Monday, 30 November 2009
New President!
We have a new President = Pepe Lobo! Elections were amazingly peaceful, no violence, no curfews, no cut of electricity. More than 2 million Hondurans voted and Pepe won with 57% of the votes. This is the party that are normally stronger against crime, so good news in my book! Lets see what happens!
Saturday, 28 November 2009
Election time!
So, I have finally found internet again, my computer has almost completely died now...and the mobile modem I pay monthly for no longer works on this computer. So, yet again more fun and adventures.....
On Tuesday I took Lorena's mum up to the hospital as she is sick and as we drove up the long hospital road I was following a very old pick-up truck, which clearly came from the village. As I looked again at the man sat in the back of the truck I realised he had no arm...not just no arm....it had been (as I found out later) shot off ...so it was a bloody mess at the shoulder blade where the arm once was! Not the pretties view to drive behind. He had come from a village about 45 minutes away and died as he arrived pretty much, poor guy.
School has finished for Christmas....YAY!! I'm so excited!! I am still working on the church directory but it's nearly done now so things are finishing slowly. No more school til 1st week of Feb (this is like the long summer holidays in UK)
Tomorrow we have the general elections. Please pray for peace! Already bomb threats have made everywhere - mainly in the big cities. Bombs threatened for tomorrow as well. All my friends are planning to vote at 6am - before any trouble can start. They are saying we are going to have a curfew from 6pm Sunday night to 6pm Monday night, but we wait to see if this will happen or not. It may just be a National holiday on Monday instead.
In all the craziness and everyone going mad leading up to it, my friend was 'assaulted' today - that is the Spanish translation, can't remember the word in English. She lives in an apartment with another girl (both Honduran) and she was by herself, sleeping in her apartment at 2pm when 2 men broke in. They put a blanket over her head and then tied her feet, put the gun against her and asked her if she wanted to live. Then they realised they had the wrong address! They were looking for someone - that they wanted to kill - but they got it v wrong! So said that's why they weren't going to kill her. They took her money and phone and told her they would kill her if she called the police or anything. And they left. So, she didn't call the police but went straight to her friends house and later to her brother's. But how scary. People are getting brave these days, as predicted by everyone in the run up to elections.
Please pray for protection for the people here in Honduras and for my friends and I.
Good news though. I went for lunch at the Vega's today. They were thanking people for helping them with the aid-relief for El Salvador. Becky's mum decided that I am going to marry a Honduran (trust me there is NO chance of that happening!) and that I need to know how to cook Honduran food, so she taught me how to make Pupusas - traditional Honduran food (that I love) and so I made 40 of them today for everyone and they were v good!
Not sure when I will get to update this again - depends how things go. I wish my computer wasn't so useless so I could use it in my house for internet. If anyone sees any good offers on Laptops please let me know!
On Tuesday I took Lorena's mum up to the hospital as she is sick and as we drove up the long hospital road I was following a very old pick-up truck, which clearly came from the village. As I looked again at the man sat in the back of the truck I realised he had no arm...not just no arm....it had been (as I found out later) shot off ...so it was a bloody mess at the shoulder blade where the arm once was! Not the pretties view to drive behind. He had come from a village about 45 minutes away and died as he arrived pretty much, poor guy.
School has finished for Christmas....YAY!! I'm so excited!! I am still working on the church directory but it's nearly done now so things are finishing slowly. No more school til 1st week of Feb (this is like the long summer holidays in UK)
Tomorrow we have the general elections. Please pray for peace! Already bomb threats have made everywhere - mainly in the big cities. Bombs threatened for tomorrow as well. All my friends are planning to vote at 6am - before any trouble can start. They are saying we are going to have a curfew from 6pm Sunday night to 6pm Monday night, but we wait to see if this will happen or not. It may just be a National holiday on Monday instead.
