It was just a piece of pizza…

by Oie Osterkamp

It was just a piece of pizza.

The six of us rode in the back of the pickup down the four and half mile dirt road to the village of El Carrizo in the southern tip of Honduras. It was rainy season and the frequent late afternoon heavy rains had wreaked havoc on the already rough terrain. The puddles were like small ponds and we seemed to float in some places as Ricardo expertly negotiated where he thought the road should be.

We had been asked to come to the school in the Colonio area of the village that morning. School was out for a couple of days in celebration of the Honduran Independence Day, so we found it interesting that as we approached the school, we saw children in their freshly washed school uniforms smile and wave to us as they walked toward the center of the village, taking great care not to step in the mud or soil their clothes.

We soon found out why.

The wonderful people of the village had planned a celebration of their own. A Sharefish celebration. We were ushered onto the porch of the school into the carefully lined up plastic chairs facing the courtyard where parents, teachers and children all gathered. For an hour we heard representatives from each group come up and tell us how much they appreciated all Sharefish has done for them and their village. The children told us how they were studying hard and how much they valued the opportunity to learn. The parents thanked us for helping them do something for their children that their parents could not do for them. The teachers thanked us for seeing that education was the only way to make things better in the long term.

As each group finished, one of them would come up and present us with a plaque of appreciation from that group. We were overwhelmed by the kindness and sacrifice of the people of the village to honor us in this way. I was then asked to say a few words. I was on the emotional edge and was unsure I could hold it together, but I prayed a quick silent prayer for strength and stood before the crowd.

I told them that their ancestors had a saying: “Grief shared is half grief. Joy shared is double joy.” I told them that welcoming us as part of their family gave all of us at Sharefish double joy. I then told them how by working together – parents, teachers, children and Sharefish – there was no limit to the successes that could take place in El Carrizo that could change their village, their country, and maybe even the world. I thanked them for their generosity and for letting Sharefish play a small part in helping them be who they were designed and built by God to be.

One of the teachers then spoke. He asked if we would allow them to do one more thing for us. He said that the village wanted to provide us lunch. As we began to think of how we could politely decline eating native food due to the potential consequences, smiling children began to hand us each a piece of Pizza Hut pizza, each carefully and completely wrapped in a napkin, indicating that great care was taken to protect us. We looked up at all the eyes of children, parents and teachers watching us to see our next move.

We knew we were holding a delicacy that most of them had never enjoyed. These people, most of whom earn a monthly household wage of seventy dollars, had all pitched in to honor us with something they could not afford for themselves. As the pastor blessed our food, we silently asked for sturdy stomachs and we did what we felt was the right thing to do. We ate.

The looks on the faces of our Honduran friends made whatever illness may have befallen us worth it (for the record – there were no ill effects). They were so proud and joyful to do something for us and we were able to double that joy for them by accepting it.

We smiled. For lots of reasons we smiled. We smiled for the love we felt from these wonderful people. We smiled for the double joy we felt as part of the community. We smiled because we knew something that these villagers did not know:

That tomorrow we were going to be serving these same people over 300 pieces of pizza.

It may have just been a piece of pizza. It was also a wonderful Godwink of how giving of yourself multiplies back at you.

Who will you give a slice to today?

Sharefish Medical Trip May 28 – June 5, 2011

by Wanda Easley 

This was my first trip to Honduras with Sharefish, although I had been as an interpreter on three previous medical missions to Honduras.  Chuck Nichols, aka “Pepe,” invited me.  Having seen his enthusiasm for Honduras and the towns of El Carrizo and Santa Marta, I eagerly signed on.  I wanted to see and experience what drove him to learn Spanish, go four times a year, correspond with Beberlyn and Keyli and be so excited about helping two towns far away, farther away in economic development than in geographical distance.  Pepe is my student, and after 30 years of teaching, I can honestly say I’ve rarely seen such motivation to learn.  How many lawyers, or any adults, dedicate their spare time to studying vocabulary and reading novels in a foreign language they’ve just begun to study!

So without the least trepidation, I signed on for another medical mission trip to Honduras. 

