Toy Sale for Honduras

I know. I've been so quiet. Summer days start slowly and then snow ball into craziness from playing and working all day. Sometimes I am ready for school to start. I have much to post but for now, here is the most immediate.

Toy Sale tomorrow (friday the 28th, 9 am -3 pm). Just to get rid of things we are also selling the girls' clothes. If you know anyone with a 3 or 4-year-girl send them our way. Stop by or call if you don't know how to get here. I promise prices are cheap and the girls would be encouraged to see you. All money raised goes to our dear friends in Honduras. See you tomorrow?

Honduras, last part, I think.

There are untold stories from Honduras that I intended to write about: like the panic of being attacked for the craft at the VBS in the village or the tarantula that Tom saw, the land crab bigger than my hand with an egg sack or the volunteer couple who acted like they were at a resort. There are stories but as days deepen the distance mostly I don't remember the individual stories just the people, their hearts and God's amazing hand in it all. And hour after hour I as I go through my day I wonder, what are they doing, how are they, what can I send them to help bear the load?

Before we left, there were times I thought maybe we were crazy. Who finds an orphanage in an impoverished country on the Internet, one that isn't connected to any organization, and takes their two young children with them for two weeks to visit? Apparently we do.

I can't say that we had heard God's call to this specific place or that we knew for certain we should go. We just had a despeartion to expose our kids to something other than the materialism of America and a hope that we could find a ministry with which we could partner for years to come. Sometimes we allowed ourselves to also dream we'd find a place of love, strong friendships, a ministry not steeped in fundraising, paperwork and unnecessary expenses.

And so Tom found Roc minstries on the Internet, the banner name of Casa Cielo (the orphanage) and Casa Compassion ( the ministry to unwed mothers). We read about them, wrote back and forth and decided to go. I never doubted our decision, except when people would look at me quizzically and say, “What about...?” I never had an answer. Usually I hadn't thought of that possible problem. God's word says that pure and undefiled religion is to care for orphans and widows. Was I being naive or obedient? I wasn't sure but I felt at peace.

I never expected the trip to be flawless. I expected illness, travel problems, potential discomfort with the way the orphanage was run. I knew God never promises that things will go smoothly, for smooth doesn't require much faith. But the trip was flawless: no illness, no travel problems, and directors who saught the Lord and had more love, energy, and patience that I thought possible. We walked into a family that reminded me of sitting on the couch at my Grandma's—deeply familiar from years of napping and reading stories and sitting on relative's laps. Granted, there was the minor issue of the political coup, but that was just a test. “Do you trust me? In this safe and inspiring environment, do you trust me?” God was asking. Again, it was just media, an outside influence, that would send me into moments of doubt. Otherwise, I stood in awe at how perfectly Casa Cielo matched all our hopes, in awe that God allowed us to visit such a place, regardless of the political timing.

And now here I am in America again. In my comfortable, safe home. An easy life not full of much stretching. While there I saw with clarity the fear that most of us soak in. As a young mom I fretted until I was almost sick if someone wanted to move my car seat. What if they didn't properly install it? I researched vaccines excessively, trying to decipher the truth about their safety. I've spent countless hours analyzing what I exposed my kids to, if I was giving them the right opportunities. Are we too busy? Not busy enough? Am I raising them to know about holiness? I'd observe other mothers and feel guilty if they did more crafts than me or if their kids knew more scripture verses.

But in Honduras, it became clear that the thing to think about was obedience to God, not the rules of proper mothering. Those dear people didn't have time to research how high a fever could get before giving Tylenol. They didn't have money to make sure every meal was balanced with fruit and veggies, a lean protein, and whole grains (a habit the torments me sometimes) They couldn't spend fifteen minutes praying and cuddling with each kid every night and didn't have time to worry if this lack of time was effecting their children negatively. They were obeying God: taking in orphans, selflessly laying down their life from sunup to sundown and often in the middle of night, and raising these kids as their own with love and discipline. And those kids clearly knew they were loved. Giving them every opportunity in American wouldn't make their lives any better.

God is so much bigger than those little decisions. He can keep you healthy if you eat junk and allow you to be sickly if you eat perfectly. He can keep a child safe in an improperly installed car seat, or not. Rest in the fact that He is in control(did I mention we would drive around with 15 kids in an SUV with no car seats--I didn't even worry!). God looks at our heart, and if that heart is obedient, that person can be used to love the world.

My prayer is that my family (mostly me) will stop worrying about the details and focus on obedience. And like the Jones, who are making a giant impact on so may little lives, be used by God. I hope we can learn to lay down our lives and not be drawn into the American dream which at its core is all about self. I want to travel the road of obedience.

