Honduras: Day 14

Our last full day in Choluteca was an off day because it was a Sunday. Even though we didn't have any tours or projects because it was a day of rest, we still had lots to do. Last week I went to the Catholic Mass and this Sunday I went to the Morman church for my first LDS service. Four of the students from Utah State are Morman, and since my great-grandparents on my dad's side were Morman, it was really special that I got to attend a service. Except, it was all in Spanish and I had no idea what was going on! ;) The service was very similar to a church services I've attended back home. I was expecting it to be different because it was LDS, but it wasn't at all. We even met a missionary who was from Texas, so we were able to converse with someone we didn't know in English!!

Me, Abbey, Nick and Audrey attended the LDS service with the USU group.

After church and lunch, a group of us went to play soccer with Armando and his cousins at a local turf field. Most of the soccer fields we had seen were dirt, so that's what I was expecting. It was very surprising when we pulled up to this complex that had two turf fields and nets around it that prevented the ball from going out into the road.

Before we were murdered in a game of Honduran football.

After we were murdered in a game of Honduran football. 

Playing soccer was probably one of my favorite things from the trip. Even though our team were all gringos (as we were affectionately called by Armondo and his friends) and our soccer skills were about a -22 as a whole on a scale of 1-10, it was one of the few times where I didn't feel like a "tourist" or someone special because I was white. There was just one other time we were in Honduras where we ran into another group from North Carolina State at the Maxi and saw someone with the same skin color as us. Of course, we immediately started to have conversations in English because up to this point, we only spoke English among ourselves.

The Honduras were obviously very good in soccer. My soccer experience ended in 1997 when I started cheerleading as a 7th grader, but I like to think I know the game pretty well because Tyler has played for the past 23 years and I have been to a lot of games at all levels. A lot of games!

I tried to be really aggressive and not just a flaky defender like I had been in youth league. I so badly wanted to score, but it didn't happen. It was also so stinking hot. Like 110 with humidity of 90%. We rotated pretty regularly to get water breaks, but even then it was pretty tough to stay out there for more than 4-5 minutes. For me anyway. 

After a bit the girls all sat down and the boys played a more aggressive game. Then the girls go our chance as well. Lacy wore my GoPro, so I have some great video footage which includes Jessica's kick and fall. :) I felt like we had been running for at least 30 minutes and when I went to turn off the GoPro we had only been out there for 7 minutes! The heat was just so much that I felt like I couldn't inhale and take a breath because I was suffocating. Huge props to those guys and gals who can play in this weather all of the time. I am not one of them!

I don't think they expected Hope Solo to be on the USA team, but there she was! ;)

After our soccer game we had a few hours to clean up, cool off and get ready for church at Larry and Angie's. It was super hot again, but it was worth it to be there and listen to the message even if I couldn't understand it. I was hoping the little girl who I sat with last week would be there again, but she was not. David, Nick and I sat and literally sweat of 10 lbs each during the two hour service.

Following our final dinner at Larry and Angie's and our final reflection in the hotel courtyard, we ran over the the Maxi for some of the students to get coffee. I don't drink coffee, so instead I got the Honduran version of my favorite beverage of choice - Kool-Aid. It's "Tang" in Honduras and their Hibiscus flavor is my favorite. I also got the sweat tea flavor and this other flavor of this nut/fruit thing we picked off of a tree one day. 

When we got back from the Maxi I knew it would be our last evening to play with the little kids across the street, but I did not expect to be greeted by homemade letters from them. They were in Spanish, so we had Dr. Cano translate them for us and they said things like "You are our very best friend," "We can't wait for you to come back and visit us," "We wish you did't have to leave us" and my favorite "Te Amo Emily", which was "I love you Emily". All. The. Tears!!!!!

That evening we just hung out reading the letters, playing soccer with their new soccer balls (the one we got them the night before exploded from the heat!) and cherishing the last evening together. This is one of the things I will remember most about my trip. These little ones were so friendly to us, hugging us every time we left the hotel to go somewhere and just being precious all the time!

I had brought down a bag of clothes to donate to the ministry, so I sorted out all of the really small clothes and gave them to Vanessa and a pair of sunglasses, a hat, and a t-shirt for the boys. She and her mom had on two of my shirts the next day and the boys sported their new clothes as well! I am going to miss these guys a lot!

Selfie with our favorite Honduran nina.

Those of us that got letters from the littles. 

A bigger group photo with the three kids and their madre.

I had already packed a lot of my things up because we were told to be ready to board the bus at 5:45am the next day! That is early!!! I was able to hang out with the students for a little bit in the courtyard before heading to bed for my last night of sleep in Room 5 of the Rivera!