Wrapping Up – Day Seven; from Bruce Weise

We started our day with a guided tour (en ingles) of the National Identity Museum in downtown Tegucigalpa.  It is devoted to the acquisition, investigation, conservation and divulging of historical material about the humans that have populated Honduras.  The permanent exhibits trace the history of Honduras from its geological formation to the present, including native population, Spanish colonization, history of the Roman Catholic Church and politics and governance from its independence in 1838.

 

Our guide, Ariel was unexpectedly open and candid about the historical challenges and current governance problems in Honduras, which we very much appreciated.

 

The museum also has short-term exhibits of art.  It is located across a plaza from the National Gallery of Art.  We were all intrigued by the lampshades that hung over the plaza.

 

After our museum visit we got a flavor of downtown Tegucigalpa as Erika Skafel, the Coordinator of North American Relations for El Hogar, drove us to a lite-fare-style restaurant where we treated her to lunch.

Back at the volunteer house afterwards, we began the process of tidying up for our departure tomorrow.  After dinner, we had our last night of free time with all of the children.  We played soccer, frisbee and catch, and we colored and made bracelets before saying “buenas noches” on our last night.

 

On the Road Again! – Day Six, from Kay Krisulewicz

Like yesterday, we ventured off the main campus, this time to the Farm School.  Unfortunately for us it was a long ride to the school but it was beautiful!  When we first got to the Farm School we were only there long enough for a bathroom break and to pick up our “tour guide”, Avram.  Then we were off to visit the home of one of the students, Jonathan.

Jonathan told us that he has 3 brothers and sisters.  We made a quick stop in the town (Talanga) to buy some food for the family.  The small road up to his house was bumpy but we got to see amazing houses.  When we got to his house we saw he had a beautiful 3-year-old sister and a 1-month-old kitten named Butterfly (Mariposa).   We talked to his mother and found out that they built the house themselves.

At the end of our visit Jonathan’s uncle and his family arrived.  We asked for a picture of the family and then we were on our way, but not before Jonathan gave his mother a kiss on the cheek.

 

 

Once we got back to the farm school we had a delicious lunch.  Then, we had a tour of the school.  We had a chance to say hello to the students in their classrooms, who all stood up and clapped for us when we came in.

We saw chickens that were used for eggs, and chickens who were used for meat.  The meat chickens would only live up to 6 weeks.  We saw chicks who were 3 weeks old and some who were only 3 days old.

Then we saw the pigs.  The piglets were feeding off their moms.  There was only one male pig that was used for breeding, and he was pretty big!  Then we saw some calves.  One thought that Pastor Barbara was yummy!

After that, we headed back to El Hogar.  On the way we saw a stand that had gorgeous figurines and other doo-dads.  The trip back was even longer because of the traffic.  We had dinner and then we were off to play with the 12 to 15-year-old boys.  We played soccer and frisbee, colored and made bracelets.  Unfortunately it ended too quickly though, but another day in the books!

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Road Trip!! Day Five, from Marlene Krokowski

It’s hard to believe we are already halfway through the week!  It was another beautiful day in Honduras albeit a little rainy.  Today we broke from our service project of the previous two days in order to visit the technical school.  The Technical School is for boys who have graduated from El Hogar, and it has also been opened up to eligible boys in the surrounding community to attend.  Here the boys learn a special trade be it welding, carpentry, or electrical proficiency.  It was so wonderful to walk the grounds where many of the boys’ metal and wood handiwork was displayed.

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Before we broke for lunch we had the special opportunity to do a home visit with Angel and his family.  We were able to purchase some food staples at the local “pulperia” which Angel proudly carried into his home.  We met both his father and grandmother whom you could tell were already so incredibly proud of his accomplishments, with all of his diplomas prominently displayed in their main room.  It was truly an honor to share this experience with Angel and his family.

After lunch we then drove to Villa Olimpica which is used by the Honduran athletes to train but also serves as a great resource for the children to participate in sports.  Today they were trying their hand at ping pong and many of us joined in the fun, too.

Upon arriving back at El Hogar we had the fun opportunity to play with the boys ages 8-12 years old.  With balls and frisbees flying they sure did keep us on our toes!  The night ended with a sweet treat for the kids as we handed out ice pops.  The look of joy and thankfulness on the kids’ faces was the perfect way to end the evening.

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Once again all of these experiences have served to open our minds and hearts to the joy and pervasiveness of God’s presence.  I can’t wait to share another day with these amazing children!

