Woah is it hot! Only venturing from the house long enough to wash laundry (the washer is outside). I have talked about washing laundry before. It is much more of a process in Honduras than it ever was in the US. Thank God I have a washer. When I first got here I was washing by hand. Now THAT was rough. Please don't judge, but I think I pray for the life of my washer (it's old) almost as often as I pray for the life of my human friends. It freaked me out yesterday when it didn't start. I scurried around trying to fix it until I figured out the water level was not high enough for the rotation cycle to start yet. My washer lived another day.
The drying process is a joy too. We use trees and chairs because the sun works fastest. But drying laundry on chairs means flipping it because only one side dries at a time.
With the lack of rain we have begun collecting all of the water from each washer cycle in a huge bucket. Normally it just shoots out onto the ground. We have it down to an art. The bucket doesn't quite fit all of the water, so if you run out right when the water starts to shoot out with the most force, you can use the hose to water the mango tree, which is closest. Then as the pressure lessens we let it collect in the big bucket and use a small, plastic trash can to deliver water to the trees.
It's worth the extra effort because otherwise we will not have mangoes, limes or avocados this year. Today I did 2 loads of laundry. As I was finishing the rinse cycle (the washer is not attached to a water source so I have to fill it each cycle with a hose), I noticed there was hardly any water coming out of the hose. Water doesn't come until tomorrow at midnight. Not sure how we are going to bathe...
Fabricio, the boy who was helping get blood donations for Clara, left for Spain today. I am so excited for him!
Yesterday I had a nice time with God. He continues to confirm that I am on the right path. I continue to laugh about how this was right under my nose, so obvious, the whole time! So far He has shown me two specific families I will serve. I am excited to learn what other people/families I will work with. I will start off slowly and prayerfully.
I can't start until after Semana Santa anyway. The week before Easter (Semana Santa) is a huge holiday here. North American are advised to leave Tegucigalpa if possible. Locals go to the beach or to the country to visit their extended family. Tegucigalpa feels empty. But the thieves are out. Semana Santa has the highest crime rate of the year. I don't plan to go anywhere, but I also should not be out doing ministry during that time.
Part of serving in Los Pinos will be about making adjustments like this. It will be about using my own wisdom and listening to God as He advises me about how to serve there. I am excited and wish I could start now, but I have already waited this long, I can wait two more weeks.
Friday, March 20, 2015
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Romans 15:13
I cried until 4 am. My eyes are sore and I have that headache you get from crying. That came last night. This morning I woke up knowing this whole thing is in God's hands, but I also had a plan about how I could move forward.
Unfortunately, my plan was thwarted due to the rain. It hasn't rained in weeks. Maybe months? But this morning it rained right at the time that I would have had the opportunity to make my move. I am happy for the rain because we need it so much, but it also keeps people inside. So I wasn't surprised that I couldn't put my plan into action today. Well, all in God's time.
This morning God gave me this verse regarding the situation:
I also called Betsy from Jericho Ministries to check in with her about how her week of prayer has been going. She didn't answer the phone so I left a message. I told her that I feel God leading me to serve the kids I already know and love, and that I have figured out a way to do that which is (relatively) safe for me. I told her I will finish out our week of prayer and am interested to hear what she is hearing from God.
Unfortunately, my plan was thwarted due to the rain. It hasn't rained in weeks. Maybe months? But this morning it rained right at the time that I would have had the opportunity to make my move. I am happy for the rain because we need it so much, but it also keeps people inside. So I wasn't surprised that I couldn't put my plan into action today. Well, all in God's time.
This morning God gave me this verse regarding the situation:
I also called Betsy from Jericho Ministries to check in with her about how her week of prayer has been going. She didn't answer the phone so I left a message. I told her that I feel God leading me to serve the kids I already know and love, and that I have figured out a way to do that which is (relatively) safe for me. I told her I will finish out our week of prayer and am interested to hear what she is hearing from God.
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Filling emptiness
My heart is breaking. Or maybe it is broken. I don't even know.
Tonight I met with Pastora Ruth before prayer group. I told her about all the ways God has been moving in my life this week. I arrived so full of joy she was excited for me too. She asked everyone to look at me and see my joy.
I explained the reasons why I was so happy. The puzzle pieces of my future are finally coming together and I feel complete. I have a plan that makes sense! God is answering my prayers about how He wants me to serve Him. Now it seems so plainly obvious I can't believe I didn't see it before. But as a friend pointed out, had I known what I was called to do I would have jumped right into it, and until now I was not ready. God's timing is perfect. I finally see my new calling
As I spoke with joy and passion about the past 3 days Pastora Ruth pointed out something about the story, a tiny detail, that I had not noticed before. And my heart broke.
I don't feel comfortable sharing it because I don't see a way that sharing this publicly could help, and I do see how sharing this could hurt. It reaffirmed what God has been telling me all week - that I need to work in Los Pinos.
The prayer group was exactly what I needed after realizing that what Pastor Ruth pointed out was true. I spent half of the time sobbing like I haven't cried since... I can't remember when.
We prayed about the situation. My specific prayer is that people's hearts can be so full of God's love and their tummies with food that they don't look for or accept unhealthy ways to cover up and fill their emptiness. One of Ruth's prayers, when I was crying so hard that I couldn't pray anymore and she took over, was that my hugs and my words could fill people with God's love. I pray that too.
I can't stop crying. Now I can see what my heart is broken for, and God is leading me to serve there. Makes sense.
Tonight I met with Pastora Ruth before prayer group. I told her about all the ways God has been moving in my life this week. I arrived so full of joy she was excited for me too. She asked everyone to look at me and see my joy.
I explained the reasons why I was so happy. The puzzle pieces of my future are finally coming together and I feel complete. I have a plan that makes sense! God is answering my prayers about how He wants me to serve Him. Now it seems so plainly obvious I can't believe I didn't see it before. But as a friend pointed out, had I known what I was called to do I would have jumped right into it, and until now I was not ready. God's timing is perfect. I finally see my new calling
As I spoke with joy and passion about the past 3 days Pastora Ruth pointed out something about the story, a tiny detail, that I had not noticed before. And my heart broke.
I don't feel comfortable sharing it because I don't see a way that sharing this publicly could help, and I do see how sharing this could hurt. It reaffirmed what God has been telling me all week - that I need to work in Los Pinos.
The prayer group was exactly what I needed after realizing that what Pastor Ruth pointed out was true. I spent half of the time sobbing like I haven't cried since... I can't remember when.
We prayed about the situation. My specific prayer is that people's hearts can be so full of God's love and their tummies with food that they don't look for or accept unhealthy ways to cover up and fill their emptiness. One of Ruth's prayers, when I was crying so hard that I couldn't pray anymore and she took over, was that my hugs and my words could fill people with God's love. I pray that too.
I can't stop crying. Now I can see what my heart is broken for, and God is leading me to serve there. Makes sense.
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Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Taking the next step
I spent part of the day today with God, reading books and the bible and praying. One book that I am supposed to read is like reading Shakespeare. I don't know if I have a bad attitude, or if the book is really as difficult to understand as it seems to be. All I know is so far I can't stand that book.
My new friend Molly invited me to her house. She is a pretty incredible person. She has been serving in Honduras for 2 or 3 years and God has given her 2 kids to care for! She is in her early 20's figuring out how to be a Mom and how to do what is best for the kids. I really admire what she is doing. She is also serving families in Los Pinos.
Tonight I went to her house and got right to the point. I said, "I am here with an agenda. I believe God is calling me to serve in Los Pinos and I would like to partner with you."
I was nervous because I had been thinking and praying about it since I saw Carlos yesterday. I could think of reasons why she would not want to involve me in what she is doing. Mostly because she doesn't know me very well and she is still in the process of building her own relationships there.
She was very straight forward. She said that she wants two weeks to put her own things in order and then she will include me in what she is doing. Molly asked what exactly it is that I want to do. I told her that I had some specific families in mind and my ideas were not to provide material things, but to provide emotional support, bible study, discipleship, mentoring. I told her I am not trying to be selfish, but I don't think it is safe or healthy for me or the people I serve to bring them THINGS.
I called Ana after I left Molly's house and told her about my ideas. She said she has had three dreams about me serving in Los Pinos. She immediately reminded me of Erika, a girl who got pregnant at 14 and now has a toddler. As soon as she mentioned Erika, I knew she was right. Erika has no support at home and we got to be close when I was serving at Buen Provecho. I know she could use discipleship/mentoring. She is also Carlos' cousin. It will be interesting to see who else God calls me to serve there.
It looks like things are starting to fall into place. I believe God will continue to share things with me to make it even more clear, but I believe He is calling me to serve in Los Pinos and has put the right people in my life in order for me to serve in a safe, healthy way for me and those I serve. Now I am excited to get started!
My new friend Molly invited me to her house. She is a pretty incredible person. She has been serving in Honduras for 2 or 3 years and God has given her 2 kids to care for! She is in her early 20's figuring out how to be a Mom and how to do what is best for the kids. I really admire what she is doing. She is also serving families in Los Pinos.
Tonight I went to her house and got right to the point. I said, "I am here with an agenda. I believe God is calling me to serve in Los Pinos and I would like to partner with you."
I was nervous because I had been thinking and praying about it since I saw Carlos yesterday. I could think of reasons why she would not want to involve me in what she is doing. Mostly because she doesn't know me very well and she is still in the process of building her own relationships there.
She was very straight forward. She said that she wants two weeks to put her own things in order and then she will include me in what she is doing. Molly asked what exactly it is that I want to do. I told her that I had some specific families in mind and my ideas were not to provide material things, but to provide emotional support, bible study, discipleship, mentoring. I told her I am not trying to be selfish, but I don't think it is safe or healthy for me or the people I serve to bring them THINGS.
I called Ana after I left Molly's house and told her about my ideas. She said she has had three dreams about me serving in Los Pinos. She immediately reminded me of Erika, a girl who got pregnant at 14 and now has a toddler. As soon as she mentioned Erika, I knew she was right. Erika has no support at home and we got to be close when I was serving at Buen Provecho. I know she could use discipleship/mentoring. She is also Carlos' cousin. It will be interesting to see who else God calls me to serve there.
It looks like things are starting to fall into place. I believe God will continue to share things with me to make it even more clear, but I believe He is calling me to serve in Los Pinos and has put the right people in my life in order for me to serve in a safe, healthy way for me and those I serve. Now I am excited to get started!
Monday, March 16, 2015
Carlos lost his smile
Betsy and I decided last week that we would begin a serious time of prayer today to see whether we hear God calling me to serve her ministry. I have been having some doubts about it, since I haven't heard anything from God. In fact part of me was not very committed to this time of prayer until this morning.
I left the meeting with Betsy last week really excited. But soon afterward doubt started creeping in. I marked it up to the fact that sometimes changes can be hard. Starting a new job can be intimidating. However, I know that I am eager to get back to full time ministry and I believe that Jericho could be a good place for me. So the nagging doubt was stronger than I thought it should be.
Yesterday I realized that my heart is still really in Los Pinos, so I reached out to a friend who was working on her own there, but has now joined a group of people who serve in Los Pinos. The friend is someone I don't know well. When I did the vision mapping the woman who helped me said that she just had helped someone who answered almost all of the vision mapping questions the same way I did. She suggested I reach out to the person, but I never really did.
At the retreat a few weeks ago I sat down and talked to her during a lapse in our schedule. She talked about her perspectives on serving and what she is doing in Los Pinos. It was super interesting because the words she used to describe what is important to her and the manner in which she serves are the exact same words I used when I did the vision mapping. Exactly. It blew me away how much we think alike.
