"I'm Leaving Tomorrow"

By Katie

Lots of people use the words "I'm leaving tomorrow" here in Honduras. They leave to go to the United States and sometimes to Canada to pursue dreams of money, adventure, opportunity. I know plenty of people here who have said the words to their families and are back now, and many more people who heard those words and haven't seen their family member since. But Friday was the first time I heard those words myself. One of my fifth grade students, José Carlos, left on Saturday with a family friend to go mojado/"wetback"/without papers to live with his mom who is living and working in Wisconsin. José Carlos came Friday to say goodbye to his class and teachers. A few kids were sobbing so hard they couldn't move. Everyone knows this is a dangerous trip. Most of the students have immediate family members living in the States and know what it means to say goodbye.

Before he left, he and I got to talk a bit about Lake Michigan, one of my favorite places in the world, his new school and future ESL teacher, and about learning a new language and living in a new culture. Then the class prayed with him and all gave him hugs. He's a bright kid with poise well beyond his years, so he'll do ok. We're all going to miss him terribly.