Last night we had a great time laughing and joking as we posted on our blog, but I wanted to be sure to point out the reality of things that are happening in Guatemala. If it is not in the news up there, take a minute and check it out. First a volcanic eruption and then the tropical storm, people have lost much - possessions, homes, even lives. Please be in prayer for this country and the people there.
Truly, we are safe and very blessed, maybe a little inconvenienced but maybe that is a blessing too.
Shushan
Monday, May 31, 2010
Sunday, May 30, 2010
songs for the musical based on the true events of our travel experience
to the tune of "We love you Conrad" from Bye Bye Birdie"
We love Continental, oh yes we do.
and American, we love you too!
When we're with Delta, we're blue
Oh United, we love you!
to the tune of "Oh Christmas Tree"
Oh Delta flight, oh Delta flight
We so dislike your airline (2 times)
You really are the biggest pain
We wish that you could fly in rain
Oh Delta flight, oh Delta flight
We so dislike your airline
From Veggie Tales - these two songs are still in process
Oh where is my airplane, oh where is my airplane, oh where, oh where, oh where,oh where, oh where, oh where, is my airplane?
We are the pilots who do not fly in rain
we work for Delta and its a drain
and if you ask us, to fly anytime,
then we will tell you, we don't fly anywhere
to the tune of Jesus, lover of my soul
Delta, the truth we finally know
Delta, you'll never let us go
Delta, the pain in my side
Delta, I just wanna get a ride
You got me in a rainy pit,
Delta, you make me want to spit
You hate me, that hurts me,
what did I ever do, I wish patience were not a virtue
Delta, the truth we finally know
Delta, you'll never let us go
We love Continental, oh yes we do.
and American, we love you too!
When we're with Delta, we're blue
Oh United, we love you!
to the tune of "Oh Christmas Tree"
Oh Delta flight, oh Delta flight
We so dislike your airline (2 times)
You really are the biggest pain
We wish that you could fly in rain
Oh Delta flight, oh Delta flight
We so dislike your airline
From Veggie Tales - these two songs are still in process
Oh where is my airplane, oh where is my airplane, oh where, oh where, oh where,oh where, oh where, oh where, is my airplane?
We are the pilots who do not fly in rain
we work for Delta and its a drain
and if you ask us, to fly anytime,
then we will tell you, we don't fly anywhere
to the tune of Jesus, lover of my soul
Delta, the truth we finally know
Delta, you'll never let us go
Delta, the pain in my side
Delta, I just wanna get a ride
You got me in a rainy pit,
Delta, you make me want to spit
You hate me, that hurts me,
what did I ever do, I wish patience were not a virtue
Delta, the truth we finally know
Delta, you'll never let us go
things we did not want to know that we learned today
This is not the raining season - that starts the beginning of June. In other words, Tuesday, the day we are hoping to fly out.
Tropical depression has taken on a new meaning, it is not just a weather term, it can be a medical term, and we did not learn about it in Pastoral Counseling this semester.
Delta airlines is really simply trying to teach us patience.
Delta's slogan is "safety first" clearly flying is not a priority and customer service never enters the picture - stranded in another country, we can help you out with a hotel discount - for only $60 a night you can stay in a luxury hotel - how are you going get there? Good question, there is no discount for that. (we are so thankful for the missionaries, WGM's guesthouse, and the transportation the WGM is providing - these are all expenses that we did not raise money for)
Delta airlines is changing their name to Delta landlines (ok, maybe not)
Even if other airlines are flying, Delta can still say they cannot fly because of the weather.
Oh no, we heard there might be snow tomorrow in Alaska, clearly the flights from Honduras will be canceled - we are not sure why, but we are learning patience!
Confirmation, they keep saying that word, I do not think it means what you think it means.
Is there a record for the number of confirmed tickets one person can have that they cannot actually use? We think not, but if there is a chance for the record book, we want to be sure our names are spelled correctly!
Today, with our confirmation number entered into the computer, the desk clerk asked for 8 people none of whom were on our team - really inspires confidence.
We learned Santa no longer uses reindeer, clearly he uses Delta, which is why he can only fly out one time per year! True story, he confirms his first flight in June!
Hey want to boost your countries economy? Don't let the tourist leave!
Packing is easy, we pack all we own everyday!
Who knew the airport could be a "no fly zone"
We don't actually know where the name Delta came from, but some ideas we came up with
DELTA - Don't Ever Let Travelers Arrive
Delta Exploits lost and Tired Americans
Delta Encourages Long Travel Arrangements
Don't Expect Leaving This Area
Delta Employees Lack Travel Assistance
Don't Expect to Leave Today Amigos
Don't Expect to Leave Tomorrow Amigos
Don't Expect to Leave To-Ever Amigos
We will keep you updated about our learning experiences!
Shushan, Julianna, Stephanie, Nick - maybe we should get some sleep
Tropical depression has taken on a new meaning, it is not just a weather term, it can be a medical term, and we did not learn about it in Pastoral Counseling this semester.
Delta airlines is really simply trying to teach us patience.
Delta's slogan is "safety first" clearly flying is not a priority and customer service never enters the picture - stranded in another country, we can help you out with a hotel discount - for only $60 a night you can stay in a luxury hotel - how are you going get there? Good question, there is no discount for that. (we are so thankful for the missionaries, WGM's guesthouse, and the transportation the WGM is providing - these are all expenses that we did not raise money for)
Delta airlines is changing their name to Delta landlines (ok, maybe not)
Even if other airlines are flying, Delta can still say they cannot fly because of the weather.
Oh no, we heard there might be snow tomorrow in Alaska, clearly the flights from Honduras will be canceled - we are not sure why, but we are learning patience!
Confirmation, they keep saying that word, I do not think it means what you think it means.
Is there a record for the number of confirmed tickets one person can have that they cannot actually use? We think not, but if there is a chance for the record book, we want to be sure our names are spelled correctly!
Today, with our confirmation number entered into the computer, the desk clerk asked for 8 people none of whom were on our team - really inspires confidence.
We learned Santa no longer uses reindeer, clearly he uses Delta, which is why he can only fly out one time per year! True story, he confirms his first flight in June!
Hey want to boost your countries economy? Don't let the tourist leave!
Packing is easy, we pack all we own everyday!
Who knew the airport could be a "no fly zone"
We don't actually know where the name Delta came from, but some ideas we came up with
DELTA - Don't Ever Let Travelers Arrive
Delta Exploits lost and Tired Americans
Delta Encourages Long Travel Arrangements
Don't Expect Leaving This Area
Delta Employees Lack Travel Assistance
Don't Expect to Leave Today Amigos
Don't Expect to Leave Tomorrow Amigos
Don't Expect to Leave To-Ever Amigos
We will keep you updated about our learning experiences!
Shushan, Julianna, Stephanie, Nick - maybe we should get some sleep
planes, planes
So, yesterday with some negotiation, we were able to make arrangements for half of the team to fly out of San Pedro Sula, a city on the other side of Honduras with a more accessible airport. The other seven of us were trying to fly out of Teguc again today. The flight from Teguc was canceled again, but I received confirmation from the missionary that the group flying out of San Pedro Sula were able to fly out today! Wonderful news, Danny, Deanna, Rachael, JJ, Shianne, Zach, and Brittney are all home now.
The rest of the team was given the option of flying out of Teguc on Thursday, San Pedro Sula on Tuesday, or El Salvador on Tuesday. We picked San Pedro Sula, it is better than waiting the two extra days and hoping to get out here or having to go to a different country.
Please continue to pray for the team. And of course for this weather system - this in not a normal occurrence, but their is a storm - "tropical depression Agatha," the first bid storm of the season and it is over Guatemala right now, we are getting some of the effects of that storm in the weather, but not the destruction that Guatemala is facing. Truly, we are safe here at the guesthouse and though the weather is inconvenient, there are no concerns for us.
This has been a restful day and though I am not sure what tomorrow holds, I am certain it will be lovely as well. We will be headed out at about 4:30am on Tuesday to drive to the coast of Honduras with the hope of catching a flight to Atlanta and on to Lexington. We hope to arrive at 8:40pm on Tuesday. What an amazing team God put together for this trip, the attitudes have been amazing. Truly I am so thankful for each person. Please keep praying for us!
Shushan
The rest of the team was given the option of flying out of Teguc on Thursday, San Pedro Sula on Tuesday, or El Salvador on Tuesday. We picked San Pedro Sula, it is better than waiting the two extra days and hoping to get out here or having to go to a different country.
Please continue to pray for the team. And of course for this weather system - this in not a normal occurrence, but their is a storm - "tropical depression Agatha," the first bid storm of the season and it is over Guatemala right now, we are getting some of the effects of that storm in the weather, but not the destruction that Guatemala is facing. Truly, we are safe here at the guesthouse and though the weather is inconvenient, there are no concerns for us.
This has been a restful day and though I am not sure what tomorrow holds, I am certain it will be lovely as well. We will be headed out at about 4:30am on Tuesday to drive to the coast of Honduras with the hope of catching a flight to Atlanta and on to Lexington. We hope to arrive at 8:40pm on Tuesday. What an amazing team God put together for this trip, the attitudes have been amazing. Truly I am so thankful for each person. Please keep praying for us!
Shushan
Still praising Him! :-)
I'm still agreeing with Shushan... yesterday was great fun, and all these bonus days have been lovely! The other seven headed out early for San Pedro Sula this morning, and we pray that all goes well with them.
As for us, our flight was canceled. :-) We're going to go to the airport anyway and perhaps try to get on another airline. If nothing else, we'll go to San Pedro Sula and get a flight out tomorrow, like the others are doing today.
No matter what happens, we know that God is still good, and we can rest in the peace of knowing we can trust Him. I am thankful for the awesome opportunities He's given us -- not only at El Sembrador, but also here at the guest house in Tegucigalpa. Here at the guest house we may not be able to minister to others like we could at El Sembrador, but we can be still and let Him teach us.