She asked for a ride home from the retreat. (God seems to do life changing things when people ask me for rides home from retreats! You might remember that after the retreat in November a friend asked for a ride to her church and that is how I ended up changing churches. We'll see if anything happens this time...) We talked on the way home and then got together a few times briefly afterward. Each time I come home and tell Fany how much I enjoy this person's company and respect what she is doing. Last week she invited me to go to Los Pinos with her, but I was sick. This week I asked if I can go but she is busy with her new partners and said this week is not good. So I asked if we could meet just to talk. And that is what we are going to do tomorrow.
Here is the best part of the story. I went to pray with my friend Carol today. She is someone I can trust to tell me if I am not thinking straight. She said she hasn't seen me this weighed down in a while. I explained that I am confused about whether I am supposed to help at the ministry with Betsy or not and I am allowing myself to feel a lot of pressure about it. God hasn't exactly told me, but it feels like it may not be the right fit. Then I said that I think maybe I am supposed to serve with the other person in Los Pinos. Carol knows the other person and gave me a bunch of good things to think about and ask when I talk to her.
We prayed that God would make it abundantly clear this week if He wants me to serve with Betsy or not.
Then I took Ana to run an errand outside of town. I brought her home and dropped her off at the same bridge where I have dropped her off a million times before. I was all caught up in goodbyes when Ana said to me look, do you see who is there? She pointed over to a boy who was standing half hidden behind the corner of a truck. I had to look several times to be sure. It was Carlos. He stood there staring at me.
The dead look is back in his eyes. He was filthy. His clothes and face were caked with dirt. Caked. And he was sipping on a (you guessed it!) Coca Cola. I walked over and said hello but he didn't speak. He just looked at me with those big, blank eyes like he used to a year ago.
I kept thinking I could break the ice and bring back the boy who had started to smile and talk and laugh. (Last year when I went to the US in July I asked everyone in my home church to pray for Carlos and the prayer worked! He went from those dead eyes and crying and clinging to me, to playing with the other kids and laughing!) But today there was nothing there. Just a dull, glazed over look.
I asked if I could give him a hug and he silently lowered the Coke from where he was carrying it in front of his chest so that it was down by his side. I hugged him and kissed him and told him that I love him. No response.
As I was leaving I realized I had apples in the back of my car, so I asked if he wanted an apple. He slowly nodded his head. I got out, got the bag of apples from the back, and let him choose one. He chose the one on top. It was not the reddest or the biggest. I hugged him and kissed his forehead and told him again that I love him. He turned and walked away. As I left I saw him walking up the street eating the apple. I was happy it was nice and cold. I hoped it tasted delicious to him.
Carlos has always been really special to me. He is one of the kids who God really placed on my heart since I first started working in Los Pinos. To see Carlos at that bridge where I had been a million times, but never seen him before, standing alone, staring at me, made me realize maybe God was talking to me.
When I saw that Carlos was so dirty and is no longer talking or smiling, it seemed that God's message to me was, "Here is a boy you love. He needs help. There is still work here to be done."
I am open to whatever happens this week during our time of prayer. To be honest, I do hope I can find a way to work safely with the kids in Los Pinos. That is what I, as a human, would like. But I know that I don't want to be anywhere that is not in God's plan. So I am praying that He speaks clearly to me and that I am open to receive what He tells me.
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| Carlos before he learned to smile |
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| Carlos when he used to smile, with Rebecca from K2 |
Saturday, March 14, 2015
How many women can fit in a Honda CRV?
Today was AWESOME! I am actually happy now that I was so nervous last week about giving my testimony, because it was an opportunity for me to see how absolutely "tranquila" I could be once I allowed God to step in.
I wasn't nervous a single bit today or last night. I did pray a lot and ask God to speak through me and for the Holy Spirit to be present to give me words to speak. But I was never anxious or worried.
The hour and a half flew by. My Spanish was fine. I could have spoken for another hour, just as one of my prayer team prayed for me. But I also felt like I said everything that really needed to be spoken.
In the beginning of the week I was worried about over sharing, or saying something that might be really crazy to someone from Honduras. God allowed me to be open and honest, but I did not feel at all like I was airing my dirty laundry.
I forgot one earring but I wore the other one with confidence, hoping if any pictures were taken they would be from that side. I think that was my only mishap.
I got positive feedback when I was done. More importantly, two women individually came to me and said they never knew anyone who shared experiences similar to theirs. They each said they would like to talk with me because they never shared their experiences with anyone before. Until now they believed nobody else would understand, so they kept everything a secret. But after hearing my testimony they know that I will understand and they want to talk with me. I pray that God will bring these women healing through my testimony!
I feel like there were more women who wanted to talk to me, but we were in a hurry to start the Evangelism class. I will make sure I hang out after church tomorrow and keep an eye out in the future for anyone who seems to want to make conversation.
It was amazing to be able to stand in front of people with complete confidence. I am looking forward to serving in my next ministry with the same confidence. What an honor to be asked to speak about yourself and share with others about your journey with God! I really love my new church and feel extremely grateful for the opportunities they offer me to learn and grow.
After a long afternoon, we were figuring out rides home. Most of the ladies take a bus that picks them up on the corner by my house. They can take a collectivo taxi (expensive and DANGEROUS!) to the bus, or they can go downtown (which is also not safe) and take a windy route which takes forever. In the end I offered one lady a ride. We got to the corner and I saw a lady from church waiting for a bus. The other lady saw her too, so I said yell and tell her to get in while we are stopped at the stoplight. Then I realized she was part of a huge crew from the church. I said they are never going to fit! But I was assured they always fit. The only rule is that nobody can sit on laps in the front seat. But otherwise anything goes.
I have no idea how many of them there were. I stopped counting when 6 got into the back seat of my Honda CRV and then there were at least two more outside. I really thought it was impossible. But, in Honduras you just pack them in. We all made it to the corner by my house where the bus meets them. That's what is important. I turned on the AC because it was hot in that car and we can't roll down windows, but someone started coughing and saying they were allergic, so I turned it off again. I only know one other person who uses AC in Honduras. And it is beastly hot here right now.
Laura has chicken pox. That's all my news for today.
Looking forward to church tomorrow just like I used to look forward to K2. It feels good.
I wasn't nervous a single bit today or last night. I did pray a lot and ask God to speak through me and for the Holy Spirit to be present to give me words to speak. But I was never anxious or worried.
The hour and a half flew by. My Spanish was fine. I could have spoken for another hour, just as one of my prayer team prayed for me. But I also felt like I said everything that really needed to be spoken.
In the beginning of the week I was worried about over sharing, or saying something that might be really crazy to someone from Honduras. God allowed me to be open and honest, but I did not feel at all like I was airing my dirty laundry.
I forgot one earring but I wore the other one with confidence, hoping if any pictures were taken they would be from that side. I think that was my only mishap.
I got positive feedback when I was done. More importantly, two women individually came to me and said they never knew anyone who shared experiences similar to theirs. They each said they would like to talk with me because they never shared their experiences with anyone before. Until now they believed nobody else would understand, so they kept everything a secret. But after hearing my testimony they know that I will understand and they want to talk with me. I pray that God will bring these women healing through my testimony!
I feel like there were more women who wanted to talk to me, but we were in a hurry to start the Evangelism class. I will make sure I hang out after church tomorrow and keep an eye out in the future for anyone who seems to want to make conversation.
It was amazing to be able to stand in front of people with complete confidence. I am looking forward to serving in my next ministry with the same confidence. What an honor to be asked to speak about yourself and share with others about your journey with God! I really love my new church and feel extremely grateful for the opportunities they offer me to learn and grow.
After a long afternoon, we were figuring out rides home. Most of the ladies take a bus that picks them up on the corner by my house. They can take a collectivo taxi (expensive and DANGEROUS!) to the bus, or they can go downtown (which is also not safe) and take a windy route which takes forever. In the end I offered one lady a ride. We got to the corner and I saw a lady from church waiting for a bus. The other lady saw her too, so I said yell and tell her to get in while we are stopped at the stoplight. Then I realized she was part of a huge crew from the church. I said they are never going to fit! But I was assured they always fit. The only rule is that nobody can sit on laps in the front seat. But otherwise anything goes.
I have no idea how many of them there were. I stopped counting when 6 got into the back seat of my Honda CRV and then there were at least two more outside. I really thought it was impossible. But, in Honduras you just pack them in. We all made it to the corner by my house where the bus meets them. That's what is important. I turned on the AC because it was hot in that car and we can't roll down windows, but someone started coughing and saying they were allergic, so I turned it off again. I only know one other person who uses AC in Honduras. And it is beastly hot here right now.
Laura has chicken pox. That's all my news for today.
Looking forward to church tomorrow just like I used to look forward to K2. It feels good.
Will there be light?
Woke up at 5:30 to get everything ready for my testimony today. All work that requires electricity is now done, except my shower. Waiting to see if the power goes off in 10 minutes for the whole day due to water shortage. Last Saturday most of the country was without "luz" (light) from 8 a.m. until 4:45 p.m., so I'm not risking it today.
Feeling prepared and ready to go!
Feeling prepared and ready to go!
Friday, March 13, 2015
Baby steps
My meeting with Betsy was everything I hoped for. We talked for 2 & 1/2 hours! She wanted to know everything about me and then had some additional questions.
We both agree it seems to be a good fit, but we need to know for sure that it is God's plan.
We are going to spend time in prayer and see how God answers. Also, I am going to visit part of the ministry that is not where I would actually serve, but where I could get a good feeling for how things work and their serving style. It is out in the country and Betsy says it will be a perfect place to seek after God next week.
I am totally happy with this plan. I have peace that God will answer and we are ready to accept whatever we hear from Him.
We both agree it seems to be a good fit, but we need to know for sure that it is God's plan.
We are going to spend time in prayer and see how God answers. Also, I am going to visit part of the ministry that is not where I would actually serve, but where I could get a good feeling for how things work and their serving style. It is out in the country and Betsy says it will be a perfect place to seek after God next week.
I am totally happy with this plan. I have peace that God will answer and we are ready to accept whatever we hear from Him.
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Meeting with Betsy tomorrow!
Tomorrow could be the big day! I meet with Betsy from Jericho Ministries tomorrow at 9 a.m. I told Fany last night as we were walking to the store that I am nervous, although I know there is no reason to be nervous. It's not like a regular job interview where a whole bunch of people are also competing for the job. Either Betsy has a space for me in her ministry, or she doesn't. God knows if He wants me to be there. I believe He will make His desires clear to Betsy and to me.
At the same time that I am eager to start serving again, my heart is really more excited to serve with Pastora Ruth. I see this time with Betsy as transitional and an opportunity to learn from one of the best. Betsy has been doing this since the early 80's! Anything I glean from her will be a gift.
It is confusing because I feel so strongly called to serve with Pastora Ruth, that it overpowers what I feel about serving with Betsy. In my human heart I wish it were time right now to serve at Ruth's side. But that may not happen for a while and I am ready to get back out there. Of all the ministries I know, Betsy's is the one I feel most attached to so far. So that is where I will start.
I often think about the kids in Los Pinos and how I could continue to help them. I have two friends who are serving in Los Pinos with different families. Neither friend is with a specific ministry. One wrote yesterday that she had a good day, but was concerned about the violence that is happening there right now. She said the area is very "hot" and she didn't mean temperature-wise. She was just there two weeks ago and didn't mention anything about feeling unsafe, but yesterday she was worried for her own safety as well as the families she is serving. I am not sure how to serve the kids I love in Los Pinos in a way that keeps me safe. If God wants me there He will show me a way. In the meantime I talk with many of them by Facebook.
