Friday, June 29, 2012

Paint And Other Improvements

We are seeing a lot of groups visit Casa.  We are thankful for these groups.  Some come to visit and play with the kids.  And some come to work.  We appreciate all groups. 

Recently we have seen some much needed improvements around Casa.


We have a building we call the dorm.  No one lives there but that is what we call it.  It is mostly used for storage.  When it rained water came in the dorm from the floor.  I would go mop water after each rain.  My church sent a shop vac for which I was grateful.  It was still work to get all of the water out of the dorm, but easier work than mopping.  A group from Tupelo and Little Rock came.  They poured some concrete to raise the area where the water was coming in.  They also covered the pila which needed to be done.  But they brought the cover out far enough so that when it rains, the water will drain off the roof far from the area where the water was coming in. 

The ladies the wash clothes on the pila are very thankful not to have to stand in the sun or the rain.  And I am very thankful that the dorm has not flooded a single time since this work was done.  Thank you for this much needed improvement.

Casa de Esperanza has had kids living here for six years.  A fresh paint job is definitely needed.  Yesterday, the Columbus, Mississippi group came and began that job.  They painted the kitchen and eating area, the two hardest areas. 
Brayan and Ana helped the group paint.  Both did a great job.

Fresh paint really brightened things up.  Thank you, Columbus.

There is more painting to be done.  And, the paint is here waiting.  A few more groups may get to help spruce up the Casa.

Terri

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

We Locked The Baby In The Car

What a day today has been.  It was full of "welcome to  Honduras" moments and all kinds of processes.  But we are still here.

Nicole, Haley and I left here a few minutes after 7:30.  Nicole had a doctor's appointment at 9:00.  But so did everyone else.  That means the doctor arrives at 9:00 and starts seeing people on a first come, first served basis.  We got there at 9:40.  Nicole was number 6 and the doctor was with the first patient.  We were suppose to pick someone up at the airport at 11:00.  When we left this morning, we were sure this would not be a problem.  Silly us.

We left the doctor's office at 11:30, racing to the airport and passing the bank where I desperately needed to stop and get money with which to pay my employees.  We arrived at the airport thinking Howard would be waiting on us.  He was.  With an immigration officer.  He did not know the address where he was staying while in Honduras, a very important piece of information.  I told the immigration officer the information he needed and he Howard went back to get through immigration and customs.  We went to meet the group so Howard could work with them this afternoon.

We had a long list of errands to get done today.  It was 2:00 p.m. before we even started on errands.  We prioritized and quickly marked several things off the to do list.  I had to go to the bank, so off we went back across town.  After I had the money, we headed to PriceSmart.  I had to buy dump food and dog food.

Miss Emma Kate will have a planned arrival, probably around July 24.  We were wanting to do some baby shopping while we were in town.  We were excitedly talking about some of the most important things Emma and Mommy will need.  We parked at PriceSmart.  I got out and locked the front door.  Nicole got out and locked the front door.  With the keys in the ignition and Haley in the back seat.  Haley has been told several times not to ever touch the door locks.  And if she does, she will get a big spanking.  Nicole was yelling through the window, unlock the door.  She says, " I can't mommy."  Nicole got a window open a couple of inches.  Calmly, Nicole began to tell Haley to unbuckle her car seat..  "I can't Mommy."  Nicole told her to wiggle out.  She began to try.  I could see Haley better than Nicole.  I was telling Nicole to tell her to wiggle on leg at a time out, not both.  She finally got out of the car seat.  She was so hot and sweaty.  She could not grasp the door lock.  In the front seat on the driver's side, the door lock is broken.  There is a screw stuck in the door lock so that it can be locked and unlocked.  We guided her into the front seat.  Nicole told her to grab the screw and pull up.  She did.  Praise God.  Just second before, she unlocked the front door, a security guard walked up and asked if we needed help.  Haley unlocked that door and we opened it immediately and told the guard no.

We praised Haley and told her how much help she was.  We told her how smart she was and how good she was.  "You is smart.  You is pretty.  You is wonderful."  She had no idea how serious the situation had been. 

We went to Diunsa with another shortened list of what we wanted.  Baby stuff is expensive here.  I was in shock.  We got a few needed items and Haley got a new red ball for her heroic efforts.  As we started home well after 5:00, Haley went to sleep in the car seat holding the red ball.  It is exhausting work being locked inside a car.

I hope that never happens again.

