Recap of the weekend

Feels like the last two days passed in a whirlwind.

My birthday was nice. We had a women's group meeting. Afterward Nidia and Yamileth took me out for cake, but it was already dinnertime and Fany had baleadas waiting, so Yami and I split a pineapple pastry. Nidia ordered a cupcake, so I posed with that for photos. It was vanilla, so I chose the pineapple turnover.

In the evening Fany, Laura and I had baleadas, which are my favorite. They are cheap and easy to make, so I figured it was perfect. Laura was feeling much better. She even had seconds for dinner. 

Fany and I stayed up talking and laughing. Laura put herself to bed. When Fany went to check on her, Laura asked if it was tomorrow yet - Sunday was her birthday party. Fany told her no, but it will be tomorrow soon.

Sunday Laura finally got to celebrate her birthday. She was so patient, waiting since Wednesday to celebrate. The party was well worth the wait!

Laura decided on a Frozen theme. The little girls all wore princess costumes. Somehow Laura had enough for all of them. Fany made creative decorations from things she had around the house. Marshmallows are a big birthday treat here. Usually they are colored and in a big bowl. But Fany put them on a stick with a Frozen twist.

Today was my last day at work before I leave for the US. Everyone was so excited for me. They all gave me big hugs and said they can't wait until I get back. It was nice.

Here are some photos from over the weekend:

Jakelin, me, Yami, Nidia, Soyla, Oneida, Sarah and her grandkids

Nidia's vanilla cupcake
for my birthday

Pastora Ruth's discipleship class

Pastora Ruth and me

Laura's Party

Fany's Marshmallows (known as "besos" or "kisses")

Princesses

Laura takes piñatas seriously

Happy Birthday Laura!

Princesses of all shapes and sizes

Moms of the princesses and me

Laura is sick

This morning Fany came to my bedroom window and said Laura had a fever of 40 C. I told her we need to go to the doctor! That is 104 F.

But Fany said no, she gave Laura medicine and the fever went down. I warned her the fever will come back when the medicine wears off. But Fany was determined to have Laura's birthday party today.

So, I left to buy the cake (remember no homemade cakes in Honduras) and run errands. Just as I was on my way home, Fany called. She asked where I was.

"Leaving the parking lot from picking up the cake," I told her.

"Oh," she said. "I should have called earlier."  ...The fever spiked again. We have to cancel the party. Laura needs to go to the doctor.

After we worked out the logistics (finances, flat tires, phone calls to party attendants) we were on our way. Laura couldn't walk or even sit up straight. Lifting her eye lids was difficult. Thank God for Doctor Gustavo!

Doctor Gustavo said Laura has the beginning of a sore throat. He gave Fany a pain reliever and told her to switch between two different meds every four hours for the fever. And of course the handy dandy antibiotic. You can't leave a doctor's office in Honduras without an antibiotic.

Fany stayed with Laura in the car while I got the rest of the meds at the pharmacy.

When we got home, Fany took Laura out of the car and placed her in standing position on the driveway. Laura crumpled to the ground. Fany carried her inside to the bed. We mixed up the meds and dumped them into her mouth, then pinched her lips closed while she gagged and tried to spit them out.

Now Laura is resting soundly. I am thinking the cake will have to wait until Sunday. Meanwhile, I think I have a sore throat.

Here is a cool article about Familia Fuerte, one of the programs where I serve. I think you'll find it very interesting. I took it from a link on their Facebook page:

Each year about 100 families graduate from Strong Family, or "Familia Fuerte". The families served by Familia Fuerte live in Honduras' most violent and impoverished neighborhoods. We saw the necessity for Familia Fuerte when the teens we serve were struggling to change because they were still going home to unhealthy home environments each night.

Familia Fuerte was designed to strengthen familial bonds by teaching communication skills, implementing proper discipline techniques, and raising self esteem. All of these things are desperately needed in this society.

Many Hondurans struggle with direct communication. They are quick to say what someone wants to hear, or say nothing at all, but that doesn't lead to healthy family dynamics.

Discipline is often either yelling or hitting. Many parents never learned anything more. Through Familia Fuerte, they are taught other options, which is empowering to them and better for their children.

Take a peek at these proud parents who just graduated! Most did not graduate from high school, so this is extra special to them.

http://ajs-us.org/news/conquering-injustice-through-strong-families

Celebrating Birthdays

I spoiled Fany's birthday surprise for me. She planned to take me out for sushi. She knows I haven't been since June and I miss it. It was a thoughtful idea.

But our friend Nidia had a birthday today. Nidia is a sushi lover too. She hasn't had sushi in a year. So Fisher (a missionary who serves with Nidia) and I took Nidia out for sushi tonight.

