Feliz Año Nuevo...

Happy New Year!

Well, from my last update you probably read that on New Year's Eve we took Woody and Marla to the airport for their trip back to Kansas. Later that evening I was ready to go to Gloria's house. I took a taxi over there at about 9:00pm. From there, we all loaded up their truck and went to the Cathedral. On the way over, Gloria and Roberto were pointing out a lot of the old men. At the parque central, they had music, vendors, etc. going on. Plus, the clock was running! That was very cool to see. We didn't stay very long because Roberto and the kids needed to buy more fireworks. I was kind of glad for that because I had picked up Lissy to see the singers a little better. She fell asleep in my arms, and was starting to get a bit heavy.

We walked back to the truck and Lissy crawled up onto my lap and fell right back to sleep. Roberto drove behind the Cathedral to where all the fireworks stands were. When we stopped, I didn't get out of the truck so that I didn't disturb Lissy, but I still got to see plenty. There must have been 20 different fireworks stands, each one had pretty much the same thing for the same price. It was just a matter of seeing if one of your friends had a stand and you wanted to give them your business.

After buying fireworks, we stopped by to visit Roberto's mother. Sure, twist my arm with some torrejas. Yennsi was keeping a constant eye on the time. She wanted to make sure we were back at home well before midnight. The kids were outside, setting off some of the fireworks, but saving the good ones for later. As we drove home, we stopped at one house in particular, just to look in the living room window. The entire living room had been cleared of furniture and a nativity scene set up. But what's different about nativity scenes here is that in addition to the Holy Family, Wise Men and Angels, an entire village and more is set up. Many of the nativity scenes I saw this year included models of the Cathedral, various local streets, stores and vendors, etc. This one we were looking at was, by far, the most elaborate. It filled the entire living room an included murals on the walls and stars and lights on the ceiling. It was incredible.

Before getting back in the truck, we stopped next door and talked to a guy who was putting the finishing touches on his old man. He was stuffing strings and strings of firecrackers in the old man's pants, in his shirt, under his cap, in his shoes, anywhere he could put them.

Now, before you think that this was some type of elder abuse, let me explain. For New Year's, one of the traditions here is to end the year by blowing up a dummy old man, kind of like a scarecrow. It's a way to get rid of the old and bring in the new. I had been seeing lots of old men propped up on the roadside for the past few days as we were driving and I knew what they were since I had been told about them. Some years, they have themes for the old men. Hermes told me that a few years ago, the old man was Osama bin Laden. (Because of the timing of Hussein's death, I wondered if there would be a push to turn the old men into Hussein, but they didn't.)

We got back to Gloria's and the children, okay, the adults, too, started lighting some of the fireworks. We were all anxious for midnight! At midnight, it started. Fireworks! Firecrackers! And exploding men! We ran to the corner to watch the old man there go up with a bang. I turned around and ran back the other way. Someone else had already finished blowing up their dude and now they were burning the remants. It was a huge bonfire! The first old man soon met the same fate. And firecrackers and fireworks everywhere ~~ for at least a solid half hour. Huge, colorful fireworks were lighting up the sky from the direction of the Cathedral. The streets were filled with bright light, smoke, and the sounds of laughter. After a while, I walked with Hermes as we stopped at about a dozen houses to say, "Happy New Year." People were everywhere, walking as families, groups of girls, and groups of guys. Doors were open. The streets were full. I commented to Hermes that I thought in many respects it was one of the safest nights of the year, that anyone could be out walking and nothing would happen ~~ except maybe having to dodge some firecrackers!

Back at Hermes' house I talked with his mother for a few minutes. Then a few other friends arrived. This whole time, there was wave after wave of fireworks going off.

Gloria and Roberto brought me home about 1:30am. Things were quieting down a little, but I knew that fireworks would be going off pretty much all night long. When I got back, I checked on Kezia, the dog. She's a Honduran dog and wasn't scared one bit. Afterall firecrackers go off pretty much every night.

By about 6:30 the next morning, there was another pretty big burst of firecrackers. There was more than the normal amount of firecrackers going off pretty much all day. Yeah, that sounds about right.

¡Feliz año nuevo!

A Visit From Home...

Woody and Marla arrived on Christmas Day. Talk about an awesome present!! Since we don't have a ministry vehicle (it's quite broken), I hired Jairo and his taxi to pick up Woody and Marla. Jairo is a young man from the church and I thought it would be a great way to bless his business to hire him instead of just "any ol' taxi driver".

We left Enlaces at about 11:00am Christmas Day and made it to the airport with plenty of time to spare. I was pretty amazed at some of the things Jairo and I were able to talk about on the hour-and-a-half drive to the airport. At the airport, I was like a little kid; I kept trying to look above and below the silly paint they have right at eye-level to see if I could catch a glimpse of Woody and Marla.

Ah, there they are! Once through Customs and beyond the paint-blocked glass partition, I waved them over to the exit. Hugs all around, of course!

I had already told Jairo that if they were hungry I'd like to stop for pupusas on the way home, and showed Jairo which place. He knew it well! Yes, we stopped for pupusas. The first thing that W&M did upon reaching the restaurant was to grab a carry-on bag and change into some lighter/cooler clothing. They both enjoyed the pupusas, as well! On the drive back to Comayagua, we stopped once or twice to take a few pictures.

The only hiccup in the journey back was a Christmas Day road block. Road blocks/stops are pretty common. Well, since Jairo was using his father's taxi (it's larger) instead of his and had photocopies of the necessary papers, the police decided that Jairo needed a ticket. So, instead of returning to pay the ticket later, Jairo was able to "pay the ticket now", directly to the police officer. (That probably sounds familiar to some of you from our Dec. '04 trip.) ~~ I hope that the police officer bought his wife or family something nice with the 100Lps ($5).

I had wanted to take W&M to El Torito for Christmas dinner, but when we got there, they were closed. So, we walked a bit further to Los Jarros. The food there is fine, but nothing spectacular for the price. I did introduce W&M to anafre, though.

Tuesday morning I got our rental car and we were off to downtown. We were even able to get a parking spot right on parque central. We went to la catedral (it was closed), then the museo arqueológico, then walked around the mercado. W&M were even able to get most of their souvenir shopping done that day.

Wednesday we had planned to head over to Taulabe, to go to the caves and see the mission where the Mustard Seed used to be involved. First, we were stopping in Siguatepeque to meet Luis and buy some of his awesome coffee and hopefully check out his coffee operation. We arrived in Siguat. and I called Luis and left a message that we were at Granja Delia. We ended up needing to go to a pharmacy nearby and that's where the day "got good". Woody went for a cup of coffee and Marla and I were in the pharmacy. There was a woman waiting for something and she turned to Marla and, in perfect English, asked her if she was cold. Well, that opened up an opportunity for conversation. Before long, she was telling us about her family, including her 23-year-old son who was diagnosed with MS when he was 19. So, we offered to pray for Norma and her son right there. She accepted and we prayed. Later, she introduced us to her husband and their driver, and Marla introduced Woody. Norma told us that it was too bad we didn't have time to come to her house to pray for Fernando in person. We told her that we had time. I called Luis and told him what was up and it was not a problem. We went to Norma's house, met Fernando, talked with him for a while, led him to salvation and then prayed for his healing. It was an incredible morning!

