Hula Hoop

Cindy

Sisi

Daniela

Ana

Reina

After a project was finished, there was just a little tubing left. Nothing goes to waste in Honduras. Dennis, our groundskeeper, took the tubing and a stick and made a hula hoop. The kids are having so much fun with this hula hoop.

Cindy can do it for hours and seemingly not move a muscle. It looks like she is standing there with a hula hoop circling her waist. On the other hand, Sisi moves every muscle in her body. Her arms and head are flailing about recklessly. I have never seen anyone work a hula hoop as fast as Daniela. Some of the other girls have tried to do it fast and they say it hurts. I guess it doesn't hurt Daniela. Katty is so little, but she manages the hula hoop quite well. She is funny. She stands with her feet veryfar apart.

Reina doesn't quite the hang of it yet. She can roll the hula hoop well. I was rolling it back and forth with her. I don't have the hang of it either. I rolled it toward Reina and took off running. I could get to Reina before the hula hoop. For some reason, Reina thought this was hysterically funny and fell on the ground laughing.

No matter the skill level, everyone is enjoying the home made hula hoop.

Terri

The Park And The Creek

Playing in the water hole

Katty. An interesting way to be on the seesaw.

Jackson and Fernando showing their tricks

Rosy found just the place to stand that balanced Sisi and Daniela.

Karen has made a schedule for the kids while school is out. Monday morning is the day to go to the park. Karen and I and 17 kids left here about 9:45. The park is not next door, but it is close enough we can walk. What a sight we must have been, nineteen of us walking along, spread out along the way. Karen led and Maryuri and I were bringing up the rear.

Karen turned so that we could walk past the flower garden. It was mostly roses. It was beautiful and the sweet fragrance filled the air. We got to the point where we were to turn for the park and there were several roads (dirt roads, of course) and the kids asked if we could walk along one of them for a while. Karen said she didn't know where any of them went, but we could walk along and then turn around. We walked a short way, when they saw a little foot path that looked like it possibly led to water. The kids were jumping up and down wanting to walk down this path. Again, Karen said yes.

It was steep, narrow and rocky. Maryuri got scared and, I thought, was not going to go down. Cindy carried her water bottle and I carried Maryuri. Sure enough, there was some water. Brayan stuck a stick in and the water wasn't very deep. Karen told everyone to take their shoes and socks off and roll their pants up. The older kids went just a bit further and found a bigger water hole. Again, the depth was checked and determined safe. Everyone began a mad scramble to get to the bigger water. Maryuri was not going. Karen and I led her down, across large rocks. She got wet and began to have a great time.

Doris was not going to have any part of it, but finally found a place where she could get in by herself and got her feet wet. She eventually got in a little deeper.

The kids were laughing and jumping and splashing. They baptized each other. The first time Maryuri was baptized, she was through. She came out of there crying, saying someone baptized, I mean drowned her. Katty and Nohemy made Karen and I both nervous. They have no fear. Of anything.

When it was time to get out, we got shoes back on everyone's feet and Karen sent Maryuri and I ahead of everyone else. I led her and her short little legs carefully back up the trail. When we got to the top, she was so proud of herself for walking and not being carried. She looked at me and said "tired." I asked her if it was a lot of work. She said yes.

We walked on to the park and played. Since I had my camera, everyone wanted to show me all their tricks on the monkey bars and slides. The girls learned to balance on the seesaws.

It sure seemed like a longer walk home than it was there. After lunch, I know Nohemy had no trouble going down for a nap. I suspect no one else did either.

Terri

Nohemy and Manuel

Nohemy before we left Casitas Kennedy

Manuel at home

Manuel with Luis at Casitas Kennedy.

Yay!! We got our internet back yesterday. Everyone is wanting to see pictures of these two precious babies. Here they are.

Little Manuel has the eating and walking skills of a baby that is about 10-12 months old. He wobbles as he walks just like one who is first learning to walk. He doesn't do much better at feeding himself, but right now he doesn't have to worry. There are plenty of people here ready to feed him whenever he desires. He seems really happy. He loves milk. I think he would drink it all day long. He drinks from a sippy cup. I wonder if he has ever been fed anything except from a bottle.

