Photos from Dancing in Los Pinos, Day 2

Photos from dance classes this week in Los Pinos.  Things are going really well.  Kids of all ages LOVE to dance.  Today we kids from 4-20 years old.  That's if you don't count me joining in at times too.

Yesterday:

Today:

One of the new faces.  She learned quickly

Erika was able to come today.
She is working in the mornings as a line cook

Learning leaps

Leaps!

Learning kicks

Big kids' kicks

Reviewing kids' dance from yesterday

Reviewing the big girls' dance

Arts and crafts - My identity in Christ

Snacks

First day of dancing in Los Pinos

I wish I had an update about Fany's brother.  I do have some works of God to share, but Fany's brother has not been found to our knowledge.

The first phone, the one he used in my last blog, died.  But Juan Carlos found a charged phone and was able to make a call to his brother in the US.  At that point Fany's brother who lives in the US called.  He was crying.  He said that Juan Carlos is close to death from dehydration.  They called immigration to turn him in, but immigration said they couldn't help.  The only thing they could do is tell him to walk to a road and hope that help would drive by.

There was a time we felt hopeless.  Fany's parents were fasting.  Fany and I prayed.  We were told that Juan Carlos and the two Guatemalan men who were with him were all too weak to walk.  They couldn't make it to a road.

That is when the Lord stepped in again.  First they found the phone.  Then they found a WELL.  A well with water.  They drank until they could walk.  Juan Carlos found his brother again and said they were feeling good.  They could see lights and a road.  They were going to walk there, then sit down and rest until someone came along.

That was the last thing we heard at 3 a.m. two nights ago.

On the brighter side, today was a fun day.  It was the first day of dance classes in Los Pinos.  Yesterday the dance teachers arrived.  We headed into Los Pinos this morning and had two classes.  One for the group of kids who go to school in the afternoon, then later a second class for the kids returned from their morning classes.

It brought back memories of the classes I was in as a child.  I haven't danced (in a class) in 30 years.  But I used to love dancing.  The teachers didn't speak English, so I translated and even danced with them.  It was lots of fun for me, as well as the kids.

Stretching

Crafts

Crafts

And more dancing

I have more photos of the little ones in the afternoon class, but the internet is too slow.  You can enjoy them tomorrow.

Juevos rancheros and three tortillas

Human life is human life.  Sometimes people make choices we may not agree with.  Sometimes those choices land them in dangerous, even life threatening situations.

At that point the decision is yours.  Do you let someone who is on the verge of death die because you don't agree with the decision the person made which caused them to be in this horrible situation?  Or do you give blood.  Because it is a life.  And because your pint of blood can make the difference between life and death for that person.  (In Honduras a person can only receive as many pints of blood as are donated in that person's name if they are in a public hospital.  There is no free blood.)

I recently had this conversation with someone.  The person told me, "Well, (so-and-so) knew better.  They knew if they chose to do (x,y.z,) they could die."  I was shocked.  Maybe it was a bad decision.  Maybe the person had really done the stupidest thing ever.  But did the person deserve to die because they made a bad  (or possible uninformed, or maybe a desperate) decision??

To me, the answer is no.  They did not harm anyone else.  The decision affected only themselves.  In fact I believe the person thought they were making the best decision they could.  But that is my point of view.

Why am I ranting and raving about decisions and death?  Because for a few months now Fany, who if you couldn't tell already, is my closest friend in Honduras, has been struggling as she watched her brother make a life and death decision.

One morning few months ago, Fany came to me very upset.  Her brother left in the middle of the night to begin a long journey in attempt to cross the border into the United States illegally.  In the end, he was captured by regular police in Mexico who figured out what he was trying to do, and sent back to Honduras.

He arrived thin and weak, hardly able to walk.  The journey to Mexico had gotten the best of him.

Immediately his brother, who paid for the "coyotes" to guide him to the US, started nagging.  The trip was already paid for.  He could attempt it again.  But they could not get a cash refund.  His manhood was challenged.  He was mocked and criticized.

His wife even pressured him to attempt the trip again.  He has not been able to find a job in over two years.  They have four kids.  The youngest is five.  Often they cannot eat.  What other option does he have?  He is not going to find work in Honduras, she said.  Take advantage of this opportunity your brother gave you, she told him.  Try again.

Fany and her parents were very, very against the idea from the beginning.  They know the man gets sick easily and is not very strong.  That trip is hard on the toughest people.  They did not want anything to happen to him.

