Honduras update #2

Hello again. We don’t really know much more than you about the political situation. The newspaper here only reports congressional mandates like curfew of 6pm tonight. The rest of our news comes from CNN and a few other missionaries. It appears that the conflict is escalating. We are praying that the embassy won’t call us out. We are safe here. The action is at the capital and in San Pedro. We aren’t even sure what a safe route would be out. It’s hard to comprehend because from here the only obvious things are the ocean, the kids, and the heat. We did register with the embassy here so they know we are here. Keep praying for this country—from where we stand and what we have learned about the former president it’s hard to understand why the world seems to be supporting a man who was trying to gain more dictator-like power. We know know it’s in the name of democracy but the Hondurans swear heads will roll if the President is reinstated. We feel inner peace and blessing that we get to be here.

So in this orphanage are 14 orphans. They are all four or younger. They are considered unadoptable by the Honduran government. Except for one baby, all the kids are healthy, happy, and normal. The government took them away from their parent(s) due to abuse or mental illness. The courts have ruled the parents unfit but give the parents the right to chose adoption or visitation. If they choose visitation, their children cannot be adopted ever, even if the parent(s) never show up to visitations. These children are destined to be in an orphanage for their entire life because their parent(s) won’t sign them over to be adopted. These kids are not real orphans. The couple that started this orphanage took them in, fully intending to raise them to adulthood. These children are their family—forever.

Mama and Papa Jones have three biological kids: a 25-year-old daughter who is married and lives here with her husband helping to develop a team of support, a 19-year-old son who is here helping for the summer, and a 9-year-old girl (Joy) whom Hadley loves and Kassy wishes would go away. The family has been in Honduras for more than five years, doing a variety of ministries. Now, the orphanage is run through two rented beach homes.

Think of a nice, large 3-bedroom apartment in the States. Three bedrooms, a big room the encompasses a kitchen, a dining area and a living room and one bathroom. The living part is on the second floor. The first floor is open to receive breezes. It’s a giant open room with tables for eating, cement for bike riding and plenty of shade. Both homes are more or less the simlar. The orphans and mama and papa live in one. The two older adult children and volunteers live in the other. So yes, all the kids and mama and papa live together in a small 1200 sq ft space with one bathroom.

Right now, Tom and Chris are building a small house (think shed) in the open first floor where mama and papa stay. A single mother and her four children will live there. That brings the number of kids to 18.

Both homes are protected with locked gates and a fierce group of dogs. These four dogs are gentle and kind to the kids, allowing them to pull, tug, climb and sleep on them. But if a stranger approaches, they are vicious until Papa calls them off.

I have so much to write, to tell. I hope you want to read because I am anxious to record. Keep praying. Until next time….

Update from Honduras

Hello friends. We are here, near La Ceiba, Honduras, in a tropical paradise in sweltering heat and in a country that just had a political coo. Our travel here was long with two planes, a five hour lay-over in Houston, and a late night trip (we went to bed at 1 am our time) through customs where we somehow managed to get in all the wrong lines and be almost the last people from our plane through customs, but there we had no problems and they didn’t take my gluten-free food for Kassy (I didn’t really think they would, but the thought crossed my mind). Our hotel shuttle was waiting for us and the girls took the first of many trips without car seats. Our hotel was pleasant and nothing was stolen from my purse when I left it on the floor of the restaurant there (Praise God!). We then took a shuttle to the bus station, and a three hour bus trip to La Ceiba. Seriously, it was the most luxuries bus trip I’ve ever been on. And the scenery was gorgeous. The girls slept most of the bust ride which was a blessing given our late night before.

Papa Jones met us at the bus station and off we went. This place is on the ocean, beach front property. And the only place to get cool is to stand on the cambana (deck-like thing) next to the beach and feel the breeze. We all spent the afternoon swimming and playing on the beach. The girls loved the waves and the warm water. The orphans are used to such pleasures but still squeal with delight and stretch out their arms so we will pick them up and take them further out in the waves. Some of us, (not the girls or me) saw dolphins too. Shell hunting has become a regular part of our mornings as is an early morning time by the ocean with daddy.

It gets dark here early, around 7 pm and light at about 4 am. So we go to bed early, around 9 pm and wake up at 6 pm. The food is delicious and thus far no intestinal problems, though we are waiting for a few people to poop still!

We dress in layers here. A layer of sun block, a layer of bug spray, and then clothes. Repeat later two or three times a day. And it is hot. The first night I woke up in a panic, the irrational fear of claustrophobia had set in. It wasn’t the small room, but the humid hot air made it feel like there was no space. Tom helped calm me down and the heat is starting to feel normal.