There was excitement (as well as traffic problems) as soon as we landed in Tegucigalpa around 11:00 a.m.  Zelaya, the ex-president forced to leave the country in his pajamas, was expected to return “any minute.”  I, with native hondureños, ran to the window of the terminal with camera in tow hoping to snap a picture of his disembarking.  Not to happen.  He arrived around 3:00 that afternoon, with his supporters long gone.  Great Latino story! [It was at the airport that this vegetarian had her first McDonald's hamburger sans burger, and the last fresh lettuce and tomato that I allowed myself to eat while in Honduras (figuring it was safe in the airport and at McDonald's)].

We left the capital and headed to Choluteca on what was once a US school bus.  Honduras is a beautiful green country, and I loved looking at the spectacular scenery.  One of my favorite memories is of Ashley looking pensively out the window, loose strands of hair blowing in the wind, and taking it all in.  She seemed oblivious to all else as she took in the lush volcanic mountains.  I understood, because I feel the same way every time I ride from the Guatemala City airport to Antigua, where I visit once a year.  Central America is incredibly beautiful.  And I was delighted to find myself there once again, with happy prospects of a medical mission, a real passion of mine.

On that first day, everyone received a letter from Oie.  It was a beautiful letter urging us to just “Let it go,” and let God take care of everything.  He urged us to dismiss any preconceived expectations.  Let Go and Let God is a familiar theme to me as the resounding solution to all our problems from a previous Companions in Christ class.  I felt I “knew the drill.”  Through the years I’ve had the fortune to travel quite a bit in Latin America and love it.  Once as I was leaving for Latin America, I told my husband:  “Listen, if anything should happen to me…”  He interrupted me and said, “I know.  It’s like Br’er Rabbit in the Briar Patch.”   I’m passionate about Spanish, Latin America and interpreting for physicians and nurses.  This was my ninth medical mission.

After arriving at the Hotel La Fuente in Choluteca, I soon jumped in the pool and did several laps.  When I emerged from the pool, the doctors, all sitting poolside, asked if I really felt it was a good idea to swim in that murky, algae-filled water.  Ouch!  Too late, and one month later fortunately still no manifestations of adverse consequences.

The next day was church–twice!  First in El Carrizo and later in Santa Marta.  Such enthusiasm!  The children performed and the congregations sang their hearts out.  They greeted us warmly, thanked us for coming, and we responded in kind.  The faith of these people is real.

Monday morning–time to set up clinic and go to work.  It was my great privilege to work with Chuck’s brother, Van Nichols, a urologist from Wilmington.  We saw headaches, bone aches, stomach aches, and even several urinary tract infections.  Van was great!  He is skilled, intuitive, compassionate, fun and explained everything to me.  I learned so much working with him.  His patients went away completely satisfied and pleased with the attention they got from him.  Well, there was that one guy who needed mucho counseling and, after 45 minutes, we had to encourage him to seek it elsewhere. 

We had clinic five days, three days in El Carrizo and two in Santa Marta.  The patients came with such a huge array of complaints and problems.  How fulfilling it is to be able to help them and for me, personally, to be a small part of the huge contribution of the physicians!  In El Carrizo, Van and I worked in the town clinic and had the help of the resident nurse, Iris.  She was so kind and helpful.  In Santa Marta, Van’s “office” was in the church’s Sunday school building.  We worked alongside Richard Hayes, our resident OB/GYN, separated only by a plastic curtain.  JR Rusher, was our pediatrician and Mike Glover, our orthopedist.  Ashley Brown admirably handled the pharmacy with the help of Richard Ramirez, who doubled with toothbrush distribution.  Tom Rusher took lots of blood pressures and did vision tests. Over the five days we gave medical attention to over one thousand men, women and children in the two villages.

This was a work trip, and so we worked.  But so very memorable are the faces of the people, especially the beautiful children.  Are they poor?  Yes, economically.  But they are wealthy in so many other ways.  In personality, faith, love, laughter and hospitality, they reign supreme.  They welcomed us with open arms and were so grateful for the help and attention we were able to give them. 