Pictures from the top: teaching Jose to use the computer, Tom and Xiomara who is blind, Yeseyli, Karen in a hamock (which are everywhere), Del and Jeanie (the oldest daughter and her husband), Javier during lunch, Marlon in the pool, Henry and Ethelyn who are twins.

Home..almost

We are back. Safe and sound. No problems. No trouble. In retrospect, had we been off line and away from radio, we never would have known there was a problem. We might have wondered why the bus and the plane were so empty, but that's all. Five-hour lay overs are long. 

Our departure day at the orphanage was not without fanfare. The thoughtful Jones family brought in the matriarch of the village to cook her famous fish and fish soup for us. And INFA, the child protection service agency in Honduras showed up for a surprise inspection at the same time that Mama and Papa had just returned from town and a visit to a different INFA office to pick up a new addition to the family. They received the call that morning and said, "yes." And just like that there are 20 kids there now (there were 15 when we got there--four belong to the single women who is living in the pool shed and working there). The new baby is a 13-month- old named David. He was born to a mentally ill woman who was raped. She was deemed an unfit parent by INFA and now there is a new child in the Jones family. Any of us would be overwhelmed. After all, it takes 1-2 weeks just to de-lice and de-parasite new kids. But the Jones family, in their tiny, crowded space are grateful. Papa Jones greeted the new baby by taking him in his big arms, introducing himself and Mama and saying, " I love you. We both love you. If you stop crying you can drive the truck." David fell asleep in his arms in minutes. May the rest of his adjustment be as easy.

There was never a dull moment there. There are always what we would call little emergencies that would make us dizzy and stressed, but they tackle them one at a time, trusting God all the way. We weren't really ready to come home. They need help so much. And it's cold here. I had to wear a sweatshirt in the airport and planes--that darn AC is frigid! 

I have more to tell, but I'll be busy for the next few days and off line. It's off to Des Moines, and Cody, if you read this, it'd have to be someone really important to make me travel further from home and garden at this point. And Grandma, I miss you. I'm sorry it won't work to connect. 

Heading for the States

I'm tired. I'm sweating. It was a busy day that started with a swim in the ocean (tough life, I know) . And while I want to go home, I can't imagine it. If I stayed any longer those kids would really get engraved in my heart and leaving would make my sob. I am so glad we came. So thankful for the opportunity to serve, for my girls to broaden their world view and have the opportunity for help others. Don't think that we worked that hard though. I haven't had to cook a meal, clean a dish, or do laundry here (Tom did the laundry). Hondurans don't have a schedule dictated by the clock and there's plenty of opportunity to relax each day (or blog!). After the first few days I do think we've managed to be helpful though. I have more stories to tell and more thoughts to share but that will have to wait. Tomorrow we board the bus at 2:00, a night at the hotel in San Pedro and then up at 4:30 am for our 7 am flight. The former President of Honduras is, ironically, in the States with Hilary. So for a few days anyway, things appear calm. I'll post a quick one when we get to Chicago before we head to Des Moines for Cody's wedding.

*Hi Mary Lin! So glad Cody found you.

I don't even look up the news anymore. I pick up bits and pieces around the table during meals but mostly I expect we won't know if we can leave until the day arrives. And it is quickly approaching. This morning the table talk was that all airports had been closed due to rioting except San Pedro and only Continental was flying out. At lunch, I heard all airports were closed, American reporters were missing, and people died during riots yesterday. I have no idea what the truth is. I just have moments of panic, where I realize I am more attached to my plans of departure than I should be. Moments when I wonder about our safety. Such moments feel overwhelming, but I don't regret coming. I imagine myself to be a rubber band, stretching to some unknown point as God deepens my faith, and maybe that of those who love us.

Despite the unexpected national chaos of this country, I marvel at the little things that are hard, but not really when looked at in a broader perspective. This afternoon, I baked six cakes. Tomorrow we go to the village to do a one day vacation Bible school for the kids and cake is the treat. I've never baked a cake before without the normal conveniences---a rubber spatula, a timer, non-stick cooking spray. And I've never baked a cake before with sweat running down my face. But baking a cake here is easy, it's possible because we have a good oven. And what's a little sweat for a bunch of kids who might get cake once a year? Mama said the kids will all look alike to us, so once they get their cake, they have to leave otherwise they keep coming back for more and we won't know who eaten and who hasn't.

