beautiful things

Here's that beautiful mango tree that everyone wants to climb, especially during mango season.















Can you guess what it's hiding?











































































































We do really have a nice view from our back porch, but sometimes it takes something extra special for us to notice it again.

pray

It's now heading toward the end of August and it is very cold and very rainy. Ok, I guess "very cold" is a matter of perspective (in the low 60's at night), but it's definitely rainy and that makes it seem even colder. There are still plenty of hours in the day without rain and even some beautiful sunshine, but when it starts raining it usually dumps. There has been flooding in Teguc and even some people out here near Valle de Angeles have been evacuated because of the danger of a landslide.

We're heading into the third week of school. Right now it's still a bit of a struggle as we all continue to adjust from free time and "summer" vacation to scheduled mornings and homework. We are praying and are confident that things will smooth out as we work together is this "transition". :)

Recently Harlan has been working off and on in building a platform with railings in the mango tree below our yard. Our children have missed the clubhouse/swing set/sandbox that Harlan had built in our backyard in PA and have kept asking when they could have another clubhouse. It was coming along very nicely and Angelica, Ali, Zack and various friends here at the Finca had all been helping and were very excited. Everyone was disappointed when going out one morning to see that someone had used a machete to chop off some of the railing and the swing that had been put up, as well as cutting off Harlan's plants and a tree that we had in pots on our back porch. It happened while we were away the afternoon and early evening the day before. While we do hope that someone feels convicted and confesses, we also want to pray for them. It's hard to understand this kind of behavior and others like it here among these kids and many times we may just want to see "justice". But then I only need to remember my own life and remember that if God had given me only justice for my behaviors and sin, then I probably wouldn't be here! Most times we have no idea what hurts, burdens and emptiness these kids carry around with them all the time and what compels them to lash out. Pray for these 90+ children here at La Finca. Pray that they will open themselves up, give all the garbage they carry to God and allow him to heal them. Pray that our children can choose to forgive and reach out to those who have hurt them by their words and actions. Pray that the Holy Spirit will give us wisdom to know when we should talk about correction and discipline and when we should just reach out and love without words. Pray that God would renew our (and all those here) strength and bring renewal and restoration.

random photos

The reason that our back yard is full of hoofprints and manure. :)














Making guava juice















Time to celebrate two more birthdays (Julia Michell and Alex) since Angelica made chocolate cake and chocolate strawberry tart!






























We've recently had two different bonfires out behind our house for different groups of the kids. Here's some pics from the most recent.





























Zack and his pet (for 15 min:) snail, Pinky...
















We're not sure what kind of disease it is or if it will become an epidemic, but maybe right now isn't the best time to come for a visit?! :)

visa renewal trip to Costa Rica

We are not residents in Honduras so we need to leave the country every 3-4 months for 72 hours in order to receive permission to stay another 90 days. And because of an agreement between four different Central American countries, we need to go outside of Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua and El Salvador. So off to Costa Rica we go.

In the past we have gone to Liberia, Costa Rica, the first nicer town you come to (in our opinion) about an hour after crossing the Nicaragua/Costa Rica border at Las Manos . And we have always gone to the same hotel, without reservations, without problems. Well, this time because of some anniversary of some region becoming part of Costa Rica and some kind of festival, there was no room in the usual inn or any other inns for the weekend. We were able to find a room for that night (Thursday night) a little outside of town, but were told we would have to leave the next morning. We weren't sure where we would go from there, but prayed about it and left it in God's hands. After packing up the next day, we went for lunch at the restaurant of our usual hotel, I checked in with them at the front desk and they gave us a room for the rest of our stay. We were all thrilled and thanked God!

The festival or celebration that was going on was kind of a "farm show" and many ranchers had brought their horses for the big horse parade. It was interesting for awhile, but most of us were ready to get back to the pool because of the heat, which we are not accustomed to!





























The room we were given did not have enough beds so they gave us a cot. It practically swallowed Ali, but she preferred it to the other beds!














We all enjoyed ice cream, but Zack found the most interesting seat!