One blessing I can already mention for today... this breakfast is awesome. :-) A huge frosted homemade cinnamon roll, a fresh Honduran banana, and a cup of Honduran coffee (with lots of milk and sugar). Just one more bit of evidence that God loves His children. :-)
Praise Him with us, and continue praying that His will would be done for us on this trip. We pray that His blessings would remain upon you, as well. He is good!
Sarah
As for us, our flight was canceled. :-) We're going to go to the airport anyway and perhaps try to get on another airline. If nothing else, we'll go to San Pedro Sula and get a flight out tomorrow, like the others are doing today.
No matter what happens, we know that God is still good, and we can rest in the peace of knowing we can trust Him. I am thankful for the awesome opportunities He's given us -- not only at El Sembrador, but also here at the guest house in Tegucigalpa. Here at the guest house we may not be able to minister to others like we could at El Sembrador, but we can be still and let Him teach us.
One blessing I can already mention for today... this breakfast is awesome. :-) A huge frosted homemade cinnamon roll, a fresh Honduran banana, and a cup of Honduran coffee (with lots of milk and sugar). Just one more bit of evidence that God loves His children. :-)
Praise Him with us, and continue praying that His will would be done for us on this trip. We pray that His blessings would remain upon you, as well. He is good!
Sarah
Saturday, May 29, 2010
today was a really good day!
I have lost track of my bonus days! I am not really sure where to start counting. We were scheduled to leave on Thursday and we didn't, so I am not sure if that should count as my first bonus day or if Friday should be my first bonus day.
Thursday morning we went to the airport and checked in and our flight was delayed. We waited a couple of hours and then it was canceled. The team came back to the guesthouse, but I spent that afternoon and night in the hospital with Rachael, she had an intestinal infection and was dehydrated. She was feeling much better Friday morning. I was quite impressed with the hospital and medical facilities, and even though I had victory over the reclining chair that did not want to recline, I did not get very much sleep on Thursday night.
Friday was a bonus day because I hung out at the guesthouse all day reading and resting, it was lovely. Yes our flight was canceled, but it was truly relaxing and lovely.
Saturday was a bonus day, we found out our flight was canceled and so we went to the airport to try to get on another airline. While we were there they actually closed the airport for a time and NOTHING was landing or taking off - not a great sign. Terry Hawk (the field director for WGM Honduras) and I spent an hour and a half at the desk trying to get our team home. The clerk that helped us - Daniel actually helped us on Thursday to retrieve items that we lost going through security on our canceled flight that day. He was very helpful and we were able to rebook our flights for tomorrow. 7 team members - Zach, Brittney, Rachael, JJ, Shianne, Danny, and Deanna will be leaving at about 4:30am to drive to another international airport in Honduras (it is about 4 1/2 hours away) they will be flying out tomorrow. The other 7 of us (Gabriel, Sarah, Angel, Stephanie, Nick, Julianna, and me) will try again to fly out of Teguc tomorrow. This may seem like a strange solution, but because of all the canceled flights, some people today were being told they will not be able to get a flight until Thursday.
Anyway, today's bonus day was really great. After the airport, we went out to lunch. We went to the mall and ate in the food court - Burger King. Then the team wandered around the mall for a while and I got to visit with the missionaries that are currently taking care of us, Terry and Colleen Hawk. Then some of the group stayed behind at the guesthouse and the rest of us went to a park with an overlook of the city and a giant statue of Jesus and a Chinese garden and a replica of a Mayan temple - strange combination I agree. Then we went to the National Churches retreat center and learned a little more about the ministries here in Honduras, it was really a great day.
Tomorrow is a bonus day, it is Sunday and those of us traveling from here in Teguc will have the opportunity to go to an early service tomorrow morning on our way to the airport with Mark and Serena Dunbar (the missionaries who will be taking care of our half of the team) - I am really looking forward to that.
So many blessings in these bonus days - to have a place to stay and food to eat - the airlines have not provided any of those things. What a blessing to have traveled with a mission organization that is providing those things (I love World Gospel Mission!) Also, how amazing the missionaries here are, it was wonderful to get to be at El Sembrador and be with the missionaries and volunteers there - they were all wonderful. But a bonus, we have also been able to spend time with the missionaries here in Teguc, they have also been amazing! This team is not scheduled to be here and the missionaries have other responsibilities and ministries, but they have been so gracious and wonderful - truly flexible - what wonderful examples and beautiful testimonies!
Well, it is late and I need to be off to sleep. Please continue to pray for us!
In Him,
Shushan
Thursday morning we went to the airport and checked in and our flight was delayed. We waited a couple of hours and then it was canceled. The team came back to the guesthouse, but I spent that afternoon and night in the hospital with Rachael, she had an intestinal infection and was dehydrated. She was feeling much better Friday morning. I was quite impressed with the hospital and medical facilities, and even though I had victory over the reclining chair that did not want to recline, I did not get very much sleep on Thursday night.
Friday was a bonus day because I hung out at the guesthouse all day reading and resting, it was lovely. Yes our flight was canceled, but it was truly relaxing and lovely.
Saturday was a bonus day, we found out our flight was canceled and so we went to the airport to try to get on another airline. While we were there they actually closed the airport for a time and NOTHING was landing or taking off - not a great sign. Terry Hawk (the field director for WGM Honduras) and I spent an hour and a half at the desk trying to get our team home. The clerk that helped us - Daniel actually helped us on Thursday to retrieve items that we lost going through security on our canceled flight that day. He was very helpful and we were able to rebook our flights for tomorrow. 7 team members - Zach, Brittney, Rachael, JJ, Shianne, Danny, and Deanna will be leaving at about 4:30am to drive to another international airport in Honduras (it is about 4 1/2 hours away) they will be flying out tomorrow. The other 7 of us (Gabriel, Sarah, Angel, Stephanie, Nick, Julianna, and me) will try again to fly out of Teguc tomorrow. This may seem like a strange solution, but because of all the canceled flights, some people today were being told they will not be able to get a flight until Thursday.
Anyway, today's bonus day was really great. After the airport, we went out to lunch. We went to the mall and ate in the food court - Burger King. Then the team wandered around the mall for a while and I got to visit with the missionaries that are currently taking care of us, Terry and Colleen Hawk. Then some of the group stayed behind at the guesthouse and the rest of us went to a park with an overlook of the city and a giant statue of Jesus and a Chinese garden and a replica of a Mayan temple - strange combination I agree. Then we went to the National Churches retreat center and learned a little more about the ministries here in Honduras, it was really a great day.
Tomorrow is a bonus day, it is Sunday and those of us traveling from here in Teguc will have the opportunity to go to an early service tomorrow morning on our way to the airport with Mark and Serena Dunbar (the missionaries who will be taking care of our half of the team) - I am really looking forward to that.
So many blessings in these bonus days - to have a place to stay and food to eat - the airlines have not provided any of those things. What a blessing to have traveled with a mission organization that is providing those things (I love World Gospel Mission!) Also, how amazing the missionaries here are, it was wonderful to get to be at El Sembrador and be with the missionaries and volunteers there - they were all wonderful. But a bonus, we have also been able to spend time with the missionaries here in Teguc, they have also been amazing! This team is not scheduled to be here and the missionaries have other responsibilities and ministries, but they have been so gracious and wonderful - truly flexible - what wonderful examples and beautiful testimonies!
Well, it is late and I need to be off to sleep. Please continue to pray for us!
In Him,
Shushan
A blessing indeed!
In wholehearted agreement with Shushan, these extra days have been an extra special blessing. :-) I mean, who else gets a chance to watch Bonanza on a mission trip? And spend all day reading a good missionary book while actually on the field? And get up early to spend an hour and a half drinking coffee and chatting with the missionaries?
God has been good to us, and we praise Him!
Sarah
God has been good to us, and we praise Him!
Sarah
Friday, May 28, 2010
Bonus days
Bonus Day 1 - went to the airport, ready to leave, flight was canceled. Delta does not do "wet" landings at the airport in Tegucigalpa. So we reclaimed our bags, got a stamped credit for our exit tax, recalimed the items taken away from us at security (some on the team forgot that Honduras hot sauce is a liquid), and confirmed our flights for the next day.
Bonus Day 2 - called the airport to confirm our flight, storm in Atlanta caused our flight to be canceled coming from Atlanta. rebook flights for the next day.
Bonus Day 3 - only the nine traveling to Lexington get this bonus day - we cannot get a flight all the way to Lexington, so we will wait an extra day.
There have been additional adventures and activities and even a time of rest - I don't think I have ever returned from a mission field feeling rested and refreshed - that is a wonderful blessing and a gift as I look on to the business of the rest of my summer.
Please keep praying for us.
Shushan
Bonus Day 2 - called the airport to confirm our flight, storm in Atlanta caused our flight to be canceled coming from Atlanta. rebook flights for the next day.
Bonus Day 3 - only the nine traveling to Lexington get this bonus day - we cannot get a flight all the way to Lexington, so we will wait an extra day.
There have been additional adventures and activities and even a time of rest - I don't think I have ever returned from a mission field feeling rested and refreshed - that is a wonderful blessing and a gift as I look on to the business of the rest of my summer.
Please keep praying for us.
Shushan
Thursday, May 27, 2010
"I'm gonna be a missionary!"
So there we sat, waiting patiently for the weather to clear so our plane could land. We waited. And waited. Our flight was originally supposed to board at 11:50. At 1:30 they announced over the intercom that our flight had been cancelled... our plane was going to stay in San Pedro Sula and not attempt to land at Tegucigalpa today. I must admit, my first feeling was excitement. Ah, the adventure of the mission field! :-)
Jerry and Sherri were still waiting for us, so we went through the process of picking up our luggage and securing a flight for tomorrow, and then came back here to guest house in Tegucigalpa.
Thankfully, most people still have good attitudes about this trip. :-D Some are quite disappointed... others (like me and Shianne and Julianna) are more thrilled than anything. One more night in Honduras! As Deanna reminded us... missionaries must be flexible. And as Angel quickly responded... can you touch your toes?
The drive back to the guest house from the airport was great. There were men and boys walking down the street between cars, selling everything from peanuts to bananas. And the traffic looked pretty horrendous to me... but Jeremy (our wonderful driver) said it wasn't bad. We're convinced that he is the best driver in Honduras. Who else could do a U-turn in a 15-passenger van in the middle of a traffic jam when the street light is out without even bumping another car or the curb? He's good.
