Lately we keep calling everything we do our “last hurrah.” If there is something fun we want to do, we usually do it with the excuse of it being our last opportunity. We have had a few over the past week or so, and I think a couple are worth mentioning.
First of all, we took a trip to Belize! It was time for Amber to renew her visa, so we decided it would be a fun last trip for all of us to take together. Besides the actual trip itself, Belize had several last hurrahs. We left on Tuesday and after an eventful day and a half of travel by buses, taxis, and boats we arrived in Placencia, Belize. If you’ve never been to Belize but love the beach, I would recommend it as a prime vacation option. It was so relaxing and beautiful! It was kind of like time just slowed down for a couple of days. In Belize they speak English, Spanish, and this combination Belizean language…but pretty much everyone speaks English. We kept trying to speak to people in Spanish, and they would just look at us like we were crazy. What else is new.
The second day we were there we decided to go snorkeling on the reef. The decision wasn’t an easy one. Manatees are in Belize at this time of year and we really, really wanted to see one, especially Alli (who also thought that they were around her size. She was pretty surprised when we told her she wasn’t going to be able to hug one because they’re actually like 12 feet long). So anyway, we wanted to see a manatee, but the manatee tours were really expensive and didn’t guarantee that you would even see one. And our big dream was to swim with the whale sharks, but that turned out to be out of the question anyway because you have to wait until a full moon which doesn’t happen until next week. But we couldn’t think of a reason not to go snorkeling on the second largest reef in the world, so that was what we settled on. It was definitely a good choice! We saw a whole mess of colorful coral, all these different fish, starfish, barracudas, sea urchins, big clouds of minnows you could swim right through, a sting ray, stuff like that. We were definitely not disappointed! Other things we justified as being last hurrahs were the three trips we made to the local gelato shop (the last one being at 8 am the morning we left), Alli’s decision to splurge on a big, beautiful hammock, and the hours we all spent sitting on the beach soaking up the Belizean sun.
After another day of buses and boats, we arrived back home late Friday night. By the time we got back I felt like I needed to take a vacation from my vacation! All that traveling will wear you out! But we were definitely all happy with the way things worked out!
Last night was our last hurrah dinner. Amber made all of our favorites, fajitas, tortilla chips with salsa, these jalapeño things with cream cheese and bacon that the other girls love, and a cinnamon sugar chocolate coffee cake for dessert (yes, it is as delicious and as unhealthy as it sounds).
The best part about the last week or two has been all of the quality time Alli, Tess, Amber and I have been able to spend together. We have taken advantage of all the fun things we have gotten to do together and have just been absorbing all of the laughs, trying to have as much fun as we can to make it last as long as possible after we’re not together anymore. Sure it’s sad to think about leaving, but I’m trying to focus less on that and more on being in the moment. And since there never seems to be a dull moment here, that seems like it makes the most sense!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Scavenging
Hondurans really do have more fun. Here’s the story. The other night I mentioned scavenger hunts and Amber adamantly requested having one organized in honor of her birthday that is coming up next week. We told her today, Saturday, would be the best day to do it. So last night we dreamed up possibly the most fun scavenger hunt ever. We referenced a bunch of inside jokes and events we’ve all experienced together over the past few months.
This morning we finished our preparations and by two in the afternoon we were finally ready to start. We were estimating that our epic plans would take about two hours. We were mistaken. The first clue led to the park up the street from our house, all of our (including the puppies, Tasha and Toby’s) favorite place since its construction over Thanksgiving. There, Amber had to search for clues to things that we’ve done at the park. The best view in Tegucigalpa can be seen from one of the benches, the seesaw will be the death of the Shine kids one day if they keep jumping off while their partner is still up in the air across from them, the futbol cancha is Darwin’s favorite place there, and you could “scavenge” for pieces of candy under the piñata hanger. With the last clue at the park we placed a bottle of Welch’s sparkling grape juice as a clue to the final surprise.
