Fotos of making bread in Guatemala

Today is my last day in Guatemala.  I love it here.  And as my second host family pointed out, when I come here I get the best of both worlds.

Last week I was in Sololá with my cousin Carolyn.  She first went to Guatemala as part of the Peace Corp.  Now she is married and working in one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.

We had a nice balance of family time, tourist sights, and rest.  Plus a TON of good food.  I really enjoyed getting to know Carolyn's husband Edyn and his family better.  By the end of my time with them I felt like part of the family.

There is a lot of tradition in Edyn's family.  Every Easter they make bread in a stone oven heated by wood that Edyn's Dad made.  They spend almost a week, baking bread every day and selling it to the community.  It was a lot of bread.  On Wednesday we helped bake bread with the family.  I got to see the whole process, from making the dough, to forming the dough into special shapes, to running the trays of dough to the oven when the oven hit the right temperature and watching it bake.  Then they separated it into baskets for the families who ordered from them.

This was the first thing I saw when I walked into the room where they were all working.
LOTS of bread.  But this is only a small portion of what they made.

Bags and bags of flour

Cartons and cartons of eggs

Soon after this, we were told the men needed to take over  ;) 




 

 

Something is wrong with my computer.  I can't post any more photos for some reason.  Hope you enjoy these!





Old men with canes make good watchmen

Today was my prep day.  Got everything ready to leave for Guatemala.  Read about kidnappings of North Americans in Guatemala and Nicaragua.  Semana Santa is always a dangerous time in Honduras too.  For that reason when I ran my errands today, I called my neighbors to tell them where I was going and when I would be back.

The streets were pretty empty - that is what makes it more dangerous.  The grocery store was also empty.

The gym was the only place that was crowded.  It is never usually that full.  The strange thing was that nobody was using the pool, although it was a beautiful day.  I guess people are getting in their last minute workouts before they wear their bikinis to the beach.

As I pulled up to the gym I was surprised to see the parking lot full.  A little old man who sometimes takes care of the cars for tips was sitting on the ledge where he usually perches.  Saturday when I went to the gym he was there too.  When I parked about five spots from the door he jumped up and ran over to my car.  As I was getting out he told me I should not park so far because it was getting late.  I didn't think there were anywhere closer.  He pointed to a spot right next to the door which I had not noticed.  I moved my car over to the door and thanked him with words and a tip.  He was waiting right outside the door as I left, apparently watching to see that everyone got safely to their cars.

Today I wasn't sure where to park, so I drove over to where he was sitting on the ledge.  I rolled down my window and asked where he thought was best.  He told me to park right in front of him.  I did and he watched me get out the car and walk into the gym from his ledge.  I soon realized I forgot my water so I went back to grab it from the opposite side of the car.  When I unlocked the car to open the passenger's door the alarm beeped once.  I then heard the sound of a metal cane tapping loudly on the sidewalk.  When the alarm sounded again as I shut the passenger's side door I heard the metal cane banging more loudly and quickly approaching from the other side of the car.  I realized my alarm had alerted the watchman.  As I headed back into the gym I turned around and told the man that it was just me, holding up the bottle of water.  He smiled, nodded and walked quietly back to his perch.

In the past I always thought he was too old to really be able to take care of the cars.  I trusted the other man who is a little younger to watch over my car.  I made assumptions about the older man that I shouldn't have made.  I never thought about the fact that from his vantage point, he can see almost everything.  I never thought the cane is actually a weapon and a tool for him.  Now I know that my car is in better hands with the older man, than it was with the other.  It's nice to know that those people who are working for tips, are actually looking out for me and for my car.  I am grateful for the man who looks over me and my car at the gym.

I spent the evening safe at home.  Tomorrow I will go to the airport with Walter.  Yes, I live in a dangerous place.  But there are many people here who are looking out for me.  Today I realized there are even more than I know.

Swimming with the adults yesterday was really nice.  They seemed happy to be there and eager to learn, just like the kids.  The coach explained to my neighbor about how well he and I work together with the last group.  We both commented on how naturally we came together as a team.  He said that I never undermined his authority and he never undermined mine, which was very true.  No power struggles.  No problems.  He said we both have the same approach and the same teaching style.  It was such a pleasure to teach with him.  We fell into place together so easily, I didn't fully appreciate it at the time.  I wish all teams could be as effective as the coach and I were.  I look forward to teaming up with him again with this group of swimmers.

My letter asking for financial support seems to be helping.  I have one response from someone who is praying about my finances.  Two more people wrote saying they will double their monthly support.  A third is adding to her monthly donation!  Another friend said she is "really going to go through with it this time" and become a contributor.  I am 1/5th of the way to my goal!

First day of swimming classes!

Today started off terrible but then turned awesome.  I woke to a beep on my phone which I thought could be a message from the boy I was driving to swimming so I checked it out.  It was a friend informing me that I had been hacked and was sending everyone spam email.  I sent him and his wife a bunch of messages and even called them in the US, but they didn't answer.  I was desperate to send out a message to all of those people who were about to wake up this morning and open the spam email, then discard my other email which was begging for money.

Unfortunately I had to head out to the pool without being able to follow up on the spam email.  I felt sick to my stomach thinking of all of the people who might not open the email I had spent months praying about.  But I need to leave that in God's hands and believe that the people who are supposed to open that email will.

