Lots of plans for the future

Yesterday we officially rolled out what is now called "Strong Community" at the place where I serve. It is a pilot project in that we have never gone into a new community in this way. The good news is that each of the separate programs have proved to be effective individually. The trick is to put them all together.

It's cool to see the way a program for youth (Youth Impact) begot a the program for families (Strong Families) and from that came the program for women (Strong Women). Now we are focused on walking alongside a community, with community leaders and members, to better the most vulnerable and dangerous areas of Honduras.

The people I work with never fail to impress me. At the same time that we are unveiling this project in Los Pinos, we are doing the same surveys in other neighborhoods which are comparable so that we can have statistics regarding how our work affected the areas we served, versus areas which did not receive help from our project. That will be interesting to see 3-5 years down the line.

There are so many different cogs that all have to work together, but independently. It is going to be tricky in ways that I can't share here.

I have a date to eat lunch with Karla, the daughter of Clara, on Friday to discuss her business plan and hang out a little.

Tomorrow is our third week of the Dreaming Out Loud club. I prepared for the class already, but need to review my plans today. I'm still a little nervous each week, but every Wednesday I wake up excited and eager to go.

While I was at the Honduran Fellowship Retreat I dropped my camera and broke the lense. What a bummer! Between costs for the car, removing the pre-cancerous spots on my skin, and taxes, I spent too much money last month, so I wasn't planning to fix it right away.

But I was checking out prices and found a new camera lense that was half price ($100). Plus I know someone who is visiting at the end of March, so I decided to buy a new lense and have it shipped to her house in the US.

At work last week I was assigned to take photos to send to our donors of every child with their new backpacks. Quite a few of the photos were out of focus and didn't turn out well. Plus I missed the opportunity to take photos at the women's group on Saturday because all I had was a long distance lense which didn't work well inside a tiny kitchen. It will be nice to have a working camera again!

I am hearing rumors that I was chosen to be head of communications for my church. I didn't attend the leadership meeting, although I was invited to attend, because it was while I was at the retreat. But I am told it was decided there that I will head up communications because they like what I am doing on Facebook for the church's page. I think it's funny that an English speaker will head up communications for a Spanish church. But I would love to do it!

I need a camera not only for my personal pleasure, but also as part of my functions at church and at work. Can't wait to get the new lense at the end of the month.

Here are some up close photos I took at the women's meeting as well as some photos I took at church with a camera that was loaned to me:

Hermana Yamileth Praying

Hermana Soyla Praying at our women's group

My discipleship group at church

Beautiful kids!

Looking outside the window at church

Pastora Ruth and Nidia with Saul and Patrick
Nidia is going to the US on Thursday

Dancing during worship

Cuteness!

No more whistling

Today Fany and I got up early today and went over to the community next door. I tried to get a bunch of errands done yesterday, driving all over the city. But in the end it was all for nothing. So I talked to Fany and we decided we could get everything done in the colonia next door.

We haven't been going there for about 3 weeks because things have been "hot". There were a few shootings in the daytime. But we figured if we went early it would be fine.

It was. I got all I needed. There was noticeably less traffic. I think others are avoiding the area.

After we got home I realized I forgot to buy tomatoes and onion. So I dropped of the pineapple and cheese in my house, then threw on a baseball hat because the sun was getting hot, and headed back out.

As I was leaving my community there was a group of men working on the power lines. One of them made loud kissing sounds as I walked by. The last time I was out alone a hug construction site stopped working and made cat calls while I stood there buying cheese. It was horrible. So this time I decided to do something.

I stopped, turned around, and looked straight at the man who was making the kissing sounds. I was wearing baggy sweats, a white tee, and a baseball cap. Nothing to call attention. Before I knew what was coming out of my mouth, I called across the parking lot to him.

Really strongly I said, "Do you have a sister?"

Softly he answered, "Yes."

"A mother?"

He nodded.

"Do you want men to do this to them?"

He just looked at me. I could see that he was thinking about what I was saying.

"It's ugly," I said.

He nodded in agreement.

I turned around and continued on my way feeling satisfied that I had been heard. On my way back home nobody made any noises as I walked by.

When I told Fany what I did she said, "I bet he will never do that again." I hope not!