Thursday, March 24, 2011

Update: AHMEN SIFAT Initiative - March '11

As many of you know, AHMEN joined with SIFAT with a program last year to attempt to extend the energy various teams put into Honduras beyond the week or ten days they are actually in the country.  We call this the AHMEN SIFAT Initiative, and it is headed up by Byron Morales from SIFAT and backed up by a whole lot of AHMEN folks.
Below is a showing of just some of the folks who are working with Byron from Alabama.  This picture was taken at Christ UMC, Jasper during the last planning session. - includes Michael Franklin, Byron Morrales, Joe Down, Lou Altman, an Lexie Hilton.
Byron called last nite from Cosuna, Honduras with a report.  The Community Agents are in the middle of their 4th workshop.  To give you an idea of how it works: 
  1. yesterday they had a lecture from three Cuban doctors on rthe importance of clean water.  They were taught that the one of the major killers in “Third World Countries” is not having access to sanitary water.
  2. Today they will build ecostoves from local material that will use 80% less fuel and produce 80% less smoke inside the home.
  3. Tomorrow our friend Dr. Luther Castillo will teach them the relationship between cooking smoke in thier home and their children suffering from chronic respiratory illnesses.
Byron also reports that there are 50 community agents that will complete the first year of the course in August, and there are already plans to not only continue their training, but new students are approaching Byron asking him/us to begin a new class as soon as possible.  These students are from scattered villages within one day walk/bus/horse/canoe ride away.  It is thru this system that the knowledge the agents acquire is discriminated thru out the area.
Above is a photo of Joshua and Marinna from the Deaf School in Plan de Flores.  They have have attended each workshop and will graduate with 50 other students in August of this year with a certificate as a trained Community Agent in Health Care.

Update: AHMEN SIFAT Initiative - March '11

As many of you know, AHMEN joined with SIFAT with a program last year to attempt to extend the energy various teams put into Honduras beyond the week or ten days they are actually in the country.  We call this the AHMEN SIFAT Initiative, and it is headed up by Byron Morales from SIFAT and backed up by a whole lot of AHMEN folks.
Below is a showing of just some of the folks who are working with Byron from Alabama.  This picture was taken at Christ UMC, Jasper during the last planning session. - includes Michael Franklin, Byron Morrales, Joe Down, Lou Altman, an Lexie Hilton.
Byron called last nite from Cosuna, Honduras with a report.  The Community Agents are in the middle of their 4th workshop.  To give you an idea of how it works: 
  1. yesterday they had a lecture from three Cuban doctors on rthe importance of clean water.  They were taught that the one of the major killers in “Third World Countries” is not having access to sanitary water.
  2. Today they will build ecostoves from local material that will use 80% less fuel and produce 80% less smoke inside the home.
  3. Tomorrow our friend Dr. Luther Castillo will teach them the relationship between cooking smoke in thier home and their children suffering from chronic respiratory illnesses.
Byron also reports that there are 50 community agents that will complete the first year of the course in August, and there are already plans to not only continue their training, but new students are approaching Byron asking him/us to begin a new class as soon as possible.  These students are from scattered villages within one day walk/bus/horse/canoe ride away.  It is thru this system that the knowledge the agents acquire is discriminated thru out the area.
Above is a photo of Joshua and Marinna from the Deaf School in Plan de Flores.  They have have attended each workshop and will graduate with 50 other students in August of this year with a certificate as a trained Community Agent in Health Care.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Shalom, a safe place for Girls in Honduras








Why sponsor a girl at Shalom?  
Good question.
Shalom was established some 8 - 10 years ago for a couple of girl who were at risk of being kidnapped into the mountains.  Over the years the number of girls has grown, as have the goals for the girls. 
As of now, there are 18 girls with 15 having sponsors.
Shalom is located on a safe mission compound.  There is a dorm mom, Suyapi, who lives with and loves the girls as her own daughters. 

 As you can see, the girls take care of their own home with cleaning and cooking.  They live dormitory style, on bunk-beds, and are expected to go to school.  Most of the girls aspire to become professional of one type or another and we encourage this.

For more on this project and the particulars fo sponsorship,
contact:
Sandy Palencia:  cruzadas.sandy@gmail.com
Dr. Tom Camp: llamacamp@gmail.com




Shalom: "A Safe Place for Young Women"


This is the first report from Medelin, a 13 year old girls who has recently joined Shalom.  Below is the information she has sent at our request.  The only way Shalom can keep it doors open is thru a system we call sponsorships.  Each girl has to have a sponsor in order to stay at Shalom.  Medelin is looking for a sponsor.  She is one of the newest girls at Shalom.






