To begin things off, we have decided that we are not very fond of flying Delta. The flight was long and we just didn´t like the Atlanta airport. But that´s besides the point. We got to Honduras in pretty good timing and without any problems. We have got the airport routine down to a tee! Our first day at Jovenes was a breath of fresh air. Before long the boys were acting as if we never left. It was like being welcomed back home. Of course there were changes (some of the boys had changed houses and some boys were no longer living at Jovenes) but the changes were normal ones. It is hard to explain exactly how Laura and I feel but it felt good to be at our Jovenes home and be reunited with loved ones (because that is what Jovenes is to us...family).
The first fun adventure we had was the day after we arrived. First off, the boys that go to the public school are all on their "summer break". So no classes for them! A fun Honduran New Year's tradition that we got to take part in was setting out stuffed dolls (año viejo/vieja). We were so confused at why there were huge stuffed dolls everywhere but we finally learned that it is a tradition to blow them up with fireworks on New Year's Eve. So, after lunch that day, we all walked out into the street with our 'viejo' dolls and basically asked passing cars for money to by fireworks with. We had so much fun yelling out crazy things to the passing cars and seeing how generous people were. That first day we ended up raising almost 100 dollars to by fireworks! So much fun. It was also a good way to start out our time with the boys because we got to just be crazy with them. We did this for the next two days and ended up being able to buy a good amount of fireworks.
The next thing we go to do was watch the Jovenes boys play soccer against some local teams. Our boys won of course, because they are awesome! It was like rec soccer all over again. The boys had their little uniforms on and everything. I was so proud of them...just like a mom would be! The rest of the weekend we learned more about the boys...like how they are learning to cook! So precious to see them standing in the kitchen frying eggs and learning from Tia Sarai.
The weekend ended and so did the free time. Monday morning after breakfast Laura and I headed out with Casa Rosada to the new property to work. We were using shovels and hoes and rakes and working with the boys to make the river a nice swimming area for the boys. It was a great feeling to work alongside the boys and show them that working is important to us too. The next four days' work consisted of taking corn off the cob...with our hands. It was the craziest work I have done. We had around 20 or 30 huge bags of corn that we had to get off the cob. It was hard work and really messed up our hands and nails but it was some of the most fun we had all week. All the boys were there and everyone was working. It was fun to just sit in the same area and talk and joke with the boys while listening to Tio Marvin's crazy stories. On the fourth day, after finally finishing, we were treated to the pool! Even though the water was freezing cold, it was so much fun to relax and swim with the boys.
The next days were back to normal work. Laura and I got a new job. The boys that go to the bilingual school (Alison) started back school on our Monday. Part of our job while we were there was to take the boys lunch at 12, pick them up at 2:45 and then help them with homework after school. So we, once again, got to drive in Honduras. Not as exciting this time, but it was fun getting to drive to their school and pick them up. It really made us feel like we were little moms.
The craziest part of our adventure was on Thursday, the day we were supposed to leave. Our flight left at 2 so we were planning on leaving Jovenes at 12, getting to the airport around 12:30 and having an hour and a half to get checked in and through security. Well the most absurd events of things happened, like having to stop at the gas station to get gas, and getting stuck behind slow trucks in traffic, and not being able to find a quick parking spot at the airport. With all of these delays we ended up getting to the airport at 1:05. Which, is pushing it a little bit, but still gave us almost an hour to get checked in. Well.....little did we know, Delta closed its ticket counters at 1 for lunch. When we finally decided to go talk to the people in the offices upstairs we found out that their systems were down, and there was no way for them to process tickets. The man literally looked at us and then at his computer and said, "Yeah you guys aren't leaving today". So long story short, we talked to Tio Elvin and decided to re-schedule our flight for Saturday.
After getting back to Jovenes and being welcomed by the boys literally jumping into our laps through the car window, we realized that us missing our flight was a blessing from God. He gave us two extra days with the boys. We literally spent Friday just loving the boys. Playing baseball, soccer, basketball, etc. It was a wonderful day full of peace, happiness, and blessings. I will never forget the beauty of that day.
We thank God for these people that have become such and important part of our life. They are our second family and our second home and they have changed our lives. We are in the process of making plans to go back so prayers would be appreciated. We are still trying to figure out what our futures hold and if Jovenes and Honduras are in our futures. God will lead us where He wants us, we just pray for extra prayers while we listen to His calling.
Thanks again for your support and thanks for reading!
Hannah and LauraBeth
