What is Happening?

June 29, 2009

What is really happening? That is the question forefront on my mind right now. I hear two sides of the story of the political situation here in Honduras and I wonder who is being deceived – the rest of the world or those in Honduras. I suppose that time will reveal the truth and until then we wait and we pray.

This morning I finally got out for a run and the verse that came to my mind which I believe is important for these next few days and weeks was Philippians 4:7, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

I have been out at camp since Saturday. We arrived in the middle of some heavy rainstorms. Perhaps because of the rain there were not as many police checkpoints as I thought there might be. Yesterday I feel as if I spent a lot of time on the internet trying to figure out which story was true with regards to Honduras and its politics. As a camp staff we also spent time in prayer for the nation – the people and the leaders. Today I hope to get back to work as normal but I know that I will still continue to try and keep updated on what happens with the emergency meeting of the Americas. I also am going to try and meet up with a group of engineers from Michigan who are currently on “lock-down” in Pinalejo. (They were told to stay put until further notice.)

Daily life at camp continues as normal. We are never alone here. Last night I noticed a dark shadow in the corner of the bathroom and turned on the light. It was a tarantula (not too big though). I scooped it into the dust pan and carried it outside to release it. I usually do not have the heart to kill the spiders. Meanwhile every time I go outside I can still here the munching of the locusts as they continue to devour the leaves, pine needles, and bark. And in the peanut butter jar I had a colony of ants. I probably needed the extra protein though so it was not too bad. In that way life continues as normal.

From Toddlers to Military Coups

June 26, 2009

Sometimes it is surprising how the daily things of life go on as normal even when outside the house, the world can be on the brink of crisis. That is a little how I have felt today. Lisbeth, the toddler in my apartment, is busy pushing her new plastic chair all around the living room (a tile floor). I am not sure how that constitutes as play or what she imagines that she is doing but the grating of the chair against tile has been going on for at least 10 minutes. I do have to smile at her. I was not smiling though when I heard a noise coming from her bedroom during the time that she was supposedly napping and I entered to find her on top of the desk. She was caught in the act but did not even really have a guilty look on her face. Since her mom had run downtown while she was napping, I had to get her down, make sure she had not eaten anything poisonous (since she also got into the bathroom cupboard and just about everything else in the room), and of course there was her dirty diaper. For the first time I mastered the cloth diaper and safety pins. I then proceeded to do my computer work from the hall way so that I could ensure she was staying put in bed. She discovered how to get out of the playpen (which is also broken so cannot really serve as her bed anymore) so no matter where she "sleeps" we are not assured that she will not leave her bed. When her mom arrived home, Lisbeth was still wide awake and I gladly relinquished any baby-sitting responsibilities.

So that is in the house but outside in the rest of Honduras, there is much tension. The Honduran president has seemingly been trying to find a way to stay in power come this November election and so he wants a fourth box put on the election ballot that would affirm allowing a constitutional change (presumably the part that says a president cannot be re-elected). Things have come to a head this week because on Sunday the president plans to have a vote about whether the fourth ballot box can be added, an action declared unconstitutional and illegal by the Supreme Court. When the military chief refused to provide military protection for the referendum this Sunday, the president fired him. (That was Wednesday). Yesterday the Congress re-instated the military chief and has people investigating the president's actions and from what I have heard, threatening him with jail. Meanwhile Chavez of Venezuela says that he supports the Honduran president's actions. There is question as to whether Sunday's referendum will be peaceful or will turn to violence. Will the president be imprisoned? Will there be a military coup? I have no idea but the warning is out there not to travel on Sunday. I plan to head to camp before then. I think I will feel safer out there away from the city.

I have never been in an area where there was threat of a military coup or a political uprising. It brings many mixed emotions. I think that I have a healthy fear but am not overwhelmed by fear. One of the things that I have been realizing is that probably if things got too bad, I could get out. But what about my Honduran friends for whom Honduras is their home? They do not have a passport that allows them to travel to another country and seek shelter or a new life. So what I am experiencing is still nothing in comparison to the Hondurans themselves. I am praying for peace and that Sunday will not bring violence from either side of the government or people.

What A Day!

June 20, 2009

What a day! Today was my first day to do any physical work and it exhausted me. I did not realize that two weeks of inactivity and the flu would take such a toll. Sadly the physical “work” that I did was mostly walking around camp up and down the hills. It did include lifting some blocks and 4x4’s but still it was not enough work that it should have exhausted me.

After lunch I lead a group of Deacons in several ropes course activities. The time went well and I was ecstatic that for once my lack of Spanish did not seem to interfere with the debrief. God worked and brought some conviction, and I was able to compose the necessary questions. My group had the task of passing a long rope through the Spider’s Web without the rope or their arms touching the web. Anything with the Spider’s Web seems to bring up the issue of integrity and this time was no different. Several people had touched the web but said nothing because they did not want to frustrate the rest of their group by having to start over again. But in the end they did not feel that they had real victory after completing the challenge. What followed was a good discussion with application to our daily walk. Another aspect of our discussion was how sometimes we lose focus of the goal because we are so caught up in the details in front of us. Someone mentioned how we can do that when serving God as well.

As soon as the last debrief was over and we climbed the hill to main camp two things happened. A torrential downpour and what seemed to be a migraine headache. The headache had been brewing all afternoon but thankfully did not hit until after the activities. I had to wait out the storm a bit before heading to my cabin to try and sleep. The latter did not work and so after an hour I decided to drive over to the Williamson’s and get some aspirin. The power had been out for about 3 hours and it was still raining as I left. Getting in my car I was met with a swarm of termites, the kind that emerge after the first rains of the season. They joined me in the car which was not a pleasant experience. It was not pleasant either to see that no one had picked up the ropes course supplies and that I would have to get at least some of them together.

I got some aspirin and planned to head back to my cabin. Cindy prayed with me before I left and I decided to wait a few more minutes because even the 30 second drive could have been too much since I preferred to have my eyes closed. Then all of a sudden (either the aspirin had kicked in or the prayer) I could open my eyes and the pain was gone. What a relief! I had not been having migraines for quite a while and I am not sure what triggered this one, but I hate them. I would even give up chocolate if it meant never having a headache again. Whether it was overworking myself, possible MSG in the chicken I ate, or something else all I know is that I am so thankful to feel better and have been able to read and write this evening. The power came back on too which is another blessing. I suppose that maybe I will not try and get in a run tomorrow since I do not seem to be in great health. I will have to take it slowly this entering back into normal routine.

Am I a Hypocrite?

June 18, 2009
That is the question of the evening. To me it seems hypocritical to try and teach what I cannot even do myself and yet that is what I attempted to do this evening. Evelin has wanted to learn a little bit on the guitar and I have had my guitar here in Honduras for the last 2 years. I can count on one hand the number of times I have actually played. Emily, my old roommate, practiced on it much, much more than I. But this evening we got the guitar out and after attempting unsuccessfully to tune the guitar, I moved on to showing Evelin several chords. Thankfully for her there is a book with pictures too 1.) because I am not a very good teacher and 2.) I probably will not be here when she wants to practice.

I pity the neighbors as I strummed a few notes on an out of tune guitar. The fact that I can never actually tune the guitar is what most often keeps me from playing. I have enough trouble making it sound musical that being out of tune from the start is not good. I will have to call upon the help of the Williamson's the next time they are in the city to get the guitar in tune and then hopefully Evelin can learn to play a little something. She needs to do some finger stretches and exercises first because her fingers do not quite reach from one fret and string to the other.

Forgetting the sound of the out of tune guitar, another delightful sound did fill the house just a few minutes ago. It was the sound of rain on the aluminum roof. Until this past Monday when we had a quick downpour, I do not think it had rained in over a month. I am ready for some rain to bring life and a little coolness to the city.

Tomorrow I head out to camp after a long spell in the city, thanks to the flu. It will be good to be out there again and connect with the staff as well as lead some activities on the ropes course on Saturday.

A Short Bout

June 17, 2009

It is with great joy that I write to say that Lisbeth did not stay sick long. She definitely did not experience the flu like Evelin and I did. We are thankful for that. I have gotten back into the swing of working with the start of this new week. The week is going pretty well. I had some things to write about but I have forgotten them all. It is 8:40PM and I long ago reached my moment of tiredness. It has been coming early these days.

I have continued to be insensitive to the rumblings of the earth below me. I believe it was Monday that 7 small earthquakes shook Honduras once again and I felt none of them. I do not know where I am when the movement happens that I am so clueless. I have heard that even the nice, expensive hotels around the city are sporting some severe cracks from the first big quake. I believe there may be more damage than meets the eye at first glance.

