Buried Treasure?

August 28, 2007
Fifteen years ago, I would never have dreamed that one day (August 28, 2007) I would be digging up a snake skeleton in the jungle of Honduras. I would have thought such an idea was insane. Perhaps it still it is, but today I was looking for treasure – the coral snake skeleton. Much to my disappointment, it was no longer intact so what I have is hundreds of small bones. The task was made rather unpleasant because of the heat and the mosquitoes that never overlook the opportunity to feast on me. Hmm… maybe if I would cut all sugar out of my diet they would leave me alone. That is a high price to pay though.
I eventually left the jungle and moved to the pine area for sifting through the rest of the dirt. Here the mosquitoes are not so abundant. And it was here that I first heard and saw the Collared Aracari’s flying overhead (similar to the Toucans). Later I took Teresita, one of the Honduran girls who was not in school because of a strike the teachers were all involved in, down to the creek area to identify the birds for certain. Sure enough a glance through the binoculars revealed the real treasure of the day – the beautiful Aracari’s. They seemed to be passing through and feasting on some of the many fruits around camp at the moment, but perhaps they will stay. Teresita and I did a little more exploring but the venture yielded only the sound of parrots, a couple of passion fruit, and spotting a few woodpeckers. I was glad that she could come along and take a rest from her boredom as she followed her mom around camp, cleaning. Unfortunately she talks so fast that I only understand half of what she is telling me but I try.

The Ants Go Marching One by One... or Is It By 100?

August 27, 2007
Over the past few days my annoyance with ants has increased greatly. I suppose that they still have my respect as far as their work ethic and persistence but there are just too many in my life. I never knew that so many species existed in one place – my house. There are the big black ants that love oil and so if there is even a drop or hint of oil on the outside of a bottle, these ants congregate in masses. Then there are the “normal” ants that like sugar and any other piece of food left lying around. The thing is these ants will raid the trash can and carry cracker crumbs up and out and then across the floor to who knows where. For some reason even the leaf cutter ants try to walk in under my front door carrying leaves. I am not sure where they are headed. I would prefer that they carry the dead leaves out which they have done on occasion, thereby being a little more helpful.

But last week the ants went too far. I had brought the food for the Williamson’s dog, Cappuccino, to my porch because it was raining and he was not down at their house to eat. I set it on the porch where I could keep an eye to make sure that the other dogs did not devour the food. After a while I went out to check on the food and found that the ants had taken over. And these are the little ants that bite. I was in the middle of cooking so I figured that I would wait a half an hour until was done to fight with the biting ants. When I went back out to the porch, I stared in disbelief at the empty dog food bowl. They had gone and carried off every last piece of food and these are decent sized pellets! Then I noticed a group of 4 or 5 ants carrying a pellet up the wall towards an electric outlet where I believe some of them have had a nest (hence the outlet does not work). That did it -- those ants and the food went flying with a whack of the broom!
A few nights later I was reading in my hammock when I noticed a big black beetle flailing its legs as it lay upside down on the porch, trying to right itself. Surrounding it were a bunch of ants that seemed to be waiting for either its death so that they could carry it away or for it to stop moving long enough that they could carry it away while still alive. I am quite certain that they were not there for its benefit. On that particular evening my sympathy went to the beetle and I hopped up and helped to turn the beetle right side up. At this the ants dispersed, the beetle hissed and then moved on. For once the ants did not win.

I suppose that my battles with ants will continue indefinitely. Thankfully I am not dreaming of them and since the time they got in my sugar several months ago, they have not in any of my containers. I definitely wear shoes in the house so I do not feel the crunching. I probably should return the Proverbs and remember that which I can learn from the ants currently annoying ways.

Nature Journal, August 22, 2007

Monday I had the opportunity to wander around camp once again after much time away from here. I was excited by all that I saw. One of the first finds was a small owl (Pygmy Owl?) in a tree on the upper side of camp. I could not see it well enough to identify it but it was definitely a smaller type. Later I caught a glimpse of an iguana in a tree by one of the ravines. I finally got a better look at one of the fowl-like birds on camp and identified it as a Tinamou. The most exciting find of the day though was the passion fruit that had finally turned yellow and was ready for harvesting. There were just enough for everyone on camp and today I had some ”jugo de maracuya.” Fruits and juices always taste better when it is harvested by hand (and comes from free fruit). I always loved picking wineberries and blackberries on camp in PA. The discovery of the passion fruit was a bit like finding pawpaw in PA.

