Witnessing nature -- and man's effect on it

June 29, 2007

One of the things I have been looking forward to most about going back to PA for a short visit (other than seeing family and friends) is being able to drive at night on back country roads with the windows down. I rarely go anywhere around here at night. Yet last night I left the city later than usual and so as I was returning to camp it was practically dark. (The Williamsons were also returning from the city in another vehicle so I had back up should the vehicle have broken down.) There was a storm brewing too so occasionally I would pass through a rain shower. The sky ahead of me frequently lit up with streaks of lightning that sometimes headed straight for the ground and other times went sideways from one cloud to another. I enjoyed being on the road at night but because of security issues, it is not as wise to do around here.

Over the past week, I have witnessed -- what to me and my North American mentality of public lands – does not make sense. The land immediately alongside of the roads is public property hence people can use it for whatever they want. There has been a large truck moving farther and farther down the road the camp is on digging out soil from areas where the ground has eroded and trucking it out. Currently he is now directly across from camp. Steep banks eroded away, creating patches of bare soil and from here people come and take what they want – thereby causing the banks to erode even further. I think that soil erosion is definitely an issue that I want to address in the Outdoor Education program. I am designing a short program for some children in about 2 weeks and I think I will be tying in the topic of erosion.

A positive change that has been coming about at camp is the return of the iguanas. In the past they were hunted and so had pretty much disappeared. Last week I saw an adult iguana run across a path in the jungle and when I looked further into the brush where it had disappeared I saw a young iguana too. An exciting find.

Life in a zoo?

June 17, 2007

I have begun to feel as if my home or at least the front porch is a zoo. I thought that when I left Black Rock, I might be done with caring for and cleaning up after animals, such as I did for many years in the Nature Center. Ironically some of those same animals now inhabit my house and porch. Last Thursday evening Cindy and I were having our Bible Study when all of a sudden she said, “What was that?” There, under the table was a small tail sticking out from behind the surge protector. I was actually quite relieved to see that it was only a small mouse – the cute kind with the big eyes. I had heard more than enough about rats and cockroaches the size of mice that I could be thankful for just a mouse. We tried to shoo it out but were unsuccessful so for the moment it still resides somewhere inside.

The porch on the other hand is a party each evening when the lights go on. A pair of cane toads, Fred and Elsie, (there is an interesting documentary about how cane toads have affected Australia) show up each evening, probably to hunt the myriad of insects that also gather. The cane toads can reach 20cm in size and seem to almost hiss when you try to shoo them away from the door with a broom. They have glands just behind their eyes that secrete defensive poisons which can irritate if absorbed through open cuts. The insects include large beetles, moths, wasps, and praying mantises. A smaller toad (I am calling Eggbert) also wanders on to the porch from time to time. Then of course there are the geckos, both in and out of the house.

Tradition continues in that wherever I travel, I seem to find the ticks (or they find me). My nickname of “tick magnet” still holds true. Apparently the ticks were not as plentiful here until I arrived. I feel bad for everyone else too. Thankfully the ticks here do not carry Lyme’s Disease so I am better off in that sense.

And finally I am in the middle of a battle with termites. They create long tunnels with dirt that run up the walls. I had ignored them for a while but realized that I needed to start bulldozing the tunnels and so I did. But every time I re-enter the house, a new tunnel (in the same place) is under construction. I think that I am finally winning though they have been very persistent. Perhaps they are finally giving up. I know it’s bad though because I have started to dream about insects.

I have found some more exciting insects out in nature (where they belong), one of which you can see here. Finding out the specific names of the various insects is proving challenging because of the limited resources that I have. I have a lot of internet research to do someday when it is possible.

The adventure of standing in line

June 16, 2007

In comparison to some of the past weeks, this one was less eventful – a good thing. On Thursday Wes and I went back into the city and I began the day at the government office where I needed a card that would allow me to buy a car. We asked questions and I was directed to one of the lines so I proceeded to stand there for the next 2 hours although there were maybe 10-12 people in front of me. It was a long wait, but could have been worse. When I finally got to the window I gave the woman my papers and waited to see what was next. After only a moment she told me that I was in the wrong line and needed to go the next window. I stared at her incredulously unable to believe that I had just wasted so much time. I moved to the end of the next line and though the people seemed to feel sorry for me, no one offered to let me move closer in line. The guy behind me also had to change lines, perhaps because he had followed the same information as I had.

By this time it was almost 12:00 at which time the office would close for an hour. I think that I could have used the hour to get married had I wished. There was a young man next to me in this line and he began to ask me the standard questions –Are you a tourist? Do you have any children? Why not? To the latter question I gave my standard response that I want to be married before having children. I only heard one word from him in his next comment which was Latino? I pretended to not understand but I was pretty sure he asking whether I would consider a Latino. Later in the conversation I pretended ignorance again when he said that it is difficult to get into the US – unless you marry a North American. I hope that I did not understand everything that he said, but I am quite certain that I did. He then asked for my phone number to which I politely declined and said that I do not like to give out my number. The adventures never cease! He did not return to the line after lunch and when I finally got to the window it took about 3 minute, and then I was told to return to another line in 40 minutes for my card. I have yet to figure out why the line moved so slowly in the first place. During the 40 minutes I left and found an internet cafe. A much better use of my time.

Mountain views

June 13, 2007

Today I made a trip up the mountain behind camp to get my allergy shots at a medical clinic up there. I had no idea that there was such beautiful sights outside my “backdoor.” To be up on top of the mountain looking down over valleys and hills of pine forest with occasional dark, menacing clouds, and other times clear blue sky was a delight. Getting up the mountain was a bit of a challenge, especially when we took the wrong road and had to turn around. The fuel injectors on the car are not working right so starting on a hill is nearly impossible. Once at the clinic I got to meet the missionary nurse, Lisa, who lives down in the village. It was neat to have another connection and to hear her perspectives on being a single female missionary in the area. She just adopted two very young children so she is now tied down or she would have been one to explore more of the country with. She has definitely chosen the way of immersing herself almost completely in the Honduran culture and has very few close North American contacts. I look forward to getting to know her better.

