We had to be at Max & Katja´s house by 5:45am if we wanted to catch a ride with them to Tegus (rather than riding the chicken bus). As we were waiting for Katja´s family, Merethe came out to give me a hug and say "See you next year," with a smile.
On our way to Tegus, both Gabriel and Simon (Katja´s boys) got sick. She said they often get car sick. Andrés had a few extra tablets of Dramamine left, so we gave them to Katja for the boys on their way back home...but perhaps to have them split a tablet.
As we got to the Hedman Alas station, people were loading the bus for San Pedro Sula, so we hurried to buy tickets and get on. Luis met us at the bus station to take us to his (& Blanca´s) bed & breakfast, where we had stayed when we came into San Pedro. We found a ciber café to update a few blogs and then Jen & I headed to the mall for a few hours while Andrés completed his blogs back at Luis & Blanca´s. Andrés had no interest in the mall whatsoever.
When we got back from the mall, we headed for the little restaurant Luis had recommended the 1st time we stayed here. Then we came back to the B&B where we made a few calls home to ensure all was in order for our travels tomorrow.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
August 17th - Last Day at Emmanuel
I got up early this morning to do a last load of laundry. After breakfast, I went to finish up in the library while Jen entered all of the children´s measurements in the computer and Andrés went to his last day of school. I brought him the chili-mango suckers to hand out to his class after recess and for the last hour of school I went back home to clean, begin packing, and get the last of the suckers to take to the big boys dining hall.
After lunch, I hung around with Doris to learn how to make tortillas (the Honduran way). I´ll have to try it back in the States. I went back to the house to prepare myself for the bible study this afternoon. Merethe had asked me to lead it last week and I´ve been working on it since Thursday. I also translated a bunch of Spanish words to English for Angi.
The bible study went well. I spoke about Jonah and how you should always say YES to God with a servant´s heart. I had supper with the girls one last time and said my goodbyes before turning in for the night.
After lunch, I hung around with Doris to learn how to make tortillas (the Honduran way). I´ll have to try it back in the States. I went back to the house to prepare myself for the bible study this afternoon. Merethe had asked me to lead it last week and I´ve been working on it since Thursday. I also translated a bunch of Spanish words to English for Angi.
The bible study went well. I spoke about Jonah and how you should always say YES to God with a servant´s heart. I had supper with the girls one last time and said my goodbyes before turning in for the night.
August 16th - Our Last Sunday
The pastor from town (Guaimaca) began the church service today by asking "What is a saint (or holy person)?" as Peter instructs us to do in 1 Peter 1:15. No one answered him, so he went on to talk about how he posed this question to a bunch of children. The answers he got were:
- A saint was someone who didn´t sin.
- A sant was a statue made out of wood, plastic, or plaster.
But it was the 3rd child´s response that intrigued him, who said, "A saint (or holy person) is like a person who is made of glass." The pastor wasn´t sure what the child meant, so he prompted the child to describe what he meant. The small child went on to say that he had been in churches with stained glass windows of saints and saw how the light came in through the window to illuminate the room with many colors. So to the child, a saint (or holy person) was someone who shines with the light of God. What a response!!! The message was of the Good Samaritan.
After church we invited Andrés to lunch. The Andrés I´m refering to is a child at Emmanuel who I met last year who is the same age as MY Andrés! We went to the restaurant at Emmanuel and Elvia cooked for us. Afterwards, Jen & I took a bunch of the paletas (Mexican suckers) to the little boys house to hand out. We got some pictures with a few of the boys and headed to supper to get a bunch of pictures of the girls.
August 15th - My WORST Day Here
Today was a bad day.
After breakfast I entered 3 more pages of library books. I was very close to 2000 entries when the power went out. Since the laptop had a full charge, the battery kicked in and the computer didn´t turn off (WHEW), so I just kept entering and saved it before turning it off to head to town.
Jen & I went to Guaimaca in the morning to do a little souvenoir shopping and to check my email to see if our flight had changed. With the national curfew, our flight had changed coming down here, so I was imagining that we wouldn´t be leaving at 1am anymore either. Instead of flying out at 1am on Friday, our flight was bumped up so that it leaves at 10:30am on Wednesday. Two whole days!!! I was very bummed out when I saw that.
If that wasn´t enough to start my day off badly, when I got back to the farmhouse and opened up the laptop to turn it on...all that showed up is what Hans calls the "blue screen of death". I really didn´t know that´s what it was, but it was blue and I´ll bet I tried turning the computer off and on around a half-dozen times! Finally in my frustration I called Bob just to be sure. Perhaps he´d have a "miracle fix" and I could keep entering data, however Bob told me there was nothing I could do. I was crushed!...all that work and there were still around 600-800 books to enter!
Jen & Andrés measured again at supper-time, so I made spaghetti for them when they got back. We watched Pirates of the Caribbean that evening together before heading off to bed.
After breakfast I entered 3 more pages of library books. I was very close to 2000 entries when the power went out. Since the laptop had a full charge, the battery kicked in and the computer didn´t turn off (WHEW), so I just kept entering and saved it before turning it off to head to town.
Jen & I went to Guaimaca in the morning to do a little souvenoir shopping and to check my email to see if our flight had changed. With the national curfew, our flight had changed coming down here, so I was imagining that we wouldn´t be leaving at 1am anymore either. Instead of flying out at 1am on Friday, our flight was bumped up so that it leaves at 10:30am on Wednesday. Two whole days!!! I was very bummed out when I saw that.
If that wasn´t enough to start my day off badly, when I got back to the farmhouse and opened up the laptop to turn it on...all that showed up is what Hans calls the "blue screen of death". I really didn´t know that´s what it was, but it was blue and I´ll bet I tried turning the computer off and on around a half-dozen times! Finally in my frustration I called Bob just to be sure. Perhaps he´d have a "miracle fix" and I could keep entering data, however Bob told me there was nothing I could do. I was crushed!...all that work and there were still around 600-800 books to enter!
Jen & Andrés measured again at supper-time, so I made spaghetti for them when they got back. We watched Pirates of the Caribbean that evening together before heading off to bed.
August 14th - Hungry Girls
Today´s routine was similar to the previous days...entering library books (I´ve entered over 1500 now) and sizing the children. Andrés was feeling much better. He´ll have to go with Jennifer during mealtime this weekend to size the boys who don´t go to school (there are some that only work on the farm).
Jen hasn´t been at supper lately since shé been handing out medicines (which gets done during supper-time). They are still making a plate for her, so each night I have to give it away. Quite a few girls will ask for her plate which surprises me since the girls get the same size serving as we do at each meal and one plate fills me up!
Jen hasn´t been at supper lately since shé been handing out medicines (which gets done during supper-time). They are still making a plate for her, so each night I have to give it away. Quite a few girls will ask for her plate which surprises me since the girls get the same size serving as we do at each meal and one plate fills me up!
August 13th - Andrés Gets Sick
We woke up today to Andrés being sick. He had a headache and stomach-ache all day, so I stayed with him and worked in the farmhouse on entering the library lists while he slept. I think he may have been dehydrated and caught a little bug. I took him to eat with the little girls for the 3 meals, since they are more careful with washing dishes, cleaning food, etc (although for supper they gave him a chicken´s foot...not really something you want to look at when you´re sick). Early afternoon he broke out in a fever while he was sleeping, so hopefully his body has burned off the bug that he caught.
