Hello all!
Things are going well here. This week we have been on the move! Sunday we went out to one of the barrios that we don’t’ spend time in usually and met with a couple people there about working on a community center for them. Apparently this is the poorest barrio in Talanga, and its pretty evident. The man we met with said there are lots of drug problems and the teens really have nothing to do there other than fall into pretty bad stuff. There are a couple of really dedicated and pretty inspiration guys that live there that we met with that are working on turning around this community. They have started a soccer league to give the kiddos something to do, and are working on getting the community center there up and running. The only problem is that there are holes in the tin roof, there is a dirt floor, no windows, no door. Basically its just a frame of an abandoned house that they want to get use out of. The other problem is that apparently there is no water for this community. I honestly didn’t know that this existed in Talanga, and an very saddened. The reason, come to find out, is that the mayor bought a defective pump for this particular area, and won’t buy a new one or try and fix the old one. Yea… So people have to walk down to a stream and get some water with this buckets, then haul it up a steep incline to get to their houses. Pretty sad. So anyways, we are going to start working on the community center, and we are really happy to help them out. I think its an ideal opportunity, people that are trying to help themselves, and just need a bit of support with logistics and possibly about $100 dollars total to put a cement floor in. Sounds good to me! So we will continue to meet with them, and the Elms College will be sending in reinforcements for a week in March and they are going to help us with some of the leg work! Hopefully I can take some pics later and get them up before and after!
We have also been going to the clinic a lot this week. Tuesday and Wednesday we went like regular and helped the nursing students. There is also a doctor that was there this week, so we have been helping with him, doing translating and triage and whatnot. Its has been really nice to work with him, because I think it’s a different perspective, and he brings a lot of energy to the project. On Thursday I went back out to Guiamaca to the clinic to help the doctor, a nurse and a group of a few others go to one of the small villages there and do a clinic. We had a great turnout, and worked most of the day seeing patients that otherwise would not have been seen, because of money, time, mobility, resources, etc.So that was a really good experience for us to reach a lot of people, and also to learna lot that we otherwise wouldn´t be able to had we not left the town clinic. Hopefuly I can get involved in these types of clinics again. We actually did a few house visits, and one woman wanted to pay us. We told her that wasn´t necessary, but she insisted. I saw a huge orange tree on her property and asked that we were payed in oranges, and she was more than happy to oblidge! 10 oranges later we hit the road back to the clinic! haha
It was areally a great time, and i´m happy we went.
Take care all!
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Finally!!
Hello all! Here is a very much overdue blog; sorry it’s been a while! We have been pretty busy, and then I had to go home for a bit, but now I’m back in the flow of things.
In the beginning of February there is a day for the Virgin of Suyapa, which is a huge day in Honduras. The back story is apparently an idol appeared out of thin air a few times to someone and when the person looked at it, it was of the Virgin. Anyways, every year they have a big ol’ celebration at the beginning of February, and this year we attended one of the masses. The actually day is on the 3rd, but for several days leading up to the actual feast day they have services for different parts of Honduras, so that not all the Catholics in Honduras will try and go to mass on the feast day. We went a couple days before, and brought three busses of people from Talanga. It was really nice to see just how excited everyone was to go to this mass and see the idol they have on display there. The Basilica of Suyapa is absolutely beautiful as well, so that it itself was really nice to see and experience a mass in. Prior to mass there were about 20 priests hearing confessions, and true to Honduran form, mass started about an hour late. I think that the priest did a great job with it, and the people loved it and were very moved by it. As you will see in one of the pictures I can hopefully attach, the people came from all over and expressed their devotion in many ways. There was one woman that entered the church on her knees, and continued on her knees, shuffling her way to the front of the church and in front of where the idol was displayed. It was a beautiful testament to the faith that the Honduran people have, and it left me in awe of this elderly woman enduring physical discomfort to demonstrate her faith and her spiritual journey.
Also, here in Honduras they have woman’s day that they celebrate once a year in January. For our domestic violence group we took a bit of a break from the usual bible studies and discussion and the women decided to put on a play about domestic violence for us. There were about 5 of the women involved, and it was really well done. The theme was empowering women, and the scenes went from a woman and her children being physically and verbally abused, to the woman calling the police, to the women being liberated and are happier. It was a really nice depiction of the struggles that many women face, and I think the women really enjoyed being able to lead the group and put something together for all of us. They did a great job, and we were happy they felt so good about the work they could put together.
Thanks for all your continued support!
Our cat might have a problem..... (for those of you who are unsure, hes holding a cheap Mexican beer!)(Its still closed, don´t worry!=)
The chaos during the setting up for the mass and the procession
The view from inside the Basilica looking out at Tegucicalpa
a woman that waddled to the altar of the church before mass on her knees
Rosa and Alejandra during their women´s day play
A gorgeous sunset one night as seen through our new razor wire security system
The sign announcing the feast day and is events
The Basilica of Suyapa in Tegucigalpa
In the beginning of February there is a day for the Virgin of Suyapa, which is a huge day in Honduras. The back story is apparently an idol appeared out of thin air a few times to someone and when the person looked at it, it was of the Virgin. Anyways, every year they have a big ol’ celebration at the beginning of February, and this year we attended one of the masses. The actually day is on the 3rd, but for several days leading up to the actual feast day they have services for different parts of Honduras, so that not all the Catholics in Honduras will try and go to mass on the feast day. We went a couple days before, and brought three busses of people from Talanga. It was really nice to see just how excited everyone was to go to this mass and see the idol they have on display there. The Basilica of Suyapa is absolutely beautiful as well, so that it itself was really nice to see and experience a mass in. Prior to mass there were about 20 priests hearing confessions, and true to Honduran form, mass started about an hour late. I think that the priest did a great job with it, and the people loved it and were very moved by it. As you will see in one of the pictures I can hopefully attach, the people came from all over and expressed their devotion in many ways. There was one woman that entered the church on her knees, and continued on her knees, shuffling her way to the front of the church and in front of where the idol was displayed. It was a beautiful testament to the faith that the Honduran people have, and it left me in awe of this elderly woman enduring physical discomfort to demonstrate her faith and her spiritual journey.
Also, here in Honduras they have woman’s day that they celebrate once a year in January. For our domestic violence group we took a bit of a break from the usual bible studies and discussion and the women decided to put on a play about domestic violence for us. There were about 5 of the women involved, and it was really well done. The theme was empowering women, and the scenes went from a woman and her children being physically and verbally abused, to the woman calling the police, to the women being liberated and are happier. It was a really nice depiction of the struggles that many women face, and I think the women really enjoyed being able to lead the group and put something together for all of us. They did a great job, and we were happy they felt so good about the work they could put together.
Thanks for all your continued support!
Our cat might have a problem..... (for those of you who are unsure, hes holding a cheap Mexican beer!)(Its still closed, don´t worry!=)
The chaos during the setting up for the mass and the procession
The view from inside the Basilica looking out at Tegucicalpa
a woman that waddled to the altar of the church before mass on her knees
Rosa and Alejandra during their women´s day play
A gorgeous sunset one night as seen through our new razor wire security system
The sign announcing the feast day and is events
The Basilica of Suyapa in Tegucigalpa
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