Trip to Villanova University

While five of our children were in the United States this year, we took them (Jerson, David, Jesuan, Christian and Miguel) to visit Villanova University.  Amigos de Jesus has had a long partnership with Villanova and has hosted many years of spring break excursions.  Villanova engineers built the white cross on our property and have been vital in many of the building projects.  While at the University last month, we toured the campus, had pizza for lunch, met students and participated in an experiment in their systems lab.  Thank you to Jeff Cook and Dr. Bridget Wadzuk for your hospitality!

Volunteer Reflection by Jen Clark

“We’re going to the zoo.” That’s all I had to go off of during my second week at Amigos de Jesùs when we learned that all of the kids at the school were going on a field trip and all of the volunteers were going with them. When you think of a zoo in the states, it tends to include a lot of animals, a lot of long descriptions and plaques no one reads much, perhaps a spot to feed the animals or a ride or two. Here in Honduras though, I had no idea what to expect. How big was it going to be? Where was it? We’re going to the beach afterwards? I’ve never combined those two before. But as with many things I’ve experience so far this year, you have to learn to just go with it. That’s how I found myself on a retrofitted yellow school bus complete with flashing lights and a flat screen TV, sitting next to a boy named Johnny, heading off to some unknown destination. Next thing I knew, we arrived at what I thought was a rest stop, until I noticed the giant old Spanish fort. Casual. We got to take a full guided tour of the place, as well as explore the adjacent small museum, and it was awesome to see the kids exposed to a piece of history like that. I know they have a history class in school, but what’s it like? I have no idea what they learn about, and in how much depth. After being spoiled in the US with field trips to New York City and Washington DC, as well as spending 4 years just outside of historic Philadelphia, it was easy to under appreciate the value of seeing history in person. And visiting one of the largest Spanish forts in Central America wasn’t a bad way of seeing it.

            Still, that was only part one. We hopped back on the bus and headed off to our next destination when after a few minutes, there it was. There on our right. The ocean. Or at least the Gulf of Mexico. Within seconds there were gasps coming from over a dozen small mouths. How many of these boys were seeing salt water for the first time? And that was only the beginning of the amazement. We soon arrived at the zoo, with me personally anticipating a small petting zoo, and I was very much proven wrong. With all of the boys we headed inside, first passing a huge pool with at least three water slides (water park within a zoo? Why not?), then discovering the homes of ostriches, monkeys, a lion, cougar, coyote, toucan, boa constrictor, and everything in between. Though they were lacking the detailed descriptions of the zoos I was accustomed to, the animals were there. The boys got to see buffalo and wild boars and a puma. And this was to be followed with another first for me: a giant cookout in a zoo parking lot. Grilling carne asada, passing out salad and rice, kicking a soccer ball around, and preparing for our next venture—the beach. But just when I was expecting us to pile back onto the bus and drive off to a nearby locale, it turns out that the zoo is attached to the beach. One more stroll past the buffalo and an island full of monkeys and there it was. Seventy degree water, sunny skies, and 40+ boys ready to dive in a find as many sand dollars as possible. We taught the little ones how to swim, splashed around with the already proficient, and took in the view. It was incredible to see their unending excitement and enthusiasm for every part of the day. It was only natural to keep it up and dive into the zoo’s giant pool next, with nearly everyone from Amigo’s de Jesùs sprinting to go down the water slides first. By the time the afternoon was over and everyone was back onboard the retro bus, there was a universal level of exhaustion. It was a clear sign that every unknown, unexpected, and mysterious aspect of the day was completely and utterly worth it. 

Dìa del Niño

            This past Monday Amigos de Jesùs celebrated the annual Honduran holiday Dìa del Niño, literally “day of the child.” It was a day filled with numerous events and activities for all of the kids, starting with a midnight fireworks show. During the day all of the teachers, staff, and volunteers pitched in to be waiters during the meals, take over all of the chores for the day, and run games to keep everyone busy. There was an obstacle course in the morning created by the teachers that encouraged teamwork and included events such as bobbing for apples, a fùtbol shooting competition, and a waterslide. The afternoon started off with water games and a massive water balloon fight, followed by a fair complete with races, food, prizes, and even a haunted house! Everyone, including a number of children from the local community, had a great time and there was a palpable sense of excitement throughout the day. The holiday was topped off with a special tamale dinner for all including goodie bags for the kids, and then a fiesta and dance party where all of the boys, and now Amigos’ three girls, got to show off their moves and bachata the night away. It was certainly a day to remember. 

