The Wheels on the Bus...

I'm leaving for Costa Rica in about three hours. Well, more accurately, I'm leaving for Tegucigalpa in about three hours. I'm taking a taxi over to the Los Contreras terminal here. I've been told Los Contreras is a better bus than Trans Catrachos --- it goes to Teguc without stopping every time someone flags down the bus. And it only cost 5Lps (25 cents) more.

Once in Teguc, I'll grab some lunch or a snack and then take a taxi over to the missionaries that I met on Saturday night. They live in Teguc, but come to Comayagua every other weekend. They were here at Enlaces Saturday, with some questions about the whole visa renewal/leave-the-country dilemma. Not that I'm an expert, by any means, but I sure do have lots of info to share about that one.

So, through all of that, they invited me to stay with them tonight instead of getting a hotel room! ¡Qué maciso! y ¡Gloria a Dios! Plus, I really like them; they're both 19 and have such a heart for this country. In fact, Jenny is coming back in January ~~ on a one-way ticket!

My King Quality bus leaves at 6:00am tomorrow and I have to be at the terminal at 5:30am. Ouch! But I'll be armed with a book or two, my iPod, and a jacket for the 16-hour trip to San Jose. From experience, I know that these busses only use one control for the A/C: frigid!

Several people at church have commented that my Spanish is getting better. I'll have to take their word for it because I can't really tell right now. But I am understanding more.

Next Sunday will be our first morning service at church. For years, the service has been at 4:00pm, but Carlos feels that we're supposed to change it to the morning, and then still have a short celebration/evangelistic service in the afternoon when the Center is open. A lot of people are looking forward to the change, and others, as you can imagine with any type of major change, are a little resistant. But if this is the direction that God is leading, it will produce good fruit!

Well, I'll end here and finish packing. (Note to self: Don't dare forget laptop ~~ or passport!!)

On Time...

I've discovered the one thing Hondurans are on time for; the only thing they will not be late for: a fútbol game. Soccer. It seems to rule everything. People here will be late for school, late for work, late for church and even late for dinner. But, late for fútbol?? Never!

Last night at our Thanksgiving dinner, I was talking about this to the other missionaries who were here. We all had the same thought: What would this nation (or any nation, for that matter) be like if it honored and revered God the same way it honors and reveres fútbol? And it doesn't have to be fútbol. You can insert the god of your choice, but the end result is the same: Blessed is the nation whose God IS the LORD!

Then I thought about this some more. I was reading the paper online today; reading about all the lines and crowds and deals at stores today for Black Friday. Tonight, thanks to the internet, I followed the Jayhawks basketball game against Ball State. So, let me ask: When was the last time you camped out for hours to get the best seat at church? When was the last time you got hoarse from yelling and going crazy cheering the Lord during a time of praise and worship?

To quote my favorite teacher from high school, "It's all about priorities, People!" And believe me, I'm right in there as well. We probably all need to do some re-priortizing, some real prioritizing in our lives. I want to make sure I'm "on time" for the things that count!

Costa Rica, Here I Come...

OK, many of you already know that I need to leave Honduras for three days and then reenter on a new 90-day visa. Since learning that I cannot go to Guatemala (or any of the CA-4 countries), I've been planning to go to Costa Rica. Because of the cost, flying is not really an option. That leaves the bus. I was planning on TicaBus. With Tica, it's a two-day trip each way and includes an overnight stay in Managua, Nicaragua -- each way. That's the dangerous part of the trip and I have not been looking forward to it. In an email, I asked my Pastor to pray about my trip. What follows is part of an email I wrote to him, with the answers to prayer! ~~


"I arrived at Ena's house at 6:30 this morning, as scheduled. We had a glass of juice and a few cookies then walked over to the bus station, which was very close. At about the halfway point in the trip, we blew a tire, but were able to continue on, slowly, until the driver reached the mechanic he wanted. The tire was changed, with many of us staying on the bus. We arrived at the bus station in Teguc, and immediately got a taxi for the Embassy. Once there, we walked down the street and found a nice little place to have breakfast: a baleada and a cup of coffee. Once we got inside the Embassy, after waiting outside for a while, I went to ask where the TicaBus agency was, while Ena was waiting in her line. I was told that the agency is actually outside, around the corner, on the other side of the Embassy. No problem, we'll walk there when finished with Ena's business.

