It is most definitely Saturday!!

As I have said...Saturdays are always eventful and this was no different...just sad!

I have again spent the afternoon/evening in the hospital. A friend of mine called Delmy, who is the same age as me, is in hospital with Lupus and is very seriously ill indeed. Delmy is not a close friend, but she is the cousin of Carina and her family who are! I think I probably know Delmy's sisters better. She is very close to Lorena and is one of my neighbours.

So, in this country, they don't have blood banks - well they do for emergencies only, and if you use a bag of blood you have to replace it! So, if someone is ill and needs a blood transfusion you have to call friends and family to come and donate blood to that person?! I had offered that if they needed my blood they only had to call me and I'd be happy to help as I have the same blood type.

At 4pm today I was called and asked to go to hospital immediately to give my blood as she needed another transfusion. The lower limit for your platelets is 150,000 (or something like that) and she was at 8000. I arrived and her whole family were there. The Dr's had told them how critical she is, I don't think anyone is expecting her to live long now. They gave her different medicines, one of which is only given to patients who are going to die. I'm not sure what it is, the Dr didn't say. The Dr's have said there is nothing more they can do for her. She could go to a hospital in San Pedro but would likely die on the way due to the journey - and most likely have a brain haemorrage. Delmy is in good spirits, and doesn't know the severity of her case, which is a good thing. I went in to chat with her and see her. When I arrived I was told they didn't need my blood after all, as they were only going to give her one 'bag', which someone else was donating! I asked if they wanted another one in case she needed it later - have it ready. But this isn't the procedure. Crazy. I stayed a while at the hospital for Carina and Dina (I was the photographer for Dina's wedding - and it was their Dad that drowned last year). As we were all there, the Dr's decided they needed 2 more bags of blood and so I went in to start the tediously long process of donating blood! By the time they have interviewed you, tested your blood and you've given it - it takes about 2 or 3 hours!

So, I went in and eventually they took my blood and all was fine. Carina was sat waiting for me with Cony, a lady from church, who is simply hilarious. For Cony, this was her first time giving blood and she was a bit nervous. I told her it didn't hurt, was completely fine etc etc and no need to worry. She went in and just as she was finishing, as I was lying across the chairs in the waiting room, bored, Carina starts saying there is something wrong with Cony - a lot of fuss in the room. Suddenly, Cony goes flying past on her hospital bed and is wheeled at the speed of light to the Emergency Room. Carina starts shouting (all in Spanish) 'Cony is dying, Cony is dying'. We followed in hot pursuit. (I for some reason stopped to pick up all the rubbish first!) She had fainted, and then vomitted and peed herself as they took the syringe out! We sat on the floor outside the E.R. whilst the Dr (who thankfully also goes to our church!) checked her out. She was fine, just a bit shocked. Carina and I walked in to see her and she was smiling. She showed us that she had peed herself and I don't know what happened but Carina and I just couldn't stop laughing! The whole thing had been so funny and to find out she had peed herself too!! We were incredily concerned and maybe was it relief. Thankfully, Cony also was laughing - and the Dr's - and the nurses who came in to find out what the noise was about!! Cony was blaming me cos I told her it was easy, nothing to worry about, doesn't hurt!! Whoops! We're all different. That was her first and last blood donation!

Because of the severity of Delmy's situation they have moved her out of the ward into a private room (for the same price as the ward, because it is on the Dr's orders). I honestly don't think anyone expects her to live. Maybe the blood transfusions will work, I pray they do. She has to have a family member with her 24 hours a day as she can't do anything for herself at all. So, Blanca is staying there with her. Poor Delmy looks so frail and pale, but is smiling through it all.

Please pray for this family.

Rats!

I finally trapped the smallest baby rat ever this week. On the glue traps which meant it didn't die - not a fan of these! But just the one. I opened my front door this morning and there on the mat in front of me was a very dead very big rat. No idea where it came from! I had to remove that too. Adony came to do his laundry tonight, so I got him to check behind my stove etc - nothing in my house at all! Weird! Here's hoping this is the end of it all now. We shall see....

Good news and Bad news!

Good news first....

