Final Thoughts

I almost cried today. I was frustrated with a student who didn’t agree with me. I was frustrated with a student who has spent 4 months here and is ok with returning the same way he/she came. I was frustrated because after presenting facts, statistics, and research that proves something, someone will always take the opposing side refusing to believe the truth. I almost cried because a student’s contesting viewpoint was enough to frustrate me, and I can’t begin to imagine how many more opposing viewpoints I will encounter when I return.

I almost cried today because I don’t know how to leave this place. Azar Nafisi said “You get a strange feeling when you’re about to leave a place…like you’ll not only miss the people you love but you’ll miss the person you are now at this time and this place, because you’ll never be this way ever again.”

People talk about reverse culture shock when you come back from another culture, but I just experienced the first phase today before I even left the country. Just the thought of the feelings I had today multiplied over again and again is overwhelming.

How do I leave a 4 and 11 year old that I love as my own siblings? How do I leave a mother who loves me like her own? How do I leave knowing it is very possible that I will never see them again?

How do I leave this beautiful country so in desperate need of love and submerge myself back into the world I came from? How do I enter into the Christmas season knowing that my little family in Honduras is in need? How do I say goodbye to a way of life that I have grown to love?

How do I take what I have learned and change my life, when those around me don’t understand or don’t care to learn? How do I prevent myself from falling into old habits because they are easier?

And now I cry. I cry for the poverty I have seen. For the necessity and longing yet hope for the future. For the honesty and openness that others have revealed with me. For the thieves who rob out of a lack of a better opportunity. For the children who roam the dumpsters and breathe unhealthy air. For the insecurity and fear that roam the hearts of many. For the students who have learned but still do not see. For my own limited perspective, faults, and failures. For humans attempt to understand and interpret God. For judgmental glances and harsh words thrown at those with whom we disagree. For mixed feelings of missing my family, friends, and home yet not ready to leave what I have found here. For those that can leave without looking back or thinking twice. For the deeply immense beauty of this culture, these people, and this country. For the hope that our heroes like Mother Theresa have given us yet a sense of incapacity and minute sense of self. For the joy of being served their best christmas dinner with my family in Nueva Suyapa as a means of saying thank you to me for spending time with them. For the tears that my family in Nueva Suyapa shed with me as we prayed together yesterday knowing we might not see each other again but that we worship the same loving God.

I cry for lack of words to articulate.

And so I smile. I smile for the indescribable memories that are stamped into my memory. For the beauty that lurks in unexpected places. For the laughter, smiles, and jokes I have shared. For my little sister’s blatantly honest remarks and young naivety. For Yaqui’s ridiculous over protective way of being. For the way my bedroom transformed into the purple room because it was my favorite color. For what I have learned that I hope to never forget. For the ants that I never got used to. For the opportunity to study abroad that many others do not have.

And then I ask. I ask for patience for myself to show to others, and patience for others to show to me. Patience as I adjust back into the place I left but with a different sense of self, others, God, and life in general. Encouragement as I change to meet the goals I have set, and to not lose hope when those around me don’t understand. Support as I battle with the struggle between old habits and new ideas, and the confusion that it will bring. I ask for wisdom from a God who is mysterious and powerful, who did not give humans the ability to understand him.

And now I share. I share my goals and ideas knowing that many won’t care or share the same goals that I do. I share knowing that many will question why or doubt the ability that one person has to make a difference. I share knowing that it is possible that I will fail and be frustrated but hoping that I will forever be changed and might change others with me.

Goals:
-Spend time with others without thinking about a schedule or time
-Help others without thinking of my own agenda
-Live a simple life
-Give or donate clothes that I do not need or that can better serve someone else
-Give or donate old toys or objects that are sitting in boxes that could be in the hands of someone in need
-Save water with showers and washing dishes
-Buy the book from betterworldshopper.com and learn how and where to best spend my money
-Be conscious of what I buy and if I really need it
-Walk, ride my bike, or take the bus to Calvin
-Buy local groceries
-Communicate with my 2 families in Honduras
-Give money to God without thinking about percentages
-Learn how to cook efficiently (learn how to cook period ☺)
-Look into the pros and cons of vegetarianism and where to buy local meat
-Study the facets of God and the possibility of religious pluralism
-Push for the DREAM act and immigration reform that is desperately needed
-Continue to support and speak Spanish with others who went to Honduras
-Watch the world news more often

*Thank you to those of you who have followed my blog, genuinely interested and found the time and desire to read about what I have learned (maybe even learning yourself) and to those who sent me little emails and snail mail encouraging me throughout the semester. It was greatly appreciated!
*The pictures are of my finished ceramic and sculpture pieces, they turned out pretty well although I am going to have to be very creative to get all 3 home.
*These next 3 days are very busy and full of many people fighting for my time. I feel a bit overwhelmed with it all (including the thought of having to pack:) and would appreciate thoughts and prayers as these next few days will be difficult as well as the mixed emotions of leaving and coming home.

Guatemala

Guatemala surprised me for many reasons. It was refreshingly cold, to the point where you could see your breath at night and had to sleep with 2 heavy blankets. There were rich, vibrant colors splashed throughout every city, on the women’s traditional clothing, in the markets, and in the hotels and restaurants. The thing that struck me the most were the women, almost all of whom were dressed in the traditional Mayan dress, a brightly colored skirt and traditional shirt. Many of them held a bundle on their backs, in a brightly colored piece of cloth called a “rebolsa”. It took me a while to realize that inside these bundles were mostly babies, tightly slung to the mother’s back. In the markets, the materials sold were brought to the table from their houses in these brightly colored rebolsas. It is a mode of transporting goods and babies. I bought one but it was very difficult to find because they aren’t usually sold, what they carry is sold.
*See picture of brightly colored rebolsas

Before entering Guatemala, we stopped at a banana plantation in Honduras. We saw the process of how a banana is cut down from a tree, transported to the production line, washed, inspected for bruises, and packaged to go to the US. Here are a few thoughts from the process:
-The US has a very high standard for bananas, we are extremely picky
-When a banana doesn’t pass this standard, it is left to be sold in Honduras
-Only bananas that don’t meet the mark are sold in Honduras (75% are exported and 25% don’t meet the mark and stay in Honduras)
-The workers work long hours every day (10 hrs) and their workers rights are manipulated and abused
-There is an organization in Honduras that gives space for these workers to unite and plan strikes to fight for their rights
-If the US could lower their standard and be willing to buy bananas that aren’t “perfect”, Honduras and many other countries could export more and keep better bananas in their own country
-Part of the system involves a man pulling a rope line attached to about 6 stalks of bananas (about 7 times his weight). Having this job for 10 hours every day causes hernia as well as many other health damages (I almost cried when I saw this man as he was doubled over in a harness like a pack mule pulling a rope attached to many bananas)
-We were not allowed to take photos of the process because of fear that we would show them in the US and people would be angered of the inhumane processes
-When we asked the organization fighting for workers rights what they wanted us to do when we got back to the US, they said “Eat more bananas, be less picky about which ones you eat, and fight to get a motor put in the banana process to eliminate the job of pulling the banana stalks”
*See the banana picture to better picture the the chain of banana stalks that are attached to a pulley system that a man pulls

We then entered Guatemala and spent a lot of time in the markets buying gifts for family members. We also went to many cathedrals, churches, and museums. We had an amazing opportunity to go to a Mayan alter and watch a ceremony of offering to their gods, which involved a fire, chanting, and spitting alcohol on the backs of those who wanted the prayer. We learned a lot about the Mayan religion and history, both of which are very evident in Guatemala’s culture today. Interestingly, many Mayans also practice Catholicism, which brings in the discussion about religious syncretism and whether Christians are obligated to evangelize to these people or if we should respect their religion and preserve their culture.
*See second picture of the Shaman (like a priest) spitting alcohol on those asking for prayer

Another interesting thing is that we got to see the black Jesus, a statue in a Catholic church that supposedly has power to do miracles that many people travel from all over the world to see. Also, we saw the real San Simón, or Maximón (prounced “Ma shimón) a man who died but his spirit lives on and has healing power. His shrine is very hard to find and we found it through an alley, another thing that people from all over the world look for. (see below for a great article with more information)

We also went to the Copan Mayan ruins on our way back into Honduras and although I was sick I was still able to enjoy them by just sitting down and looking at the beautiful ruins. I skipped the bird park and horse back riding to sleep off being a bit sick, and then we ended the trip in a hot springs pool with hot water that comes from a river

I fell in love with Guatemala, but I felt like I was going “home” to Honduras when we came back.

