Smoky Days

When I flew into Teguc, the sky was so brown and hazy we couldn't even see the runway until we were almost directly over it (yikes!). This is because the country is burning right now. During the dry season, people deliberately light fires in the forests, to burn out the underbrush and to clear fields for grazing and planting. These fires are all over the country. You can see black patches all over the mountainsides where burns have been. One night, I looked out at the mountain and could see a glowing red spot, which I presume was a fire. Plumes of smoke and yellow haze sit over much of the countryside. When the rains come (and I've been told they are only weeks away), the water will clean up the air and turn the mountains green again.

Back at the farm

We made it back to the farm, oh, last week, on Monday. We were able to leave the capital not long after I posted my little story about the gas shortage. That doesn't mean the country is back to normal. Still a gas shortage. But I have nowhere to go, so not much of a concern for me right now. I am just trying to catch up on all the things I missed while I was gone - random Spanish lessons, violent and unskilled basketball games, grading English tests...I gone on a field trip, a youth group party, and a mother's day church service. I have lots of pictures, but they are still in my camera. I'll add them and the stories very soon.

Most of my students passed their English exams. I was pleasantly surprised by some of the students' efforts. Maybe they really did learn the material? I was heartily amused by others - they butchered some answers beyond recognition. I couldn't help but laugh. I am such a bad teacher. What kind of teacher laughs at their students?

Out of gas...

There are two ways that you should interpret this title.

1. I am tired. Or at least I was last night. I flew back to Honduras yesterday, Sunday. It was a long trip, being that I was up all night the previous night. So I was worn out, and thoroughly enjoyed my bed last night.

2. The country is out of gasoline. Really. There might be a little bit of regular gas somewhere, but diesel is gone. This is a problem since so many vehicles use diesel, and all of the mission vehicles are diesel. Missionaries picked me up at the airport, but we had to stay in Tegucigalpa last night, since their truck did not have enough fuel to make it three hours to the farm school. All the gas stations say, "manana, tomorrow, we'll have gas tomorrow." That was three days ago. So we are hanging out at the guesthouse in Teguc, waiting.

On the bright side, maybe I'll be able to snag one more mochachino from Espresso Americano before we leave the capital.

Thank you for your prayers for safe travel, and for those of you who helped me get back to Honduras so quickly. Now that I'm back, I will be posting and writing more often, to keep you informed and entertained. Hasta luego.

My so-called roommate

Meet Amy. She is also a volunteer with WGM. This is her second year at El Sembrador; she was there in 2006 and 2007, leaving just before I arrived in June 2007. She returned for her second term in January 2008, weeks before I arrived for my second term.

The reason I say "so-called" is because we have yet to actually live together. We were supposed to share an apartment on campus. However, days before I arrived at El Sembrador in February, Amy broke her ankle. Our introduction was in a hospital room in Teguc. I moved into the apartment, and Amy moved in with another missionary family (Jerry and Sherry), to avoid stairs and get some TLC.

Things were looking up. Amy got off her crutches, and was almost ready to move back to "our" apartment...when I was called home for my father's funeral. So she has been living in the apartment, all by her lonesome, while I have been home in Virginia.

We might get a chance to live as roommates soon, when I return to Honduras next week. Finalmente!

Amy is a neat person, by the way. She helps out in many ways at El Sembrador, with events and the sponsorship program. She speaks fluent Spanish, and has been a wonderful help to me, since I am not anywhere near fluent. I think we have fun together (I hope she agrees). Amy is a clutch player, I tell you. She is teaching my English classes in my absence. So a big THANK YOU to Amy for being such a blessing.

Be praying for Amy and her family right now. They have had some difficult times these past few weeks, and it is hard on Amy, being so far from home.


I introduced Amy to one of my favorite treats: mochachinos from Espresso Americano. Mmm. I get one every time I go to the capital.


Amy and Sherri (and Jerry, behind the camera) took me to the airport to see me off.

My father

On April 9th, I received a phone call from my mother, informing me that my father had passed away that morning. He died from cancer, despite rigorous medical treatments. Daddy was 62.

I went home, of course, to Virginia, to be with my family during this time. My brother came home from Iraq. With my sister already in town, we were able to be together with our mother. We are doing okay now. My mother has enjoyed having her children home.

Things have settled down, though, into a new normal. My mother has gone back to work, my sister, to college, and my brother is returning to Iraq. And I will be returning to Honduras to complete my term with Escuela El Sembrador. I am hoping to return within the next ten days.

Thank you to everyone for the thoughts and prayers sent our way.

Timber

I walked by the wood shop yesterday and saw this. They are restocking the lumber yard right now.

Check out the size of this tree.

How do you cut down a tree this size?

My Groceries

Milk is sold by the box down here. It is also sold on the shelf, and not in the refrigerator section. It has to be refrigerated once opened, but if unopened, it can stay on your shelf for weeks. I can buy a few weeks worth of milk and not worry about it spoiling!












A lot of the groceries are sold in different packages. Tomato sauce and spaghetti sauce are sold in bags. So is mayonnaise and shortening. I guess there's nothing inherently odd about it, it just looks strange to when you are used to getting your spaghetti sauce in a jar.