Mission work in Honduras: Conga lines!

Monday...

The group split up this morning with Margot, Jan K, and Dorita going to Flor to work with the La Cantera ladies. Jan reported that they had a marvelous time. She was teaching the ladies how to make totebags. Half way thru the electricity went off - welcome to Honduras! Not to worry, she shifted their attention to preparing fabric for the next step. Soon the electricity was back on and off they went.

The rest of us headed out to SBV and immediately set up our first Conga line to get the cinder blocks from behind Cottage 2 past Cottage 4 and over to the kitchen. It didn´t take long for the new folks to get into the swing of the line - literally. The success of the conga line is all about swinging the block from one person to the next. Wheeler (age 88) took his place in the line. I tricked him into standing in the shade. Don´t tell.

By the way, girls from April trip. You are so busted. I told Wilmer that you call him Wilmer Caliente. (Hot Wilmer) I had no idea Hondurans could blush so deeply. And, Katie McCree - Matt (aka Abel) says hi.

Once we had plenty of blocks for the wall we moved into Cottage 3 to prep for painting. The men moved the furniture into the middle of the room and then we got the news...Guess what, April Team... we had to sand the walls! Just when we thought our scraping days were over. But truthfully, this was much easier than the scraping yáll did. There was plenty of dust but no adobe chunks falling on our heads. We had a light layer of dust covering us but we were, at least, recognizable. Our instructions were to sand and paint two walls. Tomorrow we will sand and paint the other two walls. We have to do it that way because the babies have to sleep there tonight so they had to move the furniture back. Guess what happens tomorrow. Yep, move the furniture back into the middle of the room! The girls room is pepto bismal pink. I had on my construction Barbie outfit and Karen said when I went in there I disappeared! All you could see was eyes. Another room is a pretty pastel yellow and the room Marie and I painted is robins egg blue. So am I now. Marie, as those of you who know her will guess, was pristine despite sanding and painting her fair share of this large room. Minta is the trim specialist and is planning her approach in between sanding and painting. We had a brief argument with Julio - fighting over who would go up the ladder to sand the top part of the walls. I won. I figured if he went up the ladder and something happened, Dorita would kill me. If she didn´t Fr. Paul would when he realized Fr. Julio wouldn´t be available for Holy Week. Self preservation on my part only, not concern for Julio!

In the afternoon, the children were out of school and started to join us. Some of the boys helped us paint. Keith learned how to use a level the Honduran way with tubing and water.

In the late afternoon, Gina, Seidy, and Wendy entertained us with their hulahooping prowess. Anita got into the act as well. They are really good at it so I told them to "Venga, venga" (come, come) or walk towards me while hooping. Then they had to walk backwards, stand on one leg, rub their stomachs and pat their heads! They can do it all with no problem except for the giggles that became debilitating sending the hoop to their feet. I started playing Thumb War with the kids. Soon I was playing with two kids at once. Not easy to do. Great hilarity over that one! I read Elias, my sponsor child, the book I brought him again and we played with the car. I love this relationship but it breaks my heart that all the children don´t have sponsors. I wish I could sponsor them all. They are so dear. Sergio has started calling Mami and Dunia has really bonded with me. Oh, how can I leave them...

OH Big News. I have the absolute power in the group now. I am the Hefe-rina Extraordinario. They have set aside one of the outhouses for our team and there is a lock on the door. I HAVE THE KEY!! Boy is everyone nice to me now. HA! But, I will wield my power with grace and justice. (probably)

Anne made a pot run (not that kind - ceramic) and we had a pot signing party tonight. Then we gathered in the living room for a warm, moving reflection time led by Keith. It was wonderful to hear each person´s story about how they got to Honduras. Demos gracias a Dios.