May 8, 2008
I did the unthinkable this week (besides staying up late so many nights in a row). I have always claimed that I do not like seafood and it is true. But Monday night I went to a Japanese Sushi restaurant with some friends and their visiting friends, and I of course ordered chicken. When we were finished eating though, there were still a few of the sushi rolls left and so I decided to try one (but without raw fish). The cream cheese covered up most of the fishy flavor but not completely and it did not really disguise the seaweed. The worst part though was that just before I took a bite of that which I thought was fish, I discovered it was eel. But I took a bite anyway, only for the sake of being able to say I had eaten eel. It was only after the fact that someone told me that eels carry lots of parasites and the one guy said I would probably get sick. Well, I did, although I do not think I can exactly blame it on the seafood since my stomach has not been right for a while. I plan to stick with chicken.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
In Search of the Camera
May 7, 2008
The real adventure of the vacation was the day we hiked to see the La Ruidosa Waterfall. At the last minute I found a guide to take us since we were not sure about the quality of the trail or how isolated it was. It turned out to be very well maintained and a guide was not really necessary but he provided some interesting facts. I learned that termites (of which we have an abundance at camp) are good for insect repellant if you rub them all over yourself. I may try it because nothing else keeps the mosquitos away. This guide, Efrain, was the second person in two days to tell me that termites are rather tasty and so I decided to try one. The first person had said that they tasted like carrots but it was more like wood to me. 
All was going well on the hike (we were hoping for about 2 hours of hiking since we had to head back to the city the same day) until we reached one of the last bridges before the waterfall. I saw a lovely flower along the path and decided to take a picture. Shana had my camera and in the process of passing it off, the camera somehow fell and though we were still on the trail, the camera fell into a small hole at our side. And as we reached down for it, it continued to tumble and plummeted into the darkness. I watched the whole thing as if in slow movement and in horror wondered how we could retrieve it. To me, it sounded as if it had fallen all of the way to the creek bed.
The guide and I scrambled down under the bridge to look for it while Shana checked out the hole. Efrain proceeded to crawl under a huge boulder that created a cave like area and went to the far corner to search for the camera. As he did so the bats flew out and about, clearly disturbed at having someone in their home. I decided that I should be willing to risk getting dirty or attacked by bats for the sake of my own camera so I att.jpg)
empted to cross over to the “cave”. The problem was that I was moving too quickly and did not notice the water until I stepped in it. Wet shoes, uugh! Efrain found nothing in the far corner but came out filthy, completely covered in dirt. He went off to search for another hole while I tried to check out his previous spot. I avoided getting dirty though. There were many small crevices, and I did not fancy the idea of sticking my hand into a dark hole in a country where veno
mous snakes are prolific.
I returned to the upper hole and looked in it again trying to judge where the hole would lead to. The probability of the camera having fallen in the hole in the first place was so small and now the chance of finding it was even smaller. My flashlight, of course, was back in the car and not with me. (Why do I never learn to carry it no matter what?) My cell phone was there too so I could not even use it for light. We were all praying by this point (or at least we girls). I knew that the camera was replaceable but not the photos stored on it. The question was, how much time and effort was it worth to search for it?
All was going well on the hike (we were hoping for about 2 hours of hiking since we had to head back to the city the same day) until we reached one of the last bridges before the waterfall. I saw a lovely flower along the path and decided to take a picture. Shana had my camera and in the process of passing it off, the camera somehow fell and though we were still on the trail, the camera fell into a small hole at our side. And as we reached down for it, it continued to tumble and plummeted into the darkness. I watched the whole thing as if in slow movement and in horror wondered how we could retrieve it. To me, it sounded as if it had fallen all of the way to the creek bed.
The guide and I scrambled down under the bridge to look for it while Shana checked out the hole. Efrain proceeded to crawl under a huge boulder that created a cave like area and went to the far corner to search for the camera. As he did so the bats flew out and about, clearly disturbed at having someone in their home. I decided that I should be willing to risk getting dirty or attacked by bats for the sake of my own camera so I att
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empted to cross over to the “cave”. The problem was that I was moving too quickly and did not notice the water until I stepped in it. Wet shoes, uugh! Efrain found nothing in the far corner but came out filthy, completely covered in dirt. He went off to search for another hole while I tried to check out his previous spot. I avoided getting dirty though. There were many small crevices, and I did not fancy the idea of sticking my hand into a dark hole in a country where veno
mous snakes are prolific.I returned to the upper hole and looked in it again trying to judge where the hole would lead to. The probability of the camera having fallen in the hole in the first place was so small and now the chance of finding it was even smaller. My flashlight, of course, was back in the car and not with me. (Why do I never learn to carry it no matter what?) My cell phone was there too so I could not even use it for light. We were all praying by this point (or at least we girls). I knew that the camera was replaceable but not the photos stored on it. The question was, how much time and effort was it worth to search for it?
We tried calling into the hole to hear where the sound went and also threw pebbles down into it but nothing seemed to help. At long last Efrain said that he saw the camera way down in a hole. But when he tried to access the hole from one of the crevices, he found that he could not crawl into the area. That meant it was my job to crawl in. Since it was my camera I could hardly complain. And so I entered the little cave, crawling deeper and deeper into the darkness. Small shafts of sunlight reached me from the gaps between the rocks – enough that I could see the spiders scurrying in front of my face. I had to ask myself, is this worth it? I knew that a spider, scorpion, or snake could bite me and inflict much damage. But still I pressed on (praying all of the way). Efrain had entered back into the hole from which he first saw the camera and so he tried to guide me as I felt around. I could see nothing. He eventually got his cell phone which gave a little more light. I held dearly to it, not wanting another missing electronic. His instructions were pointing me to a hole in which I could see nothing, but finally I put my hand in it and reached around, positive that I would find something nasty there. I certainly did not have much hope when it came to the camera. But low and behold as I fingered the rocks and dirt, my fingers suddenly touched cold metal, and I pulled up the camera. What relief and joy! I quickly passed him his cell phone so as not to be responsible for it and began to worm my way out of the crevice since by now I had been completely swallowed up by the darkness. While I was exiting I heard Efrain exclaim that he had dropped his cell phone. My thoughts immediately turned to prayers and thankfully he found the phone within seconds. There was one moment when I feared I might not be able to get out but I changed positions/angles and crawled out.
I was now
filthy too though still not to the degree of Efrain. It seemed as if the search had taken close to 40 minutes. So much for our intended two hours of hiking. We continued on and soon came to the falls which were beautiful and worth the journey. The camera, by the way, at first did not work because the shutter would not open but after prying it open twice, it was fine and is still working. Even as I re-wrote this story a second time I realized the life applications when I think of my time in the cave. I was reaching for something I could not see and having to trust the guide that he had actually seen the camera though I had my doubts. Sometimes I feel the same way with God’s directions because I cannot see the end or the outcome of what He is saying. But He can and He knows exactly where and why I am putting my hand in a certain place. He knows whose lives I will touch and whose lives will touch me. Even in the dark I am not alone and He guides me.
I was now
filthy too though still not to the degree of Efrain. It seemed as if the search had taken close to 40 minutes. So much for our intended two hours of hiking. We continued on and soon came to the falls which were beautiful and worth the journey. The camera, by the way, at first did not work because the shutter would not open but after prying it open twice, it was fine and is still working. Even as I re-wrote this story a second time I realized the life applications when I think of my time in the cave. I was reaching for something I could not see and having to trust the guide that he had actually seen the camera though I had my doubts. Sometimes I feel the same way with God’s directions because I cannot see the end or the outcome of what He is saying. But He can and He knows exactly where and why I am putting my hand in a certain place. He knows whose lives I will touch and whose lives will touch me. Even in the dark I am not alone and He guides me. Wednesday, May 07, 2008
To Roatan and Back Again
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April 23, 2008Sunday was the day to travel to the island of Roatan and our plan was to take the public bus since it was cheaper and my A/C still was not working the best. Emily dropped us off at the big bus terminal and we began the search for our bus-line. But after twenty minutes we still had not found it. Several other companies tried to get us to take their “direct” buses (otherwise known as the “Chicken” bus since chickens could very well be your companions). The bus I had hoped to take was a coach but without A/C. When I asked the one company if their buses were school buses, the worker said “no, they are nice buses” but a man standing nearby said, “School buses.” We completely looked like tourists by this point with our backpacks wandering around the station. I even tried calling the bus company but they could not even tell me where the
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y were located within the station so I decided they were not too concerned about their sales. At last I said forget it and Emily came back and got us and we drove. It was a three hour drive which can make for a long day since you have to be so focused on the driving and forever passing the trucks going 30mph. But we arrived in La Ceiba and were stopped at a checkpoint where the policeman so kindly told us (after seeing 3 American girls in the car) that we were going to be robbed. Thankfully he was wrong.A really neat turn of events was that we were able to meet up with a pastor in La Ceiba whom my pastor had mentioned to me that morning at church. I called him to ask for directions to the ferry and we ended up meeting he and his family at Wendy’s. He offered to drive us to the dock and then stored my car at his house, thereby saving us the parking fee. Upon our return to the city he graciously drove us around so that my friend could see all the places her parents had lived and worked years ago. He was ready to give us his entire day even though I am sure he had many other things to do. I do love that part about this culture.
