February 24, 2010
For a few moments today I felt like a little girl again as I skipped down the sidewalk with one of the seven year-old girls to move my car closer to La Casa. We “raced” to the car and she won. I enjoy such moments. Currently I am sitting in the living room of the girl’s home multi-tasking as I watch the El Salvador vs. USA soccer game. It is more fun to watch it amidst the screams of teenagers than alone in a house. I am trying to cheer for El Salvador (who is winning) but I find myself excited when the USA almost scores goals as well. I guess that I am in a good place – no matter who wins I will be happy.
This week I have had the opportunity to go with the staff to pick up the children at their schools and so I have gotten to see more of San Salvador. The children are spread out among at least four schools since some of the students need special attention. Going to the one school which is right near where I live helped me to solve the church mystery. On Sunday morning I ventured out of the confines of my street to run in the direction of a church I had heard and seen the night before. The worship had sounded good and I wanted to see if there was a church within walking distance from where I live. My run did not prove fruitful as far as finding the entrance to the church, but I did enjoy the freedom of running outside of the gates of the fence of the neighborhood park. What I discovered today is that the music I heard came from the church connected with the school and though geographically the church sits just above my street, you actually have to wind around to a street that I would not feel comfortable walking on to get to the entrance. At least I solved my mystery and I may just have to drive there to visit the church services.
I have also had time this week to dedicate more energy to the youngest boys who are both about 15 months old. I want to work with the tías to help them with the goals that they have for stimulating the boys’ development and see what resources I can find to help them out. As I continue reading the book Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud and John Townsend (in Spanish), I am both learning about the different ages and what the boundaries should look like. I think that I may try to put together a presentation of some of the ideas for a childcare training (every Friday morning we have one with all of the childcare staff). I had been sharing some of the information with the tías of the youngest boys and girls this morning and they were very interested. The book is also challenging me personally and I wonder why I never got around to reading it before.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Finding a Routine
February 22, 2010
I suppose it could be said that I am finding my routine here in El Salvador though in reality spendng a couple of nights at the home with the girls has kept me from getting to accustomed to a set schedule. Last week went well overall though I have been battling not feeling the greatest and the return of headaches. I am not sure it comes from dehydration, a change in diet, or migraines. At any rate that part of the week was not so fun. Because I am experimenting with a gluten free diet for a little while, I am back to preparing lots of food and finding new ways to make the foods I love. Pizza is still on the to-do list.
Monday I was able to go on another family visit to a huge coffee plantation where the mother of one of the girls works and lives. We took my car and it made it there though it was eating coolant since the radiator was leaking. The road to get to the plantation was a bit unnerving as one of the staff told the driver to go quickly because it was a street controlled by gangs. We got in and out without problem, but it does put one a bit on the edge.
When I spent the night with the four younger girls on Thursday night, I got to see first hand the getting ready for school routine. I cannot remember what time I had to get up to catch the bus back in elementary school but here they have to be at school at 7:00AM and since there are about 15 girls for 3 bathrooms, the first girls get up at 4:00AM. My girls, who range from 8-10 in age, got up beginning at 5:00AM which still seemed way too early. Unfortunately I made the mistake of getting the slowest girl up last and so she missed breakfast since the van was leaving early and she was just getting out the door. It was a good learning experience for me.
On Saturday we had another family visit day at La Casa de Mi Padre but this time I was not as involved with the program. I took three of the boys who did not have family coming to help me get copies for a house key for one of the families. The original plan was that they were to come along to "protect" me but really just give them a chance to get out. In keeping with the way errands often go, our first two stops at hardware stores were unsuccessful because their machine was broken or no longer there. Thankfully one of the boys remembered where he had gone with one of the house dads for a key in the past and in his few words and with the help of one of the other boys, we ended up at a place where they did indeed copy keys -- all of the time. The rest of the morning I spent sorting through clothes that had been donated to La Casa but did not fit the children. The plan was for the families to take some home.
I have decided that I will be checking out some other churches over the next few weeks, because although the preaching is really good where I have been going, actually meeting people has been difficult. Yesterday I planned to introduce myself to the people beside me but as soon as the service was over, they were out the door. I will try the small group again this week and see how that goes but I do want to look around. Otherwise the week seems as if it will be pretty normal and I am looking forward to having my first full weekend off.
I suppose it could be said that I am finding my routine here in El Salvador though in reality spendng a couple of nights at the home with the girls has kept me from getting to accustomed to a set schedule. Last week went well overall though I have been battling not feeling the greatest and the return of headaches. I am not sure it comes from dehydration, a change in diet, or migraines. At any rate that part of the week was not so fun. Because I am experimenting with a gluten free diet for a little while, I am back to preparing lots of food and finding new ways to make the foods I love. Pizza is still on the to-do list.
Monday I was able to go on another family visit to a huge coffee plantation where the mother of one of the girls works and lives. We took my car and it made it there though it was eating coolant since the radiator was leaking. The road to get to the plantation was a bit unnerving as one of the staff told the driver to go quickly because it was a street controlled by gangs. We got in and out without problem, but it does put one a bit on the edge.
When I spent the night with the four younger girls on Thursday night, I got to see first hand the getting ready for school routine. I cannot remember what time I had to get up to catch the bus back in elementary school but here they have to be at school at 7:00AM and since there are about 15 girls for 3 bathrooms, the first girls get up at 4:00AM. My girls, who range from 8-10 in age, got up beginning at 5:00AM which still seemed way too early. Unfortunately I made the mistake of getting the slowest girl up last and so she missed breakfast since the van was leaving early and she was just getting out the door. It was a good learning experience for me.
On Saturday we had another family visit day at La Casa de Mi Padre but this time I was not as involved with the program. I took three of the boys who did not have family coming to help me get copies for a house key for one of the families. The original plan was that they were to come along to "protect" me but really just give them a chance to get out. In keeping with the way errands often go, our first two stops at hardware stores were unsuccessful because their machine was broken or no longer there. Thankfully one of the boys remembered where he had gone with one of the house dads for a key in the past and in his few words and with the help of one of the other boys, we ended up at a place where they did indeed copy keys -- all of the time. The rest of the morning I spent sorting through clothes that had been donated to La Casa but did not fit the children. The plan was for the families to take some home.
I have decided that I will be checking out some other churches over the next few weeks, because although the preaching is really good where I have been going, actually meeting people has been difficult. Yesterday I planned to introduce myself to the people beside me but as soon as the service was over, they were out the door. I will try the small group again this week and see how that goes but I do want to look around. Otherwise the week seems as if it will be pretty normal and I am looking forward to having my first full weekend off.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Dia de Amistad
February 14, 2010
Here in Latin America Valentine's Day is often called "Day of Friendship" (if literally translated). Sometimes they will tack on "And of love." My day began with getting the 4 young girls ready for church but then I left them in the care of other staff while I headed to the English-speaking church in San Salvador.
After church one of the guests at the mission house, Kim, and I drove up to Volcano Bouquern which is about 30 minutes outside of the city. It was a beautiful drive but in keeping with tradition, I did not really know where I was going and so I drove past the turn off for the volcano. It was not far though and we got to see the other side of the mountain range. The hike at the volcano was very short but we wound about through the gardens and made it as long as possible. I was ecstatic to find Forget-Me-Not flowers -- one of my favorites.
