Last night I spent the night at Karla and Jose's house. They way things are situated on the side of the mountain, Karla and Jose have to park on land that is their neighbors' property. As I parked and headed down to Karla's house, the neighbor lady said she hadn't seen me in a while. I have noticed her before. She lives in a cement house with no windows. Well, there are windows, but they have no glass or anything. They are just big square holes in the wall. Sometimes I see her as she squats outside next to an open fire to cook her meals. I have wondered what the inside of the house is like and what it feels like to live there. I never knew she noticed me too. I told her that it's true she hasn't seen me in a while because I went to the US for about a month. Then she said no, I saw you here 2 weeks ago. (Which made me laugh inwardly since she started the whole conversation by saying she hadn't seen me in a while.) I told her it was possible that she saw my car, because my friend borrowed the car while I was gone, but I haven't visited Karla and Jose in about a month. She decided that yes, my friend had come with my car and even pointed out where he had parked two weeks ago. It was a funny little conversation. At least she is keeping track of things.
Yesterday as I drove up the crazy "road" (more like what my father would call a goat trail) to Karla and Jose's house I had to pull over because Jose was leaving. He had to meet with the jovenes (youth group) and then play soccer with people from work. That gave Karla and me a couple of hours to catch up. It was nice. We sat and talked while the girls entertained themselves.
When Jose got home they put the girls to bed and we had an adult dinner, then watched a movie. I am finally able to help Karla cook. It certainly took a long time for me to be helpful in a Honduran kitchen. We had a yummy dinner of chicken tacos with guacamole, homemade salsa, and a sort of creme fraiche with jalapeños. We all ate too much. It rained a few times. Sometimes the rain was so loud on their tin roof we had to yell to hear each other speak.
I slept really well until the strangest sounding rooster woke me up at 4:30 a.m. I heard a gunshot soon after and wished someone was after that darn rooster but he continued to make his odd yodeling sound that was nothing like a good old cock-a-doodle-do.
Valery chose a dress with three layers of ruffles this morning to wear to church. Then she spent the morning dancing and watching the ruffles move. It was awesome. Valery is TEN years old now! Gosh, I can't believe it. When I first met Valery she was non-verbal (as a result of Down Syndrome) and could be quite aggressive. Anyone who spent time with her had bruises on their arms and neck because she pinched a lot. Since I moved here I have noticed she is a cheerful, happy girl. It is nice to see she is not as frustrated as she used to be. She can talk a little now, which I am sure makes a big difference. We are continually amazed by how smart Valery is. She knows a lot of things that nobody expects her to know.
After church we had a "picnic" on the porch with a picnic blanket and pillows to sit on. Then we went to the movies to see Despicable Me 2. In Spanish it is called Mi Villano Favorito (my favorite villain). I had seen the first Despicable Me when I visited Jody in the US and loved it, so I was excited to see part two. We all enjoyed it.
Next weekend we are throwing a going away party for Joss at Belinda's house. The following weekend I am invited to a small birthday party for Jose. Karla commented that it is nice to see me interacting with so many people now at church. I remember I used to write about how I hated waiting around after the service while people socialized. (Partly because I was always hungry and partly because I felt uncomfortable and bored.) Now I have plenty of people to talk with and sometimes don't even get time to talk to people I want to see. I am a social butterfly these days. Just kidding. I wouldn't go that far.
But for example, a month ago I was talking with someone and another lady whom I didn't know told me she had a necklace for me. She said it was my style and she thought I would like it so she would bring it to church the following week. I explained I would be gone for a month, but thank you. She said she would bring the necklace in a month. Today a few minutes into the service a lady passed something to Karla and motioned for Karla to give it to me. It was the coolest necklace ever - with a matching bracelet! And it was perfect for the outfit I had on today. I loved it and thanked her for it. Then I had to ask Karla her name about 4 times. Her name is Anisia. How cool that she could recognize my style and that she would bother to give me something when I don't remember ever having a conversation with her before! People here are very kind. Remember that a church member helped me purchase my car and then paid for a year of insurance for the car out of the blue too? I didn't know that family very well either. I guess that sometimes I am just as blessed by people I don't really know as I am by my amazing friends.
Ever since I went to the US I feel like God has been telling me that I need to acknowledge (to myself) and appreciate my friends more. My time in the US allowed me see the awesome friendships I have there, and made me realize that I have built great friendships in Honduras too. In North America we are raised to be independent. We are taught that it is bad/weak to rely on others. Life experiences led me to believe that people were not worthy of my trust. I have never trusted in my friends the way I have learned to recently. It feels incredible to open myself up, to leave myself vulnerable, and to see friends support me in ways I never imagined they would. For the first time, I know who I am to them, and I know who they are to me. I never gave them the opportunity to be that sort of friend to me before. In Honduras I have learned to open up my heart. I have been disappointed and hurt, but more often I have been humbled and blessed.
