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Showing posts from 2011

Some More Info about Eco-Stoves

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Here is a quick video about Eco-Stoves in Honduras, which help reduce respiratory illness  and, at the same time, preserve the forests.

Project Honduras Conference

Here is a important conference for many of the NGO's working in Honduras. It will be held in Copan, Oct 8-9, 2011. Project Honduras

Living Water

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Here is a video by Water1st, a NGO working in Honduras,  about the importance of a clean water source for many rural communities.

Santa Maria de los Angeles Project

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Please Pray!!! The Santa Maria de los Angeles Project, which will provide housing for 120 Honduran families, in Amarateca, a town just outside of the capital city, Tegucigalpa, needs your prayers. This project has been underway since Hurricane Mitch in 1998, and has encountered a series of obstacles preventing its completion. Most of these have been overcome, except for the approval of an environmental permit from the planning authorities .  Houses at the Santa Maria Project Completed by Short Term Mission Volunteers We now have the technical and financial skills to finish this project. But without the proper permitting, the construction cannot begin. At present, there seems to be very little motivation on the part of the government officials to move ahead. So please pray for the approval of this permit. Many short-term mission volunteers from Massachusetts have come to Honduras in the past years, offering their hard labor to build houses

Good Advice from an Old Monk

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"Your way of acting should be different from the way of world; the love of Christ must come before all else: Never turn away any one who needs your love." ----St. Benedict from the Rule of Benedict, Chapter 4 Children in a Mayan Community near Copan

Health and Architecture: Eliminating Chagas Disease

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A home should provide shelter and safety from a hostile world. But that is not possible for the many Hondurans, whose homes are infested with the 'kissing bug' that carries the Chagas disease. This disease is especially prevalent among the poor of Central and South America. Spraying for Chinches The 'kissing bug' (also called 'chinche' or 'triatomine bug' ) hides in the cracks of adobe houses, coming out at night to feed on the blood of animals and people. The insect feces, which are dropped after feeding, are then rubbed into the blood system, when the victim unwittingly scratches himself. He or she thus becomes infected with Trypanosoma Cruzi parasite, which causes Chagas disease. In the initial phase of the disease, or the acute phase, a person may show symptoms, such as severe swelling at the bite location. The symptoms usually go away. However, if patient is untreated, the disease advances to the more serious chronic phase. For years

YouTube Video on Chagas Disease

>>>   Chagas Disease   <<< This is one produced by AlJazeera ?  ....but a good video on the subject (and no rhetoric).

The Spring Edition of "Misionero"

Here is an update on what's happening at SAMS: Misionero Spring 2011

Making a Living: Struggling to Survive in Honduras

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Breakfast in a Traditional Kitchen in the 'Campo' (the Country) In Copan, I had an extensive opportunity to talk with Norfa, my Spanish teacher, about what it takes to earn a living in Honduras. Minimum wage in Honduras was, until recently, about $250 a month. It was recently raised $336 a month, but unless you work in a large company, you will make much less. For example, if you work as a cook, maid or gardner, you will probably earn around $100 a month. With unemployment over 50% in Honduras, these are the only jobs available for many Hondurans. If you have a family of four or five, that is not going to be enough. For example, in town, you will end up paying $200 month for rent and maybe $250 month for food, a basic diet consisting mostly of tortillas, frioles (red beans) and eggs. Possibly, you can save some money by raising chickens in your back yard, as is common in Copan. Then throw in $150 a month for children's clothing, school supplies and house

The Spanish Courtyard: Building Green in the Tropics

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Patio Access to my Room in Copan After living in Copan for more than a month, I have slowly come to realize that there is more than meets the eye in the Spanish courtyard garden, or 'patio' in Spanish. The courtyard garden, in its simplicity, is actually another outdoor room. Where I was living, it was the corridor from the street. The vines and flowers provide a source of beauty, peacefulness and relaxation. In the health design literature, many studies have shown that gardens and green spaces actually increase the healing rate among hospital patients. Researchers theorize the reason for this 'biophilic response', as it is called, is related to a deep hardwiring within us going back our ancestral home on the savannahs of Africa, our Eden. For this reason, similar natural environments lead to stress reduction, which in turn, allows the body to heal. But beyond health, the garden also provides natural cooling and shading. The best gardens for the tropics

The Ruins of Copan: Learning from the Mayas

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The Ancient Ceremonial Center at Copan The Ball Court Near the town of Copan Ruinas is the ancient Mayan city, called Copan by the Spanish, and Xukpi (Corner Bundle) by the Mayans, who built it. This metropolitan area flourished from 200 to 850 CE, until it was mysteriously abandoned. Above is the ball court in the ceremonial center of the city. The purpose of this center was both political: to inspire fear and obedience from the common people; and religious: to intercede with the gods for the preservation of the city. While there were human sacrifices here, mostly animals were offered to the gods, similar to ancient Greece. (And no human sacrifices were performed on top of pyramid temples --those were the Aztecs. Pay attention, Mel Gibson!) Two Guacamayas From a design perspective, the continuation of the Mayan and other indigenous cultures in modern Latin American architecture is most interesting. The Mayan pyramids and palaces were constructed from limestone blocks a

A Vocation in Honduras

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My friend Patti Hanlon lent me her copy of Henri Nouwen's book, Gracias  . It is a story about  Nouwen's journey  through South America, as he sought to discern  God's calling to serve here.    The book is written as a journal, with much insight to reflect upon. It is also the type of book to jump around in. It obviously has special meaning for me. But Nouwen's conclusion is relevant to us all, whether we serve here or remain in the U.S. (Nouwen decided to remain in the U.S.)    He writes, "After many centuries of missionary work, during which we the people of the North tried to give to them (Latin Americans)  .....we now come to realize that our first vocation is to receive their gifts and say, 'Gracias'."    Many of my wise friends have been pointing me in this direction. We cannot approach this work, without assuming humility and the realization that we need Honduras for own inner transformation, as much as they need our material gift