Helping Hands in Tegu

Wednesday morning we met Marc to help him feed the people who live at the city dump. After navigating through two hours of Tegu traffic and David's human car block, we made it to the dump outside the city limits. Small boys were climbing onto the backs of garbage trucks for free rides along the main and only road to the dump on the mountain.

As we drove into the main area, birds were circling, cattle and dogs were running around and the people were sifting through the trash. They started lining up for food as soon as we stopped and we began passing out tortillas, beans, rice and water. We served a couple hundred people. As I saw the line of people build as they left digging through the trash, I couldn't help but feel humbled and blessed. Blessed to not only have been helping but of all the blessings God has graced me with through my life. The most startling moment was when I saw a pregnant woman holding onto her child's hand while searching through the latest load.

Once we returned to take showers, the water ran out again. This time due to the fact the dogs chewed through the water line. We are grateful for friends with working showers and dogs with humor. We're hoping for everyone to be fresh and clean for the evening's activities. We are taking the Casa kids to dinner and a movie. I think many of us are too excited to see chipmunks sing Single Ladies in Spanish....but can you blame us?

Tuesday with the group

Tuesday we were up early again and headed into the city. Some of us enjoyed a breakfast of french fries and hot dogs from a street vendor. The hot dogs were piled high with cabbage, jalapenos, onions, mustard, ketchup, and more! So good!

We then headed back out to Nuevo Oriental to open up the "store." When we arrived there were more than 100 people standing out side in a line waiting to get in. They had been there since 6 a.m. waiting for us! We spent 3 hours slowly letting people filter into the building to search for their size of clothing. Each family was able to get 8 items for 20 Lemps ($1). We were able to get rid of all of the clothing. In the end we raised over $200 for the feeding center. The feeding center has actually been closed for the last couple of months because of lack of funding. It costs them around $110 a week to feed the 300 + children that come through the doors.

After we left the village we stopped at the Basillica in the city. It is a BEAUTIFUL church....and quite huge!

Mother Teresa Home pictures

They will know we are Christians by our lovet

Ok ok I know it has been quite awhile since I've gotten on here to update you all. I promise to be better from here on out and I promise to one day soon get on and update you on what all I've been doing these past few months.

Right now however we have a team here that I'll keep you updated on with pictures and stories.

The team flew in on Sunday. We spent that first afternoon loving on the brothers and sorting out clothes that were sent on a recent container from Ohio.

Monday morning we were up bright and early to pick up the sorted clothes and take them to a village (Nuevo Oriental) to set up a "store." We used a building in the village (that is normally used for a feeding center) to organize the clothes in piles of women's, men's, and children's clothing. We informed the people in the village that we would return the next day to open the building up so they could come in and shop for what they needed. We made it clear that we would set a flat rate for the price of everything and then any money we raised from the day would be given back to the feeding center to help feed the children. After we had sorted everything out we headed to "The Mother Teresa Home." It is an orphanage that houses nearly 70 children. The home is definitely understaffed and underfunded but they feel strongly about getting kids off the street and trying to help. We were able to take diapers, wipes, blankets, and sheets to donate to the home....and were able to spend a couple hours loving on the children that were there. We found out when we got there that they were down to their last 4 diapers and had NO wipes at all. They were ecstatic for what we were able to donate while we walked away wishing we could have done more. The Mother Teresa Home also has an elderly home on its property so we spent part of our time there as well.

Dialogue has come to a standstill

Dialogue to reslove the Honduran Crisis hits standstill....

If you have read my previous couple of posts you know that the Guaymuras Dialogue between delegations from Micheletti and Zelaya has agreed to 95% of a resolution with the last sticking point being the restitution of Mel Zelaya to the preidency. Over the past few days there was a proposal by Micheletti's team to allow the Supreme Court decide what should happen with Mel as it is a "legal" problem and a proposal by the Zelaya team to allow the Congress to decide as they considered it a "political" problem. Both were rejected by the opposite side.

Today, it was reported that the commission representing the government of Roberto Micheletti proposed that they and the representatives of deposed president Manuel Zelaya be the ones to decide the solution to the crisis in Honduras, but they should base that decision after listening to reports from both the Congress and the Supreme Court. Both bodies [Congress and the Supreme Court] would present to the dialogue commissions a report on the background and events that led to the removal of Zelaya on June 28, which would provide a basis for the delegation's decision, this according to Armando Aguilar, a member of the Micheletti's commission. He also indicated that the requested reports from the legislative and judicial powers are "to justify the decision that would be taken at the negotiating table."

