Children's Day

While I was in Canada, Children's Day was celebrated. At one of our satellite schools in Las Delicias, our students joined with the kindergarten and primary students to help host a variety of activities.

Trinidad - the village leader with the students

Gooooo Cowboy

 One of the most fascinating cowboy events is where pieces of ribbon are pinned to a string with clothespins. Riders then try to capture one of the ribbons with a pointed stick while passing at a gallop. A great deal of skill is needed. Several weeks ago, I stopped to watch an event and saw my first female competitor. She was obviously good because she had several handkerchiefs tied to her belt (each successful 'stab' wins a handkerchief (the kind you can tie around your neck in cowboy style - or around the neck of some lady presumably). One of the photos shows the kindergarten version of this event.

 I'll let the pictures say the rest.

 TTYL

BB

 

Love Walks In Curves

 

Fear walks in straight lines. It lives inside ...

                ... hearts made small by abuse and torment
                ... smoky hovels pummeled by poverty
                ... crowds controlled by liveried purveyors of  religious truth
                ... arena knockoffs with bright,
                         artificial spotlights to hide the darkness
                ... even shadowy cathedrals crowded with distractions
                          that distract horizon born eyes

Love walks in curves. Intricate filigrees and sweeping horizons ...

                ... leaves, a surging multitude of greens

                          ... a fall twilight burst of yellows and reds

                ... a billion whispers in a spoonful of simple soil
                ... countless galactic sparkles
                ... wrinkles of spent smiles and forgotten tears
                ... the tickle of a bee's tongue ... the timeless folds
                          in a granite outcropping

Fear seems  a prolific breeder. Offspring spring forth in a myriad of shapes with slight surface resemblances ...

                ... anger sudden, smouldering, silent and shouting

                ... intolerance of colour, shape, creed, orientation
                          ... someone different
                ... arrogance of position, persuasion, possession or profession
                ... hypocrisy ... a living lie - often so long espoused
                         it becomes a "truth"
                ... depression ... the lethargic despair of monochrome

Love has confident children. Children with open hands, open hearts, unbounded vision, soil stained knees ...

                ... gentleness courteous and patient

                         when fear thunders and pummels

                ... kindness seeing Love's face in the ugly, the poor, those afraid
                ... enduring pursuit of goodness in evil's storms
                ... giving without account ... seeing through the curtains of time
                          and the tangible into infinity, eternity
                ... sitting with silent tears beside fear's bleeding victim

Fear is alone. It must find company ...

                ... converts who will cringe before the same monsters when

                          others see only flickers of shade

                ... the tiny, the weak ... those powerless to resist
                ... the crowd ... unthinking, destructive, trampling the silent green
                ... the noise of religious fervour, of raucous revelry,
                         fanatic supporters

Love is a numberless throng ...

                ... she smiles in the eyes of a child, a mother's kiss,

                         a grandfather's tear

                ... fashions infinitesimal uniqueness into each snowflake,
                         invisible mitochondrial chains to wrap a
                              pushing root hair with nourishment,
                         murmurs in a womb with knowing caress
                ... speaks to still senses ... fills them with a completeness
                         that can rest

Love casts out fear. 
     Love opens her arms with abandonment.
          Love believes.
               Love lives

A Normal Day

Monday afternoon, I arrived back in Honduras after three weeks in Canada. With a minimum of fuss, I was able to collect my bags and pass through customs ... unscathed again. A short taxi ride to Manuel's house where I collected my truck and I was on my way.

While in Canada, a friend asked me what a typical day was like for me in Honduras. It was really hard to explain. Each day is quite different and something new or challenging is always just around the corner.  My friend commutes ninety minutes to work in an office where his caseload awaits. Each day is different but not too adventuresome. Of course, there is the small matter of remuneration difference which needs to be taken into consideration. I'll let you do that.

Yesterday morning I arrived at the office in time to get most of the accounting done before the electricity went off. Intermittent power is not a surprise but, generally, not too common. It is, for a computer based school, a bit annoying. Yesterday, the power went off for the whole day.

Manuel and I then took a tour of all the plants and so forth which had grown considerably in three weeks. Have to work on getting the leaves harvested, dried and distributed.

Time for a new toy demonstration. My wife gave me a gadget that cuts a pineapple into slices, cores and peels  it all in one operation. I had some misgivings as to how well it would work but we tried it on two pineapples and it was marvelous. All the staff enjoyed watching the performance and eating the results.

With no computer work to do, Manuel and I went to replace a phone chip in the office phone. A power surge had ruined the first chip ... and the phone. We got to the phone kiosk (located in a large hardware store) only to find that we needed a photocopy of a piece of ID. No power in town ... no photocopy ... no new chip. We detoured to look for a small fan for my house. Found a new ironing board at the same time.

When we arrived back at the school we had a few minutes to teach the staff how to play dominos. We learned one way to play. Will try some other ways when there is another bout of darkness. Trying to make a long line of dominos to topple using a shaky plastic table and miniscule dominos is another challenge.

A board member of CPI Honduras is dying of cancer at the age of forty. We phoned our Board chairman to see if he wanted to travel with us to visit her. He told us to wait as he would be right there. Two hours later, he arrived. By then, dinner had been ordered so everyone had something to eat.

Carlos working on new exams

Finally, we left to go visit Gloria. We paused for a moment so that Edel and Chepe could help split a reluctant stump which was resisting the efforts of Gloria's father.

We found Gloria in a hammock at the back of the house being attended by family. The hammock is such a wonderful invention. She was being gently rocked and surrounded by the familiar sounds of life, family and the yard's many singers. Although she did open her eyes briefly, we spent the time talking with the family. Gloria has been such an energetic force in her family, community and as part of the CPI Honduras board. It was difficult to say good-bye.

The rest of the afternoon sped by helping some of our interns settle in. We have, for the next six weeks, six young students doing a practicum. In order to graduate from Grade 12 equivalent, they must find a place to do six weeks of work in their field. There is a desperate search for placements. Since we had a few last year, the word is out. We had hoped to stay at two but, in the end, allowed six to be part of the program. Without power, there isn't a great deal to do. Instead, we set them to reading "Where There is No Doctor" and some exciting booklets on development ideas. I am sure they were delighted. Manuel and I had seen some other students in various stores and they were doing absolutely nothing. We will try to keep ours busy.

Yulissa sorting files - her school regulations say
 that she must keep her jacket on at all times ... + 34 today.

In the evening, I went for a longish walk and then a 'typical' supper of beans, cheese, fried ripe plantains with cream, sausage, avocado and a tortilla along with passion fruit juice.

Today has been almost as varied. We have electricity, so I can spend more time at my desk.

TTYL

BB