This year we are traveling to Gracias Lempira in Honduras. Here’s a description of what we will be doing.  We are very excited to help build eco-stoves as this is a really big problem there since they cook over fires inside their homes.  We are taking a team of six very strong and able volunteers from Collin County.  Attendees include: Mike Anderson, Celeste & David Cox, James Donaldson, Geralyn Kever, Mike Litowkin.

Bittersweet ending for an amazing week.  We went to the Jaguar Hot Springs this morning which felt so amazing on our tired muscles. They reminded us of Temple Run. I think this is where they got the idea for the game. There were waterfalls and many baths. Postcard picture perfect.

Francisco has been our driver all week. He sure does well on these Honduran roads. Jose has been our translator and is on staff at Habitat Honduras. We broke him in well for his first group!! Thanks Jose.

Then we went to the butterfly garden with Natalie and they swam in the pool.
Tonight was our farwell dinner which was traditional Honduran food under the stars. Early morning tomorrow to head to airport. We met two other Habitat groups and got to see Luis Madrid.

Today was the final day on the site. Our work this week put them ahead two weeks on the project of 14 homes to be done by June.

We had a fiesta with a piñata, cake, food and a special treat of the partner families and a marimba!!

It was a great end to a fabulous week!

This afternoon we met the Rotary president Marco Aurelio Torres Guerra.  Their club has 18 members in district 4250. They partner with IPA Rotary clubs from Washington D.C.  They do adopt a village, water, latrines, eco-stoves (800), adoptadream which sponsors 1500 kids transportation to school ($25 a year) school uniforms $100 Lempira – $4 each child. Adopt a school for 26 communities k-9 and provide a medical fund, books, teachers, and desks.  They are also doing pilas for 45 families with a bathroom, washboard and water holding area.

The Rotary club provided all the water to the Habitat site and are great partners. #habitathonduras @ncchabitat #thriventfinancial

Today we visited Rodger Harrison’s Clinica La Esperanza.  It was very interesting to see how the Doctor has adapted to working with people that can’t read their prescriptions. He is also making a very easy to understand meal plan for his patients with check boxes so they can have the right nutrition.  

Roger made fresh toast and limeade for us and showed us his artwork from Edgar Zelaga.  One of the paintings showed the story of Fabian and Chepe. Locals that were unique characters. She was blind and he always held her hand.  When he would drink beer if she smelled it she would beat him with her cane.  Many other photos in his home were done by Zelaga or his students.

On the job site the guys brought gloves for the masons and they were so thankful.  We continued working on the foundation. 

We had a special dinner guest at Casa de Todo…..Gustavo!!

Devotionals and off to bed. Tomorrow is la fiesta!! @ncchabitat #thriventfinancial #livegenerously #habitathonduras

Today we moved giant rocks by wheelbarrow, mixed mexcla and concreted the rebar pillars in each intersection.  Still short two members not feeling well. Met a nice doctor so they’ll be on the mend quickly. Tonight we’re eating at the German restaurant. #habitathonduras @ncchabitat

Today we worked on both foundations. One of the masons Dennis Mauricio showed us how he makes the Mayan  statues by carving a form out of stone and then pouring a plastic mold. His mold will last three years and he has many different sizes. They are made from concrete then he stains them.

It was hot today.  We celebrated Valentines Day with the kids on site.

We also made the rebar form for the walls all by hand.

Sofia and Natali are becoming great friends.
Happy Valentines Day!!

Today we continued on the trench around the foundation and started the second home site by clearing and moving the dirt to level it. Trees were cut to build a retaining wall to keep the dirt from falling. There was lots of pick axing, shoveling, using the machete to chop the trees and wheelbarowing the dirt. We have been blessed to be healthy and safe on the job site. 

We got to know some of the workers (Jesus, Noel and Benito) and the children enjoyed painting and playing with Sofia.

We jumped in the pool after returning to the hotel which helped to cool us off and ate at Casa de todo.

The team is quite tired tonight after a full days work.

Our team visited The village where they make the corn husk dolls and tapestry. 

It was about a 20 minute hike.

We watched them make scarfs on the loom and the corn husk dolls.  The children were also selling necklaces made from seeds from a tree called “Saint Peters Tears” Lagrimas de San Pedro.

Then we went to Finca San Lucas and watched the sunset. It was beautiful.

Today we went to see the ancient Mayan Ruins.  Guided by Marvin. The Mayans in this area had 16 Kings. The first King in 426 ad was Josh Kuk mo and the 16th in 822 ad was Rising Sun. (Jos fa sa chen Yopa) translated First Sun into the Stormy heaven.

Only the elite Mayans were the temple builders as it took very strong mathematics to create the structures.  They used local materials to carve the stone such as flint, granite, and obsidian.

The trees in the area were useful, Ceiba made canoes and fig trees made paper.

At the entrance there were beautiful Macaws. 

As we entered the archaeological site there were lots of symbols. The monkey faces symbolized death and faced toward the underworld.

On the largest pyramid there were 63 steps and 2200 inscriptions that tell all about important events.  It was built by the 13, 14 and 15th kings. The 13th- 18 rabbits was the greatest king. The 14th was smoke monkey and 15th smoke snail.

The Mayan numbers had 0, 1s and 5s.

Other interesting facts -ek chua was the God of Chocolate. The tree symbolizes leaves-heaven, trunk -life, roots-death. The colors prevalent in the stones of the temples were Red-sun, blue-war, sacrifice, Venus and yellow -moon, medicine, illness. This was an amazing tour. We all want to watch Apocalypto with Mel Gibson that was filmed here.

#habitathonduras @ncchabitat #thriventfinancial

This morning we headed to the job site and had an opening ceremony with all 14 families that will live in this new development. We are fortunate to start the first home.

Lots of digging as the lot is the side of a hill.  It will be stairstepped up for each house with a common parking area.

One of the girls named Natalie is 13. She is letting us use her bathroom.  She gathered all the children together and they came to the tent to color and play games with Sofia. She brought a soccer ball and they had a lot of fun.

Here are pics of what the house will look like and the plans.

We were visited by a very tame bird called Benito. I think he was their pet! There was also a giant iguana on top of the wall. #habitathonduras @ncchabitat #thriventfinancial #doingGodswork

​

​