“I have accepted fear as a part of life – specifically the fear of change…
I have gone ahead despite the pounding in the heart that says…turn back…”Erica Jong.
April 18, 2002
Dear Family and Friends,
Last month we took the challenge to visit El Peñon, a neighboring village. It was a good way to get three hours of exercise while doing some work. The mountain, as we call it, can be seen on our website by clicking here. The walk up the mountain is on a dirt path and rocky road that makes one question “who would be crazy or desperate enough to walk all the way up here without a road to follow and choose to live so far away from anything and everything?” But, as we reached the top, we realized that this is the only place these people have to call home and there really aren’t many other options. The road for the most part is all up hill with some sections requiring the dexterity, or at least the strength, of a mountain goat (according to Shawn). Upon our first visit we met two teachers at a small three-room elementary school, who also live in the main part of Concepción de Maria and commute to work each day; one by foot, another by horse. It takes about one and a half hours to get there.
On our second visit we brought color sheets and crayons to work with the kindergarten class. We worked with about 30 students. They were so excited to each have their own picture to color, as this is a rarity. While we were coloring we noticed that many of the children’s teeth were rotted, broken or missing. Our next project is to work with Colgate who sponsors dental hygiene programs in third world countries. We have written a proposal for a box of toothbrush and toothpaste supplies to give a presentation at the school on the importance of teeth brushing. Dentists are non-existent in this part of the country. Although giving one toothbrush presentation won’t solve the entire problem, we are hoping this prevention project will at least be a start.
We had a great Easter vacation with my (Jennifer’s) sister, Cindy, and friend, Andrea, who visited from the states! We spent a day in our town giving them the grand tour and then took a two day bus ride to Costa Rica where we met up with two of Cindy’s co-workers, Danielle and Kim. Poor Shawn was the only guy to put up with the “chattiness” of 5 women! Luckily, we bought a new digital camera that my sister brought down for us, and Shawn stayed quite occupied taking great footage of the trip. You can see some of the beautiful Costa Rican scenery by checking out the website. We enjoyed our time exploring Costa Rica and I believe I can speak for the group in saying that we loved the country’s slogan “PURA VIDA” which means “PURE LIFE” - a positive, uplifting phrase indicating to have no worries, enjoy the pureness of life and live life to its fullest. It reminded us to slow down and enjoy our lives without becoming so preoccupied with our schedules, meetings, appointments and the rush of life!
Compared to Honduras, Costa Rica seemed very clean. We are now wondering how the U.S. will appear when we return. We are growing use to the dirt and garbage in the streets here. I guess that is something one becomes accustomed to living in the second poorest country in the western hemisphere. The people of Costa Rica seemed to foster a pride and acceptance of foreigners, which made us feel less “on display” as we frequently do in Honduras. Kids didn’t beg us for money from every direction, people didn’t stare at us or shout GRINGO (slang for a U.S. foreigner), and people didn’t point at us for being different. Coming back to Honduras was a change; the dirt, the garbage, the smell, the people staring and the feelings of disrespect. This is what wears on a person. We love the people of this country and the work we are doing, and yet there are times when one gets tired of having to prove themselves.
My sister Cindy teaches 4th grade in the inner city of Chicago and we received a packet of letters from her students a couple of weeks before she visited. We are working on a pen pal project with her class. Shawn and I write letters to the class about our life in Honduras and they write back as a way to practice their penmanship, learn how to write a letter and study a different culture. The children asked us lots of questions like, “Is it hot in Honduras?”, “Does it ever snow?” and “What do you eat there?” My favorite questions were, “Are you rich?” “When are you going to have a baby?” and “Could you please send me a super hero comic book?” We asked the students in our last letter what the want to be when they grow up. When the boys in the class found out that Shawn was a police officer, about a third wrote telling us they want to be cops or FBI agents when they finish school. One little boy’s letter was written delicately. He wrote, “Dear Mrs. Jennifer and Mr. Shawn Miguel Silvera, My name is Luis and I am in fourth grade. I want to ask you two questions, ‘do you enjoy staying there and what do you eat there?’ So, that is all I want to know and you want to know what I want to be when I grow up and please don’t laugh – a garbage man. Sincerely, Luis.” I loved this little boy’s honesty and his desire to serve. Writing to this fourth grade class gives us a chance to share our experience with young minds back home. We find it a privilege to be involved in their education.
Our last big accomplishment for the month is fixing up our house. I actually stenciled our cement walls. Sounds crazy, but it is nice to make our small apartment feel more like a home. We are also putting a window in the bedroom for better ventilation and our landlord is talking about building us a private bathroom. It would be an added benefit not to have to share with her occasional other renters. The bathroom would still be outside, but it would be just for the two of us. The other day as I was washing four large tubs of laundry by hand, I had daydreams about indoor plumbing and how nice it will be to enjoy that again someday soon.
Have a great week. Until next time,
Peace Corps Honduras
Website: globalsilveras.com
“I do not suggest that you leave your forts and your usual coping tools,
only that you open the windows and look at new possibilities.” – Jennifer James