But eventually, with pressure from the wife and brother, Fany came to me again.  It was the day after Mother's Day, May 11th.  Her brother had gone.  In the beginning of this week he made it to a place in Mexico where they were "storing" people until they thought it was safe to send them across the border.  He was not chosen in the earlier groups.  Then they had a close call with border patrol and had to lay low for a while.

Last night Fany's brother left the storage unit with the group he was assigned.  They had eaten their famous final meal of jeuvos rancheros and three tortillas.  They had only the clothes on their backs.  It was pouring rain as they crossed the river in a blow up raft.  They were drenched and cold.  They started hiking across a desert.  I am not sure how long they had walked when a helicopter came and they all scattered.  Fany's brother hung close to two Guatemalan guys.  He was able to get cell reception for a brief moment last night, just long enough to call his brother and say that he was lost in the desert.

As you can imagine, Fany is beside herself.  She doesn't know what to do.  She can't eat.  Her parents don't know that their son is lost.  They have been fasting since he arrived in the storage unit.  Her mother said today that she feels like something bad happened.  The brother who paid and provoked his brother to try again doesn't want anyone to know that his brother is lost.  He tried calling the coyotes to rescue his brother.  First the contact didn't answer their phone.  Then they said that someone had been sent to get them.  I find that difficult to believe.

Fany said she is praying that immigration finds her brother and picks him up.  That is the only way we can imagine him getting out of the desert safely.  We are thankful that he is not alone.

I was talking to some people at my church about the situation last night, before he got lost.  The man I was talking to knows two women who are currently on the same path.  One is the daughter of a lady from our church.  This has been happening all around me for years.  But I don't talk about it.  Because I know it is controversial.

Some people may say that Fany's brother deserves to die in the desert.  He made a bad decision.  I am praying that he doesn't.

My special blessings

Last night I finished my report just after 2 a.m.  My finger is still not right. It's all bulgy below the second joint and doesn't want to bend or straighten all of the way.  Typing is not fun

This morning Erika called to see if I still wanted help cleaning the house.  I had mentioned that I was feeling overwhelmed and could use some help if she felt like it.  Really, I wanted to put a little bit of $ into her pocket and have her earn some things for the baby when I go to the US, where everything is cheaper.

I was proud of her for taking the initiative to call.  Not too many 16 year olds would.  She didn't wait around to see if I would call her.  Add that to my list of reasons why Erika is awesome.

As I picked her up there was a big bus parked up by her house, off the main road.  All of her family and neighbors were there.  We drove past to turn around and everyone said hello.  Turned out they are all getting paid by the president to go to one of the Friday marches.  No other party is paying people to march.  But the people in Los Pinos are being told if they don't march they will lose the little bit of government support that they do get.  Erika explained that her family went mostly because they are afraid to lose government aid.

She seemed kind of against the idea of the march.  She said her mother invited her, but she declined.  I asked her if she understood why they were marching.  She doesn't have a tv or access to a newspaper, so I wondered.  She didn't know.  I said that some people have found evidence that the president stole medicine from hospitals and there is other evidence that he stole social security money.  Basically there is evidence of lots of skimming.  (Although I don't know if you could call it skimming when they stole so much medicine that there was none left and people are dying because of it.  That's not really "skimming" to me.)

Erika was interested to hear that.  I told her that everyone is entitled to their own point of view, and I don't know what is really going on.  But that is what the news is reporting.  I also told her that there are a lot of other parties marching against the president.  And none of them are paid to march.

Erika had to bring baby Marjory since her Mom was marching.  To be honest, we didn't get much done.  But we did all of the dirty work that I have been dreading, so I am satisfied.

Part way through Marjory started crying.  She wouldn't stop.  It was a new cry I hadn't heard before.  I asked if she needed a clean diaper.  Erika was clearly uncomfortable when she told me the baby hadn't eaten yet.  It was 3 p.m.

So we all sat down and ate.  I made a bunch of scrambled eggs and toast.  It was North American style with milk in the eggs and butter on the toast.  And the eggs were not deep fried.  Marjorie loves North American butter.  Erika had never had it before either.  When the food was eaten we went back to cleaning.

