Life in Honduras

Prayers Needed

2010-10-13T16:49:00.000-06:00

Lots has been happening recently, but without a computer it's proving difficult to keep this updated! I am trying to remain content without a laptop, and am still very grateful to Jaime for letting me use his - but it still gets frutrating when we both need it ..and it's his after all so I insist he gets to use it! He never argues that one!

Many things are happening, but the 2 main ones to write about need a lot of prayer...They are to do with the Bilingual School I used to teach in and the community I am involved with...

a) Yesterday a student and his aunt were kidnapped. I won't give more details on here but please pray for their release.

b) An English teacher from the school has been missing since the weekend. Bill is an older teacher - about 50? Speaks Spanish and has taught in various countries...we think he went travelling on Saturday (they have been into his apartment and seen his toothbush has gone etc) but he has not turned up to his classes and noone has any idea where he is! It's fairly horrific, cos these days here it could be anything!! He is very reliable and is loving it here, he's a part of our English Bible Study. But has just vanished. His family has been contacted, as have the police and the American Embassy (he's American). Please pray we hear news of his whereabouts - or that he just turns up!

Tough times all round generally so prayers required for everyone here in Siguatepeque....and mainly for those 3 missing people!

Never dull around here eh?

New British Contingency!

2010-10-03T16:51:00.002-06:00

As I write this I can gunshots outside my house! I want to go and see what's going on (my walls are 8 ft and so I can't see a thing from inside). However, I'm not that foolish as to go out!!

Anyway, I have had a very interesting weekend indeed. First off....when I got my new computer at Christmas, I sold my old laptop to Jaime. I have been using his for the past few days. He has now said I can keep this laptop here until I can get a new one and he will just come and use it when he needs it, as I need it more than him!! He still has a front door key to my house as he house sits for me whilst I am away so he will just come in to work here whilst I am at work (I have internet that he comes and uses anyway). So it is amazing and means I have communication! Obviously I sold this laptop for a reason...it is soooo old and slow...but it is better than nothing so I am very pleased.

So, this weekend. Thursday - Saturday was the Annual Missionary Conference, which I was able to make this year. It is held every year in Sigua as the city is in the middle of the country. Missionaries from around the country get together. I went Thurs evening, Friday evening and Saturday (had to work on Friday) and I got to meet some wonderful people, share ideas, hear about what else is going on in the country. The highlight was meeting a lady from Scotland!!! We were both very excited to meet each other and share our own culture. Her husband wasn't able to come as he had to stay and work. They come from a town near the coast - about 6 hours away, they have a hospital and Children's centre. I am going to go and stay with them in the vaccations. There were loads of Missionaries from the same town. I got to meet all sorts of people and share ideas about the school, Providence etc. It was perfectly timed. I also realised I am lucky just to have lost my laptop - and in such an easy way. Every single person there has had their phones taken once if not more times...many at gun point, not to mention other things. At least I didn't have a gun pointed at me...and it was the first robbery in 4 years. If you don't count all the things stolen when I was house sitting!!

I got to spend more time with the Haglers and Dave and Esther, and 2 other couples from Sigua who I rarely get to see and it was hilarious. Obviously I got mocked severely for my English-ness. They're just jealous!! Time out just when I needed it.

So all in all good times. I didn't go to football today as I have a cold and bad cough and didn't think standing in the rain would be a good move. But I'm bored stupid!!! Apparently I need to go to football!!!

Well, that's it. I can't add any pictures/photos til a) I take some and b) get my own computer. This one is too slow to upload!! But I can email......

Feliz dia de los pliegos de Independencia!!

2010-09-28T22:28:00.002-06:00

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!

2010-09-27T21:08:00.003-06:00

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!

2010-09-26T20:03:00.002-06:00

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!!

2010-09-25T15:26:00.002-06:00

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

2010-09-24T19:56:00.003-06:00

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!

2010-09-24T19:18:00.002-06:00

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

2010-09-23T20:47:00.002-06:00

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...

2010-09-23T20:22:00.003-06:00

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

2010-09-23T20:08:00.004-06:00

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!

2010-09-23T19:46:00.005-06:00

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!!

Click here for more photos

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.

Click here for more photos

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.

Plodding on

2010-08-29T17:58:00.002-06:00

Things have just been plodding on here really. The rains are phenominal as ever - the road by my house flooded so badly smaller cars couldn't pass. I drove down it and as I did a small 'normal' car virtually floated past me as the water was over the level of his tyres! He made it though. Friends of mine get 'streams' of water flowing through their houses as everything is on a hill. My laundry room/store room continues to flood, I now have mushrooms growing on the floor and opening my back door is nearly impossible as the wood has swollen so much. Every Honduran is confused as noone has seen it like this in Siguatepeque - especially not before November - the heavy rain season!! My landlord is sending someone to fix my roof this week so hopefully I won't be sweeping water out every time it rains!!

I have finally found an Internet provider that can install broadband into my house. They were meant to come on Friday, but because of the rain...never made it. I am hoping they will come tomorrow so I will be able to Skype again etc.

Friday night I got a phone call to go and visit a friend in hospital. So Lorena, Jaime and I got in my car and went over to the hospital. Libi lives in Santa Barbara and is a very close friend of Fredi and Belquis. Her family were in a car crash just over a year ago and her husband and son were killled and she was left seriously ill - and has had to wear/use a collostomy bag. She was finally in hospital to have her intestines 'fixed' so she wouldn't need the bags anymore. I'm not sure why Fredi called us really, she was still in the operating theatre and they had been waiting for 4 hours and I think were just bored and wanted company!! So we sat and chatted in the hospital until we knew it had been successful and she was in intensive care - then went home. Slightly random, but I'm glad she is doing well. She is such a sweet girl.

Yesterday I was meant to go with the Youth Group up to 2 communities in the mountains to build desks for some schools and some cabin type/shelter things for the schools. I decided that as much as it would have been fun, I needed a quieter day at home. So, I pottered around here in the morning and then in the afternoon Lorena and I took little Benjamin into town and pottered around getting things done there. In the evening I got bored so went to her house, only her mum was there and so chatted to her. She has the craziest, old fashioned ideas, but was good fun and nice to relax and laugh.

Today - I've done absolutely nothing! I may live to regret it, but for now it's been v pleasant!

Flooding

2010-08-23T22:42:00.003-06:00

This is the view from the front windscreen of my car today as I was driving down the road from Providence! The road had become a river after just 2 hours of tropical rain!! It was actually quite deep as well.

Honduras is really suffering at the moment from severe rain and severe flooding. In Sigua alone rivers are bursting and flooding houses and roads. As I drove into town today I passed cars parked along by the bridge watching the raging torrent of water rising steadily, flooding the lower level houses built on the rivers edge. It was an impressive sight to see -- yet the destruction is devastating. The river by my house luckily has high river banks, thankfully.

Pray for Tegucigalpa in particular. The flooding is at it's worst and has destroyed countless homes, roads and businesses. The rain is relentless.

Praise God for my wellies and 4x4 car at the moment!! There are tropical storms and hurricanes out in the Caribbean - but none near Honduras. Yet we still suffer their effects.
As I write this the rain has started again. Lovely to be tucked up in bed when it is like this outside, but not when you think of the destruction it is causing...and not when you have to get up early for work and it's still dark and raining. A killer!!

Yay...Football!!

2010-08-22T21:38:00.002-06:00

Finally...football on Sunday again. This was just a friendly game and it wa so wonderful to be back on the cancha watching football with my friends again. Life felt normal...I don't really know what to do with my Sundays without football!! I arrived after the start of the game and am sorry to say I missed the fight on the pitch the other side of the fence - the posh expensive pitch we've never played on! Apparently neither team agreed with the ref, so all piled on top of him beating the watsit out of him!!! Our team was hilarious, most of the normal team couldn't make it and so it was like the B team playing, actually more like the Y team! They were so bad it was wonderful to watch, and the fact that the pitch was fooded from all the rain added to the fun (to watch), then the added bonus of 2 dogs who wouldn't go away. Normally the dogs and cows wander across in the middle of the game, but these 2 dogs were having way to much fun running round in the middle of it all. All in all, a most amusing game. I love Sundays!

A highlight of the day was one of the parents from school calling me - the fact they have my number is NOT a highlight, but the fact we chatted away before she realised I wasn't Profe Luz - the Honduran teacher! Shows my Spanish is improving!! I've been told many times this weekend that I am now truly bilingual with my Spanish, and my accent is Honduran (will be more so after more time away from England). I've heard my friends say so many things about other foreigners' Spanish and accents that to hear them being positive about mine means a lot. Don't get me wrong - it's still not great and I have a very long way to go yet, but it's an encouragement to hear people being positive about it! There is hope! If only my high school German and French teachers could see me now!!

All calm!

2010-08-21T20:24:00.002-06:00

For once a calm, quiet Saturday!! Most unusual - and needed. Since the funeral, this week has been long and tiring, but today I was able to catch up with some sleep and rest. I was also able to meet up with my friend Melodie that I've not seen in months and months! She is French Canadian and runs the children's home just out of Sigua. She is French Canadian, raised in Spain and her first language is French, 2nd Spanish and 3 rd English - yet is Canadian and you wouldn't realise English wasn't her first language! I've known her my whole time here but we barely get time to meet up. It was good to catch up properly, with someone who understands cultural differences and is vv down to earth!

After church tonight I gave Delmy's son, Ricky (14), a ride home as always and we stopped off so I could buy him something to eat for dinner. He seems to be coping really well with everything and accepting it. Seems his friends are a great help, which is good news. He's very funny so we just had a laugh really!!
All remarkably peaceful, thankfully.

Yesterday I went to a baby shower for some friends in the church, a relly great group of women there that I really get on with. Considering most of my friends are guys it's good to get to know some of this women too. One funny thing is that the Pastors wife came to tell me that someone from church had been trying to get hold of me and had asked her for my number, he had asked for 'KaTHarine' pronouncing the 'th'. She told him she didn't know anyone of that name!! Then she realised it was me - no-one here pronounces my name with a 'th'. I'm Katarin or Misska or Gringa. The th thing threw her totally!! Amused me somewhat.

In 2 weeks time I should be connected with fully working broadband internet - finally. The company who kept promising me it would be in my neighbourhood soon, finally admitted it would never be. At the same time the telephone company have started broadband via the telephone wire. So I shall at last have broadband wireless in my house and be able to upload photos on here again and use Skype! About time too.

1 more thing...

2010-08-17T17:56:00.002-06:00

Did I mention that one of my friends was brought a big plate of food at 1am in the church last night? We all helped outselves off his plate obviously. I was enjoying my tortilla and beans when I was offered some 'meat' to try. It wasn't too bad, but not my favourite but any means.

I had just eaten 'huevos de torro'.

Bulls testicals.

That is how random the night was.

The End.

2010-08-17T17:30:00.002-06:00

Well, at 2,30am Lorena and I went to sleep in my car!! All the corners of the church were filled with others sleeping! I was in favour of going home to sleep in my bed, but it apparently was not an option! So whilst Lorena lay and snored I lay awake! At 5.30am everyone seemed to be waking up and so I managed to convince Lorena this was a good time to go home and shower and change. I also sneaked in a quick hours sleep in bed. Then it was time for me to do a couple of church runs in my car to get people to the next service. This time it was the official funeral service. As I entered, Delmy's usually very shy older brother, gave me a huge hug and thanked me for being there to support the family, he was so sincere. I truly am a part of the community here. Thankfully the song were slightly more of a celebrationary fashion. Her sister got up to speak and left the entire congregation in tears. Delmy has many many brother and sisters, all of whom are Christian and it was only in April that Delmy herself accepted Christ. Thankfully! Blanca spoke from the heart about her sister. Then 20 cars and the church bus made it's very slow procession up to San Isidro - the MOST beautiful mountain village where all my friends grew up.

The strangest thing about the night was seeing Delmy's identical twin sister - I had to do a double take each time I saw her. When we got to the cemetary, we parked the cars in the road and walked up the long path to the cemetary her twin could not go near the actualy grave or the coffin. Heartbreaking. I couldn't look at the coffin today, knowing what she looked like as they lowered her into the ground was too much for me. Especially without sleep. So I stood and comforted my friend Patty as her husband lowered his cousin into the ground. Yet again I watched as the very same friends carried the coffin...the same friends who carried Don Tony back in November. That was what nearly broke my heart. The burial takes a while here, because you have to take your own cement and once the coffin is lowered in, everyone stands and watches as cement is poured into the hole and it is all bricked up and secured. So Marlon was there again mixing concrete. It was so hard.
So that is it. Delmy is now buried. I don't think I will forget her 2 young sons crying and hugging her coffin as they looked at her for the final time.