Tranquil moments

June 12, 2007

Yesterday as I was driving up the hill to camp, I was impressed by the view – white cumulous clouds contrasted against the blue sky above dark mountains below. It was a moment of being thankful for being in the country once again. Later that evening we had a “delicious” thunderstorm meander through camp. At first I thought I might take a walk in the rain but I did not act quickly enough and soon it was a downpour so I stayed put in the house and simply relaxed – e-mails and a movie.

This morning the electric went off at 5:00AM and by 7:00 it was still off so I was beginning to think it might be another “one of those days.” I was dreading opening the fridge which warms up so quickly. As I was bemoaning the problems I have with my food during these power outages, I was struck with the realization that I need to learn to live in simplicity. I had been talking with one of the Hondurans on staff, Marlene (her name in English) and she was saying how they do not have a fridge. They buy the meat for a meal that day and they do not have leftovers. I, on the other hand, buy my food days in advance and then have to store it through all of the storms that arise. I also cook too much, have leftovers, and then have to preserve them. Part of the problem for me is that buying meat in the town is not a good idea because with all of the power outages it is not easy to trust the quality of it. But I could eat less meat and more beans. I was reminded of the Israelites and the manna that the Lord provided. He instructed them to gather only enough for that day and not to store it up except when the Sabbath came. I do not think that the Lord is telling me to start shopping for my food every morning but I have realized that I have a lot to learn from the people in the villages about simplicity.

Later in the day after my work was done I was relaxing in my hammock that one of the staff helped me to put up. I had planned to journal and read while it was still daylight but Marlene came over to my porch and sat down. We ended up chatting for probably an hour which actually was good. I found out later that her children and others on camp were playing soccer so I was disappointed to have missed out on that game, but this way I got to do more talking. Just as I was headed into my house to prepare supper, the electric went out but it came back on in time for me to use the toaster oven instead of the gas stove. The Willamsons had gone to the city for 2 days and they came back with lots of mail for me. Homemade baked goods and long letters … it was awesome! Every time I have left Lancaster for either a mission trip or even college, I have been so blessed by the support of friends, my family, and my church body. I was challenged to think about how poorly I do at sending little notes and/or gifts to others who are far away from their family and friends.

I am not alone

The following entry includes a bunch of stories from this past week. My perspective during the events was often not the greatest as I simply saw one problem after another -- some bigger than others. But as I look back I can smile and laugh and realize that it was not as bad as I thought while in the midst of the challenges. I hope that you can laugh too. I hope too that most of you cannot identify with the week but I know that we all, whether living overseas or in our hometown, have these challenging days. I am glad that I can learn from the challenges but also look forward to brighter days. I am glad that I was reminded yet again that I am not alone and that I need the help of others -- whether in tangible help, prayer support, or in words of encouragement. God works through people. Okay,here is the saga and I tried not to dramatize it too much.

Perhaps the week started off all wrong when I was making tea and found a tick drowned in my purified water that either came directly out of the bottle or had found its way into the closed pot on the stove. I looked at it, decided I did not want to waste the purified water and simply fished it out with a spoon (which I later used without washing). It was at this point that I thought, "So is this what missionary life is like?" or something to that effect. It was also the beginning of the week when I discovered that though I could hear others when they called me on my cell phone, no one could hear me. And the problem was more than just the fact that I do not talk a lot. Thankfully I got the phone fixed in the village on Wednesday. Little did I know how important it would be to me the next day.

On Thursday morning I headed to the city to do some car shopping and hopefully internet research and to make more contacts. Before I left I grabbed my cooler from inside the freezer and was horrified to see a cockroach inside of it. I thought the freezer would be the last place to find one. Perhaps it crawled in over the weekend when the electric was out and managed to survive the cold. I met up with a Honduran Insurance salesman from the church, Tony. He drove me all around the city for about 6 hours looking at different cars and talking to various people. He had to make a few stops for his business too so I really had no idea when we would be done or what the plan was. Originally I thought that he might take me to one lot and that would be it. By 4:30 we were at his office and I knew that if I was to get home before dark I needed to leave very soon so I asked if he could take me back to the mall where my car was. (actually it is not my car, it is the Williamson's and that was what made the next part of the story worse)

At the mall I had to purchase a phone card and I tried to check and send e-mail but my computer at first would not turn on and then when it did, I could not get on-line. Feeling frustrated, I headed out to the car. As I approached the car I tried to unlock it with the button, but it would not work. Suddenly fear set in because I wondered if I had left the lights on. I had been in a parking garage first thing in the morning and then ended up parking outside later but possibly forgot that the lights were on. Sure enough I opened the door with the key and tried to start the car (thereby setting the alarm off) and not a sound. The alarm kept going off every 30 seconds or so no matter what buttons I pushed. I called back to Cindy at camp and she said she would call 2 families we know here in the city and see if either could help me out. With the alarm going off constantly, the stupidity of my action looming in front of me, and the other stresses of the day (and probably week) I was in tears. There was a guard nearby and he came over and then a man drove his truck over to jumpstart the Patrol. It took a long time to get the battery charged to where it would start and by that time it was too late to head home so I had to ask to stay at someone's house. The one couple was gracious to let me come over and they had a battery charger which was good so I headed across town to their home. Being in the city overnight did have its advantages -- internet, vonage phone, and a chance to calm down. I felt bad about being there though because the other staff had spent the day fighting a fire on the edge of camp and if it flared up again, I wanted to be able to help. Driving alone after dark though was not an option, so I stayed put. And the fires died down even without any rain which was a big answer to prayer. But the next day the adventures continued.

I left the missionaries' home around 8:30 and started down the road but I stopped for gas. The car had started right up previously so it seemed like it would be fine. But at the gas station the car would not start and the alarm kept going off again. I called the couple and they graciously came back to help me out even though they were on their way out of the city. The guys at the gas station helped get the car started but then Mark wanted to check and make sure the battery was charging properly. In the end it was and possibly the problem had been the alarm because apparently if it is going off you cannot start the car until you push the "secret" button.

