Thursday, August 7, 2008

Long way down









Today was corn distribution in San Juancito. When I say the group I was with went a long way down...these pictures do not entail all the views we encountered as we went down...and down...and down. We took not quite two hours to visit four families....each one different, but definitely sharing some things in common....like a very difficult climb should the path be muddy, not an easy climb even when it is not, hunger and need for such a gift as the corn we were able to provide, and encouragement and prayer for their walk with Christ...two of the families we visited were members of the Church, but for different reasons not faithfully congregating there as of late.

We also met a woman trusting in God, and very ready to go home with him...celebrating her 80th birthday. For several months however she has been unable to leave her home due to sickness. If she does have to see the doctor of the like...someone has to carry her up to the main road, she can not walk like she used to be able to do. She was very grateful for our visit, for the corn, and for the prayers offered up for her.

Additionally, a woman was working on her home, a new home being built out of adobe. Adobe homes are still very common here, mostly in the rural areas of the country. She was working on clearing the land, as they had the adobe blocks, but were missing some materials needed to finish adding the kitchen. Until then they are living with her partner's parents (they are, unfortunately as is extremely common, not married yet) way up the hill in another area of San Juancito.














This bloke I met while the group was doing their souvenir shopping. His name is Ian Coates...you can google him (include Honda as that is the make of his bike and that will narrow the results that come up....quite a few of them there are.) I have as of late been using those two hours we set aside for such by going to the internet cafe and getting some work done. He was not quite like other people I have met while doing that....he is from Yorkshire England, taking time to ride his bike all over the world...over sixty countries so far...he has been to Africa, Australia, New Zealand, all over South America, and since March making his way from Panama to his current location in the middle of Honduras. Obviously he is not in a hurry, but taking his time. He was helpful in my continuing goal of speaking a better British accent (and quite complementary....saying I could have a future working for the BBC) and informed me that chaps named Phillip there are always referred to as "Pip," which I decided had a nice ring to it. Just the few stories we swapped were very interesting (did I mention he worked for over 30 years as a Land Rover mechanic and has three Defender type vehicles like we own?) and he certainly drew a crowd even in that small town. Definitely glad I was there to be able to meet him.

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