honduras 10 years later.

Mayan ruins at Copan Ruinas, first date and with kids

A couple months ago, UrbanPromise Honduras (UPH) celebrated its 10-year anniversary of starting programs. We were lucky enough to be there for the celebrations. It had been about 7 years since I had been there, 8 since Kristin and I had been there together, and the first time ever going with the boys. The visit was long overdue. I knew as soon as we rolled into the Copan valley that this was going to be a trip that I would remember for the rest of my life.

The orange roof tiles and green mountains of Copan Ruinas

Copan Ruinas is a special place to me for many reasons. It was where Kristin and I first started dating on a backpacking trip through Central America in 2008. It was my first experience living overseas long-term and also the first (and only) time I’ve helped start an organization from the ground up. It is one of those places that seems stuck in time. It certainly felt very similar to when we used to live there, besides one major difference. All of the kids and youth that I worked with are now grown up into adults, some with families of their own. 

Brenda (left) and her family were my neighbours at one point. It was in her family's house where we watched the news of the military coup in 2008. Ruth (right) was one of the first Camp Hope kids, was a talented artist and a trouble-maker

It is incredibly fun to see the adult version of kids I had been thinking of and praying for over the past 10 years, still picturing them as kids in my head. It is also a little heavyhearted in some ways to see them as adults now, with the knowledge that I had missed out on so many years of their lives and the realization that they are now dealing with all the stresses of trying to survive, work and raise a family in rural Honduras as an adult. Despite the mix of emotions, it was extremely meaningful for us to be able to connect in person again, and for me to introduce my family to some of them. 

The three founders and an old Camp Hope kid, now UPH youth leader, Denia (and some kids) at the new Camp Hope

One of our priorities was to visit Camp Hope, the site where I was Camp Director of our first after-school program. We later found out that the site location was recently changed and now run out of a church in a different neighbourhood in town. However, it was still good to visit and see programs run in a very similar way that we used to run them. It was also a great surprise to see that some old camp kids are still connected to UPH as young adults, working as youth leaders at the site. 

Street food and a La Ceiba tree

Another one of our priorities visiting Honduras is the food. We were looking forward to a lot of different things, but baleadas were probably at the top of the list. Baleadas are four tortillas with beans, cream and cheese - but we can add just about anything else to them. Here we are with Rachel and her kids eating another favourite Honduran food, chanches, which are hard corn tortillas with shredded chicken and tomato sauce. We stayed with Rachel and her family while in Copan and it was a huge blessing in so many ways. We were able to catch up with her a lot and the boys had friends (and toys) to play with. Rachel was also that last of the original three UPH founders to join, but played such a huge role that it is impossible to imagine the team without her. (I don't think just Blair and I would have gotten very far).

The three UPH founders speaking to the current UPH team

It was exciting to see the new (to us) UPH office and meet the current staff. The location has changed and nearly all the staff were new to us. It was very encouraging to see how things had grown since we were there last, and exciting to think of the future possibilities. All three of the founders (Rachel, Blair and myself) spoke to the current staff to offer them a word of encouragement. We shared one of our favourite stories from our first ever summer camp, in which we stumbled across a scared and angry opossum trapped in a garbage can. Or rather the kids discovered it when they tried to throw their snack garbage into the garbage can, only to be surprised by what was looking back at them. Thankfully no one was hurt, and we responsibly asked the watchman of the school if he could take care of it. We foolishly thought that "taking care of it" meant walking it a safe distance away from the kids before releasing the opossum back into the wild. However, the watchman interpreted "taking care of it" by stringing the opossum up by its neck and hacking it with a machete until it died. Also unfortunately, this was in full view of the kids. (I don't remember how that story tied in to encouraging the current UPH staff).

Marching with the Camp Joy kids

We weren't exactly sure what was all planned for the 10-year anniversary for UPH, or how big of a deal it would be. It turned out to be quite a big deal, and there were things happening all the time. We kept saying to each other how lucky we were to be able to be there for it all. On one afternoon, all the camp kids and staff marched through the town, singing camp songs to the sound of a marching band. It was so fun to be a part of that we (almost) forgot about the scorching sun.

UPH celebration night

One night, the UPH team organized a celebration night with a talent show, awards and a panel with Blair, Rachel and myself speaking about the organization and answering questions. The mayor of the town even came and gave a short message. 