Terri

Monday, June 25, 2012

Camas

Yesterday, the group that built the house had an awesome day.  The children in the family for whom the house was being built played all day and didn't pay too much attention to what was going on.  At the end of the day, when the house was complete, the children walked inside.  One little girl is three years old.  She looked around at her new house and with tears in her eyes said, "Camas.  Camas."  Camas means beds.  This child had never had a bed.  She went and sat down on a bed.  And sat there.  And sat there.  She was so happy to have a bed.  After living in a house with 19 people, I bet the little girl slept really well last night.  In her own cama.

Terri

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Let The Chainsaws And The Hammers Give Praise To God

This weekend is one of those crazy weekends.  Yesterday, groups arrived on Delta and American.  Today, four people arrived on the 9:30 a.m. TACA flight and other people arrived on Continental, American and Delta.  Matt went to the airport early.  Marc went for the mid-day flights.  Nicole, Karen and I were in church with the Casa kids.  It is kind of hard to worship with so many people running here and there. 

Also, it is the rainy season.  Right now, mornings are usually rain free, but come afternoon, the heavens may open up and dump several inches of rain on us. 

For these two reasons, we decided to have worship and communion tonight.  After all have safely arrived in Honduras and hopefully all luggage with them.

For the groups that were already here, they built a house.  The family for whom the house is being built is a family of five but currently living with another family.  There is 19 people stuffed into one little house.  I know when Christians work together to help someone else, a lot of worship and praise takes place.  Just not in the same manner as in organized church.  Not only are the people working on the house praising God, the chainsaws and hammers are singing praises to God as they buzz and bang. 

And tonight, our worship will be joyful and the communion sweet.  I thank God that this family is getting a house today and we can still worship together tonight.

Terri

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Everything Is A Process

Sometimes, it is so exhausting living here.  Everything is a process.  Sometimes a long process.

Some of our kids are going to Teleton weekly, and they need to be going that often.  But it took years of once-a-month classes to get them to that point.  We have some that are just starting Teleton and need weekly classes, but are in monthly classes.  We know it will be a process to get them in those weekly classes.  We bide our time.

Yesterday, I bought a new toaster oven for the big house.  No one likes to accept returns here.  After I paid for the toaster oven, not before, an employee at Sears opened the box, unpacked the toaster oven, turned it on and stuck his hand inside to make sure it was heating.  He wanted me to stick my hand inside.  I was content to stick my hand near the opening to feel the heat.  He then repackaged my toaster oven and sent me on my way. 

I have been having a lot of internet problems.  We were fairly sure our router needed to be replaced and maybe the modem.  I took the modem with me.  I went to buy a new router because the router store happened to be on my way before the modem store.  Not knowing if my modem, had to be replaced or repaired, the router store would not sell me a router until I had working modem.  They could not sell me a router that might not work and need to be returned.  Such a process.

The Tigo store where I went to see about the modem just about sent me over the edge.  We explained we needed to have the modem replaced or repaired and then buy a plan.  After taking a number, waiting in line, being called to one desk, being sent to another desk, being sent to a third desk just as the person was leaving for lunch and waiting for the fourth desk, I was told to buy a plan I had to buy a new modem, pay a deposit, wait three days, all of which involved visiting several more desks,  I could not deal with any more processes.  I left with my modem and went back to the router store.

I then had a big bottle of tea and a chocolate candy bar before driving home.  That was one process I really enjoyed.

Terri

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Josue

We were so relieved last week to find that baby Josue had nothing wrong, neurologically.  Yesterday, he had his first appointment at Teleton.  The experience at Teleton is a welcome to Honduras story all in itself.

Josue will be seven months old Monday.  He is not rolling over or trying to sit or anything babies that age should be doing.  At least, there is nothing wrong neurologically.  He is just very far behind, developmentally.  He was born prematurely.  We don't know how premature.  Remember, he only weighed 4 1/2 pounds when he came here to live at 2 months old.  Poor little guy.  He has a lot of catching up to do. 

Josue will begin physical therapy at Teleton on July 6.  Please pray for him that he can catch up and learn to do the things he should be doing.  Please pray for all of the staff that will be working for him. 

Terri

Monday, June 18, 2012

Homework

No kid really likes homework.  Well, maybe a few.  We have seventeen kids in school and some of those are also in Teleton.  There is always a lot of homework.  Some of the kids have to be babysat in order to get it done.  It is a daily chore that seems never ending. 

Homework can be a useful learning tool.  But some of it is just busy work.  Our fourth graders have a lot of busy work for homework this year.  Some of their homework assignments have included writing their numbers from 0-5000, from 5000-10,000, and from 10,000-15,000.  I cannot see that really serves a useful purpose.

