Saturday 18 February 2012
Manuelito - Saturday
Our last day here at the home. It's been an amazing time and it's going to be very hard to leave in the morning.
Yesterday Mark & Duncan were asked to run a PE session for the children - basically, Duncan planned something out and Mark ran around a lot in the hot sun. Great fun.
All the craft stuff that Rosalie brought out has now been used and we've had good times making things with the children - paper aeroplanes, bookmarks and odd plasticine figures. Our Spanish has been improving no end - especially the word 'momento'- which can mean 'be with you in a moment' as the children tug on you for attention.
Rosalie made Welsh cakes for the kids this morning, which they thought were "muy rico" - very tasty. She also started a water fight - which they found hilarious.
It's been a massive privilege to see something of what God is doing here. Today a small boy has met his father for the first time - his dad is living in the US (his mother's in Guatemala and not in a good way).
We have been finding out a lot about the relationship between the home and the local church, as well as what it costs to run Manuelito and the various needs for funding. Lots of conversations to be had when we get home!!
Tomorrow we're going to La Paz to visit Pastor Luiz' church - a few hours drive away. (A change of plans - but that's the norm here :) ) He's very excited about seeing us again. Then back to the capital to stay at the Mission House until we leave on Tuesday.
Following the prison fire earlier this week, we've just been hearing this afternoon about a huge fire at the biggest market in the centre of Tegucigalpa. Please pray for this beautiful country.
Yesterday Mark & Duncan were asked to run a PE session for the children - basically, Duncan planned something out and Mark ran around a lot in the hot sun. Great fun.
All the craft stuff that Rosalie brought out has now been used and we've had good times making things with the children - paper aeroplanes, bookmarks and odd plasticine figures. Our Spanish has been improving no end - especially the word 'momento'- which can mean 'be with you in a moment' as the children tug on you for attention.
Rosalie made Welsh cakes for the kids this morning, which they thought were "muy rico" - very tasty. She also started a water fight - which they found hilarious.
It's been a massive privilege to see something of what God is doing here. Today a small boy has met his father for the first time - his dad is living in the US (his mother's in Guatemala and not in a good way).
We have been finding out a lot about the relationship between the home and the local church, as well as what it costs to run Manuelito and the various needs for funding. Lots of conversations to be had when we get home!!
Tomorrow we're going to La Paz to visit Pastor Luiz' church - a few hours drive away. (A change of plans - but that's the norm here :) ) He's very excited about seeing us again. Then back to the capital to stay at the Mission House until we leave on Tuesday.
Following the prison fire earlier this week, we've just been hearing this afternoon about a huge fire at the biggest market in the centre of Tegucigalpa. Please pray for this beautiful country.
Thursday 16 February 2012
Talanga and Manuelito
We arrived in Talanga midmorning yesterday and came straight to Manuelito. An amazing welcome from all the people here - the children were all asking after the team who came out last April (i think they were disappointed it was just the three of us - although they are always excited to see Duncan).
After lunch we went out in Pastor Pinto's pick up to buy some seed - which was bought with money from St Peter's had given us to take out. The seed will grow beans for the Project which will help to feed the children here - the provision of food for all the children is a regular concern and so whatever they can grow for themselves is a massive help.
We made paper airplanes with the children later on - great fun - with more crafts planned for today. Pastor Luis - who visited St Peter's with Pastor Pinto -came from La Paz to see us and the Project - sadly, we don't have time to visit his church on this trip.
We're staying at a hotel in Talanga - it's pretty basic, as we expected - but we both slept last night.
You may well have read or heard about the fire in the prison here in Honduras. Obviously, it's the major news here. Worth remembering that, if not for this home, most of the children here would be at high risk of spending time in a prison. Amazing to see what God has done and is doing to give them a future and a hope.
After lunch we went out in Pastor Pinto's pick up to buy some seed - which was bought with money from St Peter's had given us to take out. The seed will grow beans for the Project which will help to feed the children here - the provision of food for all the children is a regular concern and so whatever they can grow for themselves is a massive help.
