Front Porch Gang Update

By Katie

The front porch gang has been just as active as ever, but I realized it's been a long time since you've had an update. We still have classes in the afternoons usually four days a week. After working on some reading skills and reading a story together, we usually play a learning game. In this picutre we are playing Go Fish with some letter cards which has done wonders for those who previously couldn't recognize their letters. One second grade student, Wilmer, went from hardly being able to name half the letters to naming almost all of them very quickly because he was very motivated to win the game. It's been fun to watch them develop a sense of strategy too. On this day we were having so much fun that some teenage cousins and even a mom who were visiting the neighbors came over for a round.


After game time we usually have free reading time so the kids can enjoy the little library I've collected. It's a great opportunity for them to practice and has really made a difference in their skills. Most of the families of these children do not own books of their own, so it's the only opportunity they have for reading material at their level. The little squirts who are too young to be reading yet usually work on letter or number worksheets during this time. Here's a video of a nice quiet work time with some of the kids.


Hanging out with the front porch gang is certainly my favorite part of the day!

Movie Night

By Katie

Last Friday night the youth at our church hosted a movie night. We used a data projector from Diaconia to project a movie on the wall of the church. In the end we had a pretty good turn out, but it wasn't without some struggles. We had about five youth who were part of the church's youth board which Matt and I help with since it overlaps with work we already do for Diaconia. The week before the movie two of the five announced they were switching churches. Another one was working and couldn't come and the other two showed up very late. So basically the event was a Matt and Katie production. We'd certainly like to see more ownership of the group by the youth themselves. Pray with us for the strengthening of this group.

There certainly were some successes though. There were about 20 people who ended up coming; some youth, some kids and some adults and we watched a remarkably good Christian movie that many seemed to enjoy. I made popcorn over an open fire for my first time and only burned a little bit!

A model for short-term missions

By Katie

Recently I got to go along with a group of visitors from Michigan to their first visit to the community of Dos Quebradas, about 45 minutes from where we live. It was exciting to me for a couple of reasons. First, I went along as a translator for the group. It was my first time doing something like this, and I was happy that it went pretty well, although I know too that I've still got a lot more Spanish to learn!

Folks from the community, Diaconia and CRWRC staffers and the visitors from Michigan.

What was most exciting though was the way this church, Mayfair Christian Reformed of Grand Rapids, MI, is looking to form a partnership with the community of Dos Quebradas. In 2007, Diaconia Nacional began a process of making a "Community Transformation Plan" for each community they work with. The process involves surveys, writing the history of the community story, community mapping, and asking the community to name their top ten priorities they'd like to see for the development of their community. Arturo of Diaconia took the information he collected and wrote it into a report. The community uses the document to assess how they are doing on making their priority projects a reality in their community. The process inspires them to look within their community and to various NGOs and the government to get the resources they need. The document is revised every year to mark changes and to hold the community members accountable to it.
A picture from a community transformation planning meeting in Dos Quebradas, 2007.

Once the plan is done and is being used within the community, CRWRC takes it and translates a shortened version into English. Churches who are interested in forming partnerships with a church or community in another country can read the profiles of the communities with the plan and choose one that fits the interests and abilities of their congregants. The North American church then sends a fact-finding team to initially meet the community and explore what they could do to continue a long-term relationship with this community. This fact-finding trip was what brought the three people from Mayfair to Dos Quebradas. They'll take what they learned and present it to their council, and Lord willing will start planning another trip with a group from their church.

I really like this model for many reasons. It ensures that the community names their own priorities, as opposed to donors who might put the ideas into the minds of the community members. From the outset the community understands that they are in charge of making the connections necessary to get a water project (or whatever other project) done. It's possible that a North American group might come and lend a hand, but really they need to get things done locally. It's a good deal for the North American churches too because they are encouraged to make long-term relationships with one community and learn to share in their joys and sorrows over the years and helps instil a new set of values and way of looking at the world for both sides of the partnership. The groups that return year after year to Honduras certainly exhibit higher levels of understanding and have realistic expections for what their time with the community means for the building of their on-going relationship. It's a great model to follow for doing short-term missions right.

Student Prayers

By Katie

The exams are done and school's out for the year at Luz y Verdad. Just before the end I got some fun work in from the students in computer class. Their assignment was to write a series of prayers by drawing a picture in Paint, then saving it and inserting it into a Word document where they typed the words to the prayer. That they all were able to do this is showed the progress that they had made throughout the year. Many could hardly use a mouse at the beginning of the year, and only one or two knew how to save their work.

