Hello, Hello...

You say goodbye, and I say hello. Or something like that. I've been off the net for awhile, but here I am again, although it's hard to say for how long.

I am back in the States, arriving Nov. 24th, just in time for Thanksgiving. Since then, I have celebrated two holidays, visited Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia, taken the GRE, applied to graduate school and filled out multiple job applications with my revamped resume. I've enjoyed a variety of favorite foods, decorated three Christmas trees, watched more tv than I've seen in eleven months, got my broken computer fixed, and spent uncountable hours wondering just what in the world I'm going to do next. In case you were wondering...I am looking for a job, with the thought that I will start grad school in the fall. I am in Virginia right now, at least until I get enough money, or a job that pays enough money, to move back to Lexington (Kentucky). After that is anyones guess.

So what am I going to do with this blog? I'm not sure yet. I might keep it going, more for my entertainment than anything else. I still have some Honduran topics that I want to cover, a few small stories that I never got around to sharing, if for nothing else than to get them down on "paper".

Thanks to all of you for your interest and support in my activities. Happy reading.

Graduation

Graduation was on Sunday. Almost forty students received diplomas of various kinds - sixth grade, ninth grade, and vocational programs. It was a nice ceremony, despite the fact that I cried all throughout. I was very proud of my students, for the accomplishments they had achieved, and sad, because we had to say goodbye.

For most of the graduates, they are the first in their family to receive such an education. Some, just a few years ago, were street children without a home or food. Some come from single-parent families, others, from houses that are little more than tool sheds or mud huts. It is my hope and prayer that they are able to take what they have done here and turn it into something bigger and better for themselves and their families.

Congratulations, Class of 2008! TKM!

Click on the photo album, "Honduras Chapter 29", at the right of the page, to see more graduation pictures and pictures from the Christmas party, etc.

Getting ready for pictures. They are so cute in their gowns!

Alberto, Amy and Antonio.

Ulices, Ruben, and Victor are my friends from Choluteca.

Our friends from La Mosquitia

Yesterday, we said goodbye to some of our friends from La Mosquitia. They left a couple days after everyone else, because their plane couldn't come until Tuesday. That's right, the plane. They pool their money together and hire a plane to transport them to and from school. It works out a lot cheaper for them this way. There are no roads to La Mosquitia, so they either have to fly or take a boat. Flying turns out to be cheaper then the boat, by the time they pay for bus fare to the dock, etc. And it only takes one hour as opposed to a couple of days with the other route.

The plane landed on the airstrip, and the boys, six of them, lined up by height - the pilot had to judge their weight and distribute them accordingly. Then, they had to repack their suitcases because they had too much and it wouldn't fit on the plane. I felt terrible that they had to leave their suitcases behind, but some friends who are coming to La Mosquitia later are going to take it to them.

With the pilot, there were seven people on this tiny plane! We were praying so hard that it would get off the ground, and then stay there! They called us when they arrived at Puerta Lempira, so we knew that they were safe. Dawan yamni maimunbia, painikanani! (God bless you, friend, in Miskito)

Christmas Images

We have a poinsettia plant, growing naturally next to the church. It's in bloom right now, and is pretty in it's wildness. So, Merry Christmas!

The Honduras National Anthem

This week, students who are graduating took their exam on the national anthem. This is a very important exam - if they don't pass, they don't graduate. They have to learn seven of the 60+ verses to the song, and be able to explain the symbols of the flag and in the song. The students have been studying for weeks! The night before, you could see the graduates scattered all over campus, furiously reading their notes and mumbling to themselves. Thankfully, I think that most of them passed, and the rest get a second try.

The anthem is a source of national pride. Everyone knows it (since they study it so much in school). Even little kids know it. I watched a four year old sing the chorus on time - she knew the words (okay, not the verses, but the chorus). They ask us North Americans about our anthem. How many verses does it have (I don't know, we only sing one)? Do you take a test on it to graduate (no!)? I think they emphasize it so much because it promotes patriotism. It makes me wonder - if we devoted more energy to knowing and understanding our anthem, would it have an effect on national pride?

I have included a clip from YouTube, so that you can hear "Tu Bandera". I think it is a pretty song, if a little long. The clip might take awhile to load if you have a slow internet connection.

A Pretty Sight

Check out this picture - I took it from a hillside, overlooking the farm and the mountains in the background. On the left, we have sun. On the right, you can see a rain shower. I love being able to watch the weather systems as they pass through here.

