La Cruz

Today we took the 7 oldest boys (11-15) on a hike...well stair master really. There's this cross up on a hill that forces you to go up over 600 steps to see it. It was hard, but really worth it. You can see all of Catacamas and the surrounding mountains. 

These first two photos were taken by Kyle in 2004. 

Here's the photos from today. 

José

Brayan, Kyle, Selvin, Erlin, Juan, Jairo, Denis, José

Shear Glory Honduras...

Back home, when I work at the Redken Elite La Barberia Salon and Spa, my day starts with getting dressed in trendy, sleek, mostly black clothing with great accessories. Applying make up so my eyes look pretty, and of course doing something creative with my crazy curls. 

At work, with a client, we discuss their hair needs, their routines, products used etc...and then start the process of creating a new and improved look that they can rock with confidence, whether that be an edgy new cut, hot new color or even finding the perfect product to make life easier. 

When I'm traveling, and needed haircuts occur, I throw on running shorts, find a stool for the customer, a chair for me (so I don't kill my back), and a well lit area that is large enough for everyone to watch (which in this case is the girls dorm hallway.)  

Last time I did this at a children's home was in India with Cath in honor of Shear Glory which was a vision of Lisa Marie's to be an outreach of Christ's love on people who needed haircuts, love and someone to talk to. That day in India, 26 haircuts in 2 hours...that means long and straight across. Crazy. 

My customers today are the girls and women at The New Hope Children's Home in Catacamas, Honduras. The children's home is home to 20 kids ranging from a set of 2 yr old twins to 16. Today I cut 10 girls and 3 adults. 4 of which have gorgeous curly hair in desperate need of Redken Smooth Down Conditioner and Redken Curl Wise Defining Cream. But hopefully we'll be able to buy them some. 

(La Barberia offers magazines, radio, and/or a tv for entertainment if wanted....here we have a 13 yr old being pulled on a cart. The owner of the cart - the toddler - not sure what to think. Priceless)

The girls were already so beautiful and now they feel it. 

Griselda set the tone for a fun day. I thought with all these girls having crazy long thick hair that they'd all want to keep it long and I'd do 10 boring long layered haircuts. I was so wrong. Griselda sits down and points to her eyebrows for bangs. I thought, "Sweet, this will be fun."

Maribel (10 yrs old) before and after. This girl had a TON of hair. 

         

Karen (12 yrs old) before.

Karen after. 

    

Marisol (the house mom) and Yoceline 15 yrs old (Marisol's biological daughter and a wonderful big sister to all the house kids) 

 These girls are wonderful. They have a loving and beautiful home here at New Hope. They always are in need of shampoo, conditioner, brushes, lice medicine (an unfortunate reality for the rest of the world). They are very clean here at New Hope, wash regularly, and are checked every 3 days, however, their friends at school aren't and those critters spread easily.  If you would like to help purchase any of these items, please let me know how much through email (lyneaj@gmail.com) so I can purchase the items here and let you know how to send the money. 

Left to Right: Lily, Karen, Maribel, Elsa, Yoseline, Linda, Anyi, Cesia, Griselda, Sindy, Marisol

Sponsorship Program

Saulo's mom is head of a feeding/sponsorship program and asked us to help for a few days. When someone sponsors a child, it usually means that they get to go to school with a uniform, supplies, and a smile. They (and their family) also get food to help supplement for the month.

Blanca (Saulo's mom) and her grandson Ivan. Ivan handed me the flower, took it back and put it in my hair and said it was for me. He's a sweetie. 

 Our involvement with this specific program started with Kyle translating letters from American sponsors to their child. We felt funny reading mail from and to people other than ourselves, but quickly got over this when we realized we needed to type out 63 letters and translate them. Some of the letters were short and sweet, loving and encouraging to their child, the way they should be. Others were long, long, long with way too many adverbs. Difficult to translate and just long. I don't think sponsors realize that if they are not writing in Spanish or using google translate, someone has to translate their 1 page typed 10 font letter to an 8 year old. Lesson to learn: sponsoring a child is an AMAZING thing to do, just realize that if you are not using a translator, someone along the line will have to. Keep it short and sweet or translate it yourself.