Since an hour has successfully passed without me remembering any more of what I had wanted to write, I shall sign off. Of course I spent most of that time chatting with a friend so I was not really concentrating on thinking.

The Week that Disappeared

July 14, 2009

It is the beginning of a new week, but I hardly know where the last one went. Thanks to germs that were spread around camp last weekend during a children's camp, I returned to the city on Monday with the flu. I wondered if it was the H1N1 flu but figured probably not. Nonetheless Tuesday and Wednesday were two days that passed without me remembering much. On Wednesday Evelin caught the flu and she has been much sicker than I. So much so that yesterday I took her to the hospital to get tested. She was told that she has a "casual" flu, not H1N1. All along we were rejoicing and praising the Lord that Lisbeth was still healthy. But now this morning she seems to have come down with a fever too. I am not 100% well by any means but I have the strength to begin working for real tomorrow (since I lost nearly a whole week of work). Evelin on the other hand does not seem to have the strength for herself, let alone for a sick Lisbeth as well. I find myself frustrated as to how I can do my work and yet lend a hand to her. I have already done much of the caring for Lisbeth these past few days.

I keep hearing of more and more people who are sick here in San Pedro -- so much so that it makes me feel like everyone must be sick. I was surprised at how many people were in church this morning because I expected more of the world to be sick. I guess I will see how this week pans out but I do hope it is smoother and more productive than the last. And I pray that Lisbeth will not get as sick as we were (or Evelin still is).

Slow Down or Else...

June 9, 2009

I have known for weeks that I need to slow down and take some time off. The problem has been that I wanted to use time off for some sort of an adventure and since I had not found an adventure, I just kept working. Now I am paying the consequences. Yesterday about mid-morning I realized that I was getting sick. Over the last 36 hours I have gotten worse with fever, headache, and cough. I keep hoping it is just a cold. But I do know that over the weekend, some of the campers at camp came from schools which had been closed because of confirmed cases of A/H1N1 (I think that is what it is called). All along I have been apathetic to this danger of the flu and felt like everything was exaggerrated. Today though I thought twice before leaving the apartment because if I have it, I do not want to pass it around. I did leave in order to pay some bills and renew my visa which expires on Thursday. Otherwise though I have tried to nap, read, and spend a little time on the computer. This is not how I wanted to spend time off. I guess that makes it clear that I must slow down and rest before I reach the point of sickness.

I am praying that it is just a cold. I have never been one to get the flu much. I certainly do not want to pass on what I have to Evelin or Lisbeth so I am trying to keep my distance. That is difficult with a toddler who does not understand why Tia (Aunt) Jen will not play with her anymore. I hope that I do not have to stay in bed for too many days or at least if I do, that it is without a headache so that I can comfortably read. Time will tell.

Where Are My Senses?

June 8, 2009

I read in the paper this morning that there was an earthquake of 5.7 just offshore from Honduras last night around 11:15PM. The tremors lasted for at least 7 seconds and I felt nothing. Eversince the first large earthquake, I have been unaware of the many smaller ones that followed. I do not know why I am so insensitive to them.

So, I have a little more peace of mind with the start of this week because the rumors that I had been hearing about political tensions, appear to be just that -- rumors -- and nothing more. That is a comfort.

Walking through camp this morning, I was blessed with a glimpse of a large iguana scurrying off to hide. Anywhere you walk these days, the sound of crunching is heard overhead as the locusts nibble on the bark, leaves, and pine needles. I almost want to just take a nap on the ground because there is such a soft layer of pine needles covering it. Sadly though, they should not all be there and it is only because of the plague of locusts. Hmm... I can understand a little better how miserable it must have been for the Egyptians when the locusts swarmed them because I know it was many more than our "small" plague. I do not usually go out of my way to kill insects (except ticks, mosquitos, and other bugs that are "dangerous"). This weekend though I have been trying to take out a few locusts though in an effort to curb their destruction of camp. I know that my efforts are miniscule though and really will not do too much.

All of the activities of the weekend are now over. On Saturday I did my hike with the young children. It went pretty well except that I had planned for 2 hours and ended up with less than an hour. It was hard to keep their attention without being able to do some of the fun little activities I had planned. And we never did make it to hiking through the ravine which was what the leaders had wanted. Since two of the dogs on camp accompanied us on our hike, we had a hard time seeing any animals which was a disappointment.

Yesterday was a baby shower for two the wives of the Honduran staff. It was a new experience for them -- this type of baby shower. I know it was a blessing though to receive the gifts that they did and to have some fun playing a few games. I will post some pictures a little later. For now I want to work on a few more things while still at camp.

Melancholy

June 6, 2009

That would be the word describing my current state of mind. In some ways it has been a long week though most of the action has happened this weekend. I helped with two events here at camp, both in Spanish. Since I am at camp I cannot be watching the Honduras vs. USA soccer team which would have been fun. The Hondurans are listening to it by radio in between their activities. I would be bored hearing it in English so I am definitely not trying in Spanish.

I think the melcancholiness comes from still not having sought out adventure or done something fun for a long while. Then there are the many things I am trying to process as I think about if I should move closer to camp. The whole climate (not just physical though small earthquakes continue) is a bit tense. We are wondering what is going on politcally and what will come of the rumors. Oh, and God is confronting me on some attitudes too which is never so easy, especially when it means moving out of my comfort zone.

Tomorrow there is a baby shower for two of the Honduran staff wives here on camp. That should be fun though different since I have never been at a Honduran one. Evelin and I made a double batch of snickerdoodle cookies for the event back on Wednesday. Perhaps it was eating one of those cookies that made me start missing family and friends again. One never knows what will trigger memories. So anyway, I suppose that I need to find some solo time (even though camp is filled with people right now) and also scheme up some adventure. The latter requires finding some willing parties which will probably be the hardest part. I will see what I can do though.

Where San Pedro Stands Now

June 2, 2009

It is easy to forget that there was an earthquake 4 days ago when here in San Pedro. I have not seen any visible damage here. Yesterday I was in Puerto Cortes visiting with a Houghton College group and there the damage was extensive as you can see in the photo. Instead of the rumbling from earthquakes, I am here the droning of helicopters overhead. The Assembly of the Americas is happening here in San Pedro Sula and the streets are crazy. I tried to get to the church this morning and eventually gave up. The police and military were redirecting traffic so much that it was not worth the time it would have taken to get there.

On Sunday Evelin, Lisbeth, and I went to a nearby road where you can hike up the mountain and on the way there I saw a mini-tank (at least that was what it looked like to me). Perhaps it was just a small cannon with ammunition hanging out of it, mounted on an armored vehicle. At any rate it was not something I expected to see on the street. Monday morning I went for a run and my goal was not to have to pass any of the military but they were standing there on the street corners with their large guns. This morning I decided to skip the run since it was a little disconcerting.

I have not figured out what happened with internet because when I returned to the city on Saturday I had it in the apartment that evening. But then Sunday it was gone again until evening. It seems to be steadily on now so I am not sure how the fiber optic cable under the ocean was repaired so quickly. I am thankful nonetheless. And I continue to be thankful that there was not large scale damage from the earthquakes, nor did a tsunami result from any of them. Hearing what could have happened to Puerto Cortes and the people I know there reminded me that yes God is good.

More on the Earthquakes

May 30, 2009
After reading the newspaper and checking into some other blogs, it sounds like there have been more than just the one earthquake on Thursday morning. I am pasting in some information from the blog of a North American in La Ceiba who seems to like keeping track of the earthquakes.

La Gringa's BlogicitoLa Gringa's Blogicito: "Here is a summary of the recent Honduran quakes (times are UTC, not local) from the USGS site:


MAG UTC DATE-TIME
y/m/d h:m:s LAT
deg LON
deg DEPTH
km Region
MAP4.62009/05/29 12:51:03 15.359-86.463 10.0 HONDURAS
MAP4.52009/05/29 02:45:44 16.118-87.591 10.0 OFFSHORE HONDURAS
MAP4.82009/05/28 09:06:25 16.353-87.377 10.0 OFFSHORE HONDURAS
MAP7.32009/05/28 08:24:45 16.730-86.209 10.0 OFFSHORE HONDURAS"

*MAP is the measurement on the Richtor Scale

One thing that is amazing is that with all of the earthquakes and tremors, only 6 people have been killed. Part of a major bridge collapses and two other are damaged; 17 people hurt; approximately 100 houses damaged, 10 schools, 6 public buildings, 2 hotels, 3 factories, and 9 churches. The headline of the newspaper said, “!Dios Nos Protegió!” (God Protected Us!)