I decided that I would attempt to run some more errands in the city and pray that the car would work fine. I ended up stopping by the MCC (Mennonite Central Committee)office and meeting a few of the missionaries there (I got a name of a girl who is doing Enviro. Ed. somewhere not too far from me). I then went to lunch because I knew the government office where I needed to go would be closed for an hour. When I got to the office, no one seemed very sure what line I should be in and the line I was in did not move for 15 minutes so I decided not to risk getting up front and discovering I needed to be somewhere else. I just left. I was also exhausted and I knew I would get a headache standing there for several hours.

I then went to try and get internet connection at the mall but that did not work. From there I tried to see if some friends were home and they were not, so I headed to the grocery store -- my last stop. I still wanted to do e-mail while it was free and there is a good connection so I decided to try some parking lots of fast food restaurants because some of them have wireless access. I pulled into one and it did not so I turned right out of the drive onto a side street and headed towards the main street, maybe 200 feet away. I do not remember seeing any signs, but as soon as I got onto the road, I had a feeling that I was on a one-way street. It was wide enough for 2 (or 3) cars so a head-on collision was not really a concern. I cannot remember if I could have turned left into some parking spots along the road but I realized I was practically on the main road so probably the best thing would be to just go and turn right like I needed to. I pulled up to the road and just as I was pulling out, I groaned inwardly because I saw a cop car coming my way. Sure enough they saw me and flashed their lights so I had to pull over. For some reason I was closer to laughter than tears because I could hardly believe that yet another thing had gone wrong. The policemen came up to my car and I tried to explain that I had no idea it was a one-way street but either they did not understand or did not care. I had broken the law but it was very unintentionally. He told me he would have to keep my license till Monday and then I could pay $50 to get it back. I explained that I do not live in the city and so I would not be here to pick up. I think he said I would have 30 days to pay the bill, but all I could think about was that I was not sure I trusted leaving my license with the police. I had not yet talked with the missionaries about what happens when stopped by police so my thought was to get out of their as soon as I could. I also had memories of reading of a friend's encounter with the police and how he just paid them a little money at the moment and they let him go. So I asked if I could pay him now. At first I said $10 and he said no. I then opened my wallet and pulled out all that I had there which was only about $18. (Thank goodness for pockets!) In the end he went to the other side of the car and took the money. Thankfully he gave me the car registration and my passport back but I was worried for a bit. After talking with the missionaries I discovered that when paying the fine you do recieve your license back and so in order to not encourage the corruption in the police, I would be better off retuning later to pay the fine. Now I know.

I then headed to the grocery store and went in the wrong direction, mostly because I listened to what I thought the police said was the way to go. Needless to say I was ready to leave the city. The drive home went fine but I was exhausted and my legs hurt as if I had exercised a lot but it was probably only from the stress and tension. I wish that I could say my time in the city had been productive but I only have a few car leads (one of which is bright yellow and therefore not exactly a vehicle with which I could blend into society at least in the country) and I never ended up being able to do internet research. I did get to speak in Spanish a lot and I also learned that when I live in the city I might be able to join a women's basketball team so there was some good in the midst of the stress.

Saturday morning I went to wash my hands and no water came out of the spicket and I looked at it in amazement. My thought was, "Lord, no! I cannot handle no water right now!" I wondered which I would dislike more in the end -- no water for 48 hours or no electric. Thankfully after asking some other staff I discovered that someone had turned the water off to work on another area. I spent the rest of the day cleaning and trying to relax a bit. I also got to play soccer for the first time since my arrival with some of the staff, roofers, and children. Today (Sunday) was rather uneventful. The biggest disruption to the "norm" came when when one of the camp dogs walked into the area where we were having church this evening and we all gasped and choked because of the overwhelming odor of skunk. She must have taken a direct hit and we also suffered for it. Unfortunately her second entry seemed to distract us all from focusing and Wes had to wrap things up. Quite the week is all that I can say. But I survived and I know that God is still in control and has a plan in the midst of the seeming chaos at times. He is faithful!

To the Copan Ruins

The other week I had the opportunity to join up with the Mayterm class from Houghton and also a work team from South Dakota and visit the Copan Ruins. (They are from the Mayan Indians). I had been there before with the Mayterm class but that was many years ago and I actually found that I was more appreciative and learned more this time. The professor who leads the trips is the same one who was in charge back when I came 10 years ago. It was good to catch up with him and also to meet some new people. The group from South Dakota had just arrived so I was able to give them a few pointers as far as food and travel go. I also enjoyed having the opportuntity to help others with their Spanish even though it was only a little bit. And of course piling 17-19 persons into the back of pick-up was fun! I actually missed that adventure in Costa Rica because the laws were more strict.

In the evening one of the girls and I walked around the little town of Copan Ruinas and I found comfort in that it was a safe place where walking at night was okay. I was not sure how I was getting back to camp but in the end I got a bus ticket and hopped off at the turn off to my town. It was fun to have that independence again and be able to take the public transportation. The sign for the bus line was a bit deceptive because it showed a nice coach bus and said "air-condition" and "bathrooms." In the end it was more like a school bus but I had to laugh because a sign up front said that there might be a security camara on board. Many buses come from the States and they continue to boast signs and names from whatever town or county they first came from.

After the rain

From one adventure to another it seems. The rains came on Thursday but with that apparently comes power outages. Friday the power was going off and on all day so during one of the "on" times I prepared everything I would need for dinner and made it easily accessible in the fridge so that it would lose as little cold as possible if I opened the door. Sure enough at 6:00PM the power went out again. I eventually made dinner but spent most of the evening reading. I forgot about candles until 8:00 so I was wasting the batteries of my flashlight. And by that time I was ready for bed. This morning I awoke to still no power and I delayed breakfast as long as possible, not wanting to open the fridge again. But by the time I was ready to leave for the city at 11:00AM there was still no electric. I took a few things from the fridge and realized that the milk and meat was going to be bad by the time I got home. I had forgotten that I cannot stock up on food here for the reason of power outages. I just hope that all of my meat and leftovers in the freezer were okay.

