June Update

So June's update was full of Optometry references. I promised to blog about it, and announce the winner. Aaron Frey won by a landslide. He even caught a reference I was proud to have included...had I only conscously been aware I had done it. He did miss one of the references, but otherwise, a flawless presentation. Uh, I guess I should also mention Aaron is an optometrist, not that it had anything to do with his winning. What did he win? A pound of Hill Climber coffee will be on its way to him in the next month or so!

Here is the update, with the explainations, for those probable few that are curious.

This weeks update is being ghost (as in ghost images) written from the optometric practice of C.F. Eyecare, Emma Tropic. (emmatropia is the fancy way of saying your vision is normal) She will give her perfectly clear view of the work being done, whilst also giving us that tweak of indifference we have all come to know and love. Enjoy...or not, it is up to you! Despite her claims to the contrary, this update is chock full of optometric references. Catch them all (and some are a stretch), and win a prize! Just list them all in an email and hit reply. Otherwise for our own amusement we will post the references in a blog update next week.

I risk telling you that May was clearly an interesting month in the hopes that you will be encouraged in what God is doing here. Of course, eye care being my field, I normally would tend to everything through that lens, but you and I both understand there is much more to the mission than just what I normally see, so I will refrain as much as possible from unnecessary optical references. As our Italian friends would say, that would be "corny, ah!" (cornea...a stretch, but most picked up on it)

A group was here representing CSF...not cerebral spinal fluid, but Christian Student Fellowship (fret not, I thought the same thing) and Sherwood Oaks Christian Church. They were the first group to do activities in Talanga for the new Church plant that Celeo is endeavoring, and already fruit is being seen, as from one day of corn distribution, last week's service (being held in homes for now) was over 30 people. They did much more, including helping the Church in Teguc get their fence portion started, and completing the new, improved, septic tank for the clinic building. They also visited the famous agricultural school here (Zamorano...they are into everything from animals and dairy to fruit, and even the straw business (the one Aaron missed...strabismus is having a crossed eye)) and received a very nice tour of the campus, and even saw what some maintained was a small dinosaur, which led to Soren being nick named DinoSoren, which he liked, although it was just a big iguana. We did not touch it, and even with quite a few birds there, there was no opportunity to pat an owl. (patanol is an eye allergy medication)

The coffee from Sampedrana is getting closer to being ready for sale. It is getting roasted and bagged while we speak. This experiment in creating a viable way to support some of the Churches we directly support and work with is very exciting for the opportunities it could bring in the future. Of course the naturally grown, organic, shade grown, and farmer higher compensated coffee we hope will be a hit not only for consumption but for raising funds to keep this going in the future, so we prayerfully hope it sells with flare. (cells and flare are found in the eye with an iritis, etc.)

The clothing ministry had a hard month. Clothes were of very poor quality, and it put a huge financial pinch on all involved and the ministries supported by that clothing. We just unloaded a new container, and are hopeful that things will improve with that for this month. Especially we are hopeful that the ministry is done in a way that will glorify God who makes it all possible, and of course that there would be people who would be able to use what is brought, be them choosers of T-shirts, denim deciders , or tie-dye opters. (diopters are the steps in which presciptions for glasses are measured)

Cecilia and Soren continue to march on (this is the one I did not see when I wrote this....Marchon is a company that sells frames) in their studies. Neither perhaps is the star pupil of their respective classes, but they do try, and are learning a great deal, especially it appears Soren learning ways to make his classmates laugh in English class by claiming one pigment is another (the teacher says red, Soren says "no it is pink!") His parents are just trying to take all the time they can to enjoy him at this size, small, light, and a little goofy....kind of a silly, airy body (cillary body is a part of the inside of the eye) if you will. Cecilia is enjoying opportunities to be a people person, even if that gets in the way of her class. She has been behaving better, sitting still more and not talking in class...as much, lest her teacher take her to an anterior chamber (also part of the eye inside) to be punished. We would hate for her to be known as a chronic talker, or TISM as it is known in educational circles (Talking Inordinately, Socially Malignant) something to be chided for, as a stigma TISM is hard for young people to shake, and then they end up on the wrong axis (axis is used in presciptions in reference to astigmatism) for the rest of their lives.

Thus ends the update from His Eyes this month. I hope you enjoyed my ghost writing in said document, and especially my tone or meter (tonometer is an instrument)in how I wrote. I now return you to your regular update ending.

More news, pictures and information are available at the blog (www.hiseyeshonduras.blogspot.com) and general information about the mission at (www.hiseyes.us)

May the floaters be with you,
Felipe Fuchs, Valerie Vitreous, Cecilia Conjunctiva and Soren Sclera (uh, as eye related...a distrophy, gel, part and part)

Donations? Please send any checks, which must be made out to "His Eyes" to:
Denny Smith
3036 E. Bricklin Ct.
Bloomington IN 47401
Be sure to include a note in the envelope if you want your donation designated for the Colbys #1 (or any other project) #2, otherwise it goes to general mission support. Which is better? #1 or #2? Ah, trick question, they are both good.