Thursday, November 29, 2007
Biblioteca
We have begun a new project this week: A library. We had purchased about 200 books in the states for the boys, and found about 600 more that were in storage at JEC. We have cleaned out a room for the library and are working on getting it all set up. We are going to have games and blocks in their also for the boys to play with- thanks to the donations of many people in Waynesboro. We are excited about this, because the boys haven't had a place to go and read or play with these types of games.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Wilder Adventures
This week we got a special assignment: Wilder (pronounced like Will-der). Wilder is 10 years old, and struggles a little bit more than most of the boys. He is extremely affectionate to me, but that sweet disposition can be flipped like a switch. He fights with the other boys frequently, normally over rather insignificant things. He steals things like markers or crayons just because he wants to use them. And like a lot of the other boys, he has a tendency to lie. He needs a lot of attention, and when he gets it you can't ask for a better child. But when he doesn't, he is stubborn, unyeilding, and fighting with others. We were asked to watch him around the clock. To make sure he wasn't fighting and to give him attention as well.
During the past couple of days, I have learned more about Wilder's past from talking to him. He had told me before that he lived on the streets for 2 years and that he ate trash during that time. I asked him this week why he lived on the streets instead of with his family. He said that his mom would hit him. Then he showed me a scar on his wrist from the rope his mom used to tie him up. He raised his arms up to demonstrate how he was tied up. Considering this past, it's no wonder he has behavioral problems and fights so much. He's only lived at JEC for about a year, so he is still learning and growing.
Yesterday, after a series of events, Wilder had to be physically removed from a room because he refused to leave. He fought the older boy, kicking and screaming the whole way out the door. He continued fighting for probably 20 minutes or more. It was a terrible sight. He was yelling and fighting, and really looked like a wild animal. I couldn't watch. I went to my room and cried. It breaks my heart that one little boy can have so much anger, so much fight in him. It breaks my heart that he has had the kind of life that would make fighting his initial response to problems.
Wilder really loves me and listens to me normally very well. I have been talking to him about fighting, role playing, and encouraging him to calm down instead of fighting. After yesterday's event, I didn't feel I had made much progress. However, he was very remorseful and apologized over and over to me for his bad behavior. (He is the only child that has ever apologized to me for acting poorly.) But today, after church, I was standing out side the bus when I heard a boy yelling. I rushed on the bus, and had to pull another boy off of Wilder. Wilder had been crouched down on the seat while the other boy was hitting him. Wilder sat with me and cried and eventually calmed down. Another boy came up to me and said that Wilder said he had promised me that he wouldn't fight, and so that's why he wasn't hitting back.
It's overwhelming sometimes. Every child at JEC has a story like Wilder. They've been abused and neglected, or else they wouldn't be at Jovenes. Please pray for Wilder. Please pray for all of the boys. Pray for us to have wisdom and patience. Dios les bendiga.
During the past couple of days, I have learned more about Wilder's past from talking to him. He had told me before that he lived on the streets for 2 years and that he ate trash during that time. I asked him this week why he lived on the streets instead of with his family. He said that his mom would hit him. Then he showed me a scar on his wrist from the rope his mom used to tie him up. He raised his arms up to demonstrate how he was tied up. Considering this past, it's no wonder he has behavioral problems and fights so much. He's only lived at JEC for about a year, so he is still learning and growing.
Yesterday, after a series of events, Wilder had to be physically removed from a room because he refused to leave. He fought the older boy, kicking and screaming the whole way out the door. He continued fighting for probably 20 minutes or more. It was a terrible sight. He was yelling and fighting, and really looked like a wild animal. I couldn't watch. I went to my room and cried. It breaks my heart that one little boy can have so much anger, so much fight in him. It breaks my heart that he has had the kind of life that would make fighting his initial response to problems.
Wilder really loves me and listens to me normally very well. I have been talking to him about fighting, role playing, and encouraging him to calm down instead of fighting. After yesterday's event, I didn't feel I had made much progress. However, he was very remorseful and apologized over and over to me for his bad behavior. (He is the only child that has ever apologized to me for acting poorly.) But today, after church, I was standing out side the bus when I heard a boy yelling. I rushed on the bus, and had to pull another boy off of Wilder. Wilder had been crouched down on the seat while the other boy was hitting him. Wilder sat with me and cried and eventually calmed down. Another boy came up to me and said that Wilder said he had promised me that he wouldn't fight, and so that's why he wasn't hitting back.
