Puerto Lempira

So far this week has been chock full of activities. We’ve spent several mornings working in the garden at Mama Tara’s – weeding, planting, and watering. Overnight we can see the progress of the plants; it really is amazing what a little TLC can do for them. In the garden there is a mixture of yucca, watermelon, beans, pineapple, and corn. Our poor hands were pretty much toast after a few days of hard labor in the garden – we kind of felt like city pansies. But working in a garden is so rewarding because you can actually see your progress from overgrown jungle, to weeded and clear vegetable garden.

We’ve been to Mama Tara’s a couple times in the afternoon too, to spend time bonding with the kids and to help them with their Spanish reading. It’s amazing, many of them still cannot read in Spanish; the education system here is very lacking, and without self-motivation, most children here do not get a very solid education unless they travel elsewhere to study. The home is not well taken care of, because the kids there don’t seem to have any concept of caring for nice things. There is not very good discipline there, and many of the kids don’t seem to want to help or do anything constructive with their time. It is a challenge to do so much work somewhere(Alex and Laura have told us that countless dollars have been poured into the place, but only to have the building regress to it’s current state), and have the recipients seem so… ungrateful? I’m not sure that’s the right sentiment. What the home really needs is someone there 24/7 to make sure the kids go to school, the house stays clean and livable, and discipline. The struggle is that Mama Tara is so respected that no one dares to cross her, but she will not allow any of the kids to be strictly disciplined. It’s tough when you feel like your work is not appreciated. It can be hurtful when you feel like the kids don’t love you back. James 1:27 “…look after orphans and widows in their distress…” and it’s good to remember that it says nothing about grateful and loving orphans and widows. This is the first time on my trip that I’ve really encountered - apathetic? Ungrateful? Careless? - None of these words seem to match these children at Mama Tara’s. They are beautiful, wary, and skeptical but they don’t take very good care of their things. It’s hard to feel like no one cares about your work – I’m not sure how to do anything more than to love them. And maybe that’s all I’m supposed to do.  

The Final Weeks and Puerto Lempira

Teaching Misael and Axel how to play Mancala

SO sorry it's taken me so long to do another blog post! yikes. The few days we spent in San Pedro Sula before we flew here to Puerto Lempira were spent doing more ministry stuff with Shari and Terry and heading to Widow's Mite and Hogar Esperanza for the last time this trip :-( It was so so difficult to say goodbye to the kids; the only thing keeping me going was the hope of a return in October after my seasonal job at the lodge ends.

Terry and Philip @ Casitas

Casitas

With Shari and Terry - Mary, Philip, and I were able to go to Casitas for the first time. Casitas is a public girls orphanage. Many of the girls there have babies, are pregnant, or are mentally disabled. The conditions are not good there, and it was tough to see. Morale seems very low on the whole; but we did some worship with them, a trivia game with prizes, and gave out cookies and juice. The girls loved talking to us and we had a beautiful time with them. After we left, Philip and I had a lot to think about in terms of how our lives point to Honduras and what our Honduran ministry will entail. We are not sure exactly how; but we are opening up our lives to God's will and we want to follow his calling - and right now, it looks like Honduras is going to play some role in our future.


PUERTO LEMPIRA, GRACIAS A DIOS, LA MOSQUITIA, HONDURAS

Well, it's official, our last Honduran adventure (this trip) has begun. We left San Pedro Sula in the wee hours of my birthday morning (April 25th) by bus to La Ceiba. We arrived in La Ceiba at a little before 10 in the morning and headed straight to the airport for our 1:30 flight. We checked in, got a coffee, and settled in for a little chill time before our flight - two hours later, the desk attendant walked over, "Katie?" "Sí" "Perdon, pero no hay una vuelta a Puerto Lempira hoy." WHAT?? Apparently Mary and I were the only people scheduled to be on the flight that day (weird) and so they cancelled it. We had to find a hotel and stay overnight to catch the 6:15 flight the next morning. Well, waking up at 4 am two days in a row was no cake walk, but we did it a-okay!  We got to Puerto Lempira at about 7:45 in the morning after a beautiful flight over the rainforest and savannah on a 16 passenger plane. We landed on a dirt runway and as we were landing, I could see Laura Waits (mama of the missionary family that Mary and I are staying with) waving to me. And she was right there when we got off the plane! haha - super weird experience for me. Not to mention, our luggage was on the back seat of the plane and if I had stuck my legs straight out, I could have kicked the pilot's chair. Well, after we got our luggage loaded into the little Yamaha Rhino that the Waits family drives, I thought "THIS is Honduras. - This is what people think when I tell them I have come to do mission work in a third world country. This is way past nowhere. Its the end of the line." But let me tell you, it's beautiful. The lagoon is lovely, and there is a nice breeze that comes off the water that keeps everywhere pretty cool.

