Final Days - Mr. Wells

Dear Parents,

Thank you for trusting us with your son / daughter. You have beautiful children and it was a pleasure being with them this week. 

I was very proud to say, "Stanstead College" these past ten days as the manners and comportment of every member of the group has been exceptional. Equally so the effort and work ethic of all has been remarkable. You can be very proud of what your child accomplished this week. The conditions were demanding yet everyone responded enthusiastically. 

One student (thanks, "Lilly" :-)) remarked that Stanstead is, in her words, "A special place. It changes people". Well, institutions are made up of people and from what I saw this week this group is definitely special; and, I believe, changed for the better having made this journey. 

Thank you again for your confidence. It has been a privilege. 

Mr. Wells

Work Day 6 - Kiefer Hayward

Last Day of work today :D

Spent the last day of work flattening out some more sand and clearing the footprint for a new house. At lunch there was a team of 3 hondurans playing a massive xylophone, and a very vicious Pinata beating. 

So far the trip has been great, the food is amazing, and I'm definitely pleasantly surprised with how nice it's been here. Highlight of the trip is the soccer game between stanstead students and the workers from honduras (plus Adolfo). Going down 2-0 in the opening part of the game was hard, but we scored two goals and managed to tie the game in the last minutes. Losing in penalties wasn't fun, but everyone played a great game and to be honest I thought we didn't have a chance in the beginning, so everything went better than expected. 

I think that overall I'm going to miss the nice weather, and the even nicer people that managed to tolerate us on the worksite. The team has been great and we've definitely grown stronger as a whole, and needless to say I think we're all ready for some R&R tomorrow.

Work day 6- Mady St-Pierre

Today was our last day at the work site, and we only spent half of it there. For the first part of the morning, we went on with our work like we had the rest of the week, but then around noon had a ceremony with the people we have been helping build the houses for. It was so amazing to hear everything they had to say, they were so appreciative of our help, and thats when I truly realized that what we were doing was making a big difference in their lives. We got to meet some of the families for the first time, and I had so much fun getting to know them. People here in Honduras are so friendly and fun, they're not shy and always wanting to help, and I'm happy I got to talk with some of them. 

After the ceremony all the little kids from the village got the chance to break a Piniata, and when the candy started falling out, it was a crazy mess of kids trying to pick up as much candy as possible, it was so funny because they we're just so excited about it. After that, we went to visit an orphanage for little kids (newborns to the age of 3) and we played with the little kids. The orphanage had a wide range of different bikes, as well as little cars for the kids to play in and once we arrived they took them out. All the kids piled on to them and we pushed them around on the cars and bikes for about an hour. It was so exhausting but so fun at the same time, everyone had a bike or car with a little kid on them and just ran around laughing and playing. The one little girl I was pushing around smiled at everything, she laughed the whole time. I think just hearing her laugh as we ran around was one of the best parts of the trip for me because she sounded so happy. 

Once we were done at the orphanage, we visited one of the oldest cemeteries in the country and it was so different from the ones I'm used to seeing. This cemetery was beautiful, it was filled with stairs and plants and was simply amazing to walk around in. It was also at the top of a hill that overlooked the whole city, and the view was great. The one thing that I notice when that I overlook the city, is the wide range of colors of the buildings and houses, they're all colorful, but bright and happy colors. The culture here is much more free, the people seem to always be happy and easy going which has made our stay so enjoyable. We then went to a beautiful park that also overlooked the city. 

This trip is one of the best decisions of my life, and I don't regret it one bit. It has been so life changing, and I'm so grateful for this opportunity. 

-Mady

Work Day 5 - Jacob Hochstrasser Borsari

Today started like any other day here in Honduras, with me waking up and taking the first shower. Today, however, I was up a bit early. I open the faucet and let the torrent of warm water pour over me. Afterwards, I grab my book and go out of the room to read because Adolfo and Pengyi are usually still sleeping. I read my book for a few minutes until I can go back in to make sure I'm ready for the day. We go to breakfast... seven o' clock as usual. As we are finishing, Adolfo shows up at HIS usual time every day: seven-thirty. 

We head to the worksite in our bus, when I realize that I forgot my gloves that day. So much for preparation!