We met Luis and got our coffee, then went for lunch. After lunch we decided to ditch the caves, but still go to the mission house. Well, the mission has changed hands and there is now also a girls' orphanage on the grounds. As it turned out, there was a group from North Carolina there that week, and WE GOT TO GO INSIDE THE HOUSE!! I can't even begin to adequately explain what an awesome and overwhelming time that was for me. The picture of Andre and Yobanni is still hanging in the living room! Yobanni is still involved in the mission and I also found out about some of the other pastors I knew from all those years ago. I took a few pictures, and I'll share them with those of you who have been there when I return. Oh yeah, one of the guys on the team from NC was Brad Daugherty, who used to play basketball for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He had brought his family on the trip because he wanted their Christmas to be about more than themselves. What a cool guy!

Wednesday night was church service back at Enlaces. I was able to introduce W&M to several of my friends. Hermes translated for them during the service. I could translate the songs for them, but I can't do the teaching because I still need to concentrate on the language so that I can try to understand it. Sometimes that's easier than other times.

Thursday we went to las cataratas de Pulhapanzak (Pulhapanzak Falls). I had invited Theresa, another gringa missionary here, and her friend Jessica, who was also visiting from the US, to join us. The falls were pretty incredible. When we first got there, we were treated to a double rainbow over the falls. Yes, lots of pictures were snapped by all of us. We took the stairs down the falls and I showed them the path that I had used 11 years earlier to get to the bottom. Marla said something like, "You went down that way?" I told her that we hung onto the vines and such as we made our way down. The stairs that are in place now are much easier!

After the falls, we had lunch at a restaurant overlooking Lago de Yojoa. Woody and I had the pescado entero (whole fish) and the others opted for fajitas. They were all surprised when their fajitas were served with fresh-cooked tortilla chips, but not soft tortillas.

Friday was a relaxing day. We visited Soto Cano Airbase for a while. Then, we went to the pool at the Hotel Santa Maria. I had never been there before, but may make it over there another time or two before I leave, especially since it's getting quite hot again. (Today was over 90 degrees.)

Saturday we went back to the mercado one last time. We decided to walk down and take a taxi back. The cathedral was open so we went in and looked around. Then we asked a guy about going up into the clock tower. He got keys and we were able to go up and see the insides of the oldest working clock in the western hemisphere. He told me that they don't let the clock run a lot so that it keeps working, but that it would be running the next night, New Year's Eve. We also went another floor up where the bells are. It was quite cool to look out and see the entire Comayagua Valley. On our way back toward the mercado, I ducked into a bakery to try to buy a tres leches cake. We had been trying to get a piece of tres leches all week long, and none of the restaurants we ate at had any. The bakery had them. While they were boxing up our cake, I saw Siomara, the teacher from the mountains, standing right next to me. We recognized each other at exactly the same time. It was a nice reunion!

That night was church. Hermes wasn't there, so Yennsi, Gloria's daughter translated for W&M during the service. Afterwards, I introduced W&M to more people. Then, we invited a couple of families back to the house for some cake. Well, Woody decided that it was okay, but soggy cake wasn't really his thing. Postre de tres leches is basically a sponge cake, soaked with a mixture of three milks: whole, evaporated and sweetened condensed.

After church and cake, we went to La Casita for dinner. Woody and Marla like that place as much as I do.

Sunday morning, Marla and I spent some time worshipping with the guitar. We had planned to do more, but it seemed that time was always getting away from us. Soon, it was time to meet Jairo for our trip back to the airport. We got to the airport all too quickly. Check-in went smoother and quicker than I've ever seen at that airport. Then W&M paid their departure tax and we all walked across the street for a somewhat traditional Pizza Hut lunch. After lunch, and back at the airport, I went as far as security with Woody and Marla before having to say our good-byes. Where did the week go? Was it really time for them to leave?

When I went back downstairs, I didn't see Jairo so I walked to where he had parked the car. He was there, talking to a friend of his who drives one of the military buses for Soto Cano. Again, Jairo and I talked pretty much the whole way home.

After I got home, I rested for a bit, made a little something to eat and then got ready to go to Gloria's house for New Year's Eve. I had invited myself over to their house, to celebrate with them.

Navidad en Honduras...

Celebrating Christmas in Honduras was definitely a different experience. First, the real celebration takes place on Christmas Eve, and much of it centers on visiting others and eating, and fireworks, of course.

Around 5 O'clockish, I took a taxi to Pastor Carlos' house. Nancy and Carlitos were pretty involved in their GameCube. Carlos and I spent a while talking. My Spanish has progressed to the point where I can actually have pretty decent conversations with people. Carlos and I were talking about the church here, and my church in Kansas. Soon it was time for dinner. Chela had prepared an awesome feast: beef, salad, rice and torreja for dessert. So, that was dinner #1 and my first taste of torreja.

Torreja is a special dessert made at Christmas. Here is the official definition, taken from the Dictionary of Honduran Colloquialisms, Idioms and Slang: "a piece or slice of sweet bread, with the crust removed, soaked in a batter of egg, fried, dipped in hot water to remove cooking oil, and served with a syrup made from unrefined sugar (panela) and cinnamon; there are two types of torrejas -- torrejas de pan de yema and torrejas de pinol." Here's my translation: torrejas de pan de yema is kind of like super sweet, sugar-soaked french toast. Torrejas de pinol is more like super sweet, sugar-soaked pancakes. I had both that night, and they're both great. Chela's was de pinol.

Shortly after dinner, we loaded up Carlos' truck and headed to Hector and Sandra's house. Carlos and Chela didn't stay, but their kids did. Hector, Danny and Leandra weren't home, so I talked with Sandra while she fed 8-month old Isaac. Hector and the other kids showed up. Hector got out his video camera for a whole. Sandra had prepared a wonderful roast pork. I sampled a little, but was full from dinner #1. After a while, we loaded up Hector's carrito with all 8 of us and headed to another family's, who were relatives of Hector and Carlos. While there we were served Coke and torrejas -- the french toast-type. We visited for a while longer and then made our way over to Gloria and Roberto's house.

Dinner #2 was served there: turkey, corn, rice, squash and salad. Shortly after dinner, Hermes served up the tamales. Oh, I was stuffed. I had already eaten two meals and two desserts, but these were tamales, made by Hermes' Mom (with a tiny bit of help from me). And I had been waiting since the day before to have one. So I did. And it was every bit as yummy as I thought it would be. Other people stopped by; more food was served. There was lots of laughter.

Finally, around 11:00pm I decided to head for home. I knew it was early, but I was pretty tired. Hermes and Pedro were going to walk me down to the corner so I could grab a taxi, but within about two steps of getting outside, a taxi passed right by, so I flagged it down. As I arrived at Enlaces, the guard even mentioned that I was getting home early.

I stayed up for a while longer. At midnight, the fireworks and firecrackers went off en masse -- for about 30 minutes straight. Then there was about a 15 minute reprieve before another huge round of firecrackers. I ended up going to bed around 1:30am and slept in until 7:00am. OK, I didn't really sleep much since I was so exicted about going to the airport to pick up Woody and Marla.

But that's a story for another day.

OK, I Cheated...

I need to come clean. I cheated. I bought some tamales in the mercado this morning. I spent part of yesterday at Gloria's house, learning how to make tamales. I even got to help -- a little. I'll get to taste them later today, but I already know they're going to be fantastic. I'll also get to eat torreja, the very special dessert that is served during Navidad. I'll let you know how that turns out.

But, back to my buying tamales. Since Woody and Marla arrive tomorrow, I wanted to make sure they get to eat some, so I bought some. I would never ask to bring some home at the houses I'll be visiting later. (Now, if they offer, that's a different story.) And, even though I know I'll be eating more tamales later, I had to try one of the ones I bought -- just to make sure they're good, of course. They are!

Last night's church service went very well. The youth group put on a drama and I thought they did a good job with it. It was, encapsulated, the life of Jesus. They started with the Annunciation and ended with the Resurrection. In between, we saw Joseph lead a very pregnant Mary on a very pregnant donkey. So pregnant, in fact, that at one point I thought we might be witness to a live birth right there. (The donkey, not Mary. Mary's prenancy was aided by pillows and such.) We saw the Temptation of Jesus, Jesus heal, the Crucifixion and then the Resurrection. I was really proud of the young people.

I pray that you all have a wonderful, blessed Navidad!

The Real Cost of Free Pizza...

Last Friday was the last day of escuelita for December. We'll have a final 3-week session in January. Earlier in the week, I had told the class that I would buy pizza for lunch on Friday, and if they wanted, someone could bring a movie for us to watch. Since Domino's Pizza has just opened here in Comayagua, everyone wanted to order that. So, I asked one of the students to get me the phone number, and also to call them in advance and find out how much 3 pizzas would cost.

Friday arrived and the students really did try to stay focused on their work, although, pizza was always in the back of their minds. At 11:30 I wrote out exactly what we needed and had Christopher call to order the pizza. (I do okay in person, but talking on the phone is still pretty difficult for me.) He ordered the pizzas, gave his name, gave the phone number, and then asked for the total cost. 510Lps. I wrote it down on the paper. Then I got out the money, included a tip, and gave it to Christopher and the other boys. They were going to wait for the pizza to arrive. They were ready with their watches, as well. All the boys were determined to make sure the pizza was delivered in 30 minutes, or else it was gratis.

Well, in exactly 30 minutes a Domino's delivery moto (motorcycle) pulled up and the guy pulled out one box of pizza. One box. I ordered three pizzas. We checked the receipt: it had Christopher's name on it, but only one pizza. Christopher told the man that we ordered three, told him what we ordered and how much it would be. The delivery guy told us to call the store. So, while I went to get the phone, the guy left ~~ with the pizza!! A few minutes later, he came back, still with just one pizza. We started all over again. Christopher told him what we ordered and even pulled out the paper I had written, including how much it should cost. It ended up that the guy left us the one pizza, free, and said that he'd be back with the other two. He asked for the pizza list Christopher had and told us that when he returned, I'd have to sign a receipt for the free pizzas. No problem.

We went inside and inhaled the single pizza. Then we waited outside for our remaining two FREE pizzas. All the kids were pretty pumped that we were getting free pizza. Soon, we saw the familiar moto pulling up. It was a different driver and he only had one pizza also. And, it was the wrong pizza, for the wrong person. Christopher told him what we were waiting for and the driver called Domino's (on my phone). He told us that the original guy would be right there with our pizza. As he drove off, I told Christopher I didn't believe it. Ten minutes later, our pizza still hadn't arrived. I rounded up the students and we all walked across the highway to order two pizzas from the Esso. Twenty minutes later we were walking back to Enlaces with two hot steaming pepperoni pizzas.

Back in the classroom, we tried to watch The Passion. But none of the DVD players would play it. I think that's because it was a bootleg copy. We ended up watching Prince of Egypt, an animated film about Moses. It was in English, but we put on Spanish subtitles. I was really impressed with the kids; during the movie, they would point out the things that don't line up with the biblical account. Good job, kids!

All in all, it took us two hours, several phone calls, and lots of standing around to get our pizzas. One was free, but it sure felt like we really paid for it. Free pizza? No thanks!

Pupusas...

Hopefully, you'll enjoy this story as much as I do.

Last Thursday, I went to have pupusas for lunch. Pupusas are corn masa stuffed with queso (cheese) and/or chicharrones (meat or sausage), then shaped like a pancake and cooked on a griddle. They're usually served with shredded cabbage and some salsa. I had something very similar in Mexico last February, and they were called gorditas there.

So, I rode my bike to Pupusería Pamela and sat down at one of the tables. There were two guys sitting at another table, and I recognized one of them, from seeing him there before, so I said hello. I started my greeting at the same time he started to greet me; he recognized me also. Two other younger guys came in right behind me and sat at the other remaining table. Someone came out to take my order and the order of the two young guys.

A few minutes later, Juanita, the owner, came out and saw me. She started walking toward me as she was saying her greeting and I got up and made the few final steps to her. We exchanged the traditional kiss/hug greeting of friends and I was so happy! This was a sign that we had crossed over, past merely acquaintances who say 'hello' on the street. She asked if my order had been taken yet.

When Juanita went back inside, to prepare our food, I turned back to the first two gentleman. I asked the one that I did not know if the taxi with the Hispano flag out on the street was his. It was. I asked him if he had gone to the game on Sunday. Then asked if he was going to the game that night. Yes, on both counts. The flag on his car was a great conversation starter for me! A few minutes later, those guys left and the two guys who came in about the same time as me started asking me some questions.

We talked for a few minutes, across the two tables and then I just asked them if I could join them. Talking at the same table was much easier than talking across two. I didn't need to ask them to repeat themselves (as much, anyway). I found out that they were both doctors and they worked at Colonial Hospital, doing their residencies. Luis planned to specialize in internal medicine and Yasser had his eyes on surgery. (Too bad these guys weren't a little older...) Yasser was not familiar with the Center here at Enlaces, so Luis started to tell him about it. I thought that was pretty cool! Luis told Yasser about all the ways Enlaces helps the people of this city, that it was more than just the Youth Center. Luis said that he came to the Center regularly when he was younger, and when he had more time.

Then I found out that Luis was one of the doctors who helped with the medical brigade here in September. Yasser has participated in two brigades that were coordinated by the military base here in the area. Again, how cool. Both doctors want to give back to their country and people. They were asking me questions about why I'm here and what I've been doing. It was an awesome opportunity to share God's love with them, and to share my heart for this country with them.

Soon, we were all done with our lunches. Luis and Yasser got up to go pay and I sat there for another minute to finish my Diet Coke. When I got up to go inside to pay, Yasser was just coming out and said, "Please, we want to pay for your lunch." My jaw absolutely hit the floor!! I mean, speechless!! I was finally able to thank them. But I was still in such shock. They left and I got on my bike to head for home.

While I was riding home, it was hard for me to see the road through the tears. I was (and am still) so overwhelmed by their gesture. As I was thinking about it, I am certain that buying me lunch was their way to say "thank you" to me for caring about the people of their country. They heard my heart and responded.

One Week, Two Fútbol Games...

First, last Sunday did not start like any other. It was our first morning service at the church. The place was packed! That, in itself, made for a great Sunday. Then, a group of us went to the Hispanos game in the afternoon. Hispano was playing Motagua here in Comayagua, and if they won, there would be another game on Thursday in Tegucigalpa.

Eleven of us crammed into Carlos' pickup truck for the drive over to the stadium. Hector and his son, Danny, drove over a little later in Hector's new carrito. We got some great seats and waited for the game to start. I was enjoying this slice of local culture. The sights, the sounds, the smells. Did you know that you can buy tacos, tajaditas and other great local foods at a fútbol game? I didn't have any of them, but they sure smelled good. During the game I just kept looking around: the action on the field, the roar of the crowd, the rugged mountains in the background. It was truly a wonderful afternoon. There were probably about 10,000 people in the stadium that day.

Hispano won! Two-to-one. Excellent! They would get to play on Thursday, and, although I didn't know it on Sunday, I would get to go.

