I fell in love...

I have been back from Honduras for less than 24 hours, and I have to admit that I fell in love while I was there.



View from the terrace at our hotel

I fell in love with the country.  The views are absolutely breathtaking.  Even in the many poor areas of Tegu, there is a beauty in the tired faces, the shacks the people live in, and the roads with no names.  The church we attended on Sunday was small, but it was evident that God's loved filled the building and the hearts of those in it.  



Girls with their puppets

Boys with their new shoes

I fell in love with the people.  Everyone I encountered was so warm and friendly.  The kids at the orphanages and schools we visited were very sweet and polite.  They participated whole-heartedly in games we played.  They repeated every word as we prayed with them.  And even though they loved stickers, we had to persuade them to take more, more, more, because we brought plenty for everyone.  A few even gave me gifts- one gave a picture she drew with her uncle, another gave one of her princess stickers from her prized collection. 




Albert, Ana, Nery, Eduardo, Carlos, Eny

Our interpreters were amazing.  They not only helped us bridge the language gap, but jumped in to joke and play with the kids.  They put in long hours, and many of the kids we saw already recognized them from the many hours they volunteer to work with them. 



On our final day working with the kids, we went to Casitas Kennedy Orphanage, which is a government run center.  The mood there (and at Octubre 21, the other orphanage we visited) was much different than the schools.  While the kids are poor and have very little in Tegu, you can tell the kids at the school have love in their homes and hope for a future.  The children at the orphanage may have parents, but cannot go home because of drugs there, physical abuse, sexual abuse, or other awful situations.  You can pick out the kids who are new because they haven't become hardened yet.  Many of these kids will remain at in government run centers until they age out at 18, and without an education or family support system, their prospects are dim.
It was at Kennedy that I fell in love with David.  While I have several pictures of him, I cannot post them here.  (We are unable to put pictures of the kids in the orphanage online because of their home situations and the need for these kids to be protected.)  But trust me when I say he is absolutely beautiful.  I called him my little trouble-maker, because he enjoyed throwing socks and stuffed animals over the couch for me to collect and throw back.  While his friend Victoria (who was 18 months) blew bubbles, David chased her and attempted to eat the bubble wand in her hand.  As we folded laundry, he would swipe the clothes we folded and throw them back into a pile.  It was impossible to be upset with his shenanigans because he would grin at you as soon as he was caught and would giggle as you tried to keep up with his mischief.  I found that he could be distracted with pizza, and he sat sweetly on my lap and ate an entire slice.  He also loved for me to hug him tightly and cover him with kisses as I turned him upside down.  My reward was the beautiful sound of his laughter.  I'm sure I whispered "te amo" in his ear at least a hundred times, as I tried to make up for the fact that he surely wouldn't hear those words as often as a child should.  My heart broke when it was time to go, and David cried and clung to me tightly so that I couldn't put him down. 

Sight seeing in St Lucia

I fell more in love with God in Honduras.  As tough as parts of the week were, and as heartbreaking as some of it was, I know that God is there.  He is there in the volunteers that spend many hours with the kids.  He is there in the teachers who are paid very little and work very hard to teach these kids (one teacher had 43 third grade boys in her class!!).  He is there in the men and women who run the centers and schools.  He is there in workers who so clearly love these kids and work hard to care for them.  God is there in the many missions groups that come from America to share his love and bring much needed aid for the people there.  It is reassuring to know that regardless of their situation, God is holding each of these kids in his hands and whispering in their ears that he loves them.  And this has helped me to fall even more in love with my Father, and look to him for whatever he has next for me. 

Love my Roos and Flip Flops

When did you get your first pair of shoes?  Honestly, I can't remember my first pair.  I do remember in elementary school, I had a pair of Roos.  I thought I was hot stuff because I had the secret pocket in my shoes- a pocket that was really only big enough to hold a lifesaver or a few tic-tacs.  Not that I ever would have put candy in there, because, EWWW. 
Everyone I know has shoes (you might be wearing some now).  Most have several pairs.  Brown shoes, black shoes, boots, the heels that look amazing but weren't built for comfort, the heels that you don't mind wearing all day, running shoes, sandals, and my personal fave- flip flops.  I think that pretty much covers the basics, but then I've never been much for shoes. 
Most of my friends know by now that I'm going to Honduras in September with Shoes for Orphans Souls.  It's a really cool program, because I get to help some of these kids put on their very first pair of shoes.  I doubt their shoes will have pockets, but I don't think they will mind.  I'm also pretty sure that unlike me, they will always remember their first pair of shoes.  These shoes mean that they can attend school.  For the younger ones who can finally go to school, this means their parents can go to work.  These shoes mean that they have a lower risk for injury or diseases from walking around barefoot.  These shoes will show them that someone cares for them. 

I've got 2 months and 16 days until I arrive in Honduras, and I have lots to pray about, and lots of stuff to gather.  For those that have read about the deals I got last summer on school supplies, I am looking forward to the challenge of finding amazing deals on some of the supplies I'll be bringing for the kids.  (Here is where my talent for getting toothpaste for free is going to come in handy!)

Supplies for VBS and time with the kids-  I need to bring 2 boxes of crayons, 2 containers of 100 wipes, 1 box of stick on name tags, 3 boxes of markers, 1 roll of paper towels, 1 soccer ball, 3 glue sticks, 100 cut out large red hearts, 100 cut out small pink hearts, 1 other type of soft ball, 1 pair of childproof scissors, 1 pair adult scissors, 100 brown paper lunch bags, 1 box of sharpies, bubbles, hard candy, bubble gum, stickers, and other things to play with the kids during down time.

Humanitarian aid items-  Lice medicine, combs, brushes, powder, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, diarrhea meds, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, deworming meds, lotion, underwear, vitamins, Spanish Bibles, etc. 

Less important but necessary...

The 1970's called and they want their suitcase back.

Since I've never really traveled, I don't have a luggage set, but I think we can all agree that this suitcase is not ready for international travel.  The latches/buckles are finicky and the case tends to pop open at random times.  (Tommy swears it is me, not the suitcase, but I think it is because he doesn't want to part with this little piece of history.)  I have a gift card to Kohls, but it won't cover the full cost of a luggage set.  If anyone has any Kohls cash they don't plan on using and would like to donate, please let me know.  Every dollar I can save on frivolous stuff like this is an extra dollar I can put towards stuff that might really make a difference for these kids. 
 

Of course, I still need to finish paying for the trip.  You can track my progress or make donations through this link- http://www.kintera.org/faf/r.asp?t=4&i=1045899&u=1045899-383005659&e=6748772364
For those that are praying for me, I've also listed some of the areas that I could use prayer on my trip site.  If you do donate, be sure to print your receipt for tax time.  Also, as a token of my appreciation, you can choose a scarf or a sock monkey coffee cup sleeve (made with love by Catina and yours truly). 

Save some cardboard, use a monkey
(Cup not included)