my birthday and other

a happy Honduran birthday! veinticinco!




it was a great potluck


the pila - this is how you do your dishes and if you don´t have a washing machine, your laundry

the classroom

i wanted simple living and so I got it

¨now students, focus on the board rather than the cow 15 ft. from the classroom door¨

life is good. we start school tomorrow and i am anxious. we had an open house on saturday, where I met some of my students and their parents. they seem nice.

i am happy to have been surrounded by friends on my birthday. i move to a new place, likely today, where I will live with an incoming volunteer who will teach sixth grade. living with mario was good...i will be back to visit him. He told me, ¨mi casa es su casa.¨

new things

Mario, my current roommate, and the meal we made: rice, beans, avacado, fried plantains and country time lemonade.


The church we attended in Guarizamas.

Adrain, the cutest boy in Central America, and his grandfather

The river near Guarizamas.

The river functions as a place to cool off, a bath and yes, a car wash.

All of the other volunteers: Sarah, Megan, Beth, Nicole, Ginny, Mary, Carlos (the director)Theresa and Kate. notice anything about those names...they´re all girls!

Today we went to Carlos´hometown to visit his parents and family, where we received some Honduran hospitality.

arrival

Annie, our principal, greeting us volunteers. At Nazareth, another school for special students

The streets of Juticalpa (the drivers are crazy!) Ginny showing us the central park (parque central)

the main church (left) and bedroom buddies (right)

I have now been in Honduras for three days now. We got a tour of the city of Juticalpa by one of the volunteers who was here last year, Ginny. We are getting a lot of introductions to the staff here at Olancho Aid Foundation (OAF). This is a Catholic organization dedicated to bringing the people of Honduras out of poverty through education.

We volunteers are noticing the lack of conveniences we sometimes take for granted in the states, dependable running water, regular trash pickup, washing machines and a traffic system that doesn´t make you think every car ride could be your last! Things are good. The people seem friendly, although we get a lot of looks going down the street ¨look at the gringos.¨ I have been exhausted by the end of each day...I think it is because I am experiencing all these new things.