Honduras – Day 6 – “Fun Day”

February 7, 2014

By Lisa Pickering

Well it was finally time to get to meet the rest of my Compassion Children, Kener David, Elizabeth and Sharon.  Genesis and her brothers also came, since they live close to Tegucigalpa where we would be meeting for our fun day.   Everyone was so excited we could not wait to meet the children.  Some of those who were on the trip were there to see their sponsor children for a second or third time.  Others, like me were going to meet them for the first time.

We go up and got ready bright and early.  We headed off to “Jungle Jumps“ in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.  Jungle Jumps is a large children’s playground, with lots of inflatables, Tree House, gym and private park.  It was so nice.  Alexis reserved the entire place for us, so no one else would be around.  It was really fun, and the children got to run around and do things they normally would not be able to do at their homes.

When we first go there, all the sponsors were so excited and waiting for the children to arrive.  Genesis was the first to arrive of my sponsor children along with her two brothers.  They looked a little scared, but excited.  I am sure Genesis was still in shock that she had a new sponsor who was actually there visiting her.  She had only found out the day before that she had a new sponsor.  I am sure she was still in shock.  I was glad that her brothers got to come with her, since her middle brother is not part of the Compassion program.  There were a few other children from her center, and one of her teachers, and the pastor’s wife came as well.

Kener David was next to get off the bus of my sponsor children, and his mother and a teacher from the center had come with him.  His mother was pregnant and expecting his baby brother in a couple of months.  (unlike in the U.S. they do not have a due date, but track how long their are pregnant, so she was due sometime in March.)  Compassion has him going by “David”, but I found out that he actually goes by “Kener”.  By the end of the day, I definitely had that down pat.

Next, was Elizabeth, but she does not go by “Elizabeth” she goes by Naylia.  She came with her dad and a teacher from the center.  He dad and her teacher were both a little more quiet and stayed in the background most of the time.  Naylia gave me a pretty picture in a frame that she made, of herself.  I love it!  I was so happy.

Finally Sharon got off the bus, and when she saw me she came running.  She gave me a big, big hug, and was so happy to see me.  Her grandmother came with her, along with one of her teachers.  He grandmother gave me a gift, of some of the snack foods that they eat in Honduras. Not sure what they were called.   Sharon also had made me a little book with pictures of her, and her baby brother.  She was trying to tell me all about it, and the translator was working hard at telling me.  Sharon talks about as fast as I do, so if we could only have understood each other, we would have know all about each other in a matter of minutes.   Her grandmother told me that she was happy that I was Sharon’s sponsor, and that I had come to see her. I asked Sharon if she thought I would every come visit, and she said “Yes!” because she had “prayed that I would come visit.”  That is such great faith, and it almost makes me feel guilty that I didn’t write more often.    She also was not told I was there until Monday (just a few days before).

Well, with all 4+ children, we were ready to go inside Jungle Jumps and have some fun.  We went inside and found a place to put our stuff down, as I didn’t want to give them all their gifts at the start, I had given each of them a small gift at the beginning when we meet.

So, they all started off and went to the big slide, and up and down they went.  But at first Sharon was shaking her head and saying “No, No, No”, but finally she went up.  Then all four of the children were calling my name and motioning for me to join them.  I was not sure, but off I went.   (Ok, note, the slides are not made for adults, and my big feet kept sliding on the “step ropes” and I would fall down, taking anyone behind me with me. )

Later we found out that normally anyone over 12 are not able to play on the slides, but the owner was so impressed with what we were doing, and how we had come from U.S. and were taking these children from the poor areas to have a great day.  She was in tears, and said next time, she was going to keep her kids out of school for the day, so they could come and see the love and caring that others had for those less fortunate.   I can not describe in words the emotions that were there that day, it was so uplifting and fun.

Well, Sharon and Naylia were holding hands, and you would have thought they new each other for years, not just meet for the first time.  I had not really even wrote about them to the other in my letters.  Of course it was the three girls and Kener, but he was like the little brother, and you would hear “Kener, Kener, Kener” all the time.  Of course you also heard “Lisa, Lisa, Lisa”.  At one point we were counting to three (tres) and then going, but, one time when I was up at the top of the slide, Sharon said “one, two, Three”, and wow, I was so impressed. She knew more words in English than I did in Spanish.

In one bounce house, it was just the five of us, so I said “Alto, Alto”, which means Stop.  Then I counted 1, 2, 3 in Spanish and we all jumped up at the same time.  I was so much fun.  They would not let me take a moment to rest, however, Sharon and Naylia did go get me a drink of water at one point.  That was so sweet.  I was running all over the place with them, and we didn’t need to know much of each other’s language to understand the fun.