My old host family Julia and Wilmer

Of course the best part of the whole trip was seeing old friends. I lived with Julia and Wilmer for the first few months of being in Honduras, to both improve my Spanish and learn what I could about the culture. We had supper with them one night and it was great to reconnect and introduce them to our boys. Julia has always been very outspoken and lively, and she hasn't changed. It also was in this house where I ate black beans with cream, cheese and tortillas nearly everyday, until I learnt to love them.

Riding in a three-wheel moto-taxi 

We have seen only a hand-full of moto-taxis in Colombia, but they are a staple in Copan Ruinas, so we had to take one. They are not just for tourists though, they are one of the better vehicles for making it up the steep and slippery cobblestone hills. Moto-taxi's comfortably sits 3 people, or uncomfortably 4. Maybe 5 - if someone awkwardly sits with the driver. I think the most we've ever done is 8 - but you have to be stupid 20-year olds to pull that off.

Bird park, then and now. Judson doesn't know what to do with his hands

Copan Ruinas is known for its Mayan ruins, but we knew its other tourist attraction - the bird park - would appeal more to the boys. At the bird park you can see all kinds of tropical birds as they are being rehabilitated to be released back into the wild. You can even hold some of them. Kristin and I visited back in 2006 while travelling, and this time the boys got to experience it. The birds are surprisingly heavy - and unsurprisingly a little scary. 

A friendly (or severely confused) butterfly.

Although we didn't make it to the ruin complex proper on this trip, there are all kinds of ruins and statues scattered throughout the town and valley. One such ruin is an old Mayan ball court in a little nature walk that we went to with Rachel and her family. While there we encountered this butterfly that took turns landing on each one of us. Judson attempted to point to it.

Soccer tournament at night

Some of my fondest memories at UPH are playing soccer at night with the team. UPH used to (and still does) put on soccer tournaments where kids, youth and staff all divide into teams. They had one such tournament while we were there for the anniversary celebrations. Unfortunately, they are pretty late at night for kids - so we were only there for a short time. But nothing beats playing under the lights at night, with bats and bird sized moths buzzing around your head.

UPH 10 year anniversary parade through town

Blair and I moved to Camden New Jersey in 2008 to learn about how to replicate the UrbanPromise model overseas. We spent a year creating the groundwork of the organization, running pilot programs and fundraising enough money to be able to support ourselves and the work of UPH. We finally made it to Honduras in the summer of 2009 and spent weeks signing up kids for camp, planning program and setting everything up for our first ever summer camp - Camp Joy. Then about a week or two before Camp Joy started we heard on the news that the president of Honduras had been kidnaped and exiled in a military coup. A country wide curfew was ordered, army stepped up its presence and protests started mounting. I remember having some sober conversations with each other, and with God, as to whether we were going to stay and follow through what we had planned, or leave it and go home. We decided to stay and went ahead with the launch of our programs on schedule. If we had not done so, I am not sure if UPH would be where it is today. 

Camp Joy today

We visited Camp Joy when we were there this year, and it is still going - stronger than ever. When obstacles and challenges start getting in our way, it is never fully clear what our response should be. Are these warning signs telling us to abandon our plans or are these times where we should hold on to our vision even tighter? We were lucky that the coup did not result in a worse situation where we really did have to fear our safety. This would not be the only time where our commitment to our vision was tested during those first few years of UPH.  But we always continued to to move forward in faith that this was the direction that we were supposed to go. If I were foolish enough to think that I could give advice to anyone, I would tell them to stay true to the vision God gave them no matter what.

A piece of me is in the mountains surrounding Copan

The trip was a such an incredible experience to see old friends, make new ones, share a piece of our history with the boys and celebrate what God has done over the past 10 year. I am so blessed to have had many support me and our work while I was in Honduras, and to have our friends and family support us now in Colombia. Thank you to everyone who helped make this trip possible. Again, if you want to know more about the work UrbanPromise Honduras is still doing after 10 years, check out their website: https://urbanpromisehonduras.org/

Thanks for reading,

Matt

urbanpromise honduras 10-year anniversary.