Sunday Vigil Mass, 9/23

A vigil Mass with the children from Amigos will be held on September 23rd at 5 PM at the Holy Redeemer Provincialate on 521 Moredon Road in Huntington Valley, 19006. Father O'Donnell will be the celebrant, and refreshments will be available after, in addition to an opportunity to meet with the children.

Fall Family Picnic and Philadelphia Union Soccer Game

Come out and join children from Amigos de Jesus, staff, friends and Father O’Donnell for a fun-filled day of praise, prayer and celebration!

The picnic will be held on Sunday, September 16th at Malvern Preparatory School, located at 418 South Warren Avenue. Following the 11:00 AM Mass with celebrant Father O’Donnell, there will be lunch, music, games and more from 12:00 to 2:00. RSVP to Emily at emily@amigosdejesus.org.

The staff and children of Amigos will also be gathering to watch the children’s favorite sport, soccer, on Sunday, September 23rd. Philadelphia’s Union will be playing the Houston Dynamo at a 4:00 PM game. The game will be held at PPL Park on 1 Stadium Drive, Chester, PA, 19013. For tickets, visit the link here:
http://comcasttix.com/events/page/east/PPL+Park/Philadelphia+Union+-+MLS+Soccer

If you are interested in meeting with the children, call ComcastTix at 1-800-298-4200 and mention the group is seated in section 123, rows BB and CC. VIP packages are available, which includes an all-you-can-eat buffet open for an hour before the game starts. For addition information or questions, contact Emily.

Meet the Volunteers

Volunteers


Below is a description of the volunteers at Amigos that will start August 11th, 2012. For more information on volunteering, contact Emily.

Kristen Mullen-Muhr – graduated the University of Daytona with a degree in choral music education. She has volunteered in other foreign countries such as Africa, and domestically in Salyersville, Kentucky. Her hobbies include playing soccer and with children. She hopes to be fluent in Spanish and gain knowledge from her experiences by the end of her service.

Meg Ryan – graduated Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire. She strives to graduate with a major in Psychology and a minor in Web Design. She chose to do a year of service because she believes that Amigos will offer her a new vision of the world. She also strives to be fluent in Spanish.

Andrew Marchione – graduated at Fordham University with a major in Theology and a minor in Psychology. He has been interested in Central America since the age of 13, and has longed to experience the region personally. He believes that Amigos will challenge him as a person.

Joseph Sarappo – graduated Temple University with degrees in International Business and Marketing, as well as a minor degree in Spanish. His hobbies include learning about new languages, cultures, politics, and plays soccer on a daily basis. He first wanted to volunteer when the people he used to work with told of their hardships in Central America, which he experienced firsthand when climbing the Andes Mountains in Peru.

Rachel Severino – graduated The Catholic University of America with a degree in Psychology. She joined Amigos to help the children, and wants to pursue a career as a social worker in an inner city school district.

Christian Flessner – graduated Fordham University with degrees in Psychology and computer science. He joined Amigos because he wants to gain a new perspective on life, and also foreign perspectives on America. He hopes his spiritual health will increase as well.

Joeseph Starzl – graduated the University of Portland with a degree in philosophy. He enjoys creative writing and reading, especially fantasy and science-fiction. He joined Amigos because he wants to learn of a new culture, language, and believes that this will help him fulfill the urge to “give back”. He wants this to expand his world view and mature him into a more virtuous person.

Jennifer Clark – graduated Villanova with degrees in Civil and Environmental Engineering and Peace and Justice. She recently traveled to Cambodia to assist an orphanage treating children with HIV/AIDS. She joined because she thinks Amigos is a wonderful cause, and she is eager to learn Spanish and Honduran culture. She knows it will be challenging, and wants to work someplace out of her comfort zone.

Statistic of Honduras

Some of the numbers you are going to see may shock you. None of these are faked, and they are all accurate. This is the home of our children at the orphanage, and all the support of the people at Amigos try to do whatever we can to make it a beautiful place for them to live.


Honduras is ranked 88th in terms of infant mortality rate. Out of 203,000 children born in Honduras every year, about 5,000 will die before the age of five. Since 1990, the infant mortality rate of children under one has dropped, from 45 for every 100 born to 20. The life expectance of those who do live past age five is 73 years. One out of every ten children born is underweight.