ENA GOT HER VISA!!! I've been told that it is very difficult to get a visa on your first try. When we went up to the window, the woman there started to talk to me in Spanish, then asked if I was a US citizen. I said, yes, that I was there just to be a friend to Ena. The woman told me I'd need to wait in the chairs while she talked to Ena. But, obviously, it went very well. We don't know exactly how long her visa will be for, but will know by next week when it and her passport arrive. OK, so we're done with Ena's business. First opportunity for praise! Now on to mine.

We walk outside and start to follow the directions I had been given. When we got to another guard house on the other side of the Embassy, I asked the guard which direction the TicaBus agency was in. He told me, no, it was in Comayaguela (across the river from Teguc). I told Ena that wasn't right, that was the main terminal, there's supposed to be a ticket office here. I tried calling the number I had written down from the website. The number ended up being the Embassy. So we walked back to some other guards in front of a different door and asked them. They said the same thing. So, we decided to just take a taxi to the main terminal and get my ticket. One guard offered to get us a taxi, and then another official-looking gentleman who was standing with them, but was obviously not a guard, said, in American English, "Don't worry, he'll take care of you and make sure you get there." At the time I thought he was referring to the guard who was getting us a taxi, but now, in retrospect, I'm thinking something else...

So, we walked to the road with the guard and he immediately flagged down a taxi (a much nicer car than we had been in previously). He asked the driver how much it would be to take us to the TicaBus terminal and we were told 60Lemps ($3). We got in. Ena and I were just talking and then the driver started asking some questions. I told him that I needed to go to Costa Rica because of my visa. He said there were other buses besides Tica. I told him, no, Tica is very safe. Then he told me that there are some that are safer because they are direct trips without needing to stay overnight in Nicaragua. That got my attention. He pulled out a business card for King Quality busline and started telling me a little about it. I looked to Ena for confirmation and then said, "let's go." While we were talking, we found out that the driver is also a Christian.

He took us to the King Quality terminal and he asked us if we wanted him to wait and then take us to our next stop. We decided to do that. I went in, got my ticket, saw the beautiful double-decker buses we'll be riding and even met the woman who manages the terminal there. Our taxi driver introduced us. She asked me if we were treated well when I bought my ticket. Wow! Talk about service. Paul, the cost of the bus ticket was $74US. That's $4 more than TicaBus, but is a direct trip AND includes two meals on the bus. They have meals, drinks, restrooms, pillows, blankets, movies, hostesses, etc. AND... I don't have to worry about a hotel in Managua!!! (More secure, and saves me money!) Talk about an immediate answer to prayer!!!

When we got back in the taxi we asked the driver to take us to a nice restaurant. (We were very hungry; it was almost 2:30, and our breakfast was very small.) He took us to El Patio, which he said had great food. Our total taxi cost for all of that was 140Lemps ($7). Ena and I had a great meal. The pinchos were 2 for 1, so that's what we had. After lunch, we immediately flagged down a taxi and made it to the station for the bus to Comayagua just as the 4:00pm bus was pulling out. We were able to get on it. Otherwise, we would have needed to wait another half hour.

The bus between Comayagua and Tegucigalpa costs 30Lemps ($1.50). What a deal.

So, in all of that, looks like you were "spot on" in saying you sensed an immediate witness of peace. God is already taking care of me and showing me favor on the trip! I mean, look at all of the 'coincidences' -- the timing of getting exactly the taxi driver who suggested King, him offering to wait for us, him being a Christian, King being a direct bus... Yeah, coincidence, uh huh... "Don't worry, HE'LL take care of you and make sure you get there," is what the man at the Embassy said... And, really, Who was that man??

...Paul, I'm still in shock about the day, but I guess I really shouldn't be. I can't wait to see Ena tomorrow and talk to her about what the Man at the Embassy said. We both heard him, but until writing this, I didn't fully "hear" his words. Everything about our day was filled with grace and miracles. And, we had a great 'girls' day out.

OK, I need to get ready if I have any hope of being up and ready at 5:00am. Hey, next miracle: I have water now. Didn't have any when I got home. Now I can take a shower tonight.

