As you may have heard there has been some new political turbulence in Honduras this week. The ousted president is back in the country and at the Brazilian embassy in the middle of Tegucigalpa causing many clashes between his supporters and those of the new government including the military. The new government in response has imposed a curfew since Monday night at 6 to keep people out of the streets. They are suspending the curfew today from 10am-5pm so people can get out and get food. All the airports have also been closed but will hopefully reopen tommorrow. The borders too are closed since there is a curfew but should reopen when that is lifted.
We are fine. We are at our house in the country away from the turmoil in Tegucigalpa, we have plenty of food and water. We are using this time to rest and get settled into this new house.
We just wanted to let you know the current situation here in Honduras, but also to let you know that we are fine.
Please pray for peace in this country.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
"Tankless Water Heaters"
Before we left the states, I worked with my family building Homes. I enjoyed my time there and will always be greatful for the opportunity to learn from my dad, who've I've always looked up to, and work with my brother(my best man friend) and my mom-the sweetest lady I know. Building the houses I learned alot about working with people, different types of people, crusty old construction dudes, rich young people buying nice houses, good Oklahomans and family. I believe that I will always be involved in construction some how, It is two deep in my blood, being plumber and coming from a gene pool 4 generations deep in plumbing-it is fate. I don't want to quite working with my hands. I think my soul would die in an office, right now, anyways while my heart is still ticking normally. Having said this, now I can get to the point of this post. We moved into a different rent house this week. Before we left the states in working in construction and doing some plumbing, it was easy to see that "Tankless Water Heaters," were the future of trendy, "green", expensive add-ons and were all the rage in custom Homes. I have seen this version of the "Tankless Water Heater" here before, but now we have one in the new house. So they are not completely new here, just new to us....The first few showers are a little intimidating, but I think it helps me realize every day that I'm living by the Grace of God. Yes, that is 110 volts, bare, running directly into the shower head. Enjoy the pic.
Transitions
This is a view from the front porch of the new house we moved into. We love living in the country. Will has already been able to ride his bike and the dogs, including the new one, love playing in the yard. We are excited to be in the country among the chickens, cows, and horses, and with fruit trees in our yard including, orange, mandarins, guyaba, papaya, banana, and coffee plants.
As we move in our work from Mogote more towards working with Jovenes en Camino and Shine Honduras, this house is in the perfect location right in the middle of both. It is so quiet and cool too. We are glad that we got to know Tegucigalpa well in the last year but are happy to be away from the hustle and bustle of the capital city (and occasional street protests...).
A view from the side of the house overlooking the "orchard" and the mountains behind the Zamorano Valley.
We hope to be able to use this house for possible church retreats, campouts, and hosting other people.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Some Pics from Bible Class in Mogote
The kids are really able to pay attention to these paper dolls. Just giving them something to look at keeps their eyes on me.
I usually tell the story with the dolls, and then I let a few kids come up and "act" it out with the dolls as I tell it again. They seem to be able to remember the stories the next few weeks too.
Thanks to MaryAnne Barnes for making these for me and giving me some advice from her many years of experience.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
August Newsletter
Happenings in Honduras!
It is hard to believe how fast a year can fly by. On September 8, we will have been in Honduras one year. We really feel at home in this country, our Spanish has progressed significantly, we are mostly familiar with the customs and culture, and we feel like we have made friends that have become like family.
Mogote Monthly
We spent a lot of time in Mogote this past month making up for lost time. The kitchen is coming along quite well. This month Will and Hector (Darwin’s uncle) installed a concrete canal in top of the wall, put the tin on the roof, and hired a man to weld the doors and windows and install them. The next step is to make the walls smooth (we don’t have a verb for this action in English like they do in Spanish…) and then to install the sink, and electricity.
This month our preacher, Jairo, lost his mother. He was gone for about a week to be with his family in another part of Honduras. Will took over running the services while Jairo was absent and even had the opportunity to preach, in Spanish!
Also this month Will started teaching a 3 month young men’s Leadership/Bible class on Wednesday nights teaching the young men more of the bible, and preparing them to take a more active role in the church services practicing reading scripture aloud, praying, singing, and being good examples. The boys really like the class and the attention from Will. Rachel taught a joint kids class with ages from 2-12 with some new materials and advice given from a sweet lady, named Maryanne Barnes, who attends Richardson East and has years of experience and expertise teaching bible class to youngsters. The kids have really responded to the new visual aides and seem to be able to really pay attention and have good retention of the stories.
