Friday night I stayed up late packing in order to be ready for Jairo to help me move Saturday morning. However, Jairo was sick in bed all day Saturday. The man who never rests was laid out flat. So Walter showed up with the van full of older boys. At first I was wondering how we would fit my stuff in with all of those boys, but everything went really smoothly. Marvin, a member of the church, used his pick up truck for bigger items. By 2 p.m. we had everything moved. Lourdes and my new landlord, Hermida, helped me unpack and organize. By 5:30 p.m I was all settled in. As Hermida said, "The house has life."
Hermida took me with her that evening while she got her hair done. Then we went shopping. First we got groceries. Then we attempted to shorten the list of things I needed for my new home. She drove me all over the city until all of the stores were closed. Each time I found something I liked, it was so expensive I could not bring myself to pay for it. In Honduras you can find almost everything you need, but paying for it is another story.
I came home with one thing. It is a doorstop that I was going to use for my balcony door. I chose the last one. When we got to the cash register to pay, Hermida asked the man if there were any more because she would like to buy one for herself. There were none. However, Jett has decided that she likes to climb off the balcony. She climbs through the balcony railings onto the roof that extends below, where she rolls around until I am sure she is going to slide off. Therefore I cannot leave the door propped open. She is so clumsy I am afraid she will fall. Below is a huge cliff. So Hermida is going to get the doorstop as a Christmas gift. At least I know it is something she will like!
During the drive she pointed out things I should know. Areas that are dangerous. Good restaurants. (She likes sushi!) Places where you should never stop your car, even if you have a flat tire because it is so dangerous. She said she hopes we will be able to spend time together and get to know each other. I hope so too. I like her a lot so far.
Sunday Hermida invited me to a Christmas dinner for her small group at her house. She and her husband made a marinated pork and a chicken. There were lots of side dishes and for dessert we had a special Honduran Christmas dish that is kind of like French Toast only baked in sugar cane juice. I was stuffed but believe me, I made room for that. And I don't even like French Toast. It was delicious! Afterward we talked for a while and let our food settle. Then we all played games. Finally there was coffee and a short bible study related to Christmas. It was an enjoyable time and I felt very welcome.
Monday Jairo dropped me off at my old apartment. I spent the morning cleaning. Then Fany and I took Laura and went shopping for the rest of the things on my list. I got a bathmat and Christmas lights that were on sale so they were 50 cents. I did NOT get a shower caddy ($30) or a toothbrush holder ($13) or a pack of 6 plastic hangers for $8 or a laundry basket for $35. Some of those things were at Sears! Like I said, I could find everything I needed, but I refuse to pay that much money.
Fany's husband, Santos, brought a sofa bed from his mother's house for me. Nobody in his family wanted it, so he delivered me and the sofa sleeper home in the evening. Now I have a sofa for my living room AND it even matches the curtains!!!! This house is coming together more quickly than I ever imagined. Fany also gave me a plant and some traditional Honduran decorations. She is a good friend. I will miss her a lot. Turns out she is moving too. Friday will be her last day in the front house. She is moving to another city, closer to Santos' job.
Yesterday I went back my regular schedule. Preschool class was fun. We played Duck, Duck, Goose (here it is called Pato, Pato, Ganso) and another game that my helpers taught me. It was a fun one. One person is the wolf. The rest of the kids sing a cute song asking the wolf what he is doing. The wolf answers silly things like, "I am brushing my teeth." or "I am putting on my shoes." until finally the tension is so high that the wolf yells, "I am coming to eat you!" Once the wolf announces it is coming to eat them, all of the kids scream and run away. The one that is caught becomes the wolf. It was perfect for all ages. We will play that one again.
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| Memo gave his rubber boots a break today. Instead he wore his leather jacket. (It was in the mid 80's) |
Today we all got together as a group and prayed. Lourdes explained in simple terms that the government is falling apart and we need to pray for leadership and for safety. Basically Congress is corrupt and has taken all of the power from the Supreme Court. Police, which were already in short supply since 200 were fired for corruption following the kidnapping of a journalist which I wrote about in May (I think) are in even shorter supply. They are refusing to work because they are being forced to take lie detector tests. It remains to be seen if the military will take the side of Congress or the Supreme Court. This is all linked to the primary election. The man who was declared the winner is the head of congress. The man who did not win asked for a recount. I cannot go into details for my own safety, but basically bribes with money that is obtained illegally, are keeping the corrupt people in office.
Please join us in praying for a swift, safe, and proper resolution to this problem. This is another reason I am happy to be safely tucked away in the mountains.
We have been feeding over 80 kids every day at the Breakfast Program. I am doing very well emotionally. My hair seems to be falling out only a tiny bit more than normal, so I am happy about that. Every night I can sit on my balcony and watch the sunset. It is quite a view. I am at the top of one mountain, with the city down below and the sun sets behind another set of mountains. I feel very blessed to be in this place, with these people, living this life.
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| View to the left from the balcony. The grey dirt where the sun hits is my driveway. |
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| A huge mountain to the right. See my Christmas lights? |
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| With my feet up, as Jairo predicted, watching the sunset over the mountains. |