Baptisms

Two Sundays ago, we celebrated the two most important rituals of our faith, as demonstrated by Christ himself - those of baptism and of Holy Communion. Eleven students make public their declarations of faith by participating in a baptism ceremony. It was a beautifully simple, straightforward affair - the pastors led the students into the water while we sang hymns and others prayed. It was a gorgeous day, with sunny, blue skies over us and the sounds of birds, rushing water and praying voices all around us. Later that night, those that were newly baptized were invited to take Holy Communion with the rest of the baptized believers.




The following students were baptized: Abat, Alexander, David, Eddy, Josue, Manuel, Pedro, Selvin, Stiven, Victor, and Wilfred.

Oh, by the way...

Amy just reminded me of this. The second night of the storm, after it was dark and the boys all went to bed, Amy and I put on our black galoshes and our raincoats and went down to the river. Yep, in the dark, with the rain pouring down. We wanted to see if the water had risen any more (the first night, we got ten inches of rain!). Maybe a bit foolish, but we promised ourselves not to step into any water that might be running over the road. And, we got caught! Travis was coming back from the river just as we were going down! Needless to say, we felt a little ridiculous. But there was a little bit of a thrill from going out in the middle of a storm armed with nothing but boots and a flashlight.

Annnd, we're back!

So much for updating my blog a little more often. Last Saturday, the power went out in Catacamas, and didn't come back until last night. Reason? A big storm went across the country, causing floods and all kinds of havoc. Our tranquil little river changed overnight, coming out of it's banks and taking away parts of the road that crossed it. The power was out in Catacamas because the power lines got swept down the river. Many people were out of power and had no water for over a week, and I imagine that many are still without. We were not in the dark, completely, as we did have a back-up generator. Our worst problem here at the farm was the loss of internet, which in the grand scheme of things, is not the important.

This is the Rio Talgua, in 2006.

And here it is again, October 19, 2008. Note the clump of trees on the left.

And again, on October 20, 2008. Look at the left - that clump of trees is now gone.

And that is the bridge to the rest of the farm property and to the village of Santa Clara.

It is truly amazing, the power of water.

Electricity

So, it's been awhile...sorry about my absence, but things have been fairly busy of late, and I didn't have time to deal with the slow internet connection that we have. But, I have made a list of all the things I want to tell you about, so I will work on sharing those over the next few days.

One of those things is a little tidbit about the electricity here. We do have electricity, and it serves it purpose, albeit very weakly. Generally the electricity is provided by the hydroelectric plant we have on the property. Unfortunately, it has been broken for nearly four months by now, and we are waiting on a very expensive and rare part to arrive. In the meantime, we have been hooked up to the national grid - a unreliable and expensive service. It flickers on and off, and we have brownouts periodically, especially at night.

I tell you all this to lead up to the picture displayed below. One night, while working on our computers, the lights went out. So we lit the candles and kept on working. The sight was very amusing - we needed old fashioned candles to see, but thanks to outstanding battery life, were able to continue working with our fancy-smancy computers.

Amy, working away!

And me, following suit. I had to get some tests graded!

Talent Night

Last night the youth group held a talent show. Really, it was more like "So You Think You Can Sing" (isn't there some reality show in the States by that name?). The majority of the participants were singers, with one tap dancer to mix it up a bit. That dancer was my talented roommate, Amy, who was a tap dancer in her previous life in the States. She choreographed a routine to accompany a popular Christian rap song, put on some baggy pants and sunglasses, and wowed the crowd with her skills. She ended up winning the competition, not something she wanted to do, but hey, her routine was unique. Unique always garners points.

That's Amy, putting on her tap shoes!

Abel announces the winners.

Bryan has aspirations of being a Christian rapper.

Wedding Bells, In Ohio

Last week I had the opportunity to fly to the States for the wedding of my dear friend Ivy. Some of you know her as Ivy Fisher - she has since changed her name, due to said wedding. It was a blessing to be able to attend this special event. Thank you to all who helped me get there!

Ivy and I have been friends since college. We ran on the cross country team together, and after she graduated in 2005, we shared an apartment for a year. She was the best roommate I ever had. She really wanted me to be a part of her wedding, so after many weeks of ticket-hunting, I was able to commit and travel north to be the second of two bridesmaids.

The wedding was in a small town north of Dayton. Ivy and Nate, being simple people, kept the wedding very simple. They held the event in a small church, which was perfect for the short guest list. They invited their family and close friends, which made for a very special and intimate wedding.

Being friends with Ivy's family, I had a nice weekend altogether. After the bride and groom left, and we made a stab at cleaning up the kitchen, we found time for some eucre, and I had my first geocaching trip. It was a nice trip, but busy! I was so tired by the end of it.

