The Ukuleles are safe!

As is usual for these trips, we leave Epiphany at 3am Saturday morning to make a 5am flight to Miami and then on to Tegucigalpa.  So, though all is well - we are safe and sound, we are all operating on very little sleep. Still, we were able to spend the afternoon acquainting, or reacquainting ourselves with the magic that is is the kids of El Hogar.  Soccer games, slap hands games, tag, and hide and seek were all energetically engaged in.  As I sit here outside the office writing this blog, the young women are playing Scatagories, and the young men are playing poker (very poorly - I'm happy to say!).  In a word, all is right in the El Hogar universe.

I actually arrived at the church at 2am to get the gifts we are bringing down sorted.  One unique gift was a cache of 18 ukuleles - all of which we managed to distribute into various suitcases.  The ukes, schoolbooks and clothes are all awaiting distribution once we settle in.

We've learned what our project will be - painting the exterior of the workshops at the Technical School.  We got all of the paint and supplies secured and ready to go this afternoon.

But of course, as important as the gifts we bring are those we receive.  The smiles, the friendships, and the things to learn.  

Padre Matteo promises us more opportunities to learn from Hondurans than in years past.  

And, it's high mango season!  I've had two already, and they are just perfect.  (They go for about 5 lempiras a piece - about a quarter, so we are assured of as many as we can eat.)

That's about it for tonight.  I'll get the kids online tomorrow.