Then I went to pick up the boy who needed a ride.  I was already late and he was even later.  No time to stop and get gas or cash.  Luckily the supply of swimming caps on my desk at the church magically grew so I had enough money to buy a few more caps and everyone was fine without stopping for cash.

One girl forgot her donation.  We had made it really clear that they needed to bring their donation or they could not get on the bus.  I felt horrible, but everyone was watching and I really thought I had to set a precedent.  We said you cannot get on the bus without your donation, and I had to stick to it.  Otherwise everyone would forget their money every week.  So she didn't get to go  :(

A few kids didn't show up, but the bus was full and the pool was PACKED.  Our beloved trainer had two other guys working with him.  I talked with them a little.  They kept the kids busy the whole time. The kids said they really liked the new coaches a lot.  That was a good thing.  I hope that continues.

All of the kids but two - TWO out of 30! - were really excited to swim.  They followed directions really well and worked hard.  We told them very clearly when they signed up that this was going to be tough.  We warned them it is a serious class to learn the four styles of swimming, not to play in the pool.

One of the boys is a great swimmer.  He never had classes with us before but he knew how to swim.  However, he got cold and when he was allowed to get out and warm up he refused to get back into the pool.  I explained to him that one of the rules he agreed to was that he would follow the coach's instructions.  He said he didn't care about following instructions because he didn't want to ever swim again.  Finally on the bus ride home he agreed to try one more time, with the understanding that if he does not follow the coach's directions he will have to give up his place for someone who wants to participate.



Jose got cold so I set him up a bed.  (see below)
Maybe it was a little too comfortable.



The girls got a 10 minute break.  Jose laid in the sun.

The kids were perfect.  They sat in their seats on the bus.  They didn't bring food or drinks with them.  They changed their clothes quickly and followed directions really well. I was extraordinarily proud of them.

My favorite part of the day was watching Maria Angelica.  Maria Angelica has a tough life.  Really tough.  She is 8 years old.  The kids often come to the church and tattle on Angelica for begging for money on the street corner.  We have talked to her about that for years.  She seems to do it less often lately.

Maria Angelica is rarely clean.  Her hair is rarely combed.  She has a tough time in school.  But she comes to Buen Provecho every day.  She used to have difficulty following the rules.  Getting her to leave was almost impossible.  But for about a year she has become more social with other kids her age and has learned to follow rules.  Her younger siblings are now the strongest evidence of lack of parental guidance in the house.

Angelica asked me last week if she could swim.  I'll be honest.  The first thing that crossed my horrible mind was her lice situation.  But I told her sure, if her Mom came to meet with me like everyone else's parents did, then she could swim. 

Angelica is a practical girl.  She is streetwise and a little too grown for her age.  She said that neither of her parents are working and she would not be able to bring the 10 Lempiras we were asking for as a donation.  I did not want to let the 10 Lempiras stand in the way, but I also didn't want to cause a problem.  So Angelica and I had a private meeting with Walter.  He is in charge of all of the sports programs.  Walter asked if Angelica could bring 5 Lempiras.  She said yes, she could.  I said I did not want to hear about her begging in the street or she would not be able to swim.  Walter said Angelica should talk to him if she has problems getting the 5 Lempiras and should never beg in the street.

She asked if I could come to the church early the following morning to meet with her mother.  I told her sure!  And I did.  But her mother never came.  The next day she came from school and asked if her mother had come.  I could see she was disappointed when I said no.  And the next day she asked again.  I had to tell her no.  Finally on the very last afternoon Maria Angelica introduced me to a lady and said, "This is my Mom."  I told her, "Yay!  I know Angelica is so excited that you were able to come!"  We went over the rules.  I told her that she is the only one allowed to pay 5 Lempiras instead of 10, so she should not tell anyone else about her special permission.

Today when I called her name Angelica slipped me the 5 Lempiras like she has been greasing palms all of her life.  It was rolled up so nobody could see the denomination and she slid it smoothly into my hand.  Sometimes the wisdom of a 8 year old shocks me.  And sometimes it's scary.  How does Angelica know how to handle money like that?

Angelica absolutely shone in the pool.  She was so happy!  She said she never felt scared.  It was beautiful to watch.  A little girl with so little opportunity grasped on to this chance and she was GRRRREAT!  She didn't stand out as a girl from Los Pinos.  She was just any other kid in the pool.  Except she wore shorts and tee shirt.  And I brought a towel for her because she doesn't have towels at home.  Angelica learned a lot today.  She is going to be a good swimmer.  I love seeing her be successful. What an honor it is to be able to witness Angelica doing something so healthy and being so successful at it.  That was my favorite part of the day.



Boy does she look grown up!  This is Maria Angelica



Swimming!

Also, I have made some friends at the sushi restaurant that sells 2 for 1.  The man who is in charge of organizing all of the sports programs told me that they were welcome to join us.  It was fun watching the Moms look down at their kids.  Tomorrow the Moms are coming as part of the adult group to learn to swim themselves.  They were really happy and grateful for this opportunity.



The Moms were not allowed to come down to the pool because it could interfere with the lessons.
But they enjoyed watching from above.

I had a super great day, and all before 11 a.m.

I took a lot more photos, but swimming will continue for a while and I don't want you to get sick of them.