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I always have prided myself on not having trouble with motion sickness and boats, but the ferry ride almost changed that. You know it is going to be bad when they pass out bags to every passenger before you even leave the port. Thankfully we reached the island before I could be too sick. In Roatan we pretty much relaxed, wandered around the one town, ate (awesome Coconut Smoothies), marveled at the sunset, and played a game of Settler’s. It was a good way to spend a birthday – if snow is not an option.
Saturday, May 03, 2008
The Beginnings of the Travels
May 4, 2008
Over a week later I finally get to writing about my travels. But it is not all bad that it took so long because it means that I made spending time with people a priority over writing. Whether it was doing a puzzle with friends, playing Dutch Blitz, or enjoying another birthday dinner, I was hanging out with others. And tonight Emily and I are planning to have company for pizza and games. Perhaps I will finally get to teach some of my favorite games – Ticket to Ride and Settler’s of Catan.
But now for the adventures – in stages of course so that they are not overwhelming. In spite of the protests that took place around San Pedro, my sister Shana and friend Janine and I were able to go directly from the airport to my apartment. From there we headed out to camp for a few days. At camp we did a little painting on the Williamson’s house and visited with the staff. We looked for wildlife but did not see too much. On Saturday the two Honduran maintenance staff took us to a hot springs way up in the mountains, almost on the border of Guatemala. The drive itself was enough beauty to make the trip worthwhile. It was about an hour and a half on dirt roads, crossing creeks (and one river), and battling with some mud. We saw a tree full of toucans and some beautiful crimson-collared tanagers. The hot springs were not as exciting as I had hoped, but it was okay.
When we got back to camp, Shana and I were greeted with a “tropical” Birthday party complete with grass skirts and tamales. I was blessed by the excitement of the staff in giving me such a party and it was fun to share it with my sister again. Several of the guys convinced me to stay around long enough to play a short game of soccer so we did that and then the girls and I headed off to the city. We were planning to go out to eat with my roommate Emily. I was very non-committal in where or when but at last we decided on an Italian restaurant that had pizza (which has always been a birthday tradition).
We had just settled down to order when Cindy Williamson walked in with a few containers that I had left at her house. Moments later a whole crowd wandered in and yelled, “Surprise.” This time I was very surprised. I had expected the staff at camp to do something but I certainly did not expect the Williamsons to appear in the city 2 hours after I just saw them at camp. We had a good mal and then went back to the apartment for a mango-strawberry pie (delicious!). A fun day of birthday celebrations even though the real day had not yet arrived.
Over a week later I finally get to writing about my travels. But it is not all bad that it took so long because it means that I made spending time with people a priority over writing. Whether it was doing a puzzle with friends, playing Dutch Blitz, or enjoying another birthday dinner, I was hanging out with others. And tonight Emily and I are planning to have company for pizza and games. Perhaps I will finally get to teach some of my favorite games – Ticket to Ride and Settler’s of Catan.
But now for the adventures – in stages of course so that they are not overwhelming. In spite of the protests that took place around San Pedro, my sister Shana and friend Janine and I were able to go directly from the airport to my apartment. From there we headed out to camp for a few days. At camp we did a little painting on the Williamson’s house and visited with the staff. We looked for wildlife but did not see too much. On Saturday the two Honduran maintenance staff took us to a hot springs way up in the mountains, almost on the border of Guatemala. The drive itself was enough beauty to make the trip worthwhile. It was about an hour and a half on dirt roads, crossing creeks (and one river), and battling with some mud. We saw a tree full of toucans and some beautiful crimson-collared tanagers. The hot springs were not as exciting as I had hoped, but it was okay.
When we got back to camp, Shana and I were greeted with a “tropical” Birthday party complete with grass skirts and tamales. I was blessed by the excitement of the staff in giving me such a party and it was fun to share it with my sister again. Several of the guys convinced me to stay around long enough to play a short game of soccer so we did that and then the girls and I headed off to the city. We were planning to go out to eat with my roommate Emily. I was very non-committal in where or when but at last we decided on an Italian restaurant that had pizza (which has always been a birthday tradition).
We had just settled down to order when Cindy Williamson walked in with a few containers that I had left at her house. Moments later a whole crowd wandered in and yelled, “Surprise.” This time I was very surprised. I had expected the staff at camp to do something but I certainly did not expect the Williamsons to appear in the city 2 hours after I just saw them at camp. We had a good mal and then went back to the apartment for a mango-strawberry pie (delicious!). A fun day of birthday celebrations even though the real day had not yet arrived.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Time Flies By... And it Crawls
April 30, 2008
It is hard to believe that it was a year ago to this date that I arrived in Honduras. In some ways the time has gone quickly, in some ways not so much. I write this from camp where I am finding myself for an extended stay due to a new car problem. The mechanic said he should be able to get the part in the city this morning and by afternoon I can be heading there myself but I am not so convinced the find will be so easy. And tomorrow is a holiday so I may be here for quite a bit longer. The discouraging part was that I was to have a meeting with a Science teacher today in order to set up a one day program for the end of May. That will have to be rescheduled for Monday. As far as food and clothes go I did not exactly come prepared for so many days on camp, but I am surviving and getting some food from the Williamson’s. At least this time I remembered to bring the Toaster Oven to camp so that I would have a method for cooking in my own home.
Last night I set out to heat up leftovers but just before I put the food in the toaster over the electric began flickering and finally went off. I had hoped to eat alone and have some time for reading but I got my food together and trudged over to the Williamson’s. Just as I arrived the electric came on but I stayed because it was not worth turning around only to experience a power outage again. This morning I attempted to make pancakes in the toaster oven in the form of a small loaf of bread. It actually turned out okay. I also heated up water for hot chocolate which very enjoyable. For some reason my cold shower was extra cold this morning and my fingers were white and without circulation. You would have thought it was winter and I had been tubing.
Since Wes is back with their car I can at least get into town to send some e-mails which is good. If I do end up staying another night, I hope to get over to the Honduran families’ houses and visit with them as well as catch up on my blog. Lofty goals knowing how things go.
It is hard to believe that it was a year ago to this date that I arrived in Honduras. In some ways the time has gone quickly, in some ways not so much. I write this from camp where I am finding myself for an extended stay due to a new car problem. The mechanic said he should be able to get the part in the city this morning and by afternoon I can be heading there myself but I am not so convinced the find will be so easy. And tomorrow is a holiday so I may be here for quite a bit longer. The discouraging part was that I was to have a meeting with a Science teacher today in order to set up a one day program for the end of May. That will have to be rescheduled for Monday. As far as food and clothes go I did not exactly come prepared for so many days on camp, but I am surviving and getting some food from the Williamson’s. At least this time I remembered to bring the Toaster Oven to camp so that I would have a method for cooking in my own home.
Last night I set out to heat up leftovers but just before I put the food in the toaster over the electric began flickering and finally went off. I had hoped to eat alone and have some time for reading but I got my food together and trudged over to the Williamson’s. Just as I arrived the electric came on but I stayed because it was not worth turning around only to experience a power outage again. This morning I attempted to make pancakes in the toaster oven in the form of a small loaf of bread. It actually turned out okay. I also heated up water for hot chocolate which very enjoyable. For some reason my cold shower was extra cold this morning and my fingers were white and without circulation. You would have thought it was winter and I had been tubing.
Since Wes is back with their car I can at least get into town to send some e-mails which is good. If I do end up staying another night, I hope to get over to the Honduran families’ houses and visit with them as well as catch up on my blog. Lofty goals knowing how things go.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Back to Work
April 28, 2008
So I am back to work and vacation is over. I actually started back on Friday. My vacation was a good time and I have several stories to blog but I did not get them written this weekend as I had anticipated. I have many pictures to post as well.