Throughout the afternoon I learned that Erika is out of prenatal vitamins and daily vitamins.  (She is still nursing.)  None of her brothers have a toothbrush.  (God magically placed 3 toothbrushes in my stash of stuff that I get cheap in the US and bring here!  Now the boys have toothbrushes, although one is pink and one is slightly used.)

As we passed the factory on the way home Erika told me that she might work there.  I know she has been looking for work, but this seems like a hopeful lead.  Her Aunt is getting the paperwork for her parents to fill out because she is still a minor.  I asked about the long lines of people I always see waiting for jobs outside the factory.  Erika said that because her Aunt already works there, she has an in.  Wow!  That would be great!  I am going to pray for this job.

We called INFOP about the English class.  Actually, Erika called.  The guy said he still has no information.  No more classes are starting at all.  But when they do he said he will call her.  I told Erika she can call him again in two weeks.  She is so anxious to study or work.  I admire this young woman.  She has a plan to attend school on weekends, which is common here, if she does get this job.

After I dropped her off I headed straight to prayer group.  Lots of people were walking in the same direction I drove, carrying torches.  We all went outside and checked it out.  Dr. Gustavo was there with his wife and a friend of his daughter's.  Pastor Paysen if I could go over there and talk to Dr. Gustavo.  He said sure.  So for a few minutes I was standing in the parade route.  But they were not moving yet.

They were busy holding up a large space because another group came and marched in front of his group.  The group in front only had a few people - like maybe 200 or 300.  They were trying to appear bigger than they really were by leading the Anti-Corruption march.  I don't know how many were in the Anti-corruption march.  We were guessing around 3000.  They waited until dark, then lit their torches and marched.  There was some jumping up and down, which was cool.  It was all peaceful, organized and respectful of people's property.

The marches of 2009 used to leave mass destruction in their path.  But this is not at all like that.  My Mom is worried that things are going to end up like they did in 2009.  I am too busy being proud of the people and they way they are making their voices heard in an honorable way.  People are being jailed, so they are seeing results.  Time will tell what happens with the president.

Prayer time was nice.  It always is.  We had a new member in our group today.  He is a church member whom I have always liked but don't know very well.  He is a little bit older and appears to be well educated.  Apparently he is going through something really tough.  I was happy to talk to him outside of church, where normally we just say hello.  He and his wife would both consistently win the "Best Dressed" award if there were one.  They both have beautiful, well tailored clothes.

While we were praying my phone rang.  I never get phone calls, so it struck me as odd.  Then I realized that as I left I yelled, "Good bye Fany!"  But she didn't answer as she usually does.  I told Erika that Fany and Laura were probably sleeping.  When I leave I always shout good bye. Fany answers and I tell her where I am going and what time I will be back.  When Fany didn't answer today, I didn't get the chance to tell her that I had prayer group right after I dropped Erika off.  So as it got to be 6 p.m. and I was an hour late getting home, Fany was worried that I never came back from dropping off Erika in Los Pinos.

As that whole scenario ran through my mind I realized I had to text Fany so she would know I was at prayer group and stop worrying.  I called as soon as prayer was over.  Just as I thought, Fany didn't realize it was Friday prayer group night.  She had catrachas waiting for me when I got home.  Yummy!!!  It's good to have good friends who worry if they think you are in Los Pinos too long and who make you catrachas at the end of the day.  Today I feel very blessed overall, but God especially blessed me by placing a friend like Fany and a girl like Erika in my life.

A clean house

My computer has been running really slowly so I tried to clean it yesterday by running a program that came built in.  Unfortunately it cleaned my internet access right off the computer.  Don't ask me how - I don't know about these things.

I managed to produce my first power point presentation, completely by accident.  I thought I was making a word presentation.  Once again - I don't know about these things.

I took the presentation to Pastor Paysen. proud of my work and feeling accomplished.  It was all wrong.  So, I came home and... you guessed it!  Cleaned my house.  Washed every washable material including curtains and bedding.  Scrubbed the patio.  Washed the outside walls, windows and frames.

I should be a professional procrastinator.  I am really good at it.  I just can't stand to look at that darn paper again.  Hours and hours of work for nothing.  UGH!

Somehow in all of that cleaning I did something to my ring finger.  It is no longer bending or straightening all of the way and it hurts.  Apparently I was so focused on cleaning I didn't even notice whatever I did to the finger.