Just below the little park there were lots of vendors with drinks, souvenirs, flowers and produce. I bought some berries (similar to raspberries) and also a cluster of Calla lilies. In the US Calla lilies are very expensive, but here for a dollar you would leave with a whole cluster.
From the park we drove back the way that we had come (when we first missed the park) and visited a cafe that boasted coffee which had been shade-grown near there. It was a neat spot, though a little too crowded. As we were leaving there was live music beginning.
On the drive back to the mission house, I was determined to find a new way home and since it was still daylight, it seemed safe enough to do. Much to my dismay though I ended up in the town of Santa Tecla which has haunted me since my first day here. The traffic was about as bad as it had been that day (that was the day when my friends and I got lost there as we tried to find a place to eat dinner). Since that day I have discovered nearly all roads lead to Santa Tecla. Amazingly I did come out where I had hoped to and would have probably made it to the house by a completely different route had I not decided to follow the instructions of a security guard at the grocery store who directed me by a road that I was not sure was right, but I followed anyway. We could have gotten completely lost but thankfully the road did come out near where I work. At any rate I am excited to have some new options now for travel around San Salvador.
On a side note, I have been enjoying seeing once again what a small world it is. Kim is from Catonsville, just outside of Baltimore, and the first day that she arrived we discovered that she had been to Black Rock Retreat for Outdoor Education with her Christian school, many years ago (before my time there). But then it also turns out that she goes to a church which has a school who still goes to Black Rock and I know several of the teachers. I love making random connections halfway around the world.
The Live-In Aunt Experience
February 14, 2010
Yesterday I saw a whole new side of the work at La Casa de Mi Padre as I had the experience of staying at the girls overnight to watch four of the younger girls. When I arrived Saturday morning the girls were excited to have me there -- their new "Tia." I quickly pulled out my Dutch Blitz cards and taught them a modified version since I felt like at their age all of the rules might be too much. After about an hour and a half (a long time for 7-10 year olds) they had had enough and moved to watching television -- something that they are only allowed to do on weekends.
I was amused by one of slightly older girls who had taken it upon herself to kill a cockroach that was hiding amongst some t-shirts that had been donated to the home. She would lift each one up with the small, plastic baseball bat and say (in Spanish of course), "No cockroach, no cockroach" until she would find it, at which point she would begin to attack it (or the box) with the bat. Several other girls tried to help with smaller weapons but they were not nearly so dramatic.
After lunch I went with two of my girls and quite a few other children to a nearby recreational complex where a couple of people from the community had volunteered to give them some training in soccer. It was fun to watch the young girls learning the ball handling skills and laughing in the process.
The rest of the afternoon was spent watching television, which of course I hate. I worked on somethings that I have been doing and did a little reading. I decided that the next time I am at the home for a weekend, I need to go prepared with more alternative activities available rather than just watching television. Pretzel-making or something in the kitchen would be fun, except that I had the joy of seeing my first El Salvadorean rat there, scurrying under the stove. I was not so excited about the kitchen after that.
Overall the girls behaved pretty well but I did have opportunity to practice the behavior consequence model that is used for discipline because the one little girl was being disobedient and stirring up dissention. I will be with the girls again this coming Thursday so I will get to be part of the weekly school routine. I know that it will be a very early morning since the one bathroom is for 7 girls who all have to shower before school. (And I think that they leave for school around 7:00AM) I am glad that my experience here at La Casa de Mi Padre will be well-rounded when it is all said and done and that I can meet some of the needs that they have, especially during this time when so many of the aunts are doing their vacation in rotation.
Earlier in the week I had the opportunity to do a team building activity with the girls that involved one girl being blind folded and having to listen to the instructions of the "lighthouse" instead of those of the talking rocks who tried to get the "boat" to hit the obstacles. In the debrief after the activity is was so exciting to see the light bulb come on for a couple of them as they saw played out before them the input that they had received in counseling sessions regarding obstacles in their path and how to avoid them. They were quick to recognize that Jesus needs to be the "lighthouse" in our lives. The connections that they made seemed to go much deeper than those of the older boys, just 2 days beforehand.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Immersion
February 11, 2010
I feel like this week is definitely immersing me in the life and work at La Casa de Mi Padre. Two mornings this week I went out to communities where several of the children's families live to help with the pre-planning for a medical missions team in March. This week I also got to be more involved in one of the group sessions by leading a team building activity. Yesterday I was in charge of a homework group and had the one boy very much testing the limits as I tried to figure out how the groups are run. Once again I found myself helping someone sound words out but it went much better for the 6 year old than it had for the grandmother on Saturday. I found that I had a lot more patience with the little girl too. This Saturday evening I will be taking on the role of a "tia" or aunt and spending the night at the home with four of the younger girls. A lot of the "tios" are on vacation right now and so they are short staffed. I think I will learn a lot by spending the night at the home because I will see how things go round the clock.
The heat and long hours have tired me out by this point in the week and so having a short weekend could be challenging. On Tuesday evening I made it to a small group from the Spanish church that I have gone to twice. It was okay but the guest speaker talked too much and getting home at 10:00PM after being in Spanish all day was too much. I will probably try the group another week after this particular speaker is not there anymore.
And so ends my brief (for me) update on the week.
Monday, February 08, 2010
The First Week
February 8, 2010
I am now in my second Monday here in El Salvador and though things have been going well, it is hard to hear that in PA yet another snowstorm is on the way and I am missing it. I know that is what I have chosen by living in Central America, but I still miss the joy of the snowfalls and trying to make everyone else smile about the snow even though they "hate" it.
In looking back at last week, my first full week in El Salvador and first week in the Children's home, I would summarize it by saying "A Slow Unfolding." Due to the craziness of life in the home at times (after all 35 children living in one spot will create some surprises), the planned schedule often does not happen as expected. I got to meet the staff and hear about their roles and for some, what brought them to the children's home. There are 2 sets of house parents -- one for the girl's house and the other for the boy's house. Then within each home there are also "tios" or "aunts and uncles" who are in charge of different age groups. It was with two of the tias that I shared coffee one afternoon and heard a bit of their story and how God had led them to La Casa de Mi Padre.
There were various moments when Patty, the psychologist who I am working most closely with, had meetings and so I took the opportunity to spend with the children as they played in the hour or so after finishing their homework. They range in age from 15 months to 20 years old. Tuesday through Friday of each week each tio and the house parents meet with their respective group of children to discuss behavior and other pertinant issues. I was a part of these group sessions and will continue to be with them in the months to come. At some point I will have opportunity to share activities with them that can compliment what is being taught. It will be good to put my camp ministry skills to work. (Actually today I was called upon to figure out the new dog harness since I am into camping. No matter that I am not into dogs all that much. I do not equate camping and dogs as one and the same love, especially big dogs). At this point I am still in the observation process, trying to understand the program, the treatment, and the philosophy. Much training and time is invested in equipping the childcare staff which I see as a very positive thing and I am looking forward to being involved in those events.
It only took the first week to realize that there will be hard days when I will feel the burden of the pain and the wounds that the children are dealing with. As the ministry discovered back when they first began working with the children, just loving them was not enough. They needed to address the hurts and provide a program that would help to bring healing and introduce them to the Healer Himself, Christ Jesus. I, like the children, must leave the pain that I encounter as I get know the children at the feet of Jesus and look to Him for the strength and the words to touch their lives. On my own I am incapable of making any lasting changes in their lives. Only Christ can bring change, but hopefully He can work through me to be His hands and feet.
