EPS staff members and friends, through Eden Prairie Schools Global Connect, will once again travel to Honduras on a service trip. This time we'll be leaving Minnesota winter behind and journeying down south in December. Our group will be gone from December 27 - January 4.
Please come back often during that week or so to learn about our progress. We are all looking forward to another wonderful experience.
Our plans are to do edcational activities with the kids of Tierra Santa and to help establish the first-ever preschool program at the home. Of course there is only so much we can do in the short amount of time we're there, but we hope to lay the groundwork for a program that can last into infinity. Thanks to the bold work of groups that have come before us, a new building has been constructed that will not only house this new preschool, but through a water purification process contained in the building, will provide clean drinking water for the home.
Again, please check back often and post lots of questions and comments for us as we go!
Monday, December 8, 2008
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
A Legacy - Honduras – Our Legacy
Like a cigar – a mission trip and a vacation rolled together to make the finest brand.
Like a pastry – layers of relationships and scenery that rise with the sharing of stories among people, baked to perfection, filled with new adventures and covered with a light glaze of the smiles of children.
Like a plant – growing from a tiny seed, planted by a few, sprouting through care, planning and organization to become a tree that blossoms with every experience.
Like a tapestry - threads of intertwining experiences woven and braided, weaving a blanket that spans from Minnesota to Honduras.
We have each experienced our own journey, traveling through differing tastes, sights, sounds, smells and feelings that will forever affect our lives…our very own Honduran legacy.
R. Duchon
Like a pastry – layers of relationships and scenery that rise with the sharing of stories among people, baked to perfection, filled with new adventures and covered with a light glaze of the smiles of children.
Like a plant – growing from a tiny seed, planted by a few, sprouting through care, planning and organization to become a tree that blossoms with every experience.
Like a tapestry - threads of intertwining experiences woven and braided, weaving a blanket that spans from Minnesota to Honduras.
We have each experienced our own journey, traveling through differing tastes, sights, sounds, smells and feelings that will forever affect our lives…our very own Honduran legacy.
R. Duchon
Monday, April 7, 2008
Lessons learned in the Honduras-Part 2
After taking the great leap back into my comfort zone, these are some of my "quirkier " memories:
-Electricity and water can peacefully co-exist in the shower-except in the Duchon's room
-On the highways and byways of Honduras, the right of way exists in this order: cows, horses and other four-leggeds, motor vehicles of any size or horsepower (including those cute red taxis), followed by pedestrians
-Don't lean on the sink!
-Britney Spears is alive and well in the Villa San Antonio, is over 6 feet tall, and has hairy legs.
-When you're a teacher, it's good to let someone else lead for a change.
-The Pepsi truck is so highly thought of, it even has its own armed guard!
-If you've had a long enough day, even a marimba band outside your window won't keep you awake.
-There's no such thing as too much Immodium
-We can successfully push taxis up a hill
-It's great to step outside the "tourist bubble" we usually travel in
-A smile from a child is the gift of a lifetime!
Ann
-Electricity and water can peacefully co-exist in the shower-except in the Duchon's room-On the highways and byways of Honduras, the right of way exists in this order: cows, horses and other four-leggeds, motor vehicles of any size or horsepower (including those cute red taxis), followed by pedestrians
-Don't lean on the sink!
-Britney Spears is alive and well in the Villa San Antonio, is over 6 feet tall, and has hairy legs.
-When you're a teacher, it's good to let someone else lead for a change.
-The Pepsi truck is so highly thought of, it even has its own armed guard!
-If you've had a long enough day, even a marimba band outside your window won't keep you awake.
-There's no such thing as too much Immodium
-We can successfully push taxis up a hill
-It's great to step outside the "tourist bubble" we usually travel in
-A smile from a child is the gift of a lifetime!