First day of vacation

Today was my first day of vacation.  In Honduras the whole world stops for Semana Santa.  Businesses and restaurants close.  Everyone goes to the beach.  Well, not me.  But most people.

I finally got a letter written that I was trying to write for MONTHS.  What a weight off my shoulders.  I was trying to think of some suave way to ask for money.  Today what I wrote was very direct and it felt right.  So I deleted all of the happy-go-lucky drafts and sent out the "please I'm desperate, send me money" version.  It feels so good to have that letter written and sent.  Now it's in God's hands and I can write a happy go lucky two year update.  I'll enjoy that.  Why did God choose me to be a missionary when I stink at asking for what I need?

Tomorrow morning is the first swimming class!  I am really looking forward to it.  Can't wait to see how these kids do.  In the last group the kids learned quickly and had so much fun.  I imagine it will be just as great this time.  I love the positive environment of the pool.  Everyone is so happy there.

Photos to follow!

Still burning

What a day!  As I left this morning the fire was still smoldering.  I stopped my car on the way down the driveway and tried to put out two of the smoldering areas.  First I tried smothering them with a rock.  Then I tried sweeping the hot spot apart with a piece of bamboo.  Bad idea.  It just spread the problem.  I finally scooped up dirt with my hands and covered the smoky spots but that didn't work either.  When I pulled the car ahead I saw there were more even larger areas smoking.  There was even a tree stump still on fire with flames.

In daylight the damage to the property was a lot more than I expected.  Last time trees didn't burn.  This time there isn't much left in some areas except black dirt.  As I was trying to stomp out and smother the fires, people would drive by and stop their cars to look.  Fires are common in this season, so I was surprised people were so interested.  Turned out my neighbors, who are also related to my landlords but live on several adjacent properties on the way toward El Hatillo, got it as badly as we did.

I was not comfortable leaving the house that with so much smoldering so I called my neighbor who lives on the same property.  I know from last year that it is very normal to leave fires smoldering for days, but I wondered if anyone was still on the property since the stump was on fire.  Only my landlord's 89 year old mother was at home.  I wished I could stay with her.  They said she is pretty scared.  But I still have a horrible cough.  (Last night was the first time I slept through the night without coughing in a week and 1/2.)  I can not give this cough to "la abuela" as we call her.  (Grandmother)  She stayed home alone until my neighbors got out of work.

Last night the wind picked up until it was one of the strongest winds I have ever experienced.  There are some dead trees around from last year's fire.  Lots of branches fell and the wind whistled through the windows.  It is still gusting today.  Until the wind calms down we really won't be able to put out the fires.  It sure cooled down a lot.  It has been in the mid to high 80's for a few weeks.  Today it was only in the low 60's.

I went to the church this morning reeking of smoke and a little concerned.  As I was saying good morning to Eunice I looked out the window.  There was little Jose, walking down the hill to come to the church.  He paused right outside Eunice's window, turned his back to the street so he was facing the window, and began to pee on the side of the road.  Tomorrow I am going to count how many people I see urinating in public.  I am guessing it is at least four people per day.  I still am not accustomed to public urination.  Eunice laughed and continued on with her work.

The kids are learning a lot about Semana Santa (Holy Week).  I called some of the tutors into the classroom and had each of the kids share what they learned today.  It was interesting to hear what they remembered.  Most of the tutors have children in my class, so they were happy the kids are learning so much.

I sent out picture postcards today.  I am hoping they will bring in some more donations.  I am really lacking in funding.  Can't go home in June this year.  Normally my brother, his family and I go to Telluride Bluegrass Festival together.  I love camping for 10 days with the friends we have made over the years.  I started going in 2000 and have a long history there.  I'll be sad not to go.

This afternoon I finally went back to the gym.  It has been about 2 weeks since I last worked out.  First the groups were visiting and then I got this cough.  Today felt good though.  Way better than I expected.  One of the trainers taught me a bunch of arm stuff.  He is so nice.  A while ago he taught me some leg exercises to specifically target what I wanted to achieve.  A few weeks ago he taught me some stomach stuff.  Today I did the arm things until I couldn't lift my arms any more.  Never knew how much arm strength it takes to drive home.

On the way home many of the telephone poles had people from the electric company working on them.  Lots of wires were down.  I kept wondering what I was going to eat for dinner if there was no electricity due to the high winds.  But I came home to electricity and cable!  Amazing.  I need to remember to keep something in the house that does not need to be heated up so I have something to eat on days when there is no electricity.

I'm in a new discipleship group and very excited about it.  It is made up of single, professional ladies.  This will be a nice change for me.  I haven't had any discipleship since I got here and have been waiting eagerly.  I don't know any of the ladies in the group, so maybe I will also make new friends!

Fire 2014

I've been spending more time at the church lately, where the internet connection is better and I can get prepared for swimming.  We start classes this weekend!  Thirty kids are signed up for Saturday and 15 adults are going Sundays.  I am really psyched!

Yesterday was my first day back in the classroom in ages.  Our group is back to being small again since all of the teams from North America have come and gone.  I only had 6 in preschool yesterday.  But I guess it is more relaxed that way.

We are teaching about "Semana Santa" as they call it here.  When asked on Monday why we celebrate Holy Week the kids said "to rest", "to go to the beach" and one of my preschoolers said "to fix your glasses".  Some of you can guess - that was Samuel.  But not one of them in the whole Breakfast Program could talk about Easter.  I was shocked!  They will know by the end of this week.