I am now in my second Monday here in El Salvador and though things have been going well, it is hard to hear that in PA yet another snowstorm is on the way and I am missing it. I know that is what I have chosen by living in Central America, but I still miss the joy of the snowfalls and trying to make everyone else smile about the snow even though they "hate" it.
In looking back at last week, my first full week in El Salvador and first week in the Children's home, I would summarize it by saying "A Slow Unfolding." Due to the craziness of life in the home at times (after all 35 children living in one spot will create some surprises), the planned schedule often does not happen as expected. I got to meet the staff and hear about their roles and for some, what brought them to the children's home. There are 2 sets of house parents -- one for the girl's house and the other for the boy's house. Then within each home there are also "tios" or "aunts and uncles" who are in charge of different age groups. It was with two of the tias that I shared coffee one afternoon and heard a bit of their story and how God had led them to La Casa de Mi Padre.
There were various moments when Patty, the psychologist who I am working most closely with, had meetings and so I took the opportunity to spend with the children as they played in the hour or so after finishing their homework. They range in age from 15 months to 20 years old. Tuesday through Friday of each week each tio and the house parents meet with their respective group of children to discuss behavior and other pertinant issues. I was a part of these group sessions and will continue to be with them in the months to come. At some point I will have opportunity to share activities with them that can compliment what is being taught. It will be good to put my camp ministry skills to work. (Actually today I was called upon to figure out the new dog harness since I am into camping. No matter that I am not into dogs all that much. I do not equate camping and dogs as one and the same love, especially big dogs). At this point I am still in the observation process, trying to understand the program, the treatment, and the philosophy. Much training and time is invested in equipping the childcare staff which I see as a very positive thing and I am looking forward to being involved in those events.
It only took the first week to realize that there will be hard days when I will feel the burden of the pain and the wounds that the children are dealing with. As the ministry discovered back when they first began working with the children, just loving them was not enough. They needed to address the hurts and provide a program that would help to bring healing and introduce them to the Healer Himself, Christ Jesus. I, like the children, must leave the pain that I encounter as I get know the children at the feet of Jesus and look to Him for the strength and the words to touch their lives. On my own I am incapable of making any lasting changes in their lives. Only Christ can bring change, but hopefully He can work through me to be His hands and feet.
Sunday, February 07, 2010
When You Cannot Turn Left...
February 7, 2010
Who ever knew that turning left was so important? Being left-handed, I do know the importance of "left" but today I realized anew just how complicated life (particularly driving) is when no left turns are allowed. I was planning to visit an English-speaking church this morning in an effort to meet new people and so I set out with over 30 minutes to find my there. I figured that really it should only take me about 10-15 minutes to get there but I also knew that I would not end up taking the most direct route. How very true!
One of the challenges with driving in San Salvador is that on many of the roads there are no left turns. And when you try to take the next right and go around the block, one often discovers that it was not really a block and you do not end up where planned. Such was my experience this morning. It also does not help when you are driving and need to read the map at the same time. I knew more or less where the church was but I could not turn left to get there and I found myself farther and farther away. I discovered too that not all of the road names match up with the map and so I passed the road I wanted because it had a different name. I planned the time well though because I arrived at the church with a few minutes to spare. But when I asked the guard where I should park he said that everyone was headed to the beach for a baptism. I was in black dress pants and sandals -- not at all beach attire, and so I decided to save the visit for another day and drove to the church I had visited last week. Sadly, as I left the English church I realized that even with knowing its exact location, I may not be able to return there on a direct route because I do not yet know the secrets of where I can turn left.
And with that I conclude this post and the day. I am putting off a more informative post of this past week until another day because it has gotten too late (and not because I was watching the Superbowl).
Who ever knew that turning left was so important? Being left-handed, I do know the importance of "left" but today I realized anew just how complicated life (particularly driving) is when no left turns are allowed. I was planning to visit an English-speaking church this morning in an effort to meet new people and so I set out with over 30 minutes to find my there. I figured that really it should only take me about 10-15 minutes to get there but I also knew that I would not end up taking the most direct route. How very true!
One of the challenges with driving in San Salvador is that on many of the roads there are no left turns. And when you try to take the next right and go around the block, one often discovers that it was not really a block and you do not end up where planned. Such was my experience this morning. It also does not help when you are driving and need to read the map at the same time. I knew more or less where the church was but I could not turn left to get there and I found myself farther and farther away. I discovered too that not all of the road names match up with the map and so I passed the road I wanted because it had a different name. I planned the time well though because I arrived at the church with a few minutes to spare. But when I asked the guard where I should park he said that everyone was headed to the beach for a baptism. I was in black dress pants and sandals -- not at all beach attire, and so I decided to save the visit for another day and drove to the church I had visited last week. Sadly, as I left the English church I realized that even with knowing its exact location, I may not be able to return there on a direct route because I do not yet know the secrets of where I can turn left.
And with that I conclude this post and the day. I am putting off a more informative post of this past week until another day because it has gotten too late (and not because I was watching the Superbowl).
Reflections
February 6, 2010
Before I write about the week (hopefully later today) I wanted to take a moment to reflect on two lessons the Lord challenged me with so far this weekend. Yesterday morning I was at La Casa de Mi Padre helping with the Family Day that occurs every two weeks. Family members of the children come to the home to see their children, receive counseling,and/or participate in a literacy class. There is also a devotional time and lunch for all who come. I ended up being in the literacy class and sat with one woman (I would imagine her to have been at least in her mid-50's), helping her sound out letters and even recognize them. We spent the whole time on sounds like ma, me, mi, mo, and mu. Just when I thought she had gotten the sound, we would move on to the next two letters and she would repeat the sound we had just done.
As I sat there trying to help her, my thoughts were, "I am not cut out for this kind of teaching." "I do not have patience for this." And, "Ahhh... not again!" Internally I was battling my impatience and praying that this was not to be the method in which God works on patience in my own life in this coming year. Then the thought struck me, I wonder how God feels when time after time after time, I keep making the same mistakes. How does He feel when I just do not get it nor understand what He is trying to teach me? Thankfully He is patient and loving and He has not given up on me. I wanted to give up yesterday and say forget it to the teaching, but as I thought about God's work in my life and His patience with me, I received encouragement and strength to stay with the woman and help her try to learn the letters and sounds. And my prayer too after yesterday's experience is that I will get and accept what God is teaching me. I do not want to hear from Him and then walk away and forget it.
This morning I had another experience that made me think (I will never tire of analogies I fear). Yesterday there had been a note under the door saying something about the park being in poor condition and so no one was to use the fields/courts etc.... From my understanding of the note, it did not say that I could not run there, but I was not sure. So this morning I headed up the stairs to enter the park and stopped because the gate was closed -- something that has never happened before. I inwardly groaned because I envisioned the worst -- it was locked and I would have no place to exercise. I almost just turned around and went home but I decided to go and see if it was actually locked. It was not and so I entered and did my running/stair climbing. As I ran I thought about that closed door. It was an obstacle in my path because it had not been there before and in light of the note, I thought it meant the park was off limits. And so I was tempted to just turn around and give up. I realized that often in life I do the same thing. I encounter an obstacle in my path or a seemingly closed door, and I want to just give up. But sometimes I think that God wants to see if I will persevere and push forward, not allowing obstacles nor circumstances to hinder me from following His call. (not always because there are moments when God has a door closed and locked and I should not try to enter) With our muscles they get stronger when they face resistance and have to lift more weight than previously. And so I need to be careful not to just turn and run or give up the moment something does not seem to be going quite right. I need to first investigate and ask the Lord what He wants -- is the door locked or just temporarily closed? Is it an obstacle in my path so that I go in a different direction or does God want to see if I am willing to follow and obey Him even when the going gets tough? And so those are my reflections.
