It seems again that the past few weeks have
gotten away from me, but they have been quite the adventure. I have been loving
my time here. Since the last time I wrote, I have gone on a few weekend trips,
a few other excursions, and now I am on spring break.
For weekend trips, I went to the Union and Tela with my group. We went
to the Union, about 6-7 hours away, with one of our classes. Our first stop
there was a bilingual school. I was very impressed by some of the children’s
ability to use English. A few did not even have noticeable accents. A couple of
the teachers there that I met were volunteering with a program called Project
Trust based in England. It was really enjoyable to be able to talk with them.
We also ate dinner with one of the families with students in the school. It was
amazing to see how the girls, who had just entered the school a couple years
ago, already had a good proficiency in English. One even played the songs on
the violin that she had been learning. Although she was just starting, that was
music to my ears and a blessing to hear. In addition, on that trip we were able
to visit a coffee processing and taste/quality-testing site. It was very
interesting to see the livelihood of many Hondurans and others in Central
America. It was not necessarily how I had pictured it before. We did not go to
a field where there were workers picking the coffee fruit. Did you know that it
is actually a fruit that you can eat? The bean is actually like the pit of the
fruit that you are supposed to spit out. We also saw the process of taste
testing to decide the quality of the coffee. Interestingly enough, if just one
bean is bad or there are rocks in the batch, it can affect the taste of the
coffee. I did not realize how much every part matters. We also talked with
people running the local part of Compassion International. Talking with the
women, it sounded like the money for sponsorship is wisely used and solely for
the benefit of the children. I really enjoyed that trip. A few weekends later,
I took a trip to Tela, which is a beach in the northern part of Honduras on the
Atlantic Ocean. Someone in the group organized the trip, and everyone was
invited. I was very thankful for a chance to hang out and relax out on the
beach for a weekend get-away.
Another highlight was Semana Santa (holy week). We did not have any
classes that week, because the university was on spring break. We went to an
orphanage one of the days and played with the kids. It was cool, because some
of the children there attend the special needs school where I do my
ethnographic study. The kids were really sweet, and it was a neat opportunity
to be there and see where they live. Semana Santa was also an opportunity to
see some of the traditions in the Catholic Church. On Palm Sunday, there was a
procession in the street with singing and praying/scripture reading. Everyone
carried palm branches. It was neat to recognize a good percentage of the people
at mass as compared to the first time I went to mass and only recognized a few
of the students from my group. Then on Thursday there was a foot washing mass,
which was an amazing picture/enactment of the servant hood. Different pairs
(husband/wife, sisters, friends, etc) went to the front to wash another’s feet.
I was reminded of how we are called like Christ to serve those around us,
regardless of how they might act towards us. The next day for good Friday, we
went to a town called Comayagua (about 2 hours) with our moms. There were
alfombras- basically like sand art in the streets but made out of sawdust. Then
there was a procession/parade. We were walking next to the men carrying the
figurine of Jesus. However, the traditional costume for these men is nearly the
same as that of the KKK but maroon colored instead of white. I could only see
their eyes underneath their costumes. That whole deal actually kind of creeped
me out. I never realized fully how things I have learned in the past have so
deeply become ingrained in me. For those who have not grown up in the States learning
about the KKK, they do not associated these costumes with violence and racism.
However, for me, just walking next to them made me feel extremely
uncomfortable. Later for Easter Sunday, my whole family went to a pool for the
day. Although I really missed my church and family back home on Easter, I think
that was one of my favorite memories with my mom and aunt here. Even though
they couldn’t swim, they had an absolute ball in the water and it was such a
delight to see them like that.
This past week, we had our spring break, and I went to Roatán, which was
a blast. It is an island off the northern coast of Honduran and in the
Caribbean. It was like a taste of the States after being in Honduras for so
long. At first it was a bit of a shock to go grocery store. It was like D&W
with American products and real cheese (not white blocks of quesillo). The
house that my group stayed in was like a cabiny feel, which reminded me of home
too. I was very thankful for the opportunity to go to church with worship in
English and an amazing sermon on how God provides. I was able to see God
providing in so many ways over spring break. From getting a free ride to church
to meeting a family from Michigan that invited us to go snorkeling and hang
out/feed us at their condo, God provided in so many amazing ways. Adventures
like snorkeling in the second best reef in the world, jumping off an abandoned
ship, walking to a chocolate factory, and so many other things were
unforgettable. Although I had an amazing time, I am excited to get back to
Santa Lucía, see my family, and see what the upcoming weeks have in store for
me.
