Golden Gate
We, volunteers, arrived back in Juticalpa Sunday afternoon, and before we knew it were back at school on Monday morning with our students. The week was a "getting back into the rhythm of things" type of week. However, we got through it, even with a few minor colds, and Friday arrived.
We were happy to have the weekend so we decided to go out for dinner.
It was good to see volunteer friends again. However the volunteers from before the break weren't the only ones back in Juticalpa. Three volunteers from last year, John, Eric and Peggy, came down with John's family and their friends. Peggy is here for about 2 more weeks to help with office work, but John, Eric, John's family and friends were here to retar the roof of the special needs school of the Olancho Aid Foundation (there are three schools in the OAF: a high school (Cardinal), an elementary school (Santa Clara), where I teach, and the special needs school (Nazareth)). Eric, John, John's family and friends along with Hondurans worked during the week on the roof while we long-term volunteers taught and on Saturday morning we got a chance to see the project.
(pardon the format)
They would transfer tar from 55 gallon barrels to 5 gallon buckets and then use a pulley system to lift the buckets to the roof.
Once on the roof they would pour the tar into 25 gallon barrels... 
then put a layer of water-proofing paper ontop of the tar.
After a couple of layers of this, this is what it look begins to look like.
Here are some pictures from the top of Nazareth's roof.
After working on Saturday the special needs students of Nazareth had us gather for a show.
But it wasn't just a show to entertain. It was also to show some important people what kind students Nazareth provides for. Mark, above, a friend of John's family, is from the Rotary Club in California (he and his family are actually from Woodland...small world). The came down to meet with the Rotary Club here in Juticalpa. The idea was to have the two clubs collaborate in funding Nazareth, which is totally tuition-free for its students.
Angel, as well as other officers from Rotary Club, Juticalpa, seemed to think that Nazareth was a worthy project to get involved with. Thus, not only was the new roof a positive step for Nazareth, but now there seems to be a solid source of funding for the future. 
These are two deaf girls who did a dance for us to music. (think about that)
A down syndrome student singing.
A down syndrom girl performing a Shakira dance.
After all of that, John's family took us out to dinner which included good food, conversation, drinks and dancing.
Once on the roof they would pour the tar into 25 gallon barrels... and make a fire under them to heat the tar.
When the tar had the right viscosity they would spread it on the roof with paint rollers...
then put a layer of water-proofing paper ontop of the tar. After a couple of layers of this, this is what it look begins to look like.
Here are some pictures from the top of Nazareth's roof.
After working on Saturday the special needs students of Nazareth had us gather for a show.
But it wasn't just a show to entertain. It was also to show some important people what kind students Nazareth provides for. Mark, above, a friend of John's family, is from the Rotary Club in California (he and his family are actually from Woodland...small world). The came down to meet with the Rotary Club here in Juticalpa. The idea was to have the two clubs collaborate in funding Nazareth, which is totally tuition-free for its students.
Angel, as well as other officers from Rotary Club, Juticalpa, seemed to think that Nazareth was a worthy project to get involved with. Thus, not only was the new roof a positive step for Nazareth, but now there seems to be a solid source of funding for the future. If I have talked with you since I started my time here with the Olancho Aid Foundation you might have heard me say that one of the struggles we volunteers have had is that our students at Santa Clara were different than what we expected. We thought they would be poor children who were struggling to afford clothes and such. However on the first day of school we were greeted with students who were well groomed, had full bellies and had parents using Blackberry phones. We questioned what value we were providing children who weren't struggling (at least financially). It was not easy for some of us to deal with, in fact some volunteers decided to leave due, in part, to this.
Sometimes though, when time has passed a bit, consolation come. This week we learned a little more about the funding of Olancho Aid. We learned that the tuition that the middle/upper class students of Santa Clara pay, helps pay for Nazareth, which doesn't charge tuition. So maybe we volunteers aren't working with the poor, but in a larger sense we are helping to provide for the special needs youth who wouldn't otherwise have a chance at education. This is motivating for us.
Ok, enough of the deep stuff...who are these Nazareth students?
These are two deaf girls who did a dance for us to music. (think about that)
A down syndrome student singing.
A down syndrom girl performing a Shakira dance.A young man singing.
A skit.
A young woman, with cerebral palsy, reading a poem.
The students giving hearts and hugs to John, and his family and friends.
All together.
And actually if you look closely in the back of the group picture you can see why a new roof was needed.
After all of that, John's family took us out to dinner which included good food, conversation, drinks and dancing. Although Christmas break was great, it is good to be back.
