Hi Everyone!
This first photo is of all the volunteers I went to the lake with for the celebration of the New Year. We took the picture right after the clock struck 12! Happy New Year!
This first photo is of all the volunteers I went to the lake with for the celebration of the New Year. We took the picture right after the clock struck 12! Happy New Year!
These pictures are of the lake on New Year´s. I was experimenting with my camera and the night lens. Didn´t they turn out beautiful? This is the Lago Yojoa, the biggest lake in Honduras.
The next picture is of Savanna and Jennifer, the two other PCVs I spent the most time with on New Year´s. We just did a lot of talking, walking and just hanging out during those two days.
The next picture is one of the spectacular veiws from Planes. The thing is, it is just a normal view--all of them are so amazing. And I had forgotten until I had Juliana with me to be impressed.
The next pictures are of one of my excitements this January. I have spent time making flower beds and vegetable beds with Oneyda. I have also planted tomatoes, peppers, and a bunch of spices in these cups. I feel like a proud parent to see them sprouting! I love growing things. Now I´m just waiting (still) to fence in my yard.
I have devoted one of the walls in my kitchen to things I have received in the mail. So as you can see, there are poems, leaves, drawings, pictures, and poems, all pinned up there. It make me very happy. See if you´ve got anything up there!
The next picture is of Savanna and Jennifer, the two other PCVs I spent the most time with on New Year´s. We just did a lot of talking, walking and just hanging out during those two days.
The next picture is one of the spectacular veiws from Planes. The thing is, it is just a normal view--all of them are so amazing. And I had forgotten until I had Juliana with me to be impressed.
The next pictures are of one of my excitements this January. I have spent time making flower beds and vegetable beds with Oneyda. I have also planted tomatoes, peppers, and a bunch of spices in these cups. I feel like a proud parent to see them sprouting! I love growing things. Now I´m just waiting (still) to fence in my yard.
I have devoted one of the walls in my kitchen to things I have received in the mail. So as you can see, there are poems, leaves, drawings, pictures, and poems, all pinned up there. It make me very happy. See if you´ve got anything up there!
Since arriving back at site I have generally felt very good. It was fun to be back and spend time with my community members. They were excited to see me, and more than a few told me they were afraid that I had gone home never to return. Since returning to site I have been working on planting with Oneyda (we already have sprouts---see the picture above again!) and planting at home. I finished making my walls smooth and whitewashing them (now I have to make the outside more pretty). I put up a false ceiling of plastic in my house. That way you can´t see the dirty ceiling. I made invitations for a library meeting (we´re going to try to get a new committee) and have been passing them out all week. The meeting in on Sunday of this week! Wish me luck! (the important piece will be that people show up!). I had a latrine meeting in Cienegal. We´re making good progress.
That day (Sunday), I went to Cienegal with Julissa (one of Ana´s daughters). We went early so that we could go to the Catholic celebration in that town before the meeting. I got a little worried when I noticed that the man who was preaching was the same one who asked me, weeks ago, if I was married while he was preaching. And sure enough, near the end of his sermon he asked me if I understood what he was saying. I told him that of course I did. Then he proceeded to ask a barrage of questions: are you baptized? confirmed? what´s your first and last name? are you a missionary? what´s your work here? Again, I was very embarrassed, but I´m getting used to such treatment. I guess he was curious, and he figured that the 40 other people in the church were also curious (and they probably were).
And the meeting was energizing. Everyone showed up (that helps me SO much). They had done their homework and they were supportive of the steps we´re taking. We´re starting to organize a compulsory community meeting (for those that want latrines) and we´re working on writing the grant proposal. So exciting! We will have success. We´re meeting again on the 25th.
This week Ada, the women I used to live with, invited me to her wedding that is taking place next Friday! I am excited--it should be fun. I bought a hammock, which a Honduran friend assured me is totally inappropriate for a wedding. Oh well. I think it´s sweet, at least. And useful. And I didn´t want to buy dishes.
Next week, I may go to Tegucigalpa with Juliana (Ana´s other daughter) to a medical brigade to try to solve her mysterious disease that makes her toes fall off. That is, if I can convince Ana to let me do that. Hopefully it works out. At the end of the month I will go to reconnect and see all of the other PAM volunteers. Things are going fast.
I love you all. I hope you are well.
Jennifer
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