Centro Escolar Santa Clara

Tomorrow is the first day of school!!! Eeeeek. I'm so excited/nervous. I can't wait to meet my little munchkins whom I'll be referring to as my first grade All-Stars :-) I know I seem to be asking this a lot, but if you all could just say a few prayers that my day goes well tomorrow, I'd appreciate it. I'm mostly just praying that my kids are able to understand me more often than not. But, since I'm asking for prayers and for you all to be thinking of me on my first day tomorrow, I thought it might help to see where I'll be tomorrow, so here are some pictures of my school:

View of the front of the classroom: Morning meeting, stoplights for behavior, important phrases, my desk.

View of the All-Star teams and the word wall/phonics/word study area of the room.

View of classroom from doorway. Notice the bright, sunshine-y windows.

View of the last wall. The math wall, classroom library, table, etc. There are big open windows to the hallway too.

School library.

Awesome 2nd/3rd grade school building with a gorgeous mural.

View outside my classroom.

Gorgeous and peaceful garden/Mary statue/prayer area in the center between the three classroom buildings.

I just love this area of school!

And, it's always filled with butterfiles. Love it!

"Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly..." proverb

La Colonia

Home sweet home in La Colonia.

Now that I have my suitcases and such, I feel like I am finally settling and turning my house in La Colonia neighborhood of Juticalpa into a home. Our house is also called San Carlos. There is still some debate as to who actually lives in this house, us or the cockroaches, however I have no doubt our persistance will eventually win the fight.

My bed complete with lacey, blue mosquito net.

Our kitchen. Complete with fridge, microwave, stove, sink, and all-purpose water bucket (dishes, laundry, showers).

Our living area--couches and dining table.

Bathroom. I've never tried that shower.

Another shot of my bedroom.

And final shot of bedroom.

View of our street and neighbors' houses.

Front of house where Catie and I sat outside on our porch reading, relaxing, and chatting.

Best part-BIKES

Our laundry and pila room. The pila is where we most often have running water, so we keep it filled and use the water from there to wash dishes, do laundry, take showers, etc.

And so, there you have it. Our casa de San Carlos, La Colonia :-)

Gringaaaaa

I got my suitcases today!!! Woopdeedooooo. I'm so pumped about that. Tomorrow we have an open houses for the parents, so it's a good thing that they did come so I can actually brush my hair for the first time since Sunday and put on clothes.

After school today, all of us volunteers met up to go to the grocery store together. We met at Deirdre and Katie's house and set out to find the Dispensa (larger supermarket). We didn't really know where we were going, so I got to explore el centro for the first time really. Since there are about 9 of us walking together, we sort of became like a gang walking through the streets and attracted quite a bit of attention.

I mean, we always get a lot of attention, not a car goes by without honking his horn at us or a male walks by without saying, "Adios" (Hello). But, then we met some real characters stepping it up from the typical honk and hello beautiful. Also, this entire journey is being made with out friend Spot, the dog, who follows us for hours--literally. But anyways. First, we met up with some boys around 11-12 that began throwing out whatever English phrases they knew at us. I'm going to assume they've been watching waaaaay too much tV and have no idea what they were actually saying, and hope that they did not know how innapropriate they were being...that's just sad. Then we met some girls who followed us for several blocks talking about us in Spanish. And then trying to get our attention in English by hounding us with hellos. Afterwards, we ran into a Honduran girl wearing an "Everbody loves Irish girls" shirt. We turned the street and discovered that it was lined with people, to which everyone started turning and talking to one another and gaping at us when we walked passed. But my favorite shout out of the day was when we walked by this one pick up truck that was full of a bunch of people sitting in the back. In the back there was this little toddler wearing a diaper and in his baby cooing voice, points at us and goes "gringaaaaaaaa" hahhahahhaha. I could not stop laughing. hahahahaah I love exploring and people watching.

"Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine." - Anthony J. D'Angelo

Nicky

After 15 wonderful years with our beloved Teddy bear of a cat, Nicky passed away today. He will always be remembered for his human like ways (ie: eating cereal, ice cream, prime rib, bread, roast beef, salmon . . . ) and his dog-like ways (constant barking/meowing, following you around, wanting constant attention, and listening to you).

I love Nicky (and Frisky) so much.

"Meow." Nicky

A whirlwind

Wow! It truly has been a whirlwind since I've been here, and already sooooo much I want to blog about and tell everyone. The best news is I get my suitcases tomorrow !!!!!!!!!! Honestly the thing I've missed the most from those suitcases besides not having to borrow clothes, is my camera charger. I haven't been able to take pics yet and everything I see I just want to take pictures, and I know many people have been asking for some as well, so ummmm if you can't wait skype me tonight?

My new home here doesn't really feel like home yet, because I don't have my things so I'm very unsettled, however, as I'm quickly learning its nice by Honduran standards. I live in La Colonia with two lovely girls Jess and Catie. Jess is 26 from San Fran (she's the oldie in the group, followed by me) and Catie just graduated from SMC and is from Indianapolis. So far our house has been causing a little drama, because it has some really obvious pros and cons to it. La Colonia is a gated community located right outside the city of Juticalpa. So it's great because it's super quiet and safe. We have a full time security guard and we can go for runs in the area by ourselves. Right across the street from us is a basketball court, field, and community garden too. How sweet! The bad news is, that everybody else lives in Juticalpa. We are like 2 miles from them and since we aren't supposed to walk at night, it's hard for us to get together with them and be home by 6. So, at least for right now while we're adjusting it kind of stinks because we feel left out sometimes. But, our house is also larger. We have a living/dining room, kitchen, indoor pila (washroom which is like high quality here), a master bed/bath, 2 bedrooms, and another full bath. Our living room is large and people can easily park here so our house is perfect for FIESTASSSSS! So, the program isn't sure if we're going to stay here. They love the area, but wish we weren't so far and we kind of feel the same way. So, I dunno. Part of me really loves it here and I would hate to move, but I also hate being out of the loop. So we'll see what happens. Que sera sera. ALSO, BEST PART IT COMES WITH THREEEEEE BIKES!!!!!!!! Oh my gosh, I miss black beans so much, I think he would be happy to know I have a new bike here to ride. YIPEEEEE.

This week we've been at school all day everyday with so many meetings. I'm impressed with how organized and informative everything is. We have so many informational meetings, handbooks, packets, etc. But, I guess probably because so many people have never taught before. I'm starting to feel very overwhelmed by the amount of work and the pressure of teaching first grade. I feel like everything I want to do and know how to do is for older kids and kids that can read/write/speak English. hahaha. But anyways, I've been super busy setting up my classroom and hoping that everything will work out for my First Grade All Stars :-) I have an awesome bilingual aid with me. Fanny Rubi. We call her Fanny. She's super nice and so helpful! One of the things that I was really excited for when coming here was that I was going to have an aid. I haven't had to collaborate that much in school before and I certainly haven't taught with somebody else before. I am excited for the challenge this brings. Since I have a tendency to be a perfectionist, work forever until things are done, and to be super organized about school things. I was hoping that this would be a good opportunity for me to practice my delegating skills.