This morning we do something out of the ordinary: we stop at a local elementary school to visit the kids and hear about the work that Habitat and the Rubiero family have done for the school. We see all the smiling faces of the students who are thrilled to see the people that are helping to build houses in their village. My heart breaks when he says that their own government won't support them because they are a rural school. It was all due to the generosity of generous donors who payed to have the facilities fixed so that the roof wasn't caving in or so that they could get chairs that weren't falling apart or enough textbooks that they outnumbered them 3 students to a book. Like many other detours we took on this trip, it was a life-changing experience.

Today is the day when I hit my wall. That point in the work week when you feel it start to get to you. My body wanted to quit on me, but I wouldn't let it. My pick just kept on driving into the ground, swing after swing, digging out the trenches that will make up the foundation of a house one day. The rest of the group was assigned to different jobs, so I was essentially the only one to work on them the whole morning. Thank God that even though I was hitting my wall, the day was mostly overcast.

We have our lunch. In the afternoon, I go to help mix some more cement for the adobe bricks until our prayers for rain are answered. We quickly cover it up so that the water doesn't ruin it. I go back to swinging heavy tools, this time using a hammer to demolish large boulders and turn them into manageable rocks. Mr. Wells asks us a Physics question about why the water from the cooler seems to flow more quickly from higher up. Bob, Yuan, Gen, and I begin to discuss this and conclude that it shouldn't make a difference. I turn the tables  and ask him a philosophy question: "Does the water really flow faster, or is it just an illusion that you perceive?" Soon after, we form what seems to be a circle that looks a bit like the fellowship from the Lord of the Rings, with Mr. Wells standing in his teacher-esque pose and us seated around listening.

We engage our hosts from Honduras in a friendly match of football (the real name for soccer) in which Adolfo decided to support his Latin American amigos. It was a lot of fun, but let's just say that Canada should stick to curling, hockey, and lacrosse. Actually, it was a close game. It came down to penalty shots.

For dinner, we hit our favorite rainforest-like restaurant with the hammocks (which weren't there tonight!). The food was excellent as usual, but what really made the night great was being able to share some laughs with friends. Maybe we ended up sharing our laughs with the entire city. You never realize how loud you're being when it's you.

For my Spanish word of the day, I've chosen something from the local dialect, a slang term: Cheke (CHE-kay). It can mean many things such as okay, yes, good, alright.

Today was very Cheke Leke.

Work Day 4 - Mya Daigle

So today was just one of many days of hard work and getting dirty. Last night it rained like crazy, and because of the air vents that literally connect room to room, and my room to outside, it was loud. (Personally, I'm not a huge fan of those vents, along with everyone else on this trip.) I'm one of few people that can fall asleep to the sound of rain, but I still got a lack of sleep because my roommate decided to sleep with me. Lara Cooper squirms a lot in her sleep. It's okay though because every morning we get delicious honduran coffee, and I don't like coffee. Breakfast at the hotel in the mornings is always amazing and everyone is so nice. My favourite thing to do is to wave at all the people on the side of the road, and since most of the people around here walk or ride bikes, they always stare at the nice bus cruising down the street. I take that opportunity to wave at literally everyone, and some have nicer reactions than others. Most of the time it's a friendly smile and wave back, and some others just stare because it's rare to see a small, white, blonde girl staring out the window at them. Other reactions can't be mentioned. 

The bus rides so far have been the most amazing parts of the trip for me. I have one specific seat that I sit in since Day 1 and I practically refuse to sit anywhere else. It doesn't matter if it's a 20 minute bus ride, or a 3 hour long bus ride, the views are absolutely incredible. I take pictures and send them to my mom, but it's not the same. Nothing could possibly capture what we see, and it seems so crazy to me that people who live here see those views everyday and think nothing of it. After our plane rides here, everyone was exhausted (with good reason). We then had a 3 &1/2 hour ride ahead of us. Naturally, over half the bus fell asleep, but my bus buddy (Lara) and I couldn't sleep. There was no way I could think about not seeing everything I saw. Ever since then, the bus has been my favourite place.

The work place was what I expected, without the trees. So far I've done everything at the job site, mostly due to my attention span being around 30 minutes. I've shovelled, pushed countless wheelbarrows, twisted metal, made bricks, packed dirt, used a pick axe, etc. Everything is pretty much the same level of difficulty, and the heat just adds to it. I really thought I wouldn't mind the heat because Vermont isn't seeing much sun right now, but being so close to the equator, it's intense heat. I've never has so many freckles as I do right now. Other than the heat, it's surprisingly fun. The masons and helpers of the sites are all so nice and enjoy watching the newcomers attempt to speak spanish. Our group always takes advantage of our only spanish speaker, Adolfo. Sometimes, little girls come on our work site, and when they ask how old we all are, they are shocked at our answers, one of them said I look 20, and if you know me, that's not the case.

