Christmas Eve in Laureles
So, I know I've been a little lax around here as of late and it's not been for lack of stories or photos, Girlfriend has been emailing them to me by the gigabyte. The week from Christmas to New Year's though proved to be one filled with family, friends and cheer and so I decided to wait until activity around the Keiser house had died down. It's dead here now. The following then is how youth from the Mennonite Church and some families from Los Laureles spent Christmas Eve Day as recounted by Girlfriend:
This Christmas Eve, thanks to various donors, we were able to share food provisions with some of the families of the community of Los Laureles.
Amor Viviente Church (a church related to the Honduran Mennonite Church) donated Christmas dinners to us that included food and gifts for the children. Amor Viviente asked us to choose between 80-100 families of the poorest in the community to receive this gift, it was a job that gave us some mixed emotions. It took the youth from the Mennonite Church along with the pastor, one week to go from house to house, taking down information in order to determine which families truly needed this gift. Which left me with the questions: "Who are we to determine who has more need?" - "With right do I determine who is the poorest?", certainly not the exhaustion that resulted from the task neither did the time we put in give this right. I was just left with a feeling of sadness thaat we couldn't afford to help all the families in the community.
The census that the 2011 YES Team completed here in Los Laureles came up with 396 families and I was asked to choose 80 to be the beneficiaries. We began working by visiting the most humble dwellings and without realizing it I soon had 113 households on the list.
I talked with the Amor Viviente Church and after much discussion they agreed to donate 113 packets.
This Christmas Eve, thanks to various donors, we were able to share food provisions with some of the families of the community of Los Laureles.
Amor Viviente Church (a church related to the Honduran Mennonite Church) donated Christmas dinners to us that included food and gifts for the children. Amor Viviente asked us to choose between 80-100 families of the poorest in the community to receive this gift, it was a job that gave us some mixed emotions. It took the youth from the Mennonite Church along with the pastor, one week to go from house to house, taking down information in order to determine which families truly needed this gift. Which left me with the questions: "Who are we to determine who has more need?" - "With right do I determine who is the poorest?", certainly not the exhaustion that resulted from the task neither did the time we put in give this right. I was just left with a feeling of sadness thaat we couldn't afford to help all the families in the community.
The census that the 2011 YES Team completed here in Los Laureles came up with 396 families and I was asked to choose 80 to be the beneficiaries. We began working by visiting the most humble dwellings and without realizing it I soon had 113 households on the list.
I talked with the Amor Viviente Church and after much discussion they agreed to donate 113 packets.
The day we had to distribute the tickets to the families we selected.
With these tickets they were able to board a bus on the 24th that would take them to Amor Viviente to receive their packet.
Only those on the list were able to receive tickets.
While their motherss were wwaiting to hear their name called, the children entertained themselves.
Content, those that received tickets.
The 24th arrived, once again we checked our list and retrieved tickets from the people before they could board the bus.
We then headed to Amor Viviente to hand out the packets.
Juan Carlos "Chino" asking the Pastor to take him along.
Hopeful looks.
Arriving at Amor Viviente Church.
The XY Radio Station from the City of La Ceiba, just like last year, supported us this Christmas by donating tamales for the children (tamal: is a typical honduran Christmas food that consists of a cornmeal mash with meat inside. They're delicious and eveeryone except Matt loves them). The radio asked its listeners to donate tamales to the station for redistribution to La Ceiba's neediest families. Thanks to the donors and to a friend who helped get the children of Los Laureles on their list we were also able to distribute tamales to some of the children there.
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