Cultural
Awareness at Mission Honduras
It is important that volunteers at Mission Honduras are
aware of the differences between American and Honduran
cultures and respect those differences. As missionaries, we
are not trying to turn Honduras into a small USA. We are
there to serve the needs of the poor in accordance with
God's laws and while respecting the culture of the Honduran
people. Our actions represent us as Christians and as
Americans, so we need to be conscious of the messages we
send.
Living
Conditions
At Mission Honduras, we try to live in solidarity with the
poor. Our housing is similar to that of many Hondurans,
though actually somewhat more comfortable than many of the
very poor. Most mission buildings are of cement block
construction with no paint. You will see many Honduran
houses of similar type, and even some much nicer. However,
you will also see people living in shacks made of mud and
sticks and stones; and others of sticks and bits of tin or
plastic sheeting.
The power at the mission is a fairly constant 110V and the
outlets are the same as in the US. Outages are not too
frequent, but they are not completely rare, either. There
is no hot water, and the showers don't always have as much
pressure as you might be used to. Many of the poorest of
Honduras have neither electricity nor running water. They
certainly can't afford the bottled water we provide for our
volunteers (which is provided for health reasons).
The plumbing in Honduras leaves a lot to be desired. All
pipes are PVC piping, which is sometimes exposed and
therefore eventually punctured (or stolen). And since the
systems aren't very strong, toilet paper cannot go down the
drain, but must be put in a wastebasket. This makes for
less than pleasant smells in the bathrooms. In fact, with
the plumbing situation, the fact that most vehicles run on
diesel, and all the garbage burning going on constantly (or
the garbage lying about in the ditches and fields), the
smells of Honduras are not very pleasing in general. In
most of Honduras, the only official trash removers are the
buzzards, which are protected from hunting by the Honduran
government for their service to the country.
We try to keep our meals consistent with the meals of the
children of the mission. The most common foods include
beans, corn tortillas, rice, and eggs, with occasional
chicken. For many Hondurans, "candy" consists of sweet
fruits like bananas, mangos, and pineapples. There is also
ample Coke and Pepsi, but it is mostly in glass returnable
bottles. If you want your Coke to go (para llevar), don't
be surprised when they pour it into a small plastic bag
with a straw in it.
Dignity
It is difficult to have dignity and hopes and dreams of a
better future if you don't even know how you can put the
next day's food on the table. The average daily wage for
many of the working poor in Honduras is about $2. Children
often must work and/or beg to help feed their families.
Many families are broken by alcohol abuse, physical and
emotional abuse, and abandonment. Volunteers should not
flash around large sums of cash both for their own safety
and as a matter of respect. Volunteers should not be showy
in their clothing/jewelry or attitudes.
The basic rule of the dress code is modesty. Long pants or
long skirts and covered shoulders are appropriate. Shorts
are only allowed on mission property at work sites or when
playing sports. Even though Honduran women are starting to
wear more skin-tight clothing, it's up to us to set a
higher standard for ourselves. The dress code is enforced
very strictly. Besides not wearing revealing or flashy
clothing, volunteers should not look grungy either. Jeans
and shorts are not allowed for Mass, and there are other
times when you should show appropriate respect for the
Hondurans.
Modesty is directly linked to dignity, which is often a
casualty of poverty. Many adolescent Honduran girls feel
that the only way they can be loved is to attract a man
early on and have his baby, thinking that the man will then
love her because of his love for the baby. Unfortunately
the truth is that there are many young single mothers,
abandoned by the fathers of their children. This cycle
continues and perpetuates the helplessness and hopelessness
of future generations.
Of course volunteers will want a photographic record of
their trip to Honduras. When photographing a Honduran,
remember to ask yourself, "Why am I taking this picture?"
and "How would I feel if someone were taking this picture
of me or my family for the same reason?" It is polite to
ask permission before taking a picture, especially with
adults or anytime away from the mission. The children of
the mission are always eager to pose, but other Hondurans
may become offended if you point and shoot with no regard
for how that may make them feel.
Lifestyle
The pace of Honduran life is much slower than in the USA.
That is not to say that they don't work as hard, but they
just don't have the infrastructure for the typical American
lifestyle. You'll often find yourself in "hurry up and
wait" mode. Take such times to recognize the beauty around
you while waiting, meditate, pray, practice your Spanish,
or talk to a neighbor.
Life is lived on a much simpler basis, with many fewer
material things. For many volunteers, this is a welcomed
and refreshing experience.