Woke up at 5 a.m. today and puttered around (as my Mom would say) until I noticed something rare and exciting. Sunshine!
For the past few weekends Fany has been stuck at her in-laws house because she goes for a one night visit and it rains so hard that it is not safe for them to travel back home. This week she was supposed to come home Thursday, but today is Saturday... I texted her and told her to hurry home if it was as sunny on her end as it is here.
Then I got to work washing clothes. You never realize how helpful a dryer is until you don't have one. Especially for bath towels which get stinky before they get dry, or sheets which have cat hair stuck to them unless you pass them through the dryer.
By 10 a.m. the clouds started rolling in, but the clothes are all washed. Just hoping the rain will hold off until they dry.
I have become a strategic washer. The key is small loads. My washer doesn't like big loads. The smallest setting with only a few things at a time works best. Never pass mid-way full.
First sheets so that everything else can just be hung around them on the clothes line. Then darks because they are normally more heavy jeans, which take longer to dry. You never know how much sun you might get. Set jeans on lawn chairs in the sun and wash lights, then towels. By that time jeans are part way dry. Move the jeans onto the clothes line to finish drying there and make room for towels on the lawn chairs. That is how I wash and dry clothes in Honduras.
Thank God I at least have a washing machine. I am grateful for it, even if I do have to fill it myself with buckets of water and the hose. When I first moved here I didn't have a washer. Washing clothes by hand in the pila was a nightmare. Literally. It was very stressful. But now I appreciate my washer more than ever.
It is now 10:30 and the sky is dark. Welcome to laundry day in Honduras.
Saturday, September 27, 2014
Do you speak English?
At the gym yesterday someone asked if I am French. That's one I haven't heard before. I think it's because he heard me grumbling when the trainer told me to do two more repetitions and I thought I was done. Grumbling can sound like a French accent in Spanish.
Anyway, my Spanish is still not perfect which is why I loved the following conversation so much.
Samuel (4 years old) comes up to me with a shocked/perplexed/this can't be true look on his face and asks, "You speak English?!?"
Confused and wondering how I've spent almost every day for over a year with this kid and he doesn't know my mother tongue is not Spanish I hesitantly say, "Yes."
"No you don't."
"Yes, I do."
"No, " shaking his head adamantly.
"Yes. That's why my Spanish sounds different than yours."
"It's not different."
"Yes Samuel. My Spanish sounds different from yours."
"Not to me."
"I love you Samuel."
He hugs me, "I love you too." And runs off to play.
Anyway, my Spanish is still not perfect which is why I loved the following conversation so much.
Samuel (4 years old) comes up to me with a shocked/perplexed/this can't be true look on his face and asks, "You speak English?!?"
Confused and wondering how I've spent almost every day for over a year with this kid and he doesn't know my mother tongue is not Spanish I hesitantly say, "Yes."
"No you don't."
"Yes, I do."
"No, " shaking his head adamantly.
"Yes. That's why my Spanish sounds different than yours."
"It's not different."
"Yes Samuel. My Spanish sounds different from yours."
"Not to me."
"I love you Samuel."
He hugs me, "I love you too." And runs off to play.
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| Samuel |
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Tamalitos
We had a little dengue scare with Laura, Fany's 2 year old daughter, over the weekend. After seeing Dr. Gustavo Friday she got blood work on Saturday. The blood work showed her white blood cell count was low, which is a sign of dengue.
Yesterday we took Laura back to Dr. Gustavo and he said she is fine. She cried and screamed, "I want to go!" the whole time she was in his office. As the Dr was listening to her lungs Laura screamed, "Save me Mommy! Save me!" A friend who was in the waiting room said the boy who was next in line looked scared while he was listening to all of Laura's dramatics. Finally the Dr. announced she was fine and we all went home. Today she seems to be back to her normal self.
She has taken to knocking on my door lately and asking if she can come in. She's a pretty amazing kid. At two years told she has filled a whole blank pad of paper with drawings. Every page is full, not just a scribble here and there. I gave her a big box of crayons and she has taken perfect care of them. Not one is broken. She can even draw hearts, which I remember struggling with when I was much older than two. Yesterday her theme was pink surf boards. She told her mom she wants to go to the beach and surf. We have no idea where she got that idea from. The girl has a very active mind.
Last night she came in and announced that she was taking off her shoes, which meant she wanted to be lifted up onto my bed. (Laura is very tall, but my bed is humongous.) As she sat there playing with Jetty she told me, "I can help you clean your house Mary Lynn." Nothing like hearing from a two year old that your house needs to be cleaned.
So, at 7:30 this morning I was sweeping and mopping and dusting. It was a good thing I did because as soon as I pulled into the driveway tonight Laura was ready for another visit. I told her that I had cleaned my house this morning because it was - as I struggled to think of the word for "messy" in Spanish Laura helped me out by saying it was "dirty". Thanks Laura. Her mom is the one I told you walks around with a mop in her hand.
Last night Fany made tamalitos, which are like meatless tamales that are sweet. We eat them in September when the corn is harvested. Thanks to Fany I have been living on them. I am pretty sure they are not healthy, especially smothered in mantequilla, which is too delicious to put into words, but kind of like a yogurty, creamy, butter. We walked to the store to buy the mantequilla and she had me try the cheese there. That was not wise. Now all I can think about is the cheese at that little store which is dangerously close to my house with its dangerously scrumptious cheese.
Every year the town where Fany's husband is from hosts a free corn festival. It is famous. People bring their corn and then eat different corn products all night long, from corn on the cobb roasted over a fire, to tamalitos, to atol which is a corn-based drink served hot that people commonly drink at bedtime. I was hoping to go this year but it was cancelled. Apparently the corn suffered as much as the beans. Nobody has any corn to spare for the festival. I am really hoping to go next year. It sounds like a once in a lifetime experience.
After dinner Fany, one of her friends and I sat outside in the yard long after dark laughing and talking about silly things. It was really nice. Fany is only a few years younger than I am. We were friends when I lived here the first time, but we didn't hang out as much. Now we pass back and forth between our two houses and hang out in our pjs like one big family. It is too bad that Fany's husband works so far and has to be gone so often, but I do enjoy my lady time with Fany.
Today I learned that Marlin moved. She hasn't been around the church much lately, so I didn't realize that she left.
The gym now has three guards outside. I asked a lady who works there why the men are outside. She said they are private body guards of people who are inside working out. They are dressed in military clothes. That means some important people must be working out at my gym. I keep trying to figure out who the guards belong to, but so far I have no idea. My car is definitely safer these days, with three men and their huge guns standing next to it. Not too worried about another break in at the gym.
Yesterday we took Laura back to Dr. Gustavo and he said she is fine. She cried and screamed, "I want to go!" the whole time she was in his office. As the Dr was listening to her lungs Laura screamed, "Save me Mommy! Save me!" A friend who was in the waiting room said the boy who was next in line looked scared while he was listening to all of Laura's dramatics. Finally the Dr. announced she was fine and we all went home. Today she seems to be back to her normal self.
She has taken to knocking on my door lately and asking if she can come in. She's a pretty amazing kid. At two years told she has filled a whole blank pad of paper with drawings. Every page is full, not just a scribble here and there. I gave her a big box of crayons and she has taken perfect care of them. Not one is broken. She can even draw hearts, which I remember struggling with when I was much older than two. Yesterday her theme was pink surf boards. She told her mom she wants to go to the beach and surf. We have no idea where she got that idea from. The girl has a very active mind.
Last night she came in and announced that she was taking off her shoes, which meant she wanted to be lifted up onto my bed. (Laura is very tall, but my bed is humongous.) As she sat there playing with Jetty she told me, "I can help you clean your house Mary Lynn." Nothing like hearing from a two year old that your house needs to be cleaned.
So, at 7:30 this morning I was sweeping and mopping and dusting. It was a good thing I did because as soon as I pulled into the driveway tonight Laura was ready for another visit. I told her that I had cleaned my house this morning because it was - as I struggled to think of the word for "messy" in Spanish Laura helped me out by saying it was "dirty". Thanks Laura. Her mom is the one I told you walks around with a mop in her hand.
Last night Fany made tamalitos, which are like meatless tamales that are sweet. We eat them in September when the corn is harvested. Thanks to Fany I have been living on them. I am pretty sure they are not healthy, especially smothered in mantequilla, which is too delicious to put into words, but kind of like a yogurty, creamy, butter. We walked to the store to buy the mantequilla and she had me try the cheese there. That was not wise. Now all I can think about is the cheese at that little store which is dangerously close to my house with its dangerously scrumptious cheese.
Every year the town where Fany's husband is from hosts a free corn festival. It is famous. People bring their corn and then eat different corn products all night long, from corn on the cobb roasted over a fire, to tamalitos, to atol which is a corn-based drink served hot that people commonly drink at bedtime. I was hoping to go this year but it was cancelled. Apparently the corn suffered as much as the beans. Nobody has any corn to spare for the festival. I am really hoping to go next year. It sounds like a once in a lifetime experience.
After dinner Fany, one of her friends and I sat outside in the yard long after dark laughing and talking about silly things. It was really nice. Fany is only a few years younger than I am. We were friends when I lived here the first time, but we didn't hang out as much. Now we pass back and forth between our two houses and hang out in our pjs like one big family. It is too bad that Fany's husband works so far and has to be gone so often, but I do enjoy my lady time with Fany.
Today I learned that Marlin moved. She hasn't been around the church much lately, so I didn't realize that she left.
The gym now has three guards outside. I asked a lady who works there why the men are outside. She said they are private body guards of people who are inside working out. They are dressed in military clothes. That means some important people must be working out at my gym. I keep trying to figure out who the guards belong to, but so far I have no idea. My car is definitely safer these days, with three men and their huge guns standing next to it. Not too worried about another break in at the gym.
Friday, September 19, 2014
Tired
I don't post things like this often. But I decided after a few days of mulling it over to share this with you. It is, after all, part of my experience here in Honduras. Not all of it is pretty. So here goes:
I am exhausted. More mentally than physically. I am so thankful for the few people I have learned are worthy of trust. I am also thankful for God giving me peace in situations when normally I would be upset. One good thing is, I am not staying awake nights dwelling on anything because I am so darn tired.
Ever since I moved here I noticed a difference in what is culturally acceptable as far as gossip. Gossip where I come from is never acceptable. I am not saying it didn't happen. But specifically within my church we were asked to sign a covenant. One of the things on the covenant was that we would have each other's backs. This meant if we heard someone gossiping we would politely ask them to stop. It was a good means of checks and balances because, let's face it, gossip is so easy to fall into.