Side note: it took me four planes to get from Teguc to Dayton, and another four on the return trip. And if you ever come to Latin America, you should try out Taca Airlines.

A Little Presentation About...Tigo

Tigo is the name of the very dominant cell phone country...ahem, company here in Honduras. It is literally everywhere. Amy and I say that Tigo owns Honduras (the national colors are blue and white, after all...hmm). Tigo has plastered their name on everything imaginable - storefronts, walls, signs, cars, mountainsides, watertowers. It is so ubiquitious that I just had to share it with you. As you can see from the following slideshow, Tigo really is "with you" in Honduras.

Some random facts about this monopolistic monolith:

- Tigo is a play on the Spanish "contigo", which means "with you".
- Tigo is just one part of a larger cellular giant - the parent company has phone companies in Central and South America and in Africa.

Besides what is displayed below, I have seen Tigo in other unique places. I have yet to capture them on digital film, but when I do, I will share them with you. Among the missing are:

- Traffic cones with Tigo screenprinted on the side.
- Bright orange safety vests, worn by the police at traffic checks, with Tigo emblazoned on the back.
- The national soccer stadium has Tigo all over the walls.
- A Tigo beach towell
- Tigo t-shirts (I haven't figured out what you have to do to actually aquire one)

Today's High Score

Getting ready to head to the classroom. If it doesn't feel like 106 outside, it will certainly feel like 106 inside. Yippee-do-da.

It's hot

Today's weather.

Class Project: Planting Trees

If you didn't know, or had forgotten, the name "Escuela El Sembrador" means "School of the Sower". This is intended to have a spiritual meaning, but a couple weeks ago, it took on a literal meaning, too, when the kids of II Bachillerato (the senior class) went to Catacamas for their service project. They had to "sow" two hundred trees as part of the city's beautification plan.

While it wasn't as much fun as, say, a trip to the beach, I think they enjoyed themselves well enough. After all, they were working with friends, and they got to go out for lunch to the Chinese restaurant when it was all over, so I'd say it was a good day.

I was impressed with their work ethic. They jumped out of the bus and got straight to work. With over twenty kids in the class, it didn't take very long, especially since they didn't loaf around. Their teacher, who also teaches in another private school, was also impressed. She said that she has to do this same project with the students in her other school, and she knows that it won't go nearly as quickly. She praised the El Sembrador kids for their work ethic and good attitudes. I guess they have learned something at this school after all. I was very proud of them. And they all looked so nice in their uniforms!

Honduras is making an effort at reforesting their country. Many school participate in tree projects like this one, and Catacamas has a city greenhouse, to provide the volunteers with the tress needed. At the end of the project, the neighborhood councilman thanked the boys for their work, and spoke about how, in twenty years, they hope that all of Honduras will be green with the trees that are being planted now. He specifically addressed Amy and me, saying that if we come back in Honduras, we will find a country even more beautiful than it is now.

At the city greenhouse. Note the pistol in the manager's belt...

Elvin, clearing the grass with his machete.

Victor and Alexander, digging holes for the plants. We planted tress at two public schools.

Yasmin, planting the little plant.

The "sowers" of II Bach, ready for lunch.

More on Bananas

Last week, we were driving up to the North Coast (banana country), and passed this roadside attraction - a lot of bananas. Dozens of little stands, back to back, like this, line one stretch of the highway. Hundred of bananas, all lined up. It's a rather interesting sight.

The banana vendors seem to be out every time we drive by.

Also, it's watermelon season (I think), and so the watermelons are also out, stacked along the highway for anyone who wants one.

So, the picture is a bit blurry. But we were in transit. You get the general idea, right?

A Little Randomness

I was out in Catacamas a few weeks ago and saw this cute little family walking down the road. It amused me, so I took a picture.

Holy Fire

rayinOn Saturday, the youth group had a bonfire, with songs, games, a skit, and, at the end, marshmallows! (yum.) I thought it went really well. Almost fifty kids showed up. We sang some good old-fashioned gospel music, Honduras style, and played some Honduran camp games. After that, we watched an object lesson about leaving the old self behind for the new self given by God.

I mention this event because I felt really encouraged watching these kids put on this program. In the middle of the program was a time for testimonies and thanksgiving, and after a nervous pause, one kid stood up to share, and then another, and another, and another, until finally the youth leader had to cut it off so we could move to the next activity. As I listened, I became very aware of how much God was moving in these kids' lives. I was grateful, and I was humble, because I realized that so much of what they are learning about God is coming from sources that can really feed them, (in their own language). I was relieved about this, because I realized that we missionaries view life around here on one level, but they see it differently. While we worried about discipline, class schedules, and paying the bills, they had found the most important thing and focused on it.

