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!!
Sunday, 30 May 2010
Tropical Rains
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!
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!
Sunday, 16 May 2010
Eye team visits Providence
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.
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!!
Saturday, 1 May 2010
Happy Day of the Pine Tree!
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???
Friday, 30 April 2010
Reality bites
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!
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!
Monday, 26 April 2010
Melting
Tomorrow is meant to be the hottest day. I am melting! 38C ++ Not an air conditioner in sight!
Saturday, 24 April 2010
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