We´re Not In Kansas Anymore

We were prepared that life in Nueva Suyapa would be different than anything else we had experienced, but it is hard to know what to expect without actually being here. The house we are staying in is by far one of the very nicest in the whole community, and we have it easy living here. Even so, it is like nowhere else we have ever stayed.

Most of the houses here are made out of cement whenever possible. None of them have insulation where we live, unless you stuff newspaper in your walls and create it yourself. Roofs are mostly made out of aluminum. If you are lucky, as we are, you have an iron padlocked gate to your porch before you reach your front door, also equipped with a pretty sturdy lock. Our floor is cement and tile, but it is not uncommon for houses to have dirt floors. Many houses have a courtyard area outdoors, where you find your bathroom or latrine and the area for washing clothing and dishes. You see the beautiful little courtyard we get to enjoy to the left.

There is rarely running water in houses, as is the case with us.
We have been blessed to have a sweet lady named Eva coming to the house a few times a week to clean and do our laundry. We started out thinking it would be great just to allow her to maintain her job while Chris and Maureen were out of town, but that we didn't really need help. Now, I don´t know what we spoiled Americans would do without her. She washes clothes really well and FAST. She even washed my dirty sneakers. Not to mention the fact that she has an abundance of patience with our clumsy Spanish.

We are lucky because this house has a tank on top of the house to hold water, but that is mostly used for bathroom purposes. To this end, showers have to be pretty quick. We are talking 3 minutes if possible. We have the luxury of warm water in the shower, which is something that most of the folks in this community have never experienced. They usually take bucket showers with very cold water. We also get to use a flushing toilet... a rarity in these parts. This toilet needs a little coaxing to flush completely, and if you need to go number 2, you have to fill a bucket of water and dump it down the toilet quickly.

Obviously, not having running water in the house makes one think much more intentionally about what you cook and how you cook it. We have tried to get creative in our meal preparation, and even though washing veggies is a little trickier here as you have to cleanse them really well with purified water from a canister, we have enjoyed getting to eat far more vegetables than the average Honduran. We've even had dinner guests a few times. Our wonderful kitchen is to the left and the living room, which is on the other side of the room, is below. The sink in the courtyard follows. Kids love using it.





Although modern conveniences sometimes make things simpler and quicker, we have learned without a shadow of a doubt how easy it is to live without things that we take for granted in America. We have learned how simply we can live and how little we need. This is a lesson that is sinking in deeply, as there are people who are living with literally next to nothing in this very place. Poverty is very real. It is a genuine privilege to have the opportunity to have this small taste of what life in Nueva Suyapa is like. We wish you all could experience it with us.


Our next door neighbor and also an American missionary here in Nueva Suyapa, Anna has been a wealth of information and a great friend to us.


Enjoying our Honduran home.