Coming Home To Tegucigalpa

Hola Amigos.

It was a long trip. 6 hours to San Pedro Sulas, an hour in the waiting room, and 5 hours to Tegucigalpa. As I got off the bus and was getting my luggage, there were my friend Jenny and her mom, who'd come down to the station to make sure I got to their home safely as night was falling. Jenny has been preparing for missionary outreach in places where nobody goes. She has finished Bible training school, made a reconaissance visit to Pakistan, and is working on an English certificate that would equip her to teach.

Jenny helped me with bus connections the next day to from El Iberia to the neighborhood I've worked in over the past 10 years, Flor del Campo. There, I met many Honduran friends, who work with El Cordero (Lamb), which operates a school there, and a childrens home/school just outside town in San Buenaventura. When I was here a year ago I gave health talks in the school and to a business support group of single moms (see earlier blogs). The director of the school, Jacky, suggested a few topics for talks. So before I left, I'd not only reconnected with a lot of friends, I had an assignment, give a talk on " How you show respect for yourself and others", and " Using words to build-up and not to tear-down".

I bumped into Isidra, a social worker who is working with teens to help teach them good life skills. She leads 3 different evening clubs ( over 100 kids), who spend the time studying the Bible, playing soccer or basketball, and talking about life issues. She's married to my friend Juan who is a community activist. Juan was home and invited me over for lunch. Though not officially employed, he is always working , now helping someone navigate their way through the sketchy health care system, then getting a alcoholic to AA and sitting with him, later pushing to keep the local library open while the city isn't paying the librarians ( ask me more about this). Juan is a Christian concerned about social justice for the poor. He's now enrolled in a theology course. As we ate our tortillas, we talked about liberation theology and ways to protest peacefully and act constructively. Juan is concerned about getting the big picture, and reminded me that a free press is not something to take for granted. Interestingly, his brother, is named Mahatma.

The next day I caught a bus for San Buenaventura to visit the kids at the childrens home. I just love getting hugged by 60 people! The first thing they asked was always, " Where's Jane?" ( by now I'm missing her as much as they are). The second thing was, " When are we going hiking?". I found Valerie, the school director/3rd grade teacher, on her way to class. After big hugs she let me know that the kids were expecting a talk. I set my pack knapsack down and sat down, pulled out my dictionary, and started thinking. Here's what I came up with.

Respect/ Honor

Think of a time when we honor people... when we celebrate them... yes that's it, their birthdays!
How do you get ready for a birthday? You clean up ( shower, brush teeth, comb hair, etc). You dress nice ( clean clothes, nice clothes, shirt buttoned and tucked in, shoes brushed and shined, etc). You bring a present ( what can you give if you don't have a lot of money? a smile, a hug, a card, friendship, help, encouragement, forgiveness, love, etc). You say nice things ( you listen first, speak politely, don't say mean/hurtful things, etc). You do kind things ( you behave well, you join in, you help celebrate, etc).

We all like birthday parties don't we? They're fun. Everyone's happy, not just the birthday boy or girl, but everyone! Now what if tomorrow we celebrate like it's a special day for us and for everyone around us. Let tomorrow be a special day when we honor people. Let's see what happens. I think we might feel a little like when it's a birthday and then who knows we might just start celebrating every day.

The kids seemed to like it. They know parties. Parties? That reminds me... I have some books that I've been carrying all this way. Thanks to all of you who have contributed. Valerie started a library project about a year ago, partly to help these children become readers. Now it's a space where kids come to hang out every day. The biggest need are novels, especially good for teens.

San Buenaventura is up in the mountains and the wind blows hard. It was cold and wet and I felt like I was in the Northwest ( so far Honduras has gotten 3x the rain it usually gets in the rainy season). We did manage to get out on 2 hikes. No mangos this time, but it is the season for nance. They're small clusters of yellow berries that grow on scrubby trees scattered among the pines. They taste a little acidy sweet and besides eating them whole, people often make juice out of them.

I was able to stay overnight 2 nights ( I slept in the weekend watchman's bed). It was good to have the chance to live with the children through the whole of their everyday, from meals,to chores, to school,to homework,to play, and to bedtime. I have one picture of a 8 year old boy washing out his clothes by hand ( think washboard and elbow grease). I think that when I come back, I'll focus on teaching kids and staff how to play games and how to take care of them. They need more games and games cabinets to keep them in. Something about the miserable weather reminded me of when I was a kid playing Monopoly with my brothers and sisters. Bad weather can be a blessing.

It's always hard to say goodbye, especially when you have to say it 60 times. I'm so glad that I was able to make it, even for just a short visit. As the kids went back to class after lunch. I headed to the road to catch the bus into Tegucigalpa. I haven't mentioned my bodyguards, 2 dogs that followed me everywhere, they saw me off. I wasn't alone though, Maria the cook was on her way down the mountain. She sat and talked with me all the way into town. I made a new friend.

I'll say goodbye for now. The next installment will be out soon. Adios! Gilberto.