86% of the population use improved drinking water sources. 95 percent of people in urban areas use them, and 77 percent of people in rural areas do also. The estimated prevalence of HIV and AIDs is 0.8 percent of the population, or somewhere between 51,000 people on the high end and 26,000 on the low end. Three-tenths of a percent of males ages 15-24 are believed to be infected, and 0.2 percent of females are. No information is known on the percent of males who have a comprehensive knowledge of HIV, but it is 30 percent for females. The GNI per capita is 1,880 US dollars. Inflation has risen 13% between 1990 and 2010. 457 million dollars have flown into Honduras from foreign aid.

There are an estimated 150,000 orphans in Honduras due to all causes. The literacy rate of males aged 15-24 in Honduras is 93 percent, and for females it is 95 percent. 125% of the population has a cell phone. However, only 11 percent have access to the Internet. 96% of all males and 98% of females who are eligible to attend school are enrolled. 87% of those males attend school, and 90% of females attend. In secondary school (junior high/middle school, high school), the number of males attending drops to 35%, and the number of females drops to 40 percent.

Currently, there are over 3.3 million children living under the age of 18 in Honduras. The annual population growth is falling, with three percent between 1970-90, 2.2 percent between 1990-2010, and an estimated 1.7 percent between 2010 and 2030. The life expectancy has risen considerably, from 52 in 1970 to 73 in 2012. The total fertility rate is 3.1 children per mother.

16 percent of all children in Honduras are subjected to child labor. 11 percent of children are married by age 15, and 39% are married by age 18. There are over 1.7 million adolescents (ages 10-19) in Honduras, and they make up a total of 23 percent of the population. 26% of women ages 20-24 gave birth before age 18 in 2010. 10.8% of girls ages 15-19 gave birth in 2010. 98% of female adolescents aged 15-19 use at least one type of information media at least once a week, and 28% have a comprehensive knowledge of HIV/AIDS.

For further information, see here.

Tommy DeMarco

Honduran Food

The average meal in Honduras will almost always contain meat - beef, chicken or pork. Spices such as cumin curry, "allspice", and herbs such as coriander and oregano, and lime juice to give food a very rich flavor. While many people assume that all Central American food is spicy, that is not the case in Honduras. When compared to food from Mexico, it is actually very mild. As with many countries, the coastal regions have more seafood options available. Seafood may include shrimp, fresh fish, lobster, or the incredibly-commonplace conch. Another common ingredient in the dishes is corn, or maize. Many Hondurans consider it very insulting if a tall stack of tortillas does not accompany a table of food.


Tortillas are made from the dough of ground corn. The dough is mixed with water that is eventually rolled into small balls and flattened into circles that are 6-inches wide, and varying thicknesses, depending on what region of the country you are in. once cooked, the tortillas will be wrapped in cloth to be kept warm, much like baskets of bread in America. Amigos produces its own tortillas from the corn it grows at its farm, and tries to produce as much of its own fruits and vegetables as it can.

Another popular dish is the tamale, which is a brick-shaped lump of cooked spiced cornmeal, with a filling made up of several foodstuffs, including meat (beef, pork or chicken), potatoes, olives, capers, raisings, rice and many others. It is one of the most authentic Latin American dishes, and is served in almost every Latin American country, with different variations of the recipe and fillings.

The Honduran national dish is called "Plato típico" (literally, "typical dish") and typically contains the following: beef, marinated, diced, and barbecued on a skewer; pork sausage (similar in taste and appearance to Spanish chorizo); pork crackling; refried red kidney beans; white cheese (similar to Greek Feta cheese); fried plantain slices; rice; salad; sour cream and cheese.

Comparison: American teens vs. Amigos teens

For the average person between the ages of 13-19 in the United States, life can take various twists and turns. Some people are more adaptable, others are not. Problems can take massive tolls on some, or none at all. The one agreeable problem, however, is sleep. Ask anyone in the teenage subculture in the continental United States to list their top five problems, and this will undoubtedly be on it, if not number 1. We complain we don’t get enough, or we complain we get too much. We complain when we’re woken up, we complain when we can’t fall asleep. That’s another thing you’ll hear a lot: complaining. Complaining we can’t go out with our friends. Complaining we have to study. Complain about this, complain about that. The worst is when we give excuses about how those complaints are justifiable. Another huge aspect of the teen’s life is social events/gatherings. When we hear about one, we are drawn to it like moths on a light. Parties are the only thing that compare to going to school, and school’s only on the list because our parents make it.


