Breakfast Honduran style.. Pancakes (they usually do tortillas LOL) with bananas and pineapples. YUM. 8 am we begin loading boxes for the giveaway at the school. For all of you who sent items for these poverty stricken people, this is your day.
After unloading at the school, we didnt want to disturb classes still in progress, so we traveled just across the road to the dump where several cooking pots full of rice and beans awaited us along with some tortillas. That may not seem like much, but to these destitute souls, it is a banquet. They lined up in a queue to get their ration. Let me give you this mental image, their idea of a line is not like ours. Personal space is not recognized in Honduras. These people were packed together in such a fashion that would make a sardine cringe. I could not fathom how they could breathe, they were so tightly packed. I have never seen such eagerness as they waited for a simple but nourishing meal. Maybe not surprisingly, more were more worried about getting the small 1/2 litre bag of water that went with the meal. For any of you who have been to any dump, it is amazing that these people are so desperate to earn a living that they spend all day in the sun, heat or rain, to find the barest scrap of anything to sell for a few limperes (Honduran currency) or for their own use. As we climbed the hill to the entrance, I saw from a distance Buzzards circling above and when we arrived it was a sight to behold these poor souls contesting with the scavengers for scraps.
Marc had challenged us a group at morning devotional to *encounter Jesus* while we were here, and it didnt take much looking around to see HIM. After feeding was over, and most of the stragglers were already back at work on the next truck looking for whatever was deemed unfit by others, we held a short prayer and singing. A diminutive woman (smaller than me and that is saying a lot! ) waited around. When we began singing, she joined in. I was told she has downs syndrome, and it was obvious she did not understand the words as she was singing in a different rythym with different words. I stepped over and motioned for her to sing louder and she obliged. It was amazing to see her standing there with us singing her heart out with us. After we finished, with the grime and grunge and stench of the surroundings covering her, I embraced *Mi Amiga*. I think we both had a race to see who could shed more tears.
On to the giveaway. Feeding took a little while and classes were mostly through at the school, so we headed back there for the final setup to begin the giveaway. We set up tables and loaded them down with gifts from all over. Clothes, blankets, shoes, hygiene packs, baby packs. It was truly amazing just how many people began appearing when word spread that we were setting up. In all over 300 families showed up for just an opportunity to receive only 10 items (minus hygiene and blankets). Items we here in the states rarely pay heed to. I honestly have seen better items carelessly tossed into dumpsters around my town. In our abundance here, we forget how little others have. If only those of you who gave of your plenty could see the light of hope in the eyes of a young mother as she picks out a shirt and pants for her Nino or a dress for her Nina, you would be well rewarded. Especially the little Ninos and Ninas when they spied a coloring book, or cowboy hat, or a fire truck... the images are priceless.
And for dinner.. CACTUS! Seriously, we ate yucca root topped with pico de gallo, and it was amazing. Not that different from potatoes. Another Great Day In Honduras !!
No comments:
Post a Comment