I feel like every single second is packed full between now and the time I leave for the US.  Next week we have a team visiting.  They are teaching dance classes in Los Pinos.  The older kids will have class every day in the morning, and the younger kids in the afternoon.  So, I will be in Los Pinos all day, every day, next week.  Plus I will be giving rides to everyone involved, which means I can't just zip over.

I am worried because it is still the rainy season.  I pray it does not rain next week.  It will be a sticky situation because we can't throw the kids out in the rain, but at the same time, if we have a hard storm we really can't stay either.  We have 20 minutes to get out of Los Pinos or we will be stuck there.  We need to have a plan about what to do if it rains.  I have a feeling that the other adults riding with me are not going to share my concern.

Yesterday through Honduran Fellowship, an organization for missionaries in Honduras, I met with a woman who is the head of "missionary care".  She helped with my ministry plan and discussed some of the common difficulties of being a missionary in Honduras.  Turns out, almost everyone has experienced the same things I do.

She helped me identify my feelings more specifically because she has seen them in the others she serves.  It was like a purging experience.  I got to figure out what I want to work on, what things I am able to change, and what things I have no control over.  Then we went through a process of letting go of those things.  I left feeling good.  It was time well spent.  I'm grateful for Honduran Fellowship and for all of the ways they take care of us missionaries!  Now if they could only do something about the rain in Los Pinos.

Seeing God at Work Through the Women's Conference

People are still talking about the storm.  They say it was the hardest rain and strongest winds they have seen since Hurricane Mitch.  In fact many thought it was a hurricane.

Fany was walking down the street yesterday and the "poncha llantas" (the lady who pops tires) slowed down her car as she passed by to talk to Fany.  She asked if Fany had seen the storm (duh!) and talked about how terrible it was.  Then she said that she was in the US until a week ago.  Now we understand why there were no flat tires for some period of time until a week ago.  The lady asked about me.  She told Fany that I have bad luck because someone flattened my tires in front of her house.  I told Fany she should have said, "She doesn't have bad luck.  She just thought the people here were trustworthy and would not pop her tires."

Today Fany and I took a woman and her child to file charges against the woman's husband.  This was a result of the Women's Conference at my church.  See how God works!  We were told because the husband is a policeman and a black belt in karate, that we should go to the supreme court.  Unfortunately we were not able to complete everything there because she lives in another city.  But, now they have a record that she came to press charges.  She knows what to do when she gets home to her own city.  I pray she will follow up tomorrow.

It is really scary here to press charges against someone because it can take months for a court appearance.  Fany, another friend of theirs, and I have told her we will support her in any way we can.

Another factor that makes it difficult is that you can't vacate the house or you lose everything.  So she has to stay in the house, in this place that is not close to us, where she doesn't have much support or anyone at all nearby.

A few years ago she pressed charges against him after he tried to electrocute her, but the people who handled the case were all his buddies and it never came to trial.  Now, with the information and contacts she gained at the conference, plus the peace and strength God is giving her, she is determined to make a safe life for herself and her daughter.

She told me that she arrived Friday feelings that she wanted to cry all of the time.  After the conference she felt a sense of peace she has not felt in years.  I am amazed by her strength.  This type of strength and peace can only come from God.

Another woman who is being abused went to press charges against her husband today too.  What a difference that conference made!  Thank you for those of you who offered financial support!  You may be literally saving lives.  At the very least, you have helped to change the lives of these women, and their children, for the better.  Again, thank you.

Making baleadas

This is a photo of a house that fell off the mountain
as a result of the rains on Saturday.
You can see the wall in the middle of the photo
and the other half of the house above.

Today I learned to make my own tortillas for baleadas
There are many Hondurans that can't do it
so I was pretty proud of myself

The hardest part was flopping it onto the frying pan

Second try - much more round

Finished masterpiece - Burning HOT!
Hurry and take the picture!

Something was strange with me today.  I was exhausted all day although I slept well last night.

Fany and I had to go to the bank.  She said, "Are you sure you don't want to make any stops?"  I told her no, the only other thing I have to do is drop off the flyers in Los Pinos, but I won't do that with the girls in the car.  Fany said it's best if we all go together.

Thankfully, the trip was uneventful.  We dropped the flyers off at the pastor's house.  Fany took the photos above.  The roads were still full of mud.  But that house was the saddest sight.  There were a few spots where there were big mudslides.  Many people were working, cleaning up the streets.