When I first got to Honduras I felt overwhelmed by gossip. Asphyxiated. It came from places I never imagined. At that time I never thought people gossiped about me. But still, it was rampant. I asked advice of someone and told her that I was accustomed to asking people to stop. She told me that would be rude. I asked if I could leave the conversation. She said that would be rude as well. She told me the best I could do is sit through it until the conversation ended.
After that I got to know a few more people, specifically my landlords in the mountains. I told them I was feeling uncomfortable about gossip. They said that gossip is never allowed around them or in their home. Whew! That felt good to know. I had a new safe place to go where I would not hear or be allowed to gossip.
Of course as time went on, the gossip has come to include me. I also see a lot more talking behind people's backs. It is so ugly. I feel like I am in 8th grade all over again. I have honestly never experienced anything like this in my adult life.
Since I moved here people constantly told me, "You cannot trust so-and-so." But soon the list of people I was told not to trust became so extensive I decided to figure it out on my own. Now that I have had some time to figure it out, it saddens me to see how few people are "walking the walk" here.
If the gossip is not about me it is always someone. For a long time it was about a lady who is one of my closest friends. I honestly have no idea what it is they say about her because one person started to tell me, but I asked them to stop. Recently someone told me they think my friend has changed a lot from the way she used to be, inferring the gossiped about story. I didn't bother to say that I had no idea what they were talking about.
My personal experience with my friend has been nothing but positive. That is why she is my friend. She, also, doesn't tolerate gossip. So we don't talk about all of the stuff that goes on around us every day. We talk about ourselves, our lives, our friendship, what God wants for us. I think it is a healthy friendship.
Other people don't like our friendship. They gossip and say she uses me to buy her things. Little do they know I don't buy her things. I do buy diapers for her daughter. That is all. I also bought her a birthday present, but I do that for all of my friends. In my opinion, it shouldn't matter to anyone else if I choose to buy something for my friend. I don't keep a tally of what others buy for their friends.
My friend and I are excluded a lot. At first it was surprising. Then hurtful. Now it happens so often that I am used to it. I do feel bad for her. We have never discussed it, except sometimes she will ask if I went to a gathering that everyone else was invited to. I just say no and it stops there.
So lately my life has been re-living 8th grade. Eighth grade sucked the first time around. It is a little easier now that I can look around me and understand why people do the hurtful/immature things they do. Some are simply uneducated. Some are insecure. Some are trying to make friends and don't know how in a healthy way. Some are looking for control. I know that.
Maybe this will all blow over. Maybe it won't. Until then I do have people I can trust and I will stick to spending my time with them. Overall I am happy and enjoying my life more than ever - another reason I think I can deal with this in a more healthy way. But today I am tired.
Yesterday I found some comfort in this. It is from a blog by Adam Mosely, who is also a missionary. At the end were hundreds of comments from people all over the world. Many from Honduras, so maybe this is a cultural thing. The blog entry is entitled, "Ten Things a Missionary Won't Tell You". I decided to tell you one:
I am exhausted. More mentally than physically. I am so thankful for the few people I have learned are worthy of trust. I am also thankful for God giving me peace in situations when normally I would be upset. One good thing is, I am not staying awake nights dwelling on anything because I am so darn tired.
Ever since I moved here I noticed a difference in what is culturally acceptable as far as gossip. Gossip where I come from is never acceptable. I am not saying it didn't happen. But specifically within my church we were asked to sign a covenant. One of the things on the covenant was that we would have each other's backs. This meant if we heard someone gossiping we would politely ask them to stop. It was a good means of checks and balances because, let's face it, gossip is so easy to fall into.
When I first got to Honduras I felt overwhelmed by gossip. Asphyxiated. It came from places I never imagined. At that time I never thought people gossiped about me. But still, it was rampant. I asked advice of someone and told her that I was accustomed to asking people to stop. She told me that would be rude. I asked if I could leave the conversation. She said that would be rude as well. She told me the best I could do is sit through it until the conversation ended.
After that I got to know a few more people, specifically my landlords in the mountains. I told them I was feeling uncomfortable about gossip. They said that gossip is never allowed around them or in their home. Whew! That felt good to know. I had a new safe place to go where I would not hear or be allowed to gossip.
Of course as time went on, the gossip has come to include me. I also see a lot more talking behind people's backs. It is so ugly. I feel like I am in 8th grade all over again. I have honestly never experienced anything like this in my adult life.
Since I moved here people constantly told me, "You cannot trust so-and-so." But soon the list of people I was told not to trust became so extensive I decided to figure it out on my own. Now that I have had some time to figure it out, it saddens me to see how few people are "walking the walk" here.
If the gossip is not about me it is always someone. For a long time it was about a lady who is one of my closest friends. I honestly have no idea what it is they say about her because one person started to tell me, but I asked them to stop. Recently someone told me they think my friend has changed a lot from the way she used to be, inferring the gossiped about story. I didn't bother to say that I had no idea what they were talking about.
My personal experience with my friend has been nothing but positive. That is why she is my friend. She, also, doesn't tolerate gossip. So we don't talk about all of the stuff that goes on around us every day. We talk about ourselves, our lives, our friendship, what God wants for us. I think it is a healthy friendship.
Other people don't like our friendship. They gossip and say she uses me to buy her things. Little do they know I don't buy her things. I do buy diapers for her daughter. That is all. I also bought her a birthday present, but I do that for all of my friends. In my opinion, it shouldn't matter to anyone else if I choose to buy something for my friend. I don't keep a tally of what others buy for their friends.
My friend and I are excluded a lot. At first it was surprising. Then hurtful. Now it happens so often that I am used to it. I do feel bad for her. We have never discussed it, except sometimes she will ask if I went to a gathering that everyone else was invited to. I just say no and it stops there.
So lately my life has been re-living 8th grade. Eighth grade sucked the first time around. It is a little easier now that I can look around me and understand why people do the hurtful/immature things they do. Some are simply uneducated. Some are insecure. Some are trying to make friends and don't know how in a healthy way. Some are looking for control. I know that.
Maybe this will all blow over. Maybe it won't. Until then I do have people I can trust and I will stick to spending my time with them. Overall I am happy and enjoying my life more than ever - another reason I think I can deal with this in a more healthy way. But today I am tired.
Yesterday I found some comfort in this. It is from a blog by Adam Mosely, who is also a missionary. At the end were hundreds of comments from people all over the world. Many from Honduras, so maybe this is a cultural thing. The blog entry is entitled, "Ten Things a Missionary Won't Tell You". I decided to tell you one:
9. IT’S HARD TO TRUST PEOPLE.
WHAT THEY SAY
I’m just looking for some good strategic partners.
WHAT THEY WANT TO SAY
There are good people here, there really are. But I have seen the worst of humanity in my work here – much of it from people I worked with and trusted. Just when you think you know someone, they stab you in the back, the front, and both sides. I’ve gotten to where I simply don’t trust anyone. My guard is up, and it’s not coming down. I refuse to get burned again. If that means I have to do everything myself, then so be it. - Adam Mosely
Thank God I have not lost trust to the extent Adam has. Or maybe he wrote this on a day when he, too, was feeling really tired. I know I cannot and should not do everything by myself, as he says. Now I know this is a typical feeling that missionaries experience. I am not alone in it. All the more reason to praise God for the people He has placed in my life to support me and also for the way He is guiding me through it. - ML
Thank God I have not lost trust to the extent Adam has. Or maybe he wrote this on a day when he, too, was feeling really tired. I know I cannot and should not do everything by myself, as he says. Now I know this is a typical feeling that missionaries experience. I am not alone in it. All the more reason to praise God for the people He has placed in my life to support me and also for the way He is guiding me through it. - ML
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Youth Camp
It's been hard to post since my computer broke. And also because I have been sick with a cold since a week ago on Sunday. And also because of #9 from the list of "10 Things a Missionary Can Never Tell You." Since I can't tell you about that, I won't. But at least now I know I am not alone. According to the comments about the article many other missionaries are struggling with the same thing. That gives me comfort.
You know I try to keep things positive here, (and as the article said, there are some things a missionary simply can't share, though I try to be as honest as possible) so I will keep quiet about the things I can't/shouldn't say. On the other hand, camp for the younger kids over the long weekend was very good. They all went up to La Tigra and learned a lot while enjoying themselves immensely. I got a lot of photos.
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| Kristofer |
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| Paying attention |
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| Isabela's Mom had to cook so she came too! |
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| This shirt is so perfect for Samuel |
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| A skit about being nice (these 2 were the bullies) |
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| Great food prepared with love |
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| Delia, a lady I have recently begun to grow close to |
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| Art |
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| Brother and Sister (Jired and Isa) |
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| Alejandra in a rare moment of tranquility |
I find that I am filling up my gas tank every 3 weeks as opposed to every 6 days since I moved to the city. Awesome! Also, I am gaining weight since neighbor Fany always brings me delicious treats like a special cheese her husband's family makes fresh each day, or tamalitos (sweet corn tamales) or corn, which is now in season. I ate four pieces of corn on the cobb and tamalitos for dinner last night. What can I say? I had to! The corn was unhusked and it was going to dry out! I continue to enjoy my new home in the city.
Also, Jetty used to need 2 asthma treatments daily when we were in the mountains. I am happy to announce since our move to the city, Jetty has now been without any asthma treatments for a week and a half! She goes outside every morning before I go to work and plays in the afternoons in the garden after I get home. She likes her new home a lot too, I think.
I was a little concerned about moving here because my landlords in the mountains always took the time to be sure I was safe. But in the city Fany is doing the same. Saturday night I came home from the youth camp later than normal with a car full of people so I wasn't concerned for my own safety. The phone rang as I was part way down the mountain. It was Fany saying that she and her husband were worried because I wasn't home yet and it was 10 p.m. I am so grateful for my previous landlords and all of the time and effort they put into making sure I was safe. God continues to place people in my life to look out for me. I am very blessed.
I was a little concerned about moving here because my landlords in the mountains always took the time to be sure I was safe. But in the city Fany is doing the same. Saturday night I came home from the youth camp later than normal with a car full of people so I wasn't concerned for my own safety. The phone rang as I was part way down the mountain. It was Fany saying that she and her husband were worried because I wasn't home yet and it was 10 p.m. I am so grateful for my previous landlords and all of the time and effort they put into making sure I was safe. God continues to place people in my life to look out for me. I am very blessed.
Sunday, September 7, 2014
No memory
Today was super fun. I took a bunch of photos but at the end of the day when Samuel asked if he could look at one I took of Jetty relaxing under a tree, I realized that the memory card was not in my camera. It is also not in my computer. In fact. I have no clue where my memory card is.