On the way back we spent an afternoon and night in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. It was a pleasant little town with a nice "black" sand beach. Harlan, Ali and Zack had a lot of fun playing in the ocean, while Angelica and I enjoyed sitting on the beach and looking for shells and interesting stones.


























































Some of the coastline














Statue of Jesus overlooking the town and ocean


















Night on the beach, in the rain... :)































The next morning before breakfast




















































We would have all enjoyed spending more time in San Juan, but it was time to head back to the Finca. We thank God for safety while traveling, relatively easy border crossings, new visas for 90 more days, helping us "find" a place to stay in Liberia, and a fun/restful/relaxing/renewing time with our family.

visitors and delivery persons and painters

The above title has descriptions of the same people, Keith Martin and his daughter, Sarah. When they came to visit, they were kind enough to bring us about 200 lbs of our school curriculum, which didn't leave them much room for clothes and personal items! It was great to visit with them.

They also helped paint in the house where Andrea Zimmerman will be living,

picked mangos for the kids,



























celebrated the 4th of July w/ burgers...














...and a bonfire,














went to see the sugarcane valley in Cantarranas, spent time w/ the kids, etc! And all in about 4 1/2 days! Thank you for visiting and blessing us!!!

By His Strength

God, I feel so selfish. I think I am more concerned with trying to find "me" time than I am with serving others. I just read a blog by a missionary in Costa Rica. One thing she wonders is why she is the missionary. I understand what she is saying. Why am I here? Why am I a "missionary"? I get it wrong so many times. I fail to show Christ's love. I get angry and annoyed when I should be caring and understanding. I just want to go and hide when I should be giving hugs and interacting. I want to cry when I should be choosing joy.

Why did you choose me, God? Choose me to come to Honduras, to be someone who is to help care for and show your love to 90+ kids? I fail. I don't know what I'm doing. Too many times, I do what I don't want to do and don't do what I want to do. (Romans 7:19) Is it to show these kids that even a "rich" Christian gringo can mess up, receive God's forgiveness and keep going? Is it just to refine me? Is it because no one else would go? Why, God? Is it so that I find out, so that the kids also see, that it is not by my strength, oh God, but by yours. God, I need your strength.


I wrote the above paragraphs in my journal last night. This morning my devotional scripture selection includes the verses Colossians 1:11-12. So I include this prayer for you and me from The Living Bible. "We are praying, too, that you will be filled with his mighty, glorious strength so that you can keep going no matter what happens- always full of the joy of the Lord, and always thankful to the Father who has made us fit to share all the wonderful things that belong to those who live in the Kingdom of light."

Thank you, God.

School trip to Lake Yojoa

Angelica, Ali, and Zack's classes ended this school year on June 18. Since we didn't take the time while we were still in classes, it was time for a school field trip.

There aren't an over abundance of museums, parks, educational tours, etc. available here close to us, so we decided to take a school trip to Lake Yojoa and the big dam, El Cajon, that are about 4 hours away. There are many more birds, butterflies, and other insects there than we usually see here near Teguc. We even saw a couple of squirrels and toads. Now I know squirrels are things many of you are trying to keep away from your bird feeders, but we rarely get to see small animals here. We think they've all been eaten... :)

Harlan, Zack and Ali tried their hand at fishing since we stayed at a hotel right on the lake, but had very little luck. Angelica practiced her photography. We all enjoyed seeing the many butterflies and birds and relaxing together as a family.




















































































































































The trip to the huge dam was very interesting. It is officially called the General Francisco Morazon Dam. It is protected by the military and we needed to go through three different checkpoints, including a vehicle check, before we got to the dam. It may be the most impressive arquitectural structure we have seen in Honduras.

the lake behind the dam...














from the top of the dam, looking straight down...















the river below the dam...














trying to show you the full perspective...



















On the way to and from the lake, we made sure to stop and see our friends in Siquatepeque and enjoy their yogurt, cheese and ice cream. We even managed to bring some of all three along back with us to Valle. On the way up, we arrived just in time to see Gerald Martin, the guy in charge of the farm animals, finish up butchering a small pig. We got a lesson on the different parts of a pig and Zack correctly guessed which were the kidneys. They eventually seasoned and stuffed the pig, then wrapped it up and buried it in a hot coal pit overnight and were planning on eating it for dinner the next day.

We hope to start classes again at the beginning of August. We appreciate your prayers specifically for our "school" as we seek God's will for direction.