Election Junction, what's your function?

So the elections are behind us. I am not sure anyone really expected something that peaceful, but they pretty much went off without a hitch (a couple hundred people got together to march in SPS, but they were dispersed with tear gas...I have heard of nothing else at this point.)

Nothing like the republic threatened to get people out at the polls either (despite promises from the resistance to cause havoc and small bombs being set off, etc.) with reports saying that the turnout was over 60%, which is supposed to be a high number. Interesting I thought, because the last US election was reported at something close to that figure (depending on what website you consult) So I looked up our last election...and surprise, surprise, the turnout then was around 46% so I guess that is quite a bit higher. What will happen to Mel? How will this continue to play out? All signs look good at this point, but I am guessing Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, Bolivia and any other socialist countries will still not be too pleased.

I went up to the clinic today...Oscar decorated the clinic with poinsetias and the tree was up...it was quite festive. We talked about what has happened in my abscence, and upcoming plans, plus looking over what we got in the latest container which was chock full o' good stuff for every area of the mission. It looks like CHE training will start next week, the work continued quite a bit on the soccer field (with more needed...some more rebar, the doors to get in and out, and the goals, we still have some money to do that...but are short about half what is still needed.) Plus we think we have enough money donated coming that we can help get Dora's wall done, so we will start helping her on that this week.

We hit the ground running arriving back here on Saturday. God has provided us great weather, an easy transition back for the most part, but there is as always plenty of work to be done...and Valerie and I both are struggling in different areas on finding a good balance between ministry and family. I am not sure I can adequately communicate the struggle here, but for those that know the feeling, and even those that do not, we would appreciate your prayers.

How about a new family picture from our trip to the US? One of the two or three days we were all together was Thanksgiving, and someone was thinking enough that we actually got one taken of all four of us. We always say we need to do that more often. And for those that see me in Cecilia or Valerie in Soren...the older they get the more I see it like one of those funky dime store images where when you look from the right you see one thing and the left another...just today I looked at Cecilia and definitely saw her mother in a way that was a little eerily cool...because I know what kind of person she is, and what kind of woman I see Cecilia becoming.

Well, another long lapse between bloggings. Believe me, several times I have been tempted to blog, but have been getting not much sleep as it is.

After our last time together, I spent a great weekend in Peoria Illinois for the National Missionary Convention. Between the His Eyes big board meeting (most of us looking across a table at each other instead of imagining through Skype the other three times a year) and my presentation about the mission to those interested were a slew of meetings, conversations, chats, bump-intos....seeing old friends, meeting new friends, having people stop me by shouting "Felipe!" that I otherwise would not have seen, and on the flip side seeing more than one person that I know walk right past me without recognizing me on their way somewhere else. A busy weekend for all involved I think...but in a God way.

After that, this past week has flown by...I still have accounting, email, and container computer work to do, as well as seeing some friends and spending some time with family for Thanksgiving.

Trying to thank everyone that helped make the past month a great month...very hard. Two particular familial shout outs have to go to...#1 my parents (providing the mission guy (me) and Valerie with transportation for the entire time, food to raid whenever needed, more office supplies, printing supplies, etc. than I can remember, a place to throw all our junk and then watch us pack it all up again and leave high and dry for many days at a time, and the always fun rides to and from the airport...especially the always fun leaving-at-4:15-in-the-morning drive. #2 The mysterious Georgians. No, they are not from near the Black Sea, but they helped make much of the trip possible, especially as it pertains to Valerie and the kids being able to go, and also continue to help God's work here in more ways than at which you can shake a stick. Why you would try to shake a stick at that I am not sure, but what I am sure of is how much God is being honored through their efforts. They themselves get no credit of course.

Please pray for the elections that are happening tomorrow (Sunday) here in Honduras would be peaceful, have good participation, be fair, and be recognized as being legitimate by the other nations of the world so we can try to get beyond these past five months. This is a big day for Honduras tomorrow. We will be out and about at Union Church playing for those that can come but otherwise will probably stay at home...unless I can get out for a run in the warm Honduran sun...much preferred to the lovely rainy weather recently plaguing the mid-west so much.

How about some more pictures from the trip? These will be fun, I promise.

Peoria is bigger than I thought, but still not that big. The Civic Center was nice, including this statue. Not so nice was seeing kids climbing on it, skateboarding on it, etc.

Side note: I asked two custodial employees at the center what they honestly thought about our convention...what kind of group testimony we were giving. One remarked that we were so much better than other conventions she was ready to marry us earlier in the week. Insert your own joke or deep spiritual comment here.








Sharing takes different forms...like having a 1/2 hour discussion with the Chili's hostess (Amanda) and sharing a bit about the convention, about her job....and here is Brad sharing hunting pictures with a fellow bambi killer. Good times.













Doing everything in Christ's name...to the point you inscribe it on your body. Amazing what can come from an email salutation eh?

















Cousin time is hard to come by for our kids. What better way to celebrate what you have in common than your uncle and grandma pushing you around the store ramming into each other like scenes from a Hollywood blockbuster?



Besides, Ceceilia certainly has the look of a determined force with which to be reckoned.














Soren and Wyatt are definitely the more calm of the foursome, but also swept away with Days of Thunder fever. No Chevy Luminas were harmed during the filming of that 1% milk purchasing spree.















Tthey got down on the farm with grandpa as he struggled to help get the harvest done before Thanksgiving. They really enjoyed getting to ride in the tractor and the combine...Cecilia especially liked "helping" and "driving."

Soren using Grandpa's hat and doing his second-best pose from this trip.

Cecilia ready to drive. My favorite was the mammoth combine, painted yellow, with the obvious need of two yellow strobe lights on the top. Yeah, I could hardly see that thing before, but with the strobe lights, now I can pick it out easier.

