Tuesday from the Hogar

Tuesday was another fantastic day! Should I keep saying that or is it getting old? Oh well, I’m just speaking the truth as the days just keep getting better and better.

Today was not unlike yesterday in that we arrived at the Hogar in the morning, did some work, then spent some time in the afternoon just hanging out with the kids.

What was different about today were two things – the outdoor brick factory and the program at the school. On our way out of Comayagua we stopped at a traditional brick factory. It was quite an interesting experience. We were able to watch a man assemble the mud bricks then others firing them in the kiln. If you watch the Amazing Race, there was an episode where the contestants had to make bricks. The way they did it here was exactly the same. What wasn’t quite as enjoyable to see was the kids who came to see us as we walked around the brick factory. They were very cute but unfortunately they were very dirty and several did not have many clothes on. One of the little boys also had reddish bumps all over his body. It was an eye-opener.

At the Hogar one of our first events was to attend a program put on by the children at the Tierra Santa school. They danced for us, sang songs, and sang the national anthem of Honduras. We were very grateful for the show.

Following the program, we all went various directions to do various things. One thing new today for some was the chance to do some teaching. Jeannine, Sam, Nick, Michael, and Natasha taught a drawing and beading class for the 4th-grade students. The beading was an especially big hit and many kids later in the day continued to bead with Jeannine.

Perhaps my biggest highlight of the day was watching Chris A teach a dance to many of the girls. They had so much fun and provided so many smiles for those of us watching. Kudos to Chris for preparing for this and pulling it off big time. I hope the girls do the dance for us a few more times before we leave. It’s been hinted at that we might put on a program for the kids before we leave on Thursday. Maybe Chris and the girls will perform for us all once more.

I spent the rest of my time today doing some work in the library, playing soccer with a bunch of the boys, and visiting with many of mis nuevas amigas. I honestly can say that I have never, ever had so much fun practicing my Spanish. The kids are so accepting of my slow speaking and how I butcher many of their words. They are so patient and give me every chance to get it right. I’m using my phrase book and any words I can pull from deep inside my brain. I know I’m not very good, but I’m doing better than I thought I would be doing. I haven’t ever had a chance like this to really speak the language, where the person I’m speaking to knows English less than I know Spanish. It’s the best experience ever! Will I continue to try and learn more Spanish when I get home? I sure hope so.

Another great thing about speaking the language here is that those of us in the group who do speak fluent Spanish don’t step in and correct us poor speakers very often. They let us struggle through, which is great, but then they are always there when we need them. I am so thankful that we have Debbie, Sarah, Holly and Chris with us on this trip. You’re all the best!!!

Busting Walls and Building Bridges

We began the day visiting a brick factory. The word “factory” doesn’t quite do this operation justice. You can’t imagine how hard these men, women and yes, even children work, making each brick by hand. It seems like days ago that we made this trip.

At the Hogar, I began the day organizing the many donations that we collected and that many of you contributed. What a moving experience to see it all come together and blessing to be able to get into the hands of those who need it. And what need there is!

We did plenty of dirty work today as well. Yes, the wall is mostly down, but now we are picking up the pieces and hauling it away to the farm.

True, we came to work and that included breaking down a huge wall. But that is not really what this trip is about…I am seeing that this is about building bridges. Bridges between the Hogar, the many dedicated volunteers, and each of these beautiful children. We started building walls, but now we are building bridges.

Blessings to you all,

Mitch

Head Lice and Hospitality

Although I am currently sitting here with Lice Shampoo in my hair (sigh), today goes down as one of the best days I have ever experienced. We, once again, did not accomplish everything on “the list” and I am DELIGHTED about that fact. That meant I got to spend part of my day doing bracelets with the girls. Doing bracelets included highlights such as:

• About 3,427 hugs
• Ten little girls giggling as they yell “MITCH!"....mimicking me, of course!
• Six little girls making fun of me because I only know about five words of Spanish.
• Four beaded bracelets that were made just for me!
• Three young ladies telling me to stay and to not get on the bus.
• One farewell kiss on the cheek from a special young lady (Mike, it was Lesvia…she is a real gem!)

