Relaxing in Sigua

May 18, 2008

After doing some work on Saturday my roommate Emily and I headed out of San Pedro to the town of Siguatepeque to visit a few of my friends, many of whom are leaving next month when their school year ends. We had a leisurely drive (well, I can say leisurely because I was not the one driving and dealing with the crazy passing) to Sigua and stopped at the lake on the way to catch a glimpse of the sun setting. In the evening we went to a birthday party with the teachers and hung out talking. Today we had many ideas for what we could do but no one could really decide what would work best given the time constraints. In the end we stopped up at the camp Cerro de Luz so I could pick up a tool for the ropes course and began a little volleyball game. I had been wanting to play volleyball for weeks so it was a treat for me to at least be able to do one spike. We were invited to lunch so we stuck around and then I taught everyone one of my favorite games, Ticket To Ride. Although I have only visited with this group of friends three times, I appreciate their openness, hospitality, spontaneity, and fun-loving nature. I think it was a good way to relax before entering into a busy couple of days.

The Adorable Treasure

May 17, 2008

Travel and wildlife would probably be the two words to capture this past week. I made three trips to camp within a week’s time so I had a lot of time on the road. At the moment I am on the road again as my roommate and I are headed to Siguatepeque to see some of my friends and pick up a tool I need for the ropes course. During my time at camp I had some good times of chatting with the staff and awesome wildlife spotting. On Thursday afternoon I had just returned from town when the maintenance staff flagged me down to show me two young owls that were sitting on one of the branches of the large pine tree that had just been cut down. The owls seemed scared and unsure of what to do considering they had sat on the same branch for 2 hours enduring the noise of a chain saw and presence of machetes. I had never seen such adorable little owls so close up. The mother did not seem to be around and most likely their home had been destroyed with the chopping of the tree.

We decided to transfer the owls (they appear to be Least Pygmy Owls which means they never get more than about 7 inches) to a makeshift cage on the Williamson’s house, not with the intention of forever keeping them but to give them protection from potential predators. We left the top of the cage open so that they could leave. During the night the one disappeared and the other was found on the ground outside the cage. We are hoping that the mother came and somehow took the weaker one with the intention that the stronger one then follow (that is what tigers do). I did see the mother later that day so perhaps she came for the second baby that next night. I just wanted to hold them and keep them forever though because of how adorable they were. A very fun glimpse of another part of God’s creation.

On Tuesday I dropped my car off at the shop to get the electric system fixed so that my headlight would work again. With my car in the shop I worked from the church office, the plus of which was air condition all day. When I went back to the shop late afternoon for my car, it was not back yet and so I talked with the wife of the mechanic and then his daughter. During the brief conversation with the daughter, I discovered that she teaches Environmental Education at a University and is often looking both for field trips and for people to share in her classes. Although I do not think she is a Christian and at the moment a possibility for staffing, it was a good connection. I was glad to realize that my car troubles were not completely in vain in that I another door has opened because of it.

Currently I am in the waiting phase as I try to figure out if a high school can really come for Outdoor Education on May 26. I hate that everything is so last minute but there is not much choice if I want to give them a chance to come this school year yet. I am hoping that they come because it would be great to have the chance to run our own program, according the schedule that we put together. Some Houghton College students will probably be helping me out for Monday’s program which will be fun too. So I just have to wait and see what happens this week while all the while finishing up preparations for the group.

Baking Cakes and Disliking Cars

May 11, 2008

I am beginning to feel as if I could keep track of the weeks by the events of my car. Friday I got a nice crack in the windshield from a flying rock and yesterday I discovered that a headlight is out. The good news though is that my dashboard lights to work and there was not a burnt out fuse. I somehow dimmed the lights with a knob on the dash and never realized it.

Last week I was busy trying to get the details together for a school group to come to camp the end of this month. I am hoping it all works out but they still need to get permission from an Educational Board or something like that. I am going ahead with planning for them to come though I may discover last minute that it does not work. Vamos a ver. (We will see)

Friday I headed out to camp where I stayed for not even 24 hours before returning to the city with Ellie, the oldest Williamson. She is here with me for the rest of the weekend as a belated birthday present for her. While she went to youth group, I started to make the cakes for our meal together as a staff for this evening. (By the way, Mother's Day is a much bigger celebration here in Honduras and is really not complete without a cake, gifts, and a very distinct celebration). I had the cakes mixed up and turned on the oven but after a minute or so I looked in the oven and saw that it had gone out. We have a gas stove and on Friday Cindy had been asking me how long our chimbo (tank) of gas had lasted. I had expressed my surprise that it had lasted 4 months and said I hoped it did not run out at an inconvenient time. Well, it had run out. I only had about 40 minutes till I was supposed to pick Ellie up again and the cake had to bake for 30.

I have one friend who is house-sitting nearby so I called him up and took the cakes over there. I still did not have time so I had to leave the one for him to take out later. I still have not made the frosting though and I am not sure when or how I will do that. If I would buy a pre-made frosting, I would not have a problem, but I really do not like that kind and it is too easy (I am quite certain something could still go wrong though). What I want to make is a carmel frosting so I may attempt to carry everything to camp and make it there. Because it is Sunday, I do not think I can replace the chimbo. That will have to be a task for tomorrow. I guess that there are advantages to electric stoves but I do still like the gas ones.

The Unthinkable

May 8, 2008

I did the unthinkable this week (besides staying up late so many nights in a row). I have always claimed that I do not like seafood and it is true. But Monday night I went to a Japanese Sushi restaurant with some friends and their visiting friends, and I of course ordered chicken. When we were finished eating though, there were still a few of the sushi rolls left and so I decided to try one (but without raw fish). The cream cheese covered up most of the fishy flavor but not completely and it did not really disguise the seaweed. The worst part though was that just before I took a bite of that which I thought was fish, I discovered it was eel. But I took a bite anyway, only for the sake of being able to say I had eaten eel. It was only after the fact that someone told me that eels carry lots of parasites and the one guy said I would probably get sick. Well, I did, although I do not think I can exactly blame it on the seafood since my stomach has not been right for a while. I plan to stick with chicken.

In Search of the Camera

May 7, 2008

The real adventure of the vacation was the day we hiked to see the La Ruidosa Waterfall. At the last minute I found a guide to take us since we were not sure about the quality of the trail or how isolated it was. It turned out to be very well maintained and a guide was not really necessary but he provided some interesting facts. I learned that termites (of which we have an abundance at camp) are good for insect repellant if you rub them all over yourself. I may try it because nothing else keeps the mosquitos away. This guide, Efrain, was the second person in two days to tell me that termites are rather tasty and so I decided to try one. The first person had said that they tasted like carrots but it was more like wood to me.

All was going well on the hike (we were hoping for about 2 hours of hiking since we had to head back to the city the same day) until we reached one of the last bridges before the waterfall. I saw a lovely flower along the path and decided to take a picture. Shana had my camera and in the process of passing it off, the camera somehow fell and though we were still on the trail, the camera fell into a small hole at our side. And as we reached down for it, it continued to tumble and plummeted into the darkness. I watched the whole thing as if in slow movement and in horror wondered how we could retrieve it. To me, it sounded as if it had fallen all of the way to the creek bed.

The guide and I scrambled down under the bridge to look for it while Shana checked out the hole. Efrain proceeded to crawl under a huge boulder that created a cave like area and went to the far corner to search for the camera. As he did so the bats flew out and about, clearly disturbed at having someone in their home. I decided that I should be willing to risk getting dirty or attacked by bats for the sake of my own camera so I attempted to cross over to the “cave”. The problem was that I was moving too quickly and did not notice the water until I stepped in it. Wet shoes, uugh! Efrain found nothing in the far corner but came out filthy, completely covered in dirt. He went off to search for another hole while I tried to check out his previous spot. I avoided getting dirty though. There were many small crevices, and I did not fancy the idea of sticking my hand into a dark hole in a country where venomous snakes are prolific.

I returned to the upper hole and looked in it again trying to judge where the hole would lead to. The probability of the camera having fallen in the hole in the first place was so small and now the chance of finding it was even smaller. My flashlight, of course, was back in the car and not with me. (Why do I never learn to carry it no matter what?) My cell phone was there too so I could not even use it for light. We were all praying by this point (or at least we girls). I knew that the camera was replaceable but not the photos stored on it. The question was, how much time and effort was it worth to search for it?