August 12th - More Measuring
After circle and breakfast, Jen & I headed for the school to take measurements of the 9th grade (where Andrés is). The volunteer team went home early this morning, so all remaining measurements are now left up to Jen & I to finish. It only took about 20-30 minutes, so we helped Jessica in the library when we were finished. The power was out, so it´s a good thing Bob´s laptop had a full charge in order to keep entering the library´s inventory into Excel.
After lunch we got one of the special needs classes completed (that only comes in the afternoons) and the 10th grade. Measuring took the full 1.5 hours of school time this afternoon, so I headed to bible study and supper afterward, then home to change for church.
A Danish man of 23 years gave his testimony while Katja translated from Danish to Spanish for the children in the church. From time to time, I´d summarize to English for Jen. David talked afterwards about how you should not be ashamed to talk about God and to give yourself to Him. I was pretty tired after church, so even though there was a goodbye party for Todd, I had to head off to bed.
After lunch we got one of the special needs classes completed (that only comes in the afternoons) and the 10th grade. Measuring took the full 1.5 hours of school time this afternoon, so I headed to bible study and supper afterward, then home to change for church.
A Danish man of 23 years gave his testimony while Katja translated from Danish to Spanish for the children in the church. From time to time, I´d summarize to English for Jen. David talked afterwards about how you should not be ashamed to talk about God and to give yourself to Him. I was pretty tired after church, so even though there was a goodbye party for Todd, I had to head off to bed.
August 11th - Library Work
We went to circle and breakfast with the little girls again, heading home afterward for a 5-10 minute break before spending the entire morning at school taking more measurements. We finished all elementary school with the exception of the special needs classes that only run in the afternoon, so we headed to the high school classes where we measured every class except the one Andrés had been going to.
We broke for lunch and after lunch helped Jessica (a long-term volunteer) in the library. She is taking inventory and recategorizing the library, since the current system is not working. She gave me her flash drive to start making changes to the existing list, but when I got home after supper and put her disk into Bob´s laptop, there was a big error message about a Trojan virus on her disk. The only option for inventory at this point was for me to start typing the 40+ pages of inventory (title, author, number of copies, old catalog # and new catalog #) by hand.
During supper, Jen went with Jessica to hand out medicines. Jessica may be going on vacation next week, so Jen could fill in for her. She stayed afterward to play volleyball and games with the team volunteers and was at the volunteer house when David & Lydia came over to share their testimony. Since it was fresh in her mind, I had her tell it to Andrés. It was an amazing story! You´ll have to ask her about it sometime.
We broke for lunch and after lunch helped Jessica (a long-term volunteer) in the library. She is taking inventory and recategorizing the library, since the current system is not working. She gave me her flash drive to start making changes to the existing list, but when I got home after supper and put her disk into Bob´s laptop, there was a big error message about a Trojan virus on her disk. The only option for inventory at this point was for me to start typing the 40+ pages of inventory (title, author, number of copies, old catalog # and new catalog #) by hand.
During supper, Jen went with Jessica to hand out medicines. Jessica may be going on vacation next week, so Jen could fill in for her. She stayed afterward to play volleyball and games with the team volunteers and was at the volunteer house when David & Lydia came over to share their testimony. Since it was fresh in her mind, I had her tell it to Andrés. It was an amazing story! You´ll have to ask her about it sometime.
August 10th - Measuring the Children
Today was the first day we got to participate in circle since we got here late Friday morning. Circle is a morning devotion where the children begin by singing songs and then get a small message for the day. We had missed circle by a few hours on Friday and there isn´t circle on Saturdays & Sundays. Jen & I went to the little girls circle and Andrés headed to the older boys. They sang songs in English and Spanish and a few in Danish. Then Merethe spoke about opening your heart and listening to God.
After breakfast, Jen & I helped the volunteer team measure the kids to post their sizes on the internet for their sponsors - in case their sponsors would like to buy them clothes for Christmas. At first, the team started taking all measurements for each child individually, so when one child´s measurements were done, then they moved on to the next. They had about 6-8 people just standing around doing nothing (not to mention there are well over 400 children at the orphanage who needed sizing done). I came up with an "assembly line" type of system so we could get the kids through faster...minimizing the amount of time they´d be missing class, allowing all volunteers to participate and stay busy measuring, and also maximizing the number of children we got sized per hour. Jen and another volunteer would call a name of a child and that child would get a post-it note with their name on it. They´d come to me first and I´d measure their height (in inches and centimeters) and write it on their paper, then they´d go to the next volunteer for another measurement, and keep moving until their final measurement (shoe size) at the end. The lady measuring feet kept the post-it and gave it to a girl who would record it on her long list of students. During the 2 hours we worked yesterday we got all but 2 classes from the 1st grade through the 6th grade (and most grades had 2 classrooms full of students).
After having lunch with the little girls, Jen, Andrés and I went in to town to get a phone card and some groceries. We should be set for the 2 weeks now. We went to bible study at 3pm and Merethe talked about the 10 Commandments, first checking to see how many girls knew all 10, then going on to talk about how the first set of commandments are for God and the 2nd set had been given to honor each other. When bible study was over, Merethe asked if I´d like to lead next Monday´s bible study for the little and medium girls...HOW EXCITING!
The little girls I was in charge of bathing last year remembered me & all the way to supper were begging for me to come and help them take baths once again. After supper, we headed to the older boys soccer activities that were being put on by the volunteer group (since Saturday´s activities were only for the young & medium children). Andrés played basketball in the gym while that was going on.
Jen & I headed back after the soccer activities, but Andrés stayed for a bit to play volleyball with the volunteer team. We made a few calls home and most likely used up an entire phone card doing it, then called it a night.
After breakfast, Jen & I helped the volunteer team measure the kids to post their sizes on the internet for their sponsors - in case their sponsors would like to buy them clothes for Christmas. At first, the team started taking all measurements for each child individually, so when one child´s measurements were done, then they moved on to the next. They had about 6-8 people just standing around doing nothing (not to mention there are well over 400 children at the orphanage who needed sizing done). I came up with an "assembly line" type of system so we could get the kids through faster...minimizing the amount of time they´d be missing class, allowing all volunteers to participate and stay busy measuring, and also maximizing the number of children we got sized per hour. Jen and another volunteer would call a name of a child and that child would get a post-it note with their name on it. They´d come to me first and I´d measure their height (in inches and centimeters) and write it on their paper, then they´d go to the next volunteer for another measurement, and keep moving until their final measurement (shoe size) at the end. The lady measuring feet kept the post-it and gave it to a girl who would record it on her long list of students. During the 2 hours we worked yesterday we got all but 2 classes from the 1st grade through the 6th grade (and most grades had 2 classrooms full of students).
After having lunch with the little girls, Jen, Andrés and I went in to town to get a phone card and some groceries. We should be set for the 2 weeks now. We went to bible study at 3pm and Merethe talked about the 10 Commandments, first checking to see how many girls knew all 10, then going on to talk about how the first set of commandments are for God and the 2nd set had been given to honor each other. When bible study was over, Merethe asked if I´d like to lead next Monday´s bible study for the little and medium girls...HOW EXCITING!
The little girls I was in charge of bathing last year remembered me & all the way to supper were begging for me to come and help them take baths once again. After supper, we headed to the older boys soccer activities that were being put on by the volunteer group (since Saturday´s activities were only for the young & medium children). Andrés played basketball in the gym while that was going on.
