Haven't had a physical since I moved here. In March it'll be five years. So I spent today being poked, prodded, x-rayed, cardiogramed and scanned. I'll get the results Monday.
On the way home I decided to stop by the Hyundai dealership where I bought my first car. Jorge, the same man who sold me my CRV four years ago, was working. I told him I was looking for a Veracruz. He said they are great cars but parts are hard to find here because the Veracruz is no longer in production and it has a bigger motor than the Santa Fe. The Hyundai Santa Fe is very popular here and parts are easy (cheaper) to buy.
Therefore, I decided against a Veracruz. I have friends who have to bring car parts from the US. It's hard enough getting multi vitamins and contact lens solution. I won't be importing car parts.
I saw a nice Santa Fe in great shape with the two extra seats that I like in the back. It was originally purchased in Honduras, not the US. He said cars like that come in frequently. Since I am a previous customer, he will make sure I get a good deal.
When I bought my car four years ago they gave me a super good deal. It was only $200 over the blue book price. Most cars in Honduras are $2000 dollars over the blue book price.
For the first time in a year I have complete peace about buying a new car. It's a big decision but suddenly I don't feel anxious about it. I'm no longer tempted by the Veracruz. Jorge is going to call me when he has a 4WD car with ~60,000 miles.
I am thinking of leaving my car at my friend's car lot with a "For Sale" sign. Going to pray about that idea. It would be okay to be without a car for a while. My ankle hurts too much to drive stick shift right now anyway.
Oh, and my stove almost blew up. That's an exaggeration, but there were flames leaping out of the wall. When I got the dryer and the stove Fany's husband changed the outlets from two pronged to three big, thick prongs. The outlet plate isn't even attached to the wall. It just hangs out of the hole. I am able to connect a 3 pronged appliance but I think the stove and dryer take more current than the wires are meant to carry. The breakers always trip if I try to use anything else at the same time.
I hope that Fany will have someone fix it tomorrow. And I hope my stove still works when I'm able to plug it in again. Can stoves short out?
*Stove is fixed. Fany's husband fixed it.
If you are one of the 500+ daily readers in France, I hope you have time to read yesterday's post. I wrote it with you all in mind. You can scroll down, or here's the link:
Enjoy!
Thursday, February 23, 2017
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
A day in the life of someone else
Car dealer called back. Said his friend has to pay some bills and lowered the price of the Veracruz to $10,000 cash. Sooooo tempting.
Today was a full day at work. We did the parenting class in the morning for parents whose kids have scholarships through Impacto Juvenil. The kids have to maintain an 80% GPA and attend school 90% of the time. We had to talk to parents about not putting their (underage) kids to work when they should be in school or studying.
After the parenting class I walked with coworkers from the community center to the office. It's only three blocks, but they never let me walk alone. It was funny, they didn't say a word, but suddenly my coworkers surrounded me and we quickly crossed to the other side of the road. I realized what was going on. There were a bunch of gang members hanging out on the street. Later the lady who is a leader in the community told me it is good I said good morning to them. She said one of the psychologists who is not from that area never says good morning and it makes them mad.
A different coworker was robbed nearby so I asked where that occurred. She said it was right where we saw those gang members. It was surprising because the gangs know him. He only lives three blocks in the other direction. That's why she was so protective today. She had been walking on my right, but she cut behind me and walked purposefully between them and me. They all know who she is and respect her, so they won't mess with her or anyone accompanied by her. She even got my coworker's phone back from them!
Once she was walking with a group of North Americans. The gangs didn't see her and they tried to steal the shoes off someones feet! When she realized what was going on she went back and got the shoes back from the gang.
At lunch she pointed out her house. It sits across the mountain from the office. She said that once she sat in our office and watched in broad daylight as people attempted to break down the door to her house and rob her. She called her neighbors and they stopped the break-in. Then she got a metal door.
People have still gotten in though. Once, unbeknownst to her, someone hid a gun in her house. The gun had been used to kill a neighbor boy. She still tears up talking about it. She didn't know the gun was in her house until much later when gang members came to retrieve it. They tried to break in at 2 a.m. but she had everything locked up tight. The next day they barged in and pulled it out of the box spring where they had it stashed. It was covered in a bloody towel so she knew it had been used for something.
As they were retrieving the gun it discharged and almost shot her in the foot! She couldn't eat for a long time and couldn't sleep for months because she felt like she had unwillingly participated in the murder. She asked God to pardon her if she had somehow unwittingly been involved.
My other friend said the gangs used to always come and turn her house upside down searching for someone. It turned out that her mother shares the same name as some infamous woman from a different gang. Apparently it took the gangs several visits, each time destroying my friend's house, before they realized the person they were looking for doesn't live there.
Someone asked if they tied her family up while they tore her house apart. The discussion turned to various ways my coworkers have been tied up or chained while they were robbed. One lady still has this scar "H" shaped scar in the middle of her ankle 13 years later from trying to get herself unbound.
Needless to say, I could not participate in our lunch conversation today. I just sat there listening, trying to comprehend it all. Thank God I've never lived experiences like these. Of seven people at my lunch table, I was the only one who hasn't experienced these things. Even after five years of living in Honduras, it is unfathomable to me how people can live in such circumstances. To them, it's almost normal, which is sad.
A rival gang from Los Pinos recently moved into the neighborhood and took over a house near my coworker. I asked how they were allowed to move in. She said the gang in that sector wasn't strong enough to keep them out, but the Los Pinos gang doesn't have a very strong presence yet either. She said the local gang will have them out within the week. Meanwhile, it is very dangerous in that area.
The Los Pinos gang is trying to be really friendly to my coworker. They've figured out she is a leader in the community and are trying to win her over. She's in a tough spot because if she is friendly toward, or even seen near them, the local gang will be angry. But for the moment it's the Los Pinos boys who are in control, so she has to be respectful to them. It's a very precarious situation. I hope she is able to stay safe as they fight this out.
A couple of days ago a North American friend asked me for prayer. Her experiences of church as a child turned her away from God, instead of toward Him. She never considered herself Christian. But lately she sees the way I try to live in faith. Her boyfriend is also Christian. She is thinking she may like to build a relationship with God. So she asked me to pray for her. She said that she is praying too! She also said that she is going to stop smoking today, on her 47th birthday. Over the years she has tried to quit smoking but has never been successful. She believes that only God can help her stop smoking. My prayer is that this time she'll quit for good, and her testimony will be that she found God when she quit smoking.
I prayed for her throughout the day and sent her birthday wishes tonight. She said she is doing well so far, praying and not smoking. If you'd like to pray for my friend to build a relationship with Christ (and quit smoking), her name is Kim.
