For a few days I was a little anxious about finding the dealership and then finding my way home. I made it there fine. It was a little different than people had told me, but it was still easy. On the way home I had a few options. I could go back the way I came, which meant going all of the way back toward the church. That would add about 30 kilometers (and who knows how much time since it was rush hour) to my trip. Or I could go the way Belinda had shown me, but I had only gone once.
Turned out God was looking out for me in several ways. I was starving, so I asked a lady if there was any place close by where I could safely walk and get something to eat. She took me to the cafeteria for the workers of the dealership, but it was closed. (So nice of her, though!) Then she talked to another lady and they decided they were going to have the guy who runs the shuttle take me to find something to eat. He asked where I wanted to go and I told him I have no idea. Then he took me a couple of blocks where there was everything a hungry person could want - Pizza Hut, Wendy's, Burger King, (Wendy's and Burger King seem to be more popular here than McDonalds) Pollo Campero, Popeye's, Denny's, Chili's and 2 Chinese restaurants. I ate fast food. That's how starving I was. It even tasted good.
At the same time I recognized a restaurant sign and realized I had been that way once with Jose and Karla to go to my house. As I looked closer, there was no way to turn in that direction, so I asked the guy how to go that way. He said just turn around in the gas station and you can catch the road from there. I was thinking and thinking, trying to remember how to get home that way.
After I ate my lunch and could think more clearly, I realized that I could probably also go a fourth route. I had come down into town from that way several times before, but I don't ever remember leaving that way. So I started to pray and pray that God would take me home safely. I read two newspapers (19 people have died from Dengue. Joss's boyfriend was hospitalized for it and a friend of Eunice's is close to death from it.) and I prayed. When I left I felt at peace. The worst thing that would happen is I would get lost. Then I would have to call someone and try to describe where I was so they could help me get home.
I decided to go the route I had gone with Jose and Karla. So I headed that way, but somehow I turned too early. I have no idea how that happened. UGH! I couldn't make a U-turn, so I followed a sign to the hospital where Marlin had been, planning to re-orient myself. That is when I remembered that if I went past the hospital there was a route that would take me to the bottom of the mountain if I did it right. I have gone that way a few times before and knew that way best of all, but still not well.
As I drove I prayed and envisioned myself driving the route. It was almost like I could picture my own car going in front of me. By the time I got to each intersection I felt sure which way to go. Finally I knew exactly where I was. I did it! I made it home the quickest and easiest route.
They say my car needs $500 worth of work plus I know it also needs new tires. Part of that is an oil change they were going to over charge me for and a light that I tightened so it works now. I think I'll take it to Quaker State for an oil change and to the mechanic who worked on the car before. I'm hoping he will fix the rest for about $250 and then I'll only have to deal with the tires. We'll see. I really don't understand what the most important thing on the list is. It is something that sounds like it could be a new crankcase? Plus they say I need 4 new spark plugs, which is surprising since I haven't driven far since the mechanic cleaned and replaced them in July. But Walter's buddy will know exactly what I need to do and he will also tell me if there is anything I'm better off doing at the dealership.
Today at the Breakfast Program the kids worked on their presentation for Lourdes. We are having a special going away party for her Saturday. All of the kids have an invitation. As soon as we started handing out invitations earlier in the week, suddenly a bunch of new kids started coming. Belinda told them that if they came for the rest of the week they would get invitations to the party. Today we served 92 kids! We are going to do some poetry, songs, dances, and my preschoolers have made letters that spell out "GRACIAS". They decorated the letters today with stickers, glitter, drawings and cut out pieces of paper. The letters are quite lovely in themselves, but the kids are also going to name an attribute that goes along with each letter - like generous,loving, caring, etc.
Yesterday Evelin Michele came over to my house for a visit. Besides my landlords and Joss, Evelin is my first official visitor. She goes to college in Texas, but she is home from school for a few weeks. Evelin was one of my first Honduran friends. When I first was called to serve here, she was one of the people I talked to a lot. Now I live only a few minutes from her family's house.
Sometimes I think I take things for granted. I waited years to be here, feeling like I would never be happy until I got to Honduras. Now, here I am. I live in the mountains, just as I always wished for, in a nice house, with great friends and a reliable car. I am greeted every morning by kids wanting to crawl into my car and hug me. I didn't know God would be this good. I imagined my day to day life to be more of a struggle. And I never thought I'd find a safe home in the mountains!
Well, yesterday the lights did go out for 9 hours. But that is a frustration, not a struggle. I guess while I was in Costa Rica they started shutting off the electricity all day. Not sure why that is. My fridge stayed cold and the power was on in time to cook dinner so I saw it as a way to save on my electric bill.
Memo wore his suit again today. Actually he changed it up a bit with khakis that looked better with his sneakers and a button down instead of a tee shirt. He is so darn funny!
Yesterday at this time I was waiting and waiting to hear how my friend, Pat Pike, fared in surgery. At the Breakfast Program every single person who was at the church, even Don Juan and Eunice, prayed for him. We got on our knees (on the one day I wore shorts) and went around the whole circle with each person saying their own individual prayer. Some of the kids said the most beautiful things. I am so proud of them. And none of them but the tiniest moved from kneeling on the cement. Jairo took video of the prayer and then of us all trying to stand up afterward.
A year ago Pat was supposed to have a small surgery to remove 2 inches of colon. It was supposed to be an easy recovery. However, every time they tried to close up his stomach he got very, very sick. He was in a coma and almost died. After that no doctor has wanted to close up his stomach.
The surgery yesterday seems to have gone well. The doctors took out his gall bladder while they were in there. They said they had to pull everything very tight to close it up and there is a chance the stitches could come open, so Pat has to be very, very careful. Now we are thanking God for a successful surgery and for a complete recovery. The kids prayed that Pat will be here in Honduras with us soon. I think he will!
 |
| I told Pat I was going to squeeze his guts out when I hugged him in July. |
