Today we landed in San Pedro sula. We met our driver, Gustavo. We saw sugarcane burning, bananas, palm trees, flames of the florist trees and many beautiful tropical trees. It is a very humid climate.
Good dinner tonight. Very tired. Early flight tomorrow
Today Alyce at the American Express office exchanged our money for the trip. The rate is .0575. So $100 lempira equals $5.75
Here’s a photo of Alyce and the money
Getting ready. Backpacks are packed, money exchanged, hair braided and dinner for Valentines.
We had an article in the Dallas Morning News, Neighbors go section, click here to see the story….
http://www.neighborsgo.com/blogs/5/92277
Jill Bissell
Jim Peters
Jim German
Richard Miller
Sheila Miller
David Cox
Celeste Cox
Sheila & Richard Miller
Lisa Pietenpol
Larry Pietenpol
Larry Horner
Dennis Heydanek
Michael Anderson
Meet our homeowner and our Team !!
http://townsquarebuzz.com/ams/50250/12-mckinney-area-residents-travel-honduras-build-homes-north-collin-county-/748/ams/50250
These are the homes we will be building and this is the front of our shirts with the words from the local language.
I’d like to introduce you to the family that we will be building for in Honduras. We are getting very excited about going in a couple of weeks.
Thank you for your partnership !!
Michel Family
Mother´s name: Karla Michel
Son´s name: Carlos Alvarado Michel, 2.5 years old
Karla Michel lives in El Porvenir, Puerto Lempira. Karla and Carlos live with Karla´s mother since she has had difficult times finding a job. She used to work as a cook. Also, both Karla and Carlos are special needs persons; they were born with only 2 fingers in each hand. Karla´s mother is the one supporting them with living and food. They feel very happy and blessed that they are going to have a new home
Carters dedicate 100 homes with joyous Haitian families
The math is both simple and amazing: five days, 500 volunteers and staff, 100 home dedications. On Friday, brand new Haitian homeowners beamed, hugged and said goodbye to the volunteers who made the 28th Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project a reality.
On Friday afternoon, the Carters visited all the homeowners, giving each family a Haitian Bible they both had signed. Afterward, each home had its own official dedication, filled with speeches, hugs, tears, songs and photos.
At Volsy Mariyolene’s new home, she told her crew through a translator, “I love you all. It’s a small world.”
“I’m very grateful you have shared your strength with us,” said volunteer Rodney Goodman of Bowling Green, Kentucky, his voice breaking with emotion.
Volunteer John Scott of Montclair, New Jersey, wiped away tears. “I always say if you don’t cry at a Habitat dedication, there’s something wrong with you,” he said.
Because of the project’s ambitious goal, some homes still need minor final touches, and Habitat will hire Haitian contractors to complete the work. They will also dig a latrine for every house, and dig 26 wells for the homeowners to share. The families will start moving into their new homes the day after Christmas.
Earlier Friday, the Santo families took to the streets in a huge parade, clapping and singing exuberant hymns. They wove through the work site and stopped to serenade President and Mrs. Carter, singing a Creole version of “How Great Thou Art.” President Carter asked the assembled homeowners if they were satisfied with their houses so far. “Oui!” they shouted.
At 11 a.m., the clamorous build site fell silent to honor Veterans Day and Remembrance Day. American and Canadian flags were raised in a central lot, and volunteers gathered for a minute of silence, and a reading of the poem “In Flanders Field” over the loudspeaker. Then they sang “O Canada!” and “The Star-Spangled Banner” softly. President Carter, like many of the volunteers, held his hard hat over his heart.
“It’s an honor to build on the Carter Work Project on Veteran’s Day,” said volunteer Willie Wilkerson of College Park, Georgia. “I served in Vietnam from 1965 to 1967, and then I came back and taught high school for 40 years. I used to tell my students I served my country for peace and glory in a foreign land by carrying a weapon. Then I served my country for peace and glory in a foreign land without carrying a weapon.”
The Carter Work Project is already scheduled to return to Haiti in 2012. The reason for the back-to-back builds is simple, according to President Carter. “Haiti is in the worst need that we’ve ever seen anywhere in the world,” he said in a brief interview on the build site Thursday.
Amid all the celebrations on the build site Friday, plans are already under way to continue the work that has begun here.
“This is 100 families,” said Doug Taylor, a Habitat Haiti staffer. “But there are thousands of others in this town alone that need better housing. This should only be a start.”
Here are pics of some of the items that were created by Haitians. They have very colorful artwork.
celestehabitat 