Week 6-Learning and Dreaming with Henrry

There were many times throughout my undergrad college career (and, quite frankly, my graduate program), I thought, “I don’t need this; I don’t want to be here! Plenty of people find jobs without college degrees!” Thankfully, my parents encouraged (“threatened” seems like too strong of a word… “coerced”?) me to stay in school—especially since it was free for me.  In the end, I received my degree and was extremely appreciative for my time at Ohio Valley University. Did I talk bad about it then? Of course. But, God used my time at that institution to shape who I am today in some small and large ways.

For the past three weeks, one of our boys, Henrry, and I have been meeting twice a week to study English. Unlike many of the boys here, Henrry’s English is not very developed. Though I am an English teacher, my students, with two exceptions, have already spoken English before they arrived in my classroom. Granted, their English is not always good or even decent, but they do not have to learn the most rudimentary parts of the language. Because of this, I was a nervous about our English lessons—I could completely screw something up and ruin his English-speaking skills forever! Maybe, that is a little dramatic, but it was still a concern. However, I have really enjoyed our lessons. I can tell that he takes the notes and studies them on his own, and I can see the “wheels” spinning in his head as he tries to think of the correct words.

During our first week of lessons, Henrry told me that his dream was to go to the States to study. The word “dream” is not used frequently here. Immediate needs take the place of future goals always. It is hard to “dream” about an idyllic future when hunger pangs wrack your body. In a battle, starving will always beat dreaming. Thankfully, Henrry is in a place where starvation is not an option—he will always have food, shelter, affection, and the other essentials when he needs it. Henrry can now dream. And his dream is to have something that I took for granted.

I could not just live knowing what Henrry’s dream was. So, I took action. That week, I e-mail a friend at admissions at a university. The good news? The school has several international students and is equipped to meet their unique needs. The bad news? This dream is not cheap—in fact, it costs more than what I take home in a year as a teacher.

To be able to attend a school in the States, Henrry will have to acquire a passport, be granted a student visa, pass the TOEFL (a test that assess student’s English proficiency), be accepted into the university, and be able to prove that he or a sponsor can pay for an entire year of schooling less any institutional scholarships. At the university that I contacted, that would mean that Henrry would have to be able to prove that he can afford $27,000. If you read my post two weeks ago, you know that Henrry came to us via Breaking Chains, a homeless ministry. If he had $27,000, he would be doing extremely well. Heck, if I had $27,000 in my account, I would feel like I am doing extremely well.

So, here we are: a kid with a dream, an ignorant gringo, and a roadblock. But, I also know that there is a God who has placed the stars in the sky just so we can shoot at them. I am determined that Henrry’s dream can become a reality. Obviously, Henrry is not going to magically come across $27,000, but I know that there are people out there that could help with this endeavor.

Over the next few days (weeks, months…) pray for us—that we can find the best way to make his dream happen. When Henrry first mentioned this dream of his, he lit up. When I told him last night about the obstacles in the way, he became deflated; but I told him that I still had hope and so should he. Greater things has been accomplished on hope alone.

Week 5- MTM Newsletter

Below are the articles that will appear in the MTM Newsletter for the month of February. Enjoy!

Back-to School

Heading back to school can be quite the undertaking for any family. But here at Mountain Top Ministries, we like to raise the level of difficulty. Decisions had to be made, discussions had to be had, supplies had to be bought, shoes had to be purchased, hairs had to be cut, and many (MANY!) prayers needed to be said. By the end, though, all of our boys are back in the classroom, equipping themselves with the skills and knowledge that will one day open many doors.

As some of you know, Inter-American School (the bilingual, Christian school where the five brothers have attended) decided that they could no longer provide scholarships for all of our boys. This, of course, was heartbreaking because we have had a great relationship with the school throughout our time there. It also meant that significant space had to be found in an already tight budget. However, we knew that God would work out all of the details. David and J.T., with the help of Amber from Breaking Chains, visited several schools and tried to ascertain what our options were. At the end of this search, we met with Inter-American one last time. At this meeting, they told us that all five boys could still receive the scholarships—praise God!

We knew that at least four of our boys would be attending Inter-American, but Yovani was given the decision to switch schools since he would be starting high school this year. We were 99% certain that Yovani would want to attend another school; however, after speaking with administrators at Inter-American (who all wanted him to come back—quite the testament to his character!) and speaking with our Honduran friend, Gina, Yovani made the decision on his own to return to Inter-American. We are proud that Yovani made this extremely grown-up decision by himself.  

            On February 3, the five boys started school once more. Jairo is in fourth grade; Francisco in fifth; Mario in seventh; Marvin in eighth; and, Yovani started ninth grade. Homework has taken over afternoons. Projects have started. Minds have been expanded.

