San Pedro Sula

Side view off of Alfredo´s House, BH

Team 9 at Pulhanpazak Falls, Sunday

9/22-9/30

My legs were happy to learn that the flight would not be China-revisted; rather, the flight took just over 3 hrs. from Atlanta. I sat next to two people (a Doctor Art--who had a message for an ex-pat/ex-marine...a gringo who goes by the name of "Carlos"--and some lady who´s daughter, Sarah, works here in Honduras and recently had dengue. Fíjense...I learned all that and I was honestly exerting myself NOT to listen.). Anyways, from what I could gather, they were visiting to serve with another organization called Shoulder to Shoulder. Apparently, they are located somewhere close the the Guatemalan border. While they have visited the country several times, their lack of enthusiasm for the culture nearly burst my bubble of excitement. But, I held on despite their negativity. °°°Fun fact: after deplaning, it became obvious that there were about 5 or 6 other mission groups coming down to serve with various organizations.°°°

We arrived in SAP right before 1 pm local time. Customs was a bittersweet experience...they even opened up extra wickets to serve the influx of passangers. Yet, I was horrified when my lady pulled out a STAPLER and then proceeded to staple my visa into my passport...right through my Chinese Foreign Expert documents! Grr.

By the time we got down to baggage, Linwood had already retrieved most of the 28 duffle bags carrying the medical supplies. The Honduran airport workers brought us carts and helped load the duffels and push them to inspections. The men opened one bag and checked the expiration date of one bottle of Children´s Tylenol before letting everyone through customs. These same men even wheeled our carts out to the bus and helped load our duffels on the Barnabas bus.

Leaving the airport on the bus.

Old BH sign. Now, a garden ornament.

La Mica. First day out in the field. From the bus to the camera, you can see James (a fellow team member), Dr. Marco, and Elmer (our wonderful busdriver). I´m not sure who is in the foreground, I apologize.

La Mica´s school

So, we got to La Mica´s school and then unloaded the bus (we had filled all of the buses with tubs carrying medicines and others with glasses...maybe 25 or so in total.). We set up in the school and got going after Linwood gave a little intro. sermon and had the town leader say a prayer. Tuesday was the same deal in another town, San Ramón. The difference was that we didn´t have easy access to the school, and I had made a poor selection of footwear based on the prior day´s experience. We had to drudge through some mud, a small creek, and slippery slopes. I got through with minor between-the-toes mud which I washed off in the pila spill-off by the bathrooms. Others, like Eric, took a dive into the mud while carrying a box of Bibles. He managed to toss the Bibles to dry land before sliding into the mud/creek and soiling himself. Throughout the week, any task that might involve such a similar fall was cautioned against by saying, "don´t pull a Lasky."

Wednesday, we were supposed to go to La Puerta del Potrero, but there was a landslide from Hurricane Felix and the road was impassable with the van. We managed to get them a bag of flipflops ("chancletas") and vitamins in the truck, but we had to turn around. On the way back, we stopped at a sugar cane factory on the side of the road and learned about the process (and we gave them some headache medicine, toothpaste, and antifungal creams).

burning the old sugar cane stalks as fuel to reduce the sugar

pouring the extract into molds to dry into sugar blocks

We ended up going to the Caves. I translated for the group and really was impressed with the guide and myself...I understood almost everything except the technical verbs he used to describe how the river carves itself into the cave. But, obviously got the gist of it. And, as payment, Linwood purchased me a wonderful peach fruit juice. Then, we went to a restaurant on Lago de Yojoa and waited in the breezy afternoon shade as the fried up some tilapia plates for us. While we waited, I quizzed Dr. Joe on his Spanish (from some flip book he had...the questions became quite risqué towards the end...and I was reading RIGHT out of the pamphlet!!)

Thursday was our busiest day...a trip to La Masica. If it hadn´t been for our unexpected day off, I think I would have wilted. My bum felt like necrose tissue. Haha! I learned some new medical terminology... basically, imagine 3 days of riding a bike on a hard seat...bruising is only natural. That was the day I gave away my cross...to a sweet lady named Angelina. She came in praising FOBF and then apologizing profusely for the fact that she needed so many things from us. Her daughter has severe asthma and while Patti taught her how to use the inhaler, I chatted a bit with Angelina. Here they are (I´ve already forgotten the daughter´s name, I apologize).

Friday we visited Laguna Seca. It was a light day but everyone in the town seemed to have something missing in their eyes. I think we came to the agreement that they were hopeless. That was the first time I´ve ever seen that, and it was hard to see. After we got home, we had to sort through all of the tubs and take inventories.

