Thursday is done and we are all exhausted, but that is a wonderfully blessed exhaustion. I think we are all totally blown away by how many times God has shown up.
I asked everyone at dinner what their favorite part of today was and here are their answers:
Jeff - playing soccer with the little kids
Christine - an amazing hug from one of the babies at the orphanage, the kind that digs deep into your heart
Chris - hugs from the ladies when we were done with our day of sewing - they didn´t want to turn loose
Kathy - playing with kids in the back of the pickup while the guys played soccer
Steve - ordered his drink by himself in Spanish and got the right thing the first time
James - standing back and looking at the day´s accomplishemnt, then playing soccer with the staff
Lee - soccer with the kids - he loves the fact that he now knows all their names
Doug - the feeling of knowing that the day was incredibly productive
And for me, we went to the open air farmer´s market this morning. Imagine my surprise when I heard my name called from one of the vendors. Kind of freaky to be in a foreign country and be called out. Ruth, one of our sewing ladies saw me and called. Amazing. We tried a new fruit called lyche(sp?). Yummy - almost the same flavor as a pomegranete.
So many crazy things happening. God had Christine buy recorders for the kids - Israel said that they had been planning to buy them to start a music class next month.
Chris has been teaching some of the ladies to cut hair. They are grateful and excited. All these things can potentially work into revenue for the orphanage, so we are blessed to be a part.
I have been accused of being spoiled, and have even been called the queen. I think not. Let´s see... The ladies bring fruit and coffee in the morning, cake in the afternoon, keep fans blowing right in my direction. At the hotel, they cook for us, clean our rooms, and do our laundry. Spoiled?? I think we all are. When you´ve got it, you´ve got it. Ha ha. But lest you all get the idea that we are on vacation here, just know that we are all working our buns off and sweating like pigs.
James and Lee can´t seem to get enough of playing soccer. They played for two hours this afternoon and they are playing again now with a group of Presbyterian kids from the States.
Oh, I nearly forgot. Holly had a treat brought to us this afternoon - iced coffee. Yummy. I think we will all probably gain weight before we return. I think we are all getting sad that our time here is nearly over.
Tomorrow night will be special. Israel and Holly celebrated their anniversary last Sunday, but because they were getting us settled, they really didn´t celebrate. So...they have invited us to dinner at their home tomorrow night. We are going, but with a twist. We are going to watch their 4 children so that they can go on a date. He know, she doesn´t. So it should prove to be an interesting evening.
We have lots of stories to tell when we return.
Until next time,
Cindy
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
It's Wednesday!
Well, a couple of days without internet access and I could write a book. But ladies are waiting to sew, so no book, just highlights.
Monday the men built a retaining wall in preparation for a set of stairs that will be installed today. The ladies sorted clothes for the La Providencia store in the morning, and prepared the sewing room (which is normally the pharmacy) in the afternoon. The afternoon also had us meeting Holly, Israel's wife, and their four delightful children. And...a little shopping excursion:) You can klnow four ladies were in heaven. We went to the fabric store where we purchased 80 yards of beautiful fabric. Then we had to go to another store to get the interfacing and thread. Each store here is a specialty store for such things. The bargaining process was fun. We whittled the price of the fabric from $2.50 per yard to $1.80 pre yard. I almost feel guilty. Then, because we had only American dollars, he charged us a little fee to exchange before we could pay. The man was so excited, we got a bargain, he got a bargain, and everyone went away feeling like they had won. He even, in his very best English, sent us off with a "God Bless You.'
Asa, Holly's oldest, was hungry and made sure all the ladies knew that. He says, "I've heard that the ice cream store can make a pretty purple milkshake." So... we decided that we should be mythbusters and check out this vicious rumor! The Kob does, in fact, make purple shakes, they are, in fact, beautiful, and they aslo serve a meancoffee flavored ice cream. Yummy. So we all had ice cream and sat in the park in the center of town watching the kids play. I think the guys may have been a bit jealous that while they were sweating, we were eating ice cream. We'll get them to the ice cream store soon, though.
