La Semana Santa

right to left (the nephew of my host family and his little brother, a beautiful house in another town called La Villa de Sanfrancisco, a huge bunch of yellow coconuts, 4 of the kids I have worked with tudoring here, the new grey van we got to haul the kids around here.)

For Semana Santa or Holy week, right before Easter, I headed out to Gracias to visit Michael. First, we met up with some friends of Michaels that are biking from Virginia to the Mennonite World Conference in Paraguay. It was amazing to hear thier stories what all they have been given or experienced. I was especially amused by the story where they got handed an entire boxed pizza on the road. They were really organized with their whole trip. They just passed Managua in Nicaragua and should keep going all the way through Peru and Bolivia{s tough highlands. You should check out their blog- http://americas.bikemovement.org/
Semana Santa was a relaxing but really hot week. With Michael, we saw the sawdust carpets that are displayed as stations of the cross from the Catholic church. This procession began at 9 am and we walked from station to station, carefully stepping over the sawdust beauties and working to keep cool. We only lasted 2 hours but it kept going until noon. They had interesting invocations that were politically charged, and spoke to specific offenses that the government had done against the people, all the while asking for God{s forgiveness. It was moving but a sweaty experience.
Its the hottest time in Honduras right now, especially here in Nueva Esperanza. We are just sweating wherever we sit or stand. It can be miserable, especially in our computer lab. That is also why we rejoice that watermelons are in season and we are eating them at least 3 times a day, if not 4 for snacks. Can{t get enough.
I keep enjoying playing soccer with my host family. My younger sister is obsessed and rejoiced when they didn{t have school yesterday so she could stay up till 11pm to play. We have been eating a lot of ciruelas, which are a little green or red (depending how ripe) fruit with a pit. They are great as well. The mentality has continued to be, if its in season you eat lots of it.
I feel really adapted to this life. As I{ve reflected, I{ve realized how quickly I have accepted life as it is here. I{ve learned to say often, asi es la vida (that{s how life is). Last night my host family was watching the president speak and picking out his errors in speech and false promises. They told me that{s just how Honduras is with its politics. I find myself at times frusterated with how easily I have adapted or accepted certain parts of the life here. Even with my struggles within Montana de Luz, I am praying to be woken up and keep having the courage to challenge the difficult realities of unstable electricity and inconsistent water.
Relationships with my coworkers are going better. I have become quite close with my most frusterating coworker, which has been a real surprize. I can see the heart this coworker has for Montana de Luz, I just wish there could be more compassion in her words and actions. The way in which someone is treated, regardless if they are young and rebelous, makes all the difference in how they feel loved and have the hope to keep loving. Reflecting deeply on this has made my interactions with this coworker harder, yet at times more rewarding. She is adamently against being associated or considered Christian, but has admited that she believes in spirits. She connected this belief to the death of her grandma and further contact with her. Through many unconfortable conversations, we have shared our thoughts on life and relationships. Recently this coworker said, [Liz, I would be religious too, if all people were religious like you.] As she has never seemed to respect me before, I was caught off guard and am excited to see how our relationship can grow from here.
Right now I am reading The Road to Peace by Henry Nouwen. He is really inspiring me to dig deeper into my prayer life, and not just as wishful thoughts but as the true agent of change in conflicts and other tough situations.

Just wanted to share some good quotes I picked up-

[Christians today, if they want to be Christians, have to find the courage to make the word peace as important as the word freedom. THere should be no doubt in the minds of the people who inhabit this world that Christians are peacemakers.]

[The invitation to a life of prayer is the invitation to live in the midst of this world without being caught in the net of its wounds and needs. The word prayer stands for a radical interruption of the vicious chain of interlocking dependencies that leads to violence and war, and for an entering into an entirely new dwelling place. It points to a new way of speaking, of breathing, of being together, of knowing- truly , to a whole new way of living.]

[Panic, fear, and anxiety are not part of peacemaking. This might seem obvious, but many who struggle against the threat of a world war not only are themselves motivated by fearm but also use far to bring others to action. Fear is the most tempting force in peacemaking. The stories about nuclear weapons and descritions of what would happen if a nuclear war were to take place are so terrifying that we are easily inclined to use that fear to bring ourselves as well as others to be advocates of peace...peacemaking is the work of love and (in love there can be no fear, but fear is driven out by perfect love. 1 Jn 4:18). ] p.16


That{s whats up here and what{s going through my head. Please pray for the kids of Montana de Luz. Little Hector has gotten better, now taking a stronger antiretroviral. Also, we have Fernando who is struggling with a deep cough and is very behind in school. Please pray that he may be well to really focus on school and not drop behind another year. May you enjoy and be refreshed with all the beautiful people and challenges that surround you today.