*A great article to read about religious syncretism in Guatemala is:
“Chac and Maximon: Perspectives on Religious Syncretism” Marilyn Bierling, Calvin College
*Pictures stolen from facebook

Quotes and accomplishments of the Day

Quotes:
-Jimena-"Alison, did you know that my mom and dad make babies together?"

-Jimena- "And when they make babies, it's called making love"

-Ficosah Bank- "I'm sorry, we cannot complete your transaction (closing my account) because we cannot find your signature in our system" (after waiting for 2 hours)

-Alison: "Jimena, what do you want for Christmas"
-Jimena: "A snow doll!"
-Alison: "And what do you want from Guatemala?"
-Jimena: "Snow!"

-Alison: "Ugh. I slept with a Mosquito last night!"
-Jimena: "I hate it when that happens!"

-Alison: "No Yaqui, I don't really want cold medicine" (I had a bad cold and she wanted to give me medicine)
-Yaqui: "No Alison, you don't understand. It's because I already love you that I want to give you this medicine
-Alison: "Vaya pues" (which means, ok then :)

-Alison: "Jimena, you can have this folder if you want"
-Jimena: (takes it and looks at it) "And what in the world would I use this for?"

-Jimena: "Alison, Alison, Alison, Alison, Alison, Alison, Alison"
-Alison: "Jimena, WHAT"
-Jimena: "Hola, te quiero" (Hello, I love you) (This quote happens at the least 15 times a day)

-Alison to Andre: "Did you see that big thing?"
-Jimena: "Did you just say big? Are you talking about me because I'm really big! Big enough to visit your little house in Michigan!"


Accomplishments:
-Finished all my classes and exams
-I can officially talk soccer now
-Took all my ceramic pieces home (7 pieces) in one piece
-Officially spent 106 days in Honduras
-Watched Phanie scream down the street on her first motorcycle ride
-Tore all my homework assignments out of my notebook and gave them to my siblings (similar to when I cleaned my room out and gave all my crap to my little brothers and they thought I was SO cool)
-The Christmas decorations are up in our house! Christmas tree with lights, little red bows, and santa clauses are in every room!


*Tomorrow we leave at 4:30am to go to Guatemala for 8 days!
Photos:
3. My finished sculpture project of a Mayan mask. The frame is coming this week.
2. My siblings in front of the decorated tree
1. Phanie and my last day of school!

Re-thinking Short Term Missions

Like many of you, I have participated on some short term missions in my life. I have grown and learned from them, but never really gave them a second thought or looked into the cost of short term missions. We had a class on the positive and negative effects of mission trips, and here are my concluding thoughts! Feel free to share with your church or youth group leaders.

Positive Aspects:
- Those that go grow and change
-Those that go can change the community (spiritually, physically, emotionally)

Negative:
- Inefficient, spend lots of money on transportation
- Can do harm to the community in need
- There is more of a focus on those who go than on those who need help
- Creates a sense of dependency
- 2 million people serve in one year, and spend 3 billion dollars

Research Findings:
- The self perception of change is great, but an actual increase in giving and actual changes in the people don’t occur
- 0.7% of donations of those who went on short-term mission trips (not very much)
-10 of 12 people found little or no change in their lives after the trip
- The most changes occurred on trips where the new culture was similar to their own (in the same country or a similar country)

Results:
*Is it ok to spend so much money to better benefit ourselves?
*Is it ok for trips to be sold as “we are going to help the poor” when in reality, those who receive the most help are ourselves? Shouldn’t the trips be advertised as how we can grow from this experience if that really is the main result?
*Studies show that the perceived change in those who serve is not actually happening (the perceived sense of self is greater than it actually is), WHY?
*When those in favor of short-term missions hear these contradictions, they get mad because they don’t want to hear that their programs might actually be doing more harm than good.
*There is a right way to do short term missions that can help the community as well as help those who go on the trip, although it will almost always help those that go more.
*It is worth it to spend the money on the trip if those that go actually are changed and if the change is one that lasts and can influence others, as well as if the community is not harmed.
*Many churches need to restructure their youth trips and mission trips in order to effectively and efficiently use their money, to continue to help youth grow, and to help communities in need.
*Read Jo Ann Van Engen and Kurt VerBeek’s findings if you are interested in learning more about the research done behind these findings:
www.ajshonduras.org/joann%27sarticle.pdf
www.calvin.edu/academic/sociology/staff/kurt.htm
*Kurt and Jo An are working on a curriculum for an ideal short term mission trip that I think will be very valuable for future trips

What would be an ideal Short Term Mission Trip?
Before the Trip:
-Learn about the culture
-Meet with the group before going on the trip several times to prepare
-Have an experienced leader
-Contact the community to have a common vision
-Establish realistic goals for the group and personal goals
-Pray
-Plan the projects
-Think about donating the same amount of money that it takes to get there. For example, if the plane costs $500, you also have to donate $500.

During the Trip:
-Work with realistic needs of the community, and ask them what they are
-Teach valuable things
-Share spiritual aspects with each other and depending on the community, with the community as well
-Have support groups within the group
-Invite people from the community to share their experiences
-Learn about the community, how can we change to our fullest while here, its not only working for the community but also learning about the community

After the Trip:
-Have support groups
-Measure your goals
-Have accountability groups
-Maintain contact with the community
-Evaluate the trip to make it better

Ketchup Addiction

I think I have a ketchup addiction, among many other things. Every day I am served beans, tajadas (friend platanoes) and tortillas with a side of ketchup. Some people are sick of the food, but I love it, until we ran out of ketchup. For 2 days the food was bland...and I realized that I have a ketchup addiction.

Today Jimena told me with tears in her eyes that she is going to miss me so much when I go home and that a little piece of her heart is going to come with me in my pocket when I go. She has a new obsession with Liana (my 4 year old cousin in Rockford) after seeing her on video chat today. She can't believe that Liana likes to draw, color, run, ride bikes, and play with toys just like she does! She is sure that when she comes to visit me when she gets bigger that Liana is going to be her best friend! I showed her pictures of sand castles that Liana and I made together today and she said "But Alison, she isn't your little sister right?" and I said "Nope, she's my cousin" and she said "Oh Phew! I'm your only little sister then!" (A bit of jealousy going on :)

Also, Jimena wore pink leggings with a little jean skirt today, and when I saw her I said "Wow Jimena! You look SO cute today!" and she turned to her Mom and very dramatically said "Oh Mom! Why didn't you put this on me when Isaac was here?" I don't think I have ever laughed so hard, which made her put her hands on her hips and say "What?!"

I went to a Catholic Mass today with my Aunt and her Mom who is dying of cancer (she was given 2 months to live), and the Mom (Doña Teresa) wept during the church. It was a very sad but peaceful thing to see. I don't understand everything about catholicism, but there was also a teenage boy who wouldn't get off his knees in dedication to the Virgin Mary until his prayer request was granted. He crawled and knelt for 2 hours while sobbing his heart out, and his family stood around him supporting him and praying.