I found out today that Delmy had wanted to come home yesterday. I had always offered the family that I would do anything to help. Apparently they had called at 6am to ask if I would go to San Pedro to collect Delmy and her mum and sister to bring her home. I would have done con gusto. Ten minutes later she called to say she'd died. Incredible. Her death was more to do with a respiritary problem than the leaukemia. I think her organs had just had enough!

I got home at lunch time, changed and had to go out to give my English class to a little boy I tutor. I'm' not convinced it was my best class ever, but his mum knew where I had been and so made me some enchiladas and a drink!! Bless her. David has an exam tomorrow and so I couldn't cancel the class. It's now nearly 6pm, I am so desperate to sleep, but I am going to wait til bedtime now! If I can.

Lorena is going to find it so hard that Delmy has gone. It was her best friend. This could be a tough few weeks ahead.

Back to work tomorrow

Funeral

2010-08-17T01:02:00.002-06:00

It's 1am and I came prepared this time! I'm sat in church and I bought my computer with me!! Oh so tired, coffee flowing! The guys are playing poker in Fredi's car and I'm sat here watching 27 Dresses and on the internet! Others are snoozing.
The service went well, obviously cried! Haven't seen the body too many times thankfully. It's going to be a long night. There is another service tomorrow morning followed by burial up in the mountains.
The nicest part of a horrible evening is that I realise how much a part of things I am here now! I know everyone so well. The family are all pleased to see me, welcome me etc. I am no longer a visitor, but I belong! It's a good feeling. I am a part of these 2 families here and that is priceless. It's only on occassions like this that it becomes obvious sadly.

Delmy

2010-08-16T16:18:00.004-06:00

Now last I wrote about Delmy I had just come from giving blood at the hospital, where everyone was expecting the worst. It was amazing because the next day her levels shot up completely to normal and she was sent home!! When I left for England she was in a delicate condition - but at home.

When I returned from England - I think - she was still at home but I didn't see her. Then she was rushed to the hospital in San Pedro again. It is at this point they realised that they had diagnosed her incorrectly. She didn't have Lupus - she had leaukemia. And the way they had been treating her had made her worse - killed off all the things she needed (to put it bluntly). So she started Chemo last week and survived many side effects. She was super weak but everyone was hopeful.

Today there was a phone call to Lorena in the morning and Delmy had died. Delmy and Lorena were really close. Delmy died at 6.10am today. Somehow Lorena came to school - half an hour later I drove her home again! Delmy is a friend and neighbour to me too and as I went into Lorena's house this morning delmy's 2 boys were in there - Ricky, 14(ish) and Diego, 10. They were waiting for a phone call. It was sooo sad to see them. I left for work again as Delmy's brothers and uncles drove to SPS to collect her body. As I got back from school at 2.30pm I saw the coffin being taken to church (it all happens VVV quickly here).
This is the same family of the man who drowned in November. It is truly heartbreaking. That was Carina's dad - this is her cousin. I went to Delmy's house to collect members of her very large family to drive them to church. I saw the coffin at the same time as many of them...and wished I hadn't. So painful to see them. Her mum came in crying out 'My daughter, my daughter'. When she had sat down I went over to say hi and she just grabbed my hand, thanking me for my blood I gave and saying " Misska (my name here) she's gone, my daughter has gone". All I could do was sit there and hold her hand, whilst she and Blanca - Delmy's sister told me all about this morning and how she died etc. But everyone is doubly sad as all the memories of Don Tony's funeral are flooding back to everyone. You can cut the atmosphere and pain with a knife. I have since come back to change and have a shower to get myself together. The service is tonight and then I will stay at the church the entire night (drinking lots of coffee) to be with the family in the vigil. Then tomorrow morning I will go to the burial - I am driving some of her family. At least I can help with my car. Lorena is taking it badly, they were very close and she doesn't handle things like this well - who does? I am trying to be there for her too, but seeing her hug the coffin crying was too much for me. I stood there looking in at Delmy's body - which after long bouts of treatment was not pleasurable to see. No doubt tonight I will be shown the body many more times too. I am bracing myself!!
It's sad. For her sake I am glad she is no longer suffering, she knew she was dying. For her 2 sons, her twin sister and all her other brothers, sisters and family it is awful. What more can happen to this family I care so much about?!!

Please pray for them!!
Right, am back off to the church now!! I'll try and keep this updated!

2010-08-16T16:08:00.005-06:00

Oh goodness, how I wish I had been keeping this updated. Brief over view ...

Went to England for 2 weeks for Pete's wedding. Wedding was great and was lovely to see everyone again.
On arriving back in Honduras, I sat in the plane at San Pedro Sula airport but we couldn't get off because the power had gone in the airport and so there was no way of getting the electrical lift thingy to the door. So we sat in the plane an extra 30 minutes!! I knew I was back!
Adony met me, and apparently his sister - who lives in San Pedro - was in labour!! So at 8pm instead of going home off I went to the clinic - having spent the last 24 hours traavelling!!! I arrived and was rushed in to see Eunice...who was having full blown contractions and I'm sure not wanting to see me!! I said hi and left her in peace! Then had to wait 2 hours in the waiting room until the baby was finally born and then with the entire family I got to meet the baby etc. Hilarious!! Apparently part of that family too now! By 11pm I just wanted to be in my own bed - I had been travelling waaaaaaaay too long. Adony was very understanding and at 11pm we set off for Sigua....arriving at 12.30am. We sang Christmas songs (his choice) to keep us awake. There, Jaime was waiting for me in my house...which he had cleaned impecibally! He had also changed all my furniture around which to be honest was a lot better and so I have left it. Apparently he feels very comfortable in my house!!

Being back was great. I have spent so much time with my friends and am loving it. I am a lot more relaxed. Obviously work is still stressful but I'm not thinking about that! I do love my oh so random life here!

It is most definitely Saturday!!

2010-07-10T23:39:00.004-06:00

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!

2010-07-10T23:37:00.002-06:00

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!

2010-07-08T18:18:00.002-06:00

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!

2010-07-07T18:36:00.002-06:00

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!

2010-07-06T20:32:00.003-06:00

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!!

2010-07-04T18:47:00.002-06:00

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!

2010-07-04T00:20:00.003-06:00

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

2010-07-03T13:05:00.004-06:00

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!!

New Address!!!

2010-06-17T21:42:00.002-06:00

FINALLY....

You can all send me things! Yaaaaay! Post from England NEVER arrives...or takes up to a year. But....post from the States makes it in a few weeks!! Safely. And....it only takes a couple of weeks for thigns to arrive from the States!

SO.....I have made friends with a simply lovely couple who came down from the States to visit the school, to see how they can help. When they heard I can't get mail from England they were horrified and offered to forward me things! So.....you can all mail me things to the States...and they put it in another envelope and forward it to me!! So letters and small packets are GO!!!

Chocolate....packets of Angel Delight (choc or straw).....Bread sauce...different sauces for meats etc...anything....stickers for my classes.....tea bags.....

This is the address:

Katharine Marrow
c/o Bill and Mary-Jean Murphy
806 Fleming Street
Columbia, TN 38401
USA

Please please can people test this process!!!!!

My new Honduran address if you want it for fun (I am still living in the same house, it's just I finally have my own PO Box in the POst Office!)

Aptdo 115
Siguatepeque
Comayagua
HONDURAS

BUT TRY THE AMERICAN ONE!!! All my American friends get mail so it will work!!

Come on England!!

2010-06-17T21:27:00.004-06:00

I tried to spread a little bit of English spirit in Honduras on the day of Englands first match in the World Cup - far too many Americans around here.

It's the English flag - despite the fact he's wearing a Honduras football shirt!!

Teams!

2010-06-17T17:35:00.006-06:00

Oh my...so much has happened since I last updated this! Where to start??

At work, in La Providencia, this is the start of work teams coming down from the States to come and work with the kids/construction/in the community etc. So there are always lots of people around and coming into the school to meet the kids. The first of the groups was 2 weeks ago and were truly wonderful people. It was a small group of 8 lovely people - all teachers/head teachers/ experienced folk - who came to see how they could help our school, help improve it, see what we need etc. They visited our school, talked to us and then visited other schools in Sigua and also the big, expensive private schools in Tegus, to get an idea of what is possible here, what others provide etc. For me personally they were a God send, people who could advise me, support me ...and help me!! It was wonderful to spend some time with them and they will be an amazing asset for the school - and for my work here (organising the English programme!) On their last day at the school they were in tears saying goodbye to us and the children and to the amusement of the kids we - their teachers - were also in tears saying goodbye to them. They made an amazing impact on us all in different ways!

Since then, other groups have started coming down and pass in and out of the school. There are 28 in the group this week and they are building walls, sorting out the bodega (warehouse) etc. It's pretty much a different group every week now til August. The novelty of being the only Brit wears off after a while!!

Here is a picture I took and printed off for the Education group who came to visit us!! Cute huh?

The following week was 'Environment week' across the country and to celebrate the end of the week we took all the kids on a walk around the mountains, in the grounds Providence owns, behind the school. Their little legs made it and it was so much fun!

Here are some photos! A walk in the mountains (<------- click on that link Dad!)

Look at this web page!

2010-06-01T17:20:00.000-06:00

Craziness..... but all fine here in Sigua!

Look at this..

Tropical Storm Agatha

2010-05-30T16:22:00.003-06:00

OK, I only updated this this morning. But this tropical storm is more serious than we thought!! It's called Tropical Storm Agatha..look it up on internet! It is hitting Central America really badly now. Poor old Guatemala is suffering the most due to the damage from the volcano erruption too. But parts of Honduras are on flood alert (bit late to be honest!). But along the coast there are major problems and the rivers. Our roads around here are becoming rivers...and the rain honestly never stops! The fact we have tin roofs means permanent head aches!!
Please pray for Central America right now!!

BBC news report....

P.s I am perfectly safe!!

Tropical Rains

2010-05-30T10:51:00.002-06:00

The rainy season is truly upon us! Tropical rain is a whole different ball game too - boy does it rain!! This last week there has been a tropical storm over all of Central America. In Guatemala it has caused huge damage - that with the enormous volcano that errupted last Tuesday is not good! Here, there is damage too but nothing comparatively!

I work at Providence which is 15 mins out of town up a mountain and it always rains harder up the mountain than down here in town. On Friday, as I drove home from work, the mud road had turned into a muddly flowing river! Completely river like - couldn't see the road at all. Thank goodness for 4 wheel drive! As I drove down the 'river', there in front of my car was a large turtle swimming down the road!! Not a sea turtle, before you all start thinking of Finding Nemo, but a turtle turtle, red legged turtle! But big one, swimming along happily. All the dirt roads around here turn to rivers. Not much fun, but makes me very grateful for my big car!

It's impossible to get clothes dry now as well. I have laundry hanging up all around my house but it's so damp inside it takes a long time. One day I will be able to buy a dryer for these months!

With all the rain and wet, the insects are all looking for somewhere dry to hide....so they have decided that my house is a great location! Ahhh! Cockroaches are normal and common in every house here, but I have been fortunate enough not to have acockroach problem. However, with all the rain they are coming in for shelter. A few nights ago, I felt something on me in my sleep, turned over and thought nothing of it. Then Something was tickling my face and arm and I could see something through my blurry tired eyes. I threw my sheet off and it was an enormous cockroach that had been walking across my face and down my arm! Yuck! Killed it and then didn't sleep much after that.

Normally rainy season isn't too bad, it rains hard but for the same time every day. Normally at night or for a few hours in the afternoon. I can't wait for this big tropical storm to lift and pass so we can go back to having a break from the rain in the mornings!

Eye team visits Providence

2010-05-16T20:55:00.004-06:00

Last week was crazy busy! Last weekend an 'eye' team came down from the States. They are part of an organisation called 'Sharing resources worldwide'. This org. is a big warehouse where hospitals donate equipment and then doctors from hospitals around the area go off to diff countries to help out. So we had the eye team for a week, they have been coming for a few years and are quite frankly amazing!

