Below is an article I found on Hondurasweekly.com, which is a wonderful source of news, in English, on what’s happening in Honduras. The sad part about this is that the government claims there is not enough money to fund orphanages and maintain them, leaving all of the work to Non-Government Organizations and missionaries. Despite the recent floods and heartache we have experienced, we are still planning and raising money to open our own orphanage. The Lord has placed a burden on our hearts to help these children, especially the boys, and, although we cannot help them all, we will do what we can. Please pray about joining our effort.

More than 200,000 Orphans in Honduras

In testimony before the Inter-Institutional Committee for the Protection and Care of Orphaned and Vulnerable Children due to HIV, theNational Commissioner for Human Rights(Conadeh), Dr. Ramón Custodio, estimated that of the approximately 3.466 million children in Honduras, more than 200,000 are orphans. Dr. Custodio noted that the reason for this is partly due to the loss of parents to the HIV/AIDS epidemic and increased rates of homicides and cancer. An even more significant factor is the emigration of parents abroad. In cases where children lost their mother, 20.8 percent of the deaths were due to cancer; 8.6 percent, homicide; 8 percent, childbirth; 7.1 percent, accident; 4.4 percent, HIV/AIDS; and 48.3 percent, other causes. In cases where children lost their father, 42.6 percent of the deaths were due to homicide; 16.6 percent, accident; 7.8 percent, cardiovascular illness; 4.8 percent, cancer; 0.7 percent, HIV/AIDS; and 27.4 percent, other causes. (9/11/10) (photo courtesy ProÑino)

Here we go with some random things that have been going on here in Honduras.

1. Our parade is on Tuesday. Elementary schools march on September 14th because they have a shorter route than the high school kids. The high school kids march on September 15th, which is the actual Independence Day in Honduras. I am still in charge of the ribbon dancers and I have to say, I think it will go well. We have been practicing everyday at school for the past month, and this past week everyone in the parade practiced together walking the streets near our school. It was, as I predicted, a complete disaster, but I always like a nice walk, and it is fun to get to see what everyone will be doing in the parade. We have one more day of practice, and then the big show. I am hoping we can video tape it so everyone can see the spectacle. 

2. On Wednesday, we will begin handing out hygiene kits to the people who are still displaced from the floods. Because of the ridiculous Honduran government and the way that nothing works on time around here, the packets have been waiting in customs for two weeks. It will be good to be able to go view everything, see where everyone is in the recovery process, and see what else needs to be done. 

3. Tonight will be our first night at church since the flood. Last week was cancelled  because no one came, and by the time we got there, no one was there. I am nervous that people will get in the habit of not coming to church and we will have to build membership again, however, I cannot control this, so I am not going to worry about it.

4. Jd’s parents, Donna and David are coming to visit us on Monday. They will be here for six days. We are going to watch the parades, pass out the kits, and maybe take a weekend trip to Valle de Angeles. 

5. I have been bitten by nine mosquitoes today. Annoying. 

6. This morning, I had to go to school at 7:30 to work on stuff for the parade. I was not thrilled about this, but lately I have been being convicted that I do not do all I can at school and do not give 100 percent, so I decided to go even though I could have skipped. 

7. Make that eleven mosquitoes.

This was supposed to be the post where I put up pictures of all the fun we had today. However, that will not be happening as my camera is officially broken. RIP Camera. RIP pictures. RIP dreams of pictures of Honduras for the rest of the year. I am guessing I should add “new camera” to my Christmas list. 

Children’s Day was an Epic FAIL. It was completely out of control, which is not something new for my school, but it’s hard for me to have fun when things are crazy, so it’s probably hard for the kids to enjoy it when nothing is happening except the out of control kids in class being out of control and me trying to get them in control so we can play game or something. Then I wanted to take a picture, and my camera, which has been on the fritz for a while, finally just left this earth. There were many tears, the worst coming when the pinata broke and the kids piled on each other, ending with someone getting kicked in the face. After that, we returned to the classroom where we ate some food, and then I ate some ice cream, and then my stomach got mad at me and I barfed all over my shirt, and continued barfing in the bathroom while I could hear my name being paged over the microphone because second grade was the only class not with everyone else playing games. SO, I had to tell one of the kids in the bathroom that I was throwing up so they could go tell Ms. Gloria, the other second grade teacher, so they would stop paging me. So, then everyone knew I barfed and now they all think I am pregnant, which I am not. Then, after the games ended, we returned to our class to discover that someone had stolen all of the kid’s bags with candy in them. This makes me angry. Do not steal candy from kids, especially on Children’s Day, especially if you are a kid at our school so I know that you have your own bag of candy. Punks. 

