“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear” - 1 John 4:18
There are no truer words I can think of when I look at my journey so far and I look at the long road that still awaits me. My name is Corey Bryant, for those of you who may not know me, and I live in Tegucigalpa, Honduras! I can safely say that I love it here and that God has shown me what I need to do here and I have begun His work with the people of this country who need help the most.
I came here to be a teacher, 4th Grade teacher to be exact. That is still one of my main focuses and will always be a driving factor in all my work here. I am a teacher at Interamerican School, an amazing bilingual school here in the country’s capital. Everyday is a new adventure when it comes to teaching, especially when it comes to teaching kids in their second language. I have grown to love the school and will be teaching there again this upcoming school year ( February to November ).
However, as much as I love teaching during the day I found my true calling at a ministry called Breaking Chains. Breaking Chains is a homeless ministry here in Tegucigalpa that seeks to help the homeless community here in the city. The needs of these people are great. I am the Co-Director of Education at Breaking Chains as well as the self appointed Director of Fun. I am responsible for the day-to-day education of the children and teens of the homeless shelter we have here. My school, Interamerican School, has given us the opportunity to enroll a number of children between the ages of 5-10 to school free of charge this upcoming school year. This is an amazing opportunity for these children. However, with this opportunity comes greater responsibility for myself. I have already begun the task of teaching the kids who cannot read the basics of literacy and hope to expand that to weekly English lessons for those who do not attend my school. I will also be spending my evenings at Breaking Chains tutoring not only the children that come to my school but also any person who has a passion for improving themselves through education.
I write this letter not only to inform you but also ask for your assistance in my journey. I will need the generosity of donors to help me with the day-to-day expenses that I encounter on the ground here in Honduras. I hope to gives these kids the best possible learning environment to help them succeed and break the chain of poverty that has ravaged the community they live in and the families they come from. With your help I hope to accomplish all these things and more as God guides me in my journey to love and educate the impoverished youth of Tegucigalpa. You can donate one of two ways. First you can send a check to my mother Laury Bryant at my US address 489 Beech Row Dr. Norton, OH 44203, or you can send a donation via paypal by visiting my blog at http://coreysfearlesslove.blogspot.com/. Also if you have any questions regarding the specifics of donations or just want to stop by and say hello you can email me at corey@bchonduras.org and visit our website at www.bchonduras.org.
Corey Bryant
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Christmas Plans and Resident Information
Hey everyone, posting this a little late but you can all still help! We are planning to take all of our Breaking Chains friends to the beach for Christmas... sadly I will be in the states for the holidays and miss out on this awesome adventure :( The following link shows how you can help our dreams become reality and give the people we serve a Chirstmas they will never forget! All of our residents are sponsored but that doesn't mean you can't still donate to help us out for any extra costs we might be in need of. Also I would love for everyone to read the entries of Michael's blog to find out a little information about all the people here who made me fall in love with the country.
http://livingoutmyfaith.wordpress.com/
http://livingoutmyfaith.wordpress.com/
Sunday, November 20, 2011
"Can you teach me how to read?"
As you know from my previous blog a few of the kids at Breaking Chains have gotten the go ahead on attending Interamerican School next year. However, there is still work to be done because we have hopes for a few more of the kids to attend as well. One of those kids is Arol. Arol is 9 years old and has become one of my favorite kids at the building. He is always right by my side at movie nights and is the first person to greet me when I arrive at the building (even though he probably just wants to make sure he can play with my phone before anyone else has a chance.) Arol is a very ummmm expressive child, and you can always tell exactly what he is thinking from his facial expressions. Aside from that he has just about the cutest smile you could ask for. Since I have begun my Spanish lessons he has begun talking even more and he helps me practice every time I am at the building. We are usually the best of friends but one night at a feeding he was furious with me.
It was the day we had taken Jonaton and Dayana to my school for a visit. Arol just sat in the church room with his head held down. When I went up to greet him he handed me the crucifix I had given him weeks ago and stormed off to the other side of the room. I knew why he was mad but I wasn't sure how to best explain it to him since my Spanish is still in its infancy. Amber was nice enough to explain the reason he couldn't visit the school yet. We didn't want them to visit the school if were not sure if they could attend or not. The last thing I want to do to these kids is get their hopes up just to have them crushed. After Amber explained everything to him he came back to the room and apologized to me. I could already tell he wanted to ask me something but I was gonna wait for him to be the one to ask it.
