Keepin' busy

Yesterday brought an eye brigade to Sampedrana. Darwyn Sanchez and his wife Julisa were on vacation from their work with Lifeline Christian Mission up in San Pedro Sula, so they went with us to help. I believe we were to have seen only 35 people. God is good and we saw everyone that wanted to be seen...however I am quite confident the final number was somewhere between 35-70. Amongst getting to see everyone get the help they needed physically...it was great to see this man sitting down to read the tract we had given him while he was in line. He sat there for a long time reading that...which either means he was intrigued, or the glasses he received did not in fact help him see much better. I am confident it was the former.

Today we were off to San Juancito to take some corn...and found incredible progress on the building there being done by the Church. We then took some of that corn to a woman in the Church that got herself sick by working so hard in the river to get rocks, sand, etc. out. She has been coming every day to help the effort...from her home up, up, up the mountain (at least a 1/2 hour walk).

Prayer comes in different packages

Christmas was good. Rosanne and Andrew arrived with no problems (although the airport was the busiest I have ever seen it) and we spent yesterday running errands (feel like standing in line at the bank for an hour or more during the evening rush?) building bunk beds, treating/painting bunk beds, getting glasses ready for the eye brigade today, sorting toys, etc. I am tired already and we have not left yet this morning for the eye brigade....but I know He who gives us strength, so I am not concerned.

I had to share with you Cecilia's prayer Christmas night for supper. Not so much as a doting father, but as one surprised at the insight children are sometimes given. I can't share all of it, and have to paraphrase ever so slightly if my memory fails me, but there were two key phrases that went "Thank you Jesus that you're still worth it" and "thank you that you're still living."

When is that last time I prayed something like that? Something that sums up the world, struggles and life? And in such a matter of fact, I believe it way? Wow. I was stunned, if not at the prayer than more in my lack of thinking/believing it myself as I ought.

Bottom line: I needed that.

Growing eh?

The annual Christmas party for the mission was Friday night. As you can see...we had to make extra room from last year. You can also see Miguel there in the bottom right of the picture estrenando (uh...I can not believe I have to go look up how to say that in English)...he is debuting his new shirt (we got some sample Izod products in the latest clothing container) which is common here at Christmas time parties, get togethers, etc.




I did not try to count how many people were there...representing all different areas of the ministry in terms of paid and volunteer staff. If we invited everyone that had worked with us just in the past year...well, we would have needed to clean out the garage. Praise God for how many lives he is touching in the ministry...be those through jobs, their families, those directly ministered to through their actions, as well as those we might never hear about here on this Earth.

You can see some of our special guests here in the picture at left, or the video below. The guitarists were great (many of us bought one or more of their CDs) as well as the international singing guests, treating us to a song that was sung in both English and Spanish. That's right, Feliz Navidad. I hope José Feliciano is still cashing lots of royalty checks...because both girls knew the song because it is played all the time here, in amongst other English and Spanish Christmas songs. It was a hoot...as the guitarists kept playing as long as they kept singing...and they might still be singing had we not forcibly stopped them with applause and hugs.

A little help

**Sigh**

I need some prayer help. You ever have one of those days where you read the verses about God, the HS, and Jesus being with us forever, never leaving nor forsaking us, and you know it to be true in your head, but your heart cries..."but I need a hug!"

Of course you have.

I am having one of those days. Why? Oh, dear reader, I do not want to burden you too much. I will just say that there are problems here. I suppose the devil is behind it...they are problems after all. Not to take ourselves out of the equation either though, lest we play the blame game and remove ourselves and our responsibility of our actions.

We all have our high and low points, the low being usually where we grow the most and cling more to God. I am in a low point right now, and am feeling a bit lost....or dazed and confused. Where to go from here? What to do? How?

Until I say it has gotten better...it will not have, and where else can I, you....we...turn but to Him in prayer? Praise God that I can go to Him in prayer! The alternative dark abyss that would be the alternative...that scares me....scares me to think of those in that situation.

