Honduran Education Project: Already Home

This morning, we organized four separate groups of people to go to Plan Grande, the site of our next building project. We were only one hour behind schedule when we left. That is a miracle in itself.

In Plan Grande, we met with the families that will be participating. They were introduced to each of the players in the project and we talked about the potential and the work that lies ahead.

Christopher and Catarin Nuñez - 2 of our students

After the meeting, we went to look at the land. Edgar and I had prepared a bunch of plants to start in the property (read that, "Edgar prepared and Bryan paid wages and organized"). I took one of my homemade planting shovels and, along with several of the men, headed to one edge of the property and began planting.

In the next hour, we planted over 200 cuttings, slips and plants. Trying to imagine what it was like for people to plant something on what will be their own property. It was, I am quite sure, the first time in their lives to plant anything other than maize, beans and cassava. Two kinds of Chaya cuttings, Vetiver grass and Lemon grass slips, and Arachis pintoi plants all found a new home. In addition, we left several hundred seeds for Pigeon Pea, Moringa, Mucuna, and Tephrosia. It will be great if they plant them.

Johnny learning to crochet - Hurrah - Yeni's Teaching is Paying Off

These people have seen this land all their lives. They have walked, harvested firewood and played on it. But, today, for the first time, they were looking at it with new eyes. It was, now, home.

How many times in my life have I looked at horizons, packed to leave, sought alternatives ... when I was already home. How much of religious activity and energy is spent fruitlessly ignoring the home and the Continual Present Tense that surrounds and invades us.

You can see them if you squint hard enough

Last weekend, on a trip to Belize to renew my visa status, I talked with a man (named Bryan as well) about a Mayan plant Calaloo (Amaranth family). He took me upstairs and showed me two other Mayan plants that have highly nutritious edible leaves. Wow. He is going to organize seeds for me to collect the next trip to Belize. So many resources already available.

Fish are still living and growing. Today marks a month in the tanks. Tomorrow morning we hope to harvest some (mostly to give space to the others) and cook them in a pressure cooker to make sardines. Will see how they taste.