Last Sunday was the crazy day. Children came from all over Honduras and Sunday was 'testing' day to see who they could help...they were then scheduled in for surgeries in the week. Children were given surgeries for cross-eyes (and all sorts of other weird and wonderful things!), eye tests were done on children and adults and anyone needing glasses were given them (ALL of this was for free) and prosthetic eyes were made. I was amazed at how many people and children only have 1 eye. Many chldren are born with only 1 eye, or had diseases and many adults lost their eyes through machete accidents. I was translating for the dr's in charge of vision tests. We tested over 120 children! Translating for 13 hours nearly killed me!! But was amazing. Weird and wonderful things were seen!

Not all the team that came were Christians, just people wanting to help.

I think the boy who touched all our hearts was a boy called Nayfer. He was born blind and his mother was also blind (only had one eye). There was nothing to be done to save the sight of either of them but Nayfer had no eyes and was given prosthetic ones. He was such an amazing boy. Playing with the other children like he was sighted, running around, even playing cars - and everything done by sounds!! He is 5 and is starting to learn braille. His mother is studying to be an English teacher. One day at the clinic he asked his mum if the sun was shining and if the suns rays were touching the plants! Priceless. Sadly he can't afford to go to a special school so goes to a public one - but only when the teacher is willing to co-operate or when someone can take him to school....obviously his mum can't! His zest for life was very humbling.

I spent one afternoon after school just watching them make eyes - fascinating procedure!! Here's trivia for you....there are only 350 'eye makers' in Canada and USA combined. I think 2 or 3 in Uk and 1 in Brussels!! Yet 2 of these ladies gave up a week to come and make eyes for poor Honduran children.

So mornings were in school and afternoons in the clinic. But they have now left and another week stats tomorrow. We shall see what that brings!

Here are some of my photos and then I shall put a link for photos I took (not many as I was in a hurry!) and lots that Israel took (He had lots of time!)

A box of old 'used' eyes!!
This beautiful girl only has one eye so this is whilst they were painting it the correct colour and having it fitted!

More photos.

OK, well I can't work out how to show you Israel's photos...a shame as they are beautiful! If you have Facebook you can see them on my profile....Dad, ask Pete to show you next weekend!!

Happy Day of the Pine Tree!

2010-05-01T23:13:00.002-06:00

Only in Honduras do you have a National Holiday to celebrate a tree!! The pine tree is one of the national symbols of Honduras and so they celebrate it. In style. They have been celebrating all week and today was the big one. A huge carnival in town in the afternoon and then an enormous party in the town centre tonight. Every year I have missed the night celebrations as I have told it is far too dangerous. So this year, after youth group I rallied 10 of the men to go down with me...10 bodyguards! And it was fine, lots of families, lots of music. They were also selling alcohol on the streets and so yes, it will get v dangerous. Every year people die and get raped tis true! But I went early..and the music and dancing wasn't to start til 11pm - to go on until 3 or 4am. I left before any of that happened, was home by 10pm. But the atmosphere was great, a real celebration. but .....for a pine tree???

Reality bites

2010-04-30T20:38:00.002-06:00

So this week has been crazy busy at school. We've had a teacher off and so we've been covering extra classes etc. I have also been writing a profile on each of the children that will be sent to people who want to sponsor children in the school (we want to get every child a sponsor!) Anyway, this has been a real eye opener this time. I wrote about all of them in regards to school-related stuff, then I met up with Douglas in the Providence office to find out more about their home lives. Seeing the children coming to school every day in their beautiful school uniforms we provide it is easy to forget the poverty they leave behind each morning. I have been hearing stories and looking at photos of their houses and living conditions. Heart breaking. One boy in my class lives in a 2 room house with 20 other people/children. 21 of them in 2 rooms!! He sleeps in a single bed with his mother and 2 of his sisters, which is behind a curtain in the 'living room'. Then behind another curtain is his aunt and her family on their bed. Each of his brothers and sisters has a different father. And so it goes on. But they are such a happy well adjusted family. Another girl in my class sleeps on a single mattress on the floor of her house with her brother and mother, whilst other family members do the same on their mattresses. Yet no-one complains. Another girl goes home - and goes walking thru a small stream to get there. Her father doesn't work - he lost his hand and wrist in a drunken fight. None of the family have been to school past Grade 7 (at the most, others dropped out in Grade 1). She is a mal-nourished girl. Heart-breaking.

But just so easy to forget. When the mums come to help cook and clean in the school they look so nicely dressed - easy to forget that Providence provides them with clothes in payment for helping cook and clean at school (which is their payment instead of school fees!)

These children live in sheer poverty. Yet come to school with a smile and a spring in their step.

We have a team coming from the States next week. Opthomologists etc, will be testing the eyes of all the children and people in the community and doing surgeries etc. Due to a lack of people available to translate...I've been drafted in to translate for some of the eye tests etc. HAHAHAHA!! Heaven help me! Heaven help them!

Melting

2010-04-26T18:22:00.002-06:00

Tomorrow is meant to be the hottest day. I am melting! 38C ++ Not an air conditioner in sight!

bizarre

2010-04-24T17:03:00.000-06:00

So Thursday we had the biggest rainstorm. Today - it's 39C. Its hot.

National Earth Day!

2010-04-24T16:59:00.002-06:00

On Thursday as a school we had to go down town to the Plaza to sell food! Each school had to go and set up a stand in the Plaza whilst there was a big concert/presentation/ thing going on to celebrate Earth Day and environment month!! My Grade 1 mum's made Carne Asada to sell...meat, tortilla, chismol, beans, and the Prepa mum's maded Gringa's (tortilla with chicken inside) to sell. It was fine until about 7pm when the Heavens opened with perhaps the most enormous rainstorm of the year! We got vv wet! But still managed to raise money to buy the children sweat pants for P.E.

HELP!!!

2010-04-20T18:33:00.003-06:00

As I said before, last week I went to a leadership conference. Now, he said we had homework to do .... I thought he was joking! Umm...apparently not! I have to write a 3 page paper on the Leadership qualities in the book of Nehemiah!!! What we can learn about leadership in Nehemiah!! In Spanish! hahahaha yeah right! I will write it in English, and translate it myself - but in reality I will give it to a bilingual friend to translate for me if it gets too tricky!!

So.....please email me everything you know about leadership in the book of Nehemiah and what we can learn from it!

Heaven help me!!

email: katharinemarrow@hotmail.com

Strange reality

2010-04-17T15:18:00.002-06:00

I finshed the last day of my 3 day Leadership training course today. Surprisingly I enjoyed it!! I walked away today at the end of it and yet again found myself amazed that I am emmersed in a Spanish speaking world, spending my days in Spanish more than English. Me!! I really enjoy it an can now communicate freely, the thing that makes me realise I can understand well is that I understand jokes...well some of them!

So, as much as I sometimes find it strange that I live in this surreal world of Spanish, it's my world!
I was sat on the sofa today and looked at my family photos that are in frames around my room. This is a far cry from England. I miss everyone very much. But is also doesnt feel real! In my garden I go and check how my newly planted banana trees are doing and to see if the mangoes are ready yet! Really...

A very large ark!

2010-04-15T21:36:00.002-06:00

OK...dry season where for art thou?? It is raining so hard outside, tropical style, that I feel like I'm living on an island!! Thank God my car is 4x4 as I have to drive down rivers that were once roads outside my house!! I will try and catch on video if I am brave enough to go out! Is crazy for this time of year.

Also, it's a National holiday tomorrow, but alas...Providence is making all it's staff go for training. Tonight (Thursday night)
I had to go 6pm-9pm. Tomorrow 8am - 9pm (they said 6.30am for breakfast but I'd rather go hungry and sleep more!) and then Saturday morning. A good old Spanish conference...on how to be a good Pastor??? It's on being a leader. Fair enough. Then I look at the handout which is entitled...'For faithful men' who want to be Pastors. Hmmmm I'm a teacher and a woman?! Interesting use of my time!! Not so much. Hey ho, I have no choice in such matters and so I shall and go and learn how to be a faithful man who wants to be a pastor?!

May have to swim to get there though!!

p.s ...does anyone want my puppy? Yeah she maybe cute but as soon as I sit on the sofa she barks at me to play...never barks outside where it's useful, never barks at other dogs. And she jumps...all 4 legs at once just jumps everywhere like a kangaroo!!

I'm gonna build me an ark!

2010-04-13T21:16:00.003-06:00

It's dry season again...apparently! Jan/Feb - May. ish. This time last year - in my old house - we had no water in the house for 4 weeks because of the dry season, and well the lack thereof of water! Easter was blinding hot. Today was scorching hot, real tropical sun. Tonight...a real tropical rainstorm!! Yes, torrential, tropical rain..the kind you don't get in England! It came from absolutely nowhere. What happened to the dry season?? I tell you what though...I rushed outside with my potted plants from my porch and put them in the rain....I could almost see them smiling!!

I truly am not understanding the weather. Everything is screwed up entirely. Goodness knows what effect this has on the crops?! Heh ho, least it's going to be a cooler night...better sleep!

Midnight visitor..

2010-04-12T21:38:00.002-06:00

Life here can be fairly boring these days and so most unlike me but I've taken to having early nights...only way I can cope getting up ridiculously early for work!

Anyway, last night I was in bed by 9.30pm and at 1.40am was woken up by feeling something on my face and then my arm. I flicked it off and quickly turned on the light. There running across my bedsheet was a baby..cockroach!! I tried to grab it but missed and eventually with my sheet in my hand I grabbed it and crushed it within the sheet til it was a gonner! By then it was 1.45am and I am standing bleary eyes with a dead cockroach crushed into my top sheet! So I flicked it into my bin, stripped the sheets off my bed, put new ones on and went back to sleep with a plan to completely wash my house after school today with bleach and spray with Raid. Just as I was drifting off to sleep I hoped that the baby cockroach didn't have a mother who would come looking for it....

(it didn't!)

My friends were not overly disturbed by my story, just told me it's part of life and normal! I'm not so keen on having my personal space invaded like that!! Weird thing is, unike every house here in Honduras, I don't actually have cockroaches in my kitchen or my house. I do in my bodega, but not in my house. This one must have just wandered in. My house is now clean. I hope nothing else visits me tonight...I need sleep....

The sad reality

2010-04-11T20:08:00.002-06:00

Last night, as I was just getting ready for an early night I had a call from my friends Marlon and Melodie. Melodie runs a children's home here (she's Canadian but raised in Spain). Anyway, they were just heading out of town..Marlon giving a ride to Melo or something and they had got a call from a girl who was coming to the Children's Home with her baby, and had arrived early. I say early, meaning a day early. So they called me to go and collect her and find her a hotel for the night as they were out of town.
It was about 9pm and she was down town alone with her baby (of about 1 yr). The girl could not have been more than 18 herself and was here to deliver her baby to the home. It was heart breaking to see cos she clearly loved this gorgeous little girl a lot, but the baby's father had wanted a boy not a girl and there in followed a lot of neglect and abuse. I can't tell any more than that. But you could see in the girl's face how hard it was going to be to give her baby away. Yet knowing it was the only option.

That is the sad reality of life.

Mountaineering

2010-04-11T20:03:00.002-06:00

So having made lots of videos it's now not letting me put them on here...typical! So I shall say what's been going on and maybe this week I'll be able to upload them.

On Thursday I take my little class of Grade 1's for P.E. My Spanish co-teacher suggested we take them for a walk in the mountains behind the school (owned by the project) and so off we went. She said she knew the way! Hmmm I beg to differ. We found a path and followed it and then the path stopped! Luz was sure that we were about to come across another path.....we didn't. We were pushing our way through thick mountain undergrowth. The kids thought it was great, although there was no disguising that we were lost!!

Eventually we turned round and headed back in the rough direction that we came from...hard to tell exact direction when all the trees look the same!! We eventually made it back and the kids were full of energy and so ran up the hill in front of us. I thank God we didn't ome across any of the cobras or other snakes that are abundant around here!!

Happy Easter!!

2010-04-04T16:05:00.005-06:00

As you have probably noticed I haven't been updating this! Sorry, what with lack of speedy internet at times, lack of time and lack of motivation! But a new start....

Here's a very quick overview of what has happened the past 2 months...