I am noticing a sad and strange phenomenon.  In order for the kids to swim, we would like to have a 10 minute meeting with the parents to go over the rules and have them sign a permission slip.  But very few of the parents will come.  They are all too busy, they say.  Even the homes with 2 unemployed parents say they don't have time to come and sign their kids up.  It frustrates me because I have to imagine they are the same with their children's education - can't be bothered to go to the school.  I also don't understand why these parents can't set aside 10 minutes of their time (I have said I am available 7 days/week at any hour) for such a special gift for their child.  The church pays for everything - the lessons, the bussing, the swim caps, the professional coaches, even the sun block!  Yet the parents can't be bothered to walk across the street and sign a paper.

Yesterday as I left the church I noticed I had a missed call from my landlord.  I called him back right as I noticed he had left me a text.  It is fire season here.  Everything is on fire and the smoke fills the city.  Yesterday a lady who works on the property noticed a fire down at the front gate.  She called my landlord and his brother, who also lives on the property.  They rushed home from work and together with the house cleaner they worked hard and finally put out the fire.  It started, as it did last year, across the street.  It came up the side of our driveway and around my landlord's brother's house, and up the mountain.  Apparently it burned a lot up there.  I haven't seen it yet in daylight.

My landlord's brother was very, very sad.  Plus he fell while climbing the hill to fight the fire and got hurt.  It wasn't a good day for him.  After they got the fire controlled on that side of the property it spread toward my house.  It didn't make it as close as it did last year yet.  I say yet because last year we had several fires.  Carlos said it was a big fire.  As soon as they finally got in under control, 12 firemen came.  They went and walked around the property, then left because it had spread over to our neighbors properties.

Last year the fires really upset and scared me.  This year I felt more calm.  I saw last year that the fire can burn right up to my house and the only thing that happens is the odor of smoke lingers for days and I have to wash everything to get the smell out.  My house is cement with a wide sidewalkish thing around it and a tin roof, so the structure is likely to be safe.  My landlord's house is brick, so they are pretty safe too.

Right as I pulled up the driveway last night, raindrops fell on my windshield.  We had a good rain but heavy winds.  It hasn't rained in weeks.  I was happy for the rain, hoping it will take some of the dust off the roads and some of the smoke out of the air.

A short pondering as I approach 2 years in Honduras

I was thinking today about how times have changed.  On Thursday I will have been in Honduras for two years!  While 2 years is not a long time, I see it as an accomplishment.  I continue to feel blessed that God chose me to be here.

In the past two years God has taught me about waiting, whether it be waiting for people who run on "Honduran time", or dealing with things that I think should happen NOW.

He has shown me about patience for others.  We are all on our own journey.

He has taught me about relying on others and asking for help when I need it.  The people here are more thoughtful and generous to me, as a stranger in their community, than I could have ever imagined.  I continue to be amazed.

He is teaching me about trust.  I still trust people I shouldn't and don't trust people when I should.  This is a tough one for me.  How to stop expecting changes from people who repeatedly break my trust, yet remain open to the many, many people who are worthy of trust?  That is the question.

He has taught me to be more outgoing when I need to be, even if I don't feel like it.

He has shown me that little things mean a lot.  From a hug, a smile, or a kind greeting, to sharing food with someone who might otherwise go hungry.  A small thing to me might be a big thing to someone else.

I am learning more about who I am, who I am not and who I want to be.

I am learning to choose how much I take other peoples' opinions into account.

I have learned that four year olds are quite wise.  You can learn a lot from a four year old if you listen.

People are not always who I expect them to be - both good and bad.
Kindness can come from the places you'd never imagine.  Even complete strangers.
People who are hurting tend to hurt others.  If they want to hurt me, that is more about them than it is about me.

Life is more fun when you are doing things you are passionate about.  But sometimes you have to do the dull things too.

Most of all I have learned that I still have a lot more to learn.  More things to explore.  More experiences to share.  More people to know.  More ways to grow.  There is always more.  Mas y Mas.

I wonder what God has in store for me in the year to come.  Sometimes I try to imagine.  But that is just silly.  Because God's plans are way bigger and better than mine.

Front Range Christian School - Day One

Hugs!

Samuelito praying



Freshly bathed, with new clothes
Thanks FRCS!

Making new friends!
 



Today Kenia received a pin from special friends in the US



Meylin praying

Kenia praying

Kevin praying

Kelin praying

Cindy is so happy with her new clothes!



She had her hair braided, but lice removal is tomorrow.



Violet shading me under her umbrella
She is getting so big!

Cami is back again and braiding hair

Misael is in Kinder now!  Love his backpack.

Blowing Bubbles

Good buddies having fun!

 

 

Today the team from Front Range Christian School in Littleton, CO started serving at Buen Provecho.  It was a HOT day, but they all hung in there.

 

 

 

Christian, who received this fleece from the last team who visited, showed up wearing his jacket.  It was in the mid-eighties!