All that to say don't worry... we are safe and sound at the guest house, and will hopefully be flying out tomorrow. We are still praising the Lord, and most of us are willing to continue having fun on this our adventure. :-) We love you all, and look forward to seeing you soon, albeit a day late. God bless, and keep us in your prayers!
Sarah
Jerry and Sherri were still waiting for us, so we went through the process of picking up our luggage and securing a flight for tomorrow, and then came back here to guest house in Tegucigalpa.
Thankfully, most people still have good attitudes about this trip. :-D Some are quite disappointed... others (like me and Shianne and Julianna) are more thrilled than anything. One more night in Honduras! As Deanna reminded us... missionaries must be flexible. And as Angel quickly responded... can you touch your toes?
The drive back to the guest house from the airport was great. There were men and boys walking down the street between cars, selling everything from peanuts to bananas. And the traffic looked pretty horrendous to me... but Jeremy (our wonderful driver) said it wasn't bad. We're convinced that he is the best driver in Honduras. Who else could do a U-turn in a 15-passenger van in the middle of a traffic jam when the street light is out without even bumping another car or the curb? He's good.
All that to say don't worry... we are safe and sound at the guest house, and will hopefully be flying out tomorrow. We are still praising the Lord, and most of us are willing to continue having fun on this our adventure. :-) We love you all, and look forward to seeing you soon, albeit a day late. God bless, and keep us in your prayers!
Sarah
at the airport
We are at the airport in Teguc and our flight has been delayed, actually the plane we will leave on has been diverted because of clouds and so it is not landing until it clears up. So, we are waiting and realizing this will affect our other flights. Please pray for us. We have team members headed to four different locations, pray that everyone makes connections, it would be wonderful if we can all make it home today.
Please pray also for Rachael who is still not feeling well. Asking the Lord to touch her body and her travels will not be miserable.
Truly our time in Honduras has been amazing, Jerry and Sherri Murphey, the missionaries that hosted us went so far above and beyond, they have been wonderful. Thank you again to everyone who has prayed for us and gave finanacially for us to come, you have been an valuable part of this ministry as weel. We can't wait to tell you stories and show you pictures of the people you helped and touched.
May God bless you richly!
In Him,
Shushan
Please pray also for Rachael who is still not feeling well. Asking the Lord to touch her body and her travels will not be miserable.
Truly our time in Honduras has been amazing, Jerry and Sherri Murphey, the missionaries that hosted us went so far above and beyond, they have been wonderful. Thank you again to everyone who has prayed for us and gave finanacially for us to come, you have been an valuable part of this ministry as weel. We can't wait to tell you stories and show you pictures of the people you helped and touched.
May God bless you richly!
In Him,
Shushan
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Adios... for now
Today we are headed back to Tegucigalpa, and will do some souvenir shopping on the way to the guest house. Tomorrow we fly back to the States.
So is it over? I think not.
Last night they thanked us and gave us personalized gifts that they had made for each one of us... so we wouldn't forget them. As we spent time with them I kept thinking, "I will not forget these people... I will not forget Honduras." This is but the closing of the first chapter of this adventure. Now comes the rest of the story! As the school's director told us the other day, we are their ambassadors... we have had the privilege to see this place firsthand, and it is now our duty to spread their vision to people who have not seen it. Are we able? In Christ, of course we are. :-)
I think a little piece of my heart shall be left at El Sembrador today. As much as they say we have blessed them, I know they have blessed us more by far. It is a rather bittersweet parting, as most partings are. Like a majestic orchestra, God brings people together for a while, then separates them again, all in perfect time to His music. He brought us together in His timing, and He is separating us in His timing. We praise Him!
I think a permanent impression of Honduras has been left in my memory. The rugged mountains, the green plains, the palm trees and pine trees, the monkeys, the snakes and frogs, the huge bugs, the heavy rainstorms, the humid heat, the poverty... and the beautiful, beautiful people. As many of you know, my heart does remain in Ireland. But there is still enough love that I can share some with Honduras!
Ah, God is good. What indeed is man, that He is mindful of us?
As I sit here watching my last sunrise at El Sembrador, I wonder if I will ever return. Only He knows.
May the Lord's name be praised both now and forevermore!
In His name and for His glory,
Sarah
So is it over? I think not.
Last night they thanked us and gave us personalized gifts that they had made for each one of us... so we wouldn't forget them. As we spent time with them I kept thinking, "I will not forget these people... I will not forget Honduras." This is but the closing of the first chapter of this adventure. Now comes the rest of the story! As the school's director told us the other day, we are their ambassadors... we have had the privilege to see this place firsthand, and it is now our duty to spread their vision to people who have not seen it. Are we able? In Christ, of course we are. :-)
I think a little piece of my heart shall be left at El Sembrador today. As much as they say we have blessed them, I know they have blessed us more by far. It is a rather bittersweet parting, as most partings are. Like a majestic orchestra, God brings people together for a while, then separates them again, all in perfect time to His music. He brought us together in His timing, and He is separating us in His timing. We praise Him!
I think a permanent impression of Honduras has been left in my memory. The rugged mountains, the green plains, the palm trees and pine trees, the monkeys, the snakes and frogs, the huge bugs, the heavy rainstorms, the humid heat, the poverty... and the beautiful, beautiful people. As many of you know, my heart does remain in Ireland. But there is still enough love that I can share some with Honduras!
Ah, God is good. What indeed is man, that He is mindful of us?
As I sit here watching my last sunrise at El Sembrador, I wonder if I will ever return. Only He knows.
May the Lord's name be praised both now and forevermore!
In His name and for His glory,
Sarah
May 24
had to repaint all the rooms b/c the paint was two diff colors..oops
random ppl started listening to us sing through the window while painting...surprise
Rachael is sick :( not cool
watched the boys play basketball for the first time without Rach
May 25
finished up the bible institute and painted an office
couldn't think of any more songs to sing while painting except the doxology
climed over 500 steps to see a cross and a couple in "love"....
went shopping in catacamas
saw a drunk man dancing in the middle of the road (on the median)
went to see the pigs....never thought anythin could smell like that!!! GROSS!
had an awesome supper(very formal as we were in t-shirts and jeans) and then the bible institute students put on a "fiesta" for us :) awesome
pretty much don't wanna leave honduras!
played volleyball with missions team and Hondurans, got thier curfew extended for us! woe fun, don't even know who won :)
May 26
going to try and stay up till 4:30am prayer meeting!...see how that goes
had to repaint all the rooms b/c the paint was two diff colors..oops
random ppl started listening to us sing through the window while painting...surprise
Rachael is sick :( not cool
watched the boys play basketball for the first time without Rach
May 25
finished up the bible institute and painted an office
couldn't think of any more songs to sing while painting except the doxology
climed over 500 steps to see a cross and a couple in "love"....
went shopping in catacamas
saw a drunk man dancing in the middle of the road (on the median)
went to see the pigs....never thought anythin could smell like that!!! GROSS!
had an awesome supper(very formal as we were in t-shirts and jeans) and then the bible institute students put on a "fiesta" for us :) awesome
pretty much don't wanna leave honduras!
played volleyball with missions team and Hondurans, got thier curfew extended for us! woe fun, don't even know who won :)
May 26
going to try and stay up till 4:30am prayer meeting!...see how that goes
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Answers for Shushan..
1. when exactly should you count your chickens?---you should count you chickens only after the boys have cut their heads off.(Our boys-Danny, Nick, J.J., and Zac have a new hobby).
2. What exactly is Wahili? Wahili is Swahili-this is the language I am quite fluent in.
3. What is the difference between Teguc and Tegucigalpa? Trick question-they are the same place. I do not know why there are nicknames for towns but maybe people should explain that to poor innocent Americans that know nothing.
4. Where is that book you were reading? Well, now I don't know, but previously, my new best friend put in on a high shelf so I couldn't reach it because I was too short.
5. How is it that Angel beat you at Blitz? Angel beat me because the scorekeeper(Shushan) was trying to boost Angel's self-esteem and switched the points. I found out a day later.
6. Are you sure you want to travel with Danny this summer? Hmm..I thought no because he is so sensitive and fragile, but then I thought maybe I will learn some patience and compassion. Plus, we share the love for water balloons so maybe everything will pan out.
-Steph
2. What exactly is Wahili? Wahili is Swahili-this is the language I am quite fluent in.
3. What is the difference between Teguc and Tegucigalpa? Trick question-they are the same place. I do not know why there are nicknames for towns but maybe people should explain that to poor innocent Americans that know nothing.
4. Where is that book you were reading? Well, now I don't know, but previously, my new best friend put in on a high shelf so I couldn't reach it because I was too short.
5. How is it that Angel beat you at Blitz? Angel beat me because the scorekeeper(Shushan) was trying to boost Angel's self-esteem and switched the points. I found out a day later.
6. Are you sure you want to travel with Danny this summer? Hmm..I thought no because he is so sensitive and fragile, but then I thought maybe I will learn some patience and compassion. Plus, we share the love for water balloons so maybe everything will pan out.
-Steph
Question for Sarah
Can you explain to me again the technique you use for hiding so no one will see you while you are peeking in windows?
questions for Stephanie
1. when exactly should you count your chickens?
