Today we finally got to work on the middle school in La Democracia. I became a master at mixing cement and plastering walls. It was a lot of hard labor and the sun was intense. I learned some new words in Spanish and we got a fair amount done.
One of the girls fell off the support beam today and a cylinder block fell on her head. It was really scary and she showed signs of a major concussion. She went to the hospital and by lunch time, a bunch of helmets were brought in for us working on the top of the building and underneath the beams. There's not much that can be done for her here, but she definitely has to take it easy for the rest of the week.
Everybody took a break to hydrate and relax, however I made a beeline for the children playing soccer. I passed around and even got sucked into playing keep away with some of the younger boys. Even though I couldn't speak Spanish to them, I finally had a way to connect with the kids...soccer!
Lunch was AMAZING. We had burritos with fresh ingredients. Honduras food puts Chipotle to shame.
After lunch a man named Marco told us his story of how he overcame drugs and alcohol and gangs and how he found SHH. He led a difficult life, but is now a happy and blessed man with 3 beautiful sons and a lovely wife. It was incredibly inspirational.
"You don't need a gun or knife to kill a loved one. Sometimes it's just your actions, and that's what I was doing to my mother" --Marco
The work we got done today felt greater than the work we did yesterday. I felt very productive and in the zone. The kids came out for recess from the part of the school that's already completed and it was a continuous reminder through out the day of who all this hard work really was for. It wasn't for us, to make ourselves feel like we were some charitable good-doers; it was for the children.
Culture Shock of the Day:
The children are incredibly affectionate. I'm used to working in an environment where holding a child or touching kids or letting them sit on you is typically discouraged (not the preschool, but definitely the elementary and middle schools). Here the children will climb into your arms, kiss your cheek, hold your hand, and hug you without even knowing your name. Stranger danger isn't a known concept here. American children are more shy and withdrawn for sure.
When we arrived back to the Villa Soleada, my roommate Alana and I went venturing off and met a couple of village kids. They were so helpful and let me practice my Spanish on them. The children typically resolve their issues physically and I found my inner teacher coming out. I broke up various cat fights and was telling the children I didn't like the fighting. It's shocking to see 9 year old girls kicking and slapping and pulling each other's hair.
To wrap up the night we watched A movie called "Sin Nombre". It was about a gang member who murdered the leader of his MS-13 gang (after the leader killed his gf while trying to violate her) and was attempting to violate another young girl who was running north to the border con her padre y tīo. He was on the run with this girl and the film realistically follows them and you see an accurate depiction of what it's like for illegal immigrants trying to make a run for it to the US. To be so unhappy with their lives in their countries and want better for themselves and their family that they'd risk everything, including their lives to get to the USA for just a small shot at making a fresh start. When have I ever felt so unhappy that I would want to leave my country? Never. We make jokes like "Oh if so and so is president, I'm moving to Canada!" But the reality is that as US citizens our lives are blessed and wonderful, and people would risk it all to be able to live where we live. To feel safe at night, to get an education, and to be happy. It had more of an impact than I ever expected it to.
Tomorrow we head back to the middle school to continue what we've started. I'm sure I'll be super sore mañana! ¡Adios!
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