As for other natural “disasters” or events, the neighbors around the camp are still burning off brush piles on their property so the air pollution continues. It also appears that we are having an invasion of locusts and tree frogs. The latter is a welcome addition to the camp, the former, not so much. This morning I found about 10 locusts chewing the bark off of exposed tree roots. According to the Williamsons these are the same locusts which in past years have taken the foliage off of most of the trees. With the land around us burned, the camp provides the best food source for them. The staff children have been roasting a few of the locust and eating them. I would like to try that… sometime.

The Road Ahead

May 29, 2009

The day is nearing it's end. I have learned a few more details over the course of the day. Apparently an underwater cable that runs from Miami to Honduras was damaged during the quake and for this reason most of the internet providers have nothing to offer at this point. It will take at least 8 days to fix it. So it seems like much of the country will be behind in communication for quite some time. What I wonder is how in the world do you bury cable under the gulf to begin with? Somethings are just beyond my imagination. Camp has internet so I am trying to make use of it before I return to the city tomorrow.

I also learned that there is the potential for at least the tremors to continue until June 11. Today there was one around noon, but I did not feel it. When I get back to the city, I definitely plan to sleep upstairs and not be too concerned. Tomorrow I need to go in search of a skeleton -- of an animal that is. There is one somewhere in the jungle that the group found last week and I have yet to see which would help in identifying it. I also need to finish preparations for next weekend and two activities that I am helping with here at camp.

A Peaceful Night

May 29, 2009

So last night there were no more quakes, at least that I felt. We slept downstairs just in case. This made for a very short night for Lisbeth since she would not sleep with the noise and lights from us moving around. We were up at 5:30AM since we wanted to leave early for camp. It is ironic that I have come to camp to find internet.

Alas the trip here did not go so well since Lisbeth lost her breakfast and milk about 15 minutes before we arrived. I have yet to go clean the car and her. I dropped Evelin off in town at the dentist so I get the joy of clean up. Not something I am looking forward to but it has to be done. Well, I am off to do some cleaning and hopefully put her to sleep so that I can get some work done.

Searching for Internet & Reflections

May 28, 2009 4:30PM

So it has taken me all day to find a place to hook my computer to the internet. Granted I was not looking the whole day but as I was running errands I looked here and there. I will confess that today was one of those days when I would have liked to have a TV so that I could see what had happened. The newspaper had very little news since the quake happened so late in the morning. I could not understand the monotone radio commentary enough to glean much from there so I have been wondering what is going on. From what I have heard from others there have been 4 deaths recorded and numerous houses and buildings with damage. Part of a major bridge collapsed leading into San Pedro from the north.

I have heard rumor that tonight at 7:00PM (9:00PM EST) there could be another quake or aftershock. I pray that the rumor is not true, but do not have time on the internet to look for more information. I cannot quite understand why I had internet immediately following the quake and then it has been out all day but I am thankful that I was able to make an early morning post since I had no idea the quake would make international news.

As I talked with people at the church offices and on the street, the quake was forefront on everyone’s mind. I realized that much of the reason I was not afraid is that besides not really feeling like my life was in danger, death is not the end for me. It is only the beginning of a new life with Christ. Those who do not have the hope of Christ and eternal life will be walking around in much greater fear. I also remember an occasion almost 15 years ago when I was doing an overnight solo in the woods (without a tent) and kept hearing scary noises which I was sure was some dangerous wild animal. At long last I realized that worrying was not going to change anything. If it was my time to die (by being mauled by a bear), then it would happen whether I worried about it or not. And so I managed to fall asleep. I need to apply the concept of not worrying to other areas of my life though and not just in the potential life and death situations.

Tomorrow morning I head out to camp where there is not too much damage. The walls of one of staff houses cracked but it does not appear to be serious. Perhaps more serious out there is the air quality. The landowners around the camp have been burning their fields for over a week and the Williamson’s have been suffering the effects of inhaling smoke for so long. I pray that things clear up there and that no further damage occurs if we would have another quake.

Waking to an Earthquake

May 28, 2009 2:45AM

Ah, waking up at 2:30AM is never fun but perhaps even less so when it is because of an earthquake. In Costa Rica I experienced one or two small tremors and in the moment of the event I always wondered what was happening. This morning was no different. There was a loud noise (like a train rumbling in), wind, and the whole apartment shook. For the first few seconds I did not realize what was happening. When I finally realized what was going on, it was pretty much over. The thoughts that went through my head: "You really should get up and go to the doorway." "Woa, that had to be pretty high on the rictor scale." "There will be an aftershock following, so you should not just stay in bed."

In reality I was tempted to just stay put. I sometimes have this false, naive sense of indestructability. It is not that I think I am indestructible, but I could not imagine a serious earthquake happening here in San Pedro. I got up during the middle of the aftershock and called to Evelin to bring Lisbeth to a safer place. Evelin was scared and nervous (of which I should have been more). It was probably her first experience and when you feel that kind of thing and hear alarms going off all over the city, it is a little unnerving.

After a few minutes of sweating to death because of not being in front of a fan, we left the doorways and headed back to our rooms to sleep. Nervousness is probably keeping her awake, while for me the desire to write has me here at the computer. The time for a morning run will come all too soon.

In reality I feel like there could be some serious damage in some part of the country because it felt like a pretty strong tremor. I will have to wait until the paper comes out later today or until the Prensa gives an online update. I am sure most of San Pedro Sula is glued to the television right now for the news, but since I do not have one, I have to look for information in other places.

Ready for an Adventure

May 23, 2009

It is Saturday and I am back in the city. Yesterday I had another Outdoor Education program and it went well but I am always a bit tired afterwards. This time we worked with 6-9 year olds. They had a shorter attention span and some trouble with understanding all of the English, but it worked out. On Wednesday I had driven out to the Copan Ruins to hang out with a Houghton College Mayterm class and to pick up to Recreation majors who were then coming with me to camp to help with the program. I had hoped for a little hiking time or adventure, but I only did one small hike that I had been on before. It was fun to go for an evening run with a group, a bit like cross country runs in college.

I have been feeling the need for an adventure in the great outdoors. A backpacking trip would be nice but I know that will not happen anytime soon. Maybe a nice long hike if I can find a friend who is interested in going along. It seems like it could be a while until I have a full day off to do something like that though.

Right now I am trying to figure out if a school group is coming next Friday and Saturday. Nothing like last minute decisions. It is getting a little too late for us because of all of the decisions we must make that go along with running the program and providing the food. Monday morning they should know if they have enough students committed to the trip. Until then I sort of plan as if there is a group, all the while knowing that there might not be.

When It Rains, It Pours

May 17, 2009

This motto has seemed to be true during many phases of my life and tonight I decided that it is happening once again. And for once in Honduras I am not talking about literal downpours of water. This evening I received a call from a teacher who came with her school one week ago for an Outdoor Education program. She called to ask whether I could do a program for another school in a little less than 2 weeks, and this time including 3 meals and an overnight. I have had hardly any programs for 2 years and now within the timespan of 5 weeks there are three programs in the working. It is so little compared to what I did in the States but for here in Honduras it is exciting and even a little overwhelming. And so now I am working with Wes, the director, to put together the packet to offer the school. Unfortunately it is not the only thing I need to do for tomorrow morning since I was already working on revising curriculum to work for the 6-9 year old school group coming this next Friday. But I must admit that it is good to be busy and even have time constraints. Of course this means that the other blogs that I had brewing will probably not happen for quite a while and I will be struggling even more to find a day off. For the moment though I am excited. God is beginning a work and He will also provide the strength to see the work completed.

An Outdoor Education Day

May 10, 2009

I am not sure how long it has been since I last wrote and with the internet being down, I cannot check. But a lot has happened this past week. Friday I ran an Outdoor Education program for a group of sixth graders from a bilingual school. It went really well despite some worries about whether the other staff person would be able to find a bus to arrive at camp in time to teach. There was neither rain nor thunder until the moment the students were about to leave when I heard thunder in the distance. Perhaps one of my favorite parts of the day was being able to teach in English. After the first Water class that I taught down by the river I suddenly remembered that yes I can teach and get my point across. I can make spiritual applications that make sense. And yet in Spanish I still struggle to be able to effectively communicate. Even living with a Honduran for the past 4 months has not seemed to help my Spanish all that much. Hence I need to evaluate what I can do to improve my Spanish (and pray for God to loose my tongue in this foreign language) or I need to look for ways to do more in English here in Honduras.

