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Among The Chosen (Letter written May 1, 2006)

reh@knology.net — Mon, 01 May 2006 20:59:49 GMT

On each visit to Honduras there is always some incident that re-strengthens my resolve to work with the L4L program. This past visit was no exception.

One objective of the recent trip was to visit each of the four schools we are adding to the L4L program (we are now feeding a total of 425 elementary school children lunch each school day at 7 rural schools). All four schools are at least a half hour ride on dirt roads off CA-1. The Honduras Government builds the school houses and pays the teachers. The local community provides maintenance and school supplies. The poorer the neighborhood, the poorer the school. A recent wind storm blew six panels off the roof of one school house. Once the local residents collect enough money to purchase new panels, the “care taker” will repair the roof. The total cost of the panels is $90. The community expects to have the necessary money collected in 6 to 8 weeks. Anyone who tours these poor rural communities quickly appreciates the significance of the L4L program.

During each visit, I invite the school principals to join me for evening dinner. After dinner, I open the discussion by asking if there is anything L4L can do to improve the lunch program. Ms. Yojana Ortega started the discussion by explaining that she is friends with the principal of the elementary school north of hers. She continued “My friend wants to know how her school can become among the chosen”. “….among the chosen” stays with me. Those communities where the elementary school children benefit from the L4L program consider themselves to be “among the chosen”.

It is hard for us to comprehend what a struggle life is that the parents of those children who simply receive a lunch each school day consider themselves to be “among the chosen”.

I came home committed anew to work toward the continuation the L4L program far beyond the present school year.

Siemper su amigo,

Ron Hicks

Trip Log (Letter written April 5, 2006)

reh@knology.net — Sun, 05 Mar 2006 20:59:50 GMT

Wednesday, April 5, 2006
9:00 Walked to open market and bought coins.
10:15 Jorge drove me to the airport.

The End

Trip Log (Letter written April 4, 2006)

reh@knology.net — Sat, 04 Mar 2006 20:59:50 GMT

Tuesday, April 4, 2006
9:00AM Met with Reporter. Diana E. Valleho Baca
Col. Loarque
Casa 7315
8th Avda
Comzyaguela
divallejo@yahoo.com or dianuchav@yahoo.com
Cell 394-5672 home 226-8360.

Very artsy, very collegian, very professional. She will write the script, then shoot, then edit/finalize. Any suggestions should be made before she shoots. Once she shoots, changes that cause more shooting will require another set of equipment rentals. She has already walked the poorest part of El Amatillo and interviewed a mother of two girls that attend school. Ms. Valleho is a published author and gave me a small paper bound book of poetry that she wrote. She also brought a photograph portfolio. If we decide to pursue this project, she is the one to do the work for us. I believe her when she says she is discounting her fee because she believes in the project and wants to do it.
Adjourned at 10:30

Jorge picked me up at 11:00 and we went to the police station and got my driver’s license. It took 5 hours.

Trip Log (Letter written April 3, 2006)

reh@knology.net — Fri, 03 Mar 2006 20:59:50 GMT

Monday, April 3, 2006
8:30 to 11:15 drove to Teguci.
Walked to open market and bought some coins.
1:00 to 2:00 Met with the L4L lawyer, Juan Gusman. He brought his daughter, who is studying medicine at the university and speaks fluent English. Since he now understands that we want to become a recognized charity, and not to incorporate a new entity, he brought a checklist that more closely meets our needs. Main issues are:

We must take a copy of our Articles of Incorporation and bylaws (English and Spanish) to the nearest Honduran embassy attaché office.
We must develop a cadre of officers (am unclear at this point , but it may be four, President, Secretary, Treasurer, Advocate (Vice-president)). I will clarify through emails.
Since I am the President of L4L and Roxana is our in-country responsible individual, we must provide our lawyer with power of attorney for him to work in our behalf for the registration project. I signed a limited power of attorney and will guide Roxana through the signing process (so she is aware and comfortable with what we are doing).

Dinner with Jorge and family at The Patio restaurant.

