Today was one of those days that I live for as a missionary.
Every Tuesday I take advantage of the fact that the psychologist has a class in Las Minitas. Security has to drive her there so they pick me up along the way. Our coworker, who lives in the community and has worked there for over 10 years, accompanied us for safety.
The day didn't start out so great. I am pretty sure I have Zika. I thought I was being lazy, but when I went to work yesterday everyone said I look horrible. In the morning I learned one of my closest friends was diagnosed with Zika, today another coworker and friend was diagnosed, and Laura is feeling sick too. Looking back, I realize I got the famous rash which is a key symptom of Zika last week. At the time I blamed it on mangos even though it was on my stomach.
I didn't realize how weak I felt until we were climbing the mountain today. Normally I have no problem with it. In fact sometimes I am impatient with my coworkers. Today my legs just would not climb and my chest hurt. I had to admit, something was not right.
Then I got to the house of the lady I was supposed to tutor. She was covered in mud and working on digging her house out from the storm we had last night. She really didn't want to be tutored, and she is a tough cookie. But I pushed her a little bit and finally told her that if she didn't catch up with us now, she would be lost in class on Thursday. She's strong willed, but she is not stupid. So she went and cleaned up, agreeing to meet me in a few minutes.
While I was talking to her, the psychologist made it down to the place where we meet. But there was a problem. The heavy rains had formed a creek which was never there before. The creek passed directly in front of our building and she couldn't get across.
This is how I encountered my coworker. She is timid when it comes to climbing up and down these mountains to begin with. The creek really threw her for a loop. She wanted to have her class on the ground on the other side, but with help and encouragement we got her across.
 |
A student ponders how to
get the teacher across |
 |
| Lots of helping hands |
 |
| Almost there! |
After getting the psychologist safely across the new creek, I headed out to visit a lady who is really struggling with the literacy class. She is the main reason I tutor on Tuesdays. I don't want her to fall behind. She suffered a head injury. Some days her memory is good and she is quite intelligent, but other days she hardly makes sense when she talks. You can imagine how difficult it is for her to learn to read. But she is determined!
When I arrived she and her family were all knee deep in mud, literally. The mountainside behind her house had collapsed so they were scooping up the mud and making channels for the water to flow
around the house instead of through the her home.
The home is three cement rooms with a kitchen outside. The kitchen has metal roofing but only one wall, which is really just a few sticks. She has a small clay oven for cooking and two chairs. Every time I visit she makes a big deal about bringing a chair for me to sit in.
Today we figured out she is going to turn 50 on the 20th of this June! She had no idea how old she is and has never celebrated her birthday before. She doesn't know it yet, but this year we will celebrate!
I admire her faith in God. It's what keeps her going in class and in life. I love being around her. Sometimes, as a missionary from the US, people tend to put me on a pedestal. They think I am better than they are, which is really uncomfortable for me. What I love about this lady is that she knows I am only as good as God made me. She prays for my wisdom and strength, just like she prays for her own. She respects me, but she gives all of the glory for everything good to God. That's how it should be!
She has 10 kids. Three are my students. Three more are little. Her little boy is about three. He always runs around in a t shirt and nothing more. It's pretty funny. The older four kids moved away.
Class is fairly easy for two of her three kids. They learn quickly and try to help their mother and brother by giving them all of the answers. I can tell they are used to being very protective of their family. It is hard for them to understand that they are not helpful when they whisper the answers into their mother's ear.
Last week the students all received colored pencils. Today I reviewed the girls' homework. It was beautiful, all done artistically in colored pencil! They are close to being able to read, but their brother and mother are still working on identifying letters.
Their Mom and I studied for a while. Then the neighbor finished cleaning her home and came over. I cannot get her to wear reading glasses I gave her. She can't tell the difference between C and O and e, but she refused to wear glasses. She swears the light is not bright enough, and she is right, but that is only part of the problem. The other part of the problem is that she is 58 years old and needs glasses to read.
We borrowed a stool from another neighbor since there were now three of us in a two chair home, and got to work. Even without glasses, the older student does really well. She is combining sounds, like Ma Me Mi Mo Mu, easily. But putting together two syllables has her confused. Seperately she can read Ma and Mi. But if I put them together to spell the Spanish word for mother, she cannot read Mami. No matter how many times she said the syllables apart, when she blended them together she kept saying Mano (hand). Right now, to her Ma + Mi = Mano. We will keep studying.
Toward the end of our time together, the first student announced that we need to pray. We prayed and prayed. It was awesome. For the past few weeks I have not gotten out of work in time to attend intercession at my church. That time of prayer with two other people was just what I needed.
After we had each prayed, the first lady said, "I need to sing my praise to God." As she began to sing I searched my mind, trying to figure out if I knew her song. But the words came straight from her heart. I can't say it was beautiful in a musical sense, because it wasn't. But it was absolutely beautiful in a spiritual sense. Soon the three of us were singing praise to God, giving Him thanks for all He is and all He does. It was the most special thing I have been part of in a very long time. I wished I could have captured it on video, but that would have ruined the moment. So I sang. "Thank you God. You are great. You are all powerful. You love us so much. Thank you God. Thank you God." That was basically our song. We sang it loudly and it echoed through the valley for all to hear.
 |
We sang from the house that is nearest the middle of the picture.
You can see the metal roof with rusty colored spots.
In Honduran churches, people like to sing loudly. We followed that custom. |
 |
The view from the table where we worked and praised God.
The building is the center where I normally give class. |
 |
| Turkey Eggs |
When I noticed the eggs in this bucket I thought they were for eating because turkeys and chickens do wander in and out of the house. Now I am realizing they are probably being kept safe inside because they will hatch one day. In another dish, also padded with cloth, were chicken eggs.
In this photo you can also see how the walls of the house are made. Many homes are going up here, so I have seen the process. People pack together mud and small twigs, then let them dry in the sun. It actually makes a strong house when done right.
I love the special bond that my students have with me and one another. The student who is learning to read is always thinking of her neighbor, who struggles with letters. She does everything possible to be encouraging and supportive. Their love for each other, and for me, is beautiful and something that only God can do.
Soon my coworkers called up to us. Those two hours flew by. It was time to hike out of the valley and back down the other side. Our transportation would be coming soon. I was sad to hug the two ladies goodbye. It was a moment I didn't want to end. But they both had work to do, so we hugged and hugged and finally parted ways - them to clean the mud out of their homes and me to meet up with our security.
When my coworkers and I got to the top of the mountain and looked down, security wasn't there yet. We sat under a tree to wait for them.
 |
| My Coworkers |
In the front is the woman who lives nearby and has served these people for more than 10 years. Through her efforts, they recently got electricity and running water. Plus there are some paved steps on the front of the mountain at some of the steeper parts of the climb. The work was funded by our organization, but it was she who made it a reality. She ensures that broken water pipes in the community are repaired. She is an amazing lady. It is safe for me to climb up the front of the mountain, which is a very dangerous place, only because she accompanies me. The people there know and respect her as I do. Without her, I couldn't do what I do in Las Minitas.
 |
The view from where we sat on the front side of the mountain.
A striking contrast to the solitude of Las Minitas, which is behind us |
Today was a very good day.
