Mission work in Honduras: Character trait of the week...

Wednesday

This has been quite a day. We started out earlier than normal to get to the school in Flor, El Cordero. This is a school and daycare for the people in the surrounding neighborhoods. They range from very poor to extreme poverty. The school is now PreK up to 5th grade, adding a grade each year as the children age. There is a daycare program as well for toddlers. There are 220 children there and each one is adorable. Truly, the Hondurans are beautiful people. We got there in time for the assembly. After an opening prayer and some vigorous singing it was time to get serious. One of the teachers announced that the character trait of the week is Discipline. Then she asked, What is discipline? She pointed to one little boy who solemnly responded, No se. (I don´t know) We roared at that. A little girl, then, raised her hand, It is loving God. (Girls always have the right answers at school!) Next the teacher used pictures and a felt board to tell the story of when Saul (Paul) was on the road to Damascus! Julio gave a short homily too!

Our next event was going to La Cantera. If you remember those TV comercials showing excrutiating poverty...well that is La Cantera. It is shocking to see how people live. One woman, a deaf mute, was able to communicate to us using grunts and hand motions that she has no lights in her house. Dorita was moved to give David, a staff member, money to buy her a kerosene lamp. Anne had crocheted a bazillion crosses. She gave us all handfuls so we could give them to the people we met along the way. We came across a man and his little girl. We gave one to her and offered him one. He firmly shook his head and said NO. He was the only one to reject the offer. One wonders what that is about.

We made it to Sonya´s house. She is so gracious and lovely. She showed us how she and her sister make tortillas. They make 1200 tortillas a day and carry them on their shoulders around town selling them. They make about $7. At night, Sonya takes a treacherous path to go to high school. She is determined to be a good role model for her children and give them a better life. Her mother, Iris, looks so much better. Last April she was near death. Fr. Julio led us in prayer for her health and Fr. Keith gave her a blessing. She still is without the oxygen she needs, however. Sonya´s son, Esteven, is so handsome. We asked him how many people live in there house. He replied, 8 or 9. Well, we asked, is it 8 or is it 9? He smiled and said, We stopped counting! He was about to run an errand for his mother and I noticed he was barefooted. The road is a dirt road, there is raw sewage running down it as well as dogs and their leave-behinds. Not a good place for a young boy to be without shoes. I compared his foot to mine and told him I would bring him shoes when I return in April. Yáll don´t let me forget...Size 6.5 or 7.

Next we went to see the house that St. David´s and St. Aidan´s sent money to build. The former ¨house¨ was really not even a shack and was about to tumble off the steep hill it is on. Now, the family lives in a sturdy wooden, cement floored house. It would be considered unlivable in the US but in La Cantera, it is one of the best homes. There is no plumbing, an outhouse sits above the house up a very steep path. I can´t think about what happens during the torrential rains of the wet season.

As we were leaving La Cantera, a lady came out of her shack to ask us for a wheelchair for her mother. Apparently she has nothing and is unable to walk. She is trapped in that house without a wheelchair. Something for us to work on when we get back. It would be wonderful if we could bring one in April.

So, now the day gets weird... or at least the juxtaposition of activities gets weird. We went from La Cantera to a pewter shop called Giancarlo´s. It is jarring to do so but the only way we can fit it in the schedule. Giancarlo´s has beautiful things. I do power shopping, bringing back as much as I can for the art auction to raise money for LAMB. When we got back to Erika´s we had to set up another Conga line to get all our bags from the van into the house! After a quick lunch at Erika´s we went to Valley of the Angels for more shopping. Again I buy the place out for the art auction. There are such beautiful Honduran crafts. I love it all. As for the character trait of the week, I pretty much failed! I bought everything in sight. My only saving grace is that all those purchases will raise 2 or 3 times what I spent for LAMB.

When we got home we were greeted with shrieks and giggles. Margot had arranged for the 5 adolescent girls, Reina, Xiomara, Ela, Astrid, and Paty, to spend the night with us. The girls were making tissue paper flowers for the dinner we are giving the La Cantera ladies tomorrow night. Soon, the flower making devolved into making funny, crazy things out of the pipe cleaners! Astrid styled my hair too. No comment! We had a good dinner with the girls and then they were able to take warm showers and wash their hair! This is an unbelievable treat for them because they only have cold showers once or twice a week at SBV. Margot, Leamarie, and Jan G. are leading some sort of cathartic sharing program tonight. Several of the girls were sexually abused before coming to SBV. All were victims of extreme poverty. Most had no education when they came to us. To see them laughing and giggling is such a joy.

I wish I had the words to express what an amazing place this is and describe all the miracles that have taken place and continue to right before our eyes. Why can´t I have the ability Maya Angelou has to communicate... When we go to La Cantera we see the conditions our children came from (and worse) and what their fate would be if not for LAMB. I am so deeply grateful for all the support we receive to care for these precious lambs. My heart breaks for the children not in LAMB´s care.

A final word before signing off... my teammates are angels themselves. Karen, Jan G, Anne, and Keith laboriously and carefully bubblewrapped and packed all the items I bought today. They filled 4 huge suitcases! I am so appreciative of that labor of love. Also, a belated thank you to Peter Tennis, Margot´s husband, for giving each of us a Day by Day. That was so thoughtful and we all have enjoyed having it.

Sleep well!