So when we first walked into the classroom together and she was like okay what do you want me to do? I was like uhhhh, uhhhhh, and in my head I was like but there are piles here and there and it all needds to be organized and where I want it to be. And then Fanny started saying oooh we should put this here and that there. And I was like WHOAH. Hold on a second. Way to fast for a slow processor and decision maker like myself :-) But, it worked out great. All I had to say was well let's just hang on a second, I kinda want to think about what I have and space in the room, etc. first. And she agreed but then promptly continued to offer making things. But then she offered to make the semaforo or the stoplight which is the school-wide behavior management system. And I was like, perfect, its something I don't need to do and it's something that Fanny will be great at doing because she's been in the school before and knows the kids/routine/expectations. And boy was I right, because Fanny made the best semaforo :-) And ever since that moment, we've worked so well together! She was the aid for my kids last year so she knows them, the school, procedures/routines, English levels, etc. Thank goodness, because I have so many questions and concerns, so I can just go to her and be like "Do you think the kids will be able to understand the word "all-star"? Do we teach with the doors or windows open? Where should this go? How do they go to the bathroom, etc.? And she has great advice based on her experience. Plus she's so creative/artistic that I can give her projects I would never have had time to do and she'll happily do them. She decorated my doors all pretty, made an awesome welcome sign, and a totally pumping birthday cake to put their birthdays on. I feel like we're bonding and becoming quite the team. So I'm real excited for that.

What I'm getting real nervous about though is the kids. We'll see how that all goes next Tuesday. I should probably start some lesson planning. Plus tonight is our first community/spirituality night, which I'm real pumped for. Francisco just popped over to fill our bikes with air, so tonight just may be doubly awesome cause I may just ride my bike :-) Hasta luego.

Life is like riding a bicycle - in order to keep your balance, you must keep moving. ~Albert Einstein

Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride. ~John F. Kennedy

Bienvenidos a Juticalpa

Whew. Deep, slow breath. I made it. :-) :-)

After a tearful goodbye to the 924 and Nicky, my parents and I headed out for the airport. Headed through security proceeded to my gate, and was able to board my plane smoothly. Got on the plane, got my things settled, and was ready to go. Fell asleep before the plane took off cause I was so tired. that is until an announcement was made that the plane's engine was not functioning properly and there was a weird smell on the plane from it. So we were told we'd be delayed a little while they fixed the engine. So, I fell back asleep thinking everything was fine, we were on the plane and actually intending to take off early. Until, I was once again awakened by an announcement saying more mechanics were going to come try to fix the plane, but the outlook wasn't so good. Time's passing and it's approaching 7 o'clock. They decide to cancel a 7 o'clock flight to Miami since neither or our flights were full. So now more passengers are getting on the broken plane. At this point I start to realize that I'm already an hour and fifteen minutes delayed, my 2 hour layover in Miami isn't looking so long anymore. When the pilot announces that it's going to be another 45 minutes before a decision is made to fix the plane, find us a new one, or cancel the flight, I realize I'm not going to make my connection to Honduras. So, since I've never missed a flight or connection before, I begin to wonder "How does one proceed when they know they will not make a connection" So, I call a stewardess over and try to explain my situation to her, which promptly begins a small amount of tears from me...shocker I know. I apologized profusely for tearing up and explained that I had just said goodbye to home and I was off to Honduras for a year and I knew I was going to miss my connection. She was very understanding and helpful to say the least. She put me in contact with American so that I could speak to somebody about getting on a new flight. The problem is that American only runs one flight a day to Honduras, so I was worried I would have to spend the night in Miami or something. The contact from AA hinted that I may indeed need to stay overnight and catch the flight out Monday morning to Tegus. Realizing this, I immediately sought my parents (thank you!) help to contact the director of my program and help me figure things out. Finally, after 2.5 hours of sitting on the plane, they determined the engine could not be fixed and they were going to put us on a different airplane to Miami. Commence mass exodus for doors and lines to speak to an attendent. When it was my turn to talk about my connection issues, the stewardess was lucky to find another airline, TACA, with space on a flight at 4 o'clock out of Miami. So, I was very relieved to know I would be going to Honduras that day. I quickly called Peggy in Honduras to make sure that my new flight arrangements would work, because I knew I wasn't supposed to arrive late in the day. But, she luckily was able to arrange for somebody to come in a car to get me so that I could still get in that day.

