Far far far too long....

So  I havent updated this in far too long, and far too much has happened in the past month(s?) to write now. But, I´ll give the best update that I can.

On January 11th, I got to Copan Ruinas, Honduras and began working with Urban Promises Honduras. The organization provides after school programs for both the private and public school in Copan and in Nueva Esperanza, a nearby pueblo. However, Honduran public schools have there summer vacation from December till February and therefore UPH runs a summer camp during that time. That´s where I was helping... I was working in Nueva Esperanza at Camp Hope from Jan 17 - Feb 4 teaching art class to kids ages 5-12. It was hard at times (uhh how do you say holepuncher in spanish?) and certainly tiring, but absolutely amazing. The school only has 2 classrooms, so a lot of times we had art class outside on the patio which worked fine until the wind came or until a kid got tired of working on his project and decided to run off to play on the swings.The kids.... oooh the kids. If I learned one thing, its that kids are kids no matter where you are. No matter what there backgrounds are, they will still beg you to push them on swings allll day long (¨emilia familia... mescame por favor!!!¨), will run off to do cartwheels in the middle of class because they have way to much energy, and get a kick out of going on imaginary airplane rides to go buy mangoes in chicimula. Some of them could only come to camp part of the time because they had to work (take care of brothers and sisters, cut coffee, etc), and sometimes they would come without shoes, and they would usaully alternate between the same couple of outfits that they owned. But kids are kids.

When I wasn´t working in Copan, I was usually at 1 of the 2 restaurant/bars of Copan-- Via Via or Barcito with my coworker/ kinda boss Katie. My other coworker Duane played the guitar at Via Via weekend nights so a lot of Fridays and Saturdays were spent there listening to him and drinking Chupanecos (rum and sprite).

We did get to go ziplining!

Rosa and I at el barcito

Monday night futbol

Danza kuduro

All in all, Copan was great. Being with the kids was certainly the highlight. I learned a lot, about Honduras, about Latin America, cultural differences, religion, about myself and certain strengths and weaknesses. I´m waiting for this ah-hah moment where all the sudden I understand the world and myself completely... but have come to accept that this isnt going to happen... but slowly, poco a poco, I´m learning.

February 14 I left Copan headed for Antigua to work with an organization, Ecoconexiones Unidas. I messed up with my passport stamps so was technically in Honduras illegally, so the guy at the border initally gave me the opportunity of paying a $150 multa (quickly learned a new word in spanish!) or going to Tegucigalpa to work things out with Migration there. I did not have $150, have no credit card (stolen a while back), and was not so keen on the idea of going to Tegucigalpa. Migration Officer Man and I spent a good 40 minutes talking while everyone on the poor tourist shuttle waited probably not so patiently, and after explaining to him through sobs that I was in Honduras working with kids, and on my way to El Lago de Atitlan to help mejorar the lives of indigenous women, he let me go with a warning. Lesson learned... passport stamps are to be taken seriously, even in Central America.

I made it to Antigua, where I met with Bayron and Eva, the founders of this organization. We had lunch and they explained to me what I would be doing down here, more or less, and sent me on my way. Now I´m in San Juan de la Laguna, which is one of the most beautiful places in the whole world, working with las cooperativas tejedoras (weaving co-ops). Here there are two coops backed by huge NGOs which is great for them, but sucks for everyone else. The two stores dominate the tourist industry here and everyone else suffers becasue of it. I am working with three of the smaller co-ops to help them improve there store, help in making a mini museum that describes the process of  how they make the goods (natural cotton and natural dyes... I´m learning as I go but its an amazing technique), and help make brochures and cards in both english and spanish to help draw in english speaking tourists.

I had a meeting with the head of one of the co-ops, today and she told me her story. In brief, she is the oldest of 8 brothers and sisters, and her parents deprived her of getting an education past 3rd grade because she had to help take care of them. As an adult, she had a boyfriend who took her to work in the capital but then she got pregnant. She refused to abort it like he wanted her too so he left her broke and pregnant. She moved back home and now works at the store during the day, raises her daughter, and is trying to complete the equivelant of a 6th grade education through night school.

As I´m talking to more people... this isnt that uncommon of a story. It´s tough here. And its hard not to feel guilty for coming from where I come. I´m doing my best to relate to these women but its difficult. But I am a good listener which I think they like and they need in a way. I am doing my best to support them in the ways I know how.

my abode

we hung out most days- I would organize the scarves and he would hide behind them

Juanita.

My neighbors and Diegito during a procession on Good Friday

Anjelina, another neighbor and incredible artist

Tato and I going to Pana to go to the bank

Miriam and her daughter Juanita

Layla, my adopted puppy!!

Wooooow. Long update. All in all things are good, lonely at times, but good. Have committed to staying here for a month and then will probably venture on home. It´s been a while and I do miss friends and family and all the comforts that go along with being HOME.

Besos.