I won't include a picture of us getting the mighty Sable stuck in the field trying to drop the kids off. Did I mention it has been raining quite a bit there?

I got my picture back from the marathon. Expensive...until I consider asking someone I know to come down and take pictures of me for about five hours. After thinking about that I have a newfound respect for the friends/family that I did see along the route. Impressive.

Soren's best picture pose to date in my opinion.

Catching up...kind of

I have said in the past that these trips to the US are far more busy than my busy nature in Honduras, and my failure to blog hardly at all this time only adds further proof to that reality.

I have not taken many pictures this time around, but there are a few to post here.

So since our last posting...well, let me see what I can remember.

I got back from Cincy, took some stuff to FAME for the container, and tried to catch up on computer work to some extent, and then was off to Atlanta for a couple days...a few meetings, fellowship, trying new foods (like Chick-fil-a, eel sauce, water chestnuts, tofu) and then to Jacksonville Florida for another few days...more meetings, creating new friendships, revisiting some old, trying yet more first time foods (crab legs, unpeeled shrimp, oysters, banana pudding)giving communion meditations for three services, a lunch for Honduras information, a supper with more friends, then back to IND, helping finish the load packing of that FAME container, a supper and night spent at Valerie's sister's house, some shopping for Cecilia with the grandparents, and then back to my parents house with the kiddos for some new food experiences of their own (cheese balls, twinkies, brocoflower, mexican wedding cookies...quite the experience as you can see.)

Today I am doing some accounting on our rapidly depleting coffee supply, helping with the kids...although with dad out of the fields due to rain...they are getting a treat of riding the tractor just for fun and some other fun stuff only grandma and grandpa could provide...like back to back days at the Pizza Hut buffet.

Tomorrow off to the National Missionary Convention which will last until very early Sunday morning, when I head back to Indianapolis to speak at a Church and then meet Valerie in the afternoon after she finishes at another Church. Then the rest of our time is pretty much already scheduled until we head back to Honduras. Time does fly when you are having fun...even if at 10 MPH on a Deere.

A few thoughts

1. Anybody know of a 2000 or newer bus we could get cheap or via a donation? The Church bus for Teguc lost its motor. The mission is not really in a position to just help them buy one, but if there is a connection to be made in which we can assist them and it help us as well with the property purchase in this way, it seems like a win-win and somehting worth pursuing if we can.

2. The marathon on Saturday went very well. My goal after last year's time of 5:0something (I forget...I think it was 5:05?) and the weather for this year's race was again about as perfect as it gets. The course was great, and my time in the end was 4:57. I had some bathroom issues along the way during the first ten miles or so, but God kept me going through it all and my only battle scars were a few spots of chaffing, a big bloody blister...and some sore quadraceps. After that I walked to the car and drove two hours to Cincinnati for a Church mission fair, which was great as usual.

3. I was working last week on a bunch of different things, but updating our mission standee for Church presentations was something I was not really looking forward to, but was glad I did in the end. After all...Soren is no longer 2 years old (and that among many other pictures needed to be updated.) I think it turned out ok.

4. I am also hunting a vehicle for Oscar, or rather, for his wife Julia...to free him up from taking her to the doctor, getting the kids from school, etc. Unfortunately if he gets something from the US it has to be 2002 or newer, so I was looking at wrecked cars here that fit the cheap profile but can be repaired in Honduras cheaper (only fixing body damage...still functioning engine etc. required.) So far however, nothing in his price range is popping up. Hmmmm

5. Otherwise...answering tons of email, organizing things for the container shipping this weekend, fielding texts and calls from Honduras, and getting ready for a trip to ATL and JAX this week. I actually slept eight hours today though, actually over eight hours, so that was a pleasant surprise!

Needs seem to present themselves more frequently lately. Frankly I am not quite sure how larger missions handle this. The larger the mission is, the more people involved, the more work involved, the greater the needs seem to be. If I am sharing with a Church, or someone who asks me about prayer needs, physical needs, monetary needs, etc....sometimes I am not sure where to start or what to share. To be quite honest, it can sometimes be a little overwhelming. At least when it gets to that point I can put my head to pillow and finally in some wisdom give them to God to carry instead of keeping them on my back.

Just yesterday, although I am in the USA, I got some information from Oscar: the Church bus that broke down the Sunday before last...it was the motor and it is shot. The Church has not asked us for help yet, but Oscar was kind enough to tell me on their behalf to see what we could do. I was reminded about the need for Dora's house of the protective wall. Valerie told me to pray for Marlene, she has Dengue fever (like malaria...only not nearly as likely to kill you...just make you miserable for a week.) I think every day about the Church property purchase/pre-fab construction idea, and while talking with FAME yesterday about CHE, I was thinking much about the Churches and moving forward in those communities with this very important part of the Gospel charge we have. All that (and more) just yesterday walking through my mind.

I got back from a good visit to Virginia on Monday, walked through the FAME warehouse to see how much is there we can use to put on the container loading the 14th which was pretty exciting. I guess it says something about where I am in life when I get excited about wheelchairs, sharps containers and pill bottles. Tuesday I went back to FAME to talk to a volunteer group that helps FAME do what it does, which was cool, then had the aforementioned CHE meeting. Today is playing catch up on emails, some coffee shipments (still more to be had for those interested before the 2010 harvest! We have approximately 180 pounds left to sell!) and revamping our lovely His Eyes three fold display for mission presentations. I have avoided investing time on this piece for three years, but the pictures are old, and it needs to be done. Valerie did such a great job on the current version I wish I could wait for her to do it again, but alas it falls on me. Hopefully it will take me less than eight hours work. Hopefully.