Fast forward about a week. Arol and I are sitting alone up near our aquaponics farm and I am talking with my limited Spanish vocabulary. He stops talking and I can tell he is thinking about asking me the question I knew he would. He grabs my hand and looks up to me and says " Corey, can you teach me how to read?" Of course my answer was yes. I told him we would start Friday and we was extremely excited at the aspect of finally learning how to read. Being in 2nd Grade and not having the faintest idea how to read and not even knowing your alphabet shows you just how sad the public school system here can be.
Friday arrived and when I arrived at the building I told Arol it was time for reading lessons. he immediately told me he no longer wanted to have any classes and he ran to his room. I asked his siblings to leave their family's room so I could talk to him. I found him hiding under his sheets in one of the beds. He told me he was stupid and that he couldn't learn how to read. Arol is far from stupid but no one has ever given the kid a chance to succedd. I doubt anyone has ever even told him that he could do anything. Negativity is all around him so who could blame him for being scared. I told him as best I could that he was smart and that he could learn how to read and promised him that I could help him. After some more convincing and a big hug he grabbed my hand and we went to class.
Michael Lemmons and I have begun teaching the kids how to read. Our fist class was only two kids but it seems everyone who can't read wants to attend which means our next class will be about 5 times as large. We are going to try to give three lessons a week and start english classes once that is finished. Between my limited Spanish and the face that Michael and I have never taught anyone to read in english let alone in Spanish the lessons are sure to be comical. Keep updated on our attempts to educate our friends at Breaking Chains on my blog and her blog by clicking the link Michael L on the side of the page
Arol after he asked me to teach him how to read.
It was the day we had taken Jonaton and Dayana to my school for a visit. Arol just sat in the church room with his head held down. When I went up to greet him he handed me the crucifix I had given him weeks ago and stormed off to the other side of the room. I knew why he was mad but I wasn't sure how to best explain it to him since my Spanish is still in its infancy. Amber was nice enough to explain the reason he couldn't visit the school yet. We didn't want them to visit the school if were not sure if they could attend or not. The last thing I want to do to these kids is get their hopes up just to have them crushed. After Amber explained everything to him he came back to the room and apologized to me. I could already tell he wanted to ask me something but I was gonna wait for him to be the one to ask it.
Fast forward about a week. Arol and I are sitting alone up near our aquaponics farm and I am talking with my limited Spanish vocabulary. He stops talking and I can tell he is thinking about asking me the question I knew he would. He grabs my hand and looks up to me and says " Corey, can you teach me how to read?" Of course my answer was yes. I told him we would start Friday and we was extremely excited at the aspect of finally learning how to read. Being in 2nd Grade and not having the faintest idea how to read and not even knowing your alphabet shows you just how sad the public school system here can be.
Friday arrived and when I arrived at the building I told Arol it was time for reading lessons. he immediately told me he no longer wanted to have any classes and he ran to his room. I asked his siblings to leave their family's room so I could talk to him. I found him hiding under his sheets in one of the beds. He told me he was stupid and that he couldn't learn how to read. Arol is far from stupid but no one has ever given the kid a chance to succedd. I doubt anyone has ever even told him that he could do anything. Negativity is all around him so who could blame him for being scared. I told him as best I could that he was smart and that he could learn how to read and promised him that I could help him. After some more convincing and a big hug he grabbed my hand and we went to class.
Michael Lemmons and I have begun teaching the kids how to read. Our fist class was only two kids but it seems everyone who can't read wants to attend which means our next class will be about 5 times as large. We are going to try to give three lessons a week and start english classes once that is finished. Between my limited Spanish and the face that Michael and I have never taught anyone to read in english let alone in Spanish the lessons are sure to be comical. Keep updated on our attempts to educate our friends at Breaking Chains on my blog and her blog by clicking the link Michael L on the side of the page
Arol after he asked me to teach him how to read.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Amazing News
Last week we had our first "Teen Class" at Breaking Chains. To begin the meeting everyone wrote down five metas or goals. My first goal was to learn Spanish and my second goal was to begin taking an active role in the education of the younger children at the building. Within just a few days these goals are off and running.
First I have finally begun taking Spanish classes which I should have done months ago. The Spanish teacher at my school, Ms. Cristina, is my teacher and things are going great so far, I am learning so much!