Luckily, my new airplane was able to get me safely to Miami, I didn't have anybody in my row so I was able to lay down and catch some quality zzzzz's. I arrived at Miami's airport around 12:00 and headed to the rebooking line to confirm my new travel plans. Worst line ever. They had one person handling all the rebookings! So now I'm starting to realize, I may not even make my 4 o'clock flight as I spend 2 hours waiting in line to rebook my flight. Thank goodness people in this world are so interesting, as time passed by amazingly quick in line as I chatted away with an awesome Russian family that was off to Costa Rica for the week because it was the only Latin American country they hadn't been to yet, 2 hilarious older ladies from believe, and one science teacher from the DR. Fascinating! When it was finally my turn, they were able to put me on the flight that was getting out that day, however, because of the time spent waiting in line, the chances of me getting my bags were slim and I was instructed to power walk it to my flight because I needed to switch terminals. Let me just say, I've done quite a few airports in my day--Spain, Italy, OHare, Logan, to name a few and None were as poorly constructed and labeled as the airport in Miami. I could not find a map anywhere and had no idea where I was going. I frantically called my parents to see if they could google a map for me or something as I set out on my power walk adventure to God knows where, cause I couldn't find a map or a single person willing to help direct me. Two shuttles, four skywalks, and a power walk away I find the TACA airline. When I approach, the attendent immediately starts speaking in Spanish., but I quickly gave him a look that must have said "I've got 0 sleep, a missed flight, and not long to catch my new one--can you please just speak English?" So, with his help, I checked in, without suitcases :-( and headed through security another time.

I arrive at my final gate and ask how long we have unti boarding, because at this point I've realized that I haven't really eaten much save for a snack at 6:00 am and its now 3:00 pm. He informs me that I have 15 minutes until I need to board. Which, one might think is *just* enough time to grab a bite to eat on the plane since all I've seen in this crazy airport are restaurants. However, there is not one restaurant in sight by my gate. figures. So, I take off at a brisk walk in search of some sort of food. I find a pizza place, grab a slice, head back to my gate, and board my final plane to Honduras. Again, the plane was very empty
so I had my two person row to myself. Plus, TACA gave me more food and had individual TVs. So, I plugged in my headphones, turned on Rio, and promptly fell asleep to enjoy my flight to Teguc.

When I arrived in Teguc, I passed smoothly through customs and waited for my bags. Alas, as I was told no suitcases. But no worries, I filled out a form, passed through customs and found Francisco and his nephew waiting for me. I was so happpppppy to see somebody from Honduras and my program and to be in the country that I was supposed to finally be in. We hopped into his truck all nice and smushed and drove through Teguc. We dropped off his nephew and then set out on our 2.5 hour drive to Juticalpa. I was so tired from my long day that I wasn't particularly talkative. But, I did enjoy speaking in Spanish again as Franciso and I discussed family, music, jobs, teaching, why I came to Honduras, etc. I can see now why Peggy was nervous about me flying in so late on Sunday. In my head I thought, 4:30 arrival, no problem, we'll be in Juticalpa by 7 and it'll still be light out. But, no, it's pitch black by 6. If we thought driving in Boston was an adventure, it's got nothing on Honduras. there isn't like a major road system so there are no lights to light your winding pathway through the mountains. There are very very few signs to direct as you whip around curves. The drivers also don't obey any sort of driving laws. There are no lines in the middle of the street to guide you. When you come across a bike, person walking, cow, horse, dog, or other car moving to slowly you tailgate reaaaaaal close behind them and then inch slowly so that you are next to them again with just a few inches between you and the car and then when you think the road is clear you step on it and zoom in front of the car or whatever is in your way. Very interestingggggg.

But alas, around 8 o'clock I made it safely to Juticalpa. Francisco was kind to drop me off at Peggy (principal/director's) house so that Peggy could kind of check-in on me. She was worried that I would be a mess after my day and no suitcases and wanted to make sure I had enough things to get me through the next few days. Extra toothbrush please :-)

Then, I finally, finally, finally made the last leg of my journey to La Colonia and my house with my new roommates Jess and Catie.