It's overwhelming sometimes. Every child at JEC has a story like Wilder. They've been abused and neglected, or else they wouldn't be at Jovenes. Please pray for Wilder. Please pray for all of the boys. Pray for us to have wisdom and patience. Dios les bendiga.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Christmas Elves
I made Christmas photos for cards for the kids' sponsers. I wanted to share a few on here, and introduce my some of my boys.
This is my Sweet Little Norman. He is my therapy on stressful days. He is always smiling and giving hugs and kisses freely. He loves to be held and played with. When it's time for me to go he always says, "No se va." Which means Don't leave! I love it. He even tells us "I love you!" in English sometimes.
The story of Jose Alexander, aka Nana, is a very touching one. He was brought to JEC in January when he was only 18 months old, the youngest one ever to live here. He had a young mother who was married to his much older father. His mother left after he was born with a younger man, leaving the old man to care for the baby. The father still had to go work out in the fields and didn't have anyone to care for him. He was afraid that the baby would get hurt at home by himself, so he would put him in a barrell while he was gone. It's my understanding that the man wasn't trying to harm him, he was doing the best he could. Because of the alone time in the barrell, Jose became immune to sounds because of the loud echo of his own cry. The social worker reported that he was eating his own feces while in the barrell. When he came to JEC he couldn't walk, talk, eat very well, nor did he cry. The only thing he could say was nananananananna, thus becoming his nickname. I'm happy to share that he walks, talks, eats, and cries now! The older boys pick him up and love on him all the time...as do the rest of us.
Isaias is 10 years old and in the 3rd grade. He was born with deformed legs, but don't think that slows him down. He plays soccer, normally as a goalie (the small picture in the bottom right corner was taken during a soccer tournament.) He is in my computer class, and loves learning how to use it. He has a great sense of humor and is always making me and the others laugh. He is one of the best readers in the house, and one of the most competitive when it comes to playing cards!
Junior has fun whatever he is doing. Seriously he's always smiling. If he's playing outside or mopping the floor because he's in trouble, he is grinning ear to ear. In the top corner picture, he's washing his socks! You wouldn't know that from the smile on his face!
I couldn't do these introductions, without introducing one of our most colorful characters. Cristian Ponce is our "wild card." We don't ever know what to expect from him. He might be playing nice and laughing, or he might take out his bed slat and try to hit someone with it (as reference in the blog below.) He keeps us on our toes and there is never a dull moment with him..that is for sure.
Cristian Josue won my heart on my first visit to JEC in July 2006. I found out later that he had just moved to JEC only 2 days before my visit, so I feel a special connection with him. Cristian is a pretty normal boy. He is sweet and affectionate, but still gets into the occasional fight because he was aggravating someone.
This is my Sweet Little Norman. He is my therapy on stressful days. He is always smiling and giving hugs and kisses freely. He loves to be held and played with. When it's time for me to go he always says, "No se va." Which means Don't leave! I love it. He even tells us "I love you!" in English sometimes. Eduardo is 5 years old, and goes to Kindergarten. He loves staring at us with those big brown eyes. He's another one that is always smiling and giving hugs.
Isaias is 10 years old and in the 3rd grade. He was born with deformed legs, but don't think that slows him down. He plays soccer, normally as a goalie (the small picture in the bottom right corner was taken during a soccer tournament.) He is in my computer class, and loves learning how to use it. He has a great sense of humor and is always making me and the others laugh. He is one of the best readers in the house, and one of the most competitive when it comes to playing cards!
I couldn't do these introductions, without introducing one of our most colorful characters. Cristian Ponce is our "wild card." We don't ever know what to expect from him. He might be playing nice and laughing, or he might take out his bed slat and try to hit someone with it (as reference in the blog below.) He keeps us on our toes and there is never a dull moment with him..that is for sure. Cristian Josue won my heart on my first visit to JEC in July 2006. I found out later that he had just moved to JEC only 2 days before my visit, so I feel a special connection with him. Cristian is a pretty normal boy. He is sweet and affectionate, but still gets into the occasional fight because he was aggravating someone. These are just a few of the special boys in my life. Come and visit and meet them all!
