Beauty Can be Found in the Most Distraught Things

           After an exasperating, 180-degree turn for the runway, we finally landed in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Having gone through so many delays, cancellations and set-backs, I know that our amazing team was thrilled for the adventures in store, but something was different; we were not our loud, fun-loving selves; we were quite, speechless and anxious. We were amazed by our surroundings, not truly understanding where we were and what we were doing; it had not hit us yet.

            Finally getting through the check-in line, we walked down aisles to get our Visa, then immediately ran to gather up our luggage. Again, we were tense; not ourselves. Finally having made it through the chaos of the airport, we all loaded up into the bus that was waiting for us down the busy street. We were amused by the warmth, having left winter in Vermont, and loaded into the bus. We all exchanged our cash into Honduran Lempiras, and were on our way. As we drove through the city, taking pictures of everything, from a local gas station to the mountainous abyss that presented themselves to us on both sides of our bus. We were still in shock.

            Getting closer to our final destination of Danli, Honduras, we began to pass homes (more like shacks) much different from the city. These homes were built of random stones, pieces of wood, metal, you name it! It was poverty unlike anything any of us had ever seen before; it was mind-boggling.

            Continuing on with our journey, still snapping pictures left and right, we finally made it to our destination. As we pulled up to our beautiful hotel, everything began to feel a little bit more real; we were walking into what was going to be our home for the next four days. We got settled into our rooms and took some time to relax from our travels. Realizing that we had not eaten since the plane ride, we decided to venture into the hotel kitchen where we enjoyed a fabulous dinner, prepared for us by one of Danli's own. It was amazing! We were all left full from dinner and decided to call it a night, shortly after sorting out the many donations (10 suitcases full!!!)  that made the long journey with us.

           Waking in the morning (Thursday), we were all still quiet, sore and tired from our long journey, but that wasn't going to stop us from getting to our early breakfast. We were all excited for our first painting project that was directly after the meal. We finished up our breakfast in a hurry and followed Doug and Caren, just two of the many amazing Rotary Leaders, to the painting job-site. The project involved painting a recreation room and outside wall at a local Danli rehabilitation center for individuals recovering from alcoholism and drug addictions. Upon arrival, everybody was quite, speechless and anxious; we didn't know what to expect. We walked into the large, one-roomed building that was in an obvious need of a face lift, and were put right to work. At first, we seemed hesitant and painted slowly, but as time went by, a bomb went off; we were ready for the work! We all put or heads together and began painting like mad men and women, never taking a break until lunch time. By lunch, we already had half of the large room painted, and after lunch, we almost finished the entire project, both inside and out. It was amazing. Walking back and looking at the positive change in the building's physical appearance was extraordinarily rewarding. We all looked at the once quiet, almost sad-looking residents, both in and around the building, and saw different faces than the ones we originally saw in the morning. They were bright, cheerful and extremely appreciative, giving us smiles of gratitude. We were all filled with joy, and left the site as different people than when we arrived there. It had finally all set in. "We are here!," many said; "This is really happening...we are really helping these people."

          Getting ready for bed tonight, I know that we are all ready for the adventures that are in store for us in the morning. We are changed people now, with a better understanding of this world that we live in. Although our journey was long in getting to this point, and we cannot wait to continue to grow as a group, as people, and as Rotarians!          

Thank you for being a part of our adventure!

-Daniel