Semana Santa (part 2 of 2)

Mary, Jenny, and Me

March 27th - Wednesday
Katie and I took a bus towards Comayagua and were dropped off in the dark outside Palmerola U.S. Military base because the bus did not go directly into the city. We arrived around 9pm and thankfully a taxi was nearby to drive us to our hotel where we met up with Jenny, Mary, and the others. People have told me repeatedly to be careful when traveling by taxi, especially as a gringo and a female. In Roatán, there are certain taxi car numbers that you know not to take. It's too bad that a few taxi drivers have given the others a bad name because I've met some very nice drivers, especially in Comayagua. The taxi drivers during Semana Santa were all very kind. They made sure we knew all the events going on in town. My favorite taxi driver was listening to Catholic mass on the radio. Awesome!

The processions started following Holy Thursday mass and continued through Easter Sunday. Generally, in a procession, there is a giant heavy platform which is elaborately decorated by scenes of Jesus’s Passion and Resurrection. It is carried by fifty people, wearing heavy cloaks with tall peaked hoods. Their clothing comes from flagellants in Spain who would wear hoods as a form of punishment or penance. Flagellants were extremists during the 13^th and 14^th century who participated in physical forms of mortification such as whipping. The reason for participating in these processions today is indeed an act of penance, but in a non-violent way and completely voluntary. People sign up to carry a platform as a sign of penance and by wearing hoods and draped robes, they are provided anonymity.

Shortly after the evening procession started on Holy Thursday, local Hondurans began a long night of constructing the most beautiful alfombras (carpets) you could ever imagine out of colored sawdust, beans, rice, and other materials. The carpets were found all around the central plaza area: in every street and alley way. People worked tirelessly from 11pm that evening until 10am the next morning for the Good Friday procession. We came early the next morning to walk around and admire the colorful carpets. There were thousands of people who came to look at the carpets and watch the procession. Stations of the Cross were said in Spanish and English, as the platform processed over the carpets in town dispersing the sawdust.  

On Saturday, we attended Easter Vigil mass with eight religious brothers at the Franciscan Friary. It was a BEAUTIFUL liturgy and one that I will always remember. The mass began outside in silence underneath a vast amount of stars with mountains in the background. The celebrating priest lit the Easter candle from a bonfire and passed that same flame to each of our candles. We moved into the small chapel and began listening to readings from the Old Testament, followed by beautifully sung Psalms. The friars invited about twenty guests for mass and a reception afterwards. It was a great night!

We spent most of Easter Sunday drinking awesome frozen lemonadas, journaling, and reading in the central plaza area of Comayagua. The Cathedral also had an outdoor mass where hundreds of men, women and children gathered to celebrate our Risen Lord. It was a beautiful and very memorable Semana Santa! I am blessed to have been a part of these long standing traditions in Comayagua and to have shared these experiences with my sister and good friends. 

                              Holy Thursday Procession 

Holy Thursday


Locals spent the entire night making beautiful sawdust alfombras (carpets)

Cathedral in Comayagua

 
Procession on Good Friday morning

Stations of the cross

Last minute touches before the procession began

 

 eggs and cashews were used to enhance this design

 Fe = faith

The details were amazing!!

Papa Francisco 

  

 "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid" ~ Jesus ~

Matthew: 14:24

                                

Me, Mary, and Jenny

Our last night all together for supper

 

Mary, Jenny, & Katie

Our favorite place with great lemonadas!

Semana Santa (part 1 of 2)

Blessing of the palms on Palm Sunday
 

Semana Santa (Holy Week) is one of the most celebrated times of the year in Honduras. The celebrations begin on Palm Sunday when Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem for the final time. His arrival is reenacted through a series of processions, celebration of the Eucharist, and many other unique local traditions to commemorate the final days in the life of Jesus of Nazareth. 
 

My sister came to visit me during this time. We spent several days in Roatán and then traveled throughout the mainland of Honduras. I am excited to share with you our journey!



Palm Sunday mass at Sacred Heart of Mary Church

We attended Palm Sunday mass at Sacred Heart of Mary Catholic Church in West End. It is a beautiful outdoor church that is surrounded by bamboo trees and a wooden cross draped in white lights and a red cloak; the color red signifies the coming Passion of Christ. The church is located in the backyard of a faithful parishioner and the mass has been celebrated there for nearly twenty years.