            In addition to the five brothers, two of our other boys have also started school. Henrry just started his first year of college. Henrry is studying to become a teacher with the desire to become an effective educator by the end of his schooling. Henrry takes five classes each day, which seems so different from American colleges. Henrry has also started English lessons twice a week with J.T. In return, Henrry will teach J.T. some Spanish, too.

Antonio, who joined us last year, started school on February 7. Antonio is attending a school that is specially designed for older teenagers and adults who never completed primary and secondary grades. Antonio will be able to complete two grades each year. We know that Antonio will work hard to accomplish this task and achieve his goals.

            Going back to school can be difficult—a lot transitions occur at once. Be praying for all of MTM as we began anew with these transitions. We firmly believe in the transformative power of education and know that our boys, equipped with newly acquired skills and a love of God, will be positive change agents in our world.

George’s New Home

On February 16, 2016, Moutnain Top Ministries with assistance from our friends Jessica, Margie, and Mark, constructed a house for our new friend, George.

David first met George out of extraordinary circumstances a few weeks ago. George’s mother was recently killed because she was no longer producing what her “owner” desired from her—society is twisted! Because of his recent loss, George, a young man, decided to run away from home before he, too, met his demise. Unfortunately, life away from home was not all he hoped for and soon found himself in some danger, nearly losing his life to some vicious neighbors. Thankfully, David met George and took him in as one of his own. 

 George hoped one day to be part of a large family that could better the community. However, to do that, George needed a home to call his own. David knew exactly the best place to build George’s new home—basically in our backyard! 

After viewing the pictures of the house, you may think, “that house is way too small for George!”, but we are convinced that George will find his new home like a palace. 

Within in seconds of moving in, George was already taking in the view from his screened in porch. Life is sweet for George. We hope to help George start a new family soon. Until then, George will enjoy all the corn all to himself. 

In all seriousness, we are excited to have our new chicken coop. Some of our boys desire to pursue careers in agriculture; by having this project on property, our boys will gain and practice applicable skills on a daily basis. Additionally, we go through A LOT of eggs here—eggs are part of at least one meal a day. Chickens will help provide us with this necessary commodity.

 Friends from WV and MO

In January, a small group from Morgantown Church of Christ came to work with us. This group helped build a house for a family of four (this house was done by 11 a.m.), fed the on the streets of downtown Tegucigalpa, passed out 160 uniforms and backpacks filled with school supplies, worshipped with those at Breaking Chains, and spent time with the kids at Didasko Children’s Home. It was a joy to see some from this team reconnect with their Honduran friends and watch as those who had never been here make new memories. We are grateful for the work that God directed this team to do.

Recently, our friend, Jessica Schroer, came to visit us. This trip was a special trip for her because she was able to bring her mother, Margie, for the first time. In addition to helping us build George’s house, Jessica and Margie also helped build a house for a widow and her children, bought a feast for Didasko Children’s Home, and even jumped on the trampoline with our boys! David enjoyed chauffeuring Margie around and exposing her to the adventure that is driving in Tegucigalpa.

We love working with teams and hosting our friends. If you or your church/organization is interested in bringing a team this year, please conduct us ASAP!

 Envelope Campaign Update

Mountain Top Ministries began a fundraising campaign to help us prepare for all of the back-to-school costs. This fundraiser asked donors to take a numbered envelope and to send in a donation that corresponded with the number on the envelope. If all numbers were taken, then MTM would receive over $11,000!

At this point, around 90 envelopes have been taken. Over $6,000 has been promised, with $3,000 having been received.

If you have not already asked for an envelope (or would like to take another one), you still can! Simply send us a message via e-mail, text message, FaceBook, smoke signal, etc., and request one. If you have received an envelope, make sure to send in your donation! Promised funds are excellent—received funds are more practical, though.

Thank you for your continual support of MTM. Without your help, none of this would be possible—each of you is an answered pray.

Week 4- Snapshots of the Boys

I am fortunate to be a part of many different communities; these include my church family, Edison, the Actors Guild, church camp, etc. Many people within this community know exactly whom I am talking about when I mention Mario, Marvin, or Yovani. Either they have met these boys or they have seen pictures of them that others or I have posted. I realize, though, that many have no idea who these boys are. They are just names. Because of this, it is beneficial for me to share a little bit about the boys here, so that when you are praying for the ministry, you have some idea of whom you are praying for.

If I were to write about you in a blog post that could be read by any number of people, there are parts of your story that you probably would not want me to include. Parts of your story are dark and, while you would share them with close friends, they are not the bits that you want the whole world knowing about. With that in mind, realize that as I am writing about the boys, I am probably going to leave out some of the gory and hyper-personal details. David said, “Each boy’s story is a saga.” Some of these boys have seen and experienced things that I can only imagine in fictional terms—nothing that I have experienced would help me better understand their lives. Understand that, at times, I may euphemistically express certain details. 