21 more days and 21 more New Things

1. Jimena learned the secret of the middle finger. She whips it out ALL the time!
2. Garlic and Salt is not the same thing that you put on bread. It is Salt with a hint of Garlic. We ended up scraping the bread after it was all done because it was so salty!
3. We found Jimena's secret stash of letters to Isaac under the bed. All 59 of them neatly folded in little squares ready to be mailed....she hid them because she found out we were throwing them away!
4. The Internet went ka-put for a while...now it is just back to being picky.
5. The lukewarm showers turned to ice water.
6. The sunsets are prettier!
7. Whoever said November would be a cooler month is a lier!
8. My phone service has not failed to text message me every morning this month at 7 am, before I need to wake up.
9. Although I didn't think it was possible, Jenga is not fun anymore! It has worn itself out!
10. Jimena only has 3 more blank pages in MY notebook to "do homework" with me...I am going to have to be creative for these last few weeks! For some reason her notebook are definitely NOT as cool as mine!
11. The new Colombian TV show is called EL CAPO, and it is VERY intense.
12. Our favorite dancer won in a show similar to Dancing with the Stars, and my family pranked me into "talking" with the winners grandma, which was actually a recording. At least it was funny for them.
13. Spending the entire day in the back of a pickup truck is VERY fun until 2 days later.
14. The dogs.....enough said.
15. The walk to school was long in the beginning, short in the middle, and now every day it seems a bit longer.
16. Jimena just realized that my Mom and Isaac don't speak Spanish...she was devastated!
17. Andre (my brother) is on vacation until February (like our summer vacation). This means he has a LOT of free time on his hands that he fills with trying to scare me. The other day, I was walking up the stairs at 10:30pm after a long day, and he scared me so bad I almost ran all the way back down the stairs.
18. I went on an official ant hunt. I killed over 200 small ants (they are the only bug I kill), and woke up the next morning with the ants swarming my toothbrush. I then planted traps around my room, and when the long line of ants started coming from the ceiling, I plugged the holes. Still didn't work but it was pretty fun.
19. My hair is officially long again.
20. I know longer care when ants crawl out of my laptop, because I know they are burning inside.
21. I will miss my honduran family a lot, and I am praying for the right words to say when I have to leave, especially with Jimena. I did not expect it to be this hard.

Happy Thanksgiving!

A bit of culture shock...

I have the house to myself because my family went to a school presentation, but I have class in an hour so I couldn't go. I had forgotten what a bit of peace and quiet felt like!

My host Dad came home while I was on vacation, so when I got home I met him again for the second time. That means there's money in the house, so my 11 year old brother got a sweet cell phone, my host Mom got her nails done, and my little sister got a bushel full of toys. On Saturday morning, we went to a beauty salon to get Andre's haircut. I had a bit of culture shock, as all the ladies getting their hair done gossiped about everyone they knew. They talked about my Aunt, my host Dad, my cousin, the other exchange students from Calvin, the newest girl who got pregnant, etc. I had no idea how they knew everything about everyone, and I felt a bit out of place as they were saying some pretty inappropriate things that I didn't feel comfortable knowing.

Saturday afternoon/night we went to a carnival type thing, which are very popular in Honduras and they last several months. There are mini roller coasters, ferris wheels, games, food, dancing, and lots of drinking. I played the babysitter role for a while while my host parents drank lots of beer and I took the kids on some rides and games. My host Dad gave me a fist full of money, so we rode the Worm roller coaster 6 times, did bumper cars, and won some cheap prizes at the games. (It was actually pretty cold, so we all wore sweatshirts and jackets!)

We left the house at 3:00pm and got back at 1:00am, but stayed up talking until 4:00am with one of their family friends named David. Each of the adults had bout 12-13 beers, so things got pretty funny. David is a biologist and a very smart man, and he kept giving Yaqui advice about her life, and Yaqui kept arguing back. I ended up being the mediator because they always ended the argument with my advice, and whatever I said went. I enjoyed talking to David because he has different opinons than my family about the environment, consumerism, racism, etc.

On Sunday we headed to Phanie's house for her little brothers 1st birthday party. A party would be an understatement..picture a teeny house with about 25 kids under the age of 11, with all of their parents, all talking and screaming at the same time, with twinkle twinkle and mary had a little lamb music blasting in spanish. Then picture pin the nose on the clown, and as a child is trying to pin the nose on the clown, there are 25 people huddled around screaming up, down, left, right, right there, stick it on!!!!! in the child's ear....pretty overwhelming and I was just watching!

Then there's the piñata. A big piñata attached to the electrical wire, and each kid gets 10 smacks. After the first little piece of candy falls out, all the kids dive to the floor and start fighting for the candy. Then, a parent gets up and starts shaking the piñata until the candy starts pouring out. The electrical wire breaks and the piñata falls, but it doesn't matter. All of a sudden confetti starts coming out like a blizzard, and there are 30 kids in a space the size of a car are screaming and throwing confetti everywhere.

Then there's the cutting of the cake. A candle is lit, and about 10 different versions of Happy Birthday are sung, with kids sticking their fingers in the frosting about every other word. The cake is cut, pieces are served, and everyone leaves. Apparently the cutting of the cake signifies the end of the party.

Needless to say, I am taking advantage of this hour alone in the house to start writing one of my many final exam essays for the semester. The pictures are of a Mariache man at the carnival, Jimena on one of the rides with her winter jacket, and my family eating. I also tried to put a video of the three of us on the Worm roller coaster, but Im not sure if it uploaded.

North Coast Road Trip

Destination: The North Coast
Budget: $200
Plans: none, avoid tourists
People: Elena, Phanie, and me

We decided against going to the tourist trap Roatan and instead decided to tour the North Coast with basically no plans. I was in charge of the budget and keeping track of who owes who, calling the hotels, making reservations, and finding the bus routes. Phanie was in charge of contacting an ONG to get a school project out of the way, and Elena was in charge of....bring a phone charger.

We randomly met a lot of very unique and fun people along the way, and got a lot of connections and free lunches :)

Saturday: Left at 6:15am and arrived in Tela before noon. Found our hotel Mango, did a short photo shoot on the beach, and headed off to the central park to people watch. This is where we got our first phone number from a random guy...no worries, Phanie had her pepper spray in hand.

Sunday: Spent the day at the beach, and looked for a restaurant on top of a large hill for dinner. On the way there, we got a little lost and ran into Roberto, a local Garifuna artist. He showed us where to go and invited us to his gallery the next day. We ate at a gorgeous restaurant with a beatiful look out, but didn{t realize that taxes were not included in the final price, and didnt have enough money to pay. Thankfully, we realized on the bill that the tip is optional, so we left the money and Phanie explained that we weren{t leaving the full bill because we honestly didnt have enough money.

Monday: Walked 30 minutes to Roberto and his brother Cruz art studio. Cruz talked to us for about 2 hours about his philosophies of life, beliefs, and culture. It was one of my favorite parts of the whole trip. We then took a bus to La Ceiba.

Monday afternoon: Arrived at Hotel Olas del Mar (ocean waves resort) and got a bit dissapointed. Although I was told twice on the phone that the price included breakfast, the cafeteria was under construction. And it was raining, so we were all a bit depressed that day.

Tuesday: We woke up early and got in a mini bus to head off to Sambo Creek to take a small boat to the Cayos Cochinos Islands. We were a bit confused as 2 older men got in and started arguing and making a big fus with our driver. There names were Bud and Grover, 2 old men who own a house on the island. Just our luck! They chatted away with us and explained that they had been waiting for 4 days to get to their island but it has been raining so they couldnt leave. Grover sells large garage doors, and Bud is a retired mountain hiker guide. Talk about 2 funny weird old men. Needless to say, they lent us a plastic bag so we wouldnt get our stuff drenched on the boat ride, and offered to let us eat lunch with them in their island house. We dropped them off on their island, and took our own tour. Our tour guides name is Exon, and he is a Garifuna man who knows everything. We snorkled in the second best barrier reef in the world, and I cannot even begin to describe the ocean floor. Vibrant colors, huge fish, Baracudas, all kinds of incredible animals. The pictures will describe more than words.

For lunch we met up with our two new friends, where we laughed histerically at their stories and ideas. They served us tuna salad with red wine. They offered us to stay there the whole week, but we didnt bring anything with us so we turned it down. The last part of our tour was on an island called Chachauate with a Garifuna community, where Phanie got 2 marriage proposals. We were offered a hotel room for the night as well. We also saw pink boas, which only exist on 2 of the Cayos islands in the whole world. Pretty sweet.