Ann
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Last Days
Friday and Saturday were our tourist days. I'm not going to bog this down with all the details (basically because I don't have time as the bus for San Pedro is almost to our hotel) but sufice it to say, we had mucho fun (after the less-than-great bus ride, that is). We did the City of Copan Friday night including a group dinner. Then on Saturday we toured the Copan Mayan ruins in the morning and did various activities in the afternoon. Some did a zip line, others a horseback ride, and others a bird sanctuary. The evening ended with a very special, and great, dinner at Twisted Tanyas in which many of us stood up to say something special that they saw or did or felt
from the trip.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Vamanos a Copan
Copan is a beautiful little city. The ride here, though a bit long and rough was beautiful. We made several stops along the way for some shopping and a short tour of a cave and a coffee factory. We had a great evening of shopping, eating, resting and just hanging out. Some of us were not feeling that great, I think it was a combination of giving all we had during the week at the Hogar and the long bus ride. Most of us are feeling much better this morning as we prepare to tour the ruins and an afternoon choice of activities. Some of us will ride horses, take a rainforest canopy zip line excursion, or visit Macaw Mountain. Too many great choices. We'll check in later to tell you how it was.
Peace,
Mitch
The Trip To Copan
It was different to wake up today and not have the kids of the Hogar on the agenda. I wonder what they are doing. I wonder if they miss us the way we miss them. I wonder when I'll get to see them again. Hmmmm.....
If you like bus rides then you would have loved our day yesterday. The drive was complete with steep mountains, winding roads, beautiful scenery and lovely views. We made a couple stops along the way, which for many of us was a God-send as we were suffering from pretty severe cases of motion sickness....YUCK!
Copan is a beautiful, intimate and interesting city. Today will allow for the tour of the Myan Ruins and some additional adverture walks. Maybe even a 5 Kilometer zip line experience! (THIS IS WHERE MY FRIENDS AT HOME SHOULD BEGIN PRAYING THAT I DON'T BREAK A LEG WHEN I RUN INTO A TREE AT HIGH SPEEDS!)
Rumor has it there is a great coffee house just around the corner and I am going to head out now and check it out!
I cannot wait to begin the L-O-N-G journey home tomorrow....I miss my babies!
Lois Hegland
If you like bus rides then you would have loved our day yesterday. The drive was complete with steep mountains, winding roads, beautiful scenery and lovely views. We made a couple stops along the way, which for many of us was a God-send as we were suffering from pretty severe cases of motion sickness....YUCK!
Copan is a beautiful, intimate and interesting city. Today will allow for the tour of the Myan Ruins and some additional adverture walks. Maybe even a 5 Kilometer zip line experience! (THIS IS WHERE MY FRIENDS AT HOME SHOULD BEGIN PRAYING THAT I DON'T BREAK A LEG WHEN I RUN INTO A TREE AT HIGH SPEEDS!)
Rumor has it there is a great coffee house just around the corner and I am going to head out now and check it out!
I cannot wait to begin the L-O-N-G journey home tomorrow....I miss my babies!
Lois Hegland
Chris from Thursday
Hola –
As I’m writing this we are sitting on a bus bound for Copan. It’s about 6:00 a.m. and we’re climbing through some hills outside of Comayagua. We are joined by eight of the students from the Hogar along with Jeff the administrative director and Matt, one of the volunteers living and working in La Villa.
Yesterday was quite the day. I didn’t do my usual writing on the bus ride from La Villa to Comayagua because I just couldn’t. I just needed that time to collect my thoughts about everything I had seen and done during the week. I had ripped a couple CDs from Omar and Jacoba prior to leaving so I just popped in the earphones, listened to some of their music, and thought about the trip.
I have all of these faces of these children in my head whenever I close my eyes. They are all such magnificent kids, smiling and loving and embracing. I cannot believe how much love and affection they showed us. The best times were when we had moments to just sit and be together. The kids just drank up the attention and wanted to touch and hug and be close. I can’t help but think how little of that we give to one another in America. How often do we just sit and touch and hold the children in our lives? Of course I do it with my own children. But it’s rare that I hug and hold my nieces and nephews, and the thought of holding hands with or hugging students in the U.S. is out of the question. We do some things better and smarter in the U.S., but I think we have to bow to the Hondurans when it comes to the way in which they show love and affection to one another.