Reflections after a Month
In an ideal world, we would update this blog at least weekly and add photos all the time. But we don't live in an ideal world, we live in El Zamarano, Honduras where internet access is as rare as a smooth paved road.
Our first couple of weeks here we helped primarily with the middle boys, ages 8-12. We played with them, helped with homework, read with them, helped them get ready, etc. We helped set up a computer lab of 7 computers, and we have 3 classes twice a week now. For the past week and a half, we have filled in for the houseparents of the oldest dorm, ages 13-17. Last Sunday Alden gave the Lord's Supper talk at church, in Spanish of course.
I wish I could report that it has been a breeze, no problems. But just as we expected, this is not the case. There are 85 boys that live here. 85 boys living together who hadn't lived on the streets, been molested, or physically abused would be a handful. 85 boys with that kind of background is a challenge. Some are habitually angry. A few lack complete mental facilities (One boy, Cristian, is fond of attempting to attack others with his bed slat when they bother him.) Some of the teenage boys still wet the bed. Every night. Some will attack another just for sitting in there chair. Some are simply attention deprivied and can be quite pesky. Others will lie right to your face. Some will be blantantly disrespectful. On 2 occasions just this week, our room has been broken into. There are some that struggle with sexual problems as well.
But, God has changed and is changing these boys. While there are some that have a long way to go, others have already come a long way. These boys have had a terrible past, and God is using Jovenes En Camino to help prepare a brighter future for the boys. Of this I am confident. Most of the boys are good most of the time. I can't say that any of them are just plain mean. They lead in worship by praying, leading singing, reading Scripture, and assisting with the Lord's Supper. When they pray, especially before meals, they rarely forget to pray for the children on the streets that don't have food. I may have prayed for homeless people before, but I couldn't relate to it. The first time I understood their prayer for children without food, it made me cry. They know what it's like. They've been without food. And now that they have a steady supply of 3 meals a day, they haven't forgotten that others are so fortunate. I see the older boys take care of the little boys and pick them up when they cry. Or help unclinch fists of an angry boy. They share their food and their shoes. (It's hard to understand what a precious commodity shoes are here, and how frequently their shoes get completely worn out.) God is making street children into faithful children of His. Even though it isn't always easy, I'm grateful that God is using us to be a part of this process.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Photos!
You can look at our pictures finally! To see the ones from Utila, click on: http://fhu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2017098&l=4c102&id=150801246
For photos from Copan, click on: http://fhu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2017099&l=0f33f&id=150801246
Alden had been sick with Typhoid, and in the hospital, but he is all better now. We have enjoyed our time with the Mendez family while we´ve been in La Ceiba. We finish our Spanish class tomorrow, and will travel to Jovenes En Camino on Tuesday. We are excited to be with the boys soon.
For photos from Copan, click on: http://fhu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2017099&l=0f33f&id=150801246
Alden had been sick with Typhoid, and in the hospital, but he is all better now. We have enjoyed our time with the Mendez family while we´ve been in La Ceiba. We finish our Spanish class tomorrow, and will travel to Jovenes En Camino on Tuesday. We are excited to be with the boys soon.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Lluvia, lluvia, se va!
Alden and I are safe from the hurricane. Many of you have sent emails and messages to us, expressing your concern. Thank you! We are in Copan now, and are in a pretty safe place from the hurricane. Its rained for about 24 hours non stop, but at least the streets arent flooded. Spanish school is going well, and we are staying with a nice host family. Hopefully one of these days Ill add some pictures on here! Oh, and on Monday we visited the Mayan Ruines. Very cool.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Island Life
Hey friends,
We made it to Honduras after a long journey last Saturday. We arrived to our destination about 5 hours later than planned, and had to take one more plane ride than expected too. But, we made it with all our luggage (Gracias a Dios!) and we arrived safely. There was a lot of frustrations at the first airport in Honduras. Our flight was delayed indefinitely, and our luggage was not where it was supposed to be. After jumping through a lot of hoops, speaking a lot of Spanish, and releasing a lot of nervous sweat, we got our luggage fiasco taken care of. I had become a little discouraged, and I thought, God, it's a our first day. Maybe a little break? And then, we went through security to our departure gate, we could see a full arc rainbow through the huge windows. We both just stopped, and admired its beauty for a while. I guess God was reminding me that He keeps His promises, and that He will continously care for us, even during storms. So maybe it was a good start to our first day in the country after all.
