Ok, really, have I outdone myself again...

....only so you would be more excited for my next post....did it work? LOL

I helped represent the girls in the US Embassy's Artisan Fair.  It was a great event.  Way more vendors than we were expecting.... I'm really glad that volunteers put on an event like this.  It was a huge motivator for the girls to know their work would be showcased at the US Embassy....more so when I told them the US Ambassador stopped by the booth and loved the pieces.  (No pic becauase no cameras were allowed.)  

The next morning we were off to San Pedro Sula (SPS) in search for ~350 gifts.  Yeah, the proyecto purchases every participant a Christmas gift...(The proyecto, Center for Integral Development is under an umbrella organization, Compassion, a Christian child sponsorship ministry.)  The proyecto has worked out a deal with a clothing vendor, Don Elias y Dona Margarita, a Palestinian-Honduran couple.





Don Elias taught me some Arabic dancing.  I was told he stopped playing this type of music in the store after his daughter passed.  I was honored.  They invited us over to their house....a beautiful mansion with an amazing back yard including an alter to the virgencita.  They are definitely a special couple and I hope to be visiting them soon.  

We were back at the proyecto in time for the preparations of the wedding on Saturday.  During one of our breaks, the girls asked if I knew how to dance....of course I responded that I would love to teach them.  Lots of fun!  Some of them had little to any rhythm and I was reminded that most of these girls have had a rough childhood.  They very rarely have time to be a silly kid where maybe they would be playing music and dancing for fun.  I will definitely be making for time for dance "lessons".  

I was really curious what a boda evangelica would be like.  The bride was the proyecto's cosmetology taller instructor.  The wedding was a church effort...most everything was donated.  The proyecto was helping with the decorations.  Yanira is very creative and the salon looked rally nice.  The original wedding bouquet wasn't going to be ready on time so I go to make the bride's bouquet.  Some of the girls helped out...what do you think, can we make it as florists? 

I ended up out at the feria that Saturday night. The event was a bit different than I expected.  For one, feria here means two major event areas...one sponsored by the Camara de Comercio (Chamber of Commerce) and the other by los Ganadores (Ranchers)....plus, you have some traditional events at the park...like the opening/closing night, the queen coronation, and a few other sponsored concerts....and finally, you have a ton of block parties in various neighborhoods all trying to prove their music/firecrackers are the loudest.

We took the girls out Sunday night...giant baleadas at La Princesita & dancing at the central park.  They got to try out their new dance moves...lol.  They loved the Christmas tree and took a million pics.  I love seeing them happy & just be kids.  So many times we forget that some children simply don't have a "traditional" childhood.

Please keep in mind those less fortunate in this holiday season....I wish everyone a great Christmas!  

Feliz navidad!

back online....

Ok, this is offically the longest I've gone without posting.  I'm a bit scared of how long this post will be.  j/k ...I'll keep it short.

The horse show in Teguz was not the greatest of events....but we did aprovechar to do a little sight seeing...check out Iglesia La Merced...beautiful!

The ENCA is officially on vacation.  Graduation was this past Friday...the ceremony was a real outdoor gala.  The decorations were out of control...and it makes me a bit upset because I know that most of the budget came from the students' pockets...which I feel was totally unnecessary.  I'm starting to understand why kids that have dropped out of school here mention money as the number one reason.  Public school is expensive!  The ceremony had all of the city's politicians, news media crews, and a ton of family/friends.  We actually had two graduation ceremonies, each with about 300 students.

My proposal for my TEAM English classes was approved! Yay! A local NGO will be funding two courses, one in my site and another in a nearby community.  I was suppose to have a second induction meeting for this new community but it was canceled last minute.  I am definitely getting excited about this project for next year but know that I will need a lot of energy to keep up with everything.  

I ended up sending five scholarship applications for the USAID SEED program.  I am very excited about two of the applicants.  One of the girls has a challenging life.  She is pretty much on her own.  Her mom  lives in Belize because of work, she never met her dad, her extended family can only provide for the basics.  She sells artwork to have some cash and help her nine year old brother with school essentials.  In hopes of having more competitive applicants in the future I offered the first year students the opportunity to form a volunteer group.  They need to create some extra-curricular activities to gain leadership skills and extend their community work.  

Yo Merezco has its ups and downs.  I had low attendance one session but have had much better participation overall.  The girls from the hogar definitely need some guidance.  Two of then were caught in some risky behavior.  They had a new addition join the group....a nine year girl pulled out of her home because she was suffering sexual abuse by several neighbors.  The mom recently passed away so the authorities took action.  She is still adjusting to the new environment and demands a lot of attention.

I joined a committee dedicating to reviving the community's culture.  The have been inactive till recently when they were asked to organize the New Year's eve activities.  From what they were told, the nation's president wants to join the community for the ringing of the bells at midnight New Year's eve. I'm not sure what my role will be but I'm learning a lot about my community.  

I spent Thanksgiving in a La Paz.  The local volunteers organized a lunch for an orphanage.  There were about 20 volunteers helping cook/prepare a huge Thanksgiving feast....three turkeys, stuffing, mashed potatoes/gravy, green beans, cranberry sauce, jello, fruit, salad, corn bread, cake......the works!  The ~20 kids and guests loved it!  

The kids ~20 kids are supervised by one lady, the nun at the table. 

Being veggie has been on/off since in Honduras...this was definitely an off moment.

I hosted a dinner for the Youth Development volunteers at my apt T-day weekend.  It was such a pleasant experience having the YD familia over...everyone was super considerate.  Gracias!  We made finger foods and had yummy cornbread/mashed potatoes/corn chowder.  We spent the next day sight seeing, shopping, and went out dancing....LOTS of fun!  Most everyone left Sunday but the rest of us made some amazing pad thai and a Vietnamese salad....mmmm!

Comayagua is officially celebrating the town's fair.  They lit the Christmas tree at the central park this past Fri.,had the queen coronation contest last night and the festivities will continue thru Dec. 19th.  

Desfile de caballos walking through town while we were having lunch at the central park...I couldn't resist!

The girls were teaching me how to dance punta. =)  LOL

I am so thankful for my beautiful site assignment, great friends, and hard working counterparts!!!