Day Three

Another full day.  It began with singing on the mountain.  A little out of my comfort zone and a bit self concious, because let's just be honest, I can not carry a tune.  No,  not even if my life depended on it.  These women I was with though, angelic voices.  In melody and sweetly singing, such a gift. 

We drove again to Las Pitas.  Again we shared of our daily lives.  And as we gringas told of our exercising and walking our dogs and going here and there, the Hondurans laughed.  Yes they laughed.  And so did we.  How ridiculously different did it sound?  Yet still, some common ground.  Caring for our families, preparing meals, loving those around us.  Being women.

  Wendy and Holly show off their Jazzercise moves

Linda had prepared the lesson for the women.  The story of the bleeding woman, reaching for the hem of the robe.  Being known, called out and healed.  It resonated with me.  As I hid behind the camera lens I caught glimpses of the connection being made in each of us.  So appropriate.
 

Reading The Word

Peggy shared the story of Jonah with the children.  Not before they sang for us though.  Then they sat and listened intently.  All of the materials had been translated into Spanish for them.  They were participants in the story as well.  Jonah was even swallowed by an enormous fish.  That brought it's share of giggles from the crowd.

 Jonah waiting for the fish

Inside the fish

After the story was finished the children ate goldfish snacks and were given a handmade toy.  Which roughly translates into a plastic cup, a pipe cleaner Jonah and an artistic interpretation of a fish drawn with sharpie.  Nonetheless they were entertained and so were we!

Blessing for almuerzo (lunch)

Once finished with the lessons for the day we headed outdoors for lunch where we served the women.  Rice, beans and corn tortillas were prepared for us and we enjoyed spending time together before we were given a tour of the clinic.  Meredith shared with us the operating schedule, gave us a tour of the inside and introduced us to the doctor and nurse that work there.  When the clinic is open it is first come, first served.  There are chairs with numbers on the porch where people wait to be seen.  We were told a story of a woman being carried by her two sons from Nicaragua with a broken hip just to be seen here.  That is at least a two hour walk, through the mountains.  Laying in excruciating pain and bouncing around through the rough terrain.  The woman on the left in the picture below is the doctor, on the right, the nurse.  Both are Hondurans and both are serving their people. 

From the clinic tour to bottle cap bracelets 101.  Before leaving for this trip the group had been brainstorming sustainability projects for the women of Las Pitas.  This was the result.  Bottlecap bracelets, made with string, dried beans or wooden beads, whatever they had at their disposal and the left over bottlecaps found everywhere.  We were all a bit unsure of how this would be received and to say the women enjoyed it would be an understatement.  Not only the women but the children were interested in the tools and the boys were quite helpful in the hammering.  Jewelry was made and bonds forged. 

 Modeling the finished product

Using the tools

 And while all this was happening, there were children that needed entertaining.  If I remember correctly the Hokey Pokey was taught, duck, duck goose and some belly laughs were heard.  Of course some babies just needed to be held and there were those much obliged to lend a hand there also.

 The Jonah toy

Sweet baby girl fell right asleep

 Learning how to blow bubbles

After the hokey pokey

Yet another full day and another beautifully bumpy ride down the mountain.  We were given a breathtaking sunset.  Complete with colors that painted the sky.  And when we arrived back at the ranch, dinner was shared and circle time too.  This time we had a few visitors as we were preparing for the next day. 

Sunset beauty 

Mission Lazarus coffee (the best) and chips and salsa, in a word...Delish!

Shared with these women, even better.

 The frog was hungry too, that's a ginormous grasshopper it caught

National Geographic style right before our eyes and even amidst our yelps!

Circle Time

This day had left me reflective in every way.  I was taking photographs and interacting with the women.  Trying ever so diligently to put myself aside and not get in the way of relationship.  Sometimes that can be the most challenging of all.  From my view I was able to see each and every woman from our group step outside her comfort zone and go beyond herself.  It was as if the shell was removed and the rawness was tangible.  All the hats were worn, not individually but collectively; Encourager, comforter, translator, baby snuggler, bracelet master, sign language expert, comedian, game player.  You name it and someone did it.  It was truly a sight to behold.