An Orchestra Outside The House

November 19, 2007

Today I have had reminders of home. I just heard that they had a little bit of snow in Lancaster early this morning. While dropping off some missionaries at the airport, I saw some Mennonites and decided to go over and talk to them figuring that they just might know my relatives. I knew that there was a children's home down here where several of my second cousins have been. Sure enough, one couple was from PA and both couples know my extended family. It is a small world!

The other reminder of the north -- well, tonight I have a chorus of frogs sounding loud songs in the "pond" on the street. They bring back memories of hearing the croak of bullfrogs many a night in the little pond outside my house at Black Rock. A heavy rainfall this afternoon converted the street back into a pond and within hours the frogs arrived. Where they were the past several weeks I do not know but apparently they decided that there was sufficient water to warrent their return. Between the frogs, the dogs, and the rain it has not been a quiet evening. On Saturday evening the noise came from fireworks that sounded as if they were being set off just behind the house. Conversation was nearly impossible with my friend who was visiting.

Several days ago as I journeyed to the city I pondered whether it was legal to pass a police car (pick-up to be exact) in a no passing area since they were going 30mph. I did not risk trying and waited until I had a dotted line. Not much later though I saw a police car doing the passing in a no passing zone so I think that I have my answer. This evening as I was driving home well after dusk in the middle of a heavy rain I saw another police vehicle and this one still did not have its headlights on though it was clearly dark outside. I guess that they do not pull you over for that either. Very little seems to be enforced that should be. But I do know from experience that they pull over people who went the wrong way on a street because there were no signs within sight designating the direction of travel. It does not matter if they have only been driving for a week in Honduras. In reality I think it all depends on how the police feel on any given day. One could be fined for something that the police do themselves. This morning I went to get license plates for my car since I only have a temporary one and I was told that they are not making the metal ones right now. Thankfully I was spared having to stand in line for several hours waiting for that very answer. The next time I get stopped at a checkpoint I hope that the police do not act so surprised that I do not have real plates since there is nothing I can do about it at the moment. But we will see because one can never tell what will happen.

When will I ever learn?

November 12, 2007

The words of a Peter, Paul, & Mary song that my sister would sing came to my mind as I thought back on the past two days, only in the song it was "When will they ever learn?" I am back in the city having arrived this afternoon so that I do not have to leave in the wee hours of the morning for an 8:00AM meeting. I headed out early this evening for basketball practice which is supposed to start at 6:00PM. I intentionally left late because I am always the first one there and then have to wait around. I brought a book just in case and sure enough no one else was there so I busied myself reading, "Uncle Tom's Cabin" (more thoughts on that later). Finally around 6:26 I decided to call and see if practice had been cancelled. Yep, it was raining so there was no practice. I did not ask the logic of the situation but it probably has to do with driving in the rain at night. It definitely should be avoided when at all possible because the darkness and dimly lit streets already make potholes hard to see but combine it with heavy rain.... not a good story.

What am I not learning? Well, I keep skipping a good morning run because I expect to play soccer or basketball later in the day. I need to take advantage of the opportunity to exercise when I have it. One of the staff girls, Andrea, has faithfully gotten up the past 3 mornings to run. Once it was only she and I, and I was impressed with her pace. Today I heard the children's loud voices across camp as they participated in some game or make believe. I often wish that I could go back to the carefree days of childhood where the main goal of the day (at least during the summer) was to have fun. Yet I know that I would never be content to return. And according to my sisters, I would have been curled up with a book and not one of the one's running through the woods. In my opinion, it would have depended on the day and the book. But I do have plenty of memories of the night games with sisters and -- hiding in the ferns, dashing madly across the yard, and yelling for help from base. (I think that I did actually yell in those situations. For some reason that capability has escaped me for the most part in these later years).

My work this morning took me outside but not for the most glamorous of jobs. I finally decided that it was time to get to work on the compost pile. The area has been highly neglected and somehow lots of trash got thrown on the pile and has been sitting there for much too long. So I grabbed a shovel and some bags and got to work. The job would have gotten done much quicker had I used my bare hands or gloves (which I do not have) to pick up the trash but I could not bring myself to get that dirty. Partly decomposed food which has not been properly composted does not have the pleasantest of smells nor is it the most sanitary. In the compost area cantaloupe vines, tomato plants, and papaya trees have all been growing because we have not been mixing the compost. I really do not know that much about composting and have been trying to do some research especially for how to make it work in the open during rainy season. I think we have to cover the area but first the trash needed removed. As I worked at it, I could not help but think of all of the children around the world who live in garbage dumps or pass much of their time there searching for "treasures" for survival. What I consider completely disgusting and avoid touching, they dig through with bare hands and then eat with those same dirty hands coming in direct contact with their food. I know that I need to relax a bit on my perspective of "dirt." I wanted to think and pray while digging around in the muck, but it was one of those times where the mind stays rather blank. At least the job is done and hopefully I can educate the rest of the staff enough that plastic trash will not end up over there.

One last thought before closing. As I mentioned, I am reading "Uncle Tom's Cabin" a literary classic that somehow I passed over during my school years. What I find interesting and challenging about the book is that the author does not allow the reader to merely read and pass judgements on "those people who owned slaves" but she asks questions that cause one to evaluate their own life and walk, especially as a Christian.

A Saturday at camp

November 10, 2007
So all day yesterday I was planning for a day with no power as is typical on Saturdays at camp and we have power! It has almost messed up my schedule though not really. This morning I really had no desire to go for a run even though it was a beautiful morning for it but at 6:45AM I heard the sound of voices outside and saw the staff children there. They were ready to go running. This past week was their last week of classes till February and they are celebrating by wanting to run. Children are amazing! We set out on a jog around camp. I tried to give a few pointers on running since it is quite new for them. Perhaps we can have our own little x-country team before too long. One lap was enough for them so we stretched and eventually parted ways. They plan to meet up with me again tomorrow. I should have kept running in order to get some exercise but my plan was to finish mixing up Banana bread and a Carrot-Coconut bread before the electric went off at 8:00AM.