Wednesday: We visited a Garifuna Justice ONG that fights for Garifuna rights in Honduras in the afternoon, and then we spent 3 hours at the bank trying to figure out Elena{s bad credit habits. :)

Thursday: We arrived at the Quinta Real hotel for our last night. We spent the day lounging at the pool and ocean, and went out for fresh fish at night. We slept so good that night in huge comfy beds without ants or other insects or wierd smells.

Friday: Woke up to a bit of a rainy day, but had a huge free breakfast (finally). We walked the beach in the light rain and Elena and I had a big ping pong match. We met a man named John from New Mexico who just built a resort in Roatan, and he offered us a free weekend trip there. So many connections! We took the bus home friday afternoon and arrived home about 9pm.

All in all, we got to see 3 cities and visit different communities in the Cayos Cochinos Islands. We met a lot of interesting people and got to see a lot of incredible things, wihtout falling into tourist traps and english speaking people.

Now its a few weeks of class, a week trip to Guatemala, and then I{ll be home!
I hope to post pictures on facebook before Monday!

Cute story

Jimena was sitting on my bed with me, her sandals kicked off just like me, her legs crossed just like me, and studying hard just like me. She occasionally looked over at me just to check what I was doing, and about every 5 minutes when she heard a good song on her cartoon show, she would run out, sing to it, and then run back, jump on my bed, ruffle everything up, make a mess, and smile sweetly at me as she tried to copy my homework. About every 3 minutes she says "te quiero" or "I love you" and gives me a kiss on my hand or my cheek.

A few nights ago as this was all happening (as it does every night) I asked her if she was going to miss me when I left. She thought hard for a minute and said "No, not that much because you told me that I get to visit your little house in Michigan when I'm bigger, and I am very big right now." I said "Yes thats true, someday you will get to visit me in my little house, but not until you are bigger than your brother." She said "Well I'm not that sad because you are going to call me right?" And I said "of course!".

Then about 10 minutes later she looked up at me with tear filled eyes and said "But hermanita (my little sister) I AM scared because you have to fly all by yourself in an airplane, and I am scared of airplanes!" I gave her a little hug and said "Guess what?! I get to fly with Phanie, I don't have to fly all by myself." She asked "And Elena too?" And I said "Yep! I get to fly with my friends the whole way!" She got a big grin on her face and said "OK I'm not scared anymore, and skipped off to watch her cartoons".

Now she asks me almost every morning if she is big enough to visit my little house in Michigan, especially because she is big enough to go to Kindergarden next year..... :)

The picture is of her "studying" with me on my bed :)

44

There are 44 days left of my semester in Honduras, part of me is ready to go back and part of me never wants to go back. There are things I miss about both sides, and now that I am used to my life here it will be hard to adjust back to my other life.

This week is a normal week (if normal exists) and we are finishing up some projects and preparing to leave Saturday for our vacation! Phanie, Elena and I are planning on touring the entire North coast. Tela, Ceiba, Cayos Cochinos, maybe Utila, and maybe Trujillo. We are all ready for some serious relaxing time and time with just the three of us. We are going to play it by ear and stay at places we like and move on from places we don't like.

I have a cold this week and feel like it should be cold outside to accompany it, but it continues to be warm and sunny almost every day. The temperatures have cooled down a bit compared to when we arrived, and supposedly December is a cool month. I am very ready for cooler temperatures.

I am sitting on the windowsill with my computer looking a beautiful sunset over the little mountain next to my house. There are 2 dogs in the street that were nuzzling each other but it broke out into a fight. 3 of my cousins are here making a ruckus downstairs playing soccer and tennis. My little sister Jimena is watching cartoons upstairs by me and about every 5 minutes she runs to check what I am doing :) My host mom Yaqui is cooking a scrumptious Honduran dinner and is probably still concocting some sort of medicine for me because my nose is continually running and my voice sounds a bit bad. She has encouraged me to skip class for the past 2 days and couldn't believe that I actually though I was well enough to go.

And I just received the dinner call, so Im off to eat some beans, rice, and tortillas!
Que Dios les bendiga!

Fotos: My brother Andre had a school presentation, and one of the fotos shows his school project. Then there were soldiers that came and did a little show, and shot off VERY loud guns which sent my sister screaming and crying. The other picture is of my host mom, my Aunt, and Jimena at my brothers school.

Novio!

I had the privilege of having my boyfriend Isaac come visit me in Honduras, and we had a wonderful time. We spent the weekend at Lago Yojoa with another Calvin student and her boyfriend who flew with Isaac, which is the biggest (maybe the only?) lake in Honduras. After finding out our reservations didn't quite go through as planned, we found another hotelish place that was directly on the lake. It was beautiful. The next morning we took busses to the waterfall. We decided to pay a guide to take us behind the waterfalls, which was the best decision we could have ever made. We actually walked directly underneath the waterfall, jumped 24 feet off the waterfall, and entered a cave directly underneath the waterfall. It was one of the most dangerous and most exciting things I have ever done! At some points you had to put your head down and breath through your mouth so that water wouldn't enter, and you couldn't see anything because water was pouring down all around you. We also walked some parts all holding hands because we couldn't see anything. I didn't think it was possible to actually go under a waterfall so big, especially without signing anything before hand! Although it was really really scary, it was probably one of the top 5 things I have done in my life and I would do it again in a heartbeat!

On Sunday we headed back and made our way to Nueva Suyapa where Isaac met my "Second" family. We talked and sipped delicious coffee for 4 hours! I translated for Isaac as the Dad told us his opinions about the coo, the government, and poverty. It was such a fun experience for both of us. We laughed a lot, especially when they got out the measuring stick to measure how tall Isaac really is.

We spent a lot of time with my host family, playing soccer, jenga, and watching good old Honduran TV (actually Isaac slept through that). Jimena talked non stop to Isaac and never quite understood that he doesn't understand Spanish. Isaac finally started replying to her in English to confuse her, which made my host brother (who speaks English) into giggles. We also went to classes together, ate Honduran food, and talked a lot. Im so thankful he got to experience a little bit of my life here.

Needless to say, with a whole Honduran family in love with me and then with my boyfriend, and with Phanie living next door, I have a Honduran wedding being planned as we speak :)

Nicaragua

P.S. Visit betterworldshopper.com for more information about shopping responsibly. There is also a book you can buy for advice.
Pictures:
1. At a National Park on top of a Volcano
2. Doing the high ropes course in the jungle
3. Pablo (Program Director) and me at a Cathedral
4. The 3 boys I mention near the end with Trent in the Capital City
5. Some girls in the Capital
6. The old Cathedral that is now deserted in the Capital
7. Ruben Darío's Grave!!! Super exciting!
8. A typical street in Nicaragua
Video:
1. Of the volcano (it reminded me of the Bad Lands

We just got back from a 5 day trip to Nicaragua! It was a good trip and we did a lot of fun things: We climbed a volcano, went into a big cave with flashlights, did a high ropes course in a jungle, went to the capital city, did some shopping, and played lots of games. Although Nicaragua has a sad history with the United States, it is a beautiful country that is looking for restoration. It is fighting to eliminate poverty, drugs, and the history of revolution. These are some random pictures from the trip.

A little side story, we were in the old capital which was destroyed by an earthquake so now it is empty and the new capital is on the other side of the town, and I met 3 boys. They chatted with me about their lives and even did a foot race for me :) All three were around 11 years old, and only one went to school. When I asked why the other boys didn't go to school, they told me that they had to drop out to collect pop bottles to bring money and food to their families. They each had about a half of a trash bag of pop bottles, and I asked how much they would would get for each bag. They told me that they sell them to a man every day, and for a full bag they get 1 cordoba (21 Cordobas=$1, so 1 cordoba is pocket change). To buy almost any kind of food costs at least 20 Cordobas. They told me that today was an unlucky day because they each only had about half a bag and that the man would get mad at them tonight.

That sure puts things into perspective huh? Each Calvin student did the ropes course (part of the program), which cost around $40 US dollars. It seems like such a good deal, especially because the course lasted at least 3 hours......
Some Math: $40=840 Cordobas
This means that it would take 840 days (more than 2 years) of collecting pop bottles to earn what one student payed for a high ropes course. If only it was easier to define the line between giving away everything you have and being created to enjoy creation and life....we need a combination of both in our lives. Easier said than done.