Yesterday I had a chance to tell Dilcia that I plan to be her sponsor. I found her near the basketball court and asked her to join me. I then grabbed Sarah to help with the translation. It was an awesome moment where we could just sit apart from the buzz of activity and visit with one another. When Sarah told Dilcia that I planned to be her padrino a big smile lit up her face. She is such a beautiful girl. She is a little quiet and a bit serious but she shows me that smile whenever I see her. She has this deep voice that is wonderful to listen to and she seems to need some support. Dilcia is not one of the children who would be likely to approach one of us and just shower us with attention like some of the other children do. She hangs back a bit, watching more than taking part. I cannot wait to build a relationship and friendship with Dilcia.
Dilcia comes from a family of 15 children. She only arrived at the Hogar back in January. I cannot recall exactly how old she is but I believe she is around 10 or 11. I hope that all goes well for Dilicia. She says that she is happy at the Hogar. I hope that is the case. And I hope that she will find some way to blossom in life.
Thursday was just a day of celebration. Our morning was fairly routine as we did some more teaching but also tried to finish up some of the projects we had started earlier in the week. It was a bit more of a laid back morning. I think this was the case because we all knew that this was our last day and we just wanted to drink in as much of the experience as we could with our last few remaining hours.
Around lunchtime I joined Ann at the comidor, which is a soup kitchen paid for and operated by the Hogar. It is a place where children from the village who do not live at the Hogar but who still need food can go and have a nutritious lunch every day. The comidor is operated by Alba who is this amazing lady who lives in this tiny shack herself. She does the cooking in her home then serves the food to the children under an awning in her yard. The comidor was set up as a way for the Hogar to give back to the citizens of the village. It serves about 20-30 children each day.
While at the comidor Ann and I read books aloud to the children as they ate. I read Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See in Espanol to the kids. It was a lot of fun and a book with simple words and repetition which made it easy for me to get into. It also made for a convenient English lesson as I asked the kids to practice the English words for the various animals on the pages. It was a lot of fun.
Following the lunch, we distributed gifts of books to the children at the Comidor. Ann had brought with her about 30 books that had been donated by a girls group back in Eden Prairie. Each book was individually wrapped in colorful paper and came with a personalized note from one of the girls. The children washed their hands after the meal and then were each given a book to open and look at. All the books were written in Spanish. This event was hugely impromptu, but proved to be one of the more rewarding experiences in the village for me.
In the late afternoon we had a program in the courtyard. Right prior to the program, however, I said my goodbyes to some of the girls who were leaving on a bus to pick up a group of Canadian high school students from the airport. I climbed on the bus and gave a big hug to all the girls. I don’t remember exactly who was on the bus but I do remember Jessica and Rosa for sure. Then was the program. The first part of the program was us doing our best to entertain the children. Nick did a Brittney Spears lipsync, several of us acted out the Three Little Pigs, Debbie told a cute, little joke, we did a group dance led by Chris, and Mitch and Lois led the entire group in prayer. Following our performances, the kids put on a program for us of dancing and music.
Then the hard part came – saying goodbye. This lasted for a good half an hour as we all tried our best to say goodbye to as many of the children as possible. The kids I remember most from the goodbye ceremony are Mirian, Jacoba, Alba, Dilcia, Simona, Julieth, Idalia, Sarai, Christian, and Jogeni. It was extremely emotional and difficult. I just kept thinking, “Am I ever going to see these kids again,” “I just don’t want to leave these kids.” I worry about what will happen to them in the future, but I really need to remember to be comforted by the fact that they are in good hands, they are well-cared-for, and they are happy. I’ll just hope and pray for these kids as I return home and resume life.
My hope, of course, is that I will return. When that will happen, I’m not sure. I just cannot see myself never coming back here. The relationships I built with some of the kids are too important for me to just let fall away. One of my fears coming down here was that I would get hooked and feel the need to keep coming down. Well, my fears have been realized. I need to come back. I will come back.
As I’m writing this we are sitting on a bus bound for Copan. It’s about 6:00 a.m. and we’re climbing through some hills outside of Comayagua. We are joined by eight of the students from the Hogar along with Jeff the administrative director and Matt, one of the volunteers living and working in La Villa.
Yesterday was quite the day. I didn’t do my usual writing on the bus ride from La Villa to Comayagua because I just couldn’t. I just needed that time to collect my thoughts about everything I had seen and done during the week. I had ripped a couple CDs from Omar and Jacoba prior to leaving so I just popped in the earphones, listened to some of their music, and thought about the trip.
