigh children and I listen to the talks that Gloribel gives to the moms I am learning and finding out more of the situations and challenges that exist in these communities. I know that I still am only seeing and perceiving somewhat incompletely, so I am also trying not to make any quick conclusions, or become discouraged, but just trying to observe, get to know the moms and try to understand what I can.

I will share a few of the things, observations and issues that Gloribel has addressed in recent talks with the mothers…

In the majority of the communities we are working in, of the children who are in the program over 50% are underweight, to different degrees. So naturally, nutrition, hygiene and care of the children are topics of education, and have been, repeatedly in these communities for the last several years.

“Fresco”. It’s what they call pop, or soda here. And it seems to be what everyone, including children drink constantly. Breakfast, lunch and dinner for some children, and sometimes it even goes in the bottle. Besides the affect on teeth, the trouble with this for a family with already underweight kids is #1 it eats their appetite for nutritious food, and #2 it eats the money to provide the nutritious food.

This is one thing that I have noticed that is a challenge, the attitude towards, and habit of something seemingly as simple as this. I don’t really understand it, especially when it is the health of your children involved.
But then I guess in some ways I can…maybe it is similar to many of our attitudes towards things like Tim Horton's coffee, or TV, or cigarettes, or whatever things that we often enjoy, spend money on but are not really good for us to the extent that we enjoy it. But maybe the difference is that often we have that extra money… and to spend it doesn’t necessarily mean less of something needed for our families…

But I am beginning to become aware of other, bigger challenges faced by so many in our communities:

The brokenness of families…it seems it is this brokeness that is at the root of so many problems that drastically affect the children.

The number of parents that leave their children to go work and live elsewhere…be it another part of Honduras or (the majority)to the US. Many children are left in the care of grandparents or other relatives...they are in some sense abandoned, because often the child has been left since infancy and have not seen their parents since.

Single and young moms…14, 15, 16 year old moms is not uncommon in the communities and in our program…children with children.

Men abandoning or abusing their families… some of the situations that the kids and young girls in our program have been through or continue to live in is so awful…what is equally as awful is that in some of the cases the mothers are quite aware, but don’t/can't do anything.

These…challenges… are I think, in part, because of the normalcy, or commonness of it…and they don’t seem big…they are enormous to me at some moments. I guess this emphasizes to me the needs that are there, and also the need for what we are trying to work on with the moms of the communities...but it is also what discourages me too, at times. If something as simple as not buying “fresco” could help your children, but even the attitude towards that seems so difficult to change…what about the rest?

I came across this poem awhile ago, (fittingly, in a book on child malnutrition)
written by a man from Latin America…
To me, it speaks truth of the urgency of the child’s need, in many of these situations…

"the child's name is Today"

have you heard?

2008-10-22T17:24:00.000-07:00

i'm not sure if the news has yet reached Canada..or wherever you are reading this from...or if it ever will...so I thought I would petition your prayers for the many people in Honduras who have been affected by the flooding and landslides caused by the heavy raining that has been happening the last while. I believe the country has called itself in a state of emergency, because it is affecting pretty much the whole country. As of today there have been 21 people killed and others missing, and of course hundreds of thousands with homes damaged or destroyed (especially out in the small communities where so many houses are made of mud and sticks with dirt floors, i guess you could imagen what a flood would do there)...and it's still raining

Today Gloribel & I went out to one of the communities we work in, to assess damages and pass on the information to Tegucigalpa, for possible aid for them. It is in a low area beside the Chouteca River, so it's quite a mess, for alot of the people.

(above) there used to be walls around that door...

I'm no expert, but i think when a mud wall is half submerged in water, it loses some strength and in this case...falls

(above) one positive in this situation is that cardboard walls dry faster than mud...

here are some link to the news if you want to check it out further:

this is a few days old: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7681696.stm

and this is the national newspaper, in spanish, but there are pictures... http://www.elheraldo.hn

A few photos to add to the last post...

2008-10-20T15:29:00.000-07:00

Doña Rosita making the famous food...tortillas¡¡

The garden...

about 2 weeks ago now...

don;t laugh it this was after it was just planted

and now you can actually see green...

The kids I live with: Ricardo (the lion), Dani (the sun)

and Sareí (chica with sunglasses) --they were dressed for the parade

This is a special shout out to.....

Yep...Pizza Hut...why?

because for some strange reason they have wireless internet (the only place)...and they let me sit here only drinking iced tea for hours using and talking to my computer (Skype...i get a few strange looks from the true pizza eaters)

Yeah¡

Choluteca!

