2011 Journal

July August September October December

Thursday, June 9, 2011

My flight to Houston and on to Tegucigalpa was good. I paid for an upgrade to first class for the U.S. to Honduras segment of my trip. As a result, I met a woman whose husband works for the U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa. I gave her my card and she gave me her telephone number.

She told me about an English-speaking Women’s Club that meets every Thursday morning at the Intercontinental hotel at 10:00. She recommended I attend. I definitely want to do that. The hotel is right across the street from the Multiplaza Mall, which is the largest mall in Tegus, so maybe I can plan on Thursday as my day to do my shopping and run errands. Walmart and Yip are the only two stores I would be interested in that are not in or near the Multiplaza. I even saw a GNC store in the mall. I didn’t go in, so I don’t know whether they carry my hypoallergenic shampoo. I know the one at Las Cascades Mall does, so maybe this one does, too.

Tegucigalpa from the air

Moises, Ana, and Fannie met me at the airport and took me to my new apartment. Later, Moises took me to Las Cascades Mall to get a BlackBerry. I got a microwave and a few other things at Walmart (just opened a short time ago). We priced BlackBerry service at the three major companies, and I decided to go with Digicel. Their full-service plan is $40 a month. I completed the application, but I coiuldn’t get the phone yet. They need to confirm the information on my application. The sales rep (Josephine) didn’t seem to know how to handle my financial situation because I’m not receiving a monthly check. She agreed to follow Moises’ idea and divide the money in my bank account by 24 months to get the monthly amount. She made screen prints of my account information online, since my existing statements are from when I was working and would be totally misleading.

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Friday, June 12, 2011

Today, I basically took it easy and looked around the neighborhood to see what stores are around here. There are two grocery stores within just a few minutes of home. Despensa Familia is at the bottom of the hill, perhaps three minutes away. I read several months ago that Walmart owns it. It’s a small store, so they don’t have as many options as I’m used to having, but that’s OK. The two big things they don’t have are steel cut oats and tomato juice. The other store, La Colonia, doesn’t have those items, either. I saw tomato juice here before, so I know I can get it, just not in my neighborhood.

I did walk up to the church building this morning. It took 13 minutes at my normal pace. I’m not used to walking up steep hills, so I was definitely tired! If I do this every day for a week or two, I will see a significant difference.

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Saturday, June 11, 2011

I went to the Multipaza Mall with Sofia this morning to do some shopping. I got quite a few things, including the very much needed portable closet. It works great! We were gone for almost four hours. I got prices for some of the more expensive items I need, so I can decide which store has the best deal.

Moises and Sofia helped bring my purchases upstairs to my apartment. I put the closet together and got all the clothes organized in it. The bedroom looks much better now. Not perfect, but much better.

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Sunday, June 12, 2011

What a nice day! I rode to church this morning with my landlords (Oscar and Ana) and Vilma, a friend of Ana. I enjoyed the service, worshipping with my friends, even though I didn’t understand many of the words spoken.

After the service, Ana invited me to join her, her husband Oscar, and her friend Vilma for lunch at the Chinese restaurant down the street. The food was very good, and there was a lot of it.

Later, Eleazer, Moises’ oldest son, took me to the mall to retrieve a package we accidently left at the grocery store’s package storage area yesterday. I had several bags there and didn’t count them to make sure we got everything. Fortunately, they had the missing bag securely locked up.

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Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Today, Oscar Jr. (the son of Oscar and Ana) took Sofia and me to the mall to provide the sales rep with more financial information. I had already done a screen shot showing my deposits for the past 30 days and put that into a PDF. I brought it on a USB drive so we didn’t have to waste time accessing my account from the store and having the sales rep do the screen shot. She was very happy about that and promised that I will be able to get my phone tomorrow. That was good news. Unfortunately, I realized after I got home that my USB drive was still in the computer at the store. Hopefully, they’ll keep it safe until I come back to get my BlackBerry.

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Wednesday, June 15, 2011

I finally received a call from Digicel telling me I can pick up my BlackBerry. Unfortunately, the lady who called said I cannot use the BlackBerry as a modem, like I did in the U.S. That’s not what I understood from the lady at the mall. I’m guessing she didn’t understand what I was talking about. Moises is an excellent translator, so I don’t think language was the problem. I think she just didn’t understand the concept of using the BlackBerry like a modem. The price I was given today is also higher than what I was given at the store. Only $3 more, but I don’t have extra money lying around. If I really can’t use the BlackBerry as a modem, I will need to get a Tigo modem. Oscar told me he pays $15 a month for his. This will definitely cut into my food budget, but if that’s the only thing I end up exceeding my budget on, it’ll be OK. I’ll soon find out!

