This old man, named Victor, showed up even before the village children did. He's a double amputee from a disease, possibly cancer. The local people have made this tricycle cart for him. The hand crank turns the front wheel, which moves the cart. The crank also turns left and right, as a steering wheel.
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| Victor and Yolanda |
A few of the kids have arrived (all on foot, of course; no soccer-mom carpools in SUVs here). A local teacher entertains with a hand puppet, and started them singing.
Cattle are driven past on the road as we wait for more children.
The kindergarten building begins to fill up as more children arrive. Eventually the group overflowed into several rooms.
We seem to have mostly boys on one side of the room and mostly girls on the other; to be expected, I suppose.
Victor is just outside the door, now under a plastic poncho because it's started to rain.
The kids start on craft, coloring a Bible scene. Note that the chairs (here used as tables!) are just like the kid-size chairs we've been making this week. These were made by TUMC on a mission trip several years ago.
Victor participates as well, coloring the Bible scene.
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| Cristina watching |
One of the children had come on this horse, which was tied to the fence by the road. It seemed to stand like a statue, not moving a muscle except to switch its tail and ears at flies.
Back inside, preparing to make "sheep masks", so that the children can play the part of the flock of sheep in the parable of the one lost sheep.
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| Yolanda and friends |
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| Judy M. and Kristen |
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| Kristen |
On the road, another herd of cattle passes. The cow in the second photo has a wooden triangle around its neck, apparently to keep it from pushing through fences.
The children finish making their sheep masks, and give them a try. The masks are paper plates with a hole in the center, ears attached, cotton balls glued on ("wool"), and a stick for a handle.
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| Lisa |
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| Mark |
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| Myrna (both photos) |
Kids everywhere love to look at pictures of themselves.
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| Carol |
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| Jeri |
More fun with the masks.
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| Judy M. (both photos) |
Outside now, to act like a flock of sheep.
The shepherd appears, and counts the flock. One short!
The shepherd looks for the lost sheep, with helpful hints from kids shouting, "There he is!". He finds the lost sheep behind the kindergarten building, and all is well.
At the end, blowing bubbles just for fun.
Things are winding down, now, with children leaving for home.
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| Cristina and friend |
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| Cristina and Kevin |
Kristen puts her mission team cross on to one of the teachers who's been teaching here for more than 20 years.
On the way back to the ranch, we notice this odd shape in a tree. It's a termite nest.
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| Susan |
Back at the ranch, the construction team is just finishing up. These bookcases are destined for the public library.
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| Myrna, Susan, Kay, Jeri, and Carol |
This storage cabinet is for the ranch's kitchen.
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| Kent, Pat, Mark, and Kevin |
We made a delivery run to the nearby town, to take the bookcases to the library. Other furniture has already been delivered there. Flaco can't see the point of all the commotion.
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| Kent |
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| Flaco |
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| Dickie and Ubaldo |
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| Pat, Tamra, Kristen, Kent, Dickie, Mark, Jeri, and Rick |
The ranch's store is open on Thursday afternoon. It sells handicrafts made by local people, and other local items like the ever-present Olancho hot sauce.
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| Judy M. |
Not Flaco, but one of the other ranch dogs, asleep in the middle of the ranch's drive. Mañana.
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| Not Flaco |
Thanking the ranch's kitchen staff at the end of our week.
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