Well my friend Jenny (was Grove) from Mayfield (CYFA camp) days was working for Tearfund in Latin America so managed to fit in 3 days in Honduras!! She came and stayed with me and interviewed someone from my church for her Tearfund work and it was lovely to have someone who knows me and my culture stay a while. A true blessing - and a right laugh!

Work plods on, has it ups and downs, hard times and fun times.

It has been a bit tough at times still settling down again after time at home cos I know I'm coming back in July for 2 weeks so am thinking about home...as much as I desperately love coming home it doesn't help me feel settled here!

This week has been Semana Santa - Holy Week. We only get this week off school..agghhh...but it has been wonderful. I chose not to go on the Youth Group camp...a decision which upset a lot of people! Instead I went to Belize with Sue and her family. They had to go to renew their visas and asked me along. It was just exaclty what I needed to relax and unwind. Beautiful beaches and just getting away. The weather here is just plain weird...why is it raining in the hottest month of the year???? So we had some rain but nothing terrible and was still fun. The amazing news is that the Vissers pretty much paid everything for me - talk about an amazing gift at just the right time!!

Here is a link to the photos....(click on it!)

Belize photos

So, after I got back from Belize on Wednesday night all my friends went off to camp on Thursday morning - til Tonight (Sunday). It was actually really nice to have time at home to read my books and relax. I spent time with the Haglers (lovely Missinoary family here) and went for lunch with the Vissers. I am trying to work out the balance between spending time with my friends (all Honduran) and spending time with friends and people from my own culture - to help keep the balance. Is a tough line to follow but I'm trying!

Today, being Easter Sunday, I went to the Sunrise service that is held as a united services for all the Evangelical churches in town. Had to be there at 5am! Luckily round the corner. I do love singing all the old hymns! I videoed some for you - I clearly have to work on my camera skills and next time not sit in front of a loud singing lady!! But it gives you an idea of what it's like...screachy and all!!

..Because He lives....

I couldn't upload the others on my super-slow internet!! But you can see 1!

Here are some photos I took today of Sheba who is looking more like the lioness Nala from Lion King every day!!! She is getting enormous and is only 3 months! She got stung by a wasp today and so is sporting a fat lip on her already too-big-for-her-body head!

Now I have this little flip video thing (bought down for me from the States I can start posting videos of my life here..I promise to work on my camera skills!)

Life is full of surprises!

2010-02-13T19:31:00.004-07:00

I think most of you know that whilst I was in England my 2 dogs escaped. Gumersindo upstairs left the gate open and they shot out - most likely looking for me! Anyway, Jaime and seemingly half of Sigua spent the next 2 days searching all day for them. But not to be found. This was just after Christmas, nearly 2 months ago! 2 nice looking black labradors would have been taken off the streets straight away so I'm guessing someone has them!

Anyway, today is the 14th year since mum died. I've been wishing I were at home with the family all day and feeling a long way away from family and friends. Suddenly G knocked on my door and he had a puppy for me! He had bought it to replace the dogs! How sweet. It is gorgeous, a German Shepherd cross. About 2 months and v cute. Her name is Sheba cos that was the name of the family dog we had when I was growing up. Will remind me a bit of mum. Now I haven't puppy proofed my house or garden so have no idea what to do with the thing - but it's cute!! Very thoughtful of him too. She is one of 9 puppies in her litter and so is very thin and you can feel her ribs but she'll fill out soon enough!

Ok.....so I wrote all that last night and then the internet crashed!! Last night this dog cried sooooo loudly the ENTIRE night. In the end I had her cage in my bedroom so she had company. Tonight, she will be like every other Honduran dog...outside!! This dog can cry!! When I go tback from football today my neighbours little boy (who had helped searched for Jezabel and Delilah) came out to tell me my dog was crying! The whole neighbourhood can hear it! Let's hope that stops soon enough!

I'm back!!!

2010-02-09T17:53:00.002-07:00

OK, I'v not fallen off the face of the earth! Soooo sorry I haven't been writing this! I went home for Christmas and have been back in Honduras a month now. With Vacation Bible School up in the mountains, catching up with friends etc it was good to be back!
Cool started again this week. Apart from ridiculously early starts (I am not designed to wake up at 5,30am! it is good to be back at work again)
I promise I will start updating this properly from now on!! Please keep reading...

comin home for Christmas...

2009-12-08T07:45:00.002-07:00

Tomorrow I leave the blue skies and blazing sunshine and head to cold, wet and windy England to have Christmas with the family....first time in what seems like years. I am soooo looking foward to eating roast beef and yorkshire puddings on Sunday... I hope you read this Dad!!

I'm so exhausted right now, here's hoping I sleep on the plane, I've been cleaning my house so much I almost want to stay as it's never been so clean! And this leaving lark is expensive, I've had to pay all my bills in advance, fill the house with food (unwritten rule for house sitters is you leave them with food!) and get everything washed and ready this end for Jaime to come and live here for a month - can't leave the place empty, and someone has to look after the dogs. It's not me house sitting for a change, I'm actually the one leaving!

So, that's it for now....tomorrow I start the epic journey back (with sweaters, coat, hat, scarf and gloves in my hand luggage!!)

Talent Show 2009

2009-12-06T21:01:00.002-07:00

The day of the Talent Show finally arrived. Despite the fact 4 of the bigger churches in town couldn't come, we still had 300 young people turn up!! An amazing answer to prayer!!! It was a fantastic night, enjoyed by all. Everything went smoothly and it was excellent - and we managed to raise funds for the mission trip - the purpose for the whole thing! I was there for 14 hours making sure everything was ok, and we all had to tidy up afterwards!
When I finally got home at 11.30pm I then had to work on the Directory for church so I could hand everything over to Boris. By 1am it was done!!

So now all my commitments are completed. I spent today sorting my apartment out and tidying up, so tomorrow I can clean it all properly.

I am truly exhausted - but maybe it will mean I will sleep on the plane. I've had 3 different people offering to drive me to the airport....how lovely! In church, the Pastor thanked me for all my hard work on the Directory and prayed for my journey adn time at home - I really am a part of it all here now. I'm kind of sad to leave my friends, but looking forward to seeing everyone in UK. (I am still dreading the cold, it is sooooooo hot here!)

2 v different days!

2009-12-04T21:28:00.002-07:00

On Wednesday to celebrate end of school, I went on a day trip to the beach with my fellow teachers. In less than 3 hours I drove to the Caribbean Sea, where upon I spent the entire day in the sea, then got back in my car and we drove home!! It's getting hot here again...I love the fact I can just drive to the Caribbean coast - not looking forward to English weather!

Today, however, I spent 12 hours in the Bible Seminary decorating and getting ready for the Talent Show tomorrow night - the thing I've been planning for months for the churches. Tomorrow will be another long day there and then it will be finally over!! Yay!

New President!

2009-11-30T07:42:00.000-07:00

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!

Election time!

2009-11-28T20:17:00.003-07:00

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!

Just more randomness!

2009-11-23T15:35:00.002-07:00

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!

Hablo Español

2009-11-18T20:10:00.000-07:00

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!!

Craziness

2009-11-16T18:51:00.002-07:00

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!!

Keep your eyes peeled...

2009-11-15T17:38:00.001-07:00

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!

Latest and long overdue update

2009-11-10T20:12:00.002-07:00

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.

Hoy si papa!!

2009-10-15T16:17:00.000-06:00

I am well and truly riding an emotional rollercoaster at the moment! Last night was the most fun I’ve had in ages!! Related to....football. John you will be soo proud of me!!!

So, last night was our last chance to qualify for the world cup. No-one held out much hope. In order for us to win we had to beat El Salvador AND the USA had to win or draw with Costa Rica – this was the hard one!

I went round to watch the game with Lorena and the boys – bracing myself for the disappointment afterwards. They had bought meat which they cooked on the small BBQ outside – the only way to cook it here! Zuko was there – a chance to have a break from his family for a while. Both matches were on the TV at the same time – different channels, so we sat flicking between the 2. Honduras were winning 1-0 and the States were losing 2-1. Then in the LAST minute of extra time the US scored another which meant Honduras would pass through to the World Cup. The first time in 27 years!! Unbelievable.

We all jumped in my car and went round to Zuko and Carina’s house. They couldn’t really celebrate in the same over excited way as us but we wanted to share with them. Poor Zuko and Anael were just crying with it all – understandably!

Now when Honduras wins they have a ‘Caravan’ going through town after the game. Basically, everyone piles into cars and pick ups and drives through town and everyone takes to the streets and goes to the Plaza. So, you guessed it we all piled in my car and went to town! All 9 of us! There were hundreds of cars and literally thousands of people. Pick ups full of people jumping up and down. In my car Jaime climbed out of the sun roof and sat on the roof – as did Chele (not a small man!!) Adelson, Zuko and Kristian (the boy from the river) were in the boot/trunk/back part (depending where you are reading this!) and I can lower my back window so they sat on the back part of my car. Lorena was sat on the window of one side of my car (as in Window down, sat leaning on roof). It was insane. We followed Kike’s pick-up full of camp people screaming and jumping. We went to the plaza and everyone lined the road and any car stupid enough to actually pass through these people was rocked and kicked and banged! We all jumped, cheered and sang – until people starting breaking the plant pots in the middle of the road and throwing dirt at the passing people...and the over excited person who shot his pistol!!

So, having bumped into everyone we knew, we stood around in the plaza itself for the next hour just chatting. They had turned off the plaza lights (like street lights) to try and get rid of everyone. It was beautiful, looking up at the stars. The boys stood and re-lived the matches and discussed how it would affect the country and lift the spirits of everyone and politics etc. They are right, for one night the golpistas and Resistencia joined together for a common goal. I lay on the floor - in the middle of town just thinking how I was celebrating with all my closest friends here!

Then, having dropped various people off we went back and set off fireworks outside Lorena’s house! I still had some left over from my Firework shopping spree at Christmas!

Everyone celebrated the entire night. Today, all public services, banks etc are closed as a National Holiday to celebrate (and because everyone was out last night celebrating!) And the best bit...the big restaurants in the cities are offering free food today..Pizza hut, Burger King etc to celebrate!! So I’m off to Comayagua tonight to get my free Pizza - if I can stay awake long enough!!!

So from tragedy to extreme excitement! What next?

From the highest of highs to the depths of the seas

2009-10-14T18:33:00.001-06:00

After the highlight of football, we had Monday to look forward to – it was a national day off. But what started off as a day of relaxation with friends turned into a huge and sad tragedy.

After having lunch with Lorena and Jaime on Monday I went off home and immediately got a phone call to get back with my car. Zuko’s dad had had an accident in the river up in the village and the current had swept him away and they needed help to search for him - i.e Jaime and Adelson. So we piled in my car and set off for the village – about 30 minutes away. It was perhaps the most beautiful road I have ever driven on – simply beautiful, but this was not the time to appreciate it!

Don Antonio (Zuko and Carina etc’s dad) had gone fishing near the village he grew up in, with Anael (his son) and Kristian(14) and Caleb (12) his grandchildren. He had the net out and the current was so strong and the water so deep it pulled him under and his hand got caught up in the net. Poor, poor Anael could do nothing to save him, he tried but the current was too strong (Anael feels so guilty because of this). So Antonio drowned but they couldn’t find the body. Anael called Fredi for help who called around all the men in church to go and help search. We all turned up and the men all went in against the strong current. Eventually, after they took turns to dive down one of them touched his body. However, they couldn’t lift it out. Jaime went down and said it was so freaky touching the body that he was scared and went to the side to help with the ropes instead! After about an hour they managed to drag his body out with ropes. He’d been under the water on the river bed for 2 hours. Now this is the family that I spent Christmas and New Year with, who invite me to all their family functions. Dina – the youngest daughter is getting married and I’m taking all her photos and having her hen party at my house etc. Carina is a really good friend of mine. (Dina, Zuko, Carina, Anael and Belquis are all really good friends – Belquis painted my face at the football!) All I could do as we watched was to stand and hug the 2 boys who were just watching the whole thing they had seen him drown and were still watching as they pulled their grandfather out. They had somehow been left alone in the upset. Then when Fredi had to go and help with carrying the body I took his place to comfort his wife Belquis.