It was really nice. Nidia doesn't get to do things like that much. She is always busy taking care of others. We enjoyed the food and the company.

When I got home Fany told me I had spoiled her surprise. I would have told Fany that we should go again on Friday, but I do not want Fany spending her money on sushi.

Last night Fany brought me a crock pot. She got it as a wedding gift and never used it. I tried to pay her for it, but she said it was a gift. I told her it is my birthday gift. I love it! It's something I really wanted and couldn't find in Honduras. She really didn't even know what it was for. So it was a blessing to me, and didn't cost her any money. Perfect!

Now I have to convince Fany that it's perfect. I don't want her to spend money for my birthday. She is spending all she has on doctor's appointments for her fibromyalgia and on Laura's party tomorrow. It was supposed to be a small party, but somehow, half the world have invited themselves.

A week from tonight I'll go to bed with a tummy full of Thanksgiving dinner!  Yay!! I haven't gone home for Thanksgiving since I moved to Honduras. I'm really excited.

A sushi boat for three

Nidia, me, Fisher

Gosh I have pretty friends!

Jetty had to go to the vet today. When I took her for her regular anti-parasite shot, the doctor found an ear infection and something was going on with the skin on her nose. The doctor expected she would take a few months to heal. He was surprised to see how well she is doing in just two weeks. The spot on her nose, which has been like that for 6 years, is already getting better and her ears look fine.

The veterinary staff never cease to be amazed by Jetty's calm, friendly personality. She purred the whole time the doctor was examining her. She is a great example for people who aren't used to domesticated cats. Even vets here don't seem to handle many cats. There are plenty of cats here but nobody takes them to the vet. So Jetty is showing people what a cat can be like if you treat them well. I will miss her while I'm in the US.

Thinking about home

I have never been so excited to go back to the US. I am really looking forward to it!

In the past I was happy to go home to get a break from something. It was stressful. I felt like I had to rush around and get a whole list of things done. This time, I don't feel like I need a break from anything. I have no list of stuff to get done. I am just excited to rest and spend time with my family.

I will miss some great things while I'm in the US. At my new job we are taking all of the kids to Picacho. Anyone who has visited Honduras has been there. It's a park up in the mountains with a Jesus statue. The kids think we are going to spend the day playing, but the social workers have decided to take advantage of the opportunity. We are going to Picacho with purpose.

The kids we work with are at even more risk during vacation. They finish the school year right now, and start the new year around Valentine's Day. That leaves a lot of time for bad things to happen. Rape, pregnancy, extortion, getting pulled into gangs and drugs. My boss asked for a list of potential problems our kids will face. The person who answered went on and on and on. I couldn't believe it! I now understand why we have to stay on top of the kids during this time.

The outing will be all day. The kids will explore Picacho, under close supervision, for the first hour and spend the last hour playing fútbol. (That's what they all really go for.) For the rest of the day they will be in learning stations. The learning stations are about self esteem, and two other things I forgot! But all are themes to teach them to stay out of trouble during vacation. I wish I could be there for the outing!

They are also doing a small business project. Each team is given money to start a business. It has to be something they create so they learn the process of making the item themselves. One of the sponsors of our NGO is paying for this project. The kids can use the proceeds for a Christmas party. Some of them are making Christmas decorations as their business project, so my family can expect those as your Christmas gift this year. Some are making bracelets or food.

I wish I didn't have to miss these projects. But I can't wait to hug my Mom. And two specific friends. It's nice to have a great life here, in Honduras, and also really enjoy my time in the US.

You know something interesting? Yesterday's post was seen by three times more viewers inside of the US than other posts. And just within 24 hours!

Speaking of posting, I went to the Dr today for my wrist. He said my wrist is not improving because I am typing too much with poor typing posture. So, I'll be laying off the blogs for a while. I am going to get this wrist back to normal! Or at least see if typing makes it worse. I know you can't imagine this, but an average blog takes about two hours to produce. Sometimes longer. So this is where I end tonight.

A day with Erika

After bible study the morning I picked up Erika. We went to the market and got a bunch of fruits and veggies. If I buy things at the market they are super cheap, so I was able to purchase food for Erika to cook dinner for her family.

She decided to makes eggs, plantains and beans, with cheese and mantequilla. She chose watermelon and tangerines too. Papayas are supposed to clean out your guts and prevent parasites, so I grabbed one of those. Marjory feels great, but papaya will be good for her. I also grabbed some broccoli for the vitamins and made sure she knows how to cook it.