We tried calling into the hole to hear where the sound went and also threw pebbles down into it but nothing seemed to help. At long last Efrain said that he saw the camera way down in a hole. But when he tried to access the hole from one of the crevices, he found that he could not crawl into the area. That meant it was my job to crawl in. Since it was my camera I could hardly complain. And so I entered the little cave, crawling deeper and deeper into the darkness. Small shafts of sunlight reached me from the gaps between the rocks – enough that I could see the spiders scurrying in front of my face. I had to ask myself, is this worth it? I knew that a spider, scorpion, or snake could bite me and inflict much damage. But still I pressed on (praying all of the way). Efrain had entered back into the hole from which he first saw the camera and so he tried to guide me as I felt around. I could see nothing. He eventually got his cell phone which gave a little more light. I held dearly to it, not wanting another missing electronic. His instructions were pointing me to a hole in which I could see nothing, but finally I put my hand in it and reached around, positive that I would find something nasty there. I certainly did not have much hope when it came to the camera. But low and behold as I fingered the rocks and dirt, my fingers suddenly touched cold metal, and I pulled up the camera. What relief and joy! I quickly passed him his cell phone so as not to be responsible for it and began to worm my way out of the crevice since by now I had been completely swallowed up by the darkness. While I was exiting I heard Efrain exclaim that he had dropped his cell phone. My thoughts immediately turned to prayers and thankfully he found the phone within seconds. There was one moment when I feared I might not be able to get out but I changed positions/angles and crawled out.

I was now filthy too though still not to the degree of Efrain. It seemed as if the search had taken close to 40 minutes. So much for our intended two hours of hiking. We continued on and soon came to the falls which were beautiful and worth the journey. The camera, by the way, at first did not work because the shutter would not open but after prying it open twice, it was fine and is still working. Even as I re-wrote this story a second time I realized the life applications when I think of my time in the cave. I was reaching for something I could not see and having to trust the guide that he had actually seen the camera though I had my doubts. Sometimes I feel the same way with God’s directions because I cannot see the end or the outcome of what He is saying. But He can and He knows exactly where and why I am putting my hand in a certain place. He knows whose lives I will touch and whose lives will touch me. Even in the dark I am not alone and He guides me.

To Roatan and Back Again

April 23, 2008

Sunday was the day to travel to the island of Roatan and our plan was to take the public bus since it was cheaper and my A/C still was not working the best. Emily dropped us off at the big bus terminal and we began the search for our bus-line. But after twenty minutes we still had not found it. Several other companies tried to get us to take their “direct” buses (otherwise known as the “Chicken” bus since chickens could very well be your companions). The bus I had hoped to take was a coach but without A/C. When I asked the one company if their buses were school buses, the worker said “no, they are nice buses” but a man standing nearby said, “School buses.” We completely looked like tourists by this point with our backpacks wandering around the station. I even tried calling the bus company but they could not even tell me where they were located within the station so I decided they were not too concerned about their sales. At last I said forget it and Emily came back and got us and we drove. It was a three hour drive which can make for a long day since you have to be so focused on the driving and forever passing the trucks going 30mph. But we arrived in La Ceiba and were stopped at a checkpoint where the policeman so kindly told us (after seeing 3 American girls in the car) that we were going to be robbed. Thankfully he was wrong.

A really neat turn of events was that we were able to meet up with a pastor in La Ceiba whom my pastor had mentioned to me that morning at church. I called him to ask for directions to the ferry and we ended up meeting he and his family at Wendy’s. He offered to drive us to the dock and then stored my car at his house, thereby saving us the parking fee. Upon our return to the city he graciously drove us around so that my friend could see all the places her parents had lived and worked years ago. He was ready to give us his entire day even though I am sure he had many other things to do. I do love that part about this culture.

I always have prided myself on not having trouble with motion sickness and boats, but the ferry ride almost changed that. You know it is going to be bad when they pass out bags to every passenger before you even leave the port. Thankfully we reached the island before I could be too sick. In Roatan we pretty much relaxed, wandered around the one town, ate (awesome Coconut Smoothies), marveled at the sunset, and played a game of Settler’s. It was a good way to spend a birthday – if snow is not an option.

The Beginnings of the Travels

May 4, 2008

Over a week later I finally get to writing about my travels. But it is not all bad that it took so long because it means that I made spending time with people a priority over writing. Whether it was doing a puzzle with friends, playing Dutch Blitz, or enjoying another birthday dinner, I was hanging out with others. And tonight Emily and I are planning to have company for pizza and games. Perhaps I will finally get to teach some of my favorite games – Ticket to Ride and Settler’s of Catan.

But now for the adventures – in stages of course so that they are not overwhelming. In spite of the protests that took place around San Pedro, my sister Shana and friend Janine and I were able to go directly from the airport to my apartment. From there we headed out to camp for a few days. At camp we did a little painting on the Williamson’s house and visited with the staff. We looked for wildlife but did not see too much. On Saturday the two Honduran maintenance staff took us to a hot springs way up in the mountains, almost on the border of Guatemala. The drive itself was enough beauty to make the trip worthwhile. It was about an hour and a half on dirt roads, crossing creeks (and one river), and battling with some mud. We saw a tree full of toucans and some beautiful crimson-collared tanagers. The hot springs were not as exciting as I had hoped, but it was okay.

When we got back to camp, Shana and I were greeted with a “tropical” Birthday party complete with grass skirts and tamales. I was blessed by the excitement of the staff in giving me such a party and it was fun to share it with my sister again. Several of the guys convinced me to stay around long enough to play a short game of soccer so we did that and then the girls and I headed off to the city. We were planning to go out to eat with my roommate Emily. I was very non-committal in where or when but at last we decided on an Italian restaurant that had pizza (which has always been a birthday tradition).

We had just settled down to order when Cindy Williamson walked in with a few containers that I had left at her house. Moments later a whole crowd wandered in and yelled, “Surprise.” This time I was very surprised. I had expected the staff at camp to do something but I certainly did not expect the Williamsons to appear in the city 2 hours after I just saw them at camp. We had a good mal and then went back to the apartment for a mango-strawberry pie (delicious!). A fun day of birthday celebrations even though the real day had not yet arrived.

Time Flies By... And it Crawls

April 30, 2008

It is hard to believe that it was a year ago to this date that I arrived in Honduras. In some ways the time has gone quickly, in some ways not so much. I write this from camp where I am finding myself for an extended stay due to a new car problem. The mechanic said he should be able to get the part in the city this morning and by afternoon I can be heading there myself but I am not so convinced the find will be so easy. And tomorrow is a holiday so I may be here for quite a bit longer. The discouraging part was that I was to have a meeting with a Science teacher today in order to set up a one day program for the end of May. That will have to be rescheduled for Monday. As far as food and clothes go I did not exactly come prepared for so many days on camp, but I am surviving and getting some food from the Williamson’s. At least this time I remembered to bring the Toaster Oven to camp so that I would have a method for cooking in my own home.

Last night I set out to heat up leftovers but just before I put the food in the toaster over the electric began flickering and finally went off. I had hoped to eat alone and have some time for reading but I got my food together and trudged over to the Williamson’s. Just as I arrived the electric came on but I stayed because it was not worth turning around only to experience a power outage again. This morning I attempted to make pancakes in the toaster oven in the form of a small loaf of bread. It actually turned out okay. I also heated up water for hot chocolate which very enjoyable. For some reason my cold shower was extra cold this morning and my fingers were white and without circulation. You would have thought it was winter and I had been tubing.

Since Wes is back with their car I can at least get into town to send some e-mails which is good. If I do end up staying another night, I hope to get over to the Honduran families’ houses and visit with them as well as catch up on my blog. Lofty goals knowing how things go.

Back to Work

April 28, 2008

So I am back to work and vacation is over. I actually started back on Friday. My vacation was a good time and I have several stories to blog but I did not get them written this weekend as I had anticipated. I have many pictures to post as well.

Currently I am out at camp but when I return to the city tomorrow or Wednesday I have at least one meeting with a school to look at them bringing a group of students to camp the end of May. It is exciting but lots to do before then. So I hope to post more here within the next few days of the adventures and lessons I experienced.

Waiting It Out

April 17, 2008

In my life I have had to wait out many a storm --from on a hillside under a tarp far from my backpack with metal rods to inside a house with real protection. In either case the key was waiting. Today I am waiting again, but not on a thunderstorm. Today is the day of the nationwide protests here in Honduras, intended to paralyze the nation. I thought they would not happen because the new driving law had been revoked but as it turns out the protests have to do with wanting changes throughout the country in laws, food and gas prices, and social reform. Because my sister and friend arrive today from the US, I am camping out near the airport in case the roads are closed off. Thankfully I did not have to use a tent but have been able to stay with a girl from my basketball team in the town of La Lima. She lives in a secure neighborhood which is good because everyone else says to stay away from this town. I arrived after dark, in the rain so I could not see much.