There are all the little memories.  One is Pepe the Pied Piper being followed by his adoring fans.  He puts the best foot forward of Sharefish, which has enabled so many children to read books, go to school and, now, get medical attention.  Pepe is tireless.  I followed him on the first day in El Carrizo as he visited home after home and treated his “followers” to dried fruit and refrescos from plastic bags.  I remember Nurse Crystal whipping out her stethoscope to listen to the chest of a little girl who had rashes.  Crystal’s diagnosis was later confirmed by our pediatrician, JR, when the little girl came to the clinic.  I remember having silly giggles in the hotel with my roommates, Crystal and Ashley, both younger than my own children.  I remember the best coffee ever that the hotel staff treated us to in the mornings.  Sugar?  Never at home.  In Honduras, ¡Claro que sí!  The hotel chef gave me a lesson on how to cook black beans.  And back home, I actually did it.  They were the best I’ve ever fixed, thanks to her.   I remember Van’s gift of his own reading glasses to a man who had none.  He was thrilled to be able to see to read.  There are countless stories and faces, each with his or her own story.  I so vividly remember the young mother whose aches and pains turned out to stem primarily from her unhappy marriage.  “My husband hasn’t left me yet,” she divulged as a tear started down her cheek.  How else would a traveler experience such intimacy in a foreign country?  A medical mission is a vehicle for getting to know and help people as they reveal their deepest, most personal concerns to strangers.  The group was caring, congenial and fun.  Did we make a difference?  I don’t know.  I hope so.  One thing is certain:  that they made a difference in our lives.

 

 

 

March 2011 trip notes

Here’s what Chuck “Pepe” Nichols, chairman of the Sharefish board of directors, reported about our recent trip:

Oie, Hayden, Carlitos, Glenn and I had a good trip to El Carrizo and Santa Marta. As usual, some of the things we had planned did not work out but other things took their place. Each trip gives us a little more insight into how the cultural rhythms in Honduras differ from our own, and help us appreciate how to better match our efforts with these rhythms. Here is a summary (probably too long) of some of the things that were (and were not) accomplished on the trip, and a few other observations:

 1.     We were not able to meet with the Secretary of State of Honduras. However, thanks to Hayden’s efforts at leaving the communications lines open, we did receive a call from the Secretary of State’s office the day before we left for Honduras – it came in on Oie’s phone in Spanish asking for “Haydie Hay.” We tried to make the connection during our trip, but could not complete the circle. Nonetheless, there is still some level of communication and it is possible that there may be an opportunity to do this in the future.

 2.     We continued the planning for the medical trip. With Ricardo’s guidance, we are going to be working with a different physician in Honduras. Ricardo felt that the doctor we had been talking to was perhaps not the best fit for our needs. He had someone else who he felt could help us see more patients for less funds. We have not met the new doctor, but we have confidence in Ricardo’s recommendations. Ricardo has been on other medical trips with this doctor, including a trip that was to take place immediately after our trip. We have already sent funds for medicines through Mercy & Grace, and Ricardo says that the list is sufficient for us to see up to 2,000 patients.

 3.     As part of the medical trip planning, we provided materials for the refurbishing of the governmental medical clinic in El Carrizo – known as “Centro.” During my trip in January the nurse advised that a company had agreed to repair Centro, so we were prepared find the work completed and to spend our budgeted amount on furniture and equipment. Instead, the nurse told us that the company kept saying that they would be there “next Monday” to do the work, but next Monday never arrived with any supplies or workers. When Ricardo looked over the contractor’s list, it did not even appear to cover the work most needed – the roof and the ceiling. We decided to go back to Plan A and provide the materials for the main structural repairs if the community would provide the labor. The nurse put us in touch with Pastor Olmond of the Pentacostal church in Colonia. Pastor Olmond lives across the street from the school in El Carrizo, and is a mason by trade – the same mason who organized the pouring of the concrete for the school in Colonia. His church had volunteered to do the work if the clinic could get the supplies. So, with the Pastor’s help, we got a new list of supplies and made arrangements for them to be delivered the next day. Pastor Olmond was there and checked them off, and I got a message from the nurse’s daughter (a facebook friend) the following week that the work had begun. When we return with the medical trip in late May, Centro will have a new roof, a new ceiling, a new coat of paint, and a door on the bathroom. It will also have 20 new sturdy plastic chairs that we purchased with the leftover funds in the budgeted amount so that the patients will have a place to sit in the waiting area. It may also have some additional furniture and equipment provided by funds raised by the community.  