I miss home, I think everyone misses that sense of comfort and not having to worry about walking outside alone, but I can't imagine not being here. I'm happy and sad to only have a few days left (I have a puppy at home waiting for me). 1 more work day then rest and relaxation, which is very much needed, I think the muscles in one arm have gotten bigger than the other. I don't think it's possible to forget the experiences I've had here.

Work Day 4 - Genevieve Quirion

I think  today was the most physically challenging day so far. I woke up at 4am last night because it was pouring rain outside. At first I was so confused because I thought the water was flooding inside but then I realized it was just outside and although I tried to go back to sleep, I couldn't. So I stayed in bed and waited for the alarm to go off. Anyway, because of the impressive amount of rain that poured last night, it was so humid outside. At first it was not too bad because there were still clouds in the sky, but once the sun came out, it was sooo hot. So working was more of a challenge today, also because I've been working very hard in the past few days so it is getting tiring. Nonetheless, I am having such a great time. The atmosphere is always positive, and I get along with everybody here. It is surprising how much you get to know people in a different way when you are travelling with them, and I love every part of it. I got to talk a lot to Mr. Wells one afternoon because we were working together. It can be hard at school to be able to talk to a teacher for such a long time because we are all so busy, so I really enjoyed having some time to ask him questions and get to know him more, and it's always great to get some advice from him. I love everybody on this trip, but I think Rose and Kiefer are worth being mentioned because we've developed such a great chemistry and already made so many memories. They make me laugh all the time. 

The Hondurans are also great people to be around. They look at us in a very special way. I mean, they probably laugh at us on the worksite because we can look like fools compared to them, but they definitely enjoy our dancing around and the efforts we put into the work. And don't get me wrong, Ms.Hessian is actually a machine when it comes to physical work, but we're not all like her. 

I remember when we got off the plane we had to go through customs, the first Honduran I encountered was an officer. He was looking at my passport and all, and before I left he told me I had beautiful eyes. This was the perfect start to my trip because it made me feel good. It's crazy how such small actions that seem insignificant can actually make a big difference. Now, I have countless little actions like that that made the difference, and I feel so grateful for everything.

Oh and one more thing. The food is great !! Tonight, we went to a little cafe and had some awesome paninis. And during the supper, the power went out. No one freaked out or anything, it was just a special moment that we shared as we had candles lit and were simply enjoying the chance of being on such a great trip together. 

Life is great. 

Genevieve

Photos by Devin Wang

I gave Devin the chance to write in the journal - and he opted instead to share some images. Below are some of the things Devin has captured over the last few days. 

Orphanage Visit - Matthew Trnkus

Of all the places in Honduras that could have had the largest impact on the 18 of us (not including our leader, Luis) on this trip, I would have never imagined it to have been a girls orphanage. What an experience it truly was! I myself and I'm sure the others too, got plenty out of this experience. From the moment I laid eyes on those angels in the courtyard, I was dumbstruck. Their sweet faces and irresistible smiles made for an unforgettable short stay with them on Monday evening. From team-play basketball, to running around and ultimately circle soccer with a bit of dancing, Monday evening proved to be an evening of pure joy for everyone who was lucky enough to be there in the moment and see the smiles light up on each beautiful face. 

I was left even crying at the restaurant following our short visit as i thought about their sad faces when they realized we were leaving them to go on with the rest of our night. These kinds of experiences are those that stick with us for the rest of our lives, and I am grateful to have spent every moment of it with these special girls. I believe I can speak for the group when I say, we will never forget Monday evening.

Matthew Trnkus

Work Day 2 - Yuan Liu

Day 4: It was a beautiful and sunny day at the worksite, we pretty much did the same thing as yesterday like pounding the sand inside the foundation of the houses. We worked from 8 am to 3 pm today, but it went by fast. We played a game with Susie's impossible dilemmas - "If you could save all of humanity but......" . Susie Q, the future Anthropologist totally rocked the game, and came up with many good ones. From this game, I actually realized a lot of problems and though about myself, humanity and  the society. 