From what I read on the internet this morning it seems like the airport should be operating as normal today. A lot of schools cancelled classes for today in expectation of the closed roads. According to the news this is supposed to be a non-violent protest. (By the way any spelling errors or missprints I am crediting to the fact that while I type I am listening to a 3 year old chatter away in an English, splattered with a Spanish word here and there, that I cannot understand.) My hope is that the girls can arrive without problem and then we can either hang out in the airport or La Lima for a couple of hours until the protesters desert the roads. If it is too late by that point, we will stay in the city at my apartment and head out to camp in the morning. Basically we will wait and see what happens. Like I am doing with most of this vacation. Still no reservations anywhere.

Last night I had a panic moment as I was following my friend to her house. We were in downtown San Pedro and all of a sudden I heard honking beside me and looked over to see two policemen on a motorcycle motioning me to pull over. I did not fancy the idea of pulling over in that part of town nor could I think of what I had done wrong. Nonetheless I pulled over and discovered that they simply wanted to see who was in the car since I have very tinted windows and it was rather late at night. Thankfully they let me go without a problem.

The Little Joys

April 15, 2008

The joy of a heavy rainfall! During the rainy season another day of rain can bea bit dreary, but at this time of year the rain is lovely both because it is a break from the intense sunshine and because it causes the temperatures to drop significantly. And so I am enjoying this new rainfall. Of course there is always the problem of wanting to just curl up with a book and stay in bed, but that is not an option for today. Today is the day of getting my extension that will allow me to stay for another month in the country. I am praying that the laws are the same as they were 3 weeks ago and that I can get the extension without a problem.

I had a good weekend with a variety of activities. On Saturday morning I at long last walked to the grocery store (about 1/2 mile away) and bought my groceries. I have wanted to do that ever since moving to the apartment but the timing had never worked out. I later decided that doing the walk to and from the store perhaps was not the best way to prepare for the basketball game that afternoon, but I do not think it affected my energy level. The game was fun, even though we lost rather signifcantly. After the game though my heart was a little heavy because I sensed there were a lot of tensions based on the amount of playing time various people had or did not have. I did not play as much as I wanted but that is the way games go and since I was not making my shots, what could I expect? Still I feel like there is a lack of unity and comradeship in the team.

After our game I was watching another game and began to talk with one of the players and her mom. From our conversation I discovered that she is a writer and teacher and has an interest in ecology. When she heard that I am writing lesson plans in Spanish which need edited, she volunteered to do so. I was excited to have someone volunteer to do so because it could be a chore otherwise. In talking I learned that she is Catholic, but does not consider herself very religious. I am not sure that she really knows Jesus and so I am praying that in reading the lessons, which each have a spiritual application, and through our conversation, questions will arise that will cause her to seek to know Him.

Sunday I experienced Communion for the first time at the Spanish church. Later that afternoon I headed out to camp where I fellowshipped with the staff and stayed until Monday afternoon. It had been a while since I wandered around in the woods at camp. I was delighted to find a plethera of birds once again -- 2 Keel-billed toucans, 4 woodpeckers (a species I had never before seen nor can I yet identify), orioles, a parrot (the first I have seen in the wild at camp), Montezuma Orpendolas, a Turquoise-Browed Motmot, and many others. Such beauty when I take the time to slow down and look.

The Good News and The Bad News of a Week

April 11, 2008


It has been a week of good news and bad news. The good news is that the Supreme Court judged the law "Hoy no Circulo" (Today I do not circle, or drive) unconstitutional, hence it has been revoked. Sadly the government spent a lot of money on manufacturing the stickers and then staffing the many different booths that distributed them. I did not notice any difference in the number of cars on the road Tuesday or Wednesday when the law was still in effect. My life is made much easier by being able to drive on Mondays again though I do want to be conscientious and not drive when it is not necessary. A big frustation has been that all of the streets in my neighborhood suddenly became One-Way streets overnight, but not all of the intersections are marked so you really do not always know which way you can go. Because of this police have been standing out at the intersections to direct people. In general though people just drive which ever way they want to and I find it tempting to do the same. There seems to be little rhyme or reason as to which streets go which way and so to get my apartment I sometimes have to go 4 blocks out of the way. It does not seem to be designed to help the country save on gas.

The bad news -- my car is proving to be very difficult to repair because the parts are so hard to come by, both here in Honduras and in the US (something I should have investigated better before buying the vehicle -- I obviously had not done too much car shopping before). The air compressor is not working for my A/C so I took it in to get it fixed. The mechanic told me that they have not been able to find the part and he has been looking for over a week. Since I already cannot operate the windows in such a way as to get a cross breeze, driving in the city gets to be very hot. On the highway the A/C seems to partially work. I am ready to get rid of this car and find something with less issues but that is much easier said than done. Whether we can find a part in time for my sister to bring it from the States, I am not sure but I need to figure out some solution to these car problems and so I am praying for some wisdom. In talking with other missionaries though I am realizing that any car repair here in Honduras tends to take a while to resolve. While in the US the mechanic will be the one to find the necessary part, here the car owners often have to go out and shop around for the part. The mechanics do not want to be held responsible if a part does not fit. From what I understand my mechanic is doing the searching but maybe I should be out visiting shops. At any rate, any car I would own would pose similar problems when there was a repair needed. And due to heat, humidity, and quality of roads, repairs are more frequent here. Perhaps I can learn more about cars and at least diagnosing them from my experiences this car.

As for other events of the week, I had some good time at camp before returning to the city where I have been continuing translation of materials to Spanish and writing new lesson plans. In the evenings I had several basketball practices and now tomorrow we have our first game. I went to a Thai Restaurant with a Honduran friend who spent some time in Thailand just after I visited there. Since I love Thai food the restaurant was a fun find. The food had a rather Caribbean flare to it, but I still enjoyed it. This morning before work I had a good chat with Emily (my roommate) and was reminded of what it means to be captivated by the Lord and seeking His face, not just answers from Him. It was a very timely conversation and I am thankful for what the Lord taught me through it.

All in a Day's Journey

April 6, 2008

Yesterday I made an early morning trip to camp and then returned to the city in the afternoon since I wanted to be go to the birthday celebration of one of the women on my basketball team. Through the course of my travels, I noticed a few interesting sights. First, as I was leaving camp I came upon 3 cows and a calf sprawled across the road in a semi-shady spot. Thankfully the shade extended across only half of the road so there was room to pass the cows. They seemed perfectly content and indifferent to passerbys so had they taken over the entire road, they would have had no intention of moving.

The second sight was as I was entering the town of Pinalejo. I noticed two children out in front of their house. One was a girl of maybe 2 years old and in her hand was a machete which she was using to chop the weeds. Hmm... not the best toy or tool for a child of that age but she seemed to be doing a pretty good job of trimming the weeds. The boy with her who I would presume was her brother, also had a machete in hand as well as a large knife. He may have been 6 or 7 years of age. I guess that the children of the village learn how to use such tools at a young age but I would have a little hesitation in allowing children to play with them.

As I drove along the highway, a third sight caught my attention. There was one section of the road where the landscape changed from partially green (it is obvious that the dry season is upon us because everything is turning brown) to a charred black. A large section of land had burned the week before and what remained was black soil, brown grasses, and trees that were half brown and half green, depending on the severity of the fire they had experienced. Barren was the word that came to mind. To have to drive through too much land with that appearance would definitely make me a little depressed. Thankfully the area was not extensive and I moved on to see greens again.

My journeys these days are a little hotter than normal because my air conditioner is not working right in the car. I plan to get it fixed next week since it is an essential at this time of year. If my windows worked so that I could get a cross breeze, perhaps I could survive without the A/C. Yesterday or the day before the temperature reached 110 F. I have been slowly melting. I look forward to leaving the city this afternoon and staying at camp for a few days where the trees and lack of concrete help to create a cooler environment.