Currently I am out at camp but when I return to the city tomorrow or Wednesday I have at least one meeting with a school to look at them bringing a group of students to camp the end of May. It is exciting but lots to do before then. So I hope to post more here within the next few days of the adventures and lessons I experienced.
So I am back to work and vacation is over. I actually started back on Friday. My vacation was a good time and I have several stories to blog but I did not get them written this weekend as I had anticipated. I have many pictures to post as well.
Currently I am out at camp but when I return to the city tomorrow or Wednesday I have at least one meeting with a school to look at them bringing a group of students to camp the end of May. It is exciting but lots to do before then. So I hope to post more here within the next few days of the adventures and lessons I experienced.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Waiting It Out
April 17, 2008
In my life I have had to wait out many a storm --from on a hillside under a tarp far from my backpack with metal rods to inside a house with real protection. In either case the key was waiting. Today I am waiting again, but not on a thunderstorm. Today is the day of the nationwide protests here in Honduras, intended to paralyze the nation. I thought they would not happen because the new driving law had been revoked but as it turns out the protests have to do with wanting changes throughout the country in laws, food and gas prices, and social reform. Because my sister and friend arrive today from the US, I am camping out near the airport in case the roads are closed off. Thankfully I did not have to use a tent but have been able to stay with a girl from my basketball team in the town of La Lima. She lives in a secure neighborhood which is good because everyone else says to stay away from this town. I arrived after dark, in the rain so I could not see much.
From what I read on the internet this morning it seems like the airport should be operating as normal today. A lot of schools cancelled classes for today in expectation of the closed roads. According to the news this is supposed to be a non-violent protest. (By the way any spelling errors or missprints I am crediting to the fact that while I type I am listening to a 3 year old chatter away in an English, splattered with a Spanish word here and there, that I cannot understand.) My hope is that the girls can arrive without problem and then we can either hang out in the airport or La Lima for a couple of hours until the protesters desert the roads. If it is too late by that point, we will stay in the city at my apartment and head out to camp in the morning. Basically we will wait and see what happens. Like I am doing with most of this vacation. Still no reservations anywhere.
Last night I had a panic moment as I was following my friend to her house. We were in downtown San Pedro and all of a sudden I heard honking beside me and looked over to see two policemen on a motorcycle motioning me to pull over. I did not fancy the idea of pulling over in that part of town nor could I think of what I had done wrong. Nonetheless I pulled over and discovered that they simply wanted to see who was in the car since I have very tinted windows and it was rather late at night. Thankfully they let me go without a problem.
In my life I have had to wait out many a storm --from on a hillside under a tarp far from my backpack with metal rods to inside a house with real protection. In either case the key was waiting. Today I am waiting again, but not on a thunderstorm. Today is the day of the nationwide protests here in Honduras, intended to paralyze the nation. I thought they would not happen because the new driving law had been revoked but as it turns out the protests have to do with wanting changes throughout the country in laws, food and gas prices, and social reform. Because my sister and friend arrive today from the US, I am camping out near the airport in case the roads are closed off. Thankfully I did not have to use a tent but have been able to stay with a girl from my basketball team in the town of La Lima. She lives in a secure neighborhood which is good because everyone else says to stay away from this town. I arrived after dark, in the rain so I could not see much.
From what I read on the internet this morning it seems like the airport should be operating as normal today. A lot of schools cancelled classes for today in expectation of the closed roads. According to the news this is supposed to be a non-violent protest. (By the way any spelling errors or missprints I am crediting to the fact that while I type I am listening to a 3 year old chatter away in an English, splattered with a Spanish word here and there, that I cannot understand.) My hope is that the girls can arrive without problem and then we can either hang out in the airport or La Lima for a couple of hours until the protesters desert the roads. If it is too late by that point, we will stay in the city at my apartment and head out to camp in the morning. Basically we will wait and see what happens. Like I am doing with most of this vacation. Still no reservations anywhere.
Last night I had a panic moment as I was following my friend to her house. We were in downtown San Pedro and all of a sudden I heard honking beside me and looked over to see two policemen on a motorcycle motioning me to pull over. I did not fancy the idea of pulling over in that part of town nor could I think of what I had done wrong. Nonetheless I pulled over and discovered that they simply wanted to see who was in the car since I have very tinted windows and it was rather late at night. Thankfully they let me go without a problem.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
The Little Joys
April 15, 2008
The joy of a heavy rainfall! During the rainy season another day of rain can bea bit dreary, but at this time of year the rain is lovely both because it is a break from the intense sunshine and because it causes the temperatures to drop significantly. And so I am enjoying this new rainfall. Of course there is always the problem of wanting to just curl up with a book and stay in bed, but that is not an option for today. Today is the day of getting my extension that will allow me to stay for another month in the country. I am praying that the laws are the same as they were 3 weeks ago and that I can get the extension without a problem.
I had a good weekend with a variety of activities. On Saturday morning I at long last walked to the grocery store (about 1/2 mile away) and bought my groceries. I have wanted to do that ever since moving to the apartment but the timing had never worked out. I later decided that doing the walk to and from the store perhaps was not the best way to prepare for the basketball game that afternoon, but I do not think it affected my energy level. The game was fun, even though we lost rather signifcantly. After the game though my heart was a little heavy because I sensed there were a lot of tensions based on the amount of playing time various people had or did not have. I did not play as much as I wanted but that is the way games go and since I was not making my shots, what could I expect? Still I feel like there is a lack of unity and comradeship in the team.
After our game I was watching another game and began to talk with one of the players and her mom. From our conversation I discovered that she is a writer and teacher and has an interest in ecology. When she heard that I am writing lesson plans in Spanish which need edited, she volunteered to do so. I was excited to have someone volunteer to do so because it could be a chore otherwise. In talking I learned that she is Catholic, but does not consider herself very religious. I am not sure that she really knows Jesus and so I am praying that in reading the lessons, which each have a spiritual application, and through our conversation, questions will arise that will cause her to seek to know Him.
Sunday I experienced Communion for the first time at the Spanish church. Later that afternoon I headed out to camp where I fellowshipped with the staff and stayed until Monday afternoon. It had been a while since I wandered around in the woods at camp. I was delighted to find a plethera of birds once again -- 2 Keel-billed toucans, 4 woodpeckers (a species I had never before seen nor can I yet identify), orioles, a parrot (the first I have seen in the wild at camp), Montezuma Orpendolas, a Turquoise-Browed Motmot, and many others. Such beauty when I take the time to slow down and look.
The joy of a heavy rainfall! During the rainy season another day of rain can bea bit dreary, but at this time of year the rain is lovely both because it is a break from the intense sunshine and because it causes the temperatures to drop significantly. And so I am enjoying this new rainfall. Of course there is always the problem of wanting to just curl up with a book and stay in bed, but that is not an option for today. Today is the day of getting my extension that will allow me to stay for another month in the country. I am praying that the laws are the same as they were 3 weeks ago and that I can get the extension without a problem.
I had a good weekend with a variety of activities. On Saturday morning I at long last walked to the grocery store (about 1/2 mile away) and bought my groceries. I have wanted to do that ever since moving to the apartment but the timing had never worked out. I later decided that doing the walk to and from the store perhaps was not the best way to prepare for the basketball game that afternoon, but I do not think it affected my energy level. The game was fun, even though we lost rather signifcantly. After the game though my heart was a little heavy because I sensed there were a lot of tensions based on the amount of playing time various people had or did not have. I did not play as much as I wanted but that is the way games go and since I was not making my shots, what could I expect? Still I feel like there is a lack of unity and comradeship in the team.
After our game I was watching another game and began to talk with one of the players and her mom. From our conversation I discovered that she is a writer and teacher and has an interest in ecology. When she heard that I am writing lesson plans in Spanish which need edited, she volunteered to do so. I was excited to have someone volunteer to do so because it could be a chore otherwise. In talking I learned that she is Catholic, but does not consider herself very religious. I am not sure that she really knows Jesus and so I am praying that in reading the lessons, which each have a spiritual application, and through our conversation, questions will arise that will cause her to seek to know Him.
Sunday I experienced Communion for the first time at the Spanish church. Later that afternoon I headed out to camp where I fellowshipped with the staff and stayed until Monday afternoon. It had been a while since I wandered around in the woods at camp. I was delighted to find a plethera of birds once again -- 2 Keel-billed toucans, 4 woodpeckers (a species I had never before seen nor can I yet identify), orioles, a parrot (the first I have seen in the wild at camp), Montezuma Orpendolas, a Turquoise-Browed Motmot, and many others. Such beauty when I take the time to slow down and look.