The church has decided to start raising money for a sound system and to do so have started selling Nacatamales, a Honduran favorite food similar to tamales, but with a Honduras twist. They have a smashed corn layer, filled with vegetables, a sauce, and a piece of chicken or pork, rolled up in a banana leaf and tied like a package with a strip of palm bark. It is a great time of fellowship making tamales and learning from the women who cook everything over an open flame with wood kindling brought up the mountain on burros. We anticipate even more the finished kitchen so projects like these can thrive and grow.
Life in Mogote is not always easy, and we often hear gut wrenching stories of hardships facing the people. One very poor lady, Francisca, who recently starting coming to church lives about 3 miles away on the very edge of Tegucigalpa, with no electricity or running water was robbed of the few possessions she owned. As a single lady and a house made of very thin wood lined with cardboard and plastic on the inside she was, unfortunately, an easy target. The thieves broke through a wall and stole her bed, her small cook stove, her pots, and her small chest of clothes while she was gone. It is hard to imagine someone so cold hearted but also so desperate that they would rob such a vulnerable woman. We are going to help her as much as we can, but please keep Francisca in your prayers.
The Politics
Honduras is still in the middle of a confusing political situation. Sadly this problem is hurting the poor people. Countries have started pulling their aid money and the consequence is falling on the shoulders of the poor who would have received the benefits of that money. Both sides of the political situation are not budging on their demands. There is a billboard on a main highway here that states, “We don’t have oil or money, but we do have guts” (our “appropriate” translation). There are still a few demonstrations, but we just avoid these areas. We can only hope and pray for a peaceful solution. As of right now the presidential elections are scheduled for November.
Stadium Homeless Friends Ministry
This past month we wanted to avoid all appearances of being a demonstration so we hesitated to go down to the stadium where some violence had taken place and gather a large group of people. We visited once to announce that the next day we would be coming with food, but that day we were not able to go out because of some demonstrations blocking the roads (which is a normal occurrence by groups striking here). Now things have calmed down, so this past week was first week we have been able to return to the stadium. It was great to see some of our friends again. We were glad that they were not upset with our absence and we picked up right where we had left off. We had fewer people than usual but we expect the number to go back up now that the word is out that we have returned. Amber has gotten support to be able to feed people four times a week. We are anxious to see where the Lord leads us with this ministry.
Moving
We are excited to announce that we will be moving outside of the city of Tegucigalpa about halfway between Teguc and Jovenes en Camino, in Zamorano. For those of you who have visited our house you know that we live right in the middle of the city with sirens, horns, dogs, and neighbors’ mariachi musicJ. From our house we can hear the protesters marching and yelling in front of the Casa Presidencial, we are that close. We have never felt in danger at our current house but we are ready to move to a quieter place now that we have a vehicle and know our way around. We will be moving the middle of September.
October 2010
We wanted to let all our supporters know that after discussing our unexpected visit during July with our HIM director we have made plans to stay an extra month at the end of our two years. We received financial support for the month of July 2009 but were in the states the entire month. So we have decided to use that money we received July 2009 for October 2010. If you are supporting us this means no change for you. We will simply use the funds received in July for that month added at the end of out HIM contract. We want our supporters to know that want to use what you have given us for the work in Honduras.
Prayer Concerns:
· God’s blessings and direction with our work, where we fit working in Honduras
· The people at the stadium, that they will know God’s love and be able to change their lives with the help of God.
· The political situation in Honduras: Peace in Honduras, Both sides reach a solution that is beneficial to the people of Honduras and sustainable.
· Safety while doing construction projects
· Men in the Mogote church beginning to help serve
Ongoing/Upcoming projects:
· Finishing the inside of the Kitchen & installing appliances
· Working on plans of a possible technical program at Jovenes possibly
· Feeding people each Monday and Thursday night at the stadium
It is hard to believe how fast a year can fly by. On September 8, we will have been in Honduras one year. We really feel at home in this country, our Spanish has progressed significantly, we are mostly familiar with the customs and culture, and we feel like we have made friends that have become like family.
Mogote Monthly
We spent a lot of time in Mogote this past month making up for lost time. The kitchen is coming along quite well. This month Will and Hector (Darwin’s uncle) installed a concrete canal in top of the wall, put the tin on the roof, and hired a man to weld the doors and windows and install them. The next step is to make the walls smooth (we don’t have a verb for this action in English like they do in Spanish…) and then to install the sink, and electricity.