Trip Log (Letter written April 2, 2006)

reh@knology.net — Thu, 02 Mar 2006 20:59:50 GMT

Saturday April 2, 2006 7.00AM
Translator, Isel Rivas arrived and we headed to El Amatillo.
Stopped twice in an attempt to buy cell phone minutes and once for gas.
Arrived in El Amatillo at Roxana's house at 10.00. Roxana, Ewdard, Isel and I headed out to review schools.
1. North of CA 1 on dirt road to Goascoran (town Jeff and I went to looking for internet), cobble stone roads throughout town then dirt roads again. About 15 minutes north of Goascoran we came to the school. Neat, clean little two room school house. Water from a hand crank well. Obviously the school gets attention from parents and community.
2. Drove south of CA 1 (once we turned south we were on dirt roads, most un-maintained, for the 6 hours - including our lunch at a "restaurant at the intersection of two dirt roads, more on that later) small community school is clean and neat. The "grounds keeper" unlocked the gate and gave us a tour. He is a young fellow and proud of his clean school. I have no idea how he is paid except that the Honduras government does not pay for janitorial services. There were two holes in the roof where 6 tile panels had blown off. Once the parents come up with $90 for the panels, he will get them fixed. He expects to collect the money in 6 to 8 weeks.
3. Drove further south, almost to the ocean to a small two room school that is really run down. This is area has the highest concentration of of the poorest of the poor. The school doesn't even have screens in the window areas. The neighbors had just completed a new outhouse, so they do what they can.
Stopped for lunch at the crossroads of two dirt roads. Food preparation and eating is on the covered porch of a larger one story building. I told Roxana I can't eat raw clams but like them sautéed.
While two women opened clams to make a raw clam soup on the front porch, Roxana went into the kitchen and sautéed clams for me. Want some tortillas with lunch? Roxana went across the street to another shop and bought some tortillas to eat with our meal. Want something to drink that the restaurant doesn't have, another walk to another shop. Nobody seems to care that food being eaten is coming from all over town.
4. Last school is on our way north from the restaurant. It is larger, with building activity on site. Two soccer "teams" playing in the school yard [most school yards have a soccer field, such as it is.

While driving Roxana and I discussed many lunch program subjects. At one point I asked what would be needed if the program continues to grow:

Edvard - We'll need storage area, every time I come home [he works in Teguci. and comes home on weekends] the kitchen is a little smaller.
Roxana - Something to transport supplies, starting to have to pay someone to deliver supplies. I explained that we will not own a vehicle and will always pay someone to deliver supplies, she should make delivery cost a budget line item.
I explained that I think Roxana will need an assistant that can keep records and for "going and doing". She agreed - if we grow any more. I asked what it would cost to hire a helper that can keep books etc. No idea. I suggested that an entry level teacher starts at $250 per month and that level of education should get us what we need. Roxana: “Yes”. Izel said that for an assistant $250 is way too high since the job would probably start out as part time. She expects that we can easily get a person who can keep books and handle stuff for $150 per month (I think $250 is a good budget number).

Met Roxana, Yojona Ortega, principal from Piedra Blanca, and the principal from north of Goasooran for dinner (get names, etc. During dinner one principal asked if we could help her with making a “science room (corner) for 4th thru 6th graders. I asked what we could do to improve the program. After a litany of kind and compelling remarks about the program, three issues came to be central:

Ms. Orteda said a principal from the next school north (we’ll walk to that one next, Kristi) asked how her school could become “one of the chosen”; a very poignant and concise description (it really brought me back into focus). I explained that we had to be very careful how rapidly we expand so we don’t have to cut schools off at mid year.
On occasion, some grain item provided by the government is bad (has been damp and spoiled, etc.). Upon inspecting the grain, the principal will refuse receipt and leave with partial provisions. After listening through an extended conversation, I explained there is a standardized menu provided by the government. L4L expects each lunch to be consistent with this standardized menu. If the grain is bad (not just ground to a less desirable sieve size but unhealthy), L4L will replace the grain so lunches can comply with the standard menu. Roxana said that she understood this and it is the case in the three schools that have been in the program the longest and will see that the newer schools are made aware of the procedure.
Finally, a principal asked, very humbly, if L4L could provide plated (actually bowels) for the children as so many parents simply don’t/can’t send one with the kids. I asked what they do now. They serve the kids in shifts using the available bowels. They rinse them out between uses (remember a school has well water, or no water – “rinsing” is not “washing”). All principals follow this practice. Another principal said that when the meal is not too “wet” (not a soup), she simply cuts pieces from a paper bag and puts the food on that. Another said many kids ask is she can put the food in their hand, on a tortilla (if provided with the meal) as they are really hungry and don’t want to wait. I asked the group what size bowel they would require. After some subjective discussion I cut in and said I want a specific measurement; diameter, depth, curve – exactly what they want. One principal went into the restaurant kitchen and brought out three or four bowels. The preferred size was agreed upon by all in short order. I traced the bowel on a piece of paper. I have always felt that if we provide the food, the schools can handle the details; I have changed my mind. We should revisit the advisability of providing a lunch plate (bowl).
Adjourned at 8:30

Trip Log (Letter written April 1, 2006)

reh@knology.net — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 20:59:50 GMT

Saturday April 1, 2006 6:00AM
A disjointed day. Arrived at airport with time but got a clerk who didn't have a clue and time started to slide. Left my traveling book {loose leaf binder with plane ticket, addresses, scheduled, etc.} at the counter. Fortunately, a clerk brought it to the waiting area or I would have been lost. Inefficient but helpful.

Tegucigalpa at 12"45PM. New roll-out corridors, no more walking down steps to the tarmac, across the runway, and in a door. A new era is staring for travel to Honduras; it looks like they are adding a motel to the airport terminal as well as covered corridors. Jorge not there to help me thru customs, all bags arrived, Jorge met me out front. Drove to his shop to say "HI" to the family then to Leslie's Place to sign in.

Went to church {got there late}. Pastor Victor’s wife, small congregation. After service I asked to see Pastor Schmeckel. "He is no longer here, you should call him for an explanation". My Spanish is not good and her English wasn't very good but this didn't sound good to me.

Went to Jorge's house and met lawyer. We talked about our intent. He brought a check list of items, we went over it, I have most of the items with me. About cost:

8,000 to 10,000 lps. registration fees
8,000 to 10,000 lps. lawyer fees

I asked about "gratuities" for various clerks. He said he doesn't work that way. He requested $150 retainer
we will meet Monday at 1"00 at Leslie's place.

Jorge and I traded out vehicles so I would have one to drive to El Amatillo. Not worth the hassle, would rather rent one.
9:00PM Went to bed

Kristi's Letter (Letter written February 1, 2006)

reh@knology.net — Wed, 01 Feb 2006 20:59:50 GMT

February 1, 2006

Dear Friends of L4L

With the successful 2005 school year behind us at the Andrea Gonzales Elementary School in El Amatillo, Honduras, Lunches for Learning is excited about what we have planned in 2006.

In mid January, I was given the opportunity to represent Lunches for Learning Incorporated along with Ron Hicks and Dottie Gilbert (our translator!) on a trip to Honduras. Our goals during this visit were many but the highlights include delivery and installation of a computer that will be used to manage L4L activities, delivery of the nutritional supplements for the first half of the school year and site visits to the two new schools that L4L will be adding to the program in 2006.

After spending some time with Roxana, our “in-country” program Administrator, to assess the 2005 program and make plans for 2006, we headed out to visit the first of the two new schools that would be added to the lunch program for the 2006 school year. From El Amatillo, we drove a short distance down CA-1 (Central American Highway 1) and turned off onto a road going north. We drove less than a quarter of a mile to the school called Escuela Manual de Jesus Subriana in Santa Lucia. It was a bright blue, two-room school house in fairly good repair. In fact, even though the bathrooms were outhouses to you and me, they actually had running city water! But most of the 50 or so kids that attend this school are not so lucky at home. They come from the rural neighborhood further down the road and are the children of laborers or farmers who seldom make enough money to provide shelter, clothing and food for their family.