We made paper airplanes with the children later on - great fun - with more crafts planned for today. Pastor Luis - who visited St Peter's with Pastor Pinto -came from La Paz to see us and the Project - sadly, we don't have time to visit his church on this trip.
We're staying at a hotel in Talanga - it's pretty basic, as we expected - but we both slept last night.
You may well have read or heard about the fire in the prison here in Honduras. Obviously, it's the major news here. Worth remembering that, if not for this home, most of the children here would be at high risk of spending time in a prison. Amazing to see what God has done and is doing to give them a future and a hope.
Tuesday 14 February 2012
Pictures from the Transitional Home.
Our day at the Transitional Home last Saturday: our visit to the city centre with the boys; Duncan gives the boys a gift - a model helicopter; Rosalie and Jonathan; the boys making wristbands.
Pictures of the nursery at AFE
The wonderful nursery at AFE. These small children would otherwise be on the rubbish dump while their mothers worked scavenging for things to sell on to be recycled.
Monday 13 February 2012
Monday - so far
Today we visited AFE - a wonderful project for kids, whose families work on the city dump. Rosalie visited it when she was here in April and it blew her away. It was great to see the new nursery where small children can come to be cared for, fed and even begin to learn - much better than accompanying their mothers as they work on the dump. (Often, small children are put in cardboard boxes to keep them safe - you can imagine the danger this sometimes places them in.) AFE is an inspiring place with a clear vision for transforming the lives of children who otherwise would have no future and no hope. We were also driven round the Linda Miller Community - see here for more info - another inspiring place.
We spent the afternoon with Rene, who has just started studying to be an engineer at college. He was the first child that the AFE started with, 10 years ago. This summer 9 kids graduated, the first year group to have completed High School.
We're going back to AFE tomorrow - when we should be able to visit the dump. (It wasn't so practical today, as it rained last night which meant the ground would be very soft and potentially boggy underfoot.) Rosalie is also hoping to have some conversation about the crafts they produce - she has brought samples with her of the work done by a project on the Philippines where our friends Sue and Stan Rothwell are currently based.see here for more info
We spent the afternoon with Rene, who has just started studying to be an engineer at college. He was the first child that the AFE started with, 10 years ago. This summer 9 kids graduated, the first year group to have completed High School.
We're going back to AFE tomorrow - when we should be able to visit the dump. (It wasn't so practical today, as it rained last night which meant the ground would be very soft and potentially boggy underfoot.) Rosalie is also hoping to have some conversation about the crafts they produce - she has brought samples with her of the work done by a project on the Philippines where our friends Sue and Stan Rothwell are currently based.see here for more info
Saturday 11 February 2012
Arrived - and more...
Well, we're here! It's 8.30pm on Saturday evening and we finished our evening meal not long ago. We're staying in the Mission Guest House in Tegucigalpa, which is run by the World Gospel Mission. Our hosts have been wonderful and we're getting to meet all sorts of great people.
Today we've spent at the transition home for the Manuelito Project.This is where children who have come off the streets spend time before, hopefully, moving onto the main home in Talanga. Some of the children have come directly a kind of youth prison into which the police have put them, having removed them forcibly from the streets.
The home is an amazing place, run by people who deeply care for the children. We spent the morning going into the city centre with them, where they needed to buy some wool to make friendship bracelets, which they sell to raise money. We all had an ice cream in the main square.
After lunch we spent quite a bit of time going around the city in a minibus trying to find a spare football pitch. Eventually we managed to get one and had a massive game of football. Mark played (kind of!) while Rosalie watched (in the shade - she's not stupid!). More ice creams, then back to the home where Duncan gave his testimony and we prayed for the children.
The home is a very necessary place for the work here and needs lots of resources: for example, the water was off for a long time, which is a frequent occurence in the city, and it would be great for the home to have its own water tank, but that costs money.