Wednesday night after church, we finalized plans to head to Teguc on Thursday. Carlos and Hector were both going to drive, since we couldn't ride in the back of Carlos' truck all the way to Teguc. We ended up having 11 going over and 12 coming back, because one person joined us there.

The game on Thursday was crazy! It was in el estadio nacional (the national stadium), which holds about 42,000 people. Total attendance at this game would probably top out at about 22,000. Because we got there so early, we got some great seats. As we were looking for our seats we passed so many vendadores who were selling such great things that I decided I was going to try some of the food. As soon as we picked out our seats, I got back up and went down toward the food. The chuletas smelled fantastic while walking by. For 40Lps ($2) I got a plate of chuleta de cerdo (pork chop), refritos, papas, tortillas and several different sliced and chopped veggies. I knew that there was a certain amount of risk in eating the food, particularly the veggies, but decided I was going to risk it. When I got back to my seat, I inhaled my food. Gustavo decided that it looked so good that he went for a plate himself. And the game hadn't even begun yet. Later, during the first half, I had some tajaditas, including the cabbage and tomato.

Ah, yes, the game. Well, let's just say that at least there were other things at the stadium to be excited about. By the end of the first half, Motagua was up 4 to 0. The game was turning out to be a rout. Fireworks and firecrackers were going off everywhere. People throw them, without caring about where (or on whom) they land. The police were there, too. Looking like navy blue Imperial Stormtroopers in their body armor and full shield helmets.

Shortly before the second half started, we got to see the Stormtroopers in action. Right in front of us, a fight broke out between some Hispano and Motagua fans. I don't know what happened, but the female Hispano fans weren't about to back down against those Motagua guys. We all just stood there, knowing not to say or do anything (except watch). Soon, the Stormtroopers flew down the stairs and right into the melee, billy clubs brandished. And let me tell you, the Stormtroopers were not afraid to use their clubs. You know those videos of LA police womping on some guy while a home video camera just happens to catch all of it for the 6:00 o'clock news? That's what it was. I even watched one Stormtrooper almost lose his billy club to an overzealous fan, until another Stormtrooper came to his rescue.

About that time, we decided that the seats in the bowl were much safer (and were also much closer to the exit we would need). So, we made our way over to the bowl, making sure that our movement could not be even slightly misinterpreted as heading down toward the fight, which now included probably 75 fans and Stormtroopers. You were right, Glenda. Soccer is so much more exciting than American football!!! :-p

Darn the luck. We sat down right in front of some ladies making baleadas. Not only were they making baleadas, but they were also first making the flour tortillas right there. It was fascinating to watch. They would stretch and twirl the dough, much like you do for pizza. Then they would place the freshly stretched dough onto one bucket grill, then another, and then finally smear on some refritos, mantequilla, and parmesan cheese. They were 6Lps each. Quiero dos, por favor.

When the score got to be 6 -- 0, we left. There were only a few minutes left to play, and this one was already in the history books. We made it back to the cars easily. Soon, the streets were flooded with Motagua fans. You could easily tell the Hispano fans, they were quiet and suddenly, the horns on their cars no longer worked.

Let's see:
Ticket -- 60Lps
chuleta plate -- 40Lps
bag of water -- 3Lps
tajaditas -- 10Lps
2 baleadas -- 12Lps

Total money spent on game: 125Lps ($6.25)
Cultural value of the night: priceless
_____________________________________

As a sidenote: For the record, I never had any negative reaction to any of the food I ate at the stadium. Yesterday after church, Rosita and Francisco invited me to join their family at dinner. At the restaurant, we were talking about the game. When I told Rosita what I ate, she said, "No, Susan, we don't eat at the game. It's not safe." Francisco disagreed.

Home Again, Home Again...

I started my journey to Costa Rica on Monday, 27 November. Purpose? To renew my visa. When I entered Honduras I was given a 90-day visa. I could get one 30-day extension, but that wouldn't be long enough. So, I decided to leave the country for the required 3 days, then reenter on a new visa.

I took the Los Contreras bus to Tegucigalpa on Monday. When I arrived in Teguc, I took a taxi to the home of my new friends, Jenny and Adam -- two young missionaries from Arizona. They had graciously opened up their home to me (actually, the home of the pastor and his family that they are staying with). Adam had the phone number of a taxi driver, so he called the driver and made arrangements to have me picked up at 5:00am Tuesday morning and brought to the King Quality terminal. Imagine my surprise when the taxi driver arrived, RIGHT AT 5:00AM!!

I checked in at King Quality, got my seat assignment, and waited for the bus to board. I'd have to change buses in about two hours, and then from there it would be a direct trip to San Jose, with a short stop in Managua, Nicaragua (and at the various borders, of course).

While waiting, I was talking to a man from Arizona. Within a few minutes I realized that he was the type of traveler who gives Americans a bad name: NOTHING was ever good enough for him. He proceeded to tell me how dangerous San Jose is, how his friend was robbed there three times in 30 days, how poorly he's been treated at restaurants in Honduras, how fat Guatemalans are, and on and on. I didn't bother to ask him all the questions I was thinking: Were you treated poorly because you walked in to a restaurant with a visible chip on your shoulder and an air of superiority, are you aware of the genetic predisposition of Guatemalans, etc., etc. And, guess who I got to sit next to on the first leg of the trip? Yup. Mr. Rude American. I prayed silently for him, and for me -- that I wouldn't kill him or say what was really on my mind. Thank God for iPods!!

We switched buses and I was thankfully reprieved from my seat in the closest thing to purgatory that I've experienced. I was now sitting next to a guy from El Salvador. Very friendly. We were able to talk a little bit. Hey, I think I'm starting to catch on a little.

At our very first border crossing, I got just a little worried. We were at the Honduran/Nicaraguan border and the official there told me that I was over my 90 days. I explained that I was exactly AT my 90 days. Well, he made me step to the side and told me he wouldn't be stamping my passport and he'd let them deal with that when I left Nicaragua. I paid my $7 fee and was the only one given a receipt. We made a brief stop in Managua and then were on toward Costa Rica. At the border there, everything went very smoothly. I was never questioned about my visa. I received a 90-day visa for Costa Rica. We arrived at our final destination in San Jose at about 12:30am. It had been more than an 18-hour trip so far, and I still had to get to my hostel. I got a taxi, who charged me $10US (because it was very late, he said). I didn't care. All I wanted was a bed.

I had notified the hostel that I might be arriving very late, and was told that would be no problem, and it wasn't. I checked in, paid, and was shown my room. I had revived just enough that now all I wanted was to wash my face, brush my teeth and check my email. So that's what I did. I jotted off a quick note to let a few people know that I had arrived just fine. OK, how soon until I can go back home now?

Even though it was about 1:30am when I went to bed, I got up at about 7:00am. I took a nice warm shower and got ready for the day. Breakfast was included at the hostel so I made my way to the dining area. I walked around the place a little to get familiar with things. I found all brochures for places to go and things to see. Then I asked Melissa which one she would recommend. It ended up being a trip to Waterfall Gardens. http://www.waterfallgardens.com/ I wasn't sure if I wanted to spend the money, so I decided that I'd wait until later in the day to make my reservations for the next day.

Melissa gave me a map and an overview of the city. I decided that I was going to make my way to the mercado central (central market). Melissa told me that things were cheaper there than at other places for souvenirs. She told me where the mall was, and that's where I went first. I walked to the mall, found a bank and waited for it to open. I was about third in line. I needed to change money. I received 515 Colones to the dollar, so in my mind I just used 500:1 to figure out the approximate cost of things. After walking around the mall a little, I went outside, grabbed a taxi and headed for the mercado. I walked all around the mercado, several times. I really wasn't in any hurry and didn't have any real agenda for the day. I bought some souvenirs for friends back home, noting that everything was much more expensive in Costa Rica than in Honduras.