Friday, April 11, 2008
The Good News and The Bad News of a Week
April 11, 2008
It has been a week of good news and bad news. The good news is that the Supreme Court judged the law "Hoy no Circulo" (Today I do not circle, or drive) unconstitutional, hence it has been revoked. Sadly the government spent a lot of money on manufacturing the stickers and then staffing the many different booths that distributed them. I did not notice any difference in the number of cars on the road Tuesday or Wednesday when the law was still in effect. My life is made much easier by being able to drive on Mondays again though I do want to be conscientious and not drive when it is not necessary. A big frustation has been that all of the streets in my neighborhood suddenly became One-Way streets overnight, but not all of the intersections are marked so you really do not always know which way you can go. Because of this police have been standing out at the intersections to direct people. In general though people just drive which ever way they want to and I find it tempting to do the same. There seems to be little rhyme or reason as to which streets go which way and so to get my apartment I sometimes have to go 4 blocks out of the way. It does not seem to be designed to help the country save on gas.
The bad news -- my car is proving to be very difficult to repair because the parts are so hard to come by, both here in Honduras and in the US (something I should have investigated better before buying the vehicle -- I obviously had not done too much car shopping before). The air compressor is not working for my A/C so I took it in to get it fixed. The mechanic told me that they have not been able to find the part and he has been looking for over a week. Since I already cannot operate the windows in such a way as to get a cross breeze, driving in the city gets to be very hot. On the highway the A/C seems to partially work. I am ready to get rid of this car and find something with less issues but that is much easier said than done. Whether we can find a part in time for my sister to bring it from the States, I am not sure but I need to figure out some solution to these car problems and so I am praying for some wisdom. In talking with other missionaries though I am realizing that any car repair here in Honduras tends to take a while to resolve. While in the US the mechanic will be the one to find the necessary part, here the car owners often have to go out and shop around for the part. The mechanics do not want to be held responsible if a part does not fit. From what I understand my mechanic is doing the searching but maybe I should be out visiting shops. At any rate, any car I would own would pose similar problems when there was a repair needed. And due to heat, humidity, and quality of roads, repairs are more frequent here. Perhaps I can learn more about cars and at least diagnosing them from my experiences this car.
As for other events of the week, I had some good time at camp before returning to the city where I have been continuing translation of materials to Spanish and writing new lesson plans. In the evenings I had several basketball practices and now tomorrow we have our first game. I went to a Thai Restaurant with a Honduran friend who spent some time in Thailand just after I visited there. Since I love Thai food the restaurant was a fun find. The food had a rather Caribbean flare to it, but I still enjoyed it. This morning before work I had a good chat with Emily (my roommate) and was reminded of what it means to be captivated by the Lord and seeking His face, not just answers from Him. It was a very timely conversation and I am thankful for what the Lord taught me through it.
It has been a week of good news and bad news. The good news is that the Supreme Court judged the law "Hoy no Circulo" (Today I do not circle, or drive) unconstitutional, hence it has been revoked. Sadly the government spent a lot of money on manufacturing the stickers and then staffing the many different booths that distributed them. I did not notice any difference in the number of cars on the road Tuesday or Wednesday when the law was still in effect. My life is made much easier by being able to drive on Mondays again though I do want to be conscientious and not drive when it is not necessary. A big frustation has been that all of the streets in my neighborhood suddenly became One-Way streets overnight, but not all of the intersections are marked so you really do not always know which way you can go. Because of this police have been standing out at the intersections to direct people. In general though people just drive which ever way they want to and I find it tempting to do the same. There seems to be little rhyme or reason as to which streets go which way and so to get my apartment I sometimes have to go 4 blocks out of the way. It does not seem to be designed to help the country save on gas.
The bad news -- my car is proving to be very difficult to repair because the parts are so hard to come by, both here in Honduras and in the US (something I should have investigated better before buying the vehicle -- I obviously had not done too much car shopping before). The air compressor is not working for my A/C so I took it in to get it fixed. The mechanic told me that they have not been able to find the part and he has been looking for over a week. Since I already cannot operate the windows in such a way as to get a cross breeze, driving in the city gets to be very hot. On the highway the A/C seems to partially work. I am ready to get rid of this car and find something with less issues but that is much easier said than done. Whether we can find a part in time for my sister to bring it from the States, I am not sure but I need to figure out some solution to these car problems and so I am praying for some wisdom. In talking with other missionaries though I am realizing that any car repair here in Honduras tends to take a while to resolve. While in the US the mechanic will be the one to find the necessary part, here the car owners often have to go out and shop around for the part. The mechanics do not want to be held responsible if a part does not fit. From what I understand my mechanic is doing the searching but maybe I should be out visiting shops. At any rate, any car I would own would pose similar problems when there was a repair needed. And due to heat, humidity, and quality of roads, repairs are more frequent here. Perhaps I can learn more about cars and at least diagnosing them from my experiences this car.
As for other events of the week, I had some good time at camp before returning to the city where I have been continuing translation of materials to Spanish and writing new lesson plans. In the evenings I had several basketball practices and now tomorrow we have our first game. I went to a Thai Restaurant with a Honduran friend who spent some time in Thailand just after I visited there. Since I love Thai food the restaurant was a fun find. The food had a rather Caribbean flare to it, but I still enjoyed it. This morning before work I had a good chat with Emily (my roommate) and was reminded of what it means to be captivated by the Lord and seeking His face, not just answers from Him. It was a very timely conversation and I am thankful for what the Lord taught me through it.
Sunday, April 06, 2008
All in a Day's Journey
April 6, 2008
Yesterday I made an early morning trip to camp and then returned to the city in the afternoon since I wanted to be go to the birthday celebration of one of the women on my basketball team. Through the course of my travels, I noticed a few interesting sights. First, as I was leaving camp I came upon 3 cows and a calf sprawled across the road in a semi-shady spot. Thankfully the shade extended across only half of the road so there was room to pass the cows. They seemed perfectly content and indifferent to passerbys so had they taken over the entire road, they would have had no intention of moving.
The second sight was as I was entering the town of Pinalejo. I noticed two children out in front of their house. One was a girl of maybe 2 years old and in her hand was a machete which she was using to chop the weeds. Hmm... not the best toy or tool for a child of that age but she seemed to be doing a pretty good job of trimming the weeds. The boy with her who I would presume was her brother, also had a machete in hand as well as a large knife. He may have been 6 or 7 years of age. I guess that the children of the village learn how to use such tools at a young age but I would have a little hesitation in allowing children to play with them.
As I drove along the highway, a third sight caught my attention. There was one section of the road where the landscape changed from partially green (it is obvious that the dry season is upon us because everything is turning brown) to a charred black. A large section of land had burned the week before and what remained was black soil, brown grasses, and trees that were half brown and half green, depending on the severity of the fire they had experienced. Barren was the word that came to mind. To have to drive through too much land with that appearance would definitely make me a little depressed. Thankfully the area was not extensive and I moved on to see greens again.
My journeys these days are a little hotter than normal because my air conditioner is not working right in the car. I plan to get it fixed next week since it is an essential at this time of year. If my windows worked so that I could get a cross breeze, perhaps I could survive without the A/C. Yesterday or the day before the temperature reached 110 F. I have been slowly melting. I look forward to leaving the city this afternoon and staying at camp for a few days where the trees and lack of concrete help to create a cooler environment.
I was very pleasantly surprised when Emily and I got our first electric bill and it was only $11. We had braced ourself for a bill of up to $100 because we had no idea what to expect except for what other people told us. Our bill was low enough that the government took another $5 off, bringing it to $11. We have not used our A/C very much and even last night when it was still pretty hot, I hesitated to turn it on. I think I will resort to using it soon though in order to get a good night's sleep. There are days when a fan is just not enough and though I will continue to work hard to conserve energy, I do need to sleep. Hopefully a storm will come soon and the temperatures will drop for a few days. Till then I will melt during my travels and in the no A/C moments.
Yesterday I made an early morning trip to camp and then returned to the city in the afternoon since I wanted to be go to the birthday celebration of one of the women on my basketball team. Through the course of my travels, I noticed a few interesting sights. First, as I was leaving camp I came upon 3 cows and a calf sprawled across the road in a semi-shady spot. Thankfully the shade extended across only half of the road so there was room to pass the cows. They seemed perfectly content and indifferent to passerbys so had they taken over the entire road, they would have had no intention of moving.
