Author of Today’s Post is Karie
Today was a special treat as we were blessed with the opportunity to share Limpera Day with the students and teachers this morning. They made baleadas (homemade tortillas with beans, eggs, and mantequilla) and had corn on the cob, chocolate-covered banana popsicles, and a tamarind juice that tasted sort of like apple juice spiced with cinnamon and sugar. Needless to say, some of us skipped lunch after making the rounds and trying everything – essentially a second breakfast!
The real treat was the awesome performances the groups of students shared with us to demonstrate their culture and celebrate Limpera, the native Honduran who bravely formed a coalition of other native tribes to challenge the Spaniards who were invading their country and taking their people as slaves. Limpera, a native war chief, led uprisings against the Spanish, but was ultimately killed and the natives were forced to surrender. One of the performances depicted the drama of this story…a sad ending for Limpera. But the festivities were lighthearted and a lot of fun to take part in. They even coerced us into dancing with the teachers and students following the performances. It’s always fun to let loose and join hands with our friends, moving together to loud music and laughter.
The second half of the day was spent as a team in Valley of the Angels, a small town of a few blocks with shops, restaurants and cafes surrounding a town square and church. Many of us picked up souvenirs and stopped to eat some pupusas as we relaxed between shopping in one of the small restaurants. We stayed in the town square, drinking coffee or eating ice cream cones until the sun moved low in the sky, taking in the sites and sounds of the bustling streets and people-watching before we headed back to what now feels much like “Home, Sweet Home”.
It was all around a great day, and we were hard pressed to find any lows to talk about at debrief tonight…consensus was generally that we had so many highs to mention that nothing at all could take us off the mountain top. God is just so, so good.