Painted toes headed home.

Our group is on the final leg of our journey home! We're sitting on a shuttle headed for Eugene/UO. By the time we arrive... we will have been traveling for 41 hours. Needless to say, we're very excited to be so close to home.

On the upside, our adventure today included a secret visit from the Easter bunny! It was a fun surprise... ask one of us about the details.

Spring classes start tomorrow morning--but one of our team members has to be up at 4:30am tomorrow for crew practice! That's commitment!

And speaking of commitment... we all committed to telling the story of our experience in Honduras. We hope you'll listen--there's lots to tell about what happened, what it means to us, and how it has changed us.

In the meantime... the photo below reflects a fun escape from our 41hrs of travel.

3x a charm

Delayed again. We have seats confirmed on the 4:30pm flight out of ATL. Due to arrive in PDX at 7pm. Let's hope our third attempt is successful.

In the meantime, some of us have discovered that the Atlanta airport has spa services.

2nd attempt.

We're hanging out at the Atlanta airport again... just a few minutes away from boarding our PDX bound flight.

Below are some photos from our time making alfombras Thursday night and the procession on Friday night.

Delayed in Atlanta

Please be extra patient with us... we're working on it too. Our flight out of Honduras was delayed two hours... causing us to miss our connection in Atlanta. So, here we are in Atlanta for the night.

Our new flight arrives in PDX tomorrow at 12:30pm. Can't wait. At least the beds are a little more comfortable tonight.

Homeward bound. Changed.

As we write... the team is zipping up our bags for departure. It'll be a long day/journey home, but we'll be making the first step in a few minutes.

The last two days have been filled with highlights, fun and relaxation, cultural learning, and more good food.

Thursday night was highlighted by our participation in the local community's effort at creating the Semana Santa alfombras (carpet-like mosaics made from finely ground, painted sawdust). Last night we watched the corresponding procession move thru the streets of Copán Ruinas. All of this provided us with yet another awesome perspective on community, collaboration and common purpose. It was awesome to be part of this annual local tradition.

Yesterday also found us sneaking out of town on a beautiful drive to the hot springs (aguas thermales). It was a very nice diversion from our work--allowing us to bond and connect as a group, reflect on our week, soothe any sore muscles, and take in the peaceful surroundings.

Last night's group reflection focused on the question of "now what?". We shared ways in which the experience over the last week might affect us upon our return to Eugene. Some of the take aways included lessons on humility, patience, leadership, community, story, self-awareness, and orientation to time. There is lots for us to continue to process.

We're on our way home. Please be patience with us. :)

Village work.

Here are some photos from our project at Nuevo San Jose. With help from some of the campasinos, we constructed a perimeter fence and helped clear the school grounds.

Factory work.

The work begins.

Our work began today, and the consensus from the group is that it was a fantastic day filled with many emotional highs.

The fence project in Nuevo San Jose began with a touching benediction from a Franciscan nun from Guatemala, reminding us of the broader context and history that frames our work. Soon after, we split into 5 teams to dig post holes around the fence perimeter. We were thrilled to be joined by several men from the village who were eager to join our teams--which offered us an opportunity for cross cultural interaction in the midst of a shared goal.

We returned to the factory for another delicious meal. Afterward, we split into new teams--distributing ourselves across a stove making team, a roof building team, and a cement post construction team. Everyone had their hand in something today, and we'll likely rotate groups tomorrow so that new experiences can be had.

Dinner was fantastic--as all meals have been. Tonight featured an assortment of pupusas, a traditional dish made of a thick, handmade corn tortilla filled with a either queso y jalapeño, chicharrón, frijoles, ayote, y pollo. Yum!

After dinner, we had an opportunity to stroll thought the small town of Copán Ruinas. The night concluded with some dedicated reflection time--which reinforced themes of compassion, inclusivity, spiritual and religious identity, community, and common purpose. Lots of take-aways already... and it was only our first full day of work.

Commuter van.

Following a morning tour and lunch at the Mayan ruins, we loaded up the truck for our first visit to Nuevo San Jose. We visited the site of the new school and began planning our fence building project.

We start work tomorrow morning and hope to complete the fence in 3 days.

Breakfast.

Try the coffee... it's delicious.

Bienvenidos a Copán Ruinas

We made it! 26 hours after our Eugene departure, we arrived in Copán Ruinas. Despite the weariness that comes from a sleepless night and long hours in confined travel seats... there's excitement in the air about the adventure that's already begun.

First thing we noticed when we stepped off the plane in Honduras... it's a bit warmer in these parts. It was 100 degrees in San Pedro Sula earlier today, and it's currently 75 degrees here in Copán Ruinas (at 10pm!).

After unloading our luggage at the hostel, we made our way to the nearby StoveTeam factory for an awaiting fiesta. We were humbled by the hospitality... which included delicious food and a live marimba band! Rest assured... we will eat well while we are here. Very well.

The group is looking forward to catching up on sleep tonight as tomorrow we check out the Mayan ruins and pay our first visit to the indigenous community we're working with this week.

Atlanta

Not sure what time it is... but we're making progress towards Honduras.

PDX bound!

On the shuttle... it's happening!

The final countdown...

Everyone is busy focusing on final exams, writing term papers, and pulling together last minute details for the trip.  Go team!

Our last trip meeting included a slideshow preview of Copán Ruinas and the village we will be visiting, San Jose las Lagrimas.  We also reviewed the itinerary, packing list (complete with a packing demonstration), and prepared 17 donated computers for transport to Honduras.  We're ready.

Here are a few photos from our Stove Camp earlier this term--our first glimpse at the art of stove making...

Hola

Welcome to the Honduras Stove Team Blog, our adventure has not started yet, but stay tuned for updates!!

Rafael