It's hard to choose one part of the trip that truly stuck out to me. I wish I could share with you every, single, moment that made me smile...that made me cry. In person, I have yet been able to communicate how I have truly felt. I never have been gifted with the ability to be well spoken or say exactly what I mean but here I will try my best. 

Going into this project I had the typical American missionary mindset-I was the American who had come to do something great and was teaching these kids something so valuable. Coming out, I couldn't have been more wrong. Any person in the world could do what I do, if they have the means...it takes a special type of person to teach the type of lessons that the people of Honduras taught me. I learned to trust with all my heart, love is blind, do not hang onto the past, keep your faith, and family doesn't end with blood. 

Most of the boys in Flor Azul have no family and rely solely on each other for any type of support-something that each and every boy is willing to give 100%. One boy said a line that I will never forget, "There is Mama Karen...she is my mother." Though this boy has not known her his entire life, he will forever look to her as his mother. When I watched the boys interact with each other they were so protective and helpful, constantly checking up on one another and making sure everyone stood equal and together. 

In the village of Campo we met a little boy named Kevin who had down-syndrome. Kids in America with disabilities are often ridiculed and lead a life with very little friendships. Kevin had more friends than anyone else in the village. Every child there treated him as if he was Just Kevin and had no disability. Love to them is absolutely blind. They loved without caring who you were, no matter your gender, no matter your race, no matter your fault or disability. This is something that every person should take with them and live by everyday. 

Finally, the past is the past. That is something that I will always remember that the people of Honduras taught me. No matter how bad their lives were before, they got up smiling each day and thanked God that they are here. They thank God that they have food-no matter how little it is. The fact that they don't let what has happened to them reflect on their day-to-day lives shows what kind of people they really are. 

In the end, I have to say that in my heart I know it is not truly 'the end'. I will be back to Honduras as soon as I can-returning to the boys, "sitting right there on the front porch." I have learned more than I could ever hope to know and want to spread the love that grew inside me across America and across the world. I thank God that I met so many people who could give me so many great things. Most of all, I thank God for meeting Arturo-who is my godson now. When I left Flor Azul I found that I couldn't cry-we had been having so much fun at the fiesta that it didn't seem real. I remember Arturo telling me that I was a strong person for not crying...and I couldn't help but think that I was never going to be half as strong as he was.

So here is to the friendships that will last a lifetime, the memories that will never fade, to the boy who will forever live (at least in my heart), and to God for giving us the opportunity of a lifetime. 

Our stay in Catacamas was punctuated by events organized by the university just for us. There were tours of the campus, cultural activities, presentations by students, and many opportunities for cultural and personal exchanges between their students and the Ferrum visitors. We were treated with wonderful hospitality and thoughtfulness, and we all enjoyed it tremendously.

Just a few photos of some of the performances and puppet-making crafts. We visited three elementary schools, two kindergartens, Flor Azul, and the university in Catacamas. Overall the students performed this play eight times, for different ages, always with wonderful reactions. The best were the kids who had never seem puppets or theater of any kind.

When I agreed to venture on the trip to Honduras months ago, I had no idea the impact that it would have on me or how much a simple week could change my life. I came with the attitude of wanting to help children less fortunate than I but also with an open mind to being changed. I knew that the people I would encounter would offer me more than I could ever possibly give back to them... Little did I know just how much. I think it is cliche to say that "this trip changed my life forever" but in my case it has been the truth. It has been amazing to me to see people in such poverty, literally starving without food, children without education yet with all those negatives in their lives, they always find a reason to smile. The people of Honduras are genuily happy, they are grateful for what little they have, their family and the little things in life that I think as Americans we have been taught to overlook. We are so used to our fast paced lives revolving around name brands, money and status that we forget about the moments in life that truly matter.. something that I have been reminded each day since being in Honduras.

One quote from our nightly reflections this week has really stuck with me... "every day is a life time in its self, an adventure... how did you spend yours today?" This question really made me think of all the amazing things I had encountered in just a single day of being here, how many new things I had learned, seen, and been amazed by. This statement looking back over the week has proved to be true for me.. and I am blessed to have been able to spend five little lifetime adventures with such amazing people.

