Steven

Steven quickly became our new best friend.  He adored Brad!  One of the first things we noticed about Steven was that he had no shoes.  His feet were badly marked up with blisters, blood and scars.  Since we had money to work with from people that supported our trip, we took Steven to the store to buy socks and shoes.  Brad also cleaned up his feet, tended to his wounds and checked on them each day to see the progress of the healing. 

As the week went on, we learned that Steven's parents live in Mexico and he lives in town with his grandma.  He misses his parents. 

Steven quickly became part of our Honduran family- always in the park waiting for us (where the electrical project was being done) and eager to help in any way possible. 

It was sad to say goodbye to him, but we know it is just see ya later.

Shoes

Many children in developing countries grow up barefoot. Whether at play, doing chores or going to school, these children are at risk:
•A leading cause of disease in developing countries is soil-transmitted diseases, which can penetrate the skin through bare feet. Wearing shoes can help prevent these diseases, and the long-term physical and cognitive harm they cause.
•Wearing shoes also prevents feet from getting cuts and sores. Not only are these injuries painful, they also are dangerous when wounds become infected.
•Many times children can't attend school barefoot because shoes are a required part of their uniform. If they don't have shoes, they don't go to school. If they don't receive an education, they don't have the opportunity to realize their potential.
-Taken from Tom's Shoes.....check it out

Have you ever gone a day without shoes?  I suggest you try it.