Today was a full day at work. We did the parenting class in the morning for parents whose kids have scholarships through Impacto Juvenil. The kids have to maintain an 80% GPA and attend school 90% of the time. We had to talk to parents about not putting their (underage) kids to work when they should be in school or studying.
After the parenting class I walked with coworkers from the community center to the office. It's only three blocks, but they never let me walk alone. It was funny, they didn't say a word, but suddenly my coworkers surrounded me and we quickly crossed to the other side of the road. I realized what was going on. There were a bunch of gang members hanging out on the street. Later the lady who is a leader in the community told me it is good I said good morning to them. She said one of the psychologists who is not from that area never says good morning and it makes them mad.
A different coworker was robbed nearby so I asked where that occurred. She said it was right where we saw those gang members. It was surprising because the gangs know him. He only lives three blocks in the other direction. That's why she was so protective today. She had been walking on my right, but she cut behind me and walked purposefully between them and me. They all know who she is and respect her, so they won't mess with her or anyone accompanied by her. She even got my coworker's phone back from them!
Once she was walking with a group of North Americans. The gangs didn't see her and they tried to steal the shoes off someones feet! When she realized what was going on she went back and got the shoes back from the gang.
At lunch she pointed out her house. It sits across the mountain from the office. She said that once she sat in our office and watched in broad daylight as people attempted to break down the door to her house and rob her. She called her neighbors and they stopped the break-in. Then she got a metal door.
People have still gotten in though. Once, unbeknownst to her, someone hid a gun in her house. The gun had been used to kill a neighbor boy. She still tears up talking about it. She didn't know the gun was in her house until much later when gang members came to retrieve it. They tried to break in at 2 a.m. but she had everything locked up tight. The next day they barged in and pulled it out of the box spring where they had it stashed. It was covered in a bloody towel so she knew it had been used for something.
As they were retrieving the gun it discharged and almost shot her in the foot! She couldn't eat for a long time and couldn't sleep for months because she felt like she had unwillingly participated in the murder. She asked God to pardon her if she had somehow unwittingly been involved.
My other friend said the gangs used to always come and turn her house upside down searching for someone. It turned out that her mother shares the same name as some infamous woman from a different gang. Apparently it took the gangs several visits, each time destroying my friend's house, before they realized the person they were looking for doesn't live there.
Someone asked if they tied her family up while they tore her house apart. The discussion turned to various ways my coworkers have been tied up or chained while they were robbed. One lady still has this scar "H" shaped scar in the middle of her ankle 13 years later from trying to get herself unbound.
Needless to say, I could not participate in our lunch conversation today. I just sat there listening, trying to comprehend it all. Thank God I've never lived experiences like these. Of seven people at my lunch table, I was the only one who hasn't experienced these things. Even after five years of living in Honduras, it is unfathomable to me how people can live in such circumstances. To them, it's almost normal, which is sad.
A rival gang from Los Pinos recently moved into the neighborhood and took over a house near my coworker. I asked how they were allowed to move in. She said the gang in that sector wasn't strong enough to keep them out, but the Los Pinos gang doesn't have a very strong presence yet either. She said the local gang will have them out within the week. Meanwhile, it is very dangerous in that area.
The Los Pinos gang is trying to be really friendly to my coworker. They've figured out she is a leader in the community and are trying to win her over. She's in a tough spot because if she is friendly toward, or even seen near them, the local gang will be angry. But for the moment it's the Los Pinos boys who are in control, so she has to be respectful to them. It's a very precarious situation. I hope she is able to stay safe as they fight this out.
A couple of days ago a North American friend asked me for prayer. Her experiences of church as a child turned her away from God, instead of toward Him. She never considered herself Christian. But lately she sees the way I try to live in faith. Her boyfriend is also Christian. She is thinking she may like to build a relationship with God. So she asked me to pray for her. She said that she is praying too! She also said that she is going to stop smoking today, on her 47th birthday. Over the years she has tried to quit smoking but has never been successful. She believes that only God can help her stop smoking. My prayer is that this time she'll quit for good, and her testimony will be that she found God when she quit smoking.
I prayed for her throughout the day and sent her birthday wishes tonight. She said she is doing well so far, praying and not smoking. If you'd like to pray for my friend to build a relationship with Christ (and quit smoking), her name is Kim.
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Car Shopping
My wish came true despite all of my friends saying I was crazy. The doctor said I need to be moving the ankle more. He said it will hurt and it will swell, but I have to work through that.
He asked if I have a bike. I don't. Then he gave me a choice - go to PT three times/week, or go to the gym three times/week. I love going to the gym and the cost analysis made it an easy choice. It's much cheaper to spend $25/month on a gym membership than $45/week on PT.
Tomorrow I go back to work full time. In the morning we will teach a parenting class in the neighborhood where I spent most of last year. Parents will learn how they can help their kids do well in school. We'll talk about things that most people in the US know, like requiring the child go to school whether or not they want to, and checking to be sure the child does their homework. Many parents here don't feel empowered to require their children to do anything.
A team is coming from Chicago to pray for my coworkers and me in the afternoon. My boss wants me to be there "to speak English with them". I guess that is different from translating.
I ran over to the gym to do my PT. He wants me to go three times/week and tomorrow I won't have time. When I got back I did the hot/cold foot soaking my doctor prescribed. Suddenly I realized I was soaking my foot when I should have been in online Spanish class! Bummer.
On the way home from the doctor I did stop by the car lot. The guy did find me a nice car. It was a 2011 Honda CRV. But it had 40,000 miles more than my car! I thanked him for thinking of me and explained that although it is the year I am looking for, there is no sense in buying a car with more miles than mine. He agreed.
Then he showed me a 2008 Hyundai Veracruz 4x4 for $12,300. That one was super cool. I'd never seen a Veracruz before. It's made for Latin America. It's more expensive because it's diesel which is in high demand here. It will run longer and gets great gas mileage. It seats seven. Two extra full sized seats pop out of the cargo space in back. I would use those for David and Samuel. Currently at least one of them has to ride in the far back and that makes me nervous.
On the outside the Veracruz is the same size as a CRV, even with the two extra folding seats. It still has equal storage space when the seats are folded down. The best part about that car is that it was not imported from the US. Cars brought in from the US can be pieced together from junk. It's a huge risk to buy a car imported from the US. If that car had less kilometers on it, I would have fallen completely in love. It had 171,000 kilometers (106,000 miles).
Please keep me in prayer as I go back to work tomorrow. I am reminding myself not to be discouraged if there is pain and swelling. The doctor says the more I walk, the stronger it will become. If it's still not better in three weeks I'm to go back. I also made an appointment to get a full physical. I feel fine, but I haven't had a check up since I moved here. In March that will be five years, so I'm overdue.