As I mentioned it never went off and I did not use the hand mixer anyway so it would not have mattered if I ran longer. I have realized though that maybe I am supposed to give up baking . My original plan had been to bake the banana bread while I was in the city but there was no baking powder. Last night as I was preparing to bake, I tried out my oven to be sure it worked and it did not. So this morning I carried the gas tank down to the Williamson’s house and set out to cook there. Though the oven lit, the smell of gas remained quite strong and I felt like there was a leak. I baked anyway and opened all of the doors, doing my reading outside and entering only occasionally to check on the bread. At one point 15 minutes passed in between my checks because I was talking to a guest and the temperature (which fluctuates without warning) rose drastically in that time so part of the banana bread got rather burnt. Such is baking here I guess.

Reflections on friendship

November 8, 2007
The cooler weather has finally reached Honduras! Yesterday when I left the house around 8:30AM it was 67F which is quite cool for us. True with the cooler temperatures comes the price tag of lots of rain, but for now I can enjoy and accept both.

So, I borrowed a little book called Dewdrops on Spiderwebs the other week and began reading it. The title captivated me and the fact that it was composed of various essays that are reflections on life. As I am reading it I have discovered that I can identify a lot with the writer, who was a single missionary in El Salvador. The reflection the other day included this statement, “If there is no room for suffering in my life, there is no room for joy.” The writer talked about the pain of having good friendships and then having to say goodbye to those friends. The friendships brought joy but also pain. Friendships are gifts from God that cannot be hoarded. She writes that often we have to let go in order to receive God’s provisions one day at a time. Close friendships often in the end reveal loneliness because they reveal God's invitation to a relationship with Him.

I have been thinking about all of this since my trip to PA a month ago now. Before going, I was at the point where I was ready for some fun moments with family and friends and also some deep conversations. The time there was awesome for that. I came back to Honduras feeling more refreshed and entered into the next few weeks with new energy and new opportunities. I had found a basketball team and some new potential friendships and outreach there. Several of my friends made an effort to contact me about getting together, rather than I having to initiate everything.

As the weeks have slipped by though, I realize that not much has changed. It still takes such an effort here in the city to get together with people. I made some efforts, such as to go hiking but lack of communication, directions, and then the rain ended that plan. I think that one of the challenges is that conversations, activities, and such rarely just happen here. They take work. I do not have enough daily contact with people for things to happen spontaneously – except at camp. And I am beginning to wonder if maybe I should invest more of my time and energy to really building my strongest friendships with the women at camp even though we are worlds apart in everything but age and faith. These past few months have caused me to really evaluate friendship, what it is, and what my expectations are. Perhaps for too long I have acquainted activity and doing with friendship. Maybe I need to be more content to just chat and sit still though my personality and energy level do not lean in that direction. Maybe I need to be looking for the people who could use a new friendship right now and some encouragement. Maybe I need to expand my definition of “fun.” I do keep meeting people, for example a girl from Costa Rica at a Bible Study this past week, in whom I see a potential for a friendship, but I also do not want to spread myself too thin by trying to maintain too many friendships with a bunch of people who I have to visit with one by one and therefore not very often.

These are all random thoughts that are still not sorted out but I know that tasting dear friendships again brings joy but also pain because the goodbye comes with it. So I am thankful for the time I had in PA, but still trying to discern where and how to invest my energies into friendships here.

Responding to poverty

More and more as I spend time in the city, I am faced with the question of how do I respond to the poverty around me? Nearly every intersection on the main roads, hosts one or more people who walk from window to window asking for money. Some have physical disabilities, some are elderly, and some are young children. So often I find myself thinking, "Can't you find some other way to make money?" "Just because you are injured, does not mean that you cannot work... " and so on. But then I realized that what do I know about Honduras and the way things work here? Perhaps there really is no job for the elderly or those with disabilities. Maybe the only way for them to survive is to stand on the street corner. I come from a background where an emphasis was put on working hard and finding a way to get by. Yet I have never really been in need and have no idea how I would respond if I was in desperate need for even food. If I could not find a job, perhaps I would hold out my hand seeking money too.

Although I do not like to hand out money, I am thinking I need to find a way to respond to the people who are begging around me. I do not think that Christ would have kept his window rolled up and door locked, pretending not to see the needs beside him. He would have at least listened to their story. I want to find a way to acknowledge each one as a person, created and loved by God. Maybe that will be just talking and smiling with them for the moment, maybe it will be sharing some food, and yes maybe even giving some money upon rare occasion. Other times it might be praying for the person even with the window still rolled up. I certainly do not have the answers yet, but I know that I want Christ's love to be evident in my response even if that means taking a risk or two. Prayer and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit in each situation will be key

From the depths of a toaster

November 7, 2007

It's amazing what can instill fear or moments of panic. This evening I ate dinner late (if you could call it dinner) after returning from a church service. Having been slightly sick the last few days, I decided I should probably eat something simple like toast. The house I am staying in here in the city has a toaster, so I removed the towel from over it and put in my bread. Because it had been covered with a towel, I figured that probably nothing was inside, so I did not look. A few minutes later I heard the pop of the toast being done. (And about that time I sent the banana I was cutting, flying to the floor) Before I could head to the counter and retrieve the toast though, I heard a rattling noise. The sound immediately made me think of an animal trapped somewhere. Glancing around I saw no animal so I looked with fear at the toaster. I knew that it was probably a mouse and though I do not hate mice (rats yes) I am never looking for opportunities to either hold or kill them.

Gingerly I picked up the toaster, quickly removed the toast, opened the door to the carport, and then dared to look inside. Much to my surpise (considering the amount of noise that escaped from the toaster), what I saw inside was a fried gecko. It took a few minutes for me to decide what to do with it. My initial thought was "the trash can", but then I remembered fermaldahyde and regretted that I did not have any here in the city. I quickly remedied that problem by popping the gecko in the freezer until I can take it to camp and better preserve it there. I even managed to get it in a container without having to actually touch it. Thankfully I am the only one in the house for the next few days so no one should be startled when looking through the freezer.