Jen & I headed back after the soccer activities, but Andrés stayed for a bit to play volleyball with the volunteer team. We made a few calls home and most likely used up an entire phone card doing it, then called it a night.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
August 9th - Our Wisconsin Flag
After eating breakfast with the little girls, we headed to church. I saw David & Lydia (the founders of Emmanuel) before heading in to church, so gave him the flag of Wisconsin that my dad had bought. Last year I had noticed that there are many flags hung inside the church of the countries and states of the many volunteers Emmanuel has had over the years. They did not have a Wisconsin flag, which I made note of in one of my blogs. By the time I returned to the States last year, my dad had already purchased one for me to take this year!
The preacher was a pastor from the volunteer group and as he spoke each sentence in English, another of their volunteers translated for the many children. He talked about Solomon and also about the prodical son, and how when God speaks that we are to listen and respond. God rejoices when you go to Him.
After church, I started a load of laundry and then we went to have lunch with the little girls...all the while, Andrés played chess with the older boys. We walked down to the entrance of Emmanuel where they have a store and a little restaurant, and Jenny bought the last black, non-termite-infested baseball cap with Emmanuel´s logo embroidered on it.
Around 2pm, I brought one of the 50 (or so) Disney movies in Spanish that had belonged to Andrés to the dining hall for the young girls to watch. Merethe said they had never seen Anastasia before. These were all movies Andrés had accumulated over the years on VHS, and since we don´t watch them nearly as much anymore, I thought they would get a lot more use down here...and all the better that they are completely in Spanish!!!
We had supper after the movie and then went back to the farmhouse for the rest of the evening.
The preacher was a pastor from the volunteer group and as he spoke each sentence in English, another of their volunteers translated for the many children. He talked about Solomon and also about the prodical son, and how when God speaks that we are to listen and respond. God rejoices when you go to Him.
After church, I started a load of laundry and then we went to have lunch with the little girls...all the while, Andrés played chess with the older boys. We walked down to the entrance of Emmanuel where they have a store and a little restaurant, and Jenny bought the last black, non-termite-infested baseball cap with Emmanuel´s logo embroidered on it.
Around 2pm, I brought one of the 50 (or so) Disney movies in Spanish that had belonged to Andrés to the dining hall for the young girls to watch. Merethe said they had never seen Anastasia before. These were all movies Andrés had accumulated over the years on VHS, and since we don´t watch them nearly as much anymore, I thought they would get a lot more use down here...and all the better that they are completely in Spanish!!!
We had supper after the movie and then went back to the farmhouse for the rest of the evening.
August 8th - A Soccer Tournament
We woke up this morning and went to eat breakfast with the little girls. We had granola cereal, Mott´s applesauce (expired, but only by a few months) and a bubble gum vitamin. At 9am we headed to the gym to help the volunteer team with the soccer activities for the day. The little and medium girls went through the drills and tournament games from 9am until noon.
There was a clown, face painting, a water balloon toss, a bean bag toss, and even people who made animals/swords/hats out of those long hotdog-type balloons! While I watched the beginnings of the water balloon toss, I accidentally stepped on an ENORMOUS ant hill. There must´ve been hundreds on my shoes and socks, before they finally reached my leg and started biting. I will definitely be watching my step from here on out! Andrés and I spent all morning filling water balloons to replenish the ones that had broken (and the ones that the girls were consistently stealing & breaking).
We served the girls lunch: hotdogs, beans & chips. We had a small break before the little and medium boys came from 1pm until 4pm. For this group, they needed someone to do that face-painting, so I volunteered. When the activities were over, we served the boys the same foods for supper. Jen, Andrés & I definitely got sunburned!!!
After all of the soccer activities, Jen & I decided to retire to the house for the evening, while Andrés went to play some chess with the older boys. He was very excited that many of them knew how to play chess! When he got back, we chatted for a while before calling it a night.
There was a clown, face painting, a water balloon toss, a bean bag toss, and even people who made animals/swords/hats out of those long hotdog-type balloons! While I watched the beginnings of the water balloon toss, I accidentally stepped on an ENORMOUS ant hill. There must´ve been hundreds on my shoes and socks, before they finally reached my leg and started biting. I will definitely be watching my step from here on out! Andrés and I spent all morning filling water balloons to replenish the ones that had broken (and the ones that the girls were consistently stealing & breaking).
We served the girls lunch: hotdogs, beans & chips. We had a small break before the little and medium boys came from 1pm until 4pm. For this group, they needed someone to do that face-painting, so I volunteered. When the activities were over, we served the boys the same foods for supper. Jen, Andrés & I definitely got sunburned!!!
After all of the soccer activities, Jen & I decided to retire to the house for the evening, while Andrés went to play some chess with the older boys. He was very excited that many of them knew how to play chess! When he got back, we chatted for a while before calling it a night.
August 7th - Orphanage Emmanuel
After getting up early this morning, we took a taxi to the bust station. Unfortunately when we got there, we found out we were at the wrong station! One of the workers at that station was SUPER kind and offered to take us in his truck to the right bus station so that we could make the bus before it left. When we got there, I tried to give him some money for gas, but he said "No Cobro", meaning I don´t want any money. I begged him to take the L$20 because he had been so kind. Not only did he help us get the tickets & get on the right bus, but he also stopped a guy from stealing Jen´s suitcase from beneath the bus after we had already boarded the bus!!! He was truly a guardian angel sent by God today to help us out.
We got to Guaimaca without problems today...Andrés took his Dramamine that we had to purchase in Tegus. From the bus stop, we grabbed a taxi to get to Emmanuel. Once at Emmanuel, we caught up with Katja and Lydia and they gave us the keys to the farmhouse. Andrés went on ahead with Wade and the luggage. It is actually a 2 bedroom duplex. A Danish couple (Annette & Daniel) live on the other side. It was much too big for the 3 of us. One bedroom had 3 beds, and the other had 4.
When we got settled in with the luggage, we ran into town to get some groceries from their local supermarket (which, by the way, is not ANYTHING like our Walmart-Superstores). On the way into town, we ran into Tammi who is in charge of the medium girls house. After putting the groceries away, I gave Andrés & Jen a tour of the orphanage.
Towards the end of the tour, we got to the school and school was actually getting out, so I saw Merethe and she wanted to take me immediately to Doris...saying that Doris was just starting to slip in school & actually needed me to be there (in Emmanuel) at that moment. When I saw Doris, she was in complete shock. Although I told her last year that I would come back, I never got to give her exact dates. It was GREAT to see her!
We ate supper at 3:45pm. Andrés had to go eat with the boys since it´s expected that you eat with your own gender. Jen & I went to eat with the young girls (who I was with last year). After supper, we headed to the soccer field since a volunteer group was running games and drills for the girls. Jen had the soccer expertise and I translated how the drills were supposed to go. When the games were over for the night, Jen handed out some of the "paletas picantes" (Mexican chili-coated suckers I had purchased in the States).
When we got back to the farmhouse, I called Noah to say goodnight. We waited for Andrés to get back to hear about his afternoon...but I´ll let you read his blog to know about that!
We got to Guaimaca without problems today...Andrés took his Dramamine that we had to purchase in Tegus. From the bus stop, we grabbed a taxi to get to Emmanuel. Once at Emmanuel, we caught up with Katja and Lydia and they gave us the keys to the farmhouse. Andrés went on ahead with Wade and the luggage. It is actually a 2 bedroom duplex. A Danish couple (Annette & Daniel) live on the other side. It was much too big for the 3 of us. One bedroom had 3 beds, and the other had 4.