 4.     The school system in Honduras is currently in a mess. There was no elementary school the days we were there because of teacher strikes. Interestingly, there was Colegio in Palenque, but I’m not sure why. In any event, there is an ongoing struggle between the government and the teachers’ unions over a variety of issues, some economic and others political. School was supposed to resume the Monday after our trip, but the news reports have been mixed. This is something we need to monitor, and I hope that our medical trip will provide us the opportunity to find out more. There is some possibility that there will be no meaningful school this year in Honduras, and if so, we will need to discuss what effect that has on our sponsorship program.

 5.     The new teacher in Colonia made a special trip out from Choluteca to meet with us at the school. He is one of the persons who is encouraging us to put a library there. We explained that, if we do a library there, it will be a community library with a community board of directors, and not a school library controlled by the government. There were two parents there who (I believe) clearly understood and endorsed this, and they are supposed to be identifying their board so that we can continue the discussions in May.

 6.     We had several discussions about upgrading the library in the Baptist church in El Carrizo and putting in a new library in the school in Colonia. I hope to continue those discussions during the May medical trip, with the plan of implementing these projects during our September trip. We are already stockpiling some books for these projects.

 7.     The day before we left on our trip we discovered that the school supplies that were supposed to be delivered to Ricardo in the Mercy & Grace container had still not arrived. They are in Tennessee. We were very disappointed because we wanted to deliver these to the schools as part of our support for the teachers. We purchased and carried down with us some school supplies as a stop-gap measure. With the schools closed, however, it turned out not to be too big an issue. It does highlight, however, the difficulties we still face in being able to get stuff to Honduras, other than by “Sherpa-ing” it ourselves on the airplanes.

 8.     One thing that was disturbing was the continued deterioration of the desks and other furniture in the school in Colonia. (We could not go in the school in El Carrizo, so I don’t know if this is as much a problem there.) This is a situation that I believe we should spend more time considering. The challenges of teaching and learning in those schools are significant. The unbelievably poor condition of the desks, chairs and other furniture exacerbates the problems.

9.     As we were doing some of our wandering around (“pasear” en español”) we noticed a group of about 15 or 16 colegio students gathered at the intersection of the main dirt road where it branches off to go into El Carrizo. We knew a number of these students (many being sponsored by Sharefish) so we stopped to talk a little. We were somewhat curious because it was only about 10:00 in the morning and colegio does not start until the afternoon. It turns out that the students had gotten there a couple of hours before the bus arrives so that they could try to hitch a ride to Palenque instead of having to pay for the bus. So, every day, these kids get ready for school 2 to 2 ½ hours early and stand in the 98+ heat for the chance of hitching a ride standing up in the back of somebody’s pick-up truck for the 50 minute drive on the rough dirt road to Palenque in order to save the 10 limpira one-way bus fare – a total of 50 cents. To us, that seems crazy. To them, the 50 cents saved is significant, and worth the effort and discomfort required to save it. Of course, this time they didn’t have to wait. They got a ride with us.

There is so much more I could write, but I suspect that you are tired of reading. I may have already lost you at this point. I certainly don’t have much patience with long email messages. So I will end by saying that I continue to believe that some of the most important work we are doing right now is continuing to visit, talk, listen, and observe. We need to continue to strengthen our relationships in the communities and to become more attuned to their cultural rhythms. I believe that this will enable us to become better partners with the communities as we do our work there.

May Trip 2010 — Sharefish builds a Library!

We’re back from our trip. It was one year ago that Oie, Ben and I took our first proto-Sharefish trip to El Carrizo. What a year!