I'd like to say I had something to do with this process, but I really didn't. I typed a few letters to give Kyle a break. The real work took place yesterday while he sat at the computer all day translating. Saulo said if it were a test, Kyle would have received 95%!!! Buen español Kyle!!!  I'm amazed everyday at his ability to communicate with those around us. This was great practice for him and not to mention the hours he saved Saulo (who is a father to technically 22 and in law school. he would find time to translate, but would have been his sleeping time).

The second day of our involvement took us to the church building to hand out the letters, collect hand drawn pictures/letters and grades to send back to the sponsors, and of course, to distribute the food. This was cool. To see at least 60 moms or dads present to hand in beautiful pictures from their children and pick up food. Today was 1 of 3 days in the month that they distribute food and pass out sponsor letters. In one month 290 families are feed through this program. That's pretty cool.

Each family that brought a hand drawn picture or letter to the sponsor and their grades was given 10 lbs rice, 10 lbs beans, 10 lbs corn (to be crushed and used for tortillas and tamales), flour, sugar, shortening, spaghetti, tomato paste, laundry soap (a bar used for hand washing...no machines here), and oats.

If you'd like to sponsor a kid, let me know and we can send you the info. Sponsoring a child whether in the states or elsewhere not only changes their life, but yours as well. It provides food, education, and hope of a better life for the child while softening our hearts and opening our eyes to those who have much, much less than we do. It's truly a blessing to all involved. 

Meet some awesome kids!

The New Hope Children's Home has been in Catacamas, Honduras for 30 years full of fun, love, and safety.  This place changed Kyle's life drastically back in 2003 and 2004...but more on that from him later. For now, enjoy the pictures and videos of our stay so far. We have been here for 4 days so far and are loving it. 

There are 20 kids in all ranging from the twin 2 year olds to 16 years old. 7 girls and 13 boys. The family in charge: Saulo and Marisol with their biological children Yoceline and Joseph. With the help of Lily, Maria, Gabriel, and Mirian, this home is the place to be!!!

The yard for the kids to play

The twins Antonio and Estephen 2 yrs 

Nelson 9 yrs

The kids are always helping out in the outdoor kitchen. 

Linda, Jairo, Denis making tortillas.

Kyle learning to make corn tortillas.

The church building. 

Ivan 4 yrs and Victor 8 yrs

Enjoying their corn. Jeovany ate 5!
Ivan, Anyi 6yrs, Giovani 9 yrs, Griselda 10 yrs

Check again later this week for more pictures and videos!!! 

Apollo is 1!!!

Technology is pretty cool. Diogo (my brother in law) hooked up an iPhone to his big screen tv while we were skyping so that the family could see us (I’m sure too large for anyone’s liking), and we could see them during Apollo’s 1^st birthday!! Apollo is our youngest nephew and growing so fast!! So amazing to be able to watch that live and feel like we were in the room with them!! Thanks to Dani we had the best seats in the house!  

Volcanic rock + Sledding = Heart attack for Mothers

You’ve heard of volcanoes. You’ve heard of hiking, black sand, and volcanic rock. You’ve heard of sledding and snow boarding. You’ve driven at 55 mph on the highway. What do you get when you put them all together? Volcano boarding. Listed #2 on CNN’s Thrill Seeker's Bucket List, volcano boarding involves a 45 min difficult hike up the back rocky side of Cerro Negro carrying a wooden sled/board, a jump suit, and goggles, and then fearlessly sledding down 600 m of black sand/volcanic rock. Oh, I have to say that the last 200 meters is a 41 degree angle in which we were told under no matter what… do NOT break during this point. It will result in you flipping face first. 