It was soon lunchtime and I was hungry. I decided to eat at one of the lunch counters in the mercado, but knew that I needed to be particular about where and what I ate. I turned down the siren song of one counter, gracefully explaining that sometimes their food is too rich for our American systems. (Translation: I don't trust this place and think it will land me in the bathroom for days on end.) I intended to walk much further away, but the place across the way caught my eye. I ended up with a fruit drink, sopa de mariscos, arroz, platanos, and tortillas. At the invitation of two Ticos (Costa Ricans) I also tried the pickled veggies that were on the counter. ¡Muy ricos! And the cost for lunch was pretty reasonable: about $3.50.

After lunch I waited for the rain to let up some, then ventured across the street and into another mercado. Like I said, I had no real agenda for the day. Soon, I was ready to head back so I hailed another taxi and made my way back to my hostel. I met several of the other guests there. It was definitely an international crowd. And, hey, I even met a guy from West Orange, NJ. Go figure!

OK, I decided to do the waterfall/rainforest/butterfly/hummingbird place. I called to make reservations and found out that they needed a minimum of two people and as of that time, only had one (me) with one other "maybe". They would call me in the morning to confirm or cancel. That was fine with me, because I figured that if it didn't happen, then I'd save the $55US that it was costing. Yes, it was definitely a splurge, but how often do you get a chance to visit a rainforest? As it turned out, they ended up booking a group of 3 others: two retired sisters and the daughter of one of them. We hit it off wonderfully.

Waterfall Gardens was magnificent. I got lots of butterfly pictures and even managed to get several decent hummingbird pics. The picture of me below was taken in front of one of the five waterfalls there.The trip included transportation to/from my hostel, a stop at a coffee plantation on the way up the mountain, a guided tour of Waterfall Gardens, and a wonderful lunch. By the end of the day I knew that it was well worth the money.

I got back to the hostel and was able to rest, talk with some of the others and then take a taxi back to the bus station. My bus was scheduled to leave at 3:00am, so I needed to leave the hostel at 2:00am. Sleep could wait. And hopefully, because I was so tired, it would be easier to sleep on the bus.

The trip back was relatively uneventful. We crossed the border into Nicaragua and they gave me a 90-day stamp in my passport. So, I'm set for the rest of my time here. At the Nicaraguan/Honduran border, the Nica official took my yellow visa paper, the one that's normally left in your passport. I didn't realize it at the time, and hope that doesn't pose a problem when it comes time for me to leave. We'll see.

One thing I did note: it had been a pretty dull, gray, overcast day -- UNTIL we crossed the border into Honduras. I looked up and the clouds were breaking up and the sky was bright blue. Shortly, I was treated to one of the most gorgeous sunsets I've seen. The sun was hidden by some clouds, but the rays were breaking through over row after row of mountains. It almost looked like wave after wave at the ocean. Absolutely breathtaking!!

The bus arrived at the King Quality terminal about 8:30pm on Friday, as scheduled. I got a taxi and then made my way over to Paul and Ellen's house. Ellen's directions were great. It was so good to see them and spend some time with them. They needed to leave the next morning for Olancho, so I helped them a little bit with Grace. Since this was their first trip with the baby, I thought it might help them ease into the traveling a little if they had a little help. I know they'll have a routine worked out in no time. Plus, Ellen and Paul are going to be travelling to San Pedro Sula soon. They're planning to stop by here in Comayagua on the way back.

On Saturday, I took a Los Contreros bus from Tegucigalpa back to Comayagua. They let me off right in front of Enlaces. Oh, it felt good to be home. And Kezia, the dog, was very excited to see me also. Back in my own bed, I slept very soundly that night.

Sunday morning was our first morning service, switching from having church service in the afternoon. Wow! I got so many hugs from people -- and I had only been gone for six days.

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.

Two Months, Two Funerals...

I’ve been here for two months and I’ve already been to two funerals. The first was last month, for Ena’s mother. Then, this week I went to another funeral.

We were at prayer meeting on Wednesday night. I was having a wonderful time during the praise and worship. Soon, I found myself crying. I was just weeping over this nation. I didn’t think I could love these people any more, but God just absolutely broke my heart (again) for these people. Then Pastor Carlos started teaching. I was able to catch about 50% of it. (Sometimes I understand more, sometimes less.) At the end of the service he started talking about something else. I couldn’t follow what he was talking about, but whatever it was, was happening that night. So I asked Hermes.

Hermes told me that a couple in the church had a 7-month old baby which had died that morning and the funeral was “tonight”. I found out the baby had hydrocephalus, and had been sick and in the hospital in Tegucigalpa. He died that morning and they brought his body back to Comayagua. Those who wanted to, were going to go to the house then and Pastor Carlos would do the funeral service.

There were about 15 or 20 of us who were going to the funeral so we all got on the Enlaces bus. Rolin drove. We headed out into the neighborhoods that are behind the Esso. This was also the first time I’ve been back in that area. I know that the US military personnel are not allowed in the neighborhoods behind the Esso. Now I could see why. It was kind of like being on the ‘other side of the tracks’. I could immediately see that this whole area was much poorer than other parts of Comayagua. But it was a type of poverty that I’m familiar with here. I’ve seen it before and love the people.

When we got to the home and started walking up, Hermes told me, “that’s pretty typical,” when we saw a group of 4 or 5 men playing cards outside the home. Some of us went inside the home and just kind of waited. A while later, someone came around with a tray of Coca Cola. (You are always offered some kind of refreshment at a funeral.)

The baby’s coffin had been placed in the main room of the house, on a table draped with white cloth. Flowers were hanging on the wall behind it and from the canopy placed over the coffin. There were also some flowers placed in vases underneath the table that held the tiny, simple white coffin. I sat there and just prayed silently for the distraught parents. Although they were crying, it was a very quiet time.

Soon, Pastor Carlos began with a time of worship. We sang some songs and then he shared. I was able to understand almost all of what Carlos was talking about. He was sharing about when, in the Old Testament, David lost his son. I think I was able to understand more of it because I had recently studied that very thing in my morning quiet time.

After a while, we all got back on the bus and returned to Enlaces. As we filed out of the house, I went up and looked through the glass window on the coffin. I looked at the tiny child, who appeared almost as if he were sleeping. Yet, I knew that at that moment, he was no longer suffering, but living in the splendor of the King.

I Wonder...

I’ve spent the past few days waxing philosophical. It hardly seems possible that I’ve already been here in Honduras for almost two months and that I only have just a little over 3 ½ months left before I return to Kansas. So, I’ve found myself thinking, and in those thoughts, I wonder:

=> When I return to Kansas, will I be able to sleep without the sounds of roosters crowing at 1, 2 or 3am or dogs barking pretty much all night long?

=> Will I ever attend a birthday party that does not include a piñata?

=> Am I really starting to think in Spanish?

=> Have I assimilated enough of the culture that 25 Lempiras (about $1.25) really is too expensive for a piña?

=> Will I ever need to sleep with more than just a sheet here?

=> Are socks really that important?

=> What’s a “one way” street when I have a bicycle?

=> Why doesn’t the clock in the cathedral, the one called the “oldest working clock in the western hemisphere”, work anymore?