If I did have pictures to show you the first would be of Fany, her husband Santos, and her daughter Laura, Ana and her four kids all squeezed at my kitchen table for lunch after church today. We had so much food we could barely fit our plates on the table! But we thanked God for the abundance and enjoyed it very much.
After the picture of us with a table full of food you would have seen the kids playing outside and the ladies painting our nails. It was a super relaxing afternoon. In fact, as soon as we finished eating Fany washed every single dish and Ana swept and mopped the floor while I was putting away leftovers. I might invite them for dinner every night!
Mopping in Honduras is a much bigger thing than in the US. Most people I know mop at least once, if not numerous times every day. Fany seems to walk around her house with a mop in her hand. Personally, I hate mopping. I have no idea why. I don't mind sweeping, but I really can't stand to mop.
Finally around 5 p.m. the kids started getting tired, Laura headed off to take a nap and I took Ana and her kids home. I praised Samuel several times because sometimes it is hard to be 4 years old and his behavior is not always the best. But today he was perfect. He was absolutely wonderful. In fact as he was playing with Laura (they were "cooking" us "food") she told him to stop working in the kitchen because she was the lady of the house. Hahaha! At two years old she really comes up with some zingers. But at least we know Samuel was pulling his weight around the house.
I woke up with no electricity at 6 a.m. this morning and was worried about entertaining this afternoon. But when I woke up again at 9 a.m., I had electricity and a sore throat and headache. Ana said she has the same. Both people who spoke at church had groggy throats. Something must be going around.
Well, I am going to search for my memory card for the camera and tomorrow I am going to take some pictures. It has been too long since I spent time with my camera and you guys are going to forget how cute these kids are!
Still loving life in my new apartment. Figuring if I do not run a lot of errands I am going to spend in one month what I was spending in 6 days for gas. Wow! Now that makes a huge difference!
A month from now a team from my church is coming to visit for the first time since I moved here. We have hosted other teams, but never a team from my church. I am excited out of my mind! I can't wait for them to come and see what is happening in Honduras.
Tomorrow is Monday. I am happy to be one of those blessed few who looks forward to Mondays. I love going back to Buen Provecho, back to the kids, back to the class, back to my friends who serve there. God has given me a really great life. I pray that I will make the most of it!
If I did have pictures to show you the first would be of Fany, her husband Santos, and her daughter Laura, Ana and her four kids all squeezed at my kitchen table for lunch after church today. We had so much food we could barely fit our plates on the table! But we thanked God for the abundance and enjoyed it very much.
After the picture of us with a table full of food you would have seen the kids playing outside and the ladies painting our nails. It was a super relaxing afternoon. In fact, as soon as we finished eating Fany washed every single dish and Ana swept and mopped the floor while I was putting away leftovers. I might invite them for dinner every night!
Mopping in Honduras is a much bigger thing than in the US. Most people I know mop at least once, if not numerous times every day. Fany seems to walk around her house with a mop in her hand. Personally, I hate mopping. I have no idea why. I don't mind sweeping, but I really can't stand to mop.
Finally around 5 p.m. the kids started getting tired, Laura headed off to take a nap and I took Ana and her kids home. I praised Samuel several times because sometimes it is hard to be 4 years old and his behavior is not always the best. But today he was perfect. He was absolutely wonderful. In fact as he was playing with Laura (they were "cooking" us "food") she told him to stop working in the kitchen because she was the lady of the house. Hahaha! At two years old she really comes up with some zingers. But at least we know Samuel was pulling his weight around the house.
I woke up with no electricity at 6 a.m. this morning and was worried about entertaining this afternoon. But when I woke up again at 9 a.m., I had electricity and a sore throat and headache. Ana said she has the same. Both people who spoke at church had groggy throats. Something must be going around.
Well, I am going to search for my memory card for the camera and tomorrow I am going to take some pictures. It has been too long since I spent time with my camera and you guys are going to forget how cute these kids are!
Still loving life in my new apartment. Figuring if I do not run a lot of errands I am going to spend in one month what I was spending in 6 days for gas. Wow! Now that makes a huge difference!
A month from now a team from my church is coming to visit for the first time since I moved here. We have hosted other teams, but never a team from my church. I am excited out of my mind! I can't wait for them to come and see what is happening in Honduras.
Tomorrow is Monday. I am happy to be one of those blessed few who looks forward to Mondays. I love going back to Buen Provecho, back to the kids, back to the class, back to my friends who serve there. God has given me a really great life. I pray that I will make the most of it!
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
100%
God is continuing to bless me in so many ways! The silliest is probably my great excitement over finding bath towels that match the bathroom and my shower curtain. I searched for 2 weeks. Finally when I had given up, I found them on sale!!!! at the grocery store. They are the perfect color. In fact, now everything I own is the same perfect color because they shed all over my washing machine and everything I put in it comes out covered in little fur balls of my blue towel. Oh well, I still love them.
My absolute MOST exciting news is that last week was exam week for my teens. So far every single one of them has gotten 100% on their English exam! They are setting a new precedent in their schools. Nobody seems to do well in English. (I think because the teachers don't teach it well. They just write an assignment on the board and leave.)
The kids are so proud of themselves! I am ecstatic to see them so proud and hopeful for the future. We discussed it and decided that there is no reason anyone should get lower than a 95% in English from now on. They are starting to build a basic knowledge of English which they never had before. Their new sense of confidence is beautiful to see. A mom told me yesterday that her son, who normally doesn't get good grades, spent the whole evening saying, " Mom, guess what? I got 100%!" He was so happy he couldn't keep the grin off his face when I saw him yesterday afternoon. Although he did try, because it is not cool to walk around grinning all of the time you know.
I am still loving my new place. I will soon love it even more. I now have a sticker to put on my car window that signifies I am a resident here. At one gate the guard seems to have a little crush on me so he always ushers me through and wishes me a good day. But after three weeks of passing though the gate at the other end almost daily, today was the first time that the guards weren't grumpy to me. I appreciate that they are not letting people into my neighborhood that don't belong here. But they are just a little too much. I always roll down my window and stop because that is what we are supposed to do. Still they always give me a hard time. And let's face it. I stand out a little around here. You'd think I would be easy to remember. But they never seem to remember that I live here. So know that I am safe and well guarded.
Every afternoon when I get home Fany, her daughter and I hang out in the yard. It is a beautiful garden. We talk, or read or watch Jetty chase butterflies. So far we have taken over 20 avocados from the avocado trees. Too bad I moved in a couple weeks too late for mango season. We are going to have a type of banana soon. They are big and green, but not ready to pick yet. And we have the most delicious fresh limes in the world. They are called "India" limes. They are tiny and round and sweet but still limey. Fany has me addicted to Jamaica juice, which is water boiled with the flowers from a jamaica plant. We add a stick of cinnamon because we are fancy like that. It is delish and healthy!
Today was the first day Kristofer did not come to Buen Provecho since Monday. I wonder if it had anything to do with the fact that today the psychologist has office hours. I am pretty sure the church was going to set up a meeting for him with the psychologist ASAP. If you ask how he is doing, Kristofer is convincing when he says he is doing well. He smiles and seems the same as always. But I guess that makes sense since the rape was an ongoing thing in his life. Poor baby. I don't know if he notices that I hug him extra tight every time I see him. If he has noticed, he is not avoiding my hugs, so that is good. I love that little boy. He has one of the most difficult lives of any child at Buen Provecho. I hate that a sexual predator got to him. I pray that with God's help he is able to heal. It seems that the other kids aren't saying much about it. It probably helps that Kristofer's big brother is the biggest bully around. Kids will think twice before they say mean things to Kristofer.
I forgot to mention that the rainy season finally started about 3 weeks ago. It rains every night and most afternoons. But it is beautiful and sunny and hot most days, so by the time the rain comes it seems refreshing, not dreary. Since I haven't figured out a way to hook up my dryer (I am being told it is impossible) I am grateful for Fany. I can wash clothes in the morning and leave them on the line. If it rains before I get home, I know she will take them in.
God is keeping my heart full and my hands busy. I am happier than ever and feel so blessed to be serving in a way that really makes a difference. Every day when the kids pray, they thank God for me and for my class. Wow. That is amazing. I remind them often that it is only because of God that I am here. In fact today we talked about how I was living a normal life in the US and suddenly God said, "Now I want you to live in Honduras." What a crazy idea! I am so grateful to God for sending me to Honduras so I can know each of them. They are beautiful, this place is beautiful and I love it here. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.
Every day lately I pray that others could feel as happy and peaceful and fulfilled as I do right now. I can't stop giving thanks for the love and joy I feel. I wish the same for each of you.
One last thing - as I walked into the grocery store today a group of uniformed police officers were leaving. I have never seen anyone searched as they leave the grocery store. However, the stores' security guards were patting down the police officers, opening all of the pockets on their uniforms and checking to be sure their receipts matched what was in their bags. Also, besides the little old man who watches cars outside the gym, there is now a military man armed with some sort of huge weapon standing on the steps. I keep meaning to ask why he is suddenly posted outside my gym. Sometimes things are a little strange in Honduras.
My absolute MOST exciting news is that last week was exam week for my teens. So far every single one of them has gotten 100% on their English exam! They are setting a new precedent in their schools. Nobody seems to do well in English. (I think because the teachers don't teach it well. They just write an assignment on the board and leave.)
The kids are so proud of themselves! I am ecstatic to see them so proud and hopeful for the future. We discussed it and decided that there is no reason anyone should get lower than a 95% in English from now on. They are starting to build a basic knowledge of English which they never had before. Their new sense of confidence is beautiful to see. A mom told me yesterday that her son, who normally doesn't get good grades, spent the whole evening saying, " Mom, guess what? I got 100%!" He was so happy he couldn't keep the grin off his face when I saw him yesterday afternoon. Although he did try, because it is not cool to walk around grinning all of the time you know.
I am still loving my new place. I will soon love it even more. I now have a sticker to put on my car window that signifies I am a resident here. At one gate the guard seems to have a little crush on me so he always ushers me through and wishes me a good day. But after three weeks of passing though the gate at the other end almost daily, today was the first time that the guards weren't grumpy to me. I appreciate that they are not letting people into my neighborhood that don't belong here. But they are just a little too much. I always roll down my window and stop because that is what we are supposed to do. Still they always give me a hard time. And let's face it. I stand out a little around here. You'd think I would be easy to remember. But they never seem to remember that I live here. So know that I am safe and well guarded.