After we arrived in La Ceiba, we stayed with Sarahi's family, who have been very hospitable to us. For those of you who don't know Sarahi, she is from Honduras and just happened to be living in Nashville this summer. She and I helped each other with Spanish/English, and she volunteered her family for us to stay with while we went to language school in La Ceiba for 2 weeks. I can't help but think that God put us together this summer. What a blessing to have a friendly face holding a sign saying "Bienvenidos a Honduras Alden y Candass Boss!"
We took the boat over to Utila, a small island off the coast of La Ceiba, to begin our language school. The people here are great, so laid back and friendly. We had a full week of Spanish school, and are making progress. We also learned to scuba dive while here, and that has been a fun experience as well.
We leave on Sunday for Copan. It will be a full day of travel 6:30 am to 5:30 pm (if everything runs on time...which as you could guess is quite contrary to the culture.) We have heard good things about Copan, the school, and the host families. We will be staying with a family that the school will assign us. I think that it will be good, at least the other students have said it was good for them.
I am excited about our time in language school, but I can't wait to be with my boys at Jovenes. When I see the little brown boys on the island, I see the faces of my boys. I miss them, and can't hardly wait to be with them.
Thank you all for your prayers. We love and miss you all.
We made it to Honduras after a long journey last Saturday. We arrived to our destination about 5 hours later than planned, and had to take one more plane ride than expected too. But, we made it with all our luggage (Gracias a Dios!) and we arrived safely. There was a lot of frustrations at the first airport in Honduras. Our flight was delayed indefinitely, and our luggage was not where it was supposed to be. After jumping through a lot of hoops, speaking a lot of Spanish, and releasing a lot of nervous sweat, we got our luggage fiasco taken care of. I had become a little discouraged, and I thought, God, it's a our first day. Maybe a little break? And then, we went through security to our departure gate, we could see a full arc rainbow through the huge windows. We both just stopped, and admired its beauty for a while. I guess God was reminding me that He keeps His promises, and that He will continously care for us, even during storms. So maybe it was a good start to our first day in the country after all.
After we arrived in La Ceiba, we stayed with Sarahi's family, who have been very hospitable to us. For those of you who don't know Sarahi, she is from Honduras and just happened to be living in Nashville this summer. She and I helped each other with Spanish/English, and she volunteered her family for us to stay with while we went to language school in La Ceiba for 2 weeks. I can't help but think that God put us together this summer. What a blessing to have a friendly face holding a sign saying "Bienvenidos a Honduras Alden y Candass Boss!"
We took the boat over to Utila, a small island off the coast of La Ceiba, to begin our language school. The people here are great, so laid back and friendly. We had a full week of Spanish school, and are making progress. We also learned to scuba dive while here, and that has been a fun experience as well.
We leave on Sunday for Copan. It will be a full day of travel 6:30 am to 5:30 pm (if everything runs on time...which as you could guess is quite contrary to the culture.) We have heard good things about Copan, the school, and the host families. We will be staying with a family that the school will assign us. I think that it will be good, at least the other students have said it was good for them.
I am excited about our time in language school, but I can't wait to be with my boys at Jovenes. When I see the little brown boys on the island, I see the faces of my boys. I miss them, and can't hardly wait to be with them.
Thank you all for your prayers. We love and miss you all.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
3 Days Left!
We have been traveling and visiting friends and family for the past couple of weeks. We are moved out of our apartment, and packed for our trip. We got to spend a week with my family, and this week we are hanging out with Alden's family. We leave Saturday morning at 7 am for our adventure, so please keep us in your prayers!
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
17 days and counting
I can't believe that it is already August and we are moving to Honduras in just 17 days! The last 17 days (or so) have been quite busy, and I expect the next 17 will be twice as busy. I finished my job about 3 weeks ago, and have been traveling and spending time with friends and family. We had a little college reunion a few weeks ago with my HRH girls, and had a great time hanging out with them. I also traveled over to Arkansas and see Stacey & Sarah Kate. I've gotten to spend a lot of time with my family, especially my Mom, and I am grateful for that. This week we are packing up our house, and will begin living out of a suitcase.