Anyway, the day went really well and the girl who helped me said that on the bus ride home they were all talking about the day and wanting to come back next year. On Thursday just before I had left for camp I learned that another school wants to come in less than two weeks. I hope that they are interested in almost the same program because it would make things much easier. I already have someone trained to help. We will see what comes of my conversation with the administrator tomorrow.

Fast Work

May 6, 2009

Much to my surprise I received word this evening that electric has been restored to camp, 48 hours sooner than the predicted time. Quite awesome! Tomorrow after lunch I head to camp to set up the last few things for the program on Friday. I am excited to not have to put as much effort into planning my meals as I would have if there still was no electricity, especially since tomorrow evening I have to plan for 3 people and a toddler.

This is probably my shortest blog entry ever but it is late and I am ready for sleep more than for rambling on. And so I say, "Good Night!"

All With One Pine Branch

May 4, 2009

I do not want to even begin to think about all of the things I have not yet written about over the past week or two. For now though I will forget the other things and only mention the latest from camp. Yesterday afternoon I drove out to camp and as I passed through Pinalejo I noted that it must have rained, judging by the many puddles on the side of the road. When I pulled into camp and stopped by the Williamson's house to pick up some of my refrigerated foods I discovered just how big the little storm had been. The winds had blown the rain almost horizontal so it entered the downstairs windows even though they are surrounded by a porch. Most signficant though was the that the rain and wind knocked a large branch off of a pine tree and the first thing the branch hit was some electrical cables. The force of the branch hitting the cables caused the pole that was holding them up to snap. The branch then continued its fall and struck the water pipe and sewer pipe which are above ground, passing over a small ravine. It broke both of the latter. And so there was no electric, no water, and in the area of my cabin -- no septic system.

Needless to say instead of plugging in the little fridge in my cabin I reworked my menu plan and helped Cindy accomodate their food in coolers. Last evening we had church by candlelight and lantern in their living room. I felt as if I was camping except that the cabin was my tent. I had to go across camp to use the bathroom and to wash dishes. I decided to forego a shower until I got back to the city in case camp was without water for a while and the staff needed all the water they could get.

I was the lucky one in that I got to return to the city today. The rest of the staff are still there battling the challenges of no electric and juggling when to open the fridge, how to do homeschooling without much computer time, etc... The water and sewer pipes were repaired shortly after I left but the electrcic will be out for several days. It is a 3-day repairation process and first the money has to be found for the project. The Williamsons are running a small generator every few hours to try and keep at least one fridge cold but even the generator is having problems. This coming Friday I have a school going to camp for an Outdoor Education program. It is actually a good thing that it is just a day program in that lack of electric should not be a big deal -- except that we are cooking for them. Somehow the food has to be kept cold until cooked. I will also have to start thinking now about what I will be planning to eat over those three days that I am at camp. The adventures never cease and sometimes I wish that they would. I pray that the repairs will happen quickly and that the Lord will give grace and strength to the families on camp.

An Unwanted Milestone

April 29, 2009

Today I saw something that I never wanted to see. I was driving to the bank and as I made a left hand turn onto a road about 3 minutes from my house I noticed yellow tape and police cars and spectators. As I glanced up the road, I saw something in the middle of the road and I hoped that it was not a body. But I had a feeling that there was no such thing as a sheet to cover bodies here since the newspaper displays corpses all the time with no white sheet to cover them. I continued on my way but later called my friend who lives half a block from the crime scene because I wanted to talk to her about something else.

Much to my display it was a person that I saw laying on the road. I had been hoping it was a dog hit by a car but of course that would not have warrented police involvement. As it turns out thieves were trying to get into a house where a man was painting outside on a ladder. They shot him and drove off. Just a few days ago thieves broke into the house beside my friends' house. Evidently they are patrolling their street looking for easy access. And this is one of the reasons why so many Honduras live in fear. I can see why they say to never walk anywhere, run, or anything of the sort because at any time you could be at the wrong place at the wrong time. How to decide when and where to go? I cannot live my life cooped up inside because of constant fear. At the same time I try to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and there have been days when I have decided not to run because it just did not seem the right thing to do.

I spent some time praying for the man's family this afternoon and the grief and pain that they are sure to be experiencing. I am sure that they are asking why since it was probably not even his house. He was just doing his job. I pray that God can bring about good in their lives in spite of the pain.

On another note regarding fear, I noticed several people wearing masks today -- the type that the news shows the people of Mexico wearing. There are several suspected (but not confirmed cases) of the swine flu here in Honduras and fears seem to be mounting. At first as I read the news I was quite concerned with the prospect of this flu spreading around the world. I still hope that it does not, but I sense that the news perspective that I have been getting is a little too saturated with fear and hype. Because of less access to medication and poor living conditions perhaps such a flu here in Honduras could cause lots of sickness and death. I feel as if I was living in the United States right now, I would not be thinking much about the disease at all. I may end up experiencing the effects of living in a developing nation if this flu does prove to be an epidemic and serious problem. As I scanned an article this afternoon I noted that there is discussion about closing schools in San Pedro Sula. I just realized that if that happens it could mean no Outdoor Education program next week at camp. I was just getting excited too about this group coming and trained a girl to teach one of the classes this past Monday. I hope that the situation is not blown out of proportion and that wise and sensible measures will be taken to ensure good health for all.

Days to Run and Days to Walk

April 29, 2009


Today was a day for running. I had extra time this morning and decided to run longer than normal (usually half an hour), but I did not expect to be out for over an hour. I started up the Coca Cola Mountain (named that because it has a big Coca Cola sign at the top which overlooks the city) which I have done other days. Usually I turn around mid-way because I do not like running uphill forever and then downhill (because of the impact on the knees). But today I kept going and eventually was so close to the top that I could not turn around. I have been to the top before, but always walking. As I was coming down the mountain I realized that when running, I do not take the time to enjoy the views or the intricacies of creation. For this reason there are days to run and days to walk. If I was always running, I would miss out on the details of creation (and life) and conversations and many other things. The next time I travel up to the sign, it will probably be with friends so that I can more fully enjoy the experience. I was quite excited when I got to catch a falling leaf. A touch of autumn even though I am dreaming of spring right now.

A Birthday Review

April 21, 2009

I knew that this would be a different sort of birthday since it is the first that I was not with family or close friends (the college years). I knew it would be a rather ordinary day, especially since I was in the city and unless I planned an event with friends, nothing would happen. Yesterday I had a birthday meal with the Williamsons and brownies with all of the staff so that was good.

This morning I decided that I would get up in time to see the sun in it's pink stage over the city while running. I was up in time (5:34AM) but today it was never pink, only yellow. Quite disappointing. I still ran though. When I returned to the house, I was welcomed with crying which continued for the next hour, making a quiet time rather difficult. It would seem that Lisbet is getting one of her molars and so only being with her mommy brought a temporary stop to the tears.

I soon left to run by the church office, post office, and to find a quiet place to work from. Evelin made a good lunch and by the time I got home Lisbet was feeling better. Later in the afternoon we went for ice cream which made the day feel more like a birthday. And then even later I was able to chat with my family.

This evening I decided to make an appearing at basketball practice again. Evelin was not about to have me watch a crying Lisbet on my birthday so it seemed a good time to get back on the court. I enjoyed the games of 2 on 2 and 3 on 3 but found myself frustrated by what I would call lack of integrity in planning. I think that the standards from having played at Black Rock for so many years have spoiled me a bit.

And now I am back in the apartment, sitting on the patio -- a favorite spot in the evening, thanks to the cooler temperatures, the fun plants, and often starlit sky. Oh, throughout the day I was blessed with notes from friends and family via internet. At one point I even got some tears in my eyes as I realized how much I appreciate the support of everyone in my life. So all lin all it has been a good day, though perhaps not exciting as birthdays go. Of course as my mom said, that is the way of birthdays. The older you get, the less exciting they are. I would concur.

I am Blessed

April 19, 2009

One evening last week I was sitting in my living room talking with Evelin and through the course of the conversation I was struck with how blessed I am to have the family that I do. I have a family that loves and supports me. Until this past year, sickness and death had hardly even touched my extended family. This last year has brought more pain because of various happenings, but even so my family has stood together. Evelin, on the other hand, is very alone in the world. Her mother died while she was a teenager and her father is out of the picture. Some of her siblings are supportive of her but they do not understand her story or where she is today. And because of their own problems and struggles financially in a poor country, they cannot give much aid. And so as I sat with her that day I felt one of those twinges of sadness and even a little guilt as to why I was chosen to have such a wonderful family and easy life. My own choices and decisions have much to do with my family relationships, but there is a part too that is out of my control. I did nothing to deserve my family, but God placed me where He did. And so I am very thankful but realize that I want to be able to share my family and what I have learned from them with others. I am humbled too realizing that when much is given, much is required. What am I doing to share the family God has given me? I cannot take for granted what God has done for me.

