Sweating, Swimming, and Singing - oh my!

Typically before JC students come to visit the Children's Home here in Roatan, Honduras - they get a list of clothes to bring and in big bold letters it says at the top ... YOU WILL SWEAT! A LOT!

  

Today was just one of those days.  While yesterday may have been an introduction to work, today was our baptism ... by fire.  We were out on the field by 7am (a vain attempt to beat the equatorial sun to work) and spent most of the day in back breaking labor - digging, cutting, nailing, digging again, and a whole lot more.  

 

Our plan of building a chicken coop has morphed into building a 100 ft. by 40 ft. Chicken Fortress - (or as Taylor calls it ... "our Jurassic Park Jail for the Chickens").  

But alas, Mr. Orsy has big plans for the future Kukarocko Business (and with 22 children to feed everyday - 3 times a day - it is understandable). 

  There is no doubt today that those old dirty clothes we all brought to be used for work - just got a lot more old and dirty ... and sweaty for what that's worth. 

   

Our students did battle again with both the ground and temperature urging the former to give way while we probably acquiesced more to the later.

Fortunately, Orsy saw our fading faces and evaporating energy levels and decided a quick dip in the nearby ocean was in order. 

 (cue the 'wee-hoos!' and the 'this is the best day ever' comments!) So we did get to spend a short respite in the refreshing tropical salt bath ocean and left with fresh faces and renewed energy!  

After a few more hours of work in the afternoon - the enclosure is starting to take shape.  Also Faith 

has made huge progress (with the help of a few students) on her composting box that she is building for the home.  It is a perfect complement to the new use of land that Orsy has planned - as they are trying to enhance the plantings and agricultural work projects overall.  

Fear not - while the work might be hard and our bodies sore - we are feasting phenomenally! Hamburgers, Fries, and Fresh Salad for lunch and tonight's dinner was an amazing Pizza Pie made 

fresh in Blanca and Frances' kitchen.  As almost always the meal is complimented with some delicious fresh fruit - watermelon and pineapple.  

To end our evening tonight - we once again got a treat from one of our amazing students - as Preston lead us all in a bit of discovery. 

 I say discovery because I don't think most of the students knew they were singing stars but they quickly enthralled the Children with their melodic voices.  There was a combination of more traditional patriotic songs (God Bless America and America the Beautiful) with a few big 

contemporary hits (Wagon Wheel and One Day). 

 Then Preston shared his love for music with the children and lead them in an arts and crafts project of making their own drums.  

After the drums were created - we all sat around a circle enjoying a beautiful symphony (ok so maybe more of a cacophony?) of sound.   Mr. Scholl would have been proud of us - it was almost Pow Wow worthy. And much like any parent back home who has received the precious gift of a drum set for their youngster - Orsy and Banesa could only smile and shake their heads at the future of banging drums in the house.  

The children absolutely loved it and it wouldn't be a surprise at all if one of the them has already determined to be a future musician.

Hugs, prayers, and off to bed - as tomorrow we are going to be headed out on a tour of the island.  Adventure awaits and our Patriots are ready to go!

Patriots Do ... Good Work!

Day 2 - Patriots Do ... Go Work!

Jimmy Buffett once famously sang 'Come Monday... It'll Be Alright' and indeed he was correct.  
Monday morning greeted us with a blaring hot equatorial sun, the chatter of little children off to school, and the promise of a day full of work wrapped up by a night full of play.  
And it was all alright!

We started our day with a more official tour of the Children's Home and ground from Mr. Orsy.  It really is amazing what they have done with such a small space for so many little ones.  The 'home' is dotted with touches of individual personality and a sense of love to say the least.  Orsy proudly demonstrated all the ongoing projects as well as the ones recently completed.  

For those on the trip last year ... the mosaic play room wall that we completed has sprung birth to a

mosaic hallway upstairs and a home full of new color schemes.  We also got to see the mahogany trees we would soon be planting and visit the children's dormitory as well as school building.  The lesson of the tour was it is not about the age or the condition of a place that matters.  Rather, the love that has been put into building it and maintaining it along with all the memories that are made in it - is what really counts.  

Before long, we work off to work, today's project plant 38 mahogany trees in a ground that seemed to offer a formidable challenge when it came to giving up it's insides.  Working in 90 degrees and moving timber, concrete, and dirt isn't glorious - unless you pause to think of things from God's perspective.   


 
  

A few years ago Mr. Johnson's emails often ended with a quote ... 

“The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.” (Nelson Henderson)

 Truly, this can be a great summation of service ... and our service today.  What do 39 mahogany trees mean ... well nothing right now, yet everything.  There was no promise of future riches (though the hope is that once fully grown in 15 years or so the trees will be an income source for the Children's Home).  And even the free benefit of shade won't be realized for many years from now - long after our students have spent their sweaty days on the open field here.  