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Monday, June 20, 2011

This morning, the first Harpeth Hills group started the work on the floor of the sanctuary. It needs to be raised about two inches. The group arrived on Friday, but this was my first opportunity to work with them. It was hard work to get the sand and gravel upstairs, but they did a great job. I helped, so I know it was hard work. They did a great job.

Harpeth Hills assembly line to move the sand and gravel upstairs

This afternoon, we delivered food packages. My group delivered packages to Alicia and Prospero and his wife. You may remember Prospero and his wife from last year. This is the couple whose daughter took the papers on the house and sold it to someone who subsequently kicked Prospero and his wife out. They have been living in the alley next to the house for about three years now. He is 85 and she is 95. Prospero grinds corn to make a living. We were told he used to have three grinders, but he’s down to just one now. This is a sad situation.

Praying for Prospero and his wife

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Tuesday, June 21, 2011

We delivered food packages again this afternoon. This time, my group delivered packages to Olga, Nicia, Johanna, and Segrario.

As we walked to the church building after delivering the food packages, I struggled to hold the tears back when Jason Pagel, youth minister from Harpeth Hills, told me, “You have inspired our kids more than you know.” He said he had heard several talking about me being “so cool” because of my moving here to serve as a missionary.

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Wednesday, June 22, 2011

We visited many children in the public hospital this afternoon. It was an emotional experience for many of the young people and, I suspect, the adults, also. So many children and so few resources to help them. The child who seemed to break everyone’s heart was five-year-old Karen. I don’t know why she was hospitalized, but she appeared to be very uncomfortable and probably frightened. Most of the other children had a family member there to provide care and comfort, but not Karen. She was alone. Then, we came, and for a few minutes, Karen had some teenagers to comfort her and show her that Jesus had not forgotten her.

Sofia feeding a baby in the public hospital

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Thursday, June 23, 2011

Today, I went shopping with Sofia and her aunt, Ninoska. I bought a small refrigerator, an assemble-it-yourself bed with a bookcase headboard and mattress, and an assemble-it-yourself computer desk at Walmart. I paid for the items and the store will hold them for me to pick up tomorrow. I also bought a 22” TV at Lady Lee.

I also got a Tigo modem. Ninoska used her ID so I could take the modem with me. Given that I paid for the modem and the service is pre-paid, I don’t know why it would matter, but that’s the way it is.

I tried the modem out when I got home and it works well. I found out that my hometown, Minot, ND, is in the midst of the worst flood in the city’s history. I heard from my brother, and he’s fine. He said his basement flooded three weeks ago and he was not able to get everything out before the water came.

Watching the live coverage of the flood fight being streamed over the Internet was heart-wrenching, yet I wanted to know what was happening. I saw photos of the first elementary school I attended. It was flooded. A shopping center I have been in many times appeared to still be dry, protected by a dike. I saw several videos showing thousands of homes that were flooded or about to be flooded. It seemed so unreal, yet I know it is real.

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Friday, June 24, 2011

The first group left today, and the second group arrived. I had intended to go to the airport, but I was a little late getting up, so I didn’t. This afternoon, Sofia went back to Walmart with me to pick up the items I purchased yesterday.  Cesar (Julio’s son) drove us. Both Julio and Cesar are taxi drivers with vans. When we got to the house, Carlin was waiting to help carry the stuff upstairs, but more help was definitely needed. Cesar pitched right in and helped Carlin carry the bed upstairs.

About 6:45 this evening, Ana asked if I’d like to go to the hospital with her to visit a dying man. Ana’s brother, Franklin, went with us. The patient was 72-year-old Eucebio Floras from San Buenaventura. Ana prayed for him and then rubbed some lotion on his hands and arms while I read some Scriptures in English. As far as I know, he had no idea what I was reading, but when I prayed for him, he struggled to get his hand loose from mine.  Once I let his hand go, he started patting my hand. It seems that God’s word and prayer are comforting even when not spoken in your native language. I finished praying and then Ana talked to him and prayed for him.