Our first ever date - the Mayan ruins in Copan Ruinas

This coming July will be the 10-year anniversary of UrbanPromise Honduras (UPH).  For those of you who do not know, UPH is a non-profit organization that works with kids and youth in Copan Ruinas, Honduras.  Ten years ago, I (Matt) helped found the organization with my two friends Blair and Rachel. Blair continues to work with UPH from the USA and Rachel still lives in Copan Ruinas. We spent several years living in Honduras, developing the organization and running programs. Starting and working with UPH was an important part of my life, and the organization still remains close to my heart. During that time I learnt a lot about living cross-culturally, working as part of a team, and living by faith. I fell in love with the Honduran people and the community in Copan Ruinas, and I made many great memories from our time living there.

(left) White water rafting trip with the UPH youth. (right) Kids from Camp Hope, our first after school program.

UPH started as a vision of our good friend Blair while he was teaching at a bilingual school in Copan Ruinas in 2007.  I remember him sharing his vision with me in typical Blair fashion, seemingly out of nowhere, full of passion and with an invitation to join him in the work. I knew right away that it would be an adventure like no other, and it didn’t take me long to get excited about the idea as well.

(left) The three founders with UrbanPromise President, Bruce Main. (right) Duct-tape Man fighting some evil villain.

After I agreed to join, we moved to the headquarters of UrbanPromise USA in Camden, NJ. We were there to learn about starting an organization and to start laying the foundations of what would later become UPH’s mission, vision, structure, and programs. It was an exciting time, but also a challenging and stretching one in many different ways.  We spent many days dreaming of our future programs in coffee shops, arguing over the wording of our mission statement around boardroom tables, and making awkward fundraising pitches to potential donors. It was also during this time when Rachel, the third member of the initial UPH team, joined the organization.

(left) A regular day at the first UPH office;. (right) Rachel teaching at our second ever summer camp.

Eventually, we raised enough money to survive for a few months and we moved down to Copan Ruinas to start programs. We started with an English summer camp for students of a bilingual school. There were many speed bumps and mistakes made, but we had a pretty decent turn out and lots of fun. After that summer, I continued as Program Director for our first after-school program, which I named Camp Hope. We ran it in the community of Nueva Esperanza, which means “New Hope“ in Spanish. I wanted the camp to be a place of hope for the kids, a place where they could feel the hope for deeper friendships, for a better future, and for experiencing the love of God.  These same hopes kept me going during tough times in Honduras, and they continue to motivate me in cross-cultural ministry today.

(left) Francisco and Nicole washing paint brushes. (right) Some boys from Camp Hope with some bald guy.

After almost two years in Honduras, we decided it was time to return to Canada. However, UPH is still running programs and doing great work. They have been steadily and faithfully growing ever since, touching the lives of hundreds of people in Copan Ruinas throughout the years. I feel very proud and lucky to have been a part of UPH’s beginnings. Not many people have the opportunity to live in another country, start something that makes a difference in people’s lives, or be able to work with their best friends. UPH allowed me to do all of these things, for which I am forever grateful to God, the UPH team, the people of Copan Ruinas and to all the friends and family that helped support the team and I. Many of you who are reading this are the same people who prayed for us faithfully and supported us financially. To all of you who did so, I am incredibly thankful. I hope you will join in the celebration, from wherever you are in the world.

(left) Kristin and I with the family I lived with for eight months in Honduras. (right) Mayan ruins field trip with camp kids.

In July, we are planning to attend the 10-year anniversary celebrations in Honduras. It has been a number of years since we have been able to visit Copan Ruinas, and never as a family. We are excited to show our kids this part of our history.

If you would like to be a part of helping us get to Honduras by financially contributing to the cost of our trip, you could make a donation to our MCC Personal Drawing Account.  Choose the "in memory, in honor, or in support of someone" section and write in the comments box "Matthew Wall and Kristin Cato PDA". We are trying to raise $2500 for the trip. See our Support Us page for more donation details.

And if you want to know more about UrbanPromise Honduras or support their work, go to www.urbanpromisehonduras.org.

Thank you all for being a part of our journey, in the past and the present.

Blessings,

Matt

My last day as Program Director at Camp Hope.

exploring the Chocó.

