Laughter and Tears

Every Friday during Lent, the kids, staff and volunteers at Amigos walked throughout the Hogar for Stations of the Cross. We walked to each station praying and singing while trying to keep 107 children quiet and reverent while thinking about the passion of Christ.

This past Good Friday was especially intense. As many readers know, our Oscarito passed away in 2013. At the time, we did not have the approval from the government to bury anyone at Amigos de Jesus, but we wanted him to rest in a place where he was loved. So when we buried Oscarito last June, it was always with the intention of one day bringing him home. For the past year he rested in a local cemetery while our staff got approval and cleared an area for burial up on the hill and behind our cross. For Easter and to commemorate our final Stations, we brought him home with his family. Four of our young men carried his casket up to the cross, we lined a walkway to welcome him and followed in procession when they passed us.

As we walked back down the hill, one of the little boys took my hand, looked up at me with tears in his eyes and said, “this is a sad day for me, Emilia.” He told me he was sad for Oscarito. He told me he was sad and wanted to go home, to his old home before he came to Amigos. Then he lifted both of his arms out to me and I knew he wanted to be held.

That particular Friday was one of the hottest days I've experienced in Honduras thus far. It wasn't even 9 o'clock in the morning and the sweat already begun to pool. It was bound to be a long ceremony, but when I looked at him with his arms outstretched, I realized that this was my cross I would carry today. So I picked him up, sweat and all, and  walked to the first station.

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All of our children come carrying their own crosses. Each bears a burden greater than they should have to at their age. When they come to Amigos, we hope their load can be lessened. Some of my favorite memories with the kids are simply when they’re having fun. When they’re laughing and playing, when they forget the past and live in the moment, when they can just be kids. This Easter week was full of our kids just having fun.  

Everyone had the week off of school and we had activities planned everyday. We divided the kids into groups and rotated between going to the movies and going camping. That’s right. Camping.

Up a mountain a little ways from the main property, we have land that some of the older boys helped clear for us. We had pitched tents, a running stream and a place to cook meals. We spent two nights under the stars and the kids couldn't have loved it more. “You’re going camping, right Miss Emilia?” “Who are you going to sleep with?” “Are we going to stay up all night?” “Do you know any scary stories?” “Are you scared, Miss Emilia?” were a few questions I got. I lucked out because the girls in my tent wanted to play house. So we cleaned the whole thing and had fun rearranging the beds or “furniture” all day.

After groups returned from camping, they went to the movies in San Pedro Sula, the closest city. Trips to San Pedro Sula are always a special event and for some, it was their very first time in the city. They all got guapo (dressed-up and handsome) and piled into our two new vans. We went to a mall where the movie theater is and had lunch. Everyone loved being able to go out to eat but their favorite part was being able to get refills on their soda. “You mean I can have more soda, Miss Emilia?”

As we made our way from lunch to the theater, we had to take an escalator. Some of the kids hopped right on, fearless and adventurous. Others couldn't even comprehend the concept. “What are these?” “Why are stairs moving?” Some kids needed more encouraging as they tried once, twice and even three times to put their little foot on the moving step. Eventually we made our way up a level and passed shops along the way to the movie. Their eyes lit up at the pretty shoes and cool gadgets that hung in the windows. “Aye, que bonita,” (Aye, so beautiful) is still ringing in my ears.

One of the girls I sat next to during the movie was so in awe. She laughed at all the jokes, sang to all the songs (even without yet knowing them) and couldn't take her eyes off the screen. A few times, she would lean over and say, “que massisa, va?” (So cool, right?) She was sad to leave and days after the trip, she kept asking, “when are we going to the movies again?”

Even our littlest chiquitos got to leave the property for a night. We now have an apartment in San Pedro where three of our university boys and one of our high school boys live. The little chiquitos went to the city for a night where they got to watch a movie, eat out and play in the apartment together. They all couldn't stop telling me how delicious the food was.

Everyone was back on property Thursday night when our Easter celebrations began. Father Dennis was here celebrating with us and we had mass that evening. Father Den, some of the padrinos and some of the older boys each washed groups of children’s feet just as Jesus did before the Last Supper.

