At lanta, by lanta, through lanta for sure

We are gone from Indiana, on our way back home. We are in Atlanta since yesterday afternoon, staying with our good friends, and fellow workers in His Eyes, Mark and Susan. Not only are they doing a slamtastic job as hosts and showing us tons here, but they also helped set up some meetings to share more about God's work in Honduras, and about how we might be able to improve and further the clothing ministry as well.

We get back home tomorrow, and hit the ground running, doing all the prep for the groups that are coming in 2009....three to be exact just in January (thanks for that catch Susan), lots of work to be done for the new clinic...and other administrative and physical work in the existing clinic and getting things ready to go for the next several months.

A little trip

Suprisingly to me, no one on facebook has noticed we are not in Honduras from my status updates. I meant to post something here earlier, but I have been so busy trying to relax, I have not had time.

Thanks to Susan and Mark, and three members of our family, we are in Indiana visiting for Christmas for one week. It is a long story, but it was meant as a week to be able to see family, and for them to see us, and for relaxation.

(Soren here posing with his Delta cookie. He loves Delta cookies, "they are excellent" he says. He was very happy to get some...and peanuts too!

We arrived the 22nd at night, we head back through Atlanta for a day and a half and arrive back in Honduras on January 1st.

Here are Cecilia and Soren (and Valerie in the far right of the picture filling up her Aguazul bottle) enjoying the wonderfully amazing US custom of getting free drinking water! Something you take for granted if you live here, but it really is huge for us foreigners.

Here is Mr. Spiderman graciously obeying the command to smile for the picture, and then adding "It is cold!" while everyone else tries to fit in the mighty Tahoe for the drive from the new and lovely Indianapolis International Airport.

We spent the 23rd with the kids with the grandparents, and us traveling to FAME to get some things, having a dentist friend give Valerie's tooth the once over, trying to do a little shopping, and then braving the elements as a wonderful reminder of what we have left, taking almost three hours to make the normally one hour trip back to Felipe's parent's house.

Since then, relaxing, visiting, a little work, and unfortunately for the kids...not really any snow to see. It has been a few years since Soren has been here...so he remembers nothing, but both he and Cecilia were relatively sure that when we arrived in Indianapolis that if there was no snow, then we must be in the wrong place.

Surely make you lose your mind

I really can not complain, and the refrain rings in my head...it would not do any good anyhow. However, we all have our struggles no matter who or where we are, what we do, etc. I have been struggling with stress, as my responsibility level has been very high with things to do, and I am quite sure if it was not God working in me, something might have snapped by now.

This week all the employees at the clinic were technically fired from their jobs (all but one being hired back next year when we start...with contracts this time, another thing to do on my plate.) This is something we had been trying to plan for quite some time, as originally when most were hired, the mission was not planning on paying them the legally required "prestaciones" payment. God worked through a lot of different things, but making that happen this week, studying the Honduran employment laws, talking with the staff, and ultimately getting it done...was not easy or fun, however it made a huge difference in the lives of the staff. Add to that trying to balance the books for the entire mission for October and November, and I am just glad now that I am hopefully learning from all the mistakes I am making to make life easier next month, and for the coming year.

Our financial state is not quite what it should be, and I think that is because mostly we are trying to continue the work on the new clinic building, and the funds are just not all there. Please be in prayer on that aspect of the work. So much more to share there...but it is just too much for me to process at times.

Speaking of the new clinic, the floor was poured in the waiting room and hallway this past week, and the windows were installed in said waiting room...mostly because we needed the area to have the mission Christmas party last night. I believe with a few families that were not able to attend, the final count was 66 people total. It was a long...but very good night all around.

Mark, Susan, and their son Jonathan are here this weekend...helping with the electrical work for the clinic, as well as the party last night, and today more electrical and organizing the man cave work, as well as distributing Christmas food and gifts and gifts to 17 families that Valerie and the clinic staff have identified in the area.

