Joseph

           Just over 24 hours after my Step-Mother, Marianna, arrived to Honduras from Florida we sat down with my class to enjoy the ABS Christmas show on Friday evening, December 20^th. My good friend, “roommate” and compañero, Joseph, came dressed in his handsome Christmas clothes with a red tie to match. He passed around a copy of a Christmas poem that a student of his had found and shared with him earlier that week. He explained to me that the poem gave a special message about Christmas and he decided to share with everyone who attended the show.

Christmas Poem:

“Every day is Christmas when you have that kind of mind that stores up all the goodness and the sweetness it can find.

When you don’t need an occasion to spread a bit of cheer but just keep on giving yourself throughout the entire year.

Every day is Christmas when you’ve found that you can be more concerned with words like “you” and less with “I” and “me”.

It’s fun to do a favor and to lend a helping hand, when being understood means less than when you understand.”

By – Christopher Munguia

After a couple of hours of presentations Marianna and I decided to return home to rest for a bit. We planned to grab a beer at a nearby bar and so I texted and called Joseph to see if he wanted to join us. Over our quick phone call, we also planned to spend the following day together showing his friend Alex and Marianna around the area of Puerto Cortes. We both agreed to make final plans over a beer knowing he would arrive to my house very soon.

Joseph planned to stay near Puerto Cortes for most of the holiday vacation as he was low on cash. But once I returned from Copan and Marianna flew back to Florida, he and I planned to travel to Tela and La Ceiba for the New Year so we could do a little partying before returning to work. I never expected that these plans would be taken away from us that night when Joseph returned from the school (ABS is catty-corner to his house and two houses away from mine). As Joseph approached the gate in front of his home, two young males approached him on a bicycle. Their intention was to rob Joseph of his valuables. Things are not clear as to what exactly took place, but we know that there was a struggle between the robbers and Joseph, before he was shot 4 times with a 22 caliber pistol.

As Marianna and I waited for Joseph to arrive at my place we were having a conversation with my roommate T about our plans for the vacation. All of a sudden I heard 4 gun shots come from outside, which sounded closely in the direction of the school. I ran outside and opened my gate to see a body lying on the sidewalk and people surrounding the person who laid there. It did not register to me that this could have been anyone that I knew, let alone my closest friend in Honduras. I ran inside to get T and we held on to each other as we ran outside to see. She instantly knew it was Joseph yelling, “it’s our Joseph, Sarah!”. I remember screaming his name over and over as I ran to his side to find him unconscious and bleeding from his head. A co-worker was already there with him and he immediately said to me “él está vivo, Sarah!”.

I went into crisis mode. I was freaking out, rightfully so,  as some neighbors picked him up and practically threw him in the back of the truck – their desperate attempt to get him to the hospital as quickly as possible. I ran screaming to the school looking for my boss. T was already there and many of our co-workers tried to comfort us with hugs and sympathy. I just knew I needed to be with Joseph, nothing was going to calm me down until I was by his side. T, Marianna and I jumped into the back of one of my student’s parent’s truck and they rode us to the clinic where Joseph was.

A group of people were already awaiting us at the clinic. We sat in the waiting room for about 5 minutes. The nurses cleaned Joseph's wounds, gave him oxygen and an IV, but it was apparent they could do nothing more for him there. An ambulance was already in the parking lot ready to transport Joseph, and many of our co-workers were standing in the street looking dazed and wondering how they could be help. I knew instinctively the first thing to do was contact his family, whom I knew some of them lived in San Pedro Sula (the closest city to us). I called a co-worker who frequented Facebook often and I had him jump online to find Joseph’s family and contact them. Another co-worker heard my plea at the scene and she did the same.

They put a now less bloody Joseph in the back of the ambulance and me, T and Marianne jumped in behind the nurse and paramedic. They rode us to the nearest hospital at Coca Cola Beach in Puerto Cortes. But the hospital did not even have blood for him, so the immediate decision was to get to the larger and more equipped hospital in San Pedro Sula.

It felt like the ambulance ride took hours on end but it was probably closer to 45 minutes racing to San Pedro at top speed. Miraculously, Joseph was conscious in and out of the ride to the hospital. His left eye was swollen shut and purple, but he peered at us with a confused look on his face through his right eye. He tried hard to get comfortable in the ambulance bed, moving around a lot, fighting with the IV, gripping our hands tightly, all so to make it feel right again. We talked to him to keep him awake, once in a while readjusting his oxygen tubes that were falling away from his nostrils. I held the oxygen tank upright while Marianna held the IV bag. The paramedic dabbed at Joseph’s bullet wounds to wipe away the small amounts of blood that slowly came out. 