Before I write about the week (hopefully later today) I wanted to take a moment to reflect on two lessons the Lord challenged me with so far this weekend. Yesterday morning I was at La Casa de Mi Padre helping with the Family Day that occurs every two weeks. Family members of the children come to the home to see their children, receive counseling,and/or participate in a literacy class. There is also a devotional time and lunch for all who come. I ended up being in the literacy class and sat with one woman (I would imagine her to have been at least in her mid-50's), helping her sound out letters and even recognize them. We spent the whole time on sounds like ma, me, mi, mo, and mu. Just when I thought she had gotten the sound, we would move on to the next two letters and she would repeat the sound we had just done.
As I sat there trying to help her, my thoughts were, "I am not cut out for this kind of teaching." "I do not have patience for this." And, "Ahhh... not again!" Internally I was battling my impatience and praying that this was not to be the method in which God works on patience in my own life in this coming year. Then the thought struck me, I wonder how God feels when time after time after time, I keep making the same mistakes. How does He feel when I just do not get it nor understand what He is trying to teach me? Thankfully He is patient and loving and He has not given up on me. I wanted to give up yesterday and say forget it to the teaching, but as I thought about God's work in my life and His patience with me, I received encouragement and strength to stay with the woman and help her try to learn the letters and sounds. And my prayer too after yesterday's experience is that I will get and accept what God is teaching me. I do not want to hear from Him and then walk away and forget it.
This morning I had another experience that made me think (I will never tire of analogies I fear). Yesterday there had been a note under the door saying something about the park being in poor condition and so no one was to use the fields/courts etc.... From my understanding of the note, it did not say that I could not run there, but I was not sure. So this morning I headed up the stairs to enter the park and stopped because the gate was closed -- something that has never happened before. I inwardly groaned because I envisioned the worst -- it was locked and I would have no place to exercise. I almost just turned around and went home but I decided to go and see if it was actually locked. It was not and so I entered and did my running/stair climbing. As I ran I thought about that closed door. It was an obstacle in my path because it had not been there before and in light of the note, I thought it meant the park was off limits. And so I was tempted to just turn around and give up. I realized that often in life I do the same thing. I encounter an obstacle in my path or a seemingly closed door, and I want to just give up. But sometimes I think that God wants to see if I will persevere and push forward, not allowing obstacles nor circumstances to hinder me from following His call. (not always because there are moments when God has a door closed and locked and I should not try to enter) With our muscles they get stronger when they face resistance and have to lift more weight than previously. And so I need to be careful not to just turn and run or give up the moment something does not seem to be going quite right. I need to first investigate and ask the Lord what He wants -- is the door locked or just temporarily closed? Is it an obstacle in my path so that I go in a different direction or does God want to see if I am willing to follow and obey Him even when the going gets tough? And so those are my reflections.
Thursday, February 04, 2010
Adjusting
February 4, 2010
It is not even 9:00PM and I am quite exhausted. Today was the first day of hot weather (and it was still nothing compared to what it will be like in a month or so) and I think it wiped me out. I did not have a particularly hard or draining day, so I think the tiredness must be do the weather. And perhaps due in part to the effort it takes to adjust to a new place, new people, immersion in Spanish once again,and a new schedule (which varies from day to day).
For the moment I will simply give a brief overview of the week which is still far from over because Saturday is day when the families visit the children's home and I will participate in the events of the day. During the past couple of days I have had opportunity to hear the stories of various staff from La Casa de Mi Padre and get to know them a bit. As of this evening I have also met all of the children though I am a long way from remembering the name with the face. This evening in a group session with the older teenage girls I caught a glimpse of the work that this ministry has been doing over the past few years. One of the girls shared an experience she had had that day which was sharing Christ with a classmate and bringing to her various verses and ideas to help her in her present state. As she shared her story, I could tell that the experience had been a huge step for her because of her own fear. But she had stepped out and shared the very things that she has been learning these past few years. All of the other girls seemed to be excited for her step. I was encouraged and I look forward to seeing and being a part of the many other ways that God is at work in the children here at La Casa de Mi Padre.
It is not even 9:00PM and I am quite exhausted. Today was the first day of hot weather (and it was still nothing compared to what it will be like in a month or so) and I think it wiped me out. I did not have a particularly hard or draining day, so I think the tiredness must be do the weather. And perhaps due in part to the effort it takes to adjust to a new place, new people, immersion in Spanish once again,and a new schedule (which varies from day to day).
For the moment I will simply give a brief overview of the week which is still far from over because Saturday is day when the families visit the children's home and I will participate in the events of the day. During the past couple of days I have had opportunity to hear the stories of various staff from La Casa de Mi Padre and get to know them a bit. As of this evening I have also met all of the children though I am a long way from remembering the name with the face. This evening in a group session with the older teenage girls I caught a glimpse of the work that this ministry has been doing over the past few years. One of the girls shared an experience she had had that day which was sharing Christ with a classmate and bringing to her various verses and ideas to help her in her present state. As she shared her story, I could tell that the experience had been a huge step for her because of her own fear. But she had stepped out and shared the very things that she has been learning these past few years. All of the other girls seemed to be excited for her step. I was encouraged and I look forward to seeing and being a part of the many other ways that God is at work in the children here at La Casa de Mi Padre.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Settling In
January 30, 2010
The past two days I have been trying to settle in here in San Salvador. That meant finding a grocery store which carried baking soda and not just baking powder. It meant finding an ATM to use. Figuring my way around at least my side of the city was another part of my task. I discovered this evening that I also need to figure out when rush hour is. I thought that 6:30PM on a Saturday would not be a bad time to run out, but traffic was worse than I had seen it yet. I had to love the honking of the cars around me when there was absolutely nothing that anyone could do to move forward.
I also settled into the Mission House where I am staying (see the photos above). For the most part I will have the entire house to myself but about once a month there will be a mission team staying here. Some work with La Casa de Mi Padre and others work with various ministries around the city. For me I think it will be a good balance of having alone time versus opportunity to visit with others.
Having unpacked all of my clothes, I then set out to iron them and hence get a headstart on the weekend. I am pretty sure I will be working long hours so I wanted to get out of the way whatever work I could during the weekend. I also have beans cooking in preparation for the week.
This morning I went over to the park (also in the photos) to run again and had the opportunity to meet a couple of the neighbors. The community takes care of the park and this man and his wife were out watering the grass. I discovered that there are mango trees, avocado trees, and another type of fruit -- all of which are for the community to enjoy. I am hoping that I can get to know a few of the neighbors over the next couple of weeks. Every time I make a lap around the park, I look with longing towards the road on the other side of the fence because I know that running on a few of the roads in the neighborhood would give me some variety to my run. But as I talked with my neighbor his recommendation was to stick with the park. And so I guess I will follow the recommendations of two people now and continue to run in circles.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Arrived
January 29, 2010
As you can tell I am very behind in my posts so this will be a long one. Last week I spent the week in Honduras wrapping up some details at the camp there and reconnecting with the staff, attempting to see people in the city as well. This past Sunday and Monday I had plans to visit with several Honduran friends in San Pedro Sula but in the end all of the plans fell through and I did none of what I had hoped and planned. I was able to see quite a few people at church though so that was good. My friend Emily was in the city already so were able to run errands and to hang out some that Monday before heading to the airport to pick up another friend, Justin.