The second sight was as I was entering the town of Pinalejo. I noticed two children out in front of their house. One was a girl of maybe 2 years old and in her hand was a machete which she was using to chop the weeds. Hmm... not the best toy or tool for a child of that age but she seemed to be doing a pretty good job of trimming the weeds. The boy with her who I would presume was her brother, also had a machete in hand as well as a large knife. He may have been 6 or 7 years of age. I guess that the children of the village learn how to use such tools at a young age but I would have a little hesitation in allowing children to play with them.
As I drove along the highway, a third sight caught my attention. There was one section of the road where the landscape changed from partially green (it is obvious that the dry season is upon us because everything is turning brown) to a charred black. A large section of land had burned the week before and what remained was black soil, brown grasses, and trees that were half brown and half green, depending on the severity of the fire they had experienced. Barren was the word that came to mind. To have to drive through too much land with that appearance would definitely make me a little depressed. Thankfully the area was not extensive and I moved on to see greens again.
My journeys these days are a little hotter than normal because my air conditioner is not working right in the car. I plan to get it fixed next week since it is an essential at this time of year. If my windows worked so that I could get a cross breeze, perhaps I could survive without the A/C. Yesterday or the day before the temperature reached 110 F. I have been slowly melting. I look forward to leaving the city this afternoon and staying at camp for a few days where the trees and lack of concrete help to create a cooler environment.
I was very pleasantly surprised when Emily and I got our first electric bill and it was only $11. We had braced ourself for a bill of up to $100 because we had no idea what to expect except for what other people told us. Our bill was low enough that the government took another $5 off, bringing it to $11. We have not used our A/C very much and even last night when it was still pretty hot, I hesitated to turn it on. I think I will resort to using it soon though in order to get a good night's sleep. There are days when a fan is just not enough and though I will continue to work hard to conserve energy, I do need to sleep. Hopefully a storm will come soon and the temperatures will drop for a few days. Till then I will melt during my travels and in the no A/C moments.
Monday, March 31, 2008
An Effort to Save Gas
March 31, 2008
Yesterday as I was returning to the city from camp, I noticed that the fires have begun again. Trees and tall grasses were being consumed by flames and the flames even lapped at the edge of highway. It is too bad that the heat generated from the fires cannot be channeled into combustible for the cars.
I learned yesterday that the government has come up with an ingenious plan (or NOT so ingenious) for saving gasoline. Beginning next Monday each car will have a day of the week when it cannot be on the road. I think that based on my license plate number, I will not be able to drive on Mondays. From what I understand I will not be able to drive anywhere in the city. What happens if I need to travel between the city and camp, I do not know. Even if I wanted to bypass San Pedro to make it to another city I would be in trouble because in reality all of the roads go through San Pedro. If public transportation here in San Pedro was decent and safe, perhaps this effort could work, but it is neither of the above. The buses are dangerous both because there is no inspection of brakes etc.... and because it is a great place to get robbed. For those people who use their car for work, traveling from one appointment to another, there will be very little option. If everyone uses taxis, no gas will be saved because it is still individual transport. I am not so happy about the implications of this new law. People are saying that it will last about a week and then the government will realize it is impossible. I would tend to agree. But nonetheless I guess that I have to go today and try to find my sticker which will designate which day of the week I cannot drive. One more obstacle to make connections and meetings more difficult.
Yesterday as I was returning to the city from camp, I noticed that the fires have begun again. Trees and tall grasses were being consumed by flames and the flames even lapped at the edge of highway. It is too bad that the heat generated from the fires cannot be channeled into combustible for the cars.
I learned yesterday that the government has come up with an ingenious plan (or NOT so ingenious) for saving gasoline. Beginning next Monday each car will have a day of the week when it cannot be on the road. I think that based on my license plate number, I will not be able to drive on Mondays. From what I understand I will not be able to drive anywhere in the city. What happens if I need to travel between the city and camp, I do not know. Even if I wanted to bypass San Pedro to make it to another city I would be in trouble because in reality all of the roads go through San Pedro. If public transportation here in San Pedro was decent and safe, perhaps this effort could work, but it is neither of the above. The buses are dangerous both because there is no inspection of brakes etc.... and because it is a great place to get robbed. For those people who use their car for work, traveling from one appointment to another, there will be very little option. If everyone uses taxis, no gas will be saved because it is still individual transport. I am not so happy about the implications of this new law. People are saying that it will last about a week and then the government will realize it is impossible. I would tend to agree. But nonetheless I guess that I have to go today and try to find my sticker which will designate which day of the week I cannot drive. One more obstacle to make connections and meetings more difficult.
Monday, March 24, 2008
One amongst a crowd of 1500
March 24, 2008
Some days I get confused as to what season it is here in Honduras. In a matter of 5 minutes I can see three different scenes that remind me of the various seasons up north. I have yet to really see anything comparable to the winters of the north. Today as the drove I to the city I first thought of autumn because many trees are currently without leaves and the gray rain clouds made a contrast that reminded me of Novembers in PA. But then just down the road I saw trees bursting with fresh yellow or pink blooms -- spring is in the air. And finally came the downpour of rain -- a summer storm. In reality it is most like summer here but it is nice that I can catch glimpses of change almost any time of the year.
But that is not the point of this blog entry. I want to reflect on last week's retreat at the camp. I was back and forth to camp three times this past week because of helping various people move and then for the retreat. The retreat began on Wednesday though some people arrived Tuesday night. I set up my little tent in front of the one staff family's house which meant I had good access to a bathroom. Important when so many people are competing for the bathrooms. I went in to the week expecting to be overwhelmed by so many people in one area and by the amount of trash that would accumulate. Tents and cars were sprawled everywhere around the camp and quickly the trash also cluttered the ground. Yet I found myself reminded a bit of family and church camping trips in the States where we spread out over a campground. The difference here is that there are no "spaces" so the tents end up being very close to each other. Many people cooked their own meals and had elaborate set-ups with tents and even fridges. Wednesday was incredibly hot but then overnight it poured and the temperatures dropped. I stayed nice and dry though many were not so fortunate.
The schedule of the retreat was that there were worship sessions and teaching each morning and evening but then the afternoons were free. I was thankful about the latter becuase for some reason I found myself unable to keep my eyes open during the sessions and so I had to take a long nap to get refreshed. The sessions were good and by Thursday evening I was able to focus and stay awake. What I probably enjoyed the most though was the opportunity to just hang out with
various people who I knew a little bit from before. One evening I sat up late and talked with several couples. It was a good opportunity to deepen relationships. There were several moments during the week when I was very aware of the fact that I was the only white North American in a crowd of 1500 or more. I have not been such a minority for so many days in a row and so that was rather eye opening. Even though I love the people and had many friends among the crowd, I had a few moments of loneliness in that there was no one there who could understand from my culture.
various people who I knew a little bit from before. One evening I sat up late and talked with several couples. It was a good opportunity to deepen relationships. There were several moments during the week when I was very aware of the fact that I was the only white North American in a crowd of 1500 or more. I have not been such a minority for so many days in a row and so that was rather eye opening. Even though I love the people and had many friends among the crowd, I had a few moments of loneliness in that there was no one there who could understand from my culture. On Friday afternoon I started to pick up some of the trash that littered the ground while I walked back to main camp. As I was doing so a young girl said to me, "You can just throw it all in the ravine." I tried to mask my horror at her comment because the very reason I was picking it all up was to keep it from ending up down there. I carefully explained to her why I do not throw it in the ravine and how it is not good for God's creation, etc... . She listened and after a while she changed her story a bit and said that well, it was the other group of people (the Garifuna community which is a culture of itself within Honduras) that were actually throwing the trash there. In reality most everyone seemed to be tossing the trash wherever they wanted. This morning I and two of the staff members gathered trash for hours and when I left we were far from done.
As I look back on the retreat as a whole it was a very good experience. I helped out in the kitchen a few times and discovered how to efficiently feed so many people in a short time. (I could probably work in McDonald's now since I know the process of putting together a cheeseburger.) The Lord touched my heart to through some of the worship and teaching, calling me to go deeper with Him and to always remember who and why I am serving. And then there were the friendships which were strengthened. I left the retreat wanting to camp out in my tent more often though preferably in the mountains with only a few people and a deep tranquility. I think now I will not dread the thought of Semana Santa and 1500 people because things go in a rather orderly fashion. Before the next year comes around though I want to think of how I might help to change the amount of littering that goes on. A very huge task to consider.