As for the toast, I ate it anyway. And I wonder why I am sick? Later I found a dead ant in my granola which was in an ant-proof container. So much for even trying to protect my food.

I think that from now on I will stick to my toaster oven at camp where you can clearly see if anything is trying to hide out.

Freedom to walk again

November 3, 2007
And so a long week comes to an end and with it, I finally have a vehicle. I was going to take a picture to post it on my blog, but it has been raining all day so I will have to wait until later. It was pretty much 6 months to the day after my arrival here in Honduras that I bought the car. On Tuesday morning I left camp early in the morning to make it to the government office that deals with changing car titles by 8:00AM. Once there I stood in line for several hours. Thankfully a couple of people helped me out along the way or I would have been in the wrong line (again) for a couple of hours. I already had not so fond memories of that building. After those few hours, I went to the bank to pay for the title change and write a check to the car owner. Then I spent the week getting new tires, insurance, and doing several other small repairs that still needed done. I am hoping that I can avoid sitting in the waiting room of car repair shops for several months now at least. It is a great feeling to have my own vehicle again. I now own a 2002 Isuzu Rodeo for those interested in such details. Definitely the newest car that I have ever had. To get insurance here, you have to drive a fairly new car. After talking with the insurance person on Wednesday, I realized that I am not sure how valuable insurance actually is because they do not cover any incident where you do something contrary to the law, such as run a red light, speed, go the wrong way on a one-way street, etc… It seems to me that most accidents are caused by breaking the law though hopefully unintentionally. In this city it is quite easy to go the wrong way on a street since they are not well marked.
As I have been driving around the city this week I have pondered the driving patterns here and my own driving. There were several lights that were out one day and there was very little rhyme or reason as to who went when. In reality everyone was trying to go and hence getting in each other’s way so that no one could go. I am not sure what would have happened had it been the States except that the police would probably show up since it was a major intersection. Another time I decided to stop as I approached the light that had just turned yellow. I was already braking when I realized I should have kept going because the car behind me was still coming at a very fast speed. It simply went around me and blazed through the intersection on red, heedless of the fact that cars were beginning to turn left in front of it. Although the law would say to stop, I was causing more danger by braking quickly in a country where running red lights is pretty acceptable. It is a challenge to learn how to drive safely in a city where most people do not seem to respect the laws and yet also follow the laws as much as I can.

The Freedom to Walk
November 3, 2007
Friday morning I took the Patrol in for maintenance before it sits for several months until the Williamson’s return. Because the shop was not too far from where I am living, I decided to walk home. It was 8:00AM so not the hottest time of the morning. In fact the sky was more threatening of rain than anything. I walked, well aware of my surroundings, keeping a crisp pace in the areas that were less populated. For me though, it is always a blessing to be able to walk again. As I neared my home the rain came in the form a heavy mist. Thankfully I arrived home not too wet.When it came time to pick up the vehicle late in the afternoon, I once again could not bring myself to pay for a taxi when I am in need of exercise anyway. So I walked back. Like a good mother, the housekeeper where I am staying warned me to behave myself as I walked and not talk to the boys.

The biggest danger in walking was probably getting hit by a car since several of the roads lacked sidewalks, but I survived without any close calls. All in all I think it was a 5K round trip which makes me wish I had run it to make it more like a x-country race from years ago.

I have a car...

November 3, 2007
And so a long week comes to an end and with it, I finally have a vehicle. I was going to take a picture to post it on my blog, but it has been raining all day so I will have to wait until later. It was pretty much 6 months to the day after my arrival here in Honduras that I bought the car. On Tuesday morning I left camp early in the morning to make it to the government office that deals with changing car titles by 8:00AM. Once there I stood in line for several hours. Thankfully a couple of people helped me out along the way or I would have been in the wrong line (again) for a couple of hours. I already had not so fond memories of that building. After those few hours, I went to the bank to pay for the title change and write a check to the car owner.

Then I spent the week getting new tires, insurance, and doing several other small repairs that still needed done. I am hoping that I can avoid sitting in the waiting room of car repair shops for several months now at least. It is a great feeling to have my own vehicle again. I now own a 2002 Isuzu Rodeo for those interested in such details. Definitely the newest car that I have ever had. To get insurance here, you have to drive a fairly new car. After talking with the insurance person on Wednesday, I realized that I am not sure how valuable insurance actually is because they do not cover any incident where you do something contrary to the law, such as run a red light, speed, go the wrong way on a one-way street, etc… It seems to me that most accidents are caused by breaking the law though hopefully unintentionally. In this city it is quite easy to go the wrong way on a street since they are not well marked.

As I have been driving around the city this week I have pondered the driving patterns here and my own driving. There were several lights that were out one day and there was very little rhyme or reason as to who went when. In reality everyone was trying to go and hence getting in each other’s way so that no one could go. I am not sure what would have happened had it been the States except that the police would probably show up since it was a major intersection. Another time I decided to stop as I approached the light that had just turned yellow. I was already braking when I realized I should have kept going because the car behind me was still coming at a very fast speed. It simply went around me and blazed through the intersection on red, heedless of the fact that cars were beginning to turn left in front of it. Although the law would say to stop, I was causing more danger by braking quickly in a country where running red lights is pretty acceptable. It is a challenge to learn how to drive safely in a city where most people do not seem to respect the laws and yet also follow the laws as much as I can.

Snow in Honduras?

October 26, 2007
I am beginning to wonder if I am hallucinating. Twice today I felt like I was looking at snow, but of course I was not. The first was on my drive back to camp this afternoon. It was around 4:30PM and the sun was already getting low in the sky. As I neared camp I noticed that the mixture of white and dark clouds made the mountains in the distance appear as if they were snow covered. Dark peaks (which were really mostly the dark clouds), seemed to poke their heads above the snow and low level clouds. It was a beautiful sight in spite of the fact that it was 76 F and the world around me was green as could be.