At one point we went into the big House Tree, (AKA Tree House) and it was really neat.  I was pointing to the camera, and Naylia to get a pictures, and she had the look on her face that said she was tired.  (Well at least only for a few minutes.)  We didn’t have a translator in the tree house with us, but Sharon’s teacher was everyone we were.  I think she was having as much fun as the kids and I were.

At one point, some of the other Sponsors asked me how I was doing it, running and laughing with all four or actually six of them, and I really didn’t know, other than it was God’s doing.   I did tell Alexis that they may need to put me in a wheel chair in the morning to get to the airport. I may not be able to move.   I didn’t care, I was having too much fun.

The kids did stop to eat, and I was just trying to catch my breath, that I just grabbed a couple chicken strips, to eat.  I had plenty of time to eat when we would get back to the hotel.  Sharon was telling her grandmother that she had some little burns on her elbows from the slides.  Well, her grandmother was well prepared and pulled out a little salve and put on her, Sharon made a face that told me it burned a little.  It was so funny.  I was smart and kept my elbows up, so I didn’t get the burns, but all four of the kids did.

They had cotton Candy, or shall I say “Sugar sponge”.  They loved it, and were so excited to get some.  They stood in line very patiently waiting for it. You could tell they all loved it.

Well, I grabbed the translator, Bismark and told him I wanted to take the kids off to a quite place to give them their gifts.  We sat down along the side of the building, and I gave Sharon, Naylia, and Kener each a backpack filled with lots of goodies.  I also had a Soccer ball for Kener and Naylia, and a Volleyball for Sharon.  I had them deflated to travel easier, and Kener found the pump and filled it up.  He was so excited, then he deflated the ball.  He put it on his head like a hat. I was so funny.  The Soccer ball had all the Sunday School children’s name in glow-in-dark marker to match the glow-in-dark ball.  Inside his bag the first thing he pulled out, was a Children’s bible, he looked at it and sat it aside.  I showed his mother and teacher that all the Sunday School Children had signed their names inside, to show him how many people were praying for him and his family.  You could see she was happy, but Kener, like any boy of 8 years, he was more interested in the toys inside.  He pulled everything out, and then put it all back in.  He put the backpack on, and even went through the tunnels with the backpack on.  (And we had filled it with lots of goodies from the Sunday School children, so it was heavy.)

Sharon and Naylia both were excited, as they both got a bible of their own.  Sharon’s grandmother said that Sharon had a small bible, but had lost it, so she really could use a new bible.  I feel every child should have a bible of their own.  There was also a lot of clothes in the bag, my Mother and Sister had helped me pick out the clothes, as my sister’s husband is Honduran, and his niece texted a family member in Honduras, and asked what kind of clothes the girls wear, and she said pretty much the same thing that she does. They were so excited, and I gave them each a bag of household items for their parents.  I know that little things like toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap are sometimes luxuries for the poor.

Well, the day, and week were coming to a close, and I was so sad to have to say goodbye to Sharon, Naylia, Kener, Genesis, her brothers and the parents and teachers.  I would loved for the day to go on for ever.  They were so sad for the day to end as well.

I can say one thing about these six children, first Genesis brothers were very protective of her, and kept a close eye on her. You could see the love they have for each other.  And you could see the love and caring that each of these six children had, by the way they treated each other, and how you would think they were cousins who got together at least one or twice a year.  I was so amazed, and could not wait to tell everyone about my visit.

Well, my Honduras Trip has come to a close, and I have taken a while to write this blog, as it was a trip of a lifetime, and I would tell anyone that is able to make a trip to see their sponsor children, to DO IT!  It is more valuable than all the money in the world!  I thank God everyday that I was able to make this trip!

UPDATE:  I will be going back to Honduras in October 2014!  To see all five of my sponsor children, and now six sponsor children!  It will be close to Sharon’s 15th birthday, her “quinceanera” the time when in Latin Countries they celebrate girls changing from a child into an adult.   I wish my husband and son’s would go, but someone needs to stay home with “my babies”, Duke & Princess, and of course “old man” Harley.

 

Previous Posts

“Day 1 – HO372“ ~  “Day 2 – HO330”  ~  “Day 3 – HO330”  ~ “Day 4 – Travel Day“  ~ “Day 5 – Headquarters“ ~ “Day 5 – HO272”