"Ready or not, here I come!"

My time here in the states is rapidly coming to a close! I leave for Honduras on July 10th. I hope to use this blog to update friends and family about my adventures. The plan is to update this blog once a week or at the least once every other week : )

While in Honduras I will be living in a house or apartment(don't know which one yet) with the other US teachers(13 of us in total). I will be teaching 6th grade, which I am very excited about! Oddly enough, I will be teaching in English but I have no doubt I will still be using my Spanish on a daily basis probably in the classroom a little and for sure around the community.

Upon arriving in Honduras I will first be spending a couple of weeks living with a family to help learn more about the community, Honduran culture, and San Jeronimo School. During that time I will meet daily with the other teachers to begin preparations for the school year. School starts mid August just like in the States.

During my time in Honduras I will be using the following forms of communication:

email: laureldeeter@gmail.com

skype: deeter105

snail mail: Laurel Deeter

Recomendado Don Wilfredo Fajardo

Barrio El Centro

Cofradía, Cortés

HONDURAS

Best ways to stay in contact me are via email and skype. I do LOVE snail mail so don't hesitate to communicate that way if you enjoy writing letters. Just don't bother sending packages with anything of great value as they will more than likely not make it to me. Little packages will arrive just fine.

background info.

HONDURAS

Honduras is a nation slightly larger than Virginia. Home to approximately 7.3 million people (less than the population of New York City), this democratic constitutional republic has never been able to take full advantage of its abundant natural resources and access to both the Caribbean and Pacific oceans. Tegucigalpa, the capital, is located in the Southwest of the country, while San Pedro Sula, the economic center, is located in the Northwest.

Honduras has often been considered more politically stable than many of its neighbors, and the relatively peaceful resolution of the presidential crisis in 2009 is testament to that. After the removal of Manuel 'Mel' Zelaya, the country was governed by an interim president, Robert Micheletti, until new elections could be held, resulting in the election of Porfirio Lobo Sosa.

Honduras is the third poorest country in the Western Hemisphere (Haiti and Nicaragua being one and two), with GDP per capita at $1,260 (official exchange rate), $3,130 (PPP, IMF). Until the recent global recession, Honduras' economy grew at a steady clip, but the distribution of wealth remains very polarized and averagewages remain low. Economic growth has averaged approximately 3% per year over the last decade, yet poverty levels have remained fundamentally unchanged. About 40% of the working population is considered unemployed or underemployed.

COFRADÍA

Cofradía is a medium-sized town located 15 miles southwest of San Pedro Sula, which is Honduras' second largest city and the country's economic capital.

While Cofradía can feel like a small town, it has grown substantially in the past decades thanks to its proximity to San Pedro Sula. The average BECA volunteer may only visit 6 or 7 colonias (outlying neighborhoods) during his or her year in Cofradía, however, the town boasts more than 25 colonias in toal, many of which extend for miles back towards the Sierra del Merendón. Current pop. estimate= 25,000+.