However, the goal that really got me emotional was the education of the children at the building. The children at the building currently either go to a public school or don't go to school at all. The public school system here in Tegucigalpa is far from good. Teachers are often on strike and this means school is not always in session. The kids also lack a lot of support at the building when it comes to homework and studying. When you parents have so much else on their plates education will most often be taking the back seat. However, if these families hope to "Break the Chain" and get off the streets one of the most, if not the most important, step is for them to get educated. And the prospect of a bilingual education will open up endless opportunities for children who are coming from nothing. I am blessed to work at one of these bilingual schools and especially blessed with some of the most amazing Directors and Administrators that this country has to offer. I approached the boss, Ms. Dania with the idea of sending a few of the kids to Interamerican starting in February, when our next school year starts. I asked what the monthly cost of the school is and how much transportation and books and etc. would cost. She answered with the best possible answer i could have hoped for..... Free monthly tuition for children at the Breaking Chains Building!!! The children at the building who are of age to attend my school (Nursery to 6th Grade) have the opportunity to attend Interamerican with no monthly tuition costs! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that will change these children's life forever. It will be giving them the opportunity to one day get off the streets and to have a job in any number of fields! We still have a few things to discuss such as book costs and transportation but the news is still amazing. At first it may only be two of our kids from the building attending but that number could grow after the kids come to visit the school next week. Currently it looks as if Jonathan and Dayana, aged 6 and 5, will be starting in February! These two are some of Rosie's older siblings and children of Belkis. I hope the number of children attending my school from Amber's building will grow over the next few days but just having the opportunity to send these two sweet kids is such an amazing blessing that I could not help but get a little emotional when I was given my answer. Below are photos of Dayan and Jonatan, hopefully our first two bilingual students at Breaking Chains!
With this great news comes some additional responsibility on my part. I will be helping the kids with their homework and their studies a few nights a week. I also will be raising money for their school books and uniforms. Donations for this or any other purpose can be made here on my page via the pay pal link on the right hand side of the page! Thank you all for your support and stay tuned for more great news from the Director of Fun and Education!
First I have finally begun taking Spanish classes which I should have done months ago. The Spanish teacher at my school, Ms. Cristina, is my teacher and things are going great so far, I am learning so much!
However, the goal that really got me emotional was the education of the children at the building. The children at the building currently either go to a public school or don't go to school at all. The public school system here in Tegucigalpa is far from good. Teachers are often on strike and this means school is not always in session. The kids also lack a lot of support at the building when it comes to homework and studying. When you parents have so much else on their plates education will most often be taking the back seat. However, if these families hope to "Break the Chain" and get off the streets one of the most, if not the most important, step is for them to get educated. And the prospect of a bilingual education will open up endless opportunities for children who are coming from nothing. I am blessed to work at one of these bilingual schools and especially blessed with some of the most amazing Directors and Administrators that this country has to offer. I approached the boss, Ms. Dania with the idea of sending a few of the kids to Interamerican starting in February, when our next school year starts. I asked what the monthly cost of the school is and how much transportation and books and etc. would cost. She answered with the best possible answer i could have hoped for..... Free monthly tuition for children at the Breaking Chains Building!!! The children at the building who are of age to attend my school (Nursery to 6th Grade) have the opportunity to attend Interamerican with no monthly tuition costs! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that will change these children's life forever. It will be giving them the opportunity to one day get off the streets and to have a job in any number of fields! We still have a few things to discuss such as book costs and transportation but the news is still amazing. At first it may only be two of our kids from the building attending but that number could grow after the kids come to visit the school next week. Currently it looks as if Jonathan and Dayana, aged 6 and 5, will be starting in February! These two are some of Rosie's older siblings and children of Belkis. I hope the number of children attending my school from Amber's building will grow over the next few days but just having the opportunity to send these two sweet kids is such an amazing blessing that I could not help but get a little emotional when I was given my answer. Below are photos of Dayan and Jonatan, hopefully our first two bilingual students at Breaking Chains!
With this great news comes some additional responsibility on my part. I will be helping the kids with their homework and their studies a few nights a week. I also will be raising money for their school books and uniforms. Donations for this or any other purpose can be made here on my page via the pay pal link on the right hand side of the page! Thank you all for your support and stay tuned for more great news from the Director of Fun and Education!