He asked if I have a bike. I don't. Then he gave me a choice - go to PT three times/week, or go to the gym three times/week. I love going to the gym and the cost analysis made it an easy choice. It's much cheaper to spend $25/month on a gym membership than $45/week on PT.
Tomorrow I go back to work full time. In the morning we will teach a parenting class in the neighborhood where I spent most of last year. Parents will learn how they can help their kids do well in school. We'll talk about things that most people in the US know, like requiring the child go to school whether or not they want to, and checking to be sure the child does their homework. Many parents here don't feel empowered to require their children to do anything.
A team is coming from Chicago to pray for my coworkers and me in the afternoon. My boss wants me to be there "to speak English with them". I guess that is different from translating.
I ran over to the gym to do my PT. He wants me to go three times/week and tomorrow I won't have time. When I got back I did the hot/cold foot soaking my doctor prescribed. Suddenly I realized I was soaking my foot when I should have been in online Spanish class! Bummer.
On the way home from the doctor I did stop by the car lot. The guy did find me a nice car. It was a 2011 Honda CRV. But it had 40,000 miles more than my car! I thanked him for thinking of me and explained that although it is the year I am looking for, there is no sense in buying a car with more miles than mine. He agreed.
Then he showed me a 2008 Hyundai Veracruz 4x4 for $12,300. That one was super cool. I'd never seen a Veracruz before. It's made for Latin America. It's more expensive because it's diesel which is in high demand here. It will run longer and gets great gas mileage. It seats seven. Two extra full sized seats pop out of the cargo space in back. I would use those for David and Samuel. Currently at least one of them has to ride in the far back and that makes me nervous.
On the outside the Veracruz is the same size as a CRV, even with the two extra folding seats. It still has equal storage space when the seats are folded down. The best part about that car is that it was not imported from the US. Cars brought in from the US can be pieced together from junk. It's a huge risk to buy a car imported from the US. If that car had less kilometers on it, I would have fallen completely in love. It had 171,000 kilometers (106,000 miles).
Please keep me in prayer as I go back to work tomorrow. I am reminding myself not to be discouraged if there is pain and swelling. The doctor says the more I walk, the stronger it will become. If it's still not better in three weeks I'm to go back. I also made an appointment to get a full physical. I feel fine, but I haven't had a check up since I moved here. In March that will be five years, so I'm overdue.
Car?
Well, I'm off to the doctor. I'm nervous. I want him to tell me that I'm being a wimp and I should be out walking around and climbing mountains again. But I wake up with pain and go to sleep with pain and it hurts to walk now, so I figured I better go back. It's been 8 weeks since my original injury.
Yesterday a friend of my mechanic's called. He sells cars and has been looking for a good car for me since last Easter. He said he's got a 2011 he wants me to see. I'll stop on the way home from the doctor. You may find it hard to believe that he's been looking for almost a year and this is the first car he's found worth looking at, but that's how it was when we searched for the car I now own. In fact we looked for more than a year. Patience is the key when buying a used car in Honduras.
Molly is dropping off the rest of Ana's school supplies today. Now all they need is uniforms. Depending what the doctor says, I may be able to buy them this week. Molly has an extra pair of uniform pants for David, so David will now have two pairs of pants. Hurray!
Yesterday a friend of my mechanic's called. He sells cars and has been looking for a good car for me since last Easter. He said he's got a 2011 he wants me to see. I'll stop on the way home from the doctor. You may find it hard to believe that he's been looking for almost a year and this is the first car he's found worth looking at, but that's how it was when we searched for the car I now own. In fact we looked for more than a year. Patience is the key when buying a used car in Honduras.
Molly is dropping off the rest of Ana's school supplies today. Now all they need is uniforms. Depending what the doctor says, I may be able to buy them this week. Molly has an extra pair of uniform pants for David, so David will now have two pairs of pants. Hurray!
Sunday, February 19, 2017
Isa refuses to turn four
Today I feel better, but yesterday and the day before the Chikungunya kicked in strong. Yesterday I couldn't lift a cup with my right hand. I also had trouble getting up when I was seated on the "throne". Sorry if that was TMI. It's like what Ana went through, only not as crippling. Ana says she is better now! Other coworkers are suffering from Chikungunya relapses too. One walked into the community center rubbing her shoulder on Wednesday. I knew what was wrong before she told me. She can't lift up her right arm either.
My ankle has been killing me. It hurts as much as it did when I first got the cast. I have no idea why. I haven't done anything crazy. It started five days after I began PT, so I don't think it was that. I called Friday and made a doctor's appointment. He's out until Tuesday but I'll see him Tuesday morning. Meanwhile I'm resting.
Ana is pretty sure one of the girls we love is pregnant. She's 19 and graduated from high school. But she doesn't have a job or a stable home life and the boy she is dating is young - still in high school. Ana noticed the girl started looking and acting different in November. She's got bags under her eyes and is skinny, except for a belly which she never had before. She's wearing baggy shirts and lycra pants. Ana asked the girl if she is pregnant. The girl answered, "If you had an older daughter and she was pregnant would you hit her?" Ana responded that her soul would be sad, but if that happened she would not hit her. My heart aches. I pray this girl, who has always showed so much promise, is not pregnant.
Yesterday Impacto Juvenil did a class for the Strong Mothers program. Ana was there. Erika and her younger sister Kenya also attended. They talked about pregnancy prevention, disease prevention and safe sex. I love hearing that Erika feels comfortable getting more involved, and is allowed to be involved even though she doesn't have a child in the program. Ana said that she already knew the things they were taught, but many of the mothers did not.
All of the prayers for provision for Ana's kids paid off!!! Tuesday David got a backpack, uniform pants, shoes, and notebooks from Impacto Juvenil. Ana is so grateful. She said none of the other kids got both shoes and uniform pants, but David got both. Ana said the shoes fit as though they were made for him. Plus he was the first of everyone to be called up to get his things. That meant a lot to them, I could tell.
Now they only lack a few tiny things for Samuel - copy paper, thick craft paper, "foamy" paper and cold medicine. I asked Molly if she will be shopping for school supplies this week and can drop them off for me, since I am not driving (or walking).
Also, each of the kids only have one uniform. ONE in this hot, sweaty weather. Jired's uniform pants are two years old and have already ripped. Ana sewed them together and told him not to bend over or they might rip again. I will get them uniforms once I am up and around.
Isabela is so funny! Ana was talking about Isa being four years old now. Isa's birthday was three weeks ago, but she told Ana that she is not four yet because she has not "cut the cake" (Honduran saying) yet. I have to hurry up and get better so I can bake a cake and Isa can turn four! I made a cake for every birthday so far, so I she refuses to turn four without one. Hahaha!
