Feliz dia de los pliegos de Independencia!!

Today was my last and final visit to the poli!! I called the office 3 times and each time the officer I needed to talk to was out on a 'Mission'. Finally, when I called, he actually answered the phone himself, so I jumped in my car and went straight to the Police Station. I'm not sure what I was expecting....but this wasn't it! On Friday, when the laptop was stolen I went to the Poli, gave my story, had it all typed out and signed..this was the 'Denuncia' I was announcing that my laptop had been stolen. I didn't realise this meant nothing! They said I needed to talk to the chief of robberies and so for 4 days I have been trying to track him down. Finally tonight, when I met him, it was only to make a 'Declaracion'. I had to declare that my laptop had been stolen - and only he could do this! Same information. NOW they can start looking for it...5 days later! hahaha. It's just comical.

After, my brief trip to declare my stolen laptop (waste of time, but I have now completed my part and never have to return to the Police) I went into the town for the evenign with Lorena. Today we are celebrating the signing of the papers for the Independence! There was a night time torch-light parade. It was fab, a real carnival, family feeling celebration. The streets were packed with people, more than on Independence day. The marching bands were phenominal, it was a lot more relaxed and so they completely went to town with their routines. I had parked in the middle of town, so we had to stay for all of it...a long time considering it started 2 hours late! Despite back ache from standing so long, it was just what I needed. Relaxing, fun time. I feel a lot more peaceful now that I am finished with my part of the robbery and so it was a good end to the day.

(By the way...the 4th thing to go wrong was that my toilet broke, something went wrong in the sistern, but I've been here long enough to be able to fix things like that myself. It's amazing what you can do with the wire ties that bread packets are tied up with!!)

Things come in 3's....I've reached my quota!

Yesterday I wrote about the fact Israel lent me his old laptop. Well.....tonight it died! As I was writing an email it made a loud noise and shut down saying there is an internal error!! It won't start up again. it can't read the disk or something. So...tomorrow I shall return it to Israel! It's a bit embarrassing but genuinely not my fault. So, I'm back to being computer-less. Handily Jaime was meant to come collect his laptop last night but didn't come...so I can write it on that. I know he needs it for work tomorrow, but as ever, I'm maximising on it now.

Actually, he has suspected Dengue too - same as his brother David. Bearing in mind how much time I spend with Lorena and that family, I won't be surprised if everyone ends up with Dengue....especially judging how things are going at the moment!!

I went back to the Police Station today and the officer I need to speak to still wasn't there! I waited an hour before leaving. Whilst there I asked why I was there - apparenltly the officer is going to go back to Del Coral and talk to them about the fact the car park guards weren't there!! Not that it will make any difference. I said I will go back tomorrow, but after that I give up - whether he is there or not. Noone can do anything after 5 days anyway - you have to love this country!!

On a good note, choir practise went well this afternoon. We have started a choir at church - 4 part harmony for every song. I love it, it's been so long since I've had a chance to read music here. In fact only Norma and I can read music...apart from Don Heber who leads the choir. Makes for some interesting singing. But I love it, singing Alto to my hearts content. I'm thankful that I can read music, because it means I know what I'm singing. In choir if someone makes a mistake we repeat the song over and over until everyone has every note perfect. It makes for an amazing sound...but gets quite dull. It is also fantastic for my Spanish, reading and pronouncing...and rolling my r's. It helps me unwind from the craziness of these days!

New Day, New lock!

Well, today I realised how much people want to help me here, it was very sweet. Everyone at church was very sweet. My laptop was stolen on the day of the Men's Fellowship meeting - which meant all the men in church know what happened and are offering to help with whatever!

I also decided that the front door key that couldn't be found..really can't be found. I have searched everywhere and it trly has disappeared. Not wanting to take risks I went out today and bought a new lock - and fitted it myself. I bought the same brand lock and so just had to remove the old one and put the new one in - no new holes etc!! Done. So at least I know noone can enter my house with that old key. I feel a lot safer.

More good news is that Israel has lent me his old laptop until I can get sorted. It has no battery, so has to stay plugged in and the sound card doesn't work so well....but it means I can stay in touch and so I am in no way complaining, am entirely grateful!! It will certainly do until I can sort something out. But how I miss my computer - was just what I wanted!! haha...that'll teach me. I do, however, keep realising how much was on it that I need.
As long as I don't think about it I"m fine, as soon as I think about it..not so fine!! So, the answer is to stop thinking.

I have failed miserably in trying to find God's plan in all this, but as I am no longer thinking I am ok about it!!

