Allen & Marcel Volunteer in Honduras

  I am not usually a last-minute person and normally start thinking about sending Christmas cards sometime in November before Thanksgiving. There are probably not a lot of us sending Christmas cards anymore as many people are moving onto digital cards which Allen and I have been receiving more frequently. Printed Christmas cards are starting to seem a little old school but somehow still feel more personal to me, especially when I can add a hand-written note directly to my friends and family. Plus, a lot of the recipients of my cards are my age or older and more used to physical cards. My Favorite Santa Last year I did not send Christmas cards because it is difficult to mail them from Honduras and they probably would arrive several months late if at all. We were able to get two packages from the US early on that only took 2 months, but I am still waiting for a letter from a friend for over 6 months. In retrospect, last year would have been a good year to switch to digital cards,...

Allen and I had one more week of vacation to use in these last few months at NPH and decided to explore the neighboring country of Nicaragua. Some of the other volunteers had been to Nicaragua and were able to advise us on how to get there and what to see and do. Although the rainy season which starts in May is probably not the most ideal time to visit, it worked best with the other activities here and with our schedule. Iconic Picture on Ometepe Island, Nicaragua Like our trip to El Salvador, we were able to take a private bus (Ticabus) to take us from Tegucigalpa across the border into Nicaragua. Tegucigalpa to Leon would normally take about five and a half hours, but the border crossing can take an extra two hours as you must go through customs twice – Honduras customs to leave and Nicaraguan customs to enter. We were drawn aside as we entered Nicaragua and asked to show that we had been vaccinated for Yellow Fever. This was unexpected as the online requirements say that the vacci...

  Following on the heels of the Olimpiadas was another celebration close to the heart of me and my coworkers: Padrinos Day!  Mothers’ Day and Fathers’ Day are well known in most countries and, as I found out last September, there is also a Children’s Day celebrated in many parts of the world. I had not previously heard of Padrinos Day and suspect that it is an NPH construct to honor the sponsors that play a very special and crucial role in this organization. Since sponsors are not actually able to come to the celebration, it is up to the children to celebrate in their place 😊 One of 8 Piñatas Dixiana and Cintia, my bosses, have been busy for several weeks planning games, shopping, and coordinating the day. I helped with the shopping on Wednesday when we went to PriceSmart (Costco for Central America) and bought disposable dishware and snacks for 300. On Thursday the volunteers put together 300 snack bags and organized them into groups for distribution. On Friday our departm...

This weekend was the culmination of the Olympiadas (Olympic Games) on the NPH ranch - the event that we had been preparing for all month. The teams were announced in early May and met for a couple of hours twice a week, then met several hours a day every day last week to prepare a ~7-minute presentation/play and/or dance for the whole ranch. This year there were 14 teams of about 30 people each; each team was composed of NPH children, both on and off the ranch, and adults working in different capacities with the kids. My team (team 14) had the manatee as our “exotic animal of Honduras” mascot and was working up to the last minute on spray painting our shirts, finishing our backdrops, making a flag, and practicing our play and dance steps. Manatee Team Flag The events started with mass early Friday afternoon. The teams sat together and wore their Tshirts. After mass the teams moved their stage decorations, many of them big and quite elaborate, to the school venue where dinner was serv...

  Allen and I arrived in Honduras a year ago and while a lot has happened, the time seems to have gone by very quickly. Looking back, our first five weeks in Copan were an excellent introduction into the country as Copan is a fun small town that is easy to get around in. The immersion Spanish gave us a jump start on the language and since most people in Copan do not speak English, it also gave us a jump start on communicating despite a language barrier. We had a half day of school, a pampered life with our host family and enjoyed air-conditioned cafes in Copan while doing a lot of homework. There were also many fun tourist-type activities and a daily morning walk to enjoy in our free time and many stores close by so we could purchase whatever we needed. Cafe San Rafael in Copan When we arrived at the NPH Ranch afterwards, it was a different experience as we had more basic living quarters and simple food (so not the pampering and easy access to cafes and stores). We also had ful...

Allen and I both love fruit, especially tropical fruit and this is the season for one of Allen’s favorites, mangos, of which we ate many last year when we were in Copan in June. Right now, the mangos are green, but the locals love them that way. The kids pick green mangos off the trees on the ranch and eat them raw, enjoying the tart taste. However, the top of the fruit where it connects with the tree is quite acidic and the children rub off this part or risk getting a rash around their mouth. Green mangoes are also cut up and sold in bags on the streets, sometimes with salt which enhances the tart and salty taste. Allen and I prefer ripe mangoes and are just hoping there will be some left to ripen! Picking Green Mangos at NPH Fruit served on the ranch is primarily bananas, plantains, and avocados. Watermelon is also served on special occasions and watermelon and passion fruit juice are served. These fruits are grown on the ranch, but also supplemented by outside purchases. Other tre...

  Invitation to Mothers' Day Celebration Fathers’ Day is celebrated in March in Honduras on the day of St Joseph and there was a special celebration for many of the men on the ranch, including Allen. The men were entertained with presentations from the women and children who expressed their gratitude and gave them gifts. As usual (in Honduras) there were prizes, both earned through a competition and random. Allen “won” some money in a random prize drawing – just another verification of how lucky he is! He also got a bunch of gifts from some of the kids. Fathers' Day Celebration For Mothers’ Day, the celebration is the second Sunday in May like in the US. The Ranch planned an event for the Wednesday prior but ended up moving it to the following week due to disruptions in school from the poor air quality. The air on the ranch was kind of smoky due to local wildfires, but the air in Tegucigalpa was so bad that schools were closed for three days. I don’t know how this helpe...