Toothbrushes and Fingernail Clippers

Yesterday I, once again, realized everything we take for granted. First I noticed this with my kids, then I noticed it again in the conversations I had last night. This past weekend, one of my friends gave me kids toothbrushes, so we can start brushing the kids teeth while they are at the daycare. Cool, I thought! Then yesterday, I had the opportunity to do it with them. After spending sometime with my nieces, I figured this could be a very difficult process getting the kids to cooperate and actually brush their teeth. Since the day I brought the toothbrushes in (Monday), till we first used they yesterday, the kids pestered me about when we are going to brush our teeth. So yesterday, after they were labeled, I took them outside one at a time to brush their teeth. To each one, I would say, “I’m going to do it first, then you are going to do it,” because I want them to reach all the teeth and learn to do it themselves. As I did it, I would ask them what color their toothbrush was and if they had one of these at their house. To my surprise, its not wonder they were so excited and obedient, 13 out of 15 have never had a toothbrush or brushed their teeth before. Obviously looking at their rotten teeth, you can see they haven’t, but hearing it from them and seeing their excitement was eye opening to me.

We also took the time yesterday to cut fingernails and toenails. It was sad to see how long the toenails were, some of them growing into the skin. Then I got to wash their feet. It was a fun processfor each of them to let me wash their feet. I would cut their nails, then carry them outside, wash their feet and carry them back in. They loved it. Another thing we take for granted from when we are born. Our parents usually take care of us, teach us to brush out teeth, wash our hands, and cut our nails for us. Its engrained in us.

Another addition to the routine of teeth brushing and hand washing is taking vitamins. We have had them, but they weren’t being used. I know hygiene is not a high priority of some of these mothers, working to feed their families. It’s a neat experience to be able to provide this for them.

The other conversation we had was with a friend, on the way home from Casa de Luz was about what the United States is like. The conversation started with why so many North Americans come down to Honduras. When we explained, that the reality is that very few come down, he asked why? This is when we started describing the luxuries of everyday America. The first is hot water. There are 2 temperatures with every faucet. Every shower has hot water, with few exceptions. His response was “Like a ducha?” I am posting the picture of a ducha. It plugs into the wall and heats water as you take a shower. The people I work with, this kid included, only have cold water faucets. I fortunately have a ducha, but it’s not the same as having hot water from pipes.If the water pressure is too strong, the water does not have time to warm up. If the water pressure is too weak, it will burn you. Something we take for granted in the States. This is something indescribable to a large percentage of people here. The other luxury is that we throw our toilet paper in the toilet. Here, if you did that, you would clog your toilet. We talked about other things to, and with every new topic Iwas more aware of what we take for granted living in the States.

After all this, Aben and I were discussing the churches in the poor communities. They have church almost every night of the week. Why? Because they do not have the money to go out and do other things. Why would you not spend all your time in the presence of God at church? We take this for granted to. Church can only last a certain amount of time because we have other things to do. If we took the love of money out of the picture, what better thing would we have to do than be at church, in community? Since we have money, we arrange time to spend it. If we don’t have it, we don’t have to waste our times arranging how to spend it. It made me think of the verse in Matthew, “Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Their lives reflect dependence on God, so of course they are going to grow closer to Him.

Tonight we had a time to Skype with a group of kids from a church in Miami. We sang songs for them, and they sang some for us. Then some of the kids talked. I wish I could describe the atmosphere. Knowing both cultures, it was funny blending the two together. I could picture the group in Miami, sitting and waiting and being in their seats most of the time. On our end, pure chaos from a North American’s perspective; kids running in the streets, trying to round them up to come inside, babies screaming, one kid with a stick poking people. An experience you can’t witness from Skype. But it was fun for me to see the kids outside of the day care. I’m glad I had the opportunity to go because many time I don’t have the opportunity to spend time with the mothers or talk with them. Tonight gave me the opportunity to talk to a few of them more and play with the kids while the mothers were around. I loved the opportunity.

Things are getting busy this week and teams start coming! The spring break season thru summer brings lots of different teams, not all for me, but with all the connections, there is always bound to be a team here. Pray for protection and safety as teams come and go. Also pray for the relationships I am trying to build with the mothers.

Mister Jenny

I’m finally back in the groove of life! I have been back a week and a half, but I feel like I have been here a month now, which is a good thing. Things are going well and I have been very busy.

We have two new kids, Heydy (pronounced Haiti) and Oliver. Heydy will be 2 this month and Oliver is 3, they are brother and sister. They are very well behaved and quiet.They entertain each other, its pretty cute and they both have beautiful smiles. Other bittersweet news is that we lost 3 boys. The good news is they have started school! It’sencouraging to see theparents putting them in school to educate the next generation. Many kids in this neighborhood do not go to school and many Hondurans only go to school until sixth grade. So it’s bittersweet, they will be missed, but they are moving on and growing up J

With this transition, and the start of a new school year, we have reorganized the “big kids.” We have moved up two 3 year olds into the big kid class, so this week it was fun working with them on holding a pencil correctly and having more responsibility. Thanks to family and friends, I got to bring down coloring books, puzzles, picture cards, sidewalk chalk, little toys and balloons for the kids. They have enjoyed using all the new stuff and are excited to learn. Also, at Christmas a church in the States donated a lot of books, so many that they still are not all here yet. The kids love to hold a book and look at the pictures. It’s been fun teaching them how to hold the books and look at the pictures from left to right. When they get their own books, its fun to listen to them all talk through the story/ pictures out loud.