Her next clue led her to a book that Tess and Alli bought for Amber and brought back in January entitled “A Thousand Miles, A Hundred Years.” From there, she was instructed to use the computer (with iTunes already cued up) to search for the songs we had sung at karaoke last night (another part of her birthday celebration). We had recorded our own versions of the four songs we had sung, three of which told her to keep searching and one of which gave her the next clue. The next clue about me being a pro at stalking by this method directed her to Facebook, where we had posted the next clue on her wall.
The clue led us out of the house to the only place in Honduras that will satisfy your craving for Nutella, the super delicious crepes restaurant in the mall. After she told the chef that he was “el mejor chef en el mundo,” she was given her next clue that directed her to the grocery store, La Colonia. Her next clue came with birthday candles (another clue to the final surprise) and took us to the movie rental store where Amber once flirted with the guy behind the counter in order to rent some movies we didn’t quite have enough money to pay for. There we gave her a clue with a quote from one of our favorite movies, Baby Mama. Inside the movie box was a clue that told her to go to the restaurant where we experienced the worst service in the city, Tony Roma’s. She had to go inside and ask who Tony Roma was and if she could please speak with him. Unfortunately, he wasn’t available for comments. After that, she was directed to MultiPlaza Mall where, at the YogenFruz store the other day, we were the unwilling audience to a PG-13 face-sucking show put on by the Honduran couple in front of us at the counter. Her task there was to order herself whatever kind of frozen yogurt she wanted…and of course Alli, Tess, and I did the same : ) Her next clue sent her downstairs to Seventeen, the store where she once tried on this dress whose hideousness she was apparently the only one unable to see. Needless to say, we didn’t let her buy it. There was crazy traffic getting out of the mall, so we just made her guess the next two places, the Breaking Chains building and el parque, our third feeding stop, for the sake of time. At this point we pulled out fake moustaches that we told her she had to wear for the rest of the hunt. Tess and Alli and I also wore them. Probably my favorite part of the whole event was sticking my head out the window as we waited in traffic and having cars back up to get a better look at car full of crazy Gringas wearing fake moustaches. When we finally got out of the traffic we made our way to Chili’s, Amber’s favorite restaurant that we won’t go to unless it’s a weekday during lunch hours (because that’s when they have the best specials, of course!). There we gave her huge plastic martini glasses (another final surprise clue). Our last stop was a place none of us had actually been before called the Cupcake Café. It ended up being the perfect final stop! We brought in the candles, martini glasses, and sparkling grape juice and had our own little birthday celebration. The store was so cute, Amber says she wants to go back on her actual birthday for lunch!
The whole extravaganza took not two, but four hours. But it was worth every preparation and every minute! To top off a wonderful day, we went out to feed our homeless friends and followed it up with a trip to the cine to see a movie. See, I told you Hondurans have more fun.
This morning we finished our preparations and by two in the afternoon we were finally ready to start. We were estimating that our epic plans would take about two hours. We were mistaken. The first clue led to the park up the street from our house, all of our (including the puppies, Tasha and Toby’s) favorite place since its construction over Thanksgiving. There, Amber had to search for clues to things that we’ve done at the park. The best view in Tegucigalpa can be seen from one of the benches, the seesaw will be the death of the Shine kids one day if they keep jumping off while their partner is still up in the air across from them, the futbol cancha is Darwin’s favorite place there, and you could “scavenge” for pieces of candy under the piñata hanger. With the last clue at the park we placed a bottle of Welch’s sparkling grape juice as a clue to the final surprise.
Her next clue led her to a book that Tess and Alli bought for Amber and brought back in January entitled “A Thousand Miles, A Hundred Years.” From there, she was instructed to use the computer (with iTunes already cued up) to search for the songs we had sung at karaoke last night (another part of her birthday celebration). We had recorded our own versions of the four songs we had sung, three of which told her to keep searching and one of which gave her the next clue. The next clue about me being a pro at stalking by this method directed her to Facebook, where we had posted the next clue on her wall.
