Tips
for Living in Honduras...
We don’t want to ruin the surprises and the new ways
of seeing things that you will discover in Honduras . We
do, however, want to prepare you for some differences and
discomforts ahead of time, so that they won’t detract
from the overall experience.
-
Conserve water: Water
from the tap is often more scare and precious in Honduras
than it is in the U.S. This is especially
true when a group is sharing facilities. While showering,
turn the water off while soaping up, and try to shower
no more than once a day. The water sitting in the basins
of
pilas (the concrete basin-and-washboard structure
commonly behind buildings) is also precious. Always
scoop water out
with a clean bowl, instead of contaminating the water
with your soapy hands or dirty cup. Watch the locals
if in doubt.
-
Don’t drink the tap water: Team
members should drink purified, bottled drinking water
that is made available to
teams by local staff, and is readily available at stores
and gas stations in Honduras. Brush your teeth with
purified water also. Restaurants that MEH and pastors
suggest are
usually more conscientious about pure water, but if
you’re
ever in doubt about the water or the ice, please ask.
Or bring your own water with you to a restaurant. Stay
hydrated
during your stay. It is an easy way to prevent ill
health. Another alternative to make safe drinking water
is to vigorously
boil the water from the tap for 5 minutes, and then
allow it to cool without ice. Teams will rarely have
to do this.
-
Don’t waste food: Take what you
want; eat what you take. If you are being served, it
is okay to say “just
a little, please” (un poco, por favor), or “no
more, thank you” (no màs, gracias). If
plates are served already prepared, take a count of
how many on
the team prefers smaller portions, and report this
to the cook. You can always go back for more! Avoid
food purchased
from street vendors. The local pastor will advise your
group about which are the safe restaurants and local
food stands.
Don’t eat raw vegetables or unpeeled fruit unless
you know they have been washed or have been treated
in a water
and chlorine solution.
-
Don’t smoke or drink: In
the culture of Honduras, smoking or drinking alcohol
are
behaviors that are taboo
for Christians. For an MEH team member to do either
is a shockingly poor reflection on MEH for the people
in the church and community. Please be sensitive and
cooperative
to the witness that MEH wishes to give to the community
around it. Please do not smoke or drink alcohol at any
time during your
stay in Honduras. If this is a problem for a team member,
he or
she should not participate in the mission trip to Honduras.
-
Toilet paper in Honduras is not put in the toilet to be
flushed away, but in the wastebasket next to the toilet.
The water treatment systems cannot handle toilet paper. It
is rare to find a toilet in Honduras that can take toilet
paper, even in hotels. Ask if you are not sure. Many restrooms
will not have toilet paper, so carry Kleenex travel packs
with you.
-
Some showers only have cold
water: Complaining about it (or even making jokes about it)
can be insensitive to locals
who don’t have a choice but to shower in cold
water all the time.
-
Follow the leader and the plan, working enthusiastically,
but flexibly!
-
The local pastor is your host: Go to him or her with questions, requests, or problems.
The MEH staff can help with many
things also.
-
Not everything will start on
time: Waiting time is a marvelous
opportunity for personal connection with fellow Hondurans
and for the movement of the Spirit. Take the time to
inquire about their families, lives, and history, and
to pray or
sing! Be flexible!
-
Expect to be watched: By
kids and adults. Gringos are a novelty and are interesting
entertainment,
and there aren’t
the cultural restrictions against staring. Expect less
time for individual needs and privacy.
-
Many areas are dusty in the dry season and muddy in the
rainy season.
-
Electrical current is 110 in Honduras, the same as the
U.S.
-
Honduras is on either Central Time or Mountain Time, depending
on the time of year.
-
Most places in Honduras serve soda
pop from glass bottles that have a deposit on them. So
don’t throw away glass
deposit bottles. Diet Coca-Cola is more and more available.
It is called “Coca Light”.
-
Pedestrians, beware: Be
more vigilant than you’re
used to when walking along streets in Honduras. Pedestrians
do NOT have the right-of-way, like they do in the U.S.
Don’t
assume a car is planning to slow or stop for you. They
probably aren’t.
-
Don’t expect to phone home or
e-mail. Best not to set up expectations with family left
behind in the US that
team members will be able to communicate with them
while in Honduras. Some sites (not all) have internet
cafes nearby,
but they are often very slow, and free time is limited.
If family is not expecting to hear from the team, then
it will
be an extra treat if it does happen.
-
In case of emergency, the MEH coordinator
will be able to contact both the team and the team’s US emergency
contacts from the team’s data form. The team
leader will receive the Honduras phone numbers of the
MEH coordinator
and local pastors in the weeks before the arrival date.
-
Manos Extendidas Honduras welcomes
gifts and donations, but please leave them discreetly
with the pastor
or with
an MEH coordinator. For many reasons, it is not appropriate
to give money or gifts, large or small, directly to
anyone in Honduras . This can be difficult to understand,
especially
for generous spirits who see such need, but it is a
common guideline for all mission teams across the globe.
More on
the Gift-Giving Guidelines.
-
There will be both unexpected developments,
and times when what you expected would happen, won’t.
Remember the Spirit works in these times! The unexpected
is an opportunity
for the Holy Spirit to move!
-
Go to Honduras as a loving
servant and representative
of Jesus , always ready to accompany others in the spirit
of Christ .
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