Easter Day 2008
Easter Day. The hymn “Christ the Lord is risen today hallelujah…” was running through my head this morning as I climbed a mountain just on the edge of the city, San Pedro Sula. My roommate and I decided to leave the house at 5:00AM and climb the mountain in an attempt to see the sunrise. Amazingly we were successful and enjoyed a nice quiet time with the Lord there on the mountain. It made the day feel a little more like Easter because often I would go to the sunrise service with my church in Lancaster. There actually was a sunrise service at my church here in the city but I could not bear the thought of being in a church building, downtown, while the sun was rising outside. I went instead to the regular church service and then drove out to camp to meet up with the camp staff and the Easter service that they had. I am still rather amazed at how little emphasis there is on Easter and resurrection Sunday here in Latin America. With the Catholic churches all of the emphasis is put on Good Friday and Christ’s atoning death. The Evangelical churches seem to somewhat ignore the whole week to make up for all of the traditions attached to the Catholic’s celebration of Holy Week. Perhaps had I gone to the sunrise service I would feel differently but the sermon this morning during the regular worship service was on Matthew 9 and the calling of Matthew. It was a good sermon but in my opinion had nothing to do with Easter.
And yet why limit the celebration of Christ’s resurrection to one day in the year? I was reading 1 Corinthians 15 this morning about the hope that we have because Christ rose again. Had He stayed in the grave we would have been more pitied than anyone else in the world for choosing to follow Him. His resurrection is what gives us hope because it means that Christ is still alive today. He is seated with the Father but He is also living inside of each of us who have surrendered our lives to Him.
And yet why limit the celebration of Christ’s resurrection to one day in the year? I was reading 1 Corinthians 15 this morning about the hope that we have because Christ rose again. Had He stayed in the grave we would have been more pitied than anyone else in the world for choosing to follow Him. His resurrection is what gives us hope because it means that Christ is still alive today. He is seated with the Father but He is also living inside of each of us who have surrendered our lives to Him.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Sweltering...
March 16, 2008
So the days of sweltering heat have arrived. Yesterday Emily turned on the AC in her room mid-day and the temperature read 38Celcius which is about 100F -- and that was inside the apartment! I do not remember this kind of heat last year or in Costa Rica. Needless to say I am dreaming of snow showers. The ashes have begun falling from the sky here in the city. I have not really noticed fires on the surrounding mountainsides but they must be occuring. Since the ashes are somehow ending up inside the house, I have to wonder about the structure of even this building. There are gaps in the roof somewhere.
Last evening I was able to get together with one of my Honduran friends after months of not connecting again. We went to a restaurant with AC which was very nice to experience agian. It was good to reconnect and we have plans to bake cookies sometime after Semana Santa. I think I should start giving baking lessons because so many people want to learn how to bake cookies and such.
Tomorrow I head to camp for the beginning of Semana Santa. I may come back to the city once during the week. There is a good chance the Williamsons will not be in camp for the week because their house is not finished yet and they will have no other place to live with 1500 people on camp. I am planning to pull out my tent which I carried to Costa Rica and now here so I ought to make use of. I am not sure that I can handle being "alone" with 1500 people, watching trash accumulate and being surrounded only by Spanish. I think I will need some oppportunities to express myself in English so as a way of escape from the large crowd, I may sleep in the city one night. I want to have a good attitude but my personality in no way seeks surrounding myself with 1500 people within the constraints of 40 acres -- either in the US or a foreign country. The Lord may do a lot of teaching and shaping in my life these next few days.
Whatever other random facts I was going to write about, I cannot remember them and so I guess that I will close and catch up again after this week.
So the days of sweltering heat have arrived. Yesterday Emily turned on the AC in her room mid-day and the temperature read 38Celcius which is about 100F -- and that was inside the apartment! I do not remember this kind of heat last year or in Costa Rica. Needless to say I am dreaming of snow showers. The ashes have begun falling from the sky here in the city. I have not really noticed fires on the surrounding mountainsides but they must be occuring. Since the ashes are somehow ending up inside the house, I have to wonder about the structure of even this building. There are gaps in the roof somewhere.
Last evening I was able to get together with one of my Honduran friends after months of not connecting again. We went to a restaurant with AC which was very nice to experience agian. It was good to reconnect and we have plans to bake cookies sometime after Semana Santa. I think I should start giving baking lessons because so many people want to learn how to bake cookies and such.
Tomorrow I head to camp for the beginning of Semana Santa. I may come back to the city once during the week. There is a good chance the Williamsons will not be in camp for the week because their house is not finished yet and they will have no other place to live with 1500 people on camp. I am planning to pull out my tent which I carried to Costa Rica and now here so I ought to make use of. I am not sure that I can handle being "alone" with 1500 people, watching trash accumulate and being surrounded only by Spanish. I think I will need some oppportunities to express myself in English so as a way of escape from the large crowd, I may sleep in the city one night. I want to have a good attitude but my personality in no way seeks surrounding myself with 1500 people within the constraints of 40 acres -- either in the US or a foreign country. The Lord may do a lot of teaching and shaping in my life these next few days.
Whatever other random facts I was going to write about, I cannot remember them and so I guess that I will close and catch up again after this week.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
When the Danger is Within the Gate...
March 12, 2008
It is 10:30PM and I am sitting up in bed, unable to sleep. I should have been asleep almost an hour ago, but I am waiting and praying. The trouble started around 9:30 when the doorbell to my apartment kept ringing. I thought maybe one of my roommate's friends was passing by though I was not excited because of the late hour. I went outside and it was only the night guard. He tried to communicate something to me but was not using words nor very clear gestures. As he continued to struggle with communicating, I began to wonder if he was drunk. I went back inside but 2 more times the doorbell rang. Then as I was headed up the stairs to my room I heard the cocking of a gun. Looking out I saw the guard aim his gun across the street and shoot at who knows what. I decided that it was time to call the landowner. I had to leave a message but I finally got through. It was one of those situations of, is he really drunk? And yet someone's life could be in danger. I gave up trying to sleep when the gun went off a second time.
The plan is for the security company to bring the manager and a replacement guard but how they will deal with the one who is drunk and has a loaded gun, I do not know. These are the moments when one realizes that even having guards does not ensure safety. Emily is still out though and so I am praying that she will not come home until the trouble is over. Since I will be up until she gets home, I think that I will have to skip an earlly morning run.
I just got the call that a new guard is here and everything is under control. Thank you Lord Jesus for protecting us all, including any random person who was walking along the street. I have been reminded again of why I do not like guns, with the exception of water guns (but water bottles work just as well).
As for some other events of the past week, I spent 5 days out at camp to participate in a training and to pack up the remaining items in my cabin there. Today I had to unpack all of that stuff here in the city and try to find some needed documents which I want to send to the US with a friend this weekend. This morning I had yet another flat tire. Yesterday I must have run over a nail and my oh my was it twisted into the tire! So much for the new tires. Tomorrow morning I am dropping the car off to get the brakes checked because the ABS light keeps coming on. I guess that the saga of car issues has returned again. Monday and Tuesday I spent cleaning and painting window bars at the Williamson's new house so that the windows can be installed tomorrow. there is still much work to be done for it to be livable this coming Monday. Last night I went to my basketball team's scrimmage against another team and had fun playing. We ended up losing by one point but for me, I am more concerned about just playing than winning.
Well, I am officially tired and over the excitement of the evening so sleep is next on my agenda.
It is 10:30PM and I am sitting up in bed, unable to sleep. I should have been asleep almost an hour ago, but I am waiting and praying. The trouble started around 9:30 when the doorbell to my apartment kept ringing. I thought maybe one of my roommate's friends was passing by though I was not excited because of the late hour. I went outside and it was only the night guard. He tried to communicate something to me but was not using words nor very clear gestures. As he continued to struggle with communicating, I began to wonder if he was drunk. I went back inside but 2 more times the doorbell rang. Then as I was headed up the stairs to my room I heard the cocking of a gun. Looking out I saw the guard aim his gun across the street and shoot at who knows what. I decided that it was time to call the landowner. I had to leave a message but I finally got through. It was one of those situations of, is he really drunk? And yet someone's life could be in danger. I gave up trying to sleep when the gun went off a second time.
The plan is for the security company to bring the manager and a replacement guard but how they will deal with the one who is drunk and has a loaded gun, I do not know. These are the moments when one realizes that even having guards does not ensure safety. Emily is still out though and so I am praying that she will not come home until the trouble is over. Since I will be up until she gets home, I think that I will have to skip an earlly morning run.