The clue led us out of the house to the only place in Honduras that will satisfy your craving for Nutella, the super delicious crepes restaurant in the mall. After she told the chef that he was “el mejor chef en el mundo,” she was given her next clue that directed her to the grocery store, La Colonia. Her next clue came with birthday candles (another clue to the final surprise) and took us to the movie rental store where Amber once flirted with the guy behind the counter in order to rent some movies we didn’t quite have enough money to pay for. There we gave her a clue with a quote from one of our favorite movies, Baby Mama. Inside the movie box was a clue that told her to go to the restaurant where we experienced the worst service in the city, Tony Roma’s. She had to go inside and ask who Tony Roma was and if she could please speak with him. Unfortunately, he wasn’t available for comments. After that, she was directed to MultiPlaza Mall where, at the YogenFruz store the other day, we were the unwilling audience to a PG-13 face-sucking show put on by the Honduran couple in front of us at the counter. Her task there was to order herself whatever kind of frozen yogurt she wanted…and of course Alli, Tess, and I did the same : ) Her next clue sent her downstairs to Seventeen, the store where she once tried on this dress whose hideousness she was apparently the only one unable to see. Needless to say, we didn’t let her buy it. There was crazy traffic getting out of the mall, so we just made her guess the next two places, the Breaking Chains building and el parque, our third feeding stop, for the sake of time. At this point we pulled out fake moustaches that we told her she had to wear for the rest of the hunt. Tess and Alli and I also wore them. Probably my favorite part of the whole event was sticking my head out the window as we waited in traffic and having cars back up to get a better look at car full of crazy Gringas wearing fake moustaches. When we finally got out of the traffic we made our way to Chili’s, Amber’s favorite restaurant that we won’t go to unless it’s a weekday during lunch hours (because that’s when they have the best specials, of course!). There we gave her huge plastic martini glasses (another final surprise clue). Our last stop was a place none of us had actually been before called the Cupcake Café. It ended up being the perfect final stop! We brought in the candles, martini glasses, and sparkling grape juice and had our own little birthday celebration. The store was so cute, Amber says she wants to go back on her actual birthday for lunch!
The whole extravaganza took not two, but four hours. But it was worth every preparation and every minute! To top off a wonderful day, we went out to feed our homeless friends and followed it up with a trip to the cine to see a movie. See, I told you Hondurans have more fun.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
My boys
I don’t know how to tell the stories of the things that happen here. Sometimes I feel like I’m gypping those who faithfully read my blog out of getting to experience this with me like I wish you all could, and I want to apologize for that. I guess I just don’t think that words can do it justice. Telling stories has never been one of my fortes and certain things that happen here are tough for me to retell, usually just because I can’t find words that are sufficient enough to communicate my experiences and how the people here touch my heart with what they say and do. Also, some days there are just too many things to write down. But I can tell you that any story I could possibly tell about the things that have happened while I’ve been in Honduras can be summed up by saying this: It’s all about Jesus, it’s all about people, and it’s all about loving both with everything you are.
That being said, I’m want to mention the boys’ home called Veintiuno that we’ve been going to the past few weeks. I really haven’t mentioned much about it, but it has definitely embedded itself in my heart and I think I should share how with you.
From the moment we walk through the door to the moment we leave, I don’t think the smile leaves my face or the faces of the boys who live there. There are about 40-50 boys living there at a time and I don’t know many of their names, but I recognize all of their faces and love each of their hearts. Some of them are troublemakers, some just joke around all the time, some are sweet, some are shy and quiet. Some boys who come to Vientiuno (that’s the name of the boys’ home) have been picked up off the streets, but not all of them are orphans. Some have run away from home. Others come from families who can’t support them because there are too many kids and not enough money, or because the boy has a mental disorder that makes him difficult to take care of. They are all so special. I can’t believe I’m being this sappy, it’s really not me, but I just love them.
We only spend a couple hours at a time there and it always seems to fly by. We bring board games and cards and books to share with them and they just eat it all up. By now it has kind of become standard that I play Skip-Bo with Joel, Bryan, Hector, and whoever else decides to join us. We teach anyone who doesn’t know how to play yet, but it’s always at least the three of us. We just joke around and laugh at each other. Last time Joel and Bryan rapped the whole time we played, a song that is definitely not Jesus-approved, but they were hilarious. All the boys know our names and that we come just to have play and have fun, and I think everyone involved looks forward to the time we spend there. I love to just love them. The more time we’re there, the more I realize how hard it will be for me to leave them behind in just a couple weeks.