When we got settled in with the luggage, we ran into town to get some groceries from their local supermarket (which, by the way, is not ANYTHING like our Walmart-Superstores). On the way into town, we ran into Tammi who is in charge of the medium girls house. After putting the groceries away, I gave Andrés & Jen a tour of the orphanage.
Towards the end of the tour, we got to the school and school was actually getting out, so I saw Merethe and she wanted to take me immediately to Doris...saying that Doris was just starting to slip in school & actually needed me to be there (in Emmanuel) at that moment. When I saw Doris, she was in complete shock. Although I told her last year that I would come back, I never got to give her exact dates. It was GREAT to see her!
We ate supper at 3:45pm. Andrés had to go eat with the boys since it´s expected that you eat with your own gender. Jen & I went to eat with the young girls (who I was with last year). After supper, we headed to the soccer field since a volunteer group was running games and drills for the girls. Jen had the soccer expertise and I translated how the drills were supposed to go. When the games were over for the night, Jen handed out some of the "paletas picantes" (Mexican chili-coated suckers I had purchased in the States).
When we got back to the farmhouse, I called Noah to say goodnight. We waited for Andrés to get back to hear about his afternoon...but I´ll let you read his blog to know about that!
Saturday, August 15, 2009
August 6th - Visiting Eduardo
Sorry about the delay in posting, we found out when we arrived to Orphanage Emmanuel that there was no longer wireless (ask me about it when I get back...there IS a reason why). So, to backtrack for you...
On August 6th, I woke up around 5am, showered and read my Bible while waiting for Jenny and Andrés to wake up. We went to a place called Super Donuts to have breakfast quickly, then headed back to our hotel room to wait for our ride to visit Eduardo. Eduardo is the child that Andrés sponsors through Compassion International.
A man named Oscar picked us up just after 9am and took us to the Compassion project. Eduardo, Elena (his mom) and various Compassion staff were there to meet us. They were all surprised to see that Andrés was the same age as Eduardo...aparently Andrés is an OLD MAN´s name in Honduras. They showed us the church (which has over 1300 members) and classrooms, and talked about the Compassion program which takes a holistic approach to educating children (spiritually, academically, medically and socially).
We made a quick stop at Eduardo´s great-grandmother´s house. She is 83 years old and cares for a 6-year old and another child all by herself. She walked with a limp, because she was on that plane last year which crashed in that lake in New York (sorry, I can´t remember the details well). She had been visiting her daughter in New York City.
Our next stop was to Eduardo´s house where we sat and talked. He showed Andrés his room which has a twin bed that he shares with his 11-year old brother Guillermo. So I told Andrés that when Noah crawls in with him in the middle of the night (which happens a lot), Andrés should be thankful that Noah is only 4 years old and still pretty small yet! Andrés gave the family all of the gifts we had sent to them and even had time to play Kerplunk (a family game that was included in the gifts) with Eduardo and Guillermo so they would remember how to play it after we had left. They played twice and set it up for a 3rd time, but we had to go eat to stay on schedule.
We gave them a picture of our family with our names on it, so they would be able to more easily remember. I guess Andrés has never sent a picture of himself to Eduardo! We let Eduardo choose where to eat and so went to Burger King in a very upscale mall in Tegucigalpa. After that we headed to the mall´s arcade where Andrés and Eduardo started by playing a basketball shooting game, then moved on to air hockey, followed by soccer & ended up playing balladium - which was probably the game they had the most fun at...Ask Andrés about it or he´ll most likely have it on his blog when he gets it posted. We treated the group to some ice-cream before saying our goodbyes.
I had some great chats with Eduardo´s mom (who accompanied him the entire time) while the boys were getting to know each other. For those of you who think that Bob & I have a lot of children, Elen had TEN children (2 have since died)...and she´s only 45 years young! She is such a nice person and you can definitely see that she LOVES her family.
We took a taxi to EL CENTRO to blog and eat at the Mexican restaurant. Then we headed out to look at Honduran clothing. Both Jen & I got a couple of cute things! Our taxi driver got lost on the way back to the hotel, so we saw some pretty rough parts of Comayaguela. (I´ll bet you´re asking why I wrote Comayaguela & not Tegucigalpa) These two cities are 2 very different cities, but two that have grown so much they seem like one...sort of like Neenah-Menasha, they are only separated by a river. Because Comayaguela is not the capital, it is not as well kept. Hotels are a lot cheaper on this side of the river, which is why we´re here. All-in-all it was a great day and I´m so glad that Andrés had this opportunity!
On August 6th, I woke up around 5am, showered and read my Bible while waiting for Jenny and Andrés to wake up. We went to a place called Super Donuts to have breakfast quickly, then headed back to our hotel room to wait for our ride to visit Eduardo. Eduardo is the child that Andrés sponsors through Compassion International.
A man named Oscar picked us up just after 9am and took us to the Compassion project. Eduardo, Elena (his mom) and various Compassion staff were there to meet us. They were all surprised to see that Andrés was the same age as Eduardo...aparently Andrés is an OLD MAN´s name in Honduras. They showed us the church (which has over 1300 members) and classrooms, and talked about the Compassion program which takes a holistic approach to educating children (spiritually, academically, medically and socially).
We made a quick stop at Eduardo´s great-grandmother´s house. She is 83 years old and cares for a 6-year old and another child all by herself. She walked with a limp, because she was on that plane last year which crashed in that lake in New York (sorry, I can´t remember the details well). She had been visiting her daughter in New York City.
Our next stop was to Eduardo´s house where we sat and talked. He showed Andrés his room which has a twin bed that he shares with his 11-year old brother Guillermo. So I told Andrés that when Noah crawls in with him in the middle of the night (which happens a lot), Andrés should be thankful that Noah is only 4 years old and still pretty small yet! Andrés gave the family all of the gifts we had sent to them and even had time to play Kerplunk (a family game that was included in the gifts) with Eduardo and Guillermo so they would remember how to play it after we had left. They played twice and set it up for a 3rd time, but we had to go eat to stay on schedule.
We gave them a picture of our family with our names on it, so they would be able to more easily remember. I guess Andrés has never sent a picture of himself to Eduardo! We let Eduardo choose where to eat and so went to Burger King in a very upscale mall in Tegucigalpa. After that we headed to the mall´s arcade where Andrés and Eduardo started by playing a basketball shooting game, then moved on to air hockey, followed by soccer & ended up playing balladium - which was probably the game they had the most fun at...Ask Andrés about it or he´ll most likely have it on his blog when he gets it posted. We treated the group to some ice-cream before saying our goodbyes.
I had some great chats with Eduardo´s mom (who accompanied him the entire time) while the boys were getting to know each other. For those of you who think that Bob & I have a lot of children, Elen had TEN children (2 have since died)...and she´s only 45 years young! She is such a nice person and you can definitely see that she LOVES her family.
We took a taxi to EL CENTRO to blog and eat at the Mexican restaurant. Then we headed out to look at Honduran clothing. Both Jen & I got a couple of cute things! Our taxi driver got lost on the way back to the hotel, so we saw some pretty rough parts of Comayaguela. (I´ll bet you´re asking why I wrote Comayaguela & not Tegucigalpa) These two cities are 2 very different cities, but two that have grown so much they seem like one...sort of like Neenah-Menasha, they are only separated by a river. Because Comayaguela is not the capital, it is not as well kept. Hotels are a lot cheaper on this side of the river, which is why we´re here. All-in-all it was a great day and I´m so glad that Andrés had this opportunity!
