Orphanage Emmanuel in Guaimaca, Honduras: Math Lessons are Not Done

This morning began the same as most the others with getting up, showering, dressing, eating and heading to the toddlers in the Comedor to walk them back to their house and sit with them as we waited for school. When we got to the Sala, the kids asked to see the dogs (back in WI). For Mother's Day, Bob got 2 cameras to set up in the kitchen so that we could check in on the dogs if we were away. So, I opened the app to see if the dogs were visible to the camera (or in another room and then we wouldn't be able to see them). Both dogs (Bella and Mindy) showed up in the camera along with Bob, so I turned on the microphone so the kids could shout "Mindy!!!" into the camera (Bob would hear this as well). We chatted via the camera a little bit and Bob held Mindy up closer to the camera so the toddlers could see and there were a lot of happy toddlers.

We went to school and when the kids began lining up to get ready for class, I headed down to the high school. I stopped by Profe Dayana first to give her the 8th and 9th grade books and lessons I had prepped so she minimal work to prep first few weeks of the next trimester if she uses my notes. Then I headed over to Profe Jorge (10th and 11th grades). The books I had of his ended with the first trimester, so I let him know that if there was anything he wanted me to prep for him for next week or the upcoming weeks, to let me know. He said 11th grade is now done with math for the year, but he would gladly give me the new 10th grade books for the trimester that begins on Monday. So my morning was filled beginning prepping for the first unit on polynomial functions, specifically linear and quadratic.

When it was time for lunch, I headed down to the Comedor and then Noah let me and Nora know that we could all head to town (he had checked in with Danielle, the volunteer coordinator) right after lunch. So Nora and I ate and headed back up to the Volunteer House to get ready to head to town. I had to get avocados and cilantro to make guacamole later this week for Oscar and the ladies in the kitchen who cook for the orphanage. I also bought coffee to take back home. On the way back to Emmanuel, we stopped at Matilda's to get a frozen chocolate covered banana. Noah paid for them (Thanks Noah!), and I mentioned to him that perhaps we needed to make these to sell at the rummage sales each year because they are absolutely delicious!

Frozen chocolate covered banana with sprinkles

Then we stopped by Glenda's to say our goodbyes and I bought her last 6 avocados (we had stopped quickly on the way into town to see if she had some because then I would buy less in town). We chatted for a bit, she has been sick the past 3 days but is now on the mend...just a bit weak yet. Before we left, she said she wanted to give me her earrings (if you remember, back in April, I gave her my earrings when she told me that she liked them). Her earrings were very cute, gold with black circles that had a clock's markings in Roman numerals. So I put them on, paid her for the avocados (and told her that she should keep the change), we hugged and went on our way. In retrospect, I am a bit sad that I forgot to get a picture of us, but I will cherish each time we get to visit.

Before we went into town, Nora told me that she received a message from Danielle that we were going to have 2 women from the government staying with us tonight. Noah was supposed to have a guy staying with him, and when we stopped at his place on the way into town, he already had his bedroom made up for the guest. So after putting all the groceries away, Nora headed with the small girls to the activities going on in the gym (a group came today, just for the day, to do activities with the kids) while I cleaned and made up the bedroom that Anna and Olivia stayed in.

The bedroom made up for guests

Activities at the gym

Pinatas, nail painting and other activities in the gym

I made my way down to the gymnasium just to catch a glimpse of what was going on before the toddlers came our way because it was just about supper time for them. They typically come down about 3:30ish. Supper is supposed to be at 3:50pm. Because this group was serving supper, the toddlers had to wait quite a bit longer than normal for them. Dunia told me that they were not called down to the gym to participate in the activities. So, some of the members of the groups that had been here all week saw the toddlers sitting and waiting (hungry) and offered to take them to the Tienda for the smallest $4L churritos (chips) just to snack on while they patiently waited for supper. They were excited to go to the store! The big girls in charge of the Toddler House got a little bit bigger size chips as well as something to drink.

In the Comedor, this group that came today served pupusas with refried beans and thinly sliced raw veggies soaked in vinegar and a cup of Pepsi to drink with it. They were a break from the normal and really good! After everyone was settled back in their houses, the 2 teams that had been here for a while had a mini service up in the gazebo at the Team House (since church was cancelled this evening). We sang praise songs with a boy playing the guitar as we sane, then the youth leader from CA did the preaching, and then Andi played guitar to close us with Matt Redman's "10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)". Nora and I walked back to the Volunteer House and we chatted a bit, waiting on the 2 ladies that were supposed to spend the night here. After waiting a while, she messaged Danielle to check in on what time they were supposed to come this way (because orginally Danielle said "late") since we tend to turn in by 6pm-ish. Danielle said they had decided to grab a hotel room in town, so tomorrow will most likely be taking down the bedroom and putting all the blankets away so they do not get dusty/dirty. So with that, we closed the doors and windows and called it a night.