I am going to spend a lot of time today with God and pray that I am super focused for the meeting with Betsy tomorrow.
Saturday I have to give my testimony at my new church. I am nervous about a couple of things. Honestly, I have never really seen anyone officially give their testimony. Of course I have heard people unofficially share their story. But I have to stand in front of my women's group for an hour and a half. THAT has me nervous. Pastor Ruth says that my life experiences are going to heal other women. That is why she wants me to share with them. I know that God will give me the words, if I allow Him to. I pray that all that I say is received in the way God intended for each person to hear it.
Next week I may be back in ministry officially! I told Fany I am trying to enjoy this week as much as possible. Last night Fany and I had a girls' night with Cynthia. We painted our nails and had a nice dinner. We planned to watch a movie but that fell through so we scanned through novelas (soap operas) looking at the latest clothing styles and makeup.
Fany and I also realized there is a gym right by our house! I went inside and checked it out. It's tiny, and there are no elliptical machines, but it is cheaper and so close. I am dying to get back into the gym. None of my clothes fit except the biggest and stretchiest. I was thinking of joining the gym today, but then I realized I should wait one more day. After my meeting with Betsy tomorrow I will have a better idea of what my schedule will look like. Then I can commit to a gym membership. (Here it's only month-to-month anyway, but I can wait one more day to be sure it is a wise decision.)
The water did come last night! We washed and cleaned and took full advantage. However, I was tired and did not stay up until 5 a.m. like on Saturday. I need to get back into better sleeping habits if I am going to do full time ministry again.
I am laughing to myself right now thinking about sleeping habits. I spent so many sleepless nights when I was not in a healthy place emotionally over the past 3 years. Night after night I would wake up at 1:30 a,m, and not be able to fall asleep again until 5 or 6 a.m. Now my sleepless nights are only due to water problems. I choose to stay awake to water the lawn and wash my clothes. Hahaha! Praise God for all He has done for me and in me!
At the same time that I am eager to start serving again, my heart is really more excited to serve with Pastora Ruth. I see this time with Betsy as transitional and an opportunity to learn from one of the best. Betsy has been doing this since the early 80's! Anything I glean from her will be a gift.
It is confusing because I feel so strongly called to serve with Pastora Ruth, that it overpowers what I feel about serving with Betsy. In my human heart I wish it were time right now to serve at Ruth's side. But that may not happen for a while and I am ready to get back out there. Of all the ministries I know, Betsy's is the one I feel most attached to so far. So that is where I will start.
I often think about the kids in Los Pinos and how I could continue to help them. I have two friends who are serving in Los Pinos with different families. Neither friend is with a specific ministry. One wrote yesterday that she had a good day, but was concerned about the violence that is happening there right now. She said the area is very "hot" and she didn't mean temperature-wise. She was just there two weeks ago and didn't mention anything about feeling unsafe, but yesterday she was worried for her own safety as well as the families she is serving. I am not sure how to serve the kids I love in Los Pinos in a way that keeps me safe. If God wants me there He will show me a way. In the meantime I talk with many of them by Facebook.
I am going to spend a lot of time today with God and pray that I am super focused for the meeting with Betsy tomorrow.
Saturday I have to give my testimony at my new church. I am nervous about a couple of things. Honestly, I have never really seen anyone officially give their testimony. Of course I have heard people unofficially share their story. But I have to stand in front of my women's group for an hour and a half. THAT has me nervous. Pastor Ruth says that my life experiences are going to heal other women. That is why she wants me to share with them. I know that God will give me the words, if I allow Him to. I pray that all that I say is received in the way God intended for each person to hear it.
Next week I may be back in ministry officially! I told Fany I am trying to enjoy this week as much as possible. Last night Fany and I had a girls' night with Cynthia. We painted our nails and had a nice dinner. We planned to watch a movie but that fell through so we scanned through novelas (soap operas) looking at the latest clothing styles and makeup.
Fany and I also realized there is a gym right by our house! I went inside and checked it out. It's tiny, and there are no elliptical machines, but it is cheaper and so close. I am dying to get back into the gym. None of my clothes fit except the biggest and stretchiest. I was thinking of joining the gym today, but then I realized I should wait one more day. After my meeting with Betsy tomorrow I will have a better idea of what my schedule will look like. Then I can commit to a gym membership. (Here it's only month-to-month anyway, but I can wait one more day to be sure it is a wise decision.)
The water did come last night! We washed and cleaned and took full advantage. However, I was tired and did not stay up until 5 a.m. like on Saturday. I need to get back into better sleeping habits if I am going to do full time ministry again.
I am laughing to myself right now thinking about sleeping habits. I spent so many sleepless nights when I was not in a healthy place emotionally over the past 3 years. Night after night I would wake up at 1:30 a,m, and not be able to fall asleep again until 5 or 6 a.m. Now my sleepless nights are only due to water problems. I choose to stay awake to water the lawn and wash my clothes. Hahaha! Praise God for all He has done for me and in me!
Monday, March 9, 2015
Late nights
On Friday Fany and I were outside talking when I heard the television make that fuzzy sound it makes when the cable goes out and there's just snow on the screen. I didn't think much of it until later when none of us had cable.
Fany thought for sure a cat had tugged on the wire since cats are always walking on our roofs. (That's one of the things that happens when the huge wall around your house is higher than your roof. It freaks Jetty out every time we hear a cat pounce down onto the roof. I've gotten used to it. The mangoes, however, are much louder. Glad they are seasonal.)
I was less hopeful than Fany about cat interference. We have had free cable since I first moved to Honduras. The lady who lived here before me took her internet modem back to the company but they never turned off the cable line. For 3 & 1/2 years nobody has paid for cable. Maybe I should have had more of a conscience, but I couldn't bring myself to go to the company and ask them to please start charging me. Plus Fany's house is on the account, so anything I did would effect her.
Fany climbed up on the roof Saturday but couldn't find any wires disconnected. Santos climbed up Sunday and found two cable lines cut off at the pole. (Literally cut. No wonder this country has so many cable wires hanging around!.)
So, we are without cable. Today we went to the mall to shop around at different cable companies but ended up only going to one place because they were having a special promotion. For $16 we get a million channels. More than I will ever watch. Plus news from Denver so now my Mom doesn't need to give me the weather report every time she talks to me because if I want to know the weather in Denver, I can look for myself. (My Mom is obsessed with the weather in CO. I keep waiting for it to wear off, but now she has been there three years and it hasn't slowed down a bit.) On top of that they offer 100 minutes each month of free calls to other phones on the same plan. I hardly ever use my phone so Fany is going to receive the 100 free monthly minutes. She is excited about that.
Last night the water came at midnight which meant Fany and I started washing laundry at 1 a.m., after our tanks were part way full. We have taken to watering the grass with water that comes out of the washing machine hose. Good thing our washing machines are outside or the grass and trees would be dead by now.
Also, Fany's sister has been in labor since Saturday. Yesterday afternoon Fany came over in tears, which I have never seen before, because she thought her sister was going to die. I assured her that everything seemed to be normal, as far as we knew. Finally last night as we were washing the driveway and the front patio, the baby was born at 2 a.m. which meant the family was sending photos and we were both hyper. I didn't sleep until 5 a.m. and today she told me she didn't either.
Fany's sister lives in the US. Throughout the day Saturday and Sunday we had lots of time to talk about the difference between hospitals in the US and public hospitals in Honduras. Fany kept waiting for her sister to have a cesarean and die. In Honduras apparently the doctors will start cutting you open without even telling you. I assured Fany that in the US they try to tell you as much as they can each step of the way.
I thought I had a good idea about how things work in the public hospital here. During my visit with the team in 2008 I spent most of the week in the maternity ward of one, which is not the worst at all, but to me it was unimaginable. After giving birth the women lay on beds with no water, no pain reliever, no ice packs, no diapers - the ladies had NOTHING, not even bed sheets or a pillow. They all shared on big room with about 25 "beds" that were not really beds. The next morning they were all told to leave at 11 a.m. Even if they had just had a cesarean a few hours before. It blew my mind.
Fany said that the people in the US were shocked that her sister didn't scream during her contractions. Fany said that in Honduras you are not allowed to make any noise during labor - at the public hospitals at least. I said how can that be? She said if you make any fuss the nurses yell at you and say horrible things like, "Why are you screaming now? You liked it when you got yourself in this situation."
She said the nurses in public hospitals don't work because they want to take care of people, they work to have a job. And because they are often not paid for months on end and are treated pretty poorly overall, they don't care about bedside manner. Fany said that while she was in the process of having Laura she watched a nurse tell a young girl to lean back. The girl was sitting on a desk. Then without saying a word the nurse shoved a sharp wooden thing into the young girl to get her water to break. It worked. The girl cried silent tears and Fany said she did too. But neither dared make a sound as the tears dripped down their cheeks.
Anyway, we were both up until 5 or 6 a.m. between her new niece's arrival and the water coming in the middle of the night. We will have to continue to do this until the water rationing stops.
I am grateful that I have a friend like Fany. I was thinking a lot about that last night. We come and go from each other's houses like family and we eat most of our meals together. We basically are family, except by blood. It's nice if you have to stay up at night to wash your clothes to have someone else to stay up with.
We won't have cable until Wednesday so I got some movies to entertain us tonight and tomorrow. And there is always Chutes and Ladders. Laura earned Chutes and Ladders last weekend by following her mother's instructions all day. Every kid I know in the US has Chutes and Ladders and Candy Land. Here board games are hard to find, as are puzzles, which are now Laura's favorite. I found Chutes and Ladders at a second hand store. I was really excited! It is the original one, nice and strong and has all of the pieces. I paid $5. Probably could have paid less, but I was so excited I didn't feel like bartering. Only now I realize that sometimes that game can go on for an eternity and even as a kid I remember it being frustrating. But Laura loves it.
I am praying a lot about my meeting with Betsy, which is Friday. A week from today I could be resuming full time ministry!
Fany thought for sure a cat had tugged on the wire since cats are always walking on our roofs. (That's one of the things that happens when the huge wall around your house is higher than your roof. It freaks Jetty out every time we hear a cat pounce down onto the roof. I've gotten used to it. The mangoes, however, are much louder. Glad they are seasonal.)
I was less hopeful than Fany about cat interference. We have had free cable since I first moved to Honduras. The lady who lived here before me took her internet modem back to the company but they never turned off the cable line. For 3 & 1/2 years nobody has paid for cable. Maybe I should have had more of a conscience, but I couldn't bring myself to go to the company and ask them to please start charging me. Plus Fany's house is on the account, so anything I did would effect her.
Fany climbed up on the roof Saturday but couldn't find any wires disconnected. Santos climbed up Sunday and found two cable lines cut off at the pole. (Literally cut. No wonder this country has so many cable wires hanging around!.)
 |
| Typical telephone pole in Honduras |
Last night the water came at midnight which meant Fany and I started washing laundry at 1 a.m., after our tanks were part way full. We have taken to watering the grass with water that comes out of the washing machine hose. Good thing our washing machines are outside or the grass and trees would be dead by now.
Also, Fany's sister has been in labor since Saturday. Yesterday afternoon Fany came over in tears, which I have never seen before, because she thought her sister was going to die. I assured her that everything seemed to be normal, as far as we knew. Finally last night as we were washing the driveway and the front patio, the baby was born at 2 a.m. which meant the family was sending photos and we were both hyper. I didn't sleep until 5 a.m. and today she told me she didn't either.