Cerro Negro (Black Hill) was born in 1850. Ironically, a basaltic cinder cone volcano usually only erupts once, this one has erupted 23 times since it's birth. One year it left 8cm of ash on the communities below. 

Goodness he's handsome! Cerro Negro is in the backgound. 

Don't pass...it's a risk zone for volcanic eruptions

The whole experience was AMAZING!!! The hike up was really hard and in the blazing sun on black rock. HOT!!! It was like climbing slippery stairs carrying a big board. I have to add (for my dad, brothers, and father in law to be proud) I was the first one to the top with Carlos, our guide, who was not carrying anything. J Dads- I totally wish I had worn my keens! Barefoot runners are not meant for volcanic rock!

Once at the top, Carlos gave a 10 minute demo on how to not die or seriously injure ourselves and then we go two by two down the 600 meter slope. The record: 89 kph - roughy 55 mph. 

Our camera does panoramic...sweet!

Inside the crater.

Only cool people wrap purple shirts around their faces.

I went really fast…but slid off the board right before the guy was going to clock my speed. When I got back on, I didn’t have enough time to pick up speed again and only got clocked going 30kph. Boo! 

I went early in the pack so I got to watch most of the group come down…and wipe out. Very few made it down without falling off. It was wobbly and hard to keep straight. It was actually quite funny watching the crashes. There was only one non-funny one. A girl and her board did 2 cartwheels…that was scary to see.

Kyle was last…and went really fast!!! 65 kpm - 40 mph!! Everyone was really impressed…and enjoyed his little spill at the end.

I would totally do it again and would recommend it to anyone going Leon, Nicaragua. Volcano boarding, one night stay, and breakfast at Bigfoot was only $30! 

Ometepe Island, Nicaragua

After 3 wonderfully relaxing days in San Jose, Costa Rica, our journey to Ometepe Island, Nicaragua consisted of waking up at 4:15am, walking, bus, another bus, very hot disorganized boarder crossing, another bus, taxi, ferry, another bus, then being stranded in the dark in the middle of nowhere. At this point, it’s 7pm, dark, unsafe to be out at night, and in some town called El Quino with nothing around. Luckily, a van pulls up and says he’d drive us where we want to go for $2 each. Perfect. We’re saved.

 In one day, that’s 4 buses, 2 taxis, and a ferry.

(Taxi ride from Rivas to the ferry)

(Ferry to the island)

Our destination of this crazy journey: El Zopilote, an organic farm/hostel on the beautiful Ometepe Island. This island is made up of 2 volcanoes (Concepción and Maderas) that sit in a lake supposedly with fresh water sharks! Crazy. Ometepe is the largest volcanic island inside a fresh water lake in the world. 

El Zopilote turned out to be more hostel than farm which was a bummer for us. The volunteers didn't seem very friendly or inviting which may have been because it was Sunday (their day off)….either way we didn’t get a good welcoming vibe so we stayed 1 day and left. It could be viewed as a waste, but we learned some cool history about Nicaragua’s most beautiful piece of nature, got to shower outside under the stars, and forage for food.

Our little cabaña.

PB and J...always a must in our bags. And a delicious salad we foraged for....3 different types of greens,  lemon, salt,  a  small package of mayo we took from a hotel in Costa Rica, and a boiled egg. Not bad. 

Farewell Panama, hello rest of Central America!!!

Yesterday we left Panama for Costa Rica. So our journey towards Mexico beings. We made the 7 hour bus ride from David, Panama to San José, Costa Rica in a big charter bus with only 6 other people!! Score!!! We were able to stretch out and sleep as much as we wanted. And….because there were so few of us, we made it through the border in record time!

If you never thought of it....Panama is very close to the equator which means when we aren't in the mountains, it's hot. Like hot. Hot becomes hotter when your 25lb life is on your back. Fun.

Luckily, Kyle is a horse...he's lugging aver 50 lbs around. He is carrying things like the computer, but don't feel bad for him though, he has books and coffee in there. 