Here's some of the pictures they created and the prayers they wrote, translated into English.

By Oto (fourth grade)

Our Father in heaven, holy be your name. Come to do your will on the earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread, forgive us our sins. Also help us to forgive the sins of others. Help also the politicians that they can resolve the problem in the country and that all can return to normal. Amen.

By Fernando (third grade)

Father God we ask that you guard all the people of the earth including the people of the world, for the pastors and for Mel and Michelleti. Father, guard us. Amen.

By Adela Michell (third grade)

Lord, I pray for the children that they can learn. Amen.





By Estefany and Cintia (fifth grade)

Our Father in heaven, protect the forests, the animals and the people in our country. Amen.




AMEN!

Gift Catalog

By Katie

This year's CRWRC gift catalog is out and again includes some things from Honduras. I thought I'd highlight the items specifically for Honduras. There's lots more gifts to choose from around the world; check out the entire catalog by clicking here.

Moringa Tree ($2 usd)
"Purchasing animal feed in Honduras is expensive and has the added environmental cost of transportation. Moringa trees provide highly nutritious leaves and pods that can be eaten by cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and rabbits." Humans can eat it too!

Of course, this is our personal favorite. Matt does trainings on the moringa tree very often and the purchase of these trees would continue the funding for even more trainings, seeds and seedlings.

Nutrition Kit ($17 usd)
"A nutritional kit containing soybean milk, vitamins, and anti-parasite medication can help a Honduran child gain the nutrients and protection she needs to grow strong and healthy."

Two nurses work for Diaconia in southern Honduras where very high rates of malnutrition exist. They distribute these kits to trained health leaders in the communities. These community leaders run mini-pharmacies and are sources of knowledge in their communities.

Water Filter ($50 usd)
"A plastic filter that uses water and sand to filter out germs can clean stored water and make it healthy to drink."

These are also distributed through the health program in the south.



Water Containers ($65 usd)

"A water storage container, or PILA, can help a Honduran family gain regular access to water."

The people fortunate enough to have running water in Honduras don't experience running water like we know it in North America. It rarely comes every day, sometimes up to once every fifteen days. In the mean time, we keep stores of water to use. The alternative to having a pila is filling up 3 liter pop bottles little by little and keeping them for storage. Even those who don't have running water find it much easier to store the water from the hand pump in a pila rather than so many small containers. Pilas are essential for life in Honduras.

Popular Honduran Music

By Katie

One of our favorite Honduran musicians is singer/songwriter Polache. He often sings about Honduras, and this song, "Mirá a Honduras" is very popular lately. This song is especially popular among folks who want to remind Hondurans that Honduras can be more than just another country ruled by corruption. The song takes on extra significance this month as we gear up for elections on November 29.

Have a listen!



Mirá a Honduras

Que no te tapen los ojos, Ojos con la corrupción y la incomprensión, la indiferencia y la delincuencia que con frequencia amigo uno se encuentra en esta nación, ponele mucho atención a esta canción de corazón, es más lo bueno que aquí tenemos más los que queremos, creemos en esta tierra que es una bendición

CORO
Mirá a Honduras con otros ojos que esta es tu tierra
Descubrí que al mirarla con otros ojos vas a merecerla
Mirá a Honduras con otros ojos, tenés que quererla
Descubrí que al mirarla con otros ojos, vas a merecerla.

Laralala…

Que no te tapen los ojos, la desforestación y contaminación, la pobreza, injusticia y bajeza, que con frequencia amigo uno se encuentra en esta nación, ponele mucha atención a esta canción de corazón, es más la riqueza, grandeza, nobleza, y más la belleza que hay en esta tierra que es un bendción.

CORO BIS

Translation:
Look at Honduras

Don’t let them cover your eyes, see the corruption, and the incomprehension, the indifference and delinquency that with frequency friend one finds in this nation, pay much attention to this song from the heart, it’s more the good that we have here, more the ones that we love, we believe in this land that is a blessing.

CHORUS
Look at Honduras with other eyes ‘cuz it’s your land
Discover that to look at it with other eyes you’re going to deserve it.
Look at Honduras with other eyes, you have to love it
Discover that to look at it with other eyes you’re going to deserve it.

Laralala….

Don’t let them cover your eyes, the deforestation, and contamination, the poverty, injustice and lowness, that with frequency friend one finds in this nation, pay much attention to this song of the heart, it’s more the richness, grandness, nobleness, and more the beauty that is in this land that is a blessing.