Thursday, August 6, 2009
In Tegucigalpa
I got up at 5am to blog this morning since the wireless was working. I showered and began blogging before waking up Jen & Andrés. Blanca served us coffee, eggs, whole grain bread, beans and fried plantains for breakfast. She also set out a Honduran cream (or "crema" as we call it in our house) for us to put on the beans and eggs for flavor. Jen said she normally doesn´t care for beans, but the crema made it really good!
Luis drove us to the bus station at 7:30. We had issues once again with our carry-ons. Mine & Andrés´ were too large, so had to go underneath the bus with the checked baggage. Once we were checked in, all went well. The movie playing on the bus (it was a coach bus) was Anaconda. Jen says she´s been meaning to rent that one for the past month becase she´s only seen bits ´n´pieces of the movie...she slept through most of it this time too!
We stopped 1/2 way at a restaurant and store in a small pueblo called Sigatepec. When we got off the bus, Andrés said he didn´t feel very good (car sickness). We went to the bathroom and walked around a bit, and he got really hungry. Since the restaurant had a buffet, we sat down for a meal ($8 filled up the 3 of us!) Of course, when we got back on the bus...Andrés got sick again about 20 minutes into the ride. I never thought to bring dramamine, although Julie would probably strongly recommend it for Andrés when riding on a bus in the mountains in a 3rd world country (ask her about it sometime).
When we got to the bus staion, we got a taxi driver (who I was extremely disappointed in) to take us to the hotel. We checked in to the hotel and then took off for downtown to find a camera cord to charge Jen´s camera, some dramamine for Andrés and a cell phone for us to call home should we need it. Cheap cell phones cost $20-30USD down here and it costs about 5 cents per minute to call to the United States. I figured it would be worth it in an emergency. Unfortunately we got everything we set out for, except the camera cord.
Since the wireless didn´t work at the hotel, we grabbed a bite at a Mexican (yes, MEXICAN) restaurant before going to a ciber-café to pay $1 for an hour of internet access. Jen & Andrés needed to get their blog up. Then we headed to Café Milonga, a small Argentinan restaurant where Karlita works. For those of you who read this blog last year, Karlita was the girl who broke her arm and rode 2 hours on the chicken bus on mostly dirt roads to get to the hospital to have it set in a cast. She was the one who used Linda´s sling and whose "dorm children" I helped shower and put to bed each night. The expression on her face when she saw me was priceless! I wish we had a camera to get a picture of the two of us, but Jen used Andrés´so much, his batteries were dead too!
Andrés did buy rechargeable batteries in the "centro" but when we got back to the hotel, he realized that he left them in the taxi. We watched a movie and called it a night.
Luis drove us to the bus station at 7:30. We had issues once again with our carry-ons. Mine & Andrés´ were too large, so had to go underneath the bus with the checked baggage. Once we were checked in, all went well. The movie playing on the bus (it was a coach bus) was Anaconda. Jen says she´s been meaning to rent that one for the past month becase she´s only seen bits ´n´pieces of the movie...she slept through most of it this time too!
We stopped 1/2 way at a restaurant and store in a small pueblo called Sigatepec. When we got off the bus, Andrés said he didn´t feel very good (car sickness). We went to the bathroom and walked around a bit, and he got really hungry. Since the restaurant had a buffet, we sat down for a meal ($8 filled up the 3 of us!) Of course, when we got back on the bus...Andrés got sick again about 20 minutes into the ride. I never thought to bring dramamine, although Julie would probably strongly recommend it for Andrés when riding on a bus in the mountains in a 3rd world country (ask her about it sometime).
When we got to the bus staion, we got a taxi driver (who I was extremely disappointed in) to take us to the hotel. We checked in to the hotel and then took off for downtown to find a camera cord to charge Jen´s camera, some dramamine for Andrés and a cell phone for us to call home should we need it. Cheap cell phones cost $20-30USD down here and it costs about 5 cents per minute to call to the United States. I figured it would be worth it in an emergency. Unfortunately we got everything we set out for, except the camera cord.
Since the wireless didn´t work at the hotel, we grabbed a bite at a Mexican (yes, MEXICAN) restaurant before going to a ciber-café to pay $1 for an hour of internet access. Jen & Andrés needed to get their blog up. Then we headed to Café Milonga, a small Argentinan restaurant where Karlita works. For those of you who read this blog last year, Karlita was the girl who broke her arm and rode 2 hours on the chicken bus on mostly dirt roads to get to the hospital to have it set in a cast. She was the one who used Linda´s sling and whose "dorm children" I helped shower and put to bed each night. The expression on her face when she saw me was priceless! I wish we had a camera to get a picture of the two of us, but Jen used Andrés´so much, his batteries were dead too!
Andrés did buy rechargeable batteries in the "centro" but when we got back to the hotel, he realized that he left them in the taxi. We watched a movie and called it a night.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Our Day of Travels
Hello to all!
I wanted to get a blog out on Monday, but with our flights being stepped up we were running errands seemingly nonstop. Andrés was up to blog on Monday night and put a picture of our donations on his page as well. If you'd like to see all the details along with the picture of the 225 POUNDS of donations that were shipped down on Monday, go to Andrés; blog at: http://emmanuelexperience.blogspot.com/
We were supposed to leave out of O'Hare today at 6:20pm, but our flight got bumped up to 9:20am due to the national curfew in Honduras. This means we had to leave our house around 2:30am to get there in time to check in. I finally got to sleep Monday night around 10:30pm and set the alarm for 12:30am (so I could get a shower in before a day of travel and be sure we were ready)...so I was operating off of about 2 hours of sleep. My dad accompanied us down there, so that I wouldn't have to pay outrageous prices for long-term parking at O'Hare. Dad, Jenny & Andrés slept on the way down and woke up at the last toll when a huge plane went overhead as I was rolling down the window to throw the money in the toll booth.
At O'Hare, after we were unloaded, Dad took off for home. We arrived around 5:45am but were told that we couldn't check in until 7am, so we just waited around talking. The check-in went well at first, but after we got our luggage weighed and sent to the plane, we had to go with our carry-ons to the checkpoint. I went first, and my carry-on had to go through again because my Bible was too thick for security to see through to the rest of the carry-on. Andrés was next. When he carry-on came through the lady told him he had to send his carry-on through again and TAKE OUT HIS LAPTOP!!! Andrés was confused because he didn't have a laptop...I told him she probably meant his DVD player since those new netbooks are about the same size. He took his DVD player out and resent everything through and all was fine. Then it was Jenny's turn! Any liquids you have in your carry-on must be in their original 3-ounce containers and placed in a quart-sized ziplock bag. She had 2 Special K drinks, but although they were in the ziplock bag, they were much more than 3-ounces; so she was told to get rid of them. She quickly chugged one before pitching it in the trash and just threw the other one out. Then she also had some ranch dressing (for her celery to eat on the plane) which was in a Tupperware container that had to get emptied out. Good thing there was a McDonald's (which had packets of ranch dressing) on the inside of the airport after checking in!
We flew to Ft. Lauderdale/Miami. I was amazed by the Everglades!!! Bob & I like to watch CSI: Miami, so we always see clips here & there of the Everglades, but I didn't realize how vast they actually are! We didn't see any alligators though.