I’ll write more about the kids and this amazing ministry when I have time, As you read the news about Honduras, pray for this country, The general thinking around here is that the US should butt out. The recently removed president was trying to become a dictator like Chavez and the Honduran don’t like that. I am surprised the US does, but they hold the democratic process in the highest regard. Today, all the major cities are shut down including La Ceiba. And church attendance in the town yesterday was about 1/3 of normal. But here, at El Ceilo Orphanage we feel safe and secure. The only evidence of upheaveal comes in the form of news reports and the shut down town.

2 hours later: they’ve shut the radios and tv stations down too. And some cities have no electricity, but we still do. I’ll try to keep you posted if I can.

And did I mention that they have more than ten parrots, six dogs and one cat in addition the fourteen orphans? Thanks for your prayers.

So this picture has nothing to do with my post. I just love it. Details. I know some of you want details about this trip. The house sitter, garden tender, fish sitter, lawn mower are all in place. My article is finally finished. The garden is weeded, pruned and fertilized as is the yard. The oil on the car's been changed. Everything that needs to get packed is in the house, but not in the suitcases and departure is two days away.

We fly in and out of O'hare in Chicago--partly because we have family nearby to leave our car in, partly because its cheaper, and partly because we have to be in Des Moines one day after our return. So we fly out of Chicago to Houston where we meet up with Grandma and Grandpa Wells. We all take a plane to San Pedro Sula, Honduras, arriving at 9 pm. Unfortunately this is 11 pm our time because even though Honduras is central time zone, they don't have daylight savings. We take a shuttle to our hotel after going through customs and getting our baggage. The next morning we take a hotel shuttle to the bus station and then a bus to La Ceiba. Someone from the orphanage should pick us up. Lots of details, lots of schedules to hope are on time, lots of opportunities to rest in the Lord.

If you are the praying sort, here are few specifics.
1) We desire to have sweet fellowship with the family that runs the orphanage. It is our hope that this could be a long term relationship ---that we could return many times, offer financial support and just generally have a place in our heart for these people. Through all correspondence it seems this is a family that loves the Lord and loves his children and that we will love.
2) Pray for wisdom about what to eat. Between my diabetes, Kassy's allergies, and various advice about what to eat and what not to eat, we hope to make good decisions. I am bringing some gluten-free bread, cereal, crackers, and rice milk. Let's hope customs doesn't mind prepackaged food.
3) Pray for a quick adaption to hot weather. We hope to adjust quickly so we can help more. We hope to sleep well so we can help more. We hope to stay hydrated and healthy so we can help more.
4) Hadley's main concern is communicating with the kids. She is worried about not knowing enough Spanish. Both girls are worried about the plane rides. They've both had some painful ear issues on flights.
5) We are excited and expectant to have our lives and our faith challenged through this experience. We hope to see God moving, and especially hope the girls will see Him too.

Thanks dear friends. I will try to post while we are gone so you know what is going on , but I don't know how realistic that idea is. If nothing else, know that I will be writing numerous posts in my head.

Funny word switches

Hadley's vocabulary is growing. And sometimes that means she makes funy mistakes. There were two today. She was talking about how it is hard to look up at the sky when the sun is out and said, "My are so sensible."

Then tonight, the girls got to bed late because of VBS. I snuggled and prayed with Kassy first. When I got to Hadley's bed she asked me, "Did Kassy pass away?" It took me a second to realize that when the girls are really tired we say, "They're going to pass out tonight." Good verb conjugation Hads.

Ramblings

Oh my. I miss blogging. It relaxes my brain. But alas, there isn't time. Soccer is over and dance too. Only gymnastics remains. And we added swim lessons--a summer ritual. But the last lesson was today. And then there is Honduras.

I hadn't realized how crazy it really got around here until we had three nights in a row where I actually cooked and we all sat down together to eat. It had been so long! Even though cooking and the subsequent clean-up top the chart of my least favorite household tasks, I like the peacefulness of being together, playing, eating and not going anywhere with hastily packed sandwiches.

And I love the summer fruit. I love to serve cherries or watermelon or nectarines and then hope for the perfect juicy one. I wish I didn't have to count how many I ate. Oh and the green beans. I like them raw, crisp and snappy. Hadley and I are counting the leaves on the bean plants in the garden. And personally, I am hoping not a single one gets ripe before our return in mid-July. I know I can't even hope for such luck with the peas. And last night we had our first garden salad. The peppers and cuke where from the store of course. But the spinach (two kinds), Swiss chard, lettuce, and romaine--from the back yard. I think they got enough water this year to not taste bitter. Simple pleasures.