I arrived safely at the house where I am dog and house sitting. A big storm has hit San Pedro Sula now and the electric has been flickering but thankfully there is still power. I managed to find a flashlight and some matches just in case I run into troubles. The dogs (one of which is partially Pit Bull) were both terrified of the storm and it took me a while to figure out why they were hanging around me all of a sudden. Meanwhile the car alarm went off because the thunder was so loud. I am loving the mint chocolate chip ice cream though -- a definite plus of the city.

New Month, New Adventures

This new month dawns with a very new appearance. When I walked outside my house this morning, I walked out into a world that had been refreshed. Gone are the smoke, dust, the ashes, and appearance of creation thirsting for just one drink.

It has certainly been quite the week. On Tuesday the smell of smoke was so heavy around camp that we were sure there must be a fire close by. Entire burnt leaves and ferns were falling from the sky. (The ashes themselves were a little reminder of snow--but only a little. Now having heard from one of my friends who saw snow while backpacking in the Adirondacks, the ashes don't seem so snow-like.) Both Cindy and I walked around looking for the fire and saw nothing. But only an hour later, as dusk began to settle into the valley, we clearly saw the flames dancing and crackling on the hillside on the other side of the creek. That evening most of the staff gathered out at the amphitheater and watched to see how far the fire would descend towards camp. It was a beautiful evening to be sitting outside. The moon was nearly full and the glow from the fires was actually a cool sight. At 10:30 we decided that the fire would not reach camp anymore that night, so we returned to our homes with the watchmen planning to keep an eye on the fire during their rounds.

The next day was the day off for the Honduran staff, so only the Williamsons and I were on camp. Wes and I went to the Internet Café earlier in the morning than usual because we knew that the fire danger would be greatest in the afternoon. I was just finishing up lunch and about to head outside to check on the fires when Wes called to say that fire had reached the creek and new fence posts. I hurried down to the creek, but it was a small fire and two of the Williamson girls were working to put it out, so there was not a huge rush. I waded through the creek and helped to put out some of the flames and also wet some areas to prevent the fire upstream from crossing over. Further downstream there was a fire of concern, too, but the winds (which were blowing opposite than normal) were taking the fire back up the hill and not sending the sparks down to camp.

By mid-afternoon the fire-fighting was over and I went home. Up until this point, the constant smoke had not really bothered me, but by evening my eyes were burning from the smoke. Often the air outside of the house was less smoky than inside because the smoke entered and accumulated. I was glad that I was going to the city the next day, where perhaps the air would be cleaner. Early Thursday morning I awoke to a light rain, which was a big praise, but actually nothing in comparison to what came later in the day. Around 1:00PM it began to pour at camp and continued to rain into Friday morning. That is the best fire prevention.

I finally drove in the city and it was not too bad, but I did have a navigator with me. After walking around for a while in various parts of the city, I realized that I am a little tired of the stares of the people as they see a white girl walking around. A woman who had been in front of me in a line for an ATM that did not work saw me later and asked if I had been able to get money out. At first I could not remember who she was, but of course she had no trouble recognizing me because I stand out in the crowd.

When we arrived back at camp around suppertime, I was met with yet another surprise. Perhaps it was the first rain, or maybe it was just coincidence, but the Williamsons' house was swarming with flying insects. (I have yet to figure out exactly what they are). I began to identify with the Egyptians and what the plagues must have been like. I also thought of Laura Ingalls Wilder and the swarms of locusts that were described at least once in her books. The insects would fly into the house (squeezing through the screens even) and eventually lose their wings, but still they crawled around. It only took a few minutes in the house before I could feel them crawling all over me. We ate in the only room that was not teeming with them and kept most of the lights off.

I dreaded going back to my house to see what the damage was, but Becca, one of the Williamsons, came with me to help with the cleanup. Much to my surprise I walked into my house and did not see even one of the insects. I was very thankful. Perhaps the house had been too dark for their liking, and since the rain was heavier they had disappeared again. I can only wonder what the next adventure will be. Actually, it will probably be Saturday’s trip into the city alone. I get to house-sit for some other missionaries and have access to Wireless and a Vonage phone. I am excited.

Adventures of camp

May 17, 2007

One never knows what you will find wandering the roads in a tropical country! This morning I was headed out to the woods to do some more observing of the wildlife when suddenly it began to pour. Yesterday there were a few sprinkles but they never amounted to anything. Today I decided I should head back for my jacket. By the time I left the house again, minutes later the rain had stopped so I guess the rains have not quite arrived but at least there is hope of them. I am anxious for them for the sake of the camp and wildlife but for myself, I do not anticipate the torrential downpours days on end that I experienced during Costa Rica’s rainy season.

Anyway I went in search of Wes, the Camp Director, and found him holding a coral snake. One of the night watchmen had seen it on the road last night and killed it. The snake was a little over 3 feet long and was bigger than I imagined a coral snake could be. I had never seen a coral snake other than through the glass at zoos and places like that. In the end I picked it up because I had to take the opportunity. We decided to skin the snake and attempt to save the bones by burying them and then digging them up after the flesh has decomposed. I aided in this process too though only for the sake of the story. I do not like touching dead animals in the least. I guess that I can rest assured that if I ever need to survive by eating a snake, I know how to skin it. Never mind the fact that I have to kill it first. I am not going to use the snake skin to decorate the walls of my house though it would add some color to the grey. We hope to have a Nature Center at some point and the skin will go nicely there. I have officially decided that I probably should use a flashlight when walking to my house at night, especially if I have sandals on. I always wondered about the snakes but now I know too much.

Earlier in the week Joel caught a Basilisk (Jesus Christ Lizard) in the backyard of the home of missionaries in the city. He has a knack for catching animals and later he tried to make a trap so that we could transport it to camp where it would actually have space to run around, but the trap did not work. The first time he caught it by hand which is amazing because these lizards are fast. They get their name because they run on top of the water. I think that in many ways there will never be a dull moment around here at least when it comes to animals and wildlife.