The time is flying by too quickly and I am already in fear of the buckets of tears that will be shed as we drive away on Thursday afternoon.This trip has proven to exceed my expectations in so many ways.This group of people is tremendous – hard working, dedicated, passionate, talented, patient, loving and even a couple of them are funny!

I can’t wait to get home because I sure miss my own kids, but if you gave me a nickel I’d never go back to work again! Something tells me I’m going to have to take some additional vacation time off so I can plan our next mission trip!

Blessings -
Lois Hegland

Back in Honduras!

Being back here is amazing. My first encounter with the kids was very overwhelming and emotional. I was scared that i wouldn't remember all of the names...i was right. I love seeing the kids with the legacy group. they just LOVE them! I could write forever about our experiences, but there is one story that i would like to share.

When i was down here last year, my mom wanted to come and visit so badly but was unable to. She asked me to pick out a kid for her to sponsor that i was close to, and who i thought would be a good fit for her. I chose a little girl named Demaris. She is beautiful inside and out. She is 8 years old and has three sisters and one brother with her here at the hogar. She follows me around like a puppy dog. I have been communicating with my mom and Demaris about each other for over a year. There were finally able to meet on this trip! I arrived on Friday night without the group, and the first thing Demaris asked me was about her "mardrina", which means godmother. I told her that she would be here Sunday morning and would have all week with her. I could see the look of excitement in her eyes. on Sunday i arrived to the hogar after the group was already there. i walked through the gates and Wendy, Demaris little sister, came and got me. "Your mom is here", she said. "She is with Demaris, come and see!" I walked over and saw the Demaris on my mom's lap. I couldn't help the tears. This little girl was finally able to meet her "madrina" who she thinks about about constantly. And my mom was finally able to meet the little girl she supports and loves from a long distance. For the first time they were able to hug each other and say "i love you". Bringing these two together means the world to me! Only about a third of the kids get to meet their madrinas. Obviously this is a special one for me. The last few days we have been able to spend lots of time together. The three of us have sat down i have translated their conversations. It is an honor to do so! Well, back to the kids. I am off to play uno with Demaris and my mom. More later...hasta luego!

Sarah

De la Señora Berkey

¡Buenas tardes!

No puedo creer que ya es el martes. Ya vimos una boda, bajamos un muro, pintamos muchísimo, reparamos paredes y claro que tambien estamos conociendo a los niños. A ellos les gustan hacer programas con canciones y baile. Además de esto, les gusta jugar. Están en exámenes, entonces estudian bastante ahorita tambien.

Hace mucho calor, pero esto no me molesta mucho. La verdad es que me gusta el calor... creo que es bueno para los músculos y la piel : )

Hoy visitamos un sitio donde fabrican ladrillos. Fue muy interesante. Ayer fuimos al supermercado y tenía oportunidad comprar cosas que extraño mucho. Por ejemplo, marmelada de piña, galletas que no se puede conseguir en los EEUU, cremas, etc. También estoy muy emocionada recibir la placa que compré el domingo. Es de un paisaje hondureño. Será muy lindo.

Pues, me voy. ¡Hasta luego!

Sra. Berkey

Video from Monday at the Hogar

Greetings from Larry on Tuesday

Greetings from Larry,

After a scrambled egg and toast breakfast, we were off bright and early to the brick makers to watch them create the most important building material in Honduras. We watched a young man bending over a form that makes four bricks. He moved like a dancer, scooping a handful of mud and dropping it into the form. With perfect correography, he would scoop and drop a perfect amount into the form. Then he took his fists and pound the clay into the form. Next, he picked up handfuls and dropped them gracefully back into the form...making sure that all of the form was filled and no air pockets existed. Scoop, pound, lift, flop, smooth. In no time at all, he had four perfectly formed bricks, ready to dry out and put in the kiln.

Thinking this was easy, Jeannine and I volunteered to make a few bricks ourselves. Not so gracefully, we scooped up a handful of mud and toss it into the form. It took as as long to fill the form with mud as it did for our mentor to complete the whole process. My second handful fell on top of a few of his perfect bricks. How embarrassing!