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Saturday, June 25, 2011

I went with the second Harpeth Hills group out to visit the children at Jovenes en Camino, an orphanage out of town. While the kids played, I spent most of my time talking with a new volunteer, Dawn. She just arrived two days ago. I enjoyed our visit very much. We are now Facebook friends. Hopefully, we will have a chance to see each other before she leaves in August.

When I arrived home, Ana’s granddaughter, Anabella, told me that Eucebio died about midnight last night. That about four hours after we were there.

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Sunday, June 26, 2011

This afternoon, Oscar and his son Oscar ran a cable into my apartment so I can have cable TV. It works well and I have a few English channels.  After they finished, I hurried up to the church in hopes of catching the bus over to the soccer field. I made it just a couple of minutes before the bus left. I enjoyed the games and everyone else seemed to, also.

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Monday, June 27, 2011

This morning, some of the group went to the work site to get going on the house. The rest of us went to the feeding center for the children, which is two blocks from my apartment. The work site is probably six or eight blocks away. We all spent the afternoon at the work site. I shoveled sand and gravel for perhaps two hours. It was hard work, but I enjoyed doing it.

Shoveling sand for Sandra´s new house

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Tuesday, June 28, 2011

More work was completed on the house today, but this afternoon, we went to a nursing home. This is not the one (CEDER) I’ve gone to in the past. There was one woman, Olga, who spoke English quite well. She said she went to school in Belize, where English is the official language, so she learned English as a child. While I enjoyed visiting with her, every time she asked a question that she had just asked a minute or two before, I was reminded of my mother. I love my mother very much, and I miss being able to talk to her for an hour and know that she will remember the conversation tomorrow.

Jason talking with Olga at Hilos de Plata

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Wednesday, June 29, 2011

I rode up to the site with Eduardo, so I got there before the bus arrived. I helped the homeowner, Sandra and a young boy, who I think is her son, scoop the water out of the house that had been deposited by the rain. It took us awhile, but we finished before the bus arrived. We spent the morning working on the house, and then most of us went to Los Pinos to distribute clothing and food packages in the afternoon.

Working on the roof and walls

Working on the inside wall

Singing with the people in Los Pinos

Distributing clothing in Los Pinos

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Thursday, June 30, 2011

I walked up to the house early this morning to take a few pictures and then waited with Albert outside the pulperia for the bus. A few people stayed to work on the house, while the rest of us went to Yaguacire to do the floor for the house the Sunset Ridge group will build next month. We also distributed clothing to some children at the feeding center. After a late lunch, we finished off the floor and went back to town.

Mixing concrete in Yaguacire

Smoothing out the concrete

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Friday, July 1, 2011

I rode over to the Humuya on the church’s bus this morning. After a little while there, we headed for the airport with the group, minus three. One of the passports was missing from the envelope they had been stored in, so Jason, Jimmy, and Alyssa went to the U.S. Embassy to get Alyssa an emergency passport. As a result, those three and Jimmy’s wife, Mitzie, missed the flight and have to wait until tomorrow to leave. American Airlines gave them free rooms at the Intercontinental Hotel. They all have boarding passes, so they shouldn’t have any problem getting out tomorrow, but I think they have to drive from Birmingham to Nashville.

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Saturday, July 2, 2011

This morning, I bought a commercial mop bucket with a wringer at Indufesa. I got the idea on the Internet when I was looking for a clothes wringer. It should work well for all my clothes and get a lot more water out than I can get out by hand.

This afternoon, Mauricio came to install the water pipe from the new water tank for my apartment to my shower. It took him several hours to do that pipe, chip out the tile covering the pipe to the shower head, and installing the new shower head with three temperature settings. I hope it works! The water comes out much better than with the original shower head, so I’ll find out tomorrow if it heats the water well.

I started working through a Spanish grammar lesson this afternoon. I’m not finished, but I got a good start on it. The book is Complete Spanish Grammar by Gilda Nissenberg. I expect to have some problems with it, since it is intended as a review for advanced beginners or intermediate students, not true beginners like me. So far, it’s been OK. I’m not going to rush it, and I’m making good use of my Spanish-English dictionary.

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Tuesday, July 5, 2011

I walked up to the church this morning and found German there, just finishing up washing his taxi. I asked him if he would take me to Las Cascades Mall, and he said he would. He finished his wash job and off we went to the mall. After about an hour in the Tigo store, I left with 6 weeks of service on my broadband mobile modem. That’s enough to last me until I go to Costa Rica, but I suspect I will use up the data allowance long before then.