So, to sum up... life as I know it right now: sucks. Remembering how much good and reassuring that has been given to me even in times of trouble: comforting, if not still that hug I wanted at the beginning.

How we roll

The Ford got out of surgery, looking almost as good as new (we opted not to paint the bars in the back or the mule killer until we find a cheap rhinolining paint that won't rub off with the constant wear they get.

The Defender has new tires...looks great, and rides much better (I guess I should feel proud we got almost the maximum use out of those tires...or if not proud, at least "frugal")

It is funny, when we have groups, I love driving the Ford or the Defender...but when it is just us, or trying to get around town to do things...neither is as easy to get around the narrow roads and parking areas of Teguc as the Musso. Funny how that works. So, during the week while Valerie is working, I use the Defender and Valerie uses the Musso. Good for the moment that all three are available.

Especially nice that Valerie can use the Musso easier now (without bottoming out, losing traction on the bad tires there too, or continually needing its 4x4) since they fixed the dirt road to the clinic. For how long....that is the question, but at least we should not have to worry much about unloading the next few containers (two of which should be unloading in the next week or so.)

Much more to come the rest of this week. I should get some pictures up here of what has been going on later this week.

Tired all over

Well, I keep stabbing at the administrative pile o' work constantly waiting for me.

Today also involved the joy of getting the Defender worked on some more (the violent shimmy at 30mph is finally gone) with the alarm demons, and getting the front windshield re-done in tint...(falling apart, and it was too dark at night anyway.) Ah, what joy.

Finding the money for the eight tires we need is also interesting. I was going to get four for the Defender today (all four are looking rough...two constantly need air, and have been patched each at least once before) but the ones Pricesmart had were not exactly what I was looking for (price or the tire itself.) Of course the Musso is right there needing some as well, although a different size of course (we got two years out of both sets, which is about par for us and good for the conditions here.)

So, I guess that means the fun task of comparison shopping. And for tires no less. Which is harder as December is the worst traffic month of the year, all day and night except for early morning rush hour when you would expect it. Why? More people off of work (all of the kids on the typical Honduran school schedule get out the end of November.) and plenty of time to spend all that Christmas money they have...or just like the US...do not have. So trying to do regular shopping is even more time consuming than normal.

Do you think Valerie would enjoy her Christmas present being new tires?

Ob-la-di, ob-la-da

Molly and Desmond are no where to be found, but things this week are perking right along. There is so much to do, and so little time. Good thing we are getting things slowly accomplished and that we do not stress out!

We are down to one vehicle for the moment. Good thing we had the Musso serviced last week (that old faithful bird is getting expensive to maintain!), since the Defender has the shakes again, although we think we got the right parts to clear it of that, and the Ford went under the knife to repair some dings, scratches, and the minor hit from the bus we received back in October. I have to order the remaining parts to fix the Blue Ford. Go figure...a vehicle widely sold here but not the dealership nor any other shop seems to be interested in finding something as simple as a mirror or much else for it.

We continue to plot out a course for the new construction, getting the guys started on the footer, as well as trying to get the necessary equipment rented to cut the containers up and then welded back together, plus creating enough free space to put everything for when we do cut them up.

For those that remember Gender's pickup woes...it looks like things are perking up on that front as far as it getting repaired...and at first he was thinking of doing without one, but the community has begged him to keep it. Why? It is their only emergency means of getting to the hospital, etc. during the night or any other time. We will see what has been going on there more later this month.

Sigh, pray, move on

Lest I paint too rosey a picture of life here, and it is quite rosey let us not forget as we are in the beyond capable hands of He who brought us here, of course life, as it is, goes on here just as anywhere else.

Care to pray about it? Here goes:

More things are coming up missing around our house. The group money that was disappearing was alarming enough, then a mp3 player, then while I was gone my father-in-law's jacket, now my cell phone (which I did not take with me...whoever took it got a half-broken phone!), and other small things. Disturbing not only because we use those "things", but also because we do not have strangers in the house...only people we trust, or thought we could trust. We have had to phase out whom we think is guilty, and are waiting to see if more things come up missing, or if that fixes the problem. If it does...then we would be obligated as a brother and sister in Christ to confront her with the possibility.

