From Water Project Evaluation to Project Appendix Removal!

Following my time with the King’s Water Project Team I was scheduled to visit seven communities around Honduras with some very special visitors from Canada.  Henry and Susan Bosch, from my home church Inglewood CRC in Edmonton, came down for two weeks as part of Henry’s sabbatical project regarding past water projects.  In the past 17 years over 20 teams have traveled to Honduras in partnership with the King’s University College, the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC) and the Northern Alberta Diaconal Conference (NADC).  Working for NADC for almost 20 years, Henry has been in charge of promoting and coordinating funds for each water project.  This year Henry has taken it upon himself to gather more information about these communities following their water projects. 

In each community we met with the local leaders, members from the church and various men and women who supported and worked with the team during the project.  They gave an account of their community before and after the water project, the benefits of having taps in their homes, the quality of their water and their experience with the team of young people from Canada.  Common elements from each meeting included benefits like improved water quality, reduced incidence of illnesses such as diarrhoea in children and less time spent hauling water daily - meaning more time for homework and play for children as well as less stress on mothers.  Some villages even described how their water project experience led them to work together and cooperate towards other goals in their community’s development.   We visited the community of Julian only a couple weeks after they celebrated finally getting electricity which, besides water, is one of the major benchmarks of a developing town. I know we were all pretty proud to hear this success story because behind every CRWRC project is the desire to empower people and encourage them to take initiative. 

We also got some great responses regarding their time spent with the teams.  Each meeting at least three or four people took their turns to genuinely thank the Canadians for coming all that way to dig trenches with them, worship with them and give them hope.  Henry communicated that back home there is always the question whether the community would be better served if they skipped sending a team and just sent a bigger cheque so the locals could do more by themselves.  The response to the money vs. team question was overwhelming – they felt the presence of the team was a great motivator, that they felt honoured to have guests come from so far away and that they genuinely enjoyed forming relationships with the young people despite the language barrier.  It was really encouraging to see and hear their testimonies because they prove that each year CRWRC, NADC, King’s and all their supporters aren’t just contributing to a 3-week work project – we are all participants in the transformational development of Honduras.  It is truly amazing what God is able to do through many committed hands and hearts. 

I was very fortunate to accompany Henry & Susan Bosch, Ana from CRWRC and Dilia from Diaconía Nacional on their visits to Las Mangas, Julian, San Pedro de Catacamas – Plan de Argueta, Chapernal and Coyolar, which was 5 out of the 7 we had scheduled.  The rest went on to visit Los Ranchos and Varsovia without me due to a silly little organ called the appendix.  The day I was supposed to go to Los Ranchos my fiancé Isaí took me to the clinic in Santa Maria del Real after almost three days of fever and an ever increasing amount of pain. 

After a couple of clinical exams, an ultrasound and some blood tests, sure enough I was diagnosed with appendicitis.  Once that was established then came the tedious task of deciphering my emergency travelers insurance coverage and the even more important issue of where exactly the operation would take place.  The best hospital would have been in Tegucigalpa – a 5-hr bumpy ride plus waiting time in the hospital, then there was the hospital 40mins away in Juticalpa – but with considerable risks of infection or complications due to their limited facilities, and finally the little clinic in Santa Maria where I was already being treated.  We went with the clinic in the end because at least we could be sure of the cleanliness and the anaesthesiologist was a family friend of my co-worker.  The surgery took a little over two hours and went really well.  Luckily my appendix hadn’t burst quite yet – they said it was pretty close though – so they were able to stitch it up right away.  Apparently once it bursts you have to leave the wound open for a couple of weeks to clean out all the venom – yuck! I spent the night in the clinic and received a tonne of visitors from the church, co-workers, friends, and from my fiancé’s family. 

Appendicitis is such an odd illness because the appendix doesn’t seem to have a purpose other than to explode and that it is totally spontaneous so it could happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere.  My parents keep telling me that I’ve been having such bad luck with my health since I’ve arrived  but at least in this case it has nothing to do with what I ate or with the water I’ve been drinking.  Of course I would never wish that kind of pain on anyone but I’ve been thinking that maybe this was a good experience for me at this moment in my life and in Honduras. In this past month I was in my weakest state and I needed help just sitting up.  However, in this past month I have felt the love and support of an incredible community here and I feel more a part of it than ever.  I also received a great deal of prayer and emotional support from my family, friends and church community back home which has been awesome as well. 

At this point it has been a little over a month since the operation and I am feeling great.  I still can’t lift anything heavy or exert myself too much risking a hernia but I’m back at work full-time.  I already gave 20min presentation at one of Diaconía’s training sessions for Sunday School teachers the other week and thankfully it went really well.  I was a little nervous about getting back into the swing of things and having to speak by myself (in Spanish, of course) to a whole room full of people but it turned out to be a great experience.  Right now I’m preparing to travel around Olancho for the next few months giving small seminars to school children regarding sexual abuse.  The unfortunate reality is that child abuse is common but lacks public awareness and resources to help identify and deal with its effects.  For me it’s a lot more difficult to talk about this subject than giving tips on teaching Sunday School classes but it’s also very important and I hope to grow from this challenge.   

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!

I can't believe it's mid-April already!

Wow!  I can’t believe how fast this last month flew by!  I guess that’s a good sign since it means that I have lots of work and I’m settled into my routine here.  My first couple of months here were a little slow since I was getting acquainted with all of Diaconía’s programs and such.  Now I have my own projects to work on plus helping out with the credit groups and paperwork.  I like being well occupied because it makes me feel like I’m making my contribution felt – more than just observing and taking notes. 

However, one side-effect of all this busyness is that I totally forgot that I’ve been in Honduras for 3 months… which means my 90-day visitor visa was about to expire April 6^th!  Luckily I was already in Tegucigalpa April 5^th for Diaconía Nacional’s monthly staff meeting so once Ana reminded me about the visa I went directly to immigration to apply for my 2 month extension.  CRWRC has a lawyer working on my volunteer visa application but he doesn’t think it’ll be done for another two months.  The whole process is very tedious and it seems like there’s a new fee or tax levied at each step.  This time I had to pay almost 800 lempiras (~$43) and leave my passport with them for 4 days!  It’s not easy leaving your passport behind but there isn’t much you can do about it.  I’ll be really happy when I get my Honduran visa and ID!  It’ll definitely be a relief to finish this process plus then I can open up a bank account here, FINALLY!

Sorry but I don’t have time to write more about all the adventures that happened last month.  For now all I can say is “COMING SOON…” and here are some photos to preview!

Happy Father's Day!

So, this past Saturday was Father's Day here in Honduras and I thought I'd share some pictures of our little celebration.  We had a special lunch on Friday at the office followed by a giant cake!  I was in charge of buying the cake so that was fun.  The only hitch was that I didn't realize we were only expecting ten people and the cake I picked out was supposed to feed 25-30 people.  Needless to say, we ate a LOT of cake that day and there was still leftovers to take home. 

Father's Day in Honduras isn't nearly as big as Mother's Day (which is celebrated in May, just like in Canada).  However, this holiday is still an important celebration for families in the community.  In many homes fathers are either uninvolved with their children or totally absent.  Unfortunately incidences of domestic violence, child abuse and alcoholism are pretty common.  It is really a privilege if a family has a stable and loving father-figure in their home.  At church, some women came forward to give heartfelt thanks to all the wonderful fathers and role models in the community.  It really made me think about their influence on the father's of the next generation and about the future of the typical Honduran household.  It also made me miss my own dad so, of course, I gave him a call later on Sunday afternoon!