Dinner was at a nice restaurant in town called Fred's Place. The menu was much like the menu at Chili's. Great food, and we loved watching the group of Episcopalians that are also here as they came in carrying their red cooler fuul of wine bottles:) They were a fun bunch. You'll have to ask James about his encounter with the pastor from that church.
Early to bed, as we were all very tired.
Tuesday was fun. More construction, moresorting of clothes, and our first sewing classes began. We had four ladies and the doctor here, Bertha, came, as well. The ladies are eager to learn, and picked up very quickly. They were especially thrilled when we told them that they could keep the first bag that they had made. The afternoon nclass was larger, and equally as exuberant. Douglas, our handler, also tried his hand at sewing and made a bag for his fiance'. He then laid down the gauntlet to the other men, so we may have a men's class before the week is out.Their quality is superb and their attitudes are amazing. And, as all good teachers do, we gave them reward for a good day's work. It seems that Honduras has the equivalent of our Blow Pops in multiple flavors, including Mango. MMMMM. The Hondurans in La Providencia do not really get those kinds of things because of the expense, so it was a real treat.
We are all blown away by watching the families come into the store and use their earned La Providencia dollars to purchase clothing and supplies. God really is blessing us by seeing the fruit of our labors in the states played out.
Yesterday also contained a soccer game between all of our men and the first grade boys team from the school. I bet you can't guess who won! Thos cute little guys, some who could walk under the legs of our guys waxed them cold!! I think our "boys" want a rematch today. They will also be meeting the adult soccer team at 3 pm, so we have been recruited as cheerleaders. They might need more that that, though. Steve, our fearless leader, was se;ected as goalie, and has now earned a new nickname - Swiss Cheese. Too many holes.
We had great devotions last night/ Chris Ullery brought a CD player and music, so we all worshipped with Chris Tomlin for a while. Sweet, sweet time. The evening finished with a friendly game of cards. I have decided that I should keep my day job, as I might be the unluckiest person I know:)
Our day here has begun, with one room of guys waking for breakfast as they heard us leaving. I'll leave it to you to decide which group that might be.
Hope to post more later.
Cindy
Monday the men built a retaining wall in preparation for a set of stairs that will be installed today. The ladies sorted clothes for the La Providencia store in the morning, and prepared the sewing room (which is normally the pharmacy) in the afternoon. The afternoon also had us meeting Holly, Israel's wife, and their four delightful children. And...a little shopping excursion:) You can klnow four ladies were in heaven. We went to the fabric store where we purchased 80 yards of beautiful fabric. Then we had to go to another store to get the interfacing and thread. Each store here is a specialty store for such things. The bargaining process was fun. We whittled the price of the fabric from $2.50 per yard to $1.80 pre yard. I almost feel guilty. Then, because we had only American dollars, he charged us a little fee to exchange before we could pay. The man was so excited, we got a bargain, he got a bargain, and everyone went away feeling like they had won. He even, in his very best English, sent us off with a "God Bless You.'
Asa, Holly's oldest, was hungry and made sure all the ladies knew that. He says, "I've heard that the ice cream store can make a pretty purple milkshake." So... we decided that we should be mythbusters and check out this vicious rumor! The Kob does, in fact, make purple shakes, they are, in fact, beautiful, and they aslo serve a meancoffee flavored ice cream. Yummy. So we all had ice cream and sat in the park in the center of town watching the kids play. I think the guys may have been a bit jealous that while they were sweating, we were eating ice cream. We'll get them to the ice cream store soon, though.
Dinner was at a nice restaurant in town called Fred's Place. The menu was much like the menu at Chili's. Great food, and we loved watching the group of Episcopalians that are also here as they came in carrying their red cooler fuul of wine bottles:) They were a fun bunch. You'll have to ask James about his encounter with the pastor from that church.