The people I saw standing around the bus area blocking my shortcut on Saturday were there for a good reason.  A house slid down the mountain and crashed into the market below.  Everything was just gone - broken into pieces.  There was still a big crowd around there today.  I know the family who owned that little market/billiards place.  They are nice people.  I imagine everyone is okay or I would have already heard.

Just driving in that area again made me anxious.  It will be a while before I will feel comfortable in Los Pinos again.

When we got home Fany taught me how to make baleadas.  Very few people can make the tortillas for baleadas.  It is kind of like a chewy pizza doughish texture, not at all like a regular tortilla.  My first one wasn't round but my second and third turned out great!  The hardest part for me was flipping it out of my hands and getting it to lie flat in the pan.   Of course I have a professional teaching me.  Fany has been making baleadas since she was 7 years old.  I should be a pro soon.

A Life Lesson in Los Pinos

Due to heavy rains, we have had very little internet service for the past 24 hours.  It has been an eventful 24 hours, which part of me was dying to share.  Another part of me is extremely hesitant to write this because it is bound to send my mother and some members of my church in the US into a panic.  But I can't just write about the cheery stuff and leave out the not-so-cheery stuff.  So here goes:

Yesterday I was supposed to leave with Fany and her friend at 7:30 a.m. to go to the Women's Conference.  I didn't consider setting an alarm.  At 7:32 when I woke up I could hear Fany outside.  A few minutes later I heard her say, "I think Mary Lynn isn't awake yet." They had been bathed and ready since 6 a.m.

I threw on clothes. brushed my hair and teeth, and ran out the door.  We ended up being right on time, actually a little early, for the event.  Everything was fine.

The conference was for women who have been abused or are suffering abuse.  We also talked about the laws and how to help someone who is in an abusive situation.  There was a nice time of worship and then prayer at the end.  Everyone really enjoyed our time together.  A friend of mine decided that she will press charges against her husband for emotional and physical abuse.  We are going to help her with that tomorrow.

Nathan opening the conference with his shofar

My friend Oneida

Women in worship

Ilsa came from Danli

Gracie Murphree taught us the laws and definitions of abuse

Gracie guarding her heart...

Pastora Ruth - I love her smile in this one

Pastora Ruth preaching

Two of the most powerful and awesome women I know - Gracie and Pastora Ruth

I learned today that this woman's husband told her she was not allowed to attend the conference
She attended and won a new bible.  She was so excited to have her own bible!
Then she returned home to have glasses thrown at her last night.
But she was still at church this morning.

We enjoyed a delicious lunch!

My guests - Ilsa, Fany, Erika and Ana

Fany

Ilsa and Fany

After the conference I had the scariest experience of my life.  I am thinking back, and I honestly can't remember a time I was ever more afraid.  Before I go on, let me say that I have learned from this experience and will not allow it to happen again.

I dropped off Ilsa and Fany at our house, then drove toward the airport to drop off two more people and pick up some flyers from Molly.  It was raining at my house, but the rain had not arrived yet at Molly's house.  Molly handed over the flyers and asked if I could give a friend of hers a ride to Los Pinos too.  I said sure.  I was headed that way.

It started to rain right at the entrance for Los Pinos.  We came to Ana's house first, but Ana said she didn't want to get out in the rain, which was coming down hard at that point.  She said she'd rather ride with me to the pastor's house to drop off the flyers at the church in Los Pinos.  Erika decided to ride along too.  So we headed up the hill, dropping off Molly's friend along the way.

I stood outside in a DOWNPOUR - the kind of rain where you are instantly drenched to the skin the second you get out of the car.  No matter how hard I banged on the pastor's gate, nobody answered.  Ana came and stood beside me with an umbrella, which did feel nice since the rain was cold.  We were both soaked and neighbors were yelling that the pastor was not at home.  Confused, I called Molly. I thought she had called the pastor to let him know I was coming, but she had not.

As we headed back down to Ana and Erika's homes I noticed the rain was starting to flow like a river down the road.  A young girl I've known for years was the only person outside.  She was huddled in a doorstep, caught outside in the rain too.  There was no way for me to help her.  In fact, that was when I realized that the water was coming down the hill so swiftly that we should not be driving on the road.

I said to Ana that I didn't feel comfortable driving and I wanted to wait out the rain.  She agreed and we pulled over onto a side road that had no water flowing down it at all.  It felt like a safe shelter.  Below I noticed buses, first one, then a second, then a third, all pulled over, waiting out the rain as we were.  I decided I had made the right decision.  If the buses weren't driving on these roads then neither should I.  We waited about five minutes.

