Blog: February 2010

February 12, 2010

Linds blog 1

I arrived in Honduras on Wednesday, making it out of New Jersey just before the second big snow hit.  Blair and Elias (a local businessman) met me at the airport and we took the 3 hour ride out to Copan Ruinas.  Honduras is a beautiful country.  It’s very green and lush.  The ride to Copan was filled with beautiful scenery.  When I was a child, I liked pretending that if I blinked my eyes, I would take a picture, capturing whatever scene I saw in my memory forever.  On this ride, I wanted to capture a small and simple white home at the top of a small rolling hill with a foggy mountain backdrop.

Linds blog 2Arriving in Copan Ruinas, I was impressed by the quaint town with cobblestone roads and colorful buildings.   We unloaded the van and Blair and I headed to a local restaurant to meet Matt and Rachel (these are the three people initiating UrbanPromise Honduras).  It has been great reconnecting with all three of them… great people enthusiastically pursuing their vision for the children of this town.

Since my arrival, I’ve been spending time with Rachel, Matt, and Blair, hearing about their progress since they launched UrbanPromise Honduras last summer and their plans for growth and development.  I was also able to spend time at their AfterSchool program in Nueva Esperanza, a small area bordering Copan Ruinas.  Among my favorite moments:

  • Matt and Blair squawking like chickens as they taught the kids a chant called “Pollo Loco”.  You may know the English version, “The Funky Chicken”.
  • Rachel engulfing the kids in her hugs and their brilliant smiles that came in response.linds blog 3
  • Watching the kids play water games where the object of the games shifts from getting your opponents wet to getting others to soak you as much as possible.
  • Pouring a 24 ounce cup of water on Blair’s head to get the kids excited.  They responded with a joyful chant, jumping up and down with their fists shaking.

What’s most exciting to me is to see how the UrbanPromise model is reaching another community and adapting to another culture.   The kids engaged in high-energy games, songs, and activities that stimulate their academic, spiritual, and social growth.  Teens are given responsibility in programs that challenges them to grow into responsible leaders in their community.

I’m excited to see how UrbanPromise Honduras grows and develops over the coming years and am encouraged in the work of UrbanPromise International as we train leaders and launch new ministries.

You can read more about the work of UrbanPromise Honduras on their blog at http://urbanpromisehonduras.wordpress.com/

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