where to begin

Yikes! Almost 3 months have passed since my last post.

It is hard to think about where to begin with all that has happened in the last 3 months of my life.

Occasionally it felt like a whirlwind...

...and other days it felt like limbo would never end. 

Then suddenly I was on a plane with Henry holding on to my hand for dear life (poor guy gets very motion sick) and we were finally realizing the biggest change in both of our lives: he has a U.S. visa and we have less than 90 days to change our "civil status" from single to married. I mean, it's just checking a different box on your paperwork, right? It's not that big of deal ;)

And so begins whirlwind number three hundred--I can't even keep track anymore.

It's surreal. It's cold. It's fun, hard, emotional, thrilling, hilarious, challenging, to-do list-filled, expensive, yummy, tiring, not honduras...

...Not Honduras! That is definitely one part that I don't think has really sunk in yet (for me at least). H felt it the minute he stepped on that first escalator at the airport. He thinks about it every meal where he doesn't get tortillas.

But we have so much to be grateful for. The hospitality and kindness we have received has been immense. We have a warm place to sleep and food on the table for every meal (occasionally, even beans & tortillas!). While neither of have full-time work, nor do we own a car, or have our names on mortgage papers--many outward signs of stability and what our culture would deem "ready to marry"--our wedding is just around the corner. And we couldn't be more excited. God has taken care of us each step of the way. Papers, applications, interviews, packing, family good-byes and hellos. And now we are trusting that the next step is already being prepared for us.

laugh til it hurts

While I have had my fair share of despedidas (goodbye parties) in Honduras over the years, none has made my face hurt as much as my recent despedida from the MCC team. Hurting from so much laughing, that is.

They made a tumblr-like rendition of experiences over the years that I attempt to share below. You will likely not find this as funny as I did, but I couldn't help but share it because it is so awesome.

I was unable to capture the other half of my goodbye: the 4 guys re-enacted small "scenes" with Charissa. The way I talk, the way I drive, the way I react dramatically to life...all on display. Humbling and hilarious, it was a great way to go out--laughing til my stomach hurt and I was in tears.

Can't hardly believe its the end of more than 3 years with MCC in Honduras. Through all the ups and downs, the team has supported me. I have been blessed to know such wonderful people and share this challenging, scary, tumultuous (often dramatic) time together. 

Titled: 

Charissa's liiiiiife: moments in Honduras

Cuando combinan tus zapatos, tu cartera, tu blusa, tu esmalte, tu maquillaje, y tus acesorios

When your shoes, purse, shirt, nail polish, make-up and accessories match:

Cuando por fin recibimos nuestras licencias

When we finally get our driver's licenses:

Cuando alguien te pregunta "usted no es de aqui verdad?"

Estas bromeando?

When someone asks you "you aren't really from here, right?"

Cuando algo medico menor requiere una injeccion

When a minor medical problem "requires" an injection:

Cuando un pastor te informa que has roto tus patalones en publico

When a pastor informs you your pants have ripped open in public:

Cuando alguien se mete frente a vos en la fila de migracion

When someone cuts in front of you in line at the immigration office:

When PlanWin finally replicates:

Cuando la persona quien estas esperando "esta en camino" 

Por que me mentis?

When the person you are waiting for is "on their way"

When Kathy Troyer's worms are too close to you:

Cuando por fin introducen Lotus Notes email

When they finally introduce Lotus Notes:

When you want to stop the guy from washing your winshield

or

signal that you don't need a taxi that is honking at you

or 

you want to deny anything

When people spell your name "Karictza"

Every day in Honduras:

preparations part 3

cutting

There are a lot of Christmas traditions that I miss out on when I am in Honduras for most of December. But instead of lamenting all the goodies I can't have here, I decided to show Henry what Christmas cookies are about.

Cut outs, icing, decorating--the whole kit and caboodle. He was tired after about 3 trays. [I told him this is why my mom hardly ever makes cut-out sugar cookies.] But we forged ahead. No dough left behind! I mean, seriously, you will never feel like getting all the stuff back out of the cupboard again.

rolling

We also discovered why Christmas cookies are made in the cold of winter! The dough gets way too sticky in this tropical climate so we had to use a lot of flour, and keep freezing the part that we weren't using.
(Note: this is also why the chef's assistant is not wearing a shirt. Sanitary, I know. Just try having the oven for a few hours when it's 85 degrees inside your house!)