2. What exactly is Wahili?
3. What is the difference between Teguc and Tegucigalpa?
4. Where is that book you were reading?
5. How is it that Angel beat you at Blitz?
6. Are you sure you want to travel with Danny this summer?
2. What exactly is Wahili?
3. What is the difference between Teguc and Tegucigalpa?
4. Where is that book you were reading?
5. How is it that Angel beat you at Blitz?
6. Are you sure you want to travel with Danny this summer?
A walk to remember
We (Deanna and I) took a walk last night after supper. The weather was wonderful... dark clouds and rather cool breeze. And despite the dark clouds, it wasn't pouring... it was only sprinkling. We walked down the dirt road behind the school, past the dam and waterfall, past the cows with huge floppy ears, down past the second bridge over the rushing, muddy river. We walked all the way down to where we had seen the monkeys on Sunday. There were no monkeys in the tree today... we did see a nice line of marching leafcutter ants, though. :-) Steve (missionary) and Nick (his son) had caught up with us, and decided to take us off-roading to look for monkeys. We made our way through the rickety barbed-wire fence, and headed off into the jungle. We came to one sort of clearing, where there wasn't much undergrowth on the ground. There were huge trees throughout the clearing and around it, with masses of vines trailing to the ground. Steve tried swinging on some, but they wouldn't hold his weight. I tried swinging on some, but they wouldn't hold my weight either. It was about time for Deanna and I to head back, so we bid goodbye to Steve and Nick, and made our way back along the trail (if it could rightly be called a trail). We still hadn't found any monkeys. Working together, we managed to get through the barbed-wire fence again (skirts and all), and we walked back along the road. Then, as the shades of dusk deepened, as we walked past the cows with huge floppy ears and told each other stories of changing flat tires, we began to hear a strange sound. It was almost a woofing sound, but it had a strange echo to it. Both of us immediately knew what it was... the monkeys! Mantled Howler Monkeys, they have a call that reportedly can be heard distinctly for three miles. They were much closer to us than that, however... right about where we had been looking, but on the other side of the road. :-) We walked back quietly under the dusk of a Honduran evening, and listened to the monkeys call.
God is good.
Sarah
God is good.
Sarah
Sunday, May 23, 2010
All my new freinds :)
this trip i made some new freinds. two of which are danny and stephanie. danny is alot funny and we all appriciate his humor on this trip. stephanie is in the learning process.
JJ
JJ
May 21
painted the outside of out work project building
Rachael, Julianna, and i continue to play guitar and sing every free time we have and the whole campus can hear us lol
last 9pm service with the Bible institute students (ate candy and drank kool-aid)
not too much excitement happened today...
May 22
some of the boys went to chop off the heads of chickens and then Danny and Nick threw two chicken feet at me while i was painting on a ladder!
had a VBS in Catacamas for the neighborhood kids (about 30 kids)
went out to eat in town
May 23
went to a Honduran church and had a two hour service
ate lunch with the boys from the high school
Went an saw monkeys in the trees
saw a cow in the soccer field...don't know how he got out...seemed not very friendly (i made NICE moooooing noises :))
I let one boy take a picture of me w/ his phone and that started a whole bunch of boys wanting my picture!
some of the boys (including J.J.) went down a "waterfall" for...fun?
~Shianne Jack~
painted the outside of out work project building
Rachael, Julianna, and i continue to play guitar and sing every free time we have and the whole campus can hear us lol
last 9pm service with the Bible institute students (ate candy and drank kool-aid)
not too much excitement happened today...
May 22
some of the boys went to chop off the heads of chickens and then Danny and Nick threw two chicken feet at me while i was painting on a ladder!
had a VBS in Catacamas for the neighborhood kids (about 30 kids)
went out to eat in town
May 23
went to a Honduran church and had a two hour service
ate lunch with the boys from the high school
Went an saw monkeys in the trees
saw a cow in the soccer field...don't know how he got out...seemed not very friendly (i made NICE moooooing noises :))
I let one boy take a picture of me w/ his phone and that started a whole bunch of boys wanting my picture!
some of the boys (including J.J.) went down a "waterfall" for...fun?
~Shianne Jack~
i just got back from playing basketball with some some new Honduran friends that i have made on this amazing trip. even though the humidity gets bad sometimes, it allows for some of the most beautiful tropical plants I've ever seen. the people here are very nice always ready to help you with Spanish if they understand you at all. i am very thankful for the many people that made it possible for me to come and share this amazing experience with KMBC, and their willingness to allow me to participate.
Jonathan Jack
Jonathan Jack
Praising Him
Monkeys! :-)
I just returned from visiting the monkeys... Jerry (host missionary) gave me a ride back on the back of his 4-wheeler, so I got back a bit sooner than the others will. Those monkeys were pretty sweet... I think he said they were howler monkeys. They seemed pretty quiet to me. :-)
This afternoon those of us who weren't sleeping had the privilege of meeting Henry's family. That was fun.
And the church service this morning wasn't nearly as bad as JJ makes it out to be. :-) Sure it was two hours long... and sure, the music lasted an hour and we had to stand the whole time... and sure, it was very hot and humid... but hey, it was church! :-) The sermon was based in Ephesians 2:1-10, but that's all I know. Ha. I knew two of the songs... "Open the Eyes of my Heart" and "Agnus Dei (Worthy is the Lamb)." It was fun singing those in Spanish.
It's starting to rain out there, which is wonderful. It's starting to feel a lot cooler than it has all day.
Hard to believe that a week ago we were traveling... it doesn't feel like a whole week has gone by! And we only have about half a week left. God has been so good to us. It's hard to think of leaving. But as I've heard before... don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened! And we do indeed praise the Lord for this trip... for everything He's done, and everything He's yet to do. And it's not over yet! Who knows what could happen in the next three days! :-D Why, in the last week we've enjoyed everything from huge bugs to big snakes and tiny geckos and needy frogs and... wonderful, wonderful people. :-) Oh, and monkeys.
God is good. :-)
Sarah
I just returned from visiting the monkeys... Jerry (host missionary) gave me a ride back on the back of his 4-wheeler, so I got back a bit sooner than the others will. Those monkeys were pretty sweet... I think he said they were howler monkeys. They seemed pretty quiet to me. :-)
This afternoon those of us who weren't sleeping had the privilege of meeting Henry's family. That was fun.
And the church service this morning wasn't nearly as bad as JJ makes it out to be. :-) Sure it was two hours long... and sure, the music lasted an hour and we had to stand the whole time... and sure, it was very hot and humid... but hey, it was church! :-) The sermon was based in Ephesians 2:1-10, but that's all I know. Ha. I knew two of the songs... "Open the Eyes of my Heart" and "Agnus Dei (Worthy is the Lamb)." It was fun singing those in Spanish.
It's starting to rain out there, which is wonderful. It's starting to feel a lot cooler than it has all day.
Hard to believe that a week ago we were traveling... it doesn't feel like a whole week has gone by! And we only have about half a week left. God has been so good to us. It's hard to think of leaving. But as I've heard before... don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened! And we do indeed praise the Lord for this trip... for everything He's done, and everything He's yet to do. And it's not over yet! Who knows what could happen in the next three days! :-D Why, in the last week we've enjoyed everything from huge bugs to big snakes and tiny geckos and needy frogs and... wonderful, wonderful people. :-) Oh, and monkeys.
God is good. :-)
Sarah
wat i decided to write cus i was bored
its soooo hot and im sweating constantly. the church service is two hours long and the whole first hour is singing. i couldnt feel my hands cus of so much clapping and to make it worse the boys were leaving early so i only had one other person to sit with and he was trying to introduce me to a 14 year old girl. he tried to tell me she was very beutifull but they all look the same. we play alot of basket ball and im alot better down here, or danny jus says everyone else is bad haha. sleeping is only fun wen you do it at night cus in the day u wake up in a huge puddle of sweat. yesterday we passed a dam and it was like a water slide i wanted to do it alot but imma prollly die if i did. but thats ok cus it wouldnt be as hot haha. i keep thinking how cool it would be if my parents had the pool fixed wen i got home but they prolly goin to wait for me to do it. but ya i g2g see monkeys or summ. i hope they look better than the cows do cus man its like they had a cow holaoucost.
Jonathan Jack
Jonathan Jack
Dios le bendiga!
This is the day that the Lord has made... let us rejoice and be glad in it! The Honduran sun is shining brightly, and we are preparing for breakfast, after which we shall go back into town for a two hour church service. Exciting!
Yesterday evening a student named Caesar gave us his testimony. He speaks good English... he gave us the first part in English, but then got shy or something and gave the rest in Spanish. :-) Don't worry, there was a translator present. His sort of testimony is actually pretty common around here... his parents split up when he was very little, he was raised by his mom, he later left and lived with his dad for a few years, and now he's here. He never received love or help from either of his parents. If I remember rightly he's 17 years old, and accepted Jesus 7 years ago. He has many goals. He wants to be a marine... he wants to travel and study abroad (preferably in the U.S., he says)... he wants to marry and have a family... most of all, he wants to be a good man. He wants to show his family that he can be different than the way he was raised. He wants to be a good husband and father, so his children won't grow up the way he did.
It was very special for us to hear his testimony. We were all touched by it. He thanked us for coming here, and asked us why we did... when we told him that the Lord brought us here, he said it's refreshing to see people our age who are so willing to serve. He asked us to pray for him and for his family - that they may come to know the Lord, as well. And praise the Lord, I'm figuring out some Spanish. :-) I was able to say "Thank you, my brother," and "God bless you" in Spanish as we were leaving. He beamed and responded in English, "Thank you! And you!"
We also learned about the sponsorship program last night. The students from both El Sembrador and the associated Bible Institute must be sponsored in order to make it through school, because most of them could never pay the cost on their own. It was exciting to hear of how many are already being sponsored, and thought-provoking to hear about how many aren't fully sponsored yet. Challenging, to be sure!
Well, it is nearly time for breakfast. I hope all of you have a wonderful day in the Lord!
Sarah
Yesterday evening a student named Caesar gave us his testimony. He speaks good English... he gave us the first part in English, but then got shy or something and gave the rest in Spanish. :-) Don't worry, there was a translator present. His sort of testimony is actually pretty common around here... his parents split up when he was very little, he was raised by his mom, he later left and lived with his dad for a few years, and now he's here. He never received love or help from either of his parents. If I remember rightly he's 17 years old, and accepted Jesus 7 years ago. He has many goals. He wants to be a marine... he wants to travel and study abroad (preferably in the U.S., he says)... he wants to marry and have a family... most of all, he wants to be a good man. He wants to show his family that he can be different than the way he was raised. He wants to be a good husband and father, so his children won't grow up the way he did.
