story time...

Yesterday I went to a copy store to see if I could print and bind all of the curriculum I've been working on over the last year. And let me just say, the result was magnificent. Not only was it a hyper-efficient process (perhaps only appreciated after being in Honduras for 11 months), but it was so exciting to see all my work over the past year in these 6 booklets. I love them! Almost made a second copy for myself, but decided the cost wasn't quite worth it. I decided to give the office these course booklets as a parting gift. Since paper, ink, and working printers are continually lacking in our office, I thought a hard copy would be useful to them.

Of course, selfishly, I want them to continue to use the material because I spent a lot of time on it. But really, I want them to use it because we have such a good thing going...and because the clients of the bank can really use the info.

As I mentioned earlier this week, I wanted to share some stories of different clients within the Income Generation Program where I'm working. So here is story #2:

Maria Isabel

Maria Isabel, her mother and two friends had their own small businesses, but didn’t have enough income to support their families.  They saw the prosperity of other neighbors who were loan clients with SCM. Their neighbors’ businesses were growing, so they decided to investigate the program and see if they too could get loans to help their businesses grow.

The 4 women went to MCM and got all the information they needed through an introductory session offered by the bank program. The women learned how the loans work, including details about how and when payments happen, and about the various ministries MCM is involved in to help the community of Nueva Suyapa.

Maria Isabel became a founding member of the community bank Matthew 6:33, with an initial loan of LPS 3000 ($150 US).  She has been part of the bank for 18 months (a total of 4 loan cycles) and is just beginning her 5^th loan cycle.

Maria Isabel speaks openly about how the bank program has changed her life. She says that coming to MCM has enabled her to meet new people and make new friends. She enjoys how the women discuss biblical topics and other important issues at the bank meetings to help them with their families and their businesses. Maria Isabel has more cash flow to cover her household expenses and help her family.

Before, Maria Isabel only had a jewelry business where she would make a few items and sell them. With her loan she is able to grow her business and now has a second business selling bleach and disinfectant. Every loan cycle she has asked for a bigger loan to invest in her business and things have gone well. Maria Isabel says “I have learned to be a better mother and daughter than what I was. I learned how to move my business forward and I like [being part of the bank] because we always pray for each other’s needs.”

Currently, Maria Isabel continues in the Matthew 6:33 group and will be asking for a bigger loan in the next cycle because she would like to start a small ‘pulperia’ or corner store. She has also invited other friends to join their group bank. No longer a group of 4 women, they are now a community bank of 15. 

In the future, Maria Isabel wants to see the bank grow and have more in personal savings. In this way, she can use her own money to grow her corner store into a business that could offer employment to other people. She wants to see her daughter graduate and achieve the most that she can. Maria Isabel looks forward to a secure future, continuing to support her parents and children.

Dont know if this will work, but here is a video (in Spanish) if you want to hear her story...

independence

Happy 4th of July to all my American friends reading this blog. Hope you stay safe and enjoy some good American BBQ fun + fireworks for me.

My time in Nueva Suyapa is winding down...only 2 weeks left of work. 3 going away parties on the agenda. lots of purging and packing to be done...it's all coming so fast! As with each phase of my life, it is never easy to say goodbye, but you never can anticipate what is in store for the next adventure. A year ago at this time I had no idea I would be so blessed to have such a great family here in Honduras, a crazy bunch of coworkers who are truly great friends, and a pile of other experiences I can't even write down. If I had never said goodbye to my friends in central PA and my family, I would have never gotten to live like this!

So it is with the same anticipation that I must say goodbye to these friends in Nueva Suyapa (with the comfort that I will come back and visit from time to time) and forge ahead into the next phase of hellos and goodbyes.

It is in this spirit of wrapping up that I would like to share some stories from the Income Generation Program that I have worked in for the past 11 months. There are dozens more incredible, independent women just like the ones I'm going to post about this week. I hope you enjoy their stories and offer up a prayer for them, their loved ones and this community.

Gloria Maribel Reyes

Gloria Maribel is 35 years old and has lived in Nueva Suyapa with her family for 30 years of her life. Her husband left her 7 years ago, so she raises her 3 children as a single mom. Since then she has taken care of her family with God’s help and has seen how the community has grown and changed over time. There are better houses and streets, more schools, potable water, more churches and a growing population.