I have all of these faces of these children in my head whenever I close my eyes. They are all such magnificent kids, smiling and loving and embracing. I cannot believe how much love and affection they showed us. The best times were when we had moments to just sit and be together. The kids just drank up the attention and wanted to touch and hug and be close. I can’t help but think how little of that we give to one another in America. How often do we just sit and touch and hold the children in our lives? Of course I do it with my own children. But it’s rare that I hug and hold my nieces and nephews, and the thought of holding hands with or hugging students in the U.S. is out of the question. We do some things better and smarter in the U.S., but I think we have to bow to the Hondurans when it comes to the way in which they show love and affection to one another.
Yesterday I had a chance to tell Dilcia that I plan to be her sponsor. I found her near the basketball court and asked her to join me. I then grabbed Sarah to help with the translation. It was an awesome moment where we could just sit apart from the buzz of activity and visit with one another. When Sarah told Dilcia that I planned to be her padrino a big smile lit up her face. She is such a beautiful girl. She is a little quiet and a bit serious but she shows me that smile whenever I see her. She has this deep voice that is wonderful to listen to and she seems to need some support. Dilcia is not one of the children who would be likely to approach one of us and just shower us with attention like some of the other children do. She hangs back a bit, watching more than taking part. I cannot wait to build a relationship and friendship with Dilcia.Dilcia comes from a family of 15 children. She only arrived at the Hogar back in January. I cannot recall exactly how old she is but I believe she is around 10 or 11. I hope that all goes well for Dilicia. She says that she is happy at the Hogar. I hope that is the case. And I hope that she will find some way to blossom in life.
Thursday was just a day of celebration. Our morning was fairly routine as we did some more teaching but also tried to finish up some of the projects we had started earlier in the week. It was a bit more of a laid back morning. I think this was the case because we all knew that this was our last day and we just wanted to drink in as much of the experience as we could with our last few remaining hours.
Around lunchtime I joined Ann at the comidor, which is a soup kitchen paid for and operated by the Hogar. It is a place where children from the village who do not live at the Hogar but who still need food can go and have a nutritious lunch every day. The comidor is operated by Alba who is this amazing lady who lives in this tiny shack herself. She does the cooking in her home then serves the food to the children under an awning in her yard. The comidor was set up as a way for the Hogar to give back to the citizens of the village. It serves about 20-30 children each day.
While at the comidor Ann and I read books aloud to the children as they ate. I read Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See in Espanol to the kids. It was a lot of fun and a book with simple words and repetition which made it easy for me to get into. It also made for a convenient English lesson as I asked the kids to practice the English words for the various animals on the pages. It was a lot of fun.
Following the lunch, we distributed gifts of books to the children at the Comidor. Ann had brought with her about 30 books that had been donated by a girls group back in Eden Prairie. Each book was individually wrapped in colorful paper and came with a personalized note from one of the girls. The children washed their hands after the meal and then were each given a book to open and look at. All the books were written in Spanish. This event was hugely impromptu, but proved to be one of the more rewarding experiences in the village for me.In the late afternoon we had a program in the courtyard. Right prior to the program, however, I said my goodbyes to some of the girls who were leaving on a bus to pick up a group of Canadian high school students from the airport. I climbed on the bus and gave a big hug to all the girls. I don’t remember exactly who was on the bus but I do remember Jessica and Rosa for sure. Then was the program. The first part of the program was us doing our best to entertain the children. Nick did a Brittney Spears lipsync, several of us acted out the Three Little Pigs, Debbie told a cute, little joke, we did a group dance led by Chris, and Mitch and Lois led the entire group in prayer. Following our performances, the kids put on a program for us of dancing and music.