I was very pleasantly surprised when Emily and I got our first electric bill and it was only $11. We had braced ourself for a bill of up to $100 because we had no idea what to expect except for what other people told us. Our bill was low enough that the government took another $5 off, bringing it to $11. We have not used our A/C very much and even last night when it was still pretty hot, I hesitated to turn it on. I think I will resort to using it soon though in order to get a good night's sleep. There are days when a fan is just not enough and though I will continue to work hard to conserve energy, I do need to sleep. Hopefully a storm will come soon and the temperatures will drop for a few days. Till then I will melt during my travels and in the no A/C moments.

An Effort to Save Gas

March 31, 2008

Yesterday as I was returning to the city from camp, I noticed that the fires have begun again. Trees and tall grasses were being consumed by flames and the flames even lapped at the edge of highway. It is too bad that the heat generated from the fires cannot be channeled into combustible for the cars.

I learned yesterday that the government has come up with an ingenious plan (or NOT so ingenious) for saving gasoline. Beginning next Monday each car will have a day of the week when it cannot be on the road. I think that based on my license plate number, I will not be able to drive on Mondays. From what I understand I will not be able to drive anywhere in the city. What happens if I need to travel between the city and camp, I do not know. Even if I wanted to bypass San Pedro to make it to another city I would be in trouble because in reality all of the roads go through San Pedro. If public transportation here in San Pedro was decent and safe, perhaps this effort could work, but it is neither of the above. The buses are dangerous both because there is no inspection of brakes etc.... and because it is a great place to get robbed. For those people who use their car for work, traveling from one appointment to another, there will be very little option. If everyone uses taxis, no gas will be saved because it is still individual transport. I am not so happy about the implications of this new law. People are saying that it will last about a week and then the government will realize it is impossible. I would tend to agree. But nonetheless I guess that I have to go today and try to find my sticker which will designate which day of the week I cannot drive. One more obstacle to make connections and meetings more difficult.

One amongst a crowd of 1500

March 24, 2008

Some days I get confused as to what season it is here in Honduras. In a matter of 5 minutes I can see three different scenes that remind me of the various seasons up north. I have yet to really see anything comparable to the winters of the north. Today as the drove I to the city I first thought of autumn because many trees are currently without leaves and the gray rain clouds made a contrast that reminded me of Novembers in PA. But then just down the road I saw trees bursting with fresh yellow or pink blooms -- spring is in the air. And finally came the downpour of rain -- a summer storm. In reality it is most like summer here but it is nice that I can catch glimpses of change almost any time of the year.

But that is not the point of this blog entry. I want to reflect on last week's retreat at the camp. I was back and forth to camp three times this past week because of helping various people move and then for the retreat. The retreat began on Wednesday though some people arrived Tuesday night. I set up my little tent in front of the one staff family's house which meant I had good access to a bathroom. Important when so many people are competing for the bathrooms. I went in to the week expecting to be overwhelmed by so many people in one area and by the amount of trash that would accumulate. Tents and cars were sprawled everywhere around the camp and quickly the trash also cluttered the ground. Yet I found myself reminded a bit of family and church camping trips in the States where we spread out over a campground. The difference here is that there are no "spaces" so the tents end up being very close to each other. Many people cooked their own meals and had elaborate set-ups with tents and even fridges. Wednesday was incredibly hot but then overnight it poured and the temperatures dropped. I stayed nice and dry though many were not so fortunate.

The schedule of the retreat was that there were worship sessions and teaching each morning and evening but then the afternoons were free. I was thankful about the latter becuase for some reason I found myself unable to keep my eyes open during the sessions and so I had to take a long nap to get refreshed. The sessions were good and by Thursday evening I was able to focus and stay awake. What I probably enjoyed the most though was the opportunity to just hang out with various people who I knew a little bit from before. One evening I sat up late and talked with several couples. It was a good opportunity to deepen relationships. There were several moments during the week when I was very aware of the fact that I was the only white North American in a crowd of 1500 or more. I have not been such a minority for so many days in a row and so that was rather eye opening. Even though I love the people and had many friends among the crowd, I had a few moments of loneliness in that there was no one there who could understand from my culture.

On Friday afternoon I started to pick up some of the trash that littered the ground while I walked back to main camp. As I was doing so a young girl said to me, "You can just throw it all in the ravine." I tried to mask my horror at her comment because the very reason I was picking it all up was to keep it from ending up down there. I carefully explained to her why I do not throw it in the ravine and how it is not good for God's creation, etc... . She listened and after a while she changed her story a bit and said that well, it was the other group of people (the Garifuna community which is a culture of itself within Honduras) that were actually throwing the trash there. In reality most everyone seemed to be tossing the trash wherever they wanted. This morning I and two of the staff members gathered trash for hours and when I left we were far from done.

As I look back on the retreat as a whole it was a very good experience. I helped out in the kitchen a few times and discovered how to efficiently feed so many people in a short time. (I could probably work in McDonald's now since I know the process of putting together a cheeseburger.) The Lord touched my heart to through some of the worship and teaching, calling me to go deeper with Him and to always remember who and why I am serving. And then there were the friendships which were strengthened. I left the retreat wanting to camp out in my tent more often though preferably in the mountains with only a few people and a deep tranquility. I think now I will not dread the thought of Semana Santa and 1500 people because things go in a rather orderly fashion. Before the next year comes around though I want to think of how I might help to change the amount of littering that goes on. A very huge task to consider.

Easter Day 2008

Easter Day. The hymn “Christ the Lord is risen today hallelujah…” was running through my head this morning as I climbed a mountain just on the edge of the city, San Pedro Sula. My roommate and I decided to leave the house at 5:00AM and climb the mountain in an attempt to see the sunrise. Amazingly we were successful and enjoyed a nice quiet time with the Lord there on the mountain. It made the day feel a little more like Easter because often I would go to the sunrise service with my church in Lancaster. There actually was a sunrise service at my church here in the city but I could not bear the thought of being in a church building, downtown, while the sun was rising outside. I went instead to the regular church service and then drove out to camp to meet up with the camp staff and the Easter service that they had. I am still rather amazed at how little emphasis there is on Easter and resurrection Sunday here in Latin America. With the Catholic churches all of the emphasis is put on Good Friday and Christ’s atoning death. The Evangelical churches seem to somewhat ignore the whole week to make up for all of the traditions attached to the Catholic’s celebration of Holy Week. Perhaps had I gone to the sunrise service I would feel differently but the sermon this morning during the regular worship service was on Matthew 9 and the calling of Matthew. It was a good sermon but in my opinion had nothing to do with Easter.

And yet why limit the celebration of Christ’s resurrection to one day in the year? I was reading 1 Corinthians 15 this morning about the hope that we have because Christ rose again. Had He stayed in the grave we would have been more pitied than anyone else in the world for choosing to follow Him. His resurrection is what gives us hope because it means that Christ is still alive today. He is seated with the Father but He is also living inside of each of us who have surrendered our lives to Him.

Sweltering...

March 16, 2008

So the days of sweltering heat have arrived. Yesterday Emily turned on the AC in her room mid-day and the temperature read 38Celcius which is about 100F -- and that was inside the apartment! I do not remember this kind of heat last year or in Costa Rica. Needless to say I am dreaming of snow showers. The ashes have begun falling from the sky here in the city. I have not really noticed fires on the surrounding mountainsides but they must be occuring. Since the ashes are somehow ending up inside the house, I have to wonder about the structure of even this building. There are gaps in the roof somewhere.

Last evening I was able to get together with one of my Honduran friends after months of not connecting again. We went to a restaurant with AC which was very nice to experience agian. It was good to reconnect and we have plans to bake cookies sometime after Semana Santa. I think I should start giving baking lessons because so many people want to learn how to bake cookies and such.

Tomorrow I head to camp for the beginning of Semana Santa. I may come back to the city once during the week. There is a good chance the Williamsons will not be in camp for the week because their house is not finished yet and they will have no other place to live with 1500 people on camp. I am planning to pull out my tent which I carried to Costa Rica and now here so I ought to make use of. I am not sure that I can handle being "alone" with 1500 people, watching trash accumulate and being surrounded only by Spanish. I think I will need some oppportunities to express myself in English so as a way of escape from the large crowd, I may sleep in the city one night. I want to have a good attitude but my personality in no way seeks surrounding myself with 1500 people within the constraints of 40 acres -- either in the US or a foreign country. The Lord may do a lot of teaching and shaping in my life these next few days.

Whatever other random facts I was going to write about, I cannot remember them and so I guess that I will close and catch up again after this week.

When the Danger is Within the Gate...