 

Early that next morning, Katie and I shared a taxi ride with a well-seasoned Canadian traveler. We made our way to the dock and ferried across the Caribbean with several hundred others to the mainland. We transferred to a bus in La Cieba, loaded up on some gas station food for the next means of transportation: a bus to Copan. We rode for several hours then transferred in San Pedro Sula and rode for several more hours. Katie likes to tease me ever since our cross-country road trip years ago that I have ‘traveler’s narcolepsy’. I have been known on numerous occasions to fall asleep almost immediately when traveling long distances by plane, car, bus, and now ferry. Needless to say, I slept almost the entire way to Copan. We arrived as the sun was setting; giving us enough daylight to walk uphill to our hostel rather than pay the few dollars to take a three-wheeled taxi, commonly known as a tuk tuk. Katie did a great job sporting our brother’s large red traveler's backpack- good work!
 

Our Copan hostel—Via Via—doubles as a restaurant/bar and is a hotspot for backpackers. We were forewarned about the noise level, but Katie was determined to stay there because it seemed cool and was the cheapest in town. I had to agree. I had no problem falling asleep thanks to the roosters and woodpeckers that I routinely ignore in the mornings on Roatán. Katie came prepared and planned her nightcap with a Benadryl, attempted to use wax earplugs and even resorted to wrapping her head in a towel. Haha. We were both really happy with our hostel despite the noise level.

Copan is a quaint Honduran town with an archeological site of the Mayan civilization. We spent several hours walking through the Mayan ruins. Katie and I met up with two of my CMMB nursing friends. Jenny works in a remote area of Honduras called Guimaca and Mary lives in the former capital of Honduras, Comayagua. Jenny was traveling with a few friends who are volunteering with her in Guimaca as teachers.

We traveled to a nearby village looking for an artisan shop. Along the way, we came upon Hacienda San Lucas. It overlooks the city of Copan and is a peaceful hideaway for groups and/or individuals. The girl who helps run the hacienda invited us to have breakfast the next morning and offered us the use of their outdoor yoga room. We woke up at 4:45 the next morning because the girls wanted to do yoga at sunrise, but I opted out and went for the hammock. :)

 

Helen, Me, Jenny, Mary, & Alicia

 

Mayan Ruins

 

Mayan Ruins

 

tuk-tuk!

 

outdoor yoga room

  

Generosity in Action



Sorting through donations

One of the best things about working at this clinic is the amazing people I meet. Sometimes it’s just a single encounter with someone dropping off donations or requesting a tour. It might be a medical student or resident who’s chosen to do an international rotation; a medical professional volunteering their personal time off at the clinic; or even a non-medical volunteer. I'm not sure how many non-medical staff we see each year, but we have over 200 medical students or residents who volunteer here each year.

Typically, I'm on the receiving end when people donate  medications and supplies at the clinic and it has been a humbling experience. I've enjoyed getting to meet and speak with each person that has so generously given of their time and money. I've met several families who have come to vacation on the Island and through one way or another found out about our clinic. What's amazing is they've done what some of us forget to do; they went one step further and packed a suitcase(s) full of donations.

Susie, Darren, and Me

At the beginning of this year, I became friends with a family from Georgia.  Darren, Susie, and their son, McKenna, have been coming to the Island for a few years to spend the cold winter months. Darren is blessed with a job where he can work via internet, if needed. They are some of the kindest people I've ever met. All three of them spent countless hours volunteering. Darren did a lot of maintenance work and Susie worked in pharmacy almost everyday. They would also take volunteers on group outings and host get-togethers at their home. We always had a great time!

In February, I met a couple from Wahoo, Nebraska and like most Nebraskans, they were very nice people. I was pretty excited to have FINALLY met someone from Nebraska, since I arrived last October. It’s not too uncommon for me to be the very first person that someone has met from Nebraska. I’m not kidding. I hear that quite a bit. Anyways, the couple runs a dental business in Wahoo. They were in Roatán dropping off supplies and were planning to return to the island next month. We got to talking about all the great things about life in Nebraska and of course, signature Nebraskan food like really good hamburgers. You can’t find good beef here anywhere.   

Fast forward one month… I was helping out in pharmacy one morning when I heard a voice say, “Hey Nebraska!” Immediately, I turned to see the man from Wahoo. He and his wife had brought me a small cooler of 10 frozen runzas. I was so surprised! I realize the majority of you reading this blog know what a runza sandwich is, but outside of Nebraska people have no idea. A runza is a yeast dough bread pocket filled with beef, cabbage, onions, and seasonings. Yum! This definitely made my day. It wasn’t even the fact that I had awesome sandwiches from Nebraska, but it was their  thoughtfulness that touched me.

 Dr. Rafael enjoying his first Runza!                    