Love Always Wins; Day Four, from Mary Ellen Lederer

Today was another work day for us.  We were supposed to finish painting the third grade classroom and sand the art room floor.  Bruce and Kay did the sanding; back breaking work, I might add, while the rest of us painted.  Phyllis and Barbara teamed up to do the ceiling, very exhausting and tedious painting, while the dynamic mother and daughter team….Mary Kay and Marlene….tackled the walls.  I decided to finish painting a cabinet with a set of attached cubbies that we had started yesterday.  I also was asked to paint two shelves in the second grade classroom which we had finished yesterday and was already back in use today!

While it was tiring and dirty work, we were encouraged and helped by children who stopped by to tell us how beautiful the classroom looked.  Some of the third graders were so excited to see how beautiful the classroom looked that they asked if they would be able to be in it by tomorrow.  One of the children helped us clean our brushes.  Outside of the classroom we were entertained by the boys playing soccer and shouting “goooooaaaaalllll!!!” very loudly each time they scored.

It also struck me as I walked back and forth across the courtyard how many children approached me and gave me hugs.  I never stop being amazed by the openness of the children’s hearts and their willingness to show affection even after experiencing very difficult circumstances or tragedies at home.

After a delicious dinner of what Pastor Barbara described as a Honduran version of pizza; fried tacos with beans topped with cheese, we played with the girls in the auditorium.  Before we entered the auditorium, however, Dona Claudia approached me and asked me to invite a boy to join us who had just come to El Hogar this week.  His name was Josue, and he was crying because he was grieving the loss of not being able to take care of his grandmother.  Initially he refused my invitation, but miraculously he returned and asked to color with his sisters.  He introduced me to his sisters, and as time went on he seemed to relax and even smiled!  Pastor Barbara was sitting next to me and I saw that God is working miracles for this boy tonight.  Josue was just beginning to discover the love and comfort of El Hogar.

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And There Was Morning, and There Was Evening…The Third Day; from Mary Kay Krokowski

Today was a mix of work and play.  We began the day at morning devotions where the children line up by grade level and listen to stories of Christ’s love for them.  They are told of the expectations of their place in the school and how to treat each other.

They were told that 5 new children were arriving, siblings under the age of 13, and reminded to welcome them and to remember their first days in this new school and home.

We also met Dona Claudia, Director of the Elementary Program.

The rest of the morning and all afternoon was spent painting classrooms vivid greens and blues.  Kay and Bruce chose a different, more grueling project of sanding the floor in the art room.

This evening, a wonderful meal of quesadillas with fresh salsa was followed by some raucous games with the 5-9 year-old boys until they were called to bed.  A wonderful day with St. Matthew’s friends and many hugs from smiling little imps!

¡Gracias a Dios por este Dia! – Day Two; from Barbara Briggs

The sun was up at 5:00 AM.  Mistaking the time on my phone to be true, I got up too, thinking it was 7:00, and went to make coffee in anticipation of heading up to the students’ cafeteria for breakfast at 8:00.  What resulted was a deliciously long, quiet morning with pancakes for breakfast later…..three hours later.

After breakfast and some time to get organized for a day’s outing, we headed to church at St. Mary’s, followed by a stop at a fried chicken place where we purchased enough chicken for the girls’ school in St. Lucia.

The celebration at St. Mary’s was genuinely joyful.  If you could sing it, we did!  A band played from the balcony.  I think you could hear us at least four blocks away in every direction.  An hour and forty-five minutes later we emerged, smiles on our faces.

Lunch with the students was relaxing – we needed some relaxation after navigating the steep and winding, narrow roads of St. Lucia.  Three new students received the gifts made by the loving hands and much hard work of St. Matthew’s parishioners.  Each girl gratefully displayed her quilt as Phyllis chronicled the moment in photos.

The rest of the afternoon we spent making bracelets with the girls, and talking about who had a boyfriend and who was the most popular.  All this from the porch of their house, below which stretched a stunning view of the valleys and hills so prevalent here.

¡Gracias a Dios por este Dia!

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Joyfully Exhausted – Day One Comes to a Close

Welcome to Honduras, and making some new friends!! Tired from a long day of travel, but these smiles and this infectious joy give us our second wind….the breath of the Holy Spirit!  

 

    

 

 

 

Preparing to leave

The team met at St. Matthew’s at 2:00 AM to drive to the airport for their early morning flight.

Carrying

Today, following the home visit, and our adventure to the park and pool with the children, we joined them in the auditorium for a presentation unlike any other. We shuffled our way into the only unoccupied corner of the auditorium and were suddenly graced by the company of not only three Supermen, but numerous Batmen, Wonder Women, Cat Women, y autres.

Every two weeks the kids are given a special gift on Friday. This week their gift was a presentation from a local youth group that put on a play depicting numerous fictional super heroes, as well as the real superhero himself: Jesus. It was an incredibly interesting and entertaining program and the kids were a wonderful audience. After stumbling our way through the youth group’s closing Spanish prayers it was our turn to provide the entertainment. We spent a few moments gazing at our sneakers while the PA was adjusted and eventually began our song: La Montaña, a Spanish hymn that recounts Jesu stelling his disciple sthat if they had the faith teh size of a mustard seed they could tell a mountain to move, and said mountain would move.