And from last week:

The church leadership took me out to celebrate TWO YEARS serving in Honduras!
Seated: Hermida (my landlord), Boris, me, Axa, Ethel
Standing: Carlos (my landlord), Walter, Josue, Samuel



Jetty is turning Hondurans into cat lovers

This was a great week.  Wednesday the leadership team took me out to lunch to celebrate me being in Honduras for 2 years.  That was a nice surprise and honor.  They gave me a nice magnet for my fridge.  My first piece of scripture in Spanish!  They didn't even know I collect refrigerator magnets.  I love it.

We had a meeting Wednesday morning about the sports program.  We still need some bikes for cycling.  We are hoping to get some road bikes with the goal of having some kids ride in the Coast to Coast race next year.  Coast to Coast is a famous race in Honduras.  It think it lasts 4 days.  It goes from the South Shore to the North Shore of Honduras.

If all goes as planned, swimming should start the first weekend in April.  They are really handing me the reins with the swimming program, which I am excited about.  What I am not excited about is the fact that it is at 8-10 a.m. on Saturdays and 7-9 a.m. on Sundays.  But I remember dreading the schedule last time, and I ended up not even needing an alarm clock to wake up.  Hopefully that will make this transition a little easier.

I am thinking once things get rolling I can drive directly to the pool.  That will save me mileage and an hour of time every morning.  I will just have to find someone I trust to monitor who is allowed on the bus.  Now that it is HOT outside I can imagine we might have a few people just randomly show up, wanting to spend the day at a pool.

Let me tell you.  It is beastly outside right now.

We took attendance for the past 2 weeks at the Breakfast Program.  Kids who attended 5 of the 10 days got a special necklace with their name on it which allows them to come this week while the team from Colorado is visiting.  84 kids are invited!  The team brought things for 80 kids to do each day so we should be just perfect.  I didn't realize we were feeding so many different kids.  I thought it was the same basic group of about 80.  Turns out that we have about another 30 who show up now and then.

I have mixed feelings about this new approach, but overall it makes things more manageable.  It is also a great reward for the kids who truly are a part of the Buen Provecho program.  They deserve to have special treats.

Last time a team visited we had a lot of behavior that was not acceptable and not the way they normally behave.  This time the kids know that if they have poor behavior this week, they will not be allowed to attend next week when another team comes.

Belinda told me today that she wants me to be at the gate on Monday.  I will have to turn kids away.  But I do think the way we went about it is fair.  They knew for two weeks we were taking attendance.  They knew their was going to be a big reward for those who attended.  They even started a rumor within themselves that they had to have perfect attendance.  I also think to ask them to be at the church for only 5 of 10 days is fair in order to participate in all of the activities with the team this week.

We made exceptions for Milagro, who had chicken pox.  Also Lesly and Cindy will be coming.  They were at home with their sick grandmother.  They are kids who normally come every day.

I was yelled at Friday by a Grandmother who insisted her granddaughter attended the program every day.  She even went so far as to lie several times.  Finally Belinda told me to come into the office and shut the door.  Then I heard one of the tutors tell the Grandmother that as a tutor she is at the church every day and she knew the girl had not been around much.  The grandmother admitted that she only sent the girl when she knew there are free gifts.  The grandmother was angry that nobody had come to tell her that we were handing out bags of candy Friday so she could send her kids.

So far all of the kids have been very respectful, even if they were not able to attend.  I think they are calm because they knew the expectations were clear.  They have known for 2 weeks that their attendance would earn them something very special and important.  Twenty of them had perfect attendance and a bunch more only missed one day.

Today the team from Colorado was at church.  I was excited to see them.  I knew two of the kids and one of the teachers from when they came last year.  The rest of the group is new.  I am really looking forward to spending this week with them.

I have had a hard time posting anything lately.  Not for lack of trying.  My internet connection is very weak so I haven't been able to add any pictures.  Many nights I can't even log on.  Finally I broke down and spent $25 for a month of internet on a little modem.  But that connection is just as weak as when I use my neighbors' wifi.  That was a waste.  Walter is hoping to fix a computer for me to use at the church.  He has been working on it quite a bit, but so far he has not been able to piece together one for me.

Friday my mechanic took me to the place where he bought my car battery.  I have to go there every 3 months and have that place check the battery in order to maintain the 7 year warranty.  The battery was fine.

We stopped to look for tires.  They are on sale right now.  If I buy them now they cost about the same as in the US.  We have been waiting since November.  Tires here only go on sale once/year.  I never thought I would drive on tires like I am driving on right now.  People around here drive on tires until they pop.  That's how you know when to get a new one.

I asked the mechanic if he could adjust my clutch.  I said when I am driving home from the gym with tired legs it is really hard to push in the clutch.  He said that is the clutch talking to me.  The clutch is telling me I will need a new clutch soon.  Oh boy.  New tires and a new clutch are not in my budget.  I asked if the clutch can wait a while.  He said yes, the clutch is talking but it is not screaming yet.

Saturday I took Jetty to the vet.  She needed her feline leukemia shot.  She also needed a check up for her asthma.  This season is tough for her with the air full of smoke from forest fires.  The doctor did a blood test and said her liver is doing well with the asthma meds, but we decided to change her to a non-steroid for a few weeks and see how she does.  She also got an anti-parasite medicine.  She'll need that once/year.  The vet and her assistant spent almost an hour with me.  They fell in love with Jetty.

