Some more odds, some more ends

This was supposed to go up a long time ago. Like, over a month ago. Since my last post, I helped translate for a dentist at a medical brigade, (I now know how to say cavity, sealant, drill, etc. in Spanish,) experienced my first volunteer retreat, have written 30+ therapy progress reports in Spanish, hosted my first visitor, and explored Nicaragua. So, I've been busy. A feeble excuse, I know, but hopefully the pictures of the sweet pequeños that I love with all of my heart will melt yours as well and make up for lost time. 


Here are some more of the little things that have defined my time here, that I think are worth sharing. 

Birthdays

It was time to celebrate birthdays again in Casa Suyapa in September, but this was my first party as a volunteer in the hogar, since the last party had been during my very first week on the Ranch. Although my birthday was just days away, we were celebrating July and August. We used the newly renovated palapa, and had a fun evening of delicious food, a huge bonfire, and of course dancing. Since this party, they have also celebrated the September and October birthdays, but I was on the volunteer retreat.

I also celebrated my first international birthday in September. It was weird to be away from home, with limited time to talk to family and friends, but I am so thankful to the volunteers who made sure I had a great day. I enjoyed a non-Ranch lunch in the city, was sung to in Casa Suyapa, and ate cake with the volunteers after hogar. My mom even sent a “birthday in a box” so I had presents to open.

My surprise birthday package and a postcard from my fabulous friends.

Proyecto

Proyecto Familiar, which literally means “the family project,” was started by a volunteer who wanted to give pequeños the opportunity to spend time with their biological brothers and sisters. Since the kids live in hogars according to gender and age, many siblings do not always see each other often, despite living together on the Ranch.

A typical Proyecto meal is a baleada, a typical Hondurean dish. We make homemade tortillas, beans, scrambled eggs, and fresh salsa for the baleadas. It sounds a little weird, but they taste delicious. I've never been able to eat more than three, but some of the older boys can eat as many as ten. The kids end their evening with cake and if there’s time, a game or two.

The pequeños love Proyecto. It is a chance for them to gorge themselves on non-Ranch food, and spend the evening with two volunteers and their family. The kids are always asking, “Cuándo me toca proyecto?” or “when is it my turn for proyecto?” because by the time we cycle through all of the families on the Ranch, the kids have proyecto about once every 9-10 months.

I really enjoy doing Proyecto. It has given me the opportunity to get to know the family connections on the Ranch, and work with volunteers I don’t spend as much time with. Some families are more challenging than others, but so far, it has been a lot of fun. 

This was my very first proyecto. If I remember correctly, my friend in the tie dye ate eight baleadas that night. Good thing we made a double batch. I figure if I survived a family of six for my first proyecto ever, the rest can't be too too hard, right?

This family is so cute, but they're feisty. It was an interesting evening.

I was actually a little nervous for this Proyecto, because I spend so much more time working with little kids. These girls all have siblings outside the Ranch, so they did Proyecto together. It turned out to one of my favorite Proyectos, because we sat at the dinner table and just talked. By the end of the evening, I felt as though I had gotten to know each of them really well.  

Los voluntarios

When I committed to volunteering in NPH Honduras, I knew that they had a very well-established volunteer program. I did not, however, anticipate how quickly my fellow volunteers would become such close friends. Whether we are eating leftover Proyecto cake after hogar, attempting to stay fit with a Jillian Michaels workout videos, or commiserating over another meal of rice and beans, I am so thankful for the family and community I have found here. We constantly share the similarities and differences between our different home countries, and I’ve become accustomed to hearing bits of English, German, and Spanish at the picnic table. Despite how exhausting and frustrating volunteer life can be, these people make the toughest days a little more fun.

The "July group" of volunteers.

Some of the crazy people I live with. 

Miriam, our German volunteer coordinator, kept teasing the Americans about how we throw showers for everything. So, naturally, we threw her a baby shower.

At the end of October, we had a volunteer retreat in Amapala, which is a small island between El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua. We celebrated Halloween on the beach, wore shorts and sundresses, and enjoyed a much-needed long weekend off the Ranch. The retreat gave me the opportunity to reflect on my time with NPH so far, and think about what I want to accomplish during the rest of my time here. I had the chance to reflect and share with the other members of the July group, and listen to them as well. It was interesting to hear how we have changed since arriving almost half a year ago, and the changes we hope to see in the months to come.