Diving In 7-10-08

Although we are living large in a TRUE hacienda with real mattresses and shower heads, we managed to get a little dirty and jumped into work this first full day in Quimistan.

Sam, Joey, Kathy, Jennifer, George, and Mike were first off the ranch this morning en route to one of the ongoing construction projects. They hauled mountainous piles of dirt into the homes to level the surface in preparation for concrete floors.

Meanwhile Morgan, Jenna, Brittany, Blakely, Vanna, Andrea, Roxanne, June, and Ken went to Quimistan Elementary to distribute anti-parasitic medications (banana flavored!! Que rico!) and fluoride treatments to about 300 children. By the end of the day the girls and boys were competing for the loudest "Hola!", and all members of the team were blessed by their enthusiasm. Maynor and Arturo were invaluable helpers in the organization and instruction of the activities.

Midway through treatments the kids took a break for recess (recreo) and gathered in mobs for BUBBLES.

The eyeglass clinic was prepared and some team members were trained for the fittings that will start tomorrow.

The food has been amazing and has left us very tired. So tired we believe we are past our blogging capacity. Hasta Manana!

Brittany Klein

(with gracious input from Morgan and Jenna)

First Morning

Hola! We are here. We have had a safe trip and are enjoying everything. The compound is truly amazing. Everything is really beautiful.

Today we are going to be doing fluoride treatments in the school, eye exams in the clinic, and construction on the two homes. We are currently awaiting transportation to the school. The construction team has already left.

Hopefully today will be filled with a lot of opportunities and evangelism. We will send more later.

Morgan Fletcher

July-A Mission Team Starts Off Early

Part of the mission team going to Honduras for the first 10-day trip in July started bright and early today. Team members gathered for a 5 AM departure from Aiken, SC en route to San Pedro Sula airport and then by bus to Quimistan. The photographer just happened to capture the team leader with her mouth open, telling the team to look happy for the camera!

Projects for team efforts this trip include continuing construction of two houses begun by a different team in June. Eye testing and eyeglass fitting is planned, as well as anti-parasite treatments and fluoridation treatments at several elementary schools in neighboring villages. Neighborhood visits will let the people know that God loves them. Some team members will be assessing feasibility and priority for several new projects that have been proposed for future teams, and will check on the progress of the Quimistan Valley Scholar program which has begun to receive funding from local Quimistan citizens. As the team gets settled, periodic postings may provide some updates regarding their findings.

The first challenge, of course, is checking in at the airport. Everybody is responsible for one of the trunks holding lots of stuff to be taken to Honduras--clothing for distribution, medicines, miscellaneous items needed there. But first is to be sure each person has a passport and a ticket!

Go with God's blessings, team members. Take God's love and spread it around wherever you find yourself.

Saturday, June 21, 2008: A Dios

Adios de Honduras! Adios is one of the handful of Spanish words that every member of our team knows and uses frequently. Adiós, of course, is Spanish for "goodbye". Literally translated, the word is the contraction of "a" (to) and "Dios" (God), from the old Spanish phrase "A Dios vais" ("You're going to God", meaning to the Kingdom of Heaven). As we say goodbye to Honduras on this our last evening, it strikes me that there could be no more meaningful phrase.

Adios to Honduras. To God we show our love, by sharing ourselves with the people of Quimistan. To God we give our thanks, for protecting us and giving us this opportunity. To God we dedicate our work here. To God we give the glory. A Dios!

Blessings,
Beth Eberhard

Friday, June 20, 2008: Dear Children of SAPC

Dear children in the three and four-year-old Sunday School Class at South Aiken Pres,
I understand you have been talking about the mission of building houses. Mr. Bunch told me that you have been saving your offerings since Christmas to buy cement blocks to build houses in Honduras. You raised $50! I want to tell you what your gift has meant to a family here.
You have helped Miriam’s family. There are eight children that live in the house with her and her husband. They live in one room that is probably smaller than your bedroom. There is a dirt floor, and chickens run in and out of the house all day because there are no doors, just sheets covering the doorway. The children have no beds. The roof leaks and they all get wet when it rains. There is no bathroom, no tv, no air conditioning, and no furniture except for one small bed. The kitchen is outdoors
In Honduras, their money is called Limpera instead of dollars. A cement block costs eight Limpera. Your $50 bought more than 100 cement blocks. That’s enough to build a whole wall for their new house. Their new house will have a real floor, strong walls, and a roof that doesn’t leak. It will have a bathroom, two bedrooms, and an indoor kitchen and sitting area. Best of all, because of your gift and those of others who also gave money, Miriam’s family will know that you love them enough to give them a house and hope for a better life. They will know that God is using His children to help them.
When you go to bed tonight, look around your room and pretend it is Miriam’s house. Then imagine that some people you don’t even know love you enough to build you a house. Then you will know how God uses kids like you to show His love to all His children.
Gracias from Miriam’s family!
Blessings,
Beth Eberhard

P.S.