2008-10-06T18:13:00.000-07:00

Choluteca is a main city in the south of the country and it is where I will be calling home for the time that I am here in Honduras. To describe Choluteca in a word, that word would be…hot! And it is not even the hottest time of year yet…it is winter here! So the choices of weather we have now are this: swealtering or raining buckets until the dirty streets turn to rivers (literally). They say here when it rains… “cayendo el agua” which literally means falling water…and I think that is a very perfect description, it doesn’t just rain, water falls...alot of it in a short time!

I live with a family which consists of a couple with their 3 grandchildren who are cousins, aged 10, 8 and 4. Their parent(s) are working in the US, and they have all been living with grandma and grandpa since age 6month, 1 and 2 years.

I’ve been going out daily to all the communities that Diaconia works in, with Gloribel (who is the nurse who has been running the program) We have been to all except one of them now. We weigh the children, and some of the days Gloribel has done a “charla” which is a teaching on a particular subject. I have been doing a lot of observing and helping out with the weighing, and meeting the people in the communities.

The first day we arrived in a community called Laure, and I was greeted by the health leader with big hugs, kisses and smiles.. A very sweet and warm welcome from this lady who seemed to be expecting me, I was reminded of a person I know well with a similar personality…then she told me her name…Wilma!! Of course it is!!! ☺

Hmm maybe I’ll just summarize with numbers:
# of weeks in Choluteca: 3
# of times our house has flooded – 3
# of friends I’ve made – 2 (maybe 3)
# of communities visited – 10
# of parades I’ve been in or watched - 2
# of meals including tortillas – all
# of whole lobsters given to me as a parting snack – 1
# of ant bites on my ankles – 50+
level of annoyance with guys that hiss (scale of 1-10) – 11

Maybe I should just explain the ant bites, I think the rest speaks for itself. I decided to make a garden, since there is a lot of space in the yard of the house and vegetables are something not regularly included in the meals at our house. I went out the first morning full of enthusiasm, in my shorts and sandles to start clearing the area of a mountain of sticks, rotting things and garbage. I was very shortly sent back to the house for socks and shoes..by the ants. So I persisted that day, but ants are vicious and bit through my socks. That night my socks left indents in my swollen ankles. SO I decided that rubber boots would be the answer to my problems with the ants. So I bought boots and with full confidence in how I had outsmarted the ants I marched back out to the garden in my boots, socks and shorts… I was again sent back to the house by the ants crawling up and into my boots. Last try, jeans tucked into a pair of dad’s socks (which I found in a compartment of the suitcase I borrowed from you) and my boots.

Success!

Now if it would only stop raining for long enough that I could actually plant the garden ☺

Ok well I suppose that is enough really interesting stories for one day!

note

2008-09-18T13:41:00.000-07:00

just a quick note to say pretend your reading the last post about a week and a half ago because that´s when it was written, it just took a bit of techinical coordination to get it posted.
That´s all!
Enjoy :)

2008-09-18T10:45:00.000-07:00

Santa Lucia
Well I guess it’s about time I wrote something on this new blog of mine, especially since I gave out the address on all my newsletters which have gone out and there is a link to it from Matt & Katie’s blog. (fellow CRWRC staff volunteering for the next year in another part of Honduras)
I have been in Honduras now about 3 weeks, in language training in Santa Lucia. This is a small little town outside Teguciagalpa about 45 minutes. It is very beautiful, hilly with stone roads weaving up and down and around…a little like a maze at first. I am staying with a family here…when I say family I mean extended family as there are about 4 generations and various other non-family (but family) in this house most of the time! So it’s at times busy, crowded, noisy…and good! I am enjoying it!

The spanish learning is also coming along! I had classes Monday – Saturday in the mornings. Some days I feel like I can speak Spanish and other moments I feel like I really don’t understand much of what is going on in the conversations around me and the words just won’t come out of my mouth properly or in the right order. My teacher does think I’m doing just wonderfully..she’s a good teacher.

Last week I did a “charla” (which is like a little teaching on a particular subject) in the health center of Santa Lucia. My teacher thought it would be a good practice and Doña Rosita (the mom of the family I stay with) is the nurse at the center, so we were able to do it. She suggested the topic and also helped me out when came time to present.

I am leaving Santa Lucia on Monday and hopefully Tuesday we will head down to Choluteca. I am really looking forward to arriving at the place where I will make my home for the next two years, so I can actually settle in…that sort of thing.

OK well that’s all for now I think! Take care all and thanks for reading