We woke early Friday for the burial of Oscarito. It was a long, hot morning filled with tears, hugs and hand-holding. Our young men stayed up all night digging the grave where Oscarito now rests. As everyone walked past his grave, they threw a handful of freshly dug earth onto his casket. The older boys and staff finished burying him and we sat in prayerful silence.   
As I watched some of the older boys throw dirt into Oscar’s grave, I was thinking about how old they looked. Here were young men and teenagers 16-25 years of age burying the body of a child, a child they had helped take care of in life and now in death. A little boy they loved and will forever remember. They did so much to make this day go smoothly.  They did so much for Oscarito. Through the hardships of their past, here they are growing into mature young men. Just as Jesus suffered and died, he also rose from the dead. These kids are given a chance when they come to Amigos and they’re thriving.

Easter day was spent preparing 40 kids who would receive their Baptism and First Holy Communion. Almost all of our girls were dressed in beautiful white gowns, hair on top of their heads and the boys could not have looked more handsome. We had a beautiful mass full of celebration, happiness and smiles. After, there was a special dinner outside followed by a dance party.

 This is what Amigos is about, a new life. Sharing the weight of your cross. Hope for a new beginning. 

Thank you to all of the donors who made this week so special. It is a blessing to be able to share in the laughter and love of our children, we couldn't do that without your help. Gracias por todo.

-Emily Pettinger, volunteer 2013-2014

The Lion, The Witch, and Henrry’s Enormous Wardrobe

You won’t be surprised when I tell you that the young boys here don’t always like washing their laundry.  At the home, we all wash our clothes by hand, and the children are responsible for caring after their own possessions. Often, it is a struggle to convince one of them that instead of playing soccer they actually need to be washing their laundry first. The problem is motivation.  The young boys, especially 5 to 8 year-olds really don’t care that much about wearing clean clothes. In fact, they don’t care very much about being clean in general, let alone having clean clothes.

But then there is Henrry. 

That’s not a typo by the way.  His name is spelled with a double R and if you can roll your R’s that’s how you pronounce it.  Henrry (8 years-old) likes washing, folding, organizing, and most of all wearing a large selection of clothes.  It’s great for me and the rest of the Padrinos (the men and women who care for our children like parents) because not only is he an example, but a motivator.  We will always offer to help, and occasionally actually wash some of the younger boys’ clothes.  But with more than 100 kids, and most of them needing school uniforms and another set of clothes washed daily, the kids need to do most of the work themselves.  That being said, Henrry probably helps more than anybody.  The following conversation has played out many times, I have translated it for your convenience.

Padrino: Hey (any one of 15 boys that might not want to wash on any given day), let’s go wash your laundry.

Boy: No! (sometimes “Nombre!”, a clever combination of no and hombre, Spanish for no man) I’m going to play soccer.

Padrino: Alright, but if you don’t wash your clothes Henrry will, and then he gets to wear them until you want to wash them yourself.

Boy: Fine! I'll wash them! Henrry already has all of my clothes!  (Exit stage right grumbling angry under breath.)

Now I may have given you an incorrect image of Henrry.  If you are picturing an ascot wearing, sensitive young boy you are mistaken.  Simply put, he is a man of many activities and he likes to be appropriately dressed for each.  He is a fiercely competitive soccer player, and probably cries less than any of the other young boys.  At the peak of Henrry’s one-man fashion season he was wearing as many as five outfits on a Saturday.  When you picture the following images, use a 40-pound peanut for the body, toothpicks for arms and legs, dark brown skin, with a face suggesting oriental descent.

1)      He would wake up and go to breakfast in his matching pajama top and bottom, the firetruck pattern was the envy of the whole dorm.

2)    After breakfast we do chores from 9-11 AM.  At this time he would go with something rugged and practical.  Blue cut-off jeans shorts and a white Underarmour shirt to which he cut off the sleeves, with his black puma go anywhere and do anything shoes.

3)   Free time after chores he will usually play soccer.  Highlighter yellow Adidas cleats with black socks that reach over the knees, a soccer jersey from a random US middle school team, and soccer shorts.

4)    Change for dinner (casual).  Blue jeans, Chuck E. Cheese tie-dye tee shirt.

5)    Movie in the cafeteria.  You never know who might show up for this kind of event so you have just GOT to change after dinner.  For this he might go khakis, with a white polo shirt with a large blue chest stripe (tucked in) that will fit him better when he gains another 25 pounds.