Oie best summed up the feeling of this trip – traction. Things we were just talking (dreaming) about a year ago are starting to happen. Some particulars:

1.     We got the library started in Santa Marta. When we arrived on Saturday a Sunday school classroom had been set aside for the library, the shelves had been built, and four librarians had been appointed who were eager to get started. We made arrangements to meet Sunday afternoon to start working on the books.

a.     We paired off so that team members could work directly with the librarians and set up four different work stations to prepare the books: (i) taping the backs and edges of the paperback books, (ii) marking the inventory number of each book and the identity of the library on the title page and last page of each book, (iii) filling out the name of the author and book on the check-out cards, and (iv) pasting the checkout card sleeve in the back of each book. We worked until late afternoon on Sunday and then finished up the following morning.

b.    Next, we met with the library committee to explain the process of checking out books and keeping up with them using a simple card filing system. The librarians then established the rules for the library – who could check out books (members of the community – had to be at least 15 if not accompanied by a parent), the number that could be checked out at any one time (only one), how long before the book was due (3 days for children books, five days for junior and adult books – can be renewed if no one is waiting on the book). The librarians made the rules – they asked us for a few suggestions, but for the most part they debated among themselves and established what they believed would work best. It was clear that they took ownership of the responsibility for running the library. (One thing they told us that they had decided to do was to go to each house in the community to explain the rules to every person — they had already been getting questions about when the library would be open and how it would work.)

c.     Next we took the librarians to a bookstore in Choluteca so that they could use the surplus funds to purchase any materials they wanted for the library. This turned out to be a key step for several reasons: (i) it gave them the opportunity to put their imprint on the library – they not only got books, but they bought a couple of maps as well, (ii) it let them appreciate how much books cost, and they spent a long time selecting the books and other materials to fit within their budget (they saved some of the money to buy an encyclopedia that was not available in the store where we were shopping), (iii) it gave us the opportunity to watch how careful they were in making their selections and spending their money. I think this is a component that we should try to incorporate in all of our projects. When possible, instead of us just doing the project or buying everything for the project, we should try to find ways of putting some of the budgeting and buying responsibility on our Honduran friends.

d.    We scheduled the next afternoon (Tuesday) to talk with the librarians about the Mother Read materials. When we arrived, the librarians had already inventoried, completely prepared, sorted and shelved all of the books that they had purchased. We did some rudimentary training, but this is the area that we will need to focus on in future trips so that can help them better utilize these resources. However, I am confident that those books are already being used.

2.     Glenn met with the Pastor Monday morning to participate in the sponsorship distributions. That went very well. The Pastor was well organized and arranged for the parents to meet him at the Baptist Association building. He called each family up one by one to receive their money and sign a receipt. The list matched up with the people and there were no duplicates, etc. The pastor had already obtained report cards for the sponsored children in elementary school, and have Glenn copies. The one girl who is in University did not have a report card yet, so Pastor got a letter from the registrar of the University confirming that she was attending so that he could verify her qualification to receive the money. Report cards have not been issued in Colegio either, but the Pastor is working to get something from their teacher (as an aside, we talked with a lot of the students in Colegio, and know that they are attending and liking school). In short the Pastor has taken very seriously his responsibility to account for all of the money and to enforce the eligibility rules. Glenn was very pleased with everything he saw.

3.     We had planned to meet with the teachers on Tuesday, but in true Honduras fashion they were on a one-day strike. We have learned that an agenda in Honduras is at best at best an expression of hope and more often just a joke. We met with the teachers briefly late Tuesday afternoon in the rain to give them their computers and supplies. We did not give them the money to repair the El Carrizo school roof because that had already been fixed. We will discuss how best to work with the schools and teachers at our next Board meeting.

It has been an incredible year, thanks to the hard work of so many. Now that we have traction, it will be exciting to see what we can accomplish this next year.

Posted by Pepe

to see more photos, visit our facebook page

How to Be a Sharefish from Shel Silverstein

He might not have been talking about a Sharefish specifically, but this poem from “Where the Sidewalk Ends” sure sounds like it:

DON’T TELL ME

Please Don’t Tell me I should hug,
Don’t tell me I should care.
Don’t tell me just how grand I’d feel
If I just learned to share.
Don’t say, “It’s all right to cry,”
“Be kind,” “Be fair,” “Be true.”
Just let me see YOU do it,
Then I just might do it too.

Sponsorships have begun!