That being said, I’m want to mention the boys’ home called Veintiuno that we’ve been going to the past few weeks. I really haven’t mentioned much about it, but it has definitely embedded itself in my heart and I think I should share how with you.
From the moment we walk through the door to the moment we leave, I don’t think the smile leaves my face or the faces of the boys who live there. There are about 40-50 boys living there at a time and I don’t know many of their names, but I recognize all of their faces and love each of their hearts. Some of them are troublemakers, some just joke around all the time, some are sweet, some are shy and quiet. Some boys who come to Vientiuno (that’s the name of the boys’ home) have been picked up off the streets, but not all of them are orphans. Some have run away from home. Others come from families who can’t support them because there are too many kids and not enough money, or because the boy has a mental disorder that makes him difficult to take care of. They are all so special. I can’t believe I’m being this sappy, it’s really not me, but I just love them.
We only spend a couple hours at a time there and it always seems to fly by. We bring board games and cards and books to share with them and they just eat it all up. By now it has kind of become standard that I play Skip-Bo with Joel, Bryan, Hector, and whoever else decides to join us. We teach anyone who doesn’t know how to play yet, but it’s always at least the three of us. We just joke around and laugh at each other. Last time Joel and Bryan rapped the whole time we played, a song that is definitely not Jesus-approved, but they were hilarious. All the boys know our names and that we come just to have play and have fun, and I think everyone involved looks forward to the time we spend there. I love to just love them. The more time we’re there, the more I realize how hard it will be for me to leave them behind in just a couple weeks.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Recap
I can’t believe I’ve neglected my blog for so long! Without a doubt the past 3 weeks have been a jam packed, nonstop whirlwind, so I guess I’ll start by skimming over what all has been going on. Not my favorite kind of blog to write, but I feel like there are huge blanks to fill in.
After Dad and Shark left, all of our bodies decided that it was time for us to get sick. Alli was gone visiting home but Darwin, Amber, Tess, and I were all sick for about three days at the same time. Amber and Tess had swine flu symptoms and we thought they were going to have to be quarantined at Hospital Escuela, the scariest hospital on the face of the earth. But it’s all good, it was just the regular flu and they lived to tell about it. I had some stomach thing, it was probably just food poisoning since it was pretty short lived. Darwin had a bunch of random symptoms, who knows what his problem was. But we’re all better now, life goes on.
As soon as we all got better, spring breakers started getting here. First to arrive was Bob, a friend of Amber’s. He got here from Oklahoma on the day that Alli came back, which was before the rest of the group got here. He is the one who started the Shine program with the first graders we tutor who are on scholarship at a bilingual school. He was so much fun to have around, he always made sure we were entertained and well fed and was just wonderful! Before everyone else got here we went to the movies, the circus, and the water park with the Shine kids. A few days later the rest of the group started trickling in and by Sunday all 45 or so were here. About a third was from Dell City, OK an the rest were from the Memorial Road church in OK. A few of Amber’s closer friends stayed with us at her house which made for cramped quarters but also for a lot of fun times!
Having the groups here was definitely a blast. We spent time in El Magote doing a VBS and a few days at Jovenes en Camino pouring concrete and hanging out with the boys who live there. Everyone in the group worked hard all week and got along really well, and there were a lot of college kids that Alli and Tess and I hit it off with. Tess had to fly home unexpectedly because of a family emergency about a week ago and now that she’s gone and the group has left Alli and I can’t get over how much we miss everyone. Our house feels so empty! We had a fantastic week that provided a lot of new friends and great memories.
Over the course of the week Amber took a lot of the group members out to feed with her. She had a full car every time so I gave up my spot to let others experience it. By the beginning of this week I was surprised at how excited I was to go back out with her! I had really missed seeing everyone and serving them and laughing with them. But while I missed being out with everyone, I’m also glad that so many people got to see the work that Amber does with the homeless feeding. Hopefully that will allow more people to see that this is a ministry worth supporting.