March 12, 2008

It is 10:30PM and I am sitting up in bed, unable to sleep. I should have been asleep almost an hour ago, but I am waiting and praying. The trouble started around 9:30 when the doorbell to my apartment kept ringing. I thought maybe one of my roommate's friends was passing by though I was not excited because of the late hour. I went outside and it was only the night guard. He tried to communicate something to me but was not using words nor very clear gestures. As he continued to struggle with communicating, I began to wonder if he was drunk. I went back inside but 2 more times the doorbell rang. Then as I was headed up the stairs to my room I heard the cocking of a gun. Looking out I saw the guard aim his gun across the street and shoot at who knows what. I decided that it was time to call the landowner. I had to leave a message but I finally got through. It was one of those situations of, is he really drunk? And yet someone's life could be in danger. I gave up trying to sleep when the gun went off a second time.

The plan is for the security company to bring the manager and a replacement guard but how they will deal with the one who is drunk and has a loaded gun, I do not know. These are the moments when one realizes that even having guards does not ensure safety. Emily is still out though and so I am praying that she will not come home until the trouble is over. Since I will be up until she gets home, I think that I will have to skip an earlly morning run.

I just got the call that a new guard is here and everything is under control. Thank you Lord Jesus for protecting us all, including any random person who was walking along the street. I have been reminded again of why I do not like guns, with the exception of water guns (but water bottles work just as well).

As for some other events of the past week, I spent 5 days out at camp to participate in a training and to pack up the remaining items in my cabin there. Today I had to unpack all of that stuff here in the city and try to find some needed documents which I want to send to the US with a friend this weekend. This morning I had yet another flat tire. Yesterday I must have run over a nail and my oh my was it twisted into the tire! So much for the new tires. Tomorrow morning I am dropping the car off to get the brakes checked because the ABS light keeps coming on. I guess that the saga of car issues has returned again. Monday and Tuesday I spent cleaning and painting window bars at the Williamson's new house so that the windows can be installed tomorrow. there is still much work to be done for it to be livable this coming Monday. Last night I went to my basketball team's scrimmage against another team and had fun playing. We ended up losing by one point but for me, I am more concerned about just playing than winning.

Well, I am officially tired and over the excitement of the evening so sleep is next on my agenda.

Saturation of "The Customer is Always Right"

March 5, 2008

I never realized until living here in Honduras how the US culture is saturated with the theme of customer service. In the US, the customer is always right, even to the detriment of small businesses. Not so here in Honduras. I have been experiencing the other extreme which because of the culture I come from, I find very frustrating.

Yesterday I went to a store in the mall looking for curtains. I saw several options but was not sure how they would look in my room with the walls and other colors that I had around. I asked the sales person if I could purchase two different curtains and then return them. She said it was okay as long as I came back tomorrow to do the return. I double checked with the clerk and she said the same thing. I was a little surprised because I thought that must stores had a no return policy. What you buy is yours for good whether it works or not. Today I went back to the store with both of the curtains because neither really looked good, nor could I find any others in the store that looked like they would work. I had another purchase to make so I picked that out and then proceeded to the check out line. In line the attendant said the item I was buying was on sale so I still had about $8 to spend. I looked a little puzzled and asked "Can't you just give me the change?" The response -- no, there are no refunds for returns. You have to purchase something else of equal or higher cost. I asked whether I could come back another day and she just give me a certficate or something but no, I had to make me purchase at the time of the return. She kindly added that I could take as long as I wanted to look around. That was not the issue. There was nothing that I really needed other than curtains and I did not have time to browse the store for another 30 minutes. But I set off in search of something else. I came back with a fruit basket and strainer and still it was not enough so I went looking again.

What seemed to be hours later I walked out of the store with my purchases, all because of what I thought would be a simple return. It did not matter in the least to the attendant that everyone failed to tell me the second part of their return policy -- no refunds. No apologies, nothing. I am not sure that it would phase the Hondurans so much because that is just the way things are. But I come with certain expectations of customer service and so find myself frustrated at what appears to me an indifferent and sometimes harsh attitude. And yet these experiences have showed me that perhaps we in the US go too much to the other extreme. Maybe I should learn to buy only what I know I want and pay the consequences if it does not turn out as I wished. I think that neither culture has the perfect balance and we both have much to learn from each other. I need to be less demanding and perhaps they more understanding. I have learned a valuable lesson though -- never buy something here in Honduras unless I am sure it is what I want.

Still Alive

March 3, 2008

So I am still alive though I have been neglecting communication. Most of that has to do with my scedule the past few weeks and the amount of time I was in camp compared to in the city. Because I am working on an update to send out, I will not write much except to say that I am excited to have the ropes course repairs done and to be able to move on to other things.

Life the past week has had its adventures -- a night hike in the jungle, a gecko in the washer, attempting to cut cable while standing on a ladder, burning my fingers on aluminum foil that just came out of the fire (very stupid on my part), etc... Hopefully I can elaborate more later. I am thankful that my health has improved though the cough I had still lingers a bit. This week I will be mostly in the city in an effort to catch up on some communication, meetings, and other details. And so more to come on life's adventures. As the video below shows, determination is not always enough to get the job done.

Brief Update

February 20, 2008

Although my time is short at the moment, I figured that I should give a little update as to what is happening. Last week I was out at camp working with my aunt and uncle on various projects and discovering new projects for the coming weeks. It was good to have them here to participate a bit in my world and to fellowship again. Though there were no long power outages, they got to experience the uncertainties of it.

Sunday I got back to the city and have been busy since even though I sort of took Monday off. I have come down with a cold or flu and so I am trying to fight that off with rest. Daily it seems like new tasks pop up and this coming weekend a guy from Houghton is coming down to help with ropes course repairs so next week will be busy again. The Williamsons also return on Monday which will possibly bring other stuff to do. And so today I will prepare for a ropes course training, the repairs, and begin work on a real update while trying to keep rested. I am very thannkful to have an apartment where I can be without exposing others to sickness (except my roommate and she is very gracious).

*The photo is of a parrot we temporarily housed on camp -- long enough take some pictures. The children rescued from being eaten by an iguana.

When We Think We Own the World...

February 20, 2008

Yesterday as I was headed back to my house, I was amazed again by the audacity of a driver. He (or she) acted as if the only important person in the world was their own self. I was in the far right lane waiting to turn right and since we had a green light, the truck in front of me began to make the turn. It stopped though because flying up our lane was an SUV which proceeded to then begin pulling out in traffic. It stopped, probaly because to not have would have meant a major crash as two lanes of traffic were already moving across the interesection. The SUV's position allowed those of us turning right to proceed but I could hear the honks of those who had planned to go straight across the intersection and not found their path blocked by the SUV. My guess would be that the driver did not want to sit in the long line of traffic at the light and decided to head to the front. Whether he really planned to blaze across the intersection on a very red light, I do not know. I was disgusted with the self-centered behavior but as I continued on my way, I was challenged to think about if any of my actions and choices may give the impression that I think I am the most important person in the world. I do not own the world and I want my life to point to the One who does.

The Joy of Delays

February 7, 2008



This blog entry is a little overdue but my days and evenings have been busy this past week. And it will probably my last entry for quite a while because I head to camp Friday evening to be involved in a camp counselor training that is going on this weekend. Then on Monday my aunt and uncle come to help out at camp for the week so I will not be doing much on the computer.

On Monday I went out to camp and then returned to the city Tuesday afternoon because I had some meetings to attend that evening. I have discovered that those things which consume my time fall into different categories. First there are the accidental delays because of some mistake on my part. And then there are those things which are completely out of my control. Tuesday was a day of both types of delays. In the morning I decided to throw some rugs in the washer and also my mophead because it was pretty nasty and I had read in the store that one was machine washer friendly. Well, the one in the store might have been but mine was not. When I went to retrieve the laundry and hang it up, I discovered that my mophead had been reduced to a ball of matted strings, many of which had separated from the rest and now lined the rugs and few t-shirts that I had in the load. Thankfully it was not a full load but I spent a good 20 minutes or so picking the strings off of the laundry. The mophead is useless as far as mopping goes but I am thinking maybe I could make it into paper pulp and try out papermaking which is to be a camp project anyway. We will see. For now I have saved the blob of strings until I have opportunity to experiment with it.