Beberlyn wearing her new backpack

Pepe and I traveled to El Carrizo the first of February and what we experienced was incredible. The money for the first sponsorships had been disbursed the week before we arrived, and we could feel the excitement in the community when we got out of the truck. As we walked through the community over the next couple of days, kids who were sponsored would come running up to us with their new school supplies in hand. Jose Arturo showed us his brand new book bag. His sister Yolandis was most proud of her new, and only, pair of shoes. To say the children of El Carrizo were appreciative of the opportunity to attend school is an epic understatement!

Jose Arturo and his new backpack

Yolandis Showing her off hew new shoes

Posted by Carlitos

Meet Jose

Jose and his brother Reynaldo

I would like you to meet Jose. He is a 5-year old boy who lives in El Carrizo, a small village in southwestern Honduras. He and his older brother Reynaldo live beside the community Church in a small dwelling made of mud, sticks and. His home is about the size of a modest kitchen in Raleigh. Much of his day is spent walking to and from the community well with 5 gallon buckets filled with water.  He has no toys to play with, no books to read or bikes to ride.

I met Jose on my trip to Honduras last year, when our group went down to build a house in El Carrizo. Jose and his brother made a lasting impact on everyone on the trip. His infectious smile lights up his face, so you can’t help but smile back when you see him. When we returned to El Carrizo this year, he was one of the first children to greet us. He took my hand and led me down the dirt road to say hello to all of our friends we made the past year. As we walked I looked down and noticed he was not wearing any shoes. I asked him where his shoes were, and a girl that had joined us on our walk told me he was so poor he did not have any shoes.

Six months earlier I put out a couple of flyers and a couple of boxes at my kids’ school to collect shoes for this trip. The families donated over 100 pairs of shoes. Crister Berg, owner of Vincents shoes, donated 3 large boxes as well. So when Jose and I, and the dozens of other children who joined us on our walk, got back to our truck there were shoes for most of the kids in El Carrizo.

Chaos ensued when we brought out the shoes. Despite having the kids line-up with reminders to be patient, shoes and hands were flying everywhere. After all the shoes had been given out and the chaos died down, I sat down and reflected on the entire process. Was the night I spent stuffing 150 pairs of shoes into 2 duffle bags, then hauling the hundred of pounds of shoes through 2 airports, and finally creating a small riot giving the shoes out actually worth it. Then I looked over, and Jose showed me his new, and only, pair of shoes… Look for the flyers and and boxes next September!

Jose with his new pair of shoes

Erika Update

It was wonderful to see Erika again. She is the fifth child of eight children. Her mother died last summer. She was a deeply sad child when I saw her in August but happier Saturday. She had been unable to go to school for a couple of years, but she did complete her sixth grade education. She showed me a picture that she keeps in her Bible of when she graduated from primary school. Fortunately by the grace of God she started colegio today (Monday)! Colegio is a combination of our middle school and high school. Today, thanks to Sharefish,  Chuck (Pepe) Nichols and Pastor Antonio Mejia of Iglesia Bautista were there to see 12 kids from El Carrizo start colegio. This is the beginning of their school year.

Erika has a lot of responsibility for a girl her age (in addition to caring for her piglet). When I am in El Carrizo, very often either she or her sister Rita, who is 16, take care of “Ana”, who is about a year old. (Rita could not write her name last February – Erika wrote it for her.) I believe Ana is their niece, but I haven’t confirmed, given my limited Spanish. The desire to know more Spanish burns in us when we are here.

My prayer is that Erika will be able to stay in school in spite of her adult responsibilities. I saw Oie, Benjamin, Pepe, Carlitos, Jose, Carter, and JB surrounded by kids in El Carrizo Sunday, and they know and love many, many children like Erika, as do many of you. It is our Hope and prayer that the children will get an education and improve life for themselves and their families, and they will one day be able to give others Hope in El Carrizo and beyond!

Adapted post from Gregorio from his Baptist Men’s Mission trip through First Baptist Church Raleigh

Sharefish November 2009 Trip

Posted by Oie.

It was an amazing Sharefish trip to Honduras for me, Chuck Nichols, Glenn Raynor, and Ricardo Venegas. I could write a book about it – Hmmm….