In all the craziness and everyone going mad leading up to it, my friend was 'assaulted' today - that is the Spanish translation, can't remember the word in English. She lives in an apartment with another girl (both Honduran) and she was by herself, sleeping in her apartment at 2pm when 2 men broke in. They put a blanket over her head and then tied her feet, put the gun against her and asked her if she wanted to live. Then they realised they had the wrong address! They were looking for someone - that they wanted to kill - but they got it v wrong! So said that's why they weren't going to kill her. They took her money and phone and told her they would kill her if she called the police or anything. And they left. So, she didn't call the police but went straight to her friends house and later to her brother's. But how scary. People are getting brave these days, as predicted by everyone in the run up to elections.
Please pray for protection for the people here in Honduras and for my friends and I.
Good news though. I went for lunch at the Vega's today. They were thanking people for helping them with the aid-relief for El Salvador. Becky's mum decided that I am going to marry a Honduran (trust me there is NO chance of that happening!) and that I need to know how to cook Honduran food, so she taught me how to make Pupusas - traditional Honduran food (that I love) and so I made 40 of them today for everyone and they were v good!
Not sure when I will get to update this again - depends how things go. I wish my computer wasn't so useless so I could use it in my house for internet. If anyone sees any good offers on Laptops please let me know!
Monday, 23 November 2009
Just more randomness!
I think I forgot to mention more events of last week. As I mentioned before, the Vegas were going off to El Salvador with emergency aid - we'd helped bag up the clothes etc. Well, I forgot to mention that last week I helped load up the large truck, lorry, camion (depending where you are reading this!) There was an amazing amount of stuff, we had about 200 black bags of clothes, tools, small bits of furniture (for Luis's family) 20 sacks of beans and corn, then sugar etc etc. I went to wait in the bodega (warehouse) for the truck to arrive - I was given the keys! Then we loaded it all up - it was just soo amusing! At one point, I got a bit bored and Nancy's mum found an old wedding dress in the used clothes inthe bodega and insisted I put it on!! It fitted! Too funny, so I then helped pack in a wedding dress - well it kept everyone's spirits up whilst we were getting tired!! There are some criminal photos! Please note, there is no need for a wedding dress in my life...not even a glimmer of hope!! Haha
Other randomness....I went to church yesterday afternoon - to take more photos of people again and there was a brown stain on the step. Danny told me that when he arrived for chior practice at 2pm there was a naked man sat on the step doing a poo!!! He had to ask him to leave - and he left his mark all right! What is happening around here?!
We have elections on Sunday and after all the political instability, anything could happen. No churches are allowed to have services so everyone can go and vote. Everyone is hoping that it will be peaceful - and that life will calm down again afterwards. We shall wait and see.
On Friday we had our Graduation at school. Preparatoria had their Grad...ready to pass into Grade 1. It went really well and the kids were vv cute! (one less thing on my mind now). Photos to follow.
This is my last week of classes before vacation....I can't wait to finish school, am exhausted!
Other randomness....I went to church yesterday afternoon - to take more photos of people again and there was a brown stain on the step. Danny told me that when he arrived for chior practice at 2pm there was a naked man sat on the step doing a poo!!! He had to ask him to leave - and he left his mark all right! What is happening around here?!
We have elections on Sunday and after all the political instability, anything could happen. No churches are allowed to have services so everyone can go and vote. Everyone is hoping that it will be peaceful - and that life will calm down again afterwards. We shall wait and see.
On Friday we had our Graduation at school. Preparatoria had their Grad...ready to pass into Grade 1. It went really well and the kids were vv cute! (one less thing on my mind now). Photos to follow.
This is my last week of classes before vacation....I can't wait to finish school, am exhausted!
Wednesday, 18 November 2009
Hablo Español
Panic not - no more shootings or muggings (that I know of anyway!)