David Orellana, who was kidnapped last week has been returned safe and well. To be returned so quickly is amazing here. Thank the Lord! We don't know details about how, how much money, what happened etc. But that is not for me to know! Good news though.

Other good news...I managed to work out the traps after about 2 hours!! Haha..just pathetic! It didn't help that some were so badly made they didn't actually work.

So for bad news....despite putting out 3 traps, 2 glue traps and lots of poison - I still can't find the bloomin thing!! It has however recently eaten the poison so I hope it has died somewhere..but where?! On Saturday I am going to get Adony to pull the stove, fridge out etc when he come to do his laundry. Here's hoping it's there. So..it's not exactly bad, devastating news, but heh!! All relative!

Other bad news. My Landlord put my rent up today, not too much, but he said taxes have gone up etc. This really is bad news!! However, he did agree to put up a screen door on my front door - so I can get fresh air without mosquitoes and rats entering. He's also going to plant some plants in front of my apartment - and it will be my responsibility to look after them. I like this idea! I have an area in front of my kitchen that my dogs just dig up, I regularly go out with my machete to cut the weeds down and I have promised Don Chema I will put gravel down - again to make it look pretty (and to stop the digging). I just can't afford it right now. One day!

Some very good news and not exactly devastating bad news!!

This is war....kind of!

With my mind set to rid myself of these rats I went to the supermarket today and bought everything I could find....poison, mouse traps, rat traps and glue traps! This is war. Well...it would be...but I can't work out how to set the traps!! How ridiculous is that. So for now it's poison only and the glue traps (gross) and we shall see what that does until I can find someone to show me how to set the traps. I'll take them to work tomorrow and ask Don Tomas.

Instead, I washed my floors with bleach - mentally I feel better even though I can still hear it behind my stove!

The last straw!

Today I am nothing short of exhausted! I was ready for bed by 6pm!! But then....I went to make a sandwhich and found the bag of bread and contents had been eaten. Then saw the poo. Then saw the most enormous rat run across my kitchen. The open plan kitchen with no door...in an open plan apartment. Great.

I called my friend. He refused to come and kill it. Said I need to get used to rats in the house and he will lend me his cat tomorrow. Great. One rat = 2 rats = a family of rats. I may have got upset at the lack of help and being laughed at for even thinking it was unpleasant to have such a large rat in my house. His idea of cheering me up about it? Telling me to name them all. No one seems to have a problem with rats in the house. Will Honduras ever improve if little things like this are never delt with? If it's normal. Makes you wonder.

I used to have Mabel my pet rat at uni. But not big and black, running around my kitchen. In my open plan apartment. The bread was the only food I had in the house. Bed with no dinner!!

The last straw today. Unimpressed.

Tomorrow = mouse traps. Great. Sometimes I don't like living alone!

Jesus was playing football!!

I love love love weekends!! Yeah, I love my work, but weekends are different. Saturday mornings are me-only mornings - time to sleep, relax etc. Then youth group, friends etc in the evening. I only ever speak Spanish at weekends as most of my friends don't speak English. It still doesn't feel like my life sometimes - but someone elses!



Sundays? My favourite day of the week. I LOVE it!



At church today it was the last of the celebration services for the churches 21st anniversary. Followed by a picnic - well Carne Asada. The church provided the meat and tortillas and families had to bring their own chismol, avacados etc. Not being a family and having all this food, different families adopt me and bring extra food for me! Sweet huh? I sat and looked around me at one point during the picnic and realised every single person in the church knows me - I am truly accepted! If you remember, back in November the Pastor asked me to make a Prayer Calender with photos of every single family and person in the church, and I also had to make a Directory - details like addresses, jobs, phone numbers, DOB etc. It was v hard work and nearly killed me, but it was so worth it. I took photos of about 200 people and so got to meet each and every person in church and talk to them, take their photo. Some Couldn't make it to church and I went to their houses to take their photos etc - so I got to see where people live. I don't remember the name of everyone - mainly the old people who don't come every week. But everyone knows me! As I sat and looked around today it was very apparent. I am a part of the community in every way.