They pulled the body out, laid him on the beach and untied his hand from the netting. He was swollen and blue. Zuko was amazing and closed his dad’s eyes, gave all the info to the police and was very together. He was so strong. Jaime and Zuko did everything – put the man back out of his swimming trunks into his pants (the police said they had to!?) I had thought to take along towels and blankets and so I ran to get them so there was something to cover the body with. The boys sorted it all out with amazing strength, whilst the girls just watched and wailed in pain. It was simply awful. Poor Carina had been for a day at the lake and so didn’t make it to the river to watch all this and was waiting at home. They put the body in the back of Fredi’s car and Zuko and Jaime climbed in the back with him to stop him rolling around etc. They went to the village hospital to prepare the body – when they got there, there was no one in the hospital so they went straight back to Sigua to the house. I took Kristian and Caleb back in my car with me.

Now in Honduras you have the funeral straight away – I guess because there is nowhere to store the bodies and because of the heat. Poor Carina just watched as her dad was bought into her house, dead. We got to the river by 2.30, pulled the man out by 3.30, were back at the house by 4.30 and by 6pm we were in the church and Antonio was prepared and lying in the coffin! Tradition here is that everyone comes to the church to see the body and be with the family and then family and close friends stay all night in the church with the body. The coffin is open so everyone can see. A man who has suffocated and drowned is very purple. They made him look very dignified in his suit. However, due to how he died he kept bleeding out of his nose, and so the women dutifully kept opening it all up to mop him up and spray his aftershave. Apparently it was fairly unusual the amount of times they opened up the coffin completely. He was such the loveliest of men and very much the family man, sometimes in his own way. 2 of Zuko’s brothers live in the States and wanted to watch the service and so my job was to find a web cam and computer so they could watch. By the time I set it all up, the poor men just couldn’t do it – they couldn’t watch their dad in a coffin over a web cam! Understandably.

So, I stayed at the church with the family and a few other close friends the entire night!! Chatting and comforting – and drinking coffee – pure organic coffee..10 cups kept me awake the whole night. By 6.30am I had to leave to go home and change for work! I went to school, gave my English class and then went back to the church for 9.30am for the funeral itself! There were hundreds of people there this time. After the service, about 20 cars and a bus followed the pick up with the coffin and the men in the back and went off to the memorial garden. It was so awful, watching the girls sobbing and screaming, hugging the coffin. Not 24 hours before, he was at home with them preparing to go fishing – his favourite pastime. Such a shocking tragedy.

They lowered the coffin and then put wooden planks over it, then a wire mesh and then covered it with cement which was smoothed out. When the cement dries they will cover it with the earth again.

I’ve definitely experienced all areas of life here now. But, this family are so close to me. Lorena’s family and Carina’s family both completely welcomed me as one of their own (the 2 families are like one!) I joined in the crying – how could anyone not?! I was grateful I could be there to help out with all the small details for them. Each one came separately and thanked me for my support and care for them, which made me feel I had been there for a reason.

So, now I am looking forward to a good night’s sleep. Finally. Please pray for this family as they come to terms with this horrible tragedy.

Si se puede!

2009-10-11T13:44:00.001-06:00

So football....yesterday was perhaps the most random day I’ve had for a while.

Yesterday Honduras played USA for a qualifying place in the World Cup, it was the most important game. The match started at 8pm and the gates opened at 2pm.

I set off with Jaime, Adelson and Kike at 11am and we stopped off at the lake for lunch. Here the randomness began. We stopped into the ‘cafe’ – and as it’s by the lake the only option is fish – and you go to the fridge and choose which fish you would like. They are gutted and have the scales taken off and are then left in the fridge. They cook ‘your’ fish. We sat overlooking the lake eating our tortillas with a new kind of cheese (freshly made straight from the cows milk – no pasteurising or anything – I’d never tried anything like it – and could probably survive not eating it again!) The fish arrived – still very fish like staring up at me from my plate – and we tuck in. Easier to eat with fingers than the fork and so you just pull it apart. When Jaime started pulling the head apart to check for any extra meat I just found myself laughing. There I was on the way to football with some of my closest friends, discussing football, in Spanish and pulling a fish apart. It was all just too weird.

We went back on our way again, with Jaime still blowing the football horn at every single person we passed.

We made it to the stadium by 2.30pm and joined the incredibly long queue. We managed to get in by 3pm and found Fredi, Zuko, Adony etc – a whole load of guys from church. We then had the next 5 hours to wait for it to start. By 5pm the stadium was completely full – and still another 3 hours til it started. I was so sad I had left my camera in the car, when we arrived it was raining and we figured it’d just get too wet. The waiting wasn’t to bad – as it was the most important game they had a marching band in the stadium and as we got closer to the starting time there were fireworks - and even 3 men parachuted into the stadium with the Honduran flag flying behind them! This game was important to the World Cup and also because it was what the Hondurans were looking forward to to raise the spirits of everyone amongst this political crisis. America is involved with our politics, has withdrawn aid from us – but we were going to win at the football.

Kike bought his facepaints and so we dedicatedly had the flags drawn on us. My face was half white and half blue. Fredi’s wife Belquis did it and so it actually looked good! The match was great – until it was 3:2 to the USA and we had a free kick – and missed! Yes..we lost! The silence in the stadium was phenomenal.

At the final whistle I suddenly felt like I was at a giant funeral. Fredi’s car load all rushed off and as I turned round Jaime was fighting back his tears and sat looking forlorn and Adelson was just sat crying! This meant everything to them in so many ways and everyone was devastated. Now, I like football and yes felt bad we lost, but this was a whole new thing. I didn’t know what to say. Everyone filed out of the stadium quietly. Kike drove back and the car ride was like I was going to a funeral. They were just so devastated. We got home about 1am.

The last match is in El Salvador on Wednesday, but we don’t have much hope apparently. One thing is for sure I won’t be watching with my friends – I can’t take the disappointment afterwards!!

Fun with friends!

2009-10-03T16:07:00.004-06:00

Finally, time for another update. Things here have calmed down finally. The ex-President (really...which other country has 2 presidents at once?!) is still in the Brazilian embassy and life seems to have moved on and left him there. We haven’t had curfews for a few days now – he doesn’t have the support he’d hoped for and so when he rallied for people to turn up last Monday – no one went really, there were no major demonstrations or anything. So there he remains for a while apparently

I went to Tegus this week and you’d not have known there were any political problems going on at all! My friend Jaime finally graduated and so Lorena and I went up to his graduation. Lorena and Jaime are my closest friends here and are like my own brother and sister (they are siblings) - and they view me as their sister too. I love them both to pieces and my life here would be very different without them. So after class on Thursday I drove to Tegus. We stayed with Mario, a friend from church who has gone to work in Tegus and lives with his parents there in a gorgeous house. We had lunch with him, changed and went off to the first part of the ceremony. In the first part ( juramentacion – swearing oaths) the graduates go up and swear their oaths etc and then have to sign all the paper work. Then after that they put on their togas for the graduation part of the ceremony. It was actually really good. I was the official photographer for the day as no one else from his family went. Jaime is the only person in his family to have gone to university and so it was a proud moment for everyone! He is now a fully qualified PE teacher!

Jaime and Lorena

Jaime and I

Lorena, Jaime and I

After the ceremony, Lorena and I went off and wandered around a bit whilst Jaime did official ‘stuff’ and then we all went out to dinner – Jaime and Lorena, Jaime’s 2 house mates and Mario. We went to El Gordo which is a fantastic restaurant that just serves meat!! Meat, meat and more meat! Fantastic – apart from the large part of liver I tucked into thinking it was beef!! Then the 3 of us went to stay at Mario’s. They actually talked me into watching the movie Friday 13th – I never watch scary movies...luckily enough it’s not that scary, more amusing! So we all just had fun hanging out together.

Then yesterday Lorena and I made the most of being in Tegus and went to the mall and just relaxed before we drove home to Sigua in the afternoon. My dream is to be able to bring these 2 to England with me for Christmas this year. At the moment it’s only a dream as I’m trying to find the money for me, let alone them. But please join me in praying that I can find a way for them to meet my culture and family, as they have accepted me into their family and culture here.

One exciting part of my trip was that I got the very LAST tickets in Tegucigalpa for next weeks World Cup qualifying match for Honduras. It’s Hondy’s last match here and the tickets are only on sale in Tegus and San Pedro. My friend Kike called and bought 2 tickets in San Pedro for me and I queued up for 45 mins in the bank in Tegus and Praise God – I got the last 3 tickets in the city!!! So the boys and I (my usual football crew) are off to the stadium next week!! I’m very excited.

So all in all I’ve had a great week!!

Blah blah blah

2009-09-27T16:01:00.000-06:00

Hello all. Sorry it has taken me so long to update this. Things have gone crazy here in Honduras – literally.

If you can remember back to the 28th June I wrote and said that the President had been removed into exile. Well, after all that....the now ex-president came back last Monday! He got back into the country without anyone knowing (thus avoiding arrest) and is now hiding in the Brazilian Embassy. . This has caused major problems in the country. They have cut off electricity, water etc from the Brazilian embassy in an attempt to force him out – whereupon he will be arrested! Food is taken into the embassy every day (so they say?!)
Anyway...how does this affect me? Well, Monday they imposed a curfew (Toque de queda) on the whole country. Everyone had to stay in their houses from 4pm Monday to 10am Wednesday!! We were given from 10am-4pm on Wednesday to leave our houses to buy food etc. Then we had toque de queda again til Thursday 6am. They then lifted the curfew for the whole country and suspended it! So, Thursday we went back to work. Friday they then bought the curfew back into the major cities, but this did not affect me here so I was able to go to work again.

I am now writing this on Saturday night – and yes we have a curfew again 6pm tonight til 6am tomorrow morning. The times change daily and we just have to watch the news to find out what and when it is! Here in Sigua it’s all very calm. I still walk round to my friends house after curfew time – I live in a neighbourhood that is not on the main road (dirt roads etc) no police pass by here. Walking around seems to be ok, but driving is not something to be advised! It means I can walk to Lorena’s house – but only til it’s dark as I don’t like to walk back alone – unless her brothers are there to help me. Tonight it’s raining so I’m at home (oh joy, the rainy season is starting at the same time). Curfews aren’t much fun when you live alone and don’t have internet in the house!!
Tegucigalpa the capital is a mess! I am grateful for the curfews in that they do keep the peace a bit (which is the purpose) – if you leave your house in Tegus they arrest you!!! They have blown up/burnt/destroyed shops, banks, etc in Tegus, looting whatever they destroy. It’s a real mess. The resistance and the demonstrators all take to the streets.

I honestly don’t know what will happen. The UN have become involved and so have the USA and the American equivalent of the EU! I registered a long time back with the British embassy and have residency here so should be ok if anything happens. No-one (foreigners) are planning on going anywhere as Sigua is so secure here. When trouble comes here we know we have problems. I can’t go anywhere even if I want to – the airports are all closed!!
Please pray for peace here in Honduras. I am honestly safe and really not affected. The only way it has affected me is that Jaime’s Graduation was cancelled and so I didn’t go to Tegus! Oh and the curfews...dull, dull, dull – I am watching the movie Hairspray for the second night in a row!! I have never watched so many movies in my life!

If you want more detailed info on what is happening here please let me know and I can email you reports that people have sent to me that seem to be fairly rounded reports (as opposed to the very biased one sided ones on the internet). Not having internet at home means please be patient with news and updates...with the curfews I can’t always get to internet! If you have skype please feel free to call me – anytime after 10.30am my time (remember I am 7 hours behind you!) 00504 97786357 (or send a text message!)

OK, it’s now Saturday night (I will publish this hopefully tomorrow on Sunday) but as I write this I am watching a TV update and the Ex-President has called the TV station to have an ‘interview’. He is calling everyone from across the country to go to the capital Tegus to have a huge demonstration on Monday. He is saying they should start walking tomorrow so they are ready on Monday. Ready for what? I don’t know! He doesn’t have as many supporters as he used to have and no-one thinks that many people will travel to Tegus for this. Let’s pray not! This interview has just been cut as the President has now come on saying we shouldn’t go and that we should be standing for peace. So the rivalry continue!! Please know I am safe here!!

Honduras!

2009-09-18T20:22:00.002-06:00

Here is a link to one of the adverts we have on TV here. On Tuesday we celebrated Independence Day but it is celebrated the whole month here. There is an advert on TV that is celebrating the country - the ethnicity, places, culture, food and traditions. Here is a link to one of the adverts (sadly not the one about places!)

HONDURAS!

