Mi primera semana en M.D.L.

(left to right from the top:
1. Michael, Simon (son of Darren and Julie, MCC Honduras Reps) and Rachel in La Campa where Michael works,
2. a woman making Lencan pottery in La Campa,
3. me standing by a papaya tree with gigantic papayas,
4. Montana de Luz view from the front gate
5. Junior a three year old at Montana de Luz,
6. Junior and me playing with the camera,
7. the 32 kids at the home breaking a pinata for a birthday,
8. 6 hammocks set up for the kids in the shade,
9. the laundry area,
10. my new best friend Gaby who attends a local university and volunteers at Montana de Luz).



































Today is a special day here in Nueva Esperanza because the kids are having a parade. They are celebrating Independence day, which is on Monday. Independence for Honduras was granted from Spain in 1821. To begin with, Honduras was originally inhabited by indigenous groups. The most powerful of these were the Mayans but the Lencas were also prevalent. (The picture of the woman making a pot is doing one of the most well known forms of Lencan art. This type of pottery continues to be popular especially in rural areas, such as La Campa near Gracias, Lempira.) From 1502 until 1821, the Spanish retained control of this country, naming it Honduras meaning ¨from the depths.¨The cities of Tegucigalpa and Comayagua were established because they were good mining centers.

However, in 1537, Chieftan Lempira (the money is called Lempiras, about 18 Lempiras per 1 American dollar) organized various indigenous groups to fight the Spaniards but were unsuccessful, resulting in a further establishment of Spanish rule. Finally, in a successful revolt against Spain began because of a resentment of Spanish taxes against the indigenous groups. In 1812, uprisings broke out in Tegucigalpa against Comayagua. In 1821 with four other Central American nations, Honduras declared its independence from Spain. It was part of the Central American Federation, which collapsed in 1838 when Honduras became officially independent.

Independence day here is celebrated by parades. Many of the youth here at M.D.L. (Montana de Luz) were dressed up in beautiful butterfly outfits or fancy marching uniforms. The kids often play the drums, trumpets, and the girls dance a specific dance. Its facinating to watch.

Things have been going pretty well for this first week. I have mostly been shadowing the education teacher here. She is originally from El Salvador and did Peace Corps in Guatemala and is now getting her masters in the U.S. in international development. She has lot of experience teaching abroad and I think I will learn a ton from her. Mostly, my job will be helping her teach the pre-kindergartners in the mornings and teaching physical education on my own in the afternoons. I am ready to get deeper relationships with the kids, especially the teenaged girls. They often get less attention and are at a crucial developmental stage. I hope also to start some type of dance therapy with them too.

Also, Rachel and I got a chance to accompany a gringo group that is volunteering at M.D.L. to a club soccer game in Tegucigalpa. It was Olimpia vs. Montagua. The club teams are different than the national soccer team. The Honduras national team just beat Canada and Jamaica but lost to Mexico. Now, those three national teams are coming to play in Honduras. Basically, everthing in the town stops when these games are on and you can hear the tvs from every house tuned into the same station. The club games are less of a big deal but many people came out to watch them. Olimpia had a huge cheering section, despite their loss that day 0-2 to Montagua.

I have gotten a chance to learn how to cook masa tortillas and bean soup. The fruits here continue to be rico
and my favorite is one called maricuya. It has these little seeds and is slimy but has an amazing tart but sweet taste. You just want more of it all the time! I bought three of those and three carrots because I just crave vegetables and fruits here.

My friend Gaby (in the picture above) has been so warm and welcoming. She is 21 and attends the University of Danli, which is nearby. She is studying civil engineering but volunteering here during the days. She is working to get my in-style, taking me this Sunday to cut mi fleckillo (my bangs) and get me to buy some popular kind of Honduran clear sandals that look like the ¨jellies¨I had when I was younger. I am excited to get to know her more. Her heart is so generous and she continues to give me bracelets and trade me clothing.

I have loved the kids so far. Most of them have challenging life situations. One girl this week had to go visit her mother because she went into a coma and it was a life-threatening situation. Another boy has intenstinal issues on top of having HIV. Sometimes he just lays in the shade saying ¨duele mi estamago.¨ (my stomache hurts). We just pick them up and hold them and continue playing, seeking the most joy possible in a day.

I definitely feel thankful to have a healthy body, an amazing loving family, and so many great friends and opportunities in my life. I have learned to be more satistifed with showers every 3 or 4 days, and not always knowing if the electricity will shut off. I have learned to find peace in the night sky and the gates that protect me, even though I feel a bit captive at times. I am learning what it is to be a woman here and what freedom of moment really means in a culture where not everything is always guarenteed, such as the safety of a path. Never the less, I had an amazing last week filled with plenting of challenges, but also accompanied by a God who was much bigger than it all.

Here is a prayer I wrote for the justice and love of the kids of M.D.L. :

In the midst of the mourning sun
my our voice resonate louder than distress,
as we speak to the desperation in this world,
may our hearts magnifcy love and justice,
and may it become our center, our solid rock.

seeking patience and goodness, let us weigh
the cost of misrepresenting love of a Father
desperate to hold each child in their condition:
AIDS-infected, heart-broken, or with skinned knees.



I realize a lot of this seems really serious but I have been laughing a lot here. The kids bring a lot of joy and silly jokes. There is especially one that loves to tickle a lot. Also, I just feel satisfied by owning less things and being able to enjoy the earth more. I have been able to call my parents a bit but I am definitely missing a lot of you all. Hope things are going well for you as you get started in more school or fall activities. And remember if you ever think things are getting too cold in your part of the world, just know I am sweating enough to make up for most of you!