I've been thinking about Spanish today. Well actually I've been thinking IN Spanish! I am still amazed at the fact I have become bilingual (more or less, still lots to learn!) I find myself in a meeting or chatting with friends and actually stop and take in the fact that it's not in English. You'd think I'd be over that by now! Today I was daydreaming and thinking away to myself, when I suddenly realised I was thinking to myself in Spanish!! That snuck up on me, but proves my Spanish has improved 100 fold. I then got to thinking about the last few years here. Last year I lived with Amanda and I guess that in reality we only spent about 25% of our time speaking Spanish and 75% English (however much we thought at the time that we were speaking loads of Spanish!) But in reality, we lived together so spoke English at home, spoke English at work, which left Spanish for Youth Group and church and for friends that came round. Maybe 30%
Now, however, I live by myself and so have noone to talk English to when I get home (and really my English grammar has gone to pot!) and so I would say that things have reversed. I now spend 75% of my time in Spanish and only 25% in English. I speak Spanish at work, and although I teach the kids English I have to translate what I tell them into Spanish half the time, I speak Spanish with my friends and at church etc. Even my biligual friends speak Spanish to me.
I haven't had Spanish classes since Easter (abuot 8 months ago) and so I have picked everything up from speaking it and from reading the subtitles on the TV!! If I'd had classes maybe I'd be much better, but I think I'm more of a practical learner than a classroom learner so maybe not. I'm not saying my Spanish is great - I've huge amounts to learn and still make huge mistakes. But it's definitely improved amazingly in the last 4 months. Not sure what I'll do when I'm in England - I don't want to forget it all!!
If my high school language teachers could hear me now!!
I've been thinking about Spanish today. Well actually I've been thinking IN Spanish! I am still amazed at the fact I have become bilingual (more or less, still lots to learn!) I find myself in a meeting or chatting with friends and actually stop and take in the fact that it's not in English. You'd think I'd be over that by now! Today I was daydreaming and thinking away to myself, when I suddenly realised I was thinking to myself in Spanish!! That snuck up on me, but proves my Spanish has improved 100 fold. I then got to thinking about the last few years here. Last year I lived with Amanda and I guess that in reality we only spent about 25% of our time speaking Spanish and 75% English (however much we thought at the time that we were speaking loads of Spanish!) But in reality, we lived together so spoke English at home, spoke English at work, which left Spanish for Youth Group and church and for friends that came round. Maybe 30%
Now, however, I live by myself and so have noone to talk English to when I get home (and really my English grammar has gone to pot!) and so I would say that things have reversed. I now spend 75% of my time in Spanish and only 25% in English. I speak Spanish at work, and although I teach the kids English I have to translate what I tell them into Spanish half the time, I speak Spanish with my friends and at church etc. Even my biligual friends speak Spanish to me.
I haven't had Spanish classes since Easter (abuot 8 months ago) and so I have picked everything up from speaking it and from reading the subtitles on the TV!! If I'd had classes maybe I'd be much better, but I think I'm more of a practical learner than a classroom learner so maybe not. I'm not saying my Spanish is great - I've huge amounts to learn and still make huge mistakes. But it's definitely improved amazingly in the last 4 months. Not sure what I'll do when I'm in England - I don't want to forget it all!!
If my high school language teachers could hear me now!!
Monday, 16 November 2009
Craziness
Updating this again so soon....miraculous! So, I was at work today - just waiting for the bus to bring us home - and Lorena got a phone call from her brother Adelson to say there had been a shooting in her road - my road! The police were searching for the man who drove off. By the time I arrived home there was only 1 policeman and the man that was being shot at! Apparently, the man knew who he wanted and I have no idea what happened but 1 man was killed. Adelson saw the shots being fired and the car drove off.
All was peaceful and calm though and the neighbours were discussing it, but other than that you'd not know anything had happened! About 6pm I got a phonecall from Lorena asking me to go collect her from church. A man had been outside and robbed everyone on the street!! So, I went to get her to drive her home. People did say that in the run up to elections things could get messy, but I wasn't expecting this!
Craziness. Thank the Lord I have a car!! I'm ready to come home for a rest!!
All was peaceful and calm though and the neighbours were discussing it, but other than that you'd not know anything had happened! About 6pm I got a phonecall from Lorena asking me to go collect her from church. A man had been outside and robbed everyone on the street!! So, I went to get her to drive her home. People did say that in the run up to elections things could get messy, but I wasn't expecting this!
Craziness. Thank the Lord I have a car!! I'm ready to come home for a rest!!
Sunday, 15 November 2009
Keep your eyes peeled...