Then the hard part came – saying goodbye. This lasted for a good half an hour as we all tried our best to say goodbye to as many of the children as possible. The kids I remember most from the goodbye ceremony are Mirian, Jacoba, Alba, Dilcia, Simona, Julieth, Idalia, Sarai, Christian, and Jogeni. It was extremely emotional and difficult. I just kept thinking, “Am I ever going to see these kids again,” “I just don’t want to leave these kids.” I worry about what will happen to them in the future, but I really need to remember to be comforted by the fact that they are in good hands, they are well-cared-for, and they are happy. I’ll just hope and pray for these kids as I return home and resume life.My hope, of course, is that I will return. When that will happen, I’m not sure. I just cannot see myself never coming back here. The relationships I built with some of the kids are too important for me to just let fall away. One of my fears coming down here was that I would get hooked and feel the need to keep coming down. Well, my fears have been realized. I need to come back. I will come back.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Lunch at the Comidar
One of the great things the Hogar does for the community is offer lunch every day for the neighborhood children. Alba opens her home to 20-30 neighborhood children every week day.
Today, there were about 20 children from age 1 to 11 eating spaghetti and cabbage amidst the dogs chasing the chickens in the yard.
Today was a special day at the Comidar because Ann and Chris K. read books to the kids as they ate. Then, after lunch, the kids washed the spaghetti off their hands and faces and waited for a special surprise. Wrapped in paper, each child received a book of their own. It was so fun to watch them open their gift with such excitement. It will be a lunch to remember.
Larry
Today, there were about 20 children from age 1 to 11 eating spaghetti and cabbage amidst the dogs chasing the chickens in the yard.
Today was a special day at the Comidar because Ann and Chris K. read books to the kids as they ate. Then, after lunch, the kids washed the spaghetti off their hands and faces and waited for a special surprise. Wrapped in paper, each child received a book of their own. It was so fun to watch them open their gift with such excitement. It will be a lunch to remember.Larry
Fishing and Kindergarten day 2
Yesterday, was another eventful day. After my kindergarten lesson we headed out to the fishing pond, where we proceeded to teach the children the basics to our way of fishing. Many have fished before, but never with poles. Sometimes they have used a string and a close pin. Other times they have used a net. They loved casting out and reeling it in. Although we didn't catch any fish, the children had a ton of fun. On my next trip the plan is to make it out to Lake Yahoa, which almost occurred on this trip.After fishing, all 18 of us piled into the truck with the fishing gear. However, there was one small problem, we didn't have any gas. We spent the next 40 minutes walking back to the hogar with all of the gear. The truck we used doesn't have a gas gage, so that makes things very difficult. It was a fun walk, because I got to have a very long conversation with Julisa about life in Honduras. Julisa was the first child that I met when I got off the plane. We road back in the school bus together for four hours so our connection was immediate. Anyway, on our long walk back we talked about hopes and dreams. I have a strong connection with Julisa and plan to correspond with her for a long time.
This morning I spent working in the kindergarten room. We played the "Cheerio Math". It was so fun, but also extremely difficult. I cannot wait to show the video and pictures to my students in Eden Prairie. It was great having a lot of extra hands helping with the project. Thank you Kevin, Jeanine, Larry, Chris, Mitch, Lois, Becky. The kids really started to get it, which is one of the reasons I became a teacher. Many children had the "Ah ha!" moment. It was a total rush. It's great to be a teacher!
Hasta luego!
Nick Windschitl
Beth and Marcela
When i first brought up Hogar Tierra Santa at Eagle Heights, Beth told me that she had been there before. We quickly sat down and shared our experiences and pictures with each other. Beth told me one story of a little girl named Marcela. During Beth's first week, Marcela arrived at the hogar. She was only about a year old and in desperate need of attention. She clung to Beth and called her mama. Marcela and Beth were together everyday while she was here. Beth asked me to check up on Marcela while I was here. Well Beth, Marcela is doing great! When i first got here she ran up to me and gave me a big hug! Shorty after, i sat down with her and told her about Beth. I told her that one of my friends that i work with was here the day she arrived at the hogar. I told her that Beth still thinks about her and loves her. I will never forget the look on her face. She said "really? she remembers me?" And i told her of all of your pictures Beth, and how she is the one you talked about most. She just had this huge smile on her face. It was great. I am going to talk to her more about you today. I just wanted you share that with everyone and with you Beth. I know that this story has made her month...or year. I hope some day you can come back and reunite with your little girl. Lots of love!
