Waking up my first morning in Campamento was the way I wish I could wake up every morning; soft, sunny breeze though the window, the smell of hot coffee being served (even though I don't drink it, I appreciate the smell), and the comfort of a warm blanket and cozy pillow. Oh, and did I mention by the sound of voices instead of my blaring alarm clock? I quickly learned that the table outside our window was the one used by the staff to serve hot coffee to guests every morning and when you sleep with your window open by a table of coffee, people tend to hold their morning conversations right outside that window...
I walked outside in my pj's and bare feet to take it all in. Seeing the plantation for the first time in daylight was quite a site after arriving the night before after dark. Everything was lush, green, fragrant, and beautiful.
It wasn't long before everyone was dressed and ready to go, some after having explored the grounds (which we learned included a stable full of very big pigs). At 7:30, we loaded up the vans to leave the compound and head to the daycare for breakfast. The daycare was even more adorable by daylight!! We were served a hot breakfast of beans and eggs and to drink: pineapple (pina) juice and Tang. Our group sat at tables of four, getting better acquainted and discussing which showers we'd found with hot water. Everyone felt rested and anxious to get started with the list of tasks for the trip. The first task: spread out around the courtyard and daycare to prepare for the group coming to turn in eggs and gather chicken feed.
We shook hands, accepted hugs, got pictures, and served a multitude of people who needed feed for their Bread chickens. The deal the organization has is for owners to return 1 egg to the daycare a week in exchange for corn and chicken feed. Most families came with two eggs and left with bundles of food for the family. While some members of our group were responsible for handing out goods, others were responsible for building relationships. Calvin worked with a bunch of little kids, teaching them how to 'pound-it' and blow it up. High-fives weren't catching on and since 'pounding-it' is so popular at home, most of us helped start a new fad in Campamento. This was the day we met Mauricio, the cutest little boy with the deepest dimples who I would've put in my suitcase and smuggled home with me if I thought I could get away with it (and not upset his mother). We gave candy to the children and took pictures on digital cameras and showed them the outcome on the screen (they LOVED seeing their own faces!!).
When everyone in line had been served, Bobby had us split into teams depending on how we wanted to spend our time and where our talents would be best spent. Some went to work the first garden that would plant okra, cilantro, and melons. Another group stayed to sit in on the first micro-loan meeting of the week. I joined the small group responsible for decorating the church for the wedding that evening.
Once we finished, we went back to the daycare to listen in on the end of the micro-loan meeting. A family in attendance had a little boy named Eduardo - 2 years old - who spent the meeting being chased by his 10 year-old sister to stay occupied. No matter where you are, it seems kids are still chased by older siblings when Mom and Dad need a break!!
After a delicious lunch of chicken, vegetables, and rice, we headed out for part 2 of planting. This time, we ALL got involved. One of the guys on our trip, Brandon, has an agriculture degree from A&M and was there to educate us all on what was being planted and how to make it most effective. The men in our group were eager to throw pick axes into the dirt and make some headway. Everyone jumped in with shovels, rakes, and even sticks to dig, clear, plant and help.
When we were through, we blessed the garden and cleaned up to visit a family whose house wasn't far and was home to some Bread chickens. The coops were great little places for the birds but the house was situated into such a hill, it was a little scary to imagine as anyone's backyard. On the street next to the house, we could see a path up the hillside containing stairs that lead to the top where a white cross overlooked the city. A good number of us made the trek for a gorgeous view...
After a dirty day of work, we returned to El Cafe to shower and relax; I wandered the compound barefoot (the grass was so soft!!) and took pictures. After a while, everyone was cleaned up, rested, and ready to return to town for the wedding ceremony.
Ah, the wedding: one of the coolest things we got to do. In Honduras, if a couple wants to get married, the cost of the marriage license depends on wages earned throughout their entire working lives. So, if you started working when you were 15 and were getting married at 25, you had to pay a percentage tax on what you'd earned in those 10 years to the government for your marriage license. It gets to be pretty expensive when you think about that amount for 2 people, so many of the couples in the church were only united under common-law. The problem is, common-law isn't recognized under God so most of these couples haven't been baptized. The solution?? Get these people married!! How?? Provide a free ceremony to members of the church who want their union to be recognized under God.
But... it gets better. A gentleman by the name of Bob who partners with the church and Bread, has made friends with very important people in Campamento. He had a meeting with the mayor and expressed our desire to do this for these people and you know what the mayor did? He agreed to waive the tax for ALL the couples who got married that day.
Marin, the pastor at the church, married 13 couples that night in a lovely white and gold ceremony. Recognized under God AND their country. Some of these couples have been together more than 20 years and had children together. Others had little babies and were just starting out. One couple in particular had a little boy named David that stole many of our hearts that night... The vows were a simple, blanket promise and a choir of 7 sang songs (many of which we recognized as popular church songs we sing at home). After the ceremony, the girls from the daycare served a meal to every single person in attendance and there was even cake for cutting afterward...
Oh, the cake... it was still warm... a decadent mixture of yellow cake and pineapple, served with a fluffy coconut/marshmallow frosting... best cake I've had in ages...
I digress. We played with the sweet kids and visited with the newlyweds over cake and juice and it was a very beautiful thing. Another one of the children there was a chubby-cheeked 4 month old who you couldn't help but fuss over. The openness of the people in Campamento amazed me because you could reach for any baby in their mother's arms and she would hand the baby over to a perfect stranger because the trust and love is so unquestioned. Everyone was very receptive to having photos taken with the 'gringos'; the children were rarely shy or scared (unlike American kids who have to remain guarded and are taught never to take anything from strangers).
Many of the brides approached us to give us hugs and say 'thank you' for everything. They were so lovely and I counted my blessings for my own parents - in high school, I desperately wanted to take French but they insisted on Spanish because they thought it would be more of a necessity in the states. Thanks Mom and Ron, for being right (again), because even with high school Spanish that's 10 years old, I was able to comprehend, translate, and converse all week long.
Once we cleaned up the church, we walked back to the daycare to debrief. We talked about the day, the things we appreciated, and the things we wanted to change when we got home. At the end, we broke into smaller groups and prayed over each other.
While we waited to leave the daycare, a few people ducked outside and Bobby returned carrying a plastic bag full of Coke with a pink straw popping out. Of course, when we saw it, we ALL had to have a Coke-in-a-Bag so Bobby treated everyone at the corner convenience store. While we were there, a lot of kids came out of their houses to meet and visit. Mauricio was one of them!!
Our evening wrapped with showers and conversation at the plantation. I loved sitting outside, under a dark sky, smelling the freshness of nature and listening to the crickets while I lounged on the patio, journaling. There's something about a comfortable calm, being somewhere quiet and foreign, without cell phones and computers and television. Although, I did have my iPod playing quietly in the background with Hall & Oates and Mandy Moore keeping me company...
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