Back home again....in Cincinnati

Hello all,
After my previous post from Choluteca, we left the internet cafe to find that Honduras had won the Soccer game and the streets were teeming with celebration. But we made it safely back to our hotel.
( If you click on our team photo to the left you will be able to view all my photos with captions)

The next morning we had breakfast, devotions and then boarded the bus for our return trip to Tegucigalpa. The three hour trip was uneventful and the scenery was beautiful. I did learn a new Honduran "rule of the road".. A double yellow line on a two lane winding mountain road indicates a passing lane - or so it seemed. More than once we passed a big truck with traffic coming the other way... everyone just moves over a bit to either side to make room to pass right down the middle.

I have not said much about our fantastic team from both the US and Honduras. We were an unlikely team, all different faiths coming together for a common purpose and realizing how similar our beliefs really were. We all grew closer each day as we shared stories and experiences over dinner in the evening and each morning at breakfast.

Mau and Meilyn were amazing - taking good care of us every minute, transporting, feeding, guiding and most of all sharing their home in Tegucigalpa with us. They made it look easy. From the minute we stepped in the door they made us feel so at home . And their two children, Esther and Joshua were a delight to be with. Thank you!

Although I did not work directly with Juancho and Sady (electricians from Honduras) I heard only rave reviews about their skills. And our translators, Andrea, Gigi, Elizabeth, Gaby and Gabriela all felt like daughters to me by the end of the trip.

I have posted all my photos with descriptions on the picassa website and you can get them by clicking on this link. Click here to view all photos.

Although you all were not there physically, a little bit of you was there as I spoke with the children at the second school and told them how all my friends in the US had helped me raise the money for their school. You were there each day when the rain held off until were were back on paved roads - I knew there were lots of prayers and positive energy flowing from my friends back home. You were there as I handed out the school supplies each day that so many of you contributed to. Thank you so much for the part that each of you played to make this trip so memorable and successful.

I am seriously considering going again next year... so if anyone is interested or just has questions, please let me know. As much fun as this trip was - meeting new friends - it would also be fun to share the experience with any of you.

So long for now. I'll keep checking back to see if anyone leaves comments - or you can just send me an email. Don't forget to check the Sonlight Power Blog for day by day accounts of the installations as well as update from the two teams who follow us.

God bless you all.... Sharon

Hello from Choluteca

Hello from Choluteca,
We have just completed our third and last installation! And this is my first real opportunity to spend some time on the internet. The rest of the team is watching the Honduran Soccer game on a jumbo tron in Wendy´s . A really big deal here.

We have had two very adventuresome days - traveling to parts of Honduras that I don´t think very many people see. We traveled in big four wheel drive trucks driven by very experienced government workers. The roads were more like rock and mud paths up and down and around the mountains. We were in the part of Honduras right across the river from Nicaragua. The scenery is absolutely beautiful and so are the people. But the poverty is extreme.

Along the way we could see women washing their clothing and hair in the creeks. There are no doors on the homes and when we caught a glimpse of the inside - sometimes there was a hammock and maybe a plastic chair. We saw many more horses than cars. A horse was often tied up outside a home, much like we would park a car. In addition to horses, we often had to slow down (or honk) for cows, pigs, chickens, dogs, roosters and turkeys. I think the rule is - if it is big enough to damage the vehicle, slow down - if not, honk and say a prayer for the animal.

Our installations went off without a hitch. We had enough supplies here in Tegucigalpa for all our schools. We are hoping - and praying - the customs issues will be resolved before the next team arrives on Saturday. At the schools each day we are welcomed by smiling children and teachers. The children laughed the most when I attempt to speak to them in Spanish. The little ones just look a little puzzled - the older ones laugh unabashedly.

Our hotel is lovely and comfortable. The food is local and pretty good. The people are genuine and kind. Our team is amazing and I feel like they have all become family. I am sharing a room with three young ladies (all 17 yrs old) from Honduras who are interpreting for us. Gabby, Gabriella and Elizabeth. I will post their photos below. They are all delightful and have adopted me as their Mom!

I will include some photos in this blog post, however, please check out the sonlight power blog for details of each day´s events. www.sonlightpower.org/blog, We are usually not more than one day behind on those posts.

I will give you a sneak peek of day three... the official SonLight Power post will not be until tomorrow. We were greeted with flags, balloons and musicians - and treated like royalty. A very humbling experience. And a little girl in 5th grade gave a speech that made me cry. At the end she crossed her arms over her chest and said she was giving us a big hug from all the children in Honduras.

Tomorrow we pack up and head back to Teguc for some shopping, dinner and a good nights sleep before the trip home on Friday.

More later!

Safe arrival in Honduras

Hello all,
We arrived safely in Honduras yesterday with LOTS of luggage. Our host family, the Moncadas picked us up at the airport and all nine of us and our multitude of luggage piled into a big van for the 4 block drive to their home.

We will be staying with the Moncadas until Sunday afternoon when we will head out to Choluteca. Their home is beautiful and Meilyn and Mau are so warm and hospitable. They are feeding us well and they have two absolutely delightful children, and Joshua. Esther is 6 and Joshua is 9 and they are both bilingual. I told Esther (in Spanish) that I need to practice my Spanish. And she replied "Si! You DO need to practice your Spanish."

Well - got to go now. Others are waiting their turn on the computer.

One more thing...promising news on the supplies - we have not seen them yet - but were told they were found and are on their say... Keep the prayers coming.

Packing Up!

I have spent the last few days packing and repacking. I have two big suitcases - mostly filled with gifts and school supplies and craft kits and bug spray and granola bars and and clothes and shoes. I have also been practicing making balloon animals and my Spanish. I went to the library's book sale and purchased two children's books in Spanish. I was able to make out most of the words. So I think I may be able to converse with a three year old - as long as they speak slowly!

I will try to update this blog whenever possible. Not sure what my internet access will be. There is also a SonLight Power blog that I will link to this site. Several team members will most likely be posting to that blog - so you can get the story from their point of view also.

We will be flying out of Cincinnati on Friday morning at 7am to Atlanta. Then out of Atlanta to Tegusagalpa, Honduras. Arriving at 11:30 am. They are two hours earlier than Cincinnati time.

Please continue to pray for a safe and successful trip for our mission team. God bless you all... what wonderful support everyone has been - how did I ever get so lucky and blessed?

Assembly Party - May 19

On May 19th, I had an assembly party where 10 family, friends and neighbors gathered to help me assemble 500 craft kits and rainbow necklaces and 150 school kits. Almost everything was either donated or paid for with money from Annie's fundraiser for school supplies.

I received donations from friends at church, work and everywhere.... Everyone has been so generous with their time, resources, prayers and good wishes...

Training Weekend at Camp Amakanata

On the weekend of May 1st we went to Camp Amakanata for our training weekend. In addition to meeting everyone on our team and getting to know each other, we learned about installing the solar panels, practiced parachute games and planned for the Fiesta.

Annie's PartyLite fundraiser

My daughter Annie had a PartyLite Candle Party on April 30th and turned it into a fundraiser, A donation will be made for my trip in lieu of hostess gifts. She earned over $230 that I will use to purchase some school supplies and craft items to take along... She is wonderful.