Road Sightings and Spring

April 16, 2009

On Tuesday I spent a lot of time on the road, whether it was my drive to camp or around the city. I had a dentist appointment after 2 plus years of not setting foot in a dentist office. Thankfully I only had one small cavity. But during my drives, I noticed a few interesting sights that I had to think, “Only in Honduras.” The first was in downtown San Pedro Sula where I was driving along and noticed that one intersection did not have an ordinary stop sign. Because it was a street and not an avenue, I knew that I was due to stop. And then I saw pegged to a tree, what looked to be white poster board with glittery red letters pasted on that said, “ALTO”, which in Spanish means stop. It looked a bit like a child’s work and I wondered if it was an official sign with legal backing.

The next sighting was on the highway. I noticed a large truck in front of me filled with gas canisters (the kind used for the stoves here). Perched on top of the canisters were two armed guards – not unusual. What was unusual was that they were masked, giving them the appearance of being the bad guys, not the guards.

The more favorable vistas during my drive were those of the tree, Carao (Cassia grandis) that makes me think of spring and cherry blossoms. The tree is really quite beautiful and it’s pink flowers rival that of the cherry blossoms of Lancaster, but it’s drawback is that it is so big. Even though it is not a canopy tree, a cherry tree would be a dwarf in comparison and when it comes to trees and flowers, I tend to like the small, non-showy type – the Dogwoods, Bleeding Hearts, Forget-me-Nots, Spring Beauties, and just to name a few. These trees are much more dominating and their large legume like seed pod, detracts a bit from the beauty of the blossoms. All of the thoughts of cherry blossoms have made me miss seeing the beauty of spring, yet again. Here in Honduras there is no official spring. There are flowers throughout the year and new leaves on one tree while another tree is losing its leaves. Sometimes I see examples of three seasons all in a day’s drive. I have yet to fully capture a glimpse of winter here though.

On Easter Sunday the songs and message for some reason made me think of spring – perhaps because on many an Easter morning I could sit in my church in Lancaster and look out over Cherry Hill’s Orchards which was a beautiful sight to behold. Easter is about new life as Christ rose from the grave as is spring so I suppose that there are various connections between the two. On Saturday I began to watch “Anne of Green Gables” in Spanish and the scenery in that movie is enough to make one miss spring and the seasons.

Someday

April 15, 2009

Someday I will write all of the blog entries that are floating around in my head. I had high hopes that tonight would be the night, but it is not. I am still preparing for a meeting with a school administrator tomorrow. I am hoping that they will bring 6th grade students for a Science trip to camp on May 8. So, I will finish my preparations and then try to get some sleep and leave the blog entries for tomorrow.

After the Crowds

April 13, 2009

And so the excitement of Semana Santa has passed. I spent the week out at camp with preparations in the first few days for the crowds that would arrive on Wednesday. Then during the retreat I participated in what I could and connected with people, but I spent much of my time watching Lisbet while Evelin cleaned at camp. It was amazing to watch Lisbet's progress as she even let Cindy hold her during the one worship service without crying. Right now she is sick, having caught whatever her cousin has, and so that makes life a little more miserable for her (and us).

It had not rained for weeks and the temperatures have been over 100F most days. But it seems inevitable that during Semana Santa it will rain. This time the rain came on Monday evening and then all day Tuesday. Those who had set their tents up on Sunday were going to arrive at camp on Wednesday to find some big puddles inside of them. I tried to help by rearranging the rain flies or tucking plastics under the tent but the chore was really too big. People are more concerned with having a place to wipe their feet than they are with not letting that same plastic carry the water under their tent and create lakes. When it comes down to it, there is a lack of knowledge on the matter too. On Tuesday I went around and tried to help various people with their tents, giving pointers on how to make them more "waterproof." Thankfully for everyone, there was no more rain the rest of the week so the mud was the biggest challenge for the majority of the campers.

Friday night the preaching was interrupted by a silence as the electric went out and so did the sound system and all of the lights. Lisbet started crying but as soon as people began to sing worship songs to fill in the silence, she was content again. They got the sound system connected to a car battery and the preaching continued. The electric remained out though until late Saturday afternoon -- a few minutes before I returned to the city. The theme of the retreat was "Hearing the Voice of God" and was good. With watching Lisbet I got less out of the sermons than I normally would.

Friday night held some other excitement for me as I crawled into my tent shortly before midnight, I suddenly realized that I was being bitten -- by fire ants. Sure enough they were crawling into my tent and swarming right in front of it. To be sure, nearly everyday at camp I step in ants and endure their bites but I had no desire to sleep with them so I made sure my sleeping bag was okay and took it over to the Williamson's large tent where a few of the staff children had been sleeping. There I found a place to sleep for the night free of ants though the next morning there were outside that tent.

So for the moment that is all I will write about Semana Santa. Hopefully I can post some pictures soon and reflect on other parts of the week but right now dinner beckons me (that is after I heat it up or make it).

Return of the Rains

April 7, 2009

The rains have returned – much to my surprise. Apparently it rains every Semana Santa so I should not have been too surprised. With the rain some cooler weather has sailed in which is a great delight. Rain at 2:00AM meant that I had to run out of the house and shut the car windows which I had left open in an attempt to get rid of some unpleasant odors. It also meant no morning run unless I found some extraordinary motivation at 6:00AM (which I did not).

The trucks and buses arriving today with the sound equipment, chairs, food, and cooks from the city ran into some challenges on the muddy roads and drives. I got to help try and push one small truck off of the grassy area where it had tried to turn around. The biggest task I found for the day though was trying to help people set up their tents. I think that tomorrow I will try to walk around and give tips to the people coming in. I have realized that most of the people do not know how to keep the inside of a tent dry. Last year a majority of the tents were flooded and this year is starting out that way. There are two important techniques to teach: 1.) No impact camping (leaving only your footprints when you leave – not your trash and a trench that you dug around your tent) and 2.) how to put up a tent in a way that will keep the rain out. I guess that we will see how tomorrow goes.

Missing the Sunrise

April 5, 2009

I have been noticing that I rise just a little bit too late each morning in that I miss seeing the sunrise over the city in it’s pink ball of glory. I catch a glimpse through my bedroom window, but I have yet to be running by 5:45AM in order to really see it. When I leave the apartment, it has settled down into a ball of yellow flame, without such dazzle or glory. Some morning I will make myself get it in time to really enjoy the view. Yesterday as I was running I was composing all sorts of blog entries but now, 36 hours later, I cannot remember anything I had wanted to write. Oh well, I know that I do want to mention last evening’s activity.

I went with my friend Lourdes to an outlying neighborhood of San Pedro Sula where her church was having an evangelism service. At 5:30PM as we drove to the place, I learned two things. One was that the temperature was 95F and the sun was to set in just half an hour. The second was that Villa Nueva, where we were headed, is a marginal community and just this week there had been 3 deaths. I knew it was good for me to go and I wanted to go, but I began to fear a little more for safety. In the end the evening went well with no threat of personal security in the least. There were puppets and dramas for the children and then another drama for the youth and adults while the children went to another portion of the soccer field for songs and a message. I hung out with a 16 year old girl named Gabriela who I had noticed along with her sisters. I was one of the few North Americans in the group so I stood out and as usual got lots of stares and attention. Gabriela was a part of a church but has not been attending and so it was neat to see her interest in taking advantage of the transportation offered to go to Lourdes’s church. From what I understood though her parents are not supportive of church involvement so I pray that she and her siblings will be permitted to go. Another girl, Cindy, was excited to hear of youth group that is happening in their neighborhood.

For me it was good to get out in a community such as that and interact with various young people. I was encouraged too because there was a missionary couple from the church who did much of the speaking and they are from the mid-west. They have been in Honduras for 30 years and when I heard them speaking in Spanish without stumbling over words, I realized that there is still hope for me. Not that I am really planning to be here for 30 years.

Well, I suppose that it is time to return home to a very hot apartment, but I have enjoyed this brief time in a quiet place with A/C. I am sure that Lisbet will be running around back at the apartment too, wanting some attention. Tomorrow we all head out to camp for the week so I do have packing to do yet. I cannot forget my tent.

