Monday, March 8

Buenas Noches,

Today, Monday, we all started the day by watching the 1st grade teacher perform 'Devotion'. The children all lined up by grade and pledged allegiance to Honduras. Two of the children held the flag high. Doña Claudia made a few announcements and then we each had the wonderful opportunity of observing each of the classes. The cóntent didn't really seem that different to what our own kids are learning in elementary school, except that of course it was all in Spanish! The class sizes ranged from around 12 to 20 children and most of the children changed classes when the bell sounded, all very quietly and respectfully. Tomorrow, we start to work with the children on a one on one basis helping with reading and mathematics - that should be interesting considering only one of us speaks good Spanish!

Then it was project time: Jenny, Kara and Betsy (being the youngest among us) got the enviable task of swinging a sledge hammer at the Laundry window to make the hole bigger in preparation for some new screens. Two hours later they could be spotted sound asleep on the benches where we later had lunch! Betsy decided it really was a two person job and left them to their fun to join project number two...

Following on from the wonderful work that last year's crew did, Claudia, Suzanne, Susan, Corey and I (Anne) tackled an area to the left of the new dormitory to create a garden similar to the one they created on the right. There was lots of weed wacking without the wacker, throwing a pick in the hope of breaking up ground, raking, etc. Then it was time to shop - for black dirt and plants, that is! Back at the ranch, the non-shoppers, now joined by Betsy, painted the garden wall until the wall (and their hands) were a lovely shade of red.

Talking of painting, Corey and Celia took on the computer/conference space and painted it a lovely shade of white. They are planning to return tomorrow for round two. Celia also found time to shop - this time for paint and pillows!

Our ragged group (no hot water to shower) enjoyed some fun time with the children before bed. They were most appreciative of the pillows now in beautiful covers lovingly made by the Women of Epiphany Kraft and Knit (Alison Taber, Peggy Roll, Maxine Ewing). The children are such a pleasure to be with...
Well, that's all folks!

-- Anne Sharp