Off to Copan

We have loaded 7 people into our little truck. We are headed to pick up Chrissy and go to Copan. Here I an image.




-- Post From My iPod

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...

Developments (B)

I guess the first development I should speak of are the political developments that are taking place here in Honduras. I really have no idea what is going on – but I hear that the President was detained by the military and moved to Costa Rica. I don't know – of course there are so many details – and floating opinions. I plan on googling a news article and reading it later. You might find it interesting too. Whatever happens - don't worry about us.. NOTHING ever happens in Urraco. :)

On a smaller note, developments around Casa de Esperanza are slow but happening. We have had a lot of visitors this week, including friends, family, possible donors and bored members, as well as a dean of a college that is looking into future mission trip ideas. No more interviews with house moms but this is still a top prayer priority. Other than that it has just been grounds and construction work- it is so opposite from Kansas, where you start with nothing in landscaping and try to get SOMETHING to grow – here you just try to control growth to a point where you can see where the kids are playing and where your vegetables are producing.

Personally, I am developing a phobia of ants. I have never had a true phobia before. It is kind of interesting to be so irrationally and unconvincingly afraid of something. You see there is this one kind of little bitty black aunt here that I am apparently allergic to and each time I get stung or bit or whatever, that entire appendage stings for like a week. So I have taken to wearing rain boots and jeans at all times and to jumping even when I see a different kind of ant or a picture of an ant, or one of Jude's plastic ants. It's an interesting personal development.

Jarod must be developing an immuno-deficiency of some sort because he has come down with 3 illnesses in a row, keeping him on the couch for 2 weeks. I threatened last week that he, “either needs to get well, or we are going home.” But then I learned from a friend that some amebas can live inside of you a quietly kill off your immune system and the only way to know if you have one is to take in some poop to be screened. So I threatened Jarod with that, and you all know how EXTREMELY private and embarrassing he considers bathroom matters to be – and I expect him to be getting well any day now.

Dru is developing muscles. He is quite surprised by this and the pain he feels after a day of lifting river rock, but I think he really enjoys the hard work (unless I am the one to suggest it). He has also developed – or has a pretty natural ability for welding I guess. He has been welding the trusses for the 3rd home and is doing a great job – a loves the work. I told him he could make good money at and he thought that sounded better than McDonalds. He also developed a pretty bad attitude toward me yesterday and we had a nice long discussion about authority – and his problem with it. He said he was “working on it,” and I thought, “Well, I'm still working on mine, so that's all one can ask.”

Jude has re-developed his terets tic again. It came back a few days ago, and although it is annoying, I have dealt with it better this time. He'll be a little socially odd. But now that we have moved him to the jungle he is going to be a little socially odd anyway. There are so many people coming in and out of his life on a regular basis he is going to end up a little “military bratish” I think – unable to form long term relationships. Like the other day, a little girl from Minnesota and her family stayed with us for 3 days. O nthe first night when she was leaving after a 2 hr play session Jude yelled out the door, “Come back anytime to play.... IF YOU'RE STILL HERE!” Also, I think the reason missionary kids tend to be a little off is that everyone finds (or pretends to find them) so interesting. Everyone around here kind of feels sorry for him and so pretends that he is making perfect sense or is perfectly fascinating even if he is just dragging on a story about a tadpole. Thank goodness for Dru who reminds him that he, like every other 4 year old, can be quite annoying.

Lucy has developed a habit of not sleeping through the night in her weeks of illness. Nor has she been taking appropriately length naps. One of which she just now awoke from... so I must go. The girl needs to develop some new sleeping habits – and I need to develop the patients to let her cry it out in such an open air echoie house.

Stay tuned... next week I'll do introductions. And I'll work on pictures too!

Illness at the edge of civilization.

We're a puny family. We moved to the jungle but needed no malaria or amebas or poisoned bites to get us down. No, in the last 2 weeks all four of us have been put on antibiotics for simple things like ear infections and strep throat. But it really has proven that these “simple” things can be a bit difficult when one takes into account the proximity to medical care, the lack of luxuries – like say a bath – that one so longs for with a 104 fever, an allergic reaction to amaxacillian by the little one – that led to days of hives for her and nights of no sleep for me – the feverish one. Oh yeah, don't forget this all started on our drive up here, which was followed the next day by the arrival of 15 teenagers and adults from a church in Indiana – who shared our living space through the entire ordeal. Jason asked us recently how we are liking it here and I just gave him a blank stare. I have no idea how I will like it here in a “normal” week.... oh dear Lord I hope these haven't been normal weeks. All in all, apart from the sicknesses I thin things are going better than we expected. Dru seems to be thriving here... already making great friends in the community and loves to work with the short term teams. Jude seems to love it.. all though we have been keeping his activity down. And well, Lucy got a tooth in the midst of it all and seems to love licking the dirt off of our floors (And there has been plenty of it with over 20 muddy sweaty people traipsing through for each and every meal – or just to “stay hydrated”). Amazingly one can stay hydrated from the water that comes out of my kitchen sink!!! Which is astounding for this part of the world (Thanks team). Also, today I just got shelving put up in a pantry, which is a rarity as well (Thanks Nate) – but such a necessity as keeping things off of the floor is one of the best ways to help inhibit mold growth. And does mold grow! It seems that half the food we brought up already molded.. so we are still looking for a solution to that. And the humidity is caused by incessant evening showers that pound so hard on the tin roof I can barely hear myself think. It will take some getting used to. Then maybe we can get to work. All of this to say that had I written this blog 48 hrs ago we would have been at a C- but a lowered temperature, a clearing rash, and a teenager who is starting to show initiative bring us back up into the B's.