And that ladies and gentleman is how you become the best-dressed kid at Amigos de Jesus.  In his locker hangs the only mirror in the room.  It has a pink plastic frame and was probably paired with a Barbie or American Girl Doll purchased years ago.  He also has hair gel, which he applies liberally for school days, and a collection of a few hundred stickers all of which he takes home from school on his well-completed homework assignments.

He is very highly organized, if I knew more about OCD, I imagine he is showing early signs of it.  Henrry is an awesome kid, who dresses the part, and when I leave here in a couple of months it will be hard to say goodbye to him.


- Patrick Kenny, volunteer 2013-2014

Help Us, Help Them

Amigos de Jesus was founded 16 years ago and though the orphanage itself is operated and run out of rural Honduras, a bulk of the support and 100% of funding comes through our domestic office in Malvern, PA. Throughout the year we host a slew of events to help raise both awareness and funds to support the orphanage as well as hundreds of other severely impoverished children in Honduras stay in school. As with many non-profits it takes many hands to make a dream come true, and lucky for us we have many but we need more.

Two ways we are hoping to involve you are through a purchase of our Find Hope T-Shirt and/or entering our raffle for a chance to win a three-night four-day stay in Cancun with airfare and a luxury basket included.

We encourage you to help us brighten the future of our children through your donation.

Find Hope: Fitted Woman's Tee $20

 

 

Shirt is the same color as in live picture

If you would like to purchase:

1. Send in cash or check  

126 Woodland Avenue. Malvern, PA. 19355 with the size you would like and your address

 2. Or Pay via PayPal 

 and send the shirt size you would like and the address and name of the person that will receive the shirt to meg@amigosdejesus.org

 

 

Chance to Win

Three-night stay at Secrets Silversands Riviera Cancun courtesy of amResorts

 

   

At Secrets Silversands Riviera Cancun, the amenities include:

Elegant accommodations with stunning views   -  Welcome cocktail and cool towel   -  Gourmet dining at nine on-site restaurants  -  Full breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks each day  -  Free WiFi and international calling with our Unlimited Connectivity app  -  Concierge services; 24-hour room service  -  Mini-bar refreshed daily  -  Unlimited premium drinks at eight bars and lounges  -  Unlimited fruit juices and soft drinks  -  Day and nighttime activities and entertainment  -  Theme parties  -  Oceanfront bars and entertainment venues  -  Pool and beach wait service  -  Enjoy complimentary greens fees at nearby Grand Coral Golf Course  -  No reservations at restaurants  -  No wristbands required  -  Live nightly entertainment  -  Pristine swimming pools and white sand beach  -  Outdoor theater  -  Option to upgrade to Preferred Club privileges  -  All taxes and gratuities.

$2200 value

Airfare for two to Cancun, Mexico

Booked through Amigos de Jesús

$1500 value

 

Luxury Travel Basket:

Kindle Paperwhite with Wifi all new paper white display with $25 Kindle gift card

Ipod Shuffle with $50 Itunes gift card and Sony MDR-2X100 Stereo Headphones

$100 Gift Certificate to Hickory Springs Kennel

Bottle of Anna De Cororniu Champagne and 2 Glasses

Brown Animal Print Beach Bag - Kate Aspen Luggage Tag – Two Leather Passport Covers 

Mood Airplane Pillow – Selection of Suntan and Tanning Lotions – Vera Bradley Large and Small Cosmetic Bag

 Men’s and Women’s Old Navy Flip Flops – Reusable Water Bottle

$500 value

TOTAL VALUE: $4,200

 Raffle tickets 1 for $20, 3 for $50

1. Send in cash or check  

to 126 Woodland Avenue. Malvern, PA. 19355

With the name and address of the person who would like to enter the raffle. 

2. Or Pay via PayPal 

Include the 'raffle' in the purpose section prior to filling out the credit card part

The trip ticket winner will be pulled on May 1st

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Amigos School

 Written by: Joseph Starzl

Amigos' Volunteer 2012-2013

BECA Program Coordinator 2013-Current

I like to think that the development of the Amigos de Jesus Bilingual School in the past two years has mirrored my own personal growth during my time here. The first time I saw the school, still recently arrived to Honduras, the two most striking images were the library and the storage room. Both exemplified the untapped potential of the school—there was a ton of ‘stuff,’ much of it quite useful, but in neglected condition. The ‘storage room’ was a classroom filled with a labyrinth of desks, chairs, and forgotten things. The library was a more painful sight, with so many books in such a state of disarray. Both rooms were unpainted, lifeless grey walls magnifying their plight. There was certainly work to do.