Fany's sister lives in the US. Throughout the day Saturday and Sunday we had lots of time to talk about the difference between hospitals in the US and public hospitals in Honduras. Fany kept waiting for her sister to have a cesarean and die. In Honduras apparently the doctors will start cutting you open without even telling you. I assured Fany that in the US they try to tell you as much as they can each step of the way.
I thought I had a good idea about how things work in the public hospital here. During my visit with the team in 2008 I spent most of the week in the maternity ward of one, which is not the worst at all, but to me it was unimaginable. After giving birth the women lay on beds with no water, no pain reliever, no ice packs, no diapers - the ladies had NOTHING, not even bed sheets or a pillow. They all shared on big room with about 25 "beds" that were not really beds. The next morning they were all told to leave at 11 a.m. Even if they had just had a cesarean a few hours before. It blew my mind.
Fany said that the people in the US were shocked that her sister didn't scream during her contractions. Fany said that in Honduras you are not allowed to make any noise during labor - at the public hospitals at least. I said how can that be? She said if you make any fuss the nurses yell at you and say horrible things like, "Why are you screaming now? You liked it when you got yourself in this situation."
She said the nurses in public hospitals don't work because they want to take care of people, they work to have a job. And because they are often not paid for months on end and are treated pretty poorly overall, they don't care about bedside manner. Fany said that while she was in the process of having Laura she watched a nurse tell a young girl to lean back. The girl was sitting on a desk. Then without saying a word the nurse shoved a sharp wooden thing into the young girl to get her water to break. It worked. The girl cried silent tears and Fany said she did too. But neither dared make a sound as the tears dripped down their cheeks.
Anyway, we were both up until 5 or 6 a.m. between her new niece's arrival and the water coming in the middle of the night. We will have to continue to do this until the water rationing stops.
I am grateful that I have a friend like Fany. I was thinking a lot about that last night. We come and go from each other's houses like family and we eat most of our meals together. We basically are family, except by blood. It's nice if you have to stay up at night to wash your clothes to have someone else to stay up with.
We won't have cable until Wednesday so I got some movies to entertain us tonight and tomorrow. And there is always Chutes and Ladders. Laura earned Chutes and Ladders last weekend by following her mother's instructions all day. Every kid I know in the US has Chutes and Ladders and Candy Land. Here board games are hard to find, as are puzzles, which are now Laura's favorite. I found Chutes and Ladders at a second hand store. I was really excited! It is the original one, nice and strong and has all of the pieces. I paid $5. Probably could have paid less, but I was so excited I didn't feel like bartering. Only now I realize that sometimes that game can go on for an eternity and even as a kid I remember it being frustrating. But Laura loves it.
I am praying a lot about my meeting with Betsy, which is Friday. A week from today I could be resuming full time ministry!
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Craving Honeycombs in a Corn Flake World
I've been sick - thus the quiet time. After spending all day Sunday wiping Laura's nose for her - it was a constant faucet, I've never seen anything like it - SURPRISE! Fany and I both got sick Wednesday night.
I went to prayer group Wednesday feeling fine. We had a lesson from Pastor Peter before the time of prayer and I felt the right side of my throat getting sore. An hour later I was almost laid out in my chair, and I was not slain by the spirit. I was slain by a cold.
After looking through my cold supplies I saw that I had enough to make it through the night, but would need to buy more in the morning. As I pulled out of the garage the next day, Fany and Laura came out and stood at the edge of the driveway, ready to close the gate behind me. Both of their heads were hanging and their eyes were glazed over. They looked exactly the way I felt. I bought medicine for all of us.
We are all still drippy, sneezy and sometimes coughy, but I woke up at 7:30 today instead of 2 p.m., so I think I am better. We slept for the past 3 days. The highlight of our sleeping was when Laura sang to her mommy and rubbed her back. Fany and Santos sing, "Sleep my girl" (their own homemade song) to Laura so Laura sang, "Sleep my woman" to her mom. Hahaha! There was also a part about lions coming, but Laura didn't specify what would happen if lions came. We are able to laugh about it now.
Yesterday was Fany's best friend Cynthia's birthday. Since Cynthia always does special things for us, we wanted to do something for her. Our plan was to walk to the next colonia and buy a gift from the used clothing store, then make Fany's famous tacos. It was an ambitious plan considering we had barely been out of bed for three days. Fany came over at 10 a.m. and said she was ready to go. I apologized and said I couldn't go, but I would drive to the store in the afternoon if she wanted. Fany went alone and bought taco ingredients.
The electricity went out at 8 a.m. While Fany was shopping she heard a lady saying that the lights are out all over the country because of lack of rain. We also learned this week that the city is only sending us water 2 times per week for short increments of time. We are concerned that we might not get any water, or very little because we sit on top of a hill. It makes for pretty views of the city, but because we are up higher our water fills last. So if everyone's water tanks are low and the city sends water only for a couple of hours, it may not reach our water tank at all.
Apparently that is why the lights were out too. The country is not generating as much hydroelectric power as usual with no rain, so they turned off the lights all over. Fany's friends all over the country were without power. The worst news is that rain usually comes on the 5th of May, and then again in June when the rainy season hits. We are a long way from the rainy season, which didn't come until August or September (if I remember correctly) last year.
I am glad I'm not up in the mountains with the fires anymore. But the city doesn't control the water in the mountains so they don't have to worry as much about running out. Down here there are less fires, but also less water. I am always pretty water conscious, but I've started bathing like I did when I stayed at my brother's house. He has to pay for and haul in most of his water, so we used water sparingly. I hope the people down below me are using their water sparingly too! Fany and I are talking about buying new garbage cans so if the water does make it up here we can put the garbage cans in the shower and let the water collect there. Then we can use that water to bathe throughout the week.
Speaking of bathing, I hadn't bathed since Wednesday. Not because I was trying to save water, but because I was sick. I was dying for a shower. However, the only way you get hot water here is an electric heater attached to the shower head, so I would have to take a cold shower as long as the electricity was out. Normally not a big deal, but with a cold, not an appealing thought. Also I realized with no electricity there was no pump to pump even a cold shower into my house.
Fany and I decided we would wait until 5 to see if the power came on. If the power was not on by 5 we would scrap the cooking plan for Cynthia's dinner and buy fried rice from a nearby restaurant with a gas stove. It went off at 8 a.m. and came back at 4:45 p.m. We were happy.
I showered!!!! and ran to the store where I realized I was weaker than I expected, so I called my neighbor who attends my church and asked if he could bring the supplies I was assigned to bring to church. Even lifting a can of spaghetti sauce off the shelf was tiring.
We had a good time celebrating Cynthia's birthday and more importantly, Cynthia did too. We told her welcome to the house of the mucosas. That's what you call someone with a runny nose. As in mucous. I prefer runny nose over mucosa but it is funny to say. Cynthia seemed to have the sniffles too so she fit right in.
Last night I turned on FB for the first time since I got sick and saw that Karla is asking for prayers for Clara again, I sent her a message today because Karla said she hates it when everyone calls her phone to see how her Mom is doing.
I am craving Honeycombs today. Unfortunately, I have never seen Honeycombs in Honduras. I live in an almost strictly corn flake world.
Laura can sing the alphabet in English almost perfectly. She walks around singing it all day except she says, "Now I know my ABCs... HIJKLMNOP," at the end. I have told her what the words mean, hoping if she can understand the meaning she will be able to remember better, but no luck so far. Still, I am amazed by her. She is so smart!
Praying for rain and for Clara!
I went to prayer group Wednesday feeling fine. We had a lesson from Pastor Peter before the time of prayer and I felt the right side of my throat getting sore. An hour later I was almost laid out in my chair, and I was not slain by the spirit. I was slain by a cold.
After looking through my cold supplies I saw that I had enough to make it through the night, but would need to buy more in the morning. As I pulled out of the garage the next day, Fany and Laura came out and stood at the edge of the driveway, ready to close the gate behind me. Both of their heads were hanging and their eyes were glazed over. They looked exactly the way I felt. I bought medicine for all of us.
We are all still drippy, sneezy and sometimes coughy, but I woke up at 7:30 today instead of 2 p.m., so I think I am better. We slept for the past 3 days. The highlight of our sleeping was when Laura sang to her mommy and rubbed her back. Fany and Santos sing, "Sleep my girl" (their own homemade song) to Laura so Laura sang, "Sleep my woman" to her mom. Hahaha! There was also a part about lions coming, but Laura didn't specify what would happen if lions came. We are able to laugh about it now.
Yesterday was Fany's best friend Cynthia's birthday. Since Cynthia always does special things for us, we wanted to do something for her. Our plan was to walk to the next colonia and buy a gift from the used clothing store, then make Fany's famous tacos. It was an ambitious plan considering we had barely been out of bed for three days. Fany came over at 10 a.m. and said she was ready to go. I apologized and said I couldn't go, but I would drive to the store in the afternoon if she wanted. Fany went alone and bought taco ingredients.
The electricity went out at 8 a.m. While Fany was shopping she heard a lady saying that the lights are out all over the country because of lack of rain. We also learned this week that the city is only sending us water 2 times per week for short increments of time. We are concerned that we might not get any water, or very little because we sit on top of a hill. It makes for pretty views of the city, but because we are up higher our water fills last. So if everyone's water tanks are low and the city sends water only for a couple of hours, it may not reach our water tank at all.
Apparently that is why the lights were out too. The country is not generating as much hydroelectric power as usual with no rain, so they turned off the lights all over. Fany's friends all over the country were without power. The worst news is that rain usually comes on the 5th of May, and then again in June when the rainy season hits. We are a long way from the rainy season, which didn't come until August or September (if I remember correctly) last year.
I am glad I'm not up in the mountains with the fires anymore. But the city doesn't control the water in the mountains so they don't have to worry as much about running out. Down here there are less fires, but also less water. I am always pretty water conscious, but I've started bathing like I did when I stayed at my brother's house. He has to pay for and haul in most of his water, so we used water sparingly. I hope the people down below me are using their water sparingly too! Fany and I are talking about buying new garbage cans so if the water does make it up here we can put the garbage cans in the shower and let the water collect there. Then we can use that water to bathe throughout the week.
Speaking of bathing, I hadn't bathed since Wednesday. Not because I was trying to save water, but because I was sick. I was dying for a shower. However, the only way you get hot water here is an electric heater attached to the shower head, so I would have to take a cold shower as long as the electricity was out. Normally not a big deal, but with a cold, not an appealing thought. Also I realized with no electricity there was no pump to pump even a cold shower into my house.
Fany and I decided we would wait until 5 to see if the power came on. If the power was not on by 5 we would scrap the cooking plan for Cynthia's dinner and buy fried rice from a nearby restaurant with a gas stove. It went off at 8 a.m. and came back at 4:45 p.m. We were happy.
I showered!!!! and ran to the store where I realized I was weaker than I expected, so I called my neighbor who attends my church and asked if he could bring the supplies I was assigned to bring to church. Even lifting a can of spaghetti sauce off the shelf was tiring.
We had a good time celebrating Cynthia's birthday and more importantly, Cynthia did too. We told her welcome to the house of the mucosas. That's what you call someone with a runny nose. As in mucous. I prefer runny nose over mucosa but it is funny to say. Cynthia seemed to have the sniffles too so she fit right in.
Last night I turned on FB for the first time since I got sick and saw that Karla is asking for prayers for Clara again, I sent her a message today because Karla said she hates it when everyone calls her phone to see how her Mom is doing.
I am craving Honeycombs today. Unfortunately, I have never seen Honeycombs in Honduras. I live in an almost strictly corn flake world.