Lately we’ve also been spending a lot of time at a local boys’ home. We got connected with it when one of the kids from the homeless feeding got attacked on a bus and, after a stint in the hospital, was sent to live there. On any given day there are between 40 and 60 boys in this cramped little building. The staff is very kind to the boys but they don’t have any planned activities from day to day, so we have been going to visit them and bringing cards and board games. Amber has really taken this place and the boys there into her heart and always talks about wanting to bring all of them home with her. They really are sweet kids and it’s hard to see that they have ended up where they are because of the rough lives they’ve lived. It has been a pretty interesting experience going a few times a week and seeing old and new faces and building more relationships with them. It’s hard not to just love them.
OK well I think that pretty much covers the big things about the past few weeks. Sorry for the length, but I think I did a pretty good job of covering 3 weeks in one post. I love and miss you all and can’t tell you how much I appreciate all of your love and support and prayers :)
After Dad and Shark left, all of our bodies decided that it was time for us to get sick. Alli was gone visiting home but Darwin, Amber, Tess, and I were all sick for about three days at the same time. Amber and Tess had swine flu symptoms and we thought they were going to have to be quarantined at Hospital Escuela, the scariest hospital on the face of the earth. But it’s all good, it was just the regular flu and they lived to tell about it. I had some stomach thing, it was probably just food poisoning since it was pretty short lived. Darwin had a bunch of random symptoms, who knows what his problem was. But we’re all better now, life goes on.
As soon as we all got better, spring breakers started getting here. First to arrive was Bob, a friend of Amber’s. He got here from Oklahoma on the day that Alli came back, which was before the rest of the group got here. He is the one who started the Shine program with the first graders we tutor who are on scholarship at a bilingual school. He was so much fun to have around, he always made sure we were entertained and well fed and was just wonderful! Before everyone else got here we went to the movies, the circus, and the water park with the Shine kids. A few days later the rest of the group started trickling in and by Sunday all 45 or so were here. About a third was from Dell City, OK an the rest were from the Memorial Road church in OK. A few of Amber’s closer friends stayed with us at her house which made for cramped quarters but also for a lot of fun times!
Having the groups here was definitely a blast. We spent time in El Magote doing a VBS and a few days at Jovenes en Camino pouring concrete and hanging out with the boys who live there. Everyone in the group worked hard all week and got along really well, and there were a lot of college kids that Alli and Tess and I hit it off with. Tess had to fly home unexpectedly because of a family emergency about a week ago and now that she’s gone and the group has left Alli and I can’t get over how much we miss everyone. Our house feels so empty! We had a fantastic week that provided a lot of new friends and great memories.
Over the course of the week Amber took a lot of the group members out to feed with her. She had a full car every time so I gave up my spot to let others experience it. By the beginning of this week I was surprised at how excited I was to go back out with her! I had really missed seeing everyone and serving them and laughing with them. But while I missed being out with everyone, I’m also glad that so many people got to see the work that Amber does with the homeless feeding. Hopefully that will allow more people to see that this is a ministry worth supporting.
Lately we’ve also been spending a lot of time at a local boys’ home. We got connected with it when one of the kids from the homeless feeding got attacked on a bus and, after a stint in the hospital, was sent to live there. On any given day there are between 40 and 60 boys in this cramped little building. The staff is very kind to the boys but they don’t have any planned activities from day to day, so we have been going to visit them and bringing cards and board games. Amber has really taken this place and the boys there into her heart and always talks about wanting to bring all of them home with her. They really are sweet kids and it’s hard to see that they have ended up where they are because of the rough lives they’ve lived. It has been a pretty interesting experience going a few times a week and seeing old and new faces and building more relationships with them. It’s hard not to just love them.
OK well I think that pretty much covers the big things about the past few weeks. Sorry for the length, but I think I did a pretty good job of covering 3 weeks in one post. I love and miss you all and can’t tell you how much I appreciate all of your love and support and prayers :)
Monday, March 8, 2010
On a Mission
Ever since I first approached the Global Missions team at church about using the missions internship for this trip to Honduras, I’ve had this feeling of being kind of a poser. I’ve felt that way because people keep asking me if I’m taking this trip because I’m thinking about being a missionary in the future, or even assuming that that’s the case. I’ve really felt guilty about saying that those are not my plans. Now I’ve learned that God’s plans aren’t always on the same page as my own plans and that His generally trump mine, but I still answer that question by saying that I don’t have plans to be a “missionary” long term in the future.