The lady who sells cheese gave us tastes of the cheese. She loved how Marjory ate the cheese from my hand while grabbing the cheese from her mother's hand. Marjory wasn't starving. She just loves food! "That girl is not a picky eater!" the cheese lady said, and cut another slice for her.

Erika is a concerned because Marjory lost five pounds when she was sick. She is paying close attention to Marjory's weight now, saying that as of today she gained back two pounds.

Marjory played with a toy in the car. She is one year and four months old, and she just got her first toys ever. Erika said Marjory doesn't want to let it out of her sight. Erika's boyfriend's father brought some toys home from his work. The way Erika told the story was really sweet. The boss of her boyfriend's father came across some toys and offered the toys to his workers. But none of the workers took them. So Erika's boyfriend's father said, "I have a little girl at home," and took them for Marjory. So sweet!

Erika seems happy. Her belly is getting big. I got to meet her boyfriend for the first time today. He works making "blocks" but today he had the day off. They couldn't work because they were out of cement. When we pulled up Marjory jumped into his arms. I don't know him well, but he made a good first impression.

We had to buy a birthday cake for Laura today. It was so fun to watch Marjory as she looked around at everything. She especially loved the soft blankets. She looked at toys, but the thing that caught her eye more than anything else was a book! I felt happy. It was a toddler's bible with bright colored pictures, cardboard pages, and short bible stories.

I told Erika that my Mom used to read me a lot of books and asked if she'd like to read to Marjory. She said yes. I read a few pages to Marjory, and pointed out all of the things in the pictures, showing her how my mother read to me. I am guessing Erika's Mom never read to Erika. I hope Erika will read to her kids. Marjory kept reaching for the book for the rest of the day.

We were going to take Marjory to a new park they just built by my house. But the sun was really hot so we ended up at Popeyes. Marjory had a good time at the playland. All of the kids were a lot older, but Marjory doesn't seem to notice. She is very well socialized. Erika and I shared a meal, enjoyed watching Marjory explore, and talked.

I've started to think about the fact that Erika is going to have another baby soon. I'm thinking about how it will effect Marjory and how it will take up so much of Erika's time. I am also thinking about the actual labor and delivery.

Erika will go to the infamous Hospital Escuela. Gosh, I hate even saying that. To be honest, my experiences, or rather, the experiences of people I know who went there, have been nothing but positive. But there are many, many horror stories and I know the stories are true.

I asked Erika how she feels about giving birth at Hospital Escuela. She said she is comfortable. I asked if they treated her well last time. She said yes. On November 23rd she will learn her due date and maybe learn the sex of the baby. I think it's a girl.

I am going to be nervous as the date get closer. It's times like this where I want to ask my friends for help so that Erika can go to a better hospital. But that is more about me than it is about Erika. She doesn't expect anything different. This is the situation Erika is in. She and her family are okay with it. Many women give birth at Hospital Escuela every day and they are fine.

Remind me of this when Erika is actually in the hospital. She'll be all by herself. Not even her mother can visit until she is released. Phones don't work in many parts of the hospital. There are no sheets on the bed, no pillows, no water, no pain reliever. Not even an ice pack. To US citizens it seems inhumane. To Hondurans who use the public health system, it is a fact of life. Ugh. I dread it already.

Getting her face painted with a Honduran flag
(there is a soccer game today)

Mmmm...  Ketchup

WOP Retreat 2015

Sometimes I don't write because I have too much to say. Yesterday was one of those days.

During the Women of Purpose's Revive Retreat I had so much to share with you! I had each thing worded perfectly in my head, promising myself I would remember this moment to share with you.

Unfortunately, yesterday my mind was swarming with those memories. I couldn't sort them out. There were so many, I felt like my brain was flooded, but in a good way.

Today I can barely remember a thing. Back to reality.

Surely I will miss many important things that I swore I would remember three days ago. But here is an abbreviated version of the WOP retreat.

First, the WOP retreat is put on by a group of women who visit Honduras annually to revive female missionaries of Honduras. It was started by a woman who spent three years serving in Honduras and burned out. She returned to the US and still questions if it was the right choice. Could she have made it through the tough times if something like the WOP retreat existed when she was here? She is not looking back at the past. Instead, she is thinking of the future and trying to prevent other missionaries from feeling the same.

It is a weekend of pampering, fellowship with other missionaries from all over Honduras, quiet time. worship, introspection, and good food.

First, I was very happy to room with a bunch of 20 year olds. Only because they don't snore. Lately every time I go to a retreat I room with people my own age and am overcome by snoring. Nobody warns you - this is one of the hazards of getting older.

