My first day in Santa Lucia

Hi everyone, I made it here safe in Honduras. This is a beautiful and tranquil place. My group flew into San Pedro Sula yesterday and I immediately had to start taking off layers of cloths. It is humid but there is a little breeze. The 5 hour bus ride was an adventure. I dont recall seeing a single speed limit sign. People were passing on blind corners with a yellow line. The country side was beautiful. I got to see a lot of little towns along the side of the road. I was able to take some pictures and I'll post them soon.
My host family is wonderful. They seem like a great crew. I am in a nice room in the front of the house. There are two boys and a girl. I dont think there is a father because I havent seen him and senora mentioned something about tourismos. So if he is active in the family I think he might be afar. Well, my four years of high school spanish was not in vein. I would not have survived with any dignity intact last night if I were without it. I am quite blessed with the family I have been placed with. I was given tortillas con queso -sort of like a cheesy tortilla- and I loved it.
My training classes went fine too. Everyone seems open and willing to help. We were given the general introduction. During lunch I was able to steal a language trainer who helped me with my speaking. Learning the language is my number one goal and I'm trying my best.
It's time for dinner so I need to go. I am at an internet cafe right across the road from my house. So I will definitely be able to keep in touch. I'll talk to all of you soon!

Mailing Addresses

There are two different addresses for sending us mail and packages:

For postal service (USPS) mail/packages:
Brian Barker, PCT
Voluntario del Cuerpo de Paz
Apartado Postal 3158
Tegucigalpa, Honduras, America Central

For FedEx, UPS, or DHL mail/packages:
Brian Barker, PCT
Voluntario del Cuerpo de Paz
Avenida Republica de Chile #401
Colonia Palmira
Tegucigalpa, Honduras, America Central


Other mailing tips:
Do not send any electrical device or appliances via FedEx, UPS, or DHL, as a customs clearence process is required which will cost around $90. Try to use padded envelopes if possible and Peace Corps recommends asking for shipment tracking numbers so you can track packages through the carriers' websites. As an additional preventative measure, write "Articulos Religiosos" (Religious articles) or "Materiales de la educacion" (Education material) on the outer packaging so prospective thieves have less desire to open packages to begin with.
(Thank you Annie and Luke Gingerich for helping me with this information.)

The Send Off

Alright, this is the kickoff for my blog while I'm in Honduras. I have arrived safely to Washington DC. I left Denver Wednesday the 7th to visit Rebecca in St. Louis. We had a wonderful time going out and meeting with friends. I really appreciate the Jesuits at the Bellermine House. They have really made me feel welcome over these past couple of years. Also, I will remember the cocktail party and the whole crew sending me off in such a wonderful fashion. You guys mean so much to me.

Currently I am in a holding pattern here at Washington DC. The initial plan was to take an early morning flight to Tegucigalpa on Wednesday the 14th but unfortunately due to weather the groups' flight was canceled.

I have had an entire week here in DC and the tension to get to staging is palpable. There are 51 volunteers divided into three groups: Business Advising/IT Advising (including me), Water and Sanitation, and Aids/HIV education. We are all ready to get down there and really embrace the people and absorb the culture.

I am impressed by the caliber of volunteers taking part in pre-staging with me here in DC. We are 51 strong and from all walks of life and from all over the country; from California, Kentucky to New York. They are a great group of guys and I hope to learn a lot from them and hopefully accomplish some great projects together. We will be doing a lot together during the next 11 weeks of training. I am positive there will be some life long contacts that will be made during this period.

In case you were wondering, the groups' staging(training) is held in Santa Lucia. This is 15 km, or 30 minutes by bus north of Tegucigalpa, the nation's capital. Our entire training consists of 11 weeks. We will be in Santa Lucia for the first 4 weeks for intensive language and culture training. Then, the business volunteers will spend the next 4 weeks at a small town called Cantorranas for technical training. The last couple of weeks will be spent back at Santa Lucia and then swearing in at the US Embassy in the capital where we will pledge to uphold the Constitution. It is safe to say that I am looking forward to it.

I AM leaving Sunday morning for Honduras. Because of the cancellation earlier this week, half the group flew out of DC early this morning. Everyone else will be leaving for the airport around 4am tomorrow to catch a plane from DC to Atlanta which will then take us to San Pedro Sula. San Pedro Sula is the second largest city in Honduras and is said to be called 'The City that Works' by the locals because of the heavy industry and commercial activities of the city. Our directors are telling us that flying into San Pedro Sula is a bit of a blessing because volunteers normally do not go to or see this part of the country. From the city, we will take a 4 hour bus ride directly to Santa Lucia. We will be greeted by Peace Corps staff and later introduced to our host families. 24 hours from now I will be sleeping under a mosquito net. Pretty cool. By the way, when we arrive at San Pedro Sula it will be in the 70's. What a change from what I have been used to lately. Winter of 06-07 has been the season for the most snow I have ever seen in my life. In fact, I left Denver with 2 feet of snow still in the front yard. How can I explain to my host family that it was ice and snow that canceled my flight from DC to Honduras and caused us to be a half week late?

On a final note, the first time I visited DC was when I was here with a missions group. We worked and stayed in Anacostia which is right across the river from the worlds most powerful people and institutions. My group of about 30 people stayed in a building which was tagged by the local gangs. When we were outside we had to watch out for syringes and there was a strip bar right next door. We were going out into the community to develop after school programs for the youth. My time now in DC is at Georgetown where a house goes for about $4 million. What a contrast. Money is neutral, and not the cause of the evils in our society. But the inequality we all see in the world is due to policies or the lack there of which allow/hinder every human being to reach their full potential. On a global stage the Peace Corps is a policy that has gone on for 46 years. It was initiated in 1961 by John F. Kennedy as a component of the global initiative to empower people to seize sustainable opportunities. That time in Anacostia, a month before 9/11, really began to lay the path to where I am now. Now in DC and looking south to Honduras, I begin to really contemplate what I really have as an American and how blessed I am to be a citizen, even with its many faults. I hope and I pray that the skills and the experiences that I acquire in Honduras allow me to be not only a better human being but also a better citizen.