Easter Sunday in Honduras

Easter in Honduras is much different than in America, obviously.  Most of their celebrations occur the week before, during Semana Santa.  Easter is geared towards the adults, with few customs involving children.  Today we introduced a new concept to the children which, judging from the reaction, may become an instant tradition. 

Our own teenagers started the day with an American custom:  the Easter basket.  Each of the five girls got a bag of Easter treats, which they enjoyed immensely (as did the adults, who did a little mooching themselves).

After breakfast, we headed over to Martha's Sunday School, where 186 students listened as Martha read the story of Easter using the Resurrection Egg kit, with our team members pantomiming the story as she went.  After the story, we played games and colored with the children, until a brief rain shower sent us all back under the shelter.

 In the afternoon, we headed over to the kinder to visit with about 50 Agape Promises children.  Again, we acted out the story while one of the teachers read it to the children.  Then we had the older children hide plastic eggs for the younger ones, followed by an Easter egg hunt for the Honduran teens.  Any doubts we may have had about whether the Honduran teens would like to hunt for Easter eggs was quickly dispelled by their eager antics to find the eggs! We focused on the egg as a symbol of new life, and I dare say they got it!  Both groups, both morning and afternoon, really enjoyed the story of Easter as told with the Resurrection eggs, and it is likely that next Easter quite a few may again clamor for an Easter egg hunt!

A quick change of clothes and we were back at church, La Cosecha this time.  As far as we could tell, no mention of Easter was made, the sermon being about the plagues of Egypt.                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Back home, we had a late dinner and then worked another two hours sorting toothbrushes, toothpaste, and school supplies for tomorrow's activities.  Whewww...a long day, but old relationships renewed,  new ones forged, and the concept of new life reinforced.

Blessings,

Beth