From the airport we headed to camp which is actually on the way to El Salvador and stayed the night there. I was able to play one last soccer game with the staff and camp kids and also get in my goodbyes to the people there. My heart hurts for little Lisbeth because at her age it has to be so difficult to understand and say goodbye to people time and again. I was a part of her life nearly daily for 7 months and then I left for several months, only to return for a week, leave again, be back for a week and now leave yet again. She definitely seemed to understand that I was leaving again and did not want to have much to do with me as I tried to say goodbye. I am thankful that she and Evelyn have the consistency of staying on camp and having some family around. Hopefully it will help to make up for the losses of other people who have been in and out of her life.
Tuesday morning, Emily, Justin, and I began the journey to El Salvador. I had heard mixed reports on how the drive could be and the border crossing. We were surprised when all the border patrol did was look at our passports and then wave us on. There was no checking of the documents of my vehicle or anything. We stopped and went in just to make sure that we were not missing anything. I still need to figure out what this means for me keeping my car in El Salvador and if I need to register it here or drive it out of the country every 90 days or what. Hopefully that is something I can work on this weekend.
The drive took about 6 hours which was what we had expected. We had no map though so as we neared the city I called one of the staff members at La Casa de Mi Padre to find out how to get to the Multiplaza Mall where we were to meet up. I have since discovered that I am not very good with taking directions from people via the phone. We ended up driving through downtown San Salvador and after passing a different mall several times, decided to stop and wait there.
We went in and I bought a new chip for my cell phone so that I could make calls in El Salvador, and then we waited for the guy to come and find us. I since learned that the mall we stopped at is not a recommended mall to visit. It is suggested that you do not carry a purse and that you have a pocket ready with money to hand over should you get held up. Perhaps the ignorance was bliss because I was not too worried as we walked around. I did realize God's faithfulness though because on Wednesday evening we discovered that the back door to my Rodeo was not locking(the control box for the windows and door locks was changed last week and now everything is in reverse). So the car was sitting loaded down with stuff, computers, etc... in an unsafe parking lot and yet no one tried to break in.
We finally reached the Mission house where we were staying and where I plan to live for the year. There is a little park next door where I can sort of run or if nothing else get exercise. It only takes a little over a minute to lap around the whole park and half of it is stairs. Basically it will take a lot of laps for a 30 minute workout. This morning I ran there for the first time but combined it with a little shooting of hoops. I am thankful to have a green area next door and to not have to try and find a gym to go to for exercise.
Later Tuesday evening we went out to get something to eat and ended up circling the entire city just to get to a mall that was actually rather close. (And this time I had gotten the directions in person so maybe my problem is with directions however they come -- whether in person or on the phone). Getting home was slightly quicker but still not direct.
Wednesday we stopped in at La Casa de Mi Padre in the morning and then drove to the beach which is only about 45 minutes away. Well, it is supposed to be but I could not remember exactly where I had been before so we took the scenic route and had to backtrack. Just as I remembered from my trip there in October, the waves were big. I later found out that San Blas, where we were, is a surfer's beach. I did venture out farther than I normally do with hopes of riding a wave in. Instead I got so battered by the waves that I decided to just head back in. I have not gotten the technique down of diving into the waves instead of being crushed by them. As I was under the one wave I realized that I was not coming up very quickly, and I suddenly understood how easy it could be to panic and get worn out by the waves. I was very tired by the time I got to shore. The experience gave me a whole new perspective of Ps. 42:7, "Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfall; all your waves and breakers have swept over me." I remember reading those verses in Costa Rica at a beach and thinking more of diving into the depths of God's love, no matter what risks that seemed to involve. But this time I saw the waves as the psalmist seems to, the trials and challenges of life that can come upon us successively and wear us down. The psalmist goes on to speak of how God is with him. In the day God's love directs him and at night His song is with him. He says of God "my Rock." And how true it is. God is the Rock, the firm foundation that we can stand on even as the waves roll in and pound.
Yesterday I took Emily and Justin to the airport and somehow managed to get home and to several other places without getting lost. I know that I will get lost many more times in the coming days because San Salvador is a big city and I am not familiar with it. Today I hope to get some more info on whether I can fix my locks so that the whole car locks when I hit the control button. If nothing else though, someone did figure out yesterday that if I lock the back door with the key it stays locked no matter what I do with the control buttons. So I feel much safer.
Monday I will begin at La Casa de Mi Padre and I am looking forward to it. I was there for a little while yesterday and had lunch with several of the staff and today visited with a few of the chidren there. It seems like it will be a good group of people to work with. I know that I will learn a lot and I hope to be able to lighten the load of some of them because I know that they put in long hours. I am excited for what God will do in and through me in the coming months and for whatever adventures lie ahead with that.
Monday, January 18, 2010
January 18, 2010
Little did I know that a simple soccer game played in a small town in Honduras could be such a cross cultural experience. Apparently nearly five months (though not without a return trip) outside of Honduras was enough to allow me to experience some culture shock in my return her. Let me try to paint a picture of yesterday's soccer game.
Picture a small town, set in the countryside, just below the mountains. There is one paved street that runs through the center of town. This is Pinalejo. Like every small town in Honduras, Pinalejo has its soccer fields. The soccer fields are used almost exclusively for "futbol" (soccer) unlike the basketball court which becomes both a place to play soccer and a place to dry coffee beans. These fields are littered with trash and cow patties, the latter of which you try to avoid when running around.
Yesterday I joined my friend Evelin and her team in a game against another local team, the latter of which was composed of primarily high school age girls. I was given a uniform and the opportunity to jump in the game, no questions asked. The first real culture shock came when I approached the goal my team was trying to score in. There was no net to stop the ball which is a non-essential anyway. The distracting part was that no less than a dozen persons stood within the goal posts (some even leaning on the front posts)watching the game. There was no concern that an attempted goal might hit one of them in the face. I suppose that they were all prepared and alert. (At least I would hope so). Nonetheless there is something a bit awkward with shooting at a dozen people, among whom the goalie blends in. Boundary lines were non-existent but somehow the referee knew when to blow the whistle. I certainly did not know when to stop running.
I really am not that great a soccer player but I know how to run and so I ran and had wonderfull missed shots on goal. I prefer to pass rather than shoot which probably frustrated the majority of players who are more accustomed to the latter. Supposedly the two halves of the game were 45 minutes but the coach seemed think that the ref was not actually keeping time. It seemed that way to me, both as I played and then stood on the sideline. The team I played with won 8-0. We definitely had more passion for the game and quite a few of the girls had some good skills. At one point I saw one of the other team's players looking at her cell phone, hopefully only reading a text message and not sending one, during the middle of the game.
I enjoyed the game and the opportunity to see a bit of the life in Pinalejo that I had not glimpsed before when I was in Honduras. Though there were differences in the structure of the game and the rules, the heart of the game of soccer in Honduras is the same. I was honored to be able to step into their world for a few moments and participate with them.
Little did I know that a simple soccer game played in a small town in Honduras could be such a cross cultural experience. Apparently nearly five months (though not without a return trip) outside of Honduras was enough to allow me to experience some culture shock in my return her. Let me try to paint a picture of yesterday's soccer game.