When I first took Jett out of her cage to get weighed the assistant asked if she is aggressive.  I assured her that she is very "tranquila".  Later in the appointment the vet came back into the room from doing the blood work and said that Jetty must have turned the assistant into a cat lover.  The assistant was sitting on a stool with Jetty sprawled on her lap.  I assumed she always liked cats, but apparently Jett is the first.  Lots of people here are dog people and don't like cats.  Jetty has her own mission in Honduras.  To get people to like cats.  The vet and her assistant repeatedly said they wish all cats were like Jetty.  She is pretty darn special.

I am so blessed to have a good mechanic and a good vet.  It is a huge relief to know that my cat and my car are both in good hands.

Last night I had a horrible fever.  My sheets were drenched with sweat.  It was the strangest thing.  My head was so cold if I had had the energy I would have gotten up and put on a winter hat.  My body felt like it was cold on the outside but burning up on the inside.  I had horrible nightmares about people chasing me and killing everyone around me.  I kept trying to find a spot in my bed that wasn't soaked with sweat, but everything was drenched.

Today I've had a sore throat, a tiny bit of a runny nose, and my ears feel funny.  But I am not allowing myself to be sick.  I have been looking forward to this week for too long.  The bug that everyone else has lasts for 2 weeks.  It is a rough one.  I am hoping some vitamins, lots of rest, and healthy meals will fight this off.  We have the team from CO this week and another team next week, so I need to be in top form!

I just tried to post my pics from last week, but I can't even get to the screen where you upload them.  Sorry!  Someday soon.

Fires return

Forest fires are back.  The city is covered in smog when I drive down to the church each morning.  Yesterday the land down the road about a kilometer away was completely scorched.  There was another fire burning further down the mountain on the other side of the road.  It's not everywhere.  Yet.  But it's getting closer.

Right now all of my windows are closed, despite it being a beautiful evening.  There is a fire close by and the smoke is saturating the air.  It hurts to breathe.  I can't see the glow of the flames and I can't hear the sound of the fire crackling, thank God.  (I hate that sound.)  But the smell is powerful.

I'm glad I have already been through a fire season here.  I know it's going to get worse before it gets better.  I'm glad I was at the church last year when the fire burned right up to my house.  This year I know what to expect.  I know if the fire burns up to my house I'll be safe.  I know it can be scary.

My landlords work hard keeping the land clear.  They hire extra help and they work on a daily basis themselves.  They cut everything back and clean out everything that is dead.  Except trees because the trees here are protected.  Even the dead ones.  It is illegal to cut them down.  There are several dead trees near my house.  They died last year when the fire came.  The fire took their leaves and fruit, then smoldered in their roots for several days, which killed the trees slowly.  Luckily they are not close enough to be a danger to my house, I think.

I need to make sure not to leave any clothes drying on the line or windows open.  Last year I had to wash my whole wardrobe several times because all of my clothes smelled smoky when I left the windows open.  My sheets burned up when I left them on the clothes line.  Lesson learned.

Ugh

What a crappity crap of a day.  It all started at 5:30 a.m.  That's when Jetty woke me up because she was hungry.  Turns out I was hungry too.  So hungry that I couldn't get back to sleep.  Finally after coming to grips with the fact that sleep was not going to return to me, I went downstairs and got some yogurt.  I finished the coffee mug of yogurt and set it on the nightstand, then started drifting off to sleep.  Until I heard licking sounds.  The cat was liking the mug clean.  Vomiting was guaranteed to ensue if I didn't get out of bed, go downstairs and wash the mug.  Instead I tried to cover it with a notebook which the cat quickly knocked off.  My next brilliant idea was to stick it under my pillow.

Even in the moment I knew under the pillow was not a good place.  Two reasons:  Yogurt was getting all over my pillowcase.  Also, I could easily forget the mug was there and it would fall on the floor and break.  Since you already know it was a crappy day, you already know that both of those things happened.  Rather than sleep I was soon cleaning yogurt and broken mug up from the floor.

At that point I gave up on sleep.  I decided to get to work on some tax stuff I have been putting off, but it wouldn't download (internet too slow).  I tried to send a thank you email for the third day in a row and it wouldn't send (internet too slow).  I checked on tickets to go to the US in June.  No matter how I try to do it (Salt Lake or Denver, May, June or July) the ticket is close to $900.  Looks like I won't go home this summer either.  Very disappointing.  Finally I gave up on internet related things and decided to do them at the church.

Determined to do something productive I called my mechanic and asked if I could pass by for my three month battery check.  The check is necessary in order to maintain the 7 year guarantee valid.  The mechanic told me he'd be waiting.  But when I got there he said he forgot he can not do the check himself.  He has to take it to the store where he bought it and they check it there.  Also, I needed to have paperwork that was not in the car where I put it.  So I was stressed out all day wondering where I put those papers.  Without that paperwork my 7 year guarantee was already invalid after 3 months.  UGH!

I got to the church and one boy and one lady were the only ones there.  We sat and waited.  Meanwhile the boy pestered me to pay him to wash my car, which I just washed 2 days ago and the lady got mad at me because I thought her son was using a pencil I had lost the week before.  I still think that, but I don't understand getting upset over a dumb pencil.  First she got mad at me for asking about the pencil and then she criticized me for being quiet.  She gave me a big speech about how I was very quiet and serious and that my mind was far away and just a bunch of stuff I didn't feel like hearing. 