Birthday photos from 4th birthday party soon!
My ankle has been killing me. It hurts as much as it did when I first got the cast. I have no idea why. I haven't done anything crazy. It started five days after I began PT, so I don't think it was that. I called Friday and made a doctor's appointment. He's out until Tuesday but I'll see him Tuesday morning. Meanwhile I'm resting.
Ana is pretty sure one of the girls we love is pregnant. She's 19 and graduated from high school. But she doesn't have a job or a stable home life and the boy she is dating is young - still in high school. Ana noticed the girl started looking and acting different in November. She's got bags under her eyes and is skinny, except for a belly which she never had before. She's wearing baggy shirts and lycra pants. Ana asked the girl if she is pregnant. The girl answered, "If you had an older daughter and she was pregnant would you hit her?" Ana responded that her soul would be sad, but if that happened she would not hit her. My heart aches. I pray this girl, who has always showed so much promise, is not pregnant.
Yesterday Impacto Juvenil did a class for the Strong Mothers program. Ana was there. Erika and her younger sister Kenya also attended. They talked about pregnancy prevention, disease prevention and safe sex. I love hearing that Erika feels comfortable getting more involved, and is allowed to be involved even though she doesn't have a child in the program. Ana said that she already knew the things they were taught, but many of the mothers did not.
All of the prayers for provision for Ana's kids paid off!!! Tuesday David got a backpack, uniform pants, shoes, and notebooks from Impacto Juvenil. Ana is so grateful. She said none of the other kids got both shoes and uniform pants, but David got both. Ana said the shoes fit as though they were made for him. Plus he was the first of everyone to be called up to get his things. That meant a lot to them, I could tell.
Now they only lack a few tiny things for Samuel - copy paper, thick craft paper, "foamy" paper and cold medicine. I asked Molly if she will be shopping for school supplies this week and can drop them off for me, since I am not driving (or walking).
Also, each of the kids only have one uniform. ONE in this hot, sweaty weather. Jired's uniform pants are two years old and have already ripped. Ana sewed them together and told him not to bend over or they might rip again. I will get them uniforms once I am up and around.
Isabela is so funny! Ana was talking about Isa being four years old now. Isa's birthday was three weeks ago, but she told Ana that she is not four yet because she has not "cut the cake" (Honduran saying) yet. I have to hurry up and get better so I can bake a cake and Isa can turn four! I made a cake for every birthday so far, so I she refuses to turn four without one. Hahaha!
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| Isa's first birthday |
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| Isa's second birthday (with Ana and David) |
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| Isa's third birthday |
Birthday photos from 4th birthday party soon!
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
Second Attempt
I went back to work yesterday. It was my second attempt after trying two weeks ago and having the doctor put me back on bed rest.
I walked from my house to the taxi, which is less than two blocks. (Still not driving because I'm afraid to work the clutch.) Then I walked from one building to another at work, and through the office. I was back at home by 11:30 a.m. Last night my leg swelled and hurt so much I barely slept all night. It's still swollen and hurting today. But I barely did anything! I'm so frustrated.
The good news is, Ana said she is feeling much better physically. She has no pain at all in her knees now. She laughed and said she will not be needing diapers because she can sit down and stand up from using the toilet. She was not using diapers, but I won't go into detail about how she was managing her bathroom habits when she couldn't bend her knees. Poor lady!
She said emotionally she is doing really well too. The medicine is a miracle drug, she said. She wishes she had started it early because she thinks she wouldn't have gotten so sick.
I told her I had seen the boxes of stuff for the kids of Impacto Juvenil. I'm not sure what David will get, but we will make sure all of the kids have everything they need. She is hoping the church might give scholarships this year. That would help with David's uniform and school books. For this week they are all set.
She said she is really worried about costs that Jired will have throughout the year. Apparently the senior year of high school is extra expensive. I hate how schools in Honduras have so many costs each week for projects and stupid things that none of the parents can afford. Ana said it last night, and I wrote about it last November - those weekly costs are the reason many parents can't afford to keep their kids in school. I told Ana to please let me know if she can't afford things. I know she will do her best to find a way to get things on her own, and will call me as a last resort. I just don't want Jired to be held back his senior year because they can't afford all of the costs.
Erika's sister Kenya got a full scholarship and returned to school! I was so worried about her last year at this time. She didn't enroll and got kicked out of her house for hanging out on the streets. She was only 14, just like Erika when Erika got pregnant the first time.
Now, a year later, she is in the beauty school program through Impacto Juvenil. She's also attending a feeding program in Los Pinos called "El Comedor" which means "The Diner". They offered her a full scholarship through college if she stays on the right track! She said she's not going to be given this chance twice, so she's determined not to mess it up. I'm so proud of her!
Laura started "preparatorio" yesterday. It's opposite of the US. Here they have kindergarten first, then preschool, then first grade. (And public schools only go to 11th grade.) Last year at this time Fany was having a nervous breakdown. This year she is calm as can be. The school cancelled Laura's bus and Laura was without transportation, but Fany stayed completely calm.
She has, however, taken up her annoying ritual of watering the yard full force at 5 a.m. Apparently she believes that if she has to get up early, I should too. It's shocking how hard she can spray the palm leaves on the trees outside my bedroom window. Then later she laughs and asks if she woke me up, knowing full well that she did. Today I was already awake from my ankle. I'm not looking forward to it if she continues the habit this year.
Carlos only had three half days last week, but he is already struggling at school. His previous school only met once per week on Saturdays. At the end of the year got he credit for two years of work. It was great because he's 18 years old and started his education so late in life. However, he is not prepared for a real high school. He's not used to being around so many people, or studying so many subjects, or having so much work. He's feeling very overwhelmed.
The good thing he has a lot of support. My friend says he is adjusting well to his new home. He fits in well and gets along with everyone there. He is making friends in the neighborhood by working out at his "family's" gym. He was invited to go on a Sunday family outing, but chose not to go last weekend in hopes of seeing Molly. The family was disappointed. But they can't make him join them. I'm glad they are doing everything possible to make him feel included.
Molly is doing everything she can too. Personally, I think that Carlos needs to grow some wings and she's not giving him a chance to do so, but I know she is doing what she believes is best. I'd like to see her doing more things with him instead of for him. Or even let him do some things on his own. I have to keep reminding myself that Molly is only 23 years old. She is trying to make up for all of the abandonment and general neglect that Carlos has suffered over his life. Nobody is a perfect parent. She is doing what feels right to her.