Laura can sing the alphabet in English almost perfectly. She walks around singing it all day except she says, "Now I know my ABCs... HIJKLMNOP," at the end. I have told her what the words mean, hoping if she can understand the meaning she will be able to remember better, but no luck so far. Still, I am amazed by her. She is so smart!
Praying for rain and for Clara!
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
Get home safe
On the way home from prayer group tonight a lady asked if I pass by the exit for the University. I said yes. She expected Pastor Ruth to be at prayer group tonight, because she always is, but tonight Ruth couldn't come. That was going to be her ride home. After some brainstorming she realized if she could get to the University, she could ride a bus home with her husband.
I told her I would take her to her husband. She said, "Just let me out here." I said no, I want to let you out directly to your husband. She said that's not possible because he was still in class, but she could go into the university and meet him at the building where his classroom is. Not my favorite option, but the safest I could think of as we were in the middle of some crazy traffic.
We got to the front exit of the university. It was dark. It gets dark here at 6 p.m. every night (Oh how I miss 9 o'clock sunsets!) and by this point it was 7:30 pm. She said, "I am going to jump out quickly and you go. It is dangerous here." I hated to watch her leave, especially when I realized she had 3 bags with her. That made her more of a target. If the streets weren't packed with cars I would have insisted that we stay in the car or go to a nearby restaurant and wait. I should have planned better. But with all of that traffic we didn't have time to make a plan.
She jumped out and I watched until I couldn't see her anymore.
Then I turned on the radio as I sat in backed up traffic. A music program ended and news started. After counting down all of the people who were found dead today, tonight's topic of discussion was the assaults of people who ride the bus home after classes at the University. Specifically the route that the lady from my church and her husband were about to take.
For the next 15 minutes people called in to the radio show, talking about having been assaulted on that bus route. Lots of people had to drop out of college because all of their books were stolen (sold on a street corner near the U the next day) and they did not have enough money to buy all of their books and supplies again.
All I could do is pray. I love Honduras but I hate that people here have to put themselves in such danger to do everyday things, like go to college.
I told her I would take her to her husband. She said, "Just let me out here." I said no, I want to let you out directly to your husband. She said that's not possible because he was still in class, but she could go into the university and meet him at the building where his classroom is. Not my favorite option, but the safest I could think of as we were in the middle of some crazy traffic.
We got to the front exit of the university. It was dark. It gets dark here at 6 p.m. every night (Oh how I miss 9 o'clock sunsets!) and by this point it was 7:30 pm. She said, "I am going to jump out quickly and you go. It is dangerous here." I hated to watch her leave, especially when I realized she had 3 bags with her. That made her more of a target. If the streets weren't packed with cars I would have insisted that we stay in the car or go to a nearby restaurant and wait. I should have planned better. But with all of that traffic we didn't have time to make a plan.
She jumped out and I watched until I couldn't see her anymore.
Then I turned on the radio as I sat in backed up traffic. A music program ended and news started. After counting down all of the people who were found dead today, tonight's topic of discussion was the assaults of people who ride the bus home after classes at the University. Specifically the route that the lady from my church and her husband were about to take.
For the next 15 minutes people called in to the radio show, talking about having been assaulted on that bus route. Lots of people had to drop out of college because all of their books were stolen (sold on a street corner near the U the next day) and they did not have enough money to buy all of their books and supplies again.
All I could do is pray. I love Honduras but I hate that people here have to put themselves in such danger to do everyday things, like go to college.
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Coa and cuajada
All day today I thought it was Monday. That is because I spent 13 hours on Monday trying to do my taxes. I never finished, so I think my mind is trying to block out that day.
Sunday was so fun! I woke up early and got 2 hours worth of work on my taxes done. Then as I was getting ready for church Fany invited me to go to Coa with them. Coa is a little village where Fany's husband, Santos, grew up. He invests a lot of time there. He helped build a school and then a soccer field. Sunday was the finals for the first year of soccer on the official field. Santos had trophies and drawings for prizes. People came from all over to watch. It was packed! The home team lost. But it was fun.
I got to meet Santos' family and see their home. The people of the village were really nice. Usually if I go into a small town the people stare at me like I am a monkey in a zoo. But not in Coa. The people there are all different. Different heights, different hair, different shades of skin. I don't stand out so much. On one hand I was very comfortable, but I must acknowledge part of me missed having everyone stare.
Santos asked me what I thought of his little village. I loved it! I decided I am not a city girl, or a mountain girl (although I thought I was each of those at one time or another in the past). I am a small town girl.
Santos has a pomegranate tree in his yard. But the people there don't eat pomegranates, so they all just rot and die. Fany and I each ate one and I brought some more home. Santos' mom cooked us breakfast. Somehow she heard I like healthy food so she made broccoli, cauliflower, and two big chunks of cuajada, which is my favorite cheese. A local lady in Coa makes the cuajada and Santos' mom knows I love it. She sends it home with Santos to give to me all of the time, although they had never met me before.
Then I got to meet the son of the lady who makes the cuajada. Apparently she has been trying to marry off her son with me for a while. Fany told me a couple of times about the cheese lady saying that Fany should introduce me to her son. All I have to say is that I wish I were 20 years younger. Her son is one of the most handsome men I have ever seen. Fany said everyone calls him the "prince" of the village because he is so handsome and he has this air about him. I asked why he doesn't have a girlfriend. Fany said he is related to everyone there. I can't say if he is nice or not because we never spoke. I just admired him from afar. And wished I were young again.
Today I called Betsy, the lady I would like to serve with. She said she has another team coming tomorrow, but she will meet with me on the 13th after they leave. I am looking forward to that! It's a Friday, I may be back to serving full time the following Monday, if this is God's next step for me. I hope so!
Sunday was so fun! I woke up early and got 2 hours worth of work on my taxes done. Then as I was getting ready for church Fany invited me to go to Coa with them. Coa is a little village where Fany's husband, Santos, grew up. He invests a lot of time there. He helped build a school and then a soccer field. Sunday was the finals for the first year of soccer on the official field. Santos had trophies and drawings for prizes. People came from all over to watch. It was packed! The home team lost. But it was fun.
I got to meet Santos' family and see their home. The people of the village were really nice. Usually if I go into a small town the people stare at me like I am a monkey in a zoo. But not in Coa. The people there are all different. Different heights, different hair, different shades of skin. I don't stand out so much. On one hand I was very comfortable, but I must acknowledge part of me missed having everyone stare.
Santos asked me what I thought of his little village. I loved it! I decided I am not a city girl, or a mountain girl (although I thought I was each of those at one time or another in the past). I am a small town girl.
Santos has a pomegranate tree in his yard. But the people there don't eat pomegranates, so they all just rot and die. Fany and I each ate one and I brought some more home. Santos' mom cooked us breakfast. Somehow she heard I like healthy food so she made broccoli, cauliflower, and two big chunks of cuajada, which is my favorite cheese. A local lady in Coa makes the cuajada and Santos' mom knows I love it. She sends it home with Santos to give to me all of the time, although they had never met me before.
Then I got to meet the son of the lady who makes the cuajada. Apparently she has been trying to marry off her son with me for a while. Fany told me a couple of times about the cheese lady saying that Fany should introduce me to her son. All I have to say is that I wish I were 20 years younger. Her son is one of the most handsome men I have ever seen. Fany said everyone calls him the "prince" of the village because he is so handsome and he has this air about him. I asked why he doesn't have a girlfriend. Fany said he is related to everyone there. I can't say if he is nice or not because we never spoke. I just admired him from afar. And wished I were young again.
Today I called Betsy, the lady I would like to serve with. She said she has another team coming tomorrow, but she will meet with me on the 13th after they leave. I am looking forward to that! It's a Friday, I may be back to serving full time the following Monday, if this is God's next step for me. I hope so!
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Garth and Clara
Tonight was prayer group. Earlier this week I talked to Pastora Ruth about the fact that I had made a promise to a friend to pray for him, but I hadn't followed through with my promise. I think I expected others to want to pray for him, as I had seen them pray for others in the past. When they didn't seem to care about my friend I became discouraged. I should have never given up, but I did. There was a lot of guilt on my behalf for not keeping my promise to my friend and also for not following through with something I believe God called me to do.
Pastor Ruth seemed to understand without much explanation. She told me it is never too late and she said she would support me by praying for him too. So tonight at the prayer group she asked me to explain the story of my friend Garth.
Garth is battling cancer for the 4th time. Some of you may have heard of him as the Napkin Notes Dad. Garth has written a note on a napkin for his daughter every day since kindergarten. When he was diagnosed with cancer he made a promise to have a napkin for her every day until she graduated from high school. So he wrote one for every day. But those are set aside and as he continues to fight for his life, he writes a new one. He has a book that came out at Christmas called "Napkin Notes". It was printed in 18 languages! Garth and his daughter have been on the Today Show, Rachel Ray, Dr. Oz, Ted Talks and more - some more than once.
Growing up, Garth lived 2 miles away from me in the next village over. When we were in high school I seriously believed that he would be president of the United States. I heard him say one day that he wanted to be, and I never doubted his ability. He is that kind of guy.
But God had a different calling for Garth. Now that is very clear. God called Garth to teach other parents how to connect with their kids. And he does that well. Garth and I agree it is a more important job than being the president of the United States.
We had an AWESOME time of prayer for Garth. Pastora Ruth said that she would like to be the one to pray for him. The Holy Spirit filled that room powerfully and we prayed hard for a long time. It was beautiful.
On the way home I stopped and picked up Chinese food. Fany has family visiting unexpectedly because her sister's husband's grandmother died. I don't really understand why they are staying here, but I don't need to know. I just know that Fany has been feeding three extra mouths for the past few days and bringing me a meal if I am not already at her house when they eat. So I was happy when God put the idea into my mind to stop and get Chinese food on the way home from my prayer group. I called her and told her not to eat until I got home because I would bring food. She sounded relieved, which made me even happier that the thought came to my mind.
We had a nice dinner. Everyone was grateful and the good thing about Chinese food here is that you can feed a million people without spending a million bucks. By the time dinner was done everyone was exhausted, some having stayed up all night last night to bury the grandmother, so I cleared out.
I sent a message to the lady I would like to serve with today. The last time I called she said she wants to meet with me but she is busy and she will call me when she is free. That was over a week ago, so I sent a message just to be sure she has my phone number.
And, the best news is last. I was chatting with Fabricio on Facebook tonight. He asked if I heard the good news. Clara is doing so well that she no longer needs blood donated. She will stay in the hospital for observation this weekend and if all stays on track, she will be released next week! I talked to Karla three times today, but somehow she forgot to mention that to me. :) I was so caught up in how well Karla sounded that I told her to hug her mom and tell her hello, but I didn't ask how Clara was doing! (Karla is spending her days teaching kindergarten and her nights at the hospital and she is still smiling and laughing and in great spirits. God is keeping her very strong, like her Mom.)
So there is my good news for the night! Clara should be at home by next week, God willing.
Pastor Ruth seemed to understand without much explanation. She told me it is never too late and she said she would support me by praying for him too. So tonight at the prayer group she asked me to explain the story of my friend Garth.
Garth is battling cancer for the 4th time. Some of you may have heard of him as the Napkin Notes Dad. Garth has written a note on a napkin for his daughter every day since kindergarten. When he was diagnosed with cancer he made a promise to have a napkin for her every day until she graduated from high school. So he wrote one for every day. But those are set aside and as he continues to fight for his life, he writes a new one. He has a book that came out at Christmas called "Napkin Notes". It was printed in 18 languages! Garth and his daughter have been on the Today Show, Rachel Ray, Dr. Oz, Ted Talks and more - some more than once.
