Friday (March 20, 2009)

Dear everyone,

I think this is our last official email from Honduras.

I (Carol Kellogg) have been asked to write about something that happened yesterday involving the distribution of the sneakers which we brought with us.

As you may know all work teams have names and the sneaker team was dubbed Team Nike. All during the week we have been asking when we might distribute the 142 pairs of sneakers which we brought. We brought many pairs to the farm yesterday. We brought some of the sneakers back, and on the way back the extra sneakers got to travel in the roof rack with three large bags of pollo poo. But, I digress.

Yesterday, around 4 pm without warning, we were asked to distribute the remaining sneakers here at El Hogar. It was very fun with large bags of sneakers being hauled by small boys, whose eyes were eager with expectation. Sadly, many of the sneakers were too big for the boys, but we were able to make about 10 "sales" to boys with size 7 or 8 feet. Several boys tried on many pairs and they enjoyed when we pretended to be shoe salesmen. Dona Claudia watched the whole thing with amusement. All the remaining pairs made it safely into the bodega. (The bodega here is basically a general store. When Dona Claudia opens the bodega the children wonder what will appear.) It seems they are happy with anything. Even those children who will have to wait for Jason and the next batch of shoes were more patient that might be expected.

The rhythm of morning here is lovely. The roosters are the first to rise and begin crowing between 4 and 5 AM. They seem to wake up the other birds. At some point this commotion wakes the buses who wake the taxis and horns prevail. The roosters still crow, but as they have done their job, they go off to do other things while the buses bring everyone to work. The gates to El Hogar are opened when horns honk. When they slide they make a lot of noise. Then comes the giggling as the boys sweep the grounds. By now it is approaching 6 AM and the volunteer house is drinking their first cup of coffee.

The morning devotion begins at 7 AM. This morning the boys were watching Sponge Bob Squarepants in the auditorium. They were also dressed for casual Friday, which means that they had on shorts and T shirts as opposed to white shirts and jeans. One shirt said "Experience the unexpected in Maine". We all got a kick out of that. The devotion was short and soon Dona Claudia arrived and gave us some more information about the specific children we sponsor. When we hear the specific circumstances each boy has faced we are often moved to tears. I think that crying may be contagious. I also think that I have started many a round of crying, but I think it is good crying.

Today I was thinking about how people sometimes view poverty in America. I remember the expression about people pulling themselves up by their bootstraps. The response often given is, what should people do if they don´t have any boots? Well, here in Honduras it seems like there are many people without boots. Happily, there are now some people with new sneakers. In the future people will pull themselves up by their sneaker laces. Its really the same idea, and one that Team Nike strongly supports. We might not accomplish very much, but we do it with a lot of love.

After Claudia's talk we went on a home visit to a house very close to El Hogar. The student who lives there, Marlon Javier Matamoros Menocal, was allowed to come with us and visit his mother and sisters. We stopped for some groceries on the way. We purchased 2 dozen eggs, which were packed in a plastic bag! We had Dona Claudia carry those! We brought many other staples, such as bread, lard, spagetti, etc. We spent about $20 dollars.

When we arrived Marlon's mother was filled with joy. She had an unexpected visit from her son and we brought food. She told us that otherwise she wouldn´t have had anything for lunch. Literally, no food of any kind. The house was on someone else's roof and had one room. She had one double bed where everyone slept. It was very tidy and had nice postcards and things on the walls. She impressed all of us as a very loving mother with little in the way of resources and lots in the way of love and grace.

Next we made a shopping trip which seemed a little out of place after our home visit. Nonetheless we headed off to Valley of the Angels. The ride was beautiful. The shops were well stocked with local handicrafts and we provided an economic stimulus to the village. We had a nice lunch on the way home at a resteraunt which was almost a hotel. The scenery was spectacular.

Afternoon projects included finishing work on the dormitory and completing the garden. The dormitory team has renamed themselves Team Roll With It. Besides the obvious assosciation with painting it basically describes Honduras. Things happen when they happen. Or other things happen. If a project seems large and difficult only focus on the next step and then the next. The point is to try.

Tonight we dined on spagetti and meatballs. Sadly, our trip is winding down. Tomorrow there will be a garden dedication as well as a farewell program organized by the children. We should bring tissues. Although we will be leaving El Hogar, we will each be bringing part of its spirit home with us. We are all eager to share that spirit with you.

With blessings and peace,

Carol