La Noche de Los Piojos

Tonight was la noche de los piojos. Lice night. It was horrible, really, because every one of these little girls is covered in lice, some worse than others. After school today, we sat picking eggs out of their hair for a couple hours. I would do my best to guess that there is at least one egg for every strand of hair on many of these girls’ heads. Tonight, we treated their hair for it—but it doesn’t kill the eggs, and not even all of the live lice. When we went back to look afterwards, there were still so many eggs that it broke our hearts. These kids constantly have lice, because even if they get rid of it for a few days, they contract it again because the kids at school have it. They are scratching all the time, sometimes saying, “Ay, me pican, me piicaaann,” but there is nothing we can do except try our best to remove as many eggs as possible. :( I told Carmen tonight that it’d be nice if we could just go to every kid and every one of their houses here in Támara and clean up shop. Ojalá que fuera posible.

On Monday, Carmencita and I helped out with the Kindergarten class, while Kendra and Andrew worked with first and second grade. The Kinder teacher is 17 years old, and has never gone to college or finished high school, but she’s sweet and she tries really hard. It’s been quite the experience for Carmen and I. We want to be able to help so badly, but these kids already know the very flexible boundaries that they can cross and don’t listen. It seems a little late to take control of this loco classroom. But still, we’re grateful they are even in school and the kids, for the most part, are complete sweeties. They love to show us every piece of work they are doing, 1 minute into it and every minute thereafter. They are so proud!! I love it. This is also an awesome opportunity to love on the distressed teacher, Belkis. She has been super overwhelmed, hence Mami putting 2 of us gals with Kinder. We have been realizing how very important it is to be trained to teach, and I'm takin' notes like crazy!

Today, we’ve been talking about how hard it is to even go to school while living in Honduras, especially if you live in the country. Rosa and Jorge’s (the orphanage parents) kids left to live by themselves in the capital (Tegucigalpa) when they went into 7th grade, because there are no high schools or universities close by. Rosa and Jorge had to stay at the orphanage, because they are the only ones. So many of these kids (with the state of things now, almost all) will not be schooled past 6th grade. We are just hoping for so much more awareness and hearts of service.

Tuesday, I taught English for the first time in my life!! I am teaching the 1st and 2nd grade class, and the 3rd and 4th grade class. I absolutely loved it. I love it when kids are excited to learn. There is such a wide range in ages in every class, because so many of the kids didn’t start school until they were 7-9 years old.

The kids have been hungry. The cook has been off for a while—so another girl stepped in and doesn’t cook enough for the kids. Last night we made popcorn for them here to help a bit. They are never allowed to dig through the trash, but they were so hungry that the 4 bags were found hidden in some of the kids’ stuff with only kernels left. It’s been rough.

Other stuff:
• All of the kids, from 3 to 18, drink a cup of coffee for breakfast. It’s just the culture.
• Mami says lice comes from the sun and from the dirt.
• Papi asked Miriam if she had been farting a lot, when she said that she had a headache.
• Hondurans think sickness comes from not wearing shoes, dew, and sleeping with the windows open.
• Zulema, though the smallest, is a firecracker!! She tells all the kids she is gonna beat them up and that they are big, hairy women.
• Biggest cockroach of my life---on our screen today.
• Acidophilus—huge blessing for American digestive systems.
• If someone passes out in the hospital, the doctors give them coke.
• Gringas don’t fart, according to the kids.


I love:
--Emiliano’s crooked smile, his easy nature.
--Maynor el monito.
--Kevin’s faces, his laugh.
--How Victor looks like he’s about to cry sometimes while thinking, but smiles a second later.
--Kids hugging the teacher before she goes in the classroom.
--Brayan. His gangsta facade, his beautiful smile and crinkly nose.
--Samael’s hugs in the morning.
--Nayeli and Jasmin hanging on my shirt tails as I run around the soccer field, screaming, 'Mano! La mano!'
--Dinner time at Rhonda's. Weird, gross, hilarious stories about diarrhea, feet in chile, peeing in the shower, toes and tickling the roof of your mouth.
--Waking up at 5:30, even though it hurts. Being with the kids first thing in the morning is so great.
--Ear plugs. Dern roosters.
--Showering in freezing water. It’s like we’re punching cold in the face by tolerating it.
--The feeling that God is showing me huge things, giving me huge opportunities to love.