Tom and some of the other men around here are currently at the village doing pick up soccer with the kids. Tomorrow they will do it again, right before the VBS. That's all the advertising that will be needed because word of mouth is quick and efficient. I suspect the whole village is the size of my neighborhood with about ten times the number of residents. I haven't mentioned Tom much...he's been building with Chris: storage closets, a work bench, shelves, fixing kitchen cabinets that were falling off the wall, etc.

And earthquakes....there are at least two tremors a week here. I felt one this morning. It put cracks in the wall of the house where the orphans live. Until May, there weren't tremors here.

And a fun story to end for the day: So all the kids are five an under. Papa decided one day it was time to potty train the kids. He trained eight of them at once. First they went to the bathroom every hour eventually they went to every two hours, then three. It took less than a week. Impressive, huh?

A few histories

I don’t know what information to give as it changes by the hour. This morning we thought all international flights had been cancelled. And certainly it is impossible to fly out of the capital city. But the US Embassy sent an email saying Continental has not yet canceled flights out of San Pedro. American and Delta have. The former President, Zelaya, did try to return today. I think, though info is still coming in, that he was turned away the first time. And right now as I write, he is trying to land in the capital city but there are military obstacles on the runway. There is a group of Zelaya supporters outside the airport throwing things at the police. But we are waiting. We won’t know if we can fly out until the last minute. Pam and Chris had planned to stay a few extra days to do a canopy tour of the rain forest. So they are not supposed to be leaving with us. Meanwhile, we are still safe. The police checkpoints on the road to La Ceiba which are always there, used to regularly pull over the Jones family because they were American. They check registrations and license, etc. They must be instructed to look for something else because they always let us by without inspection and Jeanie said it used to be 99.9% of the time they would get pulled over for inspection.

So I thought I would share some of the histories of the kids who live here. They’ve told me the stories but in bits and pieces so I might mix up a few details. There is Xiomara, an 18-month old, Her young mother tried to abort her at five months, but failed. Xiomara survived, was born in a hospital and the mother ran away before any birth certificate could be issued. The Honduras agency that protects children, contacted the Jones and they added Xiomara to their family. She is blind because she wasn’t in the womb long enough for all the right nerves to connect. She is weak and not yet crawling, though they had a mini party when she started saying Mama and Papa.

There is Karen, a lovely 3- year-old with a charming smile.. When the orphanage was in the Valley of Angels in the mountains, her mother knocked on the door and handed Karen to Mama and Papa. She was 9-months old. She was a young mother with a free lifestlye. She’s had five kids and given away all but the boy. Of all the kids, Karen had the toughest time adjusting to the orphanage. She screamed constantly for almost 6 months. Then she turned mean and scared all the other kids. She is doing better now and I never would have guessed her history. Occasionally Mama and Papa have to take Karen to visitation with her mom. The last visit was tough for Karen and made her angry and mean for a time—her mom came with another baby.

There is Yeseyli. She is about 18-months old too. The Jones heard about an area in the mountains where abuse and rape were common. They tried to travel there but it involved a 4-hour car trip and then a 12-hour horse back ride. Mama wasn’t physically able to make the trip and Papa’s Spanish was good enough so they put out word that if anyone needed help, contact them. Months later, a young teenage mother contacted them. She begged them to come get her before the 60-year-old man who had raped her, killed the baby. Somehow, they connected and Yeseyli joined the family. She often wakes in the morning singing the words Pa-pa pa-pa-pa followed by a second verse of Da-da-da-da.

I am so thankful these kids have a loving home now.

The village and a fiesta

Politically things seem quiet. When we drove into town yesterday there was a crowd of peaceful demonstrators supporting the VP and opposing the former President. A group of three volunteers arrived here yesterday. They flew into San Pedro and took the bus to La Ceiba, without any trouble. The former President was supposed to return today but has again postponed until Sunday. Our hope is that we won’t need to change any plans..just take the bus to San Pedro on Wednesday.