Wildlife Sightings and Life Lessons

April 2, 2009

This morning I managed to get out of bed in time for a run around the camp. During one of my laps I was almost upon a Blue-Crowned Motmot (a bird, see the photo) before it flew off. If only I had had my camera! As I continued running, I encountered more motmots that would take off silently when I approached. What I realized though was that they were not calling to their friends to say, "Watch out Jen is coming by! Quick hide." Instead each one seemed to fend for itself and take off as I approached. I contemplated their actions a bit and realized that is not the best way to live life, at least for humans. For me it is important to have other Christians and friends around me who will hold me accountable and warn me of upcoming dangers. The birds were not so quick as to escape before I saw them.

Later in the day when the sun was full force, I saw an iguana take off across the field and head towards the archery ravine. It did not immediately descend but instead it bobbed it's head in an effort to warn me not to approach. Naturally I did approach because I wanted a better picture and had been so far away. The iguana chose to run well before I ever got anywhere close to where he had been hanging out. The picture never happened -- at least not a close up (you can search for the iguana in the photo below), but I always like to see that there are still iguanas around and that they have not all been converted into a soup.

My other sightings of the day included a small morho butterfly that flittered across the drive, flashing it's brilliant blue color and a small warbler of some sort. I enjoyed the glimpses of God's creation. Oh, and of course I cannot forget the geckos of various sizes that are always running through the house. Those I could do without many a day unless they would make a bigger dent in the mosquito population. :)

In Blows the Heat

April 1, 2009

In just a week’s time, the weather and hence the look of Honduras has changed. Up until the beginning of last week I was somewhat bemoaning the fact that it was still raining. I did like that with the rain the temperatures were cooler, but I was ready to not have to duck for cover so often. Well, starting with last Friday the hot temperatures arrived – just in time for Semana Santa. Semana Santa for me involves about 1200 other people. A week from now the camp will fill with cars, tents, and makeshift kitchens as my church in San Pedro and several other smaller churches join together for three days of workshops and worship services. Last year many of the tents flooded due to the heavy rains. This year I think that persons baking from the heat in their tents is more likely. I am trying to prepare my food for the week ahead of time since I will be doing my own cooking in order to avoid the plethora of grease that will be served.

As I walked through the jungle today the leaves crunched under my feet, making it seem like a fall day – except for the extreme heat. The world is taking on a brown look as the leaves begin to dry up and the grass. I noticed that burning has been going on along the highway. In the city I had ashes falling in my upstairs bedroom. Apparently the ceiling is not sealed the best or something like that. Thankfully though the rain has never entered in.

Friday, according to Weather.com (which was rarely accurate in PA) says that it will be 102F which means it should feel like 110F or more. I think I will have to use some A/C. I can survive without it as long as I shower anytime I want to leave the house. But for Lisbet it is difficult to take naps, and for my computer – well, I worry about how hot it gets.

I had a lovely chat with a woman from my church who came to camp today with her husband, the latter of whom was working on the kitchen floor. We talked for a good hour and a half and I was able to ask her lots of questions about who I could connect with in the church for various things. She also offered some good encouragement.

As for other recent events, I continue to watch Lisbet almost daily in the evenings while Evelin goes to some meetings. She was improving and even laughing and enjoying the time we spent together, up until she started getting so tired from not having taken a good nap. Little by little progress is becoming apparent in her life. Over the weekend the Lord showed me how important the body of Christ is and I saw that though I am kind of like hands in the life of Evelin right now, helping her, she needed the help of a mouth – someone with better Spanish than I and when that help came, it helped to take her to a new level. Thank you Jesus!

On Saturday night Evelin and I had several girls from the church over after the youth service. We enjoyed some good foods and then played a little bit of several games. They enjoyed Dutch Blitz and wanted to hear all about the Amish as usually happens when I bring out that game. It was good to open my home again to others and share in food and fellowship.

Some Firsts

March 25, 2009

Today was a day of some firsts. I took Lisbeth with me to the grocery store and she was wonderful. It has been so fun to see her laughing and smiling and wanting to play. She still cries a lot at nap time, but she is getting better. And she keeps trying to talk which ends up being babbling. She also loves to give kisses. I pray that she will grow up loving Jesus and that her mom will be an example of Christ to her.

As I was sitting at my desk working this afternoon, something black drifted down onto the keyboard. It was the first ash of the season. It is amazing how they get inside through the roof. Yesterday I was riding out to camp with the Williamsons and the temperature read 91F. Today it had to be much hotter. The melting has begun. Yet when I was running around camp this morning I marveled at the beauty as I have been doing the past few weeks. There is definitely beauty here in the tropics, heat and all.

God Encounters

March 19, 2009

I had a God encounter today. By that I mean an encounter that God clearly orchestrated. I had gone to the bank at the mall and as I was leaving decided to check into getting phone card minutes automatically via my credit card instead of having to always go to a store. As it turned out being a foreign citizen makes that option impossible for me. But the young woman at the booth, Julissa, began asking me why I am in Honduras. And so I shared a little bit of my story. One of her first questions was, "How do I become a missionary?" We chatted for a while and I shared some of my journey and also how being a missionary starts in the hear and now and how we live each moment of the day wherever we are. It was a good conversation and I hope to be in contact with her at a later time so that I can encourage her to keep following God's call on her life.

The other God moment I had recently was last night when Evelin got baptized. It was a joy to see her kneeling down in surrender to God, taking this step. She was excited too because the Holy Spirit touched her while she was standing and making her verbal commitment to the Lord. The fact that Lisbet sat contentedly with the other women of the camp and myself for over 2 hours was definitely God at work. She was even laughing some of the time, which was probably a little distracting for the others around us but sweet to hear nonetheless. It was a blessing to have all of the staff women from camp at my house last night since they were in the city for the baptism. We got to have a "slumber party" of sorts.

(Lisbet with her aunt Marlene)

Riding the Waves

March 19, 2009

I feel as if I have been riding the waves these past few days. I would catch one swell that would carry me in one direction and then another would crash upon me, sending me in a different direction. Of course all of the time the current was slowing pulling me in the direction of my final decision. (I have obviously been spending too much time in a tropical climate considering my analogy comes from the beach scene and not from a snow one.) Last week I thought I had found an apartment and took steps to rent it when another option was offered to me by the same landlord. It seemed that it would work even better and Evelin could get a job because of it. Over the weekend though part of that plan fell through. Then on Tuesday the final part of the plan failed and I was back to renting the apartment I had originally wanted to rent anyway. So other than the frustrations with how everything changes, it was not too bad.

But then yesterday when I went to give the woman the information for writing up the lease, I learned of a new development -- someone else who would be within the same building that I did not think would be a good influence nor connection for us. It was a red flag and had me praying once again last night. Finally this morning I decided that there have been too many obstacles, detours, and whatever else with this potential apartment, as well as time wasted. I feel like God is telling me to just stay where I am, indefinitely. I wanted to go cheaper and smaller but that does not seem to be God's leading. Perhaps He wants to teach me to trust Him more and not depend on myself. Perhaps the move would have been too much change for Lisbet who is beginning to adjust to life here. Perhaps He has plans to provide another housemate in the near future or He wants me to still have a place for other missionaries to stay when in the city. I do not know the reasons, but I am staying put and not moving unless God puts an apartment in my lap and says, "Move!!"

I wonder why I had to waste all of the time in the process of coming to this realization, but maybe I was not listening too well in the first place. I am glad that I met the other landlord, and I think we will remain in contact some in the future. I also have come to the point of feeling good about staying right where I am and last week that was not the case. I look forward to the day when I can see the "why's?" behind all of life's situations and questions.

Family Moments

March 16, 2009

I love my family! This evening I watched the tape of my grandpa, Mervin Sutter’s funeral. I guess that in some ways it made his death more real though hearing everyone share stories about him during the meal following the memorial service, seemed more like a family reunion.

The hymns, aptly chosen, reflected what I know was my grandpa’s joy at leaving this earth and going to be with Jesus. He had peace like a river both in the storms in life and in his passing and he knew that it is so sweet to trust in Jesus. One of the stories that most impacted me which I first heard this last month took place while my grandpa owned a chicken farm. In those early years he and my grandma struggled to pay the bills, but he was always determined to pay off his debts. One year as Christmas approached he and grandma went to collect payment from a man who owed them money. When they arrived and saw the poverty of the man’s family, they decided that the money was not really so important. My grandpa sent my grandma shopping for all of the “fixings” for a Christmas dinner while he went and brought gifts. Back at home the family wrapped the gifts and then they carried the food and gifts to the man’s house so that they would have a Christmas dinner and toys that year.