Tomorrow and Thursday I will work half days. I hope my ankle can handle it. It's mostly seated work. Today I have Spanish class. Yesterday I was told that I'll be teaching swimming again! Twenty kids from Impacto Juvenil will get scholarships from the Olympic training center! The classes will be every Saturday for eight months starting in March or April, which will give my ankle more time to heal.
I walked from my house to the taxi, which is less than two blocks. (Still not driving because I'm afraid to work the clutch.) Then I walked from one building to another at work, and through the office. I was back at home by 11:30 a.m. Last night my leg swelled and hurt so much I barely slept all night. It's still swollen and hurting today. But I barely did anything! I'm so frustrated.
The good news is, Ana said she is feeling much better physically. She has no pain at all in her knees now. She laughed and said she will not be needing diapers because she can sit down and stand up from using the toilet. She was not using diapers, but I won't go into detail about how she was managing her bathroom habits when she couldn't bend her knees. Poor lady!
She said emotionally she is doing really well too. The medicine is a miracle drug, she said. She wishes she had started it early because she thinks she wouldn't have gotten so sick.
I told her I had seen the boxes of stuff for the kids of Impacto Juvenil. I'm not sure what David will get, but we will make sure all of the kids have everything they need. She is hoping the church might give scholarships this year. That would help with David's uniform and school books. For this week they are all set.
She said she is really worried about costs that Jired will have throughout the year. Apparently the senior year of high school is extra expensive. I hate how schools in Honduras have so many costs each week for projects and stupid things that none of the parents can afford. Ana said it last night, and I wrote about it last November - those weekly costs are the reason many parents can't afford to keep their kids in school. I told Ana to please let me know if she can't afford things. I know she will do her best to find a way to get things on her own, and will call me as a last resort. I just don't want Jired to be held back his senior year because they can't afford all of the costs.
Erika's sister Kenya got a full scholarship and returned to school! I was so worried about her last year at this time. She didn't enroll and got kicked out of her house for hanging out on the streets. She was only 14, just like Erika when Erika got pregnant the first time.
Now, a year later, she is in the beauty school program through Impacto Juvenil. She's also attending a feeding program in Los Pinos called "El Comedor" which means "The Diner". They offered her a full scholarship through college if she stays on the right track! She said she's not going to be given this chance twice, so she's determined not to mess it up. I'm so proud of her!
Laura started "preparatorio" yesterday. It's opposite of the US. Here they have kindergarten first, then preschool, then first grade. (And public schools only go to 11th grade.) Last year at this time Fany was having a nervous breakdown. This year she is calm as can be. The school cancelled Laura's bus and Laura was without transportation, but Fany stayed completely calm.
She has, however, taken up her annoying ritual of watering the yard full force at 5 a.m. Apparently she believes that if she has to get up early, I should too. It's shocking how hard she can spray the palm leaves on the trees outside my bedroom window. Then later she laughs and asks if she woke me up, knowing full well that she did. Today I was already awake from my ankle. I'm not looking forward to it if she continues the habit this year.
Carlos only had three half days last week, but he is already struggling at school. His previous school only met once per week on Saturdays. At the end of the year got he credit for two years of work. It was great because he's 18 years old and started his education so late in life. However, he is not prepared for a real high school. He's not used to being around so many people, or studying so many subjects, or having so much work. He's feeling very overwhelmed.
The good thing he has a lot of support. My friend says he is adjusting well to his new home. He fits in well and gets along with everyone there. He is making friends in the neighborhood by working out at his "family's" gym. He was invited to go on a Sunday family outing, but chose not to go last weekend in hopes of seeing Molly. The family was disappointed. But they can't make him join them. I'm glad they are doing everything possible to make him feel included.
Molly is doing everything she can too. Personally, I think that Carlos needs to grow some wings and she's not giving him a chance to do so, but I know she is doing what she believes is best. I'd like to see her doing more things with him instead of for him. Or even let him do some things on his own. I have to keep reminding myself that Molly is only 23 years old. She is trying to make up for all of the abandonment and general neglect that Carlos has suffered over his life. Nobody is a perfect parent. She is doing what feels right to her.
Tomorrow and Thursday I will work half days. I hope my ankle can handle it. It's mostly seated work. Today I have Spanish class. Yesterday I was told that I'll be teaching swimming again! Twenty kids from Impacto Juvenil will get scholarships from the Olympic training center! The classes will be every Saturday for eight months starting in March or April, which will give my ankle more time to heal.
Thursday, February 9, 2017
A flare up
My friend Molly and I celebrated her four years anniversary of serving in Honduras yesterday. Like me, she came here to serve a specific ministry. Like me, she had a really tough experience but learned a lot and made wonderful connections. She is in the process of adopting two kids she met there. She also met Carlos and Karen there.
Now she is doing a school ministry in Los Pinos, which basically means she is trying to keep kids in school by offering tutoring, school supplies and accountability. Many parents don't care if their kids attend school. They don't bother to enroll them or buy any supplies. Molly gets them signed up and then drops by the house and the schools to make sure they are attending. She's crazy smart, so she is able to provide tutoring too.
When she wanted to celebrate her fourth anniversary I was all for it. For me, the anniversary of the day I arrived in Honduras is more significant than my birthday. I celebrate my anniversary every year with good friends so I wanted make her anniversary special too. However, that's not so easy while I'm on bedrest.
Initially she was going to cook something and bring it over. Then she asked if I thought I could walk enough to go out to lunch if she picked me up in her car. I told her sure.
She chose a cute little restaurant with traditional Honduran cuisine. The food was excellent and the server very attentive, which is unusual in Honduras. The place itself had so many cute details! Check out the way they served us our fresh juice. (below) It's called a guacal and comes from a tree called jicaro. I'm told people from the pueblos used to drink from these, but they are not common anymore.
We stopped at the grocery store to get Ana's medicine and two notebooks for Ana's boys. Most Honduran supermarket chains have a bank and a pharmacy inside. It's pretty convenient since you can't pay bills online. However, the pharmacy which used to occupy this grocery store was suddenly gone. It was empty with boards across the service window.
We didn't have any luck with notebooks either. Honduran kids have very specific notebooks for each grade level and class subject. They come in various sizes with different numbers of pages. I never knew so many different notebooks existed! The store had everything except the type of notebooks we needed.
Luckily, the store where Molly buys all of her school supplies is really close. The lady gave us a discount because we're buying supplies for others. They had excellent prices on backpacks. I got one for Jired. It's totally his style. The zipper and material seem sturdy. That still leaves David with no backpack, but we are hoping he'll get one through Impacto Juvenil next week.
(Shout out to friends in the US who are helping with school expenses for Ana's kids - thank you! We appreciate your help! At this point, whatever they don't get from Impacto Juvenil will be up to us.)
