Off to a Great Start

We are about a month in to the new Baxter school year, and things are off to a great start.  New students from Guatemala, Colombia, El Salvador, Honduras, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Ecuador are getting settled in, and more students from Cuba are due to arrive in a couple months.  Bart and I are resuming pretty much the same roles that we had last year, with one of Bart's main duties as supervising the weekend ministry assignments of all the students, and one of my main duties as providing therapy to the students and employees of Baxter, as well as people from the community.  
As part of Bart's supervisory role, last weekend we headed into the mountains to a small church in a place called La Ciénaga.  The young woman on the far left in the photo above, Martha, taught the little kids' Sunday School class, and asked me to assist.  Martha, having only been at Baxter a few weeks, was already jumping right in and interacting with the children of this small village in animated, positive ways.  And as has become the norm these days, Bart and I drove away from visiting a new church and meeting new people feeling very encouraged by what God is doing in and through the lives of His children here.      

md

Columbus Day...Around the World

Last week, while calendars in the U.S. were marked with Columbus Day, countries all over Latin America were celebrating their own versions of the holiday, in honor of Columbus discovering 'the Americas.'  Little did I know that school kids in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean had grown up - like me - learning that "1492" was a very special year, and that "the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria" were very special ships.  On Friday Bart and I were enlightened on just a few of these commonalities that we share with our Latin American friends, as the 4th year Baxter students made presentations on their countries' cultures.
For the presentations, the two of us were asked to be judges for categories like decoration, music, and food.  So I channelled my inner Top Chef judge and enjoyed the delights they had to offer.  In terms of food, my favorite treat of the day was an avocado smoothie from Colombia (I know it sounds crazy, but it was so good!).  In the music category, our brothers from Cuba scored high for their great rendition of "Guantanamera," which means "a girl from Guantanamo."  And while a day like Friday can highlight all the distinctions between countries, for me it also illuminates the fact that, as humans, we are more alike than different.  
md

Children's Day!

Last weekend, the Baxter students celebrated Children's Day!  In Honduras, Mother's Day and Father's Day are celebrated, just like in the States.  But here they also celebrate Children's Day, which is a pretty big deal.  The presents that the kids receive, as well as the focus placed on them, could rival many Christmas celebrations here.
Last year for this event, Bart and I bought a present for one of the children.  This year I wanted to do a little more, so I volunteered to bring some food for the party.  I've taken food to events here before, but this was the first time for me to bring a dish that they suggested...and that I knew they'd have high standards for.  I hate to divulge what it was, because it seems simple enough, but I know many of you reading this will realize how stressful it can be try to fulfill a task according to the standards of another culture.
Well, everybody ate what I brought...and nobody complained...so for me, that's a success.  And, honestly, it felt great to walk away from Children's Day this year knowing I had stretched myself a little and tried to adapt to this culture just a bit more.  (poco a poco...right?)

md

JEC Boys Building Bleachers

It has been so neat to watch the high school boys at Jóvenes en Camino these past few weeks.  The director, Ronald, informed them that by helping us build bleachers on the basketball court, they'd be earning their chance to go to the annual church camp at the Baxter Institute, called 'El Encuentro'.  (We plan to raise the money for the entry fees for all those who have helped.) 
Some of you may remember this post we wrote after last year's camp.  Well, the majority of the boys in high school this year were able to attend 'El Encuentro' last year, so they remember how fun it was.  And the rest have heard how fun it was.  So every spare moment, the boys have been out there working on the bleachers: mixing concrete, laying cement block, and putting the finishing touches on this great project. 

We love that not only are they earning their chance to go to church camp this year, they've also constructed some beautiful, useful seats for all the fans of the many basketball, volleyball, and fútbol games to come!

md

Loving to Learn

"When we learn from someone, it is one of the great honors we bestow on them."

-Duane Elmer

Cross-Cultural Servanthood

With two church groups in town last week, Bart and I decided to try a little experiment: to ask the Baxter students to teach the North Americans some Spanish using the Bible and simple conversation.  As far as we can tell, it was a success, not only because it gave the groups some one-on-one Spanish practice, but also because - apparently - everyone really enjoyed getting to know one another better.  

It's easy for the two of us to see how integral this act of learning is while doing mission work (because of how much the Latin people here have taught us), so it only seemed natural to try to involve some of our North American friends in some intentional learning activities.  We want to thank the Baxter students for their willingness to be 'teachers' for the night.  And I'd also like to thank the North MacArthur Church of Christ and the Memorial Road Church of Christ for being enthusiastic participants in "La Noche de Español!"

md 

Elvin & Mari

We are consistently impressed by the people we work alongside here.  With the amount of energy and love they are able to show us and each other, we often find ourselves wondering, "How do they do it day in and day out?"  Two such people are Elvin and Mari, who are houseparents for the youngest boys at Jóvenes en Camino.  They treat the boys in their care like their own sons, constantly interacting with them in creative, exciting ways.  
Throughout the month of April, Elvin put on a campus-wide soccer tournament, forming the teams with a mix of ages, naming each team according to bugs ('the flies,' 'the ants,' 'the cockroaches,' etc.), and scheduling the games weeks in advance.  He also kept a record of statistics, in order to award outstanding players.
Every team had to find a "sponsor," who would coach them and cheer them on, and 'the mosquitoes' found Mari.  She ends a game as tired as the players are, from jumping around, cheering, and shouting directions to her team.  And at the end of the game she has candy and homemade refreshments for her players. 

The picture below is of Elvin (black shirt) lining up the two teams for The Championship.  He orchestrated the start of the game just like a professional event, and you could feel the intensity from the players, the coaches, and the fans.

And here is a shot of the winning team, 'the mosquitoes,' with Mari as their sponsor.

Congratulations, Los Zancudos, for a great job in the tournament!  And thank you, Elvin and Mari, for your example of love and commitment.

md

All-night Bonfire - "La Fogata"

Ever since we began our 2nd year here, things have gotten a little easier, and in large part we attribute that to simply knowing what to expect.  Being in attendance at an event for the always-mysterious first time continually keeps us guessing, "What time is it really going to start?" "How long is it really going to last?" "What are we going to be doing for the next ___ hours?" and, "What's going to be expected of us during this thing??"
So with all these questions spinning around in our heads - on top of the fact that the event lasts ALL NIGHT - last year's "fogata" was pretty exhausting for both of us.  But just the luxury of knowing what to expect really helped us relax and enjoy the experience more this year.
If you're wondering what an all-night fogata looks like, here's a rough outline of the schedule (which might also give you some insight into Honduran culture):
7:00pm - people show up
8:30pm - event actually gets started
9:00pm - preaching & singing
10:30pm - snack break: tamales & coffee (or Coke)
12:00am - more preaching & singing
1:30am - snack break: bread with beans and cream & coffee
2:00am - 'talent show' with singing and "dramas"
4:00am - the bonfire is lit, and several men are designated to lead prayers 
5:00am - event wraps up and attendees are sent home with a thick, rice-based breakfast drink


The photo above is our youth group performing their drama, which was about a girl being tempted away from her dream of serving the Lord by things like a flashy career, 'cool' people, a love relationship, family, etc.  We were so proud of the job they did and the obvious amount of time they had spent planning it.  
md