The most exciting update is that I spent 5 days in Honduras last week (July 27-31). I had a last minute opportunity to travel with a group, and Laura Beth even got to go with me. I had not anticipated such a trip, but God did promise that He would do more than we could ask or imagine! This trip was such a blessing to me! I wish Alden could have joined me, but unfortunately he had to work. These weeks leading up to the move are stressful and emotionally straining to say the least. It is frustrating trying to think of everything and get everything together before moving. The hardest thing by far is telling friends and family goodbye, even though it is only for a year. We've told pretty much everyone bye already except our immediate family, which of course will be the hardest. During my trip, I got to spend 2 days at Jovenes En Camino with my boys, and it was certainly a recharge for my soul. I needed to be reminded of why I had decided to move to Honduras in the first place, and to have the sweet memories of the boys to recall during difficult times. The boys are so excited about us coming. I would tell one boy that I would be back in 2 months with my husband, and that we would live there for 10 months. Then later, another boy would come up to me asking when I was coming back because they had heard it from another boy. One boy, Christian, asked when we were coming, and I told him the end of September. He said, no what day?! September 25. Ok, but how many more days until then!!?? I told him it would just be 60 days, and he just got a huge smile on his face. It's good to feel wanted! Several staff members made me feel very welcome also.
We have several big tasks in front of us, and I ask for your prayers. First and foremost, we need your prayers as we move, say our goodbyes, and adjust to a new culture. We will spend 4 weeks in language school, so Alden can learn Spanish and I can hopefully perfect mine. Besides that, the board has given us several things they want us to do. They are needing to buy some land adjacent to the JEC campus to build the fourth and final dorm. They want us to talk to the man who owns it, a Honduran General, and persuade him to sell it to us. (They've been trying for 5 years, with no luck yet). Secondly, they need help with their agriculture property. It doesn't seem like the crops are growing like they should be, and they want us to look into that. Lastly, they want us to research the school system there, and come up with some better ideas/solutions for the current schooling of the boys. They go to public school, and their resources are maxed out, and they don't think it's high quality anyway. They want to look into private schooling, but are unsure. Please pray for us on these matters.
We don't know how reliable or easily accessible internet will be once we get to Honduras, but we will keep this blog updated as much as possible. We look forward to hearing from you, and we thank you for your prayers.
The most exciting update is that I spent 5 days in Honduras last week (July 27-31). I had a last minute opportunity to travel with a group, and Laura Beth even got to go with me. I had not anticipated such a trip, but God did promise that He would do more than we could ask or imagine! This trip was such a blessing to me! I wish Alden could have joined me, but unfortunately he had to work. These weeks leading up to the move are stressful and emotionally straining to say the least. It is frustrating trying to think of everything and get everything together before moving. The hardest thing by far is telling friends and family goodbye, even though it is only for a year. We've told pretty much everyone bye already except our immediate family, which of course will be the hardest. During my trip, I got to spend 2 days at Jovenes En Camino with my boys, and it was certainly a recharge for my soul. I needed to be reminded of why I had decided to move to Honduras in the first place, and to have the sweet memories of the boys to recall during difficult times. The boys are so excited about us coming. I would tell one boy that I would be back in 2 months with my husband, and that we would live there for 10 months. Then later, another boy would come up to me asking when I was coming back because they had heard it from another boy. One boy, Christian, asked when we were coming, and I told him the end of September. He said, no what day?! September 25. Ok, but how many more days until then!!?? I told him it would just be 60 days, and he just got a huge smile on his face. It's good to feel wanted! Several staff members made me feel very welcome also.
We have several big tasks in front of us, and I ask for your prayers. First and foremost, we need your prayers as we move, say our goodbyes, and adjust to a new culture. We will spend 4 weeks in language school, so Alden can learn Spanish and I can hopefully perfect mine. Besides that, the board has given us several things they want us to do. They are needing to buy some land adjacent to the JEC campus to build the fourth and final dorm. They want us to talk to the man who owns it, a Honduran General, and persuade him to sell it to us. (They've been trying for 5 years, with no luck yet). Secondly, they need help with their agriculture property. It doesn't seem like the crops are growing like they should be, and they want us to look into that. Lastly, they want us to research the school system there, and come up with some better ideas/solutions for the current schooling of the boys. They go to public school, and their resources are maxed out, and they don't think it's high quality anyway. They want to look into private schooling, but are unsure. Please pray for us on these matters.