When I hear that kind of story, I know that I want my life to “carry the baton” that my grandpa left behind, as my one aunt put it in her reflections of her dad. His generosity, servant’s heart, and love for people and for Jesus made him an example of Christ.

And speaking of family and passing on the baton, I am very excited that I will finally get to be an aunt this year as my sister Shana is expecting her first child in August.

And I Plan Because...?

March 17, 2009

Just hours after I published my last blog entry mentioning that I had a place to live and details had come together well, I received a call from Elizabeth, my landlord to be, saying that the second potential renter for the downstairs apartment had fallen through and so she thought it would be best for me to rent down there. And once again everything changes. For the most part I am content with the change of plans. I think it will be nice to have my own space and not have to worry about Lisbet getting into Elizabeth's belongings. As I drove from the camp to the city, praying about this turn of events, I could not help but ask God why there were so many jumps from one plan to the next and in the end, I am back where I started with the original plan of renting the downstairs apartment. I do not really have the answer, but I did realize that because of the potential of living upstairs, Evelin and I got to know Elizabeth better which hopefully will translate into more interactions when we are neighbors in just a few weeks.
I tend to ask, "did we not hear God when pursuing the second plan?" or "was it just a detour with a purpose?" So many questions and not so many answers. I do not think I will sum up what the current plan is for two weeks from now because it could very well change tomorrow. Vamos a ver. (We will see). This is where I try to learn to be more flexible.

More than I Ever Asked or Imagined

March 16, 2009

It has taken me a while to find the time to write this blog entry, but I have much to write and much to be thankful for. Last week I made several stops around the city as I checked into possible apartments that were up for rent. There was one apartment that I really liked both because of its size, the location, and the fact that it had a yard. The owner, Elizabeth, lives in Texas and only comes back to Honduras every two years or when she has to rent out the apartment again. Over the course of a three day span, I talked with her a lot as I tried to figure out if the apartment would work out for myself and Evelin and Lisbet. Wednesday afternoon I told her that yes I wanted to rent the apartment and then I left for camp.

Thursday evening I received a call from her saying that she had something she wanted to tell me. I was afraid that she had changed her mind and decided to go with other renters, but knowing God was in control, I went to see her with peace in my heart. Instead of bad news, she had a different offer for me. Her offer was that I could rent her personal apartment – something that she has never done before. In this way I would not have a lease to contend with as far as having to remain in that apartment for a year or more. And she was offering it to me at a much lower cost, furniture and all. I do not really need the latter since I already have what I need, but it gives me options as to what I can do with my stuff. The one catch or possible challenge was that she would still be in the country until June so suddenly there would be four of us living together. And yet I remembered that I had been praying about another housemate – someone with a better cultural understanding to help in ministry with Evelin. I simply had not expected a housemate to come about in such a fashion.

It looked as if Evelin could also get a job with the family moving in downstairs, cleaning and cooking for them. On Friday Evelin and I met with her again and went over a few of the details before I said “yes” to the arrangement. By this time I had learned that Elizabeth is a Christian and seen that she was genuinely interested in Evelin’s life and well-being too. We left her house that day with Evelin planning to head to work on Monday morning (today) for the woman downstairs. That part was a little overwhelming since it was so quick and Lisbet is not ready to be in day care. We were both so thankful though for how God had provided in ways that I never asked or imagined.

With Saturday came the news that the family downstairs would not be moving in because they did not have the money and the new renter did not need a housekeeper so the job for Evelin vanished. But she did not feel defeated and I know God has His hand in the timing and placement. Hopefully Evelin will have the opportunity to get to a baking class next week before we move and everyone has to re-adjust to the living arrangements.

The plan is to move the 31st of this month which means a lot of packing between now and then. I know that there will be many challenges for the first few months at least as we adjust to Elizabeth and she to us. I think for Lisbet it will be hard too because she was just getting accustomed to a new home and now she moves again. She has made some progress in not crying so much but there is still so far to go. On Saturday evening I was watching her while Evelin went to a meeting. She spent the first half hour standing at the door crying and screaming. No stories or toys would deter her from the crying. Finally I picked her up and took her over to my computer to watch pictures and sing along to some worship music. She loves to clap and after a little while she was clapping and babbling a few words which I would attribute to her attempt at singing. At least during those moments she is adorable. And soon after she fell asleep since the screaming had tired her out.

Life is Short

March 11, 2009

This morning I attended my first Honduran funeral. In reality there is not a funeral service as I know them in the States. After a death there is an all night vigil with the family and the body. Then within 36 hours the person needs to be buried since no embalming happens. I went to the cemetary this morning for the burial of the son of a woman from my church who often comes to camp to help cook. It is a sad story because he was killed and had just married last year. The mother had just been thanking the Lord for His protection over her family who lives in a more dangerous part of San Pedro Sula. And now less than three weeks later, tragedy has struck. It is one of those situations where it does not make sense the seeminly needless pain and yet God is still Sovereign. I hurt to see her pain and that of her 14 year old son, Bryan, who I also know.

At the burial site there were a few words spoken but then the coffin was whisked off and the burial happened. I had been told the burial was to happen at 9:00AM so I arrived on time. Others came a little later and said that they heard 9:30. And yet still others came later and announced that it was to be at 10:00. I later learned that the family began walking at 9:00AM from their home to arrive at the cemetary. So I had a little wait. The ladies I was with were discussing how at the cemetary the burial has to happen within a certain amount of time or the family had to pay more, perhaps by the minute. One of the woman said that she likes the towns where the burials are relaxed and people can take their time to grieve. There is no time pressure. It would seem that burials are one place where the laid back culture does not permit delays nor waiting ... unless you want to pay for it.

Last evening I was driving into downtown San Pedro to drop Evelin off at the church when suddenly a man dashed across the road, such that I almost hit him. I honked but as soon as he jumped on the sidewalk, I realized that he was probably running from something. Sure enough Evelin noted a security guard leaving from a nearby building, probably in pursuit of the man. All of this has reminded me again of the dangers that exist here in Honduras (though all over the world too) and the need to be careful and always in prayer. And sometimes God's answers to my prayers are not what I had expected or hoped for but that is where faith comes in and trusting that He still is in control.

The Rains Pour Down but the Tears Slow Down

March 1, 2009

I guess that in these tropical climates, I do not have to worry so much about March coming in like a lion. Usually the rains have mostly ended by this point and summer is upon us. This year though, the rains are lingering. Today was a mixture of sun and random rain showers. Not so random though in that we were able to have our ropes course activities outdoors since the rains were before and after the event. Thank you Jesus!

I think this could be a monumental day in some ways. First of all, I was finally able to put to use a new ropes course element that was begun last summer with construction, but because of several problems was not ready to use until this last work team, with its ropes course experts, came. And today I got to use it which was exciting.

The other stepping stone though is in the life of Lisbet, Evelin’s daughter. Evelin left for the city this afternoon in time to attend a baptism class at the church. Meanwhile Lisbet stayed in camp with her aunt’s family and me. Because Lisbet’s cousins have school tomorrow and an early morning, they did not want Lisbet at their house. After a birthday party, worship and devotional this evening I carried a crying, but tired Lisbet to my cabin. I expected to have to sing to her for at least half an hour or more, but she apparently was so tired that it only took a few minutes. She also seems to be getting more comfortable around me which is a big step. And Evelin continues to be hungry for more of God which is a praise.

Going back to the subject of rains, the time with the work team and my friend Janae was one of many rains. Last week after the team left, Janae and I went to the town of Tela which is on the north coast of Honduras. On Wednesday, our full day in Tela, we decided to do a tour to a place called Punta Sal. The day dawned nice but with clouds. We joined about 8 other people in a small motor boat and headed out to sea. One of the first things that I saw was a rainbow over the water. The tour began with a hike across land to a hidden cove, often used by pirates in the olden days. By the time we concluded the hike, it was beginning to rain heavily. Our boat had gone around the peninsula to pick us up so we hopped in and took off. We were now out at sea, not just in a bay and so the waves were big, especially for the size of the boat. The pilot had to cut back on the throttle each time we approached another big wave. As I sat there looking at the waves around me and the land quite a distance away, I pondered the plight of the disciples when they were in the midst of a storm and Jesus was asleep in the boat. My first thought was, “I wish Jesus was here in this boat.” That was quickly replaced with the, “Of course He’s here because He is always with me.” I thought too of the wonderful hymn “It is Well with My Soul” and how the song writer in the midst of tragedy penned the words “…when sorrow like sea billows roll, whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, it is well, it is well with my soul.” I feel as if I, and those I love, have been in the midst of sea billows. There is sometimes fear in those moments; sometimes anger; sometimes despair. But what Christ wants of us is that whatever the emotions that pound our hearts, we still turn to Him and put our trust in Him. The conclusion of my story that day– I arrived safely at our next destination with no capsizing and only a thrilling ride to speak of. The rest of my life’s story is still being written but I do look forward to the day when I will arrive at heaven’s gates and the throne of God – my final destination.