Yesterday Wes reported that he saw 5 toucans down in the jungle which is also exciting news. (I saw 3 of them today. Such beautiful creatures!) On my hike later in the day I saw some Green Jays which are actually beautiful birds – blue and black head, green back, and yellow chest, but I was sad to learn that they are related to Blue Jays. I guess I was trained from my childhood to not appreciate the jays which are loud and mean. I had personal first-hand experience when I ended up too close to one of their nests. I also saw another Jesus Christ Lizard climbing a tree near the jungle. We may have nutmeg on camp which is pretty cool especially if I could figure out how to harvest it and make it useful.

Last evening I got to walk home in my first torrential downpour and be witness to how quickly rivers of water take over camp. Erosion is a huge problem. I enjoyed the short walk to my house even though I waded through many a puddle. There is something fun about being in a woods at dusk during a downpour. I had a rain jacket too so I did not get drenched. This morning the woods were misty after a good rain and were awesome for a morning run. Today’s hike in the woods also revealed more cool bird findings. A Chestnut-colored woodpecker, a Yellow throated Euphonia, and I couple of birds I have yet to identify.

My experiences and sightings out in the woods have helped me become very thankful again to be where I am at. True the power is going off a lot with the rains, but there is plenty of water now. Yes, my roof has a little leak but thankfully it is over a spot without furniture and so when I returned to my house after being gone for 5 days, only the floor was wet.

Trust

August 19, 2007
This past week I spent several days in Tegucigalpa where I worked on getting one last document for my residency. I was successful in that I actually have the paper even though the office told me I did not need it. I opted to be safe and get it rather than have to make another 4 hour trip to the capital. The trip was also successful in that I found the couple I stayed with 8 years ago when visiting Honduras with a college class. I ended up staying with them for part of my time there and it was good to reconnect and be able to talk with them at a deeper level since my Spanish has improved.

But I think that the trip was most successful because of some of the things I began to realize. Trust would be the word to sum up the main lesson of the week. In Tegucigalpa I did not have a car available to drive wherever I wanted so I had to rely on public transportation – the very thing that many people warn against because it is too dangerous and you cannot trust either the drivers or the passengers. Well, I had no intentions of being housebound while my hosts were at work so I took taxis and I took the bus. I probably paid more than I should have a time or two with the taxis but I did barter down the price to what the locals had said was reasonable. I even took a collective taxi from downtown back to a shopping center – the taxis that take more than one person at a time. On Friday I decided that I wanted to go to an Agricultural University outside of the city to check out their bookstore for some books on trees, so I found the local bus and hopped on. It was during this ride that I was able to chat with the teenage girl beside me. I was surprised when she bought me a dessert to eat from one of the boys selling things along the road. With her help I figured out where to get off the bus.

At the university I had no success in finding the book, but the views from the mountain and the opportunity to converse with Pamela made the trip worth it. Not to mention the fact that I love feeling safe enough to venture off into the unknown. I wanted to keep going though and find a hiking spot or waterfall but I knew that would be beyond the line of appropriate risk as the moment. I returned to the city and tried to find a bus to a different university, and in the process I discovered that one should ask the driver where they are headed before getting on the bus because I ended up going in the wrong direction in spite of what the bus declared as its’ destinations. I, therefore, had to take more taxis to get where I needed to go.
On my final bus back to San Pedro which was one of the executive types, comparable to the coach buses in the US, I spent a good portion of time chatting with the girl beside me. She works in a factory in some type of management and we got to talking about how a Challenge Ropes Course is great for building teamwork in employees, so perhaps I will meet up with her again at camp someday.

Anyway, throughout this week I have also been reading a book called Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art by Madeleine L’Engle, and in one chapter she tells the story of a father who wants to protect his son from all pain and hurt and so he warns the boy not to trust anyone. At one point he asks his son if he trusts him and the son replies affirmatively. The father then tells the boy to jump down from a few stairs into his arms. The son does so but the father steps aside and lets him fall to the ground. The father’s words: “You see you must trust nobody.” I can only imagine the scars that would leave on a young child, to go through life unable to trust anyone but himself. To face life with the opinion that no one can be trusted would equal a lonely life. Probably everyone in our life will hurt us at some point and let us down, but we have to trust and depend on others anyway. And we can trust the Lord though even with Him our lack of understanding of His ways may lead us to think initially that He let us down too.

I realized through the week’s experiences and readings that I must trust people around me. Yes, there are taxi drivers who are dishonest and thieves but for the most part they are simply men doing their job. Yes, there are thieves on the buses, but there are also lots of people in need of a smile, of someone to care. I think that if I avoid public places I will be missing out on connections and opportunities to share God’s love. And so as I pray and choose when to venture out into public transportation or the more “risky” areas of life where I have less control, I have to trust too that the Lord is guiding and guarding me (not that that means I will never get hurt).

