Copan and Lanuage School

Macaw Mountain Park

I was thinking today that there will probably be many pictures of us having fun at some really fascinating places. Honduras is a small country but it has great beauty but also great poverty as we witnessed on our way from San Pedro Sula to Copan for our Spanish language study. Some may say that we don't tough it out like missionaries used to or that it seems like we are on vacation most of the time (I have heard that said of other missionaries). The reality is, however, that most of us take pictures when we are having a good time and that is often when we are traveling or on vacation. This is true of us in the states. So if you should think that we are having a good time, we are, but we are also working as well. But we do want to show you the highlights of life here because we often don't see that in the news. So we will show you some highlights. But know we are also working as well. These two weeks we are in Copan Ruinas, where the Mayan ruins are located near the Guatemalan border. We are here for language study. The climate is cooler and the town is safe and peaceful, yet vibrant with life. It has colonial buildings with tile roofs in the Spanish style. Today we went to see a refuge and sanctuary for macaws, other parrots and toucans, castaways from people who no longer wanted them as pets. We spent the morning walking through forest along a stream mixed with coffee plants and pens where they are kept. Apparently once they are adults they can no longer fly because they have been in cages. The hope is that there children will be able to do so and be released to the wild.

The Language School on the third story of a building

But besides the fun, we are in language study. This means four hours for each of us with an individual teacher in the afternoon. Our brains work hard and we are tired by the end of it. But they are great teachers, friendly and compassionate and we laugh a lot. I am so impressed by the school. We are getting a good education and I know this is important.

Party for Dona Elena (Center under light)

Tonight we celebrated the birthday of the lady who owns our B&B, Dona Elena. She is such a kind and caring soul and she cooks amazing food three times a day with help from a few other ladies. The amazing thing is that both our lodging and the Spanish school business are owned and run by women. I think that is so neat in a very 'macho' country. We celebrated with cake, soda and singing with the full moon over our heads.

Helpful Links

For those of you who will be following us I want to make sure that I clarify that this space is going to for a reflection of our life as a family in Honduras, what we are thinking about, experiencing and learning. However, this may not have as much about our actual work with MCC. It is important that we communicate such stories through MCCs websites in order to maintain integrity both for ourselves and for our partners. For those of you who are interested in the work we are doing I would suggest that you connect to our MCC Honduras Facebook Page for info about service workers, partners and MCC work in Honduras. Or, you can read about work in the Latin America region at MCC LACA (Latin America/Central America)

Second Week of Orientation is Over

Today ends the second week of our orientation at Mennonite Central Committee. We are tired. At least our minds are. This was programs week. There were a lot of sessions helping us to understand how to do MCC programming, from financial, planning, to PME&R seminars, how to conduct a focus group or participatory study and how to be aware of issues of gender (looking at how our work affects men, women, boys and girls differently), and how we build peace-building into our project designs and work. This is much needed input, but it is hard to wade through. Thus we are relaxing on the weekend.


Yesterday was filled with goodbyes at the end of the day. Several of our cohort are leaving to their placements including one of the families whose children were a part of our kids lives this week. I have been proud of our kids, how they have jumped right in and how they also take the departures with ease. The family is moving to Bolivia which we will be visiting next spring. Nadia has it as her goal to visit the Andes and specifically Inca ruins. The family said that they know of some places we could visit. This gives our kids some hope for future fun. I look forward to that.


We had a special time last night. We all helped those who were leaving to carry there suitcases up to the vans. They were leaving early in the morning. We spent several hours sitting around talking and telling stories, several persons from India, Ukraine, Canada, Paraguay, US, Zambia, Zimbabwe and others. As each one of us talked we shifted between north American ways of talking and expressing ourselves mixed with that of Africa, India, Ukraine and the other places that have shaped us. We laughed as we talked about our cross-cultural encounters, how we have changed and how we have learned so much. After carrying the suitcases our brother from Zambia, who is a pastor, asked us to hold hands under the starry sky and to say a blessing for those going. I felt transported back to Mozambique where those of higher status were called on to say some words. He called on the Zimbabwean couple who will be Area Directors in southern Africa and then on Jenny and I who will also be in leadership. We gave blessing. He then prayed. It was one of those moments where I felt the holy spirit and the bond of those following Christ together from all over the globe. It was a moment when the New Jerusalem, in Revelation became a reality in that moment, a real taste of what is to come when Jesus returns, an echo of Pentecost. I wanted to stay in that moment forever. I am sure I was not the only one. It reminded me of the painting I had drawn when I was a young boy of 8-9 years old, of Jesus standing with his hands open, with heaven behind him and buildings and persons representing all the peoples of the world together in Christ. Last night, in that moment, it had become a reality……. Jesus, lead on.