Then I slowly realized that within the past year, I have come to know a LOT of people! One year ago I went to the WOP retreat knowing only Carol. She and I met two weeks prior. But this year, I knew a ton of people. It was so cool to see them all again.

Consistently, they told me that I look so much better. My countenance has changed. It doesn't matter how they worded it, what they were saying is they can see I am happy now.

I remember a year ago I went home for Christmas. Everyone told me how different I looked. They said I looked happy. But I was really confused. Because at that time I didn't feel happy yet. I felt relieved. I felt hopeful. However, I was not happy. NOW I am happy. I am sooooo happy! I don't care if nobody can see it. I can feel it, and that is what matters.

I think for now I will end this post there. I am happy and the retreat was great!

Here are some photos:

Entering the retreat

Ready and waiting for all of the ladies
with smiles and hugs!

Special snacks

The little things...

My roommate
Babies

I caught her reflection in the mirror
She is valued

Bonfire and S'mores

Beautiful Place

We each got a blanket

All of the way from the US
just to worship with us in English

If it weren't for her, none of us would be there

He built houses by day
and cooked barbeque at night!

This was delicious!

I made this!

The theme of this year - 

Be still

Still here! 

I made this for Laura for her birthday

Stations on the last night
This was our
War Room for Honduras

Prayers across the world

The touch of Jesus

Our fears boxed up and turned over

Our fearless leader

My nightly prayer cluster

My favorite place

We went to my favorite place today. It's like Los Pinos, but with more trees and plants. And pigs. There are pigs running free. When I commented on the pigs my friend explained that people bought pigs to fatten up for Christmas dinner. This one was enormous. Kids were leaping on and riding it like a horse when I first saw it. It's entertainment for the whole neighborhood!

It is also puppy season. We saw a ton of puppies. I have cute photos of kids with puppies, and the cutest photo ever of a boy sitting up in a tree playing a tiny guitar. But I can't print those for privacy reasons. That's the only down-side to my job.

Today we did another questionnaire. We were supposed to visit 40 families. By 1 p.m. we caught up with 32 of the 40 families. Quite an accomplishment! This questionnaire is to assess how the construction projects we did there have helped the community. What I learned is these construction projects really brought the community together. Home after home explained that they had never known their neighbors before. However, they worked together building each other's latrines, roofs and pilas. Now the neighbors trust each other on a deeper level and are living in "community".

A new pila!

Today we drove in with the "sticker". My guess was right. It is a magnetic sign they stick on the side of the car. Our driver kept rolling the windows down and up, depending where we were. Some places are more safe with the windows all of the way down because the people on the streets need to see who is inside the vehicle. In some places he even told us to roll down the back windows. He really wanted us to go with a security guard today. I am not sure why. We were fine without security.

I wore a baseball cap. I didn't realize how much attention my hair attracts. I am going to wear a cap from now on. Nobody called me a gringa all day.

But I did have a run in with a crazy man. He is related to a woman I interviewed. He kept saying all sorts of crazy stuff and poking me with his finger in my arm. The woman I was interviewing said, "Don't be scared." I said, "I'm not." I wasn't scared. I was just eager to get the interview done so he would stop poking me.

Here is one of my favorite parts of this place:

I don't know why I love it, but it is so cool to me! The trees make it feel like a tunnel. I am guessing they put up these big "walls" so nobody could jump out of the bushes.

I was able to snap this photo too:

After we finished my co-worker invited us all to go out to eat. They never let me pay for anything - buses, taxis, snacks or food. I have to start thinking more proactively and treat them. My co-workers are very generous.

Today we went to the mall and had a nice meal. After we ate there was still time before security came to pick us up. We sat and talked. I told them about some of my funniest mistakes with the Spanish language.

Like the time I said I was the best napkin, when I wanted to say I was the best waitress. "Servieta" is "napkin", but I thought it meant server.

Or when I said I told Santos I had ants falling from my chest. The ants were actually falling from my roof, which is "techo". Chest is "pecho".

And then there was the time I tried to say I am hungry every night at midnight. Instead of saying "I have hunger" I said, "I have men every night at midnight.")

We were laughing so hard my co-worders were afraid we would get kicked out of the mall. It was really funny and it felt great to laugh that hard. They said they feel 10 years younger from hanging out with me. We also took these photos:

From left: psychologist; psych intern; mentor; me; my immediate boss.
It was my immediate boss who got her visa to visit her husband in the US!

After I got home I told Fany I spent the whole day in my favorite place with my co-workers. I told her we laughed hard and had lots of fun! She asked me where we had gone. I said, "La cantina." She said, "Whaaaat?" I said "La (and then I realized my mistake) Cantera!"

