For an update on today…
Today was our last day in Honduras, and it was a great ending to a trip such as this. Today we went to the botanical gardens and to the beach with some of the OYE scholars. We got some awesome nature pics, and some of us should have put more sunblock on this week.. We ended the day with a dinner amongst friends.

It’s going to be an adjustment to not wake up to car horns, truck exhausts, and reggaeton. But as I reflect on the ASB Honduras trip, I know it’s time to return home. We must now share what impact we had on Honduras, what impact we had on our group, and the impact made and what will be made at home.

The impact we made on Honduras really starts with the El Progreso community and youth. Yes, we painted an amazing (and large) mural on the outside of a local school, but it’s so much more than appearance. This school is expressing compassion for all youth and their need for a quality education. It’s giving the students something to look forward to as they walk in their schools front gate. It shows the students that their voice matters, and gives them the ability to use their voice to create change in their community and their country.

The mural and the work we did with OYE allowed our ASB group to bond as well. We were shown a reality different from our own, and discussed the need for education of youth and how that need impacts a society. The presentations taught each of us something powerful that we will take back home with us, and we were asked to reflect on issues or questions we never really thought about prior to this trip. The smell of paint thinner will forever take us back to that school in Honduras, and the next time we pick up a paintbrush, we will be taken back to our experience here.

Our letters from home and the comments left on the blog has shown me the impact we have back in the US. This is just the beginning of how our experience will be shared back home. Their are many parallels that can be drawn of the issues facing Hondurans, to the issues that Americans are experiencing today. I am excited to share our experience with the Oshkosh community and UWO through our re orientation project.

This was an amazing trip, and I could not have predicted the lasting friendships that were made with the Honduran OYE scholars, or with my fellow ASB participants. We learned some pretty heavy life lessons, and even some Spanish. Overall, I learned the power of people. It starts with one voice- one story to create a movement.

Hasta luego, Honduras.

–Ashley Andersen