Last Day in Honduras - Not

We had a rocky start to the morning. Went to pay our hotel bill after we had breakfast at the restaurant where we ate all week, and the credit card system for the hotel was not working correctly. The night watchman, Marco, was helping us, but it never would work. He called the owner of the hotel who said that she would be there in 15 minutes (that could really mean an hour). She was convinced it our cars was bad, but it wasn't because we had just used it like we had all week. We finally had to leave for our 1 1/2 hour trip to the airport. We will use Western Union to send money to a Living Waters employee here who can pay our bill. 

Arrived at the airport with no problem. Checked in, went through customs, went through a souvenir shop, and sat to wait for our flight. As I sat, I thought I heard my name being called over the intercom. I went to the gate and was told that they found something suspicious in my bag and that I needed to go with them. 

Another lady and I were given the official orange vests to wear and off we went with a United employee. We went down the ramp that the folks who had just landed were coming up. That was our plane. We were lead under the airport building where all the luggage is sorted to a little locked room. In there was a man sitting at a screen looking at baggage going through the screening process. There was another man with a big baseball ball looking piece of wood pushing the luggage along the rollers. The third man was the one who would go through our luggage. He went through the other lady's first. He opened some cigarettes that she had, but didn't find anything else. 

I start feeling a little nervous wondering what he thinks he is going to find in my bag. I was given some homeopathic ointment from a lady but that was all I could think of. He kept digging in my suitcase and didn't find anything. 

So back upstairs we go. Soon after we heard that our flight was delayed. 

Sherri and I were visiting with 2 Canadians that we met on the way down when we heard our flight was cancelled. 

Had to go pick up our luggage and the luggage  carousel was broken. I stood on the carousel looking for our luggage as they brought it in and placed it one the floor. Then to the United counter to get vouchers for hotel and food. 

We were in line for over 2 hours. Part of the reason was that when the lunch break time came all the United counter people left and went to lunch. They were gone for more than 30 minutes while we stood in line. 

Got vouchers, taxis were provided, and off we went to central San Pedro Sula to our hotel. Sherri and I ended up in a taxi with a Honduran who lives in New Orleans. 

By far the most exhausting day! Wish us luck for tomorrow!!

Visit to Proteccion, Honduras

Today we went to visit a different town on another mountain about an hour away from where we are staying in Sula. Town has about 1000 homes so that means maybe 5000 people or more. They are excited about the possibility of a water system. We ended by signing a covenant with them to come back and put in a system probably in the first quarter of next year. 

On the way to the town there is a lot of coffee being grown. It's not harvest time. Also learned that coffee is grown under other trees. 

It was a good day but quite hot. 

Thinking about re-entry. Looking forward to seeing my family!

Dedication Day

Our education team taught more this morning with the folks who will continue educating after we leave. For some reason I didn't feel so well when we first got to Nueva Frontera. Maybe it was the bumpy 45 minute ride up the dusty road! After a while I felt better. 

The folks who had participated in the Crossing of the Red Sea story came back today with their own props. Aluminum foil to put on the soldiers arms and on the spears, sheets and other material for Moses to wear. It is great fun to see them get excited. They knew we wanted them to act out the story at the dedication so they wanted to do it right. 

We had lunch with Edwin Ramos' family at their house. Chicken soup, chicken, tortillas. Very good!

But the highlight of the day was clearly the dedication celebration. I have never experienced one like this! Mayor and water committee president, Danny Logan and a local pastor spoke. Certificates were given to the operators and the education folks. We acted out the crossing of the Red Sea. There was a toast using the purified water. Wow! It was great. 

Very tired tonight but feel that we have had a most productive week!

Second Day at Nueva Frontera

Another great day. We taught some new lessons with the teachers. They seem to catch on quickly to the material. We did two of my favorite lessons - Crossing the Red Sea and Take a Risk. The Red Sea story was a blast like it always is. The teachers prepared the props with materials that we brought along. They were so much more creative than I am. 

The best part was that they had a great time. After it was over, they had suggestions on how to make it better. 

In the afternoon a group of school teenagers came. They ranged in age from about 15-18. They were quite attentive to the local teachers who were teaching. They asked good questions about germs, the system, etc. 

In particular guy seemed very bright, asked good questions, spoke to us in English, and just appeared to be above the rest. His name is Joseph. 

They say they have the best coffee so some ladies had a coffee break for us in the afternoon with our teachers and the young people. Yes, me who doesn't like coffee drank some. It was pretty good - I guess because it was loaded with sugar. 