Meanwhile, Ana called home to explain why we were so late.  She left her 16, 11, 5 and 2 year old at home with her sister-in-law.  Her son said they were hiding under Ana's bed because the roof had blown off the house.  Not something you hear often in the US, but (unfortunately) very common in Los Pinos.

Ana was anxious to get home, but didn't want to take any chances.  She told them to stay under the bed until she got there.  At that point we started to pray out loud together.  Knowing Ana's house is one of the strongest in Los Pinos I began to worry for Erika's house.

Eventually the rain let up a little.  The buses turned around and headed down the mountain. I fell in line behind them with my flashers on, going very slowly.  I drove on whichever side of the road the river was not flowing as we took the curving path downward.

Finally we got to the turnoff for Erika's house.  Like the side road where we had been waiting out the storm, Erika's road was clear.  I told her I would drive her as far as I could, as long as the road was okay, and we headed from the valley, back up the side of the mountain.  Everything was fine, until it started to sleet or hail, or whatever it does at warmer temperatures.  I wasn't sure the windows would hold up.  It was the first time I have ever literally seen the rain coming down in "sheets".  Now I know what that saying means.

We made it to the path to Erika's house. I was desperate to get out of there, but I couldn't kick her out into that horrible storm.  Normally when it rains everyone just stops where they are and waits for it to pass.  So Erika was calm, waiting in the back seat.  Meanwhile, I was desperate to get Ana back home to her kids.  Little did I know the worst was still ahead of us.

Once it stopped coming down in sheets I encouraged Erika gently to go, but the storm was still heavy and she waited it out.  Finally (only a couple of minutes later) the rain actually did let up, just long enough for Erika to get out of the car.  As soon as she scurried down the hill it poured again.  Ana yelled that she saw a mudslide crossing the path where Erika had to go.  I didn't know what to do.  Soon Ana said, "There!  She is in!  Erika just went into her house!"

I headed back down, relieved that Erika had made it safely.  The roads there are steep, but they were clear and not too covered in rain.  Then we got back to the main road.  At the same time we both said, "We can't go."  The main road was a raging river.  The water was coming  down from the right so hard that when it hit the speed bump in the road, it flew up and came down like a huge waterfall.  Rocks floated by.  A soccer ball.  All sorts of garbage and stones.  The water was dark with mud.

Once again, we had to stop.  There was no way I could drive in that water.  We were so close to Ana's house.  Yet so far.  But we were safe.  Praise God, we were safe.  Ana and I prayed more.  We thanked the Lord for keeping Erika safe and for our safe shelter in that place.  We thanked Him for my car, which is strong and reliable.  We prayed for the kids in Ana's house.  And that the water would lower so we could pass.

I guess the water must have lowered.  At least it seemed to.  A big flat bed truck drove past, so I followed it down to Ana's house.

The road we were on is the valley.  On one side is the hill where Erika lives.  The hill where Ana lives on the other side.  There is a creek that runs through normally.  The creek was still there, rising high at the bridge by Ana's house.  But the water in the road was running almost as powerfully as the creek.

I pulled off of the road to let Ana out.  The flat bed in front of me stopped.  The side wall of the bridge was missing.  All of the water from the road gushed off the side of the bridge into the creek.  Water came from Erika's mountain and from the road, joined together at the bridge and poured into the creek.  It was a mess.

I told Ana I couldn't make it through that much water.  She said we have to just wait until the water lowers.  I couldn't help but think about how my buddy Saul had almost been killed by a car that came down the mountain from Ana's side and went into the creek.  It is only right now that I realize that event had nothing to do with rain - it was bad brakes.

I couldn't tell if the current on the bridge was strong enough to pull a car into the creek, which was now a fast flowing river.

We sat and watched as a few cars drove through.  I was not convinced.  I told Ana I would have to drive far to the left, but she was worried about the invisible overflowing drainage ditch on that side.

Then a car came through and died in the middle of the bridge.  It didn't float away, which had been my fear.  For a while it seemed that the car would remain there, blocking the bridge.  Then 10 or more people waded in to help push the car out.  Ana and I thought the car died because the motor got wet.  She told me not to drive to fast because the waves would wet my engine too.