Monday, November 7, 2011
Love in the Underbelly
The Underbelly is the rough part of town. But it is the place where the people I have come to love are living. A place where 20 people sleeping in front of a building is a daily sight. A place where prostitutes outnumber cars. A place where the people who need the most help roam the streets at night. A few nights a week David and I have begun checking in on our friends at the homeless ministry. We go later at night after our feedings at a time where they are all "supposed" to be in the building with the door locked. We expanded this adventure to drivng around the neighborhood that surrounds the building in search of people who needed help. Whether it was a person who needed a baleada or someone who needed a fresh wound to be tended to or one of our friends on the street who just needed a hug and some kind words we decided that someone needed to check up on these people. Everyone in this world deserves to know that they are loved and that someone out there cares for them. Our last few trips have seen the number of people accompanying us grow. Last night Amber and Courtney joined us for Courtney's first trip to the "Underbelly". All was quiet until we reached the building. As we pulled up Jose De La Cruz came running down the street. He informed us that a few of the teens from the building were being beat up a few blocks away. We jumped in the car a sped to the location that DLC had told us to go. When we finally arrived it was a very sad scene. The altercation had ended but the teens looked crushed. I couldn't even begin to put myself in the mindset of these kids. They have been through so much and to continue to have these awful things happen to them is just plain heartbreaking. We began talking to the teens and giving them some much needed hugs and attention before loading those willing to come back to the building in the car. Hugo a.k.a. "The Mexican" did not want to join us but he reached out his hand to me for a much needed handshake before we headed back to the building. When we returned Amber spoke with the teens for a few moments before we prayed for them. Seeing someone at their lowest gives you an idea just how much the kids want to change their lives. I can only give credit to God for making sure that David, Amber, Courtney, and I were there last night to give these sweet kids from the street exactly what they needed at their time of greatest need, love.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
WOP, Didasko, and a Reunion
I have been SUPER busy with school recently, and combine that with the women's retreat means I have had very little time for blogging, and for that I apologize. This past weekend I had the privilege to help with the Women of Purpose retreat here in Honduras. WOP as it is known is a retreat for the female missionaries of Honduras. They come from all over the country to relax and worship. It was pretty amazing to see all of these selfless women together in one place. Saturday of the retreat David, the band members, and I went to a children's home, Didasko, to drop off some clothes and food. We would have about an hour to spend some time with the kids. I saw a soccer court and knew exactly how I was going to spend the next hour. I asked the first kid I saw, Juan Pablo, where the ball was to play. He grabbed it and challenged me to a race. I won. We played for a little while by ourselves before we noticed that no one else had followed us to play. We returned to where everyone was at and I played soccer with Juan Pablo and his friends. I really enjoyed being able to spend the afternoon with the kids there at Didasko!
Sunday was one of my favorite days here in Honduras. It was one of the last days of the retreat and we had been working on a surprise for Jen Wright for a few days. David's plan was to get ahold of the 8 brothers and bring them to the retreat so that she could visit with them since we had not seen them since they moved in early August. We finally got ahold of them on Saturday and planned to meet them in Comayagua to bring them to the airport to see Jen. We woke up early Sunday morning and took our road trip to meet them. We were to meet them at the Wendy's in town so as we sat and waited for them excitement levels were reaching an all time high. When we finally spotted them coming around the corner Carlos had to tell me not to scream. Marvin came to me first, gave me a great big hug and asked, "COREY!!!? What are you doing here?" It was all I could do not to cry. We then set off on our journey to the airport where Jen was helping a few of the ladies with their flights back home. As we drove back Jen called David a few times but since we had 11 extra people with us we couldn't answer. When we arrived at the airport we hid the boys from sight so they could jump out and surprise her when she walked through the doors! It was an amazing surprise and Jen was overjoyed to see her boys! After the airport we spend the afternoon at the women's retreat with the boys. It was pretty awesome to spend time and play with all of them, but also sad knowing that the next morning they would be taking the bus back home. Needless to say that night I had some sad goodbyes. However, it was great to see them and to see that they are ok.
Sunday was one of my favorite days here in Honduras. It was one of the last days of the retreat and we had been working on a surprise for Jen Wright for a few days. David's plan was to get ahold of the 8 brothers and bring them to the retreat so that she could visit with them since we had not seen them since they moved in early August. We finally got ahold of them on Saturday and planned to meet them in Comayagua to bring them to the airport to see Jen. We woke up early Sunday morning and took our road trip to meet them. We were to meet them at the Wendy's in town so as we sat and waited for them excitement levels were reaching an all time high. When we finally spotted them coming around the corner Carlos had to tell me not to scream. Marvin came to me first, gave me a great big hug and asked, "COREY!!!? What are you doing here?" It was all I could do not to cry. We then set off on our journey to the airport where Jen was helping a few of the ladies with their flights back home. As we drove back Jen called David a few times but since we had 11 extra people with us we couldn't answer. When we arrived at the airport we hid the boys from sight so they could jump out and surprise her when she walked through the doors! It was an amazing surprise and Jen was overjoyed to see her boys! After the airport we spend the afternoon at the women's retreat with the boys. It was pretty awesome to spend time and play with all of them, but also sad knowing that the next morning they would be taking the bus back home. Needless to say that night I had some sad goodbyes. However, it was great to see them and to see that they are ok.
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