We´re about half way through our month long visit to Honduras. When we first arrived, Ana was afraid we would become bored, staying this long. That certainly isn´t the case….we haven´t had the time. Right now, the children are in exams for 2 hours, so it gives me a chance to be at the internet…alone. In the past two weeks, the only time I have spent by myself is the 20 minute ride from Comayagua to Flores, after dropping the kids off to school. I treasure that time because of the quietness and the chance to reflect on what we are experiencing. There is so much I want to share, and I am jotting down notes along the way.

For years Tom and I have been dreaming about the day we would could stay in Honduras for longer than a week or two, and that day has arrived. We were filled with anticipation, but over the years had developed an awareness that we needed to go into the experience with no expectations…whatever happens, happens and you have to learn to adapt. It is not easy, and can cause stress between the two of us and with others, but it is what makes the experience more meaningful.

Being here for a longer time has given us a deeper understanding of the daily struggles people face. IT IS THE MOST HUMBLING EXPERIENCE. We live amongst the poor…every single family lives this way, it´s simply a matter of the severity. We see their constant struggle for the basics…food, clothing and shelter. Some are fortunate enough to have tortillas, rice, and beans, and others often go without. We see people who do not have a single pair of shoes, and others who wrap their babies in a make shift blanket. Their homes range from ones constructed of plastic or scraps of metal, to ones made from adobe to the “upscale¨ homes made out of hand made cinder blocks.

Undoubtedly, there are people living in poverty in the U.S., but there are also soup kitchens, food pantries and homeless shelters available. Here there are none.