And preparations? A week left. The shots and meds are taken care of. All of the girls in the family are sporting new, shorter styles in preparation for 105 degrees but I haven't time to post a picture yet. The luggage is open and stacks of things are accumulating to insert. Neighbors and friends are in place for watering the garden, mowing the lawn, housesitting, fish feeding--but the instructions have yet to be given. The newspaper has been stopped. I still have a list of things to buy at Walmart: anti-diarrhea meds, more potent bug spray, something for bug bites (Bite Off I'm told is the best..but where do I find it?), packets of electrolytes in case of dehydration, and some gluten-free treats for Kass. Oh and then there is an article that needs to be finished. An article that is killing me because the pieces won't come together per editor's orders and the "experts" won't call me back. But one by one things get checked off.

I am hoping to avoid a last minute panic. If only everyone here would stop eating and getting things dirty starting oh let's say tomorrow, it would all be so easy. I should just make rules---Sit still all day, don't even think about fighting and absolutely no mess making. Oh and please just eat for pretend. I don't have time to cook and clean up the mess of real food. Those are reasonable, right?

Off Beat

We can't find our summer groove. The weather is too cold. We still need long-sleeve shirts or jackets until about 11 am. The girls are fighting. And I am resisting, trying to avoid the necessary discipline and coordination that comes with the three of us being home all day.

Summer works best at my house if it is planned, coordinated and not left as a free-for-all. I've done it before, but this summer is the first time both girls just finished some level of school. And the differences between the girls are pronounced this year. Hadley can read chapter books and will spend 45 minutes after a trip to the library absorbing a new tale. Many of her favorite activities include writing a plan or making lists. The world of reading and writing doesn't make much sense to Kassy after listing the fifteen words she can read.

I know how to handle all this. It involves stopping what I am doing, putting the laundry down, the groceries on the floor, the cooking away and supervising. Hads can read to Kassy who will happily listen. Hads can write down stories that Kassy dictates or illustrates. I know teaching siblings to care for each other and to get along doesn't happen by accident.

Here's my goal schedule. I make one each year. Usually by the end of the summer we follow it with less frequency, but recording it holds me accountable. (for the record I've gotten up three times since starting this post to intervene in the sister feuds). So, the schedule:
Wake up, at a natural time (aka no alarm clock)
eat, get dressed, make beds, put PJs away
Do a chore: put away laundry, sweep, pick up sticks, etc. Summer is my time to teach new tasks as each year we expect the girls to do a bit more work around the house.
Either watch 30 minutes of TV, pack for swim lessons, or play. I've designated Tuesday and Thursday as no screen days--meaning no TV or computer all day.
Lesson time for at least 45 minutes: the next few weeks we will focus on writing and Spanish. We'll do math when we return from Honduras. I really believe summer break is a disadvantage academically unless you make it otherwise--you know, fill in the gaps, teach the things they don't learn at school, reinforce concepts.
Lunch
playtime
At 3 pm. We all go to separate rooms for quiet time for an hour. No sleeping required. But we all need a break.
From 4 on, there is no plan.

And then there are the messes. Being home all the time creates messes. It seems everywhere we go requires a bag: for snacks, water bottles, sunscreen, snacks, maybe even a picnic lunch, towels for swimming, bug spray. The necessary gear for summer gets thrown in a bag, bits get left in nooks in the car and thrown on a table or the ground upon entry to the house. I can either clean up the messes myself (bad choice) or make the girls do it. Both take discipline and a good attitude.

Soccer season and end-of- the-school-year activities wore me down. I feel exhausted and tired of being on the go. Hopefully after this weekend, the house will be restored to some order and the groove of summer will arrive (with some warm weather please!). Summer is fun, but as a mom, it takes discipline since the natural routine of the school year is lost. But I know it's good. At this house, summer won't be an end to learning, the subjects will just change.

And now, I need to go find the sleeping bags and pads and make certain the portable DVD is charged. I promised the girls we could have our first sleepover in the treehouse tonight. We made jello jigglers (sugar-free) and popcorn. We rented a movie. I'm not sure how much sleep I will actually get, but it will be a memory and hopefully the first of many treehouse sleepouts!

