Arizona

Well, it sure feels a lot like home here in Arizona - a beautiful temperature, no jacket necessary. We hung out today, ate great food and watched a fun movie on TV. All in all a hang out day, and tomorrow will be more shopping and eating somewhere at a restaurant that we have missed. Our first (besides Christmas day) relaxing day, and a much needed one!

Update

Had a GREAT day with my folks yesterday! We shopped, ate, and just spent time with each other. It was short, but filled my heart with joy seeing my folks again!

Okay...I'm going to finally admit it...I think I'm sick! I've been coughing for about a month - I've blamed it on everything from allergies, to mold, to "stuff". But...I think I may have bronchiolitis. Of course I don't have "time" to get it checked out - so will wait until I get back to Honduras. But, please pray for my continued coughing, etc.

We are about ready to finish up our California time. Tomorrow we are off to a church service in the morning, then our home church Sunday evening. We fly out to Arizona on Monday. So pray for our time here to finish well, and our time in Arizona to go smoothly.

Merry Christmas

YEAH!!! Happy Birthday Jesus! Had a great day of hanging out with friends from church. Our dear friends Mindy and Chad Hertzell hosted a wonderful day. We ate with Sonia and Mario Vasquez, Dan and Sierra Yeager, all the kids - and others from church. It was AWESOME!!! We ate turkey, pork, drank wine, etc. it was so incredible having a day of relaxing, fellowshiping, eating, gift exchanging, and just hanging! It was really the first day we have had to just relax! Of course it's so bitter sweet, because it was also a day of saying goodbyes - AGAIN! I was pathetic, and cried a whole bunch, but it didn't take away from the great day that we had. It's off to my parents house tomorrow, more shopping, more eating of good food, more Starbucks, and more driving. We are here through Sunday, and then leave for Arizona on Monday. Busy, busy, busy!

Movies, Mimi's and friends

Today I got to see Australia in the theaters with my dear friend Mindy. We hung out, ate at Mimi's cafe - got a fabulous breakfast for lunch (my favorite kind), went shopping at Wal Mart (culture shock - sensory overload!!!!!), and then went over to church and had a desert/social gathering with a whole lot of people from church! It was SO MUCH FUN - getting a chance to re-connect with friends and just sit and chat! I can't believe how fast out time here is already going! Much to fast indeed! However, I will enjoy it while it's here.

Sushi, Starbucks And Hamburgers

We have been back in California for two days. We have worshiped with and shared with four different churches. We have gone shopping for clothes. We have visited with fiends. We even drove 600 miles in one day.

But, let’s focus on the important stuff. FOOD!

Mike’s mom has been spoiling us with mountains of homemade desserts that we have missed. Pies, cookies, tarts….oh man.

We went out with our friend Steven and he treated us to an amazing all you can eat sushi place. Let’s just say that restaurant lost money that day. Spectacular.

Starbucks has received a Christmas bonus from us. We have visited four times in two days. Oh, overpriced, girly coffee drinks never tasted so good.

We ate at Carl’s Jr. (Hardy’s for our East Coast friends) and never enjoyed a really gross, unhealthy burger more.

I ask the question…do we really need a Starbucks on every street corner in California? I answer…yes we do, oh, yes we do. God bless you Starbucks.

I'm leaving...on a prop plane...

So today is the day. We are making a treck back to the U.S. of A for 2 1/2 weeks - almost a year and a half since the last time I've been in the States. Our treck will start at 1:00 in the afternoon - a taxi to the airport. A prop plane to San Pedro Sula, lay-over, then over to San Salvador, lay-over, then finally up to San Francisco - and arrive at 11:30 at night. This will not be an idol time - we have 14 church engagements - so not much downtime, but we are committed to spending time with friends and family! Catch a few movies. Wander aimlessly down the aisles of Borders! Gazing at all the books! Drinking milk - not out of a box or a bag. And just soaking up time with our friends and family! Can't WAIT!!!