Finally, after a few minutes of slow work, Jeannine and I were ready to lift the form and see our creations. The master brick maker walked over (made a few improvements) and lifted the form for us. Voila...four almost perfect bricks. Luckily for the country of Hondura, Jeannine and I have retired from the brick making business. I have a new found appreciation for the skill it takes and the hard work required to make a brick.

Larry

Más pintura...

Ay ya yay!
Hace mucho calor aquí pero todavía estamos trabajando. Esta mañana los niños hicieron otro programa para nosotros. Bailaron bailes típicos, cantaron, bailaron más, y dijeron el juramento a su bandera. Grabé la mayoría del programa y puedo mostrarlo al regresar. Creo que escuché a niños llamando "Rosita" pero no vi a ella. ¡No lo puedo creer! Era posible que Rosita viniera dentro de mi mochila... No sé. Les escribo más tarde.
Con amor,
Señorita Asuquo

TQOMSS

Paint fumes!

HOLA from Honduras!
This experience is beyond words. The children have touched my hearts with all the many smiles we get each moment they see us.
I'm taking a break from painting the beds with oil base paint- the fumes were getting to me so I thought I'd write a little. I painted walls yesterday and ran out of paint to give it a second coat.Others started this morning with the second coat, so I started up with the beds. I became very emotional yesterday to see the living condition of these children. Yet they are always so happy! They are very well taken care of and we certainly have witnessed children in worse conditions.
I'm going to go for now, it's almost lunch and i have to clean up my paint stuff.
Love to my children, grandson and all my friends,

Darla Parrague

More from Monday

Okay, our visit to the Hogar has just finished for the day. And what a day it was!

We began the morning with another breakfast at Hotel Quan. This morning we were served French toast, along with the usual dark morning coffee. The way the breakfast room is arranged is that there are about five table inside the café and then another three or four outside. Because our group is so large we need every chair the café has. It’s a simple, easy breakfast and a very good way to start every day.

Following breakfast, at roughly 8:00, we boarded the bus. Our first stop was the Mall Premiere where we spent a good hour shopping at the grocery store. This was a cultural experience in and of itself. Five from the group were given the task of buying all the necessary items for lunches for the next four days. The rest of us were free to roam around buying coffee, candy, snacks, and drinks. Sam and I even took time out to have dos cafes at a bar inside the grocery store. Mine was café con leche, Sam’s was café negra.

Then our day at the Hogar began. Upon arrival the Hogar was mostly empty except for a few workers doing the daily chores around the grounds. The children were off at school. Some attend school right in the village just a short walk away. Others, the older children, attend high schools in nearby villages.

Because the kids were busy at el colegio, we had much time to begin various projects. Sarah Fimmen and Annie Bjerke took most of the group on a walkthrough of some of the buildings to explain what was needed. Bob and Doug then did an awesome job serving as pseudo project leaders. Folks in this group did everything from minor repairs in the bathroom and kitchen to cleaning and painting one of the children’s rooms to painting cribs in the toddler room.

While this work was going on, others tackled a large brick wall the stood in the front of the Hogar courtyard. It was our job to tear down this wall so that a water filtration building can begin to be constructed a few weeks from now. This building will allow the Hogar to bottle enough water to not only serve their own needs but also the needs of many others in the villa.

The wall went down fairly easily, thanks to the brute strength of several tough Minnesotans. Once the wall toppled over it was then necessary to break it into small enough chunks to load into the back of a pickup.

Adjacent to this wall was a bathroom building that also needed to come down. Mitch (aka Hurricane) and Evan (aka Almighty) gave removing the toilets the old college try, but to no avail. Thank goodness for the hepatitis shots, eh boys? We decided to leave the toilets for another day. Too bad my friend Neil T wasn’t here. Neil earned a reputation for expert toilet removal on a trip to New Orleans in 2006. Maybe we’ll save the toilets for Neil and convince him to come next time.