Here is a funny story from the big kid class, with 2 brothers in it now (since the younger one moved up). After doing all the usual stuff, then going over the new picture vocabulary cards we got to color pictures. As they were coloring, Javier- 3 asks me a question. I don’t even remember the question because I was distracted by the beginning.. Mister Jenny (pronounced Meeester Jenny). I am used to being called Miss (mees), but mister made me laugh. Their mom always says this when she drops them off, and of course I don’t want to correct her. So I was thinking, this is my opportunity to correct the boys, then they can correct their mom. I explain, ‘mister’ means a man, and ‘miss’ means a woman. I am a woman so I am ‘miss’ Jenny. They kept saying it; I kept explaining it. The whole class started saying it, then the other little 3 year old girl got it. She started calling me Miss Jennys (she likes to add the ‘s’ to my name). The end of the time, everyone except the two boys were calling me miss Jenny. The boys…. still calling me Mister Jenny. Oh well, some battles take a little more time.

Another funny story about these brothers, frustrating but funny, is every day at naptime. We have learned they have to be separate from each other and separate from the other kids. So all the kids sleep in the main room, Javier in the back classroom, and Gabriel in the office. The first 30 minutues of naptime every day they are yelling back and forth to each other, “brother, whats up?” “brother what are you doing?” “brother”… this, “brother”…. that. It’s pretty frustrating to get them quiet, but it’s actually really cute that they are so terrible together and love each other.

(here is a picture of Gabriel and Javier from the fall)

I’m glad to be back and will continue to keep everyone involved by posting the stories and pictures of my life and casa de luz!

Time for an Update!

I have been in the States for one month now. I have been from Jacksonville, Florida to Ashville, NC to Cincinatti, OH to Grand Rapids, MI to Jackson, MI to Owensboro, KY to Nashville, TN to Chattanooga, TN to Atlanta, GA back to Jacksonville, FL to Tallahassee, FL to Jacksonville, FL!!! And I'm still not finished! Its been a whirlwind of a visit, and I have been here for 1 month! I am returning to Honduras on February 2 (which I found out today is next Wednesday, not Tuesday like I thought).

I spent Christmas in Honduras. We went and gave out food in the city dump and the market place and then spent time with family. It was a great Christmas!

After returning to the States, I had a second Christmas with my other family (on New Years day). We exchanged gifts and had good quality time in the snow, cold, and rented cabin in the NC mountains. It was good to see family! After that, the roadtrip began. I got to see more family and friends all over the east coast :)

I have been raising support along the way, and things are going well with that. I'm encouraged with how it has gone :) I have also collected things/ toys for the kids along the way, so it will be fun using them in these coming months! I'm ready to be home and with my kids, I have missed them!!

Here are a few pictures of my past month with family and friends!

Casa de Luz Christmas

Santa and Diego

Ester, Santa, Genesis

Genesis (aka Maria for the drama)
(tired little kitty... 5 minutes after he arrived)

Sunday we had our Christmas program and party for the kids and parents. It was fun and the kids were very cute. We did the story of Jesus, so the kids dressed up as shepherds, sheep, angels, barn animals, Mary, and Joseph. We sang some songs. And Santa came!! It was so much fun, really hot and crowded, but I don't think anyone minded. Then we ate tamales and rosquillas en miel (Honduran dishes). Now the day care is closed for a month. Many families leave the city for the month to visit family in the small villages.

Its close to 80 degrees outside, but I lit my Christmas candle and put on Christmas music to make it feel more like Christmas. It will be my first Christmas in Honduras. I'm excited! The tradition is to celebrate on the 24th, go to church, then at midnight the party begins. I'm looking forward to the typical Christmas food :)

I go back to the States on the 26th.

Here are some pictures from our party!

Where has December gone?

Javier with the bug ears.
Javier, Zulema and David Edgardo
Racsel, me, and Diego
Lizandro in his shorts that are obvioulsy not his... very big!
Ariel with his pepe (bottle) in the morning when he comes.

I guess every year we say, "where has December gone?" This year, again, I feel this way. I am planning to write a newsletter to post next week, after the Christmas party/ program :) More pictures and more stories. A lot has been going on, with washing the walls of CDL, all the toys, and sheets. Its a big task, but I enjoyed it. Then we started decorating and getting constumes ready for tomorrow! Its going to look cool and be very fun! This is a short post, so I can just put up some more pictures until I write more next week. Things are going great!

Oh in other news, I had my first robbery, the best way possible. I did not even notice when it happened. My spare tire that was under the truck was stolen. It was a nice tire, but it did not affect me personally and for that I am truly grateful!