Carlos and Saul have been with the ministry since its inception. They, along with their brother Eduardo, came to live with David, so that they could have greater opportunities—educationally, socially, and spiritually. Carlos, 25, is the transportation guru for the ministry. Additionally, he also helps care for the boys here. Carlos also has a small business selling cell-phone accessories. Saul, 17, goes to a bilingual Christian school in town. He is excellent at soccer and was MVP for the JV team at his school.  Saul is quiet, but then he spouts off something sarcastic, which I always appreciate.

Henrry, 20, came to the ministry by way of Breaking Chains Ministries, a homeless ministry that we work closely with in town. Life for him has not always been easy (in fact, at times, it was devastating); you would not know this from interactions with him. Communicating is sometimes difficult (because my Spanish is not up to par, yet), but he is patient and always greets others with a smile. This week, he and I began English lessons, which I am excited about. He told me that it is his dream to go the States for college.

Antonio, 19 (tomorrow!) is the most recent addition to the ministry. Though he is initially shy, when Antonio warms up to you, be prepared to be picked on. Antonio, too, came to us from Breaking Chains. After living on the streets and dealing with what that life produces, Antonio decided that he wanted something better for himself.  That included getting an education. On Sunday, he started courses created for older teenagers and adults. He proves that no one is too far behind or too old to receive the benefits of education.

And finally “the boys,” as many mission groups have come to know them over the years. The five brothers, Yovani, 18, Marvin 16, Mario, 14, Francisco, 12, and Jairo (the artist formally known as Antonio), 11, have been a part of my life for almost ten years. Their mother, Maria, found herself with six boys and no one to help her take care of them. Because of that, she made the selfless decision to turn custody of the five youngest over to the state. In doing so, the five brothers were the first children at Casa de Esperanza, a children’s home where I interned for two summers during college. After Maria and her husband, Chilo, were reunited, the boys returned home to live with them. To make a very (VERY) long story short, it was later decided that the boys could come live here at MTM, so that they could receive bilingual education. Throughout the years, these boys have taught me many different things: wrestling terms, Honduran slang, how to play Clash of Clans, and, most importantly, the parental qualities of God.

This was just a snapshot of the boys here. Each one of them is unique, but we have the same dream for all of them—to be men of God who will positively impact whatever community they land in. To read more about each one, visit mtmhonduras.org.

Update Week 3

Joe Oliverio, the executive director of RESA 5, asked me to author an article for the upcoming newsletter. The article was to be about something related to education in Honduras. While back-to-school shopping was not my immediate idea, it quickly became something I wanted to write about. Below is the article:

I know that I am not the only teacher who is a bit of a school supplies aficionado. As long as I do not have to wade through the crowds at Walmart, I actually enjoy buying new supplies. Within the first two weeks in Honduras, I discovered that back-to-school shopping is vastly different here than it is at home. In fact, it is the financial burden of back-to-school shopping that can keep education out of reach of many impoverished children. 

In January, I began a six-month journey working with Mountain Top Ministries (www.mtmhonduras.org) in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. One major focus of MTM is to provide a home and educational opportunities to Honduran boys. Schools on the Honduran schedule begin in February and end in December. I quickly learned the extravagance of school supplies shopping here. When I first saw the list of necessary supplies for one student, I was stunned.  Of course pencils, pens, and notebooks (one boy had to have 12 notebooks!) were on the list; but a package of toilet paper, Pepto-Bismol, pain reliever, hand soap, and paper for teachers’ bulletin boards were also included. With five boys starting school, the cost for all of this quickly added up. That was in addition to the cost of registration, uniforms, and textbooks. Thankfully, many generous supporters helped with this financial burden, but most families here cannot rely on outside donations.

Granted, our boys attend a private, bi-lingual school (as we want to give them the best chance at succeeding into adulthood). However, the required supplies for public school students are cost prohibitive for many families, too. While public school students do not have to pay tuition, they are still required to purchase a uniform and buy many of the same supplies as their private school counterparts. The government does not provide schools with many necessities, so the burden falls on the students. To buy all of the items on the supply list, a family would have to spend $50-100 per child. In a country where more than 60% are identified as impoverished, the cost of education is too high. Many families, especially families with multiple children, decide to forgo school. Without this education, the hope of escaping poverty fades.

The transformative power of education has and will continue to change our world. However, this power should not merely be available for those who can afford it. I am thankful that I teach in a place where a student’s socioeconomic status does not hinder his/her potential, but this not the norm for much of the world. I hope and pray that all students, rich and poor, will one day have the opportunity to receive life-changing education.