En Español
Acabamos de regresar de un viaje de 5 días en Nicaragua. Fue un viaje muy bueno y hacemos muchos cosas divertidos! Subimos un volcano, entramos en una cueva con focos, hacemos una canopía aventura en una selva, fuimos al capital, fuimos de compras, y jugamos muchos juegos. Aunque Nicaragua tiene una historia muy triste con los EEUU, es un país linda que está buscando por restauración. Está luchando para eliminar la pobreza, drogas, y la historia de revolución. Esos son varios fotos del viaje.

Un cuentito, fuimos en el capital viejo que fue destruida por un terremoto y ahora es vacío y el capital nueva es en el otro lado del pueblo, y conocí 3 niños. Ellos charlaron conmigo sobre sus vidas y hicieron un correo de pie para mi ☺. Todos tenían mas o menos 11 años, pero solo uno fue a la escuela. Cuando pregunté porque los otros 2 no asistan la escuela, me dijeron que tienen que buscar jarros de refrescos para traer dinero y comida a sus familias. Tenían como un mitad de una bolsa de jarros, y pregunté cuantas valen cada bolsa. Me dijeron que los venden a un hombre cada día, y para una bolsa llena reciben 1 Córdoba. (21 Córdobas=$1, 1 Córdoba es casi nada). Para comprar casi cualquier comida, cuesta a lo menos 20 Córdobas. Me dijeron que hoy fue un día mala porque solo tenían la mitad de una bolsa y que el hombre va a ser enojado con ellos.

Se pone cosas en perspectiva verdad? Cada estudiante de Calvin hicieron la canopía aventura (parte del programa), que costó casi $40. Aparece como barato, especialmente porque la canopía fue por casi 3 horas…..

Un poco de matemáticas: $40=840 Córdobas
Este significa que tomaría 840 días (más de 2 años) de colectar jarros de refrescos para ganar que un estudiante pagó por una canopía aventura. Si solamente fue más fácil a definir la línea entre dar todo que se tiene y estar creado para disfrutar la vida y creación….necesitamos una combinación de ambos. Más fácil decirlo que hacerlo.

Maquilas/Sweat shops (This is a long one but worth reading!)

Before visiting a sweatshop in Honduras, I had an image in my head of a dusty big warehouse building with a bad environment and hundreds of people working hard all day. However, the sweatshop I visited was a newer building with a fairly clean environment, actually cleaner than the book factory I worked at in Michigan. Basically, I knew nothing about sweatshops.

In Honduras, there are 2 kinds of factories. The majority are those that make clothes, and a few make a type of band for cars. The number one country with the most factories is China, and Honduras is number ten on the list. In Honduran factories, there are 100,000 employees, with another 300,000 support employees (drivers, airlines, lunch lines, housekeeping, etc.). These jobs are very important to the country.

The minimum wage in Honduras is $225/month, or $7/day, but the minimum wage in factories in Honduras is $180/month, or $5.60/day. In Bangladesh, it is $3.00/day. Before Mel Zelaya was president in Honduras, the minimum wage for normal jobs and for factories was equal, but he decided to raise minimum wage for everyone except those in factories.

If tomorrow Lobo, the President of Honduras decided to raise minimum wage for factories in Honduras, the factory owners would pack up and move to Nicaragua, or any other country where minimum wage was lower, leaving 400,000 Honduran workers without jobs.

Of all the importations of the US, Honduras makes up only 2.5%, meaning that 97.5% of US importations come from other countries. This is an unequal relationship. If tomorrow Honduras decided to go on strike and not send the US any materials, the US would shrug its shoulders and say, “Eh” as if they just flicked a tick off their shoulder. But, if tomorrow the US decided to shut down all the factories in Honduras, many Hondurans would be without jobs and the Honduran economy would drop drastically, as if you were the tick that just got flicked and stomped on. This is to say that the power is in the hands of the US.

There are very bad factories in the world with horrible conditions that produce dollar store materials and knock off brands, but generally speaking (at least in Honduras), the factory jobs are stable and good jobs for many people, and are better than many alternative jobs. So, the principle problem is the salary. It is almost impossible to live off of $5.60 a day for one person, and many workers are supporting families of 4 or 5 people. Bus fares, food, clothes, uniforms, pencils for your children to do homework, house payments, all with $5.60/day. Also, they are working very hard for very little money. This summer I sat behind a desk for my job and made more money an hour than they make in a day for doing almost nothing. Our Professor, who has lived in Honduras for 20 years, said, “I honestly don’t know how they live off of so little.”

Another problem is that many of the sweatshop owners are Gringos (Americans) and a small part are Asian or of other races. They are making a lot of money while giving low salaries to factories in other countries in order to make more profits. However, if we called up these clothing line owners and persuaded them to pay out of their pocket to double the salaries of the employees, the stockholders would go mad and fights would break out.

So what’s the answer? To me, there seems like there are 2 options. One is to change the hearts of the owners to create fair businesses in the first place. The other is to change the consumers (you and me) who are creating the demand for these products.

Fair Trade coffee took a step in changing consumers. They created a stamp to put on coffee that says that it was made with fair wages. In order to get this stamp, companies have to meet certain requirements to become certified. Although this fair trade coffee is more expensive, the money you spend to buy it goes towards higher employee wages. The alternative is to buy cheap coffee that was made in a factory with unfair wages. The more and more people that buy products with this stamp and stop buying products without the stamp, the more pressure companies will receive to re-do their companies in order to meet the requirements to get the stamp of fair trade because they will have to compete with the fair trade companies. For example, if tomorrow everyone decided to only buy Fair trade coffee for the rest of their life, eventually all companies would become Fair trade to rise to the competition.

This same thing needs to happen with clothing. Buying cheap clothing at Kohl’s or cheap food at Aldi seems like a good deal, (and I have always chosen good deals) but it is actually supporting giving low wages to employees working in sweatshops. Spending more money on a product that was made in a better place with fairer wages is a better idea. Picture this. Tomorrow you meet a woman and can choose to pay her $5/hr or $7/hr, knowing that she is supporting a family of 5. I would tell myself that to me $2 is nothing, but for her an extra $2/hr means she can afford a uniform to send her son to school. Now, picture that when you but a cup of coffee and have the option of paying more for Fair trade.

What would be ideal is if tomorrow, a huge group of people decided to only buy fair trade products. This would pressure companies to restructure their factories in order to receive the consumer’s desire to buy products produced at fair wages. Unfortunately, this is a lot easier to do with coffee than with clothes, but it can be done with the unity of the people. My question is why isn’t there an organization for Fair trade clothing, and who wants to start one (or support one that I don’t know of) with me? As Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Although our Dutch minds may tell us otherwise, we should choose to spend more money knowing it is giving well-earned food to a family.

(The two pictures are of my university and a project that I am doing in Sculpture class).

Nueva Suyapa

We spent 2 days and 1 night in Nueva Suyapa, a poorer town near my house. I stayed with a wonderful family who was very excited to have students in their house. We spent the day talking, playing soccer next to the house, and cooking with the family. I taught the older boy how to play some songs on an itty bitty keyboard, and when the Dad came home he was very proud. At night, the boys pulled their mattress next to ours (Katherine stayed with me too, another Calvin student) and we played games into the night. The youngest boy (3 yrs) fell asleep in my arms, and I lay awake all night listening to the roosters crowing and the dogs barking. We came, slept, and left in the same clothes. Their house did not have running water, just water in jugs and an outhouse.

I learned more about a simple life that night. The family did not have a nice house or bathroom, and some walls were made of cardboard. But inside the house were crafts, a tv, and food for the family. I saw a humble family that I hadn't seen before in Honduras, one where the Dad helped cook and clean instead of expecting his wife to do it for him (Machismo). The Dad is a construction worker but is taking classes to become something similar to an Engineer, and was thrilled to know that my Dad is an Engineer. He pulled out perspective drawings and showed me how to draw angles. We chatted about the US, about poverty, about trash, about houses, about school, about everything.