Sarah
Sarah
Weepy Wednesday
The day began as most others in my life…chopping the mortar off bricks in the 90 degree weather! O.k., that’s not exactly what I do for a living, but some days at RSM are equally as aggravating...I mean challenging....I mean rewarding!
Next on the agenda for the day was Lice Shampoo treatments for over thirty of my closest girlfriends. This was quite the process but what was most impressive is how the girls, even the two and three year olds, knew exactly what to do and how to use a lice comb. Not a talent shared by many toddlers and teens from Minnesota. YUP, I did save two bottles so we could do a group de-licing before we leave on Friday. Head Lice is a souvenir you do NOT want to take home from Honduras.
Although my natural reaction was to feel sorry for my brothers and sisters of the Hogar, I can’t help but think about how lucky these kids are to have each other and to have this safe place to call home. It certainly may not meet my personal standards, or those of many of us from Minnesota, it is their home, a SAFE home, and they take great pride in it.
There were countless awesome moments throughout the day. I brought a journal along and began to have the kids sign it / write in it today. Those pages will be cherished and read and re-read for a long time. Oh my goodness…how are we going to make it through Thursday afternoon - driving away in the bus and not knowing “tomorrow’s” fate for the boys and girls we have begun to claim as our own? I believe we have indeed found “the least of these” and all we can do is continue to keep them in our thoughts and prayers for the days, months, years to come.
Lois Hegland
Next on the agenda for the day was Lice Shampoo treatments for over thirty of my closest girlfriends. This was quite the process but what was most impressive is how the girls, even the two and three year olds, knew exactly what to do and how to use a lice comb. Not a talent shared by many toddlers and teens from Minnesota. YUP, I did save two bottles so we could do a group de-licing before we leave on Friday. Head Lice is a souvenir you do NOT want to take home from Honduras.
Although my natural reaction was to feel sorry for my brothers and sisters of the Hogar, I can’t help but think about how lucky these kids are to have each other and to have this safe place to call home. It certainly may not meet my personal standards, or those of many of us from Minnesota, it is their home, a SAFE home, and they take great pride in it.
There were countless awesome moments throughout the day. I brought a journal along and began to have the kids sign it / write in it today. Those pages will be cherished and read and re-read for a long time. Oh my goodness…how are we going to make it through Thursday afternoon - driving away in the bus and not knowing “tomorrow’s” fate for the boys and girls we have begun to claim as our own? I believe we have indeed found “the least of these” and all we can do is continue to keep them in our thoughts and prayers for the days, months, years to come.
Lois Hegland
Hi from Chris from Wednesday
Guess what? We had another dia fantastica a el Hogar!
As other days, there were just so many activities going on throughout the day. At any point during the day there were probably five or six groups doing five or six different activities. We did everything from lessons in the kindergarten room to window sill repair to tie-dye to lice removal to fishing to reading to the kids. It’s like this constant buzz of activity going on at any given time. I try my best to capture it all on pictures or video and still have time to do some work myself and visit as much as I can with the kids.
Ann and I worked a bit more in the library in the morning preparing for a lesson later in the day. In the course of the last couple of days we had removed some of the outdated books or books that had a great deal of damage. We placed them in a box with the idea that they could be thrown away. But today Iris, Santiago’s wife, took a look at the books and did not seem to like the idea of getting rid of them. Sarah explained to us that for the Hogar it is very difficult to throw anything out. But from our perspectives as librarians we know that if a library is half-filled with books the kids would have no interest in reading that the kids will have less successful experiences using the library. If the kids have to sift through shelf after shelf of poor quality books to get to the good stuff, they’ll get frustrated and just give up. I don’t know how we’ll ever communicate this to the folks at the Hogar, however. But the library job could be a large, ongoing project that, if given the chance, we could really make better. We’ll see what happens.
In the afternoon, Chris A and Karla helped Ann and me organize a library lesson with about thirty or forty of the kids. We held the class out in the courtyard. Chris helped us translate. Ann and I talked to the kids about how to properly take care of and handle books. We also gave them some basic things to think about when using the library. But by far the best part was when we gave the kids time to touch the books, read the books, or have the books read to them by the many adults who helped us. All the books were in Spanish so the kids were able to pick them up and dig right in. The older kids, anyway. The younger kids were read to by many folks from our group, even though many of us don’t really speak Espanol. But we tried, and that was awesome!