However, after I was yet again asked the same question the other day, I got to thinking about my answer and what being a “missionary” really means. And I think I’ve changed my mind. I think we’re all missionaries, but not in the connotation under which I had originally put the word. When I’ve thought of a missionary, the image that has always come to my head has been one of a really brave, independent, young-ish person who ventures off into some unknown country, the “mission field,” where he or she doesn’t know or understand the language or culture and proceeds to assimilate him- or herself with the people there, develop relationships with them, and share Christ’s love through word and action. I wouldn’t say that describes me or my preferred scene very well, and if that’s the definition of a missionary I would definitely not put myself in that category, especially not long term. But once I got to thinking about it, I realized that that is a ridiculously narrow description of a missionary.
The reality is that, whether we like it or not, every Christian is called to be a missionary. The only difference is the “field” in which we serve. You may not be called to drop everything and move to Antarctica where you have to build a hut out of ice cubes and eat whale blubber and convert all the Eskimos, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be called to serve in some other way. You might find that God opens doors for you to minister to the homeless in your own city. Maybe your mission field will be at PTO meetings at your child’s school or in the conference room in your office. Or maybe you are the best person to be an example of Christian living to the people right in your own home. No place is too small or too close to home to be a mission field. I am totally convinced that God can use anyone, at any age, in any place. I have friends my age and younger whose desire to serve God and whose ingenuity in finding ways to do so inspires me, and on the other end of the spectrum, I love and admire that my Grandma at 80 years old still has a huge heart for all sorts of missions and always has a contagious excitement when I tell her about the mission work I’m involved in. God doesn’t have rules or boundaries that limit Him to using a certain kind of person to accomplish His purposes. I guess that what I’m really trying to say is that God won’t fit in the box I had put Him in, and I’m unusually pleased to find out that I’ve been wrong.
You never know where you’ll end up, and I doubt God will ever stop reminding me of that. My prayer is that He will always be able to use me to help build His kingdom and that I won’t ever neglect to show His love in whatever mission field I’m called into. That might mean that I never leave the country again. Or maybe I’ll end up in Antarctica. I wouldn’t mind having a pet penguin.
However, after I was yet again asked the same question the other day, I got to thinking about my answer and what being a “missionary” really means. And I think I’ve changed my mind. I think we’re all missionaries, but not in the connotation under which I had originally put the word. When I’ve thought of a missionary, the image that has always come to my head has been one of a really brave, independent, young-ish person who ventures off into some unknown country, the “mission field,” where he or she doesn’t know or understand the language or culture and proceeds to assimilate him- or herself with the people there, develop relationships with them, and share Christ’s love through word and action. I wouldn’t say that describes me or my preferred scene very well, and if that’s the definition of a missionary I would definitely not put myself in that category, especially not long term. But once I got to thinking about it, I realized that that is a ridiculously narrow description of a missionary.
The reality is that, whether we like it or not, every Christian is called to be a missionary. The only difference is the “field” in which we serve. You may not be called to drop everything and move to Antarctica where you have to build a hut out of ice cubes and eat whale blubber and convert all the Eskimos, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be called to serve in some other way. You might find that God opens doors for you to minister to the homeless in your own city. Maybe your mission field will be at PTO meetings at your child’s school or in the conference room in your office. Or maybe you are the best person to be an example of Christian living to the people right in your own home. No place is too small or too close to home to be a mission field. I am totally convinced that God can use anyone, at any age, in any place. I have friends my age and younger whose desire to serve God and whose ingenuity in finding ways to do so inspires me, and on the other end of the spectrum, I love and admire that my Grandma at 80 years old still has a huge heart for all sorts of missions and always has a contagious excitement when I tell her about the mission work I’m involved in. God doesn’t have rules or boundaries that limit Him to using a certain kind of person to accomplish His purposes. I guess that what I’m really trying to say is that God won’t fit in the box I had put Him in, and I’m unusually pleased to find out that I’ve been wrong.