Acting debut....to recorder debut!

2009-09-15T11:29:00.004-06:00

It's all about the arts this week apparently! Today is Independence Day here in Honduras. Yesterday at Providence the children sang 2 traditional songs for the office staff and for the Orphan Homes. A small celebration. Now, the recorder is seen as a beautiful instrument here, all the children have to learn it. Now to me it reminds me of being 6 years old and I was re-living this memory yesterday as I was asked to accompany the children singing. I felt quite ridiculous but everyone was suitably impressed! So, that was my recorder debut. Hilarious! I now have the rest of the week off!! Well done Honduras!

All the school staff with our Honduras Football t-shirts on!!

This Gringa refuses to live in fear!

2009-09-12T16:34:00.005-06:00

About 2 weeks ago my neighbour moved out! I forgot to write about it. It proved a very stressful week indeed. There had been a few robberies in my street (like everywhere in Honduras!). My neighbour upstairs - Abner - watched a man rob the house in front and the man saw him watching. He did nothing about it - just watched! He got scared that the man would come back and attack him or rob his apartment (and therefore most likely mine too!) and so moved to the seminary for the week. What annoyed me about this is that he didn't think of my security in any of this and didn't actually tell me he was moving out and why - and therefore I should be careful! Well I was fine, and thankfully nothing happened. I hadn't seen him for weeks and when I saw him on the Sunday he said he was just too scared to live in that apartment and so moved out the next day.
I am not moving anywhere, there are robbers everywhere - and my dogs now don't like strangers so good luck to anyone breaking in!! I feel completely safe - and this area is sooo much safer than the last years!! Abner was scared of everything, was apparently terrified of a woodpecker - kept thinking it was someone trying to break in!
I have spoken to my Landlord and he knows I'm on my own and is looking for the right person to live upstairs - doesn't just want anyone, this I am very thankful for!
All my friends think it's hilarious the Honduran man moved out for fear yet the white girl living alone stays!! Go Gringa!!

Please pray for my continued safety and security!

Children's Day!

2009-09-11T19:57:00.003-06:00

Today was Children's Day and so we took the children (and all the office staff) out to celebrate. We were meant to go to the park but ended up at camp for various reasons. The kids got to play and enjoy. As teacher's we put on a play of the Prodigal Son - hilarious! The funniest part was seeing the doctora on the floor being a pig! Equally amusing was the fact I was the 'father' and it was all ad-libbed in Spanish! Never thought I'd find myself in a Spanish acting part - however small! The kids loved it needless to say and it was a fun day!

My acting debut!
Luisito contemplating life - my favourite kid!!

My girls in the hats we had been wearing all day.

Fun times climbing trees

This is one of the little orphans from the home - we took the kids from the school and from the 2 orphan homes. He is soo cute. This photo was taken just before he put his hands into an enormous pile of fire ants!! Bless him!

Football...All in the name of Independence!

2009-09-11T19:51:00.003-06:00

These last 2 weeks have been crazy! September is one of the most important months here as we celebrate Independence Day. The whole month turns into a celebration. Due to the Political instability here they cancelled all the big parades. We had a small parade for Pre-school whic was so sweet. All the smallest children marching through town. Then there was a football tournament for the Pre-schoolers too - amongst the schools in town. We did well - but didn't pass through to the next level (thankfully!)

This is our team - with the 'Madrina' - the pretty girl!!

Winder and Carlos waiting for the game to start!

At last....photos of Providence.... where I work!

2009-08-28T20:14:00.008-06:00

Here are the children getting their morning snack that the school supplies - today was cornflakes with hot milk! 2 of the mums handing out.
Working on a group project - we're learning about animals at the moment! All so creative I could be on Blue Peter these days!

This is my classroom and my Prepa kids. There are only 15 of them! The classroom is enormous, sadly next year they are dividing it in half to make more classrooms.

Another group of children .

Little Carlos. These kids all look so smart in their uniforms that are provided, you wouldn't know they were some of the poorest children from the mountain village. I am only reminded of this when the bus drops them off and their older brothers/sisters/mums come and get them with no shoes, torn clothes etc. Then you remember what they have come from!

Angie in Kinder is adorable!

Here is the link to more photos!

On the up! (lots of catching up for you too!)

2009-08-23T16:22:00.002-06:00

Things are definitely getting better again round here. After 3 long weeks I can now say I am starting to love my Prepa kids at work! They're getting used to English and are lots of fun! So, work is kind of settling down into a routine. So, thats good.

On Friday I had all the Youth Pastors in Sigua round for dinner. In the end only 5 churches turned up but it went really well. It was all to do with this talent show I'm organising but as I sat and listened to them talk I decided I needed to make a suggestion to them. Everyone is having the same problems with low numbers, encouraging the teenagers etc. So I suggested these leaders meet more often, share ideas, encouragements etc! And so in September they are all coming back to my house for dinner again, and bringing someone with them! Hilarious! I'm not even a leader but am getting all the Youth Pastors in the town together! We're going to arrange a service for all the Youth together in October. It all just makes me chuckle but someone has to do something to get them moving and help them.

The new teachers have arrived at the Bilingual school. I met them last week at Bible Study (with 17 of us there, impressive) and they seem normal enough. 3 of them came to Youth Group with me last night. We played a game there, I have never ever played any of the games with Youth group, not my thing but as there were these new people I decided I should join in. Never again, as I was running a girl ran straight into me and her head knocked me square in the mouth and knocked out my false front tooth. Talk about learning humility there and then. I had to spend the rest of the evening with a huge hole in the front of my teeth - much to the amusment of everyone!!! Thankfully, there is an American dentist who comes twice a year to Sigua and he had just arrived and so today (Sunday) I was able to get hold of him and he put everything back in it's place. He also checked all my teeth and I'm going to go back to get my teeth cleaned on Tuesday. HE works on the teeth of the people in the seminary and Missionaries and his clinic is in the Seminary and so I just had to pay a very small donation! Amazing timing. So all is good. (Did I mention I had pink eye this weekend too and so last night I had a pink eye and no front tooth - looking good!)

With the ups come the downs!

2009-08-16T14:57:00.002-06:00

First things first - I went to another Honduras football match on Wednesday in San Pedro. It was the best yet. I went with 4 guys from church - who would never normally hang out together! Amanda - it was Kike, Adony, Adelson and Jaime's friend Darwin!!!! Was hilarious. The match was phenominal, I got very into shouting. Some had said it would be dangerous in the stadium (political protestors etc) but it was completely fine. It was against Costa Rica and was 4-0 to us and we played the best yet. Good fun.

So, I have now been teaching in Providence for 2 weeks. I had my first week actually teaching last week. To start with the children were too shy to talk to me - yet would talk to me through my Mr Iguana hand puppet!! What has become of me?! They don't know anything and so am starting with the very basics. I know this is where I am meant to be and it's great, but I do find it hard - as in I get very bored as I only teach til 10am and then hang around til the bus takes me home at 1pm - although I d get a cooked lunch every day. I get lots of planning and work done which means I never take anything home and thats great. I kind of miss my old school, but as this school grows it will get easier - and busier!

This weekend I was meant to go camping and fishing with Youth Group but I just needed time out from everyone. It has been a hard week in many, many ways and I just needed to get away - and so I am up at Ken and Sue's house relaxing for the day.

On Friday I have all the Youth Pastors from all the churches in Siguatepeque coming to dinner at my house. It's part of the planning process for the Talent Show. Not sure how I will seat that many people in my house but I have a week to work on that! I have no idea how it ended up in my house either!?

So a mixed week in many ways!

New job....Heaven help me!!

2009-08-04T16:57:00.002-06:00

I am teaching pre-school.....am I insane?! These children reach my knees!! Aggghhh!

So, I've started my new job!! It's the biggest adaptation and change I have had to make yet. Having worked in Chesswood and the bilingual school, which are both big schools, I find it a bit weird working in such a new school, and it is gong to take me time to adapt. There are just 30 children in total at the moment. 15 in Kinder and 15 in Prepatoria. I am the Director of English and teach Prepa - just 1.5 hours a day. I then assist in the other classes - Spanish classes!!! This is great for my Spanish and I can't tell you how much it has improved. Apart from the 1.5 hours of teaching English my day is spent entirely in Spanish - an assistant for Spanish classes, leading meetings with staff, arranging things with parents..not a word of English. I even have to lead devotions in Spanish. Who'd have thought?! There is going to be a lot of work and responsiblity, I am in charge of discipline amongst other things and if Luz the director is not in the school I am the next in charge...hahahaha!!! It's very good for me, but a huge change. These children come from the community and are very cute..I dont always know what on earth they are saying to me, but heh!!? But really.....pre-school?! I have to decide the curriculum, choose the resources, books etc - review other teachers plans (I'd better make sure I write my own!)

I know this is the right decision and I am really going to be able to develop this school... I just have to remind myself of this!

I am also in charge and the General co-ordinator for the Talent Show for our youth group. This is a huge event that had about 200 people last year. I was voted to take charge, which I agreed. It seems to involve a lot of meetings (again not in English). I am working along side a guy called Mario, who is Mr Keen - but didn't go last year so has NO idea! I have managed to get Adony to come and help me explain it all to him, and so our first meeting is tomorrow, before we have to meet with everyone else.

We had our fortnightly evening prayer meeting on Sunday night. Again, there were 15 of us at Adony's house and it was a lovely time with friends.

That's about it for now. Think of me with my mini-people every day! (The good thing about it is I am home by 1.40 every day! The bus picks me up from the end of my road at 7am every day and school starts at 8 and finishes at 1, the school bus drops all the children off in the village and then takes the teachers home again)

New address!

2009-08-02T17:41:00.002-06:00

Finally I can give you my new address. As I don't really get any mail it seemed crazy to get a P.O box and so I am going to share Hollie and Israel's. If you send me anything please can you let me know when you've sent it so I can make sure the box gets checked every so often - they forget!! It's not v different to my old address but has a different PO number.

KATHARINE MARROW
C/O The Hollidays
Apdo 40
Siguatepeque
Comayagua
HONDURAS

Feel free to send me anything!!!! Things have started coming through fine again, with a little patience!!!

Photos

2009-07-29T19:09:00.002-06:00

OK, here are some links to all my recent photos....

Click HERE for all the photos of my birthday

Click HERE for all the photos of the house building day

Road trip to Comayagua

2009-07-29T18:58:00.003-06:00

Yesterday I went off to Comayagua with Elizabeth. It is one of the oldest towns here - in fact the clock in the cathedral is the oldest in America, it was bought to Honduras (no idea why!) and put in the cathedral! It is a stunningly beautiful town (where I saw the sawdust carpets at Easter) and Elizabeth wanted to see it.

So we went and arranged to meet my friend Adony there - who studies at university there, and after his exam in the morning, had a free day. So the 3 of us wandered around and had a laugh. It was great for my Spanish as Elizabeth doesn't speak much Spanish (although she gets my ultimate respect for trying) and so I was translating. Elizabeth used my camera for the day and so I have all her photos. She took photos out of the car window on the way home too - which I've always wanted to do, but obviously when driving - can't!!

In Com, there is a Pizza Hut and so the 3 of us went for lunch. Now, when it is someone's birthday the staff there all come out and sing with their tambourine and you have to dance with them. It wasn't Elizabeth's birthday but Adony and I thought it would be funny if they came to sing to her. So Adony secretly told them it was her birthday and they dutifully came to sing, but alas she refused to dance with them!! Clearly it wasn't her birthday - but we found it hilarious!!

All in all a good day. Last night was volleyball night too and so I went to play...and I could!! I could actually play..amazing. The balls went in the right direction and everything. My new trainer is David - one of the older bus drivers for Providence. This whole Volley thing is great. There is a good group of us who play twice a week. Not all from Providence, we are just a group of friends from all over - so it's great. I get to meet new people, learn a sport. We are there just to relax and have fun. I actually look forward to going...who'd have thought?!

Here is the link to the Comayagua photos.......click HERE

Whoops!

2009-07-27T16:24:00.002-06:00

So the homesick bit wore off after a day and a good night sleep! All good. Am now sat back at the Texaco Gas Station whilst my car gets repaired in the garage down the road.
So last Sunday I drove into the police and then on Wednesday I drove into a hole. Not a pothole...a hole! I wasn't very well and was not concentrating...apparently! I crashed down into this thing, everyone came out to look at me....I pulled forward out of it, went to finish my 3 point turn (was only trying to turn around!) and reversed sraight back into it again!! I am now paying the bills for this! I bent the front axle and various other things! Joy oh joy. But they are fixing it now. Mind you.....I'm paying for it! (£76 is vvvvv expensive here for car repair!)