The second delay of the day was worse. I left camp around 3:45PM with hopes of reaching the city shortly after 5:00PM. I was making good time until about a mile from the city when I ran into traffic that was not moving. I knew I was very close to the city but I also had a feeling that it could be a very long wait. Thankfully it was still light out so I pulled out my journal and starte writing. We moved so seldom that it worked pretty well. One of the things I wrote down was all that I had to be thankful for even while sitting in traffic. It was a good way to help me not get so annoyed with just sitting. And so I sat and crawled along slowly for the next 2 hours. I knew it was bad when people started getting off their buses and walking. I wanted to just leave my car and walk, but I knew it was not an option. I journaled, prayed, and called some friends who I had not talked with in a while. I did struggle with not getting mad at the throngs of people who decided to try and improve their status by cutting out of line and driving either on the shoulder of the road or in the other lane. The road has one lane going in each direction and occasionally a whole line of cars would be going the wrong way in the other lane and then the traffic from the other direction would start moving again. The semis and buses had to squeeze around the on coming traffic even though they had the right away. I have to admit that I was always glad when the traffic that was trying to cut got trapped in the center and had to just sit there because the oncoming traffic was coming and the other slow moving lane did not permit them back in. In the US there are always the people taking to the shoulder and trying to move ahead in traffic jams too but often semis will work together and block their path or at least there is a little concern about the police intervening. And I have yet to see the traffic taking over the other lane and the shoulder at the same time.

I noticed that there was never just one car cutting and driving in the wrong lane. Once one went, it was a license for many others to follow. Perhaps they thought there was safety in numbers or everyone else is doing it so why not? How much influence our bad decisions can have on other people! I was also challenged to evaluate how I maybe cut people off in life.

So I arrived in the city after my meeting began, but I was not too concerned. I figured that we would not get to my part in the meeting for a long time anyway so I was not in a great hurry. I heated up my dinner and then went to the meeting thankful that for once I had not allowed myself to get so stressed and annoyed with waiting. Perhaps, (but only perhaps) I am learning.

Today

January 31, 2008 (But really February 3rd)

Since yesterday I did an entry about tomorrow, I think that today I should do one about today. These past few days God has been bombarding me through Scripture, quotes, and sermons about the importance of today. I was looking through my quote book (of quotes I have been collecting over the years though largly neglected the past 5 years) and found several quotes that stuck home again. I thought that I would record a few here.

"Today is mine. Tomorrow is none of my business. If I peer anxiously into the fog of the future, I will strain my spiritual eyes so that I will not see clearly what is required of me now." ~Elisabeth Elliott

Excerpts from C.S Lewis in The Screwtape Letters
"Our [devil's] business is to get them away from the eternal and from the present. With this in view, we sometimes tempt a human (say a widow or a scholar) to live in the Past. But this is of limited value... It is far better to make them live in the future... Also it [the future] is unknown to them, so that in making them think about it we make them thinnk of unrealities. In a word, the Future is of all things, the thing least like eternity."
"Gratitude looks to the Past and love to the Present; fear avarice, lust, and ambition look ahead."
"To be sure the Enemy [which in the book is God] wants men to think of the Future too -- just so much asis necessary for now -- planning the acts of justice or charity which will probably be their duty tomorrow... He does not want men to give the Future their hearts, to place their treasure in it."

And finally God's Word,

"But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you will may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.... Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion." Hebrews 3:13-15

I think I am being reminded to live each day and face the challenges of the day without getting caught up in worry about tomorrow or in the dream that it will all be so much better.

Since it is now February 3rd when I am finally posting this, a little update. I have moved into my apartment much to my relief. I have a matress to sleep on, a fridge to store food in and a toaster oven to cook in so that is enough to make it livable for now. There are many more details to take care of but at least I am partially settled. I have gotten to go on 2 runs in the area and felt safe. This morning I went to get my license plates and it took only 30 minutes! That is a record for sure. On Saturday I was with my roommate Emily while she "ordered" a gift certificate from a local restaurant. We waited for 45 minutes while they made the certificate, printed it off, and did who knows what else. Needless to say not much got done on Saturday and I was reminded of why I am behind on everything. Right now I am waiting for the oil to get changed and then this afternoon I head out to camp. I had wanted to stay for a few days but I cannot because of meetings I have tomorrow evening for the camp that is happening this weekend. So life continues with a flurry of activity and I try to stay organized, patient, and optomistic in it all.

The Pieces Coming Together

January 31, 2008

At long last, I feel as if some progress has been made. Emily and I signed the apartment lease today and I even moved a few things in. Tomorrow the furniture should arrive. I have been blessed to have been given various furniture items from people in the Spanish church where I go. Through the course of conversation with the landlord, I have found a possible inside connection to the Department of Motor Vehicles which means my process of getting my license plates might not be an all day affair. When ever you can drop names, things get done much quicker.

This afternoon after signing the lease I had to drive out to camp and back because my title for the car and other such documents were there which I need for getting the plates. I was frustrated at having to make such a long trip for an hour's time at camp but in the end the timing was good. I met the guy who is supervising one of the construction projects on camp and discovered that he has a business recycling paper (well, collecting it and shipping it to a plant in Guatemala). He also had questions which I could pass on to the Williamson's in the States. I had just enough time at camp to chat with the staff and take pictures of the ropes course elements. It looks like someone I knew from my camp in PA is able to come down and help with the new construction and repairs, and a few of the things I can do with my uncle.

So with the apartment finally in place and progress made in finding help with the ropes course, I feel like I am moving again. I must say that in my random moments this week of frustration when having to find certain documents that I had hidden in one of my suitcases (whether where I have been staying or back at camp) I often ended up finding something else I had been looking for -- a business card, my allergy shot record, etc.... In many little ways I have seen God at work even in the midst of the frustrations or waiting. I am looking forward though to having a little more oranization and less living out of suitcases.

Manana

January 30, 2008

Well, I cannot spell the word correctly because the program is not letting me put the line above the n. Manana is a word I am hearing a lot lately and is not one I like so much because it means tomorrow, but really it does not mean tomorrow at all. It is more like, whenever we get to it or it happens.The manana for me seems to be this whole apartment thing and signing the lease. On Saturday they told us be Monday or Tuesday the Air conditioners would be in and it would be clean. Yesterday they told us we could sign this afternoon but this afternoon the story is "manana". I have discovered that when you are always waiting for tomorrow, it is hard to live in the "today." That is my struggle right now as I figure out how to get my work done and yet still be ready to sign the lease at what seems like it will be a moment's notice. And perhaps that is where I need to learn to make other people wait and say that we will then come when it suits us best. To add to my list of things to do, I happened to go to the newspaper on-line today and I saw an article that said the police were going to start fining people who do not have a license plate -- a fine of about $50. I still do not have my real plates because they were not making them as of 2 months ago. I have not gone back because I knew I would have to stand in line just to get an answer. I am not sure if this new law means that they are now making plates again but I am not so sure that my laminated plates in the windshield and back window are going to suffice anymore. The article said that the government office had extended its hours and had more staffing in an effort to curb the long waits. I will soon be able to test the authenticity of the description.

And so I enter into "manana" not really knowing what it holds as far as the apartment or delivery of furniture goes, but I am ready to go about my work and then go sign the lease when it is also convenient for me. I would imagine that tomorrow just might find me standing in a long line too. We will see how it all works out.

The Car Locked Me Out

January 28-29, 2008

The car locked me out. It is nice that in Spanish you can put the blame on the car instead of oneself and it sounds a little better than in English (At least if I remember the grammar correctly). I thought that this week was off to a better start since everything yesterday went smoothly. But this morning (Monday), events changed that. My plan was to run to a hardware store and price some equipment that I still need for the ropes course in order to know whether to buy it here or have my uncle bring it down in a few weeks. Well, I carried a few things to the car and popped the hood so I could check the oil. I do not remember closing the door (and it was only partly closed) but when I returned to open the back door, it was locked. Fear set in as I realized that my keys were not on me. No, they were sitting on the front seat. It is so rare that my car will actually lock automatically that I generally do not worry about locking the keys inside, but for some reason it decided to lock itself today. (And for this reason I chose the opening sentence).

I stood in disbelief for a few moments because it was just too much. After a week of getting nothing done because of long meetings, continual delays, changes to schedules, sickness, power outages and waiting I could not believe yet another problem was in front of me. Well, I could believe it, but I did not want to. After talking with Joy (whose house I am still at because I am still waiting to sign for an apartment), I was reminded that perhaps it was not safe for me to be on the road to camp when I had planned and so God was slowing me down. Quite possible though I also know that Satan likes to discourage us and that was all I needed – one more thing go wrong. I decided that I needed to vent by going for a run and having some time to talk to God which I did and it helped a little. I do not usually run in the city but I took to the streets anyway. When Joy’s husband Mark returned home after four hours of standing in line, he brought out his tool for breaking into cars. (I had chosen a bad day to lock my keys in the car because he also had a migraine). We soon discovered that it is not so easy to break into my car. I feel quite good about its security now, even when it has to sit unattended on a street. Because of the tinting I had to watch from the other side of the car to tell him when the lock was jiggling. After probably half an hour, he found the right point and with much strain, popped the lock at which point the alarm took over.

