The end of an era...and nearly my life!!!

The most eventful news for a while happened last Friday night. Amanda, Brittany and I decided we wanted to go to Tegucigalpa (the capital city) to go to the cinema and get away from Sigua for the night. We arranged to stay with friends there and piled into my car. Now I'd taken my car to the garage the day before to get the emergency/hand brake fixed, and so was able to assure them both that it was in good condition and would make the journey no probs! It's a 2.5 hour drive round and round and up and down mountains. Beautiful scenery....and roadworks! We obviously set off at 4.30pm and so were set to run into rush hour but we were in no hurry....!

At about 6.30ish we arrived in the outsirts of Tegus - at the top of a very long hill. Rush hour was in full swing, it was dark and the traffic was unbelievable - city traffic at that too! As we started driving down my car decided this was a fine time for the brakes to go! And they did. No brakes...nothing....nada....zilch! Hmmm. I told the girls, and I don't think they realised the full extent of the no-brake-ness as they couldn't see the traffic close behind or the angry faces the drivers were making. Horns beeping everywhere I just prayed hard and drove inbetween the cars, changing gears to help slow down. We then pulled off onto a slip road which went up so slowed us down again! Then we cut through the Mall carpark and virtually flew over the speed humps! The scariest bit was at the traffic lights and not being able to stop until the last minute!! Driving in rush hour downhill without brakes is not something I'd recommend to anyone!! We arrived safely, which was only by the grace of God! Looking back, it's amazing we didn't crash or cause a pile up or something! The next day the mechanic came and looked at the car and tested all the brakes, he said there wasn't a problem. We went on a test drive around the hills to make sure it was ok and it seemed to be. He said the brakes over heated from over-use with the roadworks. Now I've driven that road many many times and never had a problem with over heating so I'm not convinced. However, we were able to drive home ok. As we arrived near our house the brakes started slipping again, but we were near enough home!
Since then the engine is running way too high and it sounds like a racing car!! So, it's probably this that caused everything to over heat.

So the upshot of all this is that I am going to have to sell my car and buy a new one (well new to me!). My car is 19 years old and the engine is in great condition so hopefully I will at least get what I paid for it? I am going to repair and fix it up and sell it asap. I need a car that works and that I can feel safe in. Amanda is leaving in July and so I will be doing most of my travelling alone and I need a car that will keep me alive - and safe - white girl waiting on side of the road is a no-no!!! It really is an end of an era (allbeit a short era) and we 've had many many adventures in this car...remember the wheel coming off going down a mountain?! But security has to come first! I'm hoping to get another 4x4 4runner. I use my car ALL the time for church etc. It's my way of serving others, as I am lucky enough to have a car I use it to help others out - especially as it gets dark here at 6pm every day and walking at night is a no-go. The thought of being in my neighbourhood without a car fills me with dread - not the safest area, although I love my house here!!!

I have less than no money right now - and I know everyone is in the same boat! But, if you feel you could donate ANYTHING - £1, £10, £100, £1000 - ok i'm pushing it a bit - I would be really grateful. Buying a new car here is more expensive than getting one in UK because they all get run into the ground and have to be imported from the US too. There are no nice used car garages either, you just write your phone number on the back of the car!! As the rest of the world suffers financially, it hits hard in the 3rd world countries too - even the cost of bananas has shot up and we're the original Banana Republic!!!

If you can help in any way please let me know or contact my Dad for info on how to get the money to me (i.e. into my bank!). If you go to St George's, Helen A can help! Think and pray people, think and pray!! Thanks xx

General day to day nothingness!!

So these past few weeks have bought friends birthdays, trips to Tegus and general socialising!! I have also started my Spanish lessons again - not too soon either!! I can't afford to have as many lessons as I'd like and so I am having 1 a week and then practising lots with my friends! As soon as I can escape from school I go and either visit people or give my English classes. I give 3 English classes a week to Adony and Kike, my friends (individually). I worked out that if I charged them it would cover my Spanish lessons, but this is a way I can help them and they are both students with a need to learn English! Therefore, I don't charge them anything. However, if there is ever a problem with my house or car or anything they would both come and help me - which is a more useful and better form of payment in my opinion!! I have found it a good way to get to know them too. So all good. Adony also gives me Motorbike lesssons in return!!!! Bonus!

Motorcycle mahem part 2!

Well I had another motorbike lesson round the campo next door. I love it and I have the hang of it now!! Adony had me going round and round the field changing gears and practising starting and stopping. If I stalled I had to go round 3 more times. It's great! I have absolutely no reason to learn this, apart from the fact I want to!! I'm never going to drive on the roads or buy one - but heh ho!

