Breakfast, babies, chilis and geckos

I woke at 6:30 a.m. this morning and have been going ever since.  Read my daily devotional and spent some time with my bible, hoping to find a starting place for the letter I have to write to ask for funding.  By the time Lourdes called at 9:30 to say she was on her way to pick me up, I had worked myself into a migraine.  The letter is written, but it's horrible.  Not even worth sending.  However, I knew a cure for what was ailing me -  Hugs from kids!  So I headed off to the breakfast program.

Today Lourdes is continuing to teach the 10 commandments.  I love the way she is able to translate each commandment so the kids understand them.  I remember memorizing a list of things and understanding that God wanted us to obey his commands, but coveting??  Or killing? bearing false witness?  Lourdes put them all into simple words so the kids know exactly what they mean and how they could apply to their lives, even as little kids.  We had pancakes and watermelon.  Lourdes looked on the shelf, noticed a can of condensed milk, and told us to put a spoonful on each piece of watermelon.  I thought it sounded yucky, but changed my mind and ended up sneaking at least three pieces.

In the middle of the first group we suddenly had no water.  We worked out of buckets from the pila for the rest of the day.  Don Juan got it fixed before we left this evening so we will have water tomorrow.

After eating, some of the girls worked on a dance routine they are doing at church for Mother's Day in two Sundays.  I helped them out a little bit and told them the look great.  They are excited and love to dance!  When I turned around from watching them on the stage, the church had a lot of people with babies who were waiting for the pediatrician to come.  He is a member of La Iglesia en Transformación, who donates his time on Tuesday afternoons to help the community of Los Pinos.  He charges 50 Limpiras (about $2.50) and does his best to provide free medicine when possible.  A regular visit to a pediatrician here would be about 700 Limpiras, which is about 2 weeks pay for most of these people.  Needless to say, if he did not come to the church, many kids would not get the medical care they need.  He sees adults too, but today was definitely a baby day.

After I got home tonight I was reflecting on the day and thought about the time I spent talking with the local people as I took these pictures.  It is nice that my Spanish has improved enough that I can sit and just gab with the ladies about babies and stuff.  They don't treat me like some interesting species from another country, they don't even ask where I'm from anymore.  They treat me like another woman, just like them.  One of them even asked me to be her friend on Facebook!  I think that is cool.

16 week old premature baby waiting with her Daddy to see the doctor

Check out these cute sandals!

 

Mommy and baby with a cold waiting to see the doctor

Lourdess was finishing up some accounting so I was messing around with my camera and computer.  I posted some pictures and ended up getting some financial support from a swim team friend from childhood, Diana Brown.  That felt great.  She is a nurse, so she appreciates this sort of thing.  We chatted a little bit and I explained what I am doing down here.  She is injured, so she is unable to work right now, but she made a donation as we chatted online.  Thank you Diana!

While Jairo and I waited for Lourdes to finish I met one of his brothers.  Not the one who lives a few blocks from me, but another who is a doctor in Danli - a city nearby.  He seems to have the same warm, welcoming personality as Jairo.  Don Juan gave him a bag full of peppers from the church's garden.  When I saw how beautiful they were, I asked if I could take them out of the bag and take pictures.

Don Juan's kept trying to get people to try his spicy "strawberries"

Tiny chilis

Jairo went to the doctor today.  She ordered more tests including extensive blood work and a cardiogram.  He will get that done tomorrow morning.  Lourdes had ex rays done today so she can bring them to her doctor's appointment tomorrow.  She thinks she should be feeling better already and is anxious to hear what the doctor says in this follow up appointment for her fybromyalgia.

With both of them taking care of their health tomorrow, I will take a cab tomorrow and lead the breakfast program on my own.  I've done it before, so I'm sure it will be fine.  But this is an example of why I really feel like I am supposed to be here in Honduras.  Lourdes and Jairo are both very dedicated to the program, but the also have a lot of other obligations.  Right now they both have health needs.  Having me around is not just helpful, I think it it necessary in order for them to both get healthy.  I hope I get the letter written soon and it is persuasive enough that I can raise the money to stay here and help them.

Jairo is talking about how La Iglesia en Transformación can reach out to the men of Los Pinos.  He's got a great point - we are serving the women and children, but how do we reach the men?  He has some great ideas.  I hope I am here to help him make those ideas become reality.  Maybe tomorrow will be the day I get that darn letter written.
Since I got here I have heard geckos a few times, but not like when I lived with Karla and Jose.  I was excited to see one run up the wall in the kitchen at the church today, so I took this picture.  They are cute little things once you get used to them.  Then I came home and saw one in my own dining room wall as I was cooking dinner.  I am no longer alone here - I have guests other than enormous cockroaches.  I have cute little geckos too.

NOTE:  The yellow is a wall, white is the ceiling.  He can hang on tight!
He's about the length of a hand.