I spent quite a bit of time in Walmart, just looking around. I bought a DVD player and a few other small items. I found batteries for my Franklin electronic dictionary at Radio Shack. I suspect they are a little more expensive than the ones Lynn is bringing me from the States, but at least I know I can get them here. With the ones I bought and the ones Lynn is bringing me, I probably have enough to last until I return to the States in December.

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Wednesday, July 6, 2011

German took me to PriceSmart this morning. They weren’t open yet, so I walked across the street to Office Depot and got a couple of bookends. I was surprised to find them. They had a good assortment of desk lamps, but I decided to look some more before I buy. I went back to PriceSmart, signed up for a one-year membership, and then walked all through the store to write down prices of things I will likely need in the future.  I then went over to the Multiplaza Mall and looked in a couple of stores there. After eating lunch in the Food Court, I went back to PriceSmart to make my purchases: a desk chair, a folding table for my “kitchen” area, and a multifunction printer. I also picked up two large jars of creamy peanut butter, since my neighborhood stores only have the tiny jar, if any. I finished early, so I had to wait awhile for German to come back for me. I’ll have to see if he has a cell phone.

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Thursday, July 7, 2011

I just got back from Indufesa, where I bought a shower curtain, a TwistTurn rod to hold the shower curtain, a small stapler, and a couple of little storage baskets. I found a covered plastic box at La Colonia for a good price. I may get some more later, but first I need to reorganize a little and determine what else I really need.

It is so nice to be sitting at my desk as I write this. I have greatly missed being able to do that. The chair I got at PriceSmart yesterday works well.  Now if I can just find some paper for the printer. I didn’t buy any yesterday because I had seen a couple of packages at one of my neighborhood stores. Unfortunately, the only paper I could find today is 8.5” x 13”, not 11”. So, I’ll put that on my list for my next trip to the mall. I don’t plan to print much, but I will print a little. Two packages should last a very long time.

I received a new PIN for my ATM card a few days ago. I tried it today at Indufesa and it worked. It should work at Despensa Familiar, too, but that machine said it didn’t have any cash. I don’t know if that’s true, since it also told me I have $95,000 in my savings account! That would be nice, but I don’t have anywhere close to that amount in my account. So, I’m guessing the machine was a little messed up. Being able to get cash from Indufesa is a very good thing, since I can walk there in about 8 minutes instead of having to take a taxi to the mall.

I paid my rent today. After 14.5 years of owning my home, I am not used to paying rent every month. I hope I don’t forget to pay! If I was in the States, I would just set up a recurring payment through my bank. That won’t work here, so I will just have to remember.

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Friday, July 8, 2011

It’s been a week since the second Harpeth Hills group left. As I was resizing my photos from both weeks today, I couldn’t help but remember those days. In some ways it seems like a long time ago, but then it seems like it was yesterday. I miss both groups. They are all hard-working, compassionate people seeking to follow Jesus. I think they bring a smile to His face. They certainly do to mine. They also bring tears as I recall the words of Jason and Charlotte telling me of the impact I had on their teens. I have asked God many times to let people see Jesus working in and through me. I trust that is what they saw.

I recall telling the students I spoke to at Baxter in 2009 that if I died down here during that troubled time, that I hoped my friends would be inspired to follow Jesus wherever He would call them. That hope applies to everyone with whom I have contact. I pray that the people I associate with here, my relatives, friends, and acquaintances in the States, people who read my writings, and people who hear about me from others will all recognize that not only is Jesus my greatest treasure and the One for whom I strive to live my life daily, but that He wants the same thing to be true of each of them.

I have now been here four weeks. It’s been five weeks since I retired. That still seems strange to say, “retired.” I guess it seems strange because I have only left corporate life, not life. Every day is another opportunity to fulfill the purpose for which God created me, to do those good works He designed for me before the foundation of the world. I am eager to see what God will do in and through me in Honduras, Costa Rica, and wherever else He sends me. I feel like I am on the verge of something challenging and exciting, something beyond anything I could possibly dream, something I cannot do without God’s help. I don’t know what that is, but He does.

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Monday, July 18, 2011

The mission team from Sunset Ridge Church of Christ left today. During the past week, I accompanied the prayer team, as I have done the last several years. There were five of us most days, although Kim helped the construction crew on a couple of days.

