July 23, 2009
For free that is. I am about ready to give my car away. It seems as it would be cheaper. This afternoon I finally heard from my insurance that they were ready to take some pictures of the damag from when I was rear-ended 3 weeks ago. So I headed out to the car to go to their office. When I turned the key though, there was no sound. The battery seemed to be completely dead. I went across to the neighbors and asked if they could help me jump start the car. The husband tried to clutch start it first but when that did not work we got out my jumper cables. At first the jump start seemed successful but the engine quickly died. At this point my neighbor began to say that it was probably the alternato and not the battery (the battery of which is only about 2 months old). Finally we got the car started and I was able to head to the insurance office but I knew I could not turn the car off because the battery did not seem to be charging.
Arriving at the office I was told it was too late to get the pictures and the quote done on the car which means, try again tomorow. But my car is now in the shop for the alternator issue which apparently has nothing to do with the accident. The chances of it being completed in time for me to get the photos taken are slim to none. But I will hope and pray that I can move ahead with the insurance issues because I wanted to have it all settled by the beginningo of next week. It looks like I will be heading to the States for a while and I do not fancy having to come back to Honduras in a few months to a car that is still not drivable.
Meanwhile the road was open today to get to camp but I could not find a ride. If it were only my belongings that I was concerned about, I could have Evelin go on the bus and get them for me. But I want to be able to talk with the staff and say "goodbye" if I do leave for awhile. The uncertainty of when the blockades will be in place makes it hard to find a ride because often it needs to be last minute. And Zelaya is still threatening to show up here this weekend. The military is preventing groups from gathering to welcome him into the country along the Nicaragua border where he has been hanging out. I continue to be thankful that things have gone on peacefully .
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Attempt #1
July 22, 2009
This morning I made my first real attempt to get to camp since returning to Honduras less than a week ago. I made it about two blocks from my house before the persons taking me there asked if I had heard if the roads were open. I did not know but decided to call the missionary who lives in the town below camp. And her news was that there was a road block between the city and camp. So two blocks later we turned around and very shortly I arrived back at my apartment with my suitcase. My friends suggested that perhaps on Sunday the roads would be clear. So what exactly are the road blocks that are spring up all over the country? It is not the police checkpoints becuase those are always in place, but cars are able to pass by. No, it is groups of people who are paid to block the roads so that vehicles cannot pass. In Honduras it does not seem like it is too hard to cripple transportation because most places there is only one main road leaning anywhere. For example there are three roads by which you can leave San Pedro Sula. These protesters put in a full day's work (maybe 8:00AM-4:00PM) and then head home with their day's pay in hand. And from what I understand they are working for Zelaya.
Thankfully the failed attempt did not discourage me much, nor was it much of a surprise. I just hope that I can find a ride to camp on Sunday or the next day when the roads are clear. My outlook has improved much from yesterday when I was frustrated because of not being able to make any of the necessary connections with people nor find someone with whom to process everything in a conversation in English. I did get to have an English conversation just before heading to bed and my friend shared a verse from James 1 about trials and considering them pure joy. It was a verse that I needed reminded of and after looking into it more this morning during my quiet time, I was very much encouraged and had a new outlook.
Overall today has gone well and I have made some hopeful progress in figuring out details for the next little while. I also had some good chats with Evelin this evening which is good. I love to see her finding her peace and strength in the Lord. And now there is a thunderstorm overhead so I get to enjoy the sound of the rain. We will see what tomorrow brings. There is threat of Zelaya returning but who knows. I am trusting the Lord with one day at a time and the details therein.
This morning I made my first real attempt to get to camp since returning to Honduras less than a week ago. I made it about two blocks from my house before the persons taking me there asked if I had heard if the roads were open. I did not know but decided to call the missionary who lives in the town below camp. And her news was that there was a road block between the city and camp. So two blocks later we turned around and very shortly I arrived back at my apartment with my suitcase. My friends suggested that perhaps on Sunday the roads would be clear. So what exactly are the road blocks that are spring up all over the country? It is not the police checkpoints becuase those are always in place, but cars are able to pass by. No, it is groups of people who are paid to block the roads so that vehicles cannot pass. In Honduras it does not seem like it is too hard to cripple transportation because most places there is only one main road leaning anywhere. For example there are three roads by which you can leave San Pedro Sula. These protesters put in a full day's work (maybe 8:00AM-4:00PM) and then head home with their day's pay in hand. And from what I understand they are working for Zelaya.