I can't even begin to express how grateful I am that I made it safely here! It was quite, quite a day. Just keep praying that my luggage arrives safely and soon! After zero sleep and my emotional goodbye, I thought that my adventures in getting here would have already broken me down. But, I am very proud of myself in saying that I made it through today in good, optimistic spirits. And I'm very hopeful and excited for tomorrow. I think it all stems back to that prayer I read on the plane before flying. As surprised as I was that I handled each new obstacle with such grace and optimism, I knew it was because I had God on my side and all of you praying.

"The work I am doing in you is hidden at first. But eventually blossoms will burst forth, and abundant fruit will be borne. Stay on the path of Life with Me. Trust me wholeheartedly, letting my Spirit fill you with Joy and Peace." Sarah Young

I'm off

Well, in a few short hours, I am off to Honduras.

Today I had a lovely day with my favorite Saint Mary's girls to celebrate my friend Betsy's marriage. It was the perfect send-off activity. In the first place, it was such a joyous, love-filled occasion. The spirit in the room, the love between Betsy and Josh, and the pure happiness to be reunited with some favorite people really amped me up for my new adventure. Plus, the wedding was gorgeous and the dancing was great too. I always love a good dance party, so I hated to leave the dance floor, especially since we had just gotten the lovely bride to join us. Originally, I had told myself three more songs. Well, then my last 2 songs were slow couple-y dances...gross. So, I was like well, I know I should get going, but if the next song is good, I'm staying. And so, what do you know but Firework by Katy Perry comes on. Total fave of mine. Plus, during my discernment process for this trip it was a total pump me up, I can do this, help me figure out my life song. I love when things just feel right and end on a perfect note. So after rocking out to Firework, I said my goodbyes and headed back home.

So now, I lie in bed awake with about an hour and a half until I am supposed to wake up, head out the door, and catch my flight. I wish I could sleep, as I am very tired, but a million thoughts are running through my mind. I'm ready--my bags are packed and I've wanted this for so long. Yet, so many unknowns remain and I'm entering what could very well be one of the most challenging years of my life. So instead of sleeping, I find myself thinking and wondering and excited and jittery and anxious.

Despite the fact that I should be sleeping, I find myself on here typing out the thoughts that are preventing that sleep from happening. I can't help but think about how excited I am and yet how much I am going to miss the very special people in my life. And so for that, a quick shout out to y'all:

Family--Thanks for always believing in me, laughing with me, pushing me, and helping to raise me into who I am.
Friends--I don't know how I got so lucky to have you all in my life, but I am so blessed to have so many of you from so many stages of my life. Thank you for being there and continuing to be there even when we are apart.
UCTC--Thanks for building me up, loving me unconditionally, and supporting me always. Thanks for always making me smile and burst out in a quirky duck laugh.
C-13--Thanks for always believing in me, understanding me, supporting me, challenging me, and encouraging me. Thanks for letting me laugh, cry, dance, shout, run, and learn with all of you. Also, thanks for always helping to manage issues.
SMAK--Thanks for all the love, kindness, generosity, closeness, and understanding. Thanks for putting up with my insane antics and for allowing me to plank a wedding.
Mom, Dad, Sister--Thanks for being the best.

Please keep me in your prayers tomorrow (this morning) as I venture off to Honduras. I'll definitely update as soon as I can when I arrive.

the decision

So despite the fact that I already posted a "to answer all the questions" post, which happend to be a quite lengthly post at, I realized that in all that writing/copying/pasting I never answered THE question: Why? Why Honduras? Why are you doing this? How did you make this decision? Because as you probably know if you're reading this blog, unless you're my mom who thinks I'm a decisive person, I don't always make decisions quickly or easily. So how did I decide upon Honduras?