Growing up, Garth lived 2 miles away from me in the next village over. When we were in high school I seriously believed that he would be president of the United States. I heard him say one day that he wanted to be, and I never doubted his ability. He is that kind of guy.
But God had a different calling for Garth. Now that is very clear. God called Garth to teach other parents how to connect with their kids. And he does that well. Garth and I agree it is a more important job than being the president of the United States.
We had an AWESOME time of prayer for Garth. Pastora Ruth said that she would like to be the one to pray for him. The Holy Spirit filled that room powerfully and we prayed hard for a long time. It was beautiful.
On the way home I stopped and picked up Chinese food. Fany has family visiting unexpectedly because her sister's husband's grandmother died. I don't really understand why they are staying here, but I don't need to know. I just know that Fany has been feeding three extra mouths for the past few days and bringing me a meal if I am not already at her house when they eat. So I was happy when God put the idea into my mind to stop and get Chinese food on the way home from my prayer group. I called her and told her not to eat until I got home because I would bring food. She sounded relieved, which made me even happier that the thought came to my mind.
We had a nice dinner. Everyone was grateful and the good thing about Chinese food here is that you can feed a million people without spending a million bucks. By the time dinner was done everyone was exhausted, some having stayed up all night last night to bury the grandmother, so I cleared out.
I sent a message to the lady I would like to serve with today. The last time I called she said she wants to meet with me but she is busy and she will call me when she is free. That was over a week ago, so I sent a message just to be sure she has my phone number.
And, the best news is last. I was chatting with Fabricio on Facebook tonight. He asked if I heard the good news. Clara is doing so well that she no longer needs blood donated. She will stay in the hospital for observation this weekend and if all stays on track, she will be released next week! I talked to Karla three times today, but somehow she forgot to mention that to me. :) I was so caught up in how well Karla sounded that I told her to hug her mom and tell her hello, but I didn't ask how Clara was doing! (Karla is spending her days teaching kindergarten and her nights at the hospital and she is still smiling and laughing and in great spirits. God is keeping her very strong, like her Mom.)
So there is my good news for the night! Clara should be at home by next week, God willing.
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Ready for tomorrow
You know those days where you fail at everything you try to do? That was today. On top of that my 6 year old nephew Jack's pet gerbil? or hamster? I don't know, I only know his name was Love Ball (named by Jack) died. This on top of their dog dying last week. Too much for one little boy. Check out this picture he drew for him Mommy.
I was supposed to meet up with a friend, who I have had to cancel on at least two times already, but with no car that was not possible. I felt bad cancelling again. Another truck (this time straight across the street from my house) had a flat tire. I went to talk to the guards, who we pay to patrol the neighborhood and they said I needed to talk to the boss. This was the conversation:
Me: "Have you heard about the tires getting slashed?"
Him: "No No No No No"
Me: After he finishes with his barrage of No's "No you haven't heard? Or no you don't want to hear?"
Him: "If you park in front of someone's house the are going to get mad."
Me: "All of the cars it happened to were not parked in front of ANY house. They were parked next to the church on a Monday."
Him: "But the people get mad and I can't get in the middle of it. (Now waving his arms.) I can't do anything."
Me: "So who can I talk to about this? We pay for vigilancia, right? Yet I was outside last night when the fourth car got slashed and I never saw any guards around. And you won't even talk to me about it."
Him: "You need to talk to her. She might know."
Me: "Who is her?"
Him: "Her. Her who is there." (Very vague. I am pretty sure he knows who it is - as we all do. It is a her. But he doesn't dare to say it because she has been causing problems for years.)
Me: "Tell me who I should talk to and I will. But I don't know why we are paying you to patrol if you can't help at all with this."
Then suddenly the man who knows nothing says, "I saw your car was tipped sideways with flat tires, but you normally never park outside. Just don't park outside again. I can't get involved."
Fany says she will talk to them next time they come to collect their money.
Then I go to the doctor. The road is under construction, so it takes half an hour to drive what should be 2 minutes. The doctor has me wait because he doesn't have the materials necessary to do a test. The nurse has to go to the store to buy the materials he needs. She returns to say the store doesn't have what they need. She says I need to go to a lab. I drive to a lab, not really knowing where I am going. The lab is open until 6 pm. It's 4:30, but there is nobody there who can do the test. I have to come back tomorrow, do the test, go back next week, get the results, take them to the doctor and drop them off, go back later after the doctor can read the results. No thanks. I will find a new doctor or stick with my pediatrician!
I get home. It's now 5pm and I haven't eaten all day, but Fany needs a ride up the mountain to where I used to live. We get in the car and I am not driving in my usual speed racer style because the mechanic told me to go easy on the patched tires. However, Laura starts puking while we are still on the main highway, before we even get to the mountainous curves! She pukes all of the way up the mountain. Fany is sitting in the back seat next to her, trying to catch the puke in a plastic bag, but Laura doesn't want to puke into the bag. The car smells wonderful but we can't open the windows because of the neighborhoods we are passing through.
When we get to the house where we are supposed to drop things off there is no place to park. The house is right on the road. So I am worried we are all going to be smashed into by the crazy buses that careen down that mountain. We decide to all get out of the car for some fresh air. We ring the doorbell and Fany is pretty sure we are at the right house, but nobody answers. The person we are supposed to drop things off to is not home and doesn't answer the phone. So we wait on the side of the road.
Finally someone else pulls up and approaches us hesitantly. We have an awkward exchange, neither wanting to share too much information. After we have each called every number we have and rung the doorbell over and over, we begin to spill little pieces of information. We are waiting for the husband. He is waiting for the wife. He has to wait because the wife is taking care of his son, so he agrees to pass our things along to the person we are supposed to deliver them too. We leave and head back down the mountain telling Laura that people never vomit going down the mountain. So she chats away and I drive extra slowly in second gear, grateful no traffic is behind me. Then Fany gets a call that the man we were dropping things off to is no longer traveling to Guatemala, so we drove up there with a vomiting three year old all for nothing.
I decided after such a crappy day we deserve a good dinner. I was starving by that point and Laura seemed fine. She hadn't puked in almost an hour. We stopped to pick up sushi, but decided to eat there since it was 2x1 if you eat in. That was the highlight of my crappy day. Dinner was good. Laura was really good in the restaurant and we all ended our day on a positive note.
I was supposed to meet up with a friend, who I have had to cancel on at least two times already, but with no car that was not possible. I felt bad cancelling again. Another truck (this time straight across the street from my house) had a flat tire. I went to talk to the guards, who we pay to patrol the neighborhood and they said I needed to talk to the boss. This was the conversation:
Me: "Have you heard about the tires getting slashed?"
Him: "No No No No No"
Me: After he finishes with his barrage of No's "No you haven't heard? Or no you don't want to hear?"
Him: "If you park in front of someone's house the are going to get mad."
Me: "All of the cars it happened to were not parked in front of ANY house. They were parked next to the church on a Monday."
Him: "But the people get mad and I can't get in the middle of it. (Now waving his arms.) I can't do anything."
Me: "So who can I talk to about this? We pay for vigilancia, right? Yet I was outside last night when the fourth car got slashed and I never saw any guards around. And you won't even talk to me about it."
Him: "You need to talk to her. She might know."
Me: "Who is her?"
Him: "Her. Her who is there." (Very vague. I am pretty sure he knows who it is - as we all do. It is a her. But he doesn't dare to say it because she has been causing problems for years.)
Me: "Tell me who I should talk to and I will. But I don't know why we are paying you to patrol if you can't help at all with this."
Then suddenly the man who knows nothing says, "I saw your car was tipped sideways with flat tires, but you normally never park outside. Just don't park outside again. I can't get involved."
Fany says she will talk to them next time they come to collect their money.
Then I go to the doctor. The road is under construction, so it takes half an hour to drive what should be 2 minutes. The doctor has me wait because he doesn't have the materials necessary to do a test. The nurse has to go to the store to buy the materials he needs. She returns to say the store doesn't have what they need. She says I need to go to a lab. I drive to a lab, not really knowing where I am going. The lab is open until 6 pm. It's 4:30, but there is nobody there who can do the test. I have to come back tomorrow, do the test, go back next week, get the results, take them to the doctor and drop them off, go back later after the doctor can read the results. No thanks. I will find a new doctor or stick with my pediatrician!
I get home. It's now 5pm and I haven't eaten all day, but Fany needs a ride up the mountain to where I used to live. We get in the car and I am not driving in my usual speed racer style because the mechanic told me to go easy on the patched tires. However, Laura starts puking while we are still on the main highway, before we even get to the mountainous curves! She pukes all of the way up the mountain. Fany is sitting in the back seat next to her, trying to catch the puke in a plastic bag, but Laura doesn't want to puke into the bag. The car smells wonderful but we can't open the windows because of the neighborhoods we are passing through.
When we get to the house where we are supposed to drop things off there is no place to park. The house is right on the road. So I am worried we are all going to be smashed into by the crazy buses that careen down that mountain. We decide to all get out of the car for some fresh air. We ring the doorbell and Fany is pretty sure we are at the right house, but nobody answers. The person we are supposed to drop things off to is not home and doesn't answer the phone. So we wait on the side of the road.
Finally someone else pulls up and approaches us hesitantly. We have an awkward exchange, neither wanting to share too much information. After we have each called every number we have and rung the doorbell over and over, we begin to spill little pieces of information. We are waiting for the husband. He is waiting for the wife. He has to wait because the wife is taking care of his son, so he agrees to pass our things along to the person we are supposed to deliver them too. We leave and head back down the mountain telling Laura that people never vomit going down the mountain. So she chats away and I drive extra slowly in second gear, grateful no traffic is behind me. Then Fany gets a call that the man we were dropping things off to is no longer traveling to Guatemala, so we drove up there with a vomiting three year old all for nothing.
I decided after such a crappy day we deserve a good dinner. I was starving by that point and Laura seemed fine. She hadn't puked in almost an hour. We stopped to pick up sushi, but decided to eat there since it was 2x1 if you eat in. That was the highlight of my crappy day. Dinner was good. Laura was really good in the restaurant and we all ended our day on a positive note.
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Flat tires
Someone in my neighborhood was busy today. Two of my neighbors woke up find the tires closest to the curb were flat. As I headed out to a doctor appointment, I discovered the same. All of us were parked in front of a church that is not busy at all on Mondays or Tuesdays and has never caused problems in the neighborhood. At first I wondered if I had any enemies in Honduras. But then the man who pushes the ice cream cart came by and said this has been happening a lot lately. Always in front of the church, and more specifically always across the street from the same house.
A lady from the house he was speaking of came out to "look at a tree" that was near my car. Other people were stopping their cars (and ice cream carts) to ask if I needed help. But she just looked at her tree and didn't talk to me. What made it stranger was that later she spoke to me in English, so it wasn't a language barrier that kept her away.
Sunday I came home from church and my street was full of cars from the Catholic church across the street. Santos (Fany's husband) came out to open the gates for me to pull into the garage, but I had looked at the way the cars were parked and decided it was going to be hard to get into the garage with the street so full. So I told him thanks, but I would move my car inside later when the streets were more clear.
Then yesterday I got lazy. I have left the car outside before and nothing happened to it. We have guards that patrol and it is a gated community, so I never worried much about my car. I never see broken glass in the streets from break-ins and I haven't heard of any problems. Until today.