Gloria gives thanks to God for her friends Gloria Pino and Esperanza Sanchez who invited her to be part of their solidarity group at MCM 18 months ago. A solidarity group is a smaller group of women who co-sign on each other’s loans. In most cases, 5 or 6 solidarity groups will join together to become a community bank.

In the Matthew 6:33 group Gloria has made some good friends who have helped her grow her snack shop business. Before coming to the group, Gloria had very little capital to work with. The loan she receives each cycle has enabled her to buy an industrial stove to produce and sell more product. The trainings she has received through MCM have helped her see the importance of saving and managing money wisely.

About 12 months ago, Gloria was able to hire another women to help her in her snack shop because she has seen such an increase in her sales. She is happy to be able to provide employment to someone else who needs it, and by having someone else to work in her business, Gloria was able to achieve another dream: completing her nursing courses to be a certified nurse.


Although Gloria has not accepted Jesus into her heart, she feels that the devotionals at her bank meetings have helped clarify some of her doubts, and she has decided to send her children to Sunday school at a local church. We hope that she will soon be accompanying them.

Gloria gives thanks to God for MCM’s work in the community and how they have helped so many women like herself, single moms who need an economic spark to move forward and want to see their children graduate. Gloria is proud to belong to the Matthew 6:33 group and believes that with God’s help and that of MCM, she will one day be able to open a second location for her business.

stick it to the man.

(re-posting from my friend Elise's blog)

stick it to the man (a.k.a. the Honduran transit department)

So Charissa and I have been to the Honduran transit office

three times in the last week trying to obtain
two drivers licenses

although this should be an easy exchange with my US license, it was not.

So, with the help of one of my lawyer coworkers we wrote official letters saying why we should be able to exchange our US licenses for Honduran ones, to be signed by the transit director.

And after eleven stamps on our official letters
five fingerprints
six copies of US drivers licenses and Honduran residency cards
ten rapidito rides
Lps 100 for a physical, eye exam and blood test
one rather angry transit official (my favorite quote was "I don't think this is really the transit director's signature!"...like I had forged it. I guess you never know).
Visits to windows five, one, and two (involving plenty of pushing and shoving, because lines don't really exist)
And, a lot of righteous anger towards the Honduran transit system...

WE HAVE OUR DRIVERS LICENSES!

yes.

[only regret...we didn't go back for a photo with our frenemy + newly printed licenses.]

life lately

So lately I've been feeling like life is a bit crazy...but when reflecting on what exactly I've been up to the past few weeks, I can't really remember!

Ok, well, there have been some trips to visit Mennonites with other Mennonites, birthday parties, bowling, movies with friends, a quick trip to the pacific beaches of Honduras, trips to the department of transportation and licensing, chinese restaurant graduation parties, trips to the theatre, and most recently a trip to La Ceiba, a northern coast city of Honduras.
So, I mean, it's not like I haven't been doing stuff.
You might just be wondering when I work in the midst of all of this.
Don't worry.
That happens occasionally too.

But as I am counting down the days until my last day of work (13!) I am thinking of all that I have done in the last 10 months, and how different work was for me just back in September. Makes me feel like I've come a long way!

Anyway...not to bore you with too much prose about life. Mostly it's been really good. Soaking in fun times with good friends and feeling comfortable in my own skin and my surroundings here in Nueva Suyapa. It's going to be hard to say good bye, but I cannot tell a lie...I am looking forward to sweet reunions in the very near future!

Some photo essay-ing of life in the past few weeks.
Also...there are no photos of my time in La Ceiba! It's a sign I've been here way too long as I no longer like hauling around the camera :)

welcome to the world

So it's Friday, and I'm bored, and I realized I haven't blogged at all about the biggest event in my life this week! I'M A PROUD AUNTIE!

On Monday morning at 7:22 a.m. EST my older sister gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Anna Elizabeth Gerber!

I happened to be sleeping at 6:30 am Honduras time when my little sister called my cell phone to tell me the news. I was happy to be awakened by such good news, and yes, I was screaming and yelling a little bit. Thankfully, I was on vacation with some people older than me, so, most were already awake.







Although it is difficult to be here in Honduras when I would LOVE to be in Ohio with my family...it's only a few short weeks until I will be there. And for the most part, I'm feeling good about being here for another month or so. There are still plenty of things to be done, places to go, and people to enjoy before I leave Teguc.