Anyway, after church, I went and drank coffee at a friends house and then it was football time. Every Sunday for 2 years now I have been and watched the boys play football. Our church is the only church team in the secular, town league. We're doing quite well this year. I love Sundays! All the other teams now recognise me too, which makes it easier being the only girl -and only white there! They are my Sunday family. And all my friends from church play in the team (well most of them!), todays game was going quite well and then at half time this man playing for the other team turned up...and looked exactly like Jesus!! It was hilarious. He went and played and they scored a goal - which I pointed out was because they had Jesus on their team! Sadly...it very quickly became obvious that 'Jesus' perhaps wasn't quite like the real Jesus after all 'cos he was blind drunk. Made amusing viewing!! He only got to play for 5 minutes before, after long discussions, they managed to convince him to get off the campo!! They had a whole load of fans....turned out they were all drunk too!! When 'Jesus'' friend came up to me with whisky bottle in hand and took my hand declaring we were friends, I just said no we weren't and went and stood in the middle of all my friends (men!). He was a scary man!! Never a dull moment.



As I write this David (Kulicha - Lorena and Jaime's younger brother) is lying on my sofa watching some random Mexican TV show whilst his laundry is washing in my machine. 'Lavandoria Gringa' is very busy at the weekends. Notice it's only the guys who come to wash their clothes in the machine! But it's my way of serving them and sharing what I have.



I can't tell you how much I love weekends and time with my friends, with my church, time to relax. Each weekend that passes it becomes more evident that I am a part of this community, this church, my friends. I need to work more on my Spanish - not a word of English on Sundays for sure! I still can't believe that is me!!

I really am very lucky to be living here. I hope tonight is going to be calm and uneventful. Work tomorrow....but it will soon will be Saturday again!!

Never a dull moment!

Figured I'd try and keep this better updated!

This time last Saturday night I was up at the hospital with Kike and his broken limbs and near death experience!

This Saturday night? We had our churches 21st Anniversary service (service number 3!) and then as always a group of us went and ate baleadas at our favourite place...the garage that is converted into a 'baleada restaurant' at night - the oil covered courtyard with tables! The difference is that for the first time in ages there were about 12 of us. We sat and chatted and relaxed together for about 2 hours, a really good time with friends. Then, as every Saturday night Adony came to my house to do his laundry in my washing machine (I offer it to all my friends to do their laundry as I live alone and am lucky enough to have a good water supply and a washing machine!). This time, as it was straight from church (via baleadas), Adony's mum came too and another friend Eduardo. They stayed and chatted (and Ado changed the strings on someone's guitar at the same time) whilst the clothes washed. In fact stayed and chatted a very long time, and we realised it was 11.15pm.

Also at this time Ado realised he had locked both his house keys and car keys in his car!! Judith hadn't bought her keys with her and due to a sad family situation no-one else was available to help. So, I drove them back to their house in my car, the boys jumped the front gate and eventually managed to break into the house to find some spare keys! Then we drove back to my house and Adony's car. None of this a quick process. The good part in it all was that whilst the boys were breaking into the house, I was in my car with Hermana Judith and was able to have a good chat with her. Her life is v sad and conmplicated right now and she is very lonely in her house whilst Ado works out of town during the week, and her daughters both married and moved away (one to the States). Husband? Difficult subject. So, she feels lonely and at times scared or upset. So she now has my number with instructions to call me if she needs anything (she can't drive), if she needs a ride somewhere - or if she just needs company cos she's lonely!

One of her daughters, Eunice, is expecting her baby round about now and I'm on stand-by to drive Judith down to San Pedro Sula should she need to go quickly!

So, the evening ended after midnight, but was just really lovely, all things considered. Apparently Saturday nights will always be eventful. But I like it.

The Big 5

Yet again I find myself appologising for not keeping this updated enough. Busy busy = very tired = no updates! Sorry!

So, the World Cup is still a big part of life. Poor Honduras. Poor England.

Enough of that! What else has been happening? Let me fill you in on the 5 biggest things this week....