Hospitality

August 16, 2007
I am learning more and more what true hospitality, from the heart, is. Yesterday morning I set out on a 4 hour journey by bus to the capital, Tegucigulpa. I was in need of one more document for the residency process. Sarah, a girl I had met in Michigan last year and with whom I had one or two brief conversations, graciously let me stay with her and even took off work to pick me up and to attempt to get some of her paperwork done at the same office. My wait was much longer and I have to go back on Friday to hopefully pick up the paper that the Migration office says I do not need but my lawyer says that I do. I decided to be on the safe side and get it since a trip to Tegucigulpa requires time and money.

After we finished at the office, we went back to Sarah's house and parted ways but only after she generously shared a peanut butter, chocolate cookie snack that she had brought back from the US. I walked over to a teaching university and wandered around in search of the Phys. Ed. department and a certain professor. The place had changed much in 8 years. Freddy was at the school and teaching so I waited till his class was over and then surprised him by walking in. I had stayed with he and his wife Norma 8 years ago and though I had tried to find them since and call them, I had been unsuccessful. I went back to their house and visited with them. Today I am going back to stay with them for at least one night.

I am blessed and challenged by how willing people are to go out of their way and serve and give to people who they hardly know. In San Pedro I end up staying with various families almost once a week. I know that when I get to the city I want to have a place where I can give and bless in the same way that I have been blessed over the last 3 1/2 months. And I want to learn to give without thinking of price tags, schedules, inconveniences, hidden agendas, or anything except serving because of the love Christ has given to me and my love for Him. I need to allow God to do some work in my heart in order to reach that point.

News of the water

August 13, 2007
An official report at last on the water situation at camp and in Pinalejo. A committee from Pinalejo stopped by camp yesterday to talk with Wes about the water problems. They said that they do not have plans to take more water from the creek, nor does the next town from here. That is good news because it means that the creek should continue as it is with its water level fluctuating only according to the season and rainfall.

The shortage of water remains an issue though and the town is looking to pipe water from somewhere 7km away – an expensive endeavor. At camp we have a steady water supply most of the time, but we are attempting to ration the water like the town and only have the water on for 4 hours a day. The Williamsons, having lived in the town for a year, are experienced at conserving water and living with it for only a few hours. I should be able to adjust my schedule accordingly though it does mean changing hours that I work at times so that I can get a few household chores done while we have fresh water. The rest of the day I will live out of water from buckets. (I should not have to master the art of carrying water on my head from the creek so that is a good thing). For the Honduran staff who have become accustomed to having water at their fingertips whenever, the idea of conservation and rationing does not seem to be as agreeable. Even in the town when the water is on, it is wasted so the idea of conservation has not really taken root. People leave the tap running continually, wash their cars, and do whatever else. In a sense that defeats the purpose of having it rationed in the first place. So somehow, starting on camp with the staff we have here, we want to begin teaching the idea of conserving the water even when it is in “abundance.” And yes that means that I need to practice what I preach and find ways to use a minimal amount of water when washing the dishes even when there is water in the tap. I realized that it takes time though because last Friday evening there was no water and I had lots of dishes and the cleaning process took much longer than usual.

At camp we still have to decide what to do about the water situation too, whether to put in a well or rely on the water we have. It will probably take a while to consider all of the options but I am thankful that we will still have a creek. I definitely need to learn to not believe everything that I hear.

Perspective

August 12, 2007

I realized early this morning (after dreaming about seeing an iguana in the bushes at camp and I do not know how or why that has any relevance to my thoughts) that I need to start looking at daily events from a new perspective. I have been very quick to see all of the little things (and big at times) that seem to go wrong as far as the timing of when something happens and to get frustrated yet again. But this morning I decided that I need to start looking instead for how timing does work out great. For example, yesterday I was headed to the trash cans and caught a glimpse of a greenish blue snake slithering away. (It did not look poisonous from a distance). Seeing snakes is a rare event and one I look forward to as long as I am far enough from the head. Yesterday in the midst of a last minute decision to come to the city, I forgot to pack my computer cord to charge the battery, but I had just enough power to send out my update and then I was able to use a friend's computer for a while.

I had come to the city primarily to get together with a friend last evening but that fell through and though I was frustrated initially, I ended up having time to write down thoughts on a book I have been reading. And in the end we got together before church this morning for coffee. And I finally did it -- I bought my first cup of coffee. Though I have been drinking it a little more since Costa Rica, I never actually bought a cup because I do not like it that much. I always choose cappuccinos or mochas but today we were at Burger King (Dunkin Donuts was open but did not have anything to sell at 7:00AM -- odd) and that was really the only safe option other than soda which at 7:00AM is not so exciting. I am sad though that my first coffee was at a fast food restaurant. Oh well.
In the end, my time in the city though very short was good and I visited with several friends.