Walking the House of Hope kids to the lagoon for swimming

Garden at Mama Tara

We are working with three homes here: House of Hope, Mama Tara, and Alastero. We have gotten to do some pretty cool stuff in our few days here so far. On Thursday we went to House of Hope to help clean out the dental office there - apparently HoH was founded by a dentist and he comes a couple times a year to do a dental clinic in his office here. But between visits, the office gets a little dusty - so Mary, Arlee (the Waits' daughter), and I cleaned house! Then that afternoon we went to see Mama Tara. Mama Tara is 85 years old (her birthday was the 27th of April) and she runs the orphanage and has for the last 50 years. She has a big heart and the principle of the home is very Miskito (indigenous group that lives in Puerto Lempira) culture based. i.e. free roaming, outhouse using, fire cooking culture. But sadly the house is in disarray, and things keep getting stolen or sold. Mary and I hope to help the Waits family do some serious work repairing their vegetable garden, and we will also be helping Ebety (the teacher there) work with the children on their Spanish reading. Everyone here speaks Spanish as a second language - their first language is Miskito. We got to take some of the kids from House of Hope swimming in the lagoon yesterday and today we helped Laura with the English school for the older Alastero kids.

So far we LOVE Puerto Lempira. LOVE. It is beautiful, remote, exotic, and there is a lot to be done here. And we intend to soak up every minute of this wonder that we can before we go back to San Pedro and then to the states.

Catch-up, Ketchup, Catsup

Sooo, I have been a teensy bit busy these past few weeks and have been completely slacking on the blog-front. Sorry folks. My last post was about our first few Easter activities/egg hunts. Well, on Tuesday of Semana Santa (yes, it WAS the hottest week ever), Kim arrived!!!! YAYAYAYAYAY! I was so super happy to see her face in Honduras and I think she was happy to be here too. On Thursday, we went to Hogar Esperanza and had a big egg party and egg hunt with the kids there. So. Much. Fun. Those kids are darling and they just went crazy for the eggs and prizes inside the eggs. It was Kim's first experience with kids in homes, and it was certainly a fun way to be introduced to Honduras's beautiful children.

On Friday, Philip arrived!!!!!!! And then I offici

ally had a posse in Honduras. It was amazing. Three of my favorite people in the world in one place - it was fantastic. I was on cloud nine all day - we ended the

day with an Easter party at our house for the neighborhood/church kids. Easter Sunday was just as it should be, our whole family together eating and playing. One of the couples from church hosted us at their beautiful home and we spent the afternoon eating chicken, sitting in the garden, and playing in their fountain. It was afantastic Easter; maybe even the best ever. After Easter, Mary and I took a week or so to take our friends on mini vacays...

Monday the four of us (Mary, Me, Kim, and Philip) headed out on a grand adventure to Copan Ruinas. Copan is home to some fantastically beautiful Mayan ruins. We also got to see some rad tropical birds there- and hold them. I'm kind of a huge fan of ruins, and Mayans, and so pretty much I was happy as a clam our whole trip there. Oh yeah, and then there is that teeny thing of I GOT ENGAGED ON TOP OF THE TALLEST MAYAN RUIN. No big deal. Mayan ruins. Grandmother's ring. Love of my life. Honduras. Pretty much awesome. Mary and Kim got to be there, and my happiness was complete.

Okay okay, I know I just dropped a huge bomb on you - so take a minute to recover.

Alrighty! So once we got back from Copan, we had to rush Kim to the airport to go home :-( :-( :-( I absolutely could not believe that her 8 days were up! It went by so fast, and we were all sad to see her go. I hope Honduras took hold of a little piece of her heart and that she will remember this trip forever. We had one full day after we got back and then Mary, Philip, and I headed out to Los Naranjos which is a little village just past Peña Blanca that houses a gringo friendly brewery/hostel that provides beer, rest, and tons of info on really cool stuff to see and do in the area. We stayed there for two nights and rowed on the lake (much harder than it

sounds), hiked most of the way to the summit of the Santa Barbara mountain (second tallest in the country - we got to 2,333 meters which is about 7650 feet and the summit is 2744meters), andwent behind Pulhapanzak water fall. Amazing. All of it. What an adventure I am on here!

When we got back, we left almost immediately to come stay with Shari and Terry since the Garcias were heading out to the States! (We miss you guys terribly already) And we have just jumped right in here with Shari and Terry into their intense ministry. It's somewhat of a shock to go from happy vacation time to feeding drug addicts and prostitutes mac and cheese for lunch. It was Philip's first "real ministry" day and it was hard. It is super rewarding and beautiful work, but it is all really really real. Just real and dirty and messy. The kids were adorable as ever, and Mary, Philip and I did a little lesson teaching the bible verse, "Todo lo puedo en Cristo que me fortalece" Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." And let the kids illustrate. It was so fun and we all felt as if there weren't

enough laps or arms to go around to love on those kids.

