Best Blog Ever!

Hola! So, here it is Lois and Kimps… This counts for both Abby and Drew because we are both writing this right now.

Yesterday was basically the longest day of our lives. We spent a total of 22 hours in airports, on planes, or on buses. It was exhausting – and Drew ate a pistachio we’re pretty sure. Whoops, but nothing happened so it’s all good. When we finally arrived in Honduras, we quickly found the kids. Sarahi and Geovanni (sp?) were both there and we were excited to see them again! They both asked about our parents and siblings and we struggled through our first conversations en espanol. Then, we traveled by bus under the impression that we would soon arrive at our hotel. We would arrive at our hotel, but not soon. It took four hours to get to Hotel Quan and we wanted to sleep but there were these kids that sort of wanted to play/talk with us. So, we dealt with it. But really, the bus ride was fun. We talked to Geovanni, Sarahi, Kensy, Dulce, and Jacoba and sang some songs as well. When we arrived at the hotel, we just went right to bed.

The next morning everyone was up and ready to go. We all showered (“we all” does not include Drew or Abby) and then had breakfast. Don’t worry, I (Drew) made sure Abby ate something. We had French toast and it was good. Then we headed out to the Hogar right after Drew dropped his water bottle and it broke, so thanks for the Christmas present mom! We got to the Hogar safely and the kids immediately grabbed us by the fingers and took us away. We got a full tour of the grounds and then just had time to chill with the kids. Pretty much Rey is Drew’s favorite right now and Keekay is Abby’s favorite (not that we have favorites). The kids are awesome and will tolerate our poor Spanish most of the time. They like piggy backs and holding your hand. Later, we went to Santiago’s casa for lunch. The food was so good! Even Abby had two platefuls! Quite the accomplishment right there. Drew also had two platefuls, but his probably had way more food on them (Don’t worry, once again Drew supervised Abby’s diet). Then we got to go back to the kids! We’ve met lots of kids that we can’t quite remember their names because when we learned them we didn’t actually understand what they were saying but we get by (one example: Spider-Man). Now, we’re unpacking the suitcases and writing this amazing blog. Don’t worry, we’ve actually interacted with the adults and they are really sweet! So, one down – six to go. Hopefully tomorrow, we’ll have showered! Love you parental units!

Chris - Our First Day Winter 2008

I’m not going to go into too much detail about our travel day on Saturday, but as it was, our day was a very long one. We started at the airport in Minneapolis at 4:00 a.m. and were greeted with a four-hour delay due to a toilet part that needed repair. From there we hopped to Miami and from there to San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Much waiting, some card playing and reading occurred in the many hours we were forced to spend in the airports. The silver lining in the day was our bump to first class on our flight from Miami to San Pedro Sula due to our earlier flight delay. We all felt like celebrities getting our hot towels, our complimentary beverages, and our fancy meals. It was a treat! It’s amazing how differently the flight attendants take care of you in first class!

Speaking of treats, upon arrival in Honduras at 8:30 p.m. we had our best surprise of the day. Santiago and about 15 Tierra Santa children were waiting for us at the airport. I was immediately greeted by my young friends Alba, Jacoba and Miriam. Also there were Geovani and Sarahi, the two young people who came to Eden Prairie in the fall. My eyes got watery as we all exchanged hugs and big huge smiles.

The bus ride to Comayagua was a joy. Everyone was interacting with the kids and getting their first chance to flex their Spanish-speaking muscle. It was particularly fun to see Drew and Abby be the center of attention with a group of the teenage girls. The two EP kids dove right in and began speaking Spanish immediately. Way to go EP Spanish teachers!

As we were serenaded by singing from the kids, including a rollicking rendition of “Feliz Navidad,” many of us drifted off to sleep. A few hours later our bus arrived in Comayagua at the Hotal Quan. By the time we hit the mattresses it was 1:00 a.m. What a first day!