We also showed the kids the book that I wrote, which was really fun for me. Because it is a graphic novel, the students I sat with could actually follow the story without knowing how to read the words. They asked me lots of questions and I tried my best to help explain the story.
Beyond the books that were donated by Capstone and Scholastic, the kids also got to take a look at the books that were created by students from Deb Haraway’s 6th graders back at Oak Point. This was super fun! I sat with a couple different groups and read them a counting book about foods. They were able to practice their English words. Another girl sat and read two of the story books. The books were written in English and I don’t think she knew what she was reading, but she pronounced the words very well. The kids from Oak Point should be proud of the gift they gave to the Hogar.
As other days, there were just so many activities going on throughout the day. At any point during the day there were probably five or six groups doing five or six different activities. We did everything from lessons in the kindergarten room to window sill repair to tie-dye to lice removal to fishing to reading to the kids. It’s like this constant buzz of activity going on at any given time. I try my best to capture it all on pictures or video and still have time to do some work myself and visit as much as I can with the kids.
Ann and I worked a bit more in the library in the morning preparing for a lesson later in the day. In the course of the last couple of days we had removed some of the outdated books or books that had a great deal of damage. We placed them in a box with the idea that they could be thrown away. But today Iris, Santiago’s wife, took a look at the books and did not seem to like the idea of getting rid of them. Sarah explained to us that for the Hogar it is very difficult to throw anything out. But from our perspectives as librarians we know that if a library is half-filled with books the kids would have no interest in reading that the kids will have less successful experiences using the library. If the kids have to sift through shelf after shelf of poor quality books to get to the good stuff, they’ll get frustrated and just give up. I don’t know how we’ll ever communicate this to the folks at the Hogar, however. But the library job could be a large, ongoing project that, if given the chance, we could really make better. We’ll see what happens.
In the afternoon, Chris A and Karla helped Ann and me organize a library lesson with about thirty or forty of the kids. We held the class out in the courtyard. Chris helped us translate. Ann and I talked to the kids about how to properly take care of and handle books. We also gave them some basic things to think about when using the library. But by far the best part was when we gave the kids time to touch the books, read the books, or have the books read to them by the many adults who helped us. All the books were in Spanish so the kids were able to pick them up and dig right in. The older kids, anyway. The younger kids were read to by many folks from our group, even though many of us don’t really speak Espanol. But we tried, and that was awesome!We also showed the kids the book that I wrote, which was really fun for me. Because it is a graphic novel, the students I sat with could actually follow the story without knowing how to read the words. They asked me lots of questions and I tried my best to help explain the story.
Beyond the books that were donated by Capstone and Scholastic, the kids also got to take a look at the books that were created by students from Deb Haraway’s 6th graders back at Oak Point. This was super fun! I sat with a couple different groups and read them a counting book about foods. They were able to practice their English words. Another girl sat and read two of the story books. The books were written in English and I don’t think she knew what she was reading, but she pronounced the words very well. The kids from Oak Point should be proud of the gift they gave to the Hogar.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Enseñando a los de Kinder
¡Hola a todos! Hoy pasé la mañana ayudando en el salón de Kinder. Era muy diferente de las clases de Kinder en Eden Prairie. Solamente tuvieron 2 mesas, y aproximadamente 20 escritorios. Habían 3o niños en la clase y una maestra. Los niños aquí también tienen merienda y recreo, pero es muy diferente de lo que tenemos nosotros. ¡No puedo esperar para compartir mis experiencias con todos ustedes!
¡Un beso y un abrazo fuerte!
Srta. Asuquo
¡Un beso y un abrazo fuerte!
Srta. Asuquo
Kindergarten
This morning was fantastic! I just got back from a three hour tour in the classroom that started in the kindergarten room. I was a little nervous to teach my lesson. It's hard enough to teach 22 English speakers in Eden Prairie, but 30+ 5 and 6-year-olds that don't speak English is another story. I wasn't sure if I would be able to communicate as well as I wanted to, but it turned out to be wonderful!