We instinctively knew that since he was not profusely bleeding and his breathing seemed normal that he was as stable as possible under these circumstances on the way to the hospital. This gave us hope! It was apparent he was shot 4 times: once in the head, once in the stomach, once in the shoulder (a superficial wound with an exit point) and once in the upper chest.

We finally got to the hospital and they brought him to the emergency room and closed the doors. We were greeted by Joseph’s Aunt, Uncle and Cousin. They were surprisingly calm given the circumstances, most likely in a state of shock. The nurses brought out Joseph’s clothes that he was wearing to be searched. All I found was his cheap Tigo phone. We tried to explain all that we knew about the circumstances of the situation to his family in broken Spanish so that they could try to make some sense out of this atrocity.

Week Update:

Joseph had two emergency surgeries the night that he was brought to the hospital, the first on his brain and the second on his small intestine. Both surgeries were successful and the waiting game began. Knowing how devastating something like this can be, Joseph was lucky to be alive through this trauma. We kept saying how strong Joseph is – he wants to live! He has a purpose he needs to continue to fulfill in his life! He is going o recover from this!

We waited several days for the swelling in his brain to subside. Now, the doctors are positive the Joseph will live, but we still wait to see what damage has been done to his cognitive abilities (memory, speech, motor activity) as well as his vision. The doctors placed Joseph in an induced coma so his body had time to heal – an estimated time of 7 to 8 days.

Friends and family of Joseph have worked around the clock to give their emotional support, pray, and raise donations to support Joseph’s hospital bills. Fortunately, ABS has paid for all of his emergency service bills and each day at the private hospital has also been covered. But funds are not unlimited.

His family from the States would like to get him back to Texas soon for rehabilitation services, however, they have no medical insurance and the helicopter ambulance that would transport Joseph from Honduras to Texas cost thousands of dollars. Not to mention the hospitals in Texas are not cheap either.  At the moment no beds are available for Joseph to go to there anyways.

The school is putting on a marathon to benefit Joseph on January 4^th in Puerto Cortes. The whole city is involved!

I will continue to update this blog post with news of Joseph’s recovery.

To help Joseph and his family please go to Give Forward: Joe French.

ABS Christmas Party with Joseph

Joe and Susie enjoying Omoa's Waterfall

Joe, Alicia and Susie chatting during the sunset

The roommates: enjoying our first week in Puerto Cortes together

T and Joseph making magic

Joseph doing one of the things he does best: Cooking amazing food!

Lago de Yojoa hiking crew

Joe's contagious smile

Joseph, always down for an adventure

To help Joseph and his family please go to Give Forward: Joe French.

Update 1/1/14

The doctors have since stopped the anesthesia medicine to bring Joseph out of the induced coma. Between 24 and 48 hours the doctors then made the decision that Joseph needed a tracheotomy operation to open an air passageway in his esophagus, as he was not independently breathing efficiently since coming out of the coma. The operation was successful and from eyes view he appears to be breathing normal now. 

Yesterday I was relieved to find Joseph more alert than the day prior. He looked into my eyes with his right eye (the left still bruised and closed) and I feel he recognized me. He gripped my hand when I said that I miss him and when I said that I have been in touch with many of his friends and family back in Texas - and they are all very supportive of his recovery. Joseph grazed my hand with his thumb to give me some comfort, my biggest emotional relief during this time thus far. Where a hand grip can be an reflexive action to touch, a thumb graze is something more intentional and personal. I wiped away some tears that were joining around his eyes, but I am not quite sure if this a normal reaction to the medications he is on, or if Joseph is now recognizing that he went through a trauma, and he is grieving. 

The doctors say Joseph will be moved from the critical care unit today and into a private room. Visiting hours will be much more flexible now. I look forward to seeing his progress later today. His mother says they are hoping to transport Joseph to Texas via the helicopter ambulance this Friday. However, more money is needed so they can cover the cost of the flight. It is important that he get to the States for numerous reasons, but essentially because there are no neurological doctors in Honduras to assist Joseph during his recovery and rehabilitation. 

It is now apparent that Joseph is on a long road to recovery. With all of the strength that his family, friends and other loved ones have shown him, not to mention the miraculous resilience that Joseph has shown, we can all be rest assured that he is a survivor. Eventually, he will thrive again, and in new ways and in new paths of his life that are even better than before this tragic experience happened to him. For it is situations like this that change your direction and path, and inspire you to do things you may not have dreamed possible beforehand. 