We don't know how reliable or easily accessible internet will be once we get to Honduras, but we will keep this blog updated as much as possible. We look forward to hearing from you, and we thank you for your prayers.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Ready and Waiting
Our trip plans are all coming together! I booked our plane tickets today and made our reservations for language school.
We leave on Saturday, August 25. We will spend a month in language school studying Spanish intensively. The first week we will be in Utila, the smallest of the Bay Islands. The second week we will study in Copan, which is known for its Mayan Ruins. The last two weeks we will spend in La Ceiba, a coastal city near the Bay Islands.
We will arrive at the ophanage on Tuesday, September 26 and begin our 9 month stay. I will be teaching English to the boys, and I think Alden may help with that also. Our main job is to just love the boys. Many of them have been abused in such terrible ways, and left to fend for themselves on the streets. They are attention starved, so our most important task is to just spend time with them. We will be like assistant dorm parents, and will help with typical parent duties- helping with homework, laundry, getting them ready for school, etc.
On Saturday, December 29, we will come home for about a 2 week visit. I am sure that we will be ready for the break and to see our families. After we return, our plan is to stay until June or July. After that, Alden wants to continue his education and get his doctorate. Where is still to be decided.
We are very excited about this opportunity. I have missed the boys since I first met them last summer, and I can't wait to get back with them. Despite the frustrations that I expect will come from living in another country with 80 Spanish speaking boys, I am confident that they will be blessings to our lives. Speaking of frustrations, telephone calls to the US are expensive, so we will have to rely more on the internet. However, we are unsure how frequently we will be able to use the net. We are hoping that we can get internet access for the orphange so we can keep in touch with all of you better! We have a new email address: aldenandcandace@gmail.com. We will send out updates, so let us know if you want to be on our mailing list.
We appreciate all of your prayers and encouragement! Dios le bendiga!
We leave on Saturday, August 25. We will spend a month in language school studying Spanish intensively. The first week we will be in Utila, the smallest of the Bay Islands. The second week we will study in Copan, which is known for its Mayan Ruins. The last two weeks we will spend in La Ceiba, a coastal city near the Bay Islands.
We will arrive at the ophanage on Tuesday, September 26 and begin our 9 month stay. I will be teaching English to the boys, and I think Alden may help with that also. Our main job is to just love the boys. Many of them have been abused in such terrible ways, and left to fend for themselves on the streets. They are attention starved, so our most important task is to just spend time with them. We will be like assistant dorm parents, and will help with typical parent duties- helping with homework, laundry, getting them ready for school, etc.
On Saturday, December 29, we will come home for about a 2 week visit. I am sure that we will be ready for the break and to see our families. After we return, our plan is to stay until June or July. After that, Alden wants to continue his education and get his doctorate. Where is still to be decided.
We are very excited about this opportunity. I have missed the boys since I first met them last summer, and I can't wait to get back with them. Despite the frustrations that I expect will come from living in another country with 80 Spanish speaking boys, I am confident that they will be blessings to our lives. Speaking of frustrations, telephone calls to the US are expensive, so we will have to rely more on the internet. However, we are unsure how frequently we will be able to use the net. We are hoping that we can get internet access for the orphange so we can keep in touch with all of you better! We have a new email address: aldenandcandace@gmail.com. We will send out updates, so let us know if you want to be on our mailing list.
We appreciate all of your prayers and encouragement! Dios le bendiga!
It's official
I posted this on Facebook on November 16, 2006. This gives a little background for our trip.
It is finally official! Alden and I met with the president of the orphange today and we are moving to Honduras in July/August. We will be going back to the same orphange we worked with this summer, Jovenes en Camino. Currently, it houses about 70 boys ages 3-14. There will probably be 90 boys there by the time we arrive.
This whole experience has taught me so much about relying on God, and trusting in Him to guide our lives. I had been interested in Spanish, and Hispanic culture since I don't know when. We became interested in working with an orphange in Latin America right after we got married. I contacted about 10 places, and only one responded back: Jovenes En Camino. And the president of the orphange is American, and lives in Nashville! We met with him, and signed up to go down for a week long trip this past July. God was really making this easier than I expected! The moment we landed, I felt at home. Even though I was a foreigner, I didn't feel that way at all. We went to the orphange, and of course, the boys won my heart.