November

November felt, in a way, like a normal month. I feel like I'm in the groove of things are Casa de Luz and we have a routine! In the mornings the kids come between 7am-9am. During that time they eat breakfast. Then we begin the day with prayer, a Bible story, and little songs (silly and Bible stories). The kids love singing! After this, we usually have story time, then I teach the numbers, colors, shapes, letters, and days of the week in Spanish and English. I think they know the numbers in English better than in Spanish. Then we sing 'Head, shoulders, knees, and toes' in Spanish and English, then 'Yes Jesus Loves Me'. Check out my Facebook for videos of this! After this, we usually divide the bigger kids (4-6 years) and little kids (2-3 years) and do a craft and writing. After this we have snack, then we usually have free time to play with toys. Then we have lunch, wash up/ change clothes (if they bring extra), naptime, freetime, and go home.

We are getting ready for the Christmas program, so we are practicing songs and doing Christmas crafts. There is never a dull moment! I can see improvement in the kids. With the structure, they are getting used to it, which makes it more orderly and easier to control. There are, of course, the few that act up, but even they are having more good days!

I am encouraged! Public school is out for the kids in the neighborhood, so there is always more activity and noise. Here the public school year is from February to November.

Outside of Casa de Luz, November has been an interesting month. Aben, my boyfriend, is in the States and I am here in Honduras. Its the first time we have had the roles reversed, usually when I'm in the States, he is here. I never realized how much he helps me out and goes places with me here.

Other November news is that my refrigerator broke, 4 weeks before the Christmas deals come, so I'm holding out and its been interesting. Fortunately it still keeps things cool, just not cold enough to keep the milk from spoiling. So I use it to guard my fruits and vegetables from the ants.

With all the extra free time, I have had time to read and think. Today I put up Christmas lights that someone gave me and cut out pieces for a felt angel the kids are going to make. I have been thinking a lot about what I have and how I can use it to help others. My friends have told me, you are already doing so much with your kids, you don't need to feel like that. But the reality is, I have been blessed with so much, and the kids on my corner that wear trash bags and ask for money do not have the same opportunity as I do. I don't know what that will entail, but I've been wrestling with the issue for at least a month now. How do I view poverty? How can I cut back or live on less, so that I can do more for the poor. How do I view my needs and wants? Can you imagine life living only for needs, and never having the privilege to consider your wants?

Please continue to pray for safety and protection. I am constantly hearing stories, seeing things, and trying not to think about these realities, but its hard to do.

My plans are to be in the States December 26- January 31. If you would like me to share in your church, Bible study, Sunday school or with friends to share the ministry, please contact me. My plan is to visit people during this month.

Sorry, no pictures this time!

Las Palmas, the neighborhood

As I said last post, I want to post pictures of the neighborhood where Casa de Luz is located. Of course, this is from my perspective. These are pictures I have taken and what I have seen. Roads are all dirt and hilly. Sometimes Honduras has too little rain, and sometimes it has too much. Right now it is the end of rainy season, so the roads are drying. When it rains you need a high vehicle, preferably with 4 wheel drive. There are many small corner stores called "pulperias." There is one right outside the daycare. It is similar to a small convenient store where you tell the person what you want and they bring it to the window for you. Most of the day people come and go from there. I see kids there often, coming to buy candy, alone. The other day I saw a little kid in a diaper there with what appeared to be a 4 year old.

Another view I see often, actually its the grandmother of one of our kids. The grandmother is walking with a basket of corn or dough on her head, while a little boy (2 years old) wearing a hand towel as his diaper, holding on to her skirt as they try to climb the hill. This is a normal sight for this neighborhood and country. Many times the grandmothers are raising the grandchildren. Its a different family dynamic than we are used to, but at the same time many parents are missing in the picture.

The one story that sticks out in my head is about Genesis. She is 5 years old and lives on the other corner across from the daycare. One day a few weeks ago we were leaving the daycare and she was in the street alone. As we left I saw her through the rear view mirror coming out and turning the corner onto the main street. In front of me, sitting against the wall were 4 guys, 20-30 years old, sitting and loitering (this is normal.) When she rounded the corner, saw the guys, she ran back towards her house. It made me wonder who these men were, why she ran, and what would happen if she crossed their path. I hear stories about how rough the neighborhood is, then I see this little girl wandering in the street with no supervision. The grandmother that cares for the little boy (the story above) is her grandmother.

I think most of the people are starting to recognize me, but I still would not walk around alone. I was told not to be there at night.

In the pictures, you can see the nicer neighborhoods on either side of this neighborhood. There is one area that is where everyone throws, even though 50 feet up the hill is where the trash truck comes. The trash truck comes every Wednesday and rings a bell for you to bring your garbage. It does not come to the houses or close to the daycare, so this is a messy job. Another blessing of a truck.

Water, very few homes have running water. The procedure for using the bathroom is to bring in water from the outside basin and pour it into the toilet. We don't get water every day. When its dry season we will get it even less. All of my kids drink the tap water, that is not clean. We have a purified water jug, but if we run out one day, they drink the tap water. In their homes they drink tap water, if it comes from a tap.

I guess these are a few things that can help you picture it a little better.