Picture a small town, set in the countryside, just below the mountains. There is one paved street that runs through the center of town. This is Pinalejo. Like every small town in Honduras, Pinalejo has its soccer fields. The soccer fields are used almost exclusively for "futbol" (soccer) unlike the basketball court which becomes both a place to play soccer and a place to dry coffee beans. These fields are littered with trash and cow patties, the latter of which you try to avoid when running around.
Yesterday I joined my friend Evelin and her team in a game against another local team, the latter of which was composed of primarily high school age girls. I was given a uniform and the opportunity to jump in the game, no questions asked. The first real culture shock came when I approached the goal my team was trying to score in. There was no net to stop the ball which is a non-essential anyway. The distracting part was that no less than a dozen persons stood within the goal posts (some even leaning on the front posts)watching the game. There was no concern that an attempted goal might hit one of them in the face. I suppose that they were all prepared and alert. (At least I would hope so). Nonetheless there is something a bit awkward with shooting at a dozen people, among whom the goalie blends in. Boundary lines were non-existent but somehow the referee knew when to blow the whistle. I certainly did not know when to stop running.
I really am not that great a soccer player but I know how to run and so I ran and had wonderfull missed shots on goal. I prefer to pass rather than shoot which probably frustrated the majority of players who are more accustomed to the latter. Supposedly the two halves of the game were 45 minutes but the coach seemed think that the ref was not actually keeping time. It seemed that way to me, both as I played and then stood on the sideline. The team I played with won 8-0. We definitely had more passion for the game and quite a few of the girls had some good skills. At one point I saw one of the other team's players looking at her cell phone, hopefully only reading a text message and not sending one, during the middle of the game.
I enjoyed the game and the opportunity to see a bit of the life in Pinalejo that I had not glimpsed before when I was in Honduras. Though there were differences in the structure of the game and the rules, the heart of the game of soccer in Honduras is the same. I was honored to be able to step into their world for a few moments and participate with them.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Adjusting
January 16, 2010
Here I am in Honduras getting reacquainted with some of the joys and challenges. I awoke this morning at 6:00AM to the sound of Spanish over a loud system and I could not remember where I was – as in which country. Then I remembered it was the weekend and there is a group on camp. I have been excited that the temperatures are not as hot as some times and so going from a PA winter to the tropics is not so bad. It is still hard to remember that last week I was playing ice hockey on a frozen pond. This week the only thing I have been hitting at (with a mop, not a hockey stick) are giant ants which swarmed the kitchen.
Yesterday morning I headed to my mechanic to pick up my car. For the most part everything was working except that I now cannot put down my driver’s side window – before it was just all of the others that I was not able to control from my seat. I hope to get the window fixed before heading to El Salvador because anytime I pass through either a toll or police checkpoint, I will have to open my door instead of the window. It could be quite inconvenient at times. If an electrical shop cannot fix the problem, I will have to try and quickly order the part so that it can come down with one of my friends.
When I arrived at camp yesterday afternoon, there was no electric but thankfully it did come on in time for me to put my groceries in the fridge. I then headed down to Pinalejo with Evelin and several of the younger children on camp so that I could join Evelin’s soccer team in their practice. It looks as if I will be playing on their team tomorrow afternoon. Soon volleyball will be the only sport left in which I have not played on a team in Honduras (of the most common sports that is).
My other main challenge of the day was cooking. I went to town in the morning to buy a new chimbo (tank) of gas for the stove and planned to put a chicken in the oven to bake. That way I would not have to touch it much until after it was cooked. I hate the slime of chicken skin and parts so as little contact as I have with it, the better. Well, I turned the oven on to preheat and soon the smell of gas was overwhelming. Several people tried to help me fix the connection so that it would not leak and it was better but I could still hear gas escaping. I cooked the chicken for a while and then decided the gas would have to be turned on too long to bake it and so I pulled it out, cut it up and cooked it on the stovetop. What a mess! I suppose that the oven not working so well might help me to not do so much baking and thereby focus on more important things, such as people. In reality sharing baked goods with people is no substitute for sitting down and talking with people.
And that sums up the events, more or less, of two days back in Honduras. Oops, not quite. I was in bed ready to turn off the light when I noticed a block spot up on the wall -- a scorpion. And so I went downstairs in search of something to knock it down with and then set out to kill it, which I hate to do, though mostly because of the gore. And then I slept, without nightmares of scorpions.
Here I am in Honduras getting reacquainted with some of the joys and challenges. I awoke this morning at 6:00AM to the sound of Spanish over a loud system and I could not remember where I was – as in which country. Then I remembered it was the weekend and there is a group on camp. I have been excited that the temperatures are not as hot as some times and so going from a PA winter to the tropics is not so bad. It is still hard to remember that last week I was playing ice hockey on a frozen pond. This week the only thing I have been hitting at (with a mop, not a hockey stick) are giant ants which swarmed the kitchen.
Yesterday morning I headed to my mechanic to pick up my car. For the most part everything was working except that I now cannot put down my driver’s side window – before it was just all of the others that I was not able to control from my seat. I hope to get the window fixed before heading to El Salvador because anytime I pass through either a toll or police checkpoint, I will have to open my door instead of the window. It could be quite inconvenient at times. If an electrical shop cannot fix the problem, I will have to try and quickly order the part so that it can come down with one of my friends.
When I arrived at camp yesterday afternoon, there was no electric but thankfully it did come on in time for me to put my groceries in the fridge. I then headed down to Pinalejo with Evelin and several of the younger children on camp so that I could join Evelin’s soccer team in their practice. It looks as if I will be playing on their team tomorrow afternoon. Soon volleyball will be the only sport left in which I have not played on a team in Honduras (of the most common sports that is).
My other main challenge of the day was cooking. I went to town in the morning to buy a new chimbo (tank) of gas for the stove and planned to put a chicken in the oven to bake. That way I would not have to touch it much until after it was cooked. I hate the slime of chicken skin and parts so as little contact as I have with it, the better. Well, I turned the oven on to preheat and soon the smell of gas was overwhelming. Several people tried to help me fix the connection so that it would not leak and it was better but I could still hear gas escaping. I cooked the chicken for a while and then decided the gas would have to be turned on too long to bake it and so I pulled it out, cut it up and cooked it on the stovetop. What a mess! I suppose that the oven not working so well might help me to not do so much baking and thereby focus on more important things, such as people. In reality sharing baked goods with people is no substitute for sitting down and talking with people.
And that sums up the events, more or less, of two days back in Honduras. Oops, not quite. I was in bed ready to turn off the light when I noticed a block spot up on the wall -- a scorpion. And so I went downstairs in search of something to knock it down with and then set out to kill it, which I hate to do, though mostly because of the gore. And then I slept, without nightmares of scorpions.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
A Day of Snowflakes Vs. Snow Flurries
January 14, 2010
I know that I should not be starting an entry on snow from the Miami airport, but though the topic has been brewing in my head for weeks, I have not made the time to record it. Airports are good for that sort of thing.
About two weeks ago now, I looked outside the window one afternoon and saw lots of flurries blowing around. A few days later I drove through a light snow early one morning where the snow came down steadily enough that they settled down. When I watched the flurries blowing aimlessly around, never really finding a place to land or rest, I realized that I did not want to be like a snow flurry. They seem to lack purpose and just drift. There are never enough to accumulate and transform their environment. That is where the snowflakes (or really a day with snow shower) are different.
