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The whole trip, and the home stay in particular really taught me never to take anything for granted. I never really appreciated the value of clean water, a hot shower or sleeping in a room with no giant cockroaches and I now know that none of these are assumed luxuries in Honduras. Now that I'm back, I look forward to helping make one of these luxuries, clean water, available to the people of Honduras.

Jeff Will's Honduras Journal Entry

I went down to Honduras expecting to see many problems similar to those I see in Nicaragua when I travel there during spring break; however, what I saw was completely different. Fortunately/unfortunately I could not help but compare the two neighboring countries. Instead of finding a country struggling to put food on the table and a roof over their head, I found a country struggling against political corruption to the point of disenfranchisement. What I did find in common, though, and still inspiring was the spirit of the people to persevere through the tough times and enjoy life. Every evening in Agalteca, the town would come together on the field in the center of town, clear all of the horse manure, lay down wood chips for lines, and pick teams for soccer; anyone who wanted had a spot on a team.

I found it especially heartwarming that the family I stayed with gave up two of their three beds so that Matt and I would have a place to sleep. No matter how much or how little our host family had, they would give us what they could. Their generosity was juxtaposed to much corruption, in particular amidst the coup, and it made me think about the possible futility of our work if our designs never get built. I am curious to see how Agua Clara will grow and face these challenges in the coming years to become a pervasive technology in the global south.