Finally we went to the pharmacy. We both gasped at the price of the medicine the doctor prescribed for Ana. Molly asked if I was still going to buy it. I said yes. In our most recent conversation Ana told me that she can't go to the bathroom because she can't sit or stand. She also said she thought she was "going to die" coming down the steps. She needs the medicine.
At first I planned to hide the receipt so she wouldn't feel bad for how much I spent. But later I thought about how people aren't always great about taking their meds. If she knew how much it cost, she might be better about taking it. I left the receipt in the bag.
We dropped everything off. Jired was psyched about his backpack. I knew he would be. You know how it feels when you find the perfect gift for someone? That's how I felt giving it to him.
When I got home my (uninjured) right ankle was killing me. Nine months ago I got Chikungunya. The pain flares up now and then, sometimes stronger than others. It's been aching for a couple of weeks but last night it hurt a lot.
At that point something clicked. All the symptoms Ana was describing were Chikungunya symptoms - not being able to sit on the toilet, not being able to lift up her arms, feeling like she was going to die walking down the stairs, the pain in her neck and back. It all finally made sense.
I called Ana to share my new theory - that she and I are both suffering from a flare up of Chikungunya. She agreed. In fact, many of her friends who had Chikungunya a year or two ago (Ana had it 2 years ago) are going through the same thing. I think she was relieved to put a label on all of the pain, although she may return to the doctor if she doesn't feel better soon.
Thank God I don't have as many symptoms as Ana. So far I only have pain in my right ankle and right elbow. She says hers has been getting progressively worse for about a month. Yesterday she was able to lift her arms over her head, so maybe that was a turning point and she is on the mend. The expensive medicine helps a lot with stress, she said. She feels much more relaxed. That was good to hear.
We talked about the things she's been praying about lately. She feels like she and her family are invisible. Sometimes she believes that nobody sees the needs they have, or even the positive things they do. I've never known Ana to be down like this. I'm praying for her emotional recovery as well as the physical.
Last week she was offered a job working on a political campaign for this years' elections. She wanted to take the position but wasn't able to because of an upcoming surgery. She had to decide between a necessary surgery and a job that will bring in $150/month for full time work. It was a tough choice. She's hoping the opportunity will present itself again after surgery. I assured her she made the right choice. She said I couldn't imagine how tough that decision was. She's right. I can't imagine.
Now she is doing a school ministry in Los Pinos, which basically means she is trying to keep kids in school by offering tutoring, school supplies and accountability. Many parents don't care if their kids attend school. They don't bother to enroll them or buy any supplies. Molly gets them signed up and then drops by the house and the schools to make sure they are attending. She's crazy smart, so she is able to provide tutoring too.
When she wanted to celebrate her fourth anniversary I was all for it. For me, the anniversary of the day I arrived in Honduras is more significant than my birthday. I celebrate my anniversary every year with good friends so I wanted make her anniversary special too. However, that's not so easy while I'm on bedrest.
Initially she was going to cook something and bring it over. Then she asked if I thought I could walk enough to go out to lunch if she picked me up in her car. I told her sure.
She chose a cute little restaurant with traditional Honduran cuisine. The food was excellent and the server very attentive, which is unusual in Honduras. The place itself had so many cute details! Check out the way they served us our fresh juice. (below) It's called a guacal and comes from a tree called jicaro. I'm told people from the pueblos used to drink from these, but they are not common anymore.
We stopped at the grocery store to get Ana's medicine and two notebooks for Ana's boys. Most Honduran supermarket chains have a bank and a pharmacy inside. It's pretty convenient since you can't pay bills online. However, the pharmacy which used to occupy this grocery store was suddenly gone. It was empty with boards across the service window.
We didn't have any luck with notebooks either. Honduran kids have very specific notebooks for each grade level and class subject. They come in various sizes with different numbers of pages. I never knew so many different notebooks existed! The store had everything except the type of notebooks we needed.
Luckily, the store where Molly buys all of her school supplies is really close. The lady gave us a discount because we're buying supplies for others. They had excellent prices on backpacks. I got one for Jired. It's totally his style. The zipper and material seem sturdy. That still leaves David with no backpack, but we are hoping he'll get one through Impacto Juvenil next week.
(Shout out to friends in the US who are helping with school expenses for Ana's kids - thank you! We appreciate your help! At this point, whatever they don't get from Impacto Juvenil will be up to us.)
Finally we went to the pharmacy. We both gasped at the price of the medicine the doctor prescribed for Ana. Molly asked if I was still going to buy it. I said yes. In our most recent conversation Ana told me that she can't go to the bathroom because she can't sit or stand. She also said she thought she was "going to die" coming down the steps. She needs the medicine.
At first I planned to hide the receipt so she wouldn't feel bad for how much I spent. But later I thought about how people aren't always great about taking their meds. If she knew how much it cost, she might be better about taking it. I left the receipt in the bag.
We dropped everything off. Jired was psyched about his backpack. I knew he would be. You know how it feels when you find the perfect gift for someone? That's how I felt giving it to him.
When I got home my (uninjured) right ankle was killing me. Nine months ago I got Chikungunya. The pain flares up now and then, sometimes stronger than others. It's been aching for a couple of weeks but last night it hurt a lot.
At that point something clicked. All the symptoms Ana was describing were Chikungunya symptoms - not being able to sit on the toilet, not being able to lift up her arms, feeling like she was going to die walking down the stairs, the pain in her neck and back. It all finally made sense.
I called Ana to share my new theory - that she and I are both suffering from a flare up of Chikungunya. She agreed. In fact, many of her friends who had Chikungunya a year or two ago (Ana had it 2 years ago) are going through the same thing. I think she was relieved to put a label on all of the pain, although she may return to the doctor if she doesn't feel better soon.
Thank God I don't have as many symptoms as Ana. So far I only have pain in my right ankle and right elbow. She says hers has been getting progressively worse for about a month. Yesterday she was able to lift her arms over her head, so maybe that was a turning point and she is on the mend. The expensive medicine helps a lot with stress, she said. She feels much more relaxed. That was good to hear.
We talked about the things she's been praying about lately. She feels like she and her family are invisible. Sometimes she believes that nobody sees the needs they have, or even the positive things they do. I've never known Ana to be down like this. I'm praying for her emotional recovery as well as the physical.
Last week she was offered a job working on a political campaign for this years' elections. She wanted to take the position but wasn't able to because of an upcoming surgery. She had to decide between a necessary surgery and a job that will bring in $150/month for full time work. It was a tough choice. She's hoping the opportunity will present itself again after surgery. I assured her she made the right choice. She said I couldn't imagine how tough that decision was. She's right. I can't imagine.
Monday, February 6, 2017
Feeling Helpless
I feel so helpless!