The snowflakes do blow around and as you are driving into the oncoming snow, you see just how much the wind directs them. And yet they land. They stick together. They turn a dirty, cold world into a beautiful place. They reflect the sunlight and at times even seem to sparkle. They bring transformation. I want to be snowflake. I want to be a vessel through which God transforms those around me because He is in me and is continuing to transform me.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Fare Thee Well
January 13, 2010
Today is departure day. Departure from family, the winter, friends, sports, and in many ways comfort. But today is also a new day and a day of beginnings. Beginning on a journey that I cannot see the ending to. The beginning of heading to a new country and settling down there for a year. The beginning of a new area of ministry -- exploring the field of counseling and intentional work with children and their families. And so the day carries mixed emotions.
Up until last night excitement was the emotion that most coursed through my body. I was ready to move forward and past the season of waiting. I was ready begin the new journey. Then last evening I held my little nephew and realized just how much he will change in the next 3 months to a year (depending on how much time elapses before I pass through PA again). Reality hit home as to all that I am leaving behind in Lancaster and with that the sadness came.
And yet today as I left, the excitement was there again -- just more tempered than before. I know that God has plans for me that require this new step forward even though there is pain in the letting go. He has been faithful in the past and will be faithful again to sustain me.
Tonight I arrive in Miami and will visit with the LAM headquarters tomorrow before flying out in the evening for Honduras. Then I will have almost twelve days in Honduras before driving to El Salvador. Thankfully many of the details for El Salvador are coming together and I should have a place to live. I have friends to do the drive with me and I am working on getting all of the papers I need for residency since the leaving the country every 90 days might not work if the government starts issuing only a 30 day tourist visa.
The journey has begun and I bid a fare thee well to all those I had the pleasure of connecting with during my time in the United States and to those who I was not able to see though I had hoped our paths would cross.
Today is departure day. Departure from family, the winter, friends, sports, and in many ways comfort. But today is also a new day and a day of beginnings. Beginning on a journey that I cannot see the ending to. The beginning of heading to a new country and settling down there for a year. The beginning of a new area of ministry -- exploring the field of counseling and intentional work with children and their families. And so the day carries mixed emotions.
Up until last night excitement was the emotion that most coursed through my body. I was ready to move forward and past the season of waiting. I was ready begin the new journey. Then last evening I held my little nephew and realized just how much he will change in the next 3 months to a year (depending on how much time elapses before I pass through PA again). Reality hit home as to all that I am leaving behind in Lancaster and with that the sadness came.
And yet today as I left, the excitement was there again -- just more tempered than before. I know that God has plans for me that require this new step forward even though there is pain in the letting go. He has been faithful in the past and will be faithful again to sustain me.
Tonight I arrive in Miami and will visit with the LAM headquarters tomorrow before flying out in the evening for Honduras. Then I will have almost twelve days in Honduras before driving to El Salvador. Thankfully many of the details for El Salvador are coming together and I should have a place to live. I have friends to do the drive with me and I am working on getting all of the papers I need for residency since the leaving the country every 90 days might not work if the government starts issuing only a 30 day tourist visa.
The journey has begun and I bid a fare thee well to all those I had the pleasure of connecting with during my time in the United States and to those who I was not able to see though I had hoped our paths would cross.
A Bit Disconcerting
January 13, 2010
Catch up time on blogs so here come a bunch of entries that I have wanted to write for some time. Last Friday afternoon I parked in downtown Lancaster and walked over to market to try and connect with someone about selling jewelry from Honduras. As I turned onto Orange St. and headed north towards Prince St., I noticed several cops on foot walking towards me. On the other side of the street there more more policemen and policewomen looking around as they walked along the sidewalk. Farther up the street more policemen scanned the roads and avenues, and I began to wonder who they were looking for and just what the person had down. I walked past the officers and rounded Prince, only to see a police car go by and then more police ahead. I was glad to get inside at the Prince Street Cafe and leave behind whatever was brewing on the streets of Lancaster. My conversation only lasted a few minutes though and I was back on the streets. As I walked quickly back to my car, well aware of my surroundings (and the fact that the police were still on the streets), my imagination ran away with the possibilities of what could happen if someone suddenly ran out with a gun right by where I was standing.
Thankfully nothing happened and hopefully the police found whoever they were looking for, but I did find the situation a bit disconcerting -- having never needed to be so aware of my surroundings in Lancaster. I expect it in Honduras or El Salvador but not so much in my hometown.
Catch up time on blogs so here come a bunch of entries that I have wanted to write for some time. Last Friday afternoon I parked in downtown Lancaster and walked over to market to try and connect with someone about selling jewelry from Honduras. As I turned onto Orange St. and headed north towards Prince St., I noticed several cops on foot walking towards me. On the other side of the street there more more policemen and policewomen looking around as they walked along the sidewalk. Farther up the street more policemen scanned the roads and avenues, and I began to wonder who they were looking for and just what the person had down. I walked past the officers and rounded Prince, only to see a police car go by and then more police ahead. I was glad to get inside at the Prince Street Cafe and leave behind whatever was brewing on the streets of Lancaster. My conversation only lasted a few minutes though and I was back on the streets. As I walked quickly back to my car, well aware of my surroundings (and the fact that the police were still on the streets), my imagination ran away with the possibilities of what could happen if someone suddenly ran out with a gun right by where I was standing.
Thankfully nothing happened and hopefully the police found whoever they were looking for, but I did find the situation a bit disconcerting -- having never needed to be so aware of my surroundings in Lancaster. I expect it in Honduras or El Salvador but not so much in my hometown.
Monday, January 04, 2010
The Countdown
January 4, 2010
The countdown for 2010 is seemingly long past (4 days ago seems like ages ago), but the countdown for my departure for Honduras and then El Salvador is still running. Today I was able to confirm my meetings in Miami with Latin America Mission and so I bought my ticket for leaving PA next Wednesday. I am excited to be going and to see what all God has planne for me in the coming year. I sense that it will be a year of growing and refining as I am stretched by taking on new responsibilities and stepping out into new areas.
I will have a little over a week in Honduras before leaving for El Salvador on the 26th of January. As of now I have no idea where I will actually be living in San Salvador and am waiting to hear about apartment options. I think the first few weeks could be interesting and certainly not boring. I am looking forward to having some time to reconnect with friends in Honduras, use my Spanish again, and organize a few things at camp yet.
I cannot help but hope for one last snowstorm before I leave or if not that, then ice on the ponds for skating. Winter sports are still rare enough in my life that I love them. If I live to be 90 or 100, I hope to still be throwing snowballs at the least but preferably sledding, cross country skiing, and ice skating. One can dream...
The countdown for 2010 is seemingly long past (4 days ago seems like ages ago), but the countdown for my departure for Honduras and then El Salvador is still running. Today I was able to confirm my meetings in Miami with Latin America Mission and so I bought my ticket for leaving PA next Wednesday. I am excited to be going and to see what all God has planne for me in the coming year. I sense that it will be a year of growing and refining as I am stretched by taking on new responsibilities and stepping out into new areas.
I will have a little over a week in Honduras before leaving for El Salvador on the 26th of January. As of now I have no idea where I will actually be living in San Salvador and am waiting to hear about apartment options. I think the first few weeks could be interesting and certainly not boring. I am looking forward to having some time to reconnect with friends in Honduras, use my Spanish again, and organize a few things at camp yet.