We are wiped out physically, emotionally, and our hearts are full for those who we met today and will continue to meet. We are so naive, but as our eyes are opened how do we keep from becoming overwhelmed? How can we not be completely burdened by the sadness and horror that exists right beside us? What can we do to comfort, to help, to change without sinking into depression? Today I shook the hands of drug addicts, prostitutes, molested children, and worked alongside those in rehab. I don't know how to find a happy medium between caring, and knowing, and staying happy myself. I want happiness for myself; and I feel like that's okay to want. But I want to help the world. Why is it so difficult for me to remember that God is in control? I must leave it to him to heal the hurt in these people, and take care of them. All I can do is love them.

EGGStravaganza and The Ache

I have been in Honduras almost 8 weeks. That blows my mind. Just over 4 weeks left. Talk about WHOOSH. I have seen and done so much, andmuch more to come.

It is Semana Santa here (Holy Week) and we are filling it with Easter activities for the homes. Saturday we went to Mission Miqueas to do an egg hunt there - it was so great to see the kids,

and watch their eyes light up when they pulled silly bands, giant rings, stickers, and toys from their eggs.We also did Resurrection Eggs with them - They are a set of special Easter eggs that have little objects in them that act as symbols for the story of Christ's crucifixion and resurrection.

Today, we went to Shari and Terry's again to work with the kids there. Their ministry is beautiful - they run

a soup kitchen for the homeless/street people in the center of the city. They also work very closely with Casitas and Eden, two of the public orphanages. On Mondays and Thursdays they have a meal and worship time for the people, and during worship, the kids go to the third floor and have songs, games, and a lesson. Today, Jorge, Mary, and I went to do the lesson/activity with the kids. We did the Resurrection Eggs and two relay races with eggs and spoons (because there was no room for a hunt), and then e

ach kid got to open 5 eggs and keep their little regalitos. It was crazy. Nuts, even. Kids were jumping, yelling, screaming, sneaking, and shoving - but most of all, they were laughing and hearing the story of Jesus. I haven't been so overwhelmed in a very long time - I was hot, I was frustrated, I was hoarse, I was sweaty, I was pulling kids off of each other, off of myself - but none of it mattered really.

Because it was just plain worth the moments that the kids were having a blast, and opening their toys, and winning the race, and leaping to share their answers about Christ. I have only seen these kids twice in my life, but I love them so deeply already that it hurts.

When we got in the car, I cried. I cried for those kids in there. It's hard to see the adults - dirty and rough and thin and strung out. But for me, it's harder to be with the kids. What will become of them? What about their lives? They work on the streets for money for their parents, they raise their siblings, they fight for their safety, what safety?? What about their futures? At the homes, like Mission Miqueas and Hogar Esperanza and Widow's Mite, I cry for the children's pasts and the terrible things that befell them before; but at Shari and Terry's I cry for the children's futures. The kids in the homes have a shot, they have a bright future. They are receiving great educations, and getting to do sports, and eating three square nutritional meals a day. But the street kids? Where will they go?

I need to remember that this world is not our home. What really matters is that they know Jesus, and love Him. But my heart aches for "the least of these." I love them, and my heart is broken.

April, Full House Style

It has been wonderful to be back "home" in San Pedro. I had really missed the family [I feel like they are mine now :-) ] and the kids from Hogar Esperanza and Widow's Mite. It has been H-O-T here the past few days - we are talkin 98 degrees, feels like 110, completely humid, sticky HOT. It's amazing how the heat can really sap your energy when you aren't used to it! Everyone was right when they said "this is nothin'" when I talked about how hot it was when I arrived. Interestingly, all the locals say that the first week in April is the hottest of the year. Go figure. Jorge says that it is actually just the first real hot of summer then, and it just stays that hot until, like, September. Woah.

ANYWAY.

Big News! I am having visitors!! YAY!

Kim Martiniuk, my partner in crime since age 4, is coming down on April 3rd for a week; and Philip Howard, my fantastic boyfriend, is coming on April 6th for two weeks! Can we talk about how excited I am for just a second????

ALKJGOIWNIAKNSGUIWHENJF BGNIJIALK!!!!!!

okay. Thanks.

Kim will get to experience (aside from the "hottest week of the year") all of the Easter festivities of Semana Santa! The week before Easter, we are going to all the orphanages in San Pedro to do egg hunts and other games.

And Philip will be arriving the day of our Easter party here at the house for all the kids at church! We are going to be cramming as much "Honduras/ROOM experience" in as possible while they are here. Then on the 16th the Garcias are headed to the States to speak to some churches and do some fund raising, and Mary, Philip, and I are going to Sherry and Terry's for a few days (Sherry and Terry have a soup kitchen/street ministry and they attend our church). Then Mary and I are off to Puerta Limpira for two weeks, then back to the States! WHOOSH. That is time flying at its best.