Every afternoon when I get home Fany, her daughter and I hang out in the yard. It is a beautiful garden. We talk, or read or watch Jetty chase butterflies. So far we have taken over 20 avocados from the avocado trees. Too bad I moved in a couple weeks too late for mango season. We are going to have a type of banana soon. They are big and green, but not ready to pick yet. And we have the most delicious fresh limes in the world. They are called "India" limes. They are tiny and round and sweet but still limey. Fany has me addicted to Jamaica juice, which is water boiled with the flowers from a jamaica plant. We add a stick of cinnamon because we are fancy like that. It is delish and healthy!
Today was the first day Kristofer did not come to Buen Provecho since Monday. I wonder if it had anything to do with the fact that today the psychologist has office hours. I am pretty sure the church was going to set up a meeting for him with the psychologist ASAP. If you ask how he is doing, Kristofer is convincing when he says he is doing well. He smiles and seems the same as always. But I guess that makes sense since the rape was an ongoing thing in his life. Poor baby. I don't know if he notices that I hug him extra tight every time I see him. If he has noticed, he is not avoiding my hugs, so that is good. I love that little boy. He has one of the most difficult lives of any child at Buen Provecho. I hate that a sexual predator got to him. I pray that with God's help he is able to heal. It seems that the other kids aren't saying much about it. It probably helps that Kristofer's big brother is the biggest bully around. Kids will think twice before they say mean things to Kristofer.
I forgot to mention that the rainy season finally started about 3 weeks ago. It rains every night and most afternoons. But it is beautiful and sunny and hot most days, so by the time the rain comes it seems refreshing, not dreary. Since I haven't figured out a way to hook up my dryer (I am being told it is impossible) I am grateful for Fany. I can wash clothes in the morning and leave them on the line. If it rains before I get home, I know she will take them in.
God is keeping my heart full and my hands busy. I am happier than ever and feel so blessed to be serving in a way that really makes a difference. Every day when the kids pray, they thank God for me and for my class. Wow. That is amazing. I remind them often that it is only because of God that I am here. In fact today we talked about how I was living a normal life in the US and suddenly God said, "Now I want you to live in Honduras." What a crazy idea! I am so grateful to God for sending me to Honduras so I can know each of them. They are beautiful, this place is beautiful and I love it here. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.
Every day lately I pray that others could feel as happy and peaceful and fulfilled as I do right now. I can't stop giving thanks for the love and joy I feel. I wish the same for each of you.
One last thing - as I walked into the grocery store today a group of uniformed police officers were leaving. I have never seen anyone searched as they leave the grocery store. However, the stores' security guards were patting down the police officers, opening all of the pockets on their uniforms and checking to be sure their receipts matched what was in their bags. Also, besides the little old man who watches cars outside the gym, there is now a military man armed with some sort of huge weapon standing on the steps. I keep meaning to ask why he is suddenly posted outside my gym. Sometimes things are a little strange in Honduras.
Friday, August 29, 2014
Old new house
Hi folks! I bet you thought I could never top my Honduran fire fighter story and had stopped writing. Well, not exactly. Between dropping my computer and breaking it (when it was only a month old!) and moving to the city, I have been busy. Plus, I managed to mess up the computer I use at the church, so for a while I was completely off the grid - computerwise.
Two weeks ago I started painting my new place in the city and last week I moved in. Thank God for my neighbor Fany. I have known her since I first moved to Honduras because I lived in the sane house in the city when I first moved here. She lives in the front and we share an awesome yard with a garden. I have a little house in the back.
Fany and I painted the house beige and olive on the inside. It looks great, especially now that I have all of my stuff moved in. This week I took Jetty to the vet and got her updated on everything so she can go outdoors now! Sometimes she lounges around or sniffs things. Other times she races from one corner of the yard to the other in a huge loping gait. I love watching her do that. She seems really happy.
We both sleep really well here. In fact I sleep too well. The girl who used to wake up with the sun at 4:30 is now sleeping until 8:50 a.m. if I am not careful!
Lots of stuff has been going on. Almost all of it is good.
My friend who is sick with Lupus is doing well.
The class T Buen Provecho with the teens is excellent. They trust me more and more and have started to share on a deeper. more personal level in the class, which I appreciate. They took a test (actually I called it a "contest" because they all freaked out when I mentioned a test) to name 50 body parts in English. All of them did really well. Four got perfect scores and won a candy bar. One who had never been to the class before got a perfect score with no misspellings, which was better than any of the students in the class. Turned out she cheated, which I figured out quickly when she couldn't name any of the body parts when I asked her orally a few minutes later. But... The good thing is that she admitted that she cheated so I thanked her for her honesty in the end. Moral of the story - some kids will do anything for a candy bar.
One of our boys was raped. I really can't talk about it. It hurts too much. It is a boy I am close to and have written about here. First the community went after the offender with machetes and pistols. The cops came 2 hours later and returned to the offender's house in the middle of the night trying to catch him at home. Last week they actually caught him. We were all shocked to hear that. It is very common for rapists of children to be killed in prison if they get that far. I have not seen my buddy since all of this happened. His older brother comes to Buen Provecho, but he has not been to the church since the day before all of this occurred. His report to the police was that it had happened numerous times The news reported there were eight other victims ages 8 and up. I really want to see my little guy and even more, I want to hug him. I hope he is getting some support at home. He lives only with siblings. There is no real parent in the home. I am worried about how this could change him if he does not get help soon.
Last week I spent Friday afternoon and evening, then Saturday from 8-12 at the pool teaching swimming lessons. It was fun. It is harder work when I don't know the kids. Two hours is a long time to fill when the kids are just beginners and can't do much yet. But one of the trainers told me I can show up at the pool any day of the week and he will help me become a better teacher. So I plan to spend more time at the pool, now that my move is done.
It has been really interesting to move back into the same house I lived in when I first came to Honduras. I am such a different person now in so many ways. I am not as timid or worried about pleasing people. My Spanish is better, which means I can have deeper friendships. I am a lot more independent. I think I know who I am more now. And I like who I am. I am really happy here. This little house is more simple than where I lived in the mountains. No hot water, no flushing toilet paper and no clothes dryer. But I am happy. I feel very peaceful and content. At the end of each day my heart feels like it is brimming over with love. It's nice.
Also, I was reading over the previous entry about the fire. When I got to the part about having taken the towels (which I thought I brought to breathe through) I realized how God had equipped me to fight the fire. He equips us for everything. We just have to step out in faith.
Two weeks ago I started painting my new place in the city and last week I moved in. Thank God for my neighbor Fany. I have known her since I first moved to Honduras because I lived in the sane house in the city when I first moved here. She lives in the front and we share an awesome yard with a garden. I have a little house in the back.
Fany and I painted the house beige and olive on the inside. It looks great, especially now that I have all of my stuff moved in. This week I took Jetty to the vet and got her updated on everything so she can go outdoors now! Sometimes she lounges around or sniffs things. Other times she races from one corner of the yard to the other in a huge loping gait. I love watching her do that. She seems really happy.
 |
| Jetty the outdoors cat! |
We both sleep really well here. In fact I sleep too well. The girl who used to wake up with the sun at 4:30 is now sleeping until 8:50 a.m. if I am not careful!
Lots of stuff has been going on. Almost all of it is good.
My friend who is sick with Lupus is doing well.
The class T Buen Provecho with the teens is excellent. They trust me more and more and have started to share on a deeper. more personal level in the class, which I appreciate. They took a test (actually I called it a "contest" because they all freaked out when I mentioned a test) to name 50 body parts in English. All of them did really well. Four got perfect scores and won a candy bar. One who had never been to the class before got a perfect score with no misspellings, which was better than any of the students in the class. Turned out she cheated, which I figured out quickly when she couldn't name any of the body parts when I asked her orally a few minutes later. But... The good thing is that she admitted that she cheated so I thanked her for her honesty in the end. Moral of the story - some kids will do anything for a candy bar.
One of our boys was raped. I really can't talk about it. It hurts too much. It is a boy I am close to and have written about here. First the community went after the offender with machetes and pistols. The cops came 2 hours later and returned to the offender's house in the middle of the night trying to catch him at home. Last week they actually caught him. We were all shocked to hear that. It is very common for rapists of children to be killed in prison if they get that far. I have not seen my buddy since all of this happened. His older brother comes to Buen Provecho, but he has not been to the church since the day before all of this occurred. His report to the police was that it had happened numerous times The news reported there were eight other victims ages 8 and up. I really want to see my little guy and even more, I want to hug him. I hope he is getting some support at home. He lives only with siblings. There is no real parent in the home. I am worried about how this could change him if he does not get help soon.
Last week I spent Friday afternoon and evening, then Saturday from 8-12 at the pool teaching swimming lessons. It was fun. It is harder work when I don't know the kids. Two hours is a long time to fill when the kids are just beginners and can't do much yet. But one of the trainers told me I can show up at the pool any day of the week and he will help me become a better teacher. So I plan to spend more time at the pool, now that my move is done.
It has been really interesting to move back into the same house I lived in when I first came to Honduras. I am such a different person now in so many ways. I am not as timid or worried about pleasing people. My Spanish is better, which means I can have deeper friendships. I am a lot more independent. I think I know who I am more now. And I like who I am. I am really happy here. This little house is more simple than where I lived in the mountains. No hot water, no flushing toilet paper and no clothes dryer. But I am happy. I feel very peaceful and content. At the end of each day my heart feels like it is brimming over with love. It's nice.
Also, I was reading over the previous entry about the fire. When I got to the part about having taken the towels (which I thought I brought to breathe through) I realized how God had equipped me to fight the fire. He equips us for everything. We just have to step out in faith.
Friday, August 8, 2014
The day I became a Honduran Fire Fighter
Wow. I just did something I never in my life imagined myself doing. In reality here it is very common. Too common.
Yesterday I was thinking about the lack of beans, which led me to think about the lack of rain, which led me to think that we have been amazingly blessed there are not more forest fires. There is NO water around here. The rainy season simply never came. It sprinkled a little at night a few times in June and July, but it was never the rainy season as I know it. (Last year the rainy season lasted from May until late January, I swear.)
Today started pretty normal. It was free day at the Breakfast Program. I really enjoyed working with Marlin in the kitchen. She and I have not been as close as we used to be. We have both made efforts to fix things, but... Anyway, she and I had a super good day cooking and talking.
Then my friend Jose called. He said he needed me to be quiet and listen. I could hear panic in his voice. His 6 year old daughter had been left alone. The bus is supposed to make sure her babysitter is there before it drops her off. But the new babysitter wasn't there and the bus left Dana on the side of the road!