Well, I have finally have internet at home for a few months. Probably the worst internet ever..but beggars can’t be choosers!! There is no signal here from the cable company, and so I have had to use a mobile modem USB thing..with the slowest speed in history, but some days it’s great and so I shan’t complain!!
Things have calmed down a bit this week. Half of my Orphan profile work for Providence is done now...I will keep you updated as to when it will be on the internet!
This week is the Graduation for Preparatoria. In Honduras they follow the American style Graduations – they have graduation ceremonies for the end of Pre-school, Primary school and High School...oh and Uni! So we are planning and decorating for our Preparatoria Grad...before they move into Grade 1. Again, I’ll be glad when that is over! 2 more weeks til the vacations – yay!
I only have one more week to take photos of everyone in my church, so the end is in sight there too!
On Saturday at Youth Group we went around other churches to promote the Talent Show...so that is going well too. Oh the end is in sight everywhere!!
As I mentioned last week, my friends were involved in the fatal Landslide in El Salvador. Luis Vega has arranged to go back this week with a huge truck full of supplies – food, tools and clothes. Many many people have lost everything. Providence has a warehouse full of donated clothes (that we use for the community) and offered for it to be sent to El Salvador and so on Thursday and Friday afternoon I helped 5 other ladies and girls to bag up clothes ready to send this week. We bagged, sorted and categorised everything to make it easier when they get there. I think we must have made about 200 black bags of clothes. It was wonderful to be able to actually do something constructive to help such devastation.
Not much else has happened really! As I mentioned before I am coming back to UK for Christmas – 10th Dec – 9th Jan. It is going to be a huge difference and what I earn here is not going to go very far for a month over there! So I have a list of some of the random things I will need to use or buy and so am asking you if you can keep your eyes open over the next few weeks... if anyone sees any bargains or knows where I can get things please can you let me know!!
So...
• Does anyone have a spare car blocking up the street that I can use for all or part of the time I am there. It is going to be expensive travelling around to visit and see people – public transport is far cheaper here!!
• My laptop has very nearly had it’s day – gets used daily - and so I will be on the look out for a new one (am on battery number 3 on this one!) Can you keep a look out for any laptop offers/sales etc
• Football boots (obviously not for me, but my football crazy friends! They are so expensive here!) USA size mens 7.5/ UK size 7 (can be used ones in good condition!) The request is for black, but beggars can’t be choosers right?!
• Tottenham Football T-shirt with Wilson Palacios on the back (again not for me!) – doesn’t have to be official, cheap copy ones are great!
• I will need to buy about 2 years supply of contact lenses...anyone know the cheapest place for this?!
• Does anyone have a coat I can borrow?? I am going to be frozen!
• Jolly Phonics ‘stuff’ books, resources etc – if you have any contacts with 1st Schools, please ask if they have anything they can donate!!
That’s it for now...but please be on the look out and let me know. Especially if you know of anyone that I can borrow a car from – for any amount of time, I will pay the insurance!!
I don’t need to bring much back really, but I do want to help my friends out!
Things have calmed down a bit this week. Half of my Orphan profile work for Providence is done now...I will keep you updated as to when it will be on the internet!
This week is the Graduation for Preparatoria. In Honduras they follow the American style Graduations – they have graduation ceremonies for the end of Pre-school, Primary school and High School...oh and Uni! So we are planning and decorating for our Preparatoria Grad...before they move into Grade 1. Again, I’ll be glad when that is over! 2 more weeks til the vacations – yay!
I only have one more week to take photos of everyone in my church, so the end is in sight there too!
On Saturday at Youth Group we went around other churches to promote the Talent Show...so that is going well too. Oh the end is in sight everywhere!!
As I mentioned last week, my friends were involved in the fatal Landslide in El Salvador. Luis Vega has arranged to go back this week with a huge truck full of supplies – food, tools and clothes. Many many people have lost everything. Providence has a warehouse full of donated clothes (that we use for the community) and offered for it to be sent to El Salvador and so on Thursday and Friday afternoon I helped 5 other ladies and girls to bag up clothes ready to send this week. We bagged, sorted and categorised everything to make it easier when they get there. I think we must have made about 200 black bags of clothes. It was wonderful to be able to actually do something constructive to help such devastation.
