Conocer – To know/encounter personally and physically

In Spanish there are two words for ‘knowing’ something – the first is ‘saber’ which means to know about/ have knowledge of but the second is ‘conocer’ which is used when you have personally encountered a person, place or thing. Before arriving at NPH I had only knowledge and expectations of what the place would look like and how it worked. However, after having lived here for just over a week now I can confidently say there is a great difference between what I knew and what I have encountered. It has been such a privilege to start this journey of personally getting to know this organisation and the people who live and work here.

The Ranch:

NPH Honduras is located on a huge piece of property about an hour from the capital city (I have been told the acreage but numbers in Spanish do not quite stick in my brain yet). It is surrounded by beautiful mountains and greenery. ‘The Ranch’ as it is called could easily be disguised as a little village with an outdoor Catholic church, small chapel, pre-school, primary school, two clinics, a surgery centre (run by a separate organisation associated with NPH), big kitchen, tuckshops, a large farm, and all the different homes and offices. There are also spaces where trades are taught such as electrical certification, soldering, sewing, hair-dressing, woodwork – so anything that can be handmade is made on the ranch. There are sidewalks throughout the property making it accessible for those children and adults with mobility difficulty (a small thing that can make such a big difference!). With over 300 children on the property there are plenty of play gyms, soccer fields and basketball courts. While most of the buildings externally may appear weary and worn – everything is kept clean, tidy and functioning.

NPH is not ‘an orphanage’ as one can first assume. They do not receive any government support, do not foster or adopt children either. NPH is a family striving, firstly, to find every possible way to keep a child safely with their family and community. It is only when all options are exhausted by the social workers that the children come to live on the ranch. This means that the NPH invests in the local communities beyond the ranch to ensure children and families have access to resources to prevent a child from coming to live at NPH. The children that do live on the ranch live together as a family and NPH supports their journey from when they first arrive and then throughout their lives – including school, further studies, and even emergency assistance (for example when the hurricanes hit just over a year ago). So many of the current staff at NPH grew up here as children and work tirelessly to ensure the current children have access to the opportunities they have had – doctors, nurses, management, drivers. It is absolutely amazing! While I knew a lot of this information before I arrived – something about seeing the work in action has been enlightening. NPH uses every donation they receive to give these children happy, fulfilling lives and this is evident in every aspect of the ranch.

Below are a few photos of the Ranch and my new home 'San Vincente'

Orientation

My journey at NPH began with six other volunteers from Columbia, Argentina, Holland and the US. We have joined the 12 current volunteers working here already. After 3 days of ‘quarantine’ which allowed us to settle into life on the ranch, we began our first of two weeks general orientation. An organisation this size has a lot of working parts that we have learnt about, people we have met, as well as places on the ranch to see. The care and dedication to ensure the new volunteers understand the mission, vision, and how these are implemented through daily life at the organisation has been reflected in the time they are investing in our orientation – from meeting with the national and international directors of NPH, all the heads of departments, getting to experience working in the kitchen that feeds the whole ranch as well as the usual policies and processes. The second week of orientation will see us visiting the different community projects NPH invests in – a lot of these projects I may also be working in.

Below is a picture of all the new volunteers as well as when we were presented to the community after Mass on Sunday.

Personally, I have settled into life here this week and gotten into a good routine. The whole orientation has been in Spanish so my understanding has improved a lot – speaking, however, remains a difficulty. All the other volunteers have been really lovely and welcoming which has made the transition so much easier. And I always appreciate a quick conversation in English or someone translating a word for me. Poco un poco - little by little it is getting easier!

Every day I learn and experience something new which challenges me spiritually, mentally, physically and emotionally. This has been really good for me and I know I am exactly where God wants me to be. I look forward to sharing more stories about life here with you in the weeks to come.

God bless!