solidaridad = solidarity

Honduras is experiencing an emergency as heavy rains over the last week or so have caused flooding and landslides all over the country. Currently, we have not been affected, minus a power outage for most of yesterday.

Here is where the numbers stand today (from Copeco)

Affected 192, 506
Evacuated 37,397
Staying in shelters 19,863
Affected communities 473
Damaged homes 4, 379
Destroyed homes 337
Damaged roads 157
Destroyed roads 7

Most of this was caused by Tropical Depression 16, but now they are warning of at least a few more days of heavy rains as Tropical Depression 17 rolls in. Here are also a few images from El Heraldo:

We have already managed some funds to make a donation of non-perishable food through one of the networks that is getting supplies to flood victims. If you would like to offer immediate help to those in need, you can contact me about the amount of your donation and I can buy more food and take it to a center that is distributing supplies.

Wednesday night

Guillermo is off on another trip for work = our first time being separated since we got married (boo hoo, I know) = I've gotten caught up on several projects and am going to watch a movie in a little bit

Tropical storm 16 is passing through Honduras = lots of rain and it is chilly = laundry takes ages to dry = Guillermo didn't have any dry pants this morning to wear to pack for his trip = I used the hair dryer and the fan to make it happen

We don't have a TV = I can't watch Honduras play Jamaica right now in an important World Cup qualifying game = I used Guillermo's ESPNDeportes link to find the score (losing 1-0 right now) = clearly someone is rubbing off on me

The other day a bat came into the house while Guillermo was reading on the couch = I come home and find "how to i get rid of a bat" as the latest search on Google = Guillermo is a resourceful husband

At the time of this post, the bat has not returned = I am very thankful

Copan

The last part of our trip was to Copan, mostly work but some play. Anibal (Guillermo's supervisor) and his wife Yadira, picked us up in Yamaranguila and we drove through Gracias, Lempira all the way to Copan Ruinas. Saturday morning Guillermo and Anibal went to a VM event called a cabildo (a sort of mock-government made of children and youth). Yadira and I slept in, took in a lazy breakfast and stoppped by the event. In the afternoon, we got to go to the Copan ruins, which was a first for me. They were beautiful, especially since it was a green time of year. We had a little time to rest before the big game: Honduras vs. Canada. Honduras won with 3 golazos!!! On Sunday we drove back to the city. Here are all the pictures from our trip.

At the ruins, we found a spot that we recognized:

second home stay

After a night at a hotel in La Esperanza, we journeyed to another community called Los Mangos. We made a short stop in Yamaranguila to visit a World Vision office. The community of Los Mangos was much different that Los Planes. It was smaller and culturally had less traditional Lenca culture. We were greeted once again by the Community Develpment Board, who was led by a sharp young woman named Pati. We walked accross the soccer field to the school house, where we had a short introduction to the community. We got to visit with young students, board members and families. Guillermo took advantage to play futbol with some of the kids and I mingled and took pictures.

Looking at the community's plan with the board

After that, we took the long walk through the woods to the home of our new host family. I wish I had been more prepared for a homestay because we ended up having to have several people help us carry our bags. Our host family, Don Fidel, Doña Lidia and their children have a cozy home on the side of a beautiful valley. They have some fish ponds and a sell plants among other projects. We enjoyed great meals and lots of time to chat with them when we weren't out in the community with the members of the Board.

Our host family

In the morning, we were showered and ate breakfast by 6:30 in order to take all of our luggage to a spot a ways down the road, before the entrance to the community. After walking about 45 minutes, we arrived to where a big truck was waiting and many people were gathered. This morning there was to be a regional prayer meeting, an annual gathering of families who are part of World Vision projects in the area. Along with around 600 others, we journeyed to a meeting center. Guillermo and I got to ride in the back of the truck, which was an adventure. The prayer meeting was many things, including a Catholic mass, singing, sharing, a raffle and a lunch.

back in time

I'm blogging from our dry and warm hotel room in La Esperanza. We have been having a great trip so far. Yesterday we drove from Tegucigalpa through La Esperanza to Los Planes del Rio Grande, a small community of 130 families. After we left the main highway in Siguatepeque, the scenery became more and more beautiful and the climate became more and more cool as we drove up into the mountains. We were not sure what to expect of our trip. We knew we would get to meet people, see projects and possibly stay in a community. I'm learning that this is a very standard flying-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of trip in Honduras.

We were greeted at the Catholic church by the "Junta"- the Community Development Board of Los Planes. They took us on a short walk to a school/tutoring project they had recently managed to put into place. I immediately began to feel that I was in another culture, even though we were still in Honduras. The faces of the people have strong indigenous traits. Most of the women wear very bright colored dresses and skirts and some head scarves.