Happy Children’s Day. I think I will be out “sick” next year. 

Tomorrow is Children’s Day in Honduras. It’s a holiday to celebrate those wonderful, loud, dirty, sticky, loving little people. We will have a party tomorrow at school, the teachers will put on a skit, we will have pinatas, candy, ice cream, cokes, and lots of fun! I have borrowed a Hannah Montana shirt from one of my students, and will be dressing like a little girl for our skit tomorrow. (Yes, I can wear a shirt that belongs to a second grader).

I love that we celebrate children here. Children are a passion for me, I love them. My dream would be to be able to teach parents how to help their kids, teach caregivers how to care for kids well, and teach children how to love one another. I love that children are really joyful. That a party with cake and ice cream brings shouts of joy. That reading a story to a child can grow a lifetime reader. That Jesus Christ, a busy man, let those kids come to Him. He hugged those kids, and He kissed them, and He told them that the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. 

Children believe. That’s what I like. They just go with it. They hear something, they believe it. I want to be like that. I want to read something in the Bible, and just go with it, not worry or think that the promise is not for me. 

So tomorrow we celebrate children, but more than that I will celebrate the spirit of children. I long for the faith of a child, the freedom of a child, the joy of a child. I long to laugh with abandon, so much that my laughter causes me to laugh. My prayer is that God uses us here to teach these children His truths, not hinder their growth. We pray for these children, because children are a gift from our loving Father. May we not over look the opportunity to learn from them. May we learn to run with abandon, scream with joy, color outside the lines, laugh at ridiculous jokes, and believe every promise our Heavenly Father has given us. 

Mark 10:13-15

In honor of Children’s Day, here are some pictures of children that I love.

It’s no secret that I constantly dump on myself. Well, actually, to some people it probably is. I walk around constantly feeling guilty. I am not good enough as a wife, I am not a good enough teacher, I should have done that better, I think things I make are awful. I am a perfectionist, and I am my own worst critic. Since moving to Honduras, this phenomenon has not lessened, but has increased significantly. Everyday I am not out saving street children or giving away all of my belongings, I tell myself I suck as a missionary. There are times when I don’t feel good and I can’t/don’t want to go to church/youth/an event, and I hear it…the voice telling me “You are a horrible missionary and nothing you do matters”. 

It’s a beat down, to say the least. I know there are things I really need to do, like read my Bible more often, but sometimes I struggle to know when the voice I hear is a prompting to get me out of myself, and when it is a guilt trip. It all sounds the same to me. I don’t want to read my Bible because of guilt, I don’t want to reach out and help others because I feel like a “Bad Missionary”, I want to do these things out of obedience and love for God. 

I have struggled with this for many years, as in my whole life. I have always felt responsible, guilty, and not good enough. I have also always been very sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s prompting. This may be what I wrestle with my whole life, but I pray that I am delivered from this. 

So, I share this because I want people to know who we are and what we struggle with, even though I would rather share funny stories and things like that. This is what I feel right now, and as down as it sounds, I know that Christ is in this struggle, and so I have peace about it. 

In other news, last night we had fish for dinner, the whole fish fried up and on the plate. Then we were told to eat the head, so we did. It wasn’t bad, but sucking the brain out of something’s head is just plain odd. 

I am well aware that I already blogged today, but I needed to share something that I just read. I was looking on one of my frequently visited news sites, hondurasnews.com, and read an article that amazed me. 

The Title: Honduran calls 911 for a ride home. 

Okay, seems harmless, seems normal, not news worthy. Oh, wait. We don’t have 911 here, it’s 198, so this Honduran must live in the states. And I kept reading, and what I learned was amazing.

A Honduran man, living in Florida, called 911, and told them he needed a ride. Yes, he told them he was out of work and wanted a ride to Honduras. The article reported that he was drunk, but I am not so sure because this seems like the kind of thing that a normal, everyday Honduran would do. The 911 responder told the man to not call again because 911 doesn’t offer rides to other countries. 