I have not posted a picture yet of the newly inaugarated Church building in San Juancito. I was able to be there, along with Darren Quilley, who we invited to come from Teguc to preach (security in this new building, our eternal security in Christ was the message) and it was a packed house, with visitors from many different parts of the country that have been involved, helped, and supported the work there over the years.) Now we pray the old borrowed building would be left in good condition, and then the transition for Celeo to start pulling out and leaving things to Jonathan would occur....and Celeo is planning to look at starting a Church through the mission, using the clothing ministry to support it in Talanga, a much larger community another 1/2 hour or so from Cantaranas, actually on the main road to Olancho, so that as well is another opportunity for prayer.

And finally...Oscar had a surprise birthday party thrown for him on Sunday. We had a bunch of other stuff to do, so we could not stay for everything...but I did get a picture of his piñata...be sure to note the glasses and fanny pack Poo is sporting. It was rumored that when hitting the fanny pack...receipts, pens, money, coupons, and other such minutae would rain down.

Prayer

I just got off the phone with Gender in Sampedrana...he sounds strong in the Lord, yet also expressed a great desire to see us (I presume Oscar and me) and said it was really good to hear my voice. Hmmmm, no joke, they need our prayers.

He also mentioned the continuing rocky work constructing the soccer field. It has not been easy...on him, on the workers, and especially on the pick up truck. All of those are distressing, especially the pick up since he depends on it so much. We are thinking about selling it, and trying to upgrade to something more sturdy...but I am not sure how much more money we would be able to put together to upgrade. Hmmmm, another prayer request.

He also asked for prayer for the Church...there are more upcoming baptisms this month, as well as a very poor couple that plans to wed. Praise God for that awesome news! He did not ask for prayer for this, but I thought I would share it: The couple is poor enough they do not have the money to get married, so he is footing what he has to, because, as he put it "that is what I need to do because it is God's work." Prayer for those that have their trust in the Lord and are pursuing baptism, for the wedding, and for Gender and Lourdes.

Also, this weekend is the inaugaration for the Church building in San Juancito. We have a guest preacher lined up, they are expecting quite the crowd, and we hope everything will come together for places to sit (the Church does not have its own benches yet, and the ones they were going to borrow are no longer available.) Prayer that chairs would become available, and that they/we would be able to help in building benches for the future would be most appreciated.

And while we are praying without ceasing...praise and prayer for Cantaranas...the clothing ministry was struggling before I left for the US. Long story short, things are doing better after some intervention from Celeo and Oscar, and the prayer is that they would continue to do so with Jonathan's direction/leadership, and for the Church there to continue to grow, and that God would make clear to us what the next steps are for that body (land, vehicle, transition with the San Juancito Church in the next 3-6 months, and more.)

Do you know what "noel" really means and where it comes from?

Blogging again, so soon? Yes, here I am with more...words and pictures.

So this week we took the plunge and started French classes, Cecilia, Soren and I. It is cheap, but expensive, if that makes any sense. For each of us the cost per hour is not bad, but it does add up over a month. This is something we feel strongly about though, and we will just have to make it work, since we want to give the kids the best education we can given what we have to work with, as well as our schedule. Bernardo comes recommended by the woman we used to live with, Doña Elida, and he comes to the house to do the lessons. It has been interesting so far (we also have a CD we bought in the US to help...and already are finding Lazy Town and Disney in French available on You Tube) but you can see from this picture...Soren needs a nap before class on the days we have them (he stayed with us until the last ten minutes.)

Julia (intern here for the last six months) left today for the US. When someone lives with you for six months...it is kind of weird when they are gone, like a member of the family has left. It has been edifying to see God use her time here to move in and through her in so many ways, and to hear her talk about it all as well...pretty powerful stuff. We went out last night to Pollo Campero (if only Brad read my blog...I am sure he would be pleased to hear we went there) where the kids had a lot of fun playing as well as eating. If you can believe it, it was raining quite a bit when we left. Rain? In December? How odd! I know it probably seems as normal to you as snow (snow? Oh yeah, that white stuff) but for us here...rain in December is a rare thing. This picture just cracks me up...they have a three story play area that cost tens of thousands of dollars, but the first thing the kids ran to play on was the Little Tikes piece. Whatever makes them happy.