On the walk up to the school, all of the women (except for me) walked about 50 ft behind the men. The accent is slightly different and I've noticed they had a distinct way of talking both while they breathed air in and breathed out. As the fog and darkness crept in around us, we heard many of the members share about their experiences of working for the community. With the help of World Vision, the Comm Dev Board has worked to do a diagnosis of the community and to also make a development plan for the community. They now have a kinder, school and this special high school. They also have helped many families better their homes (replacing grass and wood huts with brick walls and solid ceilings). They have put a few economic development tools into place as well. It was very inspiring to hear the vision they had for their community and for the next generation.

With some members of the Board

After this short meeting, we walked down to a home where we had dinner with a couple of the staff of World Vision and some from the board. It had started to rain, so the walk down the trail and accross the cow field was a bit of an adventure. We dined in the glow of candlelight and flames from the wood stove (ie: a wood burning stove in the corner of the kitchen used for cooking). We drank a sweet coffee and a kind of sweet atol (sort of like thick corn pudding) and ate beans, fat little tortillas, quajada cheese, fried eggs and potatoes. We walked back to the house where we would be staying and settled our bags. A few men from the Board came to continue talking with Guillermo and to show him the diagnonsis and plan they had made. It seemed sooo late! Besides being tired, my mind was playing tricks on me because it got very dark around 6:30. There is no electricity in Los Planes, so the pace of life is different. Around 9 pm, we went to bed. Did I mention it was cold? I was wearing a fleece I usually use in Colorado in the fall and winter. There was so much fog, it was hard to see across from the house to the bathroom. We snuggled into our single-size bed, which was fine because we were freezing. The rain on the clay-tile roof was a nice sound to go to sleep to.

The shower experience

In the morning, we woke up and then we woke up some more when we took a cold shower outside under the sprinkling rain. It wasn't as bad as you think, and it was kind of funny because the shower was obviously not made for people of our height! We walked back to the same house for breakfast, which was chicken and vegetable soup and milk with cinnamon. Our food experience here is not one you find many places in the world. Almost everything is grown locally: vegetables from the garden, corn from the field for tortillas and atol, beans, chickens, milk and cheese from local cows,. We took a few pictures with the women from the board who were with us that morning and who made our meals. They took us on a walking tour of the community where we met individual families. Later in the morning we came back to La Esperanza and met more World Vision staff from the region and ate lunch. Tomorrow we are heading up to Yamaranguila where we will also stay with a family... more adventures to come!

On the road

This week I get to accompany Guillermo on a trip for his work. He has started working for World Vision in the area of development strategy. We are going to visit three Area Development Programs in Western Honduras as part of his induction process. World Vision has 30 of these Area Development Programs in the country. We will spend most of the week in the department of Intibuca. We will be in the towns of La Esperanza, Yamaranguila and Intibuca. Then we will spend a night in Gracias, in the department of Lempira. Lastly, we will be staying in Copan Ruinas in Copan. I'll get to see the ruins while Guillermo works, a first for me, even though I have been through there several times. You can see our route on the map below. We will come back to Tegucigalpa through San Pedro Sula, instead of the way we came. I am looking forward to a great week! We will be in some of Honduras's most mountainous areas as well as some of its poorest rural areas. You can bet I will be taking lots of pictures!

sign of the times

A quick translation of parts of an article from Monday's El Heraldo, a Honduran newspaper.

Cost of life increases 6, 492 Lempiras
*L. 6,492 = $343.67 The price of the basic food basket has increased by 2,068 Lempiras in 28 months
*L. 2,068 = $109.48

"Living in Honduras becomes more expensive everyday. The cost of basic, vital necessities has seen an accelerated growth in the last 28 months. According to data from the Secretary of Labor and the Central Bank of Honduras, the cost of life for a month for a family of 5 has gone from L. 12,763.80 ($675.70) (January of 2006) to L.19,256.15 ($1,019.38) (August of 2008). This is an increase of L. 6,492.35 ($343.70) or 50.86%.

The price of the basic food basket (the food needed to feed a family of 5 for a month) has inceased as well. Over a span of 28 months, it has increased by $109.48. The National Institute of Statistics estimates that in Honduras there are more than 500,000 people living at less than minimum wage (L. 3,430 or $181.57 a month). That means the entire salary of a minimum wage worker covers only 56% of the cost of the basic food basket."


Desparate, suffering, survival.... words that come to mind. Praying for Honduras and for our world. Below is are some pieces I did to talk about the theme of basic needs and loving the least.

I am...