I didn’t know then just how much time and work I would end up investing in this school. I was only a few months removed from my college graduation, still mostly concerned with my sweaty, bug-bitten, Spanish-struggling self. Amigos de Jesus, to me, consisted of a blur of faces, too many names of kids running hither and fro. I may have been overwhelmed, but the excitement of this brave new world kept me smiling and mispronouncing greetings to children whose names I probably mixed-up.

       

Already though, I was familiar with the BECA (Bilingual Education for Central America) organization. Upon arriving to Honduras I had spent two weeks in BECA’s summer institute, a training program for their teachers that was offered to the Amigos volunteers. The BECA folk were a savvy group, and I enjoyed both the training and the connections I made. I left the training grateful for the experience and completely unaware that I would return to work with BECA. More on that later.

 
Afterwards the Amigos volunteers, myself included, finally began our life at the children’s home. After an orientation and a few weeks to get a feel for the place, we were handed our job placements. I was to report for duty at the school, to co-teach a brand new Kindergarten class alongside the bombshell Bostonian, Meg Ryan. 

 My expectations were great. We rolled up our sleeves and tackled   the aforementioned storage-room, hauling furniture and boxes with more zeal than expecting parents moving into their new home. We bought paint, spilled the paint (Meg!), bought more paint, and finally revived our grey classroom with a more appealing contrast of blue and yellow. I remember proudly examining our handiwork, hands-on-hips in the most cliché of poses, soaking in my ‘success.’

 The first day of school soon arrived, and it took  me a full four seconds to learn that paint on walls does not a classroom make. Now, I’m sure those reading this who’ve been blessed to work extensively with small children will knowingly smile and wink when I mention the word ‘challenging’ in this context. As humorous as they are in hindsight, there’s no need to get sidetracked by all the anecdotes of my adaptation process to the steep learning curve involved in managing children. Yet what stands out to me most during those months was how I was so intensely affected on a daily basis: deeply frustrated with my failures; overly pleased with my successes; disturbed by the situations these kids were coming from; learning to love the kids and completely investing myself in them

While all my internal chaos unfolded the other members of my volunteer group were similarly  assimilating themselves into the school and home. We were a merry band of well-intentioned idealists, quite unqualified, but trying our best to learn as we went along. I’d be remiss not to highlight the assistance the Honduran staff offered at this point. I remember the principal, Edgardo Osman Quintanilla, walking into my classroom after a day in which the screams had been especially loud. He approached hands-in-pockets, with still something of a grimace on his face despite his efforts to put on an encouraging smile. The ensuing conversation contained some helpful advice, but more importantly it was a gesture of support that did wonders for my morale. Nevertheless, the grind continued.

Unbeknownst to me, the wheels were turning among the higher-ups as Amigos de Jesus and BECA were finalizing the plan for their partnership to found a BECA bilingual school at the children’s home. High-quality bilingual education in Honduras tends to be a privilege reserved for the upper echelon of Honduran society, but BECA began as an organization committed to bringing this quality education to those who most need it.
   Education can transform lives, but in Honduras a bilingual
education can open doors, too. This partnership promised to bring new opportunities to the kids living at Amigos—radical opportunities all too rare for kids who were orphaned or found on the streets, survivors who need and deserve a great education.  The partnership was formed. BECA would introduce their school the next calendar year.

    Back at Amigos, the Christmas season rolled-in. Meg and I reached the Christmas school-break eager for the respite, despite having settled into a manageable routine. We would be evaluated in our one-on-one meetings with Amy and Wilson, the Amigos directors, to address what our roles would be in the upcoming year. Annoyed at the few butterflies fluttering in my stomach when my turn came, I tried to make myself comfortable on their couch as I leaned forward to learn what plans they had in store.