Anyway, here’s the Oie’s notes version of just four of the dozens of experiences we had over the five days.

This trip took me to emotional boundaries that I had not explored before.

1-) We took plates of hot rice and bread to 200 people living in the Tegucigalpa dump. As we drove down the path into the middle of the dump, men, women and children began to emerge from the vast piles of garbage and began to crowd around the truck – their outstretched arms fighting for attention and food. We served them from the bed of Ricardo’s pickup truck for safety. Before we started handing out the food, Ricardo asked me to give the blessing. It was the hardest prayer I have ever had to pray. While I was verbally thanking God for the blessing of the food, emotionally I was asking God for forgiveness for us as humans. As I looked out in the crowd at the children who feel discarded just like their world of endless piles of putrid garbage, it took everything in my power to hold it together.

2-) Chuck Nichols and I had the amazing experience of spending the night at the home of dear friends Alex , Francisca and their ten year old son, Christian. They live in the Honduran village of Altos de Santa Marta in a cinder block house built by a team from the NC Baptist Men last year. They were so excited that we wanted to stay with them. It was incredible watching and listening to the village go to sleep and then come back to life the next morning. There were four things I learned from the experience. One, friendship has no geographical or language boundaries. Two, it takes great concentration not to look like an idiot getting comfortable in a hammock. Three, breeze is wonderful even if it gives you sensory overload by changing from the direction of the cow pasture next door to the roasting corn on the other side of the house. Four, I had always heard that a rooster crows to announce the dawn. If that is true, the sun rises in Honduras several times a night beginning about 1am! Between the roosters and the dogs helping me stay alert through the night, I was able to nap just enough to get some rest while being awakened at various times throughout the night to enjoy the entire Honduran village experience.

3-) When we got to El Carrizo, we learned that one of our favorite little girls, a shy light skinned seven year old named Yensi, had died. Her nickname was Gringa because of her light skin and when she smiled her whole face lit up framed beautifully by her curly hair. During our previous visits she would usually hide behind someone but would eventually come up and grab your hand every now and then. A few weeks ago she had contracted dengue fever. There are two types of dengue. One type makes you sick for a couple of days but can be cured with antibiotic. The other type makes you bleed internally until you die. We visited her grave and took solace in that she was now being hugged by God. On Saturday, Ricardo got a call that his youngest daughter, Andrea, had also contracted dengue. Our emotions still raw from Yensi, time stood still while we waited for the test results. We were prepared to drop everything and head back to Ricardo’s house in Tegucigalpa. After an hour he got a call with the test results that she had the mild kind and was already feeling better. We all said a prayer of hallelujah and thanks and resumed our work. The Lord works in mysterious ways.

4-) Our goal for the trip was to educate the village on our plan to sponsor a group of children so they would be able to continue their education, a vision we had agreed would have the best chance of breaking the cycle of poverty in the village while requiring commitments on all fronts. We went to dozens of houses giving presentations and taking questions. We then had an information session on Saturday held at the church. Ricardo said that if we had a dozen people it would be a success. To everyone’s surprise, the sanctuary was packed! We reviewed the program and took questions. The people there were overwhelmingly appreciative and are excited about the possibilities their children and their families now have. It was a spiritual high that is unexplainable, like trying to describe love, which now that I think about it sums up the feeling as good as anything else. But not just any love. And not even the love we have for our spouses and families here in the states. It was different. For me, it felt like the love that I believe God has for us all. Unfiltered full-bore love. Even though some of the eyes looking at us from those pews showed doubts that it would happen at all and others showed signs of wondering what we were wanting in return, if they could have seen in our hearts what was happening those feelings would have dissipated like the smoke from their roasting corn. They would see that we are going to do whatever it takes to make this happen. They would see that all we were asking in return was their permission and commitment to their children. That day we felt something we as humans only get to experience when we completely get out of God’s way. We all want that feeling again.

The most awesome thing of all is that we will be able to help other people get that feeling when they sponsor one of these children. Or contribute to the Sharefish vision. Or go on a trip themselves and perhaps one day when they least expect it, feel the hand of a shy little girl grab theirs.