Day Four: kickin´ ass

Hello! This is Chloe accounting for the fourth day on our incredible trip.

Our day began as it typically does, bright and early for a 7:00 a.m. breakfast as a group. It was a groggy morning for all as we are feeling the effects of two days of hard work and lack of sleep. We had a breakfast feast of french toast, eggs, and fruit. Luckily, we had Nicholas back as our bus driver (he has been in Tegucigalpa) and departed at 7:45 a.m. however, today we only had a two hour work day .Our first set back this morning was when Eloisa, the girl whose house we will hike two hours to on saturday, ran into the hotel racing towards the toilet. She is suspected to have either worms or some kind of virus and needed to be tken to the doctor. Mrs. Glennon and Kyla volunteered to stay with her, which the kids at the school were not to excited about that decision given that they are the two most prized people here. Eloisa was a true inspiration smiling and laughing at our horrible spanish skills, even as she raced to the bathroom. We don´t realize how necessary it is to appreciate our health and support until people like Eloisa make you realize how easy it is to get to a doctor or even have sanitation laws to protect you from these types of ordeals. With her in mind, we all went to pay our dues to all these great people who appreciate everything, even the tiniest things that they have. It was clear that our motivation had improved since yesterday, we charged up those stairs hauling bags of sand one after one for two hours staright wth hardly a complaint to be heard. Although, it helps that the kids help us out on every recess break while smiling and waving at us in their classes to keep us inspired. As the days go by, we are really becoming a group and working together as I like to say a little Honduras family.  The Boys all worked extremely quickly in order to finish the second route on the irrigation system and were able to complete the task, although they had to put in a little overtime. Steve Baker is especially dedicated to the task and will not back down, even when the main water line is cut instead of the goal of actually getting  something productive done. Stuart, or ´´ estuar´´ as he has been nicknamed this year, is doing his version of spanish to the workers and contributing not only with his work ability , but his contagious smile and intense hand gestures. The massive sand pile at the bottom of the hill is dwindling down slowly, but surely and it looks as though we will be going back for a fourth day on friday and will be able to finish the pile entirely. Although the humidity was really getting us down by the end, the ligth at the end of the tunnel was the promise of a basque in the river.

The girls finished first, and certainly were not in the mood to wait for the boys, and therefore rushed off to the river leaving them behind without a thought. However, today there was no jumping off rocks. Instead everyone only had the energy to jump in and stand against the current. Amanda, Alexis, Aubrey, and Shelby B. all climbed up the rocks to catch a few extra rays. Ryan and Jesus were the first to join us out of the boys. Ryan was showing off his basball skills by obliterating the rocks from the river and Jesus has quickly become the girls´  ´´ new brother´´ and was welcomed with open arms as well. However, when Nick and Brian came was when the true discoveries were found.The two of them have been fast friends and some major entertainment for everyone on the trip.  Most of the girls had left when they came back to get us to tell us of a massive rock to jump off of atleast 40ft high. It took some convincing but Jesus, Amanda, Nick, Brian, Steve, Stacey, and myself took the hike to get to this supposedly amazing rock. I have to admit that the boys were right this time and the rock truely was an adrenaline rush and made for some really great memories in the future. Steve recorded us all as we jumped on his camera and it is some pretty hysterical footage every parent needs to ask to see.

I have to take a second to talk about he scenery on this trip.  The amount of greenery and natural beauty that Honduras hides around every corner is indescribable. We often refer to it as just like a postcard. The trees are endless and the color is so vibrant it sincerely does take our breath away. It almost makes it seem easier on the people with such hard lives here to be able to endure their hardships, by the bliss that engulfs them. The river is so sparkling, and even though it is really low this year, it is easy for us to see how the river is so ncessary to the culture of the people and how much people rely on the natural way of life in this country. They don´t have much, but what they do have is so important to them and makes us apreciate how much we have once again, but also makes us really jealous of their beautiful country.