My second snow sighting came as I opened a saturated and slightly moldy, cardboard container of salt. When I returned from the States, I discovered that my house at camp was very damp and many things were getting moldy. Looking in at the salt, was like looking at a wet snow. Large snow crystals sticking together – perfect for a snowball. I should have made a “snowball” with some of the salt because it contains so much moisture I cannot imagine it ever drying out without becoming a brick. I transferred the salt to other containers and put some spaghetti noodles in with it to collect some of the moisture. The previous noodles were so saturated that they appeared “cooked.” I cannot imagine that I will have any other “snow” sightings soon. It is probably better if I do not. I am glad to be back at camp for more than a day which is what last week’s trip here was. I was able to chat with the other staff this evening and catch up a bit on life. I have a lot to do here before I head back to the city next week

Basketball, begging, and bananas

October 25, 2007
Oh the bliss of training and exercise! For the first time in months (other than my time in the States the other week), I actually worked hard and felt tired. This evening I made it to my first basketball practice. It brought back memories of high school days when I did not just play basketball, I had to train for it. There were the laps around the gym, the 3 man weaves, etc… . I had forgotten a lot. I felt very clumsy and uncoordinated half of the time but it was fun. Practice did not start on time because there was only one other girl and I there (in the end there were a total of 4 of us) but that proved to be a blessing because we were able to chat and I found that though we are different ages and in very different phases of life, there are some common interests. Even in the short time of conversation I noticed that she seems to have a lot of faith questions and I hope that with time, we can discuss that more. She is concerned for her daughter too as she heads off to college without strong principles in place and without knowing what she believes. I am looking forward to getting to know the family more the mom speaks decent English, we should be able to communicate in one of the 2 languages, even in deeper conversation.

As for other events of the day, I now have Internet in the house I am staying in here in the city. Yeah! I was supposed to buy a vehicle tomorrow but the owner has to work now so the final paperwork may be pushed off until the end of next week. That actually could work better for me anyway except for the fact that it means more waiting once again.

This afternoon I heard the doorbell ring and since I am the only one at the house for a few days, I went down to check it out. There was a woman there and she tried to explain some situation about a car and her son, but with the barking of the dogs at my feet and the Spanish, I could not understand very well. In the end she made it clear that she was asking for money. I told her no, but wanting to at least do something I offered her some bananas. At first I thought that she said no, but in the end she wanted them. Her son was with her but neither looked hurt or even malnourished. The woman looked like she was capable of working so I am not sure what her story was. When I brought the bananas out to her, she wondered if she could have my flip flops since hers were being loaned to her. Again I declined, partially because they were the only ones that I had in the city and partially because she did not seem truly needy. I do wish that I had stood and talked with her and tried to listen a little more but all the while I was thinking about the fact that the door was open to someone else’s house for which I am responsible. She left with the bananas. It was probably good for me to give them away because it cost me slightly since they were the only ones that I had left for breakfast tomorrow. Going to the store for just bananas is not worth it and I can do without a banana with my cereal.

I always find it difficult to know how to respond to the people who are begging. Hardly a day passes without seeing someone begging at a street corner or more likely in the middle of the lanes of traffic. I need to remember to pray more in the moment for discernment in knowing how God wants me to respond to each individual person. It is too easy to lump all beggars together when in fact each has some kind of need. I have lots to learn yet about what it means to walk as Jesus did.

Aguaceros

October 23, 2007

"Aguaceros" is another name for a shower, often a downpour. The past 2 days I have had plenty of those. On Sunday I was thankfully in the house when the aguacero came. It was only about 30 minutes of heavy rain but when I left the house a little later to visit with a friend, I found a lake on the dirt road just in front of the house. As I drove, the roads got worse until I saw one of the main highways that was up to the curb in water and it was beginning to spill over into the traffic lanes going my direction. It seems like there are some issues with the drainage system. I realized that even if I did not have to drive on dirt roads in the country and thereby need a vehicle like an SUV or pick-up, there would be days when a car even in San Pedro would not be the best. They sat quite low in all of that water. Three hours later the streets were almost dry and you would not have known that earlier that day they had been a river.

Yesterday I made the drive to Santa Rosa de Copan, a town 2 1/2 hours from the city. I was taking the Associate Ministries Director of LAM there to meet with some other missionaries. I am friends with them from Language School in Costa Rica, so I was glad for the chance to visit them. Some of that joy disappated with the drive though. We got left a little later than planned and so by the time we had reached the mountainous roads, it was beginning to get dark. Part of this was due to the sudden "aguaceros" that we found ourselves in. Driving through a torrential downpour on unfamiliar mountainous roads, filled with deep potholes is not the most enjoyable. I eventually followed a sometimes slow, moving delivery truck, because the driver seemed to know the road and where the potholes were. Though it was a slow pace, I was in less danger of hitting a bottomless pothole. Because it was my first drive to Santa Rosa, I had this fear that I had missed the town. In the end it would have been impossible to miss because of its size.

When we arrived in the town, I discovered that it is very much a town on a hill. I went into 4-wheel drive after sliding a bit in some mud. One of hills was so steep that I felt like I was on initial climb of a roller coaster. Upon arrival at the Wards, I discovered that I ached from the tension of the drive. It did not help that because of sickness from something I ate on Sunday, I had only eaten crackers during the day. I went to bed by 8:00 because of the exhaustion. Thankfully today dawned with sunshine and much beauty. The view from the back porch is great and it has been good to fellowship again with the family.