Reflections from the first week

May 8, 2007

It has been a full week that I have been here in Honduras but I do not think I have adjusted yet to the temperatures of upper 90’s and 100’s. Thankfully someone told me yesterday that these temperatures are unusually high. This evening Abigail Williamson, the 6 year old, was visiting with me in my house while I was finishing up a dessert for dinner. Somehow (and without any prompting from me) the subject turned to snow, and she told me that she is praying it will snow here in Honduras but that others will be praying for it too and will send winter coats down just before it snows. I had to smile, but I told her that I am praying for the snow to come too – probably not with as much faith as her though.

On Sunday the Williamson’s and I drove back into the city and went to the church that owns the camp. I was excited to run into Francisco, a man who I had met almost 2 years ago at a Father-Daughter ministry day at camp. I had been “life guarding” at the creek and he was there with his 4 year old daughter. While she played, we got to talking and I had shared that I was considering returning to Honduras for missions. In our conversation I was blessed by his faith, insight and prayers. Last year I had tried e-mailing him with some information about diesel vans that he had requested, but it never went through. He recognized me right away because he still has a picture of his daughter and I. If I remember correctly, most of his children are my age, but then they have Cristina who is still very young. I was able to meet his wife yesterday too which was neat though I did not see Cristina.

I am learning why life here is so “tranquilo” or slow (from my perspective). For some the intense heat has a calming effect and for this reason there are afternoon siestas. The pace of walking is slow, often because of the heat. Even with this reason, I will probably still not slow my walking pace too much. Perhaps it is my sense of competition or maybe the fact that I like to do as much as possible, but slowing down when walking is a challenge for me. Anyway, everything seems to take longer here, whether that be cleaning, cooking, or going to town. The roads do not allow high speeds, especially out here in the villages. On Monday I got into fourth gear on a paved road segment and I was quite excited. I had also ventured out further on my own than previously so that was fun.

Cooking takes so long because of the need for careful food washing and preparation. I am forever washing and then drying my hands because the water is anything but clean and so even a drop of water on my hands that touches the food I am about to eat, could make me sick. I am thankful that so far I have I have stayed healthy.

Finally there are the simple, random events that change the schedule. Monday when I was about to head to town for the Internet and veggies, I drove around camp and discovered that I could not leave because I was locked in. I do not yet have a gate key and so I had to wait until Wes returned from a walk with his son to head to town. Tuesday I went to town only to find that the Internet Café was closed. I returned to camp (only about 5 minutes away) and later after talking to Wes (they were all in San Pedro), I decided to go to the next town up. I arrived to find the Internet Café open but without service. Since it had been a long day with a lot of “wasted” time, I decided to stop in Pinalejo for an ice cream so that my trip would not be in vain. But when I entered a little corner store, they had nothing and directed me across the street. At this store the first worker did not seem to understand what I was asking for. Perhaps my pronunciation of “helado” was terrible, I do not know. The second guy pointed me back down the street the way I had come from. I decided it was not worth the trek and returned to camp with nothing to show for my travels, but I had at least had a few exchanges in Spanish.

And even as I struggle with accepting and enjoying the “tranquilo” pace, I know that such a pace is often a good thing and I have lots to learn from the culture. Why do I rush around so much and cram so much into my day that I cannot even enjoy it? Why do I so often measure a day by how much I think that I have accomplished? Here you really only get things done when you know people and have built relationships. That may mean that you sit and chat with someone for an hour before you actually bring up the reason why you are visiting or mention what your need is. And so perhaps my measurements need to change to include, how did I do with building relationships today?

Nature Journal

"Nature Journal" posts are all about creation and the natural world in Honduras.

This morning I took my first walk into the “jungle” here at camp. I somewhat dreaded the walk because I always get attacked by mosquitoes but today they were not a problem. It is so dry here that I could hardly remember what it was like to be in the woods with the normal high humidity. Every path was strewn with curled, dried leaves that crunched with every foot fall. So much for sneaking up on animals. Had I not been carrying books and binoculars, I would have been tempted to catch the falling leaves that the wind kept driving from the trees. (Okay, I was still tempted but unsuccessful.) The a pair of motmots (a beautiful bluish bird) flashed in and out of view, but they never sat still long enough for me to determine with certainty whether they were the blue-crowned motmots.

My first sighting that excited me was that of the ground anole. It has a bright red throatfan which it puffed out as it stood upside down on the trunk of a tree. I think that it was trying to defend its territory and perhaps scare me off, but instead I was intrigued. The forest floor was covered with small lizards that would dart too and fro and hide among the leaves. Unfortunately none of my resource books include a picture of the specific type of lizard that I kept seeing. Because they would dart out of sight whenever I moved close I decided to sit still for a while and wait until they forgot about me. As I was sitting on a rock beside one of the paths, a small lizard began to venture across but froze, staring at me. We stared at each other without moving for a long while, both determined to outlast the other. I won. Finally it advanced closer and actually ran right under me, out of sight again. (I should have taken my camera). After a bit it was off and running again so I continued on my path, only to run into the same lizard a few minutes later. This time it had won because it appeared to be finishing off a mid-morning snack of a cicada. Although its snack was in no way appetizing, I was reminded that I was also hungry and I began to head back to the main camp.

Progress was slow because I continued to look around. Just as I was about to exit the forest, I spotted a bright orange oriole overhead. I think it was either a streak-backed oriole or a hooded one. I need to see to see the backside. I look forward to the next trek into the forest for pictures

and further identification. I will certainly love this part of my job.

Journeys

Much has happened in the last few days. Late Monday night I arrived in the San Pedro Sula Airport. I did not notice the cameraman and reporter as I exited into the waiting area, but moments later a man who had been across the aisle from me on the plane, was greeted by the crowd and the camera. I have yet to figure out who he was but apparently someone at least slightly famous.

Wes and Cindy Williamson picked me up and took me to a hotel which is actually small apartments that can be rented for long periods of time. The location would be a possibility for me once I move to San Pedro. Breakfast was included and when I went there the next morning, I decided to be more outgoing than usual and I asked to sit with a group who looked like a mission team from the US. They were all from Tennessee and come to Honduras to dig wells while the women teach soap and papermaking. It was a neat connection.