Sweet, sweet Nohemy is starving for love. Every time I walk by, she reaches up for me to pick her up. And so far, I have not disappointed her. She was deliced yesterday. Sandra told me there were lots and lots of lice. Not unusual for the kids that come from Casitas Kennedy. She is missing several teeth. They were rotten bad teeth and they have been pulled. Thankfully, they are baby teeth, not permanent teeth. She will be near toothless for about three years. She can color fairly well, but has not a clue with what color she is coloring. I guess she will start kindergarten in February. Nohemy doesn't hold her fork like a four or five year old should, but she manages to eat. She gets a lot of food off of the plate. And when she finishes, she picks up the plate and lick it clean. She plays by herself a lot. I sure she will learn to start playing with the other girls. She is starting to adjust.

It is not unusual for the new kids to start hitting the other kids three or four days after they come here. There is a lot of things to get used to. Nohemy started hitting the day she got here. She is tough. There is just no telling what the little thing has already lived through. But, she is just as sweet as they come.

Terri

Finishing Touches

Early this year a new cottage was completed that would enable us to take more children. In April, a houseparent was hired and inspections were done. In June, our houseparent completed her sixty day trial period. In September, the new cottage was dedicated. Last week there were more inspections.

Today, we saw the finishing touches needed to make the cottage a home. We received two new children that desperately needed rescuing. All week we thought this was going to happen, but you never know in Honduras. We received the call this morning there would be two children waiting on us at 1:00 at Casitas Kennedy.

Casitas is the state orphanage where nearly all children must pass through. It is a horrible place. These two precious little souls have been there eight months, which is longer than any of our children have ever had to stay there.

This is the first time I have ever gone to get children. I was excited to be a part of this. Karen and I left here at 12:15 and met Marc at Casitas.

They brought the little boy to us first. He will be two in February. He is so little. It was a long time before we saw even a hint of a smile. He has bronchitis and has to be kept warm. That may be a challenge tonight. Marc took him and loved on him. Then I did. Our friend, Luis, was with Marc. Luis took the baby until he started crying. Luis gave him back to me and I rocked him to sleep. His name is Jose Manuel. We will call him Manuel as there are already two Joses here.

Then they brought his sister in to us. Her name is Ester Naomi. She let it be known she preferred Naomi. She is four or five. She has no birth certificate. She was, and is scared to death.

Marc took her first. He picked her up to hug her. She had on underwear that was so small they tore when Marc picked her up. I had the baby and Naomi soon found her way to Karen's side.

After we made sure what paperwork we had and did not have, we walked to the car with the children, the only belongings they had were the clothes they were wearing. We did not know if Naomi would cry or not. She did not. We put her in the back seat. I handed the sleeping baby to Karen to hold and I drove.

Karen thought it would be a good idea to stop at Wendy's and get her ice cream. Karen and I both love ice cream so it is never hard for one of us to talk the other into stopping for ice cream.
She enjoyed the ice cream and ate it fairly quickly. She ate and fell asleep. I enjoyed my ice cream too.

We got home and everyone rushed the baby. Little Naomi began to cry. She was so scared. Karen took her to the new cottage and showed her her room. Siomara and came in and gave her a much needed shower. Her shoes smelled so bad. We got clean clothes on her and new shoes and underwear that fit. Siomara did a quick comb through of the hair and the lice were every where. She will have to be deliced. We gathered up several sets of clothes and told her they were all for her.

She would not come out of her room to play with the other kids, until after 4:00.

Jocylyn definitely feels she has a new little brother and sister. Jocylyn walked around smiling the biggest smile. And she did manage to get Naomi on the trampoline.

They little ones have come from a live of extreme poverty. Their mother was unable to supply the most basic of needs. Please pray for them as they adjust to live at Casa de Esperanza. Prayers are needed for the other children and the staff as everyone gets used to more kids.

Praise God for these nice little finishing touches to the new cottage.

I will get pictures up as soon as we get our internet back or I get back to town.

Terri

Greens At The Dump

Presentation is very important in Honduras. At the market, all the fruit and vegetables are displayed attractively. As I buy my fruits and vegetables, I watch as the vendors trim away the leafy parts that aren't edible. This is a massive amount of green stuff trimmed from the vegetables every week.

Just as we finished feeding the people at the dump yesterday, a truck drove in with all these greens. The truck dumped it and drove off. Everyone in the dump began running for those greens. There was the leafy waste and some rotten fruit. People were grabbing for the fruit and the leaves, pushing their way to the front. They were walking away with all they could carry. They were estatic to have such a find. And those that were not as quick and missed out were sad.

