“I am part of the pilot team for the project of rescuing values and principles. For me, it is a true challenge because rescuing something that little by little we have been losing is not an easy job. It is precisely with that motive that I commit myself to this project… The involvement, acceptance and participation of the students has been excellent. The majority are motivated as I am since we haven’t seen it as a mandate, but as a benefit to all.” (Professor, University in Comayagua)
In case you haven’t guessed, the director, students and professors at the National University of Honduras in Comayagua are absolutely thrilled about the course in values and the new CFI that is halfway completed on their campus. See photos of the construction progress.
There have been many changes this year, partially due to the opportunities we have been able to grasp as Professionals to the World, and partly due to the crisis in the Honduran government.
We have had the fewest number of professionals going with us this year to teach at the universities in Central America since our beginning in 2005. This had little to do with the economy but a lot to do with our change in focus.
At this time last year, Charly and I were busy writing our book titled “Values and Principles that can Change the World,” and this has greatly changed the focus of our trips this year. We completed the book in time to get many copies printed in Honduras and then to promote it in several universities creating quite a bit of interest. This consumed most of Charly and my time during the trip in March. Barb and Jim Hermanson were with us on this trip and they taught Barb’s great material on expository writing at several universities.
Then on June 28, the national congress and the supreme court of Honduras removed president Zelaya from office and sent him out of the country. Read the rest of this entry »
February 28 to March 15, 2009
We have just returned from another great trip to Honduras. This time, just Jim and Barb Hermanson, and Charly and I went. We didn’t try to get a team together since we were trying some new things and Charly and I were busy writing a book titled, ‘Values and Principles that Change the World.’
New Year’s Greetings to All of You!
We called 2008 The Year of Expansion for Professionals to the World, as well as for Ministerio Renuevo in Honduras. The year has met our expectations and then some.
Here is a summary of what we did last year:
| Jan 11-19 | Honduran student trip to Quetzaltenango, Guatemala + talks at university |
| Feb 2 | Thank you party at our house for PTTW volunteers |
| Feb 21 | Leadership Conference for students in San Pedro Sula (SPS), Honduras |
| Feb 25-27 | Jim Hermanson, John Potts talks in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala Barb Hermanson, Charly Potts talks to High School teachers in SPS |
| Mar 3-7 | Team of 6 from New Life taught at UNAH in Tegucigalpa, Honduras |
| May 11-16 | John Potts directed leaders meeting in San Pedro Sula |
| July 15 | Received negative letter from director of university in Quetzaltenango |
| Aug 7 | Gerson Ruiz and John Potts were interviewed on AM91, KPOF |
| Sep 25 | Taught leadership conference for students at UNAH in Tegucigalpa |
| Sep 29-Oct 2 | Taught conferences to professors and students at UNAH in Tegucigalpa |
| Oct 3 | Taught professors at national university in Comayagua, Honduras |
| Oct 6-10 | Team of 10 from New Life and City Pres taught classes in SPS |
| Oct 10 | Barb taught at bi-lingual school Jim and John taught Values conference to professors in SPS |
In all, 10 different professionals gave talks to 4914 students and professors at 6 different universities.
A lot has happened since our last newsletter. We had intended to spend one week in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala and two weeks in Honduras with the first two weeks devoted to teaching values to professors. However, we were told not to come to the university in Quetzaltenango because they did not want us to teach values “based on capitalism and religion.” They see our values as helping the rich at the expense of the poor. This is far from accurate but after 37 years of civil war in Guatemala I can understand their reluctance. This was a little discouraging but the two weeks we spent in Honduras more than made up for it.