When I first approached the car from the drivers sign today everything seemed fine. But when I tried to drive the car away from the curb I realized it didn't want to move. I knew I had a flat tire. I didn't expect two.
A bus driver came and started yelling at me that he couldn't get past me. I was trying to get the car as close to the curb as possible without ruining the rims. His yelling did not help. An assistant got out of the bus and starts motioning for me to pull forward. He doesn't understand that despite his motioning the car does not want to move. Finally the driver says, "The car has problems?" and the assistant says, "Hey! You have two flat tires!" That was the angriest I got. "I KNOW!!!!" I said, frustrated that they thought I was such an idiot I didn't know how to pull the car forward a foot to let them pass.
After they got by I got out of the car and saw my special surprise - two completely flat tires. I called my mechanic. He always said if I ever had a problem I could call him and he would come. He is a man of his word. The ice cream man and I talked. The lady from the house across the street checked her tree, and then told me she planted all of the trees on the street, which I was later told by several people is a lie. Then my mechanic arrived. He was really upset when he saw what happened. He had brought 2 extra tires to put on my car, thinking we could just go inflate the ones I had and change them out. But when he saw what I noticed right away, that the tops were still on the little nozzle where you insert air, he realized we were probably dealing with punctured tires.
He asked the ice cream man to stay with me and my car, took my tires and left. The ice cream man and I talked about a lot of things. He is really nice. He had the opportunity to move legally to the US but decided not to because he was afraid it would be easy to get wrapped up in his new life and forget about his family in Honduras. He has a wife and a little girl here. As we stood on the hilltop in my neighborhood he pointed out areas that are dangerous, and where it is more safe. He comes from a dangerous place pretty far away, pushing that ice cream cart with a bell, to sell his ice cream in the safer places. Fany tells me he has been selling ice cream here for at least 10 years, since he was a young boy.
He told me it is very strange to have the tires slashed because my neighborhood is hard to get into. He said it has to be a neighbor. The mechanic had said the same exact thing. Then a man came up to me with photos of my car, his own car, and a car that had been parked behind us. When he tried to leave for work this morning at 5 a.m. he found all of our tires slashed. We were all parked in front of the same house. The English speaking tree lady's house.
Fany came out to see what was going on. She called her cousin who is my landlord. At the same time they both said to each other that they thought it was that lady. Apparently she has done some damage to my landlord's car too.
So, everyone was in agreement. The first person to arrive on the scene, besides the ice cream man who was just passing by, was probably the culprit. I had spoken to her nicely. Now, 10 hours later, Fany and I just found another car with its tires flat. This one is in front of OUR house. The car was there this afternoon, but the tires were not flat. And this time the flat is on the side by the road, not by the sidewalk. Our tire slasher is getting more brave.
I feel sorry for the person who is going to go to their car to discover that. I know it is not a good feeling.
I do have things to be grateful for in all of this. First, it happened near my house in a place where I didn't have to worry about my own safety. I just stood and gabbed with the ice cream man, who my mechanic had instructed to wait with me. Secondly, I have an awesome mechanic who drops everything and comes to help when I need something. That is a huge blessing. And third, they were just tires. Yes, they are expensive, not in my budget, and they were less than a year old. But they are replaceable.
When my mechanic came back from fixing the tires he was even more shaken up. He waited for the ice cream man to leave and then he sat down and asked me to take a seat next to him. He said that he had gone to the police. There were three wholes in each tire. (The man who had taken photos as 5 a.m. said there were three holes in each of his tires too.) He said the holes were strategically placed in a very specific area, which is pretty much impossible to fix. And worst of all, they were put there by a tool that resembles an ice pick. It has a wooden handle with a spiral metal part that comes to a tiny, straight, sharp point at the end. The police whoever did this was very angry. They didn't just let the air out of the tires. They were vengeful. The police told him to warn me never to park outside again because the person would likely see this as a warning and would take a more drastic step if I ever leave my car outside again. That step, they said, could be against me or my car.
My mechanic was angry and worried for me. We put the patched up tires on the car and took it to his garage so he can see how it is in the morning. He believes it will need new tires. At least I was not planning to start my new ministry this week because he said he will have the car for most of the day tomorrow. He has some other work to finish up and he wants to see how long the tires hold air. I did have lunch plans with a friend, which we have been planning for almost a month. But she understood that we have to postpone.
Tonight Fany went around closing everything up extra tight. That's when she saw the car with the flat tire right in front of our house. We didn't dare go out and check to see if the curb side tires were flat as well for fear people may see us and think that we had flattened the tire.
At least I know it was not something personal against me. Seems we have a tire slasher in my neighborhood. And they are keeping very busy.
Monday, February 23, 2015
Anticipation
I feel my full time ministry coming closer. I feel the need to appreciate the rest and free time I have, but at the same time I am trying to squeeze in everything I need to get done before I no longer have control over my own schedule.
It feels exciting, and not at all like pressure. This fits in with what God has told me about waiting for my next ministry like I would wait to open birthday presents. I can't wait to see what it is, but I understand I won't know until the time comes and that is fine with me.
A two year old baby died in the explosion 2 days ago.
Today other than clean the house, I did almost nothing. The people I was supposed to take to donate blood had to postpone. So I appreciated my time of rest, with anticipation that soon I will be very busy!
It feels exciting, and not at all like pressure. This fits in with what God has told me about waiting for my next ministry like I would wait to open birthday presents. I can't wait to see what it is, but I understand I won't know until the time comes and that is fine with me.
A two year old baby died in the explosion 2 days ago.
Today other than clean the house, I did almost nothing. The people I was supposed to take to donate blood had to postpone. So I appreciated my time of rest, with anticipation that soon I will be very busy!
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Living Water
Last night I decided I would wake up early this morning and put on makeup for church today. No particular reason, just because. (Normally I never wear makeup.) I had a new (to me) shirt that I bought for $3.50. Fany and I dug through a few thrift stores the other day and I found that shirt, a really cool sweater for $1.50 and some clothes for Ana's kids for 50 cents! Fany gave me earrings to match my new shirt, so I was going to be all dressed up today for church.
But since I rarely dry my hair and never put on makeup, I didn't allow myself quite enough time. Then when the new shirt was a little less modest than I remembered, I had to make a quick wardrobe change. (Got to church and other women were wearing less modest clothes than my new shirt, but thank God I ended up in a dress because that was better for the broiling hot weather.) In the end I left the house 15 minutes later than I hoped.
As I ran out the door Fany asked if she could get a ride to my old church. I said sure and we all jumped in the car. Then my phone beeped. It was another friend saying she wanted to go to my new church. I called her back and we decided she will go next week. I was a little frenzied by the time we hit the road.
My friend Ana loves my new church and had asked if she could go today, so I had plans to pick her up. I dropped off Fany and got stuck in incoming traffic at my old church, even though Fany was 15 minutes late for the start of their service. Then I swung by and picked up Ana and her kids and drove like a maniac to my new church.
All in all, what would normally take more than half an hour to do, took me 21 minutes, including the time I was stuck in the church parking lot. I did notice Ana was holding on to that handle above the door. (What is that handle there for anyway?) There is not much traffic on Sundays and speeding tickets don't exist here, so I made it to church at 10:01. They started the music as we walked through the doors and one whole row of chairs was empty, waiting just for us. Ha Hah!
The message was pretty awesome. It was about belief and not making excuses - asking God for exactly what you want with faith. It was also about living water, and the fact that the church is effective because the "water" there is not stagnant or old, it is LIVING water that flows like a river. The message was very inspiring. We left well fed once again, both spiritually and physically.
Today's fundraiser was tacos. Honduran tacos are what we would call flautas in the US, with shredded cabbage, shaved cheese and tomato sauce on top.
Samuel didn't want to eat them until he saw everyone else drinking cute little glass bottles of Coke. He asked if he could have a coke. I said only if he ate lunch, so he did.
This afternoon I didn't go to the afternoon church service that I usually go to in English. Fany and I decided it was too sweaty outside to do anything. Yuck! I was talking to Fany about health stuff, like how many people can't give blood because they have had some weird disease which excludes them. (Fany has had Malaria twice!) I told Fany that from now on I am going to choose all my friends according to whether they are able and WILLING to give blood.
She said that her friend was worried because the friend is turning 50 and everyone she knows gets diabetes at 50. I said it's because they drink so much Coke. Fany said her Mom doesn't drink Coke, but she does drink Pepsi - a huge glass for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And she is diabetic.
I don't think I have ever once seen anyone in Honduras drink milk with a meal. I see them drink a tiny, juice box sized carton of flavored milk as a snack every once in a while. But not as part of a daily diet. And drinking water is like a punishment to most people. Most people would not purposely choose to drink water. The amount of soda consumed here is insane. And if it is not soda it is Lipton Iced Tea, which is not much better.
Last weekend my church had a whole program on Saturday afternoon dedicated to teaching nutrition and healthy eating habits. Today we ate deep fried tacos and Coke. But we did talk about the living water. I wonder if that counts for anything.
Please keep me in your prayers this week as I am waiting to hear back from a lady who I would really like to serve with here in Honduras. I believe God brought us together for a reason and I am hoping that this is the time He has planned for us to start working together. I think she will call Monday or Tuesday. My personal prayer is that I can be an answer to her prayers for her ministry.
Speaking of calls, I got a cool phone call today! It was a friend from my home church in the US! She said that she got a package for $6/month added to her phone so she can call me and chat for an hour each month. Yay! I felt very special. This time we mostly talked business. But it will be nice in the future if I have a bad day, or a good day, and want to share it with someone. As she said, it is nicer than chatting on Facebook.
I got two people who are going to donate blood tomorrow. I am giving them a ride to make sure they go. One is scared and one is only doing it because his friend wants him to, so they aren't very self motivated. The least I can do is give them a ride.
No new updates on Clara, but I will get one tomorrow when I drop off the constancia - the sheet of paper that allows her to receive the blood. Last I knew she had only 6,000 platelets and a healthy person has 150,000. Her family remains faithful.
I have a cousin who went to Guatemala to serve in the Peace Corp., fell in love with the country and a man, and a year ago today she got married there. Now they are celebrating their one year anniversary with their new baby, Elijah. Yay!
But since I rarely dry my hair and never put on makeup, I didn't allow myself quite enough time. Then when the new shirt was a little less modest than I remembered, I had to make a quick wardrobe change. (Got to church and other women were wearing less modest clothes than my new shirt, but thank God I ended up in a dress because that was better for the broiling hot weather.) In the end I left the house 15 minutes later than I hoped.
As I ran out the door Fany asked if she could get a ride to my old church. I said sure and we all jumped in the car. Then my phone beeped. It was another friend saying she wanted to go to my new church. I called her back and we decided she will go next week. I was a little frenzied by the time we hit the road.
My friend Ana loves my new church and had asked if she could go today, so I had plans to pick her up. I dropped off Fany and got stuck in incoming traffic at my old church, even though Fany was 15 minutes late for the start of their service. Then I swung by and picked up Ana and her kids and drove like a maniac to my new church.
All in all, what would normally take more than half an hour to do, took me 21 minutes, including the time I was stuck in the church parking lot. I did notice Ana was holding on to that handle above the door. (What is that handle there for anyway?) There is not much traffic on Sundays and speeding tickets don't exist here, so I made it to church at 10:01. They started the music as we walked through the doors and one whole row of chairs was empty, waiting just for us. Ha Hah!
The message was pretty awesome. It was about belief and not making excuses - asking God for exactly what you want with faith. It was also about living water, and the fact that the church is effective because the "water" there is not stagnant or old, it is LIVING water that flows like a river. The message was very inspiring. We left well fed once again, both spiritually and physically.