At one point I had Jose talking to me in one ear by phone and his wife talking to me in the other ear while I stood outside the gate of the church and a man I never met before said, "Are you Mary Lynn?" That caught me a little off guard until I saw Dana and her sister Valery in the car with the man. He let them come to me and we relaxed at the church for a while until the whole situation was resolved. To put this in context - imagine, I am not allowed to walk alone outside. And the bus left a 6 year old girl all by herself on the side of the road.
Okay, so after that I was a little out of sorts. Something didn't feel right. I was supposed to go teach swimming, but I wasn't officially obligated to do it today. Something was pulling me to go straight home. So I did.
As I was driving up the road I saw smoke. This happened once before but the smoke was on the other side of the mountain. Today I knew it was our property. I knew it with no doubt. So I opened the gate quickly and left it open (which you never do, even for a few minutes) in case the firemen were coming. I still couldn't see the fire, I could just tell the smoke was coming from above on the property and it was heavy.
I pulled up the driveway more quickly than I have ever driven on that road. As I pulled into my parking spot I could see the fire above me. And there was Guillermo, my landlords' son. He is 17. He was fighting the fire with a shovel. Bashing it down.
There were no other cars and I could see no other people. I yelled to Guillermo what can I do. He said come help. I said I have to put on shoes. So I ran into the house and put on my heavy hiking sneakers and socks. But I left on the tank top I was wearing. (Note to self, next time long sleeves and take out the contact lenses.)
I grabbed 2 hand towels and a bottle of water, thinking Guille and I could put the towels over our faces and drink the water if we needed. I learned when I first moved here, fires are not put out with water. But I never really learned how they are put out. We have had several fires, but I have never been home for one before. Once as I was leaving the day after a big fire there was a spot burning on the side of the driveway. I tried to stomp it out, but it just got bigger. So I had no clue what to do.
I also called my Mom and asked for prayer, then sent texts to my friends Jody and Kim asking for prayer too. My Mom said to please call her as soon as I got done fighting the fire. I said I would.
With my mountain climbing shoes on I ran as fast as I could for where Guillermo was and cursed myself for not going to the gym since June. This whole property is perched on the side of a steep mountain. There are goat paths to walk along, but in the last fire someone fell, slid down the mountain, and tore most of the skin off his leg and stomach. I live in a beautiful place, but it is some serious terrain.
Meanwhile Guillermo's grandmother spots me and starts calling to me by name. She said her phones were disconnected and she was locked into her property, which is part of our property. She said I needed to call her sons. But Guillermo yelled that he had already called his father and his Uncle. He said they are not coming and neither were the firemen (unfortunately that part is not surprising). I didn't want to tell her that so I yelled something to her, but she told me she couldn't hear me. She is very hard of hearing. I turned and ran up the mountain, feeling terrible that she kept yelling to me and I was ignoring her, but I couldn't answer her anyway.
When I got up there I had no idea what to do. I had 2 towels, a broom and a bottle of water. Just then a man came along. He was moving along the fire line beating down the fire with his shirt. He was wearing sandals but moving like a mountain goat. I watched him for a second, put down the broom, grabbed the towels that were supposed to be for our faces, and started beating down the fire.
The hard part is that actually you have to beat the fire up the mountain, back into itself, which is a hard angle. I went along the line of the fire and whacked at it with the towel. The man was behind me saying "FUERTE! FUERTE!" So I whacked harder and harder. He had this shirt, I swear it had to have been magic. One whack and the fire all around him went out. My little towel was putting it out inch by inch. But... we were making progress.
By this point Guillermo was shot. He was exhausted. The man told me, "Quemado" (burned) and sat down for a second at which point I understood it was HE who was burned out, not the fire. Ten seconds later he was back up and at it. He told Guillermo where to work and kept me with him, yelling, "FUERTE!" the whole time. We both slid down the mountain once. I slid a little less far than he did. We chased the fire to the property line and then he disappeared over the fence saying he needed water (to drink). I went back to where I had left my water. I think I took forever. I could hardly walk. I was so tired and it was so steep, but I desperately wanted to get water for the man who had saved us.
I got the water and made it most of the way back, then stopped and told Guille I had the water. He knew I couldn't walk any further. He had been in my shoes several times over the past hour. Without saying anything Guille came to me and got the bottle, climbed over the fence and took it to the man.
The woman who cleans for my landlords had been working at the other end of the property. The three of us met up in the laundry room where we grabbed water. She vomited from inhaling too much smoke. I felt horrible for her. At that point I had inhaled what I thought was a lot of smoke. But little did I know, I had not experienced what it really is to inhale smoke.
Let me pause here to say there are several stages, or at least for me there were several stages to fighting a fire. The first was I can't get to it fast enough. The second is, okay, I am here. Now what do I do? The third is Wow. This is working. But I am getting tired fast. And the sparks are flying up and burning me. And every time I cock my arm back to hit the fire really hard, my towel whips back hits me in the back and it is full of burning embers that burn me. And if I stand facing this way the smoke gets in my eyes, nose, mouth. But if I stand facing this way my shoulder and arm are going to burn off from the heat of the fire. Shockingly, I became desensitized to the heat of the fire eventually. But never to the smoke.
And there is the stage where you stand there. Because you can't move. Although you want to. And eventually you learn not to feel guilty as you stand there with the fire burning around you because you have seen others just standing there too. Now you know why. Sometimes all you can do is stand.
I fell. I got burned. I scraped up my knees. But we beat that darn fire.
Guillermo said he needed to drink water. I did too.
I went into my house to drink water. But I was so shaky it took two hands to hold it to my lips. I was at the point of tears for a minute. Completely exhausted. I drank and drank. The water slid out the sides of my mouth but I didn't care. It tasted so good. I couldn't get enough. I felt guilty thinking I should go back out and check to see how everything was but I wanted more water.
I watered down my towels, which were now covered in soot, and found that Carlos was now home. Guillermo was back up on the mountain and yelling that his Uncle's property was burning fast. We needed to come up there in a hurry. We had to go the long way, climbing steep trails because the house was all locked up. But finally we made it inside. After checking on "la abuela" (the grandmother) as we call her, we climbed the mountain. Guillermo was right. The fire was burning very close to the house. I said I think we should start here and pointed to a spot.
Carlos agreed, but his manner of fighting the fire was different than the miraculous shirt man. I started beating it out and he started "cleaning" to prevent it from spreading further. He sent Guillermo up one side and he went up the other side cleaning all of the dead pine needles out of the way.
I should have said this a long time ago. We live at the edge of a rain forest. The trees here don't burn. I think they are too moist or something. They only smolder for days at the roots. But they don't actually catch fire which is a huge blessing in a forest fire. So what we are fighting is really a ground fire. Everything that can catch fire on the ground. Dead fallen trees, lots of pine needles and this one kind of wood that you absolutely cannot extinguish. It smells delicious when it burns, but it is the worst hazard of all. For some reason there are small pieces of this wood scattered everywhere.
Okay, so Guille and Carlos are climbing up the sides of the fire and I am below, only a few feet from the buildings of Guille's uncle. Trying to stop the fire from spreading down the mountain any farther. I cleaned away the pine needles below and beat out the fire to the best of my ability, but it was not going out. So I started cleaning. At several points the smoke enveloped me until I absolutely could not breathe. Carlos kept calling out to Guillermo and me to make sure we were still okay. I understood for the first time in my life how it would feel to die in a fire. All I can say is it would suck. Your lungs hurt like you can't believe and your eyes and your nose. But I always felt God with me. I was never scared. Sometimes I wondered if I was stupid not to be scared. Especially in those moments when the smoke seemed like it was never going to let me breathe again.
Finally we controlled the fire. We stood for a second looking at what we had done. I saw another part that had spread below and again, I couldn't move. I pointed it out to Carlos and just stood there. He looked at me and said, "You're tired." I said yes. He went and put out the fire.
Then we listened. The fire had originally come from the other side of the mountain, above and behind the houses. It climbed the mountain on the back side, summited, and came down on our side. It was still burning so loudly on the other side of the mountain, I was worried it could pass through areas that hadn't already burned on our property.
I said, "I hate that sound." Carlos said, "That is my mountain, where I walk. It is burning." We all climbed up and looked around. The fire was burning hard on that side. They didn't clean as well as we do. My landlords spend lots of time cleaning dead debris from the property and pay a boy to come every Saturday to clean the property from anything that could burn. That is part of life in the mountains of Honduras.
I started at the fence and went around the property line raking all of the pine needles away. As I did that, and actually a few times before, I felt the presence of my father with me. I knew he was proud. My Dad was a fireman. My brother is a fireman.
One really strong memory I have of my father is entering a burned down hotel (bar with rooms for rent) that kept reigniting for days after it burned. I was really young. We went inside together and looked around at the skeleton of the building. I remember the stairs were still leading up into nothing. And I felt a sense of life in there, even though the place was far beyond repair. There was a sense of life from the time that people had spent there and memories they shared. I don't know why I will never forget going inside that burned/smoldering building with my Dad.
So I raked and enjoyed my father's presence. Tears came, but I pushed them back because I didn't want to freak anyone out. It would be hard to explain in the middle of this whole experience that I was crying because I felt close to my Dad at that moment. They would think I was scared. But I did tell them later and they took pictures. Of me, the Honduran fireman. They said I worked hard and they were grateful for my help. I said God wouldn't allow me to move down into the city without this experience. It is a part of living in the mountains.
We went back and talked to "la abuela". She is hilarious. She is always hilarious. Even in the middle of a fire. She was very angry because her son and daughter-in-law had left her with a huge list of phone numbers she should call in case of emergency. She was more upset about the innavigable amount of numbers than the fact that she said the phone was disconnected. She had no idea which number to call and this was a "grosero" she kept saying, which means it was very rude and unacceptable. Oh boy. That was funny.
I went home and called my Mom as soon as I walked in the door to tell her I was safe. Then I took a shower and blew my nose repeatedly. I kept thinking I heard thunder, but it was really loud and long. So I wondered if trees were falling down or something. The sun was shining brightly through my sky light.
I called Guille to ask if that was thunder. He said yes, it might rain. I said I hope so. He said don't take a shower. I said too late, I already did. He said you are going to catch a cold. I said no, that is a wives tale and when I don't get sick we can tell everyone that I took a shower when I was sweaty and hot and I didn't get sick and then everyone can know the truth - that it is okay to shower when you are sweaty and you won't get sick. He laughed and said he hoped it was going to rain. I said I hoped so too. And then, with the sun shining brightly, it rained.