Well, there's a story behind it. Several stories in fact. Stories that I love to share and tell, but more preferably over a cup of tea/coffee or a drink. So in the interest of saving your eyes from another lengthy explanation post, here's the cliff notes version of my decision with an offer to sit down and hear the full-version story, if you're interested :-).

My choice to go to Honduras began in fourth grade when I made a dream box and one of my dreams was to join the Peace Corps. I thought I was fulfilling that dream by going to Boston, but as I began to discern my post-Boston life, I quickly realized that I wasn't done serving and that maybe my time for some international service was now. I thought about staying in Boston, I mean I have amazing friends there, job opportunities, and a city to explore, but something in my heart kept calling me back to that fourth grade dream. And now looking back on Boston and reflecting on my time there, more and more I see those 2 years and what I've learned there as preparations and lessons learned to help me get to Honduras.

I knew I wasn't done serving. Something inside me was calling me to keep volunteering and doing service. I knew I wasn't done living simply. In fact I felt called and ready to challenge myself into a deeper sense of simple living. Hence, the attraction to living in a 3rd world country where I can hopefully live in a closer sense of solidarity to the students I'm serving, focus on life and not on material goods as much, and realize how lucky I've been in life. I also wanted to challenge myself as a leader more. I've grown so much spiritually these past 2 years, that I want to keep growing and deepening my faith through a program with a spirituality component. I want to teach and work at a school where I can use my 2 years at PJP to help other new teachers and help model and learn effective practices, especially in regards to ELLs. I want to speak Spanish. I've missed speaking Spanish so much! I feel like i've worked so hard to develop my language skills, I enjoy using them, and that they have become one of my gifts. So, then I thought, well I should probably be using my gifts. So, hopefully this program will help me learn Spanish better and enable me to use my gift as well.

So why Honduras? Why this program? Well, it's a great opportunity. Live in community, live simply, grow/challenge my spirituality, teach in a bilingual Catholic school, and live in a country where I can speak Spanish. Absolutely. I feel like this is a place where my gifts, talents, and interests will be put to use in an effective and life-changing way. I feel like the kids and community at Santa Clara need me and I them. I want to live out a new culture and explore new places! And if you've ever read the book ˆThree Questionsˆ When is the best time? It's always now. So, while this is definitely a shortened version of my story, after many feelings and prayers, I feel like I'm supposed to challenge myself in Honduras next where I can really focus on being a leader, using my gifts, learning, and growing in new ways.

"Remember that there is only one important time and is Now. The present moment is the only time over which we have dominion. The most important person is always the person with whom you are, who is right before you, for who knows if you will have dealings with any other person in the future. The most important pursuit is making that person, the one standing at you side, happy, for that alone is the pursuit of life."

Leo Tolstoy "Three Questions"

more info

For those of you that read through the lengthy post below and still crave more, here are some links to some more information on my program and what I'll be doing.

I'll be volunteering through the Olancho Aid Foundation. The website for the program can be found here:

Olancho Aid Foundation

If you are interested in donating to the program or in sponsoring one of the Santa Clara students, information can be found here:

Donate to Olancho Aid

and

Sponsor a Student

Here is a link to a youtube video with information and pictures on what I'll be doing/where I'll be living:

Video on OAF

Finally, if you're interested in donating to my efforts in Honduras you can donate to me through paypal using the link below or the link at the right.

to answer all the questions

I love being able to share my story and talk about what I'll be doing next year, but since I won't be seeing many of you and since so many people have been asking, here is some information on what I'll be doing in Honduras for 10 months :-)


Where will I be going?

I will be teaching in the department (like a state here) of Olancho right outside of the capital of Olancho, which is Juticalpa. My school, Centro Escolar Santa Clara, is right outside of Juticalpa in an area called La Empalizada. Juticalpa is about 2.5 hours away from Tegucigalpa, which is the capital city of Honduras and where I'll be flying into. Here's a map of Honduras to show exactly where I'll be venturing off to:





A map of Central America






Map of Honduras showing the capital, Tegucigalpa or Tegus, and Juticalpa where I'll be.