Although we were at first concerned as to whether we were suited to follow the youth group’s performance, the song went quite well. The room was filled with clapping and singing from both ourselves and the students. Finally, it was time to say our goodbyes. The students were then given an opportunity to address the group. They offered many kind words and Mary Ellen and Mark offered our gratitude for the incredible experiences of the past week. The ocassion was joyful and celebratory, yet tinged with subtle melancholy as we took our departing pictures with the children. It was a fitting end to week filled with moments of both pure joy and thoughful reflection. Tomorrow we leave for our own homes in New Jersey carrying a piece of El Hogar in each of our hearts.

El Hogar es amor. El Hogar es esparanza.

LAST DAY; END OF THE LINE

This morning we visited the home of one of the El Hogar boys and met his mother and his two year old and one year old sisters. His father abandoned the family and his mother is now living with his stepfather. The house is located outside of the city up in the hills in an area that is experiencing new construction but this house is old construction. It consistes of two rooms with a sleeping room and common room. The common room is also the cooking room with a homemade woodburning clay oven.  Floors are hardened earth, there is no plumbing, running water or electricity.  The house is constructed out of corregated metal, heavy tree limbs and some milled wood and overall measures about twenty feet by fifteen feet. Although house is surrounded by a menagerie of tires, a few vehicle bodies and a variety of contstuction materials which we had to walk around the interior of the house is very orderly.

 

 

In the afternoon we accompanied the girls and boys on a treat which occurs about every two years. The treat we are told is funded by monetary gifts at Christmas. The treat was a day at a private park which included swimming pools, playground equipment, a petting zoo and caged zoo animals, bicycles and of course fields for soccer in which the USA v Honduras series was continued. Many of the girls and boys were experiencing many firsts in their lives….swimming pools, swings, see saws, riding a bike, zoo animals and open green space to just run around.  The joy on their faces defies description!

Road Trip!

Today we got to visit the farm school where some of the boys can go when they graduate from El Hogar.  It is a giant area of land, about 180 acres that has dorms as well as many pens full of chickens, cows, and pigs.  We got to see the one week old piglets or “cerditos” and apparently today was chicken killing day, which we thankfully didn´t have to witness.  Many of the boys were on their spring break so we didn´t really get to see them or their day to day activities, but we did get a great tour of everything.

After we visited the school we drove up through the mountains towards a restaurant.  The drive itself was very long and much of it was on a bumpy, windy road.  Just imagine 16 people crammed into a van bouncing around as we drove around the mountains and valleys.  While some of us needed to stick our heads out the window to ignore the car sickness, we were all still able to enjoy the spectacular view that completely surrounded us.  We definitely looked like a bunch of tourists snapping away trying to get a decent picture of everything.  Even the best pictures didn’t do the real thing justice. One thing that never fails to captivate me is all of the foreign surroundings.  Anywhere I am, I can just look up and see the green mountains touching the clouds encasing everything.  Not to mention there are houses scattered all up the mountainsides, just small dots of color.  We finally made it to the restaurant all in one piece, except I didn´t know if the van was going to last that long.  I have definitely had my full of driving for a long time.

-Naomi

The only thing getting us through the windy and long car ride to the restaurant, besides the amazing views, was the great food we knew we were about to devour.  We started out with an appetizer called anafres, which consisted of refried beans and quesillo, which is a Honduran cheese.  They were served with tortilla chips to dip in the anafres.  Each plate was served with avocado, quesillo, and refried beans.  We had group platters of chicken and steak to put on our plates.  It was muy bien! I can’t wait to go back and enjoy another delicious meal. It was a great experience!!!

-Sarah

USA vs HONDURAS

Today, we spent time after dinner with the oldest group of boys at El Hogar. Instead of playing card games, making bracelets, and coloring, we decided the older boys would enjoy playing soccer more. This was the second time that we have taken on the Hondurans in soccer, however it was the first time that we played the older, more experienced boys. This was the most heated soccer match we have played because the older boys knew of a recent “futbol” match in which the US national team defeated the Honduran national team. They were out for revenge.

We started off by getting very lucky and scoring 3 goals before the students scored any. However, our star goalie, Mark, left the game and the kids managed to score two goals. When the ball was near the goal we were defending, things got a little chaotic.  While Naomi was a solid wall on defense for most of the game, she accidentally got a hand ball.  There were only about ten minutes left to play, so this was a crucial kick for the Hondurans. They chose their best player, Jose, to take the kick, and fortunately for us, he missed the tiny goal. We scrambled to defend against the kids for the last few minutes and with only 2 minutes left, a boy named Wilfredo scored the tying goal. The boys were ecstatic and ran in circles celebrating. In the end, we tied the game 3-3. We hope to have a rematch tommorow to decide the true winners.