Oh England....!

2009-07-25T13:12:00.003-06:00

I love it here, I really do. But there are some days when I just wish I was at home in England....speaking English! Without having to think culturally or wondering if someone has broken into my garden again!? There are just days when I miss the simple things of home.

But then the sun shines again here and I rememeber it's raining in England! Puts it back into perspective a bit. I am hoping to come visit next year though - maybe January? Oh to be able to spend a WHOLE day only speaking English! Wow.

(Jean P please can you send me your email address so I can send you my newsletter! katharinemarrow@hotmail.com)

Acceptance

2009-07-20T12:48:00.002-06:00

I'm on a blogging roll right now - but am sat in an amazing cafe with free wireless internet, is comfy, good music and smells amazing! So am sat thinking and writing!

After an amazing week and fantastic weekend I've been contemplating my life here. Last night our youth group had a prayer meeting, 19 of turned up. 18 of my friends and me. Was so much fun. After that I went back to Lorena's house and sat outside with her and Jaime. They really are my family, like a brother and sister to me. They were singing to me their favourite olden ranchero songs etc, old Honduran songs. We told jokes and sang til late into the night. (jokes in Spanish are a bit tricky to understand but I got most of them!) I am so grateful for that family, I love them all so much. It has been in the last 2 weeks that everything has changed - for the better. I have never felt so accepted by everyone or so much a part of things. I think everyone has now seen that I'm here for good, I'm not leaving and they have changed towards me and I am truly accepted. In church a lot of the families and older people are talking more to me and including me. Many of them now looking for a husband for me and praying for one! Yay! Haha. I feel truly loved by everyone. I can't explain how things have changed really, but they have, I am a part of life here. Last night they were planning meeting up to watch a football match, eat dinner together, play games etc. When I asked when and where they had planned it in my house! Everyone is relaxed enough to include me and know I will always have people round. It's like I have always been here. Is just different to life a month ago. I LOVE it!

whoops!

2009-07-20T12:46:00.001-06:00

Did I mention that I was driving back from footie today with Jaime and Adelson and I was chatting away to them. There was a police truck (with policemen sitting in the back) going very slowly in front of me. It stopped at the t-junction, and I stopped behind. Then it went forward to go – but stopped, and I ....didn’t!!! I went into the back of it!!! Whoops. I couldn’t believe it. In Honduras there is no insurance so whoever hits the car has to pay, or whoever does anything what-so-ever to a policeman or car has to pay a LOT! Bribery. So I just looked up at the truck full of policemen and just kept saying sorry, blushing and yet laughing...whilst looking slightly mortified! The policeman driving got out to come and talk to me, I reversed my car out of his bumper (I didn’t even realise I was that close until Jaime told me to reverse – a lot!) The policemen were killing themselves laughing! There was no damage in any way. (the fact I didn’t even feel I had gone into him says a lot about that, and about my car!) Jaime spoke to them, not sure what. Then the driver came to talk to me and told me my license plate was bent – I pointed out it was like that when I bought it! Now this is the point they charge you stupidly large amounts of money, but he just shook my hand instead and then shook Jaime’s hand and we all left friends!!! Hilarious! I was mortified, yet just laughed. Of all the people to bump into it was a truck full of police!! Sometimes it really does pay to be a white girl here; no one else would get away with it!!!

My Sunday Family

2009-07-20T12:43:00.001-06:00

Sunday obviously means football! I took my camera today as they wanted a photo of the team in the new uniform. This is my Sunday family!! I now know all the guys in the team and I am definitely part of it. When I arrive they put all their bags in the back of my car for safety and when they need anything they just come get the keys from me or whoever had the keys last. When it rains, whoever isn’t playing comes and sits in the car with me and watches and we chat away! Too funny. No rain today though – just more sunburn! I am definitely accepted by everyone and included in the whole team now.
So I’ve had a great week. I love living here, I love my friends. Love life generally really! I couldn’t ask for more (apart from maybe peace in the country!)

#3....building

2009-07-20T12:31:00.005-06:00

Saturday was building. A family that is new to our church live almost next door to the church itself in a rotting wooden little shack of a house, just one room. So, some of the youth group and the men in the church went to build and extend their house. A burning hot day as well. We all met up early to start work. Around 25 of us of all ages....and to start with not enough to do...but I was impressed by the amount of people who turned up. We all had hammers but with so many strong men we weren’t really needed. So when the Pastor said he was going to get wood I jumped into the back of the Camion (truck) with some others and off we went. He is building a house on one of the mountains and that was where we were going to get wood. When we got there, he said he wanted to show me around. So I got a guided tour!! Back at the house there was still not much to do except take photos...which I did!! Then they needed soil to even out the floor of the house (Was a simple house – wooden walls and dirt floor). I went in the back of the Camion again to get dirt from the road side near some other property. My job later in the afternoon was to unload the truck load of soil into a wheelbarrow. It sure made up for not having done much all day. This photo is when we had nearly finished unloading it all! This is Zuko patting down all the earth we had laid down as this was there floor.

By the end there were 7 of us still working...and I was the last girl there. It all looked really good. I however looked like a tomato I was so sunburnt! Hanging out with everyone was so much fun, and with a whole range of ages too.

Just waiting for the door and windows to be put in.

#2...birthdays

2009-07-19T20:33:00.007-06:00

Next....birthdays. Friday was my birthday. I was wondering how I would spend it this year. I knew Lorena had something planned but had no idea what. After a quiet, peaceful day I met with Lore and we went for ice cream again (it’s hot here ok!?) This was in fact a ploy (and not particularly subtle!). She has my spare house keys as she‘s my neighbour and she had given them to Hollie and Israel so they could arrange a party in my house whilst we had ice cream. How lovely is that? When I got there all my friends were waiting for me...cake and everything! Was soooooo wonderful! Obviously I got the traditional Honduran birthday....you blow out the candles on the cake – and then they stick your face in it....then they smashed raw eggs into my hair at the same time! At the time I was grateful it was in my house so I could shower and change. They had ordered Chinese food too and so we all ate, played cards and different games and chatted. The last 2 guys left at midnight. What a birthday! It was truly wonderful and showed me what special friends I have around me here. Those who couldn’t make the party all called me to wish me happy birthday – including a group of ladies and friends who were at a meeting at church in the evening..hilarious!

Bombs, birthdays and building.....#1 bombs

2009-07-19T20:31:00.001-06:00

I’ve had perhaps one of the best weeks that I’ve had in months! How I love vacation time. This week I went to Tegus to get my residency card. I went on Wednesday lunch time and went with Elizabeth – Israel’s sister who is here visiting (Israel is my new boss and he and his wife Hollie are v good friends of mine here). Anyway, I drove in my car, which gave me lots of time to get to know Elizabeth, and we met up with Marlon in Tegus as I hadn’t seen him for ages. We went to various places in Tegus to show Elizabeth the city a bit, whilst waiting for Jorge to finish work ( we were staying at his house). We met up at the cinema but there were no movies in English on at the time we arrived! As we were deciding what to do I got a message from Israel telling me what the news on tv was saying...and it wasn’t good! Basically, saying that they were going to close the roads with protest marches and put bombs under the bridges and that we shouldn’t come back til it was safe! So that changed our plans a bit and we went to the supermarket to get some food. People continued to call us and everyone was in a panic cos we were in the city and not sleepy Sigua. Elizabeth and I went back to Jorge’s house where we stayed up til 3am playing cards, chatting and watching movies...was great. We weren’t worried about anything going on! The next morning we woke up to....nothing! All was peaceful so I went to the government Migration office and picked up my residency card...not a problem! The universities were closed and so Jorge was able to hang out with us....was great fun. There were no buses running and so my friend Jaime called to ask if I could give his housemate a ride back to Comayagua as he couldn’t get a bus. I knew this guy and so we met up with him and got on our way. Obviously it wasn’t going to be straight forward. Just as were leaving the city the road was closed. The protest marchers were....protesting? It was all peaceful, but we were told they would open the road at 4pm – which meant an hour and a half wait. Then they said 6pm. We decided to wait til 4 and then if it still didn’t open we’d turn back and try again the next day. It opened by 3.30pm and we had a v slow drive home. From door to door by the time we’d dropped everyone off (and stopped for ice-cream to break up the journey it took me 5 hours (instead of 2). We got to know Gabriel (Jaime’s housemate) and he was great fun so the journey was simply hilarious! Was great to get out of Sigua, be with different people and relax and have fun!

update

2009-07-13T14:37:00.001-06:00

I’m so sorry I haven’t updated this in so long, it’s difficult without internet at home. But I will try and remember everything that has happened. I will have to put it briefly or else you’ll still be reading this next week!

1. I have moved into my new apartment and I feel far more at home here, it is just up the road from my closest friends here, Lorena and Jaime. Most evenings now, as I pass their house on my way home, I drop into their house to chat to them and their mum!! Perfect Spanish practise (although even Jaime says sometimes his mum uses words that not even they understand!)

2. Amanda has gone back to Canada to study and so I live by myself. At first this was hard and I cried the first few days, but after that things went back to normal here. I’m used to being here alone and so just got back into that mode! The church know she has gone and so I am getting all sorts of invites from people and families to go to their houses and people are asking to come and visit me!! So, although I am very sad Amanda has gone, at least I am getting to know more people.

3. My Spanish is improving suddenly. Living by myself means I don’t talk English at home (well apart from my thoughts!) and so I am speaking far more Spanish! Tonight, a friend came round and we talked for 3 hours trying to sort out their life , (and not a word of English!) It is wonderful to know I can have deep, meaningful conversations in Spanish.

4. Football continues, and I continue to go each Sunday to watch. It’s great – if I want to chat to people I can and if not I can just stand quietly and watch whilst having people around me!

5. The political troubles in the country are calmer for now, as Mel Zalaya is in the USA!

6. I am on vacation for the whole of July and am LOVING it!!

7. Last Friday night my group from Youth Group all came to sleep the night in my apartment as we had planned to go to Santa Barbara at 5am Sat morning. Oh my!! In the end only 9 stayed here, 4 stayed at Lorena’s and 3 stayed at home and came early on Saturday! SO much fun. I was determined to keep my bed mind you – although I had to share it with Sindy and Yesenia. However Yesenia snored and so I ended up on the floor in the other room with the guys!! I didn’t sleep at all – they had all the cushions! We then left at 5am to Santa Barbara. Fredi’s friend needed help in her house there. She had been in a car accident where her husband and baby died. She is left with a bag in her stomach and other problems and just needed encouragement! We turned up and cleaned up the garden and then I went with her and a few of the others to the grave and cleaned it all up with her. That was hard to do! It was so humbling to go and see this woman, probs not much older than me and see her coping with everything. It was a great time to get to know the others better too. Next Saturday we are re-roofing a house near the church.

8. I am so so blessed and lucky to have my friends here. I love them to pieces!! I think in this last week my friendships have really deepened with them all. I’m also meeting new people and getting to know them too.

9. All last week someone kept breaking into our garden here. Abner – my neighbour upstairs gets more scared than me! The dogs go mad, I think sometimes they are just barking at an animal – but not every time, I heard the person when they entered too. But it is a huge garden and they don’t come near the house – nor would the dogs let them! The first time I heard someone in the night, and then heard gun shots. I thought nothing of it and went back to sleep. Apparently, the gun shots were in my garden!! Abner called the guard of the school down the road when he heard the robber who came and fired warning shots! So, I have put bolts on my doors. The one it had was so flimsy you could open the door! I have friends lined up to come help if there is trouble, we’ve put up more outdoor lights and Abner is going to buy a gun so he can warn people off! It’s really not as bad as it sounds!

10. Hopefully I will go to Tegus this week to finally get my residency card. Yay.

So that is a brief summary of what has been happening! I think most of you got my newsletter. If you didn’t get it and would like a copy please let me know your email address and I will send it to you. Sorry there are still no pics. It takes too long to upload them from here. I use internet at different places so as not to keep bothering the same person. Now I am in Texaco Cruz gas station!!! Free internet whilst they are washing my car (sounds a WHOLE lot posher than it is!!!)
So.. life is good! I’m a happy girl!