I didn't go back to the Police Station today, I couldn't face it. Ovidio and Norma invited me for lunch instead. I will go tomorrow...not that it will do any good, but I shall do my part in all this.

Update!!

I have Jaime's computer until 6pm today so figured I'd update this again whilst can!!
Tropical Storm Matthew seems to have by-passed us. It hit the coast and then went North to Belize!! We have rain now, but I think it is normal rain. Hondurans tell me no this is the storm, but the fact we've had blue sky all day and the Natinal Hurricane Centre says it's already in Belize makes me think not!
I went to the police again this morning as I was told to, I didn't know why I had to go back but I dragged Jaime with me so I wasn't on my own. The chief I had to talk to wasn't there and was going to be back at lunch time so I was asked to return.

I went back on my own at 1.30pm (everyone else was busy) and he still hadn't turned up as his car had broken down in Tegus - supposedly!! I asked who it was I was supposed to see and why. Each section of crimes has a person in charge of that area. This man is in charge of robberies, he knows the gangs, the likely suspects and will ask them what they know etc. Now, had he been around yesterday I'd be more hopeful of this working, but the fact he won't be back in the Station until 2 days after it was taken...no chance!! But I still have to go back to talk to him - do my bit!
Whilst I was there, the big chief of police, who helped me yesterday, said that he thinks I need lessons in shooting firearms. Apparently as a lone Gringa here, it would be very beneficial to me. I could go to the shooting ground and they would teach me. I'd actually really like that - but just for fun! I'd NEVER be able to aim a gun at anyone for any reason.

I am feeling very sad and somewhat freaked out that someone here has my computer and can look through ALL my photos - my family, my work, my apartment. Not great news, but I"m hoping they'll just wipe it clean and not look through my entire life which is stored on my computer!

Tucked up in doors

Tropical Storm Matthew is not looking good! The worst of it is going to hit the north coast, but it will effect the whole country. 3 days of unstoppable torrential, tropical rain. They are predicting land slides..thus mortalities. My own neighbourhood is going to suffer. Lorena's house is going to suffer.

Makes me sad.

Bad day!

After work today I had to go to the supermarket, so I went straight from work. I parked in the secure cark park...security guards, cameras, and went into the store quickly. When I came out someone had broken into my car and stolen my laptop) My new one I got at Christmas. As I got to my car and realised this, the owner of the supermarket walked past so I was able to tell her. She then called people down from the office and I went with them upstairs in their office above the store. We watched the CCTV footage...but its not very good and you couldn't see anything very clearly. So they could do nothing. I gave them my details and they said I had to go to the Police Station - not somewhere a white girl goes alone! So I called all my friends and got hold of no-one!! Lorena was in Comayagua and had more luck calling people for me. As I went downstairs I saw a lady from church entering (Delmy's sister) so I asked her to come to the police with me!!

I entered the police station and they said they couldn't do anything. Then suddenly they received a phone call from the Govenor, who said they must help me immediately!!! Lorena had called a friend in church, who is a big wig in politics and she had called the chief of police for me!! Then Ovidio turned up at the Police Station..man's presence needed. Then a man from church, Manuel turned up too! I don't know him very well but he had heard I needed help so came along. Ovidio and Besie had to go so I went with MAnuel and 5 police back to the Supermarket! The chief of Police told the Supermarket man that they had to help me, I was in this country to help them etc etc!! Was very sweet. So I have to go back to the police station again tomorrow morning...with anyone I can find to help me! Not a chance I will get my laptop back. I'm so sad...I had got my external hard drive out last night so I could back everything up this weekend!! Too late. So I've lost all my photos, music, movies...and WORK!! Not good. Worst of all is that I won't have Skype so won't be able to communicate with my family. I am borrowing a friend's computer for the night (and hopefully til Sunday!). Then that is it. How I will get my vast ammounts of work done I have no idea!! God has a plan in all this...but I can't see it!!

The good thing in it all is that when they broke into my car (forced the lock) they dind't actually steal the car!! And I wasn't there at the time - so didn't get shot! I can at least appreciate that.