Ana just called to thank me for a bag of school supplies I sent to the church with Fany yesterday.
When I talked to Ana last week to plan Isabela's birthday she told me she was stressed out. Ana's never stressed. Even when she has no food in the house or when she is diagnosed with cancer she doesn't get stressed. She prays and has faith God will take care of everything.
However, this year she is facing a new situation. Normally she spends about $75 on the kids at the start of the school year, but this year she has not been able to save money. All of the kids wore through their backpacks last year. Their uniform pants are too short and they have no basic supplies.
Usually they receive some supplies from the government through the church. But this year the government donation was extremely small and it has to stretch for all of the kids of the breakfast program. Now that school started back up the church is serving less kids, but there are still about 70 kids with very few supplies to go around.
Impacto Juvenil hasn't handed anything out yet. I'm hoping they do this week. Ana's kids already have homework they can't do because they are supposed to do it with a two subject notebook, which they don't have. This will affect their grades. And there is nothing I can do.
Ana has been taking in clothes to wash (by hand) in order to make money. She washed so many clothes she can't lift her arms. Her back and neck are a mess too. She said she was blessed recently by a neck massage by a friend from the US, which helped a lot, but the doctor wants her to take medication which she hasn't been able to buy. She won't buy the medication for herself until her children have school supplies. Even though she can't lift her arms.
This started weeks ago, when the team from the US was here. At that time she asked for ibuprofen and blamed it on making pupusas for over 100 people. She never mentioned washing tons of laundry by hand.
She probably wouldn't have let it slip that she can't lift up her arms, but she was explaining that she is cutting back to only volunteering two days each week now at the breakfast program because she is exhausted. Between washing laundry for neighbors, cooking for Impacto Juvenil, and volunteering at the church, she feels overwhelmed.
She was told she is putting money before God when she decided to cut back to two days per week at the church. To that she responded that she knows God would want her to work to feed and clothe her kids. She said she has had a lot of quiet time with God and that's what she feels called to do, so no matter what others say, she has peace.
Gosh. I am so frustrated. I feel angry, partly because I can't get out of bed and help her. I also think it's unfair that she works so hard and still is not able to provide for her kids. Never mind a medication so she can use her arms. In reality she is working three jobs - at the church, for Impacto Juvenil, and now washing clothes. On top of that she's a single mom, raising four kids. How could she not be overwhelmed?
I was thinking about back to school time for when I was a child. I had so many new clothes, I often wouldn't wear the same outfit twice for more than a week. David and Jired need PENS. They have one uniform each from last year and the pants are too short. I just can't imagine.
Somehow, God provided everything for Samuel. I had most of it here in my closet. I never knew it was waiting in my closet to go to their house.
I'm waiting to see if Molly plans to go into Los Pinos tomorrow. If she is headed that way I'm going to ask her to pick up two notebooks and the medication for Ana. A friend of mine offered to help Ana with school supplies the last time I wrote about Ana's situation in my blog. I think now the only thing they need are two backpacks and uniforms. But that will have to wait until I can drive.
Ana said her stress is not emotional. She has faith that God will provide for her children to study. She says once she can stop working so much she will feel better. She's right, I just wish I could help.
***** Update***** Molly just called. She doesn't have time to buy the stuff before her trip into Los Pinos tomorrow morning. But she will buy it and take it to Ana on Wednesday. Ana is happy and appreciative.
Ana just called to thank me for a bag of school supplies I sent to the church with Fany yesterday.
When I talked to Ana last week to plan Isabela's birthday she told me she was stressed out. Ana's never stressed. Even when she has no food in the house or when she is diagnosed with cancer she doesn't get stressed. She prays and has faith God will take care of everything.
However, this year she is facing a new situation. Normally she spends about $75 on the kids at the start of the school year, but this year she has not been able to save money. All of the kids wore through their backpacks last year. Their uniform pants are too short and they have no basic supplies.
Usually they receive some supplies from the government through the church. But this year the government donation was extremely small and it has to stretch for all of the kids of the breakfast program. Now that school started back up the church is serving less kids, but there are still about 70 kids with very few supplies to go around.
Impacto Juvenil hasn't handed anything out yet. I'm hoping they do this week. Ana's kids already have homework they can't do because they are supposed to do it with a two subject notebook, which they don't have. This will affect their grades. And there is nothing I can do.
Ana has been taking in clothes to wash (by hand) in order to make money. She washed so many clothes she can't lift her arms. Her back and neck are a mess too. She said she was blessed recently by a neck massage by a friend from the US, which helped a lot, but the doctor wants her to take medication which she hasn't been able to buy. She won't buy the medication for herself until her children have school supplies. Even though she can't lift her arms.
This started weeks ago, when the team from the US was here. At that time she asked for ibuprofen and blamed it on making pupusas for over 100 people. She never mentioned washing tons of laundry by hand.
She probably wouldn't have let it slip that she can't lift up her arms, but she was explaining that she is cutting back to only volunteering two days each week now at the breakfast program because she is exhausted. Between washing laundry for neighbors, cooking for Impacto Juvenil, and volunteering at the church, she feels overwhelmed.
She was told she is putting money before God when she decided to cut back to two days per week at the church. To that she responded that she knows God would want her to work to feed and clothe her kids. She said she has had a lot of quiet time with God and that's what she feels called to do, so no matter what others say, she has peace.
Gosh. I am so frustrated. I feel angry, partly because I can't get out of bed and help her. I also think it's unfair that she works so hard and still is not able to provide for her kids. Never mind a medication so she can use her arms. In reality she is working three jobs - at the church, for Impacto Juvenil, and now washing clothes. On top of that she's a single mom, raising four kids. How could she not be overwhelmed?
I was thinking about back to school time for when I was a child. I had so many new clothes, I often wouldn't wear the same outfit twice for more than a week. David and Jired need PENS. They have one uniform each from last year and the pants are too short. I just can't imagine.
Somehow, God provided everything for Samuel. I had most of it here in my closet. I never knew it was waiting in my closet to go to their house.
I'm waiting to see if Molly plans to go into Los Pinos tomorrow. If she is headed that way I'm going to ask her to pick up two notebooks and the medication for Ana. A friend of mine offered to help Ana with school supplies the last time I wrote about Ana's situation in my blog. I think now the only thing they need are two backpacks and uniforms. But that will have to wait until I can drive.
Ana said her stress is not emotional. She has faith that God will provide for her children to study. She says once she can stop working so much she will feel better. She's right, I just wish I could help.
***** Update***** Molly just called. She doesn't have time to buy the stuff before her trip into Los Pinos tomorrow morning. But she will buy it and take it to Ana on Wednesday. Ana is happy and appreciative.