In the afternoon the children returned to the Hogar. We had mucho tiempo to visit and play with the kids. Again I got to know many children. They are all so friendly and happy to talk. Some are trouble, though, and are clearly having some fun at our expense. The joke is on us most of the time as we scramble to find an interpreter to tell us what they are saying and why they are laughing so loudly. It’s all in fun and of course we love it.

Among the children I worked with or hung out with today were Giovanni, Jessica, Alba, Sarai, Wendy Esmerelda, and Maria Isabel. Giovanni had a little too much fun wielding his machete.

It was another great day and I just can’t wait to get back tomorrow. Hasta manana!

Chris

Tuesday

We just arrived back from the school where the children put on a program of dancing and singing and welcomed us with lots of smiles and hugs. This place is truly incredible....lots to process! I will leave it to say that the children are beautiful and full of joy and living in such a way that will be hard to forget....yet they have smiles all the time.

This morning we visited a brick factory, and you will be surprised when the pictures come up at what a 'factory' is. The wood factory that we visited on Sunday was also surprising.We will be going back to retrieve our purchases on Thursday. I am guessing that the woodworkers have been carving day and night to fill our orders!

Larry and Jeanine made bricks and had the brickmaker enjoying their efforts!

This afternoon we will be tie-dyeing and playing BINGO and we cannot wait to interact with the kids in these projects. They are excited to have us here even when we don't do things with them!

Hasta Luego,

Jeanne

Things I've learned in the Honduras (Part 1)

-When the Berlin Wall came down, it's got nothing on this group.
-There are a hundred ways to fix P B and J's but no Hondurn equivalent of Marshmallow Fluff
-A leopard doesn't change its spots but it can change its habitat
-There's no such thing as too much Purell!
-A store with the word "Carrion" plastered on the side of the building can havereally great groceries
-As Honduras Bob would say "we're the circus in town"-guess that means we have to give everyone " The Greatest Show on Earth"

Ann

First day of work

Hola! Today was the first day of official work - after a trip to the super market where Mitch and Lois took some pictures of cow tongue and cow intenstines (yuck!). I was part of the demolition crew - we tore that wall down!!! I got to use a sledge hammer - watch out folks! Then I helped make a hearty lunch of pp&j - was it ever tasty.
In the afternoon - I was able to play with some of the kids. They taught me some hand games and Shelly taught them "oboe-shin-natin-tatin" - they loved it and we all played together!
After a much needed shower we were off to a great dinner and a tour of the town.
Thanks for the ice-cream Bob!
That's all for now folks.... I'll keep you posted on how sore I am!
Adios,
Krysten

Painting away!!

We are having fun painting a lot today! And I mean painting the beds, painting the walls... this is such a fun cooperative group -- everyone pitches in and finds something to do... My husband Bob, and Debbie, had a hard time finding any paint, so our new colors are... oh well.

Painting away!!

Pooper Scoopers

I started my day with a quick swim in the pool at the Hotel Quan. Had to turn on the filter and skimmer myself then had the pool to myself. We are pretty big time at the Quan, our room happens to be poolside.... the pool is in the parking lot!
After breakfast and before heading to the hogar, we stopped at a grocery store to pick up supplies for the week's lunches. It was a cool excursion to a new and very clean Honduran grocery store. FYI- the "meat" department is a little different than our Cub back home as are many of the great products they offer.
You can't even imagine the job that Evan, "the Brave One" and I attempted today. At the end of the great wall of the hogar (that others got to tear down- see the pics on that) sits a row of outdoor toilets. Quite nice in outchouse terms... at least at one time. As they had been unused, but well backed up- cleaning out these rancid recpetacles was not for the faint of heart. Thanks to Michelle's ingenious dust mask with a handy wipe inside, the smell was almost tolerable! I only had to wretch and gag for a short while and remarkable, nothing actually came up. Alas, the job was left for another day. We have photos, but I'm sure they are much too disgusting to post. Pooper Scoopers Unite!
Enough for now- I get to go hang out with some kids. I'll tell you about Rey (King) a bit later. he is too cool!

Peace from Honduras-
Mitch

It's Hot Here

I know that's an obvious statement....but it really is hot here!