The cars. The Defender is now in running order. Valerie had that fixed while I was gone for some steering vibrations. Now comes time for the Musso. And the Ford needs some body work as well for a hit we received back in October. The Blue Ford has been plagued with getting the parts needed to fix it after its accident back in August. It might come to us having to buy the rest or they are not sure they can ever get them for us. (Why not, I found almost all of them on eBay?) Good thing we have some spare vehicles I suppose. God be praised for that.

The roads to the clinic are still bad...but new hope emerges as a road crew was working on fixing them today. As always, this is a band-aid fix for, keeping the metaphor, is a gaping flesh wound problem, but perhaps it will end up being passable for the semi containers at least until next rainy season. If I don't bottom out in the Musso for a while, I am sure it will appreciate it...or at least not break anything.

On the clinic property, somebody ran into one of the gate supports we put up. Obviously a tall load, but distressing because to fix it will be a huge deal (read: $$$), not to mention I noticed some graffiti on the same gate (for the Church buses) this afternoon.

The septic tank we dug? The guys that were supposed to finish the job the day we left did not do so properly. Not a make-or-break thing, but disturbing. More disturbing is that they did not plug the escape hatch...which should have been done, so our neighbors, as if to further prove we need the fence up, have been throwing their trash in the hole. So, before it can be properly sealed, now someone will have to go in, fish everything out, and get it out of the top of the hole. Rest assured, that someone will not be me.

That is pretty much it really. Not a big list of gripes. Nice to have a pressure valve sometimes. God is good, we will get it all done/fixed/working, and His name will be praised. I suppose as long as the last one happens, none of the rest really matters, now does it?

I feel better now...how about you?

I'm back baby

Have I mentioned how much my parents have been helpful beyond words in our trip to the US? These kind of things done on one when one prepares to depart for the airport shortly after 4:00 this morning.

By the by, I stayed up last night to get a run in on the treadmill and finished a very good movie...12 O'clock High. It is a WWII drama, not an action flick, and surprisingly good and seemingly accurate in a world of Hollywood where looking good and proper is usually more important than being true to what happens.

Despite running until about 12:00, and the cramped quarters of the planes (made slightly better with bulkhead and emergency exit row seating), I am feeling quite well. Our 20 minute layover (by the time we took off) in Houston probably helped...walking from one gate to another.

It is good to be home, and to start tomorrow cold getting back to getting things done with the last container dropped off, plus getting some major administrative stuff done. Fun, fun, fun.

And regardless what you might think...this is a break compared to this trip to the US. The last few weeks were hard and long...getting back to the daily grind in my own bed with my wife, kids, and "routine" is something I am definitely looking forward to enjoying.

Mother load...not quite

Today was L-day, loading day for the FAME container. We left before dawn, and there was plenty of work. I handled making sure every nook and cranny that could be filled was filled, and that means a tetris like game the entire time with such a variety of objects, sizes, and timing for when you get them all.

We thought early on that there would not be enough room for hardly anything that was collected. Later on that did not materialize to the degree we previously thought...but for the first year much was left behind for another container to come via Master Provisions later. We got most of what we needed, and all FAME had for us in terms of the medical work and new clinic, but some of the future furniture, etc. had to wait. Not much in terms of what was actually put on, but some.

And we had some great help as well. The youth group from Hazel Dell Christian Church came down, and they were a hoot, not to mention pretty good at helping. They had to leave after lunch, but we were done before 2:30, not too long after the freezing rain started, which was lovely of course.

This FAME container is so pivotal for us in so many ways as a mission. Sometimes we are not as appreciative as we should be for this very valuable help to the medical work, and the rest of the mission as well.

Now I am going to try to relax, let my various injured body parts heal, and get ready for more traveling tomorrow.