And many of you that have participated in the Milk Project know Nerys. She became a full timer on staff with us earlier this year as a custodian. This weekend, with help from a generous benefactor from outside Honduras, she and Lucas (some of the same of you, or others that came in groups might know him from him working on the new clinic project...or their son, Ericson) got married. It was the first afternoon wedding we have attended...and we found out that the 1:00 proposed start was actually close to correct. We were busy, and got a call from Marlen that they were waiting on Valerie (to play the wedding march) and Cecilia (to hold the rope symbolizing the two being yoked together) Whoops! We got there before 2:00 however. It was a quick wedding...the service, food, and fellowship was done in two hours....we were kind of asked to leave what with band practice beginning and them putting away the chairs as people got up.

And I have a picture of Oscar (Oscarito he will be called...little Oscar) for those wondering. He seems to be doing very well, Julia reports she is in good health, and that he eats well, fusses very little, and goes to sleep early and wakes up normally in the AM. Like father, like son. Two months, and you can see him trying to keep his head up all the time, looking around, and when the food came at the wedding...he moved his mouth like was actually going to get something. Like I said....

Oh, and noel is a French word. It means Christmas. Not surprising, but one of a few things I actually remember from class so far.

Parts is parts

I am overwhelmed. Why blog then dunder chief? Well, it is cathartic and that helps. So if I have to take time to do this, so be it. Besides, despite my most pessimistic abilities, I do in fact know there are people that either check this blog or subscribe to it (did you know you can do that? I do it for several blogs I otherwise would forget to check on a regular basis) and alter their prayer life accordingly, so here I am.

One might say this picture took great pains to achieve. Certainly pains for Roberto working on the Musso (all safety equipment was, as always, OSHA approved*) My only "pain" was in the moolah department. Parts for the Musso ran $900. I have yet to be charged for labor...but it will be considerably less than that. The Defender's bill so far is a new belt and tensioner (with more parts I am supposed to get "cheap" from the US ($300 for a drop arm?)) plus it is off at the electrician's shop right now getting the doors fixed (it is a problem when only the driver door opens) and the auxiliary lights working again. At least it worked fairly well (and apparently hard) while Valerie drove it the month I was gone, and besides, being British, one expects to have a wee bit of electrical gremlins always reminding you of whence it came. And the Ford...so far, so good. It has a tendency to not want to start, especially cold...I think it is electrical, or glow plugs...not battery related (we just bought new batteries this year...that is right, I did write batteries. That big diesel requires two batteries putting out at least 130 amps per.) Sooner or later that will get some attention as well.

Did I post a picture of the new clinic progress? I have not, shame, shame on me! You can see the bars are on the windows (those are not the windows themselves...they will be installed later, when everything is secure.) Also continuing is misc. box setting, plumbing, etc. work as well as the important stucco/finishing work mostly inside. The interior big, bulky, safe, front doors should be installed right quick, and that will give us an actual secure facility!

Currently....we are stymied by pex. Pex is the system we are using for watering the clinic. I am sure you appreciate my deeply technical plumbing terminology. It would seem that somewhere in the past year or so that we had the copper fittings and such at the clinic...that someone absconded with them, presumably for the scrap value since pex is not extremely popular here...yet. (Want to know more about pex? See www.pexinfo.com for a quite scintillating look at the wonderful world of all things pex. Now, back to our blogging) So we are delaying the continuing work on the inside of the building until we can get those parts from the US (rather salty here don't ya know.) Fortunately, Mark and Susan are coming on the 18th, so we shant have to wait too long. After that gets done, pouring the floor comes next (well, part of it will already be poured...we need the floor in the waiting room done to host the mission's ever growing Christmas party on the 19th) electrical work will resume when Mark is here, and then we start working on many more of the other touches throughout January. It will be a wild ride for sure, but with God's help, and a wee bit more money, we should be able to finish on schedule.