I cannot help but hope for one last snowstorm before I leave or if not that, then ice on the ponds for skating. Winter sports are still rare enough in my life that I love them. If I live to be 90 or 100, I hope to still be throwing snowballs at the least but preferably sledding, cross country skiing, and ice skating. One can dream...
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Learning from the Little Children
December 22, 2009
Little children – they have so much to teach us. The past 2-3 weeks I have had more opportunity than usual to hang out with young children and I learned a lot. I discovered just how off their sense of time is. One four year old who I put down or a nap said she would probably sleep for 3 hours or so (after I told her that she needed to be in her bed for half an hour). When I went in to check on her half an hour later, she was up and playing with her toys. Apparently the “three hours” had passed quickly. My nephew is still too young to say anything, but he knows how to smile and delight his family.
I have also spent a few days at Mom’s House, an outreach to single moms in Lancaster. They were short-staffed several days and so I helped out in the toddler room. I had fun reading with them and watching them run circles in the playground area in the middle of the winter cold. One little girl of about 18 months would continually fall over but it did not daunt her. She picked herself up and ran again, smiling all the while. They delighted in seeing the birds fly overhead and roost in nearby trees.
Little children – they have so much to teach us. The past 2-3 weeks I have had more opportunity than usual to hang out with young children and I learned a lot. I discovered just how off their sense of time is. One four year old who I put down or a nap said she would probably sleep for 3 hours or so (after I told her that she needed to be in her bed for half an hour). When I went in to check on her half an hour later, she was up and playing with her toys. Apparently the “three hours” had passed quickly. My nephew is still too young to say anything, but he knows how to smile and delight his family.
I have also spent a few days at Mom’s House, an outreach to single moms in Lancaster. They were short-staffed several days and so I helped out in the toddler room. I had fun reading with them and watching them run circles in the playground area in the middle of the winter cold. One little girl of about 18 months would continually fall over but it did not daunt her. She picked herself up and ran again, smiling all the while. They delighted in seeing the birds fly overhead and roost in nearby trees.
Snow Gently Falling ...
December 22, 2009
And I am on the road again – which is why I actually have time to write on my blog. This past weekend I could not because I had to take advantage of the foot plus of snow that had blanketed Lancaster County. How delightful it was! Saturday morning before they had plowed the roads in my parents’ development I cross country skied over to my sister’s house to see my nephew and then to the grocery store. At the store I carried the skis inside which I am sure was a sight to see but I knew that they would freeze up if I did not and then I would not be able to get my boots snapped in. I did some shoveling and baking and then in the evening went to a Christmas party in town. I discovered that I enjoyed driving on the snow covered roads and that the world was even more beautiful when I got out of the development. Though we did not get to play any games of Frisbee, we used a glow-in-the-dark Frisbee to throw around on the snow covered Duke St. and nearby parking lot.
On Sunday morning I went to a church service in Lancaster and then to visit a friend. In the afternoon I had hoped to play Ultimate Frisbee in the snow but it seemed that no one was showing up so I instead went down to May Post Office Road to do some sledding with camp friends. Probably the best part was building several tunnels since I only did that once before, way back in high school.
Monday morning I made it to a nearby park to do some more cross country skiing before heading out to help my parents by delivering Interstate Batteries. I ended up being on the road all day and by the time I finished it was dusk so the parks were closed to skiing. But thankfully I was down near Quarryville so I got permission to ski around Black Rock. It was good exercise before this long car ride. I should probably describe my skiing as snow plowing instead because the snow was so deep I had to make tracks and then the second time through I could move more quickly.
Needless to say I am ever so thankful for the unexpected, huge snow. I did not have my hopes up because I really have not seen real snow in over 3 years and I figured that this year would be no different. And so my excitement is making up for the many others who were not so keen on the heavy snowfall. I do wish though that I could have helped others shovel a little more so that they could appreciate the beauty and the fun of the snow more.
And I am on the road again – which is why I actually have time to write on my blog. This past weekend I could not because I had to take advantage of the foot plus of snow that had blanketed Lancaster County. How delightful it was! Saturday morning before they had plowed the roads in my parents’ development I cross country skied over to my sister’s house to see my nephew and then to the grocery store. At the store I carried the skis inside which I am sure was a sight to see but I knew that they would freeze up if I did not and then I would not be able to get my boots snapped in. I did some shoveling and baking and then in the evening went to a Christmas party in town. I discovered that I enjoyed driving on the snow covered roads and that the world was even more beautiful when I got out of the development. Though we did not get to play any games of Frisbee, we used a glow-in-the-dark Frisbee to throw around on the snow covered Duke St. and nearby parking lot.
On Sunday morning I went to a church service in Lancaster and then to visit a friend. In the afternoon I had hoped to play Ultimate Frisbee in the snow but it seemed that no one was showing up so I instead went down to May Post Office Road to do some sledding with camp friends. Probably the best part was building several tunnels since I only did that once before, way back in high school.
Monday morning I made it to a nearby park to do some more cross country skiing before heading out to help my parents by delivering Interstate Batteries. I ended up being on the road all day and by the time I finished it was dusk so the parks were closed to skiing. But thankfully I was down near Quarryville so I got permission to ski around Black Rock. It was good exercise before this long car ride. I should probably describe my skiing as snow plowing instead because the snow was so deep I had to make tracks and then the second time through I could move more quickly.
Needless to say I am ever so thankful for the unexpected, huge snow. I did not have my hopes up because I really have not seen real snow in over 3 years and I figured that this year would be no different. And so my excitement is making up for the many others who were not so keen on the heavy snowfall. I do wish though that I could have helped others shovel a little more so that they could appreciate the beauty and the fun of the snow more.
Saturday, December 05, 2009
Snow, Glorious Snow
December 5, 2009
I know that the word "glorious" should probably not be used in conjunction with snow but it is how I feel. If "glorious" can be used to describe a day, then I think it fits snow. In reality though, it should probably be reserved for the Creator of snow and each day -- the Lord God Almighty. Nonetheless I am excited about the snow that fell today. I remembered back 8 years ago when an early December snow provided enough ground cover to construct a snowman of more than 10 feet in heighth in front of my dad's wharehouse. That was a very fun snow. Today's snow gave enough beauty to make a walk around Millersville University new and exciting.
This past week was quite full of activities. I had a workshop with the Life Coach Training I am taking and it was 10 hours on the phone for lecture and conversation with my peers. I never liked telephones that much before and my opinion did not change on that after so many hours at the phone. It was good information and practice though so I am glad I participated in the workshop.
On Tuesday I was able to get to Landis Homes before a meeting near there and so I visited with several women from my church. I was inspired as I talked with the one woman who is nearly 97 years old and has lost most of her vision but yet she can still bring humor into conversations and make others smile. Although at times she wonders why God has her still here on earth, she has not given up hope and presses on each day. I hope that if I ever live to be that age, I too can bring joy to others and live out the hope of Christ.
The week brought continued waiting which can be challenging at times and yet there was the call too to continue trusting that the Lord is indeed guiding my footsteps. As I write these thoughts, the words of a praise song come to mind, "I will not be shaken, I will not be moved." As I wait, I must trust and stand firm in the Lord.
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And to close, a few pictures from Thanksgiving last week which was a good time. I have not posted enough pictures with my nephew Jack whose smiles are becoming more frequent and dear. On Black Friday my fa
mily went in to Central Market and there we saw the beautiful flowers.
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