During this week, the construction team built the house for which the Harpeth Hills youth group laid the foundation. While they were waiting for more lumber on Friday, they painted the interior walls of the auditorium. Saturday, they finished the house, which turned out very well.

The prayer team spent some time with the children at the feeding center, visited bed-ridden Maria Ponce, spent some time at the newly remodeled CEDAR nursing home, sorted and rebagged children’s vitamins and pain relievers, and visited Santa Lucia and Valley of the Angels.

Friday afternoon, we all went to the city park and up to the huge statue of Jesus that overlooks the city. That night, we had our customary dinner at the La Cumbre restaurant, which also overlooks the city. Saturday evening, we all went to dinner at Jose and Evita’s house. This was a very enjoyable time of singing, getting to know more about each other, and, of course, eating excellent Honduran food.

At the end of the worship service on Sunday, Moises had the mission team come up front where he prayed for them. It seemed a little strange to not be going up there with them, but my situation is different now. I’m no longer one of the team flying in from San Antonio. I’m now the resident missionary from the States who helps out with whatever team comes to serve. I’m sure I will get used to that in time.

The good-byes at the airport were a bit different this morning. This time, I was saying good-bye to team who was leaving, and I was staying. This also seemed a little strange, but more than that, it seemed right. This is where I am supposed to be now.

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Monday, August 15, 2011

The last four weeks have gone by quickly. I spent quite a bit of time working on some Spanish lessons that I hope will help me once I start my classes at the end of this month.

During the last two weeks Eduardo and I spent some time resurrecting some computers from the old church building and getting them on the Internet. I didn’t quite finish with the third computer because its CD-ROM drive doesn’t work. Hopefully, Eduardo will be able to find one in one of the broken computers that will work and will be able to finish getting that computer Internet-ready while I’m gone. We are hoping to get new computers by next year. In the meantime, the kids will have a couple of computers they can use for doing their homework and learning to type.

This afternoon, I’m flying to San Jose where I will spend the next four months learning to speak, read, and write Spanish. My goal is to learn the basics well enough to be able to communicate in Tegucigalpa. Then, I will work on increasing my vocabulary, with the help of some bilingual friends.

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Saturday, September 3, 2011

What a fast two-and-a-half weeks it’s been! I arrived safely on August 15th and had no problems clearing Customs. I was only asked if I had any food. I said no, just some vitamins and the officer waved me on. My big sister Chelsea was waiting outside for me with a driver. We went to my apartment and dropped off my bags. Since my landlady (Cecelia) wasn’t home, I went to dinner with Chelsea and her dad, who was visiting her for a few days. When we got back to my apartment, Cecelia was home, so I met her and her daughters. Cecelia offered to take me to the supermarket the next day or anywhere else I needed to go. Of course, I needed groceries and some more U.S. dollars, so that was an offer I happily accepted.

The next morning, we went to the bank and one of the supermarkets. I have since discovered that the Supermercado Pali is cheaper than the store we went to, at least for the items I wanted to buy. I quickly discovered that food prices here are anywhere from 10% to more than 100% higher than I was paying in Honduras. I knew before I arrived that my rent would be $100 higher than I had planned, but then discovered the school’s tuition had gone up. This is certainly raising havoc with my budget, but I am trusting God to provide.

I spent my first week here just wandering around to find out what is within about a 15-20 minute walk from my apartment. Chelsea had a map from a former student that she gave me. I am still using it, despite its now tattered condition.

My bedroom

Fully furnished kitchen

The prized items: Washer, dryer, and ironing board

Today, I walked to Mas x Menos. It is not like the one in Honduras. The store here is owned by Walmart de
México y Centroamérica (Walmart of Mexico and Central America) and is not full of expensive food from the U.S., like the one in Tegucigalpa. I was able to complete an oral homework assignment while I was there, but I saw nothing that would cause me to go there rather than Pali, which is also owned by Walmart, but has lower prices. So, for the remainder of my time here, I expect to buy almost all of my groceries at Pali. The only drawback is that it is southwest of my apartment and the school is southeast. So, I can’t just stop in on my way home from school to get groceries. However, it’s only about a five minute walk from home. I think I will generally be able to get a week’s worth of groceries into my backpack and perhaps one plastic bag.  The only thing I will likely need more than once a week is a 6-liter bottle of water. The water here is safe to drink, but I am used to drinking bottled water and prefer to continue doing so.