It was very special for us to hear his testimony. We were all touched by it. He thanked us for coming here, and asked us why we did... when we told him that the Lord brought us here, he said it's refreshing to see people our age who are so willing to serve. He asked us to pray for him and for his family - that they may come to know the Lord, as well. And praise the Lord, I'm figuring out some Spanish. :-) I was able to say "Thank you, my brother," and "God bless you" in Spanish as we were leaving. He beamed and responded in English, "Thank you! And you!"
We also learned about the sponsorship program last night. The students from both El Sembrador and the associated Bible Institute must be sponsored in order to make it through school, because most of them could never pay the cost on their own. It was exciting to hear of how many are already being sponsored, and thought-provoking to hear about how many aren't fully sponsored yet. Challenging, to be sure!
Well, it is nearly time for breakfast. I hope all of you have a wonderful day in the Lord!
Sarah
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Storms of Honduran mountains
Well, we have just returned from several hours of VBS. I had no idea, but there's a tiny village just over the hill from here! We walked over there and had a lovely bunch of kids to play with for a few hours. They did crafts, heard a story, memorized a verse, ate snacks, and played games. I was the assigned photographer, and thoroughly enjoyed my post.
We painted more this morning, and I think we are nearly (if not completely) finished with the inside of the Bible Institute. Praise the Lord!
The guys had the lovely experience of helping the Hondurans kill some chickens. Nick and Danny had the most fun... they got to keep the feet, and were trying to terrorize other people with them. I informed Nick that he smelled like a dead chicken (which is not the best smell in the world), so he showered during lunchtime.
Tonight we get to go into town (Catacamas) and eat some authentic Honduran food at an authentic Honduran restaurant. :-) We are all very much looking forward to it. From what I hear, the little restaurant just barely has the means to handle all of us coming in at once.
On our way to and from the village this afternoon we had a spectacular view of the surrounding mountains. And these are REAL mountains... big ones! Not hills! Gorgeous. Especially on the way back, when they had dark storm clouds above and among them.
Well, I suppose I should join those getting ready to go to town for supper. We didn't get to see the monkeys today... perhaps tomorrow.
God bless you, we love you, and may His name be praised!
Sarah
We painted more this morning, and I think we are nearly (if not completely) finished with the inside of the Bible Institute. Praise the Lord!
The guys had the lovely experience of helping the Hondurans kill some chickens. Nick and Danny had the most fun... they got to keep the feet, and were trying to terrorize other people with them. I informed Nick that he smelled like a dead chicken (which is not the best smell in the world), so he showered during lunchtime.
Tonight we get to go into town (Catacamas) and eat some authentic Honduran food at an authentic Honduran restaurant. :-) We are all very much looking forward to it. From what I hear, the little restaurant just barely has the means to handle all of us coming in at once.
On our way to and from the village this afternoon we had a spectacular view of the surrounding mountains. And these are REAL mountains... big ones! Not hills! Gorgeous. Especially on the way back, when they had dark storm clouds above and among them.
Well, I suppose I should join those getting ready to go to town for supper. We didn't get to see the monkeys today... perhaps tomorrow.
God bless you, we love you, and may His name be praised!
Sarah
Friday, May 21, 2010
Graduation, VBS, Monkeys
So, we all just finished attending the graduation of three MK's on campus. The students included Reid, graduating from first grade; Shannon, graduating from kindergarten; Nick, graduating from seventh grade. We enjoyed the many songs Reid and Shannon sang, the poems they recited, and the reading they shared with us. We also enjoyed Nick's science fair presentation on the pheromones of ants. These kids are smart cookies!
On the docket for the tomorrow, we are headed to El Carbone(a neighboring village to El Sembrador) to conduct a VBS with about 35 children! We are so excited about this opportunity. Shushan, Stephanie, Angel, and I visited the village with the Murpheys yesterday to look around....we had such fun meeting the children and their teacher. We have been working on the craft projects this afternoon and it has created anticipation for a wonderful day!
Well, I need to turn the computer over to Shianne. She needs to translate some songs from Spanish to English for our devotions tonight with the Bible Institute students. We continue to appreciate your prayers!!
God Bless,
Deanna
P.S. It has been mentioned that we are going to see some monkeys tomorrow!! I sure hope that works out!! Who knows? Maybe we will get to eat some monkey too! Angel is especially excited about this possibility....NOT! haha
On the docket for the tomorrow, we are headed to El Carbone(a neighboring village to El Sembrador) to conduct a VBS with about 35 children! We are so excited about this opportunity. Shushan, Stephanie, Angel, and I visited the village with the Murpheys yesterday to look around....we had such fun meeting the children and their teacher. We have been working on the craft projects this afternoon and it has created anticipation for a wonderful day!
Well, I need to turn the computer over to Shianne. She needs to translate some songs from Spanish to English for our devotions tonight with the Bible Institute students. We continue to appreciate your prayers!!
God Bless,
Deanna
P.S. It has been mentioned that we are going to see some monkeys tomorrow!! I sure hope that works out!! Who knows? Maybe we will get to eat some monkey too! Angel is especially excited about this possibility....NOT! haha
Getting stung
I am not the only one who the wasps have conspired against, Rachael, Shushan, and Danny have now all been stung as well...in that order, the wasps are trying a new strategy....
Nick Armstrong :)
Nick Armstrong :)
Nick 3
Hey everyone, loving Honduras, practicing new tactics on how to beat the wasps and the conspiracy that they have formed against us. Some how it seems like the queen mother always knows where we are going to be...maybe we should work on stealth. I found out a few days ago that my friend Andrey is actually named Henry (and people say i have an accent). But he seems to stick to me like glue, gave me a letter (that i can't read) and has blessed my heart in many ways. God is doing a wonderful work here in Honduras and in myself as well. I really miss my beautiful girlfriend (Ashley Milks)and wish that she was on the missions field with me. Loving every minute of getting to know my brothers and sisters in Christ and serving with them as well. Held the boa constrictor last night, and talked to the missionaries here for over an hour after that. Appreciate your prayers,
Dios Le Bendiga,
Adios
Nick Armstrong
Dios Le Bendiga,
Adios
Nick Armstrong
Under a Honduran sunset
Howdy. :-)
Another day of painting... some are now painted in three colors. I still just have white on me. But a few of them look quite lovely in their green, blue, and white.
It has been hot and sunny all day today. We're hoping it rains this evening... it looks like it may. Dark clouds and strong wind out there.
I don't really have too many critter stories for today. I took a picture of a stray dog and saw a teensy tiny gecko, about the same size as the one I caught last night. They are very tiny, and very cute. Here's a hint of the size... when I saw the first one in my room last night, I thought it was a bug. Of course, given the size of the bugs around here, that's not a good size comparison.
Ah, lovely sunset... I should be out taking pictures instead of posting here.
Tonight we are attending a graduation for a few of the resident MK's, then practicing for VBS (which happens tomorrow), and having a get-together with the students. Tonight's get-together will include a Bible trivia game (in both English and Spanish) which I am very much looking forward to.
We had pizza for supper. :-) It was different... but good. Yesterday at breakfast I tried fried banana for the first time and quite liked it. I even liked the cheese that we had at breakfast. It didn't go over too well with some of the others.
Ok, that picture simply must be taken. God bless you all... have a wonderful evening, and keep us in your prayers!
Sarah
Another day of painting... some are now painted in three colors. I still just have white on me. But a few of them look quite lovely in their green, blue, and white.
It has been hot and sunny all day today. We're hoping it rains this evening... it looks like it may. Dark clouds and strong wind out there.
I don't really have too many critter stories for today. I took a picture of a stray dog and saw a teensy tiny gecko, about the same size as the one I caught last night. They are very tiny, and very cute. Here's a hint of the size... when I saw the first one in my room last night, I thought it was a bug. Of course, given the size of the bugs around here, that's not a good size comparison.
Ah, lovely sunset... I should be out taking pictures instead of posting here.
Tonight we are attending a graduation for a few of the resident MK's, then practicing for VBS (which happens tomorrow), and having a get-together with the students. Tonight's get-together will include a Bible trivia game (in both English and Spanish) which I am very much looking forward to.
We had pizza for supper. :-) It was different... but good. Yesterday at breakfast I tried fried banana for the first time and quite liked it. I even liked the cheese that we had at breakfast. It didn't go over too well with some of the others.
Ok, that picture simply must be taken. God bless you all... have a wonderful evening, and keep us in your prayers!
Sarah
I think there is something wrong with my brain
okay, true story, today a lady greeted me with "Hola" which is a completely normal and appropriate way to greet a person in Honduras. My response, "Aloha" Where on earth did that come from, that is not a normal response. Suddenly I am speaking Hawaiian? This is out of control, seriously, I think my brain is somehow short circuiting!
Shushan
Shushan
Thursday, May 20, 2010
May 18
me and Julianna painted all the trim...except for the very very top...we were too short
found out the "Andres" was actually named Henry...oops
woops, i accidentally ripped my skirt while climbing on the bleachers!! so not KMBC dress code! (went back to change really fast an realized my door was locked and i didn't have a key!)
Rachael "Beat Boxed" and scared some Honduran ppl
had an awesome devotional time with the Hondurans!! i was the translator (Rachael played guitar and i lead singing)
first day without rain (way too hot for that)
May 19
painted a second coat on all the trim!
Nick got stung by a bee and his whole hand swelled up
boys found a snake while working and tried to kill it but failed
J.J. put the snake in a bottle and placed it under my pillow
...i didn't realize it wasn't my water bottle but actually a poisonous SNAKE!! all is good :)
went to Honduran service and small groups; translated for Rachael the whole time.
Carla (friend) gave me a bracelet she made for me
Second day without rain
May 20
Got sunburned from painting planks outside
Rachael got stung on the forehead
went to a recorded service that was being watched via satellite in the USA by a supporting church of El Sembrador
had the option to eat 7 times today :) 3 meals and 4 snacks
Freaked out when a snake was thrown under out hammock by a missionary (ha ha not funny)
~Shianne~
me and Julianna painted all the trim...except for the very very top...we were too short
found out the "Andres" was actually named Henry...oops
woops, i accidentally ripped my skirt while climbing on the bleachers!! so not KMBC dress code! (went back to change really fast an realized my door was locked and i didn't have a key!)
