Mission Possible on a Sunday Afternoon

 My coworkers rarely contact me on Sundays, so I was surprised to get a What’sApp message from Cintia asking for help. This was after I had spent the morning cleaning San Vicente and then helping Allen with his landscape project in the San Vicente courtyard, so I was ready for a break. Our next Padrino’s birthday celebration is Wednesday, and we needed to order lunch ahead - either pizza or hamburger (hamburguesa). There had been no response from the Tias when my coworkers requested this information last week, so my mission (if I accepted) was to find the list of kids going on the birthday outing and seek them out to get their preference.

I first went to Talita Kumi where the older (>12) girls live. As I approached the complex, I could hear prayers coming from the big salon and deduced that they were having some kind of communal prayer service. We already had mass at the church the night before, so this was an extra religious activity. Not wanting to interrupt the service, I continued on my way.

Road to Talita Kumi

I headed to the Casa Suyapa complex, which is mostly for kids under 12 in a family-style living arrangement with each house holding up to a dozen kids and at least two Tias or Tios. This is where Allen and I each spend time most evenings with our kids. One of the girls in my hogar saw me and ran toward me for a hug. I told her who I was looking for and she helped me find the three kids on the birthday outing list from Casa Suyapa. Two of the kids were heading to the farm as part of a larger group led by a Tio. The third one was in her hogar. I got their preferences (2 hamburgers, 1 pizza).

Part of the NPH Farm

I continued to Buen Pastor, the housing complex for the older (>12) boys. The boys were in their hogars with the Tios and all were delighted to help me with my mission. My Spanish must be getting better since it did not seem as difficult to explain what I was after or to understand them. Hamburgers were the preference of most of the boys.

Part of Casa Suyapa. Allen´s Hogar is on the right, mine is on the left.

I circled back to Talita Kumi where the girls had apparently finished their prayers and were in their hogars. There are six different hogars in the Talita Kumi complex and I do not usually have occasion to visit there so do not know it well. However, the girls and Tias were quite helpful in directing me where I needed to go to find the girls on the list. Pizza was more popular among these girls.

I was able to complete the mission in a little over an hour and Cintia was very grateful. In looking back, this was an excellent activity for a Sunday afternoon as it gave me a chance to practice my Spanish and engage with the kids on a subject close to their heart. They always look forward to the birthday outings as they don’t often get opportunities to get out of school for a day, leave the ranch, and (best of all) choose their lunch! There are a lot of things that most of us take for granted and this year has been a valuable reminder to stop and appreciate these small blessings. 

Birthday Party Venue in Valle de Angeles
One of Many Cool Signs at the Venue. This one says "The Good Things Take Time"
Allen Added a Sticker to the Wall. It says Marcel & Allen 45 years and still strong. 











Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Background on Our Adventure

Dear Family & Friends – Allen & I are volunteering at Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos (NPH) in Honduras for over a year. This blog is set up to keep you informed of our activities and welfare so you can explore with us the adventures that await. As a background, we became aware of the NPH orphanage ( www.nph.org ) through St Louise Catholic Church which was our parish when we lived in Bellevue, Washington. Our pastor, Father Tom Belleque, brought his love of this wonderful organization to our parish many years ago. At first we became sponsors to a child in Haiti. Later we had an opportunity to visit the NPH orphanage in Miacatlan, Mexico during a retreat with fellow parishioners. This was the first NPH established (in 1955) and we were impressed with the safe and loving environment of the over 400 children housed and cared for in a converted sugar plantation. After the retreat, we became more involved in NPH, attending local fundraising auctions and providing housing for NPH staff
Read more

Lake Yojoa (October 4 - 8, 2023)

Image
Written before we left:   We made arrangements to come to Lake Yojoa for a 5 day/ 4 night adventure. We are staying at the recommended D&D Brewery Lodge and Restaurant. Not only do they have inexpensive lodging and freshly brewed beer, they also are the center of things to do at Lake Yojoa with many guided services and lots of ways to make a stay enjoyable. With 4 days, we had the following list: -           Hike or guided tour to Pulhapanzak Waterfall -           Guided birding tour -           Kayak & swim on the lake -           Drink a free beer (perk of being a volunteer) -           Coffee tour -           Meet some interesting people -           Couples massage (with Allen) We were able to take the NPH bus into Tegucigalpa and arranged private transport through D&D for the rest of the trip (3.5 hrs each way) which cost more than we are used to paying ($160 each way), but was worth it for the peace of mind. Written Sunday after return:  Here is wha
Read more

Drinking From a Fire Hose (Saturday 6/3/23)

Image
  After our first week of Spanish Immersion classes, we are just starting to appreciate how much we have to learn. I thought I knew parts of the body, but found I only had words (palabras) for a small fraction. The good news is that we have very patient teachers (maestros) who make learning fun, but we wish that we had spent more time learning Spanish at home. We are both praying for a miracle (ombus orando por un milagro), but it will likely just take a lot of hard work. We have also taken time to explore the town of Copas Ruinas, especially the many coffee shops that have air conditioning, wifi, and some excellent Honduran coffee!   All greatly appreciated when we are working on our homework (tarea). Cafe Con Leche from Cafe San Rafael We bought yoga mats and have been doing daily yoga in the large salon at our homestay. Our host family, the Perazas, have an ideal setup for students with ensuite bedrooms and a spacious home. Abu
Read more