 Here are some shots of the proud grandparents :)

headin' home to start life!

a day in the life...

I think I've probably said something like this before...but it's nearly impossible to capture what a typical day is like for me. Some days are pretty dull, with nothing more exciting than buying chocolate ice cream at the corner store or taking a trip downtown to have coffee.

But some days, things are just completely ridiculous. And when it's happening, nothing in and of itself seems so crazy. It's only later, when you reflect on the day, that the sum of the parts amounts to something that you just think people not familiar with Honduras might not believe!

Yesterday was my host brother, Josue's birthday. Tradition (in my host family at least) means waking up early to sing to the birthday person before they even get out of bed. My host mom woke me up and we all tried singing outside Josue's door...let's just say, we were all half asleep and it was a pretty terrible rendition. No one was singing together, and half way thru my host mom forgot the words (in her defense, it's a longer song than the English version) and we all broke down laughing when she ended with a "cha cha cha." I think Josue just turned over to sleep again because it was pretty pathetic.

Monday mornings usually start out with a rousing office meeting of the Income Generation Program. At the beginning of my time here I understood maybe 40% of what was going on. Now that I am more accustomed to the terminology of the bank program, the speed at which Hondurans talk, and the joking nature of the men I work with, I think I understand 86-93% of what goes on :)

Today's meeting did not lack for drama. One coworker confronted the rest on their lack of respect for personal property. Mostly, this is not a very Honduran concept, but I was glad she spoke up. People do not respect anyone's desk or personal things and are continually fighting over lost items, whether it's calculators, staplers, printers, helmets, or keys to the moto. It gets a little out of control. And so did the discussion in the meeting!

After the meeting I did some more work til lunch. Lunch was pretty normal, at home, watching a family-favorite dating show while we eat. The show is out of control, as it's called "12 hearts" and tries to make matches of couples, loosely based on zodiac signs and physical preferences. Awesome.

In the afternoon I was quietly working in my office. Allison, my fellow gringa friend who works at the ministries calls me and says "are you bored? if so, come to my office, now." So, of course intrigued, I ran upstairs for a break. I found 2 children who we know from the school, plus their mom (a teacher) holding a mangy looking pigeon. The basic rundown was they pigeon fell from the ledge outside of Allison's window and they wanted to put it back on the ledge. Since I was the tallest (and by default must have the longest arms) I was elected to stand on the chair, reach out of the window with the pigeon in a dust pan, and deposit said pigeon on the window ledge. So I did. No big deal :) We watched him for awhile but he didn't do too much. You know, rescuing pigeons, all in a day's work.

pigeon in the dust pan, about to go out the window.

The evening was a typically Honduran birthday celebration. There wasn't ever a plan, and earlier in the day no one knew if we would actually have cake, but somehow, everyone in the family knew when and where to show up, my host mom made tacos for all, and we shared a cake for Josue's 24th birthday.

family chaos + cake

I have come to love family birthday parties with my host family, all of the craziness and awkwardness. Last night did not let me down :) Not only did we have 20 some people in the house, but we had our usual photo-taking frenzy. One of the cousins, who will remain nameless, is rather obsessed with taking photos of the gringa (yep, that's me). But not just when I know it's happening. Like also when I'm not looking, he's taking shots with his cell phone. Then he supposedly wanted a photo with the birthday boy, but at the last minute was like "no, with the gringa too!" So...I posed for about 15 photos with the cousin and my host brother. It was rather embarrassing. Then I was reassured by their uncle that I am more than welcome to take his son to the US...just as long as he gets some US dollars in return.

I still haven't figured out a good response to these innuendos. Thankfully there are some other cousins who look out for me and tell me not to pay attention to their crazy uncle. But I know the matchmaking is never over!

By the time all the pictures and cake and family stuff was done, we were pretty tired. We still had to watch the Honduras vs. Guatemala match on TV...and, though I didn't know it, I had to help a kid from church with 9 pages of English homework!! So...I did. It didn't take me too long, and I had a good time berating Axel for never practicing his English and talking with Lucia (my host mom) about everything under the sun and her childhood growing up in Olancho.

Overall, it was a good night of memories with the host family...just nothing that will ever be easy to capture in photos or words. But...here was my attempt!