Rachael "Beat Boxed" and scared some Honduran ppl
had an awesome devotional time with the Hondurans!! i was the translator (Rachael played guitar and i lead singing)
first day without rain (way too hot for that)
May 19
painted a second coat on all the trim!
Nick got stung by a bee and his whole hand swelled up
boys found a snake while working and tried to kill it but failed
J.J. put the snake in a bottle and placed it under my pillow
...i didn't realize it wasn't my water bottle but actually a poisonous SNAKE!! all is good :)
went to Honduran service and small groups; translated for Rachael the whole time.
Carla (friend) gave me a bracelet she made for me
Second day without rain
May 20
Got sunburned from painting planks outside
Rachael got stung on the forehead
went to a recorded service that was being watched via satellite in the USA by a supporting church of El Sembrador
had the option to eat 7 times today :) 3 meals and 4 snacks
Freaked out when a snake was thrown under out hammock by a missionary (ha ha not funny)
~Shianne~
Snakes are so cool
Look at that, nobody has posted since my last post. Fine, then... I shall just post two in a row. :-)
It poured rain late this afternoon, for which we were all very grateful. The singing on live camera went very well. While we were cleaning the church I found a room that was swarming with bats, but I probably shouldn't have told Deanna that, as she was nervous throughout the whole singing.
This evening we visited with some resident missionaries, the Gouge family. Thad Gouge has a large boa constrictor, and he let us hold and pet it. Ok... so it was only about four feet long. :-) I thoroughly enjoyed that. I spent the rest of the evening on their porch, and talked about everything from snakes to Ireland (where there are no snakes).
The singing has begun again, and I'm feeling inclined to join the others. I'm not sure how much we'll be able to get online tomorrow, as this room is supposed to be off-limits to us for most of the day. Keep posting comments, though... we love to read them when we are able to get online!
We love you all much, and praise the Lord that we are here.
Sarah
It poured rain late this afternoon, for which we were all very grateful. The singing on live camera went very well. While we were cleaning the church I found a room that was swarming with bats, but I probably shouldn't have told Deanna that, as she was nervous throughout the whole singing.
This evening we visited with some resident missionaries, the Gouge family. Thad Gouge has a large boa constrictor, and he let us hold and pet it. Ok... so it was only about four feet long. :-) I thoroughly enjoyed that. I spent the rest of the evening on their porch, and talked about everything from snakes to Ireland (where there are no snakes).
The singing has begun again, and I'm feeling inclined to join the others. I'm not sure how much we'll be able to get online tomorrow, as this room is supposed to be off-limits to us for most of the day. Keep posting comments, though... we love to read them when we are able to get online!
We love you all much, and praise the Lord that we are here.
Sarah
Not for the weak of stomach
Ok, so Shushan said it wasn't too bad of a story... others begged to differ. So I figured I'd warn you in the title. If you do not think you have a weak stomach, then by all means, keep reading.
So another "adventure" happened today. :-) When we were starting to clean up for lunch, Angel and Deanna pointed out a large frog that was near the water spicket. It had something large and pink protruding out of its mouth. Somewhat disturbed, I caught the frog and looked closer at it. At first I thought it was trying to swallow something... but I soon decided that the pink thing was actually something that was supposed to be inside the poor frog, and was unfortunately now on the outside. So I went around the corner to where Nick was painting, and showed it to him. He was also somewhat disturbed, and we figured somebody had stepped on the unfortunate amphibian. We also decided that the pink protrusion was a lung, as it was filled with air. We decided to try to help the critter. I held the frog's mouth open while Nick tried several times to shove the lung back in with a stick... we soon realized that a stick could easily do more harm than good, so scrapped that idea. I then held the frog in one hand, and used one finger to gently push the lung back down inside the frog. It swallowed a few times, blinked, and then just closed its eyes and sat very still. Nick said, "I think you killed it!" I nudged the frog a bit, and it soon opened its eyes, blinked, and tried to get away. It was breathing fine again, and when I put it down, it hopped away.
So Nick and I have now had our first experience of impromptu surgery on the mission field. And it was an apparent success! I just hope there are no serious side effects. We didn't even have anesthesia on hand for the patient... doctoring on the mission field sure is rough.
Other than that, the day is pretty much normal... as normal as a Honduran day can get, I suppose. :-) It's hot and sunny again today, with no sign of rain yet. A few of us may be cleaning the church this afternoon... there's going to be a live video feed of Honduran students singing in the church to some people at a conference in the US. We were invited to be a part of it, and I find that exciting.
I pray you are all having a blessed day, and we love you!
Sarah
P.S. Happy birthday, brother of mine!!
So another "adventure" happened today. :-) When we were starting to clean up for lunch, Angel and Deanna pointed out a large frog that was near the water spicket. It had something large and pink protruding out of its mouth. Somewhat disturbed, I caught the frog and looked closer at it. At first I thought it was trying to swallow something... but I soon decided that the pink thing was actually something that was supposed to be inside the poor frog, and was unfortunately now on the outside. So I went around the corner to where Nick was painting, and showed it to him. He was also somewhat disturbed, and we figured somebody had stepped on the unfortunate amphibian. We also decided that the pink protrusion was a lung, as it was filled with air. We decided to try to help the critter. I held the frog's mouth open while Nick tried several times to shove the lung back in with a stick... we soon realized that a stick could easily do more harm than good, so scrapped that idea. I then held the frog in one hand, and used one finger to gently push the lung back down inside the frog. It swallowed a few times, blinked, and then just closed its eyes and sat very still. Nick said, "I think you killed it!" I nudged the frog a bit, and it soon opened its eyes, blinked, and tried to get away. It was breathing fine again, and when I put it down, it hopped away.
So Nick and I have now had our first experience of impromptu surgery on the mission field. And it was an apparent success! I just hope there are no serious side effects. We didn't even have anesthesia on hand for the patient... doctoring on the mission field sure is rough.
Other than that, the day is pretty much normal... as normal as a Honduran day can get, I suppose. :-) It's hot and sunny again today, with no sign of rain yet. A few of us may be cleaning the church this afternoon... there's going to be a live video feed of Honduran students singing in the church to some people at a conference in the US. We were invited to be a part of it, and I find that exciting.
I pray you are all having a blessed day, and we love you!
Sarah
P.S. Happy birthday, brother of mine!!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
A Blog for Mi Madre(For my mom!!)
So..I have not blogged at all, so at the request of my mother-here it goes.
This is our end of our third full day here at escuela El Sembrador; it is 9:57pm here making 11:57 in the states(well in some of the states). It has been very interesting and very entertaining here. From the 3 hour turned into four hour car ride to the Russian/English/Spanish/French language barriers, this has made for some amazingly awesome stories.
I would like to say that my first "culture shock" was after we left the airport, got on the bus and the missionary host told us we would be going down the road to the local mall and we would eat at Wendy's. I do not know why that was such a shock for me, but it was. I have loved watching everyone try and speak Spanish and vica-versa. Shushan is the most entertaining(like has been said many times). With all of heart she wants to speak Spanish, but at the same time, she thinks everyone should speak Russian, even the Hondurans! lol. My favorite part about this language barrier is that we seem to think that if we speak slower, but louder, they will understand our English; however, some think that if they speak louder and slower in Spanish, we will understand-none of this is true. Actually, we have found out that some of the students speak english but they let us suffer through our speeches before telling us they know exactly what we are saying. I can't blame them for doing it, I would do the same thing.
Honduras is beautiful! I love it a lot! I love the people here. They are very kind and friendly and I love to worship with them-it is an amazing experience for two cultures to join together with one meaning. Tuesday as I was reading my devotions I came upon this scripture: Psalm 19:1-3 says, "The Heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. THERE IS NO SPEECH OR LANGUAGE where their voice is not heard."
That is just a beautiful reminder that it doesn't matter where you are or what culture you are from or what language you speak; God's beauty is in everything and there is no language barrier.
Steph
This is our end of our third full day here at escuela El Sembrador; it is 9:57pm here making 11:57 in the states(well in some of the states). It has been very interesting and very entertaining here. From the 3 hour turned into four hour car ride to the Russian/English/Spanish/French language barriers, this has made for some amazingly awesome stories.
I would like to say that my first "culture shock" was after we left the airport, got on the bus and the missionary host told us we would be going down the road to the local mall and we would eat at Wendy's. I do not know why that was such a shock for me, but it was. I have loved watching everyone try and speak Spanish and vica-versa. Shushan is the most entertaining(like has been said many times). With all of heart she wants to speak Spanish, but at the same time, she thinks everyone should speak Russian, even the Hondurans! lol. My favorite part about this language barrier is that we seem to think that if we speak slower, but louder, they will understand our English; however, some think that if they speak louder and slower in Spanish, we will understand-none of this is true. Actually, we have found out that some of the students speak english but they let us suffer through our speeches before telling us they know exactly what we are saying. I can't blame them for doing it, I would do the same thing.
Honduras is beautiful! I love it a lot! I love the people here. They are very kind and friendly and I love to worship with them-it is an amazing experience for two cultures to join together with one meaning. Tuesday as I was reading my devotions I came upon this scripture: Psalm 19:1-3 says, "The Heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. THERE IS NO SPEECH OR LANGUAGE where their voice is not heard."
That is just a beautiful reminder that it doesn't matter where you are or what culture you are from or what language you speak; God's beauty is in everything and there is no language barrier.
Steph
'Tis muy muy muy calor in Central America
Well, another hot and sunny Central American day. Were any of you aware that Honduras was once the southern part of the Mayan empire? :-) The strangest part about today was that it did not rain. At all. It was only hot and sunny. And Danny (and the rest of us) sweated like waterfalls because it was muy calor.
We had several new adventures today. As was already mentioned, Nick thinks the waspers are out to get him. Not only that, but he also suspected an innocent butterfly of plotting an attack. He now thinks anything with a pair of wings and six legs is his enemy. He is prepared to wage war... today, however, the first battle was lost when a wasp succeeded in stinging him. Ah, well. The war shall commence again in the morning.