For myself, experiencing this trauma first-hand and providing all of the emotional comfort that I could find within for Joseph, his family, his loved ones back in Puerto Cortes, and for myself, has changed the course in my own journey. I would like to write about that at a later time here. 

For now, I just look back at the memories I have made with my good friend Joseph since moving to Honduras. At a later date I will share those times with you all here, also. 

Keep hope for Joseph for he is an inspiration of how far a person can be taken when faced with a life-threatening trauma, and survive.....

...and one day thrive yet again! <3

To help Joseph and his family please go to Give Forward: Joe French.

ABS Marathon for Joseph on 1/4/13 Puerto Cortes, Honduras

What a great turn-out we had. The money will be counted and I should have a figure of how much was collected very soon. Thank you to everyone who participated, volunteered, and donated to Joseph and his family. 

Update 1/5/13

Joe has been airlifted from the hospital in San Pedro Sula, Honduras to Dallas, Texas and will be transferred to Baylor Medical Center. 

Joe is making miraculous recovery!

Recovery of Miracle Joe 1/21/14

2/5/14

Written on Facebook
"I got to chat with Joe and his family on the phone today! I caught him during his first time out of his hospital room in Dallas. His parents and he were enjoying lunch at the restaurant downstairs. His Dad told me Joe took his first steps today during physical therapy and he is speaking some words now too. Although it was hard to hear Joe spoke to me directly. I'm really happy to see his amazing progress!! What a miracle!"

2/18/13

Wriitten on Facebook:
I spoke to Joe again last week. He is speaking in full sentences now. Joe, I can't wait to see you again and give you a hug! You are my inspiration everyday now.

Exploración de mí misma

Current Politics of Honduras

Juan Orlando Hernandez of the National Party was declared the new president of Honduras in late November. Protests are still taking place from the opponents, the Pro-Libre party, at the capital of Tegucigalpa. 

Some quick facts about the political and social instability of Honduras (and the current presidential situation) can be found in the article, "Hernandez declared winner of Honduras vote." 

Also, here is a very good historical timeline of Honduras up until the year of 2012.

On Language

 I read, write, and comprehend Spanish pretty well, and while I lived with my good friend Yaquelin in Cambutal, Panama my speaking abilities were immensely improving. And while I was on the road (from Guatemala to Panama) and making friends I picked up a lot of the language too. But here in Honduras, I struggle to trust the locals because I get harassed by the men when I am on the streets and it is hard to make friends whom do not already speak English. So there are days when I don't get to practice speaking my Spanish at all, especially on school days since I work at a bi-lingual school. In all honesty in regards to my lack of speaking abilities, I trust that some of this is self-defeating behavior, some of it is naturally my shy personality trait, and the rest of it comes from the circumstances of the situation here.

I think it will be useful to explain to you all here why there is such a strong English language influence in this Latin American country. Here is a quick recount of events in Honduran political affairs:

England colonized the Bay Islands off the coast of Honduras in the beginning of the 17th century which is why there are many Caribbean folk here who are native English speakers. In the late 18th century Britain ceded control of the coast to the Spanish. But then, in the late 19th century the USA became interested in the Honduran banana industry, hence why Honduras is called the "Banana Republic".  In the years of 1911 and 1912 during political unrest in the country, the USA military moved into Honduras to secure their banana investments. Then came the dictatorships, banana strikes and military coups which continued to keep the US abreast and in the center of all the drama. Starting in 1979, Honduras was surrounded with warfare by neighboring countries when the Nicaraguan Sandinista revolution took effect, El Salvador began its civil war, and Guatemala was also experiencing internal conflict at that time. The USA took control over the conservative politics of Honduras and developed a strong Honduran military so strategic operations could be carried out in the region (obviously made to fight the Sandinista government). This is known as the Contra war. Finally, in 1988 after illegal allegations and protests, the government of Honduras refused to sign another military agreement contract with the USA. However, English is still abundantly used in this country, with bilingual schools and English academies for professionals galore. Consequently from all of these historical events, the English language has impacted Honduras for a very long time.  

There are days that I become really frustrated with my conversational abilities here - the frustration is of course only toward myself. My Spanish teacher has tried to correct my poor feelings: “No Sarah, ya sabes la lengua que bien.” She is right that I can converse pretty well once I get warmed up and I am comfortable, but it's not consistent yet. Anyone who said that they could learn a language in 6 months to a year is a genius in my book! I am really hard on myself about it, I know, but I do not want to go through life regretting not being bi-lingual. This is something I want for myself so badly. 

Reid, R., Attwooll, J., Firestone, M., McCarthy, C., Symington, A., Vidgen, L. (2007). Central America on a shoestring: Big trips for small budgets, 6th edition. Victoria, Australia: Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd.