I was sad to watch such a site. To think someone's waste was another person's food.

Terri

Break Down

Tuesday we went to Santa Katarina. Finally, it is time to start building the feeding center. We went to buy block, rebar and cement so construction could begin.

Santa Katarin is 40 kilometers south of Choluteca and then we go eleven more kilometers out into the middle of nowhere. There is no businesses any where near Santa Katarina. We thought we would have to buy supplies in Choluteca and have them trucked out. Of course, we pay for delivery. Milton and Luis informed us we could probably buy supplies in El Triunfo, which is much nearer Santa Katarina. We found a block maker that makes block in his front yard. We stopped and asked his price and it was the price we were expecting to pay. Marc ordered 600 blocks and asked about delivery. The guy said he didn't have a truck. That sounds like a problem, but not really in Honduras. Because if someone doesn't have a truck, they always know someone that does. And in this case it was the guy's brother. Marc began to ask about the rebar and the cement as well. Since we have to pay delivery, it is better to have everything on one truck.

In true Honduras fashion, the guy gets on his motorcycle and drives off, while we wait, to ask about the truck, the rebar and the cement. He comes back to say that he has everything lined up for us, except that the truck is not available for that day,but the next. We agreed that we would be back the next Tuesday to have it taken to Santa Katarina.

We went on to Santa Katarina. We saw the lot, which is completely cleared and ready for construction. The folks there are so excited that construction will finally begin soon. After negotiating for supplies, it was midafternoon, when we arrived at Santa Katarina. We really did not plan to stay long, just let everyone know supplies would be arriving next week.

Santa Katarina is literally on the Honduran-Nicaraguan border. I walked into Nicaragua. Since there is no border crossing there, Marc reminded me in was in Nicaragua illegally. I would post a picture on the marker, but I still can't post pictures. Perhaps later. We said our goodbyes and left.

Marc and I had not eaten since breakfast. Probably Milton and Luis had not either. We were making plans to get to Choluteca and make our way to Pizza Hut. We were barely back on the highway and we had a problem with the truck. Thankfully, we were back on the highway.

It is very hot in that part of Honduras, and, as I already said, I was hungry. I found out that being hot and hungry tends to make me cranky. Fortunately, we broke down right in front of a little pulperia. Marc bought Pepsis for everyone but me. Since there was no coke, I wanted water. Milton bought some cookies, some really good Honduran cookies for all of us. They were kind of like cooked pie crust with sugar on them. They tasted wonderful and certainly took the edge off of my crankiness.

Milton rode in a van to town to find someone to tow us. As God would have it, the person driving the van, was the uncle of someone who owned a tow truck and was a mechanic as well. Marc called our friend Richard to get one of the other vehicles and head for Choluteca to get us. Richard drove from Santa Ana and was waiting at the Pizza Hut for us before the tow truck got out to us.

We saw a hawk and a beautiful yellow-breasted bird. When it got dark, where there is no city lights, the stars were awesome.

When the tow truck got there and got everything set, they told us to ride in the truck. Our truck. One person rode in the back of the tow truck with a flashlight shining the light, making sure all the connections held. Man, did that ever make me feel secure.

We hit a big pothole and the tow truck had a flat. They jumped out of the truck and had that trucked jacked up and the tire changed in nothing flat. Marc told them them must be part of team Nascar. The guys really liked that.

After we got to Choluteca and our truck was unhooked from the tow truck, the driver to told us to get in the back of his truck and he took us to Pizza Hut. The ride to Pizza Hut was free of charge.

We ate and finally got home around 11:00. Milton and Luis stayed in Choluteca so they could drive the red truck home yesterday. At least that was the plan. Luis came to Tegucigalpa last night. Milton did not. Luis came to buy a part for the truck, that could not be found any where in Choluteca. Marc is buying the part right now. Luis will go back to Choluteca as soon as Marc gets the part. The mechanic will put the part on the car and the guys should be in this afternoon.

You just got to love it.

Terri

Pictures From The Kermess And Church

Cindy throwing chocolate covered marshmallows at Marc

Reina, after she threw marshmallows at Marc and wiping her hands on her white shirt.

Eating and having fun

One of the skits at church

Casa kids singing

Jocylyn in a skit