Thankfully the failed attempt did not discourage me much, nor was it much of a surprise. I just hope that I can find a ride to camp on Sunday or the next day when the roads are clear. My outlook has improved much from yesterday when I was frustrated because of not being able to make any of the necessary connections with people nor find someone with whom to process everything in a conversation in English. I did get to have an English conversation just before heading to bed and my friend shared a verse from James 1 about trials and considering them pure joy. It was a verse that I needed reminded of and after looking into it more this morning during my quiet time, I was very much encouraged and had a new outlook.
Overall today has gone well and I have made some hopeful progress in figuring out details for the next little while. I also had some good chats with Evelin this evening which is good. I love to see her finding her peace and strength in the Lord. And now there is a thunderstorm overhead so I get to enjoy the sound of the rain. We will see what tomorrow brings. There is threat of Zelaya returning but who knows. I am trusting the Lord with one day at a time and the details therein.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Putting it Off...
July 20, 2009
I have been putting off writing a blog update for several days since I just do not know what to say about what is happening here in Honduras nor what to expect. The two sides did not reach an agreement yesterday while meeting in Costa Rica for mediation. Does this mean that Zelaya will attempt to come back into Honduras this week? I do not know. It sounds like the talks may resume on Tuesday or Wednesday but one cannot be sure that things will stay calm until then. I have lots of decisions to make and things to process and so I am asking the Lord for wisdom and vision.
Meanwhile things are quiet in San Pedro Sula and I am hoping to be able to get out to camp shortly so that I can see the staff and pick up a lot of my clothes, a fan, and my toaster oven that are still there from when I was there just before I left for PA the other week. When I go to camp, will depend on how the roads are and what the pastor here advises. And so I wait on that and in the moment look for what kind of work I can do in the here and now.
I have been putting off writing a blog update for several days since I just do not know what to say about what is happening here in Honduras nor what to expect. The two sides did not reach an agreement yesterday while meeting in Costa Rica for mediation. Does this mean that Zelaya will attempt to come back into Honduras this week? I do not know. It sounds like the talks may resume on Tuesday or Wednesday but one cannot be sure that things will stay calm until then. I have lots of decisions to make and things to process and so I am asking the Lord for wisdom and vision.
Meanwhile things are quiet in San Pedro Sula and I am hoping to be able to get out to camp shortly so that I can see the staff and pick up a lot of my clothes, a fan, and my toaster oven that are still there from when I was there just before I left for PA the other week. When I go to camp, will depend on how the roads are and what the pastor here advises. And so I wait on that and in the moment look for what kind of work I can do in the here and now.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Pray For Honduras
July 17, 2009
So here I sit in San Pedro Sula wishing I was at camp and not in the city. But it is too late to move. I am a country girl at heart and so being in the middle of a city during a potential crisis, is not my ideal. The news that has come my way today has become heavier and heavier and I am realizing that tomorrow really is a very critical day for Honduras. Many have said that this it is the last chance for a peaceful reconciliation.
I do have a peace about being here in Honduras even though I know that the situation seems to be getting worse. At the same time I do not look forward to being cooped up in a small apartment nor in a major city where the potential for violence would seem to be much greater. I am praying that the Lord will use Oscar Arias, the Costa Rican president leading the mediation efforts, or some other method to bring the two sides to a peaceful resolution.
I must say that being in a country in the middle of unrest is causing me to do a lot of evaluating of that which I deem important. Why do I still want to curl up and read a good book when I have no idea what tomorrow will bring? Am I trying to avoid reality or do I really need recreation?That time spent in prayer would be much more valuable. I am thinking much more of the missionaries who go to serve in countries that are in war. I doubt I will finish all of my pondering, journaling and praying for a long while yet but for the moment I need to get some sleep.
An article that gives an update on the latest development of events here in Honduras is:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090717/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_honduras_coup
So here I sit in San Pedro Sula wishing I was at camp and not in the city. But it is too late to move. I am a country girl at heart and so being in the middle of a city during a potential crisis, is not my ideal. The news that has come my way today has become heavier and heavier and I am realizing that tomorrow really is a very critical day for Honduras. Many have said that this it is the last chance for a peaceful reconciliation.
I do have a peace about being here in Honduras even though I know that the situation seems to be getting worse. At the same time I do not look forward to being cooped up in a small apartment nor in a major city where the potential for violence would seem to be much greater. I am praying that the Lord will use Oscar Arias, the Costa Rican president leading the mediation efforts, or some other method to bring the two sides to a peaceful resolution.