Do you know Donald Josey and Mike Lambert? They had a contest to see how many blocks they could hold on their stomachs. Donald won, with eight blocks!

Thursday, June 19, 2008: poverty and hope

Today our work was of a different sort. Arturo started us off with a talk about the poverty in the area of Santa Clara, a village about half an hour down the highway. We then piled into two trucks and headed down the road. Our first stop was to deliver the tote bags filled with school supplies to a school that Sister Martha was instrumental in founding. To get to this school, we had to walk across a suspension bridge that looked like something out of Indiana Jones. This was the only way over to the village.

After walking a ways down a winding path, we arrived at the school. Sister Martha had started this school because many of the children can’t make the long trip to the nearest school. It has only been in existence for 2 ½ months, but had 30 students in grades 1-6. Four posts and a metal roof, an old blue tarp for one wall, simple desks, and a small blackboard on an easel were all that made up this school, but it is already making a difference in this small village. Unfortunately for us, the students were on a one week vacation while we were there, so we were unable to actually hand out the tote bags to them. Many of the children were off in the woods gathering firewood, but while we were there several students did wander in, so we were able to take a few photos of the children with the totes.

Back across the bridge and into the trucks we went for a half hour ride to the small village of Santa Clara, population about 500. Arturo and his wife Suyapa live here, dedicating their lives to trying to make a difference in the lives of the villagers. Suyapa has started a preschool, another wall-less, floorless shelter where anywhere from 2-15 toddlers come for food, games, and loving care.

In the field below the preschool was a brick-making business that Arturo had started to provide jobs for the local rough necks. The business itself is quite interesting. The men dig mud out of a hole, then mix it with sand. The mixture is then put in wooden brick molds, dried, then fired in a kiln for 18 hours. Each brick sells for about 3 limpera (15 cents). The work is hard, but provides some income and pride to the young men who have stuck with it.

Just when we thought we had seen the worst poverty there was to see, we pulled up in front of a shack that blew us away. The walls had been adobe, wattle and daub style, but had broken down and been replaced with tarps and anything else the owner could find. Arturo brought some granola bars to the two young children who were there (Thanks to Ann Prather, for the forethought to pack so many!). The little boy, wearing only a dirty tee shirt, had such a smile on his face when Arturo gave them the food that it literally went from ear to ear. According to Arturo, many of these children don’t do well in school because they are hungry, not because they have missed breakfast that day, but because they haven’t eaten for a couple of days.

There can be no ending for this narrative, because poverty is never-ending. The Bible tells us the poor will always be with us. However, the hope for the future lies in these children, through good health care, education, and love. Arturo and Suyapa are on the right track.

Blessings,
Beth Eberhard

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

A quick report on the building progress, and then on to the real business in Quimistan: The footers are finished at house #2 and we are ready to start building the walls. At House #1, we got the stones in place, smashing only a few fingers in the process, and the footers are almost halfway done.

Before working on the house, we made a trip to the Honduras Independence Bilingual School, where the children performed a show for us. Afterwards, we interacted with the children so that they could practice their English on us and they could hear our American accents. Hopefully, we didn’t throw them off track with our “ya’lls!” One of the songs they sang for us was “We Are The World.” While I’m not a big Michael Jackson fan, this song brought me to tears because the lyrics, sang by these precious children, are right on target. At the risk of breaking all kinds of copywrite laws, I am reprinting the words below.

We Are The World
By Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie

There comes a time

When we hear a certain call

When the world must come together as one

There are people dying

And it's time to lend a hand to life

The greatest gift of all

We can't go on

Pretending day by day

That someone, somewhere will soon make a change

We are all a part of God's great big family

And the truth, you know love is all we need

[Chorus] We are the world

We are the children

We are the ones who make a brighter day

So let's start giving

There's a choice we're making

We're saving our own lives

It's true we'll make a better day

Just you and me

Send them your heart

So they'll know that someone cares

And their lives will be stronger and free

As God has shown us by turning stone to bread

So we all must lend a helping hand

[Chorus] We are the world

We are the children

We are the ones who make a brighter day

So let's start giving

There's a choice we're making

We're saving our own lives

It's true we'll make a better day

Just you and me

When you're down and out

There seems no hope at all

But if you just believe

There's no way we can fall

Well, well, well, well, let us realize

That a change will only come

When we stand together as one

[Chorus] We are the world

We are the children

We are the ones who make a brighter day

So let's start giving

There's a choice we're making

We're saving our own lives

It's true we'll make a better day

Just you and me

Enough said.

Blessings, Beth Eberhard