I (Matt) was lucky enough to join an MCC Learning Tour that came from Canada (Abbotsford) whose focus was to visit some of our partners, churches, and workers in a region of Colombia called the Chocó. The Chocó is a region located on the north-west coast of Colombia mostly made up of rain forest.  It is sparsely populated, quite poor and undeveloped, and also apparently the wettest place in the world. I can attest that although it did rain every day we were there, it was the near 100% humidity that was really a kicker. The day I arrived I was waiting in the airport for the rest of my team to arrive, and I was sweating buckets just sitting in the airport doing nothing, indoors in a (slightly) air-conditioned lobby. But that was nothing compared to walking around in the heat of the jungle. From the airport, we took a bus several hours south to the town of Istmina, the site of the very first Mennonite Brethren church in Colombia.

A picture of Istmina from the river. There is one big bridge separating the town in two and a large Catholic church on the hill. This was our main base while visiting the churches and communities in the area that MCC supports and partners with. This is also the end of the line for the road into the vast rain forest of the Chocó. From here on out, it's only boat travel.

A typical small community on the river down from Istmina. The area is prone to flooding, even more so with climate change and illegal mining. One of the things MCC funds and the church pastors work on is disaster relief related to flooding.

Walking up the path from the river to the town of Bebedo, with a traditional hand-carved canoe that is a common site in river-side towns. The town of Bebedo is only accessible by boat and requires several hours of travel on the river. There is not much opportunity for people here, but there is a thriving MB church. Work is hard to come by, so most people are farmers.

These coffee bags can be filled with either rice or rice husks. With the help of MCC, the pastors in the Chocó have developed an agricultural program to help people husk their cultivated rice. Rice can be sold for profit and the husks can be used for fertilizer or animal feed. The pastors also help train and subsidize farmers to move to growing cacoa – the plant used to make chocolate.

This is one of the pastors working in the agricultural project, with the rice-husking machine in the background. There are not many working rice-husking machines in the area, so what this community has is a valuable commodity. The agricultural project charges farmers to use the machine just enough to cover machine maintenance.

The cacao fruit growing on the tree. Bigger and uglier than I thought it would be – but it makes up for it by smelling nice.

The harvested cacao ready to be processed into chocolate. I was told it is a tricky plant to grow, especially in the extreme heat and wet of the Chocó, so specialized training and taking extra care are necessary. A cacao farmer can make an okay living, and a living that is safer and more stable then other crops, so it is an attractive option. The pastors have seen many people switch products, something some armed groups have not been happy about in the past.

One of the pastors preaching in the MB church in Bebedo. Many of the pastors support several different churches in both Istmina and along the river, taking turns spending a couple days in each community. The MBs planted churches all along the river, but the situation with the armed groups eventually made it so that some communities became unreachable. Bebedo is about as far as us foreigners could safely travel, and only with the pastors escorting us. Even then, some people were surprised we made it that far.

A little meeting square in Bebedo. Not much to do around here without electricity, except watch the old coconut tree. It is a simple life out in such communities, but still anything but easy. Luckily, you can take a break on a comfortable concrete bench.

A wall of green, everywhere you look as you travel on the river. Armed groups still operate in the area, despite the recent Colombian peace accords. At some point on the journey, we were told to put the cameras away to prevent us from accidentally taking a picture of something we shouldn’t.

Tons of tuk-tuks, something I haven’t seen much of since Copan Ruinas, Honduras. Here, they call them Choo-choos, which is a much cuter name and makes me hate them a little bit less.

This is a cup of Borojo juice. The Borojo is a brown, squishy fruit that is native to Colombia and can almost exclusively be found in the Chocó. This was the first time I have been able to try it and I was looking forward to it. Although, after all the hype I can say that the taste was slightly underwhelming. Some people say it has a kind of fermented apple taste, but I thought it was more like a floral apple taste. Pretty mild though. Not my favourite, but not bad either.

One last picture flying out from the capital of the Chocó, a city named Quibdo. You can see where the two main rivers meet into one, but as you can see, the waters don't feel like mixing for some reason, creating a cool looking 2-tone effect, and perhaps a metaphor for something.

I was moved by the people and the nature of the Chocó, and I feel lucky to have experienced it firsthand. We got to see a tiny glimpse of life there and it is full of a lot of hope and transformation, but also a lot of hardship and fragility. Places like this remind me of why I love to travel and work in cross-cultural ministry where you get to see incredible places and meet inspiring people hiding in every corner of the globe.