Culture Shock

October 20, 2007
Time to backtrack a bit to my initial travel day in the State -- October 8. Actually Saturday the 6th I was stopped by the Honduran police at one of their checkpoints and the man carefully scrutinized my passport and tried to tell me it was expired. I pointed out that I still had 3 days and finally he let me pass. A little ways down the road I realized that technically I only had until the 7th since two of the previous 3 months had 31 days but I prayed that customs would not bother counting. They did not, and I left the country without a problem.
I flew into Dulles Airport in DC, and it was not until the night before that I actually had all of my travel plans lined up. I took a bus from the airport to a metro station downtown (the Washington Monument loomed in my view both as I entered and left the country), the metro to another bus station, and then another bus to BWI. At BWI my cousin picked me up, delivered me to her house in the city and then an aunt picked me up from there. And I arrived in Lancaster that night. And of course I still got up at 5:11AM the next morning to play basketball. I hate to miss the opportunity to play though with the lack of practice in the previous 3 months and lack of sleep, I might as well have stayed home.
Taking public transportation in the States is a fairly new venture for me and so I double checked with some of the people on the bus to make sure I was headed the right direction. The woman sitting beside me graciously offered to show me where to buy the ticket in the metro. During the bus ride we got to talking and I learned that she is from France and had just returned there for a visit. I asked her if she experienced culture shock each time she went back, and she said “no,” the culture shock for her came each time she re-entered the States. Apparently she has been here for 12 years teaching French, mostly because she lost her job in France many years ago. She struggles with the differences in culture and is not fond of DC, where she is currently living. As I listened to her talk I realized that it would be hard to be in another country because you had to be. I have experienced culture shock in Honduras and frustrations with the differences many a time. If I was there only for a job, I would probably give up and return home. But thankfully I have the Lord to rely on and to turn to in those tough moments when everything around me is unfamiliar and uncomfortable. I know that my being in Honduras has a greater purpose than paying bills.
As for culture shock while back in the States, I pretty much avoided it. I did discover myself saying “Gracias” to a man who stopped his car so that I could cross the street in Harrisburg. I also reached many times to hit the horn, since I have learned to use it while here in Honduras. The one time I did use it as a gentle reminder to the person in front of me that the light was green and had been green for a while, the guy was not too impressed. I managed to obey the no passing signs and not pass on the stretches of road that would be considered “wide open for passing” here in Honduras but in the US are clearly marked with a double yellow line. So all in all, the culture shock was not too bad. I think though that a week and a half is barely sufficient for really re-entering a culture.

And then there was basketball

October 19, 2007
So, I guess that catch up on writing will take a while. My first day back in Honduras I spent in the city, running errands. I was late in leaving the city, considering that it gets dark so early, and then ended up sitting in traffic for half an hour before even nearing the toll booth at the edge of the city. I decided not to risk getting caught out on the roads past dark so I turned around and went back into the city for another night. Staying overnight allowed me to go and investigate being a part of a women’s basketball team. They are actually in the middle of the season so I cannot join the team but I can participate in their practices which would be great for some exercise and fellowship. Having played basketball again this past week while in PA, I was reminded that I definitely enjoy the game and would like to be more active again. Watching them play last night reminded me of high school days with the refs, foul shots, and pressure of the score and the clock. It has been ages since I thought about actual plays on the court. The team I will practice with is a mixture of girls from the US and Hondurans. Because I am not living in the city all the time, my attendance at practice may be a little sporadic, but that seems to be okay.

Comparison of the woods

October 16, 2007
I fear that I will actually have lots of entries to write since it has been so long, but for now I will just start with my comparison of the Northern woods and the jungle at the camp in Honduras. This past week I have had the opportunity to be back in Lancaster and I took several hikes in the woods at Black Rock Retreat. I love the fall season with the changing leaves, the colors, and the crunch underfoot. To my disappointment the temperatures when I arrived in PA, gave no indication of autumn and the colors were not too noticeable. Thankfully the temperatures dropped and so it felt like fall even though the colors were still lacking.

Regardless of how much it looked or felt like fall, I loved the short hikes and time sitting by the creek at Black Rock. Having just spent most of my time hiking around my camp in Honduras which has the tropical feel, I noticed many differences. The temperature was an obvious one but I realized that the northern woods are more subtle in the sounds and colors. The call of the birds was more gentle. Their size and color blended well with their surroundings. Although the cardinals and bluebirds are around, the birds in PA tend to be less flamboyant and loud in announcing their presence. I have become accustomed to the loud calls of the birds of Honduras, their bright colors, and also the fact that the jungle changes every week. There are always new flowers or new fruits popping up. Change is slower and seemingly more organized in the northern woods where most things bloom and die around the same time. These are all generalizations of course and there are tons of exceptions but I found myself thinking of the beauty of both worlds and thankful that I can experience both.

(RIGHT: Passionfruit flower, Honduras)

Traffic Jams and Culture

October 5, 2007
Yesterday as I was leaving the city, I saw an interesting sight. The traffic going my direction was practically stopped and looking ahead, it seemed like the wait would be long. I guessed that probably there had been an accident. The road that leaves the city has approximately 3 lanes going each direction. It is not limited access though so the left lane can come to a stand still because of people turning left and the right lane can have parked cars so you never really know what it will be like on any given day. Well, I looked over at the opposing traffic on the other side and noticed that some of the cars traveling my direction were over there. Of course this meant that the opposing traffic was jammed up too. I thought to myself that I would not want to be the lead car that was going against the proper flow of traffic. We continued to creep along at a slow pace, as did the traffic going my way on the other side. I eventually saw some police but no sign of an accident and then the road cleared and we were moving again. I cannot say the same for the traffic on the other side. They were creeping along still because there had never been any policemen directing the cars to change over to that lane. Someone had simply decided to try a quicker route and other followed suit. But now that lead car was head to head with the oncoming traffic and had to wait until one by one the cars merged over into the right lanes. It was going to be a slow go for those cars.
The incident reminded me of culture though, and the very common cultural clashes and misunderstandings that can happen when in another country or place. Yesterday morning I had met with a woman in leadership in the church to have her review and proofread the program I am sharing tomorrow with deacons from the church while they are at camp. It was a very helpful meeting because I needed to reword things or express my ideas in such a way that they could be understood from the Honduran culture. One of the challenges of my work is to learn how to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, His work in my life, and a love for God’s creation in a way that fits with the Honduran culture and brings out the best of their culture.

