Things can only get better!!

Well, this past week has had it's ups and downs - probably more downs than ups to be honest - but a new week starts tomorrow so we shall see what it brings! It has been a tough couple of weeks in school, what with work, children, politics, parents eves etc. This weekend has cheered me up somewhat though. On Friday we had a party at Ken and Sue's house. They wanted to have a party and asked Amanda and I to organise it and invite all my friends - we weren't about to argue on this one! Was good to be back in that house again having a party.

Saturday was the trip to the vet again - next vaccinations! Sooo expensive..but necessary! I have booked both the dogs in to be spayed this Friday. As I don't have any desire to breed them it makes sense to have them 'done'! As dogs live outside here - and all the other dogs actually live on the street outside their houses, having 2 dogs on heat will mean barking all night and all the daddy doggies lining up outside our fence trying to get in - no thank you! So the snip it is. However....I can't believe how expensive it is!! It is cheaper for me to have a hysterectomy (which I am NOT having!) than it is for my dogs! What is that about!? It has actually made me really sad because Amanda and I had planned to get away for a weekend, to the beach or somewhere. We desperately need to get away from things here for a bit to get ourselves together - time out etc! However, due to the cost of these darling doggies, Amanda is going by herself as I can't afford it!! Thanks Jezebel and Delilah!!
Looking back at the photos I put on here of them I realise how sick they were - they are very different now they are healthy so I shall try to take more photos this week!

Weather wise it has improved. Not nearly as much rain these days - has actually been quite sunny again some days!!

I played my flute in church today - trying to start practising for my duet from hell that's coming up at Christmas! I really enjoyed it. I do love my friends at church (but also miss my friends from home). So much fun. Tonight, we didn't have choir after the service and Martita (pastor's wife) came up to me to say that as we didn't have choir I was going to lead a dancing class with everyone!!! She's so funny!! Hilarious really considering Christian's aren't allowed to dance in this culture! We're slowly challenging things apparently! I really do feel involved here - it's great!

Let's hope this week is an improvement!

Back...and with a friend!

Yes it's true.....plastic chair man is back.

This time he had a friend....who was standing there loading his gun on the street corner!!

After we past him we heard him 'testing' his gun. Didn't look back to see what he shot.

Got to love it!

My random life

Well today brought with it more randomness! As usual. This morning I went to church by myself as Amanda needed to sleep. It was good to catch up with my friends (again!!) Then Amanda and I wandered to the market and pottered around without rushing - was lovely.
This afternoon the guys from church had a football match and so we took some of them up to the match in my car and took the dogs with us - whilst they were playing we took the dogs for a lovely walk along the quiet lanes. This is definitely not a common thing here!! Lets just say I hope our dogs get used to it!!

Then...it was time for choir again! I went with apprehension as I did not have the music I was meant to teach 'my group' or the music for the flute!!! When I arrived I was met with some disturbing news about the evening! Let me tell you that our music director is a phenominal musician! He has his own recording studio in his house and plays every instrument under the sun!! A vvvv talented man, the like of which I have never met before! So...when I arrive he joyfully tells me we are going to play a duet in the concert!! I nearly died then and there!!!! After some frantic praying, God came up trumps as he had left my music at home - thus I couldn't play tonight!! How sad! The singing went fine and I sat and belted out my part in Spanish! I really, really do love it. The ladies were still discussing what we should wear and yet again my hair colour was being used as an example of a colour we could have for a stole or scarf or something! Heaven help me! The dancing went well and good old Martita the pastor's wife got into it again! Too amusing. We don't have practise next week and so I have time to get it all sounding as it should. Talk about pushing my limits - very good for me!

Please pray it all goes well!

The countdown...

Day 7....he was there this morning, there this afternoon when I passed twice. When we came back home tonight after dinner out a Musi's he was gone! I feel my life is altering...it's just not right when he's not there!

Happy Guy Fawkes Night!

For the first time ever I really really missed bonfire night tonight!! I missed wrapping up warm and standing by a bonfire. I missed sausages - real sausages, not American hotdogs - and jacket potatoes! I missed sparklers and fireworks.

Instead? I got to fix the dogs' fence.

The man is still on the plastic chair...day 6. (was there on the way to school and on way back!)

Isn't it ironic...don't you think?

So life took an extraordinary turn this week and became not just random but surreal - in every way!

We have 3 friends who live here in town who teach at a school connected with an orphange on the highway. They are 3 American girls who arrived in August, they are still adjusting to living here. Their school has had problems with a burglar who is very malicious, has been breaking in and tearing down posters and pictures, taking things, and even went and took a bite out of every banana! Anyway, this man had a problem with the school and so when the school called in the police he had to find another way to get back at them. It turns out that this way was to get back at the teachers - our friends! He found out where they live - by following the school bus and following them home - this is what we think anyway! So their house was broken into, furniture tipped over, posters ripped down, he took their computers, cameras, money etc. The main issue is that written on the wall was a death threat and a comment about coming back again!!

So...obviously they had to get out and quick. They don't know many people here in Honduras and so we were very touched that they felt they could call on us for help. One of the girls went up to the school to stay and the other 2 wanted to get away from it all and come and sleep here. So Amanda and I shared our room and gave them hers.

It is such a horrible thing. I went to meet them in the supermarket car park and then had to drive around town for a bit before coming here to make sure we weren't being followed. Never thought I'd have to do that. We had texted all our friends here to get them to pray for us so that we'd all be kept safe!! All was good and we were safe. Since then their school has stepped up and found them a house to live in and for a week they are going to live up at their school.
Has been an odd 24 hours! All over now though!

The irony of it all? We are supposed to live in the dangerous part of town and yet they took refuge with us here!