This evening we have learned that Zelaya's representatives have apparently rejected this proposal, so it appears the deadlock continues. As I have said previously, how can there be compromise when two sides see the issue so directly in opposition. The elections are scheduled for just over a month from now and a solution still is not on the horizon.

"Dialogue" has begun...

"Dialogue" has begun...

Well, the OAS delegation arrived yesterday and the new round of dialogue, now named the Guaymura Dialogue, has begun. There is a great sense of optimism that a resolution will be found. The delegation arrived at the Clarion Hotel around 10:00 yesterday morning. I happened to be right there about that time, got caught in the traffic created by the police clearing the road, and watched the caravan arrive. There were some small demonstrations that were broken up by the police yesterday, but all in all. The decree limiting the right to gather in groups is still in effect. It was supposed to have been repealed, but it has not. Not sure why. Something about it not being officially published in the government archives.

Reports are that the first session yesterday afternoon was positive and that there is a spirit of cooperation between the two sides. The OAS delegates are there more for observation and support and they are allowing the representatives from Micheletti's government and representatives of Zelaya do the talking. After the initial talks, the delegation went to the Presidential House and met with Micheletti directly. The entire session was televised. All of the delegates as well as Micheletti and the Honduran chancellor had their say. You can get a few more details here and here and here. The OAS delegates were all (well, almost all) trying to convince Micheletti that the answer is for everyone to accept the San Jose Accord proposed by Arias back in July. Micheletti reaffirmed the position of the current government that any solution has to be based in what is legal according to the Honduran Constitution and laws of Honduras. It was obvious to me that there is an impasse here that they will struggle to get past and this is it in a nutshell.....

The current regime believes that they have acted within what is correct according to the Constitution and laws as interpreted by the Honduran Supreme Court and the rest of the OAS says they can't do it that way. The OAS still says Zelaya has to be reinstated, but the current regime says that according to the Honduran Constitution, that would be illegal.

Word this morning is that The Resistence will be attempting to march in force today. With the decree still in effect, it could get interesting. Round two of the talks will take place today. We'll see if anything comes of it.

just when you think we might get a solution....

just when you think we might get a solution....

Zelaya goes and makes a list of 4 demands before he will even begin to talk. Here is a guy that is hiding in a foreign embassy because of the arrest warrants he faces if he actually comes out and he is making demands! There are as follows:

1. Micheletti must lift the decree restricting constitutional freedoms. This is supposed to happen early this week anyway.

2. Return broadcast rights back to Radio Globo and Cholusat Sur.These are the two broadcast mediums shut down that are both pro-Zelaya. There were shut down as a result of the decree because they were calling people to insurrection. Not sure this will happen. Maybe when they repeal the decree they will allow these stations to be back on the air. Communication amongst the resistence has been severely curtailed without these two national networks being used to spread information and make national calls to demonstrate.

3. Remove the military that is surrounding the Brazilian Embassy where Zelaya is holed up. Zelaya is sick of being on house arrest. He, his family, and around 60 supporters, have not left this building for two weeks. I don't see any way they remove the military presence for three reasons. Number one is that Zelaya is a wanted fugitive with arrest warrants out for him. No way they are going to give him a chance to "escape". Number two is because of what happens when "Mel" is free to incite the crowds. If there is an ability for a crowd to gather in front of the embassy, Mel will, as he did the first day he entered the country, use that to encourage them to continued insurrection and that will lead to more violence. It has happened every time and there is no reason to believe it wouldn't happen again!. Number three would be for Zelaya's own protection and to insure his safety.

4. That Zelaya be allowed to bring in a member of his team who is currently unable to enter the country. I am sure he is referring to Patricia Rodas (although I can't be certain) who was his chief cabinet member. The problem is that she too has arrest warrants issued and she cannot enter the country without being arrested. This is true for a number of his cabinet and whoever he wants here that isn't will have the same problem. I don't see any way for this to happen. They can't just ignore the arrest warrants and allow anyone free passage back into the country.

With Zelaya making these demands, he has given himself an "out" to never seriously enter a dialogue. We'll see what happens, but this sure curbs my optimism. The OAS delegation is scheduled to arrive on Wednesday.

Here is a link to the google translation of an article on El Heraldo's website detailing these demands.