Always have to have some fun. Out for a taxi ride in Sula for the evening. A little guy thought I was someone from another LWW group and jumped in my arms. 

First Day at Nueva Frontera

Today was quite a day. Started with breakfast at 6:45. Before we were finished 4 tour buses of children and chaperones came with about 200 people. We finished eating quickly and left. 

Off from Sula to Nueva Frontera at 8:00. It is a 45 minute drive up the mountain. It was interesting to see pine trees. Was not expecting that. Over 30 minutes of the drive was on dirt road. In some places it was rough. But it was beautiful. 

Karen, Sherri and I began teaching a group of about 12 women and men about hygiene, spiritual stories, and the importance and use of this purified water. 

At around 11:45 we went to the elementary school to talk to them about the system. We went into just one room to do some activities. 

During the afternoon, some of the folks from the morning came back and taught the same lessons and activities that we had done in the morning to the new folks in the afternoon. There were maybe 15 or 18 new folks. 

We finished the day around 3:00. Then a 45 minute trek back down the mountain. Very satisfying but tiring day!

Early to bed tonight!

Lunch

Need I say more! Great food. 

Travel Day

Just arrived at the Shreveport airport at 5:50AM for our 7:00 flight to San Pedro Sula, Honduras. One of our team members was sick this morning and will not be joining us. That's a shame to prepare for a trip and then not be able to travel. 

Here we are. Ready for the day!

We fly to Houston with a short layover there. Once in Honduras we travel to Sula where our hotel is. Each day we will drive to Nueva Frontera - about an hour into the mountains. 

Living Waters for the World - Honduras

Spending the evening packing for my next Living Waters for the World mission trip. This trip takes me to Honduras to a small town in the northern part in the mountains. 

Danny and Karen Logan are leading this trip. Sherri Bullard from Winnsboro who gone to Haiti once with us is going. Two men from the Belcher Presbyterian Church are going - Lane Adger and Bill McColgan. 

We leave from Shreveport at 7am Thursday going to Houston before arriving in San Pedro Sula. If what I saw on The Weather Channel can be trusted, it is supposed to be about 95 degrees. Not looking forward to that!

Keep us in your prayers. 

More Sunday Pictures

Our group in front of the system.

Leaving the Miskito Moravian Church for the last time today. I have a mixture of feelings - a sense of sadness because I don't know when I will see these people again AND a sense of pride and accomplishment.

Sunday Worship and Dedication

What a great but long day.

Walking to church this morning

Pastor Vanagas preaching

Dedication 

The church had a love fest of beans and rice and chicken. There was potatoes in it. The big vegetable is cassava - very starchy. Good food. They fed all the youth following their 2:00 worship.

More Tour Pictures

Jim, Gail, Rachel, Edith, Willoughby

Having a little fun at the playground. Notice concrete slide.

Nothing like a sunset to end the day.

Saturday Tour of the Island

Saturday we hired 2 taxis take us for a tour of the island. I thougght we would be gone for an hour or so but it was 3 hours. Wonderful sightsa and stories from the drivers.

Lobster boat coming in from sea.

Horse and colt in the yard of the Anglican pastor's house which is near the Moravian Church.

Beautiful trees.

We went to a "hotel" that was never finished but we went to the top (3 stories). This place is on a point of the island.

The island is full of swamps. I told our driver that we have lots of swamp in Louisiana too but we call them bayous.

Pictures From Friday

My lunch: yellow tail fish cooked in coconut milk with plantains with rice. The fish was quite good. The rest of our team was not as adventuresome or were busy working.

The bread oven that the men of the church built so that the church ladies could bake bread to sell.

Toasting and then drinking the first water on the system at the Miskito Moravian Church.

What a Day!! - Friday

Today was filled with all kinds of excitement for me. When we got to the church this morning we heard that they were going to try our their new bread ovens. They are going to bake coconut bread to sell. We kept going into the church kitchen to watch the women make the bread - flour, sugar, yeast, and coconut milk. They shaved the coconut meat and then squeezed the milk out of it. Then in a huge pot/pan they stirred it together. The dough was rolled out into long loaves probably 5 feet long. They were put out on wooden tables to rise. A couple of hours later they came back and cut the loaves into smaller pieces to shape into rolls. The rolls were allowed to rise. The rolls were put onto pans and put into their new ovens. No way to adjust a fire oven so the first rolls had some burned outsides and doughy insides. I had a roll, and it was very good.

The next great thing that happened was the covenant being signed between the Moskito Moravian Church and Pines Presbytery. Pastor Venegas and I signed an English document for me and a Spanish one for him.