Enter October

October 1, 2007
Amazing to think the year is almost over! October is usually such a pretty month that I welcome it. In Central America it means lots of rain though, which at times is not so pleasant. This year I will get to experience both the rains and the changing colors of autumn leaves since I have a last minute trip to the States coming up. The joys of visas that expire and paperwork that is still lacking the necessary signatures!. The Lord definitely gave me a clear answer though to my prayer about whether to go to Costa Rica by bus or to the US for my trip out of the country. With the paperwork still not in place, I thought I needed to return to the US to take care of more details. A discussion with the Honduran embassy this morning changed some of those views, but I already have the ticket so I am leaving in a week. And I think that God wants me back there for a short time for some reason so it will be exciting to see what He does.

As I look back on the day I cannot say that it was the best entrance of October in my life. On a day when I needed to find lodging and plan for my stay in the US as well as prepare for a group this coming Saturday, car troubles were not really welcomed. Yesterday driving into the city water started dripping into the car from above the windshield. I planned to get that fixed today but ran out of time because I ended up having to buy a new tire since one had a hole and was irreparable. If things continue like this, I may be in the city longer than I had anticipated for the week. I am also getting settled into the house where I am will be staying for the next 3 months when I am the city. Another time I will have to write about my recent thoughts on living conditions, expectations, and missions. A book I just read made me appreciate even what I have at the camp much more. And so in the midst of the challenges there is always a positive side (where I was when I got the flat tire, people around with the tools to help, it did not rain anymore today so the windshield did not leak…) and I am trying to look for the good and not be overwhelmed or discouraged by the trials.

The Things That Slow Me Down

September 26, 2007
So perhaps it is not just the culture that slows my pace of life down. I am thinking that my mistakes contribute to why I sometimes do not get much done. First, of all the power outages continue to follow me. Last night at a Bible Study a transformer down the street blew. The house I was staying at did not have electric either and theirs was the house that I escaped to last week when the electric went off somewhere else. Then today, many things slowed my pace down. The first major one was when I went to the post office. I took out my keys and inserted a key into the box, turned it, and it did not open. Looking down at the key, I realized with horror that I had inserted the wrong one (and the two keys are clearly different, but beside each other on the key ring). Try as I might I could not remove the key. I sheepishly went to the counter and asked for help. A man came and gave a try but left again to get pliers. He finally removed the key but had pulled with such force that he fell backwards on the ground (thankfully he was only kneeling and I think he was being dramatic). I did have mail which was a good thing considering all of the trouble I went to to get it. As it turns out the fee for replacing the lock and key was not much so next week all should be well. Typically I only go there once a week anyway because it is out of the way and usually I do not have much mail.

The second event was with the vehicle I was driving – as usual. I was leaving a Coffee shop and when I went to start the car, I could not turn the key. Somehow I had locked the steering wheel in place when I parked it and though I tried, I was not figuring out how to turn the steering wheel and key at the same time or with the right force. And of course this all set the alarm off so I had to silence it every few seconds. A friend was nearby and drove over and unlocked the wheel for me, but I need to figure out how not to do what I did again. By the close of the day I have realized that I cannot blame the culture for its slow pace when I have a knack for creating situations that slow my life down considerably. Maybe I need to consciously choose to slow down and then I will not have to find unplanned ways to slow down. Just a thought.

A Live, Venemous Snake in the Hand

September 24, 2007

I do not really think I have gotten any braver (nor less wise, though some may contest that) since coming to Latin America, but yes I did have a poisonous snake in my hand. The catch though is that it was in a 2-liter Pepsi bottle. There is something a little disconcerting about having a poisonous snake at eye level, inches from your face with only a thin layer of plastic between the two. I have yet to identify what kind it is because all of my books are at camp. And no, the snake was not from camp. A friend found it at the Institute where he works and captured it. I now have it in my possession, but it is dead. I will probably add it to my collection of critters (all insects up until now) preserved in formaldahyde. I need to move them from my house though because they really are not my taste for decorations. They were tolerable at Kensinger's Retreat during the youth group retreats, but I only had to endure them for 3 days.

Yesterday was a long day, in that I rode the bus from camp to the city with the 12-14 year olds from the church retreat and then waited around until it was time to go with the Williamsons to the airport at 10:00pm. It ended up being a really good day though. While standing on the sidewalk waiting for all of the youth to be picked up, one of the girls from the ropes course group I had observed, came over to talk with me. She thanked me for my involvement and began to share some of what she had learned from the experience. For a little background, the group was really tough. In reality about four of them should have been removed but that would have been over a 3rd of the group. The boys paid no attention to the girls' suggestions which actually contained many of the solutions. In the end the group did not complete any of the challenges that they were given. With such an ending it is hard to know how to bring a reflection time around to the place where the participants can walk away having learned something, thereby redeeming what would appear to be a failure. We talked about failure and success and learning from mistakes. We also talked about evaluating our hearts and attitudes and seeing what God wants to change. During the discussion time not too many shared anything of depth but a couple were able to express frustrations and what they had learned.

As I chatted with this girl yesterday, I realized that yes, once again God had redeemed an experience that seemed to be "unsuccessful" and that at least one young lady had learned from it. And actually the new facilitators who were faced with a very tough first group walked away from the experience wiser and stronger from it. As for me, as I mentioned before, I need to review and practice Spanish more and more and yet I have to remember that God can work through my weaknesses. The girl had mentioned pride during the one debrief and I realized it is partially because of my pride that I never want anyone to translate my questions into Spanish. I want to do it myself but I think that there are times when I should admit that translation would help the situation and then allow someone else to help me out. We will see what happens this next weekend.