Here is a map of the area I will be in. I will live in Juticalpa and teach in La Empalizada


Where will I live?

The program has purchased several middle-class family homes in Juticalpa for the volunteers to use. Each home has space for 2-4 volunteers. Each volunteer will have their own bedroom. We will have a kitchen area for cooking and preparing meals, living space, bedrooms, and a bathroom. We will have an outdoor area with our pila for storing water, doing dishes, and washing clothes.


What grade will I teach?

I will teach first grade at Centro Escolar Santa Clara.


How many students will I have?
I will have two sections of 25 students.

What will I be teaching?

I will be teaching in the English classroom. I will be in charge of teaching the following subjects: English (Reading, Writing, Spelling, Grammar), Math, and Science. I will teach the first half of students from 7:00-10:30 (with a half hour break for a “specials” class and a break for recess. Then, I will teach the same subjects to the second half from 10:30-2:00 again with breaks for specials and recess. When the students aren't with me, they will be with their Honduran first grade teacher learning Spanish, Social Studies, and religion.

How much English will my students know? Will I be teaching/using Spanish?

As first graders, my students will have a very, very, very basic understanding of English. Hopefully most of them will have had prepa and kinder (preschool and Kindergarten) at Santa Clara which means they would have already had 2 years of English only instruction. However, being that my students will so young and have not yet learned to read and write, most of them will still need to learn their alphabet and sounds in English. I will have a bilingual aid to help me work the students. I will try to only use English in my classroom to help my students learn it faster, but I will use Spanish when communicating with the other teachers and my students' parents.

What are the classrooms like?
The classrooms are larger, even compared to the US. They have cement block walls and tin roofs--very loud! Each classroom has windows to the hallway and to the outside and you can easily see into each others' classrooms. The school has three "wings" or buildings of 6 classrooms each. I will be in the 1st through 3rd grade building which happens to be the only building with electricity. Each room has fans and lights. Each room has desks and chairs for the students, and a desk for the teacher. There is space for shelves, a group work table, and hooks for backpacks, etc.

Each teacher has a science, math, and reading curriculum to use. Classrooms have some books and basic school supplies, but I am guessing I will need to get creative with how I carefully use them :-) Each classroom has internet capabilities for researching lessons and inputing grades.


What is the economic situation of the students?
Students come from a variety of backgrounds at Santa Clara. Some students are very poor and come to school on scholarship or have a sponsor in the United States who pays for their education. Other students have family members working and living in the United States who send money to the family here so that they can pay for a private education. In fact, the sad truth is that many students at Santa Clara are growing up in single-parent households or are being raised by an aunt or grandmother because either one or both of their parents have left for the United States. At the same time, we also have students whose parents are doctors, lawyers, and professors here in town.


What do volunteers do in their free time?
Volunteers at Santa Clara typically work until 3 pm each day and get home on the bus around 3:30 pm. Past volunteers have done a lot of reading, movie watching, playing games, cooking, and exercising. In the evenings and weekends, you might explore the town, go out to grab food or drinks, go dancing, and go hiking. Other things past volunteers have participated in are English tutoring, teaching ESL classes to adults at night, participating in Special Olympics at Nazareth, and helping out with projects in the office. There is a weekly gathering of volunteers for a meal and a discussion on spirituality, to encourage community. Non-Catholic volunteers typically feel comfortable at this ecumenically-minded gathering.
Past volunteers have also traveled throughout Honduras and other parts of Central America, on the weekends and on school vacations. Traveling can be very cheap in Central America, possibly as low as $20 a day. Guidebooks such as Lonely Planet or Moon’s are very useful for getting around.