I just got the call that a new guard is here and everything is under control. Thank you Lord Jesus for protecting us all, including any random person who was walking along the street. I have been reminded again of why I do not like guns, with the exception of water guns (but water bottles work just as well).
As for some other events of the past week, I spent 5 days out at camp to participate in a training and to pack up the remaining items in my cabin there. Today I had to unpack all of that stuff here in the city and try to find some needed documents which I want to send to the US with a friend this weekend. This morning I had yet another flat tire. Yesterday I must have run over a nail and my oh my was it twisted into the tire! So much for the new tires. Tomorrow morning I am dropping the car off to get the brakes checked because the ABS light keeps coming on. I guess that the saga of car issues has returned again. Monday and Tuesday I spent cleaning and painting window bars at the Williamson's new house so that the windows can be installed tomorrow. there is still much work to be done for it to be livable this coming Monday. Last night I went to my basketball team's scrimmage against another team and had fun playing. We ended up losing by one point but for me, I am more concerned about just playing than winning.
Well, I am officially tired and over the excitement of the evening so sleep is next on my agenda.
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Saturation of "The Customer is Always Right"
March 5, 2008
I never realized until living here in Honduras how the US culture is saturated with the theme of customer service. In the US, the customer is always right, even to the detriment of small businesses. Not so here in Honduras. I have been experiencing the other extreme which because of the culture I come from, I find very frustrating.
Yesterday I went to a store in the mall looking for curtains. I saw several options but was not sure how they would look in my room with the walls and other colors that I had around. I asked the sales person if I could purchase two different curtains and then return them. She said it was okay as long as I came back tomorrow to do the return. I double checked with the clerk and she said the same thing. I was a little surprised because I thought that must stores had a no return policy. What you buy is yours for good whether it works or not. Today I went back to the store with both of the curtains because neither really looked good, nor could I find any others in the store that looked like they would work. I had another purchase to make so I picked that out and then proceeded to the check out line. In line the attendant said the item I was buying was on sale so I still had about $8 to spend. I looked a little puzzled and asked "Can't you just give me the change?" The response -- no, there are no refunds for returns. You have to purchase something else of equal or higher cost. I asked whether I could come back another day and she just give me a certficate or something but no, I had to make me purchase at the time of the return. She kindly added that I could take as long as I wanted to look around. That was not the issue. There was nothing that I really needed other than curtains and I did not have time to browse the store for another 30 minutes. But I set off in search of something else. I came back with a fruit basket and strainer and still it was not enough so I went looking again.
What seemed to be hours later I walked out of the store with my purchases, all because of what I thought would be a simple return. It did not matter in the least to the attendant that everyone failed to tell me the second part of their return policy -- no refunds. No apologies, nothing. I am not sure that it would phase the Hondurans so much because that is just the way things are. But I come with certain expectations of customer service and so find myself frustrated at what appears to me an indifferent and sometimes harsh attitude. And yet these experiences have showed me that perhaps we in the US go too much to the other extreme. Maybe I should learn to buy only what I know I want and pay the consequences if it does not turn out as I wished. I think that neither culture has the perfect balance and we both have much to learn from each other. I need to be less demanding and perhaps they more understanding. I have learned a valuable lesson though -- never buy something here in Honduras unless I am sure it is what I want.
I never realized until living here in Honduras how the US culture is saturated with the theme of customer service. In the US, the customer is always right, even to the detriment of small businesses. Not so here in Honduras. I have been experiencing the other extreme which because of the culture I come from, I find very frustrating.
Yesterday I went to a store in the mall looking for curtains. I saw several options but was not sure how they would look in my room with the walls and other colors that I had around. I asked the sales person if I could purchase two different curtains and then return them. She said it was okay as long as I came back tomorrow to do the return. I double checked with the clerk and she said the same thing. I was a little surprised because I thought that must stores had a no return policy. What you buy is yours for good whether it works or not. Today I went back to the store with both of the curtains because neither really looked good, nor could I find any others in the store that looked like they would work. I had another purchase to make so I picked that out and then proceeded to the check out line. In line the attendant said the item I was buying was on sale so I still had about $8 to spend. I looked a little puzzled and asked "Can't you just give me the change?" The response -- no, there are no refunds for returns. You have to purchase something else of equal or higher cost. I asked whether I could come back another day and she just give me a certficate or something but no, I had to make me purchase at the time of the return. She kindly added that I could take as long as I wanted to look around. That was not the issue. There was nothing that I really needed other than curtains and I did not have time to browse the store for another 30 minutes. But I set off in search of something else. I came back with a fruit basket and strainer and still it was not enough so I went looking again.
What seemed to be hours later I walked out of the store with my purchases, all because of what I thought would be a simple return. It did not matter in the least to the attendant that everyone failed to tell me the second part of their return policy -- no refunds. No apologies, nothing. I am not sure that it would phase the Hondurans so much because that is just the way things are. But I come with certain expectations of customer service and so find myself frustrated at what appears to me an indifferent and sometimes harsh attitude. And yet these experiences have showed me that perhaps we in the US go too much to the other extreme. Maybe I should learn to buy only what I know I want and pay the consequences if it does not turn out as I wished. I think that neither culture has the perfect balance and we both have much to learn from each other. I need to be less demanding and perhaps they more understanding. I have learned a valuable lesson though -- never buy something here in Honduras unless I am sure it is what I want.
Monday, March 03, 2008
Still Alive
March 3, 2008
So I am still alive though I have been neglecting communication. Most of that has to do with my scedule the past few weeks and the amount of time I was in camp compared to in the city. Because I am working on an update to send out, I will not write much except to say that I am excited to have the ropes course repairs done and to be able to move on to other things.
Life the past week has had its adventures -- a night hike in the jungle, a gecko in the washer, attempting to cut cable while standing on a ladder, burning my fingers on aluminum foil that just came out of the fire (very stupid on my part), etc... Hopefully I can elaborate more later. I am thankful that my health has improved though the cough I had still lingers a bit. This week I will be mostly in the city in an effort to catch up on some communication, meetings, and other details. And so more to come on life's adventures. As the video below shows, determination is not always enough to get the job done.
So I am still alive though I have been neglecting communication. Most of that has to do with my scedule the past few weeks and the amount of time I was in camp compared to in the city. Because I am working on an update to send out, I will not write much except to say that I am excited to have the ropes course repairs done and to be able to move on to other things.
Life the past week has had its adventures -- a night hike in the jungle, a gecko in the washer, attempting to cut cable while standing on a ladder, burning my fingers on aluminum foil that just came out of the fire (very stupid on my part), etc... Hopefully I can elaborate more later. I am thankful that my health has improved though the cough I had still lingers a bit. This week I will be mostly in the city in an effort to catch up on some communication, meetings, and other details. And so more to come on life's adventures. As the video below shows, determination is not always enough to get the job done.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Brief Update
February 20, 2008
Although my time is short at the moment, I figured that I should give a little update as to what is happening. Last week I was out at camp working with my aunt and uncle on various projects and discovering new projects for the coming weeks. It was good to have them here to participate a bit in my world and to fellowship again. Though there were no long power outages, they got to experience the uncertainties of it.
Sunday I got back to the city and have been busy since even though I sort of took Monday off. I have come down with a cold or flu and so I am trying to fight that off with rest. Daily it seems like new tasks pop up and this coming weekend a guy from Houghton is coming down to help with ropes course repairs so next week will be busy again. The Williamsons also return on Monday which will possibly bring other stuff to do. And so today I will prepare for a ropes course training, the repairs, and begin work on a real update while trying to keep rested. I am very thannkful to have an apartment where I can be without exposing others to sickness (except my roommate and she is very gracious).
Although my time is short at the moment, I figured that I should give a little update as to what is happening. Last week I was out at camp working with my aunt and uncle on various projects and discovering new projects for the coming weeks. It was good to have them here to participate a bit in my world and to fellowship again. Though there were no long power outages, they got to experience the uncertainties of it.
Sunday I got back to the city and have been busy since even though I sort of took Monday off. I have come down with a cold or flu and so I am trying to fight that off with rest. Daily it seems like new tasks pop up and this coming weekend a guy from Houghton is coming down to help with ropes course repairs so next week will be busy again. The Williamsons also return on Monday which will possibly bring other stuff to do. And so today I will prepare for a ropes course training, the repairs, and begin work on a real update while trying to keep rested. I am very thannkful to have an apartment where I can be without exposing others to sickness (except my roommate and she is very gracious).