Today's fundraiser was tacos. Honduran tacos are what we would call flautas in the US, with shredded cabbage, shaved cheese and tomato sauce on top.
Samuel didn't want to eat them until he saw everyone else drinking cute little glass bottles of Coke. He asked if he could have a coke. I said only if he ate lunch, so he did.
This afternoon I didn't go to the afternoon church service that I usually go to in English. Fany and I decided it was too sweaty outside to do anything. Yuck! I was talking to Fany about health stuff, like how many people can't give blood because they have had some weird disease which excludes them. (Fany has had Malaria twice!) I told Fany that from now on I am going to choose all my friends according to whether they are able and WILLING to give blood.
She said that her friend was worried because the friend is turning 50 and everyone she knows gets diabetes at 50. I said it's because they drink so much Coke. Fany said her Mom doesn't drink Coke, but she does drink Pepsi - a huge glass for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And she is diabetic.
I don't think I have ever once seen anyone in Honduras drink milk with a meal. I see them drink a tiny, juice box sized carton of flavored milk as a snack every once in a while. But not as part of a daily diet. And drinking water is like a punishment to most people. Most people would not purposely choose to drink water. The amount of soda consumed here is insane. And if it is not soda it is Lipton Iced Tea, which is not much better.
Last weekend my church had a whole program on Saturday afternoon dedicated to teaching nutrition and healthy eating habits. Today we ate deep fried tacos and Coke. But we did talk about the living water. I wonder if that counts for anything.
Please keep me in your prayers this week as I am waiting to hear back from a lady who I would really like to serve with here in Honduras. I believe God brought us together for a reason and I am hoping that this is the time He has planned for us to start working together. I think she will call Monday or Tuesday. My personal prayer is that I can be an answer to her prayers for her ministry.
Speaking of calls, I got a cool phone call today! It was a friend from my home church in the US! She said that she got a package for $6/month added to her phone so she can call me and chat for an hour each month. Yay! I felt very special. This time we mostly talked business. But it will be nice in the future if I have a bad day, or a good day, and want to share it with someone. As she said, it is nicer than chatting on Facebook.
I got two people who are going to donate blood tomorrow. I am giving them a ride to make sure they go. One is scared and one is only doing it because his friend wants him to, so they aren't very self motivated. The least I can do is give them a ride.
No new updates on Clara, but I will get one tomorrow when I drop off the constancia - the sheet of paper that allows her to receive the blood. Last I knew she had only 6,000 platelets and a healthy person has 150,000. Her family remains faithful.
I have a cousin who went to Guatemala to serve in the Peace Corp., fell in love with the country and a man, and a year ago today she got married there. Now they are celebrating their one year anniversary with their new baby, Elijah. Yay!
 |
| Carolyn and Edyn on 2/22/14 (I was there!) |
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| One year later |
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| My $1.50 sweater! |
Friday, February 20, 2015
Ultimo Momento
This morning I was doing a bible study and washing my laundry when Fany came to tell me there was an explosion in the market by the stadium. It is the biggest market in the capital city, where everyone buys their groceries for the week. My first thought was that it was purposeful, but she explained that a chimbol of gas exploded and caused a fire which made other chimbols explode.
The ladies who sell cooked food were most affected. The market is only open Fridays and Saturday mornings. The explosion happened at of the busiest times of all, during lunch hour on Friday.
So far they are reporting that 40 people were severely burned and 6 are children.
I am giving thanks for the Red Cross again, as I see them loading people into ambulances with their clothes burned off and pieces of shrapnel in their bodies. The people were taken to Hospital Escuela for the first 45 minutes until it reached capacity. Now they are being sent to San Felipe where I visited the maternity ward when I first came to Honduras on a team from K2 in 2008. Some are going to Seguro Social where Clara is too.
Fany is trying to get in touch with people she knows who work selling food there. Her sister-in-law is one. So far she cannot contact them. But the news is not reporting any deaths.
The news crews are making things more nuts. They get in the way as the ambulances are unloading patients at the hospital. Then the news reporters yell at the medical people that they are doing their job and need access to the patients. This would not happen in the US. The ambulance staff cannot even unload the patients from the ambulances and everyone is arguing over whose job is more important - the new reporters or the medical staff.
It is crazy what they show on the news here. Personally, I don't need to see it all. But maybe that is because I did not grow up here. I am not accustomed to seeing the carnage, the way people might be here.
Now the news of the explosion is being interrupted to show two bodies dead in a pool of blood inside of a wooden canoe, one dead in the back of a pickup truck. People are just standing around the scene, looking at the cameras as if this is a good chance to get on tv. Nobody seems upset that there are 2 dead people submerged in blood inside of a canoe a few feet away. There are two more bodies that they aren't showing. All of them are related and were killed, but they are not sure why yet.
Now back to the explosion. They are saying now that people are at risk of death. And they are asking for blood urgently. Gosh. It has been hard enough for us to find blood for Clara. Now it will be more difficult. They are even asking for anesthesia, oxygen tanks, antiseptic solution, antibiotic ointment and sterile pads. The biggest hosptial in the capital of Honduras does not have the most basic things it needs to treat these burn victims.
Although I can't do much personally, I am making a vow that I will do all I can to raise my levels of Hemoglobin so I can give blood in the future. It seems that many people (in every country, I think) don't understand the importance of giving blood.
PS:
Fany and I were just talking about the idea that maybe they will have enough extra blood from donors for the explosion, that they could use some of the overage for Clara. Fany told me that Hospital Escuela is asking for such basic things like anesthesia. I said I heard that too. What a shame. She said yes, just yesterday they discovered a huge storage unit full of medical supplies from Hospital Escuela. Someone was stealing them. So much corruption in a land with so much need.
The ladies who sell cooked food were most affected. The market is only open Fridays and Saturday mornings. The explosion happened at of the busiest times of all, during lunch hour on Friday.
So far they are reporting that 40 people were severely burned and 6 are children.
I am giving thanks for the Red Cross again, as I see them loading people into ambulances with their clothes burned off and pieces of shrapnel in their bodies. The people were taken to Hospital Escuela for the first 45 minutes until it reached capacity. Now they are being sent to San Felipe where I visited the maternity ward when I first came to Honduras on a team from K2 in 2008. Some are going to Seguro Social where Clara is too.
Fany is trying to get in touch with people she knows who work selling food there. Her sister-in-law is one. So far she cannot contact them. But the news is not reporting any deaths.
The news crews are making things more nuts. They get in the way as the ambulances are unloading patients at the hospital. Then the news reporters yell at the medical people that they are doing their job and need access to the patients. This would not happen in the US. The ambulance staff cannot even unload the patients from the ambulances and everyone is arguing over whose job is more important - the new reporters or the medical staff.
It is crazy what they show on the news here. Personally, I don't need to see it all. But maybe that is because I did not grow up here. I am not accustomed to seeing the carnage, the way people might be here.
Now the news of the explosion is being interrupted to show two bodies dead in a pool of blood inside of a wooden canoe, one dead in the back of a pickup truck. People are just standing around the scene, looking at the cameras as if this is a good chance to get on tv. Nobody seems upset that there are 2 dead people submerged in blood inside of a canoe a few feet away. There are two more bodies that they aren't showing. All of them are related and were killed, but they are not sure why yet.
Now back to the explosion. They are saying now that people are at risk of death. And they are asking for blood urgently. Gosh. It has been hard enough for us to find blood for Clara. Now it will be more difficult. They are even asking for anesthesia, oxygen tanks, antiseptic solution, antibiotic ointment and sterile pads. The biggest hosptial in the capital of Honduras does not have the most basic things it needs to treat these burn victims.
Although I can't do much personally, I am making a vow that I will do all I can to raise my levels of Hemoglobin so I can give blood in the future. It seems that many people (in every country, I think) don't understand the importance of giving blood.
PS:
Fany and I were just talking about the idea that maybe they will have enough extra blood from donors for the explosion, that they could use some of the overage for Clara. Fany told me that Hospital Escuela is asking for such basic things like anesthesia. I said I heard that too. What a shame. She said yes, just yesterday they discovered a huge storage unit full of medical supplies from Hospital Escuela. Someone was stealing them. So much corruption in a land with so much need.
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Let me be singing when the evening comes
First news about Clara. The man who listens to Dr. Gustavo's radio program in San Pedro Sula (far) donated and Karla was able to pick up the note from the local Red Cross.
I took a new friend and her 2 kids to get a check up with Dr. Gustavos. He asked how we were doing and I told him we still need more blood so he is going to announce it again tomorrow on the radio. That seems like I best way to reach people. Praise God for kind hearted strangers!
Today has been a day of praise for me.
I woke up at 5 a.m. with "10,000 Reasons" in my head so I got up and listened to it over and over. What a great song to remind us of all the reasons we have to worship our Lord.
After dropping my kids and her friend off at their house God asked me to pray out loud to him. So I started giving thanks for all the ways we can see His hand in our lives - from the circumstances around my car accident yesterday, to all of the amazing people he has placed around me just at the right time.
I prayed for the team that is coming from my home church in the US and for the ministry where I will serve next - that it will be a healthy environment and that I will add to it in a positive way. I also realize this has been a good week of transition for me. I feel my next full time ministry right around the corner. This week has prepared me for a full time schedule again. Maybe I don't have a specific ministry with a name that I am serving at the moment, but I have been busy as can be this week, serving God. Whether it is taking children to the doctor or finding blood donors and making sure the right papers get to Clara. Some of the older teens from my previous church have been chatting with me in the evening on FB. It's surprising how open they are. I think it might be easier for them if we are not face to face to spill their secrets. So in a way, I have a little ministry right on Facebook! I mostly encourage them to pray, seek God's will, and remember to leave room for God to act. I think more than anything they need an ear to listen. I can do that.
The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning
It's time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes - Matt Redmond 10,000 Reasons (Bless my Soul)
The evening has come and yes, I am still singing this song! It's been a good day in Honduras.
Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name
I took a new friend and her 2 kids to get a check up with Dr. Gustavos. He asked how we were doing and I told him we still need more blood so he is going to announce it again tomorrow on the radio. That seems like I best way to reach people. Praise God for kind hearted strangers!
Today has been a day of praise for me.
I woke up at 5 a.m. with "10,000 Reasons" in my head so I got up and listened to it over and over. What a great song to remind us of all the reasons we have to worship our Lord.
After dropping my kids and her friend off at their house God asked me to pray out loud to him. So I started giving thanks for all the ways we can see His hand in our lives - from the circumstances around my car accident yesterday, to all of the amazing people he has placed around me just at the right time.
I prayed for the team that is coming from my home church in the US and for the ministry where I will serve next - that it will be a healthy environment and that I will add to it in a positive way. I also realize this has been a good week of transition for me. I feel my next full time ministry right around the corner. This week has prepared me for a full time schedule again. Maybe I don't have a specific ministry with a name that I am serving at the moment, but I have been busy as can be this week, serving God. Whether it is taking children to the doctor or finding blood donors and making sure the right papers get to Clara. Some of the older teens from my previous church have been chatting with me in the evening on FB. It's surprising how open they are. I think it might be easier for them if we are not face to face to spill their secrets. So in a way, I have a little ministry right on Facebook! I mostly encourage them to pray, seek God's will, and remember to leave room for God to act. I think more than anything they need an ear to listen. I can do that.
The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning
It's time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes - Matt Redmond 10,000 Reasons (Bless my Soul)
The evening has come and yes, I am still singing this song! It's been a good day in Honduras.
Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name
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