Early to bed, as we were all very tired.
Tuesday was fun. More construction, moresorting of clothes, and our first sewing classes began. We had four ladies and the doctor here, Bertha, came, as well. The ladies are eager to learn, and picked up very quickly. They were especially thrilled when we told them that they could keep the first bag that they had made. The afternoon nclass was larger, and equally as exuberant. Douglas, our handler, also tried his hand at sewing and made a bag for his fiance'. He then laid down the gauntlet to the other men, so we may have a men's class before the week is out.Their quality is superb and their attitudes are amazing. And, as all good teachers do, we gave them reward for a good day's work. It seems that Honduras has the equivalent of our Blow Pops in multiple flavors, including Mango. MMMMM. The Hondurans in La Providencia do not really get those kinds of things because of the expense, so it was a real treat.
We are all blown away by watching the families come into the store and use their earned La Providencia dollars to purchase clothing and supplies. God really is blessing us by seeing the fruit of our labors in the states played out.
Yesterday also contained a soccer game between all of our men and the first grade boys team from the school. I bet you can't guess who won! Thos cute little guys, some who could walk under the legs of our guys waxed them cold!! I think our "boys" want a rematch today. They will also be meeting the adult soccer team at 3 pm, so we have been recruited as cheerleaders. They might need more that that, though. Steve, our fearless leader, was se;ected as goalie, and has now earned a new nickname - Swiss Cheese. Too many holes.
We had great devotions last night/ Chris Ullery brought a CD player and music, so we all worshipped with Chris Tomlin for a while. Sweet, sweet time. The evening finished with a friendly game of cards. I have decided that I should keep my day job, as I might be the unluckiest person I know:)
Our day here has begun, with one room of guys waking for breakfast as they heard us leaving. I'll leave it to you to decide which group that might be.
Hope to post more later.
Cindy
Sunday, June 20, 2010
we are here!!!
We have arrived. The trip was fantastic. Uneventful in the logistical aspect. But spectacular all the way around. It is raining, so the temperature is perfect for Floridians. And we all love the smell of fresh, cool rain in the mountains.
I ate my first ice cream bar called a Magnum. Proof that God is indeed in Honduras.
We are staying at this great hotel. Very different from the last years. We will try to post pictures tomorrow. Internet is easy to get to, there is a store here, beautiful grounds, and, get this, air conditioning. So much for roughing it.
Dinner was superb. The restaurant attached to the hotel is set up in a cafeteria style of serving with lots of yummy choices. I held out on trying the flan tonight because, if I like it, I could in effect gain 20 lbs. while I am gone.
After dinner, we had a sweet time of prayer and reflection. Everyone talked about their favorite part of the day, so here they are:
James - He loved seeing friends Douglas and Israel again. He said that brought back great memories.
Jeff - He loves the surroundings this year. The grounds are beautiful and very secure.
Christine E. - She is taking in all the experiences associated with a first mission trip. The sense of wonder at God´s handiwork has begun.
Steve - He is grateful that the trip flowed smoothly and all of our baggage arrived safely. Pray for extra rest and energy for Steve. He returned from Hawaii just in time to fly to Honduras.
Kathi - She loves getting to know and bond with her teammates.
Chris U. - She was grateful for the nice bus ride through the beautiful mountains. No sardine travel this year!!
Lee - He loved the ride up and seeing a new part of God´s creation, jungle parts and all. I love seeing the world through the eyes of a young person who is fresh in faith and loves God. Oh, that we could all take on a bit of that perspective.
Doug - He liked the ride up and is enjoying seeing the great cultural differences along the way.
I can´t wait til tomorrow to experience with the newbies.
And for me. ice cream and coffee, and I am in heaven. The coffee here is great, bold and strong, with a hint of something that I have not yeat identified.
