The First Honduras All-U-Can-Eat Buffet

Friday night, we had a midnight pancake breakfast for the boys. We decorated the conference center with white table cloths and centerpieces. The boys all stayed up late until they were finally invited to join us in the conference center. Usually, they eat and run out as quick as they can. But this night they were instucted to stay, chat and enjoy themselves. We even had a couple of skits to keep them entertained. One of the skits included the anthem of the Honduras national soccer team and the cheering was deafening. I can't imagine what an actual game would be like!

We decided to make this meal and all-u-can-eat affair. For kids that aren't always used to getting enough to eat, this was a foreign concept for them. We thought we were prepared. We made almost 700 pancakes. We also had fresh fruit, ham and cheese sandwiches (traditional breakfast in Honduras), eggs and sausages. The school can't afford this kind of splurge, so we all chipped in to buy the food. The boys were told they could eat as much as they wanted, but that they shouldn't heap their plates on the first trip through the line. There should have been plenty of food for everyone to have multiple trips. Needless to say, this advice did not go heeded and every single boy had enough food on his plate to feed four of five people and we barely made it through the line once! Granted, they are teenage boys, but it was amazing how much food they took. I saw some squirreling it away in their pockets and napkins to take with them....even after we assured them that they would still get their normal breakfast in just a few hours! I was most surprised by the little guys...those little guys can eat!

We managed through the chaos and I think the boys really felt special. They had a great time and we all went to bed completely exhausted. I'm still not sure they understand the all-u-can-eat buffet, but it sure was fun to watch them try!

Francisco and Jose Daniel

Gerardo, Jose Antonio and Denis Yoel