Home from the Water Project

So I’m finally back at home in Catacamas as this year’s King’s University Water Project draws to a close.  Everything went really well with the team here in Olancho and I heard Geoff Brouwer’s team up north in Colón had a pretty great time too.  Both teams had to contend with scorching temperatures, hiking through some unforgiving terrain and basic living conditions but I think the Olancho team had it a little easier than their counterparts in each respect.  However, I did hear rumours that the other team had a nice cool waterfall near their worksite which may account for why they survived the 40 to 43 degree weather.  Overall, there were no major catastrophes, injuries or illnesses - thank goodness.  Well… except that team leader Ashlee Brandsma and I both got very sick on our way back from the community.  Thankfully we survived the three-day stomach ache with the help of some American nurses we ran into at our hotel as well as plenty of rest, water and some handy antibiotics. 



I said goodbye to the Olancho team on Monday morning as they headed to the bus station.  They took a “luxurious” 8hr bus ride up to La Ceiba on the northern coast.  Most of the students this year elected to stay longer and explore a bit more of the country.  A few even have plans to visit Nicaragua and El Salvador before they head home.  I know a few of them were interested in taking in the Mayan ruins of Copan and some of the nature preserves on the coast.  Not surprisingly, the main attraction for the extended trip is visiting the lush Bay Islands.  The team was having trouble deciding between Roatan and Utila but I’m sure they’re having a great time wherever they are.

As the King’s team is lounging around on a Honduran beach taking a well-deserved break, I am playing catch-up with all reports, meetings and sorting through my photos and field notes from the trip.  It was awesome spending time with my fellow Canadians and King’s students but now I’ve got to hang up my pickaxe and shovel in favour of spreadsheets, interest calculations and a mountain of paperwork.  Thanks to everyone who continues to support my work here in Honduras and also the annual King’s Water Project. 

A Recap of March and April

Wow!  I hate to start each blog entry with an apology but I've hardly had time to sit and digest all the activities of the past few weeks - let alone write about them.  So, here's the condensed version of all my recent events.  I know there are a lot of people who like to know what’s happening here in Honduras and I apologize in advance for May.  This week marks the beginning of the 2011 Honduras Water Project with the King’s University so I’ll be incommunicado until the fourth week of May.  I’ll be with 10 King’s students in El Chapernal where there is no electricity so blogging is going to have to wait, sorry.  Although I’m sure I’ll a few interesting stories to tell once I’m back at home in Catacamas.   (And sorry for the lack of photos but it's taking over an hour to load just one)

March 22-29 – Similar to the King’s initiative, New Westminster Christian Reformed Church in Burnaby, BC makes an annual trip to a partner community in Honduras.  This year a group of young people and their youth pastor, Dave Groen, spent their spring break working in the sweltering heat of El Coyolar, Olancho.  This community recently completed its water project last fall - due in part to the help of the 2010 Honduras Water Project teams from Biola and the King’s University.  Now that they have water, the community is ready for the next phase of their development plan: pilas to wash clothes and dishes as well as sanitary latrines.  The New West group initially raised funds to build 5 pilas and 5 latrines but were overwhelmed by support and received enough for 6 of each and a little cement left over to pour flooring in one house.    

I spent the week working alongside the New West team mixing seemingly endless amounts of cement, making trenches, as well as digging drainage pits and then filling them back up with sand and rocks to act as a filter.  It was a lot of work and a lot of heat but the people of El Coyolar will use these latrines and pilas multiple times a day and will save them lots of time and frustration.  We worked each morning from 6am to about 11 or 11:30am, depending on the weather.  The afternoons were reserved for building relationships with the members of the community – after a nice cool bucket shower, of course!   The youth from New West prepared a lot of games and crafts to engage the children of Coyolar.  They even made a presentation about Canada in the school and brought mini hockey sticks to teach them the basics of the game.  We also had meetings with the women in the village, the elders, and the community leaders to learn their history and hopes for the future. 

All in all, I had a great time working with the people of El Coyolar and the New West team.  I hope it was a great experience for these youth and I also hope I’m still around to help them out with their group next year.  I guess we’ll have to see what God has in store once this year is up! 

March 30- April 15 – Following my stint in El Coyolar, I came back to an office bursting with paperwork and a schedule full of meetings with credit groups and individual entrepreneurs.  We gave out new loans to three of our most successful collectives and which included a total of over 40 clients.  With new loans comes a stack of new paperwork.  Each recipient has to sign over 11 forms and we have to fill in the details by hand for each one!  It takes about 5 hours to prepare all the necessary documents and then about 2 hours to get them all signed and dispense the funds.  It is certainly a lot of work but the program is really effective in supporting local businesses so it’s worth it.  However, I’m hoping that I’ll have more time in July and August to revamp some of their forms and start filling out the data on the computer – hopefully before my fingers become arthritic!

April 16-24 – Semana Santa or Holy Week is the next biggest holiday period after the Christmas season.  The people here spend the week leading up to Easter enjoying the hot summer weather with their families.  Some are even fortunate to travel to the northern coast or to the Bay Islands to soak up some sun on those pristine Caribbean beaches.  I stayed a little closer to home in Santa Maria del Real, which is right outside of Catacamas and is actually where the Diaconía Nacional office and my church are located.  I stayed with a host family from my church so that I’d be closer to all the church activities throughout the week and also to get some experience living with a large Honduran family.  Needless to say, I had a great time.  We ate a lot of fish, fried Tilapia and a breaded fish soup, and an excessive amount of watermelon – all of which is typical of Semana Santa.  We had a day-long youth retreat at a nearby river where we had devotions, swam in the cool water, and I swear we must have barbequed half a cow! 

There were many evening church services throughout the week but the biggest was Easter morning.  All the surrounding Christian Reformed Churches join together for a huge service on the banks of the “El Boquerón” river.  Each church takes turns preaching and leading worship songs and they end with baptisms in the river.  There were over two hundred people in attendance – which is a lot considering most churches have at most 30 people at a Sunday service.  I think these kinds of events are really important to Honduran Christians because it reminds them that they’re not alone, that they’re all there to support each other. 

April 23-30 – Biola University’s Water Project team arrived in El Chapernal.  Unfortunately I was too busy working in the office to join them in digging kilometer after kilometer of trenches.  However, I know that the work they accomplished was a definitely blessing to the community and I am excited to pick up where they left off with the King’s group this week.  Like the New West group, Biola always makes sure they bring activities, games and crafts for the children and youth in the community.  They also bring a few luxury items to pamper the hardworking ladies of El Coyolar.  Aside from being a water project, Biola really considers there time abroad as a ministry opportunity so they prepare sermons, songs and devotions throughout their stay.  They came with a group of almost 30 eager and able-bodied students and they accomplished a lot in one week. 

May 1-23 – It’s hard to believe but it’s already time for the 2010 King’s Honduras Water Project!  Due to an increase in the number of applicants this year, King’s is actually sending two groups to Honduras.  Leader Geoff Brouwer will be taking his team to the department of Colón in the north to work with CRWRC’s local partner Alfalit.  The other team, led by Ashlee Brandsma, will be joining me and Diaconía’s project coordinator, Arturo Colindres, in El Chapernal.  I know both teams will have a great time and that both communities are extremely grateful to be hosting them.  Thank you to everyone that continually supports the King’s Water Project and I hope you will keep us all in your prayers in the weeks to come!