Alive? I think so

Yep...I'm rubbish at keeping this up to date at the moment - but I am still alive over here!!

I will write very soon and update in detail.

Motorcycle Mahem!

Oh dear I've just realised how long it has been since I updated this! So much has happened I'm going to give a brief summary and then start again with more detail from today!

So..

• We've had water since the last blog and all seems to be normal with it's supply - for now!
• We had Valentine's Day (not exactly an important day for me but heh others like it!). It is celebrated as the day of love and friendship here and so it is a huge day. In school we had a big sports competition, all the kids made cards, had cakes etc - insane! Then, on Saturday night at Youth Group we had a big dinner for about 50 of us! All good fun. Here are links to the photos (Dad, click on the writing i.e the name that is in blue or red!)

School Valentines day

Youth Group Valentines

• The sunshine is finally back and we are heading into the dry season and so I've been out enjoying the sun - getting burnt being part of the process!
• Dogs are slowly calming down.
• We've had the white plastic chairs stolen off our porch and Jezebel's collar stolen from around her neck! Such a scary dog that she is!
• I've been really sick for the past 2 or 3 weeks and with the help of the internet I've been able to diagnose it as Gas Poisoning! We've had a gas leak and it took a few weeks to realise what the smell was! I am 98% certain this is the problem and we 've changed the gas tank and the smell of rotten eggs has gone and we're starting to feel better. I've had headaches/migraines for 2 weeks, dizziness, extreme tiredness etc..basically every symptom associated with it! I decided not to go to the Dr but after changing the tank just wait to see if I get better. Slowly I appear to be and so that's good! A close call me thinks!
• School has been very frustrating recently - feel free to pray for that!
• Our church has bought some more land to build their school on and to build other outreach projects etc and we had a outdoor service of thanksgiving...Here is the link to click on.... Outdoor Service
• After that service we all went to a house of a Missionary family who are friends of mine and go to our church. I get on really really well with Hollie and she had said that they wanted to host a party at their house to get to know more people from church and so asked if I would invite my friends - and so I invited along my group from the Youth Group at church and we went and had fun at their house! It was great, hopefully the first of many parties there! Hollie and Israel and really lovely and have adoable children - they have been the family who helped us with showers, laundry etc when we had no water!! Here is the link to the photos of that party.... Hollie and Israel's Party

Please pray for my health and for school - it just gets very frustrating at times!

Other than that the most exciting thing that has happened in a while was today....my first motorbike lesson! Adony comes to me for English class every week and has a motorbike...3 in fact! So said he would teach Amanda and I!! So when he came around today we took his bike onto the campo next door to our house ( football field) and he taught us. Now, Amanda has riden before so knew roughly what to do...me- not a clue!! I had pysched myself up all week so that if I fell off or had an accident I would be prepared for it! We didn't wear a helmet for this lesson, not exactly a lot of traffic around on a field.

So, it was a slight obstacle course - the horses wandering aimlessly as they do, the children having soccer coaching at one end and then as I started my turn the men's football team doing their warm up jog around said field - and not the team of my friends! This did not bode well for me. After 3 attempts, and stalling before moving anywhere, I was off. They told me not to go above 2nd gear and to keep slow. Hmmm...a good plan. However...not one I had any control over, I just went faster! I went in a straight line and all was going well, as I turned the corner not so bad and I had to change gear again...either to 3rd or slow right down to 1st...yup I chose the faster option. Now I had caught up with the men running and was pretty much just chasing them...hilarious. It's not my fault that they were going in the same direction as me. They were laughing at me until they turned around and saw I was speeding up and heading straight for them...hair flying behind me, looking quite the part...apart from....panic written across my face! Then the panic stricken look spread across their faces and it was like the parting of the Red Sea and Moses...and I drove right through the middle!! Well...they should have been running faster! I drove straight up to Adony and Amanda and still couldn't slow down and so just stopped!! They were killing themselves laughing...at me and at the poor men. Now girls don't really ride motorbikes here, certainly not young white girls...so to have one nearly run you down..??! I wish Amanda could explain it to you! But..I'm all ready and waiting for my next lesson....I might work on slowing down and control next time! But heh - I didn't fall off! All safe though - relatively.

I'll try and keep this more up to date now!

ho-hum!

No water.....again!!!

Photos

Here are some photos of my dogs...

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=210675&l=9e875&id=876635272


and random photos of my beloved sugar cane!!!....

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=210671&l=a5cea&id=876635272