You never know where you’ll end up, and I doubt God will ever stop reminding me of that. My prayer is that He will always be able to use me to help build His kingdom and that I won’t ever neglect to show His love in whatever mission field I’m called into. That might mean that I never leave the country again. Or maybe I’ll end up in Antarctica. I wouldn’t mind having a pet penguin.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
"Love" is English for "Amor"
This week I have really started to feel like I’m getting more of a grasp of Spanish than I’ve had so far. It’s so good! I mean I’m still definitely not fluent or anything like that, but I’m finding that I generally and consistently understand more of what people are saying. It has made me more confident in having conversations, which means I’m getting even more practice, and it’s just one big happy circle!
I’ve also come to appreciate knowing Spanish more this week with Dad and Shark here. It’s easy to lose sight of the fact that not everybody speaks the same language you do until you are forced into a situation where practically nobody speaks the same language you do. I understand and speak enough Spanish that that’s not really an issue for me, and I don’t really think about it until I see other people struggling to communicate. Last night at dinner our waiter offered to take a picture for us and John tried to inform him of how to use the camera by saying “and there’s the zoom!” We all laughed because, of course, the waiter had no idea what John was saying, but when you don’t speak the language you don’t have a choice but to communicate the only way you know how. I have to imagine what it would be like for me if I went to Japan or somewhere like that. I wouldn’t even have any idea of where to start…I would be completely lost! That would be such a frustrating feeling. I’ve heard enough frustration voiced over the language barrier that I will forever be an advocate of learning a second or third language, and this is my plug for doing just that!
It has also been great to have Dad and Shark here this week just so that they can see what I’ve been up to and what God has been up to these past six weeks. Yesterday we went to the house Amber is looking to buy for the Breaking Chains ministry to work on cleaning it up a little bit. The whole house itself is a beautiful piece of architecture and we took a lot of pictures, but they’re all on other cameras (and I wouldn’t be technologically savvy enough to put them up here even if I did have them lol). So suffice it to say that there’s a big courtyard in the middle of the two-story house and it has several little plots that are all overgrown with these unidentified plants, some of which are really spiky and almost all of which are dead and need to be removed. So our job for the day was to clear out those plots and do some general cleaning up. On our way in we ran into a few women who we usually see on our feeding nights, and they came into the house with us and were eager to help us clean. We got most of the courtyard cleared out and a lot of sweeping done in just about an hour, which would never have been possible without their help. It was so cool to see them having a hand in getting the building ready that will potentially be purchased and put to use for their benefit! As we were leaving, several other people we feed came by the house to check it out and everyone wanted to know when they could come back and help clean again. The whole thing was an awesome sight to see! I hope John and Dad can appreciate the gravity of what they saw there, and if you know them you should definitely ask them about it. It is so exciting to think about what opening the doors of that house could do for Amber’s ministry and for the lives of the people who helped us yesterday. Please be praying that God opens His doors to allow that to happen!
I’ve also come to appreciate knowing Spanish more this week with Dad and Shark here. It’s easy to lose sight of the fact that not everybody speaks the same language you do until you are forced into a situation where practically nobody speaks the same language you do. I understand and speak enough Spanish that that’s not really an issue for me, and I don’t really think about it until I see other people struggling to communicate. Last night at dinner our waiter offered to take a picture for us and John tried to inform him of how to use the camera by saying “and there’s the zoom!” We all laughed because, of course, the waiter had no idea what John was saying, but when you don’t speak the language you don’t have a choice but to communicate the only way you know how. I have to imagine what it would be like for me if I went to Japan or somewhere like that. I wouldn’t even have any idea of where to start…I would be completely lost! That would be such a frustrating feeling. I’ve heard enough frustration voiced over the language barrier that I will forever be an advocate of learning a second or third language, and this is my plug for doing just that!
