The Trip, Trip, Trip Report

[lklasing 16]

Monday and Tuesday were fairly similar in that we spent the days working on the project that El Hogar had planned for us – moving cinder blocks across campus and then using them to construct a wall which would allow them to reformat an unused space in one building into a larger art room for the kids.  We started Monday morning, though, at the devotional that the kids have once a week.  This was a fairly long gathering, including a video and a skit that some of the kids put on about honesty.  Apparently, they focus on one character trait each week.  They also recognized all the kids having a birthday that week and officially introduced us to the group, even though we had already spent a good bit of time with many of the kids.

 

Johana:

 

 

 

 

One of the wonderful teachers:

 

 

Elder must have had extra good performance in the days leading up to Monday, as he was honored by carrying the flag and by getting to introduce us to the school.  I was so proud of his English:

 

 

 

https://youtu.be/MOejwIeIgCM

 

Next up was work!  They were renovating a former bathroom into a new use, which required 187 cinder blocks to be moved from one end of the campus to the other, which happened to be uphill.  It was tough but good work.  I had thought before I came that the jobs they have the volunteers do might be “make work” work, but I think that they really do need the help that the volunteers provide, whether it be painting, building a wall, moving cinder blocks or,  in at least one case, building new playground equipment.

 

Our cinder blocks!

 

 

The room we were revamping, and the El Hogar worker who was helping us (and exceptionally patient):

 

 

 

The playground consisted of two old metal structures which would never be allowed to remain in this country, plus thankfully a wonderful new wooden one.

 

 

 

Before our family got involved in these trips to El Hogar, we couldn’t really figure out how they were the right thing to do to help the country overall, or even El Hogar in particular.  I mean, wouldn’t it be better to just raise money to send down to the country, so it could be used to train locals to do the jobs we would be doing – painting, building walls, etc.?  That way, the locals could gain a marketable skill, the work would get done, etc.  But through going on these trips, we really have learned that the manual tasks which the teams do at El Hogar are really third in priority on what is being accomplished by the teams that go.  The first and truly most important benefit is just being there to play with and love the kids.  With their backgrounds, giving them as much love as possible is the best thing that a group like ours could possibly do for them.  The mission trips also provide a tangible benefit to the orphanage in the form of payment for “rent and board” – roughly $2500 per team for the week, if I am recalling correctly.  That payment, regardless of the size of the team, is definitely more than it costs for El Hogar to provide us food, lodging, and transportation around Tegucigalpa. So, getting back to what I had always thought of as “the reason for going” – the menial tasks performed like teams like ours – that is really far behind in priority for the importance of what the teams give to the kids.  But these jobs were actually of meaningful help too, which was great.  After we moved those cinder blocks and built that wall, I could really see that those two days spent working on that was a real tangible help to the kids.  But I had to go to the school myself to understand the real reason for going.

 

We learned a lot about some of the individual kids at El Hogar and their backgrounds that brought them there.  Sadly, these stories are not completely out of the ordinary for the students.  One group of three siblings had come to the orphanage about a week before we arrived, after their mother abandoned them at home.  The eldest is about a 13 year old boy, with younger sisters who are 8 and 6 years old.  Their mother left them at their home without any indication that she was leaving for good.  I don’t think anyone knows whether she did this on purpose or whether something may have happened to her while she was gone.  Regardless, these three children were at home by themselves, eating whatever food they had in the house, for about two weeks before the brother decided that to survive, they would have to leave.  By the true grace of God, somehow Claudia found them living on the streets and brought them to El Hogar, where they are now being educated, being fed three healthy meals a day, being clothed and housed, and being loved.  When we first arrived, they still had a shell-shocked look to them, but as the week went on, they started opening up and seeming to trust that the rug wasn’t about to be pulled out from under them again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I could go on for days about this trip and have probably already given y’all more info than you thought you were signing up for, so I’ll stop here.  But I will say that this was just an amazing experience and I’m so grateful to have gotten the opportunity to go. 

 

If anyone wants any more information about El Hogar, go to www.elhogar.org.  There is lots of info about this amazing place there. 

 

Thanks for reading!

[DaveInTN 3,247]

What a beautiful read to start my Palm Sunday.  Thank you for sharing!  

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

Just amazing! I would love to do something like that. Very special that you and your daughter got to serve together. 

[momof3kids-Yvonne 596]

I understand what you mean about feeling God's presence. I could see it in all the pictures you shared. Like Dave said a great way to start Palm Sunday and Holy Week.