Payment for Services Rendered

Received a phone call soon after I got up this morning. One of the pastors in Armenia Bonito, the area we work in, called us very concerned about one of the members in his church. I drove over to make a house call and see how she was doing. Gloria had been to our clinic a few times, and as I now have charts on my patients, I was able to compare what her vital signs were with the last time she had come. She does have a history of high blood pressure and high blood sugar. I arrived and she was wrapped in double blankets, in a hot room, laying down on the bed. After removing the blanket, applying a wet cloth to her head, giving lots of instructions on the best way to treat a fever, encouraging drinking of WATER and not SODA, a few pills, to see a physician if no improvement, and away I went. Before I made it to the car, I received another frantic call from another family. I arrived to find a woman lying on her couch. She had fallen down during the flooding and from all appearances, seems like she had perhaps broken some ribs. Much education about pain medication, breathing deeply to prevent pneumonia, and to see a physician if no improvement, I was on my way out when I was gifted with 4 fresh made tamales. Most of the people in the community we serve have little to no money, but they give what they can. A smile, a big hug, and a gift of tamales - in payment for services rendered :-). I do love what I do.

The fresh tamales:

Cough...cough...cough...

So, some of you may have heard my woes about my allergies. Living in Sacramento, I never suffered from the beasts - but here - in beautiful Honduras, they have come alive! So - take a gander at this picture and tell me what you see....




Peeling paint is what you say! But - WHY is it peeling? Well...let's take a closer look...




Yes, those are the inhabitants on my wall - mushrooms - shrooms (as we call them) - little devils of mold and fungus that crawl UNDER the paint, on TOP of the cement, and oh so carefully grow their way along the wall, peeling off the paint as they go. It's a constant fight between mammal and fungus - one, unfortunately, I think we are doomed to lose. But fight we do - wiping the walls with bleach to slow the growth. However, one day I am sure I will see an entire gray wall where paint had previously been - the minuscule creatures having won the battle.

Christmas Party In Armenia Bonito

Today we put on a Christmas party in the poor community of Armenia Bonito. There were 180 kids in attendance. They played games, sang Christmas carols, did Christian crafts, and heard the story of the birth of Christ. The kids received a plate of food, a drink and a Christmas gift.

We were amazed that so many kids showed up. It was such a blessing to share the love of Christ with this many kids.

Take a look at this 3 minute video and look at the joy in the eyes of these kids:

Rain & Flooding In La Ceiba, Honduras

Today we woke up to a big rainstorm. Nothing new for this time of year. Our plans were to go out to Armenia Bonito and put on a free health clinic and teach an English class. As we drove the 15 miles out to Armenia Bonito we started seeing signs that this was not our normal rainstorm. Houses flooded, streets turned to rushing rivers, cars covered in water and worse. We got out to Armenia Bonito and were confronted with a river where our normal road belongs. The water was two feet deep. We drove as far as we could and decided that we needed to leave because any more rain was going to strand us. After turning around we discovered that getting home was more difficult then we thought it would be. Rivers had crested and some were crossing major roads. An hour of praying and crossing deep water later we made it home.

The adventure didn’t end there. Hundreds if not thousands of homes have been flooded. Many families have lost everything. We received a call from one of these refugee families and our team is now housing them until they can get on their feet.

Personally we are fine. Our house is not damaged. Please pray for the people of Honduras.

Watch this 1 minute and 30 second video to see some of the flooding:

Unexpected Blessings

Our medical clinic takes up a considerable amount of our monthly ministry funds. However, we feel that it is such an integral part in being part of the community of Armenia Bonito, we are willing to do it. Once in awhile, we find unexpected blessings that just confirm that what we are doing is right. When one of our interns, Josh arrived, along with him came a HUGE amount of much needed medications from his mother back in the states. He had diligently carried them from his home in Boston, to his language learning time in Costa Rica, then on to us in Honduras. Many of the meds have used, and allowed us to use our funds for other things. Another unexpected blessing is one of the local pharmacies in town. Here, pharmacies are like gas stations in the states – one on every corner. Each pharmacy carries different name brand items, some generic, and all seem to be a different price. We have found a pharmacy that typically carries all the things we need, and a substantially lower price than the others.

