URGENT PRAYER REQUEST

Please look at Brian and Sara's blog for more details, but we ask that you please pray for little Rosa.  I snuggled with her Wednesday.  She is a beautiful precious little one.  

Please pray for baby Rosa & her Mommy Vanessa.  But also for Brian and Jeffrey (directors of Little Hands Big Hearts) as they try to communicate with the Drs and see how they can care for little Rosa.  They just got home from the hospital a few minutes ago and someone will be heading back soon to take food to Vanessa.  The Doctors are limiting who is with her, but it seems to be serious and lots of medical attention is being given to her.  

THANK YOU For your prayers

The other day we were invited to be guests at a party that was to be Saturday night.  They weren't sure where yet, but would let us know.  The party was to be a combined baby shower/retirement party for 2 of the school's staff members.  

The Honduran gov't will no longer allow teachers to have contracts with a private school if they have already retired from the public school system.  So Maria Teresa is retiring.  

Angelina is expecting a baby in Sept.  So it was to be a celebration honoring both.  Apparently they liked my cupcakes and mini-cakes I made for the food sale and I was asked to make the cakes.  No problem I'd have plenty of time to scour the city for the right ingredients.  

Yesterday I worked in the school all morning. We were working to finish the art projects and then I helped haul the lumber from the ceiling project back inside after being sprayed with diesel and bleach to ward off pests.   So I was getting pretty icky.  

One of the girls from the school came up to me and asked me if I was going to the dinner at Maria Teresa's house later and I told her I didn't know what she was talking about....we had been told one of 2 other teacher's homes...I figured this was a private gathering not the same so I kept working.

then a teacher came up and said 'do you know that the celebration is tonight?'  WHAT???   NO!!!   aaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!

And I realized how insanely thankful I am for my 'things' in the states I take for granted....

* mixers

* sifters

* grocery stores less than 5 min away

* when I go to a grocery store I know that I will find what I need and it will be well organized

* cake pans

* BOWLS!!  (I only have 1 here)

* my oven (my oven here is small, doesn't have a center rack and during baking the rack must        be shifted and the bake good shifted so that it cooks evenly and you have no way of knowing   

   the temperature)

* drawers filled with kitchen utensils

* food coloring, cake decorating tips

* water....when you don't have any it means you can't wash the dishes and that means......FRUIT    FLIES 

* and more....you just don't realize when you're dreaming of that double oven or you are wishing for the nicest kitchen aide....that you have it SOOOO good already.  Well I don't always anyway!  

But you know what, even without all the conveniences I have in the states, the cakes turned out fine.  I put a ducky with bubbles on one and an apple on the other.  The party was fantastic...food amazing (grilled chicken, sausage, chimole, refried beans, enchiladas, tortillas).  So as much as I wish I had some things like a mixer, I don't really HAVE to have one.  Life is simpler and I learn to appreciate so much more the many LUXURIES  I have in the states!!    

I'm waiting up for Nadine to let her know there is another person sharing her room tonight.  

A mother of Alfonso's friend is here.  She came into Trujillo for some tests tomorrow at the hospital but wasn't able to get the early morning bus (I think because of the roadblocks) so she was on the bench of the hospital prepared to spend the night there.  I've sat on those benches and that was uncomfortable enough...can't imagine sleeping there.  So she is tucked in fast asleep upstairs.  We had an extra bed afterall.  MaryKyle whose Honduran name is "Maria" is thrilled that her name is Maria also!!  

When I went to take her a towel and washcloth, she was on her knees by the bed praying.  It was a humbling sight!!  

Back to school again

Erick came back to school today for the first time.  Candido (his Daddy) showed me his ankle.  Although there is still some swelling and an open wound it looks much better!  They apparently decided it wasn't broken.  Still by our North American standards it looks 'icky' but pain tolerance is so different here. Erick was grinning from ear to ear today with his familiar mischievous grin!  I was thrilled & thankful to see it! 

FYI - in other news the roads are staying blocked again.  The town is out of gas which we need to finish the ceiling frame project.  I know sounds crazy, but we do.  Thad, Chad, Santiago and Franklin came so close to finishing the spraying today....they spray a bleach/diesel mixture on the wood to 'treat' it against pests.  They had hoped to start getting it up this afternoon, but not sure when that will happen now.   We'll see if the roadblocks effect our departure on Monday morning for Ceiba.  Currently Emilson is stuck on the other side of the blocks actually.  he had gone to La Ceiba to purchase and pick up the new computers for the school....and now can not get back to Trujillo.  Sure can be inconvenient...but it's not much more than that.  There's no violence or anything here just so you know...just blocked roads.  

Tuesday

Chad and Jack being silly

Thad and Jeffrey (and Jack) singing while we girls pulled dinner together

So let's see....