There’s also a store about four or five minutes north that is similar to a 7-11 or similar convenience store in the U.S. This store has a few prepared food items that are microwave-ready. I’ve tried the chicken lasagna twice and today I picked up a serving of meat lasagna and a breakfast burrito. This is more expensive than making it myself, but cheaper than eating at a restaurant. So, I think it will be my periodic weekend treat to pick up something there.

School started with four days of orientation, which we completed this past Monday. The informational sessions were good, and the skits were well done and humorous. The most hilarious one clearly showed how easy it is for people from other cultures to misunderstand what we say because so much of what we say is slang, figures of speech, cliches, or colloquialisms.

Did he really say that?

We’ve now completed our first four days of classes. I have four others in my group. I refer to us as the “over 50 class.” I like our teachers very much. They are very patient and are not going too fast. The pace seems right for me. I have plenty of materials I can study if I start to feel like we’re moving too slowly, but I don’t think that will happen. Small classes where the students have been grouped based on test results and interviews makes it easier for the teachers to set an appropriate pace.

Folk dancing at the new student fiesta

We are in class from 7:30 until 12:05, with a break from 9:15 until 10:20. This is our chapel time on Tuesdays and Thursdays (I love it!) and ladies’ Bible study on Mondays. On Wednesdays and Fridays, we just have a long break. Chapel and the Bible study are not mandatory, but I plan to go regularly. Several students who have been here for awhile and some staff members have said that there’s a lot more to our being here than just learning the language. It’s also about what God will do in us as we prepare to go to serve Him on the mission field. God works in each of us in different ways. One of the ways He works in me is through the words of others as they preach and teach His word. So, I don’t see chapel or the ladies’ Bible study as non-essentials for me.

Chapel

Our first class each day is two hours of grammar. After the break, we have one hour of language class and then one hour of phonetics. While we speak in every class, the language class is all about being able to converse. There will be a quiz or exam in each class every week. While I will always strive to do the best I can, I know I will enjoy not having to be concerned about grades. This is the first resident school I have attended where my entire course of study was for “no credit”. That was my choice, and I’m happy with it. I want to learn the language so I can more effectively minister to and with the people of Tegucigalpa and anywhere else God might send me. A grade will not motivate me. There was a time when it would have, but no longer. So, now, I can get comfortable, relax, and soak up as much as I can in the short time I’m here. I am trusting God to help me put everything together so it makes sense and so I can effectively communicate with native Spanish speakers in a way that pleases Him.

I’ve never before had the privilege of attending a school where every class starts with prayer or where chapel services occur as part of the school day. I am thoroughly enjoying this! I’ve often thought it would have been fantastic to attend a Christian high school or college, and I still think that’s true. I can’t go back in time and change my choices, but now God has given me the opportunity to get a taste of what it would have been like. Gracias a Dios! We’ll even be memorizing Bible verses in my phonetics class!

That summarizes the past couple of weeks in Costa Rica. The one important occurrence outside Costa Rica is the upcoming publication of one of my devotionals in The Upper Room Devotional Guide. I received an email this week informing me that the devotional will be published in the Nov-Dec 2011 edition of the Guide for use on November 13. It will also be published online on November 13. This will be the third time they’ve published one of my devotionals. I think I am still just as excited and I know just as humbled as I was the first time. Please pray that God will use the words He gave me to accomplish His purpose.

Tomorrow will be my second Sunday at Union Church in Moravia. The service is bilingual and I can ride the church van for free. Actually, I think the van might be owned by one of the members and he just uses it to pick people up on a slightly roundabout way for him to get to church. The bus stop for me is only about 5 minutes from home. Last Sunday, there were three passengers going and three or four additional people on the way back. It was wonderful to be in a bilingual service after seven weeks of Spanish only services! Actually, this is one of the reasons the Institute has chapel services. One of the counselors told us they want to make sure we have the opportunity to worship in our heart language. For almost all of the students, that means English. As far as I know, there are only three English-speaking churches in the area, and only Union Church offers free transportation. The International Baptist Church and Escazu Christian Fellowship meet in the same building, which is about 14 kilometers from my apartment. Many of the students live 10 minutes farther away than I do, so it’s not very convenient for us. Consequently, most students go to other local churches, even though they don’t get anything out of the sermon and can’t sing the songs. That will get better as time goes on, but I do agree that it’s important to be able to worship in your heart language.