I needed to get away so I decided to try to use the church computer, but someone had taken a cable off the back so it no longer has internet.  I spent about a half hour trying to figure that out why I couldn't at least get Wi-Fi.  Belinda offered to let me use her computer and right at that instant the power went out.  That was when the migraine kicked in.

The afternoon kids finally showed up.  One boy came with a huge, swollen, black and blue egg on his temple.  There were several stories about how it got there.  Looked to me like someone slugged him really hard with a right fist.  Poor little guy.  As I was checking out the banged up head, Junior told me he has a "ball" growing under his armpit.  His mother has been putting aloe and an iron (I certainly hope it is not literally an iron like he said) on it.  The skin looked fine, but there was a big swollen ball in his armpit.  Then a kid who was on his way home fell out of a mango tree onto his head and needed stitches.  He came back, bleeding all over so we patched him up and sent him home with a note explaining it had NOT happened at the church and he needed medical attention.

We finished up homework with the afternoon kids and I went straight home.  No gym with this headache.

I finally was able to log in to my donor account online only to learn that I lost a donor.  In reality, I have only lost 2 sponsors in the past 2 years.  I think that is really good.  One is a situation I completely understand and think is for the best.  But this was someone I thought would tell me they no longer chose to support me.  There are other factors that make it difficult to understand and hurtful, but this is not the place to share them.

So, I am going to take a shower, put fresh sheets on my bed and read.  Disappearing into a book is the best way to be done with this day.  I have more awesome days than most people, so I am grateful for that.  Everyone has a bad day now and then.  Tomorrow will be better.

Photos from Friday

I got some great photos yesterday.  LOVE my new camera!

PRAYER:



Delia and Jacky took a break from tutoring and worked in the kitchen!




Isabela thinks it's fun when Mommy prays

 

Washing hands

Violet

Marlin took a day away from cooking and washed hands

Ana stepped out of the kitchen for the day
She enjoyed drying all of the kids' hands.

Drying her son, Jired's, hands



And a kiss for Mommy

Happy Mom

♥♥♥

Walter is new. He has been coming every day for 2 weeks.

Samuelito

Carlos appeared today

Junior

Oscar pretends he doesn't want his picture taken

Roberto is a sweetie

Isabela loves espagetis!

The Party is Over

Tummy is back to normal.  I think it was going to the gym that did it.  That and a little acidophilus got everything running smoothly.  But not tooo smoothly.

Last night was kill tremendously huge bug/spider night in my house.  It is amazing how I am getting accustomed to these things.  The spider I had seen before.  It was one of those big double bubble ones.  I call it that because it has two big round parts for a body.  The bug, on the other hand, I had never seen before.  It was like a supersized grasshopper, only with a tubular body and antenna that were three times bigger than itself.  That sucker did not want to die.  I think it wanted to attack me first.  Of course I was trapped in the bathroom with it so there was nowhere to run.  It crawled across the ceiling, then dive bombed me.  I screamed and hid in the shower.  Finally it crashed onto the floor outside the shower, spilling guts all over.  GROSS!

Jetty's asthma is acting up from my mad killing spree.  I try to be concise and limit the amount of bug spray I use, but with gigantic beasts like these too much is never enough.  I have seen them come back to life after I thought they were dead!  So Jetty is a little wheezy.

I am really enjoying the weather.  The rainy season ended a month ago.  It has been warm and sunny every day with an occasional thunderstorm just when you are tired of baking in the heat.  I can hang laundry out to dry and it actually dries!  Something those of you who have never lived near a rain forest really can't appreciate.  I have also been leaving the second floor windows open at night.  I love to snuggle in my blankets with a nice breeze blowing through.

One week into the dry season the fires had already started.  The air was pretty smoky, but nothing like last year.  Of course it is still early.  Yesterday on the radio they were announcing water shortages, which I can't believe since it rained from June until February.  That rainy season felt endless like a Northern New York winter.

In other news "The Party is Over".  That's what they said about all of the people who are running unregistered vehicles for public transportation.  Transportation police are going to have roadblocks 3 times/week to get the unregistered busses, taxis and moto-taxies (aka tuk-tuks in Guatemala and Thailand) off the road.

Road blocks in Honduras are kind of a joke.  They announce on the news each morning who they are targeting, so people know ahead of time and just take the day off if they are not legal.  But the radio announcer who said, "The Party is Over" said the last time they set up roadblocks, of 30 buses only five were legal.  They estimate over a thousand unregistered tuk tuks are on the road.  And who knows how many taxis.

Yesterday morning in the news I also caught that some prison gangs were throwing grenades at each other at 3 a.m. and trying to escape.  They were talking about preparing the hospitals for the injured and dead people.

My church in the US was supposed to have a team meeting about planning a trip to Honduras, but apparently people forgot about it so it was postponed until next week.  I would love to host them and am hoping they make it here eventually.  I think it has been 4 years since the last team was here.  It would be great to get them excited about Honduras again.

Hambre vs Hombre

I think it is official that I am becoming accustomed to living in Honduras.  Friday night I came home in a rain storm.  When I washed my feet in the shower there were squirmy worms that washed off.  It was disgusting.  I was glad I had not jumped into bed without washing my feet! 

Then I went downstairs and killed another scorpion. This time killing the scorpion didn't even fase me.  Jetty was very interested in it so I was more concerned about her getting stung.  It was very crunchy under my foot and didn't die quickly.  (Aren't you glad I shared those details?)