Tidbits

I'm back. My friend's wedding in Colorado was perfect. I cried and cried I was so happy for her ( to those non-criers out there--please note: all strong emotions, even anger, make me cry--it is as annoying as it sounds!). I felt like a proud mama, beaming with pleasure at how she is living her life and excited about the wonderful man she married. I wish I had a picture to share, but I left the camera here, on purpose. Above you see one thing I've been up to. My yard is small, and trees around here are so old, there isn't much sun. Hence, my 4'x25' garden. I use the square foot gardening method which I love. It looks so organized. And even though it doesn't matter, I grew most of the tomato and pepper plants from seeds this year. I love being in control of the entire process so I know the whole history. Maybe I'll start using my own seeds too.

And Tom, when he isn't coaching soccer or teaching, is working on that tree house. Since the last picture I posted, it has gained shingles, a deck, a ladder and a door. All that's left on the outside is the siding. We scored a toddler basket ball hoop from the neighbor's garbage and the girls like to play basketball--from the deck of the treehouse!
The above picture is from the spring program at Kempton. Kassy's preschool class sang cute songs. But in this picture, I mostly admire the lovely jump. See those pointed feet? I guess she learned something in ballet.
Kassy graduated from preschool a week and a half ago. Here she is walking the bridge to Kindergarten. Her teacher put on a fancy show complete with gowns and the cake below. Next to the cake is Kassy's plate of gluten and dairy-free cupcakes. Orange-vanilla flavor. Yum.
Last weekend was Kassy's ballet recital. I still don't approve of all the money parents pour into those things. But Kassy did a great job. She remembered her dance and for once she smiled big on stage instead of looking so somber. And gosh did those girls look adorable.


Ok, here's why I left the camera at home this weekend. Hadley and Tom had a big soccer tournament, see the team above. They had a tough schedule. A game at 8 am, 11am and noon. We knew the noon game could be a tough team; we hadn't anticipated the 11 am being a tough team. I had to leave for the airport after the 11 am game and I knew when I left that our team needed to win the last game of the morning by two to advance to the semifinals. They only won by one, which meant we tied with another team. Because both our team and the other one scored the same number of goals in the morning games, they had to look had how many goals were scored against us. For us, it was zero. Our team advanced to the semifinal. I was on a flight to Denver. We won the semi final round (5pm) and took the final game (7 pm)into double overtime. A goal in the last minute of the second overtime prevented a kick off. And yes, this year, Tom and Hads won. But I think Tom was more excited than Hads. Upon my return, one of the moms told me she didn't know 8-year-old soccer could be so exciting.

Diabetes Update

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. If I stop, when a room is quiet, that's what I hear. In my head, this sound has eclipsed diabetes on the worry scale. Every waking moment of the day---EEEEEEEEE. If I don't think about it, it's tolerable. Problem is, I told my doctor, who sent me to the ENT, who tested my hearing. He told me what I already knew. Tinnitus. They don't know what causes the ringing because it comes from a part of the ear so deep in my head that they can't get it to safely. There is no remedy and no apparent cause. And as long as it is steady and in both ears, which it is, there nothing to worry about as long as I can stay sane.

For me, it's caused some significant hearing lose. I notice it whenever there the room is full of people or whenever the girls try talking to me from the back of the car. I say,"What?" all the time. And it didn't bother me so much until I saw the ENT. Now I think about it too much. Thirty-three is young for hearing loss. What if it gets worse? Another test. Another chance to say, "Lord I will trust you through this, no matter what." I might add, "Please don't let me go crazy."

But you, my dear friends, have walked this path with me for over six months, so you deserve a diabetes update. Insulin is good. My blood sugars are around 80 first thing in the morning and haven't seen a number over 165 since I started the shots. I don't mind the shot, though I wonder at what point the mental game right before the needle goes in will end. There's always a pause, a moment where I think, ouch, this is crazy. Truthfully it doesn't even hurt--a paradigm that needs changing is all. Those needles are sooo tiny. A good prick with a sewing needle is far more painful.

My numbers are good. My emotions are steady. My eating is ok. It is a lot of work to count carbs : 45g of carbs for breakfast and lunch, 60 g for dinner, 15-30 g for snacks. What kind of carb is it? Because 15 g of juice carb is much riskier than 15 g of orange carb. I eat at too many potlucks, Bible studies, and picnics. It's a guessing game and I'm doing ok--not great. Diabetes might be the one disease where processed food with nutrition labels is a awesome. I should be more careful, plan ahead a bit more. And test more diligently. Always room for improvement.

But I can't wait for my next round of lab tests in August. Now this weekend, I'm off to Colorado for a wedding. My first trip through airport security with needles. Can't wait.

So much to tell you. But first, I promised Amanda an article. Go check out Part I in the food blog.