This month our preacher, Jairo, lost his mother. He was gone for about a week to be with his family in another part of Honduras. Will took over running the services while Jairo was absent and even had the opportunity to preach, in Spanish!
Also this month Will started teaching a 3 month young men’s Leadership/Bible class on Wednesday nights teaching the young men more of the bible, and preparing them to take a more active role in the church services practicing reading scripture aloud, praying, singing, and being good examples. The boys really like the class and the attention from Will. Rachel taught a joint kids class with ages from 2-12 with some new materials and advice given from a sweet lady, named Maryanne Barnes, who attends Richardson East and has years of experience and expertise teaching bible class to youngsters. The kids have really responded to the new visual aides and seem to be able to really pay attention and have good retention of the stories.
The church has decided to start raising money for a sound system and to do so have started selling Nacatamales, a Honduran favorite food similar to tamales, but with a Honduras twist. They have a smashed corn layer, filled with vegetables, a sauce, and a piece of chicken or pork, rolled up in a banana leaf and tied like a package with a strip of palm bark. It is a great time of fellowship making tamales and learning from the women who cook everything over an open flame with wood kindling brought up the mountain on burros. We anticipate even more the finished kitchen so projects like these can thrive and grow.
Life in Mogote is not always easy, and we often hear gut wrenching stories of hardships facing the people. One very poor lady, Francisca, who recently starting coming to church lives about 3 miles away on the very edge of Tegucigalpa, with no electricity or running water was robbed of the few possessions she owned. As a single lady and a house made of very thin wood lined with cardboard and plastic on the inside she was, unfortunately, an easy target. The thieves broke through a wall and stole her bed, her small cook stove, her pots, and her small chest of clothes while she was gone. It is hard to imagine someone so cold hearted but also so desperate that they would rob such a vulnerable woman. We are going to help her as much as we can, but please keep Francisca in your prayers.
The Politics
Honduras is still in the middle of a confusing political situation. Sadly this problem is hurting the poor people. Countries have started pulling their aid money and the consequence is falling on the shoulders of the poor who would have received the benefits of that money. Both sides of the political situation are not budging on their demands. There is a billboard on a main highway here that states, “We don’t have oil or money, but we do have guts” (our “appropriate” translation). There are still a few demonstrations, but we just avoid these areas. We can only hope and pray for a peaceful solution. As of right now the presidential elections are scheduled for November.
Stadium Homeless Friends Ministry
This past month we wanted to avoid all appearances of being a demonstration so we hesitated to go down to the stadium where some violence had taken place and gather a large group of people. We visited once to announce that the next day we would be coming with food, but that day we were not able to go out because of some demonstrations blocking the roads (which is a normal occurrence by groups striking here). Now things have calmed down, so this past week was first week we have been able to return to the stadium. It was great to see some of our friends again. We were glad that they were not upset with our absence and we picked up right where we had left off. We had fewer people than usual but we expect the number to go back up now that the word is out that we have returned. Amber has gotten support to be able to feed people four times a week. We are anxious to see where the Lord leads us with this ministry.
Moving
We are excited to announce that we will be moving outside of the city of Tegucigalpa about halfway between Teguc and Jovenes en Camino, in Zamorano. For those of you who have visited our house you know that we live right in the middle of the city with sirens, horns, dogs, and neighbors’ mariachi musicJ. From our house we can hear the protesters marching and yelling in front of the Casa Presidencial, we are that close. We have never felt in danger at our current house but we are ready to move to a quieter place now that we have a vehicle and know our way around. We will be moving the middle of September.
October 2010
We wanted to let all our supporters know that after discussing our unexpected visit during July with our HIM director we have made plans to stay an extra month at the end of our two years. We received financial support for the month of July 2009 but were in the states the entire month. So we have decided to use that money we received July 2009 for October 2010. If you are supporting us this means no change for you. We will simply use the funds received in July for that month added at the end of out HIM contract. We want our supporters to know that want to use what you have given us for the work in Honduras.
Prayer Concerns:
· God’s blessings and direction with our work, where we fit working in Honduras
· The people at the stadium, that they will know God’s love and be able to change their lives with the help of God.
· The political situation in Honduras: Peace in Honduras, Both sides reach a solution that is beneficial to the people of Honduras and sustainable.
· Safety while doing construction projects
· Men in the Mogote church beginning to help serve
Ongoing/Upcoming projects:
· Finishing the inside of the Kitchen & installing appliances
· Working on plans of a possible technical program at Jovenes possibly
· Feeding people each Monday and Thursday night at the stadium
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