 

Our food coloring options were also limited to the leftovers I had from our Easter egg dying experience...blue & yellow and some red jello powder. We were able to make a sweet kelly green, a pretty bright mustard yellow, teal-ish blue and a light pink. Not your typical Christmas color pallette, but still festive.

decorating (he loved this part)

free stylin' without cookie cutters

the finished product!

proud of his first sugar cookie experience!

preparations part 2

I went with 3 of my friends to a theater production of the Christmas story this past weekend. I wasn't sure what to expect and since it was a theater performance, i fully expected some kind of secular presentation of Christmas-y themes.

But it was pleasantly suprising!

They used the text of the biblical story and mashed it up with choreography, song and dance to give it a new twist. While the presentation definitely had a Honduran flavor, noted in the choreographed dance moves and subtle hints of Honduran humor, it was very engaging and very well done. I could hardly believe how the cast of 8 was in constant motion for almost 2 hours. Impressive!

The idea of a dramatic interpretation is to bring a story to life. To help you see it through a new lens.  I appreciated the way it helped me reflect on certain parts of the Christmas story that i simply skim over when I read through it in the bible. There were two specific parts:

The first was when the angel came to Zechariah to tell him his wife, who was barren, will be given a son. The angel in the play chose to deliver his message through a very creative rap, which was definitely entertaining, but there was something else that stuck with me--the idea that Zechariah was silenced until after his son was born. I thought about how crazy that that must have been, his family and friends mocking him, in disbelief, or thinking he had gone mad! Not to mention that he probably had to use some creative charades to explain that a heavenly being had paid him a personal visit. I was struck again by the ways in which God has worked through "ordinary" people to accomplish his purpose, yet they are imperfect vessels. Zechariah's faith brought about his Son's birth, but his disbelief in the power of God to move in such a way silenced him for 9 months.

The second part was when Mary and Joseph flee with their infant son to Egypt in fear of their lives. They become immigrants in a strange land, undocumented and living "under the radar." It made me ache for others who have made a similar journey--to protect their families, to find a better life, to flee persecution--though they may even lose their lives trying. Aptly titled "la huida de los mojados" or "the fleeing of the undocumented," the scene left me unsettled with this song playing in the background:

Caminos Verdes
Music and lyrics: Rubén Blades

I’m arriving to the border

Eeeeeeeae

And may God’s will prevail

Eeeeeeeae

I’m arriving to the border

Eeeeeeeae

And may God’s will prevail

Eeeeeeeae

As advent brings light to the dark places, I also pray that God's will prevails.

preparations part 1

I've been falling a bit behind in my blogging in this busy season, so here is the first of a few short posts to reflect on life. To reflect on the mystery of advent...a quiet fog, seeping into the cracks and crevices of life...not always tangible, but a persistent hope that always makes itself known...often when you least expect it and most need it.

An unofficial team gathering prompted me to unpack the Christmas baubles that I had tucked away from last year. We decided to celebrate Thanksgiving together on the last day of November and I wanted the house to be festive.

I collect nativity scenes because there is something about them that I just can't resist. Maybe it's the details that make each one unique. The reminders they offer of countries and cultures that I have visited. Or maybe it is the subtlety of each peaceful scene that calls me to find peaceful moments in my own life. Many that I have collected over the years are packed away in boxes at my parent's house. But I keep a few favorite ones with me and they were the first to be put out this year. A few touches of garland, bows, candles, poinsettias and one string of lights (I ran out of steam) was a small way to begin to welcome advent.

Our evening feast was a delicious time together and we talked about what we were thankful for. It was a great way to share some of my cultural traditions with friends and reflect on how blessed we are each and every day.

Although it was a busy and tiring weekend of hosting, it was really fun to share this meal with good friends and find renewed energy for the weeks ahead-when I needed it most!

national elections

This article was a collaboration between my good friends Megan, Elise and myself. Our perspective and synthesized analysis of the elections:

The international community has brought much attention to the Honduran presidential elections that took place on Sunday, November 24. The presence of many national and international observers made for a relatively peaceful day, but the political turmoil is far from over. Election authorities have not given final results, and are dealing with accusation of electoral fraud; however, projections show that nationalist candidate Juan Orlando Hernandez will win the election. 

