Surprises

This recent trip back to the United States was another surprise visit for most of my family so I did not publicize the trip. I had originally planned to go to Costa Rica to renew my visa there but the people who I had wanted to visit were not going to be there over my travel dates and I needed to pass through Honduras so I would have had to add an extra flight or bus ride. I very much enjoyed seeing my family again, especially my little nephew Jack, who is nearing the stage of walking and is all around adorable.

I got in to Pennsylvania late Thursday evening and walked into my parents’ home much to the surprise of my mom. The next morning after playing basketball at Black Rock Retreat I headed north to a cabin where my family was going to be as well as their employees (many of whom are my extended family). In a grocery store in Williamsport I surprised my sister. I actually had walked off with Jack and my brother-in-law was going to tell Shana that someone had come by and asked to hold him and so he let the person wander off with Jack. Since I did not want her to panic, I decided to reappear before she could get concerned.

Finally I surprised Val there at the cabin. We had a good time in the creek and on the bike trail there in Slate Run. Early Sunday morning I headed back to Lancaster to share at New Danville Mennonite Church. The rest of the day I spent visiting with friends in Lancaster and from a distance watched the Long’s park fireworks. All week it was interesting to think that I had been in Lancaster last 4th of July but under very different circumstances. It had been immediately following when the Honduran president was removed from power and taken to Costa Rica. I went to the United States unsure of what was going to happen in Honduras in the next few weeks and months. Little did I know that a year later I would be living in a different country and working in a different field. I guess it shows how little we know of what lies ahead in our journey.

Monday was also a day of visiting with friends and also trying to get a little shopping done. My laptop recently developed a problem – it inserts commas when I type, thereby making me go back and erase them time and again. In talking with a few friends it did not seem possible to get the computer looked at in the short time that I was in PA but it was suggested that I buy an attachable keyboard. Since products such as that are generally twice to three times as expensive in Central America, I was glad that I had the opportunity to make the purchase in the US.

Tuesday I hung out at Black Rock and visited with lots of people down there as well as spent time with my family. And of course I was up late packing to get ready for my 4:30AM departure for the airport. I am returning to El Salvador with a lot more books since some of the girls are wanting to read the Anne of Green Gable series and are going to attempt to do so in English. I am impressed with them because for some it will be pretty difficult to read and understand the stories in their 2nd language that they are still learning. I am bringing some books in Spanish too, such as the Narnia series. I hope to use these stories with some of the children that I am working with in reading comprehension. All in all my time in both Pennsylvania and Honduras was good though short in both places. I always find myself trying to do too much and see too many people and so I return to work tired. I hope to get unpacked, do some homework and then get to bed early tonight, but we will see.