The Slow Death of a Light

September 22, 2007
I sit down to write at the end of a long week but a new one is around the bend. This afternoon I observed another ropes course group and their leaders and was able to give some feedback. My involvement in the debriefs reminded me once again that I need to reviewing and attempting to use some of the more difficult rules of Spanish. Partly because of this need to keep using my Spanish more and more, I am planning to housesit for some missionaries who are on furlough until January. Their housekeeper actually stays at the house too but my presence there will allow her to go home and be with her family some. And I will have someone to speak in Spanish with on a regular basis when I am in the city. The house itself is a bit like a resort in comparison to where I live so I think I should be quite comfortable. The biggest challenge will be that it is not a place to call my own or arrange how I want (but if it was my own I would not have all the furniture and such that is there).

Because of several readings in books, I have decided to study darkness and light in the Bible and the other day I had an interesting realization. For weeks I had been walking around camp with my headlamp and batteries that were almost dead. I could hardly distinguish anything on the ground in front of me even with its light, but I wanted to wait until the batteries were completely dead before I recharged them. That is not so easy to do with a light because at some point the light loses its usefulness. A MP3 player or walkman will play and then suddenly shut off. Not so a flashlight. A light dies slowly.

I then got to thinking about my life and communication with Jesus. Lately I have had a lot of decisions to make and some big things on my plate. I have prayed asking for guidance , but it had been a while since I really stopped and listened and was fully recharged. I do not often have intense, focused time when I put my thoughts, ears, and eyes completely on the Lord. Too often I talk more than I listen. And yet to be recharged, I need quality and a good quantity of time or else I will continue on with only a dim light to illuminate my path and reveal the best place to step. The other week I finally changed the batteries in my headlamp and recharged the old ones. What I can see now is so much clearer and of greater distance. If something dangerous is in my path, I should actually be able to see it now. The past few days have been a time to “recharge” my heart by listening with my whole being once again. And how necessary it has been because I have had a few obstacles to step over.

Holding loosely to time

September 20, 2007
Life with its ups and downs. Here I sit in San Pedro with a list of things to do and laundry sitting half washed in the washing machine and there is no electric. Everyone says that San Pedro always has electric but I seem to be in the city every time that the electric goes out. Perhaps it is me. I head back to camp this afternoon and if I cannot get on-line before then, I will probably be unable to do anything till Sunday. I guess that it could be a way of God answering a few of my prayers about what to do with my visa running out next month. Maybe I am just to wait and see and not jump on the current opportunity for a cheap ticket to the States.

I am wondering how much I am to learn to plan ahead and be prepared for power outages at any moment even in the city or whether the lesson is to just relax and go with the flow. I am learning to hold time more loosely and wait, not knowing when or if intended plans will actually happen. As of yesterday morning the plan was to get together with a Honduran friend in the evening. We had not set a definite time though and the plan was for her to call me after work. But it was 7:00 till she called because it was the one day where she had to work late. By that time it was too late to do anything since neither of us had a car. And so the time in the city has passed without any time with Honduran friends.

It just seems to be one of those weeks. Thankfully I have transferred locations to another home where there is still electric. I will be able to make the phone calls and do the things I need to. It took several hours to reach this point though because the couple whose house I was staying at could not open their gate to get their truck out because of the power outage. Even the generator would not work well enough to open the electric gate. These are the situations that make it so difficult to get things done. And I am challenged to learn as Paul did, the secret of being content in any and every situation.

From one day to the next

September 16, 2007
I find it amazing how the way things are going can change so rapidly. Up until Friday, I was having a great week. Thursday afternoon I was in the city and found an apartment I really like – except for the price so I doubt it will actually work for me. I met up with a guy I knew from the camp I volunteered at in Costa Rica and was able to honestly say that things were going well. His family had moved to Honduras several years ago and they admitted that the transition was hard. And that was only from one Latin country to another so I felt a little better about the fact that it has been a hard transition for me too.

I have been reminded that seeing familiar faces is so good. Last weekend another LAM missionary family visited us at camp. I had been in Language school with them and not seen them since April. On Wednesday I finally got together with one of my Honduran friends. I think it had been at least a month since we last chatted in person. I am discovering too that it would probably be cheaper for me to call the States with my cell phone than it is to call many phone numbers within the country of Honduras. It does not make phone conversations with friends here very appealing, especially when they are also in Spanish and I struggle to follow Spanish on the phone.

Anyway, I got back to camp on Thursday evening and Friday by lunch time I had a terrible headache. I thought briefly (and with horror) that it might be from lack of caffeine. For the past week I drank either tea or coffee everyday and though I did not think an addiction could happen that quickly, it was my one hypothesis. An attempted nap did not really alleviate the pain or tiredness and sleep was elusive since the electric was off and the house was extraordinarily hot. Thankfully I woke up Saturday feeling better. Because the Williamson children have been sick off and on the past couple of days, I think I may have had a virus and not an addiction to caffeine. Yeah!

September 15th is the Independence Day of Central America and one of the children from camp was in the local parade so a bunch of us were planning to go down and watch her. But the car would not start. Finally we pushed it to where it was facing downhill and then I had my first opportunity to clutch start a car and it worked. We made it to town an hour later than planned but no worries because the parade apparently did not start on time either. Saturday afternoon I went along with a ropes course group to observe the leader who still does not have sufficient hours to lead alone. In the evening I discovered how to substitute regular sugar for powdered sugar by using the blender.

This morning I awoke to no electric and a gentle rainfall. The rain has continued all day and gotten heavier. It actually reminds me of the other week when the Tropical Depression was in the area. Tonight we are having a farewell dinner along with the worship time since it is the Williamson’s last time here for many months. I think that the combination of sicknesses, power outages, and seeing all that the Williamson’s have to do in such a short time (while feeling helpless as far as really aiding them) have created a more stressful atmosphere over the past few days. But I know that it could be much worse and I am just praying that things go smoothly at camp as the Williamsons pack up this week.

Do I really need a car?

September 7, 2007
For the most part the effects of the Tropical depression are past here in Honduras though I am hearing of lots of flooding in the capital, 4 hours from me. Some of the rivers along the main road to the city were very high but the roads were quite passable. This afternoon I arrived in the city with hopes of getting together with a woman I was supposed to meet with last week and had to cancel on because of transportation problems. Of course I could not actually reach her by telephone until I got to the city, but thankfully she readily invited me to her house, even at the last minute. I appreciate that about the Latin culture – ability to change plans last minute and graciously.