I must say that being in a country in the middle of unrest is causing me to do a lot of evaluating of that which I deem important. Why do I still want to curl up and read a good book when I have no idea what tomorrow will bring? Am I trying to avoid reality or do I really need recreation?That time spent in prayer would be much more valuable. I am thinking much more of the missionaries who go to serve in countries that are in war. I doubt I will finish all of my pondering, journaling and praying for a long while yet but for the moment I need to get some sleep.
An article that gives an update on the latest development of events here in Honduras is:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090717/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_honduras_coup
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Catch-Up
July 15, 2009
Back to blogging – at least I hope. I cannot promise how well I will do with keeping this site more up to date, but I will try. Currently I am flying over some part of the US on my way to Houston and then San Pedro Sula. I just spent a little over a week and a half in Pennsylvania where I enjoyed a relaxing trip to the mountains, basketball at Black Rock, visits with family and friends, my sister’s baby shower, a wedding, and other random events. Oh, I cannot forget one of the highlights from the mountains – finding myself in a wild blueberry patch that had ripe blueberries. It was great to eat both blueberries and peaches again.
For the most part I did not have much culture shock with returning to the States. I have been back often enough that usually there is not too much which is unusual. Many a time though I wanted to respond to people with a Spanish word instead of the English equivalent. It did not make sense to me because when I am in Honduras the Spanish words do not come to me.
Yesterday I had something happen in a drugstore that reminded me of one cultural difference which I have mentioned before. I saw a sign sitting in front of some drink mixes that said $1 so I thought I would buy one to take to people in Honduras. When I took the item to the register though, it came up as $2. The cashier and I went over to the sign to see what was wrong and at that moment I saw that it was advertising a different drink mix even though it was in front of the one I had chosen. The cashier (or manager, I am not sure which) removed the sign and said that he would give it to me for a dollar. I was shocked because I am so accustomed to never being right as the customer. And I had been wrong this time so I simply planned to not buy the product. It was nice to have something happen in my favor when it comes to shopping for once.
As I head back to Honduras it is with lots of questions. Mediation between the old Honduran president and the new government will resume this Saturday with the Costa Rican president again mediating. The question is, what will happen if a resolution is not soon reached? Will Zelaya be content to keep waiting? I do not think so. I am on my way back to Honduras realizing that the unrest is not over and that I will need to evaluate my role and what is happening with the camp when I arrive. Meanwhile I will probably keep an emergency bag packed. I am afraid that my first few days will be taken up with trying to get my car fixed since I was rear-ended the day before I left for the States and had no time to do anything about it.
Back to blogging – at least I hope. I cannot promise how well I will do with keeping this site more up to date, but I will try. Currently I am flying over some part of the US on my way to Houston and then San Pedro Sula. I just spent a little over a week and a half in Pennsylvania where I enjoyed a relaxing trip to the mountains, basketball at Black Rock, visits with family and friends, my sister’s baby shower, a wedding, and other random events. Oh, I cannot forget one of the highlights from the mountains – finding myself in a wild blueberry patch that had ripe blueberries. It was great to eat both blueberries and peaches again.
For the most part I did not have much culture shock with returning to the States. I have been back often enough that usually there is not too much which is unusual. Many a time though I wanted to respond to people with a Spanish word instead of the English equivalent. It did not make sense to me because when I am in Honduras the Spanish words do not come to me.
Yesterday I had something happen in a drugstore that reminded me of one cultural difference which I have mentioned before. I saw a sign sitting in front of some drink mixes that said $1 so I thought I would buy one to take to people in Honduras. When I took the item to the register though, it came up as $2. The cashier and I went over to the sign to see what was wrong and at that moment I saw that it was advertising a different drink mix even though it was in front of the one I had chosen. The cashier (or manager, I am not sure which) removed the sign and said that he would give it to me for a dollar. I was shocked because I am so accustomed to never being right as the customer. And I had been wrong this time so I simply planned to not buy the product. It was nice to have something happen in my favor when it comes to shopping for once.
As I head back to Honduras it is with lots of questions. Mediation between the old Honduran president and the new government will resume this Saturday with the Costa Rican president again mediating. The question is, what will happen if a resolution is not soon reached? Will Zelaya be content to keep waiting? I do not think so. I am on my way back to Honduras realizing that the unrest is not over and that I will need to evaluate my role and what is happening with the camp when I arrive. Meanwhile I will probably keep an emergency bag packed. I am afraid that my first few days will be taken up with trying to get my car fixed since I was rear-ended the day before I left for the States and had no time to do anything about it.
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