Instituto Tecnico Santa Maria

Today we visited the technical school, which is a school for boys once they graduate from El Hogar. It was a quiet visit as most of the boys were on “spring break.” We were met by the remaining few boys in the computer lab, where we got a chance to talk to Cristian and Lazaro. Cristian is a student at Santa Maria who is sponsored by the Inman family. Lazaro is the executive director of the El Hogar Projects–he cared for the first five boys that El Hogar took in 35 years ago and grew up an orphan himself. We recieved a beautiful tour of the campus (classrooms, dorms, chapels…etc.) from Raul and headed back to El Hogar just in time for lunch. The rest of the day was filled with games and ice pops with the kids. It was great to get to see familiar faces from past trips and catch up with the boys at Santa Maria.

 

 

The Fourth Day

Lining Up

Hi-flying jump rope

And the painting continues…

We continued the painting bright and early this morning.  It is amazing what a little bit of paint can do to spruce up the building.  Today we also painted some of the plant boxes, and trimmed them in “El Hogar Blue”.  A few of us ventured out to Walmart to get some additional supplies, including soccer balls which get a good workout here, and “marbelos” which always seem to disappear!  Hmmm.  Those of us who went shopping thought we were done painting.  Evidently the team is very talented at painting, so more to come tomorrow…

Early evening we had the opportunity to give the upper school girls, who now reside in the El Hogar home in Santa Lucia, their quilts.  During our last trip in 2013 we gave the  first six girls quilts.  For these girls, this is one of their only personal posessions they have.   Father Matt explained the significance of a quilt in the American tradition, and stressed that this is something they should cherish and hand down from generation to generation.  From the smiles on the girls faces, we know that they appreciate the gift they have received.  In fact, Marta, one of the girls who received a quilt in 2013, takes it with her wherever she goes.   Imagine our surprise last December when Father Matt told us there were 18 girls now in the upper school!  That is a lot of sewing.  We were blessed by members in the community outside the parish who also participated in making the quilts, including Turtle Creek Quilters Guild, and many other generous quilters found through Pennington Quilt Works.  They supplemented the good work that began in 2013 and has continued by members of St. Matthew’s and the Logos youth group.  It is great to see support for El Hogar extend from the greater community.  We presented 15 quilts today, 11 girls currently studying in Santa Lucia, and four who will graduate from the lower school in November.

Since the school at Santa Lucia is on break, we have been able to spend more time with the older girls.  This evening we played Uno, and made tons of bracelets and hair wraps.  What a fun way to end another wonderful day in El Hogar.

Many Hands Make Light Work

Today we began the day with an assembly at the elementary school.  We were struck by the school´s efforts to instill national pride in the students by starting the assembly with the pledge of allegiance and the singing the national anthem of  Honduras.  Many of the youngest children already knew the words to the national anthem singing joyfully and proudly.  We also watched with the children a beautiful video describing the history and the origens of the wide variety of peoples and cultures who live in Honduras including the native tribes, the Spanish colonizers , and most recently the newest immigrants including Palestinians and the Chinese.The video also highlighted the incredible natural beauty of Honduras with striking photos of the mountains, the coast, the colonial towns as well as the major cities.

After the assembly, we got ready to begin our first work project, painting the exterior of the cafeteria and some benches behind the cafeteria.  Truly many hands make light work!  Most of the buildings are concrete and cinderblock, and are painted in bright and lively colors. The sun was shining, beautiful puffy clouds were overhead and we were happy to be doing a project outdoors.  Supper was early tonight as we were invited to join the children watching  Honduras play Haiti in the gold cup soccer match.  Too bad for Honduras! After supper we had more time to play with the children. It was nice to have a smaller group, just the 5-8 year olds. Boy, they love to play UNO, make string bracelets and color in coloring books!

Rush to Color

Second Day at El Hogar

Today we got to spend a good portion of the day just spending time with the kids at El Hogar. These were always my favorite parts of the week on my last trip and continue to be so. El Hogar kids are distinct in their absolute openness and friendliness to complete strangers. They invite us into their lives without hesitation and find immense pleasure in moments that many of us would take for granted. I got to spend most of the day with a girl named Raina and whether we were playing cards, basketball, or just walking around, her playful smile never left her face, even when she was chastising a younger boy for cheating at UNO, which is quite a common occurence and was rightly deserved. I am incredibly grateful to be back on this campus and to be immersed once again in this unique atmosphere where the generosity and sincerity of this institution is palpable.