I eventually got to the store and late afternoon left for camp. When I reached Pinalejo, I looked up a nurse there to see if I could get my allergy injection which has been overdue. The nurse has been caring for her neighbor who is dying of cancer so I was not sure whether she would have time to give me the shot. She did so I stayed there for the allotted time needed for assuring I would not have a reaction. I ended up talking with the nurse though and soon it was well past dark. Even though the camp is only a few miles up the mountain we decided I should maybe just stay at her house till morning. Considering that there was no electric in the town or at camp, I did not mind staying where a generator provided light. I was also there to stay with her children if she had to go next door during the night. And so although I was disappointed at not being able to visit with the staff at camp that evening, I was thankful to be safe and get a few things like laundry done. It is now Tuesday evening and other than a cold, things are definitely going better. I am praying that this week will be a little smoother and more productive than last and most important that I will have a better attitude no matter what the circumstances.

A Whirlwind Week

January 18, 2007

As the week nears its close, I look back and wonder how I fit in all that I did. Sunday I spent most of the day either at church or in a course that I am taking which has to do with camps. Monday morning I ran around town looking for supplies for repairing the ropes course at camp. Monday afternooon I headed to camp to be able to see the staff and get some information that I needed for future work. While there I got in a run, a quick soccer game, and a Bible Study with the staff. It was Monday night that I learned from my lawyer that yes I needed to leave Honduras by Thursday so that I could renew my visa. 

Tuesday morning I returned to the city and began the search for a possible cheap plane ticket. None surfaced and I spent a good portion of the day in a meeting that I was anxious to have end so that I could finalize travel plans. That afternoon I connected with a missionary girl who had just arrived to the city and was also looking for an apartment. After about an hour of chatting, we decided to go ahead and look for one together. She was flexible enough to do the chatting while I drove to the bus station for my ticket. But upon arrival I discovered that they had all been sold. With a bit of anxiety and yet an overall peace I headed to a dinner and Bible Study knowing that I really should look for a plane ticket right away. Using the computer at the pastor´s house, I found that there was now a special price for a ticket to Costa Rica which made flying an even better option than the bus would have been, all things considered. And so I made my purchase and thanked the Lord that He had control of the details all along.

Wednesday I spent visiting over 7 apartments with Emily. At the end of the day we discussed the options and prepared to chat via computer once I left for Costa Rica. Thursday morning I arrived in Costa Rica where familiar sights welcomed me. I took a bus downtown and then changed buses to arrive at a landmark near my friends´house where my friend Jen then met up with me. A trip that would cost $30 by taxi, cost a little over a dollar by bus. I was so excited to be on a bus again and to walk downtown, even entering a store or too without the same concern for safety. In San Pedro I would probably not walk anywhere with a backpack, let alone two. 

The rest of Thursday I spent mostly reconnecting with my friends Matthew and Jennifer and their boys, one of whom is new to me since he is only 5 months old. The most challenging part of the day was trying to discern from a description whether the apartment Emily had looked at that day was a better option than the ones from the day before. Tonight we finally reached a decision of which to pursue with a back-up plan in case the first choice one has been rented. 

Tomorrow I head by bus to the camp I volunteered at while in Costa Rica. I am excited to spend some time with God in a place that has a beauty and climate much different from Honduras. I am only beginning to discover the beauty of Honduras and so perhaps there are similar places in some of the cloud forests and mountains. For me though, the camp will be deliciously cold. We will see if I have enough warm clothes for the occasion. But more than the climate, it is a place of friendship, of ministry, and a place to be still with God.

So the week has been late nights and early mornings and general busyness. But it has been a good week as I have experienced God at work, renewed friendships, and finally made progress in the apartment search.  

Quirks of the city

So today as I was driving home from church I noticed some random and unusual sights for a city. I would expect the following in the country but not within city limits (actually I have no idea where the city limits are but even though this is a bit of a back road behind the city, it still has lots of developments and civilization).
1.) Sheep grazing on the soccer field of a university (perhaps it cuts down on the mowing but I would not want to be the one to fall while contending for a soccer ball)
2.) Clothes hanging out to dry over a long line of fences (in the drizzle no less)
3.) Clothes hanging out to dry right along the street on newly strung wire (not even right beside a house)

Those are the only things I can remember at the moment but I had to smile at the mix of the rural and the urban and the seeming clash.

Rainbows, rain, and random observations

January 6, 2008

I have so many blog entries composed in my head, but we will see what actually comes out in writing. I find myself thinking in blog entries a lot. But usually I am in the car or in the situation and cannot record my thoughts and they are then forgotten by the time I sit down at the computer.

This past Wednesday I headed out to camp, looking forward to having time to hang out with the staff, run, sit by the river, and get refocused on my work. I delayed my departure twice because each time a heavy rain shower was falling. And I thought that the rainy season was over! When I finally left, I took the “back road” out of the city. (It actually reminds me of driving on random roads in FL trying to avoid the main thoroughfares.) As I headed away from the house and was on the road bordering a river, I was delighted to see a full rainbow in front of me. It was a beautiful scene – the rainbow, the green mountain, and then the white and gray clouds and fog hovering over all. Noah saw his rainbow at the end of 40 days of rain. Apparently my rainbow came at the beginning (though not of 40 days).

I arrived at camp to even more rain but I settled in and got to work. The electric kept going off and on so I did not do much as far as cooking that night. By 9:00 the electric went off for good. When I awoke the next morning it was still raining and since there was no electric and hence no hot water, I stayed in bed and skipped the run. That afternoon I went down into the town for dog food and for the second time I realized that it was good I have 4 wheel drive. Although the road had been smoothed out the week before, the day and a half of rain had created lots of mud and I was sliding even with the 4WD. Had I closed my eyes, I could have imagined that I was driving on snow. It was that afternoon that I decided to see about postponing my return to the city until Saturday. I wanted to give more time for the roads to dry out and I wanted to have as much time at camp as possible.

Thursday evening the staff gathered for worship and Bible Study and everyone came in their jackets and winter hats. I had gotten my lightweight fleece out on Wednesday because it did feel as if winter had actually set in. I was loving the “cold”. I could hardly believe it when I felt like it was cold enough that I might soon have circulation problems with my fingers.

Friday morning it was still raining but not as hard and there was electric so although I had no desire to get muddy, I forced myself to get up and go for a run. As I expected the run was not as bad as I imagined it would be. It reminded me of college days and the runs in the not so pleasant weather. I also realized that I should have learned to love the mud runs back then so that I would be more willing to get muddy these days. Later Friday morning I had some enlightening discussions with the staff that helped me to understand some of the views and mindsets of the people here in Honduras – but more on that later, probably in a newsletter.

Saturday morning dawned gray and drizzly once again but I took the opportunity to run and enjoyed pushing myself. For once I did not have to make the trip to the city alone and got to chat with a fellow missionary from a town 45 minutes south of Pinalejo. It was good to catch up and share insights on work since we are both doing similar things. Once in the city we temporarily parted ways and I did some apartment hunting and errands.

But in the evening a group of us got together for dinner and we had also planned to play Settler’s. The latter never happened because in keeping with the way of life here, we did not finish eating and clean up until almost 9:00PM. It was okay though because it was good to just chat too and share experiences and insights from books we were reading. As I sat there, I had to think about how often new friendships overseas (from my experience anyways) often get to heartfelt, meaningful discussions more quickly. I had met the couple only once in passing before last evening, but the four of us were able to sit and discuss the challenges of life and issues of faith after just a few hours of conversation. I have not had time to really think about whether my observation is true overall, but I am thankful that in a short time with new people we could not just talk but also share a little more of real life.

A New Way to Enter a New Year

January 1, 2008

As I expected I was up very late last night and did not sleep in too late this morning so sleep is still on my agenda. The New Year's Eve Service and youth program were both good. We entered the new year in prayer and after a group prayer for family and Honduras the pastor called all "extranjeros" or citizens from other countries to the stage. I was hoping that I had misunderstood him because I really did not want to go up front but no, someone kindly nudged me to the front. At least I was not alone because there were people from Guatemala, Puerto Rico and other Latin countries. The pastor then prayed for each of us and our countries. It was a neat time.