Hello my name Medelin Simey And I am13 years of adege,  my birthday is on October 20th.  and I have two brothers called Angie and Bady, I am in 7 grade, I would like to go to college. My dad is called the Santos Munguia and my mom died long ago. I am very happy to be here at Shalom. I want to be a professional in Drawing. My favorite colors are black, red and pink. . I like to have someone to advise me how we help, support and advice here. May God bless you and thank you very much.
Madelin






  


FYI there are two new girls in the dorm that are in need of sponsors:
  1. Abigail Sandoval-  
  2. Madelin Munguia- 

















This is a report from Mary who is sponsored by a pharmacist and his wife out of Jasper, Alabama,, I wanted to share it with you.




Who is Mary and why would you want to sponsor her?
Here is your answer, in  a letter from Mary herself.
Hi, ! God bless you, I am very happy and I want to thank you for helping me because it is a great blessing to my life. Well since I started my classes in eighth grade, I decided I like to study nursing at the University. There are two new girls at the Shalom  home one is  12 and another is 13 years old  like me. This coming April 21 will be celebrating my 14th birthday.  I was at a youth camp in December and it was very special my dad came to me and was a great joy for me. And I got baptized  and soon I will begin serving in the Church. . I hope you come to Honduras soon  to see you. In my prayers. With love...
Mery Hernandez


Mary Being Baptized




Mary and Sister Eleanor





Friday, March 11, 2011

Deaf School in Plan de Flores, Honduras,WHERE DID IT START?

How did the Deaf School of Plan de Flores get started?
As some of you know, AHMEN and Vanderbilt University have “patterned up” with Cruzadas del Evangelica in the formation and support of  a deaf school in Plan de Flores, Honduras.  It serves deaf children from the surrounding area, some coming as far as 2 days by bus to attend the school.
Question? Where did the idea come from for a deaf school in this remote Garifuna village in Honduras.
As in many things, there is no simple answer.  A year or so after I thought I knew all about the origin of the deaf school, I was talking to Sister Eleanor and had just met Brother John.  She made the comment that he was the person responsible for Joshua going to Tegu to learn sign language.  I asked Brother John about it and thought I would share what I have learned with you.
to learn more about this deaf school, or to become a part of the support system, contact:
Dr. Tom Camp:  llmacamp@gmail.com
Lela Aaron: paperlady35501@yahoo.com

from Brother John: March 2011

ALFREDITO Y MARIANA, DEAF SCHOOL
They were two skinny teenagers in love when first I knew Alfredo Salinas and Mariana Maldonado. Both were active in their church in the remote village of Serrania. Alfredito, as he is called, preached and served in any way he could. Mariana, a gifted speaker herself, also provided music in the form of guitar and song.
Years went by, their love proved true, and finally were married. A year or so later a beautiful baby boy, Josue (Joshua), came to bring delight to his parents, and heartache.  From the beginning, it was evident that something was wrong. Josue did not respond to sounds: he was deaf.  His parents struggled with guilt and self condemnation: “What did we do wrong? Did we sin to bring this on our son?”
Not at all. God had given them a most unique son.  Intelligent beyond the average, alert, sensitive, and curious, Josue explored his silent world with the four senses he still possessed.  Missionary John Taylor began to prepare Alfredito and Mariana for the inevitable: Joshua would have to go away to a special school in Tegucigalpa when he reached his fifth birthday.
This was no easy course for the parents to follow. Take their son from his rural environment and place him in the home of other caretakers in the capital city? How could they do that?  
The missionary knew personally the director of the Love in Action school, and arranged for Alfredito to teach carpentry in the school. For three years the parents remained with Josue in Tegucigalpa, where they, too, became able communicators in sign language.  This time afforded special help for their second son, Christian, who has Down’s Syndrome.
Later the parents returned to Plan de Flores, where they pastured a church. Heavy on Mariana’s heart was the vision to provide education for the many deaf children in the remote areas of north Honduras.  She began searching for children with severe hearing loss, many the results of measles the mothers contracted while pregnant, as many as five deaf children in one village of about 50 people.
This was a monumental undertaking: providing education, housing and food for her first nine children with no promise of financial backing.  Looking to God for His providence, Mariana and Alfredito opened their home to take the children in, and the school was off the ground.
John Taylor, himself greatly interested in reaching the deaf for Christ and providing a better and less isolated life for them, has encouraged Alfredo and Mariana. Some funds have trickled in at times, and God has provided.  At present the school uses the rustic facilities of a carpentry training center Alfredo directs.  It is Mariana’s vision to have a school facility specially designed for educating and housing the deaf and their teachers. Land is available in Plan de Flores.  Hearing impaired children from the mountain villages can be brought to a school nearer their homes. For these children, going to a school in the capital city is nearly impossible, not only the lack of finances, but having no housing available for their children in a city a world away from their own frame of reference.
Brother John with Joshua as a young man in Tegu.
Joshua is now teaching at the Deaf School in Plan de Flores, Honduras






Marinna with some of her current students in the Plan de Flores, Honduras school for the deaf.

Brother John on the property he bought years ago that will soon be the site of the new school
Mariana in the meantime is studying to qualify herself as a teacher of the deaf. Josue, now graduated from the deaf institute in Tegucigalpa, serves as one of the teachers in the current school at Plan de Flores.