Needless to say, his antics very much amused the rest of us. Deanna says she nearly died she was laughing so hard... either that or was about to wet her skirt. I (Sarah) just enjoyed the way he would cringe and close his eyes every time a bug came near him, and say, "Is it gone yet?! Is it gone?!"
Nick wasn't the only one who enjoyed the Battle of the Bugs. Angel happened to stand on an ant hill after we finished painting today, and the ants waged war on her feet, ankles, and legs. Do not worry, she survived.
There was also a deadly snake found by JJ. It was contained by the time I got there, so I took pictures of it inside a water bottle.
Nick said to remind you all that the waspers don't speak English. He hollered at them plenty of times, but is convinced now that they only speak Spanish.
Tonight we had the privilege of going to chapel with the Bible School students. We all thoroughly enjoyed singing familiar hymns in Spanish, and listening to them sing a few songs that were unfamiliar to us. Carlos (one of the students that we met) is very good on the drums. After the singing, the students separated into small groups and went to their different classrooms. We also separated and mingled with them. I joined one group with Angel, Deanna, and Steph. We couldn't understand everything the man said, but we did not get bored... there was a lizard in the window, lots of huge bugs flying around the room, and a young boy who snickered at Angel when a bug scared her. The fellow sitting next to me was kind enough to remove one of the offending bugs from my hair. I was grateful.
I know, this is another long post. I enjoy typing a lot. Especially when I haven't typed all day... the internet had trouble deciding if it wanted to work today. It is now working though, so I shall post about the day. I am glad all of you are continuing to follow our blog, and continuing to enjoy what we have to say. :-)
We all love you much, and pray that the Lord blesses you. Buenos noches!
Dios los bendiga!
Sarah
We had several new adventures today. As was already mentioned, Nick thinks the waspers are out to get him. Not only that, but he also suspected an innocent butterfly of plotting an attack. He now thinks anything with a pair of wings and six legs is his enemy. He is prepared to wage war... today, however, the first battle was lost when a wasp succeeded in stinging him. Ah, well. The war shall commence again in the morning.
Needless to say, his antics very much amused the rest of us. Deanna says she nearly died she was laughing so hard... either that or was about to wet her skirt. I (Sarah) just enjoyed the way he would cringe and close his eyes every time a bug came near him, and say, "Is it gone yet?! Is it gone?!"
Nick wasn't the only one who enjoyed the Battle of the Bugs. Angel happened to stand on an ant hill after we finished painting today, and the ants waged war on her feet, ankles, and legs. Do not worry, she survived.
There was also a deadly snake found by JJ. It was contained by the time I got there, so I took pictures of it inside a water bottle.
Nick said to remind you all that the waspers don't speak English. He hollered at them plenty of times, but is convinced now that they only speak Spanish.
Tonight we had the privilege of going to chapel with the Bible School students. We all thoroughly enjoyed singing familiar hymns in Spanish, and listening to them sing a few songs that were unfamiliar to us. Carlos (one of the students that we met) is very good on the drums. After the singing, the students separated into small groups and went to their different classrooms. We also separated and mingled with them. I joined one group with Angel, Deanna, and Steph. We couldn't understand everything the man said, but we did not get bored... there was a lizard in the window, lots of huge bugs flying around the room, and a young boy who snickered at Angel when a bug scared her. The fellow sitting next to me was kind enough to remove one of the offending bugs from my hair. I was grateful.
I know, this is another long post. I enjoy typing a lot. Especially when I haven't typed all day... the internet had trouble deciding if it wanted to work today. It is now working though, so I shall post about the day. I am glad all of you are continuing to follow our blog, and continuing to enjoy what we have to say. :-)
We all love you much, and pray that the Lord blesses you. Buenos noches!
Dios los bendiga!
Sarah
New Experiences
I am really enjoying my time here in Honduras. I have met several new friends. Henry has been hanging out with us a lot. Even though we do not speak the same language I can tell our hearts are the same in the Lord. The most exciting thing about today for me was some of the local Hondurian women bringing us Enchiladas. (I believe this is what they were) I pray that the Lord would bless these who have blessed me so much. It is amazing to find other believers who love our Lord Jesus.
Zach Riley
Zach Riley
Russian Language
I love Russian and I am so thankful for every word I can speak in Russian. Sadly, my Russian does not help at all in Honduras, as a matter of fact, it kind of gets in my way. I can be told how to say something in Spanish and then two minutes later, I attempt to say it and it comes out as a Russian word. It makes it more confusing for the people that are talking to me and that I am trying to talk to. It is a little hilarious! The whole team is laughing at me and telling me to stop - I really am not doing it on purpose - it turns out that I have two language files in my brain the one I don't have to think to process (aka English) and the miss matched, ill labeled, hard to process file - where my two years of Russian seem to have come to the forefront, but the 4 years of French and the random words and phrases from other languages are all jumbled together. Earlier, I was talking with a young Honduran man from the Bible Institute and I managed to speak in English, Russian, French, and Spanish - all in the same sentence - none of which really help either of us understand - pity that!
Some of the team members are struggling with with wildlife here in Honduras, bugs mostly. Nick is sure there is a conspiracy and thinks that the queen wasp called the CIA about him. Deanna pointed out that we tolerate flies, but other equally harmless insects make us scream and run. It turns out, Nick thinks the flies work for the wasp CIA, because he is afraid of them now too!
Shushan
Some of the team members are struggling with with wildlife here in Honduras, bugs mostly. Nick is sure there is a conspiracy and thinks that the queen wasp called the CIA about him. Deanna pointed out that we tolerate flies, but other equally harmless insects make us scream and run. It turns out, Nick thinks the flies work for the wasp CIA, because he is afraid of them now too!
Shushan
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Sweat Muy calor
I rolled out of bed. The temperature was comfortable. I moved my arm and my body started to sweat profusely. The temperature is like 3000 degrees here. But the people are very nice and try to communicate with us. I miss air conditioners and secondly, I miss communication. The only way most of them understand me is if I do charades and then they laugh at me and nod. 90% of the time I think they are making fun of me. But I smile and nod graciously and say, "Mi no comprende" which means "I do not understand."
I am loving the adventure and the I love my co-workers. They are the best! I am the bad person J.J. talked about in his story..in case you cared at all.
Danny.....
I am loving the adventure and the I love my co-workers. They are the best! I am the bad person J.J. talked about in his story..in case you cared at all.
Danny.....
the riviting story of a young man from slave to supervisor
As i walk down the dirt road in the humid air of Honduras i see a building.This building holds many secrets, most of which probably do not exist because i made them up, but that is beside the point. The one secret that i know is true is the story of a young American that traveled far across the ocean to come to a totally different country. He was not prepared for what was coming to him, for he had packed no food, and because his new found friends would betray him into slavery.
Well this man made it to his destination and made new friends, which you have probably guessed made him into a slave. The building i referred to earlier was where they forced him to work for hours at a time in the sweltering heat, he almost died a couple times from the heat. On top of all this he was tortured paint was thrown in his eyes. Ceiling tiles were dropped on his neck, and he was forced to sleep without air conditioning. This young man knew he could not live his life like this for he knew that God had a purpose for his life. So one day he devised a plan and his journey to freedom had begun.
When his supervisor called for him he answered the call as usual, but not so usual was the fact he was armed with a hammer and nails. wen the supervisor was not looking he nailed his pants to his shoes and he was so excited his plan had worked. but the supervisor was a bad man and put cocking in this young mans hair. but as the day progressed the young man had gained respect and the next morning he was supervisor. this story is heart warming as i well know and i would hate to leave you without telling you the name of this brave young man. his name was Jonathan Jack and he will always live in our memories as the young man who achieved higher job status over night.
Jonathan Jack
Well this man made it to his destination and made new friends, which you have probably guessed made him into a slave. The building i referred to earlier was where they forced him to work for hours at a time in the sweltering heat, he almost died a couple times from the heat. On top of all this he was tortured paint was thrown in his eyes. Ceiling tiles were dropped on his neck, and he was forced to sleep without air conditioning. This young man knew he could not live his life like this for he knew that God had a purpose for his life. So one day he devised a plan and his journey to freedom had begun.
When his supervisor called for him he answered the call as usual, but not so usual was the fact he was armed with a hammer and nails. wen the supervisor was not looking he nailed his pants to his shoes and he was so excited his plan had worked. but the supervisor was a bad man and put cocking in this young mans hair. but as the day progressed the young man had gained respect and the next morning he was supervisor. this story is heart warming as i well know and i would hate to leave you without telling you the name of this brave young man. his name was Jonathan Jack and he will always live in our memories as the young man who achieved higher job status over night.
Jonathan Jack
Nick 2
Well, i was one of the 2 leaning over the shoulder of ms Sarah :) Was not in on the fun time with the tree frog, although it would have been amusing. Loved climbing the mango tree yesterday and picking mangoes...i didn't use a board, i'm not that short of a timer LOL But Omar (one of the Hondurans) called me a monkey...that was interesting, haha i gave him a mango in return for the compliment :) I also found out real fast that mangoes that are purple and green taste alot different than the ones that are yellow and red...ones ripe and ones not...Sarah enjoyed them though. Hilarious hearing Danny speaking with three of the Hondurans last night, they seemed to enjoy his effort as well lol i think they may have seen it as entertainment by they way they were laughing. Loved having devotions last night, the worship was absolutely wonderful and we invited another one of my new friends Andrey (which i think is Andrew in English....not for sure how that works but Sarah thinks its right so it probably is, she studies a lot) Well i am looking forward to another exciting day in Honduras wondering what people are saying and what they may be laughing at us for hahahaha i think the bugs have formed a conspiracy against us too, God bless you,
In His name and for His glory,
Nick Armstrong
In His name and for His glory,
Nick Armstrong
Second Day, First Hour
First adventure of the day:
Neglecting to check inside the shoe before putting it on. Result: the rather humorous discovery of a large cockroach in the shoe, at which my roommate informed me that she would have screamed.
Second adventure of the day:
The discovery of a large tree frog in the dining room, followed by the subsequent chase, capture, and photography of said tree frog. Later handed it to Shushan, watched her drop it, and was amused by her attempts to catch it again.