God was with my today in a way that He isn't always. He was right there. Walking with me in the fire. Sending rain when the sun shone bright. Letting me feel the presence of my father when I needed to. It was a hard day, but a beautiful one.
Carlos made rounds of the property throughout the rest of the evening. At one point I opened a window and asked how it was going. He said the fire was completely out. There are a couple of areas that he thinks might spark up again, but everything is under control, thanks to the rain.
We talked about fighting the fire. He told me the man who passed through was a professional soccer player for the Honduran team. (That explains why he can climb steep mountains in his sandals and why he kept pushing me to fight harder.) The man has kind of been outcast because he got caught with drugs in his system before a big game. He went from being famous to being an outcast. I told Carlos that he seemed like a good man to me. He definitely saved a lot of our property. I am not sure what would have happened if God had not sent that man to fight the fire with us.
I told Carlos I was glad I experienced that. I told him about feeling close to my dad. I said it was exciting at the same time that it was exhausting. Carlos said yes. It is exciting when you are beating the fire. It is not so exciting when the fire is winning.
Thank you God for rain. Thank you for strength to fight. Thank you for not just walking with me today, but for letting me intensely feel your presence. And thank you for allowing me to spend some time with my Dad. Thank you that everyone is safe and the homes are fine if you don't mind a little smoke.
I am now officially a Honduran fire fighter.
Yesterday I was thinking about the lack of beans, which led me to think about the lack of rain, which led me to think that we have been amazingly blessed there are not more forest fires. There is NO water around here. The rainy season simply never came. It sprinkled a little at night a few times in June and July, but it was never the rainy season as I know it. (Last year the rainy season lasted from May until late January, I swear.)
Today started pretty normal. It was free day at the Breakfast Program. I really enjoyed working with Marlin in the kitchen. She and I have not been as close as we used to be. We have both made efforts to fix things, but... Anyway, she and I had a super good day cooking and talking.
Then my friend Jose called. He said he needed me to be quiet and listen. I could hear panic in his voice. His 6 year old daughter had been left alone. The bus is supposed to make sure her babysitter is there before it drops her off. But the new babysitter wasn't there and the bus left Dana on the side of the road!
At one point I had Jose talking to me in one ear by phone and his wife talking to me in the other ear while I stood outside the gate of the church and a man I never met before said, "Are you Mary Lynn?" That caught me a little off guard until I saw Dana and her sister Valery in the car with the man. He let them come to me and we relaxed at the church for a while until the whole situation was resolved. To put this in context - imagine, I am not allowed to walk alone outside. And the bus left a 6 year old girl all by herself on the side of the road.
Okay, so after that I was a little out of sorts. Something didn't feel right. I was supposed to go teach swimming, but I wasn't officially obligated to do it today. Something was pulling me to go straight home. So I did.
As I was driving up the road I saw smoke. This happened once before but the smoke was on the other side of the mountain. Today I knew it was our property. I knew it with no doubt. So I opened the gate quickly and left it open (which you never do, even for a few minutes) in case the firemen were coming. I still couldn't see the fire, I could just tell the smoke was coming from above on the property and it was heavy.
I pulled up the driveway more quickly than I have ever driven on that road. As I pulled into my parking spot I could see the fire above me. And there was Guillermo, my landlords' son. He is 17. He was fighting the fire with a shovel. Bashing it down.
There were no other cars and I could see no other people. I yelled to Guillermo what can I do. He said come help. I said I have to put on shoes. So I ran into the house and put on my heavy hiking sneakers and socks. But I left on the tank top I was wearing. (Note to self, next time long sleeves and take out the contact lenses.)
I grabbed 2 hand towels and a bottle of water, thinking Guille and I could put the towels over our faces and drink the water if we needed. I learned when I first moved here, fires are not put out with water. But I never really learned how they are put out. We have had several fires, but I have never been home for one before. Once as I was leaving the day after a big fire there was a spot burning on the side of the driveway. I tried to stomp it out, but it just got bigger. So I had no clue what to do.
I also called my Mom and asked for prayer, then sent texts to my friends Jody and Kim asking for prayer too. My Mom said to please call her as soon as I got done fighting the fire. I said I would.
With my mountain climbing shoes on I ran as fast as I could for where Guillermo was and cursed myself for not going to the gym since June. This whole property is perched on the side of a steep mountain. There are goat paths to walk along, but in the last fire someone fell, slid down the mountain, and tore most of the skin off his leg and stomach. I live in a beautiful place, but it is some serious terrain.
Meanwhile Guillermo's grandmother spots me and starts calling to me by name. She said her phones were disconnected and she was locked into her property, which is part of our property. She said I needed to call her sons. But Guillermo yelled that he had already called his father and his Uncle. He said they are not coming and neither were the firemen (unfortunately that part is not surprising). I didn't want to tell her that so I yelled something to her, but she told me she couldn't hear me. She is very hard of hearing. I turned and ran up the mountain, feeling terrible that she kept yelling to me and I was ignoring her, but I couldn't answer her anyway.
When I got up there I had no idea what to do. I had 2 towels, a broom and a bottle of water. Just then a man came along. He was moving along the fire line beating down the fire with his shirt. He was wearing sandals but moving like a mountain goat. I watched him for a second, put down the broom, grabbed the towels that were supposed to be for our faces, and started beating down the fire.
The hard part is that actually you have to beat the fire up the mountain, back into itself, which is a hard angle. I went along the line of the fire and whacked at it with the towel. The man was behind me saying "FUERTE! FUERTE!" So I whacked harder and harder. He had this shirt, I swear it had to have been magic. One whack and the fire all around him went out. My little towel was putting it out inch by inch. But... we were making progress.
By this point Guillermo was shot. He was exhausted. The man told me, "Quemado" (burned) and sat down for a second at which point I understood it was HE who was burned out, not the fire. Ten seconds later he was back up and at it. He told Guillermo where to work and kept me with him, yelling, "FUERTE!" the whole time. We both slid down the mountain once. I slid a little less far than he did. We chased the fire to the property line and then he disappeared over the fence saying he needed water (to drink). I went back to where I had left my water. I think I took forever. I could hardly walk. I was so tired and it was so steep, but I desperately wanted to get water for the man who had saved us.
I got the water and made it most of the way back, then stopped and told Guille I had the water. He knew I couldn't walk any further. He had been in my shoes several times over the past hour. Without saying anything Guille came to me and got the bottle, climbed over the fence and took it to the man.
The woman who cleans for my landlords had been working at the other end of the property. The three of us met up in the laundry room where we grabbed water. She vomited from inhaling too much smoke. I felt horrible for her. At that point I had inhaled what I thought was a lot of smoke. But little did I know, I had not experienced what it really is to inhale smoke.
Let me pause here to say there are several stages, or at least for me there were several stages to fighting a fire. The first was I can't get to it fast enough. The second is, okay, I am here. Now what do I do? The third is Wow. This is working. But I am getting tired fast. And the sparks are flying up and burning me. And every time I cock my arm back to hit the fire really hard, my towel whips back hits me in the back and it is full of burning embers that burn me. And if I stand facing this way the smoke gets in my eyes, nose, mouth. But if I stand facing this way my shoulder and arm are going to burn off from the heat of the fire. Shockingly, I became desensitized to the heat of the fire eventually. But never to the smoke.
And there is the stage where you stand there. Because you can't move. Although you want to. And eventually you learn not to feel guilty as you stand there with the fire burning around you because you have seen others just standing there too. Now you know why. Sometimes all you can do is stand.
I fell. I got burned. I scraped up my knees. But we beat that darn fire.
Guillermo said he needed to drink water. I did too.
I went into my house to drink water. But I was so shaky it took two hands to hold it to my lips. I was at the point of tears for a minute. Completely exhausted. I drank and drank. The water slid out the sides of my mouth but I didn't care. It tasted so good. I couldn't get enough. I felt guilty thinking I should go back out and check to see how everything was but I wanted more water.
I watered down my towels, which were now covered in soot, and found that Carlos was now home. Guillermo was back up on the mountain and yelling that his Uncle's property was burning fast. We needed to come up there in a hurry. We had to go the long way, climbing steep trails because the house was all locked up. But finally we made it inside. After checking on "la abuela" (the grandmother) as we call her, we climbed the mountain. Guillermo was right. The fire was burning very close to the house. I said I think we should start here and pointed to a spot.
Carlos agreed, but his manner of fighting the fire was different than the miraculous shirt man. I started beating it out and he started "cleaning" to prevent it from spreading further. He sent Guillermo up one side and he went up the other side cleaning all of the dead pine needles out of the way.
I should have said this a long time ago. We live at the edge of a rain forest. The trees here don't burn. I think they are too moist or something. They only smolder for days at the roots. But they don't actually catch fire which is a huge blessing in a forest fire. So what we are fighting is really a ground fire. Everything that can catch fire on the ground. Dead fallen trees, lots of pine needles and this one kind of wood that you absolutely cannot extinguish. It smells delicious when it burns, but it is the worst hazard of all. For some reason there are small pieces of this wood scattered everywhere.
Okay, so Guille and Carlos are climbing up the sides of the fire and I am below, only a few feet from the buildings of Guille's uncle. Trying to stop the fire from spreading down the mountain any farther. I cleaned away the pine needles below and beat out the fire to the best of my ability, but it was not going out. So I started cleaning. At several points the smoke enveloped me until I absolutely could not breathe. Carlos kept calling out to Guillermo and me to make sure we were still okay. I understood for the first time in my life how it would feel to die in a fire. All I can say is it would suck. Your lungs hurt like you can't believe and your eyes and your nose. But I always felt God with me. I was never scared. Sometimes I wondered if I was stupid not to be scared. Especially in those moments when the smoke seemed like it was never going to let me breathe again.
Finally we controlled the fire. We stood for a second looking at what we had done. I saw another part that had spread below and again, I couldn't move. I pointed it out to Carlos and just stood there. He looked at me and said, "You're tired." I said yes. He went and put out the fire.
Then we listened. The fire had originally come from the other side of the mountain, above and behind the houses. It climbed the mountain on the back side, summited, and came down on our side. It was still burning so loudly on the other side of the mountain, I was worried it could pass through areas that hadn't already burned on our property.
I said, "I hate that sound." Carlos said, "That is my mountain, where I walk. It is burning." We all climbed up and looked around. The fire was burning hard on that side. They didn't clean as well as we do. My landlords spend lots of time cleaning dead debris from the property and pay a boy to come every Saturday to clean the property from anything that could burn. That is part of life in the mountains of Honduras.
