I feel that an update is in order...
Andrew and I just got back from a great trip to Tegucigalpa. We met with several organizations that we're hoping to place one-year SALT volunteers with next year, two of which will be new placements.

It has been relatively dry for a while after the heavy rains of a few weeks ago. Shortly after the worst of the rains and mudslides we traveled with some Menno. church leaders from western Honduras to see some of the damaged areas and also to visit several temporary shelters where families whose communities were destroyed by the hurricanes were staying. The churches from that area wanted to get an idea of how many families were affected and what their short and long term needs were, and also just be a visiting presence. They came up with a count of around 120 families living in shelters. We spent some time talking with them and it was very sobering to think about the losses that they'd sustained - staying in schools and churches with no idea how long they'd be receiving emergency relief, not enough blankets and sleeping mats to go around, no idea of what the future holds for them. And it was cold up there! Rainy and windy the entire time. I was inspired by the local pastors' desire to love and care for their neighbors in need. They decided that the immediate needs could be met with blankets, soap, towels, rice and beans and some other staple foods, all put in buckets that could serve several purposes. They requested money for these resources from Mennonite Central Committee, which we took back to our MCC representatives. Unable to sleep easy, I also sent a few emails to my parents and others asking if they thought they or their churches would want to help... my mom got super on the ball and raised a bunch of money from her church and siblings, which will all go to MCC for the emergency relief buckets.

The whole experience was another reminder of what it means to be a person of privilege in this world. It's always the poor who are most affected by turbulent times and climate. Every night I go to bed in a dry place with a full belly. Sometimes Andrew and I can get worked up worrying about global warming or the economic crisis (will we ever find jobs when we go back? What's going to happen if bark beetles eat up all the trees in the West? What happens if crazy people in Nevada keep building hotels with fountains?? And golf courses!) But I have never gone to sleep with the same kinds of worries or uncertainties that many people face daily. I passed a kid sleeping on the sidewalk by himself yesterday that couldn't have been older than 7 or 8. Then I got to the office and read about AIG executives spending gross amounts of money that was given to them by our government. Where's the justice?