On a typical day, I wake up to the sound of roosters, not because roosters only crow in the early morning; I know that to be completely false now. However, I have to say that they don’t drive me as crazy as when I first moved here and I'm actually becoming use to them. After a cup of coffee and breakfast, I make my way across the road and up the hill towards Clínica Esperanza. Let me just say, it’s quite the experience riding and driving in a country that does not enforce a speeding limit or even really having a driver’s license. Thankfully, I haven’t had any problems with transportation here and I actually drive Peggy’s vehicle from time to time. I was kind of forced into driving my second week on the Island. The pastor of Peggy’s church asked me if I could house/dog sit for his family and I agreed before realizing they lived up a very steep hill and in order to get back down the hill, I had to drive much closer to the edge of a cliff than I would ever have wanted to in my lifetime. Needless to say, I overcame a big fear of mine that week.
Once I make my way up the clinic’s driveway, there are usually dozens of men, women, and children waiting outside the clinic to check-in. I’ve heard that people start lining up as early as 5am in order to be seen for that day. I’m usually greeted by Karla with a big smile and a “Buenos dias, Senorita Makayla”. Then I go unlock the pharmacy, make sure we have enough student nurses to triage patients, and that the pharmacy is stocked and ready. If not, I help triage patients and/or refill medications in the pharmacy. When there is time I sit in on the early morning conference presented by the visiting medical residents and students (and make sure they’re doing one for that day). During the day, I spend time overseeing the nursing students, distributing medications, giving intravenous medications and breathing treatments, instructing patients on diabetic management, giving injections, cleaning and dressing wounds, fitting patients for eye glasses, sterilizing equipment, organizing donated supplies and medications in the back room, and giving tours to people visiting the clinic from the Cruise lines or vacationing. We also have weekly promotora meetings in the afternoons and occassionaly our community health volunteer and I go out into the community to do checkups on families and/or visit within the communities. Needless to say, days in the clinic are always very busy.

Family in Belfate Colonia

Promotora in Belfate Colonia

In January, the clinic decided to extend hours until 6pm every week night in order to reach more people. Thankfully, we’ve had an abundance of medical and non-medical volunteers to help us with the extended hours. I work the day and/or evening shift depending upon what is needed for that day. I’ve also started Spanish lessons with Vicki, a woman from the mainland of Honduras, who volunteers once a week at the clinic translating for non-Spanish speaking volunteers. I would say about 70% of our patients speak Spanish and 30% speak both English and Spanish. Therefore, it is very helpful to know Spanish, but not required for volunteers. 
On weeknights my roommate and I usually take turns making supper which I really enjoy. If you know me well, you know I love to bake, but now I'm learning how to cook because it's fun and there really isn’t much to do in the evenings. Also, if you’ve been on the Island long enough, you get tired of going out to the same touristy places that short-term volunteers want to visit. Needless to say, I’m very grateful to have a long-term volunteer as my roommate and we've become good friends. She is a long-term volunteer; working with the promotora program. Some evenings we hang out with short-term volunteers, usually playing cards or talking. For me, life is much simpler here, which I appreciate and look forward to everyday!

 


public dock near my place

Elizabeth's store (near my apartment)

 my place

Clinica Esperanza (Hope Clinic)

 

I realized many of you may not know the incredible story behind what God has accomplished at Clínica Esperanza. Peggy Stranges, an experienced nurse from Ohio, moved to Roatán in 2001 not really knowing what God had in store. It was not too long after she arrived on the Island when people found out she was a nurse and began lining up outside her door to seek medical advice. Peggy began seeing patients in her kitchen which later on moved into her basement. In 2007, what started out as a small clinic in Peggy’s home had moved into a new 4,000+ square foot, two-story building named Clínica Esperanza. The new clinic building was made possible by many generous donations of money, construction materials, labor, and land.

Honduran student nurses

Clínica Esperanza continues to provide healthcare to the underserved population on the Island of Roatán through donated supplies, medications, and money to purchase supplies and reduce priced medications through the World Health Organization. The cost of a visit is 70 lempiras ($3.50) which includes a 30 day supply of medications and no one is turned away if unable to pay. Typically, we treat around 60-100 patients per day, depending on how many volunteers we have for the week. The Clinic is employed by Honduran staff and there are approximately 200 volunteers a year who come to work at the clinic. The clinic has two wonderful full-time physicians, Dr. Rafael Solis (Pediatrician) and Dr. Raymond Cherryington (Family Medicine). They also have a part-time OBGYN, full-time dentist, dental assistant, receptionist, administrator, environmental service lady, and guards 24/7. There is one employee, Karla, whose been working with Peggy since 2000, when she first started seeing patients in her home and is now in the process of completing her nursing degree. I really can’t say enough good things about the employees at Clínica Esperanza. They have all been so kind and welcoming to me, despite my broken Spanish skills, which I’m working on. 

Honduran nursing students and Me

                                 

storage room with medications & supplies

   

 S

Volunteer pharmacy student working by candlelight

Dr. Raymond Cherington (Family Practice)

        Dr. Rafael Solis (Pediatrician)