The principal gave us a tour of the school and then we loaded into the van to make our way to the second school. We traveled further down CA-1 and turned onto a dirt road. The terrain on this road quickly deteriorated. The travel was slow and deliberate in the van over a rugged and rocky road. We traveled this road for about 20 minutes until we reach a dried river bed. We were told that during the rainy season, the river grows significantly and the only way to cross what was now a bunch of dry rock was to cross on foot. In 1998, Hurricane Mitch had wiped out most of the bridges in the area. Additionally, the terrain from this point was way too mountainous for anything other than a dirt bike—or foot! The driver parked the van and we exited with Roxana and Johanna, (the principal of our second new school called Escuela “3 de Octobre” Sabana Redonda Goascoran, in Valle Province) and headed off for the 1 hour walk to the school. If Johanna could walk one hour in the morning and then 1 hour in the evening 5 days a week to reach her school, then so could we!

Just about an hour into the walk up the side of a mountain, we arrived at a plateau where we were greeted by a beautiful little school among some shade trees flanked by more mountains. Like the other school, the building was rough but in good shape and this school had its own kitchen. This school had three rooms that were used for the various grades. The kitchen area was nothing more than a cinderblock building with a cement platform of sorts in one corner that was the preparation and cooking surface.

Johanna expressed her gratitude for being selected for the Lunches for Learning program because she said that most of the kids that attend her school walk as far as she does and they come to school so tired and hungry, which makes learning very difficult. With our help, she was sure that the kids would improve in their physical health and learning ability.

Again, we toured the facilities, snapped several pictures to remember our visit and began the long walk back to the van. We were sure that the trip back would be easier because the trip to the school was uphill all the way! Funny how a mind interprets things! To our surprise, much of the trip back was just as grueling with several uphill inclines and several steep, slippery downhill stretches. We made it back to the van one hour later, tired but encouraged, so we decided that we had accomplished our goals for the day and headed back to the motel to share a meal with the school principals and talk over details of the program.

As I reflect on my time in Honduras, I have mixed emotions. It was the adventure of a lifetime in many respects but it was also a big awakening. You can’t see the poverty on the faces of so many kids and not be touched. You can’t see the rough living conditions and not give pause for the abundance we have the opportunity to experience here in the United States. You can’t see the hope in a school principal’s eye at the prospect of relieving her students’ hunger and not be encouraged. You can’t walk the long trek a principal walks every day for the sake of her students and not be inspired.

I could go on and on with my personal reflections but instead, I will end with this. Thank you, faithful supporters of Lunches for Learning, for being the vehicle through which this program continues to grow and for giving your financial support so willingly. You have already made a difference in the children of the Andrea Gonzales Elementary School and now you will be touching the lives of many more children at the two new schools. May God continue to touch your heart for the sake of these kids and may you know the difference you have made.

With sincere thanks,
Kristi M. Holzimmer

A Reflection on Our Trip to Honduras (Randy's notes: October 18, 2005)

reh@knology.net — Tue, 18 Oct 2005 20:59:50 GMT

A Reflection on Our Trip to Honduras
October 18, 2005

We had the privilege of eating lunch with the children (we ate around 10 am); our lunch consisted of a banana and a cup of corn and dried milk soup. As I drank the soup, I thought to myself this isn’t much of a lunch. I was wrong. I didn’t get hungry again until after 4 in the afternoon. I remember commenting to Ron that I was surprised at how our lunch had stayed with me.

What seems to be so little is in reality a great deal. The children of El Amatillo come to school with an empty belly, and go home with a full stomach. Because they are fed, they are better able to learn while they are at school. Without an education in Honduras, you are destined to a lifetime of abject poverty. I have traveled all over the world and have seen poverty in many places. The poverty of Honduras is the worst I’ve ever seen. The poverty stricken of Honduras do not thrive, do not advance, do not have hope. They often subsist day to day on a single meal. For the elementary school children of El Amatillo that one meal is very often the meal they receive in school because of our lunch program.

During our visit with the children they played a very familiar game for Latin American children. They hung a piñata in a tree and began the familiar blind folded dance. The laughter and joy of the children almost seemed out of place for me. It was a moment of light in darkness. When the piñata was finally broken open and the children began to gather up the candy I thought to myself, “This is a rare treat for them.” When the children began to come to us and give use some of their candy, I was overwhelmed by their gesture. They wanted to share what little they had with us, and they did so with a smile.