Common Honduran Words (The best yet)

vaya pue (ok)

cheque (check)

nos vemos (see you another time)

buchica! (wow!)

ABS: My Students (August - December)

All I can say is buchica! It has been a journey with my kids. Learning how to be a good teacher is really difficult and certainly very challenging some days. Non-the-less, there were many fun times and I have seen much improvement with the language and the personal development of all 34 of my third grade students. They grow up so fast. We're almost half way through the school year and I look forward to the rest of my time with them at ABS until mid-June next year. 

Once the school year is finished I will give you all a honest recollection of my time at ABS. For now, I would like to keep it light and positive. :)

Día de Niños

Una día de fútbol

Otoño

Día de Folklore

Día de Joya Grande

Día de Gracias

Christmas Co-Worker Party

Christmas Class Time

Christmas Party and Show

On Self Development

Estoy enfocando en mí misma, y en mi vida. Quiero entender quien soy y mis valores.  Deseo aprender más sobre misma durante mi tiempo en Latina América. 

It has now been over seven months that I have traveled and lived abroad. It is the opportune time to reflect on my self-development since May 6th, the day my father said good-bye to me at Miami International Airport, and the time that I stepped into a new era of my life. 

Since moving to Honduras in August I've reflected intrinsically about what has actually happened to me since I started traveling. Up until August, I was more so in the center of all of the experiences and not really focused on how it was changing my perceptions of life, others and myself. Using meditation as a guide, I developed 3 lists thus far, including a list of "Happiness", my "Values", and a "Vision Board". 

"Remain centered."  The Buddha (from the Dhammapada od Guatama)

           Happiness: This list is a reminder of what I owe to myself to be putting positive energy into each day. I see a pattern of themes on the list including “natural surroundings and wildlife, exhilarating hobbies, constructive activities, intrinsic and extrinsic spirituality, comforting favorites, means of relaxation, art and creativity, and a few relational connections". It was the most fun and easy list to develop. The list gives me a clear reminder of all the things that are beautiful in my life and that give me my sense of wellness and good health.

            Values: I created a 3-tier list of my values, with the strongest values placed in the center and the others placed in tier 2 and 3 in the outer rings. It was difficult to decipher what values I hold to the strongest. However, what was most interesting was that labeling my values was actually the hardest part as it took much time to develop the 100+ list. I imagine this chart will transform itself a lot through the upcoming months and years. I consider this chart a piece of my inner-spiritual part of me and I prefer to keep it private.  I believe it will take a lot of experience, self-exploration and time for the list to be complete.

Vision Board: Some of my short-term goals include “to comprehend and live my life according to my values, to live in the present, to do the things that make me happy, to live with vitality, to stay centered and grounded, to continue to experience and grow in my life independently, to appreciate the beauty surrounding me, to recognize and accept my inner qualities and imperfections, to be bi-lingual, as well as to inspire others to travel.” I have been in the process of making these visions come true.

*******

I know that I don't like the feeling of restriction, or at least I have come to realize this about myself since traveling. I have come to realize many new things about myself....For many months I was just a silent observer and an opportunist to new adventures. I have found that everything that has accrued over time from the millions of micro-experiences (and some much bigger) that I've witnessed or tried has changed myself for the better. Thus, I am writing a list of all the changes that travel has evoked in me these past 7 months. It has been a remarkable journey, one onto its own creation, and me, just the one taking it all in for exactly as it is. I look forward to completing this list during the next six months abroad and to all of the possibilities that lie ahead. I promise to share it here once it is complete. 

“Transformative travelers think in terms of flourishing, growing, and thriving. Their experiences for themselves lead them to create their happiness rather than wait for it to happen”. Jeffrey Kottler 

Photos of Puerto Cortés

Photo by Joe French

Fun Lessons & New Skills from Abroad

Preparing my first fresh fish (believe it or not)

Thanks to my new boat-living friends, Susan, David and FL native Dean)I can now descale and fillet a fresh snapper fish. 

Also, Susan and Dean took rounds teaching me the bowline knot. I know how to tie the knot around a dinghy boat as well as how to tie it around my waist to prepare for an emergency rescue situation when being overboard. 

Target Practice with friends from the Hondureño Army

Travel Update

I finally have a long break coming up for Christmas. I will be traveling from the 21st of this month until January 5th. 

And...

I have a visitor coming to tag along on the journey for one week: My Step-Mother, Marianne! :) 

Quote

"Travel's a fairly miserable business in which the journey is nothing but self-discover is everything". Paul Theroux