After the worksite, we cleaned up and went to the Kaldi Cafe to enjoy the last bit of the sunshine. It was the first coffee ever for Julia, Genny Q and Rosie P, and they were amazed by the taste of it. We went to a pretty romantic restaurant had some delicious spaghetti and desserts! During dinner, I had a great time talking with Rosie, Namka and Julia about our childhood dilemmas. It made me realize that we only have so much time left before we walk into the adult world, everything and everyone we encounter is precious. Time went by surprisingly fast today because I had so much fun interacting with people in this group. 

Just before we went to bed, our whole crew played UNO with dares, and the most hilarious thing was when Mr.Wells had to talk like a sport reporter until his next turn. Out of the three Habitat trips, I have gone to, I like this one the most. Not only because we have the best living condition, but our group made this trip incredible and most memorable. We are already much closer and open up to each other - I am looking forward to more beautiful memories!! 

Honduras the beginning...

It has indeed been an interesting few days already here in Honduras, a new country for all of us - even those if us who have been on Habitat build projects before. Our trip down here from Montreal was certainly long, but relatively uneventful, we passed customs with no problems and our one group luggage arrived on time, the only thing we didn't have time for was eating. Happily for the students, we had some familiar food, meeting Luis, our Habitat leader at the Wendy's (They have Wendy's in Honduras? do you think they will have MacDonalds?)  before making the trip here to Santa Rosa. Santa Rosa looked a lot bigger to me than I thought it would be, but once we came up the hill to the quiet streets where our hotel is located, it became exactly what I pictured. The hospitality is excellent and they have us all in the lower level, students have a few sitting rooms where they can relax and socialize. The internet quality is good and even if there is a glitch here and there, everyone has been able to contact home. 

On our first day we visited Gracias Lempira, with Luis and our guide Max to share stories about the history of the region and local heroes as we strolled through town. We visited churches that were hundreds of years old and enjoyed some local tastings, preserves, hot sauces and popsicles before having lunch at a local artists' house. The students were impressed with his artwork, and his pet collection, friendly puppies, birds and chickens. We also hit some hot springs (which seemed unusual in such a hot place, be were still fun) and the football match on TV. 

This morning Luis and Rolando took us to meet our Habitat families at the worksite - where the real magic will happen, and we were all tested in the elements. Our worksite is a Habitat community, where there are already a number of completed houses and we are currently working on eight more houses, all in a row. The houses we are working on are still at the earliest stages, the foundation. We worked on clearing the land to prepare to dig the foundation on one house and moved sand in to fill the foundation on four more houses. The families came to meet us this morning, and although they won't always be with us, a different family will be with us every day. They were welcoming and happy to meet us, I think everyone is looking forward to getting to know them better.

We visited a farm in the community and visited a home for girls, I think the home is run by the Catholic Church and although they called it an orphanage Luis explained that the girls who were there, would stay there until they turned 18 and were ready to move out on their own. This was a major place for our students, and although it was early in the trip - one I think they will all remember for a long time to come. Everyone was shy initially but within minutes were immersed in games of soccer and basketball and tag and important conversations in broken language. No one wanted to leave, as the girls thanked us for coming to visit and helping to brighten their day, I could not help but think that it was instead their positive energy that made our day. I think we will all be thinking of this visit for some time. I think Rose will tell you a little more. 

There are still many untold adventures ahead of us this week, and hopefully you will be able to read some student stories through our 'group journal". 

Honduras - Work Day 1 - Rosemarie Poulin

HOLA TODOS,

First day on the worksite : Were trying our best to shovel sand in the foundation of the house. Couple of sunburns, Kiefer looks like sexy lobster... or not. The squad is at our best with Gen cheering on us "keep it up peeps!". We also visited a coffee farm and ate fresh bread from an "actual pizza oven" muahaha.

After a long and happy day we went to visit a girls orphanage, which definitely goes on the top ten list of the best moments of my life. The girls were really happy to see us and we all felt like we made a change in their day.  The smiles were au rendez-vous, y "Libre", "core", "oh my gosh" and everyone wanted hugs from "

Matt Romeo Trnkus" and "Justin Kiefer" too. The night was concluded with an amazing supper once again.

Today was an awesome second day in Honduras, where you realize and appreciate the chance we have.

LA VIDA ESTA MUY BONITO :)
Rosamaria Poulina (tortuga) xx