It has also been great to have Dad and Shark here this week just so that they can see what I’ve been up to and what God has been up to these past six weeks. Yesterday we went to the house Amber is looking to buy for the Breaking Chains ministry to work on cleaning it up a little bit. The whole house itself is a beautiful piece of architecture and we took a lot of pictures, but they’re all on other cameras (and I wouldn’t be technologically savvy enough to put them up here even if I did have them lol). So suffice it to say that there’s a big courtyard in the middle of the two-story house and it has several little plots that are all overgrown with these unidentified plants, some of which are really spiky and almost all of which are dead and need to be removed. So our job for the day was to clear out those plots and do some general cleaning up. On our way in we ran into a few women who we usually see on our feeding nights, and they came into the house with us and were eager to help us clean. We got most of the courtyard cleared out and a lot of sweeping done in just about an hour, which would never have been possible without their help. It was so cool to see them having a hand in getting the building ready that will potentially be purchased and put to use for their benefit! As we were leaving, several other people we feed came by the house to check it out and everyone wanted to know when they could come back and help clean again. The whole thing was an awesome sight to see! I hope John and Dad can appreciate the gravity of what they saw there, and if you know them you should definitely ask them about it. It is so exciting to think about what opening the doors of that house could do for Amber’s ministry and for the lives of the people who helped us yesterday. Please be praying that God opens His doors to allow that to happen!
Friday, February 26, 2010
Acculturated
That’s such a funny word. It makes me think of cheese. I know it’s weird, but isn’t cheese cultured? Speaking of cheese, Honduran cheese tastes a little funky. It’s kind of more sour tasting, but not in a bad way…it’s just different.
You’ll have to excuse my digression because, believe it or not, I didn’t choose this title because I wanted to talk about cheese. I picked it because that’s how I’m starting to feel. Acculturated. I had to look up the word because I wasn’t sure it was the exact one I wanted to use but when I read the definition (to have absorbed and assimilated the culture of another group of people or another person; to have changed somebody’s cultural behavior and thinking through contact with another culture) I decided it was definitely the right word for how I feel. Over the past couple of days I’ve been finding myself forgetting, I guess you could say, that I’m here in Honduras. It’s hard to describe. There’s this park right down the street from Amber’s house and a lot of mornings I’ll go sit and read on this bench there that has the most amazing view of the city. This morning I was sitting there and every time I looked up from my book I would look around and think “oh yeah, I’m in Honduras…I’d forgotten.” And now it’s becoming really easy to tell people apart, where as when I first got here everyone just looked “Honduran” and faces would kind of run together. It’s not weird that I’m not surrounded by a bunch of white people…in fact I think it will be kind of weird going back to the States, and even more at Lipscomb where that’s pretty much all there is lol. I don’t feel so weird about getting stared at by guys (which, by the way, is not a testament to how attractive you are, it’s purely related to the fact that you’re a girl and, as an added bonus, you’re white). I guess I don’t really notice it anymore. Just little things like that that I’ve been noticing and have made me think I’m just becoming “acculturated.” And in a good way, not like funky cheese.
You’ll have to excuse my digression because, believe it or not, I didn’t choose this title because I wanted to talk about cheese. I picked it because that’s how I’m starting to feel. Acculturated. I had to look up the word because I wasn’t sure it was the exact one I wanted to use but when I read the definition (to have absorbed and assimilated the culture of another group of people or another person; to have changed somebody’s cultural behavior and thinking through contact with another culture) I decided it was definitely the right word for how I feel. Over the past couple of days I’ve been finding myself forgetting, I guess you could say, that I’m here in Honduras. It’s hard to describe. There’s this park right down the street from Amber’s house and a lot of mornings I’ll go sit and read on this bench there that has the most amazing view of the city. This morning I was sitting there and every time I looked up from my book I would look around and think “oh yeah, I’m in Honduras…I’d forgotten.” And now it’s becoming really easy to tell people apart, where as when I first got here everyone just looked “Honduran” and faces would kind of run together. It’s not weird that I’m not surrounded by a bunch of white people…in fact I think it will be kind of weird going back to the States, and even more at Lipscomb where that’s pretty much all there is lol. I don’t feel so weird about getting stared at by guys (which, by the way, is not a testament to how attractive you are, it’s purely related to the fact that you’re a girl and, as an added bonus, you’re white). I guess I don’t really notice it anymore. Just little things like that that I’ve been noticing and have made me think I’m just becoming “acculturated.” And in a good way, not like funky cheese.
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