Working, Working, Working

Daily progress is being made on the mission house.   I am praying for quickly, safely, and correctly.

Tuesday morning I went to check things out.  And, I went again this evening.

Materials are stacked everywhere.

Haley is a bit upset that the sand is not her personal sandbox.

Tuesday morning this is what I saw.

This evening, Thursday, this is what I saw:

We have lights up and the men are working from 6:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m.  I commented on how much change I could see from Tuesday morning.  Nicole said they could usually see a big difference from the time they got home each night and the time they leave the next morning.

The dining hall is nearing completion as the screen goes in the windows.

Can't you already hear the fellowship coming from the dining hall?

Thank you God, my making dreams reality.

Shopping .... And A Trip To The Doctor

Yesterday really had two parts.  After, Emily, Alejandra and I finished our shopping trip and had granitas, we went to Hospital San Jorge.

We went to meet Nicole and Baby Josue.  Josue had an appointment with the neurologist.  Nicole always has Emma Kate with her as well.  Matt and Haley had other plans, but they took Nicole and the babies to the hospital, leaving them without a way home unless I went to get them.

Josue is so scared of any unfamiliar situation.  He did well in the doctor`s office except for the actual exam.  The neurologist said he is progressing nicely.  Praise God!   We could not ask for more.  The doctor will see him again in 6 months and maybe we won´t have to see the neurologist any more.

The physical therapist told us to buy Josue some high top shoes.  I bought some that are the right length.  But, his little feet are so narrow and his little legs so thin that the shoes were way to wide and did not even touch his legs.  I wanted to buy some good shoes from Stride-Rite that fit correctly.  He needs some support for those weak, wobbly little legs.  Shoes from Stride-Rite are way too expensive to buy the wrong size.  We decided we would take Josue to buy shoes while we were in town with him.

I was dreading the mall with him.  Too many unfamiliar people.  Too many unfamiliar sounds.  Too much unfamiliar everything.  He started crying the second we got out of the car.  Considering other experiences with him, it was not too painful.  If he was being held by Nicole or me, he did fairly well.  He was crying and scared the whole time, but was not screaming at the top of his lungs

We got shoes that fit perfectly.  Nicole had to feed Josue and doing that in the car would have been far too messy.  We were all glad to be home.  And Josue, breathed a big sigh of relief when Nicole took him inside his house.  There is no place like home.

Please continue to pray for continued improvement for this little guy.

Terri

Shopping

I have a new friend.  Her name is Alejandra and she is 14 years old.  I don't know all of her story, but like many here, it is a sad one.  She was abandoned when she was five years old.  She has siblings and has tried her best to care for them.  I am not sure what all she has had to do in order to buy food for these siblings.

She needed some underwear.  So, I was going to take her shopping for those things.  Emily and I left for town and met Marc and Alejandra for lunch.  Then Alejandra left with us. She had decided she did not need underwear, but clothes.

I could tell she definitely needed shoes.

We decided jeans, shirt and shoes.  The jeans were easy.  She wanted a white shirt and there were plenty to choose from.  I would have vetoed some of them.  Emily and I each found a white shirt at the same time.  The one I had was cute, but the one Emily had was far cuter.    Alejandra saw it and just giggled.  She was so excited.  She went running to the dressing room.  Emily and I looked at each other and laughed as she ran toward the dressing room. The shirt was really cute on her.  Jeans and shirt were easy and fast.  Shoes not so easy nor so fast.

We walked through the underwear department and she thought everything was so pretty.  I asked her again if she needed some and she said yes.  She chose a couple of things.  I was going to pay before we went upstairs to look for shoes.

The cashier showed us a small tear in the white shirt.  There was not another.  It was the last one.  The disappointment on her face was heart breaking.  I looked at the tear and was quite sure Anita could repair it.  I asked if I could buy it for less since it was torn.  They said yes, but the amount they knocked off was so small, they should have said no.

We went up to look at shoes.  The first pair she liked was not in her size.  Then she tried on a couple of pairs and sadly shook her head.

There are other shoe stores in the mall.  So off we went.  In the second store, she walked around and shook her head and we left.  I was sure we could find something at Magic Shoes.  She squealed when we walked in and she saw how big this shoe store was.  She found some Puma running shoes that she thought were so beautiful.  She held them up in front of face, pleading with her eyes.  I knew that was more than I wanted to spend, but I was willing to splurge.  She was talking to the salesman about size and color.  I was looking at something else just to be doing something.  The price on this little pair of shoes at which I was looking was outrageous.  I feared the Pumas were far more than I first expected.  I asked the salesman and he told me.  Alejandra heard him and she said," too much.  Let's go."  We turned and left.