What kinds of food are eaten in Honduras?
Red beans, tortillas from corn, and rice with spices are comida tipica (typical food). The most common fruits and vegetables include bananas, mangoes (sour and sweet), oranges, watermelons, cantaloupe, plantains (plátanos), bell peppers and native yams (yucca.) The national snack is the baleada (a medium sized flour tortilla filled with refried beans, mantequilla, a dairy product resembling bland sour cream, and sprinkled with grated cheese). Baleadas are commonly sold in the parques or in public markets. Fried plantain chips called tajaditas accompany many meals as a substitute for French fries or vegetables. For the intense afternoon heat, vendors sell charamuscas, which is frozen fruit juice in bags. Other staples of the volunteer diet include pizza and pasta. There are several supermarkets in Juticalpa that carry a broader range of food more towards North American tastes (for example, peanut butter).

What types of clothing should I bring?
Hondurans overall tend to value dressing well. Honduran style closely resembles that of Western trends. Dress slacks and a button down shirt of light material are custom for men. Women are diligent about appearances and the latest clothing trends, especially at special occasions (religious ceremonies, parties and other social gatherings.) A typical female outfit is a shin to thigh length skirt, or jean pants, with decorative top and high heeled shoes. In more rural areas, second hand clothing imported from the United States is common and t-shirts with English slogans are popular. Surprising to most visitors is that despite the heat, shorts are rarely worn in public by either sex in Honduras. For volunteers, it is recommended that you bring fairly dressy clothes to teach in, albeit in comfortable, light fabrics, but keep in mind your clothes will be washed by hand in a well. For female volunteers, high heels are certainly not required, but dressy sandals or closed-toed shoes will fit in more. Also important for female volunteers, clothes that are more modest will most likely cut down on the number of catcalls made by male Olanchanos (higher-necked shirts, skirts to the knee or lower, etc).

What is the climate like in Juticalpa?
Juticalpa is located in central Honduras, in a valley of the Sierra de Agalta mountains. Central-southern Honduras is characteristically warmer and drier than the tropical north. The rainy season extends from May to November and is referred to as “winter” by the natives. March, April and May are the hottest months of year, with temperatures that can reach highs around 105F.

Well, hopefully that answers a lot of questions! Let me know if you have any others, I'd be happy to answer :-)

"Aguantate tantito y la fruta cayera en tu mano" --Esperanza Renace by Pam Munoz Ryan

Honduras

After much discernment and processing, I am off to Honduras!


On August 21st (about 3 weeks away now eeeeek!!), I will board my airplane to Tegucigalpa, Honduras and continue on to my new home for 10 months in Juticalpa, Olancho. I can't believe it!

Just 6 weeks ago today I left Boston, which was the most wonderful experience! I am so lucky to have had the opportunity to go to Boston--to live in community, teach, serve, grow in my faith, live simply, and make such strong relationships. And now it's crazy to think that I am once again so lucky to participate in yet another amazing opportunity!

I know that this experience will help to fulfill my original 4th grade dream of volunteering in another country. I know that this experience will challenge me in many new ways and that ultimately I will grow in my faith and as a person. I am nervous and excited to see where God takes and how God challenges me as I serve and learn in Honduras. I am so grateful for this opportunity, which wouldn't be possible without all of the prayers, love, and support from my family and friends. I cannot thank each of you enough for all of the support you constantly provide me!

As I venture off to Honduras, I hope to help share my journey with each of you through my words, pictures, and videos. So, I hope you continue to check back for updates! While I may be far away, each of you will remain very close to me and in my constant thoughts and prayers. As I get ready to leave, I'd like to ask each of you to do the same for me. I know that this is going to be an amazing journey, but I also know that this will be a journey full of growth, learning, and challenges; and so, I'd like to ask each of you for prayers and continued support along the way. Many blessings and love always!

--Sarah :-)

"No hay rosa, sin espinas" --Esperanza Renace By: Pam Munoz Ryan