Saturday morning, we were allowed to sleep in 30 extra minutes. But, so much for that. I was up 15 mins earlier than my normal 5:30 a.m. Linwood, Dr. Jim and I went to see Yosi (a double club-footed child) so that Dr. Jim could re-examine her. She hasn´t been wearing her orthopedic shoes and has regressed since her stay and surgeries in the U.S. After returning, we had a minor scare when the bus wouldn´t start. Thirty minutes later, however, we were on our way to San Pedro Sula. We arrived in the early afternoon and stopped at the market where most in the group purchased souvenirs. I began a deal and then the lady changed the price and I just got disgusted and gave up. Then, we went to Microtel (and on the way ran into a parade) where we would stay the night. Eric, Kathie, Kevin and I went in the pool. Hmm...the pool was...interesting. When we first got there, there were some kids and we taught them Marco-Polo, and they cheated just like any American kid would have! =) The picture of the pool was from the morning after when all the algae-like stuff settled. I had a rash on my back and face for a couple of days. But, heck, it was great fun and so I´ll hazard to say it was worth it.

Parade in downtown San Pedro Sula

blue + yellow = green water...

Saturday night we relaxed on the hammocks after dinner. This was a hammock hut. There is a central post with outlying posts. All of the hammocks are hanged from the central post to one of the outlying posts. Three was the most we could get on one hammock...they say they hold 200 kg! We left one person out to run around and push us all. Then, all of the outlying posts started to sway and then the roof and we got scared and stopped swinging....

Sunday morning we had a service with reflection and communion by the pool and then we headed to the airport. After a week of leading people in songs and blessings, I asked one last favor...we sang "Go Now in Peace" in a round. Then, there were hugs and tears and promises for reunions. All in all, I couldn´t have asked for a better week to begin this experience. Elmer and I drove back to BH and I was sitting in the silence left by my dear Team 9 and my 15 new friends!

The trip begins

9/20- 9/22: Miami

Dad and I left for Miami on Thursday morning. We walked down the Art Deco strip Thursday night and visited the Everglades National Park on Friday (on the Golden Pass, yeah baby).

We got up at 3 a.m. on Saturday morning, showered, and headed to the airport. We actually beat the Delta staff to work! We had to wait until 4:30 a.m. to check-in. My checked luggage weighed 49 and 50 lbs. I was more than 99.73% happy that I had decided to lug the scale to Miami with us and, furthermore, to make a re-adjustment in a moment of channeled nervous energy (shifting nearly all of me 35 lbs. of books to my carry-on).

I arrived in Atlanta with little consequence and set up camp waiting for the rest of Team 9 to meet me at the gate, which they did after about an hour. We shared a round of hugs and handshakes before settling into some friendly banter. For a moment, Kirby and I were convinced that we were sitting next to each other (something I thought supercool since I had booked my flight separately and randomly chosen my seat). Alas, Kirby was looking at his boarding card for his RIC to ATL flight =(

Hurricane Felix Update

An email update I received this morning from Erin:

Dear Barnabas Friends,

Our prayers have been answered. Yesterday, Hurricane Felix took a path much farther south than predicted, was downgraded to a tropical storm, and did little damage to the area of central Honduras in which we work. By mid-afternoon, the rains had ceased in San Pedro Sula and the Barnabas House was left untouched, as it is at such a high elevation.

We are happy to report that our staff and communities in which we serve are safe. How fortunate we were to have had more than 25 children and their mothers in our care, protecting them from flooding and mudslides that could have occurred in their mountain villages. These children who were awaiting surgery will not be disappointed. With electricity and water sources in San Pedro Sula not affected, our Oral and Maxillofacial Team departed this morning for their surgical mission. They actually should be arriving momentarily. God is good! It is expected that this talented team will perform nearly forty surgeries for children needing cleft lip or cleft palate repairs. We ask that you continue to keep these children and their families in your prayers as they make another journey today...into operating rooms. Stay tuned for more information about the work of this team.

Let us not forget that while central Honduras was only mildly touched by Felix, the villages outside of the capital city of Tegucigalpa and the coastal areas of Honduras and Nicaragua were not as fortunate. The Miskito Coast was hit quite hard. Some fatalities have already been reported, other individuals are missing, and many homes have been destroyed. Let us keep these people in our prayers as they recover from this storm.

We are grateful for the wonderful network of friends that we have here at the Friends of Barnabas Foundation. Thank you for your prayers, support, and love.

Blessings,

FOBF-Central Office Staff

Prayer Request

As many of you know, Hurricane Felix is closing in on Honduras, Nicaragua, and Guatamela.

