Alcance Victoria, el Zoologico, y mas

There is a train that runs North/South through the heart of Irapuato. It is a popular route of many migrants making the long trip to the states. I have had several conversations with many of people making the trip. For many, this is not their first time making the trip and they are eager to try pracitce their English on a gringo like me. I am all ears.


The tracks that run through the city

I was biking the other day past the tracks and I saw a man asking for food to cars that drove by. He had a backpack and nothing else so I figured he was making the trip. When I got back to the intersection with some sandwiches and gatorade, I noticed that there was another man, or boy with him. I sat down with Avacho, an 18 year old boy making the trip from Honduras to the US. He and his father, the man begging in the street, are 30 days into their journey. Man at 18 I was stressing about the bus schedule in Cleveland... Anyway, I asked Avacho about his life in Honduras and his plans for the US. I am particulary interested in the education of many of the men and women who make the trip acorss the border. In Avacho´s case, his family could not afford education in Honduras and he has no plans for education in the states. I have been hunting around for homeless shelter here in Irapuato because I would like to see the services available. Ask and you shall recieve I suppose. I asked Avacho about services he has been provided. He pulled out a pamphlet of a place called Alcance Victoria, a homeless shelter for men here in Irapuato. They also house migrants for up to a week to help them recover. I checked out the place and have been back each day since.


La casa de Alcance Victoria

The shelter houses, right now, fifteen men. Many of whom have either been addictied to drugs and/or alcohol. They rely on no donations and make the money to run the house through the work of the men. They work construction, landscaping, and carpentry. Alcance Victoria has homes all over the world. It uses the Bible as a tool to fight addiction and all of the men at AV in Irapuato take their faith quite seriously. I attended a mass with the men. Man you need to be prepared for their masses. A whole bunch of singing, jumping around, laughing, clapping. It was good fun and quite an experience for me.

Anyway, I have been helping out in their carpentry shop daily for two hours or so. I am learning a lot, practicing my spanish, and meeting many interesting guys. I am doing very medial things that any body could do. In fact there is a ten year old there who is the son of one of the fellas and he has more responsibility than I do! But it is a testament to the men´s hospitality that they welcome me back everyday. In fact they fed me the other day. Hot dogs, eggs, and beans... I had to stomach the hot dogs...





The shop

A couple of my students from my English class in Guadalupe Paso Blanco invited me to the zoo over the weekend. It was extremely kind of them and I had a blast. (Ana Lucia, Victor, and Mary)

Check it Justin! They were mighty cute

Feeding the animals was encouraged. In fact this monkey and her baby got everything from carrots and bread, to doritos and candy.

My time is going by mighty quickly here as I knew it would. I knew it would take some patience, but I finally have my days full of things I am truly enjoying. Thank you for reading!

Adiós todos.