Monday, April 27, 2015

Vacation

Most of the missionaries I know, work hard and sometimes do not take enough time off nor rest enough.  I might fall within that category.  I knew a couple of months ago that if I did not take some time off and rest that I was going to have a hard time working through the summer with groups.

When some friends asked me to visit, it was hard to say no.  I left Tuesday and returned yesterday.  Uneventful flights are always a good thing.

I slept late.  I read.  A night or two, I was up late visiting.  There were strolls along the water.  Lunch.  Target.  Chick-Fil-A.  Dr Pepper.  Ice Cream.  A walk along the beach.  Playing on the beach.  Pizza.  I really cannot do anything without it involving pizza at least once.  Awesome worship.  Beautiful time with my friends.

Haley had to be put in the hospital because she had pneumonia and Josue had to be taken to the emergency room because of a severe kidney infection.  Even these events did not ruin my rest.  I was concerned, but there was nothing I could do until I returned home.






This was without the zoom lens.  I just kept walking closer and closer and he let me take his picture this close.





A cloudy day at the beach.  It passed us by without a drop of rain.



 I am a weather nerd.  There was a water spout.  A water spout looks like a tornado.  It sucks up water into its funnel and deposits the water into the cloud.  At some point, the cloud dumps that water as rain.  Near the water spout, the water turns dark.  We could see the water being sucked into the spout.  The picture does not do it justice.  At first, it was coming straight at us, then it veered off to the left.

Seen from the plane yesterday.

I am so thankful for this time away.

Saturday, April 25, 2015

Lessons From The Beach

I love the beach.

 In May 2014, Nicole and I took the girls.  As the waves crashed over the sand castles and washed them out to see, I wept.  That was my life being swept out to sea.  As Haley picked up shells and said "Grammy, isn't this the most beautiful shell you have ever seen?", I tried to be enthusiastic and say "yes, honey, it is."  In reality, all I could see was the broken and shattered shells scattered along the beach.  Those shells represented broken promises and my shattered heart.


Today, a year later I saw a different beach, different waves and a different story.   As the waves washed the sand castles out to sea,  I hope that was my hurt, my hopelessness, my disappointments and my my brokenness being washed away.  The waves that came rolling in are waves carrying new hopes, new dreams. 


As we left, I saw a tiny fragile little shell intact; in one piece.  It survived the pounding surf.  I think that little shell was me.  I am surviving the pounding surf.

God is so good.

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

A Really Long Day In Teleton

Once upon a time, I did all the Teleton appointments.  It has been a long time since I have been to Teleton, but today I made a return appearance.

Josue had an appointment at 9:30.  He also had one at 1:00 or after.  He had to get up at 2:00 this morning and be kept awake until 20 minutes before the appointment.  Josue can scream and cry for no reason.  When he gets tired and is being forced to stay awake, it can get much worse.  Yair also had an appointment at 1:00.  We decided it was better to have two people instead of one today.

We left here at 8:00.  Thankfully, the morning traffic was light and we arrived early.  We arrived early and they took us early.  That is rare.  We had to wait until 11:00 to find out what time the afternoon appointment was.  We were number 2, which meant around 1:30.

We left and went to the mall for pizza.  That was a good decision on my part for many reasons.  Pizza is one of my comfort foods.  I did not know it at the time we ate pizza, but I was going to need some comfort before we returned to Santa Ana.  Everyone was going to need some comfort.  Another reason it was blazing hot and the mall was cool and pleasant.  The third good reason was it was a great distraction for someone that was starting to get tired. 

When we returned to Teleton, we let Josue play on the playground and we walked. And walked.  Anything but sit down.  Twenty minutes before the appointment, he let him go to sleep.  We walked in and Luci laid him on the table.  Josue opened his eyes, sat up, looked around and that was that.  No more sleep.  The doctor gave us a half of a tablet, told us to give it to Josue and wait an hour.  Like I said, that was that.  No more sleep.

It was hot.  And we were wilting.  At least I was.  Another round of tea.   

We took turns rocking.  I rocked and sang.  Sang the songs I sang to my babies in the middle of the night.  I don't sing in public, but I wanted this kid asleep.  I rocked and my skirt climbed higher.  The later it got, the fewer people there were anyway.  After an hour, the doctor gave us the other half tablet and said wait one more hour.  He would get still, but he would not shut his eyes. 


We thought we were going home and have to do this over.  The doctor was kind and gentle.  Josue was fairly tranquil and she said she would try the exam any way.    It took a while, but it happened.  She got everything done.

We got new appointments made and we were out of there.  It was 5:30, just in time for the afternoon traffic.   I have never left Teleton that late.  I thought it closed around 3:00. 

I figured we would get in the car and Josue would be asleep in five minutes or less.  I was wrong.  No sleep.  The closer to Santa Ana we got, the more violent he became.  He is pretty aggressive any way, but I had never seen him like this.  I noticed Luci was pretty wilted, too.