Third adventure of the day:
Saying something silly in the breakfast line, getting called a "weirdo" by Shushan, and getting flicked in the eye by same Shushan... followed by a heartfelt apology on her part, because she didn't intend to actually hit me.
And all this within the first hour. :-)
Today we shall continue caulking, replacing ceiling tiles, and painting at the Bible School. Our clothes were washed last night, and surprisingly most of the paint came out. As far as I know, none of us are suffering serious health problems yet. I look like a lobster in some areas and it smarts a bit, but I'm not going to complain about Central American sunshine. :-) I thoroughly enjoyed the cooling rainstorms we had yesterday, as well.
Well, there are a few leaning over my shoulders wishing to post their own blogs now. I pray that you all have a wonderful day, and praise the Lord for His goodness and His humor!
Sarah
Neglecting to check inside the shoe before putting it on. Result: the rather humorous discovery of a large cockroach in the shoe, at which my roommate informed me that she would have screamed.
Second adventure of the day:
The discovery of a large tree frog in the dining room, followed by the subsequent chase, capture, and photography of said tree frog. Later handed it to Shushan, watched her drop it, and was amused by her attempts to catch it again.
Third adventure of the day:
Saying something silly in the breakfast line, getting called a "weirdo" by Shushan, and getting flicked in the eye by same Shushan... followed by a heartfelt apology on her part, because she didn't intend to actually hit me.
And all this within the first hour. :-)
Today we shall continue caulking, replacing ceiling tiles, and painting at the Bible School. Our clothes were washed last night, and surprisingly most of the paint came out. As far as I know, none of us are suffering serious health problems yet. I look like a lobster in some areas and it smarts a bit, but I'm not going to complain about Central American sunshine. :-) I thoroughly enjoyed the cooling rainstorms we had yesterday, as well.
Well, there are a few leaning over my shoulders wishing to post their own blogs now. I pray that you all have a wonderful day, and praise the Lord for His goodness and His humor!
Sarah
Monday, May 17, 2010
Special Events
May 15
Got no sleep whatsoever
made julianna do my laundry (did a good job)...also got no sleep
May 16
flew on plane; had a bad landing
getting out of way of the luggage vehicle and ran into a lady an almost got ran over anyways
flew on another plane; had a worse landing
took a four hour drive for six hours
May 17
MY BIRTHDAY (minor detail)...not :)
ate breakfast at 7am (we were told they extended it for us tired folk...and it will never happen again)
swept cobwebs off ceilings while on wobbly ladders and sweated like a waterfall
watched as some ppl painted one an a half walls with wrong paint...and watched as they redid it !! best times ever!..i helped a with the trim :) (only on the bottom...top was too high)
sat on the porch of missionaries while swatting at BIG bugs
sang songs with a Honduran named Andres (i was the malfunctioning translator)he taught us spanish songs and we taught him english songs
LOVING HONDURAS!!!
~Shianne Jack~
Got no sleep whatsoever
made julianna do my laundry (did a good job)...also got no sleep
May 16
flew on plane; had a bad landing
getting out of way of the luggage vehicle and ran into a lady an almost got ran over anyways
flew on another plane; had a worse landing
took a four hour drive for six hours
May 17
MY BIRTHDAY (minor detail)...not :)
ate breakfast at 7am (we were told they extended it for us tired folk...and it will never happen again)
swept cobwebs off ceilings while on wobbly ladders and sweated like a waterfall
watched as some ppl painted one an a half walls with wrong paint...and watched as they redid it !! best times ever!..i helped a with the trim :) (only on the bottom...top was too high)
sat on the porch of missionaries while swatting at BIG bugs
sang songs with a Honduran named Andres (i was the malfunctioning translator)he taught us spanish songs and we taught him english songs
LOVING HONDURAS!!!
~Shianne Jack~
Mangoes, T-Shirts and Russian
This evening, after a day of painting, the team settled down for a good dinner and a meeting with two of the VIA's (Volunteers in Action) to chat about Honduras and missions. Our conversations were generally interrupted every four minutes by Nick asking if there are two kinds of mangoes in Honduras, or if you can eat the peeling, or if they have banana trees at El Sembrador (no to all by the way). But you can (if you are an ignorant short-termer at the school) knock unripe mangoes off the tree with a board. Sarah says they taste good. Thanks, Nick! After Nick had exhausted his five unnecessary questions on mangoes, bananas, pedicures, and how to say help and "Do you have Jesus in your heart?" in Spanish, we moved from entertaining the VIA's to playing around until group devotions at 9:00. That was ten minutes ago. . .
I am currently sitting at the computer located in the common room, watching a T-shirt purchase. One of the students from the Bible Institute is selling the shirts to raise money for the school. It is interesting to watch translation going on. Shushan, as team leader and missionary to Ukraine, is heading up the deal- translating into Russian by default. :) It's quite confusing for the Honduran student to be spoken to in English and then have it translated into Russian. We have just been rescued by Jerry, our missionary host and fluent Spanish speaker. Shirts are being purchased and all is well with the world- and the Honduran student is no longer confused, but rather well paid.
~Angel
I am currently sitting at the computer located in the common room, watching a T-shirt purchase. One of the students from the Bible Institute is selling the shirts to raise money for the school. It is interesting to watch translation going on. Shushan, as team leader and missionary to Ukraine, is heading up the deal- translating into Russian by default. :) It's quite confusing for the Honduran student to be spoken to in English and then have it translated into Russian. We have just been rescued by Jerry, our missionary host and fluent Spanish speaker. Shirts are being purchased and all is well with the world- and the Honduran student is no longer confused, but rather well paid.
~Angel
Nick
Having a great time in Honduras. Its truly both a blessing and hilarious hearing my teammates learning Spanish. LOL I'm sure they have had their laughs over my Hillbilly Spanish as well (even though it is the best kind hehe) Fixing to have a team meeting, devotions at nine, bedtime and more ministry in the mornin! :) Appreciate your prayers and praising God that He has opened the door for me to attend this missions trip, even if I didn't think i was gonna make it through customs because i mispelled my name twice on my passport before getting it right...don't mark it out with sharpie by the way :) helpful info.
In His name and for His glory,
Nick Armstrong
In His name and for His glory,
Nick Armstrong
First morning
Ah... so this is Honduras! A land where banana trees and pine trees share the same soil. A place where one may order a banana soda at Wendy's (and it tastes really good!). A place where both the rural and city streets are lined with people (on foot, bike, and horse), dogs, chickens, horses, and cattle. A land where huge bugs divebomb one's head after dark. A land of sudden rainstorms and rainforest-sounding birds -- all night. And a place where one is not to flush the toilet paper... there is a reason why that bucket sits beside the toilet. :)
God has abundantly blessed our trip thus far, and we are all having fun. Even when faced with trials like giant bugs and noisy birds, I think we are all doing quite well adjusting and keeping a good attitude about it. I have begun to taste the experience of feeling slightly claustrophobic, realizing that I do not speak their language, and they do not speak mine. As our missionary host told us, though, a smile always translates well!
God is good, and we are all excited to see what He has planned for this trip. Please continue to keep us in your prayers, and may God bless you. We all love you much!
Sarah
God has abundantly blessed our trip thus far, and we are all having fun. Even when faced with trials like giant bugs and noisy birds, I think we are all doing quite well adjusting and keeping a good attitude about it. I have begun to taste the experience of feeling slightly claustrophobic, realizing that I do not speak their language, and they do not speak mine. As our missionary host told us, though, a smile always translates well!
God is good, and we are all excited to see what He has planned for this trip. Please continue to keep us in your prayers, and may God bless you. We all love you much!
Sarah
Sunday, May 16, 2010
High in the Clouds!!
The Lord has really blessed us today. I have met some wonderful Godly people here in Honduras. The Lord has gotten us safely here to do His will. The country is so beautiful even though there is lots of heartache. It took all day to get here, but it was worth it. The missionaries here have been welcoming and a blessing. Please be praying that the Lord's will will be done and hearts will be saved in His name.
Brittney Upton and Zach Riley
Brittney Upton and Zach Riley
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Angel's post
With our flight to Honduras just hours away, KMBC's mission team to Honduras set out for a wonderful evening of shopping for supplies and necessities. Among our purchases were found foam stickers, paper plates, two blue bandannas, subs (to feed the hungry team) and several hundred plastic sticker eyes. We followed this excursion with a packing party fitting all our marvelous finds into our 50 lbs or less bags and 45 inch carry-ons. It was a fun-filled night. My personal favorite moment took place on the drive back to KMBC from Hazard. Danny was driving and Nick, being the ever helpful friend, told him to turn on his lights. To demonstrate that he already had, Danny flipped the lights on and off several times. The car in front of us soon pulled over, its driver looking rather frightened. We had a good laugh over Danny's unintentional threatening of other peaceful drivers. It was an otherwise uneventful, yet productive night. Now to sleep and fly away in the morning.
Angel
Angel
Sarah's post
Ah, the night before the trip! We have just returned from a last-minute shopping trip, collecting such essentials as bug spray, sunscreen, and wiggly eyes. The excitement level is certainly building. I am sure none of us expects to get much sleep tonight... I am also sure that not many of us are looking forward to leaving at 2:30 tomorrow morning! And some of us do better on plane flights than others. All of us, however, are very much excited about being in Honduras tomorrow. On the shopping trip this evening we enjoyed much humorous discussion about the lizards, the children, and what we might find when we go wading in the river.
We praise the Lord for this opportunity that He's given to us, and we ask all of you to continue to keep us in prayer. As much as we are looking forward to the adventure of this trip (i.e., remembering not to drink the water, waiting to see if our luggage actually shows up, and viewing a Honduran sunrise), we know that there is much more to it. We are going with the Lord, and we expect to see great things from Him. It is not only that we expect to be His hands and feet... but in the heaviness of a Honduran rainstorm and in the eyes of a Honduran child, we expect to see His beauty and His wonder.
For now we are finishing up packing and perhaps trying to catch a few winks of sleep. But tomorrow the journey begins in earnest.
Onward in the name of the Lord, and may His name be exalted in the earth!
In His name and for His glory,
Sarah
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