When we got off the plane, my knee started bothering me (an injury I got playing softball for church a few months back). It's probably because I was cramped in that seat for 3 hours, but it was the only part of my body that ached when I got off. I hadn't went to the doctor about it back then, but guess I'll have to now when I get back because I know it's not healed fully or properly.
We were at the airport for about 3 hours before getting on the flight to San Pedro Sula. Jenny and Andrés joked about how we got on the plane at 5:35pm and got off of the plane at 5:41pm, but the plane ride seemed like quite a bit more than 6 minutes! It was a 2-hour flight, but Miami and Honduras are 2 time zones away...those times above were Miami departure time & Honduras arrival time. Speaking of Jenny, she took so many pictures in the planes that she ran out of batteries before we even landed in Honduras! We´ll have to stop in Tegus (the capital) to see if we can find her a USB cord to charge her camera since she left hers at home.
When we got into Honduras, we went through immigration and Luis was waiting for us on the other side to take us to his place. He is the owner of a bed & breakfast here that has gotten great reviews online. While we were in the parking lot, a very small boy (probably about Noah & Alina's size) asked Andrés to put his suitcases in Luis' van for him. Although I specifically told Jenny & Andrés NOT to let anyone touch their suitcases, Andrés let the boy grab them and load them. I told Andrés that he'd have to give the boy $1USD out of his pocket. There's his first cultural experience!
Luis took us to the bed & breakfast, driving us by tons of Pizza Huts, Burger Kings, McDonald's, Little Ceasar's, KFC, Popeyes and even an Applebee's!!! America has really made their way down into this big city. They even got to see 2 shopping malls on the way as well (and a Sears)! This is not where we're staying, we still have quite a bit of traveling to do over the next 3 days, but I think they ALMOST felt at home. You could definitely tell the difference in the architecture and when you saw the houses though. They also noticed the crazy driving and said that everyone here drives like Joe & Bapa.
The street outside of the B&B was completely ruined. Due to the construction of all of the "American buildings" like hotels, restaurants and malls...the nearest mall had to build a reservoir in order to block a river that passed through where they wanted to go build. When it´s the rainy season (like now) the water builds up and they release what´s in the reservoir each night, which runs down the streets like a huge river. The front of Luis & Blanca´s home (where the B&B is located) is torn up really bad. Andrés took a picture of it.
We got settled into our room and Luis took us to a small local restaurant which served Yuca and Tacos de Pollo (chicken tacos). Everyone filled up for $5!!! The kids noticed that this kind of meal at Applebee's would've probably run just over $30. They really enjoyed it. We came back to the room and I went to sleep while the other two watched them movie Hitch on Andrés' DVD player.
I'm thankful that we arrived to this city first, so the kids wouldn't go into complete culture shock. This'll be a good transition for what's to come.
I wanted to get a blog out on Monday, but with our flights being stepped up we were running errands seemingly nonstop. Andrés was up to blog on Monday night and put a picture of our donations on his page as well. If you'd like to see all the details along with the picture of the 225 POUNDS of donations that were shipped down on Monday, go to Andrés; blog at: http://emmanuelexperience.blogspot.com/
We were supposed to leave out of O'Hare today at 6:20pm, but our flight got bumped up to 9:20am due to the national curfew in Honduras. This means we had to leave our house around 2:30am to get there in time to check in. I finally got to sleep Monday night around 10:30pm and set the alarm for 12:30am (so I could get a shower in before a day of travel and be sure we were ready)...so I was operating off of about 2 hours of sleep. My dad accompanied us down there, so that I wouldn't have to pay outrageous prices for long-term parking at O'Hare. Dad, Jenny & Andrés slept on the way down and woke up at the last toll when a huge plane went overhead as I was rolling down the window to throw the money in the toll booth.
At O'Hare, after we were unloaded, Dad took off for home. We arrived around 5:45am but were told that we couldn't check in until 7am, so we just waited around talking. The check-in went well at first, but after we got our luggage weighed and sent to the plane, we had to go with our carry-ons to the checkpoint. I went first, and my carry-on had to go through again because my Bible was too thick for security to see through to the rest of the carry-on. Andrés was next. When he carry-on came through the lady told him he had to send his carry-on through again and TAKE OUT HIS LAPTOP!!! Andrés was confused because he didn't have a laptop...I told him she probably meant his DVD player since those new netbooks are about the same size. He took his DVD player out and resent everything through and all was fine. Then it was Jenny's turn! Any liquids you have in your carry-on must be in their original 3-ounce containers and placed in a quart-sized ziplock bag. She had 2 Special K drinks, but although they were in the ziplock bag, they were much more than 3-ounces; so she was told to get rid of them. She quickly chugged one before pitching it in the trash and just threw the other one out. Then she also had some ranch dressing (for her celery to eat on the plane) which was in a Tupperware container that had to get emptied out. Good thing there was a McDonald's (which had packets of ranch dressing) on the inside of the airport after checking in!
We flew to Ft. Lauderdale/Miami. I was amazed by the Everglades!!! Bob & I like to watch CSI: Miami, so we always see clips here & there of the Everglades, but I didn't realize how vast they actually are! We didn't see any alligators though.
When we got off the plane, my knee started bothering me (an injury I got playing softball for church a few months back). It's probably because I was cramped in that seat for 3 hours, but it was the only part of my body that ached when I got off. I hadn't went to the doctor about it back then, but guess I'll have to now when I get back because I know it's not healed fully or properly.
We were at the airport for about 3 hours before getting on the flight to San Pedro Sula. Jenny and Andrés joked about how we got on the plane at 5:35pm and got off of the plane at 5:41pm, but the plane ride seemed like quite a bit more than 6 minutes! It was a 2-hour flight, but Miami and Honduras are 2 time zones away...those times above were Miami departure time & Honduras arrival time. Speaking of Jenny, she took so many pictures in the planes that she ran out of batteries before we even landed in Honduras! We´ll have to stop in Tegus (the capital) to see if we can find her a USB cord to charge her camera since she left hers at home.
When we got into Honduras, we went through immigration and Luis was waiting for us on the other side to take us to his place. He is the owner of a bed & breakfast here that has gotten great reviews online. While we were in the parking lot, a very small boy (probably about Noah & Alina's size) asked Andrés to put his suitcases in Luis' van for him. Although I specifically told Jenny & Andrés NOT to let anyone touch their suitcases, Andrés let the boy grab them and load them. I told Andrés that he'd have to give the boy $1USD out of his pocket. There's his first cultural experience!
Luis took us to the bed & breakfast, driving us by tons of Pizza Huts, Burger Kings, McDonald's, Little Ceasar's, KFC, Popeyes and even an Applebee's!!! America has really made their way down into this big city. They even got to see 2 shopping malls on the way as well (and a Sears)! This is not where we're staying, we still have quite a bit of traveling to do over the next 3 days, but I think they ALMOST felt at home. You could definitely tell the difference in the architecture and when you saw the houses though. They also noticed the crazy driving and said that everyone here drives like Joe & Bapa.
The street outside of the B&B was completely ruined. Due to the construction of all of the "American buildings" like hotels, restaurants and malls...the nearest mall had to build a reservoir in order to block a river that passed through where they wanted to go build. When it´s the rainy season (like now) the water builds up and they release what´s in the reservoir each night, which runs down the streets like a huge river. The front of Luis & Blanca´s home (where the B&B is located) is torn up really bad. Andrés took a picture of it.
