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Sue Pazinko writes

...about her experience while volunteering in the Honduras volunteer program.

Diary Entries:

· Sue and Lisa
· La Esperanza
· La Esperanza and School
· Child Care and Copan ruins
· School and our Trip home

Sue and Lisa (21 July 2008)

HI I'm Sue and my Mom, Lisa, and I are getting ready for our trip to La Esperanza, Honduras. In two weeks we will be there, not sure what to expect but we are very excited. I'm a Kindergarten and First grade teacher.

When I told my mom I was going to Honduras to Volunteer to teach English and asked her if she wanted to go, it took all about 2 seconds to say she was coming too. She had just retired from teaching in DEC. and I know she is always up for an adventure.

La Esperanza (9 August 2008)

Nick was finally able to give us an orientation since we had all arrived. He gave us each the telephone number of our host family. Which comes in handy since there are no addresses and they just call the homestay to ask for directions... We all became enthused as they told us how much they needed us and how appreciative they are. He said some of the host families have maids because there is always someone who is poorer and will work for less... When we got on the bus a baby was on the bus and Lisa put out her hands and he came to her. Sue played with him too and we kept him for about a half hour and we only gave him back when he was hungry. The bus was packed and the aisle was two people deep. As more and more babies came on the people sitting took them on their laps... We travelled over narrow bumpy dirt roads. We arrived out our homestay... Our room is small and quaint but much better lighting than the hotel. Raul the 10 year old son played Sponge Bob Uno with Sue... The family is very sweet and caring.

La Esperanza and School (13 August 2008)

...It was a long ride to our school. We were greeted by big brown curious eyes. There were no classes today because of the Holiday. About 300 children were running around. They had a concrete slab about the size of a basketball court and rusted swings, slides and jungle gym. We tried to use our jump rope. At first they were very shy and just stood around and watched. When one jumped several more joined in. Pretty soon they were pushing each other to get turn...The children are all so curious...

We had 2 classes of 2nd graders. We taught them colors in English. We taught body parts in a make shift form of Simon Says... We were at first critical of how dirty the children were. But we soon experienced how you could start out clean and be dirty in an hour.

Child Care and Copan ruins (25 August 2008)

We went back to the day care, the boys called "lasso" as soon as they saw Sue. She gave the jumprope to them and the girls were upset. We took the girls under a tree and tried to make God´s eyes... After we got tot the internet the rain became torrential. The electricity in the internet went out. We waited while for the rain to subside but we gave up and walked home. We didn´t avoid the water and just walked straight through four inch deep streams. When we got home Sue put on her bathing suit went out in the rain and washed her hair. Her shower was as soft as "rain water".

School and our Trip home (4 September 2008)

We continued with colors with our second grade classes using a song and colored Twizzlers. We used the song with the first grade also. We made our trusty puppets with the 4th grade. Sue distributed most of her supplies to individual teachers and explained how to use them. While we were sorting out supplies and English Teacher of 7-9 grade asked to see the puppet. We said she could have it and gave her several games Sue had brought. She said we were doing an excellent job, the children all loved when we came and were excited about our creative lessons. It was nice to confirm the hope that we were making a difference. We waited 1/2 hour for the truck, one went by with a large pig in the back and didn't even offer us a ride. The school director drove by with 4 other teachers in the back of the truck. She gave us a ride.

One of the teachers had the student's puppets hanging up. She was GREAT and did all the projects and activities along with the students. Earlier Sue gave Diana, the English Teacher, a CD player and CDs she had burned in English. We waited almost an hour for a truck. Sue still had book markers that she hadn't given out. 8 or 10 children crowded around and she had them name each color before she'd give them one.

Reflection

Honduras is a very beautiful, green, mountainous and friendly place. We always felt safe in our town and when we traveled. Cattle and horses are staked out by the roads to graze. There are dogs all around the villages. Chickens run free and rosters wake you up every morning at about 4:30. Oxen are used to pull carts of wood and plow fields. You will walk a lot over muddy, steep and slippery roads. In La Esperanza many homes did not have running water and if they did showers were far and few between for lack of water in the town as a whole.

The Bay Islands were amazing, beautiful warm waters, with unique coral reefs and sleepy beach towns. The colonial cities had rugged cobblestone streets, impressive architecture and numerous shops and restaurants. The thing I loved about Honduras was that even the so called tourist sections were not touristy by any stretch of the American standard. So many of the towns are so uncommercialized.

This was truly a remarkable and humbling experience. The people and children I have come in contact with have touched my heart and have refocused my priorities. It has caused me to reevaluate. I am hoping my school will have a school wide force to help the school In Honduras. As they say "That which does not kill you makes you stronger" and I'm grateful for the strength have gained.

I'D LOVE TO BE A RESOURCE TO ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE IT AND I HAVE MANY PICTURES TO SHARE!

My e-mail address is .

Things I learned while I was there: his family taught me to distinguish between the necessities and privileges in my own life.