While international coverage of the elections has grown increasingly concerned in the last few weeks, the tension over these elections has been mounting internally for years. This presidency will not be won in one day of voting. The election results are the culmination of years of planning and use of a political machine that points to inequality and structural weaknesses in Honduras and not just fraud on Election Day.

National Party candidate Juan Orlando Hernandez’s predicted victory did not just materialize on November 24th. It is a result of years of careful planning, made possible by institutional weaknesses and a vulnerable population. In a country with highly stratified economic classes, political power and wealth are highly concentrated in the upper echelons of society. A very small percentage of Hondurans, a mix of business magnates and families of inherited wealth, form the oligarchy that works tirelessly to keep the status quo in place. It is the very economic inequality that has gotten them where they are that continues to keep them in power. But these wealthy few are not easily painted with either a blue or red brush. Found at the top of every major political party, they share a common knack for using anything as fodder for political propaganda.

Money may help you
but selling your rights will keep you enslaved

It is no secret that Honduras has a very poor public education system, and this too can always be used to one's advantage. It is easier to manipulate people that are less educated, that don't have access to information or live in isolated regions of the country. All of these factors have continued to wear down the trust Hondurans have in the government and the belief that things can change. Hernandez is an expert in using the political system to win votes. He has served as the President of the National Congress since 2010, and has used the position to consolidate power and push through popular reforms including the hugely popular (70% of the Honduran population are in favor), and highly worrying military police force.

More recently Hernandez’s media presence and campaign rallies have been very strong and convincing. Honduras has no campaign finance disclosure laws, so there is no way to know where Hernandez (or any of the other candidates) obtained their money for the expensive campaign. Hernandez was also accused of buying votes from vulnerable populations, either directly or indirectly before the elections. Some example include giving away a National Party “discount card”, wood burning stoves, and threatening to discontinue a government social bonus program, the “Bono 10 mil” if he was not elected. 

In talking to many Hondurans, a common thread has been the expectation that Hernandez and the National Party would come out on top. Of course, supporters of opposing parties were distrustful of his campaign, but one has to acknowledge the number of people that cast their vote for him (even going against their party loyalty) because he was giving them material goods, benefits, and policies that appeased their fears of violence. While there is still a palpable skepticism of transparency in the electoral process—the reality is that he really did do whatever it took to get the real ballots cast in his favor.

photo credit: Kathrine Rasmussen

In spite of these political games, there was a genuine hope for a different outcome. People hoped that this time, things could change. They hoped that with a large international community looking on, there would be less tolerance for corruption. People knew the electoral process was flawed, but they showed up to cast their ballot, driven by a hope that things have to get better.

One of the reasons for that hope was the change from a bipartisan system to a multi-party system. Hernandez currently has only 34% of the votes. While the non-nationalist vote was split among Libre (29%), PAC (16%), and the Liberal Party (21%) in the presidential elections, the hope is that this diversity of electoral opinion will come into full force in the Congressional elections, where the National Party could only hold a minority of seats. What will this look like for Hernandez's presidency? A potentially divided Congress could signify less congressional action and more executive power. However, the hope among those who did not vote for Hernandez is for an executive branch held in check by a more balanced Congress that reflects the diversity of Honduran opinion more than ever before.

The despair with the security concerns, economic woes, and corruption combined with the sudden birth of more political options have led to a more active, aware constituency that uses other democratic methods (protests, political watchdog organizations, greater and more diverse dissemination of information through the media, new political parties, etc.) to call for justice. In a historically oppressed and disillusioned political atmosphere, Hondurans have started to find their own voices. Hondurans will have to adjust to the idea of having a president unsupported by the majority - an advantage to the extent that Hondurans can respect their own prophetic voice, and use it to work for change.

Was the whole political system and weak government going to be turned upside-down in one election cycle? Maybe not. The inequality among Honduran classes run deep, as do political ties to a bi-partisan system controlled by an oligarchy. The obstacles for a new president--from any party--are daunting. But we are hopeful that this political momentum will spark the change that Honduras has been waiting for.

[This article is also posted on the MCC Honduras Connecting People's blog and the MCC LACA Advocacy blog! Check them both out for more good reads.]