Rest and more rest
Welcome to my 900th post! This blog has really taken off lately. I'm very happy to report that we average about 350 readers now. Today alone we have almost 1000 and it's only noon! WOW!
Friday morning I decided abruptly to have a day without any communication outside of email. I logged out of Facebook, and put my phone away. It felt so good I continued Saturday and Sunday ignoring WhatsApp and Messenger.
This morning I figured I better check my messages before the mass accumulation became too overwhelming. I was also worried about my church, since there were over 100 from the women's church group alone.
The group messages were mostly people sending smiley faces and thumbs up signs. Honduran women love those cartoon character messenges. They can carry on long "conversations" with no words, just silly faces.
At least the church was fine. Last week we got to church to find a thief had broken in through a window during the night and stolen our musical equipment! It was quite a feat considering we are on the second floor and the first floor is extra tall because it's built to drive tractor trailers inside. I was worried he returned and stole the rest of the church's possessions.
I got back to the two people who asked about my ankle, called my Mom, and now my phone is hidden away again. Sometimes it's nice to hide away from the crappy things that are going on in the world right now.
So, here's a little wrap up. The day I got off bed rest I went to work for three hours. The three hours were spent seated, with my foot elevated. When I got home I was in a lot of pain and my ankle was swollen more than usual. I rested Friday. Saturday I went to a church meeting where I sat for two hours. During the meeting my foot swelled and hurt a lot by the time I got home. Sunday I went to church. Three hours later my ankle was killing me. I did move around at church, taking some photos, and standing during the standing parts. Monday I went to work. After sitting for two hours in meetings my ankle was bursting out of my shoe and hurt a lot. Tuesday I rested but was still in pain.
Wednesday I sent my doctor a photo of the ankle which I took after work on Monday. I explained that every time I do anything, even for only 2-3 hours, my ankle swells and hurt. He said I could come in for a consult if I'd like to, but that this is normal. He said to ice it and go back on bed rest for a week or two. It just needs more time to heal.
I've been back on bed rest again for 5 days now. This morning I woke up and it was much less swollen so I was going to go for a little walk. I showered. By the time I got out of the shower it was reddish purple and swollen again. Frustrating!
I may go for a walk tomorrow, just to get things moving a little and see how I do. I want to see how I feel JUST walking, without driving. I think it's the clutch that is bothering my foot more than anything, so I figure that will be a good test.
This week is a missionary retreat. I had to give up my spot to someone else. That was a bummer. I never usually see North Americans (besides Molly). I was looking forward to some time to sing in English and eat North American food. Oh well.
Fany has been out of town a lot. While Laura is on vacation from school they try to spend as much time as possible with her husband's family. It gets a little boring around here without them. Good thing I enjoy alone time.
Fany says Don Chano is still in a lot of pain from falling off the horse. He was a perfect patient when he was here with Fany. Now that he is at home with his wife he is demanding and grumpy. He's not used to resting.
Lately I've spent a lot of time working on my taxes, reading and coloring in my adult coloring book.
I sent some extra school supplies that I had sitting around the house to Ana yesterday. Fany delivered them for me. I hope once she has donations from the government and from Impacto Juvenil that she will have most everything she needs.
I also sent a stuffed animal for Isa. We were supposed to celebrate her birthday last week, but Isa was sick on her birthday. We rescheduled for the day after, but she was still sick. Then I got put back on bed rest and the boys started school so we had to put off the celebration. Ana says Isa undertands. I sure hope so.
Friday morning I decided abruptly to have a day without any communication outside of email. I logged out of Facebook, and put my phone away. It felt so good I continued Saturday and Sunday ignoring WhatsApp and Messenger.
This morning I figured I better check my messages before the mass accumulation became too overwhelming. I was also worried about my church, since there were over 100 from the women's church group alone.
The group messages were mostly people sending smiley faces and thumbs up signs. Honduran women love those cartoon character messenges. They can carry on long "conversations" with no words, just silly faces.
At least the church was fine. Last week we got to church to find a thief had broken in through a window during the night and stolen our musical equipment! It was quite a feat considering we are on the second floor and the first floor is extra tall because it's built to drive tractor trailers inside. I was worried he returned and stole the rest of the church's possessions.
I got back to the two people who asked about my ankle, called my Mom, and now my phone is hidden away again. Sometimes it's nice to hide away from the crappy things that are going on in the world right now.
So, here's a little wrap up. The day I got off bed rest I went to work for three hours. The three hours were spent seated, with my foot elevated. When I got home I was in a lot of pain and my ankle was swollen more than usual. I rested Friday. Saturday I went to a church meeting where I sat for two hours. During the meeting my foot swelled and hurt a lot by the time I got home. Sunday I went to church. Three hours later my ankle was killing me. I did move around at church, taking some photos, and standing during the standing parts. Monday I went to work. After sitting for two hours in meetings my ankle was bursting out of my shoe and hurt a lot. Tuesday I rested but was still in pain.
Wednesday I sent my doctor a photo of the ankle which I took after work on Monday. I explained that every time I do anything, even for only 2-3 hours, my ankle swells and hurt. He said I could come in for a consult if I'd like to, but that this is normal. He said to ice it and go back on bed rest for a week or two. It just needs more time to heal.
I've been back on bed rest again for 5 days now. This morning I woke up and it was much less swollen so I was going to go for a little walk. I showered. By the time I got out of the shower it was reddish purple and swollen again. Frustrating!
I may go for a walk tomorrow, just to get things moving a little and see how I do. I want to see how I feel JUST walking, without driving. I think it's the clutch that is bothering my foot more than anything, so I figure that will be a good test.
This week is a missionary retreat. I had to give up my spot to someone else. That was a bummer. I never usually see North Americans (besides Molly). I was looking forward to some time to sing in English and eat North American food. Oh well.
Fany has been out of town a lot. While Laura is on vacation from school they try to spend as much time as possible with her husband's family. It gets a little boring around here without them. Good thing I enjoy alone time.
Fany says Don Chano is still in a lot of pain from falling off the horse. He was a perfect patient when he was here with Fany. Now that he is at home with his wife he is demanding and grumpy. He's not used to resting.
Lately I've spent a lot of time working on my taxes, reading and coloring in my adult coloring book.
I sent some extra school supplies that I had sitting around the house to Ana yesterday. Fany delivered them for me. I hope once she has donations from the government and from Impacto Juvenil that she will have most everything she needs.
I also sent a stuffed animal for Isa. We were supposed to celebrate her birthday last week, but Isa was sick on her birthday. We rescheduled for the day after, but she was still sick. Then I got put back on bed rest and the boys started school so we had to put off the celebration. Ana says Isa undertands. I sure hope so.
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