Around 9:00AM Wes and Cindy came with their children, and we headed to Sears where I began to make my first household purchases (though I still had not seen the house). Later we joined other missionaries for lunch at Wendy’s and afterwards spent hours in the grocery store. I was blessed by the generosity of all the missionaries that I met
because they would look around their house, decide that they were not using something and then pass it on to me. With a mattress tied to the roof of the Patrol, we could not open the back doors so we crawled through the windows. True, entering from the front would have been a possibility but much less exciting.

It was almost 5:30PM till we actually began the journey homeward to the Campamento Manantial de Vida in Pinalejo. I had thought that Costa Rica was dry but here as we drove along, there was evidence of forest fires everywhere. Ashes were falling from the sky in the city – definitely a new experience for me. I saw a few small flames but the day before the flames had apparently been higher than the Montero. My favorite part of the drive was the glorious sunset. The sun was a brilliant pink ball that lowered itself behind the mountain peaks. For me it was a welcome to Honduras, just as the evening before I witnessed a lovely sunset in Costa Rica while driving to the airport. That sunset was more of a close to the last chapter of my life. Tuesday I was beginning a new chapter. A few places along the road to Pinalejo actually reminded me of my drives to Houghton College along Rt. 17 during the winter months when very little was alive. Those of you who know that route, I am sure appreciate the reminder of winter. :)

Tuesday evening I began the work of unpacking but did not get too far. Thankfully I am able to go to sleep without having everything organized immediately or else I would have been without sleep. The house is actually quite spacious but I am trying to figure out where to put books and kitchen stuff without having shelves, counters, or closets. For that reason I still have much to unpack. I hate to wash all of the pots and pans that were in storage when there is no place to put them. I do have a nice fridge and a stove with an oven. The walls are gray cinder blocks and it is a gray cement floor, so I have to figure out how to add color and life. I am not living in the igloo but I can look out of my window and see it. The Williamsons have loaned me many things including a living room chair. Oh, there is a nice porch too on which I would like to put a hammock. I spent most of Wednesday unpacking, washing vegetables, and getting familiar with Pinalejo. I also had the opportunity to drive again – the first time in 4 months. I think it was the first time in 8 months that I had driven standard and thankfully it went pretty well.

Tomorrow I will be going back to San Pedro Sula (about an hour and a half from camp) for a Personal Security Seminar. It should be a good opportunity to meet people and of course learn some important information. I also have some furniture to pick up and who knows what else.

This morning I found my first living thing in my house (other than ants) – a cricket. I was quite excited. I know that the other animals will come over time but it was a gentle breaking in. I have been thankful that for the past two days we have had electric consistently, thereby allowing fans and lights. I have much adjusting to do to the temperatures – the 90’s and humid. But there is beauty all around. Twice I have seen the lovely Motmot bird flying near my cabin. I want to get out in the woods soon and start investigating what is here. And so I am beginning the adjustment to a new life, a new culture.

Well, I am sort of beginning the adjustment. I am adding more to this blog while I wait for the computer to open my blog site. I can see that internet here in the villages is going to be much slower. God may work on patience in me. Wes told me that often things take much longer than expected or unexpected problems arise. I was on my way into town this morning to do internet before he needed the vehicle to go to the bank (I am borrowing their Montero for now) when I remembered seeing a sign yesterday that the Internet Café closes for lunch from noon to 1:00PM. I knew that 20 minutes would not be enough time to download e-mail so I turned around. I may have to resort to having my cousin download my new blogs. Vamos a ver. (We will see.)

The final week

April 27-30, 2007

Here I sit in darkness once again with a few candles lighting the room. Over the past week there have been black-outs all over the country because there is not enough water for running the electric plants. The summer was long and dry and the rains have not come soon enough. I guess that my parents are getting a good taste of what life in Honduras is like because there brown outs are much more common. I thought Costa Rica would be a gentle adjustment for them.

I can hardly believe that I leave tomorrow for Honduras. My parents will fly out in the morning and I, twelve hours later at 8:00PM. The goodbyes have not been the easiest because I made a lot of good friends here. I will probably get to see most of my Costa Rican friends again since Costa Rica is almost the closest country to Honduras where I can go to renew my visa. Some of them may also travel to Honduras and we can visit there.

The past few weeks have gone quickly. I passed all my exams and was able to graduate on Wednesday. The exams and attempting to pack made a long week from April 16-20. My parents arrived on the 20^th and we headed almost immediately to Volcan Arenal where we spent the weekend. I was up late journaling and from the porch of our hotel room I was able to see a bit of the orange lava shooting out of the volcano. Both days in the area we were blessed with good weather and visibility so throughout the day we would see ashes and rocks tumbling down the mountainside. According to the locals, Arenal had not been that visible for months so the timing was great for us.

After Arenal we went east and visited the town of Sarapiqui. There we took a riverboat tour and saw many lizards, birds, and monkeys. The highlight for me was seeing a caiman up close. (I had hoped for a crocodile but a caiman is close enough that I cannot complain). The hotel we stayed at was a bit of tropical paradise but without air condition (I had forgotten to ask for it) so it was a bit stretching for my parents. My dad and I took an early morning hike and saw howler monkeys and many kinds of birds, including the Montezuma Oropendola.

I returned to San Jose for classes on Tuesday though in reality there was no learning that took place so late in the school year. In the afternoon we went to downtown San Jose and my parents were able to experience the bus system. A true experience involves standing in the aisle for a good 20 minutes or more but since the bus was not crowded, they did not have to deal with that adventure. In the evening we had a birthday celebration with my parents and my Tico family. I had to do a fair amount of translating from Spanish to English and English to Spanish. The challenge came when I would forget to translate into English and would just start talking to my parents in Spanish. On Wednesday I graduated from the Language Institute and helped to make sure that the reception went smoothly. After scrambling to pack several bags to send to Honduras with friends, my parents and I left for La Cumbre camp in the mountains. I wanted to be there during their science camp but unfortunately I missed all of the science classes and was there for the activities that I had already witnessed, such as the high ropes course. It was fun nonetheless.

I had yet another birthday cake and had opportunity to talk with my camp friends and say the goodbyes. My parents and I relaxed quite a bit, hiked, and played games. Just before we left we were able to see the Resplendent Quetzal, my favorite bird that I have seen here in Costa Rica. We were quite the tourists standing out under a steady rainfall, trying to peer through binoculars from beneath an umbrella to get a better view of the Quetzal.