    

Yet, through the labor of these 17 Patriot Seniors - they have demonstrated their love for others.  And I couldn't think of a more perfect analogy for both the children of the Home here and our Patriot men and women than a tiny sapling that someday will grow into a strong and beautiful tree that provides for others.  

After our work all day in the field, we enjoyed another one of the delicious and authentic Honduran meals whipped up by Blanca and her team of young ladies in the kitchen.  I overheard one of the students say ... "everything just tastes 'fresher' here, I love it" - so true!  You haven't tasted a pineapple until you have worked up a sweat all day and there is a juicy cold bright and shiny piece of Honduran pineapple resting on your plate.  Enough to make anyone a foodie for a day! ... And after the boys did the dishes (we all rotate turns), the ladies - lead by Holly and Alex Shippley treated us all to one last fun activity of the evening - the chance to create some beauty through art.

The simplicity of drawing, coloring, and creating 

 some origami and bracelets was the perfect end to the perfect night.  The students paired off around the room while a cool breeze came off the ocean to fight the warmth of the leftover humidity of the day.

Bodies sprawled everywhere - coloring, cutting, and creating - while soaking in the last few minutes of the day seemed to be just what everyone needed and wanted.  

  

   

We finished the night holding hands in a circle and being reminded that as the bible says in Ephesians 2:10 that WE (both student and child, both    

American and Honduran, both tiny and tall), WE are God's work of art and we have been created in Christ's image to do good work!  

I think it is fair to say that there was a lot of good work done today.  Patriots do ... Good Work!    

Welcome to Honduras

Well We Are Here!
(Parents I am hopeful that your son or daughter did contact you yesterday to let you know of our safe arrival - we had no problems getting through Houston and landed safely late afternoon here in Roatan, Honduras.  All of our luggage and project materials made it as well so things are off to a great start!

17 Adventurous Caring Patriots took off yesterday morning (way too early - 3:30am) from BWI airport on an adventure of a lifetime and we landed on the sunny side of Roatan, Honduras to find humidity, hugs, and the huge smile of Mr. Orsy Cruz (our host and resident expert on all things here the Children's Home of Sandy Bay Lighthouse Ministries - a true beacon on the hill).

 
Our first day was spent with the simple pleasure of playing with the children, acclimating to the climate (after 18 days straight of rain in Maryland - Sunny and 85 ain't so bad) and enjoying some local delicious food including salads with spicy pickled onions, beans, chicken, tortillas, and everyone's favorite a drink seemingly made of pure sugar!

Though, I probably shouldn't be, I am always amazed at the relative ease that the children here at the Home (there are 23 boys and girls between the ages of 2 and 15) embrace our students.  And likewise our Patriot Seniors (one week before their graduation) seamlessly open their arms and their hearts to their new found friends here on the tiny island off mainland Honduras.  So much love going around (so much sweat ... also to be found).  

But alas as I type this Preston is playing the guitar at the behest of Yui and Angel, Kristen is forcing a smile from the crack of Destiny's austere veneer, and behind the main building Eve, Savannah, Alex, and Taylor are immersed in some serious sidewalk chalk art with the Anna,Stephanie, Andrea, and Danny.  

Grace is reading to Immanuel, Mikenzhie to Wilson, and sweet little Brittany is smiling from across the room at Lexi and Alex (she's a timid 3 year who is the newest member of the tribe here - she came 2 days ago from a very sad situation but is now part of the big family and loving it.) 

And then there's Kurt ... :) Kurt who lead a beautiful blend of humanity in a raucous game of Ga-Ga (parents if you are unfamiliar with the game - it is the hit at every Christian youth group in the States right now - basically you step into a wooden octagon - ala UFC - and roll a soccer ball trying to hit the feet of everyone else - think of a kinder gentler dodgeball ... well almost...).  With Richard climbing on his back, and Carlos playing the role of the spoiler, Kurt stood little chance against his  friendly foes.  My guess is that college linebackers will seem relatively calm to him after surviving a week with adoring children wanting for his attention (which he gladly gives I might add).
So many more stories to tell, and we are just starting.  Monday, while the kids are doing school work, we'll kick off our work on planting trees, building a composting pit, and working on a chicken fence/coop.  Then evenings full of entertaining - arts and crafts, music lessons, and a whole lot more.  

Parents, siblings, friends, and fellow Patriots, you can follow us at this blog and try (if you dare) to keep up with some of the Adventurousness Caring Patriots of John Carroll here in Roatan.  Nothing remains more beautiful in this world then when you see good people at work doing good things.