We’ve finally established our project participants. Unfortunately, we lost three family members who pulled out at the last minute. Two cited security concerns ( news to us!!), and the other was just too busy. Originally, we had thought to take all family members on this first trip and to only have members who knew Owen. A fourth family member will likely cancel as well. At first this was quite disappointing, even painful. Perhaps this is a blessing in disguise, for I wonder how emotionally intense the trip cound have become. Now it seems as if we have the children of Santa Rosita uppermost in our minds- where they should be!! We’ve begun packing- everything from power strips, to handcranks, to rain ponchos, to first aid kits, to toothbrushes and paper and pens. We should be quite a motley crew. On June 5th we will be commissioned by our church, Saint Andrew’s in Seguin. Sally and I and Meredith Cockerell will receive crosses and a blessing. Afterwards we will host a brunch for donors, participants, friends and well-wishers.
Monthly Archives: May 2011
Light at the end of the tunnel
Dear Friends,
We’ve had some challenges in other areas. We budgeted for added costs, but we didn’t budget for added time. Now it seems that our XOs may arrive in Siguatepeque after we have been in country almost a week. We tried to secure 10 computers from OLPC from a special fund called the Contributor’s Program. We thought to have the 10 XOs on hand when we all arrive so that we can maximize our time and personnel. Unfortunately, our particular situation did not meet the OLPC guidelines. Just as we began to despair, salvation came in the form of our newest team member, Becky Young. Ms Young is a teacher from the Northern Virginia/ Washington D.C. area who went to Honduras with XOs last summer. We had been communicationg with her about logistics, trouble shooting, technical challenges and general cultural questions. She has not only decided to join us on June 24th in Siguatepeque, but will bring 10 of her XOs, her Honduran teacher contact from the village where she worked, and several of her students!! Yet another small miracle!!!
Benefactors
We are still waiting for a final bill from OLPC. Evidently there are still some customs questions pending. Fortunately, we have planned for these added expenses. I would like to begin recognizing those who have made all this possible with their generous monetary support and their prayers. In no particular order these are: Bill Hunter, Owen’s uncle; Alan and Lauren Willis; KT and Alan Cockerell; Erin Blue, Owen’s cousin;and several anonymous donors. If anyone is thinking of their own foray into this kind of endeavor, we recommend that you start at least a year in advance. If you are going to a country where XOs have never been introduced, there are extra costs because of safety guidelines that must be certified. We got caught up in that American dream of instant results and total control of the process. This is not the way of the larger world.
theowenproject 