The video is of the youngest boy, Jared (3 yrs) doing a pop-a-wheely (Caballito, or little horse in spanish) for us. He was like a little monkey and got into trouble while we were there and he experienced the harsh side of a belt. I left with a sad heart, and the older boy (Mario) cried because he was sad. I assured them I would return to give more piano lessons and so they can meet my Mom when she comes to visit me on Thursday. Part of me wishes I could live in that humble town every day.

For some reason my internet was fast enough today to upload 2 videos! The second video is of my little sister singing to me. She sings those songs about 20 times a day.






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fotos

Here are some random fotos from the past few weeks. One is from my Aunt's birthday party, and the rest are of my cute siblings. This week is a normal week of class...

Aqui son algunas fotos randomes de las semanas pasadas. Una es del cumpleaños de mi tia, y los otros son de mis hermanitos bonitos. Este semana es una semana normal llena de classes....

Daily Life vs. When Papí comes

A normal day in my life here consists of me waking up with howling dogs and squawking birds. I stumble downstairs to turn on the water, then stumble upstairs and into the shower where I begin my battle with the small ants. I take a quick cold shower, shake the ants out of my clothes, and go downstairs where my host Mom has cooked a breakfast big enough for 2 people. It takes me 30 minutes to eat the food, drink a large glass of ice cold oatmeal in sugar water (I have learned to like it), and talk with my host mom about a million different things. I am usually eating secretly killing ants and she is usually talking non stop. She wears old clothes, or sometimes only a large shirt and rarely leaves the house. I am always still listening when the doorbell rings, signaling that I have to run upstairs, brush my teeth, and run downstairs to meet the girls waiting at my door to walk to school.

On the 30 minute walk to school I finish killing the ants in my sandals, watch for thieves, chat with Calvin students and begin sweating. I then go to class. In linguistics class I thank God for the air conditioning, kill ants crawling out of my books ,and draw on the pages. In sculpture class (with Honduran students) I sweat constantly, laugh hysterically at the flamboyant professor and learn so much about the difference between a Honduran class and a US class. I usually have no idea whats going on but when I ask the other Honduran students, they have no idea as well ☺ Such is the life in Honduras.

I eat lunch at the Cafeteria and usually order a Baleada (tortilla, beans, and cheese). I sit outside on the campus, do some homework or sketches and meet new people. Depending on the day and if its raining (it usually rains hard around 4:00 pm and at night), I either walk home or go to the library to study for a while. On the walk home I sweat even more because it is mostly up hill and my books always seem to weigh more. I enter my house and get bombarded with an excited 4 year old wanting to play every game she owns. I walk into the living room and sink into the couch, tired from a long walk. I then try to do homework with a 4 year old copying my every move and drawing all over my homework. I play memory with her or dominoes with the Bananagram pieces with my brother (by the way scrabble/banagrams is almost impossible in Spanish because the words use so many vowels).

I eat a large supper and then wash the dishes by hand and chat with my brother or host Mom. My host Mom is very worried about me leaving after 5:30pm because it is dark, so I watch Munecas de la Mafia (Mafia Dolls), take a long needed shower, kill the ants in my bed, and fall asleep to honking horns and loud neighbors.

However, when Papí comes home, the world changes. I met my host Dad for the first time this weekend. He is a rather small, short man who rarely talks. He is very serious and when he talks he hardly opens his mouth and has a thick accent. To the kids, it is like Santa Claus has entered the house. My host Mom wore nice clothes, makeup, and high heels (she becomes a Diva). After he arrived, we went directly to a huge mall (similar to the mall of America) that had a tiny theme park for kids. My siblings only had to say “Papí, I want this!” and out came the money. We went out to eat at 2 different restaurants, and then to a Kariokee bar until 1:00 am. (The fear of being out a dark vanished and my host Mom turned into a night person).

We slept in the next morning until 10:00 am and then left again to go a nearby city named Valle de Angeles, where Papí bought bracelets, toys, candy, and drinks for everyone. I found it quite amusing because the man rarely talks. My sister said “Papí look! I want that!” and he says “mmmm” pulls out money and buys it. What a different and exciting weekend compared to my daily life. We never ate inside the house and I tried and saw more things in 2 days than I did the whole first month. My host Mom says that he usually stays for 8-15 days, but he has a lot of work on the farm right now so he is leaving tomorrow already. I am curious to see what it looks like when he stays for 8-15 days.

Amapala

I went to Amapala (a volcanic island) with 9 other students this weekend for a mini vacation. We arrived on Friday after experimenting with the bus system and found a hotel with a somewhat clean pool to cool off in. Then we went to the ocean and explored a cave and found 100s of bats in murky water! On Saturday we climbed the volcano. It took 7 hours total.....almost too much to handle for me, but the view was worth it. One picture is of the volcano, and yes, we did climb all the way to the top. The other photo is me on top of the world. At one point, we were so high that we were inside a cloud and everything was foggy. I don't think I have ever seen anything so beautiful in my life before.

The ride home was another story as I experienced trying to flag down a bus full with more than 100 people, and then cramming more people on the bus for the first time in my life. I closed my eyes and prayed that I would remain standing in the heat for the 2 hours without passing out.

Tomorrow is another week of classes, except for Wednesday because it is the day of independence here. Tomorrow I have my first hospital visit for my ethnographic study to visit the place and learn how to get there with busses or taxis.

I hope you are all enjoying the cooler weather as fall arrives and know that I am jealous as it will get hotter here!

Suyo/His

(Engish at the bottom)
6.5 billones de personas en el mundo
3.2 viven en menos de $2/día
1.4 viven en menos de $1/día
34,000 mueran de hambre cada día
20% del mundo desnutrido
20% sin agua ni salud

Los EEUU gastan $715-980 billones en defensa militar en un año
Los EEUU ayudan a otras paises con $5 billones
(¿Eso igualar a Ud.?)

De todo mis ingresos del año pasado, di menos de 7% a otros.
(¿Puedo justificar eso?)

Vivo en una casa llena de cosas, tengo dos colchones, y un clóset llena de zapatos. Menos de 10% del mundo vive tan buena como yo. He tirado comida cuando otras no tienen nada.
(¿Puedo justificar eso?)

Cristianos donan 4.5% de sus ingresos, Díos pide 10%
La diferencia entre los países pobres y ricos va creciendo, ¿deben cristianos ser más generosos?

Es importante?

No es solamente dar cosas que no queremos. Es dar a todos una vida digna, y viva una vida digna al mismo tiempo (y nada más). No podemos dar todas nuestras posesiones, pero tampoco podemos quedar todo para nuestras propias. ¿Puede ser mi vida llena con cosas, un clóset llena de zapatos, y una cocina llena de comida una vida digna, pero justificar una vida sin esos cosas una vida digna igual a mío?

Entonces, debemos comprar una bicicleta nueva o usada? O, debemos caminar porque muchas otras no tienen bicicletas, entonces como podemos justificar de tener una bicicleta? ¿Debemos disfrutarnos y comprar vino carro, o solamente pide agua a restaurantes para salvar/donar dinero?

Estamos responsables por como gastar dinero y por como tratar a otras, pero también Díos quiere que disfrutarnos en la vida. Pero, donde están las límetes? ¿Cómo es posible entender que Dís nos quiere hacer? No hay una respuesta del libro, para entender la equilibria, es una lucha sucia que dura por la vida.

¿Por qué la iglesia no ayúdanos a decidir y discutir esos problemas? ¿Por qué cristianos son algunas de la gente más egoistita quien no quiere hablar sobre dinero y como debemos gastarlo? ¿Por qué el sujeto de dinero es algo que podemos olvidar fácilmente? ¿Cómo podemos justificar el evito de hablar de dinero, solamente porque es más fácil?

¿Quién nos da todos nuestros cosas? ¿A quien de todo pertenecer?

In English
6.5 billion people in the world
3.2 live on less than $2/day
1.4 live on les than $1/day
34,000 die of hunger every day
20% of the world lives with malnutrition
20% is without water or health

The USA spent $715-980 billon in military defense in one year
The USA helped other countries with $5 billion
(Does that match up to you?)