So, when I get frustrated with the Honduran ways, I need to remind myself that I am dealing with the type of people who would call 911 for a ride home, in another country. 

We have had a few rough weeks down here in Danli, but the past four or five days have been pretty back to normal. I thought I would share some pictures of what we have been up to. Enjoy. 

This would never happen on CHIPS.

Our new desk for the computer and printer!         Ruth’s Mom made rico tamales. They were really good.        

I found it, the ugliest uniform at all.Pupusas and how pupusas are made.Jd’s in the smallest cab we have ever been in.

This is Arturo. He is the pastor of our church, a teacher, a father of two daughters, a husband to Ruth, and the head of the family we live with. He works very hard, pastoring the sheep of our church well, loving his wife and family very well, and working very hard at school to take care of his family. I am writing about him because I am asking for you to lift him up in your prayers. In the past two months, his sister was diagnosed with cancer, the church flooded, the teachers of Honduras went on strike and he was out of a job, and last night, his wife Ruth had to go to the hospital because she has an infection that may require surgery. Arturo loves us like his own children. He makes sure we always have what we need and if he was not here with us, our transition to Honduras would not have gone as smoothly as it did. He fights for us in this city, making sure we are not taken advantage of, making sure we have what we need. And so I ask you to life him up in prayer. Pray for continued strength from the Lord. Pray that his heart would not be discouraged, but strengthened. Pray that the Lord will provide for him all of the things he needs and that the Lord will bless him. And, just a note, this picture is from his 40th birthday party, he does not often don this hat.

I am going to go ahead and share some things today that probably will sound like complaining, but, I am not complaining. I am sharing what has happened in our lives recently. Let’s recap, shall we?

Ten days ago, our entire church floods and we lose everything. The city is underwater, many houses are gone.

Nine days ago, Jd and I are forced to leave the country, and we have to wait three hours for our bags at the airport, only to then leave and realize that we cannot rent a car with cash, because they want that cash in our account, even though we already paid for the car. 

Six days ago, JD and I return the country, only the airplane forgot to bring our bag with it. So, we file a complaint.

Five days ago, we are told that our bag may be forever gone. We go into mourning. 

Four days ago, we are told our bag is in Teguc and they will bring it to us. 

Two days ago, after waiting two and a half days for our bag to come to our house, we call. They tell us that they can’t bring us the suitcase, we need to get it. They were just kidding when they called and said they would bring it to us I guess. We are promised L 500 for our gas and troubles. 

Yesterday, we pack up the car at nine to drive the 90 minutes to get our suitcase. We are about ten minutes outside the city when our car just stops working. Jd gets out, and luckily we are broken down across the street from the mechanic, so he and JD go to find parts, and after going to, I kid you not, 20 stores, they find the parts. Meanwhile, I sit in the hot car, waiting and waiting. I have to pee so bad, I go in a bottle. I don’t roll down the windows because I don’t want to get murdered. Then, I give up that idea because I would rather be murdered than sweat to death inside a hot car on the side of the road in Honduras. So, Jd and the guy come back, and I tell Jd I am going to the airport because I need to get my bag. I take a cab, and pay a ridiculous amount for it, only to arrive at the airport 30 minutes after the American Airlines counter has closed. Then Jd calls, and the car still won’t start, so we call these missionary people we hardly know, and they tow our car to their house. They offer us clothes to wear, and a bed to sleep in. Luckily, they also have toothbrushes because we don’t and we are getting stanky breath.

This morning, we get up, walk to the airport, and get our bag. They tell us that they cannot give us the money because, even though it is approved in the system, they need a receipt for the money we spent on gas to get to the airport. Um, okay, let me just go back in time and get it from the gas station yesterday. And, this is Honduras, I don’t think they have receipts here. So, we have our bag, but we do not have what they have promised us. They also ask me if I am aware of the risks of flying non-rev. Yes, I am aware because I have been doing it for 26 years. I was not aware however, that flying non-rev meant that they airline could lie to you and screw you. Anyway, then we go to church. I was really in the mood to go to church, let me tell you. After church we walk home, and then I get my bag and I get on a bus because as much as I love meeting new people and having crazy adventures, I really needed to get home. In all actuality, I do not like new people, I do not like sleeping in weird places, and I really do not like when things are not in the plan. 

