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April 4, 2003

Dear Family and Friends,

I think I have discovered a new talent. My secret aptitude lies in the vividness of my dreams. I have always had quite detailed dreams where I can read letters in my sleep and sometimes write poetry. However, a few weeks ago I woke up tasting chocolate! I must be craving good American chocolate, because I do not know how else to explain this interesting phenomenon.

I have been thinking about dreams since this chocolate occurrence and contemplating about how important dreams are to us. Not just the ones we have with our heads on our pillows, but the real life dreams we make for ourselves. I would like to share with you how one 6th grade class in Eau Claire, WI made their dream a reality. At the beginning of our service we were matched with students from DeLong Middle School through World Wise Schools; a Peace Corps designed program to bring cultural experiences into the U.S. classroom. We keep in contact mainly through email and describe our life in Honduras to help the students become more aware of a different part of the world. Before Christmas last year we wrote about some of the conditions and challenges in the Honduran school system. We described one family we knew that did not have all of their children in school last year because school supplies were too expensive.

In response to our letter the young people from Ms. Woodburn’s class took it upon themselves to make a difference. They pooled their resources and put together a box of nearly 50 notebooks and over 200 pencils that they sent to us in Honduras. We waited patiently for the delivery to come as the postal system is not always the quickest. It took three months for the box to arrive and last week we were able to deliver the gifts that were sent. One of the teachers that we work with from the village owns a horse and helped haul the heavy load up the mountain. We distributed pencils to more than 100 students in the school. As a school fundraiser, the teachers voted to sell the notebooks and extra pencils at a highly discounted and affordable price. One hundred percent of the profits will be used for all-school functions such as “Kid’s Day”, a popular holiday in Honduras. The teachers will use the money for refreshments and a piñata with candy to celebrate! The family that I mentioned above was personally given notebooks and pencils from the box of supplies that were sent. They currently have enrolled their children in school, and the supplies were received with warm smiles and heartfelt gratitude as they will be very useful.

It was a very exciting experience to be a part of this project; bridging the gap from Wisconsin to Honduras. Some of the kids in the village told us that they we surprised and delighted that someone would think of them from so far away; especially from a different country. The teachers commented that the gift had motivated their students and they felt very special with the surprise. We would like to thank Ms. Woodburn’s class for their generosity and initiative. We are proud to be working with them and feel like they are an example of what it means to sincerely give. It has been a privilege for us to play a small part in making a wonderful idea happen.

If you would like to see Ms. Woodburn’s class and images of the children who received their gift click here, for visit our website at www.globalsilveras.com and click on “what’s new”.

We will be back in a few weeks. We are taking some vacation time to visit Argentina, Chile and Peru. We are excited about this opportunity to travel. It has been a personal dream of ours to explore parts of South America together.

Make your dreams come true!

Website: globalsilveras.com