Yesterday, Maria (aka Mama Jones) took Pam and I to the village of Corozal. It is a place of poverty. Mama and others in her famkly have been ministering here for years. She works with the young, single moms. Most of the women and men there don’t work. There isn’t any work to be had and many of those who could work have been taught to be lazy so they are poor workers. Men and women often do not marry. They co-habitate, have babies and then the man leaves for some other women. One the girls I met yesterday had four babies: 4 1/2, 3, 1 1/2, and 5 months. She is 19-years-old. Mama brought her back to the orphanage so she could join in the fiesta we were having for Marlon’s 5^th birthday. She came, but brought nothing—no diapers, no milk for the baby, no snacks. She didn’t have anything to bring. Many of the houses in the village are cement, but many are mud and stick with cement floors. They are two room huts with old plastic lawn chairs for furniture and camping stoves for cooking. Most of the huts are home to 10-12 people. They ask Marie if she knows anyone who will build them a cement house since the recent earthquakes scare them. She tells them to keep praying that a church will come and build. Marie and her family minister to the single moms and their kids—providing clothing, diapers simple medicines like Tylenol or diaper rash cream, and sharing about Christ in all ways. They try to teach these women about the consequences of sleeping with so many men who are not committed to raising a family. They try to teach the women to speak to their Bibles, to stimulate them. The whole village knows Marie and ask about her children. They ask when the next Bible study will be and they peered curiously at my red-headed children, wondering who they belonged to since neither Pam nor I have red hair. Hadley, able to make friends at the drop of dime, stood back cautiously for a time, taking it all in. But with a little nudge she quickly engaged in a game of keep away with some boys. Kassy clung to my leg most of the time, unsure and unwilling to leave the safety of my shadow. I pray that the images from that day will stick in their minds.

As I mentioned, yesterday was Marlon’s 5^th birthday. Thanks to donations from thoughtful people, each child receives a stuffed animal from Build-a-Bear workshop and a party with a cake and piñata. A mother of a volunteer sends themed bags of party goods for birthdays. For this party, the cake, piñata, napkins, cups, plates, table cloth were all from Disney’s Cars movie. The party included dancing, hitting the piñata, lots of candy and cake. Fun was had by all. I love how this ministry doesn’t view itself as an institution. It’s a family, a generous family. They plan each birthday with as much care and detail as I do a party for my girls—except the guest list is always larger and there is a a lovely simplicity in receiving only one gift. Tom and Del (the son-in-law) and my girls played soccer with some of the boys to end the party.

Feliz Cumpleanos Marlon!

Pictures from Honduras

The house where we stay along with other volunteers, where everyone eats, and where school takes place.

Here you go Amanda, me in the Parrot aviary. I visit everyday though none of the birds are super sweet. I can manhandle a few of them.
Pam, my mother-in-law, holding Nelly who had come down with a fever. This family handles fever and illness with as much fanfare as I do a scratch. I guess when you have seventeen+ kids, fever spreads like wildfire and is far preferable to diarrhea.
We took the kids to the shoe store on Wednesday. It was their first time ever picking out their own shoes and one of their first times on carpet. It was chaotic but fun. I am amazed at the prices here. Some of them are so similar to US prices, but people here make about $5 a day.
Michelle liked to measure shoe sizes.
Tom helps Marlon try on a pair of shoes.

Yesterday during school time the kids finger painted. The day before Pam and I and Jeannie (the oldest daughter) cut out the kids' names and shapes and pasted them on the paper. We will laminate them and use them for placemats. This is Jefferson, a very unusual name for a Honduran I would guess.

Thursday

The embassy emailed us (not personally) and said we should try not to fly out of San Pedro as it is not safe. They suggested La Ceiba. So we called the airlines, knowing there might be a lot of fees. To change our flights to La Ceiba will cost thousands of dollars---but Continental is currently reviewing their policy in Hoduras and is considering allowing people whose flights fall within a certain window to make one city of departure change or one date change for free. The former President has moved his retun to Saturday and some of the international community, including Obama, are backing off from supporting him. But I suspect this was all the work of Chavez to begin with. So we wait. Meanwhile, we got word tonight that the bus is running between La Ceiba and San Pedro again and some brave friends are flying into San Pedro tomorrow to come and help Mama and Papa, so they will know more when they get here.

This morning was the first time I woke up a bit panicked. I had to bring it in check and remember what I know about God being in control. That lesson came through so loudly in my study the last two years of the OT, I guess God wants me to walk in it. Because I know my parents and grandma will wonder---I have plenty of medicine and insulin to get past the end of July!

Some daily life details if you are interested. Kassy and I started the morning with a shell walk, and wanted to swim, but the wind is high today so the ocean is wild. Oh and those earthquakes, tremors have been felt here, but never by me.

Because the sun sets about 7:30 pm and rises about 4:30 am, we tend to wake up early 5 am or so. We go to bed early, for us, 10 pm at the latest. We shower every night. We have to. Every day we are a sticky mess of sweat, bug spray and sun block. We share a bathroom with Pam and Chris (my in-laws). I was so delighted to have working toilets and a private shower--it beats our experience in China with troughs and public showers! We don't have hot or cold water, but believe me we never would take a hot shower if we could. And we can't throw toilet paper down the toilet, which is a very hard habit to break. We brush our teeth with bottled water. And also drink only bottled water. The food has been delicious--lots of beans and tortillas. Everyday we have some kind of fresh juice: watermelon, mango, pineapple, some I've never heard of. The food is prepared by tias, what they call the local women who work here when there are extra volunteers.