Of all the money I earned in the last year, I gave LESS than 7% to others.
(Can I justify that?)

I live in a house full of stuff, have a bed with 2 mattresses, and a closet full of shoes. Less than 10% of the world lives as good as I do. I have thrown away food when others have none.
(Can I justify that?)

On average, Christians donate 4.5% of their income, God asks for 10%.
The difference between the poor countries and the rich countries is increasing, shouldn’t Christians be more generous?

Is all of this important?

It is not enough to give away the things we don’t want anymore. It is giving everyone a life of dignity and being willing to live a life of dignity at the same time (and nothing more). We cannot give all that we have but neither can we keep all that we have for ourselves. Can my life with 2 mattresses, a closet full of shoes, and a pantry full of food be a life of dignity, and yet justify someone else’s life with a simple house and little food as a life of dignity equal to my own?

Should we buy a new bike or a used bike? Or should we walk because many people don’t have bikes, so how can we justify ourselves having a bike? Should we enjoy ourselves and order expensive wine at a restaurant, or should we only order water in order to save/donate more money?

We are responsible for how we spend our money and for how we treat others, but at the same time God wants us to enjoy life. Where are the boundaries? How is it possible to understand what God wants of us? There is not an easy book answer in order to understand the balance; it is a life long messy fight.

Why doesn’t the church help us to decide and discuss these issues? Why are Christians some of the most selfish people who refuse to talk about money and how we should spend it? Why is the subject of money something that is forgotten easily? How can we justify avoiding the subject of giving away money just because it is easier?

Who gave us everything we have? To whom does it belong?

First Day of School

Phanie and I took a first day of school picture to follow tradition. We started class later than most students because we already took many of the classes at Calvin. We had one class at noon, a Linguistics class, which was interesting and fun. Then, we thought we were taking an acting class with the locals but at the last minute it was switched to a sculpture class (good news for me!) We walked in the class 30 minutes late and met the professor and the students. They all had projects going already from the previous semester, so we just observed at tried to figure out what to do. We took a field trip to the kiln, took a mini pre class quiz by labeling all of the muscles and bones of the human figure in spanish (I could barely do it in English:), and then the professor told us we could go because we didn't have any projects. Tomorrow there is no classes because of a national "shut down" of the universities.

I didn't get home until about 6:30pm, ate dinner, and then surprise! 5 family members came over to celebrate a birthday......flexibility is the key word in my house......it was chaos from floor to ceiling. I got to my room for the first time at about 10:30pm and wanted sleep right away.

I also experienced my first church service in Honduras (Besides the Garifuna church). It is a huge mega church with 5 services every week. I loved singing in Spanish and marveling at the power of God.

Que Díos les bendiga!

La Embajada/The Embassy

English is at the bottom
Fuimos a La Embajada de los EEUU hoy para escuchar a presentaciones del trabajo de los EEUU en Honduras. Aprendimos sobre el papel de los EEUU antes, durante, y después del golpe de estado. Aprendimos sobre muchos de las programas de los EEUU que supuestamente ayudan a los pobres en Honduras. Aprendimos sobre la relación buena con amistad entre los EEUU y Honduras con intercambios, importaciones, y exportaciones. Aprendimos sobre la ayuda que los EEUU le ha dado a Honduras con dinero, misioneros, y proyectos.

También, aprendimos sobre el trabajo de ser diplomática aquí en Honduras. Se puede vivir con seguridad en una casa cerca de La Embajada, se puede enviar sus hijos a una escuela buena internacional, se puede vivir sin miedo porque el gobierno va a apoyarse. Si quieres, se puede visitar a lugares en Honduras y aprender sobre la cultura como ir a las islas, a la Mosquitia, a la Tigra, etc. Se puede tener un trabajo ayudando a la gente pobre y apoyando a muchos mientras se recibe un salario bueno. También, se puede comenzar rápidamente después de graduarse.

Pero, no se puede tener sus propias opiniones si no son conseguido con el gobierno. No se puede dar a todos una VISA para ir a los EEUU, no se puede vivir en un vecino pobre, y no se puede saber como es la vida de un Hondureño. No se puede enviar sus hijos a una escuela pobre y entender los dueños de una educación mala. No se puede caminar en los zapatos que las personas que está tratando de ayudar, y si no se puede caminar con ellos, como se cree que se puede ayudarles?

La verdad es que las diplomáticas aquí crean sinceramente que las programas de educación, hambre, fronteras, y seguridad van a ayudar la gente. Crean que cada día, están caminando en los pasos de una persona buena haciendo el trabajo de Jesús.

Me pregunta como esos creencias son posible si los norteamericanos no se han preguntando a los Hondureños primeros? Sin saber la vida de hambre, de pobreza, o de trabaja, no se puede hacer decisiones para la gente que han vivido eso vida. La pobreza no se puede sobrevivirse con programas gratis, dádivas, y intenciones buenas. Honduras no se puede sostenerse si se queda como marioneta en los manos de los EEUU tan poderoso. Este es una cita directa de la presentación del hombre en comando segundo de La Embajada EEUU: “El gobierno de los EEUU suavemente y tranquilamente empujó y dirigió a Honduras por el año pasado inestable para evitar la violencia y para proteger la gente nuestra.” Me pregunta con quienes intenciones tenían en la mente cuando estaban controlando tranquilamente los eventos en Honduras detrás de puertas cerradas y seguridades.

El camino al infierno es llena de intenciones buenas con gente buenas, pero son ciegos. Oro a Díos para abrir los ojos y dar sabiduría. Me duele mucho de que la mayoría de las estudiantes de Calvin y de los ciudadanos de los EEUU crean en este poder de La Embajada, y la mayoría de los estudiantes aquí crean que es el trabajo de sueños. Ojala que más personas puede soñar de vivir la vida de los pobres, y de eso vida aprender como servir y apoyar a los pobres. Este batalla no es sobre el poder y el control, es de servir y caminar con la personas quien se quiere ayudar. Jesús no se sentó atrás de paredes seguros y predicar con teorías; vivió la vida de lo más pobre.

In English
We went to The US Embassy today to listen to presentations of the work that the US does in Honduras. We learned about the role of the US before, during, and after the glope de estado. We learned about many of the US programs that supposedly help the poor peole in Honduras. We learned about the good relation of friendship between the US and Honduras with trade, importations, and exportations. We learned about the help that the US has given to Honduras with money, missionaries, and projects.

Also, we learned about having the job as a diplomat here in Honduras. You can live with security in a house close the The Embassy, you can send your children to a great international school, you can live without fear because you know that the government will support you. If you want, you can visit places in Honduras and learn about the culture like going to the islands, the mountains, a national park, etc. You can have a job helping the poor people and supporting many while receiving a good salary. You can also start right after you graduate college!

But, you can’t have your own opinions if they don’t follow the government. You can’t give everyone a VISA to go the US, you can’t live in a poor neighborhood, and you cant understand what the life is like for a Honduran. You cannot send your children to a poor school and understand what it is like to experience bad education. You cannot walk in the shoes of the people that you are trying to help, and if you can’t walk in their shoes, how do you believe you can help them?

The truth is that the diplomats and Americans here sincerely believe that the programs of education, hunger, borders, and safety are actually going to help the people. They believe that every day, they are walking in the footsteps of a good person doing the work of Jesus.

I wonder how these beliefs are possible if the North Americans have not asked the Honduran people first before starting. Without knowing the life of hunger, of poverty, or of hard work, you cannot make decisions for the people who do live that life. Poverty cannot overcome itself with free programs, handouts, and good intentions. Honduras cannot sustain itself if it remains a puppet in the hands of the powerful United States. This is a direct quote from the presentation said by the man who is second in charge of the US Embassy: “The United States gently and quietly pushed and steered Honduras along through the past unstable year to prevent violence and to protect our people.” I wonder with whose intentions they had in mind when they were quietly controlling the events in Honduras from behind secured doors.