I was inspired to write an I Am poem, something I learned in my children's literature class, as a way of sharing about our new life in Santa Lucia. Enjoy

I am by Anna de Jiménez
I am the last little green house at the end of the road,
I am coffee and plantains and tortillas,
I am planning menus and learning to make beans.
I am using our new washing machine and hanging laundry on the covered porch with a view.
I am the sound of school children across the street, practicing for a parade.
I am Skype calls to home.
I am washing dishes, ironing, baking and cleaning.
I am foggy mornings, quiet nights and green gardens.
I am the constant fan in the bedroom, keeping the closet from getting moldy.
I am birds of paradise, guayabas and limes.
I am tile floors, hammocks and a little plastic dinning table for two.
I am quiet times in the red chair on the porch.
I am commuting a two hour, three bus adventure to the office.
I am Santa Lucia, cobblestone streets, the little Catholic church and friendly neighbors.
I am away from the aggressiveness of the city, the traffic and the noise.
I am away from my dear neighbors, old friends and family.
I am learning to be a wife, I am new habits and a new family.
I am a new church, a small group and friends.
I am walks to the soccer field, playing, frisbee and futbol.
I am Honduras, Colorado, Nueva Suyapa, Allenspark, Boulder, and Santa Lucia.
I am Strom and I am de Jiménez.
I am speaking Spanish, Spanglish and English.
I am hurting for Honduras, violence and desperation.
I am trust, peace, joy and hope.

The Married Life

Well, to break our internet silence, here is a quick update:

1. We passed the one-month of being married mark! Yipee!
2. Guillermo officially starts work at World Vision today (I'm working from home today, still need to do dishes from an early-morning-happy-first-day-of-work-breakfast).
3. We live in Santa Lucia, a quaint pueblo 11 km outside of the city.
4. I still have the same job with Servant Partners, I work some from home and some at my office in Nueva Suyapa.

A few photos....

Just a few for now, more coming from the official photographer soon.

Mrs. Jimènez

We tied the knot!

Pictures coming soon!

first big day

Not the big day, but our reception for Colorado friends and family. Thanks to all who came and celebrated with us!

what a catch!

Congratulations Guillermo on finishing your MA in International Economic Development at Eastern University! I am so proud! I wish I could have been there for this commissioning ceremony. Te amo!

one accident, many repercussions

Just a week ago, a full-size, international traveling airplane crashed at the airport in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. It was a TACA plane (out of El Salvador), which I have traveled on. A combination of bad weather, a short runway, faulty technology and a pilot's error led to the plane landing halfway down the runway and shooting out into a crowded street. Five died and more than 65 were injured.

If you live in or have ever flown into the Toncontin airport, you are not really surprised that this happened. It is one of the most dangerous airports in the world, for all of the reasons listed above. In fact, my flight to leave for the States in April was delayed by a day because of low visibility and therefore, no safe take off.

This is surely a tragic accident. It was a traumatic event not only for the individuals on the plane and their families, but also for the entire city. The heaping wreckage of the plane still occupies the crash site in the middle of a busy section of town. What continues to be tragic is the repercussions that this accident has had.

Immediately after the accident, the airport was shut down. Then, it was decided that only smaller planes, 42 passengers or less, would be allowed to fly in and out. One idea was to ready an airstrip about 60 minutes away to become an international airport. This airstrip is part of Palmerola, a Honduran owned, US government rented and controlled air force base. It would take 60 days to get this site ready, and now there are doubts about whether this is an option (by the US side). The other international airport in Honduras is in San Pedro Sula, 4 hours to the north. San Pedro is a large city, the industrial center of the country. Currently all commercial flights are going in and out of San Pedro.

The question is... what will become of the Toncontin airport? Obviously, it needs some fix ups to be able to be a safe airport. If it were shut down and the international airport be moved to Palmerola or San Pedro, the economic repercussions on the city could be disastrous. Already, only one week after the accident, Teguz hotels are reporting 50% vacancy. International organizations have moved their events and travel through El Salvador and Guatemala. According to CCIT, a commerce and industry reporting group, there is an estimated a loss of 400 million Lempiras in the hotel, tourism, food and car rental sectors. (More than $21 millionUSD). The loss of an international airport would mean a loss of many things, including jobs, businesses, and tourism. (Source: El Heraldo)

On another sad note, Honduras was listed by the UN as a country most vulnerable to a world food shortage. Vulnerable. That is what word comes to mind. Pray for the government of Honduras to make a wise decision about the future international airport.

visitor

He was on the porch while we were eating dinner, not shy at all!

Happy Graduation Becca

My youngest sister, Becca, graduated from high school this weekend. My parents will officially be empty nesters in August. Here are some family pics from the festivities...

Extended family

The Strom 6

The Strom Girls
(Rachel, Becca, Sarah, me)

enjoying vacation

I've been in the States for a couple weeks, most of that has been vacation time. Here are a few things I have enjoyed:

being with my family and Guillermo
Colorado mountains (even though it is cold, it was nice to see pretty spring snow)
running water
using the dishwasher
driving
Mexican food
wearing my engagement ring everyday
Target
going for walks around camp
getting to see Guillermo everyday for 2 weeks (real dates, not Skype dates)
biking at Bartlett Wash and Slickrock in Moab
hiking in Arches
taking lots of desert pics in Moab
lazy vacation days-sleeping in, seeing IronMan in the theater, staying up late
road tripping
starting to see friends