The next step on our day was to seperate intwo four groups, with one spanish speaker in each and hike to some of the jungle school kids homes in order to be taught how to make baleadas. Baleadas are basically homemade tortillas, beans, and cheese.  I volunteered to go with Mrs. Glennon, Nick, Shelby B., Mckenna,  Steve, and Nikki to the farthest hike. We all felt pretty dumb when we were dying after all day in the sun and working taking a hike up in the jungle with limited water and heat on full blast. However, we all agreed that it was worth it. The family we went to was so welcoming and generous it almost brought me to tears. They are basically squatters on a rich guys land and lives on close to nothing with four children and two adults. They´re level of poverty did not stop them from welcoming us with a fresh coconut to drink and eat for each of us, as well as fresh bananas and a delicious new fruit called cacao that we all swooned over. As we cooled down and waited for them to prepare the kitchen the man talked to us about their lifestyle and how he is controlled, by a rich boss who owns all the lan, while he does all the work. Nick was especially appauled that in order to have a home they have to pay rent to do work for  someone else. Although, he was talking about these sad concepts that we in America are never really faced with, he was unaware of our shock and sadness for him. His demeanor remained happy and joking and was nothing but welcoming to us spoiled Americans gorging on everything he offered. Then we were ushered to the kitchen and taught how to shape homemade tortillas and prepare food as the poor people do here. Stacey, Nikki and Nick all kept dropping their attempted tortillas and the hosts were nothing but jubilant and graceful the entire time. The land was filled with sick chickens and tiny puppies that seemed nothing but unhealthy to us, but was clearly normal for the farm life out here. Something once again we are protected from in America. As we descended down the hill we were all stuck on the experience we just had, and realized that not only should we be thankful for their hospitality, but for hard work and continuous determination in order to survive. You can see in the eyes of many that they have already given up. It makes you wonder what kind of person you would be if you were put in such a hopeless situation with no option to leave, like we have.

We gathered back together as a group and went to the hotel. We quickly showered in order to make it to the Hogar de Amor by the promised time of 6:00 for a movie night and Spaghetti with the kids. We were supposed to watch the Sorceror´s Apprentice, but for us anytime with the kids is playtime and very few were able to sit still for very long amounts of time. The bonds are really becoming clear among the kids and they are continuously asking us when we are going to come back on another trip and making us promise that we will return again tomorrow (hopefully with some more candy and gum).All of the girls are flirting with Nick and Brian and all the boys especially love their tricks and muscles. Brianna brought a huge bag of candy to the Hogar and was a huge hit with all the kids. Alexis and Reyna are even more insperable as ever, however Carlos is adding himself into the picture by making her a new bracelet every day for when she arrives. The spirit in the kids of the Hogar is really strong in all of them as they have been given the chance to blossom and know the feeling of having undying love and support. Even since the trip last year their ability to branch out to more than one person and be able to allow themselves to form bonds has progressed. In comparison to the kids at the school they are worlds apart. Kyla has said that many abuse cases are happening right now among the children, and they are way more timid and cautious to allow you to ask them any question or even smile back at you. David Ashby, the founder of the Helping Honduras Kids  foundation, has affected the kids so tremendously, but the most important impact is his role as a constant father figure for the Hogar kids and giving them the ability to trust and confide in people around them again.  This trip can only be described as bitter-sweet. The country and the poeple are so genuine and beautiful, but the hope for a brighter future seems to be a bleak prospect. Also, the kids get to expand their horizons to knew education, people, and cultures, but where it will take them in the future is really up in the air. Few will ever leave the country and most will always be haunted by the horrifying pasts that they come from. It is hard to accept that while we are doing as much as we can as high school students, that we can not take them under our wing and protect them like we have always been. We can help, but we can not change what has already happened.   The best course of faith we can stick to is that the hard work of HHK is providing hope, which can and is changing lives.

In order to keep ourselves from going insane with this constant tug-o-war on our morale we are looking forward to our first day off tomorrow visiting Cayos Cochinos and having a pizza night with the kids. It should be a fun and exhausting day just like the rest.

Goodnight!
PS I love you Mom and Dad!