A prayer request I received from Erin via email this morning:

Dear Barnabas Friends,
It looks as if the center of the storm Felix will pass over the Barnabas House in Pena Blanca sometime tomorrow.
We have an 18 member Cleft-Lip and Cleft-Palate Surgical Team arriving on Thursday Sept. 6th for 40+ surgeries. We are not sure if the airport will be open by then.
The children who will have surgery and their moms began to arrive at the Barnabas House last week. Movement to and from the San Pedro Sula Hospital may be a problem with high water. What can you do? Join us in prayer of all of Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala who will experience the heavy rains, flooding and mud slides that will accompany the storm. In those steep mountains this will be the real danger. Let’s hope the memory of Mitch allows the people of the mountains to take better cover and protection during these heavy rain storms.
Join us in prayer for Lori Cordova and the18 member Surgical Team for Traveling Mercies as they go to help these children.
We will keep you posted as we hear from Honduras

Thank you for praying with us.
In Christ's Service with you,
Linwood, Brenda, Erin, Lori, Matt and Grazyna

To that request, I would like to ask for additional prayers for my friends, Caitlin and Matt, who are currently living and teaching near Honduras' southeastern coast. Their classes have already been cancelled indefinitely.

Step One: Finalizing Plans

Four months after signing a contract with FOBF, I finally settled on an airline ticket. At 4 a.m. on September 22, 2007, I will arrive at the Miami International Airport in preparation for my 6 a.m. flight to Atlanta. In Atlanta, I will meet up with the 14-member service/medical team. I will have a couple of hours to get to know them before all 15 of us will board the 4 hour flight to San Pedro Sula, Honduras.

I will spend my first week in Honduras serving with this team. Then, they will return to the States and I will stay on until June 2008!

Yipee!

Step Two: Visiting FOBF State-side

On Thursday, August 30th, I visited the Friends of Barnabas House in Midlothian, VA. I had been expecting some sort of an office building but was surprised to find a lovely little yellow house sitting on an acre of open space.

Sign in front yard

FOBF Office from across the street

In fact, in February of this year the Foundation DID move from a somewhat more office-like setting. Well, a close second to an office building: a local nursing home. From what I gathered, the home had allowed them to use a few old rooms so they had been hanging out there until they secured this fabulous house on Stigall Drive! Besides the added space and comfort, the house has beautiful wooden floors. The staff has decorated the inside with these breathtaking pictures of Honduran children that the previous intern (a photo-journalist) took some time back. The photos are housed in plain, wooden frames, still a bit rough around the edges. On one wall in the living room is a huge map of Honduras. And, it actually has the small town of Peña Blanca, where the Barnabas House is located. To think, in three weeks I'll be seeing that town in person! I've added a lesser version of that map for your enjoyment. Of course, this map DOESN'T have Peña Blanca, but to orient you, we fly into San Pedro Sula and then ride over to the Lake Yojoa area. There are some finger lakes that lie east of the lake--in the early part of the year we will be traversing those lakes on boat to service the villages that lie beyond. Our barracks will be the dam's dormhouse (where the engineers stay).

If you look again at the landscape photo, you'll notice a small, garage-like building to the left of the house. This is the newly built storage and processing area, equipped with shelves for medicines and eyeglasses and tables for sorting the whole lot. Rev. Cook proudly introduced his novel idea for weighing the black supply duffel bags. If you look just to the right of the middle of the picture, you'll see a diagonal stick. This stick is attached to the ceiling and has a hook with spring scale on one end and a pulley-rope on the other. One simply has to attach the duffel to the spring scale and then pull on the rope to lift the bag a couple of inches off the ground. Such an effort is rewarded with a weight estimate. (Much better than lifting 50 lbs. bags, wouldn't you say?)

Fully insulated stockroom

After touring around, I spent a couple of hours in the morning chatting with Erin. It was gratifying finally to meet the person with whom I've been corresponding for 1/2 a year! As we were talking, Rev. Cook poked his head in the room to relay some information. He showed me photos fresh off his digital camera--he had just returned the night before. Thus, I was able to "meet" some of the staff. As we were talking, he hopped up and retrieved a framed photo of the Barnabas compound. He detailed nearly every inch of it and left me wondering if I'd remember it all.

During this information session, Rev. Cook announced (to Erin and myself, news to both of us)that my living quarters would be upgraded to a "suite." Originally, I was going to move into Danilo's (the Master Gardener) room. He would have had to vacate the room first (duh) and move into an empty room in the clinic. Then, on this past trip, Rev. Cook stayed in one of the rooms in Alfredo's house and decided it was perfect. It has an armoire, a table, a bed, and a private bath. And, I'll have easy access to the kitchen and the computer room! I'm not complaining in the least bit, even though I realize I probably would have never known the difference =)

I left with electric-blue t-shirt in hand. The shirt is my ticket to meeting the rest of the 14 in Atlanta on the 22nd of September!