When we were getting ready to leave that day, all the children came and gave us a hug. I finally had to get down on my knees and just let them mob me. It was another overwhelming outpouring of their love for us. I now truly understand what Jesus meant when he said, “Let the children come to me, for of these are the kingdom of God made.” In that moment I caught a small glimpse of God’s glory in the faces of those little ones. It was a moment I shall never forget.

We have so much in this country. What we are doing for those who have so little in Honduras will make a huge difference in their lives. Those children have an opportunity to escape the poverty simply because we are giving $15 a month to help them. There is much more I could say, but it would take too much space. The most important thing I learned while in Honduras is this: We are bringing joy and hope to the children in El Amatillo. I don’t say that out of a sense of pride, but out of a sense of thankfulness. I am thankful that we can help these children and bring hope and joy into their lives.

Shalom
Pr. Randy

A Reflection on Our Trip to Honduras (Letter writen October 18, 2005)

reh@knology.net — Tue, 18 Oct 2005 20:59:49 GMT

A Reflection on Our Trip to Honduras
October 18, 2005

     Children are children no matter where you go, and they are precious no matter where you go. When we walked onto the school grounds during our visit this past month the children came running with all the energy that children everywhere exude. They smiled and laughed and jockeyed for position. They sang for us, they recited poems for us, and they presented us with small tokens of their appreciation.
     We had the privilege of eating lunch with the children (we ate around 10 am); our lunch consisted of a banana and a cup of corn and dried milk soup. As I drank the soup, I thought to myself this isn’t much of a lunch. I was wrong. I didn’t get hungry again until after 4 in the afternoon. I remember commenting to Ron that I was surprised at how our lunch had stayed with me.
What seems to be so little is in reality a great deal. The children of El Amatillo come to school with an empty belly, and go home with a full stomach. Because they are fed, they are better able to learn while they are at school.
     Without an education in Honduras, you are destined to a lifetime of abject poverty. I have traveled all over the world and have seen poverty in many places. The poverty of Honduras is the worst I’ve ever seen. The poverty stricken of Honduras do not thrive, do not advance, do not have hope. They often subsist day to day on a single meal. For the elementary school children of El Amatillo that one meal is very often the meal they receive in school because of our lunch program.
     During our visit with the children they played a very familiar game for Latin American children. They hung a piñata in a tree and began the familiar blind folded dance. The laughter and joy of the children almost seemed out of place for me. It was a moment of light in darkness. When the piñata was finally broken open and the children began to gather up the candy I thought to myself, “This is a rare treat for them.” When the children began to come to us and give use some of their candy, I was overwhelmed by their gesture. They wanted to share what little they had with us, and they did so with a smile.
     When we were getting ready to leave that day, all the children came and gave us a hug. I finally had to get down on my knees and just let them mob me. It was another overwhelming outpouring of their love for us. I now truly understand what Jesus meant when he said, “Let the children come to me, for of these are the kingdom of God made.” In that moment I caught a small glimpse of God’s glory in the faces of those little ones. It was a moment I shall never forget.
     We have so much in this country. What we are doing for those who have so little in Honduras will make a huge difference in their lives. Those children have an opportunity to escape the poverty simply because we are giving $15 a month to help them.
     There is much more I could say, but it would take too much space. The most important thing I learned while in Honduras is this: We are bringing joy and hope to the children in El Amatillo. I don’t say that out of a sense of pride, but out of a sense of thankfulness. I am thankful that we can help these children and bring hope and joy into their lives.

Shalom
Pr. Randy

Trip Log (Letter written September 29, 2005)

reh@knology.net — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 20:59:50 GMT

Thursday September 29, 2005
Jorge dropped us off at the airport at 10:00. The Pres showed up at 10:30 we talked till 11:30. Lindsay never did show up. Items discussed during this visit are combined with the conversation of Saturday at the church. Mainly, he says, he needs pastors. Mainly, I think, he needs the honest and sincere attention of the world Lutheran community.

Got home at 12:00AM

End of Trip