    Big plans. Big BECA plans. That’s when I learned that BECA would officially be joining the Amigos family. It was December, classes would start in August, and Amy and Wilson asked if I would help coordinate a transition period at the school to prepare the kids for the change and help BECA set-up shop. I realized right away the significance of what they were saying. The service that BECA could provide, based on what I had seen before, would be a night-and-day upgrade to the school’s current functioning. Any big change has its risks, but I knew our kids would reap incredible benefits. I believed a BECA education would improve their lives. I still do, even more so.

   That meeting changed the trajectory of my service in Honduras. Whereas before I was focused on my personal and spiritual development, which is a perfectly good and sufficient reason to serve, I became singularly centered on the project that was the new bilingual school. Extensive English classes were introduced to prepare the kids for their bilingual education, thanks to volunteers Rachel Severino and Joseph Sarappo. Jen Clark picked up the good work Joe had started organizing the library. I began working with Fran Talavera, in-country director of BECA, to lay down the groundwork for August. Because there weren’t enough Amigos students to completely fill up the classrooms, the school would open its doors to a limited number of students from the neighboring communities. Public outreach became a unique part of my job, as I helped brainstorm and implement ideas on how best to drum up support and enrollment for the school.

       Along the way I applied to stay a second year at Amigos—this time with BECA, to continue working on the school. I needed to see the BECA-school operating with my own eyes. Every person who visits Amigos and spends time with our kids walks away foundationally affected, and this means something different for each person, but for me it was an obsession with this opportunity to leave behind something truly lasting. Thankfully, I was accepted for the position of Program Coordinator.

Things came full circle. Once again I found myself at BECA’s summer institute, this time as a BECA volunteer. I met the three teachers who would form the inaugural BECA-Amigos staff: Elena, Karena, and Ben, to teach Kindergarten, 1^st grade, and 2^nd grade (respectively). They were exactly the people we needed. All three were professional, committed and conscientious, experienced volunteers familiar with Honduras and with a passion to serve the kids of Amigos. To borrow a Space-Jam metaphor (am I getting away with myself here?), they’re the Monstars of teaching.

August 22, 2013. I was too busy scrambling around, attending to all the details that popped up on the first day of school, to reflect on what was an incredible personal moment. The BECA-school was a reality. Our kids walked (in lines!) to their classes, took their seats. Teachers launched into their introductions. I had witnessed and participated in the mountain of effort by so many people to make it all happen. Yet ironically, the culmination of such work merely marked the beginning. It was only the first day of school.

That beginning period, as students and teachers alike adapted to the new school, was predictably hectic. But this was a much more productive chaos than what I’d experienced before. A revamped discipline policy included the school’s psychologists, the padrinos and madrinas (staff on the ‘home’ side of the orphanage), and the classroom teachers in the process of addressing misbehavior. Communication between the home and the school, the two halves of our kids’ lives, improved. Resources were available now—that weren’t available before—to provide substantial, individual, support to students who needed the extra attention. New teachers and a new curriculum brought higher expectations for our students; gradually, buoyed by the belief we held that they could succeed, our students reached those expectations. And then of course there’s the English language learning, something that’s been an absolute joy to watch. A classroom being taught in a foreign language can be such an intimidating challenge, that to see our kids persevere, overcome their doubts, and grow has been nothing short of inspiring. I believe this experience will transform their self-image, and give them the confidence to tackle future challenges and adventures, to say nothing of the practical benefits of bilingualism. 

    Ultimately, I want to see our Amigos kids become leaders when they grow up: for their families, their communities, and their country. They have stories and perspectives that need to be heard, and my hope is that BECA helps make that a reality.

As the school has developed, so have I.  I found a family at Amigos that embraced me and loved me. I’m lucky for the opportunities I received to take on increasingly greater responsibilities, and for the patience of those around me as I struggled to meet those responsibilities. And I’ve been able to meet extraordinary, interesting people from all over the world during my time here, drawn to this remote corner of Honduras by our similar desire to serve. I hope some of their essence rubbed off on me. The best thing of all, though, is that I’m happy. That’s one of the nice benefits I’ve found about service: it can make you truly happy.

 

And before I write-off: kudos to current Amigos de Jesus volunteer Joanna Gardner for the incredible labor she’s put into the seemingly-Sisyphean task of organizing our library. It’s a bona fide book-lover’s paradise now. Definitely not the only thing that’s changed around here.