By the time I delivered the rice to be cooked for the dump tomorrow and Tibby's dog food, it was 7:00 by the time I got home.  Josue was totally out of control.  I did not know what to do.  I was tired and hungry and wanted to go to the house and have a Dr Pepper.  Mirian said she would bathe him.  And I said rub that lavender lotion all over him. 

I went to the house.  I wanted that Dr Pepper, but I decided to wait until I knew he was calm and I could really enjoy it.  I went up to see about him 45 minutes later.  He was in bed, but screaming and throwing things.  But at least he was not biting anyone, but only because he could not get to us.

I picked him up and was going to rock him and talk to him.  I sat down on the sofa and began to rock and talk gently to him.  I immediately felt something warm where I was sitting.  I thought, " oh my, I have just wet my pants."  I was mortified as two employees stood in front of me.  I jumped up and saw a bottle of warm milk that I had knocked over when I sat down and it spilled.  I was so glad. 

It was clear that Josue was not going to let me rock him.  I put him back in bed and he began to settle immediately.  I was so glad.

It was definitely time for my Dr Pepper.  It may be another long one tomorrow.

Saturday, April 11, 2015

Saturdays Are For Caña

It is sugar cane season and our kids love sugar cane.  Almost every Saturday, at least one of the kids asks if they can go cut some caña.  Today, an employee went and cut it and began cutting pieces for everyone.  I am sure my dentist friends are shuddering to think of this.  I have no words except "Welcome to Honduras.

These pictures were taken a few weeks ago because Emma was not here today.







And for those that have to do homework, we just set a bucket of caña beside them so they can eat and work.

Sunday, April 5, 2015

Alfombras

Friday afternoon we all went to Ojojona to see the alfombras.  Alfombras is the Spanish word for carpets or rugs.  I had never been to Ojojona to see the alfombras.  I had always seen the ones in Tegucigalpa.  There were not as many in Ojojona as Tegucigalpa.  But the one in Ojojona were much larger and all had a religious theme.  The ones in Tegucigalpa are ready to view much earlier in the day than the ones in Ojojona.  I did not know this since I had never been to see the alfombras in Ojojona. 

We all rode in the van.  All I will say about that is I am really glad we were not going any further than Ojojona.  We were "in your face."  Since the alfombras are not ready as early as the ones in Tegucigalpa, we arrived quite early.  I still found it very interesting as we got to watch some of the alfombras being put together.

The alfombras are made out of sawdust, everything but the white and it is made of salt.  Some of them are very detailed.  All of them have very beautiful colors. 

We walked up one street and then sat on the steps of one of the churches for a while.  When the alfombras were finished, we walked back down the street and viewed the completed alfombras.  We then cut across the square and walked the other street.  Cris and Josue went the wrong direction once.  My heart was beating wildly, but before I could even get a good panic worked up, they came running back to the group. 

It was hot, but we were there at the time of day, it was beginning to cool, so it was not too bad.  We were also there when shadows were long, as you will see in some of the pictures.





















Thursday, April 2, 2015

Holy Week

This is national vacation week in all of Central America, otherwise known as Holy Week.  All of the children are out of school.  Two of them have a mountain of homework and are having to work hours every day. 

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday there has been a lot of work done.  Raking.  Closet cleaning.  Fernando was a ladder scrubbing the walls.  But, today and tomorrow are fun days.

Thursday, Friday and Saturday are the official holidays of Holy Week.  The staff is reduced.  So they can spend time with their families and so I don't have to pay double pay.

Today our fun day consisted of going to the park for a picnic and swimming.  Luci cooked a big lunch and we loaded up and went to the park. 


Some hit the playground immediately.


We got the food on the table and Luci began to serve.  The Jello did not last too long in the heat.  But it tasted good as a drink.





There were kids eating every where.

A group picture before they got in the pool.

The rule was they had to shower before they got in the pool.  That is as wet as Doris got.  She was having nothing to do with that pool.

Josue and Olman were not to fond of the pool either.

Jorgito worked with Olman and finally got him in and liking the pool.

Both Jorgito and Ana worked with Josue, but there was no enjoyment.  Just tears and screams.  He came out to stay.






The kids played and played.  And, had so much fun.

It was very stressful to put 23 kids into a pool, most of whom do not know how to swim.  Some hung on to the edge the whole time and splashed and kicked and had as much fun as anyone else.  I tried to not let my gringaness show.  The kids were running all over that wet concrete and not one single person cared but me. 

It was so hot.  After swimming for 2 hours, we cut the watermelons. 

I still have not cooled off.  I am sure no one will have to be rocked to sleep tonight.  They are tired.

Tomorrow afternoon, we will go to Ojojona and look at the alfombres.  A much calmer day than today.