Jetty has a new friend and I have my own personal watch dog again.  Almost a year ago my landlords got a dog.  He always laid outside my door.  One day he disappeared and was gone for eleven months.  We figured he was kidnapped.  That's what happens to good dogs around here.  When I got back from Guatemala he came back!  He just showed up one day.  The cool part is that he resumed his spot outside of my front door.  I had forgotten that he used to do that.  He and Jetty play under the crack of the door.  I like having a guard dog.

My tummy is still not right.  A couple of days ago I got hungry for the first time.  Since then I really only get hungry at night.  In Spanish if you are hungry, you can say that you are "with hunger".  The word for hunger is hambre.  The word for man is hombre.  The other day I told Eunice that I am not hungry all day, but every night I am "with men"!  I realized what I had said as soon as I said it and we both started cracking up laughing.  I think Eunice was more embarrassed than I was.  She said I should never say that again.

Today the coolest thing happened.  I was getting ready to go to the church, running late, when my phone rang.  I took the time to answer it and talk for a few minutes.  It was someone whom I don't know well.  She was calling with a quick question.  In the course of the conversation she asked how I am doing.  I told her I am doing well, but really struggling for financial support.  As soon as I said that I felt so strange!  It is something I have not talked to many people about.

At some point I have to send out a letter begging for money and I have been dreading it.  But for some reason as I talked on the phone I shared that with her.

After I got to the church I received an email which brought me to tears.  She said that she had been praying and God is leading her to support me on a monthly basis!  I love seeing God's hand so clearly.  It helps me know I am on the right path.  I know that God put those words in my mouth.  I was shocked when I spoke them to her.  They didn't come from me.  I am so grateful God did that.  It gives me courage to ask others for more monthly support in the future.

Much better

Today I was active most of the day.  I didn't even take a nap!  But I also didn't eat.  I was scared about how my stomach would react and I had no appetite.

Then Hermida came over and asked what I had eaten.  I promised her I would cook soup, but she took me to her house and made me chicken broth and potatoes again.  My tummy is still gurgly.  It hurts now and then, but it is way better than even yesterday morning.

I can't wait for it to be well enough to go to the gym again.  I am aching to run!

I got some things done around the house that I have been meaning to do.  And I watched the movie "Saving Mr. Banks".  I really liked it.  I had not heard anything about it and didn't know what to expect, so it was a nice surprise.

Say no to toast

My excitement in the past 24 hours consists of the fact that I finally got hungry last night.  I decided I was enough better that I didn't need to listen to the doctor's advise of clear liquids only.  So I made toast.  And put butter on it.  Suffice it to say that my stomach made it quite clear it was not happy with my choice of food.

Today Hermida made me really yummy pureed potatoes with NO dairy and the most delicious brothy soup I have ever had in my life.  I eat a few bites every 2 hours.  My stomach grumbles, I get a little nauseous and burpy, then I go back to sleep.  I never knew bland food could taste so good.

I am drinking plenty of liquids and trying to decide if I can make it to the Breakfast Program tomorrow.  Since I am tired just walking up and down the stairs to the kitchen, right now I am leaning toward no.  But I am definitely much, much better than Saturday and Hermida says she can see improvements in my appearance and the sound of my voice even within the day today.

I guess I am disappointed because I expected to feel better than I actually do by now.

Yup. It's dysentery.

This morning I woke up feeling better, but knowing I would still have to see a Dr.  I was full of burps with sharp pains in my stomach and NO appetite.  I called my neighbor/landlord Hermida and asked her if I should see a specialist, or if this was something my regular Dr could handle on Monday.

First she scolded me, saying I should have called her yesterday and why did I wait so long.  Then she called a specialist.  Her husband ran to the store and came back with soup and Gatorade.  She apologized that she could not stay home and take care of me.  But really, I prefer to be alone when I alone when I am sick.

The specialist came within an hour.  He did a full check up and told me that I wasn't drinking enough water, which was definitely true.  He asked to look at my tongue, which I knew was black since I had been taking PeptoBismol all day yesterday and hadn't thought to brush my teeth until that moment.  I explained about the PeptoBismol and he said, "That is good.  You North Americans are good about always taking PeptoBismol."  I thought that was pretty funny.  And accurate.

I had to explain to him that yes, I knew there was mucous but no blood in my stool because on several occasions yesterday I had not made it the 10 feet to my toilet so my underpants held the evidence.

He gave me something natural to clean out my intestines? or colon? or wherever the little infectious creatures are living inside of me.  And he gave me the same exact antibiotic I had read on the internet was the best, which was reassuring.  Plus something for nausea.  He told me not to eat any dairy or anything greasy.  No worries.  The idea alone almost made me gag.

Hermida has her brother and sister-in-law on stand by.  She called them right after she called the Doctor.  Since she has church obligations she asked them to come over this afternoon to look in on me.  She thinks they are making soup for me.

Really, I am much better than yesterday.  I just need to get rid of these uninvited guests in my belly.

How funny that I spent two years in Honduras with no stomach problems.  Then one week in Guatemala hit me hard.  Strange.  Good thing I really loved that place.

Note to self:  Stop watching Discovery Channel's show about parasites.  It is making my imagination run wild.