=> Why can’t I be here during Semana Santa and get to see las alfombras? (Go ahead, Google it.)

=> Who needs more than a pair of Keens and a pair of flip flops?

=> Could I live here?

=> Will I ever be able to clap on beats 2 & 4 again?

=> Why do birds suddenly appear…? (Sorry, couldn’t resist that one.)


Just some of my thoughts as I go about my day to day life.

Blessings!

Immigrations...

My visit to Immigrations last week did not go well. Originally when I came to Honduras, I planned to leave the country when my 90-day visa was up and go to Guatemala for three days. The laws here have changed and I can't visit any of the other C4 countries (Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, & Nicaragua) and have it count as actually leaving Honduras. So we started looking for other options. A friend from Siguatepeque (and also our coffee connection for the BEST coffee available) told us about going through IHNFA. Luis has helped several people get extensions of their visa through IHNFA. IHNFA is kind of like Social Services/Child Welfare.

As it happened, the woman from IHNFA was here at Enlaces a few days later, getting some supplies. We asked her about writing a letter for me and she said, "Yes." Within a week, I had my letter from IHNFA and also a letter from Enlaces asking for the extension of my visa. So last week we took Sandi, Eli & Elisa to the airport, then Hector and I went over to Immigrations. I was armed with my passport, both letters and cash -- to pay for the extension.

The line was not too long, and soon it was our turn. Hector told the woman what we needed, and without even looking at my letters, the woman told us that an extension of more than the normal 30-day extension was not possible. While Hector and I were talking about it, I saw another woman that, based on Luis' description, had to be Patti -- the one Luis thought we should talk to. So we got back in line, but in such a way that the first woman wasn't able to pay much attention to us. (It is very disrespectful to doubt the word of one official and then go ask another.) We talked to Patti. She at least looked at my letters before saying that things have changed and I can't get an extension. But she told us to go upstairs and talk to Eric. So we did that. Eric didn't really have any better news for us. He recommended that I apply for a one year residency. That costs $100, plus attorney's fees and usually doesn't arrive anywhere near on time, so then you are stuck with paying a fine for being on an illegal visa. But Eric told us to go back downstairs and talk to Patti again.

When we talked to Patti again, her best advice, very unofficially, was just for me not to do anything, and then when I left the country to pay the fine. She said the fine is L1149 (about $61). Talking to Scott and Cindy this week, they said the fine is more like L5000 ( about $265).

So that leaves me back to leaving the country for three days. My options are Mexico, Belize and Costa Rica (or the US, of course). I looked at Taca and can get a plane ticket to San Jose, CR for $440. It's only about $20 more for a ticket to Miami. I'm starting to check on bus tickets. It looks like I can go from Tegucigalpa to San Jose (with an overnight stay in Managua, Nicaragua) for $70RT. I've found what looks like a very nice hostel in San Jose. It's $10/night if I do the dorm room or $18 for a single. I'd opt for the single. And then I'll just have to find something for the night in Managua.

Some people have told me they don't think it's a good idea to travel all that way by bus. I've talked to Hermes and he doesn't think it's a problem at all, especially on Tica Bus. Plus, I need to make certain I will be able to travel freely through Nicaragua without any visa issues. There's always flying, but if I were going to fly, I'd just as soon go to Miami (but I know I can't get a hotel for $18/night). Oh, what to do, what to do?

This is definitely an opportunity for prayer.

Then, as if all of this weren't enough, the other night Scott mentioned that another teacher at his school got a letter from the government. It seems that Honduras is about to put some restrictions on people that are here teaching in bi-lingual schools. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot! They may make it tougher on the very people that are here to help. But since I'm not here as a teacher, that doesn't effect me.

All of this is just part of everyday life here.

Canopy Ride

And this is me in my gear.

Zippin' Through the Trees...

We had already had an incredible morning visiting the Copán Ruins. Now our day was about to get even better. We were going horseback riding up a mountain. Then we were going to do a canopy zip ride down the mountain.

After lunch we arrived at our group of horses. Hmmm, these horses looked a little sorry. We could see some open sores and things like that, but Bismarck, our guide, told us the horses were fine. (As a side note, Bismarck had gone to college for two years in Coffeyville, KS. Hey, we were practically neighbors, even if he was originally from Nicaragua.)

We mounted our horses and began to head out. It soon became apparent that most of these horses really weren’t in good condition. Several of them would limp intermittently and none of them had shoes, except for one. And that one was losing its shoes. As we continued, I was talking to Bismarck and found out that they had only had these horses for three days and this was their third trip up the mountain that day. The horses were definitely not used to this kind of work, especially since most gringos are larger than most catrachos (Hondurans) – at least the catrachos that would be riding a horse.

We continued on, but soon the mountain turned up, straight up. We were on about an 18-19% grade and most of the horses were slipping terribly. Chris was behind me and she told me that my horse was sweating buckets. I couldn’t take it anymore so I dismounted. The poor horse. Sweat was literally pooling beneath him. So I walked him for a bit. Then we reached a house (one of only about two that we passed) where Bismarck knew the people. So he talked to them and left my horse there after I told him I wouldn’t ride him again. Soon two others dismounted for the same reason. Call us ‘softies’, but we just couldn’t put the horses through that. I ended up walking the last ½ to ¾ of a mile, although at that grade, it felt like much more.

Finally, we were at our destination. We started getting geared up for our ride down. There was a waistbelt harness that also went around each leg, with a steel pulley-type thing hanging from it. It was cinched pretty tightly. Then we donned a helmet and some heavily padded gloves. Basically, the gloves would serve as our brake.

For those who are wondering what a zip ride is, it’s where you zip down a steel cable, from tree to tree, secured only by your pulley. You hang on to your harness with one hand and use your strong hand on the cable. To slow down or stop, you lean back, letting your body weight pull down on the arm/hand that’s running on the steel cable and you slow or stop. Oh yeah, you’re doing this over and through the forest – sometimes as much as 100 feet above the tops of the trees.

Earlier in the day, when we learned about this, we thought it might be two or three zips and then we’d be done. Well, we had FOURTEEN runs to go down. The first one was our practice run. We were given very specific instructions. Everyone listened; there was no fooling around now since if we messed up, well…

I knew that several people were a bit scared or nervous at first. Me? Believe it or not, I couldn’t wait for my turn. The thought of doing this was awesome. I was a little surprised that a few of the military people were scared, but I didn’t say anything about that.

Finally, it was my turn. Bismarck put my pulley wheel on the steel cable, gave me last minute reminders and then let me push off. OHMYGOSH!!! This was fantastic! There was absolutely no fear at all. The first run was considered a short one; it was about 150 meters long. We were supposed to slow down/brake in the middle, and then continue to the end. When I reached the end, one of the girls told me that she could see I was in total control the whole way. It even felt that way to me.

It was our third run that was the best, the most exciting and also the longest. It was over 500 meters in length and was highest above the trees, completely out over the valley. Out there, about all you can hear is the wind is you zip down at about 60mph. It was absolutely incredible and convinced me that I need to try hang gliding, parasailing and maybe even parachute jumping. (Note to self: add those to life’s ‘to do’ list.)

We continued on, zigging and zagging through the trees, over the trees, over the valleys and down the mountain. On several of the runs, we had a clear view of the ruins. As our time progressed, I started to get just a little nervous that we were quickly running out of daylight. I knew that we definitely didn’t want to be doing this in the dark (although part of me thought that would be cool also). I don’t think Bismarck took into account how long it would take a group of 10 (plus three guides) to get down the mountain.