We looked in every store in the mall.  Sometimes she would shake her head at the window and not even go inside.  We all know how it is to shop for shoes and not find what we are looking for.

We got to the next to last store.  She looked in the window and motioned for us all to go in.  The ones she really wanted were not in her size.  There was a different color in her size.  She tried them on.  I had read her face all along, but this time I was clueless.  She raised her head, looked at Emily, gave a thumbs up and smiled.  Success.

She hugged and hugged me and thanked and thanked me.  Then we went downstairs and had a granita.

After I took Alejandra home, we saw Anita standing in front of the cafe.  We stopped and she said of course she could fix the shirt and would have it by tomorrow.

This was a delightfully wonderful day in Honduras.

Terri

Babysitters

Sometimes, the girls make pretty good babysitters.

Some Things I Will Never Think Are OK

Once a month, on Wednesday, we order meat.  At 10:00 on Friday, Dilcia and I go get the meat.  This morning it was 10:30.  The price of meat had gone up quite a bit.  Ouch!   Oops, I digress from my original story.

I took the meat for Mirian's house, left it with Mirian and came back to the office.  Dilcia took her meat.  All was well.  Or, so I thought. 

About 12:00 Karen called and said something was wrong with some of the meat.  Could I take Dilcia and Nelly back down there.  We loaded up, with the meat and went.  I, personally, did not think anything was wrong with any of Dilcia's meat.  And neither did the butcher.  There was one little place on Nelly's meat I might have questioned.  I would have asked the meat expert, my husband.  But since, he cuts mold off of bread and eats it anyway, he might have said nothing was wrong.

The butcher handled all of the meat and smelled it and told Nelly and Dilcia there was nothing wrong with it.  He gave a long explanation.  And, then to prove his point, he took a bite of our meat.  No one thought there was anything wrong with this but the gringa (me).  After he took a bite, they were convinced nothing was wrong, because they knew he would not eat bad raw meat.  He took all the meat and put it back in our bags.  Including the piece he bit.  Again, no one thought there was anything wrong with this but me.

The butcher knew he wanted to keep Dilcia happy.  He can't afford to lose Casa de Esperanza as a customer.  He gave us an expensive bottle of vinegar, some meat seasoning, and several limes, which are expensive right now.  The ladies were happy.

There are some things I will never think are ok and that is one of them.  Lucky for me, I only eat fish and chicken. 

Another day in Honduras.

Terri

Mother's Day Programs

Mother's Day is a very special day in Honduras.  Every school and every church does something to honor mothers. 

The kinder program was Friday afternoon.  The one at the school was Saturday morning.  Another one at church Sunday.  Reina had one at Teleton on Monday and Rosy has hers this coming Friday.

Nicole and I went to the one at school on Saturday.  Most of our kids were in skits.  Friday night shoes were being polished, uniforms ironed, costumes laid out.  Saturday morning, most of the kids were more than a little hyper.

I always wonder how our kids feel.  We love all of the kids, but we are not their mothers.  They know their mothers are not sitting there while other kids' mothers are.  There are a couple, in particular, that act out on these days when mom should be there and she is not.

Some of the skits are cute, some are funny.  This year some were outrageously suggestive.  The camera should have been on our faces  at times.  Nothing ever starts on time, but it was still an enjoyable day watching our kids perform.

On the way to school, Nicole says, "remember when they spelled Feliz dia de Mama backwards last year?"  Guess what, they did spelled it backwards again this year.   OOPS!!

The dancing midgets are always a huge hit.  Our fourth graders are dancing away.

I think Ana has a little bit of acting talent.  She always does a great job in any role in which she is cast.

I hope everyone had a good Mother's day.

Jewelry

As I have mentioned in a couple of previous posts, I am adding some new items to the Casa de Esperanza store. 

Last month,  Marc and I went to Copan.  While we were out and about, I found some new jewelry which I really liked.  I was on vacation and didn't have much money with me.  I  bought a few pieces.  The little couple selling the jewelry was so sweet.  The husband makes the jewelry and she stands in the street all weekend, every weekend, in Copan trying to sell it.  They had a precious baby girl.  The husband was holding the baby in the shade while Daniela sold the jewelry.

After I got home, I just kept wishing I could get some more.  My sweet husband, decided to make a trip to Copan to get some more before groups start arriving.  Karen and I were just a bit afraid of what he might bring back.  He did a great job.  He might become my new buyer.  LOL.

These bracelets are made of stone.  I also will have some brightly colored wooden bracelets.  From the comments I have already heard, these beautiful bracelets will not last long.

I might have to send Marc back to Copan for more.

Terri