The path to hell is paved with good intentions with good people, but they are blind. I pray to God to open our eyes and give us wisdom. It hurts me to see that the majority of the students at Calvin and citizens of the US believe in the great power of The Embassy, and the majority of the students here think that it is a dream job. I hope that more people can dream to live the life of the poor and then from that life learn to how to serve and support the poor. This battle is not about power and control, it is about serving and walking with the people you want to help. Jesus did not sit behind safe walls and preach with theories; he lived the life of the poorest of the poor.

Cusuna

After a 14 hour bus ride on a yellow school bus we made it to Paradise. Cusuna is a Garifuna community (black community) who speaks Garifuna and Spanish. It is a rich culture full of music, dance, and food. We saw a program put on by the community and learned some Punta dancing moves. The Garifunas do not have a money system and use very few limpiras. Instead, they all work off of the land and produce everything they need and share everything, like a Utopia.

The community was very welcoming and loving and I enjoyed it very much. If you have time, research about the Garifuna history because it is rich and interesting to learn. It was also on the coast, because the Garifunas control a large area of the coastal land, so we swam in the ocean and found jelly fish and star fish. On the downside, it was about 100+ degrees there and many people were sick.

On Sunday we took Lanchas (a canoe-like boat with a motor) to a Garifuna church in a smaller community. It was an experience that I will never forget, as we sang and danced and sweated all at the same time. Picture your church, and then think of the opposite. ☺

We ate from the Garifuna people sometime and other times we went to restaurants, where I ate a delicious fish (head, tail, and all) and tajadas. We were supposed to make it to Cusuna on the first day, but the trip was longer than anticipated, so we stopped a dingy hotel for the night. Unfortunately, the electricity didn’t work with 35 people so there was no air conditioning and no fans. Each room was about 85 degrees (not an exaggeration), so I slept on the cement roof with only a sheet with some other people.

Today we returned to class at the University because the strike is over. Although many feel this is good news, I felt the strike was a positive thing I still feel unsettled because the government made an agreement that acted like a band aid instead of a sustainable solution. Today we also visited the Congress and heard presentations about the government system. Actually, I was more interested in the paintings on the wall, sipping my sprite, and trying to figure out the interesting ceiling and didn’t learn a thing about the government system. But, I did shake the President of the Congress’s hand.

There is a dog that lives at the neighbor’s house that has a problem with barking. Every 5 seconds, he barks 3 times in a row. Every time someone passes the street, he barks more. He also has a friend who is a bird that lives at the other neighbor’s house. This bird has a problem with skwaking all day long. If anyone has any ideas of how to get rid of them…. ☺

Cosas que he aprendido en una semana/Things I have learned in one week

-the sidewalks are stained with grapes that look like a beautiful mosaic but ruin your shoes
-at 8:00ish every night we go to the second floor of the house to watch tv. We don't go down to the first floor after that again.
-We watch Dolls of the Mafia every night.
-I play Memory at least 8 times every day.
-Walk quickly and look like you know where you are going (which I never do)
-The bathroom light probably won't work, so just do your thing in the dark quickly and then leave.
-It's hot.
-It rains almost every night which makes for good sleeping conditions, although you can count on hearing at least 8 dogs barking choruses all night long.
-Roosters start crowing around 4:30 am and don't stop until around 7:30 am
-The neighbors are never quiet
-One side of the family cousins are calm and fun. The other side is a crazy wild mess of 2 boys running around screaming.
-I taught my little sister how to "draw" and now she never stops. Draw draw draw!
-My brother loves to show off how smart he is and loves to help me with homework
-My host mom's friend is living in the house. I don't know why or for how long, but she is a lot of fun and is extremely dramatic.
-Yaqui is open and honest about everything. Yesterday she asked me why I had a zit on my face. I told her that I don't know, and she told me that I couldn't eat chocolate anymore because it is bad for your skin.
-Eat everything.
-Don't talk about butterflies. Yaqui doesn't like them.
-When someone says we are going to climb a little mountain, it means a big mountain.
-8:30 is actually 8:40/8:50 in Honduran time.
-There are always some kind of small bug crawling in the house, and sometimes ants. We just seem to watch them crawl everywhere and nobody wants to kill them or put them outside.
-If you have a chance to use a bathroom, use it because there might not be another one.
-If you live with Yaqui, be organized. If you aren't organized, don't live here :)
-It's hot.
-No matter how many times I try to teach my little sister how to count in english, the first number is always five, not one because that is what the tele told her. :)
-Learn how to find the quiet among all of the chaos.
-The mountains are beautiful every day and every day they change.
-Always bring an umbrella, for the rain and for the sun.
-It's really hot.
-I have never seen such beautiful clouds that are always changing. One minute they are white and puffy and the next they are black and stormy.
-My brother and sister are called by their middle names, not their first names. (Andrés and Jimena instead of Walter and Andrea)
-It's dangerous here, but get over it. Find the beauty behind the danger.

The pictures here are of the hike we took up the "little" mountain to visit the people who live in the rural zones. One foto is of the "road" that does not function as a road because the people cannot carry supplies up the twists, turns, and ruts. Also when it rains it becomes very muddy and slippery so that it is even difficult for motos to go on the road. The other picture is of me with the mountains (although that's pretty obvious) :)

El Agua

(English is at the bottom)
Este tiempo voy a escribir en Español primero, y entonces trasladarlo a inglés. En una semana, una de las observaciones más grandes que he tenido es sobre el agua. He escuchado muchos veces en los Estados Unidos sobre el uso de agua y porque es importante de guardarlo. He tratado de tomar duchas rápidas y parar el agua cuando afeito, pero siempre gana la Alison quien se quiere ser confortable.

Es diferente cuando se puede verlo directamente. Después de solamente una semana, yo sé que es posible lavar los platos con un vaso de agua. Es posible ducharme con agua frío y poquito. Es posible cepillar los dientes con menos de un “cup” de agua.

En Honduras, no hay sufficiente agua para toda la población. Entonces, el agua viene solamente en cada tres días (más o menos depende en el lugar). Por eso, muchas casas tienen un “tank” para guardar el agua en los días que viene el agua. Si el tank se gasta todo el agua, no hay agua hasta la próxima vez que viene agua. En vecinos pobres, no existe los tanks, y la gente tiene que guardar el agua en botellas pequeños de la lluvia.

Cuando pienso en las duchas largas que ha tomado en los EEUU, siento lastimosa. Recuerdo todos los tiempos que he usado mucho agua para lavar los platos o para lavar mis manos. Hablé con mi mamá sobre el agua y ella me digo que en el futuro, las guerras va a ser sobre el agua. También, sé que si yo estaba en su posición, y leería eso, sentiría mala para algunos días, y conseguir con el gasto de agua simplemente porque es más fácil y confortable hacer eso.

La foto es de viaje con familias a Picacho, que es un zoológico y una montaña que subimos por autobús. La vista fue tan linda! El aire fue tan fresco!

(English)
This time I am going to write in Spanish first, and then translate it into English. In one week, one of the biggest observations that I have made is about water. I have heard many times in the US about the use of water and why it is important to not waste it. I have tried to take fast showers and to turn off the water to shave my legs, put the Alison who wants comfort always won.

It is different when you see it directly. After only one week, I know that it is possible to wash the dishes with one glass of water. It is possible to shower with a small amount of cold water. It is possible to brush my teeth with less than a cup of water.

In Honduras, there is not sufficient water for all of the population. So, the water comes about every three days, depending on where you live. Because of this, many houses have a tank to save the water on the days that the water doesn’t come. If the tank runs out, you have to wait until the water comes again. In poor neighborhoods, there aren’t any tanks, and the people have to save the water in small bottles from the rain.

When I think about the long hot showers I took the US, I feel ashamed. I remember all of the times that I have used too much water to wash the dishes or to wash my hands. I talked with my host mom about water and she told me that in the future, the wars will be about the water. Also, I know that if I was in your position, and I was reading this, I would feel bad for a few days and then continue to waste water simply because it is easier and more comfortable.

The photo is from a trip with the families that we took to Picacho. It is a zoo and a mountain with beautiful sights! The air was very crisp and refreshing.