Yesterday Nadine and myself went to the school and worked on art projects with the kids.  Thad and the kids stayed at the house for Thad to work, and Chad headed out to Little Hands Big Hearts.  He'd been asked to go with them to visit some families to take some pictures (he does photography).  After he finished there a man who is working on creating a hotel for mission groups asked if Chad would go with him to take some pictures at Guadalupe Carne, etc....to help tell the story of the people out there.  

When Nadine and I were finished at the school we headed to town for some groceries and came home and fixed dinner.  We were having Jeffrey and Maybelline for dinner.  As is usual, we ended up feeding Jeffrey, Maybelline, Jack and 4 others.  Because just as they were arriving 4 friends of the kids showed up to play.....so didn't want to send them home hungry.  And as always, we had a 'loaves and fishes' night where we were concerned there might not be enough food for everyone and we had plenty and some leftover to send home with the kids.  

Today all 4 of us are heading to the school.  Thad and Chad will be working on spraying the wood for the ceiling down to control pests and Nadine and I will be working more on the art projects.   Once the wood is sprayed they will start making the frame for the ceiling.  We only have a few days left and it's flying by....

locked out!

Yesterday Thad was asked to preach.  he preached on discipleship.   He spoke of the difference between what the world teaches us and what God teaches us....what we must give up as a Christian and also what we gain when we are willing to lead a life focused on God and HIS desires for our life and not on our own desires.  He did an outstanding job!!  A Honduran friend went to Alfonso after worship and said "wow...that Gringo can sure preach good!"  

I was so proud of him!  

After worship ate downtown and then headed to the pool to cool off for a bit - it was a HOT day!   

Thad and I both were ready for our Sunday afternoon nap (hey....it's tradition!!) So after a while of swimming, I gave the kids a 15 min warning and told him he could just go on back to the house & crash and we'd be up there in a few minutes...just be sure to unlock the door because I didn't have my key.

As the kids were getting out, Chad headed back to the house to dry off and get his camera and go wander around the city.  But Thad hadn't unlocked the door, he had only left it ajar thinking we were just a few min behind him.  So when Chad walked out of the house after getting his things, he pulled the door closed (I would have done the same) and quickly realized it had not been unlocked so as soon as it was closed it was locked...no biggie right?  Thad is in the house afterall, just knock and he'll let us in....ha ha ha!  

anyone who knows my husband and how heavy he can sleep is laughing a bit right now!

And although Thad can sleep through just about anything, the other issue was that he had gone in our room to lay down and the best way to describe our room is a cave.  no windows, and a window unit AC (long story, but it's mounted on an interior wall no it doesn't hang to outside it hangs into another room that is attached to our room). The A/C unit is LOUD...we can hear NOTHING that is occurring outside of our room if we are inside our room. So I encouraged Chad to go on with his hike that we would be there until Thad got hungry and came out or Alfonso came home with his key (I tried calling and texting Alfonso but he was at the beach swimming).  Chad insisted on waiting til the kids and I were back in the house.....but that ended up being THREE hours later!! HA HA HA HA!!  And that was only  because my kids started getting hungry and so Chad (who had money on him) and MaryKyle headed down to the pulperia to find some snacks (it was about 6pm at this point).  Thankfully they ran into Alfonso who gave them his key!!  

So we all went in and woke up Thad who had woken up a couple times amazed at how quiet it was and was enjoying every second of it!!  ha ha ha!! 

It wasn't anything to complain about though, the kids never mind being outside and they love playing with Chad!  And it gave Chad and I an opportunity to catch up after 13 years.

Until January when we reconnected on facebook it had been 13 years since we last touched base.  So the time wasn't wasted....just wasn't how any of us would have chosen to spend it. We have all gotten a great laugh out of it for sure!!

Over the River and Thru the Woods

Chad and Nadine made it to Trujillo around 2pm yesterday.  Nadine's flip flop didn't though. Not intact anyway. It was a casualty of their adventurous journey.   Because of the roadblocks the buses were not running directly to Trujillo. So they took a bus to La Ceiba where they had to get out and walk around a road block then get a taxi to the bus station.  But, the bus station was closed.  

In the end, after weighing their options they ended up hiring a taxi driver to bring them to Trujillo.  They encountered on more road block where it seemed the taxi would not be able to get around, but a little girl came up and told them she could show them a way around.  

They ended up having to cross a river a couple times.   A little boy from the village would go in front and wade and let the taxi driver know how deep the water was.  

But then they came to a steep enbankment where even several 4 wheel drive trucks were stuck....uh oh...but they all worked together pushing and the trucks made it up and then the truck drivers helped them and their little Toyota Corolla (that's two back tires were spares) get up as well.  Nadine's poor flip flop didn't survive the pushing and trudging through the muddy waters.  But they were able to make it here with no more problems!  

It was great to see them both.  We hadn't seen Nadine since last summer and Chad...well I've not seen Chad in 15 years.  So we were happy they made it and we enjoyed the afternoon and evening catching up!!