By about run 7 or 8, many of us were ready to be done. It’s not that it wasn’t exciting, but it was more that we were tired. It had been a long day, first walking through the ruins, then riding (and walking) the horses up the mountain. Plus, this was also a physically demanding activity. When we got to the 14th cable, I was sad that it was almost dark. We were going to zip through the trees and then break out over the river before finally landing on the other side of the river. This run was probably 300 meters. It would have been incredible in full daylight. Even still, it was pretty spectacular in the waning dusk.

Once everyone was on the correct side of the river, with their feet firmly planted on terra firma, we gathered up all the gear and it was stowed away. Then we all got in the back of a pickup truck for our trip back to town. I think the driver was trying to extend the fun because he seemed to take every opportunity to hit every pothole & bump and whip around each corner. Maybe he was trying to see how many gringos he could throw from the truck. I wonder if they get points for that here.

Back at the hotel, we paid Bismarck. The cost? Are you ready for this? I mean, in the United States, the zip ride itself would have cost at least $100-150 per person, and we would have had to sign mutliple releases of liability, and probably even updated our wills. Here? The total cost, including the horseback riding, which was for about an hour and a half, was only $30US per person. Nope, I’m not kidding? 30 bucks. Incredible. Heck, next time I say, "let’s skip the horseback riding and drive straight to the top of the mountain." And, I sure hope there is a next time…

This is Sgt. Bell, getting ready to push off for our first run. No, that's not a parachute on her back.

Shall we gather at the river....

Last Monday, I joined Hector and his almost 5-year-old, Eunice and her almost 5-year-old, Luis, Charley, Freddie and some of the others on a trip to the river. Since Monday is their (and now my) day off, the guys like to go there a lot to swim, eat and play cards. A few days earlier, Hector had asked me if I wanted to join them. Sure. Then Eunice said she’d like to go as well. Excellent. Now I won’t be the only female out there.

So, on Monday morning I got my bike ready for what was going to be its maiden voyage. We were supposed to meet near the front of Enlaces at 9:00am. I got there a little early because I needed air in my tires and Freddie said he would help me with that. The guys looked in the bodega, but didn’t like any of those pumps. Finally they found one that would work. We tried adjusting my front brake, but couldn’t get it to do what it needs to. I’ll need to take it to a mechanic, and one of the guys will help me, but they really find the whole concept of a bike mechanic as fairly silly.

Hector told me that the trip to the river is about 7K. No big deal I told him. They all know that I ride in the States, and, again, they find the whole concept of riding a bike ‘just because’ as fairly silly. Before starting out, the guys started joking that they were going to bring a rope in case they needed to pull me. I told them, “Sure, I’ll pull you when you need it.” And Sandi reminded them again of how much I ride. Well, my words would later come back to haunt me, much like a big plate of crow!

I had grabbed three bags of frozen water and threw them in my backpack. Hector, Eunice and both children showed up --- all on Hector’s motorcycle. After buying some fried rice, we were ready to head out. The first two miles were pure joy: Ah, I was on a bike again. I could already tell that the saddle was way too low, but I thought I’d adjust that later. (Nothing on my bike is quick release – not the tires, not the saddle, nada.)

Soon we turned off onto a dirt road; the first portion was pretty smooth, but I was already very, very parched. The sun here can be pretty hot and very strong. Before we knew it, Hector had gotten a flat on his motorcycle (the one carrying two adults and two children). Well, we made some quick adjustments, redistributing food, drink and people. All three of Hector’s passengers were now on various bikes. I felt very much like a Hondureña because, in addition to the extra things I had put in my backpack, I was also trying to carry another bag of stuff, with the bag handle wrapped around one of my handlebars.

Before long, I had to stop. I was absolutely exhausted, and, I knew, dehydrated. The road had gotten rougher and the sun seemed to be picking on only me. I stopped and got out one of my bags of water. It had only melted about halfway, but that was fine with me because then I could put it on my forehead and neck. Woah, I was dizzy, too. I told the guys that they could go on, and I’d catch up to them, but they wouldn’t hear of it. Man, I mean, I was dizzy!! And I couldn’t even muster up the strength to get out of the sun and into the little bit of shade that there was. Where was that rope??

Eventually, I was able to continue on, but I knew that I was sick. I didn’t let anybody else know just how bad off I was. My skin was soaked with sweat, with little rivulets of the salty stuff running down my nose, eyes, and anywhere else it could form a path. My T-shirt had changed in color from royal blue to the deep, dark blue of a drenched shirt. There is a verse in Proverbs which says, “pride goes before destruction, and a haughy spirit before a fall.” Well, the pride was gone, the only thing left was destruction and a fall!! I felt like the fall could come at any minute.

Finally, we made it. Wow, was it worth it!!! I spent the first half hour or so trying to recover and hide the fact that I was severly dehydrated and pretty sick. Actually, it took me the better part of the day to start to feel like myself again. By the time we reached the river, I only had two bags of water left (that’s a total of 1 liter) and I knew I would need to drink them sparingly. I nursed one more bag of water, hoping that if I drank it very slowly it would all be used where needed.

As my senses started to return I was able to begin to appreciate the beauty of the place. I’ve been to Pulhapanzak Falls, near Lago de Yojoa, four times in my travels to Honduras, but this place was more beautiful. Yes, the falls are magnificent, but the area around it has gotten more touristy over the years. Other than the churros (chips) bags on the ground to remind us that people came here often, this place looked untouched, pristine. It was like the mountain just ended, abruptly, and there was the valley and the river.

Pretty much everyone, except me, went swimming at some point. I told them that I hadn’t brought a swimsuit with me, and they said I should just go in in my shorts. But I was wearing denim shorts and the thought of being in soggy denim for the rest of the day was definitely not appealing.

Lunch was chicken, rice and tortillas. It was very good, but I was still so sick and dehydrated that I could barely eat one small piece of chicken, about a half spoon of rice and maybe two tortillas. Actually, I would have preferred not to eat at all, but I knew that I had to get some food in me. Hector had made it back and he also had more water and some te frio with him. I had another bag of water and the te.

The kids loved playing in the water. And the guys loved playing cards. I found a huge boulder that I could climb on and lay down. It had a spot in it that was very comfortable. It was like being in the ‘cleft of the rock’. I could look up and watch the cloud formations and watch the vultures fly overhead. I closed my eyes and even fell asleep for a short while.

The afternoon wore on and Eunice built a small fire and then cooked some plantains and tortillas con quesillo as a late snack. It was starting to get dark, and I thought we should head back to town. The guys said not to worry, that Hector and his motorcycle would be our light for the drive back.

The trip home was much easier. It was cooler and the hardest part of the ride was now a slight downhill. Even with the rough road and just a motorcycle headlight, we made it back to Enlaces much quicker than the trip out.

Well, in one day I managed to break both of the Honduran bicycle rules I had set for myself: ‘No riding without a helmet’ and ‘no riding at night without a light’.

Lizards, Ants and Other Creatures...

Lizards in the house. They're a fact of life here. Heck, they're a fact of life in many parts of the US, including Florida, where my parents live. So, last night I was sitting here at the dining table, writing some emails, and I happened to look up. I counted a total of four lizards of various sizes on the walls or ceilings in the kitchen and living/dining room (Let's just call it the 'great room').