More later. And, thanks for praying and telling me what you were sensing. Like I said, you were right on target. God came through exceedingly abundantly more than I could ask or think!"
_____________________________

So, what do you think? Is that a neat story, or what? And, it's all true!

Pools, Parties and Praise...

Friday was the last day of school so we took the kids to the pool. Actually, pools. There were four of them available for the children. It was great. They also had two cages on one side of the park. One held several varieties of birds, including a scarlet macaw. But it was the other one that really got my attention. It contained six large (4-7 foot) iguanas and two spider monkeys. That was cool You could even pet the monkeys. They would stick their little hands out of the cages and grasp onto your hand. Yes, I enjoyed that. No, I don't want a pet monkey.

Two things about our day really impressed me: Not once did I hear a single argument, disagreement, or fight among the children. And, when it was time to leave, not one child complained or asked for more time. Wow! Try that in America!

I spent most of Friday evening in the kitchen at Enlaces, talking to Xiomara. Friday is tajadita night, and I often make that my dinner. I was asking Xiomara questions about what spices she uses, how she prepares this or that, etc. I enjoyed the time. I always enjoy talking to Xiomara.

My plan for Saturday was to be down at the mercado by about 7am so that I could watch as things came to life. I got sidetracked reading the paper online and didn't leave my house until about 7:45. That was still earlier than I've been down there before. I really enjoyed it and even spent some time just eating breakfast and watching everything. Before heading home I bought some aguacates, mandarinas, bananos, and tortillas. I also found a birthday present for Jorge Eduardo. His birthday party was later that afternoon.

According to the invitation, Jorgito's party started at 3pm. So, at about 3:30 Elizabeth and I got a taxi and made our way over there so that we'd be just about on time. We were. Birthday parties here are fun and are definitely a slice of Honduran life and culture. No birthday party would be complete without a piñata, and this one did not disappoint. I also got a kick out of watching some of the children chase the chickens and roosters around the yard. One of the roosters got tired of that and flew up into a tree. I've never seen that before.

Dinner on Saturday was at La Casita and was for all the teachers. It was a going away dinner for Elizabeth. She's leaving Honduras and heading back to the States on Wednesday. Every one of the teachers was able to make it. We all had a great meal and shared lots of laughs.

This morning I started to make my way across the street at about 10:40, to wait for the bus that takes me to the military base. The bus was already there -- a full 8 or 9 minutes early. So, I ran toward the bus and made it on before he took off. Then we saw someone else running for the bus and the driver stopped for her also.

I enjoy going to the base on Sunday mornings. It's my one service in English during the week. I've gotten to meet a lot of nice folks there as well.

Can you believe that I will be heading back to KS in just under three months? Where does the time go? It seems like I just arrived here last week. God has blessed me here in so many ways. I've made so many friends, and deepened relationships I already had. Although I will always stick out here, I feel totally at home in this culture. I love talking to people when I'm out and about. It's awesome; as soon as people find out I'm from Enlaces, it opens up all kinds of opportunities to talk to them. I've even been able to pray with a few people, whether it's in the mercado or in their own stores.

Well, that's all for tonight.

Dios le bendiga.

5 Years and Counting...

Five years! That's how long there has been a church here at Enlaces. So, last Sunday we celebrated the five-year anniversary of the church. The church was decorated for the occasion, and a lot of people showed up for the service! We had water baptism, and 7 or 8 people got baptized. After the service, we had doughnuts and refrescos (soda) for everyone. It was a good day.

On Monday, I rode my bike around the city. I went to the internet café since our internet was down. (It's fixed now. Thanks, Greg!) I was there for about an hour and 45 minutes and paid less than $2US. Then I just rode around for a while before heading to the grocery store. I'm finding that I go to the grocery store less and the mercado more. Although, now I like to go to the Colonial grocery store since it's near the mercado and is cheaper than the Jumbo. (By 'cheaper', we're talking a difference of pennies, but I love it!)