Some of the children were hanging around so we had them put the labels on the bottles. They always have such a great time doing that. They made a daisy chain for us to use for the dedication Sunday.

But maybe the greatest thing today was drinking that first cup of water that was purified. Eddie and Raymond (the operators), Willoughby, and our group all toasted the first taste of water. I must say that I had tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat. I have been on several trips but have never lead one so this one is incredibly special to me. I know that I have learned so much from Danny and Karen Logan and John Guice which helped me prepare and know what to do once I got here.

Raymond on left and Eddie on right - operators

Second Day on Corn Island

The Moskito Moravian Church On Corn Island

The system earlier in the day

Rachel, Elisabeth one of the teachers, Edith, and Gail

First Day at Corn Island

Writing this at 8:30PM and can hardly keep my eyes open. Very long day! We woke around 4, and left for the Managua airport around 5. To go from Managua to Corn Island means flying acrossnthe country. We had 9 bags for 5 people - 2 for equipment, 1 teaching bag, a box of parts we picked up in Managua plus a personal bag for each of us. 

Went to wait for our flight. Rachel and I had a banana each, one coffee, and one OJ for less than $4. Of course Gail is making friends while the introverts (Rachel, Jim and me) are sitting quietly eating and drinking and not talking. Her friends were young ladies from Sweden who were heading to Corn Island to vacation.

Arrived on Corn Island around 8:30. Willoughby, our helper, was there to greet us. He had gotten 2 taxis arranged to take us to the church. Tom, Willoughby, and I went to get into a taxi when another guy jumped into the front seat. That seemed weird. Three of us stuffed in the back seat of the taxi.

We headed off to the church. When we were almost at the church, I asked the taxi driver where the other taxi was. He assumed that they went to the pier to Little Corn Island to drop someone off. Willoughby called Picnic Center (our hotel) to see if they were there. No. Our taxi driver took off to find them. They ended up at Picnic Center. They unloaded all the bags they had which included all equipment. So Tom and I went with a taxi back to hotel to get those bags. Guys started on system only to realize that Jim's toolbag with pipe cutter was back at hotel. So, we decided to all go back to hotel to regroup and take some time off.

Also, learned upon our arrival that the school has not gone back into session since Christmas. No one told me that. No children to teach each day. 

After lunch the pastor got a couple of groups of adults to come visit with us. First group was people from the church. Thensecond group included a Baptist minister, a Catholic priest, the vice mayor who is a member of the church, and a man who works in the mayor's office. That was a very good session.

Jim, Tom, and Willoughby got a lot of work done. Part of what they did was put together the churn. They are now officially the "Churn-meisters." I must say, "It is a mighty fine looking churn."

We were all totally exhausted by 4 or 4:30 when we were preparing to go back to hotel. The principal of the school asked me if we would like lobster and fried plaintains for dinner. No choice but to say yes. Someone ran and bought fresh lobster. Wow! Maybe the best lobster ever. and the plaintains were wonderful as well. Decided to walk back to the hotel which is probably a mile away.

Sorry I don't have any pictures today. Couldn't figure out how to transfer from my camera to iPad. 

Back to Living Waters Mission Work

It has been over 6 months since I last posted. I was hoping to document my recovery from my Achilles tendon surgery. Don't know why I didn't keep up except that the recovery was difficult. It took a lot more energy than I ever dreamed it would. Only in the last couple of weeks have I ventured on to the tennis court. I can hit the ball with Katherine and Rachel for about 45 minutes before my leg is too tired to continue. 

The Logans and John Guice asked me to lead a group to Corn Island to install a water purification system. They also wanted me to find some folks to go with me. I feel incredibly fortunate that Jim and Gail Nelson from our church, Tom Caldwell who went on a trip to Haiti with us, and Rachel, my daughter, are going. I asked Rachel because she speaks Spanish. While this area of Nicaragua is English speaking, the pastor of the church does not speak English.

I have worked with AMC in Managua to order the system. AMC is in partnership with Living Waters to install the systems. We still had to purchase here and carry with us things like the ozonator and .5 micron filters. I also put together the teaching supplies. Since I have done that for 3 or 4 trips now, that has become quiite easy to do. 

Tom and Jim will work with Willoughby Cassonova to install the system. I have asked Willoughby to leave plenty of work for Tom and Jim to do. Gail, Rachel, and I will teach the lessons on the importance of this water, how to use it, Bible stories.

We leave from Monroe Tuesday afternoon, Feb 3 and arrive home on Feb 10. Keep us in your prayers as we go to provide life-giving, life-sustaining water to our brothers and sisters on Corn Island.