That was no big deal. I don't mind lizards in the house, at least not here or in Florida. And, unlike my nephews, who spent as much time as they could a few years ago, frenzied and giddy, trying to capture lizards on my parents pre-Charley lanai, I pretty much let the lizards be. Now, if I have lizards in my house in Kansas, then that's another story. Also, when I say "various sizes", I'm not talking huge. The largest was maybe 6" long, head to tail. The smallest was about 2" total and very skinny. In fact, I've named the large one. He seems like he's been getting plenty to eat and is a bit of a stocky fellow. I was going to call him "Chubs", but "Gordo" seems so much more appropriate, considering where I'm living. So, Gordo it is. There was another one, with a green body and red head that I saw twice, but I haven't seen him in a few days. That's a shame; I was going to call him "Rojo".

Ants in the house. OK, now that's a different story. I remember reading Michelle's email from her time here. She mentioned something about 10 or so varieties of ants in the kitchen alone. 'Nah, they can't be that bad', I thought. Well, they can be, and last night I learned just how bad. I had made a few tacos for dinner. (Sidenote: tacos Hondureños are more like what we would call taquitos, except that after they are fried, they are served with a bit of sauce, shredded cabbage and parmesan cheese. Mighty tasty!)

Anyway, I made and ate my tacos. Then I immediately washed my dishes. That is something you must do here or the ants will take over. I had already seen that there are ants in the kitchen and it has nothing to do with a dirty kitchen. Ants just are, and I've already identified at least three different types. Anyway, apparently I missed two areas where oil must have splattered, because after I made my lizard observation, I went to the refrigerator for a little more te frio (iced tea). Ugh! Ick! and Gross! I had two moving spots of black in the kitchen: one on the stove and one on the counter. Hundreds, thousands, perhaps even millions of ants. I won't go into details, but let's just say that if these ants were in the Navy, they received a proper burial, albeit soapy and hot!!

Right after my ant encounter I spent some time online looking for ways to kill ants. Suffice it to say that on my next trip to the supermercado I will be buying a spray bottle and some white vinegar!

What about the 'other creatures'? I'm happy to report that since arriving here I have not seen a single one. Nope, not one. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Zero. And I'd like to keep it that way. At least some of you know that I'm talking about cockroaches. I have an aversion to them. Eww! Just thinking about them makes my skin crawl. So, I'll stop.

Leaving things on a much happier note, I've finally started to take some pictures. Here's one from my class. Don't they all look like sweet and studious?

(Well, at least for tonight, I'm having trouble posting a picture. I'll keep trying.)

Roosters...

My first two nights here I slept with the AC in my room on. It was delightfully cool and the white noise helped me sleep well. On Friday night I decided to brave it and use the fan mode on the AC: less white noise, but I still slept quite well. Saturday night I got just a bit too proud... I went to sleep without the AC or fan. I could sleep through the outside noises: the cars, trucks, people, and dogs. All was well until about 3am ~~ then it's rooster time. I've been to several Central American countries and their roosters are all the same... They don't know how to tell time. It seems that once 3am hits, they're up and about their day and they think everyone else should be, too. Hmmm, there's an oscillating fan on the counter in the kitchen. Maybe I'll bring it to my room for a while...

11 days and counting...

Today was my penultimate day at work. I got a lot done, and only have one or two clients to take care of tomorrow. After that, it's "open house" in my office. I've invited people to come to my office, to chat and have a cookie or two.

I have so much to do... and, really, so little time to do it in. On Saturday Michelle is coming over to help me clean and pack up my house. Later that day, I'm going to KC for BBQ with some of my Team Duck friends. Yum, Hayward's.

I also have a pretty full list of stuff to do next week: change the car oil, pay my car tags, get my 2nd Hep B vaccine, etc., etc. Oh yeah, somewhere in there I need to actually pack my suitcases. The 50 lb. per bag restriction will be a bit tough since I'm packing for 5 1/2 months.

Yet, I feel God's presence in all of this. Thank you, Lord!

I'm going to bed early tonight, but I will try to update more often.

Good night, and God bless!!

Aren't you glad you don't have to wash your laundry like this??? ~~~

Tick, tick, tick...

Do you hear that? That's time ticking away...

I leave for Honduras in just over four weeks. There's a lot for me to do, but I've also gotten quite a bit done. A few weeks ago I became a human pin cushion and got several vaccines and a tetanus booster. I also made arrangements to be taken to the airport. My support is coming in very well. Between gifts and my contributions so far, I'm at two-thirds of my total support level. I have every confidence that the balance will be there. This trip is God's and He has been in control of it for the past almost 11 years.

Just this week I found someone to live in my house while I'm gone. A friend of mine is moving back to Lawrence and she's going to stay here. Plus, she loves cats, so Screech will be just fine. We were talking about a month and a half ago and I mentioned that I was trying to find someone to live here. I knew she was thinking and praying about moving back to Lawrence, but I didn't want to put any eggs in that basket. Imagine my surprise, and my joy, when I got an email on Monday asking me if I had found anyone yet. It was such an answer to prayer! I had been trying not to stress over not having found someone yet. (Sometimes I was successful; sometimes not.)

This week I sent out an email at work, telling a lot of my friends and coworkers about my future plans, and inviting them to sign up for my email distribution list and to visit this site. I have already received so much encouragement and positive feedback from so many people there that it blows me away. Plus, walking through my building, I've been getting lots of hugs and well wishes from people "just in case they don't see me before I leave". My last day at work will be Friday, August 18. I'm planning to return on Monday, February 26.

Well, for tonight, I'll end here. Let me leave you with another photo. This one was taken during recess at the bi-lingual school at Enlaces. The first/second grade class was playing soccer against the third/fourth grade class. I was on the first/second grade team. I don't remember the score...

A Quick Update...

Well, I feel quite rushed in making this post. I have a lot to do at work, am leaving early (worked late yesterday), going to work on a computer later this afternoon, and then meeting Susie and Carolyn at my house, dinner at 7:00ish (Chili's), then back to my house where I promised to make Bananas Foster for dessert. I made the ice cream last night, so the rest of that should be easy. Then we have to pack the car to make things easier for tomorrow. A group of 10 of us are driving to Wisconsin for a bike ride.

Anyway, I thought I should give you an update of how things are going for me. 'Whirlwind' is an accurate description. I've sent out most of my support letters. With gifts that have already come in, I'm at just over 1/3 of my total support level. Praise God! After I get back from Wisconsin, I will be working on selling some stuff I have, including one of my bikes.

Here's another neat testimony:
I was trying to book my airline ticket and was getting very discouraged because the prices were ranging from $1150 to $1485. Ugh! I just didn't think it was fair that I should have to pay more because I'm staying longer, but that's what is going on. I called Continental directly, but didn't get anywhere with them. So I called a missions oriented travel service that has a regional office in Newton, KS. I gave her my needs and she called me back about 4 hours later. The price? $809. I booked immediately!!! Unfortunately, I have much longer layovers, but I don't care! I saved a chunk of change!!! Thank you, Jesus!

Well, that's about all for this update. Let me leave you with a picture I took in a remote mountain village where Enlaces is helping. To me, this picture captures both beauty and squalor.

The verdict is in ~~

I've already received quite a bit of feedback about this site as a way to stay in touch. And, yes, all of it has been positive. So it looks like you're stuck with it. I'll tweak it and add some touches to make it my own. It will also be a way to hone and practice my html skills.

Well, that's all for today. God bless your day!

Susan

About this site ~~
I created this site as a way to update you about my preparation for and time in Honduras. I'll add more to it as my time allows. Hmmm, I guess I should probably let people know that it exists. Yeah, that would be a good idea!

Let me know what you think.

Is the font readable? What about the color scheme?

Me, in my 'natural' habitat (surrounded by children).