The girls are loving having dogs, a cat, and parrots as pets. They've caught salamanders, chased the giant toads that come out at night, and enjoy the geckos running up and down the walls (yes in the house) at night.

Despite the turmoil in the seemingly far away land of the capital city, we love it here. We love the simplicity of life. We love the depend -on- the -Lord lifestyle. We love these people who simply love the children, depend on the Lord to survive, and reach out to all the people around them. If someone knocks on the gate and wants work, they provide some if they can. If someone needs clothes or food, they share as they can. If someone is hanging out by the old railroad tracks aimlessly, they share Christ. There is so much to do but the pace is relaxed, the expectation is that plan B will usually be needed and that's okay.

More next time....Amanda, I tried to upload more pictures, but the connection is too slow. After ten minutes on one photo, I gave up.

Wednesday update

Kassy was reading to Maria, most of the kids are bilingual.
The whole group, minus the babies.
Kassy tries the fresh coconut meat and water. Hadley picked this coconut from the ground in the front yard. But don't stand underneath the coconut tree!
Above: The "backyard"

Uploading is slow so I'll try to do more later.

The picture at the top of the blog is "front" yard.

Thanks for your prayers everyone. I know the situation is alarming but our daily lives are wonderful, if sweaty. We are almost used to the temperatures; we have all pooped; no intestinal issues; and we sleep well. The girls keep saying, "They are so lucky. They live in Honduras."

At this point, the embassy has not advised Americans to leave. And even if they do today, I am not sure how we would do it. There are no buses running between cities. And while the area we are in has no signs of unrest, San Pedro, the town we would probably fly out of does. Tomorrow is the big day. The former President says he will return tomorrow to claim his position. He will be backed by the US, and the UN in word and probably Chavez’s army (this is speculation overheard at the dinner table). The VP, the military, and the congress here all say they will arrest the former President if he returns. So tomorrow is the big day. I can’t imagine a scenario where we would out of the country by then. And I know many of you are worried, but I assure you we are currently safe and the peace of God has surrounded our hearts and we do not worry all day. We listen to the news and wonder what God will do. We hope to stay put and not leave not for a time, as my friend Cheryl advised in her comment yesterday. (Thanks for the hints Cheryl!) Regardless, we feel privileged to have come and been part of this ministry for any length of time. God is strengthening our faith and not just due to the political conflict.

Today we will take the orphans into town to the shoe store. The church that Pam and Chris attend collected money for this purpose. This will be the first time the kids have ever been to a shoe store and the first time they have picked their own shoes that they like. It should be exciting.

Yesterday we took some of the older kids to a little ranch down the road. The owner has been housing injured, native animals: parrots, exoctic birds of all kinds, monkeys, a servel, a crocodile. Many of them were abused and rather crazy. It’s like a zoo but there are no barriers between the cages and the kids so we had to do lots of warnings to stand back. One of the monkeys actually sacred me he seemed so agressibe. Kass stopped on a fire ant hill for the second time that day. She started screaming and some of the orphans, probably knowing her pain, rushed over and started brushing them off. It was sweet, but Kass was terrified and wouldn’t walk on the ground for 20 minutes. When I made her it was with constant sniffles. Poor baby! Despite the fire ants it was a fun outing . The girls are slowly getting to know the kids.

More later.

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.

Our Next Great Adventure

We've bought our tickets. So have Pam and Chris, my in-laws. The average temperature at our destination will be a high in the triple digits. We still need to get a few shots. And some luggage. But we are pumped--anxious to see how God will use us and how He will change us.

We are going to Honduras this summer-- to the Casa de Roc--an orphanage for kids there who are classified as "unadoptable." And yes, the girls are coming too. We will stay for two weeks, then return and go immediately to Cody and Laura's wedding in Des Moines.

We are excited to expose our kids to another world, another culture. As a family we want to serve the Lord, to serve others, and to be wise but not fearful about taking risks to help others. Some people are excited for us. Others worried. Honestly, the opportunity is more exciting to us and outweighs any risks. I hope the trip challenges us and changes us at our cores. I hope all four of us, even little Kassy can be a blessing to the orphans and the family that loves them. I hope this trip is the beginning of a long friendship where we can pray for, support and visit these new friends again and again.

And if you feel so moved, we would appreciate your prayers.