"La Cantera" is an area of the city. "La cantina" means bar. I told Fany my favorite place is a bar and I spent all day there laughing with co-workers. After almost four years, I will continue to make mistakes. My co-workers and I will get a good laugh out of this!

Tomorrow morning I leave for a Women of Purpose Retreat. It starts at 4 pm, but if we get there early we can get free manicures, pedicures or hair cuts. Last year when I went to this retreat my whole life changed. I look forward to going this year. I am in a much better place in so many ways!

Adios for now. See you after the retreat!

One last thing - The missionary who evaluated the budget of  the refuge for sexually abused girls said they are spending double what they should each month. She asked a few questions about how they are spending. One thing we discovered is that they are paying the commercial rate for their electricity, which they shouldn't be. They have asked for reduced rates, but were told there is no such thing. Friday, armed with more knowledge, they are going to the electric company to get it straightened out. My hope is if they can cut the budget in half, the owners will agree to keep the refuge open.

Nothing

Today I am going to share with you a different sort of post. It may not be for you, but I feel it needs to be said.

Today I did NOTHING.

I was supposed to go to my English speaking bible study this morning. But yesterday I drank too much coffee (a half cup) and was wide awake at 2:30 a.m. which is dumb because I know I am sensitive to coffee, but I drank it anyway. I could make excuses for why I drank the half cup of coffee, but there is no need. This post is not about justifying.

I skipped bible study.

It was sunny so I wanted took advantage of the sunshine to get some laundry done. We are moving into the cold season now so good laundry days are fewer. (And I just remembered! I swore to my family I was going be in the US for January this year. Totally forgot to do that. January here can be cold and gloomy. It's my least favorite month of the year.)

I got the first load of laundry washed when the clouds settled in. My plan was to wash throw rugs and cleaning rags next, but with at the clouds, I decided to alter the plan. In the end I did get all of the clothes washed. Some are still drying inside of the house. The rain came as expected. However, laundry was not a complete disaster. I just have some rugs and cleaning rags to wash on another day.

The lady I met though a mutual friend yesterday sent me messages while I was washing. She has experience in running homes for children and reviving organizations that are floundering. She said she thinks that the refuge for sexually abused girls can trim their budget. There were a few more questions she needed answered, but she said unless the staff are getting paid huge salaries, which I don't believe they were, they can streamline their budget and become more sustainable. That was great news! I passed it along to my friends who are praying for the refuge and its girls.

Then I turned on the tv. Nothing was on and I felt like I really wanted to watch a movie, which is strange for me. I am not one to watch movies. But I was really in the mood for a good movie. So I watched "I Am". Wow. What an incredible documentary. I can't say enough about it.

The whole time I watched I wanted to take notes. I wanted to quote the movie and share the quotes like all of those little motivating things people post on Facebook. If every North American watched that movie and lived their lives with love, this world would be a better place. It was so inspirational!

It talked about the fact that we are meant to live in community with others. But as North Americans we are raised to become separate individuals. This is against our DNA! I think Honduras does a better job in many ways of living in community. In the US we are told if we are not independent by the age of 18 or 21 we are losers. Our parents raise us to go and live our lives away from them. We move hours and states and sometimes countries away from our family. And we are told we are weak if we depend on our community.

Guess what? Flocks of birds move as a community - even the crazy fast flying ones. Herds of animals made decisions to seek water and food as a community. Schools of fish move as one. But humans still can't figure out how to live as a community. We are not only raised to be individuals, but then we also accept labels that divide us. (That was my own addition to the movie.)

The happiest times I have ever lived, and the happiest people I know, were in community. They live and depend on others. In deep community. Sometimes we can live in shallow community and feel good about ourselves, but it is the deep, deep community that our hearts truly long for.

What makes your heart beat fast with hope and elation? What brings tears of joy to your eyes? If you eliminate any negative feelings, such as fear, the thing that makes our hearts beat fast and our eyes weep is an experience that we share in community.

After the movie I decided to cook myself some good food and watch another movie. So I watched "I am David". I recommend that too.

The point of this post is that today I did nothing. I cleaned my house, mopped the floor, tidied up, and did spend a little time in morning devotion. But I wasn't out doing "missionary" things.

Sometimes I think that, since I am living on your support, I need to be "doing" all of the time. I feel guilty when I am not. Today I realize that is not healthy!

So I am telling you outright. It's 4 pm. Tonight I plan to warm up the beans and tortillas that I had for lunch and watch a third movie or maybe read a book. It's a rainy day in Honduras and this missionary is going to relax. Without guilt.

Watch "I Am" if you haven't already! It's a great documentary.