Over the course of this past week our Ferrum group has had the opportunity to touch the lives of so many children as we attended a few different schools, giving out school supplies and clothes. We also put together a Cinderella play which we performed at each school and had the students make small paper bag puppets with us. I think the most amazing part though was not the children... it was the teachers and other adults in the village and how eager they were to participate. It really made me think. Many of the adults in Honduras, especially the women within many of these towns, never truly had a "childhood". It made my day to be able to create a small piece of that for these adults and see their creativity come alive as they put together paper bag puppets and the smiles on their faces as they looked over their completed project. Once again something, we as Americans seem to take for granted... the simple idea of "childhood".

Another aspect of our trip, was being able to open our hearts to the teenage boys of Flor Azul. These boys truly touched our hearts as they welcomed us with open arms.. trusting us, and seeing the best qualities we had to offer rather than all the negatives. The boys range in age from 12 to 20 and spend their time working on chores, studying and trying to better themselves for their future. Never in my life have I seen boys so eager to learn and the drive to do so. Our first day at Flor Azul, a group of boys went up to Profe and asked if they could have a lesson in English because they had an exam on Wednesday and wanted to study and review in advance... This was on a SATURDAY. It absolutely amazed and blew me away at how these group of boys instead on wanting to play soccer outside and goof off, would have rather learned English skills because their education came first.

It is these little qualities that have truly captured my heart.

During this week I actually greatly bonded with one of the boys, Jose Angel... he is 15 years old and has so much to offer the world. He has a smile that could brighten a room and opens his heart to all those around him. He truly has a passion for people, and cares about others in a way that isn't seen very often in the United States. I chose to make the decision to sponsor him, and help him to achieve his dream of becoming a mechanic one day. Which in Honduras is a great job to obtain. By sponsoring I am helping him with day to day items, that are a necessity. Once again things that, we all take for granted. But to be able to describe the friendship that has been created over a simple week is beyond words.. it is something that I cherish deeply, not only with Jose but with all the boys from Flor Azul.

I honestly could go on and on about all the ways this trip has changed my life, but it would take days to finish explaining how I feel. All in all, this has been one of the best experiences of my life and I wouldn't change a single thing. I hope to return to this great country and to continue helping all the wonderful people here.

And Mom.. I didn't forget about you :) I love you and miss you dearly!

Blake DiMeglio

    Honduras 2012-we have no idea what is going on. That is the slogan for our entire trip, and for many trips before and to come. In Honduras, you cannot make any plans because of all the rain. Each day we will wake up and guarenteed we will do something completely different than what we orginally planned. The rain often washes away the roads because they are dirt and we were unable to go to any of the mountain schools. It is upsetting to us, and especially to Karen, because one of the schools has absolutely no way to get food unless we bring it to them. When we visited a village called Campos, they told us that the government is supposed to bring them food each month...they hadnt been there since January. Karen immediately went out and bought food for the people of Campos. I will never be able to explain the feeling you get inside when you hear the children screaming for joy as you walk up carrying supplies for them to have.
    I dont think that 1,000 pictures or stories could have ever prepared me for what I have seen down here. Each day is a brand new day, and each day I learn more and more about myself, my friends, and the people of Honduras. It is extraordinary to see people who have so little and go through so much, get up each day and smile and do their best to see that we are the ones who are happy/comfortable.
    Epecially the boys of Flor Azul, who haved suffered so much yet are the kindest and most mature people I know. We have made so many close connections to them, and I will forever remember getting to know them. They teach us how to play soccer and do cool tricks, and even if they laugh at us when we fail miserably-they are still determined to make sure we can do it. I am forever changed for being down here. I thought, coming down, that we would be the ones giving them lessons but it turns out they have a lot more to teach than I ever will. I decided to sponsor a boy named Arturo and really hope to be able to return to Honduras soon! I love it here, even if I miss everyone at home. See you soon!