I noticed that even with all of those people, it was really difficult for them to push the car.  Another car passed, and then the truck behind me started to go.  I told Ana to hop out, I was going to follow after the truck.

She ran over to a porch nearby and waited.  Meanwhile, a woman who had helped push the car banged on my window and yelled something about the mountain.  Then a boy, about 18 years old, dressed in only shorts and shivering from the cold came over to my car.  He said, "Señora! You can't pass.  The road is full of glass.  The car's motor didn't die.  All of it's tires are popped.  You have to turn around."

Turning around was something I had briefly considered.  But I know that road.  It is horrible with a little bit of rain.  I knew it would be impassable.  That wasn't even an option.  Today on the news I saw people wading through water up to their shoulders.  I would have been exactly where they were, if I had turned around.

I considered leaving the car and spending the night at Ana's.  But what if the car was swept away?  Or stolen?  That was not a great option either.

A few more cars drove across the bridge.  The boy and I held our breath and watched.  None of them appeared to have flat tires.

The rain seemed to let up.  The water seemed to be going less swiftly.  I looked at the boy and he looked at me.  I said, "I am going."  He said, "Go Señora!  If something happens we are here to help you!"  (I have never been called señora before, and hope not to be called señora again for many years, but at that moment those words sounded so sweet.)

I yelled, "I GO WITH GOD!" and I slowly started across the bridge.  As I got halfway across a car decided it was going to cross from the opposite direction.  I couldn't believe it!  Of all the things I had taken into consideration, this was not one. There was not enough room on the road for both of us, but I was more than half way across and not about to stop.  I laid on the horn and kept moving slowly and steadily across the bridge.  When I was almost nose to nose with the guy he swerved off toward the drainage ditch.  I must admit, I didn't look back to see what happened to him.

On the other side I took a deep breath and started to cry.  I still get teary, thinking about it.  Most of my tears were of gratitude.  I cried because God had protected me, my car, and everyone in it.

During one of times we were waiting, Ana had told me not to drive by the factory on the way home.  She said the road gets really bad there, which makes sense because it is low ground.  I know people who have blown tires there because the manhole covers come off in the rain.  If the road is wet and you can't see the pavement your whole wheel can fall inside.

However, when I got to the corner by the buses, the road where I wanted to turn was blocked off.  The little street market was destroyed and about twenty people were standing around looking at something.  All I could see was the door of a car and the flooded road.  There didn't seem to be a car attached.  I never found out what was going on there.  The news today only said that the vendors lost everything.

I was forced to go the way that Ana told me not to go, instead of the short cut that led directly to my house and to higher ground.

Crying, I continued on.  My plan was to catch the short cut a little ways up.  But that was where I saw the worst of everything.  Cars at that intersection had water mid-way up their windows.  There was garbage floating everywhere.  Two or three men were pulling a motorcycle out of the flood.  No short cut for me.

Traffic was slow, but uneventful from that point forward.  I called Ana to make sure she got to her house.  We both grumbled about the man who had crossed the bridge from the other direction at the same time that I went across.  She was home.  Her chickens lost all of their feathers, but with more nails her roof would be okay in a day or two.  And the kids were scared, but fine.

As I pulled up to my house, all I wanted was to be inside, out of the rain.  Fany's husband, Santos, was working on his car in the driveway.  He stopped me to chat.  I don't think he understood how traumatized I was.  He asked if he could borrow my car to buy a part that he needed to fix his car.  Normally Santos never asks me for anything, but if he does, I always say yes.  As soon as I heard that he wanted to drive somewhere I told him NO!  You can't drive!  All of the roads are flooded.  There are no pothole covers on any of the potholes.  I almost just died!

Santos probably thought I was crazy because it was raining steadily, but not hard at our house at that point.

It rained all through the night, that same steady rain.  I changed into warm, dry clothes.  Then Fany made dinner and helped me relax.  By the time I came home last night my kitchen floor was flooded.  Fany's was even worse.  I kept thinking that if our nice houses are like this, what is happening in Los Pinos?

Today the rain stopped.  I woke up still a little shaken.  At church I gave a testimony about the whole experience.

What I have now learned is that if it rains in Los Pinos, you have about 20 minutes to get out safely.  Otherwise, this is a typical occurrence.  I have already decided that I will limit my trips into Los Pinos during the rest of the rainy season.  On the days that I do go to Los Pinos, at the first drop of rain, I am getting out of there.  That was enough of a life lesson for me.