Cangrejal B+

Well after a 5.7 earthquake that crumbled some concrete in our bathroom I am feeling really ready to move. Yesterday, we took one load of our things the 1 hr and 15 minutes up to Casa Esperanza. The drive was about 30 minutes shorter than I was expecting and the house was about twice as furnished as I expected. They now have a monkey for a pet, we met 4 more great people that we will be working with and received another tour of the gardens and greenhouse, so all in all it was a very exciting and informative day. We are still doing chorus coughing around the house - otherwise I'd say our life was A material... but as I hear those coughs inch toward Dru and Jude's lungs I want to petition a bit of pray... especially considering the upcoming climate change. (It will be cooler though!)
Anyway, we are off to pick up final necessities, attempt to PDF the world wide web, say goodbye to a few friends, and close up this house. I don't know when I'll write again but I am sure Jarod will check the email anytime he gets down this way. Hope you all have a great summer... and don't forget to write.

If you want to check out more about the area and some of the people we will be getting to know you could visit:
http://www.cangrejal.com/
www.hhim.us/
http://ierschool.org/school.htm

Oh and here are some photos of our last outing with our friends the McCanns .... seems like we are always leaving something wonderful.... but that must mean there is more wonderful things to come.






And again we are working with: Jason and Sarah Furrow at www.givehope2kids.org

It was a C or maybe a C-

So during this week of over 300 earthquakes here in Honduras, Lucy got a virus, gave it to everyone else in the house, and then proceeded to develop pneumonia. Now, after days of little to no sleep, everyone in the house catching what Dru has dubbed "The Lu Flu," over 10 hours, 3 Dr.'s visits, 3 antibiotic injections, countless nebulizer treatments, an x-ray, and a blood test later (all for under $50), and a considerable slowing down of our packing and organization to move to "Casa de Esperanza" we are all finally in recovery. Yesterday we began shopping for basic household supplies and a month worth of groceries (A five hour event at over a dozen different stores), and today is our last day of language school. Anyway, we really struggled this week on a lot of levels, but now that we are feeling better and getting some sleep it is amazing how much nicer the world (and our own family members seem) :). So we are at least back to a B. Thanks for the prayers and well wishes.

The Clinic where we took Lu is called Medicentro - and I am calling our room "Medicentro dos" because it has been filled with weds and sickness for the last week - and due to it being air-conditioned to 86 degrees... there are usually at least a couple of us lying around on the king sized bed.

(When I remember this - our 9th home... this is what I will remember)

It has been rumored to me that these hammocks are also usually occupied by at least one person. But when I asked Chrissy why I never got lay in them she said it was because I was "type A" and didn't know how to lay down. I think it is because I am a mom - and we just don't get to. (i have a feeling we are both a little right.


Here is Dru and Lu checking out the x-ray.... too bad I don't scrap book... because that should definitely go somewhere special....


Which brings me to the difficulty of packing. We have been here long enough to accumulate random stuff... like X-rays and outgrown baby items but not long enough to have things that every household might need... say, like a trash can... what to buy, what to pack, what to get rid of.... that is the task for today.... and maybe for tomorrow. Not sure when we are moving because the people who are coming to help us move don't have a phone, so they can't tell us the plan... we have to just wait until they show up and be ready.

How annoying. Sure am glad I'm not those people. Oh wait.. I'm going to be.


On a random note:

Last week before things went so down hill - Dru helped in a skit at a kid's club... he made a great silent Samuel... and now with 3 days of Spanish class under his belt he can go buy us milk!


We have been making fresh squeezed orange juice from lovely green oranges


And we had a missionary fellowship at our house which filled it with songs of praise, sounds of kids laughing, and extra sweat for several hours



And our sweet potatoes that put in 3 weeks ago are almost 4 ft. long - which makes me all the more excited to garden in Honduras and all the more sure I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO DO THIS!!!