This afternoon my friend Lourdes and I hiked up to the large Coca Cola sign on one of the mountains outside of the city. It was a nice walk up to the top and once there we discovered that we were the only ones there, though usually the picnic area is filled with people and trash. (Nearly everything in the city is closed down today and the lack of cars on the roads was wonderful). We enjoyed some tranquil moments and I was able to pull out my journal and Bible. It did not quite meet the need of being by water, but it was good and the Lord had some words for me there. After this hike Lourdes showed me the other safe place that she goes to in the city for quiet moments. Ironically it is the cemetary. The cemetary really was quite pretty since it is set up against the mountains and the grass was covered with flowers (though most were fake ones it provided lots of color). And so I spent part of the first day of the new year in a graveyard. I think that I will go back there to rest -- not permanently of course, but during those moments when I need to escape the city and cannot make it out to camp. As it is I look forward to returning to camp tomorrow morning and getting refocused. I need to be there again to remember the work I am doing. I have had too much time away from that place.

Random story from a few days ago. I have discovered two things about cooking. First of all, it is hard to cook in someone else's house because you never know if they will have all of the ingredients that you need. Over the weekend I was making a pie crust at the old house where I was house-sitting last month and when I added the vinegar to the dry ingredients, I suddenly realized that it did not smell like the kind of vinegar that I needed. It smelled like something for vegetables and indeed it said that it was a condiment. So I proceeded to scoop out the saturated part of the dough and throw it out and then waited until I got to the next house to finish up the crust.

For the most part the crust turned out okay though it would not win any awards. But the second lesson in cooking, do not bake when tired and think before you add ingredients. I was baking a apple pie because I needed to use up some apples. The first step was coating the apples with cinnamon and sugar -- certainly not hard. A 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup of cinnamon -- or so I thought. Even as I poured out the cinnamon I thought that it seemed like a lot. I never put that much cinnamon in anything in comparison with the amount of sugar added. But oh well, I dumped it in. Only after dumping the cinnamon did I take a second glance at the recipe -- 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon. Oops!! I scooped out as much cinnamon as I could but needless to say there was still cinnamon in abundance. Somehow the pie still turned out and is more than edible though it has a strong cinnamon flavor. On that note I think that I should head to bed so that I do not have any further cooking catastrophes in the days to come.

Christmas in Honduras (in phases)

December 31, 2007

I think that this will be the last entry of the year -- a year that passed by very quickly. I will at least begin the stories of the Christmas travels. My cousin, Mel, arrived in Honduras on Wednesday the 19th and I found her at the airport with no troubles. I thought that I was going to be late and she would get a taste of waiting around (for which I also felt bad because who wants to be standing alone in an airport with no phone number to call, no phone to call from, and no Spanish to communicate with) because I tried to be the usual me and do some research at a store I drove past, forgetting that comparing prices on fridges would not be a quick task. Thankfully I got to the airport before she cleared customs and all was well.

The next day we headed off to Tela, one of the northern towns on the Caribbian coast. Relaxing would be the word I would use to characterize the first few days of our trip. We were not in a hurry. We even took our time leaving the city, not worrying about the fac that it meant less time on the beach. Our hotel was a neat pink building that boasted the highest roof in the town from which you could watch the sunrise and sunset. The last morning I got up for the sunrise and enjoyed the tranquility of the moment until the morning traffic got underway. Mel and I spent a lot of time just relaxing in the hammocks. Another friend of mine met up with us later that day and joined in the adventures of the next few days.

Friday morning we got up and had breakfast at the hotel on the porch that overlooked the water. We then hopped on the tour "van" that took us to Triunfo de la Cruz, a Garifuna Village not too far away. There we ordered our lunch and then headed to Punto Izopo and a mangrove swamp where we were to kayak for the next few hours. Though the tour lasted from 8:00-3:30 we soon discovered that the kayaking was only to last about 2 hours which from our North American perspective did not seem sufficient forr the money we were paying. But in the end the guide's times were off and we kayaked for almost 2 1/2 hours. Weaving in among the mangrove trees, fighting the current, and attempting not to run into the hanging branches (a great place for poisonous snakes to hang out) was quite fun. Upon occasion Mel and I were reminded of "The Swiss Family Robinson." I had never been in such a setting so I loved it. We saw a few crocodiles but only from a distance. Towards the end of the time on the water we came upon a large family of white-faced monkeys and spent some time observing how they jump with such agility from one tree to the next, creating lots of noise while traveling.

After the kayking we returned to the Garifuna village and had our lunch. (Chicken for me of course, but I was excited about the Caribbean rice and beans). We then headed into the water and jumped the waves. I had to abandon Mel though when I saw some of the rest of the group throwing a frisbee around. We even managed to play a short game of Ultimate Frisbee.

When the tour ended, I headed into Tela to print pictures while Mel and Mark relaxed in hammocks or on the roof. I made my way back to the hotel via the beach and took some time to just sit by the water. Later we played a game of Settler's which was nice to add to the activities of the vacation since I always play that with famil around Christmas (and whenever we get together). That evening we tried out another restaurant near the beach. The night before we had been entertained by flame throwers but this evening was a little more tranquil.

Saturday morning we took our time in leaving and on our way out of town (in reality our way back into town since I missed the turn on th way out) we stopped at the Lancetilla Botanical Gardens, one of the largest botanical gardens in the world. I could have spent a lot more time there and will have to go back another time. I am amazed at the number of poisonous trees that they have in the gardens with very little warning to keep people from touching them. The strychnine tree can kill you if you just touch it (I was so tempted to touch it because it is hard to believe you could die from touching it, but I stayed away except for the picture). When the tree is flowering, it is dangerous to be anywhere near it because of inhaling the pollen. Yet the only thing designating the tree as poisonous is the black sign. Definitely not a place to let children walk around unsupervised. The Melaleuca tree was another highlight because of the reminder of my mom and how she stands behind almost all melaleuca products.

The day culminated with a very wild soccer game. On our way back to the city some of Mark's friends called him and invited him to a soccer game (the Honduran Cup game we later discovered). He then invited us and though it was last minute, we said sure. After a quick dinner and getting rid of our bags, we headed to the stadium. I had not been thinking right and so I drove to the game only to find myself in horrendous traffic and no parking. We ended up parking alongside a road across a field from the stadium. I was not too excited about the location because I could just imagine the car disappearing while we were inside. That thought was in the back of my mind all evening. (I of course need to stop worrying). Much to my surprise we were able to find the other people and squeezed our way into the bleacher like seats. I was at a soccer game in Costa Rica but I think we must have had good seats or the crowds are calmer there because this game was wild. Everytime the team Marathon scored, a shower of beer, or whatever other liquid was in the hands of the fans, would fall around us. I began to wish for a very large hat. The game itself was good but I could have done without some of the excitement of the fans.

Thankfully when we left and made it across the field without getting mugged my car was still there. Traffic leaving the area was not bad at all and we made it home safely. I think it will be a while till I go to another game though.

Although I will try to put more pictures on this blog, a place to go and see more of the photos is:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=34079&l=e1a1e&id=678836347

And still I do not write ....

December 30, 2007

Over the past week I have had lots of adventures in my travels with my cousin, my first Christmas abroad, car issues, and other such circumstances. I have much to write about but I still have not been motivated to sit down and write. My lack of sleep is catching up with me too, and I know that New Year's will not be of help. I already said "yes" to going to a 4 hour church service (I think that part of it is a prayer time) and then a very late night, early morning dinner at someone's house. I do not expect to be home before 3:00AM. I am beginning to wish that I had opted instead for a quiet New Year's Eve. I should at least try to get back to camp on New Year's Day so that I can have some quiet moments there. Almost every year I have found some body of water to sit beside and reflect on the year, journal, and pray. I definitely need that after the last few days and camp holds the only accessible, safe place for me to sit in solutide by water(within reasonable driving distance).

At the same time my travels to new parts of Honduras instilled in me the desire to do more traveling and exploring. That and I have several friends doing some traveling right now. Now is not the time, but it has been harder to transition back to work than I thought. I actually might have to travel in two weeks for my visa but my lawyer is not getting back to me with any information on my residency status. Most likely whatever I do will be very last minute.

It is ironic that life was so calm and tranquil up until Christmas but afterwards the busyness set in. Usually busyness happens the other way around. All of this to say that I do hope to write my stories in the next few days, but we will see.