1. I have a new puppy! So I have Sheba (German Shep crossed with ?) who is 7 months old and now I have Tshabala (Rottweiler cross) who is 2 months old and looks like a lion! Tshabala - named after the surname of the South African who scored the very first goal in the World Cup! She is very sweet. They are both going to be v large dogs! My once calm lion of a dog Sheba is now learning to be a guard dog as the little one is teaching her to bark! Probably a good thing! They get on very well and together will protect my house!

2. My friend Kike (Goes to my church and I used to teach English to) ended up in hospital last weekend. He works at the Scipture Union camp and was leading a group of Gringos (Americans) abseiling/repelling down a waterfall. He's done this countless number of times, but it had started raining and was slippery and he was just getting the last girl down to safety when she slipped and the 2 of them fell from the top to the bottom. Had 1 person fallen alone they would not have made it alive, but they bounced off each other on the rocks and both survived! It took 5 hours to evacuate them out from where they landed and to the hospital. I had friends around at my house Saturday night, after Youth Group, using my washing machine to to do their laundry when they got a call to say what had happened to Kike. So we piled in my car and drove up to the hospital late at night to be there for him and his brother and sister, all friends of ours. To be honest I was more there as a taxi driver! Kike has a broken collar bone and broken rib and cuts to his head - and the most swollen eye I've ever seen! But he's ok and doesn't need surgery. The girl came off worse and also had broken bones and stitches to her head but needed surgery so was medi-evac'd back to the States the next day for surgery, which went well. Both are doing well.

3. Also this week there is a big epidemic of Dengue Fever sweeping the country It hasn't been this bad for a few years. The news and hospitals are full of it. Aparently the Dengue mosquitoes are different from normal ones - and have black/white stripey legs. I can't say I stop to check their legs before I squash them when they're biting me!! I'm not overly worried to be honest. It's not as if I can do anything about it!

4. The saddest thing of the week is the kidnapping of David Orellana. I haven't written about a kidnapping on here for a while now. It's still going on ALL the time, but the media has been curbed from writing about it so much. Anyway, David is the father of students/friends from my old school. He is a good Christian man and goes to church just our of town with a lot of friends of mine. He is also very wealthy indeed. He was taken Thrusday morning from near his house. The kidnappers have called the family to say they have him, but now it's a waiting game. The kidnappers will now wait so as to increase the anxiety of the family - and they will in turn comply with the demands. Please pray for his safe return.

5. This week is the anniversary of our church Eben-Ezer. To celebrate, they have been having services led by some of the different ministries in church. A lot of services means listening to a lot of long sermons in Spanish - a killer!! But good fun and I enjoy being involved. Tonight is the Youth Group led service so will be more lively. I do love living here!! Tomorrow we have a picnic after church.

So they are the main events of just one week! School plods on as ever. Has it's ups and downs. Actually I've been having some great lessons - teaching about foods etc. Tolearn about drinks, I took in different fruit juices, milk, coke etc, and they had to try them and rate if they liked them etc and then they got to mix and invent different combinations. They have strong stomachs....coke and milk mixed together turned out to be a favourite! Gross. Then on Friday Lorena and I put 1st Grade and Prepa together to learn different meats so we cooked up loads of different meats and we all sat and ate them. My kind of lessons!!! Kids have had great fun. I will put some links to the photos up next time - my super slow internet takes forever to upload photos. The cable company don't have an internet signal to my house (it reaches all my neighbours, just not my house!!) and so I use a USB modem from one of the Mobile/cel phone companies. I can't afford the fast one so have the sloooow connection instead!!

That's about it!

Oh...to put your minds at rest, I am not worried about me being Kidnapped!! I only hang out with Hondurans, live by myself. If they take me who are they going to call for the money??? No-one!! I've been here long enough that everyone in town recognises and knows me, they know that I'm not worth taking! Also - kidnapping a white person = international involvement. Not likely. Worry ye not. Being mugged? Quite likely - but tis the same anywhere in the world!

I truly love living here (most of the time!). I have some great friends, am really involved in my church and community - and it's home. In a few weeks I go home to England to be with the family for 2 weeks for my brothers wedding. This visit is going to be more about family time than racing around the country catching up with everyone. So, if I don't get to see you please don't take it personally - I just don't have much time!!