Yesterday, Jamie and I made a treck over there to purchase things for the upcoming clinic on Thursday. $75.00 later, we were getting ready to leave when the pharmacist started bringing out more and more items. I didn’t have the funds to pay for them, and was a little confused as to why he was bringing them out. Antibiotics for children (liquid – VERY expensive here), anti-worm medication (EVERY kid needs it out there), liquid anti-histamine (again, VERY expensive), etc. And without even thinking twice, he put them into my bag without saying a thing – handed me the whole bag with a smile on his face. The only thing I could say was, “mi corazon es muy lleno” (my heart is very full). He continued to smile. I asked him if he was a Christian to which he responded “Sí”. I then told him that he was doing God’s work, and that I was grateful for what he had provided to us. I walked out of the store amazed that in the middle of one of the poorest countries in Latin America, we found a man who practiced God’s word. That, through me, he was giving to those most in need. Matthew 25:40 says, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”

Beautiful, unexpected blessings!

Update

Just an update blog. No pics, nothing exciting. Just me.

So here I sit at my computer, hacking and coughing because my allergies just won't be nice to me. Never having had to endure through allergies, although I lived in Sacramento, I find that I'm miserable at times. My nose is in a constant state of congestion, I cough and hack, sneeze, blow my nose. All day. Every day. Ah well...

Last night we attended one of the churches near the area we have our ministry. It was a good sermon that we all enjoyed! Today we will have "gringo" church, where we play music in English, and Mike gives us a study in English. This afternoon we have a meeting out at Armenia Bonito, then an evening service at another church out there. A somewhat busy Sabbath, but we are trying to tie up some loose ends before we leave for the holidays. Speaking of which, the count-down is currently at 12 days. 12 more days until I step foot on U.S. soil! It's been a LONG time since I've been there, and can't WAIT to be reunited with friends and family! So here's to hoping that 12 days goes by really fast!

A little taste of Christmas

Yesterday we had another health clinic. We saw 69 patients in 5 hours. Busy, but rewarding, with ample time to pray with people, give out Christian literature, and provide services to those who would otherwise be unable to afford it. We really feel that we are making an impact on this community, and making our presence known. This allows us the ability to speak openly and honestly about what Christ is doing in our lives and sharing His love and saving grace to those in the community.




I set up our Christmas tree last Friday. Alas...there are no living Christmas trees in Honduras - at least in La Ceiba, so the tree is fake, but we will now have one forever. I do miss the beautiful smell of a living tree. Ah well... We have been playing Christmas music almost everyday, and just getting in the mood to be returning to the States in a few weeks. It will have been almost a year and a half since the last time I stepped foot in the U.S. Amazing how time flies, and how joyous it will be when we have the time to be reunited with friends and family for the Christmas holiday!

Mission Accomplished!

Before the job:

All the supplies on the floor:


The floor after our completed job:

The final product:

A difficult task that has been looming over me for about 5 months has been the organization of my medication and supply closet. Over the last 2 days, Jamie and I have been organizing, categorizing, and inventorying all of them. We just finished this huge task, and now we are READY for anything! Bring it on!

Faces Of La Ceiba, Honduras

Sometimes when you are surrounded by great poverty or suffering it is easy to get down. Looking into the eyes of those you are serving helps to remind you why you are there. God has sent you to help claim those He loves and demonstrate His love and mercy. We invite you to look into the eyes of these people. Each one has touched our hearts at least once. Some continue to touch us every day.

For the next 4 minutes and 40 seconds enjoy the beauty of God’s creation: