Sábado

This morning was wonderful! We had the chance to sleep in, and I relished the opportunity, having been up late the past few nights. I woke up leisurely and convinced my housemate, Jenny to do a Tae-Bo work-out video with me, which turned out to be awesome exercise and hilarious at the same time. Then Jessica (my other housemate) joined us to clean up the kitchen, washing all the dishes, silverware, etc. that the previous tenants had left us, wiping down the insides of cabinets, and fixing drawers. It was a great time to get to know each other more, and I feel that Casa Verde is becoming more of a "home" because I know where everything is now!

This afternoon all the new teachers split into groups of 3-4 and were led on a "scavenger hunt" tour around Tegucigalpa. It was a blast, and I'm so thankful for all the insight I gained about the different types of transportation and for the chance to finally see the city! Basically there are 3 main ways to get around: 1) Take the collectivo for 12 Lempiras (about 50 cents). Collectivos follow certain routes, like to the mall or downtown, and you can ask to stop anywhere along the route and get out. 2) Take a taxi for a pre-negotiated price. They usually charge you more than you should pay so you have to talk their price down. Taxis are safest when you ride with other people you know; if there are only 2-3 of you, the taxi will probably stop and pick up 1-2 people along the way. The safest taxis have radios. 3) Busitos (little buses) go almost everywhere as well, but I did learn that there is a neighborhood with a similar name to mine, Loarque. So, in the future, I will have to make sure I'm getting on the right bus.

Our tour group (led by a knowledgeable 2nd year teacher) took the collectivo to El Centro, which is the downtown area of Tegucigalpa. As we learned the answers to the scavenger hunt survey, we also were able to explore downtown and catch a glimpse of a different side of Teguc.

El Centro has many pulperias (mini-grocery stores with Coca Cola, chiquis, and simple things), little shops selling everything, a photo place, and a large parque next to the new Catedral. It was along a walkway, which I later learned is called, Liquidamba (named for the liquid amber/maple trees near it). We also passed a national art museum and two cathedrals, which we entered briefly to observe the mass service.

There are many people along this walkway, hanging out in the doorways, passing out flyers on the street, ordering helado, preaching the gospel over loudspeakers, and even begging. Although I have been in impoverished areas before, I was pretty shocked to see the extent of poverty all around me.

A little boy with big brown eyes tugged on my pant leg asking if I would buy candy from him; I was told that, for safety reasons and to not encourage begging, I needed to ignore him and keep walking. One of the hardest things to do...

There was a crippled man sitting in the middle of the street and people just stepped around him, walking on their way, not paying any attention. In fact, the loudspeaker preacher was shouting about Christ's love just meters away.

I had heard about the division between rich and poor in Honduras, but now I am beginning to see it. What can we, as the Body of Christ, do to reach out to them, to tangibly show what Christ love looks like? Or, is it better, to give them to God in prayer, trusting that He will take care of them, and go on with our safe and comfortable lives? How do I teach/provide experiences for my students (of middle to upper class backgrounds) about Christ's call to take care of the poor and needy? Please pray for me as God teaches me more about this.

Our tour group also visited the fútbol stadium, walked through the outdoor market, and took a taxi back to visit Miraflores mall (on a street with a lot of American restaurants) and meet up with the rest of the teachers at El Patio, where we shared a traditional meal of Puchi de pollo, anafre con tostadas, y otra comida nacional. The rain pattered on the tin roof above us while we ate, and I reflected on everything God has blessed me with, including the experience of being here in Honduras. Gracias a Dios!