We are stopping in San José for 2 reasons….Kyle’s Dad was able to get us a hotel for 2 nights to regroup and re-plan for the rest of the trip. We have only 5 weeks to make it to Mexico. This will involve lots of planning.

Stephanie Lisciandrello is reason number 2. Remember this girl?

Stephanie was my student teaching roommate in India in 2007 (this was before Kyle and I were married). We had such an adventure those 4 months in Kodaikanal. From arriving in India with none of Stephanie’s luggage, to monkeys wearing and eating our underwear, to horrible food poisoning, to many many laughs with our Kodia friends. It was wonderful and wouldn’t have been the same without her.

She happens to be in language school here in San José until December when she will then work with King’s Castle Ministries (Castillo Del Rey) in El Salvador for 2 years running an after school program for teens in a heavily gang ridden area. It’s been great catching up with her (we haven’t seen her since our wedding) and hearing all she has learned and how she has grown.

After spending the night at her place, we took a few buses and a long walk to the hotel. We'll hang out here for the next few days and then head to Nicaragua on Saturday.

Panama Was Awesome!

We’ve been in Panama since January. We've "hung our hats" in 5 different homes/tents and have met some great people along the way. 

Obviously Uncle Dave and Aunt Lisa

The church in El Valle 

Keith and Marion in Panama City

Joy, Yari, Carlos, and Luis in Volcan

Sally, Penny and the pups…they weren’t human but they loved us unconditionally!

Our peace corps friends Annie, Dee, Ian, Matt, and Madye

Kelly and Ryan

Clint, Becky, Roger and Elly in Volcan

Debbie and Alan (Kelly’s parents) in Boquette

John, Marcelino, Pete, Kimmy, Becca, and Manu at Fina De Los Perezosos

Hike with El Valle teens up La India Dormida.

The El Valle teens

The El Valle Church. I really got close with Bianca which is funny because I didn't speak much Spanish then and she doesn't speak English, but we both "understood" each other. She would speak in Spanish and I would answer in English. It worked for us. Kyle and her husband, Nico, would just shake their heads at us like, "How are they doing that?" Kyle found a good friendship with Emmanuel...they would read books together, cook, and of course the infamous cashew roasting. 

Keith went to high school with Aunt Lisa and they've stayed friends all these years. They both happen to live in Panama now and we got to spend many weekends in Panama city with these two now wonderful, dear friends. Even though I did not like having to go to the dentist 5 times nor did I like what it did to our bank account, the friendship we have with these two is priceless.

Kyle and Yari swimming in el rio in Volcan. I didn't want to get wet because I was cold, so I didn't get in. Ironically, it poured the whole walk home and we were drenched.

Yari, Carlos, Kyle, and I went hiking to a waterfall with James who came all the way from Orlando to visit for my birthday! He is now in Europe with some hilarious tales to tell. Check out his blog for some good laughs!

We laughed so hard so many times with Yari, her brother Luis, and her cousin Carlos. Great times. Like this one when Carlos found a hole in the rio. 

The pups in Volcan. 

Making eco stoves with our Peace Corp friends Annie, Dee, and Matt.

Kyle and Matt....who is also interested in farming and intentional communities. We had some great talks with him over coffee and good food. And he made Kyle feel not so tall and skinny. 

Kelly and Ryan and their 3 kids: Anna 8, Nora almost 5, and Jake 17 mo. We clicked so fast and so well with them. Friends like this make the "homeless traveling" life doable, but I almost hate meeting friends like this because it's so hard to say goodbye. We'll miss them!!! Especially the way Anna and Nora sneak up and share big bear hugs!!! Precious. 

Manu working hard to build a new bedroom for the chickens.

Marcelino and Pete working hard building the new house for the chickens. Pete of course being silly. 

Wow. It’s crazy to see written out the relationships we’ve made in just 7 months!!! And how encouraging each person has been in our lives. I can only hope that we’ve been just as encouraging to them.