Despite all the misconceptions, school is not as bad as everyone thinks. It’s like having a job, but you’re not being paid for 7 hours of work. School does help with life, and acquiring the social skills that a teen needs to succeed with other people for the rest of their lives. But when we’re with friends in an often stranger’s house, surrounded by people that 90 percent of the time we don’t know, that all comes first. Let’s face it; no one wants to give bad first impressions. Make someone laugh the first time they meet you, they think you’re funny. Make the wrong comment, though, and they will vow to destroy you with every fiber of their mortal being. I’ve been on both sides of that and my preconceptions of the person where either improved or destroyed in a matter of seconds. This applies to everyone, but especially people who you’ll grow up with and possibly work with someday.

The people you’ll meet will vary. Some you will connect with immediately and others will be like the square-peg-into-round-hole scenario. One thing I will say is never try to pretend to alter yourself so you can be like someone else and gain they’re trust. You’ll be caught in a web of lies, and it’ll all come crashing down on you. Once the dust settles, you’ll stand there and think, “If only I had ignored the person, they wouldn’t have driven their wrath all onto me.” If you won’t connect with someone, don’t. It’s as simple as that. For the people you do connect with, though, you have to hang on to them. In the U.S. teenage subculture, we hold loyalty higher then what most people think, but that doesn’t mean we understand it. Despite that, if you stand behind someone, and back them up, then they’ll do the same with you, and your problems will be at a minimum. Don’t be friends with everyone, because you’ll get at least someone angry. Be friends with the people you connect with, and the path to success will be paved clear.

The most difficult problem of the teen years is discovering who you are, what you’re capable of, and how to use your skills to your advantage. It’s amazing how often I hear the people who are extremely talented say they have no aspects in life. If you have skills, use them. Even if everyone says you have a seemingly insignificant skill, that skill may just help you in the near-future.

The teens here are proud, so very often, we’ll take our urge to impress beyond our capabilities. The quickest way to be unwanted is to screw up. Yeah, we’re merciless like that. If you so much as change the way you walk, the people will be all over you, like an old Latin proverb says, “Nothing is faster than rumor”. Business that we have no right to get involved in, we get involved anyway, we hear the details, then more often than not, we twist them to suit our own needs. But aren’t we allowed a few screw-ups in our lives? Not huge, life-destroying ones, but the ones that really don’t affect anyone? There’s nothing wrong with that. We are so quick to judge others, and the teens who say they don’t judge are hypocrites.

The whole thing with people being divided into groups is overplayed. Sure, they exist, but often times it’s hard to detect who’s what. Some people dress unusually, but mainly we just blend in. A lot of those subcultures have blending together, so someone who wears baggy jeans may not be a gangster, or someone with tye-dye shirt may not have a lot of options to wear.

After writing this far, I decided to ask some of the children from Amigos, specifically teenagers, about how their lives stacked up against the American teenager’s. The question I decided to ask were

• What are the three things that you enjoy most about being a teenager?

• What are the three things that you dislike most?

• If you were to pick one thing about teens in general (behavior, misconceptions, etc.) that you wish you could change, what would they be and why?

• Best/worst thing about school?

• What are decisions that you have to confront on a daily basis as a teenager? On a longer-term basis?

Three of them responded: David, Christian, and Miguel. Each had unique answers to the questions, touching all the parts of a teen’s life in one way or another, obvious or hiding in plain sight.

For David, the things he enjoyed most about being a teenager were learning to work, getting smarter, and taking up new responsibilities. The things he disliked the most were changes (both physical and mental), the ease there is to take up bad habits such as drugs and alcohol, and the treatment he is receiving compared to when he was younger, when less was expected of him. The one thing he could change about teens in general was study habits. His favorite part about school was the amount of variety in the subjects there was to offer, and his least favorite was some of the boring classes. The decisions he is confronted with on a daily basis are studying and improving his grades, and the best ways for him to do that. In general, David touched on almost everything that the American teenager has to deal with.