Baking bugs in banana bread

August 2, 2007
I am glad that many times the Lord gives us challenges in stages and not all at one time. Without such a staggering of trials, life would be much more overwhelming. Last night I heard the news that the town of Pinalejo would be shutting off the camp’s water along with the town’s water source whenever the water needed turned off. Unfortunately I did not think much about it last night – I was too tired. And other than one time when a worker forgot to turn the water back on to my house, I have had little problem with water. It has been a constant, even when the electricity has not. Well, at noon today I noticed that there was very little water and shortly thereafter – none. I had not stored up water and the cistern at my house had been drained because when it is full the cement walls get all moldy. This evening I walked down to the faucet at the amphitheater because there is still water down there since it is at the bottom of the hill. I am wondering if I should learn to carry a bucket of water on my head so that I can bring water up from the creek. Considering how klutzy I have been over the past month, I doubt that the results would be too successful. I guess that I could feel at home if I remembered all of the water fights with my family when I ended up just as wet or wetter than I would be walking with the bucket on my head.

Anyway from the sounds of it the town has water from 1-4 hours a day. The other day I was annoyed when the Internet Café was no open well after its stated opening time because the girl was washing the dishes (the water had apparently come back on). I think I will soon understand how a person could dare to be late to work for the sake of clean dishes.
In spite of the lack of water, I decided to make banana bread tonight with Ellie the oldest Williamson since the bananas on camp all ripened at the same time and a missionary in town has been through some challenges and could use a baked good. But the adventures of the day were not over because when Ellie opened the Tupperware container where the flour is, there were small bugs in it. Was it not closed tightly? Who knows. If the bread were just for me, I figured that I would eat it bugs and all but to give it away? That is a different story. In the end I called the woman since she is a nurse and been here for a long time to ask what she knew of the danger or lack there of in eating those particular bugs. I also wanted to offer her just the bananas. Her response was that she uses the flour anyway and as long as I labeled the packaging of the banana bread as having extra protein, she would still love some bread. You know you are in another country when you can give away a banana bread baked with bugs and the person wants it and will eat it. So we made the banana bread and it turned out well, I simply have a lot of rinsed but dirty dishes waiting for the next flow of water into the sink.

My clumsiness did surface several times in the evening in my efforts to conserve water. I wanted to use the water from the pasta for at least getting the majority of the food off of the dirty dishes and I certainly did not want to dirty the colander so I used the lid. Of course just as I was about done all of the pasta fell out into the bowl that had the remains of the banana bread mix and hence raw egg. I figured that I would have to throw all of the pasta away but Cindy told me of a pasta bake that has egg in it so I salvaged the pasta to bake at a later time.

It is days like these when I look forward to living in the city but then I wonder where my sense of adventure is. Even my desire to run has pretty much diminished because I would probably have to resort to a bucket bath afterwards. I can tell I have a lot to learn about this kind of living and I have been reminded of how I had taken for granted all of the seemingly simple and unquestionable conveniences of my home in PA.

From trucks to scorpions

August 2, 2007
It is about time to write again. I have not been feeling inspired as of late and I have been busy. Car shopping still remains one of the largest tasks at hand. I finally have 3 decent choices in front of me, all Chevy S-10 pick-ups. The main factors to consider now are the costs and the reliability of the older trucks. I have never had a new car and I do not think that now is the time to get one considering the price tag that comes with them. The church down here would be willing to help me out with getting a more expensive pick-up if it will be more reliable. It is a humbling offer but I cannot see why I should have them go into debt to help finance a vehicle if I do not want to go into debt myself. So my preference lies with one of the two older pick-ups (still newer than I have ever had but you can only get insurance here for cars less than 10 years old). I think that next week I need to spend several days in the city to take care of all of the paperwork involved in buying a car because my plan is to make a purchase.

Although this week has been taken up primarily by car shopping, I have also made some progress in tree and insect identification. When I found my first scorpion last week on the mop head in my house, I did not need to go to the books to determine what it was. I am now faced with the reality that yes they do exist and in my house. The insect on the right is one that a staff member found on camp the other day. It is a Alligator -headed lantern fly. I found it in a book Jungle Bugs that talks about camouflage and mimicry. Just as I thought when I first saw the insect, its head mimics the head of a crocodile in an attempt to scare off predators and make it undesirable for consumption. God’s creativity is amazing!
As for other events there are the wonderful, embarrassing language blunders that I still make and perhaps I will describe at another time. There is the wrestling with the boundaries of how to show compassion and give without enabling poverty to continue. Lots of things that I am thinking about right now and do not have answers to. For now I will stop here and move on to some research that I need to do.