When I got back to Enlaces, Freddie and his friend, David, were just getting ready to leave. They had come over to help me get my bike fixed. Thankfully, they had only been waiting a few minutes. I threw my groceries into the house and ran back to the gate. Freddie led the way and we went to a bike mechanic on the boulevard, very near Enlaces. The mechanic was able to fix my front brake in a matter of two minutes. I knew it was a simple fix, but didn't know exactly what to do. But I was having another problem with the bike and I thought that would be more involved. It was.

I needed to have my bottom bracket repacked. Well, the mechanic just went after it and got it done in a short time. I watched what he was doing. He had obviously done this before. When he was all done, I asked, "¿Cuánto cuesta?" (How much?) I knew it would be cheap, but I wish I would have been able to contain my surprise a little more. When he told me it was 15 Lemps, I said, "¿Sólo quince?" (Only 15?) Then I paid him. I offered to go buy Freddie and David a Coke at the little pulpería down the block, but they said I could do that another time. They went their way and I went mine.

I rode back to Enlaces still in awe of what I had just paid to have my brakes fixed AND my bottom bracket repacked. 15 Lemps. SEVENTY FIVE CENTS!!! Unbelievable!

Thank you, Lord!

More Zippin' Through the Trees...

This is me, coming in for a "landing" on our canopy ride during the trip to Copán in September. You can tell it's me because of the Keens. ;-)


And this is Chris. It gives you a little better view of what we were doing. We had a total of 14 of these steel cables to zip down! 

Have Motorcycle, Will Travel...

OK, I don't have a motorcycle, but Hector does.

Last night (Wednesday) Hector invited me to go with him tonight while he preaches at another church. I said, "Yes." Tonight, the rain stopped about 10 minutes before we needed to leave. I wore a jacket, so that my Bible wouldn't get wet, but I figured I would get muddy. That didn't happen. I've never been four-wheelin' on a motorcycle before (that I will admit to...), but Hector is so adept at riding, that the trip over to the other church was fine. Most of the roads we used to get there were not paved, had lots of rocks, holes, trash, etc., but we never even had a wheel slip.

When we got to the church, a little more than a half hour before the service was to start, the worship team was getting ready. Since this was a youth service, it was the youth team that was playing. In fact, all the young people were the same ones who play at our youth service on Sunday mornings. Hector and I helped set up the chairs, and then he read his Bible for a while, going over some of the Scriptures he was going to use.

I started talking to a severely crippled young man in a wheelchair. Later I found out that Javier has polio and after he was born, the doctor said he would only live for about 5 months. Javier told me that for years he hated his family and wanted to die. But then he came to know the Lord and that has changed everything in his life!! It's easy to see that he is filled with the joy of the Lord, despite his physical problems.

A short while later, I walked outside the front of the church. Soon a woman came over to me and we started talking. At one point I asked Maritza if she lived very close to the church and she told me that she lived at the back of the church. Then I realized: I asked her if she was the pastor. She is, together with her husband. We continued talking for a while, then went inside for the meeting.

After about a half hour of praise and worship, Maritza got up to introduce Hector to the group of about 35 people. Even from her introduction, it was obvious that she is a very anointed, powerful woman of God.

Hector began to preach. He talked about our need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Every day. That it should be a lifestyle. He talked about the gifts of the Spirit and how that is different than our natural giftings and talents. And he kept going back to the point that we need to be filled, walking in the power of the Holy Spirit every day. Everyone in the church was listening.

When he was finished preaching, Hector had a time of prayer for those who wanted to receive more from the Holy Spirit. Most of the church made their way to the front. Hector, Maritza, and I prayed over every single person. One young girl (about 8-10 years old) I was praying for just stood there crying in the presence of God. I talked to her mother afterwards.

It was a great meeting and I was sad to see it end. I also realized that I understood about 85-90% of what Hector preached, and had had two significant conversations with others. (Maybe I really am starting to learn Spanish!) On the way back to Enlaces, Hector took a different route and we drove past Carlos' house, his house, and the street that Hermes lives on. Now I have my bearings and will be able to find any of their houses.

Well, it looks like a few of us girls are going to El Torito for dinner tomorrow. Elizabeth wants to go one last time before she leaves for home in mid-November. Teresa and Yenssi are both going to join us. I've never been there before, but have been told to order the typical plate, and be prepared for lots of leftovers. Both pieces of advice sound good to me.