I started at the fence and went around the property line raking all of the pine needles away. As I did that, and actually a few times before, I felt the presence of my father with me. I knew he was proud. My Dad was a fireman. My brother is a fireman.
One really strong memory I have of my father is entering a burned down hotel (bar with rooms for rent) that kept reigniting for days after it burned. I was really young. We went inside together and looked around at the skeleton of the building. I remember the stairs were still leading up into nothing. And I felt a sense of life in there, even though the place was far beyond repair. There was a sense of life from the time that people had spent there and memories they shared. I don't know why I will never forget going inside that burned/smoldering building with my Dad.
So I raked and enjoyed my father's presence. Tears came, but I pushed them back because I didn't want to freak anyone out. It would be hard to explain in the middle of this whole experience that I was crying because I felt close to my Dad at that moment. They would think I was scared. But I did tell them later and they took pictures. Of me, the Honduran fireman. They said I worked hard and they were grateful for my help. I said God wouldn't allow me to move down into the city without this experience. It is a part of living in the mountains.
We went back and talked to "la abuela". She is hilarious. She is always hilarious. Even in the middle of a fire. She was very angry because her son and daughter-in-law had left her with a huge list of phone numbers she should call in case of emergency. She was more upset about the innavigable amount of numbers than the fact that she said the phone was disconnected. She had no idea which number to call and this was a "grosero" she kept saying, which means it was very rude and unacceptable. Oh boy. That was funny.
I went home and called my Mom as soon as I walked in the door to tell her I was safe. Then I took a shower and blew my nose repeatedly. I kept thinking I heard thunder, but it was really loud and long. So I wondered if trees were falling down or something. The sun was shining brightly through my sky light.
I called Guille to ask if that was thunder. He said yes, it might rain. I said I hope so. He said don't take a shower. I said too late, I already did. He said you are going to catch a cold. I said no, that is a wives tale and when I don't get sick we can tell everyone that I took a shower when I was sweaty and hot and I didn't get sick and then everyone can know the truth - that it is okay to shower when you are sweaty and you won't get sick. He laughed and said he hoped it was going to rain. I said I hoped so too. And then, with the sun shining brightly, it rained.
God was with my today in a way that He isn't always. He was right there. Walking with me in the fire. Sending rain when the sun shone bright. Letting me feel the presence of my father when I needed to. It was a hard day, but a beautiful one.
Carlos made rounds of the property throughout the rest of the evening. At one point I opened a window and asked how it was going. He said the fire was completely out. There are a couple of areas that he thinks might spark up again, but everything is under control, thanks to the rain.
We talked about fighting the fire. He told me the man who passed through was a professional soccer player for the Honduran team. (That explains why he can climb steep mountains in his sandals and why he kept pushing me to fight harder.) The man has kind of been outcast because he got caught with drugs in his system before a big game. He went from being famous to being an outcast. I told Carlos that he seemed like a good man to me. He definitely saved a lot of our property. I am not sure what would have happened if God had not sent that man to fight the fire with us.
I told Carlos I was glad I experienced that. I told him about feeling close to my dad. I said it was exciting at the same time that it was exhausting. Carlos said yes. It is exciting when you are beating the fire. It is not so exciting when the fire is winning.
Thank you God for rain. Thank you for strength to fight. Thank you for not just walking with me today, but for letting me intensely feel your presence. And thank you for allowing me to spend some time with my Dad. Thank you that everyone is safe and the homes are fine if you don't mind a little smoke.
I am now officially a Honduran fire fighter.
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| This is AFTER the fire. What you can't see is that I am covered in soot literally everywhere |
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| Cleaning - you can see the smoke from the fire on the other side of the fence behind me |
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| Groundfire |
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| Smoldering |
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| Descending after the fire It's steep! |
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| Burned ground :( |
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Electricity
I am covered in speckles of olivey-grey paint. And I am happy!
Yesterday my friend Fany and I had fun choosing paint for my new home. Then we got started, Fany doing the detail work and me with the roller. Today we finished the bedroom and most of the kitchen. Tomorrow the (big!) closet and the bathroom. Then the dining room and lastly the ceiling. I am not looking forward to that. It is individual tiles that don't quite connect. We have to do it with a hand brush. Thank God for Fany's help! The colors look great.
Fany's mom told me there would be rolling black outs. They were supposed to be this morning at 11 a.m. and at 6 p.m. I left Fany's house at 6:38 pm but the electricity was on. As I followed a caravan of cars up the mountain I suddenly realized that everything was black except for our line of headlights. I thought about turning back to the city lights and finding something to eat down there. But restaurants are not in my budget, nor is the gas to drive back down and up again. So I kept going. What could I eat that didn't need electricity to prepare? Bread. That was my only option. Unless I called a neighbor with a gas stove. Or if the little market had a generator. Then I could buy milk and eat cereal.
I kept telling myself there were people in Honduras hungrier than I. But I was pretty hungry.
The mercadito was closed. Well, it was actually wide open with a car shining its headlights into the front door for light. But it didn't seem like a great option. So I kept going.
As I turned onto my dirt road I noticed the streetlights were on! As I continued down the road I saw few houses with lights on too. But I couldn't allow myself to get excited. I opened the gate, pulled up the driveway and saw lights in my landlords' house. Still, didn't get my hopes up. And then I reached the moment of truth. When I turned on the porch light to put the keys in the lock I held my breath. There was light!
Who could have guessed? Last night the weather was perfect and we had no electricity. Sometimes it seems like we are the first people in the country to lose power. I have never been so happy to cook pasta. I made extra in case there is no power tomorrow. I can eat it cold.
Classes are going great. The kids can identify 27 body parts on the head and arm. They are starting some conversational things too. I am looking forward to the team from my church being able to talk to the kids in English when they come to visit. That will be so cool!
Yesterday my friend Fany and I had fun choosing paint for my new home. Then we got started, Fany doing the detail work and me with the roller. Today we finished the bedroom and most of the kitchen. Tomorrow the (big!) closet and the bathroom. Then the dining room and lastly the ceiling. I am not looking forward to that. It is individual tiles that don't quite connect. We have to do it with a hand brush. Thank God for Fany's help! The colors look great.
Fany's mom told me there would be rolling black outs. They were supposed to be this morning at 11 a.m. and at 6 p.m. I left Fany's house at 6:38 pm but the electricity was on. As I followed a caravan of cars up the mountain I suddenly realized that everything was black except for our line of headlights. I thought about turning back to the city lights and finding something to eat down there. But restaurants are not in my budget, nor is the gas to drive back down and up again. So I kept going. What could I eat that didn't need electricity to prepare? Bread. That was my only option. Unless I called a neighbor with a gas stove. Or if the little market had a generator. Then I could buy milk and eat cereal.
I kept telling myself there were people in Honduras hungrier than I. But I was pretty hungry.
The mercadito was closed. Well, it was actually wide open with a car shining its headlights into the front door for light. But it didn't seem like a great option. So I kept going.
As I turned onto my dirt road I noticed the streetlights were on! As I continued down the road I saw few houses with lights on too. But I couldn't allow myself to get excited. I opened the gate, pulled up the driveway and saw lights in my landlords' house. Still, didn't get my hopes up. And then I reached the moment of truth. When I turned on the porch light to put the keys in the lock I held my breath. There was light!
Who could have guessed? Last night the weather was perfect and we had no electricity. Sometimes it seems like we are the first people in the country to lose power. I have never been so happy to cook pasta. I made extra in case there is no power tomorrow. I can eat it cold.
Classes are going great. The kids can identify 27 body parts on the head and arm. They are starting some conversational things too. I am looking forward to the team from my church being able to talk to the kids in English when they come to visit. That will be so cool!
Sunday, August 3, 2014
Last day of adult swimming
Today Clara told me that Marlin is much better. She went and saw for herself. Clara said that Marlin was very sick. But now she is feeling better physically. Clara said Marlin is very depressed. She hasn't had symptoms of Lupus for about a year and 1/2 I am guessing. Maybe more. So this has to be quite a blow to be sick again.
Today was the last day of swimming for the adults. Yesterday was the end for the kids. I think I would probably be a little depressed myself today if it weren't for two things.
#1 - I am feeling so good about working with the jovenes at the Breakfast Program that it would be okay if I didn't get to share my passion for swimming with anyone anymore but #2 - the head coach asked me if I would like to work with 70 kids he has lined up to start next Saturday!!!!!!!!
I am really excited that I will still be at the pool every week. It is one of my favorite times. It won't be as special because I won't be sharing my passion for swimming people who are already special to me. But it will still be fun. I am going to teach Saturday mornings from 8-10 am and Friday afternoons from 3-5 pm.
He said the group of 70 on Saturdays is from a church. He also asked if I want little kids or big kids. I told him I am more technique oriented and I would prefer the bigger kids. He said he will give me 10 years old and above. So now I have another fun thing to look forward to!
Today I mostly played with the group. Coach Joel took pictures for us.
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| The adults' last day of class |
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| With coach Joel |
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| Me teaching Veronica to float on her back |
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| Under the water is Dr. Shelly doing a beautiful breast stroke. |
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| Karla diving |
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| Me showing them a fancy dive |
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| I taught Caleb cartwheels into the pool |
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| It was a fun day! |
Friday, August 1, 2014
Brutal truths
I thought they were joking at first. Then I thought they were talking about something temporary. But they weren't. Today someone asked me if I would consider taking care of my friend's kids. They said she is really sick.
I said, "You mean like for a while until she gets better?"
"No," they said. "Forever. If she dies."
I didn't even know my friend was sick! I thought she was busy working at a new job. When I heard she was sick I figured it was the cold bug that has been going around.
She is very sick. She is not hospitalized, but she is so sick that she can't take care of herself and had to go stay with her mother. This morning she told a mutual friend that she is as sick as she was when the doctors told her she was going to die.
My friend has Lupus. She was very, very near death about 4 years ago. But then she got better. Almost all better. She even had a baby. She and the baby were both healthy through the pregnancy. The baby was born a perfect specimen of health.
I don't know how my friend got so sick so quickly. But members of the church are thinking about who could take care of her three kids if my friend were to pass away.
From the outside I would be an obvious choice. I am almost 44 years old. Since I was a teenager I always thought I would be a wife and mother. I assumed it and I wanted it. If I am brutally honest I have to admit that being a wife and mother was my life's dream. Even this morning, before this conversation, I was thinking about the fact that it hurts me a lot to feel so incomplete in that part of my life. All I can say is that so far being a wife and mother has not been God's plan for me. That doesn't make it hurt less.