Not much else has happened really! As I mentioned before I am coming back to UK for Christmas – 10th Dec – 9th Jan. It is going to be a huge difference and what I earn here is not going to go very far for a month over there! So I have a list of some of the random things I will need to use or buy and so am asking you if you can keep your eyes open over the next few weeks... if anyone sees any bargains or knows where I can get things please can you let me know!!
So...
• Does anyone have a spare car blocking up the street that I can use for all or part of the time I am there. It is going to be expensive travelling around to visit and see people – public transport is far cheaper here!!
• My laptop has very nearly had it’s day – gets used daily - and so I will be on the look out for a new one (am on battery number 3 on this one!) Can you keep a look out for any laptop offers/sales etc
• Football boots (obviously not for me, but my football crazy friends! They are so expensive here!) USA size mens 7.5/ UK size 7 (can be used ones in good condition!) The request is for black, but beggars can’t be choosers right?!
• Tottenham Football T-shirt with Wilson Palacios on the back (again not for me!) – doesn’t have to be official, cheap copy ones are great!
• I will need to buy about 2 years supply of contact lenses...anyone know the cheapest place for this?!
• Does anyone have a coat I can borrow?? I am going to be frozen!
• Jolly Phonics ‘stuff’ books, resources etc – if you have any contacts with 1st Schools, please ask if they have anything they can donate!!
That’s it for now...but please be on the look out and let me know. Especially if you know of anyone that I can borrow a car from – for any amount of time, I will pay the insurance!!
I don’t need to bring much back really, but I do want to help my friends out!
Tuesday, 10 November 2009
Latest and long overdue update
I haven’t written this for so long and I just don’t know where on earth I can start. This has been a month of ups, downs, stresses and laughs!
So, in bare and basic chronological order...
On Saturday 17th October we had the long awaited united youth group event that I had been planning with the youth pastors of Sigua. On the Friday night before Fredi called me and asked me to have a last minute meeting with him to make a video presentation advertising the Talent Show (which I am also planning). The only time he could meet me was 9.30pm. Imagine! So, my Friday night and Sat was spent making this presentation. On the Saturday I had people calling me asking me to print letters off, go to the Supermarket etc. So by the time the evening came I was a complete total and utter stressy mess!! But the afternoon/evening went really well and I guess there were about 180 young people. The down side (apart from my complete stress) was I also got food poisoning – badly – and so was out of action for 4 days! My stress rubbed off onto my friends, which also caused problems – but all solved by now.
Since then I have taken on a number of new projects. Our church has decided that they want to make a calendar and directory. I am on a committee of 5 people in charge of making this happen! My job now is to take photos of every family/single person in the church and collect data – phone numbers etc. They want a photo of each family for every day in the calendar and people will pray for that family on that day etc. It’s a fab idea – but a lot of work. Once I have all the photos / data I will pass it onto the others in my committee – and hopefully I will have done my part.
I am still in charge of getting everyone organised for our talent show too.
For work I have to make a profile on every child – photos, data, stories etc because we want every child to be sponsored and so we need a page on the internet for each child – which I am doing. Now all this is happening at the same time...aaaggghhh!!!
I am incredibly tired – but still love living here. My business and stressiness has affected some friendships, which has been hard, but has also been resolved! Please pray for my friendships here and that I have time and energy to get everything done. Doing all this in another language seems to make everything subconsciously more tiring I think.
This weekend we raised funds for our youth group Mission Trip. In January youth group will be doing our yearly mission trip. This year we will be going to Santa Rosa and building a house and also working with 300 children. Our fundraiser was making soup – and oh joy...I am the treasurer and so was having to deal with costs, collecting money and all sorts. Was crazy. Now the soup was a very traditional Honduran favourite – Mondongo Soup. In English we would call this TRIPE. Yes cow stomach lining. And yes, they sent me to buy 10lbs of tripe! Mmmm. Along with the tripe were all sorts of veg – yuka, plantains, carrots etc. Oh..and patas.....the hooves and bottom part of the cows legs....scooping out the jelly stuff. Mmmm yet again. We sold about 200 bowls of soup though and raised a lot of money. It actually tasted ok, I didn’t eat much mind you!!