*The photo is of a parrot we temporarily housed on camp -- long enough take some pictures. The children rescued from being eaten by an iguana.
When We Think We Own the World...
February 20, 2008
Yesterday as I was headed back to my house, I was amazed again by the audacity of a driver. He (or she) acted as if the only important person in the world was their own self. I was in the far right lane waiting to turn right and since we had a green light, the truck in front of me began to make the turn. It stopped though because flying up our lane was an SUV which proceeded to then begin pulling out in traffic. It stopped, probaly because to not have would have meant a major crash as two lanes of traffic were already moving across the interesection. The SUV's position allowed those of us turning right to proceed but I could hear the honks of those who had planned to go straight across the intersection and not found their path blocked by the SUV. My guess would be that the driver did not want to sit in the long line of traffic at the light and decided to head to the front. Whether he really planned to blaze across the intersection on a very red light, I do not know. I was disgusted with the self-centered behavior but as I continued on my way, I was challenged to think about if any of my actions and choices may give the impression that I think I am the most important person in the world. I do not own the world and I want my life to point to the One who does.
Yesterday as I was headed back to my house, I was amazed again by the audacity of a driver. He (or she) acted as if the only important person in the world was their own self. I was in the far right lane waiting to turn right and since we had a green light, the truck in front of me began to make the turn. It stopped though because flying up our lane was an SUV which proceeded to then begin pulling out in traffic. It stopped, probaly because to not have would have meant a major crash as two lanes of traffic were already moving across the interesection. The SUV's position allowed those of us turning right to proceed but I could hear the honks of those who had planned to go straight across the intersection and not found their path blocked by the SUV. My guess would be that the driver did not want to sit in the long line of traffic at the light and decided to head to the front. Whether he really planned to blaze across the intersection on a very red light, I do not know. I was disgusted with the self-centered behavior but as I continued on my way, I was challenged to think about if any of my actions and choices may give the impression that I think I am the most important person in the world. I do not own the world and I want my life to point to the One who does.
Thursday, February 07, 2008
The Joy of Delays
February 7, 2008
This blog entry is a little overdue but my days and evenings have been busy this past week. And it will probably my last entry for quite a while because I head to camp Friday evening to be involved in a camp counselor training that is going on this weekend. Then on Monday my aunt and uncle come to help out at camp for the week so I will not be doing much on the computer.
On Monday I went out to camp and then returned to the city Tuesday afternoon because I had some meetings to attend that evening. I have discovered that those things which consume my time fall into different categories. First there are the accidental delays because of some mistake on my part. And then there are those things which are completely out of my control. Tuesday was a day of both types of delays. In the morning I decided to throw some rugs in the washer and also my mophead because it was pretty nasty and I had read in the store that one was machine washer friendly. Well, the one in the store might have been but mine was not. When I went to retrieve the laundry and hang it up, I discovered that my mophead had been reduced to a ball of matted strings, many of which had separated from the rest and now lined the rugs and few t-shirts that I had in the load. Thankfully it was not a full load but I spent a good 20 minutes or so picking the strings off of the laundry. The mophead is useless as far as mopping goes but I am thinking maybe I could make it into paper pulp and try out papermaking which is to be a camp project anyway. We will see. For now I have saved the blob of strings until I have opportunity to experiment with it.
The second delay of the day was worse. I left camp around 3:45PM with hopes of reaching the city shortly after 5:00PM. I was making good time until about a mile from the city when I ran into traffic that was not moving. I knew I was very close to the city but I also had a feeling that it could be a very long wait. Thankfully it was still light out so I pulled out my journal and starte writing. We moved so seldom that it worked pretty well. One of the things I wrote down was all that I had to be thankful for even while sitting in traffic. It was a good way to help me not get so annoyed with just sitting. And so I sat and crawled along slowly for the next 2 hours. I knew it was bad when people started getting off their buses and walking. I wanted to just leave my car and walk, but I knew it was not an option. I journaled, prayed, and called some friends who I had not talked with in a while. I did struggle with not getting mad at the throngs of people who decided to try and improve their status by cutting out of line and driving either on the shoulder of the road or in the other lane. The road has one lane going in each direction and occasionally a whole line of cars would be going the wrong way in the other lane and then the traffic from the other direction would start moving again. The semis and buses had to squeeze around the on coming traffic even though they had the right away. I have to admit that I was always glad when the traffic that was trying to cut got trapped in the center and had to just sit there because the oncoming traffic was coming and the other slow moving lane did not permit them back in. In the US there are always the people taking to the shoulder and trying to move ahead in traffic jams too but often semis will work together and block their path or at least there is a little concern about the police intervening. And I have yet to see the traffic taking over the other lane and the shoulder at the same time.
I noticed that there was never just one car cutting and driving in the wrong lane. Once one went, it was a license for many others to follow. Perhaps they thought there was safety in numbers or everyone else is doing it so why not? How much influence our bad decisions can have on other people! I was also challenged to evaluate how I maybe cut people off in life.
So I arrived in the city after my meeting began, but I was not too concerned. I figured that we would not get to my part in the meeting for a long time anyway so I was not in a great hurry. I heated up my dinner and then went to the meeting thankful that for once I had not allowed myself to get so stressed and annoyed with waiting. Perhaps, (but only perhaps) I am learning.
This blog entry is a little overdue but my days and evenings have been busy this past week. And it will probably my last entry for quite a while because I head to camp Friday evening to be involved in a camp counselor training that is going on this weekend. Then on Monday my aunt and uncle come to help out at camp for the week so I will not be doing much on the computer.
On Monday I went out to camp and then returned to the city Tuesday afternoon because I had some meetings to attend that evening. I have discovered that those things which consume my time fall into different categories. First there are the accidental delays because of some mistake on my part. And then there are those things which are completely out of my control. Tuesday was a day of both types of delays. In the morning I decided to throw some rugs in the washer and also my mophead because it was pretty nasty and I had read in the store that one was machine washer friendly. Well, the one in the store might have been but mine was not. When I went to retrieve the laundry and hang it up, I discovered that my mophead had been reduced to a ball of matted strings, many of which had separated from the rest and now lined the rugs and few t-shirts that I had in the load. Thankfully it was not a full load but I spent a good 20 minutes or so picking the strings off of the laundry. The mophead is useless as far as mopping goes but I am thinking maybe I could make it into paper pulp and try out papermaking which is to be a camp project anyway. We will see. For now I have saved the blob of strings until I have opportunity to experiment with it.
The second delay of the day was worse. I left camp around 3:45PM with hopes of reaching the city shortly after 5:00PM. I was making good time until about a mile from the city when I ran into traffic that was not moving. I knew I was very close to the city but I also had a feeling that it could be a very long wait. Thankfully it was still light out so I pulled out my journal and starte writing. We moved so seldom that it worked pretty well. One of the things I wrote down was all that I had to be thankful for even while sitting in traffic. It was a good way to help me not get so annoyed with just sitting. And so I sat and crawled along slowly for the next 2 hours. I knew it was bad when people started getting off their buses and walking. I wanted to just leave my car and walk, but I knew it was not an option. I journaled, prayed, and called some friends who I had not talked with in a while. I did struggle with not getting mad at the throngs of people who decided to try and improve their status by cutting out of line and driving either on the shoulder of the road or in the other lane. The road has one lane going in each direction and occasionally a whole line of cars would be going the wrong way in the other lane and then the traffic from the other direction would start moving again. The semis and buses had to squeeze around the on coming traffic even though they had the right away. I have to admit that I was always glad when the traffic that was trying to cut got trapped in the center and had to just sit there because the oncoming traffic was coming and the other slow moving lane did not permit them back in. In the US there are always the people taking to the shoulder and trying to move ahead in traffic jams too but often semis will work together and block their path or at least there is a little concern about the police intervening. And I have yet to see the traffic taking over the other lane and the shoulder at the same time.
I noticed that there was never just one car cutting and driving in the wrong lane. Once one went, it was a license for many others to follow. Perhaps they thought there was safety in numbers or everyone else is doing it so why not? How much influence our bad decisions can have on other people! I was also challenged to evaluate how I maybe cut people off in life.
So I arrived in the city after my meeting began, but I was not too concerned. I figured that we would not get to my part in the meeting for a long time anyway so I was not in a great hurry. I heated up my dinner and then went to the meeting thankful that for once I had not allowed myself to get so stressed and annoyed with waiting. Perhaps, (but only perhaps) I am learning.
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