Speaking of worship, I hope you’ll all be worshiping with your faith family tomorrow. May God bless each of you as you strive to do His will!

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Sunday, October 23, 2011

When I finished my doctoral program in 2007, I did not expect that I would be back in school ever again. But, I don’t know the future! I’ve now completed about seven weeks of instruction in the Spanish language. I have about seven weeks left in this trimester. So, I’ve made it to the half-way point! Or, at least what I thought would be the half-way point. It is for this trimester, but it now looks like I will be returning for a second trimester, starting in January. That was my original plan, but by the time I left Honduras for Costa Rica, I knew I would most likely only be staying for one trimester. This was partly due to my own desire to get busy with my ministry in Honduras, but also for financial reasons. God may have other plans.

During my interview with the school’s academic director, I told her that I would probably only be here for one trimester because I have work waiting for me and a second trimester is just not in my budget. Her reply to that was, “We’ll have to pray about that.” I didn’t think much more about that. God knows that I want to learn enough of the language to be able to have meaningful conversations with Spanish-speaking people in Honduras and any other place He might send me in the future.

Friday afternoon, the classmate whom I had helped last week with some editing for his radio mission work told me there would be enough editing work available to cover tuition, rent, and utilities for another trimester of school. I could say that “came out of the blue,” but, given the prayers of the Institute’s staff and teachers, as well as my friends in the United States and Honduras, I know where this opportunity came from. Although I have not made a final decision, I am almost certain I will be returning for a second trimester. This will be a significant change to my short-term plans, but I know the long-term benefits will far outweigh the drawbacks.

I will need to make my decision within the next couple of weeks so I can make my flight reservations and let my landlady know whether I’ll be staying. Fortunately, I left the door open on that when I arrived. I told her I would be here for four months, but possibly eight. We signed the rental contract for four months, but she told me there will be no problem if I stay for eight months, and I can ignore the 15% rent increase stated in the contract. Nice!

I realize it’s been far too many weeks since I’ve posted any updates. It seems that whenever I thought, “I need to update my website,” something would come up before the weekend that would cause me to change my plan and put it off “one more week.” Those of you on Facebook have some idea of what’s been happening.

Let me give you a quick run-down of my activities. I usually get up between 6:00 and 6:15. I eat breakfast at home almost every day. On rare occasion, I’ve gotten up late or got busy doing something and had to run out without breakfast. Fortunately, the school has a little store where we can buy snack items. I try to leave for school by 7:10 so I don’t have to rush, but sometimes it’s a little later and then I have to walk fast to get there before the second bell rings. (I haven’t had school bells governing my movements in many years!)

My first class is two hours of grammar. There are three other students in my class. All are older than me. We are the “senior” class. The four of us have become good friends. Bill and Sally are affiliated with SCORE International and Art is with Christ to the World.

After our grammar class, we grab a table on the terrace and start working on the next day’s homework, studying for a test, or just talking; or we go to chapel. There is a 15-minute break on Tuesdays and Thursday and then “chapel hour” starts. Chapel usually finishes in 45 minutes so we can all get to our next class on time, but we have gone beyond the allotted time on a couple of occasions.

Chapel Service

Joel teaching on the letter to Philemon

After the chapel hour, we have an hour of language class, followed by an hour of phonetics. We have one additional student in these two classes. In the language class, we practice speaking and learn vocabulary words for use in different situations, such as in the classroom, at the store, or in church. We even called directory assistance to ask for the phone number for a business place in San Jose. We each had a different experience with that, supposedly based on whether the operator thought we would understand the computer-generated number. I got the computer, but I suspect part of the operator’s decision is based on how many people are calling, not just whether the caller is likely to understand the computer. In our phonetics class, we practice the correct pronunciation of each Spanish letter. This is the class that gives us the foundation for figuring out how to pronounce new words and for understanding what other people are saying. It’s not inherently a fun class, but we still manage to laugh often.

Art and Sally hard at work on the terrace

Once our phonetics class is over, Art, Bill, Sally, and I usually go to the terrace to eat lunch and then work on our homework. Sometimes, we get it all done right there and still get home before 2:00. Other times, we do a few items in each exercise to make sure we all understand how to do the exercises and then go home to finish.  This has worked out well for us.