My first activity was to read the book "It looks like spilled milk"to the children. They were very attentive and listened and interacted extremely well with the story. However, after the book I had a painting project that went along with the story. I was surprised that none of the children knew any of their sounds and were unable to write their name. They also looked extremely small for their age. Anyway, there was paint all over the place! I'm not sure they have ever used paint before. Totally crazy, but when the kids folded their paper and then opened it up to see their creations, they were very excited.
After my lesson I went and worked with Natasha, Larry, Jeanine and Chris on some other art projects. After three hours of trying to communicate in Spanish while teaching lessons, I am physically and mentally exhausted. The people taking down the wall have nothing on us. Our work was tough, but extremely gratifying!
Tomorrow I plan to do a cheerio math activity with the kids, which I hope will have less cleanup.
Nick Windschitl
My first activity was to read the book "It looks like spilled milk"to the children. They were very attentive and listened and interacted extremely well with the story. However, after the book I had a painting project that went along with the story. I was surprised that none of the children knew any of their sounds and were unable to write their name. They also looked extremely small for their age. Anyway, there was paint all over the place! I'm not sure they have ever used paint before. Totally crazy, but when the kids folded their paper and then opened it up to see their creations, they were very excited.
After my lesson I went and worked with Natasha, Larry, Jeanine and Chris on some other art projects. After three hours of trying to communicate in Spanish while teaching lessons, I am physically and mentally exhausted. The people taking down the wall have nothing on us. Our work was tough, but extremely gratifying!
Tomorrow I plan to do a cheerio math activity with the kids, which I hope will have less cleanup.
Nick Windschitl
The Animals and Critters of Honduras
As I lay in bed hearing the dog barks echo through the streets of Comayagua, I thinking about the different animals and critters I see every day. In our backyard, we hear the parrots screech their ever present "Holas" to everyone who walks by. There are blackbirds feasting in the mango trees and geckos scurrying on the ceiling to greet us each night. On the trip to the Hogar, we see horses roaming freely and cows with their calves wandering down the roads. Vulture-like birds circle the sky and all kinds of critters roam the ground. Fire ants, termites and all kinds of beetles are found underfoot. As we walked back to the Hogar, we watched a happy calf eating the leaves from the Mango tree cut down earlier by Evan and Ben. Never seen a more content soul.
Larry
Larry
Laundry
WOW....we have a whole new appreciation for washing machines! We dyed shirts yesterday and today the job was to "launder in the warmest water for the fabric." Well.......water is a different resource here. I thought maybe we could find a laundromat in town to throw a couple loads in. EVERYONE here washes all their laundry by hand the old fashioned way. Even the hotel we are staying at does it this way. So, we used a bar of soap and a washboard and buckets of water we dipped from the pila (rainwater)and washed all approx. 60 shirts we had let sit overnight. It was a humbling and enlightening experience. The clotheslines are full of colorful shirts that each child had labeled and made themselves.
Today we also did a easier version of dyeing with 21 of the younger kids. All we had to do was help them tie these magic dye-filled strings around their shirts, then dip them in salted water, cut off the strings and wa-lah.....they were done. Needless to say the kids liked that they were done so quickly. Their faces were priceless. The yard is filled with colorful drying camisas that are strung on extention cords and ropes. This afternoon we will be doing all the boys camisas and laundering them tomorrow!!
The things we take for granted in the USA like water, machines, and sidewalks are very different here.
We are having an incredible experience and cannot wait to tell you more stories and share photos when we get back.
Hasta luega!!
Jeanne and Darla
Today we also did a easier version of dyeing with 21 of the younger kids. All we had to do was help them tie these magic dye-filled strings around their shirts, then dip them in salted water, cut off the strings and wa-lah.....they were done. Needless to say the kids liked that they were done so quickly. Their faces were priceless. The yard is filled with colorful drying camisas that are strung on extention cords and ropes. This afternoon we will be doing all the boys camisas and laundering them tomorrow!!
The things we take for granted in the USA like water, machines, and sidewalks are very different here.
We are having an incredible experience and cannot wait to tell you more stories and share photos when we get back.
Hasta luega!!
Jeanne and Darla
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
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!!!
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
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
• 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
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