Life Unexpected

I sit this day, the day of our youngest child's first birthday party – inside of a hotel by the beach, after a one hour massage and 4 days of snorkeling in unspoiled marine waters, watching political unrest unfold on the television, and thanking the Lord for all of the safety He has given us in the last week and opportunities He had given us in our life. If our life was a book – I couldn't write this stuff – if it were a mystery, I couldn't anticipate it; a prize, I couldn't earn it. And I laugh at my efforts to plan it or improve it with all my worry and effort. Let it be. It is amazing... unexpected, unpredictable and unbeatable in every opportunity and lesson it brings our way.


Teaching my son to ride a horse... somehow I get this feeling it could be a completely practical skill around here...


Lucy after her first ride on a horse... she's a pretty happy camper now that the illnesses have passed


Another life skill that I could have never anticipated... using a machete – in your underwear and rain boots none the less


A group of kids from the English class I have been teaching up in Urraco


A clan of friends playing UNO – or “One” as they like to call it – after english class.


Lucy and I picking fresh oranges and limes... one day, in the quite of the evening while picking citrus in the fields with Lucy I thought.... why would I ever want to leave this place?”


One day while doing laundry that had gotten rained on the three previous days I had hung them out I thought, “why would I ever want to live here?”

And so it goes...


Here is a hike with a gun and a machete, and my new chainsaw that my parents brought.... more of that to come...


Here is dad fixing the chairs at our school... the kids were so grateful


Later that day dad when to the hospital with a kidney stone...


But the next day we were building a giant sand turtle – (like I said, you can't dream this stuff up)






Because next we were on to spend three days for free in a beach front house of a blessed couple who just like people to enjoy the blessings of God's beautiful peaceful waters.


It wore us out....


But not too much to much to have a good little birthday party -


And never fear – we took care of the birthday girl's hair.

Introductions

I'd like to introduce you to a few pertinant people and things in my life as of present:

Sarah


My neighbor. My boss. My opposite in so many ways; who is becoming my friend. Sarah is calm and compassionate yet passionate and strong. A support wife who has come alongside her husband to make his dream of starting a orphanage come true, and who in the meantime has found a dream of her own. She is flexible, productive, and hospitable but I have a feeling that if she had a day her way everyone and everything would just go away and she would curl up with a good book for hours on end. Her responsibilities around here are endless- her busiest times are when she is planning and cooking for groups, but no day lacks for paper work, organizing, and managing a home and non-profit. I look forward to getting to know her better and learning from her over the next 6 months.

Jason



Give Hope to Kids is the realization of a dream that Jason has had since he was 15. And when you meet this 30 something, pastor's son, it is not hard to believe that as a teenage boy he wanted to run an orphanage. He loves children – because he loves to encourage, joke, play, dream, and GO. He is as active as Sarah is calm... and going as many directions in a day as my mother. I have never met anyone in my life who is so agreeable and positive. He is fun to watch and fun to get to know... now we'll see if he is possible to follow.

Nate
A construction work from Indiana in his first year of marriage who came to spend the summer going construction projects. And Dru's new best friend. Lindsey jokes that she has to remind Dru who's husband he is, but in all honesty Nate is just one of those guys who is good at teaching and patient with everyone. He is excited to get things accomplished but more excited to see everyone growing and having fun together in the process.





Lindsey
Nate's wife who says she feels she just got brought along because Nate can “do stuff”, but in reality her light hearted social demeanor is a joy to everyone. No matter if I am just hanging out with the kids or transplanting flowers she is willing to pitch in and chatter the whole way through. I can't believe she will be leaving me in only 2 months... but her sun burnt tired homesick body probably isn't so sad about that.


David & Olga (Not pictured YET)

David is a 22 year old who finished 9th grade at the age of 20 and has been working and living at Casa Esperanza ever since. In Honduras it is only mandated that you go to school through 6th grade, and after his parents were killed he stopped school to take care of his younger siblings, then returned with a passion to become a pastor. Last year he married Olga who is now pregnant with their first child. David works with all of the agriculture here and runs the place when Jason and Sarah are gone. But I say that his main job is to embarrass us gringos by working twice as hard, twice as fast, lifting twice as much, knowing twice as much – and doing it all with a bigger smile, a smaller body, and less education. Olga is the picture of a young Honduran housewife making tortillas from home ground corn over a wood fire, and washing her clothes in the pilla under a pataste vine. She loves my children and is patient with my Spanish. If we can continue to nurture our relationship... I can see it baring some beautiful inter-cultural fruit of learning and growing.

“The Workers”


Sadly, though they walk in my house hourly to get supplies for the building they are constructing only 20 ft from where I sit, I do not yet know all of their names. The language barrier is very real here as they are unfamiliar with broken Spanish, and gender roles are set – so we have less interaction than I would like. But they are hard working men, with families that they care for and dreams that they work for.... which is more than can be said of many of the men in this country. So I like them; I smile at them; give them produce and juice. Perhaps they will begin to bring their children to befriend Jude … perhaps our lives will intertwine more then sharing my living room as their storage shed.

Beverly... and dreams (Not pictured yet)

This is Beverly, our 5 year old neighbor who swims at our same swimming hole and talks up a storm... to me …. in Spanish. She and Jude do not interact much.... but I dream of the day they will … the day I have a friend of Jude to introduce to you... because the child needs a friend who stays.... HE loves the gringos coming through but nothing could take the place of a neighbor. But to prove that he is still quite apposed to Spanish learning, he asked me last night who would take care of him if Jarod and I died. I said, “I don't know. Who do you think should take care of you?” His reply was presented with a lot of forethought, “Someone who speaks English, I think. That would be best for me.” (Since I wrote this, an 11 year old named Kendi showed up and has been hanging around for the last few days... maybe and answer to prayer... maybe just scoping out which toys to take. Then last night several little boys asked him to play football during the church service. I let him. Is that bad?)

The Property


Here are some of the guys planting avacado and Mango trees in front of the coffee and banana groves...

The "Pueblo"

Did you miss it? Me too, like the first 8 times I walked through the town, I was thinking "where is Urraco? I don't get it." But then I realized this is the opposite of housing developments and communities in the U.S. where the sprawling fenced lots and malls come first and then the people come - 2 to a huge house. Here in a village of 2 places to buy eggs, 2 churches, a dairy farm and a few fruit fincas, there are more children than I can count and more life under each thatched roof than you could ever bet on.

The school


This is where I will be teaching English classes every morning... starting whenever school starts again... whenever peace comes... (Hint... pray I'll be teaching a room of 40 1-3 graders soon!)

The house... used for large groups...
....
and they bring plenty of dirt....


The wildlife... in my house...


The Cuenca... our river valley drive... always an adventure, whether it is the wildlife in the road or today the obvious harvesting of illegal wood.


and of course there are more... snakes, teenagers, other missionaries, the random visitors, political figures and military personel... but tonight I am in La Ceiba, with good friends, internet connection and an apple pie in the oven.... so I'll stop and enjoy the moment. Have a wonderful 4th of July... and pray that this country does not lose it's peace on this day...