New President!

2009-06-29T13:21:00.002-06:00

What a weekend! Not quite the peace and quiet I was expecting. We had a military coup - but it wasn't a military coup at all! Confusing stuff! The President Mel Zelaya was arrested by the Military in the early hours of Sunday morning and exiled to Costa Rica as he had been breaking the law and constitution. We were at our early morning Prayer Meeting on Sunday morning when we heard that it had happened. Everyone was told to stay at home and church was cancelled. There were trucks of soldiers driving around our town- apparently - I didn't see them! But here in Sigua it was all calm and so football was on as normal and we went off to watch it etc - noone had stayed in their houses!
Tegus was a different matter and I was glad not to be there! During the day they inaugarated a new President! All happened a bit fast, but heh! We had a curfew of 9pm last night. Everyone had to be in their houses by 9pm and the military were on the roads to check. No-one was messing with this and so by 9pm we were at home! CNN and BBC all seemed to have a very one sided few of what had happened - and it didn't seem to be correct. None of my Honduran friends agreed with any of it - making out Mel (Old President) was a good man, feeling sorry for him. Not in any way correct! I guess he got the good publicity he wanted!
All seems calm this morning and fairly normal! What will happen in the next few days I have no idea but the worst seems to be over. My first military coup - that wasn't!

On to new things....

2009-06-25T14:30:00.002-06:00

Well, I've officially finished with school and am now working for Providence World Ministries - though I don't start teaching there til Aug 1st and so for now it's holiday time! I've never needed a rest so much in my life!! The house move went well and I'm settled into my new apartment. I really like it and we've had lots of visitors. Enough people came to help move the 'stuff' and so it all went smoothly. I don't have internet at home and so it isn't easy to check my email so often anymore - very frustrating. I have so much to say but right now not enough time to say it! Just to let you all know I'm well and the move went well etc.
(p.s) There are rumours of a military coup (is that how you spell it?) here at the weekend. The President and politics have gone mad! I'll write more on that at a later date. All change!

Moving....

2009-06-12T21:05:00.000-06:00

Allow me to warn you that moving house in the tropics is just horrible! It's sooooooo hot these days and packing and moving are just not pleasant things to do! Having said that the end is in sight. Amanda's back is bad at the moment and so I moved everything by myself today. No-one else was free to help. It nearly killed me, but it's done. I even took the fence down - Jorge helped me with that bit - at 7pm. Tomorrow I move the furniture using the big Camion..er..truck that we went to Ceiba in. And that's it. I went and bought a bed base today and so I now have a bed! Yay. We had a list of helpers for tomorrow, most of whom can't come so we shall see what happens?! We definitely have 2 coming to help! I just hope it's not as hot as today...Please pray for internet in my house too....it would make life so much better!!!

Packing!!

2009-06-11T20:48:00.000-06:00

Agggggggghhhhhhhhhhh! I hate packing!! Packing in this intense heat is just no fun either! It's really hot these days. So, we are surrounded by boxes and are trying to get everything packed so tomorrow when people come to help us move stuff we have things to actually move. Saturday we have the truck from church moving our big furniture. For the next few days and weeks I don't actually have a bed base or wardrobe or desk or or or...!! I have to go ad buy these things as I had borrowed them from school. We found a nice (cheap) wardrobe in a used store in town, it was unfortunate that when we opened the door Amanda screamed in the store as there were cockroaches running around inside the wardrobe. Really horrible - but I think the only one I can afford right now!! A bit of a clean and it might be different!!

Apparently there is no internet connection in the new apartment, the signal doesn't reach it! Possibly no tv either. Goodness knows what I'm going to do living there by myself with nothing to do - am trying not to think about it. It may also mean that my blogging won't be so regular as I will have to find somewhere else to use the internet!

Please pray as we move and settle into somewhere new! Pray the signal reaches us.

Goodbyes!

2009-06-08T23:00:00.003-06:00

It's been over a week since I updated this and so much has happened! This last weekend Amanda went to the beach and I stayed here to clean the apartment ready so we can start moving in this week. Slightly Cinderella-esque, but someone had to clean it and get going on this moving malarky!

Last night I was awoken by another earthquake, this time only a 5.7 I think...but enough to wake me. I am over being woken up now by things shaking - I like my sleep. This one didn't come in waves but was a back and forward shaking. Looks like this is the way things are going now. Please pray for safety.

Other big news is mainly that school has finished! YAY!! I think I mentioned I am leaving my current school to go and work in the village with Providence World Ministries - working and starting a school in a very poor community and working with orphans. So, last week was the exam week in school - final week with the kids, was a week of goodbyes and fairwell class parties/trips. All good fun. We still have to go into school for 2 weeks - not sure why really as there are no kids and I have finished all my reports ect. Actually I worked my butt off last week to get everything finished because we are moving this week and I needed to get work out of the way! So it's the end now!

Today we had a staff despedida - farewell party. We had it at Prof Edith's daughter's house - oh my!! How the other half live!!! They have a swimming pool in the garden?! Then I spent the evening at Peter and Maileen's house. A lovely day!

This is me between Deb and Nicole (with Brian being creepy in the background). All these guys are leaving.

Hot rods...Honduran style!

2009-05-31T21:34:00.000-06:00

Now I wasn't overly scared at the earthquake - confused ...yes! But last night I found myself very scared. Amanda has been away at camp all weekend and so I've been by myself again, something that doesn't ever worry or bother me.
But at 4.30am last night I was rudely awakened...I was woken by a car (I think pick-up) that was driving at the speed of light outside my house, noone goes fast outside my house because a) the road is so bad and b) I live in a dead end by a cemetery! The screeching of the brakes and tyres woke me and then I heard boys laughing. Not such a problem thought I and then I heard all the gun shots! I think it must have been drunk guys driving around firing their guns!! I was actually really scared! I didn't get out of bed as didn't want to be seen through the window. I thought of my dogs, but thankfully heard them drinking water outside my window so knew they were ok, which meant I could go back to sleep!
Never a dull moment around here!

The deed is done!

2009-05-29T22:52:00.000-06:00

I've done it - I've signed the contract for renting my new apartment!! Am now the proud resident of 2 houses (for these next 2 weeks!). Crazy.

Have also paid this months rent for both places. My poor, poor bank account!!

Gas shortage!

2009-05-29T22:45:00.000-06:00

Well, we've not had any more big earthquakes. Apparently there have been a few 4.5's but we can't feel them here. There have been problems and damage in San Pedro and the biggest bridge in the country has collapsed!

This has now caused problems with gas...hmmm....petrol! A friend called me today to go fill up my tank as all the gas stations are running out. There is no diesel left in Sigua and they are fast running out of gas. Possibly going to ration what is left!! I've filled up my tank so should be ok.

There are various theories for this,all due to earthquakes....a) there are problems at the port, b) something to do with the fact the gas storage (no idea of the word in English) was damaged in the earthquake and c) because the bridge is down, the tankers just can't get here to deliver it!!

All good fun! Kind of!

My first Earthquake!!

2009-05-28T17:12:00.002-06:00

We've had the insane heat, the tropical rainstorms and last night we had an earthquake! It measured 7.1 on the richter scale!! That makes for a big earthquake!! At 2.25am in the morning I woke up feeling sea-sick as my house was physically swaying. Amanda came into my room and I just stared at her confused as she shouted 'earthquake' at me!! Books and ornaments fell off my bookshelf and my bed moved across the room!! The earthquake came in waves and it was honestly like being on water. We went into the living room where we could see the house physically moving and swaying and could hear the dogs barking outside! I've never known anything like it. When it ended, we just sat there feeling sea-sick from all the swaying.

The epicentre was in the sea off the coast of Honduras, thankfully. Had it been on land we would have had severe damage. As it was, things weren't as bad as they could have been. In Sigua there wasn't much damage - was far worse nearer the coast.

School was open as usual - despite the large cracks that had appeared on the ceilings. Not exactly safe but heh! We had 'Earthquake drills' where the children had to practise getting under the desks and then lining up outside.

Some say we are due to have more earthquakes in the coming days, but only time will tell!

Rain rain go away!

2009-05-28T17:07:00.000-06:00

Last Saturday, we had the start of our tropical rainstorms! In 1 hour the roads flooded (Amanda was in town with water up to her knee!) and our house leaked! Not too badly - and not as bad as the houses belonging to some of my friends! I've never seen that much rain in that short a time! Unbelievable. Since last Saturday we've had other tropical rainstorms. When that much rain hits a tin roof you certainly know about it!!

Sheer Bravery!

2009-05-19T21:22:00.000-06:00

As my Grade 2's and I were tidying the classroom today I noticed a tarantula creep out from under the bookcase. The kids were all sat down at their desks and if I had pointed it out the girls would have screamed and the boys would have wanted to play with it...not on my agenda!

So I was incredibly brave....yes...I quietly went up to Joel - a sensible 7 year old boy and asked him to remove it for me without a fuss!! He quietly and subtly slipped out to the bathroom to get a broom, killed it and swept it outside, all without a word - noone else found out! Well maybe Itzel saw it and thought I was very mean for killing it....I pointed out I just wanted it gotten rid of!!

Should I feel embarrassed that I had a 7 year old boy remove a taratula for me?! Nah!

Contracts!

2009-05-19T17:57:00.000-06:00

Got a phone call at work today from Abner (my soon to be neighbour) asking me to meet my new landlord at his school to give him my passport number etc so he can write up the contract! Nearly blew my head away - I only saw the place yesterday and already he is drawing up a contract! I took Amanda to see the apartment today and meet these people and they are simply wonderful! He read through my current contract for me to see when I can get out of my house and he didn't see a problem - and heh it's Honduras! All a bit of a rush for me - my new contract starts 1st June - although will be here til Mid June. He is not charging me a month's rent in advance which is lucky! It all seems to be happening around me!

He did however say there are only 2 neighbourhoods that are very dangerous in Sigua and that he doesn't go into after 4pm.....when he said which ones they were, I pointed out that one of them is where I live now!!!! Confirmed my need to move me thinks!!!

I'm so sad to leave my house!

All change.....again!!

2009-05-18T23:28:00.000-06:00

So, I LOVE my house. I love it to bits. But my friends have all concluded - all separately - that it is simply not safe enough around here for me to live alone. I am so sad by this but know they are right. Which means I have to find somewhere else to live. Having seen Jaime's student house this weekend, it made me realise I don't need anything big or fancy - just a place for me. I've been asking my friends to keep an eye out but with the trauma of buying a new car I haven't given much thought to the house renting/moving!
On Saturday morning I received a phone call from Tim Hagler saying he was standing in an apartment that was clearly built for me and I must see it immediately! I pointed out I was in Tegus and so we arranged to go see it today!

So off I went today to meet Tim. Now, I'd thought I was going to move into another house - not apartment. But, this place is almost the same size as my house and was wonderful. It has just been built - in fact still being finished! Tim is very good friends with the young guy who has moved in upstairs, he has just finished in semenary and is working with the youth at Tim's church. He is getting married next year and this is to be their home. There is one apartment upstairs and one down. 2 bedroom. The owner founded Pablo Weir, a Christian evangelical school in town. He said he built it with 2 options in mind. My flat has a staircase in it which is blocked off at the top - so if a family want to move in he can open it up and it is a big house - or he can have it as 2 flats!! Cunning! Does mean I have a random staircase going no-where!!! The garden is enormous, simply enormous, with well established banana and coconut trees. The owner is very excited I have dogs, he's always wanted them but his wife is allergic and the other guy upstairs - Abner - LOVES dogs and thinks it's great I have them! He doesn't have a car and so the garage space is mine! It really is perfect. It is just one block frm Jaime and Lorena's house too - where I spend a lot of time anyway. The other amazing thing is that Abner suggested we split the cost of internet between us!! We can claim it's a house and share!! Perfect for when I'm living alone - cuts the costs! It's much cheaper than my house here too. So, security wise - much more secure!
I can move in from June and so Tim is reading through my contract for me to find out when I can leave this house! I feel very sad about leaving. The thought of moving again fills me with dread. But, it is so clearly meant to be that I just can't say no! It's def the right thing to do!

(more good news - Hollie and Israel have an extra bed I can have - I have to give my bed back to the school!!)

ALL change!!