Allen & Marcel Volunteer in Honduras

  Honduras has a lot of holidays, but Thanksgiving is not one of them. We still managed to have a huge potluck dinner with turkey, stuffing, cranberries, and other traditional Thanksgiving food that is definitely much different from what is normally eaten in Honduras. Allen had already bought a lot of food in preparation for Thanksgiving on our last trip to Tegucigalpa in late October. Our opportunities to shop for food are relatively uncertain and he wanted to be prepared for the upcoming holidays. Also, I think he was hungry when we went shopping! There are two stores in Honduras that we can buy more typically American-type merchandise. One is called Mas X Menos Supermercado and the other is PriceSmart which is the Costco equivalent in Honduras. We loaded up from these two stores with bags of nuts, sugar, cinnamon, and many other things that you can’t buy at a normal grocery store here. Yes, it was a bit expensive, especially compared to local food, but Allen’s sweet tooth was sp

  Monday – Giving a Presentation to The Brigada I mentioned the brigades of doctors and other medical professionals that come to NPH and work at the One World Surgery center for a week at a time. As part of my job, I find out which visitors are sponsors for the children and then help to arrange a meeting between them. About a month ago, Dixi (my boss) asked if I would give the presentations on Sponsorship. Of course, I agreed. Not only is it a subject close to my heart, but also it saves Dixi and Cintia from having to stay late at the ranch, plus it is in English! I got my first opportunity last Monday and I think it went fine. Allen joined me as he had not had the opportunity to visit Moscati (where the brigade stays during the week) and we were able to enjoy a nice meal (complete with ice cream!) before the talk. We are getting used to the daily ranch food, but it was quite a treat to take a break from rice and beans for a night. The presentation was easy to present, and the grou

  Honduras only has two seasons: wet and dry. The dry season is considered summer or “Verano” in Spanish and is roughly from December through May. The wet season is considered winter or “invierno” in Spanish and is the rainy season that happens from June through November. As a reference, the local city of Tegucigalpa gets about 50 inches of rain per year. Since we arrived in late May, we have basically been in Honduras all during the rainy season, which was fine until about a month ago when it really started pouring. Maybe the weather is trying to close out the rainy season with all the rain it can muster! Average Rainfall by Month in Tegucigalpa Recent Rainstorm at the Volunteer House We are used to thunderstorms and cloud bursts in the afternoon and subsequent puddles that take a while to soak into the ground. But now we are experiencing more lasting drenches that not only result in puddles, but also creek swelling, trees uprooting, and (worst of all) drips in the ceiling of our

  Although the Thanksgiving holiday is not celebrated here (except by the volunteers!), there is a lot going on in November. This week is exam week for the older kids and the end of the school year in some respects. The children that do not pass their exams have a couple more weeks of tutoring classes and the ones that do pass have what is described as a kind of summer camp. Graduation day is November 21 for the 8 th graders as the school on the ranch goes up to 8 th grade. High school and college is in Tegucigalpa. Other important dates in November are: ·        Friday, Nov 17 – Quinceanera – celebrating all the girls who turn 15 on the ranch. ·        Saturday, Nov 18 – Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation – for the kids on the ranch who are the right age or otherwise receiving one of the sacrements. ·        Tuesday, Nov 21 – Graduation (already mentioned) ·        Sunday, Nov 26 – Dia de Las Visitas – where families of the children come to visit for the day. This is hel