During the last 2 days that my parents were here we went on a tour to an old, working farm where they showed how they process sugar cane, coffee, and macadamia nuts. In spite of the rain off and on throughout the day, it was a beautiful setting and I learned a lot. Then on Sunday my Tico family, my parents, and I went to Poas Volcano and La Paz Waterfall Gardens. I do not think I ever had a more beautiful travel day which was an incredible gift from God. The day was sandwiched between many dreary days. We were able to see both the crater (with its sulfuric smoke) and the lagoon at Poas. And at the waterfall gardens we enjoyed the birds, butterflies, hummingbirds, and of course the waterfalls themselves. I thought it fitting that I finished my journal (of the past 2 months) sitting by the La Paz Waterfall. La Paz means “the peace” and as I leave Costa Rica today, I want to go in peace knowing that though I leave behind many friends and memories, I can go in peace because the Lord is going before and with me to Honduras. My prayer too is that I will have peace in my heart as I trust in Him to do His work and His will in my life. Peace as I follow Him. That is not to say that there will not be stormy times – quite the contrary. But I know that God can fill me with His peace in the midst of those trials. A key is that I keep the focus of my heart, mind, and eyes on Him. It is interesting how the lessons of the beginning of my time in Costa Rica are coming back to me.

And so an hour before I left the electric was out again. I was actually glad to arrive at the airport where I could use my computer. Having just been at the airport at 6:00AM this morning when it was a madhouse, I was shocked to enter and find that I was almost the only customer there for any airline. Apparently the evening flights are not so busy and 2 hours for the lines is not necessary. There were no lines! I was quite ecstatic. Today, my last day in Costa Rica, I finally found a place that sells Chai Tea. And I was drinking coffee for nothing!! Oh well, I enjoyed a cup of Chai with one of my Tica friends before having to say goodbye. I guess I just have one more thing to look forward to when I visit Costa Rica again.

Easter Day

April 8, 2007

This morning I went for a run before church and as I left the house I noticed that the hill with the crosses was obscured by clouds and yet a small hill in front of it was bathed in sunshine. I thought it was fitting that the crosses were out of sight because today is Easter, the celebration of Christ's resurrection. He is not on the cross anymore; He is alive! I did miss singing some of the traditional Easter hymns this morning. The service was good but not what I am used to for the Easter Day celebration. After church I headed home for a little bit before going over to my friends' house (Matthew and Jennifer) for lunch. It seemed like an Easter dinner because I was definitely stuffed afterwards. After dinner we went to a nearby park and the guys hid white (unpainted) Easter eggs for the 2 boys. It is encouraging that Easter has not become such a commercialized holiday here and you cannot actually buy Easter egg dye, Easter candy, or bunnies. Later in the afternoon I taught my friends Settler's of Catan and we played 2 games. I should do a little studying yet this evening but we will see. After a week of vacation from classes it is hard to think of going to school again tomorrow but I need to get ready to finish out the next two weeks.

Exploring Monteverde

April 1, 2007

Several weeks ago I took a trip to Monteverde which is a large cloud forest. I went with three friends, two of whom are Ticos from camp. Friday after classes we left on the 5 hour bus ride. The bus was packed with people headed to Monteverde, most of whom were American tourists like myself. Many had to stand for the entire bus ride and because I was not feeling the greatest I did not end up offering my seat to any of them, though I would have liked to. I saw several students with Penn State x-country shirts on the bus and discovered that they were here studying for the semester.

We stayed in the little mountain town of Santa Elena, a town sustained mostly by tourism. Our first day we went to the Monteverde Reserve which is reported to have many monkeys, wild cats, and beautiful birds. Unfortunately we did not actually see much other than a few birds. Later in the day we visited a serpentarium which contained many species of poisonous snakes. A Quaker school group from Philadelphia was also there doing a tour and it brought back memories of Outdoor Education in Pennsylvania. There is a Quaker community in Monteverde but I did not actually visit their cheese factory or cross paths with them. That night my one friend and I went on a guided night hike. We were able to see tarantulas, the Mexican hairy porcupine, coatis, raccoons, sleeping birds, and praying mantises. I was hoping to see a poisonous snake (from a distance of course) but we did not see anything quite that exciting. I enjoyed being on the receiving end of a night hike after having led many at Black Rock Retreat.

On Sunday we had the opportunity to do the Canopy Tours and hanging bridges. Canopy tours are very similar to gigantic zip-lines but they span gorges and run through the very top of the trees. A few of them reached heights and lengths that were quite thrilling. Because it was very windy that day, there were several cables where you had to go in pairs to prevent getting stuck out in the middle and having to pull yourself in. I was thankful that I am comfortable with heights or else the letting go would have been very difficult.

Kinkajou
Monday two of my friends left to return to San Jose while the other two of us took a guided tour at another reserve. Unfortunately it rained and rained which limited what we could see. We did see a Kinkajou (the above picture was taken in the zoo, not on the hike) up in the trees and then a peccary walking around outside the café area. Interesting fact: the kinkajou has a very long tongue that is twice the size of its head. Before heading back to San Jose I was able to get some ice cream from a little shop. It was rich and creamy and reminded me of the ice cream made in the dairies in Lancaster. Due to some accidents and broken down vehicles in the middle of the road the trip back to San Jose took an extra long time but thankfully it was much cooler this time and the bus was not so crowded. We also got to witness a beautiful rainbow coverng the sky to the left of the bus.