Today was a great day because we got to work at the Hodar all day. I love it when we get to do projects....if only it weren't so hot!

This is an awesome place but the amount of work that needs to be done is a bit overwhelming. I guess there are two factors that will limit our ability to see great physical success here: lack of time and money. I guess that's another reason why we are here...to tell people back home about this great place and encourage others to support it.

By the way, did I mention that it is hot here?

Another great start to the day in Honduras and I haven't needed to take any Cipro for stomach issues.... "Don't drink the water!" I got the memo on that but I think I may have swallowed some water while I was in shower. I will cross my fingers. :) Before heading out to the hogar this morning we made a quick stop at the grocery store. We got a ton of great stuff for the kids and some things for friends and family.

Chris got some jamon (ham) and passed it around on the bus. It was kind of random, but appreciated! Ha. ha.

One of the big buys of the day were basketballs. Nick2, Chris and I purchased some basketballs. I'm hopeful that we will get a game in with the kids before we leave.

When we arrived at the hogar today we immediately went to work on taking down the huge brick wall in front. What was originally intended as a three day project looks like it may be done in one! It's a ton of fun working with everyone. I know that I am meeting lifelong friends, which is really neat.

Tomorrow it looks like I will be teaching in the kindergarten room. I brought a bunch of materials down to do a couple of projects, which I am very excited about. 40 kindergartners! Ok, now that sounds like a lot. I hope they don't run all over me!

As I’m writing this it is going on 10:00 p.m. Sunday night, March 30th. Larry is reading in a bed to the right of me, and Nick is reading in a bed to my left. But finding out about the sleeping arrangements of the tres caballeros isn’t why you’re reading this, I’m sure. So on to things much more important.

This evening we had the fortune of attending the wedding ceremony of Omar and Elisa in Villa de San Antonio. Omar is a young man who lived much of his life at the Hogar. Actually, he was still living there right up until their wedding tonight.

The wedding was outside at the home of a friend. We sat at tables and watched the ceremony which was a blend of readings, music, dancing, and the signing of legal documents. Bob, our trusty, happy leader, stood in as Omar’s godfather. And Debbie from Eden Prairie stood in as the godmother. They both played a very important role in the ceremony.

After the ceremony was complete we dined on comida typica de Honduras. The food was served buffet style. Due to the darkness, and the fact that some of us speak very limited Espanol, we often did not know what was being scooped upon our plates. The actual eating of the food was even trickier. We were in the dark, both literally and figuratively, as to what we were placing into our mouths. But most of what I ate was tasty, including the homemade tamales which were the highlight.

The day, in total, was a complete and utter success. It is hard to believe we crammed so many awesome experiences into this one day. Meeting the children at the Hogar was clearly the highlight, but also picking out custom made wood products at a local woodshop and taking a jaunt to a nearby ice cream parlor were also fun experiences.

I still can’t really believe that I am in Honduras. It’s all I hoped it would be and more. The people we have met are friendly beyond belief and the countryside is beautiful. When I woke up this morning and stepped outside my hotel room I was treated to a gorgeous view of the sun coming up over the mountains in the distance and the cries of dozens of birds in trees lining the courtyard. So far, what an experience! And we’ve only just begun!

Chris

Take a look at some video footage of our welcome ceremony at the Hogar on Sunday!

Primer día de conocer a los niños

Hoy conocí a muchos niños del Hogar. Los niños hiceron un programa para nosotros con música, bailes, y personas tocando tambores. Era muy lindo y todos compartimos muchas sonrisas. Una de las chicas que conocí se llama Kenia. Ella está en el octavo (ocho) grado y quiere ser veterinaria. Una veterinaria es una persona que cuida los animales. También conocí a un niño que se llama Jimmy. ¡ Jimmy tiene 5 años y él sacó muchas fotos con mi cámera! Yo di sus tarjetas a los niños y ellos dieron gracias. ¡Kenia tomó la tarjeta de Pierce que tenía el examen acerca de España y tomó el examen! Era muy chistoso.
Esta noche vamos a una boda. Vamos a comer y bailar y pienso sacar más fotos para compartir con ustedes.
Es todo para ahora. ¡Les escribirá pronto!