We got settled into our room and Luis took us to a small local restaurant which served Yuca and Tacos de Pollo (chicken tacos). Everyone filled up for $5!!! The kids noticed that this kind of meal at Applebee's would've probably run just over $30. They really enjoyed it. We came back to the room and I went to sleep while the other two watched them movie Hitch on Andrés' DVD player.
I'm thankful that we arrived to this city first, so the kids wouldn't go into complete culture shock. This'll be a good transition for what's to come.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Getting Involved
I've been trying to spend quality time all week with the younger 3 kids and take them to events they would really enjoy before taking off for Honduras. In a way, I thought "we'll have so much fun, that they'll get sick of being around me and will be able to do without me for a few weeks while I'm away." We had plans to go to Mosquito Hill in New London for the day, but rain came in and our plans were cancelled.
My high-school girlfriend came down with her son who is Andrés' age, and we just spent a few hours together talking while the boys played. It was relaxing and a way to catch up on some much needed time with an old friend. I often get so caught up in the day-to-day tasks that come with having 4 children, that I am too tired by the end of the night to even have a phone conversation with friends. I rarely realize how much time actually passes inbetween my visits with friends. It's always a special treat to be able to spend that time with them as well.
My last journal entry was titled "Coincidence" with an explanation of why...it's interesting how God can daily remind us of His purpose for us. We just need to listen to His gentle whispers.
Yesterday's devotion was entitled Getting Involved. These exerpts have been coming from the Our Daily Bread pamphlet series that is sitting on the welcome table at New Hope. This particular day's focus was on the story of the good Samaritan and going to those in need. Here was the 3rd paragraph that I read in its entirety:
"It's easy to find reasons not to get involved. Busyness, indifference, and fear often top the list. Yet as we seek to follow our Lord faithfully, we will become more aware of opportunities to show the kind of compassion He showed."
Towards the bottom is the following poem:
And the last phrase in bold:
For our entire family, God is reaffirming daily that we're doing what He has nudged us to do.
Are YOU listening to God? What is He asking of you?
My high-school girlfriend came down with her son who is Andrés' age, and we just spent a few hours together talking while the boys played. It was relaxing and a way to catch up on some much needed time with an old friend. I often get so caught up in the day-to-day tasks that come with having 4 children, that I am too tired by the end of the night to even have a phone conversation with friends. I rarely realize how much time actually passes inbetween my visits with friends. It's always a special treat to be able to spend that time with them as well.
My last journal entry was titled "Coincidence" with an explanation of why...it's interesting how God can daily remind us of His purpose for us. We just need to listen to His gentle whispers.
Yesterday's devotion was entitled Getting Involved. These exerpts have been coming from the Our Daily Bread pamphlet series that is sitting on the welcome table at New Hope. This particular day's focus was on the story of the good Samaritan and going to those in need. Here was the 3rd paragraph that I read in its entirety:
"It's easy to find reasons not to get involved. Busyness, indifference, and fear often top the list. Yet as we seek to follow our Lord faithfully, we will become more aware of opportunities to show the kind of compassion He showed."
Towards the bottom is the following poem:
When we share another's burden,
We disply God's love and care,
Offering relief and comfort
When life seems too much to bear.
And the last phrase in bold:
True compassion puts love into action.
For our entire family, God is reaffirming daily that we're doing what He has nudged us to do.
Are YOU listening to God? What is He asking of you?
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Coincidence?
Monday and Tuesday were BIG days for us here on 1844 Mary Lane. There have been a lot of "coincidences" happening with the Harmon family this week so far. Although I have not mentioned any of these "coincidences" on my blog, there is ONE friend who is dear to my heart who knows what I'm talking about. This morning was no different in terms of God (NOT coincidence) stepping in once again at the right time...
I remember Kim (a long-term volunteer down at Orphanage Emmanuel) reading the following passage to us last year as one of our devotions together:
I mentioned our gifts on Monday in my blog, and here it is again...God putting His exact words onto my heart this morning as I am reading my One-Year Bible for July 29th. And now I share them with you...so, I ask once again...How are you using your gifts?
This morning I woke up early to send out an email to friends and family about my online journaling (this blog) as well as Andrés' blog. His website is http://emmanuelexperience.blogspot.com/ and he will share with you a (most likely) very different experience since it'll be from a teenager's point of view. Enjoy keeping up with both to paint a complete picture of our trip.
After sending out the mass email this morning, I found out that our flight times had been pushed up 9 hours due to the national curfew in Honduras. So instead of our flight out of Chicago departing at 6:20pm, Andrés and Jen will not be able to sleep in next Tuesday, because the flight heads out at 9:50am. We were planning on arriving into Honduras just after midnight, and spending about 4 hours at the airport before heading to the bus that would take us to Tegus. Since our new flight will arrive around 6pm to Honduras, I had to arrange for an overnight stay in San Pedro Sula before heading out Wednesday morning for Tegus.
This evening after my night class at FVTC, I came home to a very pleasant phone call from Blanca, one of the owners of the bed & breakfast we'll be staying at in San Pedro Sula. Her husband will be picking us up from the airport to take us to their place. She was SO nice, I can see how their establishment has received such great reviews regarding their hospitality!
After talking with Blanca, I decided that I'd better call the hotel in Tegus to confirm our reservations for Wednesday & Thursday next week. They were extremely pleasant as well. This hotel is connected to the bus line that will be transporting us from San Pedro Sula to the capital, so I asked about the news reports we've been hearing of road blocks between the major cities. He admitted that the bus line was affected in early July but assured me that the roadblocks have moved to the southern part of Honduras now and were no longer an issue.
I am getting more excited with each day, yet very much valuing the time I have left with Alina, Noah & Kaylyn (and of course, my wonderful husband Bob).
I remember Kim (a long-term volunteer down at Orphanage Emmanuel) reading the following passage to us last year as one of our devotions together:
We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.
If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.
If it is serving, let him serve;
if it is teaching, let him teach;
if it is encouraging, let him encourage;
if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously;
if it is leadership, let him govern diligently;
if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
Romans 12:6-8
I mentioned our gifts on Monday in my blog, and here it is again...God putting His exact words onto my heart this morning as I am reading my One-Year Bible for July 29th. And now I share them with you...so, I ask once again...How are you using your gifts?
This morning I woke up early to send out an email to friends and family about my online journaling (this blog) as well as Andrés' blog. His website is http://emmanuelexperience.blogspot.com/ and he will share with you a (most likely) very different experience since it'll be from a teenager's point of view. Enjoy keeping up with both to paint a complete picture of our trip.
After sending out the mass email this morning, I found out that our flight times had been pushed up 9 hours due to the national curfew in Honduras. So instead of our flight out of Chicago departing at 6:20pm, Andrés and Jen will not be able to sleep in next Tuesday, because the flight heads out at 9:50am. We were planning on arriving into Honduras just after midnight, and spending about 4 hours at the airport before heading to the bus that would take us to Tegus. Since our new flight will arrive around 6pm to Honduras, I had to arrange for an overnight stay in San Pedro Sula before heading out Wednesday morning for Tegus.
This evening after my night class at FVTC, I came home to a very pleasant phone call from Blanca, one of the owners of the bed & breakfast we'll be staying at in San Pedro Sula. Her husband will be picking us up from the airport to take us to their place. She was SO nice, I can see how their establishment has received such great reviews regarding their hospitality!