[twiceblessed....nacole 433]

What a beautiful read to start my Palm Sunday.  Thank you for sharing!  

 

I understand what you mean about feeling God's presence. I could see it in all the pictures you shared. Like Dave said a great way to start Palm Sunday and Holy Week.

 

x3

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Before our family got involved in these trips to El Hogar, we couldn’t really figure out how they were the right thing to do to help the country overall, or even El Hogar in particular.  I mean, wouldn’t it be better to just raise money to send down to the country, so it could be used to train locals to do the jobs we would be doing – painting, building walls, etc.?  That way, the locals could gain a marketable skill, the work would get done, etc.  But through going on these trips, we really have learned that the manual tasks which the teams do at El Hogar are really third in priority on what is being accomplished by the teams that go.  The first and truly most important benefit is just being there to play with and love the kids.  With their backgrounds, giving them as much love as possible is the best thing that a group like ours could possibly do for them.  The mission trips also provide a tangible benefit to the orphanage in the form of payment for “rent and board” – roughly $2500 per team for the week, if I am recalling correctly.  That payment, regardless of the size of the team, is definitely more than it costs for El Hogar to provide us food, lodging, and transportation around Tegucigalpa. So, getting back to what I had always thought of as “the reason for going” – the menial tasks performed like teams like ours – that is really far behind in priority for the importance of what the teams give to the kids.  But these jobs were actually of meaningful help too, which was great.  After we moved those cinder blocks and built that wall, I could really see that those two days spent working on that was a real tangible help to the kids.  But I had to go to the school myself to understand the real reason for going.

 

 

Thanks for sharing your experiences at El Hogar.  And thanks for writing out what I've quoted above.  Several years ago, my church started a big push for doing mission work.  I initially had the exact same thoughts you outlined above-why are we spending money to send people half way around the world when we could just send the money and be done with it?  But, you're right-the actual physical presence and showing people that they matter and are important is the important part.  Over the past years, I've heard story after story of lives being changed- both on the part of those who traveled on the trips, but also of those in need who were helped and encouraged by the trips.  You and your family are doing a very good thing.

 

TCD

[Humphrey Bear…Rob 42]

Caught up! Thanks so much for sharing! Some beautiful children that will no doubt talk about your visit for quite some time!

[lklasing 16]

What a beautiful read to start my Palm Sunday.  Thank you for sharing!  

 

Thanks, Dave!  Happy Easter to you and all yours!

 

Just amazing! I would love to do something like that. Very special that you and your daughter got to serve together. 

 

It was amazing getting to go, and especially with Danielle!

 

I understand what you mean about feeling God's presence. I could see it in all the pictures you shared. Like Dave said a great way to start Palm Sunday and Holy Week.

 

Thanks, Yvonne!

 

x3

 

Thanks!

 

Thanks for sharing your experiences at El Hogar.  And thanks for writing out what I've quoted above.  Several years ago, my church started a big push for doing mission work.  I initially had the exact same thoughts you outlined above-why are we spending money to send people half way around the world when we could just send the money and be done with it?  But, you're right-the actual physical presence and showing people that they matter and are important is the important part.  Over the past years, I've heard story after story of lives being changed- both on the part of those who traveled on the trips, but also of those in need who were helped and encouraged by the trips.  You and your family are doing a very good thing.

 

TCD

 

Thanks, Andrew.  It was an amazing experience that I am blessed to have gotten to participate in.

 

Caught up! Thanks so much for sharing! Some beautiful children that will no doubt talk about your visit for quite some time!

 

 

Yes, but not as much as we are still talking about them.  :)

 

Thanks to all, and Happy Easter!

[Humphrey Bear…Rob 42]

I went on two medical mission trips in the prisons of Panama and Guyana - not nearly many hugs or cuteness but a valuable experience as I felt very much changed. Still think about several folks from time to time.

[AC in A2......Aaron 693]

Excellent work!

I enjoy these reports on your mission trips.

I hope Ray will take some pics when he goes in July so you can report back about it.

Danielle is learning some valuable lessons with these trips too. You and Ray are doing an outstanding job.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

I'm late catching up, but thank you so much for sharing this trip Leslie!  What a remarkable place, and what beautiful children.  I can feel how much this trip means to you and your family through your words, and I can only imagine how much it means to the children and teachers of El Hogar.  :)

[Momof6....aka Marty 769]

Somehow missed this earlier.  Thanks so much for sharing your experiences.