In the Calm

September 4,

Today is a day of waiting -- waiting to see if Hurricane Felix will hit Honduras and effect my area, waiting to see if the Montero will be fixed so that I can leave camp if I want to, and waiting for who knows what else but I am sure that there is something. At the moment, all is calm. Since last evening there has hardly been any wind and we have had sunshine. And yet there is the threat of lots of rain and heavy winds in less than 24 hours. It does not seem like the people of Pinalejo are panicking because of the Hurricane. Eversince Hurricane Mitch in 1998 which destroyed so much of the country, there is much fear associated with the word "hurricane". The Williamsons are in the city and they have said that the supermarkets are emptied of food and yet jammed with people. The threat is being taken seriously. Here at camp we may have to gather in the storage rooms under the dining hall because none of the buildings have very strong roofs. I bought plenty of food when I was in the city over the weekend, but I am realizing that it was probably too much if the electric goes off because some of it will spoil. Because of flooding and mudslides the roads to the city will probably be impassible so my intended trip to the city tomorrow will not happen.

Not that I could have gone anyway because yesterday as I returned from town the oil light came on in the dashboard of the Montero. Since it "devours" oil I figured that it just needed refilled. But as it turns out something exploded and the oil was everywhere except where it should be. The night watchman saw oil all along the road up to camp. I am thankful that it happened when and where it did because I was not on the road to the city or even stuck in town. The mechanic came up to camp this morning and thinks the oil filter is defective and needs replaced. Since the part is probably not found here in the town, the car will not be fixed until he can get to the city. It would seem that God wants me to hang out at camp for a while. I doubt that I will even come to town for a few days after today. I hitched a ride down to town with the mechanic and then I plan to call my first "mototaxi" (I´ll have to include a picture sometime.) and get back up to camp. The adventures continue!

Over the weekend I met a girl from Kentucky, Mary, who is traveling Latin America for several months. It is neat how my life can be enriched from random contacts with people. She has a heart for ministering and is obediently following God without really knowing where she will end up. She studied Environmental Geography in college and so having an interest in camps, she returned to camp with me on Sunday to see the place. We did a little exploring and went for a run in the morning. (It was quite nice to have a running partner other than the dogs which tend to be more of a hindrance than a help most of the time) We also stayed up chatting until 11:30PM (something I have not done for ages), having deep conversations about life and faith. I was blessed by the brief encounter. I love how God can use even people who pass through our lives for such a short moment, to encourage, challenge us, and remind us of just how big He is. Her life and testimony were a challenge to me to consider what affect my life has on other people in similar brief encounters.

And so as I continue to wait to see what happens next in Pinalejo, in Honduras, I am at peace knowing that as I read in Psalm 46 this morning, "God is my refuge and my strength an ever present help in times of trouble..." And then the verse that I need to remember if the storm does hit, "Be still and know that I am God, I will be exalted among the nations..." I think that the next few days could be a great time to get to know the Honduran staff better and to minister to them. Probably there will be an adventure or 2 thrown in there too. We will see.