I don't know if any of that made sense. Just know that I was filled with joy at what I witnessed Saturday night.

A few pics, and a video, for your enjoyment.

Miguel, taking care of his marshmallow.

A little dancing and singing around the campfire.

This video is of the closing song, called, "Yo Te Busco", or "I look for You". It's a very nice song. The film is a little dark, and as you listen, some of the kids might be off key, but, I like listening to them sing, because they sing with heart and faith. The mumbling in the background is the sound of people praying.

Feliz Cumpleaños, Amy!

Yesterday was Amy's birthday. She is twenty six years old. When I woke up, I realized that I didn't have a present for her, so I made a cake and invited all the missionaries over to help us eat it.

We have a running joke about frogs. Hence the frog-shaped cake.

I cracked a (confetti-filled) egg over Amy's head. It's a Honduran tradition.

High Jinks

So, I looked out my window the other day to see that a couple of boys where weeding the flower beds. Okay, Gwen, so what?, you are saying. Well, take a look at the picture below!


That's Omar, about oh, twelve feet up in the air. He claimed to be fearless. Ay de mi.

School Projects

A few weeks ago, I gave my students a couple of projects to work on. I was trying to get creative in my teaching. So, I told them that they had to write a report, and present it to the class...in English.

For the tenth and eleventh grade class, I divided them into groups, and each group picked a state of the good ol' USA. They then had to find out about that state: it's capital, the population, the governor, the topography, the biggest city, etc. They had to then present that information, in English. This, they thought was going to be realllllly hard, and it was, but, with some help from me and others, they got it done: facts found, sentences translated, and posters made. They were so cute on presentation day. I was very proud of the eleventh grade class - I could see that they had worked very hard. They didn't pronounce everything perfectly, but, it was obvious that they had practiced.

My ninth grade class had a slightly different assignment - to present a how-to speech. Classic, yes. They had to pick a subject and present the different steps in English. They also did a very good job. I learned how to plant corn, how to plant beans, and how to make tortillas. The pictures below are from the ninth grade class.

Jose Lorenzo, Edwin, and Favio, with their presentation:

"How to Sow Beans"

Allen, Victor, David and Fredy:
"How to Sow Corn"

Eunice, Marian and Sarahi:
"How to Make Tortillas"

Lunchroom nostalgia

Last week, I went to a banana plantation, where they produce bananas for Chiquita. It was a neat tour, although I felt a little bit like I was watching Mr. Roger's Neighborhood. "Okay kids, today we are going to see how bananas are made." My favorite part? The authentic blue-and-yellow Chiquita sticker I received at the end of the tour. I don't think the Hondurans quite understood why we North Americans found this so exciting.

Whoot, whoot! I have some Chiquita stickers!

The banana fields. It felt a bit like being lost in an Iowa cornfield.

"Bagging" the bananas.

Washing the bananas.

The sticker ladies.

These bananas are on their way to Wal-Mart and Kroger!

Random Sightings

I saw this going down the street in Tela. I'm not what to call it. Car? Truck? How does he keep everything on his cart? It was very amusing, especially when the driver waved.

On bikes and Beijing

I enjoyed this article from the NYT, about bicycling around Beijing. I'll keep this in mind if I ever go there. Bicycles are very popular here in Honduras, as well, being cheap transportation. However, you will not ever find me using one to get around Tegucigalpa! Yikes!

Copy and paste the link into your browser.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/15/sports/olympics/15bikes.html?ex=1376452800&en=cb83c8cc87e37312&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Exam Week

My junior and senior classes had their English exams this Thursday. They are very relieved to be done with them! All week long they have been bugging me "Gwen, is the exam easy?" "Gwen, I think I'm going to fail." "Gwen, what's going to be on the test? Can you give me the answers?" I tried to calm their fears, because I knew they would be okay (especially since I am extremely lenient when it comes to grading. I give away a lot of free points).

I was very pleased with their tests - the majority of them passed, and more then half actually earned a "c" or better. Some of them were so cute when I told them their grade. Elvin, normally a shy kid, chattered non-stop all evening because he was so wound up and excited about his 88. Jimmy did a little fist-pump when he heard about his 80%.

This is Elvin, in the metal shop. He is studying industrial mechanics.

Jimmy was hamming it up for the camera with my ranchera hat.