Between all that, I am supposed to get caught up on all the paperwork done, or rather undone by my compatriots while I was in the US, finalize working contracts for the staff for next year, figure out what we are doing on Reina's house and how she is repaying us, supervising the new clinic and the staff requested changes to the interior, and the list goes on. I really do praise God though for that list, and for the opportunity to do all this. If I stop and think about it...it is so far beyond me, so inconceivable, what else is there to do? So I keep pressing on...which I believe we are exhorted to do somewhere.

Weekend overview

So, I have a few days back home, and I am tired already! Thursday we did go to Union Christian Church for a pitch-in style Thanksgiving meal, and while we were there we stayed and practiced for playing on Sunday morning. I noticed before we got there the Defender was close to overheating. I checked everything after the engine cooled, the only thing I noticed was it was a little low on water. Something to keep an eye on...especially since the Musso continues to be parked waiting for parts (and the Ford only starts when faced downhill...not sure what is the problem there.) I really love the Musso...but every time it needs parts it takes two months or something, and although I am not sure how we would replace it now, it is something we need to start planning for now....somehow.

Friday I was here at the house in time for the phone repairmen to show up. I did nothing other than stay here and answer questions, and answer the phone, but it seemed like a minor miracle, since the phone has not been working for Valerie pretty much since I left. Another advantage to having a home office...you are home when people show up to fix things.

After that I bought milk and cookies for the milk project and headed to the clinic. After good conversations talking with nurses and nutritionists, I am contemplating how we could do something for the milk project that would provide better nourishment, food for thought as it were. You can see I also got to see what was up around the property. The current clinic building is all decorated for Christmas (they did that a few weeks ago!) The bars are up for where the windows will eventually be installed, and inside several floors were all prepared for concrete, while the work to stucco and finish the interior walls continues, and plumbing starts to take shape. We will need a big push in December (and more cash) to get things where they need to be for the work to continue with teams and wrap up in January.

Saturday was a day to reconnect with the kids (Valerie participating and helping with a woman's conference with various Churches involved all day). We watched a little TV, then went to go to the bank and get ingredients to make cookies, as well as do some mission banking and pay the yearly registration for the Musso (due in November...wink wink) After TWO hours waiting with the kids, we finally got back home....late for lunch. Wow. Then we made cookies...and then it began. We heard the music coming from the grocery store across the street...then the sirens...the the whooping and hollering. I knew Santa was to make an appearance today, but thought little of it as I had time to read, and re-read the announcements while in line earlier in the day. Then I heard (inside the house mind you) that indeed Santa was "dropping out of the air." Then I heard the helicopter. Surely not, you say. I do say, and don't call me Shirley.

The kids were pumped, I felt indifferent, but quickly brightened to the fact that I could share in this with them, and after all, it is only one day a year that you see Santa come out of a helicopter. We went, and stayed for almost two hours as Santa put on his La Colonia show...replete with free gifts being thrown to the 300 or more people there (including....candy, chips, spaghetti, soap, powdered milk, and my personal favorite...big tubes of lard (which splat if they land on the ground.) It was crazy, and the kids quickly engaged with the "hey, throw me a prize!" atmosphere. The spaghetti I caught we plan on giving to Dora...that is, what the kids did not eat while we were there (raw, mind you...is it just me, or is that weird?)

Enjoy this video that gives just a glimpse at what it was like...and we must have heard that song like 30 times by the end of the two hours. No injuries were reported...in fact, the kids seemed to thrive on it. Hmmmm, go figure.


Sunday we played at UCC, practiced a little for the upcoming Christmas event, and then headed back home to watch American football. Valerie's foot continues to bother her....possibly a stress fracture? Hard telling, she would have to take time to go get another opinion. The Defender...the mechanic says it is a pulley or a belt ready to fly off to never-never land, and the parts for the Musso to hopefully put it on the mend are actually in, so Roberto will hopefully start on that tomorrow, and the Ford....looks like we need another battery. Yikes.