After talking with Blanca, I decided that I'd better call the hotel in Tegus to confirm our reservations for Wednesday & Thursday next week. They were extremely pleasant as well. This hotel is connected to the bus line that will be transporting us from San Pedro Sula to the capital, so I asked about the news reports we've been hearing of road blocks between the major cities. He admitted that the bus line was affected in early July but assured me that the roadblocks have moved to the southern part of Honduras now and were no longer an issue.
I am getting more excited with each day, yet very much valuing the time I have left with Alina, Noah & Kaylyn (and of course, my wonderful husband Bob).
Monday, July 27, 2009
Thanks Steve!
I had forgotten to mention the most important part of my day yesterday...the message I had heard at New Hope! This came at just the right time for me - the week before we depart for Honduras. God's Word that has been in my head since I had first learned it back in grade school (and of course both Steve & De read it yesterday)...
This is it! This is why I go. I mentioned in my presentation last year (and possibly in my blog last year as well) that everyone has their gifts from God. For some it is to give, for others - to serve, for others still - to preach/teach. God gave me the desire to serve and the ability to speak Spanish, which lead to my choice to go to Honduras. For those who are like me & have the desire to serve, pray to God where He can send you. He may send you out of the country, to a different state, to a different city...or to your neighbors next door...but don't put your gifts on the "back burner", use the gifts that God has given you for His glory today!
I loved the songs chosen for our service yesterday. The one that really touched my heart though was Tim Hughes' God of Justice. This song is now on my MP3 that I'm taking to Honduras with me to constantly remind me of why I'm there. The lyrics are posted below.
God of Justice, Saviour to all
Came to rescue the weak and the poor
Chose to serve and not be served
Jesus, You have called us
Freely we've received
Now freely we will give
We must go live to feed the hungry
Stand beside the broken
We must go
Stepping forward keep us from just singing
Move us into action
We must go
To act justly everyday
Loving mercy in everyway
Walking humbly before You God
You have shown us, what You require
Freely we've received
Now freely we will give
Fill us up and send us out
Fill us up and send us out
Fill us up and send us out Lord
If you haven't had the chance to listen to this or simply would like to take a peaceful moment to watch a video of this song which was attached to a 2008 missions trip to Calcutta, India; go to this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12TI-Nr21N0 .
"...For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me." Then the righteous will answer Him, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?" The King will reply, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."
Matthew 25:35-40
This is it! This is why I go. I mentioned in my presentation last year (and possibly in my blog last year as well) that everyone has their gifts from God. For some it is to give, for others - to serve, for others still - to preach/teach. God gave me the desire to serve and the ability to speak Spanish, which lead to my choice to go to Honduras. For those who are like me & have the desire to serve, pray to God where He can send you. He may send you out of the country, to a different state, to a different city...or to your neighbors next door...but don't put your gifts on the "back burner", use the gifts that God has given you for His glory today!
I loved the songs chosen for our service yesterday. The one that really touched my heart though was Tim Hughes' God of Justice. This song is now on my MP3 that I'm taking to Honduras with me to constantly remind me of why I'm there. The lyrics are posted below.
God of Justice, Saviour to all
Came to rescue the weak and the poor
Chose to serve and not be served
Jesus, You have called us
Freely we've received
Now freely we will give
We must go live to feed the hungry
Stand beside the broken
We must go
Stepping forward keep us from just singing
Move us into action
We must go
To act justly everyday
Loving mercy in everyway
Walking humbly before You God
You have shown us, what You require
Freely we've received
Now freely we will give
Fill us up and send us out
Fill us up and send us out
Fill us up and send us out Lord
If you haven't had the chance to listen to this or simply would like to take a peaceful moment to watch a video of this song which was attached to a 2008 missions trip to Calcutta, India; go to this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12TI-Nr21N0 .
Here's one more great link from Jars of Clay with their song Two Hands: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0h2sUC6wPg .
Thought for the day: How will YOU use YOUR two hands???
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Getting Ready for Orphanage Emmanuel 2009
It's been almost a year since I last made an entry in here...The purpose of this blog is solely to keep you updated on my experiences with Orphanage Emmanuel.
There has been a lot that's happened since last year, namely the fact that I will not be traveling alone this year. Andrés is coming with me as well as my cousin Jennifer! The other big news of Honduras is that on June 28th, the president of Honduras (Manuel Zelaya) was forced out of the country. The situation is rather long to put into one blog, but feel free to either ask me about it or research it. I have been getting updates from the U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa regarding the situation in Honduras and will use these as well as the advice of the orphanage's volunteer coordinator to make an educated decision on our travels.
Another neat aspect to our trip is that Eduardo (Andrés' sponsored child through Compassion International) lives on the south side of Tegus (the capital) which is en route to the orphanage. We applied to visit him in early summer, but had seen on Compassion's website in early July that they had closed 75 locations around the capital due to the political situation and wanting to ensure the children's safety. We had surrendered to the fact that we would most likely not be able to visit Eduardo, but ended up getting an email a week ago saying that the visit would be okay. We were sent an itinerary as well. SO exciting!!!
The following are prayer requests from the Honduras Country Office about the children, family, church partners and staff in Honduras (as noted on the Compassion website):
There has been a lot that's happened since last year, namely the fact that I will not be traveling alone this year. Andrés is coming with me as well as my cousin Jennifer! The other big news of Honduras is that on June 28th, the president of Honduras (Manuel Zelaya) was forced out of the country. The situation is rather long to put into one blog, but feel free to either ask me about it or research it. I have been getting updates from the U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa regarding the situation in Honduras and will use these as well as the advice of the orphanage's volunteer coordinator to make an educated decision on our travels.
Another neat aspect to our trip is that Eduardo (Andrés' sponsored child through Compassion International) lives on the south side of Tegus (the capital) which is en route to the orphanage. We applied to visit him in early summer, but had seen on Compassion's website in early July that they had closed 75 locations around the capital due to the political situation and wanting to ensure the children's safety. We had surrendered to the fact that we would most likely not be able to visit Eduardo, but ended up getting an email a week ago saying that the visit would be okay. We were sent an itinerary as well. SO exciting!!!
The following are prayer requests from the Honduras Country Office about the children, family, church partners and staff in Honduras (as noted on the Compassion website):
- Please pray for the Lord to intervene in the midst of the recent political unrest. Pray that key leaders will seek the Lord for guidance and that our children will be protected from violence.
- Please pray for the Lord to sustain the health of the children, staff and families as the H1N1 virus has been found in Honduras. May He grant Compassion staff and government leaders insight and ability to help prevent the spread of this virus.
- Pray for children in Honduras that need additional care that their parents cannot give. Please pray their sponsors become a source of encouragement and support for them.
- Pray that Compassion's vocational training programs will instill pride and hope in each child.
I will be sending donations out on August 3rd (the day before we leave). We already have a full box of toys and school supplies! I am also looking for any medical supplies and also any gently used NHCS uniform short-sleeved tops, skirts or pants. It is rare to find Latinos wearing shorts, so even though it's hot down there...pants are used. If you have any of these last 2 items (medical supplies or uniforms), feel free to let me know before next Monday and I will make sure they get sent down as well.
Thanks so much for all of your support via encouraging words, prayers, donations, etc. I am once again really looking forward to this trip and cannot wait to share my newest experiences when I get back!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