Nick on Sunday

Wow it sure is great to be in Honduras!

Today we had the chance to meet all of the children and see there living conditions. They were so happy to see us, and even though many people from our group do not speak English, everyone figured out how to communicate.

A couple things hit me right away. First, how all of the children came up to us and treated us like old friends. One of the youngest children that I saw grabbed Larry’s hand and wouldn’t let go. They are generation apart, but they had an instant connection. In fact she wanted him to carry her all around the hogar. Larry may have been sore, but that little girl didn’t care. Larry carried her around for a long time and may need a little more R & R tonight. I too met some little friends, which I will remember for the rest of my life! Sixto and Gabriel were the funniest little guys. These boys thoroughly enjoyed taking dozens of random pictures on my camera. Notice to future visitors of Hogar Tierra Santa. Watch your back because Sixto also likes to sneak up behind and slap you on the backside. Sixto and Gabriel are 4 years old and they always have the biggest smiles on their faces.

To be honest, these children are so happy and relish the moments when they can sit on your lap or hold your hand. One aspect that I have learned that I may take for granted is a simple hug from a loved one. I realized that these children may not have a mom or dad, and if they do they are lucky. Note to self: make sure to hug mom and dad and Kristen. Appreciate the moment and the love that we share.

Nick (aka Windy)

Sunday in Honduras

Today was a great first day in Honduras. We were greeted by many tiny smiling faces and handshakes and hugs....YUP, I nearly burst into tears at the sight of these precious kids. (My friend Kimpa would have completely lost it!) We spent the morning at the Hogar and were entertaied by a fabulous performance that included singing, dancing, African drums and again, lots of hugs. It's already becoming clear what our purpose is here.....if we happen to build a pig pen or a chicken coop or take down a wall, that is just a bonus to the fact that we really are here to love and be loved!

The Hogar truly is a special place with a tremendous purpose. I can't wait to see what the rest of the week holds for us. I also hope I remember to put on my suncreen tomorrow....OUCH!!

Lois (and Mitch) Hegland

Hello -

I had so much fun getting to know some of the teenage girls today at the Hogar. Sarai and Alba helped me on the computer. They also told me all about J-Lo, Halle Berry, Zach and Vanessa. Alba took so many great pictures! You'll see some on the blog.

Here are Sarai and Alba talking about themselves in their own words.

Chris






Mi nombre es Sarai. Tengo 2 hermanas. Me gusta bailar. Mi actora favorita es miley cyrus.
tengo 13 anos de estar en el hogar tierra santa


Mi nombre es Alba. Me gusta hugar. Mi actora favorita es Halle Berry. Estoyen cuarto grado. Tengo 13 anos. Yo vivo en el Hogar 4 anos. Mi color favorito es el negro.

Saturday in Honduras

Great first day – I guess that goes without saying!

All things went well between Minneapolis to Atlanta to San Pedro Sula. Our flights were actually quite pleasant. That is if you don’t count the heated electronic trivia game we had on the Delta flight to San Pedro.

We arrived in San Pedro to some awesome heat! And a long line going through customs. Once through the line we were greeted by about a dozen of the kids from the Hogar who had made the trip to meet us at the airport. They introduced themselves and gave each of us a wonderful little pin to attach to our shirts. It was so cute to see the kids and for them to be there for us right when we stepped foot on Honduran soil.

Our bus ride was a super adventure. It was more fun than not even though it lasted quite long as we curved and bounced through the countryside. It was awesome talking and interacting with the kids. I loved practicing my Espanol.

I sat in front of two boys from the Hogar - Gregory and Giovanni. They were so much fun! They put up with my broken Spanish.

On the drive we stopped at a fruit stand and tried some foods that most of us had never had before. The whole day was a great cultural experience!

Once we arrived in Comayagua we checked in to Hotel Quan then soon after walked just a couple blocks to a great Chino restaurant. Now we’re blogging at an Internet café. On to tomorrow!

Chris