Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Staying busy

Sunday was a long one.  Left for church and didn't get home until 8 p.m.  We had lunch after the first church service and dinner after the second with coffee in between.  I think my cat believed I had gone back to the US and left her again.  She was not happy when I finally got home after leaving her all day.

I started the day by putting on my stretchiest pants and discovering they did not fit.  Must do something about that.  Haven't exercised since my gym membership ran out in November.  In the meantime, dresses are the answer.

Got to church early because I was one of three people assigned to prepare lunch for church members to buy after the service.  We decided since we had short notice we would serve...  Surprise!  Chinese food!  The most commonly eaten food in Honduras outside of beans.  We had to leave during the service to run and get it, which was a bummer, but we bought extra and sold it all!  Profits go to the church, so we were happy.

Some of my new North American friends called me early in the morning saying they would like to come to my new church.  It was nice to have guests.  The pastor's assistant jumped up when he realized there were English speakers there and translated the whole service for them.  I appreciated that very much and so did they.

Afterward they asked if I was going to the English service in the afternoon.  We decided since we all had the same plans that we could drop off my car and spend the rest of the day together.  So I showed them my house, which they loved, grabbed Skip-Bo (a card game I bought in the US) and we headed to their house.  They treated me to coffee on the way.  I can't drink coffee because the caffeine keeps me awake for days, so I got a grape frozen drink.

We played cards until it was time for our second round of church.  One of my friends has a seven or eight year old son.  It was like torture for him every time he drew a skip card.  He could not stand the thought of skipping his Mommy, and he really didn't want to skip his Auntie, so he kept wanting to skip me.  His family pointed out that it was not nice to skip his friend (me) all of the time.  He should use strategy to choose who he is going to skip.  Then he skipped his Aunt once.  But he still could not bring himself to skip his Mom.  He begged us please, could he skip himself.  We told him that was not part of the rules.  Poor kid.  He drew more skip cards than the rest of us put together and each time got more upset.  He was relieved when it was time to go to church!

At church I was introduced to two other missionaries who are also in transition.  The pastor's wife joked that we need a whole separate ministry that is like a temp agency because so many people are in transition right now.  People could say they need help and others could go and serve with them to see if it is a good fit.

One of the young women I met is meeting with me tomorrow for lunch.  I would like to learn more about what she has been doing and see if I feel called to help.  From what I can see, I would not feel safe doing what she is doing.  But I will meet with her before I make any decision.

The other woman I met is about to go to school for two weeks to improve her Spanish.  I thought that sounds amazing, but my friends immediately said I don't need it.  Plus it was $500!.  I think that included room and board which isn't so bad if you consider it that way.  But still, that is not in my budget.  My friends said they will work with me themselves on the things I want to improve and save me the $500.

After church we all went out to dinner.  We do that once/month at the English speaking church.  Since most of the congregation are missionaries, the leadership believe fellowship is extra important.  We get a huge table that takes up most of the restaurant at Pizza Hut and share pizzas.  I always have a good time and meet someone new.  I love my morning church for feeding my soul,  I can't live without that one.  But the English church is great for fellowship and for worshiping in English.  Although now I have been in Honduras for almost 3 years, and didn't have any English speaking friends until now, so I don't know any of the English songs they are singing these days.  I am learning them little by little.

Yesterday I caught up on "housekeeping" which means I did everything BUT housekeeping.  Sent out letters I had been meaning to write, wrote my update to supporters, and took care of some other business.  The next thing I knew it was 5 p.m. and the whole day was gone.

Sunday night a strange thing happened.  A vision flashed into my mind of my friend Ana's daughter Isabela.  In the vision Isa fell and hit her head really hard.  I considered calling Ana, but thought there is really nothing Ana can do.  It would only make her worry.  So I didn't call.

Last night I called Ana because I was supposed to meet her today.  She said she was shaken up because Isa had just fallen off the steps, which are really high and rickety, and banged her head.  She said her eyes rolled back in her head and she lost her breath.  I couldn't believe it.  In my vision I didn't know how she fell, and I thought she fell backward, but Ana said she fell frontward.  Anyway the blow to her head was in the same exact place, above her right ear just like in my vision.  It scared me because I didn't know why God would show me something like that.  Fany and I joined Ana in prayer for Isabela.  As of last night she seemed to be okay.  But Ana's phone lost its charge and I couldn't follow up.  I will talk to her this afternoon.