I am very excited about teaching sewing to the ladies. I spoke with Israel and we are working a more in depth plan for lasting training. WooHoo! Can´t wait.
Tomorrow will be an interesting day. Honduras plays in the World Cup and all of Honduras stops. Schools are out, I think businesses close, and we will be watching the soccer game. I know nothing about soccer, save that you can´t use your hands. I imagine I will get a quick education tomorrow.
That´s enough for now. More tomorrow.
Cindy
I ate my first ice cream bar called a Magnum. Proof that God is indeed in Honduras.
We are staying at this great hotel. Very different from the last years. We will try to post pictures tomorrow. Internet is easy to get to, there is a store here, beautiful grounds, and, get this, air conditioning. So much for roughing it.
Dinner was superb. The restaurant attached to the hotel is set up in a cafeteria style of serving with lots of yummy choices. I held out on trying the flan tonight because, if I like it, I could in effect gain 20 lbs. while I am gone.
After dinner, we had a sweet time of prayer and reflection. Everyone talked about their favorite part of the day, so here they are:
James - He loved seeing friends Douglas and Israel again. He said that brought back great memories.
Jeff - He loves the surroundings this year. The grounds are beautiful and very secure.
Christine E. - She is taking in all the experiences associated with a first mission trip. The sense of wonder at God´s handiwork has begun.
Steve - He is grateful that the trip flowed smoothly and all of our baggage arrived safely. Pray for extra rest and energy for Steve. He returned from Hawaii just in time to fly to Honduras.
Kathi - She loves getting to know and bond with her teammates.
Chris U. - She was grateful for the nice bus ride through the beautiful mountains. No sardine travel this year!!
Lee - He loved the ride up and seeing a new part of God´s creation, jungle parts and all. I love seeing the world through the eyes of a young person who is fresh in faith and loves God. Oh, that we could all take on a bit of that perspective.
Doug - He liked the ride up and is enjoying seeing the great cultural differences along the way.
I can´t wait til tomorrow to experience with the newbies.
And for me. ice cream and coffee, and I am in heaven. The coffee here is great, bold and strong, with a hint of something that I have not yeat identified.
I am very excited about teaching sewing to the ladies. I spoke with Israel and we are working a more in depth plan for lasting training. WooHoo! Can´t wait.
Tomorrow will be an interesting day. Honduras plays in the World Cup and all of Honduras stops. Schools are out, I think businesses close, and we will be watching the soccer game. I know nothing about soccer, save that you can´t use your hands. I imagine I will get a quick education tomorrow.
That´s enough for now. More tomorrow.
Cindy
airport breakfast
We have begun our journey. The check-in process went without a glitch. All bags were within the weight limit (and those of you who know me know what a feat that is), and all passed security.
Then came Starbucks! Various breakfast items are being enjoyed as we write. Oatmeal, fruit, donuts, brownies, and coffee, coffee, coffee. Not so healthy, I know, but good nonetheless.
It pays to all wear the same shirt. They see us coming and make way!
It's early yet, so we are all easing into the day. But I know that, by the time we get to Miami, we will all be quite animated. With various lengths of sleep last night, we will be napping as the day goes on.
Pray for us as we travel and for the impact that we will make. We will share when we can.
Cindy
Then came Starbucks! Various breakfast items are being enjoyed as we write. Oatmeal, fruit, donuts, brownies, and coffee, coffee, coffee. Not so healthy, I know, but good nonetheless.
It pays to all wear the same shirt. They see us coming and make way!
It's early yet, so we are all easing into the day. But I know that, by the time we get to Miami, we will all be quite animated. With various lengths of sleep last night, we will be napping as the day goes on.
Pray for us as we travel and for the impact that we will make. We will share when we can.
Cindy
Saturday, June 5, 2010
before we fly
preparations are underway for all the travelers from bay life. so many details, so little time. God will be glorified as we share His love with our friends in Honduras. watch for updates along the way.
cindy
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