So Sunday night – 2 days ago-, we were sat in Joel’s house – all 16 of us – making sure everyone had given me the money and discussing what we would do next, when we had a phone call. I had been at church in the evening taking more photos of families; I had left about 7.10pm. Lots of people stayed to practise for the Christmas Choir, including lots of kids. As we were sat in our meeting 5 mins from church, Enoc got a phone call. A man had gone into church with a gun. He held his gun against the head of Lucy – a 9 year old girl – and threatened to shoot her, asking for money, phones etc. He then got another girl by the neck and put a gun to her head too. Neither were harmed. A couple of men got pushed around a bit by him, but no one was injured. Somehow he escaped and ran off into the darkness. Some of the guys went off to help search for him, the police were called etc. Thank the Lord no one was injured. In the same area there is a gang of Marijuana smoking men (I don’t know what you would call it in English, but you know what I mean). This gang is going around causing trouble and so Youth Group on a Saturday night is earlier so no one is out late. Thankfully I have my car so can get around – and can help others too. Where I live I am safe enough!
I don’t know if you’ve seen on the news but there was a huge land slide in El Salvador on Sunday. Now, all the news coverage shows ... Lorena’s cousins house!! It was completely destroyed by the landslide. Friends of ours – Becky Vega and her fam (who are also Lorena’s cousins here) had gone to a family wedding in El Salvador and were staying in this house. They are thankfully safe and unharmed. Their photos and stories are horrific. How they rescued people in the village, digging up dead people from under the mud etc. It killed many ,many people and many are left homeless. Lorena’s family have lost their house, clothes etc. Is horrific, but they have their lives still. Fun times.
We are coming up to Elections soon – 29th November... pray for peace!! I have no idea where ex-president Mel Zelaya is – he may well still be in the Brazilian Embassy as everyone seems to have forgotten about him. Micheletti has said that if Congress wants it Mel can come back to power - in the name of peace etc! Goodness knows what will happen, but I have too much on my plate to worry about it!
I am coming back to England for Christmas this year, arriving in UK on Dec 10th and leaving Jan 9th. It will be good to have some time out to relax a bit. I’m already putting together a list of things I will need to bring back to Hondy...I will put it on here next time so you can start looking out for bargains for me!
I’m sure there have been many other things happen too – but I can’t think of them right now!! Please keep in touch, I know I haven’t had internet and am rushed off my feet, but I will try and reply. I’ll get photos on here at some point. Despite all the problems going on here I do love it!! And am grateful Hurrican Ida missed us - though we are expecting a cold front, which is not nice in cement block houses!! But I love it here, it's just tiring - but proves I am fully involved in my community, which is a good thing.
Pray for peace and security in Siguatepeque, that I can get everything done and for continuing relationships with friends.
So, in bare and basic chronological order...
On Saturday 17th October we had the long awaited united youth group event that I had been planning with the youth pastors of Sigua. On the Friday night before Fredi called me and asked me to have a last minute meeting with him to make a video presentation advertising the Talent Show (which I am also planning). The only time he could meet me was 9.30pm. Imagine! So, my Friday night and Sat was spent making this presentation. On the Saturday I had people calling me asking me to print letters off, go to the Supermarket etc. So by the time the evening came I was a complete total and utter stressy mess!! But the afternoon/evening went really well and I guess there were about 180 young people. The down side (apart from my complete stress) was I also got food poisoning – badly – and so was out of action for 4 days! My stress rubbed off onto my friends, which also caused problems – but all solved by now.
Since then I have taken on a number of new projects. Our church has decided that they want to make a calendar and directory. I am on a committee of 5 people in charge of making this happen! My job now is to take photos of every family/single person in the church and collect data – phone numbers etc. They want a photo of each family for every day in the calendar and people will pray for that family on that day etc. It’s a fab idea – but a lot of work. Once I have all the photos / data I will pass it onto the others in my committee – and hopefully I will have done my part.