Catching Up

February 27, 2009

So it has been over 2 weeks since I last wrote and this will probably be a quick catch up. Since that time I have mostly been at camp where I worked with a team that came from Houghton College to help us out on camp. It was lots of fun to hang out with old friends from college and camp (in PA) as well as see much progress on ropes course repairs and other projects around the camp. For some reason we were blessed with much rain so lots of the work was done during downpours. I gave in to getting completely soaked and went for a run the one evening with two of the girls. Over the weekend we hung out with a group of children who were at camp with Compassion International. It was fun to chat with them, play games, and worship with them.

After the team left, my friend Janae remained and we headed to the beach for 2 days. Unfortunately the rain continued but in between the raindrops we got in a hike, swim on a beautiful beach, walks through town, and some boat rides. We also witnessed two rainbows during our journeys across the water.

Now I am settling back into work. Tomorrow morning I head out to camp to help with a weekend group who is doing the ropes course. I am getting reaccustomed to being in the house with a crying toddler. Perhaps later I can go into more details about the work team and the progress that Lisbet is making because she is improving and crying less. At the moment it is dinner time though.

A Peaceful Passing

February 12, 2009

Today for some reason the internet was not working at my house which always creates a challenge. I ended up going to a coffee shop to check e-mails, knowing that at this time it was important to keep in touch with family back home. Sure enough there was a note to call my mom (from last night) and then a church e-mail update that said my grandfather had passed away. It took a while till I could get to a phone to call my mom. When I did, she said that my grandfather had peacefully passed away last night. And some of the family was able to be present. I am saddened for my sake and the sake of my family but happy for him. I feel like I was able to do much of my grieving while in Florida this past week so this news was not a shock or as difficult as the initial news of his stroke. I think that when it comes time for the funeral and I am still in Honduras, it may be a little more difficult but I know that I need to be here and not there this time. Meanwhile I pray for my family who will be traveilng south tomorrow, many by way of car.

Baby Steps

February 12, 2009

I am so excited to see progress in things with Evelin and Lisbet. Both are taking baby steps and sometimes giant steps. Today Evelin encountered a former drug dealer that she knew while taking a bus. Rather than be tempted to buy, she ended up sharing with him how Jesus has changed her life and can change his too!

As for Lisbet, last night we went to a Bible Study at church and I threw in a lot of extra toys because I knew that the atmosphere would not be conducive to her walking the aisles. Basically she would end up being very distracting and disruptive. Although I was not really able to gather much from the Bible Study because of keeping Lisbet content with sitting on the bench or standing on the floor in our aisle (and the Spanish of course), Evelin could concentrate enough to be challenged. I think that she was surprised that it was possible to keep Lisbet in one place without her crying and screaming.

This evening we taught Lisbet to put her toys away (or began the teaching because it will probably take a few times). She has been much more willing to let me pick her up and play with her which are also big steps. There is hope that she will one day let her mom entrust her to a babysitter and not scream the entire time.

Heading Home

February 10, 2009

I am here in the Tampa Airport with over 2 hours yet till I fly south. I came early since my sister was also flying out, but on an earlier flight. It was fun to have a few minutes in the airport waiting with someone else since usually I travel alone. We enjoyed a Carmel Cider from Starbucks and then parted ways.

It has been a busy 4 days in many ways and yet the pace has been mostly the same each day. I arrived in FL early Saturday morning and after a full course breakfast with family (but no sleep), I headed to the airport to see my grandpa. I was disappointed that he did not respond or seem to recognize me but then as everyone else pointed out, I probably spoke too quietly. We stayed there until lunch time when we headed back to my aunt and uncle's house. I then tried to take a nap before going back to the hospital after dinner. The next two days followed a similar schedule except that little by little my relatives returned to their homes in Georgia and Pennsylvania as it became obvious that my grandfather was going to hang in there for a while yet.

I think it was Sunday morning when we gathered around my grandpa's bed in the hospital and sang hymns. He seemed to enjoy and notice the singing and it was a beautiful moment. As I looked around the room at all of my aunt's and uncle's, I could not help but shed tears. I am so thankful for my family and the love that we have for each other. I cannot imagine being in their place since it is their father and not grandfather who is nearing the moment when he will see Jesus face to face. Many of the hymns reminded me that for him this passing is a joyous moment because there will be no more suffering and he will be with Jesus. Later on my sister and I got to sing a few more hymns with him and there was another precious moment when we sang with some of younger cousins.

Val and I were able to lend a hand and cook a few of the meals to give my aunt a break which was fun. Yesterday afternoon my grandpa got moved to hospice so he is now settled into a tranquil room where his needs are met and it is a relaxing place for my grandma to stay with him. Just as my mom and other relatives experienced, it is hard to leave knowing that we will not be there with my grandpa in the end (at least I will not though the others hope to return in the next few days). I will not be back for the funeral, but I am thankful for these days that I had with him and with the family. It will give some closure that would not have been there had I not returned to the States for any part of this time. So many stories were shared as we gathered around the bedside or for meals as a family. I have learned even more about my grandfather's generosity and heart for God. I read in Acts 13 this morning that when David had served God's purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep. My grandpa will soon have served his purpose here on earth and God is calling him home. He has left a legacy of faith and service to God. And for this I rejoice.

Traveling Again

February 7, 2009

I am sitting in the San Pedro Sula airport as I write this entry. I shall be here until around 2:00AM which because I am not a night owl, is definitely not my preferred time of travel or wakefulness but it works every once in a while. It seems like the last few days and weeks have flown by and been one unexpected event after the other. I am currently enroute to Sarasota, Florida so that I can be with my family as my grandfather is in his last few days (or weeks) after suffering from a stroke on Wednesday. I am thankful for the time that I had to visit with him over Christmas this past year but I do hope that I will get to say good-bye when I arrive in Sarasota on Saturday morning. Being in Honduras the events that I know have been taking place these last few days often seem unreal, until I talk with my mom and hear the pain in her voice.

Last year seemed to be a year of walking with others through pain and I had hoped that this year might be different but I guess that there is always pain; sometimes it is just more noticeable than others.

The past week has been interesting for me as Evelin has settled into the apartment and I have begun interacting with her one year old daughter, Lisbet, much more. There are so many times that I want to jump in and exert some discipline or offer suggestion after suggestion. And as her crying continues day after day, I marvel that Evelin does not get more frustrated than she does. I am definitely seeing the importance of teaching children, using consistent discipline, from infancy on. By one year old, so much has already been set in place in Lisbet’s habits that it is difficult to change because it requires enduring tantrums and screaming – something that is not fun for Evelin, myself, nor the neighbors. I keep praying for wisdom about when to offer help and when to remain quiet. I also pray that Lisbet will warm up to me so that eventually I can give Evelin a break and she can go to a church service and really worship, without having to be chasing a toddler or dealing with her cries. I find myself analyzing Lisbet’s actions and reactions and wondering what kind of experiences she has had. I wish that I had paid more attention in some of my Psychology classes, especially Child Psychology.

I talked to one of my friends today and it turns out that she is not looking to move into an apartment at this point so I am praying about whether there is someone else who would want to share the apartment. Otherwise I do need to seriously start apartment hunting again.

Last weekend Evelin and I attended a young adult retreat in the camp which was a neat experience. I got to know a few of the young adults and to was a good time of teaching and worship. Since it was a retreat there was more down time, but to my dismay I had not brought any games along. I taught a few of the girls the game of Up Jenkins which we enjoyed playing the one evening. I was glad that Evelin was able to participate and get to know a few people and that her sister was willing to watch Lisbet.

I cannot remember the list of other things I was going to blog. Though rainy season is technically over, we are continuing to experience torrential downpours with frecuencia (that may only be a Spanish word, I actually cannot remember). I cannot complain too much though because the weather is still cool.