The Episcopal Church in Arkansas' 2010 Honduras Trip

This is the video of our last day in Hon…

Randall Curtis — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 00:00:14 +0000

This is the video of our last day in Honduras. We got to do the reading program on this day where a child read to us in Spanish. It was a holy moment. After some shopping the talent show began. The talen show is somewhat long on the video, make sure you hang on to see us sing and dance to “Pharaoh, Pharaoh”

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=...

Randall Curtis — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 15:39:40 +0000

I am sorry these video are coming to you after the trip. Both were on very busy and emotional days. In this video we go to the farm school where the boys learn Agricultural skills. This is also the location that groups from Arkansas would visit who go next year as they are the only place with weeks open.

We are home. It was an amazing trip and …

Randall Curtis — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 05:19:55 +0000

We are home. It was an amazing trip and I hope to have the last 2 videos tomorrow. I am as sleepy as a person can be right now though. Plus I got a little sick on the way back.

Honduran Hoop Dreams

Randall Curtis — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 05:47:47 +0000

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The Episcopal Diocese of Arkansas Basketball Team takes on the Honduran El Hogar Technical School Team. I had way too much fun with this video.

Please know that no Episcopalians were harmed in the making of this video. Well we were really sore.

Actually this was a very fun game between friends as our rag tag team played the boys of the Technical Skill of El Hogar. Most of their goals aren`t shown as the video would be too long

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=...

Randall Curtis — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 23:15:46 +0000

Today started out with Morning Devotions and then we went again into various classes to see how the kids acted in class and what they classes were like. They were wonderful of course. I was able to sit in the English Composition class which had a great selection of books that my own daughter Olivia reads. The class rooms and instruction are very similar to classes I have seen in the States.
After checking out the classes we traveled to the Technological school. There we continued painted the bars around the administrator’s building. I also snuck off with one of our favorite El Hogar children, Maynar (MI-Nar) . Maynar impressed me very early with his great English. Back earlier at El HOgar he looked around and said ,”This is my family.” Maynar took me on a tour of the various workshops and introduced me to his teachers. He acts as their interpreters in the video.
Next, came the Basketball Game. We just flippantly mentioned we should play a game with the boys at the Technical Institute earlier in the week. They heard this, and it became a big game with the whole school watching. Now none of us on the trip play Basketball even semi-regularly. In fact, I am not sure I have touched a basketball in 5 years. Today we got out there and we gave it our best. It was grand. It was a wonderful time with misses, bumps, bruises, and surprising shots. It was also filled with many smiles and many handshakes.
Afterwards we drove our sore bodies back to El Hogar. There we all came in to the guest house and melted on the couches thinking surely the staff would just let us skip playing with kids tonight. God and El Hogar had other plans. I hear a knock on the door and one of my favorite little boys Julio is standing outside. He looked up at me and said ,”You come play with me.”
I looked at him with my sore body, my tired feet and wore out back and wanted to say.” No Gringo is Broken.” Instead I looked at him smiled and said, “Uno Minute. “

This Gringo is broken.

My heart has broken for this place and these wonderful people.

Today we got the chance to sit in on the…

Randall Curtis — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 04:29:53 +0000

Today we got the chance to sit in on the classes. We then began some games of Basketball with the upper grades during their PE Time. In the afternoon we went to the Technical School to do some painting. We ended the night as always playing with and loving Children.

Today we started off with moring devotio…

Randall Curtis — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 05:24:54 +0000

Today we started off with moring devotion with the children of El Hogar. After an amazing meeting with Claudia we traveled to the Technological School. Here the El Hogar students can learn a trade skill in their middle school and High School years. Finally, we ended the night braving torential rains and playing with kids. Playing, nurturning and loving kids is what it is all about.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=...

Randall Curtis — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 05:11:19 +0000

Today was great day. We visitied Saint Mary`s Episcopal Cathedral fro services. The church was joyful with people of all ages in the service. At the Passing of the Peace everyone made sure to shake everyone`s hands with a big smile. You felt like everyone wanted to be there and was glad to share that time with you. At one point our own Jesse Perkins went up to the front with some locals and had a Birthday blessing done for him in Spanish. The priest knew everyone elses name but not Jesse so he just said`”Gringo” in the place of his name. I told Jesse not to worry, that would still count.

Afterwards we took some of the youth who had been super good to McDonalds. This was a huge treat for them. They were smiling ear to ear. It is one of the few times Mcdonalds was a Holy Meal for me.

And then came the rains. I mean a lot of rain. So playing has been cut short today, but we managed to get in a little Soccer and some of the “Blink” card games. Alan and Becky also tried their hands at some jewelry making with the kids. You may hear me laughing in the video a lot here, as a Jeweler, Alan makes a great communications person.

Hola, Day 1 has been great. Jesse is mis…

Randall Curtis — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 03:06:36 +0000

Hola,
Day 1 has been great. Jesse is missing a suitcase and Ed is missing his Guitar. We have heard both should be here in the morning. The flight was exciting with a landing so close you feel like you could touch the houses you were landing by.

We have all been pleasantly suprised by this place. The people and staff have been very welcoming and inviting and the children are obviously well cared for and loved by all the people here.

You realize very quickly that you will get much more from them then they will ever receive from you.

Tomorrow is church for everyone and then we are taking a group of about 10 students out for Happy Meals at Mcdonalds. They are the children who are on the honor role for having great behavior this week.

—Randall Curtis

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=...

Randall Curtis — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 03:00:39 +0000