Everyone knows I love kids. I have been working with kids all of my life. But in this specific case, when asked if I would permanently take care of my friend's kids, I did not feel any sort of tug in my heart. Nothing. I love her and I love her kids. God has called me to do a lot of crazy things but this does not seem to be one of them. IF anything were to happen to my friend.
They told me to pray about it. I will. Of course we are praying foremost that my friend will be healthy again and able to care for her children.
I said, "You mean like for a while until she gets better?"
"No," they said. "Forever. If she dies."
I didn't even know my friend was sick! I thought she was busy working at a new job. When I heard she was sick I figured it was the cold bug that has been going around.
She is very sick. She is not hospitalized, but she is so sick that she can't take care of herself and had to go stay with her mother. This morning she told a mutual friend that she is as sick as she was when the doctors told her she was going to die.
My friend has Lupus. She was very, very near death about 4 years ago. But then she got better. Almost all better. She even had a baby. She and the baby were both healthy through the pregnancy. The baby was born a perfect specimen of health.
I don't know how my friend got so sick so quickly. But members of the church are thinking about who could take care of her three kids if my friend were to pass away.
From the outside I would be an obvious choice. I am almost 44 years old. Since I was a teenager I always thought I would be a wife and mother. I assumed it and I wanted it. If I am brutally honest I have to admit that being a wife and mother was my life's dream. Even this morning, before this conversation, I was thinking about the fact that it hurts me a lot to feel so incomplete in that part of my life. All I can say is that so far being a wife and mother has not been God's plan for me. That doesn't make it hurt less.
Everyone knows I love kids. I have been working with kids all of my life. But in this specific case, when asked if I would permanently take care of my friend's kids, I did not feel any sort of tug in my heart. Nothing. I love her and I love her kids. God has called me to do a lot of crazy things but this does not seem to be one of them. IF anything were to happen to my friend.
They told me to pray about it. I will. Of course we are praying foremost that my friend will be healthy again and able to care for her children.
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Basking
Still basking in the joy of working with kids who are eager to learn and enjoy their time in class. The afternoon group are exhausted after coming from school. They are sweaty from walking long distances to the church in the heat. But they are still so much fun!
It's not perfect. They are teenagers. Everyday I say "It's time to start class!" And every day their response is groan, sit and stare blankly, ignore, walk farther away (like they will become invisible or something!), huff and groan some more. I used to wait and beg. Now I just walk up to the classroom and soon they all follow.
The ones who groan and huff the loudest are the same ones who want to stay and learn more when class is over. So I guess all of the huffing and groaning is more for show and I don't take it personally.
Yesterday I was telling someone whose opinion I respect about the class. After she heard what we are doing she told me that I am doing a good job. That compliment from that specific person felt awesome! I did not take it lightly. I told her thank you in a very sincere way. She smiled and said you're welcome.
This week we have started each class with a devotional. I tried working with some devotionals that are common in Honduras, but they were about adult topics like marriage or else really long, so I went back to my old faithful - "Jesus Calling". The only downfall is that it is downloaded onto my Kindle, which means I have to bring the Kindle to church with me every day. Not the best idea to have the Kindle at the church (where things have a tendency to, as we say, walk away. Traveling back and forth to the church with the Kindle is not wise either. I can't stop anywhere with it in my car. I am hoping to find a copy of the book in Spanish.
On June 29th our devotional was about worship, which is Buen Provecho's theme for the month of June, so that was perfect. Today was about taking quiet time and slowing down so you can hear from God. Every day it lists at least 2 bible verses that correspond, so I hand out bibles at the start of each class and have a kid look up each verse ahead of time. The kids are reading aloud better than I expected. Most of them are participating in the discussion. Some of the kids who go to night school come to both the morning and the afternoon class! All of them are learning really quickly.
They are also bringing me more and more English homework and asking for help. For most of them, the homework is completely beyond their comprehension. It is really frustrating for them because - for example today, a boy had to fill in the blank with "Do" "Don't" "Does" or "Doesn't". But he had no idea what any of the words in the whole sentence mean. Therefore he had absolutely no clue how to use any form of do or don't. He doesn't even know "The" or "In" or "There are". He does know colors and numbers in English. That's about it.
We spent 3 hours filling in 3 pages of homework. At least he is willing to sit and learn. He will be a step ahead of his classmates who are blindly filling in the blanks. Like he used to, until today.
He doesn't know basic sentence structure. He didn't capitalize the first letter of his sentences or use any punctuation unless I reminded him. I am torn. I don't have time to teach him all he needs to know in order to do the homework. So I try the best I can. I make him look things up in the dictionary. I write down the rules of whatever we are doing in his notebook, so he can look back at it later. But I do give stronger clues than I should and point out correct answers more than I would like to. Otherwise we would never finish. In the end he did his homework. I think he understood 50% of it, but I asked him to review it and he has the rules of the grammar in his notebook. So if he wants to learn, he can. At least he is a step ahead of his classmates who
This weekend is our last weekend of swimming until the new class starts in November. I have mixed feelings. Yay! I don't have to get up at 5 a.m. every Saturday and Sunday. And I won't be at the church 7 days per week anymore. But BOO! I will miss watching the kids and the adults push themselves to do things they never imagined they could. I love sharing swimming with them!
It's not perfect. They are teenagers. Everyday I say "It's time to start class!" And every day their response is groan, sit and stare blankly, ignore, walk farther away (like they will become invisible or something!), huff and groan some more. I used to wait and beg. Now I just walk up to the classroom and soon they all follow.
The ones who groan and huff the loudest are the same ones who want to stay and learn more when class is over. So I guess all of the huffing and groaning is more for show and I don't take it personally.
Yesterday I was telling someone whose opinion I respect about the class. After she heard what we are doing she told me that I am doing a good job. That compliment from that specific person felt awesome! I did not take it lightly. I told her thank you in a very sincere way. She smiled and said you're welcome.
This week we have started each class with a devotional. I tried working with some devotionals that are common in Honduras, but they were about adult topics like marriage or else really long, so I went back to my old faithful - "Jesus Calling". The only downfall is that it is downloaded onto my Kindle, which means I have to bring the Kindle to church with me every day. Not the best idea to have the Kindle at the church (where things have a tendency to, as we say, walk away. Traveling back and forth to the church with the Kindle is not wise either. I can't stop anywhere with it in my car. I am hoping to find a copy of the book in Spanish.
On June 29th our devotional was about worship, which is Buen Provecho's theme for the month of June, so that was perfect. Today was about taking quiet time and slowing down so you can hear from God. Every day it lists at least 2 bible verses that correspond, so I hand out bibles at the start of each class and have a kid look up each verse ahead of time. The kids are reading aloud better than I expected. Most of them are participating in the discussion. Some of the kids who go to night school come to both the morning and the afternoon class! All of them are learning really quickly.
They are also bringing me more and more English homework and asking for help. For most of them, the homework is completely beyond their comprehension. It is really frustrating for them because - for example today, a boy had to fill in the blank with "Do" "Don't" "Does" or "Doesn't". But he had no idea what any of the words in the whole sentence mean. Therefore he had absolutely no clue how to use any form of do or don't. He doesn't even know "The" or "In" or "There are". He does know colors and numbers in English. That's about it.
We spent 3 hours filling in 3 pages of homework. At least he is willing to sit and learn. He will be a step ahead of his classmates who are blindly filling in the blanks. Like he used to, until today.
He doesn't know basic sentence structure. He didn't capitalize the first letter of his sentences or use any punctuation unless I reminded him. I am torn. I don't have time to teach him all he needs to know in order to do the homework. So I try the best I can. I make him look things up in the dictionary. I write down the rules of whatever we are doing in his notebook, so he can look back at it later. But I do give stronger clues than I should and point out correct answers more than I would like to. Otherwise we would never finish. In the end he did his homework. I think he understood 50% of it, but I asked him to review it and he has the rules of the grammar in his notebook. So if he wants to learn, he can. At least he is a step ahead of his classmates who
This weekend is our last weekend of swimming until the new class starts in November. I have mixed feelings. Yay! I don't have to get up at 5 a.m. every Saturday and Sunday. And I won't be at the church 7 days per week anymore. But BOO! I will miss watching the kids and the adults push themselves to do things they never imagined they could. I love sharing swimming with them!
Monday, July 28, 2014
Cutting cake with a machete
Yesterday day was fun. Only one more week of weekend swimming class. Then I get to sleep until a reasonable hour for a few months. Our next classes will start in November when the kids go on summer vacation for 3 months. We will swim 3 days/week then. I am looking forward to that already because they are able to learn so much when they go in consecutive days.
Yesterday the adults learned the basics of life saving. They learned how to carry someone and they tried to learn to jump in the water but keep their head out. They did pretty well with the carry.
One of the instructors had 2 bathing suits that a lady had given him because she lost over 100 pounds and they no longer fit her. So Clara and my friend from Usami now have their very own bathing suits for the first time.
And I taught Clara how to dive:
Yesterday the adults learned the basics of life saving. They learned how to carry someone and they tried to learn to jump in the water but keep their head out. They did pretty well with the carry.
One of the instructors had 2 bathing suits that a lady had given him because she lost over 100 pounds and they no longer fit her. So Clara and my friend from Usami now have their very own bathing suits for the first time.
And I taught Clara how to dive:
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| Clara's new bathing suit |
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| Diving!
Yesterday was also Ana's birthday. I asked her what she wanted to do for her birthday. I told her it needed to be something special. She said it needed to be something the kids would like. So she decided we should go to Popeye's for chicken and the kids could play at the playland. Geovani (we are still calling him Ana's "friend" at this stage) came too. He's really shy but I got a chance to talk to him for the first time and he is as nice as she said he is. He also has a lot of cool life experience. He lived in the US for four years. He is an electrician. Seems like a good guy.
I brought a cake but nothing to cut it with. I was thinking oh no, we are going to have to cut the cake with a spork! But a lady behind the counter said she would find me something. She came back cleaning a machete. I asked Ana's son David to take a picture of us cutting the cake with a machete. But the picture doesn't do it justice. The cake was big and the machete was huge. All of the people in the restaurant got a kick out of watching me walk around with a huge machete. (I think mostly because I am sure I had a look of shock and awe on my face.)
The birthday was nice and Ana was grateful. Ana is one of my closest Honduran friends. I really love her and her kids. She said it was her favorite birthday ever. I hope it was her favorite so far.
Ana and Geovani
Jired, Ana's oldest son
 David and Samuel  Ana's gift  Isabela, Mami and David  Look how high they took Isa!   David is a good big brother  I told them they were monkeys  Cutting the cake with a machete  |
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