Howard's Post

Bienvenidos!

We're halfway through the trip and it has been full of adventure.

But first, please pray for Bert who has been sick as a dog the last 3 days in his room.

We are doing a variety of manual tasks to help build homes for people living on the street or stick houses. We're led by Tim, an American who came here 37 years ago with Heifer International, met Gloria and stayed despite the entreaties of his family in Pa who kept asking when are you coming home for a real job.

In fact it is a real job; they have formed their own virtual Peace Corps And host about 20-30 church groups a year who come down for a week to work.

The development we are working on is under construction on a hillside overlooking the sewage ponds. Burning of the garbage is a regular happening led by stray dogs and the omnipresent turkey vultures.

The cement block houses are being built by individual families and we are doing everything by hand such as carrying supplies, screening sand, mixing mortar and phraging ( the word of the day). The cement mixer consists of a 73 year old and a 72 year old lovingly referred to as the Masters of the Mix.

Naturally it was in the 90s yesterday and we're all medium rare. Yet in case you think of wimping out, you look at the surroundings and thank God for the serendipity of where you were born. But the smiles on the kids make it all worth while.

You also learn about the people you're with - whether a discussion with Gloria about the root causes of the undocumented immigration of kids from here to the U.S. Or the drug war and gangs to learning one of our gang taught history at South to my kids.

Speaking of youngsters, I work along side males aged 73,72,70,and I'm the kid at 68!

Finally no good story could leave out Copan's own version of the howling Diablos (dog packs) who serenade us in the middle of the night joined by alternate choruses of Roosters(  must be the tenors). Now I know where Hooper got his training! :0)

Our Day of Repreive

So it's the middle of the week and after 3 hard days of work, today was our day off. The weather has been the coolest it has been all week, with overcast skies and a cool breeze but that didn't slow us down.

Some of us started our morning off bright and early with a trip to El Malconte Coffee Plantation while others spent the morning exploring the Mayan Ruins. A few more chose to head to the school they worked at a few years ago.

We all met back at the hotel for a quick lunch before heading out to our next adventure. A group of us traveled to Macaw Mountain, to see the rescued birds from the area and take in a beautiful park.

After a filling pizza dinner and exploring downtown Copan, we are all anxious to get back to work tomorrow. As thankful as we are for a bit of reprieve, we all look forward to getting to spend time with the people of Las Lagunas and grow, work and learn with them.

Christina Turner

Thursday, February 19

After a day of rest and exploring the city of Copan, it was good to get back to the worksite and be productive.  The weather forecast called for clouds and rain and it stayed true to its word! However, the rain showers were  light and intermittent which did not slow us down as we worked on sifting sand and laying block for one of the houses.  We all worked hard, knowing that we will have just one more day to work with this wonderful group of people.  

Teamwork!

We are making progress!  Both physically and emotionally.  The first day we spent on the site we met women and children.  The next day, the men started to show up and even with our language barrier our hearts are beginning to speak the same language. 

Monday by Kathie Morinelli

Up early, hot breakfast and off to Las Lagunas. Trusted driver Nehemis, who rivals any Indy race car driver, again leaves us at the foot of the hill where we will work...down another hill, across a fetid stream, over stepping stones and then up a hill to the 27 cinder block, 3 room homes of these urban villagers which are in various stages of completion. Our group of 16 divides up - laborers are working on Sandy's home.  Most of these urban villagers are single women, as is Sandy. There are dozens of children in the village also, assorted ages. Sandy works in Copan as a cleaner in the City Offices. Problem is, she hasn't been paid in months and was told probably in January there would be a paycheck...but not yet.  So much for a 'good' job.  Sandy's young daughter drives a mean wheelbarrow full of cinder blocks at a quick clip to supply the construction site.  Young boys, bare foot and on rocky, rocky hills haul up 90 pound bags of cement to the site.  This is work, hard work for all in blazing sun.
     The second group is helping women to sew curtains for the 3 windows in their soon to be new 3 room home...taking care to let us know their names and their family members in the home.  The other challenge is to monitor the many children while coloring, reading stories, making friendship bracelets and playing uproarious games of UNO!  The finesse required is remarkable, especially given our limited Spanish.
     The good news is - tomorrow is another day and we are ready to greet a new day.

Learning, Working & Having Fun

It's been quite a journey! 

Yesterday, we traveled 15 hours and arrived safely in Copan Ruinas.  We had a four hour drive from San Pedro Sula and had a chance to see the countryside.  Fields of sugar cane in bloom, flocks of white egrets, gorgeous mountains and roads full of pot holes that left our teeth chattering.

Today, we went to the work site at Las Luganas.  What an eye opener.  Families living in mud huts next to sewer ditches, toddlers running bare foot over jagged rocks, dogs and cows fending for themselves and black vultures circling overhead. We are helping the people of this village build brick homes away from the sewers with the goal of establishing a safer, more stable community.  A donor from the States purchased two-acres of land for this purpose and 27 houses are to be build.

We made progress.  We built up the walls of one house until we ran out of cement.  Then we worked on plastering the walls of another home.  We played with the children, conversed in broken Spanish with the women and learned more about the area dynamics from our hosts Tim and Gloria.

Our backs are sore, our arms are bruised but our souls are touched.  We are doing important work.

Please keep us and those we serve in your prayers.

Vaya Con Dios

It's the night before our departure to Copan Ruinas in Honduras.  Our wonderful leader, Rev. Dr. Peter Henry has had to bow out of the trip due to other commitments, and we are sad, but we have faith that our journey will be successful and that blessings will come our way. 

One already has.  My husband, Howard, lost his wedding ring six months ago.  Guess where he found it this evening ... on the eve of our departure?  In the pocket of the pants he decided to wear on our journey tomorrow.  We feel that God is with us, showing us the way.

Vaya con Dios!  Our next post will be from Honduras.  Excited and scared.

Gros bisous. xoxo