Christian’s three things were his ability to talk to all types of people about interesting things, he is now able to play soccer with the older children, and he is now able to work with animals. His three biggest dislikes are the treatment, his inability to wake up by himself, and he has to wash his own clothes by himself. Christian wants to change his attitude so he could be more on the brighter side of things, as opposed to having a darker approach to situations, something a lot of teens can relate too. His favorite part about school is meeting new people, and the worst is he can easily fall behind and, again, wake up so early. The decisions he has to face every day are his study habits, and how he is going to control his bad attitude.

Miguel’s three biggest enjoyments were the fact he can now carry a driver’s license and an I.D. with him at all times, he can now make purchases by himself, and his access to more knowledge. His three biggest letdowns were the constant influence of drugs and alcohol, the ease it is to rebel against his superiors, and the seeds of doubt in his religion and beliefs, which is another thing that many teens are confronted with. He wants the change teen’s attitude, more precisely so that we take situations more seriously, a huge confrontation in the teen years. His favorite things about school was his friends and teachers, and on the opposite side of that, the difficult and/or boring subjects. His longer-term decisions are the fear of confronting society by himself, and he will have to take care of his home, despite not having being forced to at the moment.



Tommy DeMarco, 15

Your prayers are needed!  Please pray specifically for the Harvard Internship team that will be working with us throughout the summer on self-sustainability.  Please pray for safe travels, successful research, open hearts and uplifted spirits as they help us with this much needed project.  Thank you!

Donations Needed!  We are sending a container shipment to Honduras at the end of June.  Here is a wish list of items that we can use.  If you would like to donate, please contact Emily Ford at 610-644-8237 or director@amigosdejesus.org to arrange a drop off of the items.  Thank you!

Fans- ceiling, industrial, metal ones, high quality

Used charcoal (not gas) grill

Big screen TV- older models

Couches/comfortable furniture- for new dormitories

A crib or pack and play 

Blankets- good condition but not quilts or anything extremely thick

Bath towels

Belts

Whiteboards- large ones for classrooms

Good quality laser printer for sharing

Copy machine

Microwave

High quality/high power flashlights for night guards; smaller flashlights too, especially crank/non-battery kind

Backpacks

Socks & underwear

Scale, blood pressure cup, first aid equipment and accessories for the infirmary

Pants and Shorts

Tents, camping stuff

Silvia, Bryan and Jose Antonio join the Amigos Family

About one month ago today we had 3 more additions to the Amigos de Jesus family, including our first girl.  It has long been the dream of Fr. Den to be able to include girls as part of our family, not just boys.  We now have the capability of reuniting our children with their siblings and will never again have to separate boys from their sisters.  I have often heard Fr. Den remark about how thrilled he will be to see little pink bicycles alongside the rest.

Silvia is our first girl.  She is 4 1/2 years old and came to live with us along with her brothers Brayan and Jose Antonio.  Brayan is 3 1/2 and Jose Antonio is 8.  What our directors thought would just be a home visit to learn more about their case turned into a welcoming home of the three.  They are now settling in nicely to their new home, getting used to their 60 big brothers, and are beginning to adapt to the love of their new family. Please keep them in your prayers as they transition to life at Amigos de Jesus and give thanks for this milestone in our family.    Thank you for being a part of making this possible!

Harvard / Agros Trek to Amigos

For the second year in a row, a group of Harvard MBA students from The Harvard Graduate School Christian Fellowship (HGSCF) made the journey to Honduras to study the unique economic development model of Agros International.  Part of their trip involves a visit to Amigos de Jesus.  Fr. Den hosted the group and shared with them our beautiful home.  The group laughed, played and prayed with our children and were able to experience the hope for the future generation in Honduras.  Thank you to everyone that participated and supported this trip and to Agros for the good work they are doing in Honduras. 

Amigos First Solar Energy Project

Amigos de Jesus has been blessed by the opportunity to incorporate solar energy at the hogar.  In January, a team of local men traveled to Honduras to install the solar panels and set up the system.  Dave and Steve Santoleri, board members and owners of TerraSol Energies (http://www.terrasolenergies.com/), worked with us to design and implement a system that would be most efficient for our needs.  This first project with generate enough power to run our well.  Frequent power outages result in a lack of water as the on-site well is run by electric pump.  This is the only source of clean water for the home.  This solar project will save energy costs and ensure that the children and staff have consistent access to clean water supplies.  Thank you to Dave, Steve, Tony, Matt, Jeff, and Danny for your time, expertise and love for the children of Amigos de Jesus!