Destruction

I have just been sat watching the news on tv. It's truly heartbreaking. These heavy rains have destroyed sooo much. Roads, bridges, houses, businesses, farm land etc. The photos are horrific. The country is on Green alert now and the next heavy rains (Tropical storm Matthew) are due in the next few hours. Apparently, hundreds of schools across the country have collapsed and have had to be evacuated. Craziness. It truly and honestly makes me very sad to watch all this around me. Even part of the main football stadium in the capital city has collapsed! We are about to experience the heaviest rains so far....if you've seen the photos of Lorena's house and the neighbourhood in these floods this does not bode well. This rain really does stress me out - even though my house is dry...so far....apart from my laundry room which regularly floods!! I think it's the destruction it's causing that stresses me out. Horrible. The news is saying that with all this rain, it is causing more distasterous effects than Hurricane Mitch did in 1998. Not good. They (hurricane centre in USA) are predicting 18 tropical cyclones of which 10 will be hurricanes. Whether they all hit Honduras is unknown. Great. Glad I bought wellies.

On stand by...

Adelson (Lorena and Jaime's brother so part of my family!) and Velkis are about to have their 2nd child - any hour now!! I am on stand by to drive them to the hospital at any hour, day or night!! Obviously, when someone goes into labour here, the whole family goes to wait in the hospital. 2 births in 2 months for me!

Rains

We have been suffering more and more with flash flooding. The rains have been abnormally heavy. My neighbourhood floods more than most!! The roads are literally flowing rivers 15 mins after the rains start. An hour after it stops and it all disappears!! I am thankful for the blessing of my car. Without 4x4 the roads are impassable and I would never leave my house!

Lorena's house breaks my heart. Her house is a v poor house. The roof leaks somewhat and the walls don't actually meet the tin roof - you can watch mice running along the top of it, and it means there are always mosquitoes in the house - hence the dengue that her brother had. The worst is that the path to her house slopes down from the road and so with this heavy rain the water pours down. Her front path, garden, entrance turns into a river/lake. When she told me how deep it was I wan't convinced so with my wellies (rain boots) on and rain coat on, I braved it to her house in the torrential rain. The water was so deep it went over the top of my boots. I was amazed. Yet immensely saddened - this is her house and happens every day. It doesn't take long to clear after the rains, but it's shocking. They want to rent a house during these winter months, their house is just not healthy and doesn't work! Or they want to bbuild the walls up and put a new roof on. But it costs money that they don't have. Plus..they don't want to leave me alone in this neighbourhood bless them. It is so sad to see their house..it's their home - my 2nd home!!

Lorena rescuing the cat as she tried to get into her house!

The rain pouring from the road into her house!

Click here for photos of my neighbourhood

I finally had enough of the mud bath in front of my house. The dogs were continually digging holes, that then filled with water and became a mud splashing bath for them..thus caking everywhere with mud. I also couldn't keep up with all the weeds and it just looked a mess. So I gave in and bought gravel. It now looks really good - and will prevent so much mud (and dust in the dry season). It's expensive stuff but well worth it!!

September!

It's been a while since this has been updated - and so much has happened! September is a crazy month in Honduras. The country celebrates it's Independence from Spain on 15th Sept and so the whole month is a celebration. On the first of September, the children all lined up outside as we raised the National Flag, sang the anthem, prayed the National Prayer! Then, at the end of the day we had to go outside and sing the National Anthem again as the flag is taken down!! A good start to the month....except this then happens every day in September, every morning we line up outside by the flag poles and sing the Anthem, say the prayer and then every afternoon we go back outside and do it all again!! Makes for a long month!!

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On the 10th Sept we had Dia del niño - Day of the Child. We kept it simple at school this year and just had a party for the school children, and the children from the orphan homes, in school. The usual games, pinatas, food etc.

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Then, the major event of the month - the Independence Day Parades! This was our first official pre-school parade and as every school we went a bit to town with it! It took us a long time to arrange and to make (and get made) costumes, banners etc. But it was worth it and they did great.

Click here for more photos

What made it better was that we got the rest of the week off as a celebration - at times I really do love this country!!! So on the 15th I headed to town with friends to watch the high schools parade - always amazing! They have the big marching bands - latino style - which I love! Great community atmosphere in town. Then back to lunch at Lorena's for a big family meal. Then in the afternoon I went to watch the guys play volleyball - in the rain, but gave me something to do! The evening brought with it a concert in town but it wa high jacked by the Resistencia (the group opposed to the government, Mel Zalaya fans!) and so we clearly didn't hang around for that! All in all it was a great day.

The week was relaxing and a well needed break. I didn't get to go away anywhere, but this was a good thing as David (Lorena and Jaime's younger brother) became v ill with Rotavirus and Dengue and so I spent the week driving him to hospital, then when he was admitted visiting him with J and L. Dengue is spreading really quickly here. I have 3 friends who all have it - something I never wish to have.