So, here I am, at home once more. I could not be happier to be here. Jd is a very optimistic person, and he often reminds me that I look at life with the glass half empty. I then correct him and say that there is nothing in my glass, it’s not even half empty. He kept reminding me of all the good that was going on in Teguc. At the time, I wanted to punch him in the face, but I realize now that God really was with us. I mean, I am not sure why our car stopped working, but I know that God was there when it broke down in front of a mechanic. I know that God was in it when he allowed us to meet Jim Martin and his wife, as well as Christine and Rex, through a series of odd circumstances. I know that God was there in that Jim Martin had an extra bed for us to sleep in. I know God was there in that Jim Martin hands out hygiene packs for people who have lost everything, so we had a toothbrush and toothpaste. I knew God was there in that we figured out how to get a bus to Danli, and it was not a public bus. Now, I still would like to know why our suitcase got lost in the first place, but I guess I may know that answer one day. 

And so the Honduras adventure continues. I only pray that the next few weeks will be less “exciting” than the last few have been. 

I thought I would post an update of sorts about the goings-on the past few days. In keeping with tradition, I will use bullet points. 

• Yesterday, we met with a missionary from Teguc who works with a non-profit called “Heart to Heart”. They do disaster relief efforts and have sent a package of over 2500 hygiene kits to Honduras, which we will distribute next week. They are also looking into sending more, as well as clothes. It is always a blessing to meet other people who love this country like you do, especially ones that aren’t weird. Some people who move to other countries are weird, as are some missionaries, so meeting relatively normal ones is a nice surprise.
• The inside of the church is clean. We are waiting only on the fumigation and disinfection to happen. It will probably at some point need a new coat of paint, but it is not a pressing need. The outside of the church will take a long time to restore. It is mud right now, the fence is down, the lights are down. The members of the church managed to save two tables, a handful of toys, and some other odds and ends. It is not anything that I think needs to be saved because it is all trashed, but we cannot waste the resources we have when we do not know if more are coming. Case in point, we have a half used package of construction paper laying out to dry. I would throw it away, but it is laying out to dry and will probably be used at church. 
• A person or persons from Hillside Community Church donated $5000 to our church. We also received $500 from Hillside. I am constantly amazed at how God can reach into someone’s heart and open it. Generosity is a wonderful thing, and I think the best thing we can do with our money is give it away. (after we pay bills and take care of business, of course)
• This past weekend, we went to Miami for visa reasons. It was a hard trip for us because we both struggled to be there. We felt guilty for leaving (even though we had no choice), and seeing all the work that was completed over the weekend, I feel like I am doing nothing here. I am struggling with feeling useless, all I can do is sit here. The work is being done, and donations are on the way, so now we just wait, and it sucks. I am also waiting for our suitcase to get here, so I cannot leave the house until it arrives, doubling my feeling of anxiety and uselessness. 
• American Airlines lost our suitcase on our way back here. We found out today that it will be on it’s way here either today or tomorrow between 12:30 and 3:30. This means I will have to sit in our apartment and wait for it, while everyone else goes out and helps people. AAAHHHHH!I am glad that they found it, however, because we had lots things in there that we cannot find in Honduras. My running shoes, Red Sox hats, Red Sox shirts, medicine, vitamins, a Justin Beiber T-shirt to give to someone for Christmas. I mean, these things are important. So, praise God that He is a God of found suitcases and mandatory rest periods. 
• And, last but not least, a very important notice. I finished reading The Twilight Series. I will say some things about Twilight that may upset some. First of all, Bella is completely co-dependent with Edward. Not a healthy relationship, if you are willing to kill yourself to be with someone, you need professional counseling. If you are willing to kill someone so they will be happy, you also need professional counseling. If you are Jacob, you are very well adjusted and should have been the one chosen, but we often choose mates at our same level of dysfunction, so naturally, Bella and Edward would find each other, because that is often what happens with co-dependents and addicts. She should have gone with Jacob. At least he can go in the sun. Also, this book taught be that if I become a vampire, I will be instantly beautiful and thin, have great skin, loads of cash, a humongous closet full of clothes, and a fast car. I think it glorified it a little much, because I think I would get bored. So, I am glad that I have read these books so I can see the movie, but I do not love them like everyone else. They are not nearly as good as Little House on the Prairie.