Graduation and Giving, Dresses and Dances.

The school year here in Honduras has now come to a close, and this week we celebrated the graduation of the 5^th/6^th grade and 9^th grade from the vocational school. Every student graduating got to choose a sponsor to spend the graduation evening with and escort them across the stage to receive their certificate. Four of my hogar girls graduated from the 5^th/6^th grade in the vocational school, which is an accelerated program to help older children who come to the ranch and are very behind academically or possibly have never been to school, catch up so that they can be main-streamed again. So next year they are looking forward to joining their peers in the normal 7^th grade class. Those who graduated from 9^th grade are now certified in a trade such as electricity, shoemaking, woodworking, metalworking or making clothes, and will leave the ranch today to go do a practicum for 1 month in Tegucigalpa. Ideally, if the student chooses to be finished with school and leave NPH, they are skilled in a trade and could support themselves on their own. Those who plan to continue on to high school will do one year of service, volunteering in various jobs on the Ranch in return for their schooling, and then continue their education in January 2013. We will celebrate the Montessori and 6^th grade graduations from the elementary school next week.

Instead of “The Sweet 16 Birthday” in the United States, the most anticipated birthday for most adolescents in Latin America is turning 15 years old, called Quinceañeros. In 2011, 30 NPH children turned 15 years old, and instead of celebrating each individually, the Ranch throws one big huge birthday bash for all the kids together. The oldest girl in my hogar was included in this bunch. Everyone gets very dressed up, the Quinceañero boys in a button-down collared shirt and tie, and the girls in a flowy, lacy dress; all outfits are matching and made by the kids in the sewing workshop. The girls were manicured, groomed, and painted up, looking like they were ready for prom. After a celebratory mass, we all ate dinner in our hogars while the Quinceañeros were served a special dinner and cake in the auditorium. Later the younger children rejoined the party and all the birthday kids were paraded in arm in arm with their escort, who was often a mentor or older sibling. Then they shared a waltz. After that, several of the kids performed a choreographed dance in the center of the auditorium. I must say, the kids here can dance impressively well, since they grow up dancing from a young age. The rest of the night was just a huge dance party, which I have to admit I had a blast dancing the night away with volunteers, employees, and kids to various types of hip-hop, reggeaton, and Latin music.

A few weekends ago I got to take a quick trip a few hours up north to a colonial city, Comayagua, which was the historic first capital of Honduras. My highlight of the trip was climbing up into the bell tower of the cathedral in the central park. The clock in the bell tower is the oldest in the Americas and the second oldest in the world. It was built in 1100 by the Moors for the palace of the Alhambra in Granada, and later donated to Comayagua, Honduras by King Phillip II of Spain. The view from the tower was beautiful looking down on all the colonial buildings, surrounded by the rolling hills. There were several other historic cathedrals and buildings to wander around as well. Although we only stayed for a night, I left feeling refreshed and with a new understanding for the history and culture of Honduras.

Every night before we turn off the light in hogar, one child will volunteer to say the prayer. Praying is no rare occurrence here on the ranch, and by a young age most of the children are able to confidently say a genuine prayer in front of their peers. In this season of thanksgiving, I have been continually amazed by the gratefulness of the children. While many of us would look at these kids and feel sorry for them for their circumstances, that they are orphans or were abandoned or abused by their parents, or that before coming to the ranch they lived in a shack with a dirt floor and ran around barefoot, or had to beg on the streets for food and money to support their younger siblings. And now they are safe and cared for, but still, all their worldly possessions fit inside one small locker, they share a 3 room house with 20 other children, live apart from their brothers and sisters, and have only a few caregivers amongst them. They do not feel sorry for themselves. Instead, they give thanks for what they do have, for their health and their family, for knowing that they will have three meals a day, and that they have loving caregivers to care for them.  And more, they pray for those who have less than what they do. They ask God to take care of the sick and the poor, for the children living under the bridge, and those that have no bed to sleep in at night. Even though the holiday is not celebrated here, these children truly embody the spirit of thanksgiving all year round.

Another value that I have seen greatly exhibited among the children is generosity. As we are nearing the Christmas season, Hondurans love to play “Amigo Secreto,” which is essentially what we would recognize as “Secret Santa.” The kids do it among their school classmates, in hogar, and we even have Amigo Secreto going among all the healthcare personnel. And they take it very seriously… not only do they do everything to prevent their ‘amigo secreto’ from discovering them, but they go to great lengths to keep it a secret from everyone involved. Although these children have very few clothing items and personal possessions, I have watched several of my kids pick out one of their best shirts to pass on to a friend. One of the little girls, Ana, somehow compiled 6 different gifts from her personal belongings to give to her ‘Amigo Secreto.’ I have come to the sad realization that it is often those who have less that somehow give more, and those that have more are less generous of their worldly possessions. I told my kids that many people in the US could learn a lot from them about generosity and the spirit of giving.

 The oldest clock in the Western hemisphere, made in 1100 by the Moors.

 The view looking out from the belltower of the Cathedral in Comayagua, Honduras.

 Weekend trips with Lydia and Irene.

 The main cathedral in Comayagua, Honduras' first historic capital.

 Wendy, Kelsi, Tia Dania, and Sonia on graduation night.

 The 30 Quinceaneros who turned 15 years old this year, all dressed up to celebrate their big birthday.

 At the party with Sonia, the oldest in my hogar and only Quinceanera.

 Some of the girls from my hogar, Estrellas de Belen.

 The Quinceaneros performing a choreographed dance, impressively starting with a waltz that transitioned into other types of dance.

 Getting all dressed up for the birthday Celebration.