Three weeks ago, I found out that there were two different words in Spanish for the English word ‘to try’. ‘Probar’ is used in the context of trying food for the taste whereas ‘intentar’ is what is used when wanting to say “I will try out a new sport or activity”. I had been using only ‘probar’ for both meanings for the past 6 months with mixed success. Knowing what I know now, I wish someone had told me sooner this difference. Needless to say, by understanding there were two words for one in English and each is used in a different context, my Spanish improved that little bit more.
Continuing with the theme of ‘trying’ - I have been ‘intentando’ to write a blog post for the past month with little success, overcome with the business of daily life that tends to happen to us all in the middle of the year. The past two months have passed in a whirlwind of work and community activities on the ranch as well as a fair share of challenges and very special memories – some of which I would like to try to share with you today.
One of the highlights of the year here on the ranch is what is known as the ‘Olympiadas’ or Olympics. The Olympiadas are an annual celebration of the founding of NPH here in Honduras. But it not a simple day celebration – no. Everyone from all over NPH Honduras (all 600 children, employees, volunteers, caregivers) is split into 12 groups and given a theme. The theme for this year was ‘Ancient Civilisations’ and my group was Romans. We had to meet two or three times a week after work for 2 months beforehand to plan a 10-minute presentation/showcase on our theme, do a posterboard with information, create t-shirts for every team member and create a war cry. This event is taken very seriously and so much effort is put into it – I never thought I would be up to midnight painting a Coliseum from cardboard. We presented our showcase to everyone one Friday night and got to watch the other groups perform as well. It was a special memory to share with the kids and adults in my team – especially since we ended up placing 4th out of 12 teams.
The next day we were up early for a short mass, group photo and then the Olympics began. It was a series of 12 activities for 15 minutes each that were a combination of Survivor and Amazing Race challenges. We ran giant sponges around in the mud to fill up buckets, went go-karting, did trivia, slid down a slide made on a hill leading to the dam and threw a ball in a hoop, ran through an obstacle course, threw water balloons over fences, slide down hills with cups of water, ran circles around a pole and then had to score a goal and more. It was an incredibly fun day that was so well organised. My team placed 3rd in the games and so we won a prize (which we still don’t know yet). It was definitely a memory I will always cherish.
This past week we celebrated the Festival of Maise/Corn where they made traditional shacks of the different indigenous groups of Honduras by hand. On the day they sold traditional corn products such as atol, tamalitos, montucas, pan de maiz and atol (all absolutely delicious foods made with lots of love and time!). The caregivers and kids dressed up as well. It was a lovely afternoon activity to share and an amazing example of how the people at NPH never do anything half way – the heart and soul that went into this small event was incredible to see.
Another responsibility we have as volunteers is to run what is known as ‘Proyecto familiar’ meaning the family project. Many siblings here on the ranch are split between different homes and so they often do not get to spend quality time together. The idea of ‘Proyecto familiar’ is to create a space for them to share a memorable evening together with some good food and fun. Here are some photos of one Proyecto we did with one of my boys from the home with disabilities. Because he did not have any siblings, we invited a few boys to share the evening with him and as you can see he absolutely loved it.
Another memorable day we recently had was day of the visitors. A few times a year the children who have family are able to receive visitors. Because many of the children don’t receive visitors, the volunteers are put in charge of creating a fun memorable day for them – a bit daunting beforehand. We kept it simple and had a fun day watching movies, playing sports and going for a nature walk, but also treated them to some very good food and treats. Because my work currently is with mostly the children and youth with disabilities, it was lovely to get to know some of the other children and build relationships with them. Here are a few photos of this day and some others from the past 2 months.
I continue to really enjoy my work – it has been very special to see improvements in some of the kids but also be able to share and provide them with stimulation and fun activities – especially after the past 2 years where they were in isolation and had limited opportunities due to the pandemic. There is another OT volunteer who will be arriving in about a month’s time, which I am really looking forward to. I have also decided to extend my time here in Honduras for a second year which I felt was necessary for my work here and because I feel I am exactly where God wants me to be. I continue to show up every day to try or ‘intentar’ to do the best I can for the kids and show them unconditional love and it is a privilege to be able to do so. I hope you are all doing well and I would love to hear from you – so please feel free to reach out. Keeping you all in my prayers, and I ask you all to keep praying for me.
God bless