The four of us live within two blocks of each other, so we usually walk home together. Once I get home, I prefer to finish my homework before getting involved with anything else, but sometimes I need a break first. In those cases, I will do something like walking to the supermarket to get a few groceries or pay a utility bill, or reading my email and Facebook messages.

I usually eat around 5:00. After dinner, I finish off any remaining homework or studying I need to do. Until last weekend, I would then review some additional vocabulary words, post updates on Facebook, wash clothes, read, or watch a little TV. I intend to go to bed by 9:00, but I often find myself working on something after 9:00. With my new work opportunity, I need to manage my evenings more closely to ensure I have enough time to spend on the editing projects, without robbing myself of the sleep I need.

My classes have been going well. We had our mid-term evaluation on Thursday. My teachers all said I’m doing well. If I were taking these classes for a grade, I would be quite happy with the results thus far. The fact that I am not taking these classes for a grade means the only pressure I have is what I put on myself. Fortunately, I’ve learned in the last decade to work hard, do what is prudent, and then leave the results to God. Consequently, I don’t feel much pressure at all.

I previously told you that The Upper Room is publishing one of my devotionals for use on November 13th. One of my Texas friends, Lynne, scanned the printed version and emailed it to me. They didn’t change much of what I originally wrote. This week, I received an email from the managing editor, asking if I would be a guest blogger for them on November 13th, the day my devotional is scheduled for reading. I said I will do that, so be sure to look for that on the 13th, too. I’ll repost the link once it is active.

The only trip I’ve taken was to Vulcan Poás and La Paz Waterfall Gardens two weeks ago. It was a great trip. We had no rain until after we got back home. Because of the clouds, our driver and tour guide, Ronnie, recommended we go to Poás instead of Vulcan Escazu. We were very glad we listened to him! I’m grateful to Bill, Art, and Sally for taking me along and footing the bill. It was a wonderful day with great friends!

Main crater of Vulcan Poás

The old crater of Vulcan Poás

Art, Alma, Star, Sally, and Bill at the main crater of Vulcan Poás

Star with umbrella leaf

That’s basically what’s happened during the last few weeks.

I’m still planning to been in Tegucigalpa December 10-17 and in Texas from December 17 until approximately January 6. If I return for the second trimester, I will not be going to Nashville in January. However, I’m considering going to Nashville directly from San Jose in April, spending a few days there before going to San Antonio, and then going to North Dakota for a few days, so I can see my mother, brother, cousins, and some friends. I would then return to San Antonio to spend the rest of my break before returning to Tegucigalpa.

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Wednesday, December 21, 2011

The last two months have been very busy. I finished the first trimester of language school on December 9 and flew to Tegucigalpa the next day. I spent most of that week working on a presentation I will be giving to the Ladies’ Class at Sunset Ridge Church of Christ in San Antonio on January 4, 2012. I wanted to finish it last week, but didn’t quite. I had dozens of pictures to sort through and text to write, so I need to finish that this week yet. I am also working on my application for missionary service with The Foundation of St. Peter. That requires two essays: a biographical sketch and my philosophy of missions. I had my fingerprints taken yesterday so I can get a criminal records completed for the Foundation. That just leaves the two essays for me to write before I can submit my application. I hope to finish that up today because I have much more to do during my few days here.

Until I finish language school, I will be editing radio dramas for Christ to the World Ministries. I will get a little bit of money from them, which will cover some of my school expenses. The drawback, of course, is that I will have less time to study. Nevertheless, it’s a wonderful ministry and I’m happy to be a part of it, even for just a short time. I have work for them to do now while I’m in Texas, which is a problem, since I have several other things I must get done that cannot wait. So, time management is a major issue right now.

I will return to Tegucigalpa on Thursday, January 5, and will then fly to San Jose, Costa Rica, the following Monday, January 9. Classes start the next day. I will complete my courses on April 13 and return to Tegucigalpa on April 14. I hope to fly from Tegus to Nashville around April 17th, depending on the cost in miles, spend a few days in Nashville, and then fly to San Antonio for about 4 weeks. I hope to also go to North Dakota to see my mother, my brother, and some friends, before returning to Tegucigalpa around the first of June.

I apologize for the short post, but I have much to do and not much time to do it.

I pray you all have a very blessed Christmas and year-to-come. May God grant you His peace and joy always. Thank you very much for your financial and prayer support. To God be the glory!

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