A quiet week

I have had vacation from classes since last Friday, March 30th because nearly everything closes down over Holy Week. At first I had planned to take a trip to Panama to renew my visa but the details were not coming together for the trip and I did not really have a peace about going. (Of course there was also the issue of choosing between various things that I wanted to do). In the end I opted to stay in Costa Rica and go to La Cumbre camp on Saturday the 31st. There was an English-speaking youth group at the camp and they needed help with the ropes course and climbing center.
I left early Saturday morning on the bus and figured that I could use the 2 hour bus ride to do some reading. (I had lots of things that I wanted to accomplish this week from studying, to reading, to finishing taxes). But God had other plans for the ride because almost soon as I sat down, the girl beside me and I began talking. We talked for almost the entire trip. She is a university student who was returning home for the week. As we talked I learned that she is a Christian but has not found a church or Christian friends in San Jose. Because I know a lot of youth from among the camp volunteers, I know of a few youth groups and churches that she can maybe connect with. I am planning to visit a church with her in 2 weeks when she is back in town.
The time at camp was both relaxing and fun. I enjoyed being able to debrief activities in English again. At the same time there were enough Spanish speaking staff around that I got to practice Spanish a fair amount. The one evening I was able to chat with one of the youth group members who had just moved to the area and to pray with her. Through this and other events, God showed me that He did have plans for me in being here in Costa Rica this week. I was thankful for the confirmation because I had been debating whether I should have just left and renewed my visa. On Monday we finished the programming with the youth group but I decided to stick around for a few more days because my plans to go hiking had fallen through and I did not want to return to the city any sooner than I had to. I wanted to have a few last days in the cool mountain air. Monday night there was an awesome view because the moon, which was almost full, had a huge halo around it. I had never seen one so big though the next night it was there again though fainter this time.
I was able to do some rock climbing at a new site on camp and also just spend time with God down by the river or up on the rock after a climb and some bushwhacking. All in all it was a refreshing time and great time even though I did not have the adventure of traveling.

Semana Santa/Holy Week

April 6, 2007

Today is Good Friday, a day of processions and services here in the Catholic church. Almost everything in the city of San Jose has been shut down. No buses, not much shopping. (Hipermas which is similar to Walmart was still open of course). Although Good Friday is very much celebrated, from what I hear Easter, the day of resurrection is forgotten. This morning I got up at around 5:00AM to do a short hike just outside of the city. I did not realize it until I was hiking up the moutain to the 3 crosses (all in different areas) that this was the same day that Jesus carried the cross up the hill. My climb was absolutely nothing in comparison. It was neat to sit for a few moments below the crosses and remember what Jesus did for me on that day so long ago.
I had done the same hike during the first week that I was in Costa Rica though that time it was in the heat of day. Today I was hiking with a bunch of young teenagers who are a part of a soccer team from La Carpio. Their abundance of energy was refreshing to see.
This evening as I was leaving my friends' house after a couple of games of Settler's I walked out into a gray world of light rain. I could not help but be reminded again of fall in Pennsylvania with its gentile (sometimes), but steady rains. I actually wanted to just walk and walk in the rain but opted to head home instead. Most of the world has vacated San Jose and gone to the beach so for once the streets are quiet and you can walk without worrying about traffic.

A lazy Saturday

March 24, 2007

It has been several weeks since I have been in San Jose for the weekend and had some time to slow down. This morning I was able to go for a run at a nearby park (and be reminded that I need to run more often by the difficulty of the run). Later in the morning I walked to a park about 2 blocks from my house because I wanted to sit outside while having my devotions and preparing for a Bible Study. I had a hard time focusing because I had not really journaled much for over a week and I had a lot to sort out. Yet being outside was so much better than in the house where there is noise, a computer, and other distractions. After awhile a woman walking her dog called out to me and warned me that I probably should not be sitting there with my backpack because there are lots of robberies in the park. I thanked her for her input while groaning inwardly. I had nothing of value in my backpack, I just wanted it for carrying my books. All I wanted to do was to be outside in God's creation and yet here I was again faced with the issue of safety. I did not feel unsafe in the least. There were no shady characters around. Sometimes I wonder if the people here are overly concerned and live in too much fear or if I am just naive. Earlier in the week I was downtown running some errands and I made a wrong turn and eventually realized that I was not in the best part of town. Yet even then I did not feel unsafe.
I ended up packing my bag and returning to the house where I was able to continue journaling. But I soon headed back to the park, though with a less cospicuous bag. And it was in the park while sitting on a log that I was best able to focus and hear the things that God needed to teach me. I felt at home in the park too as I watched some men piling up leaves that they had raked and loading them into a big truck. The escaped leaves raced across the grass, both chasing me and taking the lead at times. I love these reminders of autumn. (Sorry I know that most of you are thinking of spring and not excited about autumn which would mean another winter).

Rambling

February 27, 2007

It has been ages since I have written and even now as I sit down to write, I am thinking of many other things that I need to be doing. The past few weeks have been really busy with projects . Last week I presented information about Honduras and my future work there to my class. This week I led the class in a debate on TV and whether we can and maybe should live without it. I did not change anyone's mind but hopefully I reminded people that it is not essential to life and does not have to be accepted as an automatic member of a household. I also presented information to the camp facilitators to help them to understand the purpose of debriefing activities and how to do so. It went fairly well but was definitely a challenge to do in Spanish.

Yesterday I awoke at 4:45 to the house moving and a loud noise. It was an earthquake -- my second "big" one since I have been here. I pondered getting up but since there were no tremors I stayed put. Unfortunately once I was awake I could not get back to sleep but that is not unusual.

I am finally continuing and finishing this blog entry, though it is over a week later. I am feeling more inspirecd to write today. I awoke this morning to what reminded me of spring -- the sounds of birds chirping outside the window in the wee hours of the morning. The sounds revived yet again the desire I have been having of late to go out to the woods for several days with my backpack and tent. Unfortunately I do not think it will happen anytime soon but I keep remembering all of my fun trips back in the woods up north. At the same time I am very thankful for the hiking opportunities that I have had here and the new ecosystems that I am exploring.

Tomorrow morning I head to the beach -- not exactly the Northern woods. As many of you know the beach is not my favorite place in the world, but a trip there every once in a while is good for me. The Lord often has things to teach me as I sit beside the mighty waters. At the moment I am in the middle of trying to plan a trip out of the country because my Visa expires before I am due to leave Costa Rica the first of May. I think that I will head to a remote area of Panama where there is a volcano and a huge International Park. Perhaps there I will have the chance to camp and enjoy the fresh air of the woods. Well, I have to head to class in just a few minutes so those are all of my ramblings for the moment.