I am still in charge of getting everyone organised for our talent show too.
For work I have to make a profile on every child – photos, data, stories etc because we want every child to be sponsored and so we need a page on the internet for each child – which I am doing. Now all this is happening at the same time...aaaggghhh!!!
I am incredibly tired – but still love living here. My business and stressiness has affected some friendships, which has been hard, but has also been resolved! Please pray for my friendships here and that I have time and energy to get everything done. Doing all this in another language seems to make everything subconsciously more tiring I think.
This weekend we raised funds for our youth group Mission Trip. In January youth group will be doing our yearly mission trip. This year we will be going to Santa Rosa and building a house and also working with 300 children. Our fundraiser was making soup – and oh joy...I am the treasurer and so was having to deal with costs, collecting money and all sorts. Was crazy. Now the soup was a very traditional Honduran favourite – Mondongo Soup. In English we would call this TRIPE. Yes cow stomach lining. And yes, they sent me to buy 10lbs of tripe! Mmmm. Along with the tripe were all sorts of veg – yuka, plantains, carrots etc. Oh..and patas.....the hooves and bottom part of the cows legs....scooping out the jelly stuff. Mmmm yet again. We sold about 200 bowls of soup though and raised a lot of money. It actually tasted ok, I didn’t eat much mind you!!
So Sunday night – 2 days ago-, we were sat in Joel’s house – all 16 of us – making sure everyone had given me the money and discussing what we would do next, when we had a phone call. I had been at church in the evening taking more photos of families; I had left about 7.10pm. Lots of people stayed to practise for the Christmas Choir, including lots of kids. As we were sat in our meeting 5 mins from church, Enoc got a phone call. A man had gone into church with a gun. He held his gun against the head of Lucy – a 9 year old girl – and threatened to shoot her, asking for money, phones etc. He then got another girl by the neck and put a gun to her head too. Neither were harmed. A couple of men got pushed around a bit by him, but no one was injured. Somehow he escaped and ran off into the darkness. Some of the guys went off to help search for him, the police were called etc. Thank the Lord no one was injured. In the same area there is a gang of Marijuana smoking men (I don’t know what you would call it in English, but you know what I mean). This gang is going around causing trouble and so Youth Group on a Saturday night is earlier so no one is out late. Thankfully I have my car so can get around – and can help others too. Where I live I am safe enough!
I don’t know if you’ve seen on the news but there was a huge land slide in El Salvador on Sunday. Now, all the news coverage shows ... Lorena’s cousins house!! It was completely destroyed by the landslide. Friends of ours – Becky Vega and her fam (who are also Lorena’s cousins here) had gone to a family wedding in El Salvador and were staying in this house. They are thankfully safe and unharmed. Their photos and stories are horrific. How they rescued people in the village, digging up dead people from under the mud etc. It killed many ,many people and many are left homeless. Lorena’s family have lost their house, clothes etc. Is horrific, but they have their lives still. Fun times.
We are coming up to Elections soon – 29th November... pray for peace!! I have no idea where ex-president Mel Zelaya is – he may well still be in the Brazilian Embassy as everyone seems to have forgotten about him. Micheletti has said that if Congress wants it Mel can come back to power - in the name of peace etc! Goodness knows what will happen, but I have too much on my plate to worry about it!
I am coming back to England for Christmas this year, arriving in UK on Dec 10th and leaving Jan 9th. It will be good to have some time out to relax a bit. I’m already putting together a list of things I will need to bring back to Hondy...I will put it on here next time so you can start looking out for bargains for me!
I’m sure there have been many other things happen too – but I can’t think of them right now!! Please keep in touch, I know I haven’t had internet and am rushed off my feet, but I will try and reply. I’ll get photos on here at some point. Despite all the problems going on here I do love it!! And am grateful Hurrican Ida missed us - though we are expecting a cold front, which is not nice in cement block houses!! But I love it here, it's just tiring - but proves I am fully involved in my community, which is a good thing.
Pray for peace and security in Siguatepeque, that I can get everything done and for continuing relationships with friends.
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