In Honduras, like many places, have a huge problem with men and the family. When we worshipped with the mountaintop communtity, there were about 60 women, and about 5 men. So there is a problem within the church, of not only men not being leaders, but not even being active with the church. An even bigger problem is that men are often absent from their families. I saw hundreds of women with children in this poor community, and hardly any men. The boys learn this role of a man, and most likely will follow in their father's footsteps. Another problem in Honduras is education and poverty. It is a terrible cycle. Children have very little education, and thus can't get a well paying job. Then they stay poor, and their children are uneducated, and they grow up and be poor too.
I truly believe in the work at JEC. I believe that this orphange could change the face of Honduras. Their primary goal is to teach the boys to be good & responsible men: good fathers, good husbands, good Christians. Secondly, they not only send them to school, but train them for a trade. It is amazing the transformation that these boys go through. They have been abused in all ways and left to fend for themselves on the streets. I could see the physical scars on them from their pasts. And I know that after I am with them longer, I will see their emotionals scars as well. But while I was with them, I saw boys who longed for love and attention, absolutely hungry for it. Boys that were respectful, and didn't complain. Boys that independently would lead a prayer before they ate. Boys with a hopeful future, despite their grim past.
I think about my boys all the time. I miss them so much. I keep a picture of my little amigo, Christian, on my mirror. I can't wait to return and be with them.
It is still a little unclear what our role will be. Most likely we will be houseparents, either full or part time. I know that God will direct us and use us. He has made the path clear so far, and I am confident that he will continue to guide us. I am so thankful for Alden's support, encouragment, and commitment to this work. I am thankful for all the encouragement and the prayers offered on our behalf and for JEC. Please continue to pray for us, and the work at Jovenes.
It is finally official! Alden and I met with the president of the orphange today and we are moving to Honduras in July/August. We will be going back to the same orphange we worked with this summer, Jovenes en Camino. Currently, it houses about 70 boys ages 3-14. There will probably be 90 boys there by the time we arrive.
This whole experience has taught me so much about relying on God, and trusting in Him to guide our lives. I had been interested in Spanish, and Hispanic culture since I don't know when. We became interested in working with an orphange in Latin America right after we got married. I contacted about 10 places, and only one responded back: Jovenes En Camino. And the president of the orphange is American, and lives in Nashville! We met with him, and signed up to go down for a week long trip this past July. God was really making this easier than I expected! The moment we landed, I felt at home. Even though I was a foreigner, I didn't feel that way at all. We went to the orphange, and of course, the boys won my heart.
In Honduras, like many places, have a huge problem with men and the family. When we worshipped with the mountaintop communtity, there were about 60 women, and about 5 men. So there is a problem within the church, of not only men not being leaders, but not even being active with the church. An even bigger problem is that men are often absent from their families. I saw hundreds of women with children in this poor community, and hardly any men. The boys learn this role of a man, and most likely will follow in their father's footsteps. Another problem in Honduras is education and poverty. It is a terrible cycle. Children have very little education, and thus can't get a well paying job. Then they stay poor, and their children are uneducated, and they grow up and be poor too.
I truly believe in the work at JEC. I believe that this orphange could change the face of Honduras. Their primary goal is to teach the boys to be good & responsible men: good fathers, good husbands, good Christians. Secondly, they not only send them to school, but train them for a trade. It is amazing the transformation that these boys go through. They have been abused in all ways and left to fend for themselves on the streets. I could see the physical scars on them from their pasts. And I know that after I am with them longer, I will see their emotionals scars as well. But while I was with them, I saw boys who longed for love and attention, absolutely hungry for it. Boys that were respectful, and didn't complain. Boys that independently would lead a prayer before they ate. Boys with a hopeful future, despite their grim past.
I think about my boys all the time. I miss them so much. I keep a picture of my little amigo, Christian, on my mirror. I can't wait to return and be with them.
It is still a little unclear what our role will be. Most likely we will be houseparents, either full or part time. I know that God will direct us and use us. He has made the path clear so far, and I am confident that he will continue to guide us. I am so thankful for Alden's support, encouragment, and commitment to this work. I am thankful for all the encouragement and the prayers offered on our behalf and for JEC. Please continue to pray for us, and the work at Jovenes.
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