Rancho Santa Fé: Summary of two weeks!

Days are passing here like hours. The Rancho Santa Fé, NPH camp, is situated about one hour away of Tegus in the mountains which are at an elevation of 1000+ meters. Pine trees cover the entire hilly area, steady brises and a intermediate climate provide a mellow day life. The rancho is widely spread out on an huge property, it takes perhaps a day to hike around. Kids live in houses grouped by gender and age. Other buildings, like two hospitals, the school or the casa personal were all the volunteers live are found in between.
The first week was about to get started, to learn where you can find what, volunteers, tias and tios of kids and other staff guided us through those informative days. Now, 11 new volunteers have a arrived including my although 3 are working in Tegucigalpa. Others have left on this weekend since the turnus is always in july and january, everyone serves at least 13 months. We are certainly a very individual group, unusual people meeting at an unusual place. But I like them all, everone has unique stories to tell, interesting philosophies. For sure, we have one thing in common we all like to work and spend time with kids.
Now about the most important and most heart catching thing, the kids themselves. About 500 children which come from very sad backgrounds live here, go to school, work in the afternoon, play, and study together. They arent children you meet in a usual household at your or somebodies home with parents. The seem grown, or even more, sometimes knowing. What they need is mostly attention and love, something they are always seeking for. A stranger is a friend of them when he already shows up at the camp. Groups hold together in a increible way, they share food, games and know when the have the most power. That is when they are together.
I am working in the school as a sport teacher, to help translating between the languages and with their homeworks. During afternoon and evening I have to go to my "hogar- house of some children who live there",girls from about 8 to twelve live there. We eat together, do activities, make homeworks and I leave when the go to bed. The hogar is the most intensive part for me
, you get the kids to know much better than in regular clases.
Everthing is overwhelming for me till now. I have tried to come here with low expectations since I didnt know to much about anything here. Now, I can say, although I hate the expression and I have never used it so far:---- Iam just experiencing on of the most important times
of my life here in Honduras. It is changing me daily. Also challenging, but how will you grow otherwise.
In general, people also in Tegus, actually an huge city, are extremely friendly. I havent seen too much about the country side, but actually it isnt that important for me now.
All in all I cant believe that this is a civil service, something I have to do. I enjoy it just too much.
I write more details soon but I hope that this a good overview about what I am doing so far.
Dani