  Last week was a vacation week for our kids.  The fourth graders had to write numbers from 15,000-25,000.  The fourth graders did not have school again today and two of them are up there writing on those numbers as we speak.  In addition to that ridiculous assignment (ridiculous in my opinion), they had to write what was similar to a small cursive e only much closer together.  They  had to write TWENTY pages of this.  What useful purpose can this serve for fourth graders?  Maybe, to make them hate school.  If that is the case, it is successful.

This same teacher regularly assigns 20 math problems.  I have no issue with that, except, each child has to make up his own problems and then work them.  Some of our kids make up the simplest problems possible. 

It is a huge deal in Honduras when a person graduates 6th grade.  But what kind of education is this? 

These types of assignments are frustrating to us.  But we make them sit and write ten thousand numbers because we are trying to instill learning and education and homework is important.  We are almost half way through this school year.  I wonder how far the fourth graders will have to write before they are no longer in fourth grade.

Terri

Saturday, June 16, 2012

I Am Married To A Nut

Tonight we were eating supper with the Tupelo group.  Marc was explaining when  he worked for Nabisco and sold Milk Bone that he tried the Milk Bone.  He said he could not sell anything that he had not tasted.  Well, I knew he had eaten Milk Bone, but even I was surprised as he continued the story.  He then goes on to say that Milk Bone is nothing like dog food.  I sat in stunned silence thinking what is he talking about.  He said that after we moved to Honduras and could no longer get Science Diet dog food for Skillet, that he tried everything he bought for Skillet.  He had to make sure it was ok for Skillet to eat.  Marc says most dry dog food is pretty good, but canned is terrible.  You can well imagine some of the comments that were made.  Things like howling at the moon and hiking his leg on a fire hydrant.

Yes, my husband is definitely a nut.  But making this journey called life is more interesting, and more fun,  with a dog food-eating-husband by my side.

Terri

Friday, June 15, 2012

Test Results

I did not give up blogging for summer mission season.  But thanks to TIGO, everyone gave up blogging and and facebook and answering email for about two weeks.  Byron was really diligent about talking to TIGO at least once a day until everyone was up and running again.  I am really thankful to have my internet back.

While the internet was down, we have been quite busy with doctor's appointments.  Baby Olman saw the cardiologist.  I loved this doctor.  She was so thorough and so good with Olman.  He does have a little hole in his heart.  We will see the doctor again in 9 months and then go from there.

And Baby Josue had his ctscan.  Again, I liked the neurologist.  Everything on the ctscan appears to be normal.  The doctor said he is behind developmentally, but it is not neurologically related.  The doctor also detected a foot problem which will need therapy and possible surgery.  Josue has his first teleton appointment on Wednesday.  They will, at some point in time, determine what therapy is needed.  Josue sees the neurologist again in November. 

We are very thankful for these results.

And, by the way, Olman is up to a whopping 13 pounds and Josue all the way to 11 pounds.  Way to grow, guy.

Terri

Monday, June 4, 2012

Missionaries Of The Street

It matters not if you live in Honduras of the U.S., if you invest in people's life and form relationships, you learn of the problems, heartaches, and sometimes brokenness in people's lives.  And we have learned it is sometimes easier to feed hungry people, or clothe them or give them medical care than it is to invest in a relationship and learn of an unwanted pregnancy or of alcohol or drug addiction or the other problems people are facing.

 A couple of people have been willing to take a chance and share of their alcohol addictions and the brokenness it has caused in their lives and the lives of their families.  Marc discovered a rehab facility in El Centro.  There is a men's facility and a women's facility.  This ministry is called Missionaries of the street.  It is run by Hondurans and they have very little money with which to operate.  More than once, Marc has taken food to them.  Food to serve the patients. 

I am thankful that people want to minister in this way.  There is so much need for this kind of treatment.  I am thankful that we have been led to this facility.  We hope to be able to help them as we also hope they can help some of the people we meet.

Terri

Friday, June 1, 2012

The Summer Season Is Here.

Tomorrow summer group season begins.  And lasts for eleven weeks.  We have more groups, more people and they go into mid August this year.  Tons of work is going to get done.  Houses will be built.  People will be fed and clothed and given medical care.  The gospel will be shared.  Many friendships will be formed and strengthened. 

Marc has been busy running around.  Buying mattresses and blankets and sheets.  Paying for wood.  Yessinia has been buying groceries so she can cook for everyone.  I have been getting the store ready.  Everyone has been busy. 

I am so excited as another great summer in Honduras begins.  I am ready to see people I only get to see once a year.  I am so ready to worship in English in every night.   

Please pray for our groups.  Pray for safe travel, for health.  That eyes are opened.  Pray for us that we have the stamina and energy to remain strong for 11 weeks.

Bring on the groups.  I am ready.

Terri