So I said that we had electric throughout the storm. That was true until Wednesday night when suddenly the power went off around 7:00PM. I was on the phone with Cindy in the city and I learned that they lost power at the same moment and I figured the problem must be pretty big and might take a long time to fix (the whole country I later learned). But by midnight the electric was back. It did hinder the plans that I had to bake cookies with the two Honduran women and one of their daughters. But even with electric we probably could not have made them because we could not get the oven to work without giving off gas. We sat on the kitchen floor around a candle instead, ate a few chocolate chips, and chatted. Quality moments.

The excitement of this morning was checking out the snake that the dogs had killed the other night. A boa, about 4 feet long. Enjoy the photos! It was quite comforting to hear that the night watchman thought he saw it on the roof of the cabin next to mine shortly before its death. Perhaps the wildlife on camp is a little too prolific. I had to evacuate my house Weds. night for fumigation against the many unwanted insects. When I return on Friday, I will have to do lots of washing of everything that is now contaminated by the spray. The car issues were supposedly a defective oil filter that exploded so once it was replaced the mechanic said that it should be fine for me to drive to the city. But this evening I noticed oil on the floor beneath the car so I am not so sure it is fixed. At least it has not lost all its oil like last time though. I am considering taking up the recommendation of the one night watchman and buying a horse for my transportation instead. The benefits – 4WD in any type of weather, no mechanical issues to deal with, and if I use my big backpack, I could carry my groceries. Of course the drawbacks are too numerous to mention.

In the Midst of The Storm

September 5, 2007
And the rains have come! Since Tuesday around 1:30PM it has been raining almost constantly. Not always heavy showers but a steady rain. It is hard to imagine what the weather would be like if Felix had not downgraded to a Tropical Depression and instead came upon us as a hurricane. This morning I went down to the creek with some of the other staff and it was definitely a different creek than what I have seen previously in my time here. Last evening just before dusk I took a stroll to the woods in between rain showers and with each walk, I have been reminded that I find this weather enchanting and delightful (in small doses – everyday and I would have a different opinion). To walk in a world where green life is all around and the raindrops tumble gently from the drenched branches above. To have the opportunity to wear a long-sleeved shirt all day and not be hot! That is paradise (Okay, not really but delightful just the same).

I have so much to b thankful for at the moment. The power has stayed on all through the rains except for an hour or so last night, just as I was headed to bed. My roof has not leaked yet though I know that the leak is not really repaired. One of the families stayed on camp rather than going to visit their family on the other side of town and the creek. Had they done so, there is a good chance that they would not have made it back. I am not quite ready to be on camp overnight by myself. I am not even attempting to go anywhere since the price of mototaxis make a trip to town not worth it and they probably could not even make it up the hill. And so I work, eat, and read in the midst of a rain-soaked world that occasionally beckons me to venture out and explore.

In the Calm

September 4,

Today is a day of waiting -- waiting to see if Hurricane Felix will hit Honduras and effect my area, waiting to see if the Montero will be fixed so that I can leave camp if I want to, and waiting for who knows what else but I am sure that there is something. At the moment, all is calm. Since last evening there has hardly been any wind and we have had sunshine. And yet there is the threat of lots of rain and heavy winds in less than 24 hours. It does not seem like the people of Pinalejo are panicking because of the Hurricane. Eversince Hurricane Mitch in 1998 which destroyed so much of the country, there is much fear associated with the word "hurricane". The Williamsons are in the city and they have said that the supermarkets are emptied of food and yet jammed with people. The threat is being taken seriously. Here at camp we may have to gather in the storage rooms under the dining hall because none of the buildings have very strong roofs. I bought plenty of food when I was in the city over the weekend, but I am realizing that it was probably too much if the electric goes off because some of it will spoil. Because of flooding and mudslides the roads to the city will probably be impassible so my intended trip to the city tomorrow will not happen.

Not that I could have gone anyway because yesterday as I returned from town the oil light came on in the dashboard of the Montero. Since it "devours" oil I figured that it just needed refilled. But as it turns out something exploded and the oil was everywhere except where it should be. The night watchman saw oil all along the road up to camp. I am thankful that it happened when and where it did because I was not on the road to the city or even stuck in town. The mechanic came up to camp this morning and thinks the oil filter is defective and needs replaced. Since the part is probably not found here in the town, the car will not be fixed until he can get to the city. It would seem that God wants me to hang out at camp for a while. I doubt that I will even come to town for a few days after today. I hitched a ride down to town with the mechanic and then I plan to call my first "mototaxi" (I´ll have to include a picture sometime.) and get back up to camp. The adventures continue!

Over the weekend I met a girl from Kentucky, Mary, who is traveling Latin America for several months. It is neat how my life can be enriched from random contacts with people. She has a heart for ministering and is obediently following God without really knowing where she will end up. She studied Environmental Geography in college and so having an interest in camps, she returned to camp with me on Sunday to see the place. We did a little exploring and went for a run in the morning. (It was quite nice to have a running partner other than the dogs which tend to be more of a hindrance than a help most of the time) We also stayed up chatting until 11:30PM (something I have not done for ages), having deep conversations about life and faith. I was blessed by the brief encounter. I love how God can use even people who pass through our lives for such a short moment, to encourage, challenge us, and remind us of just how big He is. Her life and testimony were a challenge to me to consider what affect my life has on other people in similar brief encounters.

And so as I continue to wait to see what happens next in Pinalejo, in Honduras, I am at peace knowing that as I read in Psalm 46 this morning, "God is my refuge and my strength an ever present help in times of trouble..." And then the verse that I need to remember if the storm does hit, "Be still and know that I am God, I will be exalted among the nations..." I think that the next few days could be a great time to get to know the Honduran staff better and to minister to them. Probably there will be an adventure or 2 thrown in there too. We will see.

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.