I can hardly believe how fast it's going and how fast it will go, until May. But what adventures I have waiting on me in the next few weeks! And what beautiful ones I have been blessed with thus far!

Cardboard Casas

It's hard to believe that Mary and I have been at Mission Miqueas well over a week! For the past few days we have been working on serious organization projects in the staff house. Melody and Jacob (the house parents) have been in the States since Tuesday, and left us the option to get some organizing done in the house. The children's home takes in hundreds of donations constantly, of anything and everything. Keeping it all in order is a serious challenge, and Lauren, Mary, and I were the women for the job! We went through boxes and boxes of donations, refolded clothes, andrelabeled bins of odds and ends and necessities.When we were finished (yay!) we had lots of trash - among the trash, several empty cardboard boxes. And what is better to a bunch of kids than approximately 10 empty cardboard boxes of various sizes?? NOTHING. These kids had a Ball with these hollow cardboard cajas - they were casas, carros, hideouts, wagons, tunnels, tables, chairs, and so much more. It is so great to see kids actually PLAY; the children here romp in the yard, fall down hard, and run all over.

It has been so incredible to start forming bonds with these kids - they all have distinct personalities and some of them are just so stinkin' adorable, I can hardly stand it.

There is Sandie (the tías call her Sandía - which means watermelon) who was the first child to plop herself in my lap at the home, and ask me a million questions. She is incredibly smart, precocious, and sneaky - and three years old. Lauren told me that she has been known to talk all the older boys into giving her their blocks, because she would be sure to do something great with them, and they could be allowed to watch if they just handed them over.

There are Wilma and Jesler, aka Ebony and Ivory (for obvious reasons): They are BEST friends, and they have funny personalities. Wilma is also frequently called princesa because she does NOT like being

put down ever, for any reason, except food. And Jesler, is simply adorable - tiny, quiet, and blonde, he is all smiles. I have never seen him throw a fit; he tries - he will scowl and act like he's gonna cry, but then something trips his trigger and he is smilin' again.

Jefferson (Jeffers) is the class clown. He is ALL boy, and ALL personality. He is incredibly sneaky and reckless. Today, he was playing with Isaac and Douglas two much older boys, and for no reason at all he kicked Isaac in the head and turned and high tailed it the other direction before Isaac even knew what hit him (literally). He is also incredibly sweet. At a soccer game on Sunday, he walked over to a player sitting on the sideline (that he did not know), and sat right in his lap. He will tell me "te amo" and give me kisses whenever I ask (and when I'm lucky, when I don't).

ALL of these kids have changed my life. I love them more than I can say. I am so blessed by them - Somedays it is hard for me to believe that I am in Honduras, and that I won't see them everyday for always.

More Miqueas

It has been raining here for almost 36 hours. It is my first serious rain experience in Honduras. Here at Mission Miqueas we are technically in a village outside of the town, El Progreso. Being in a village makes us susceptible to shoddy electricity in the rain. Our power was out all night the night before last, and last night from about 7 until 11pm. Aside from this inconvenience, when it rains here .... it is GLORIOUS. It's cool and refreshing outside - practically the perfect temperature; an awesome break from the 100+ degree weather we were having before this rain.

The day before the rain started (it began Sunday night) Mary and I were lucky to tag along when Walker (full time tutor) had to take Walter, the oldest boy here at Miqueas, back to school. Walter was struggling with behavior and grades at all the schools he was placed in within El Progreso, so Melody and Jacob sent him to a strict boarding school in Peña Blanca. There, he is doing SO well. He has good grades, friends, and is excelling. Walter had come home for the weekend that Mary and I arrived, so we had the opportunity to hang out with him and get to know him a little bit before he had to go back. He is 13 and has 4 siblings and a nephew here. He is such a sweet kid!

Peña Blanca is a beautiful little town up in the mountains and Mary told me that R.O.O.M. works with an awesome children's home there called Pan American that works with malnourished children. ROOM has been there many times, and one of the most recent was to drop off TOMs shoes for the kids. Near there is a beautiful lake, Yojoa, and Walker took us there to see it! Since there were three newbies in the car (Mary, Lauren, and I) Walker took us on a drive through several small towns there to see what they are like. We went to El Mochito, which is home to one of the biggest and richest mines in Central America. He explained that the mine was responsible for all the paved roads in the town, since most mountain villages have one paved road at best. It was an awesome tour, and the mountains are SO beautiful here. It was the first time I'd been really cool in a while (hard to believe that there are blizzards at home in the States), and then after we got home it began to rain. Praise God for this cool reprieve from the heat.