Tomorrow we're going to Pastor Pinto's church where Mark will be preaching at both morning services. In the afternoon... well, we'll tell you about that later.
We both definitely knew Jesus' presence with us today at all sorts of points. Seeing the faith of the people involved in the home - including young men who were once street children themselves - has been unforgettable.
Today we've spent at the transition home for the Manuelito Project.This is where children who have come off the streets spend time before, hopefully, moving onto the main home in Talanga. Some of the children have come directly a kind of youth prison into which the police have put them, having removed them forcibly from the streets.
The home is an amazing place, run by people who deeply care for the children. We spent the morning going into the city centre with them, where they needed to buy some wool to make friendship bracelets, which they sell to raise money. We all had an ice cream in the main square.
After lunch we spent quite a bit of time going around the city in a minibus trying to find a spare football pitch. Eventually we managed to get one and had a massive game of football. Mark played (kind of!) while Rosalie watched (in the shade - she's not stupid!). More ice creams, then back to the home where Duncan gave his testimony and we prayed for the children.
The home is a very necessary place for the work here and needs lots of resources: for example, the water was off for a long time, which is a frequent occurence in the city, and it would be great for the home to have its own water tank, but that costs money.
Tomorrow we're going to Pastor Pinto's church where Mark will be preaching at both morning services. In the afternoon... well, we'll tell you about that later.
We both definitely knew Jesus' presence with us today at all sorts of points. Seeing the faith of the people involved in the home - including young men who were once street children themselves - has been unforgettable.
Wednesday 8 February 2012
Links
A couple of links to give a background to what we are doing
Street Kids Direct - we'll be accompanied out there by Duncan Dyason and staying for the first few days with Pastor Jorge and Marta. I'll be preaching at Pastor Jorge's church on Sunday.
AFE - Amor,Fey y Esperanza - we hope to visit AFE on Monday and Tuesday next week
Manuelito Project - we'll be in Talanga visiting the Manuelito home from Wednesday next week
Youth trip to Honduras 2011 - on which Rosalie was a leader and which has led to this return visit
Street Kids Direct - we'll be accompanied out there by Duncan Dyason and staying for the first few days with Pastor Jorge and Marta. I'll be preaching at Pastor Jorge's church on Sunday.
AFE - Amor,Fey y Esperanza - we hope to visit AFE on Monday and Tuesday next week
Manuelito Project - we'll be in Talanga visiting the Manuelito home from Wednesday next week
Youth trip to Honduras 2011 - on which Rosalie was a leader and which has led to this return visit
Monday 6 February 2012
Getting ready
Getting ready for the journey out on Thursday. Rosalie has been busy assembling lots of craft materials for time spent with the children at Manuelito. Between now and then we'll be reminding each other of the Spanish we've learnt so far... (Rosalie more than me)... and making lots of lists of all that we have to take (and what we have to leave behind).
It was great to be prayed for on Sunday - we go out confident of our church sending us and continuing to pray for us.
The soundtrack to the last few days has been Rend Collective Experiment's wonderful new album, 'Homemade worship by handmade people'. There are so many words in the songs which resonate - possibly most of all the song 'Keep me near': 'Keep me in your shadow oh Lord, Give me grace to follow where You lead, Keep me near your heart'.
We want to stay close to Jesus through our Honduras trip and learn from him, trying to see things through his eyes.
And we trust him for every step of the way.
It was great to be prayed for on Sunday - we go out confident of our church sending us and continuing to pray for us.
The soundtrack to the last few days has been Rend Collective Experiment's wonderful new album, 'Homemade worship by handmade people'. There are so many words in the songs which resonate - possibly most of all the song 'Keep me near': 'Keep me in your shadow oh Lord, Give me grace to follow where You lead, Keep me near your heart'.
We want to stay close to Jesus through our Honduras trip and learn from him, trying to see things through his eyes.
And we trust him for every step of the way.
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