TGIF

Duña and Rosita, two adorable sisters at the Ihnfa.
Juan Angel and Oscar.
A double rainbow we had last week at the Hogar.

Will try to take more pictures and post soon.

Peanut Butter Bliss

Hanging out with some of the kids at the Ihnfa. L to R: Oscar, Juan Angel and Toño. Toño and Oscar are brothers and two of my favorites.

Cindy and I on our way down the the Escuela for a celebration a week ago. She's one of the girls from the Hogar and in my 3rd grade class.

With Suyapa and Licha, two girls at the Ihnfa.

My little troublemakers. . .


I'm up entirely WAY later than I should be; however, while I miraculously have Internet in my room. . . and mind-bogglingly fast Internet. . . I just wanted to share what a wonderful day I've had. I've had a rough week. I have been sick since Monday, which made me feel pretty crummy. My day had all sorts of little things to make it special, and because lists are another thing I enjoy, I'm going to list them.

#1 I treated myself to a mora smoothie/slushie after finishing at the Ihnfa. Mora is a fruit that's similar to a blackberry and there happens to be a small bakery in St. Barbara that sells the most delicious mora smoothies EVER.

#2 I bought myself two jars of peanut butter. . . of the crunchy variety, which happens to be my favorite. Supper was sparse so I grabbed two rolls of bread, which was fresh out of the oven and did NOT taste of soap or have any ants on it, and headed to my room to slather it with peanut butter. Such a treat.

#3 It rained this afternoon and left things so cool, at least 10 degrees cooler, maybe more. This evening I sat outside and talked with some of the kids in the delicious evening air.

#4 I was able to purchase double the minutes for my phone today for the regular price, a special they do every now and then.

#5 I had so much fun helping to put the boys to bed tonight. I read to Elias, the youngest who is such a cutie and full of energy, from The Cat in the Hat [Spanish]. I used different voices for each character, and he loved it. I call him my little Rana, frog in Spanish, because he's always jumping all over the place and trying to get a piggyback ride.

#5 I haven't had Internet in my room for a few days, so after asking to use the really slow Internet in the library, I came back to my room to find I had Internet here. . . and it was FAST! Faster than it has been since I've been here. So fast I was finally able to upload a few pictures. . . and

#6 I was able to chat with a few friends tonight, which was such an unexpected and pleasant surprise.

#7 Tomorrow is Friday.

#8 My cold is gone. . . as of this afternoon.

#9 I feel like no matter how rough this week was at times, God kept giving me small reminders of how much He cares about me. . . and today was just full of them.

Will write more later. . . but tomorrow I will be very sorry for my late night. . . or maybe that will be my students :)

-Hannah

hope for soap-less food

It's Monday, July 27, 2009 and the start to another week. I'm hungry and sick. Breakfast consisted of a roll with avocado and some watermelon. I can't wait for lunch but first I have to teach two more classes.

Mood: Sick [Cold]
Craving: PEANUT BUTTER!
Liking: Helping the older kids learn guitar and talking with them about soccer/life/school.
Hating: Soapy-tasting bread/food.
Hoping: Not to get lice.
Wishing: More staff were coming.
Thankful for: The cooler weather.

ant farm

It all begins with a stinging sensation, an intense searing burn that quickly turns into an itchy welt. Ant bites. I first experienced these while hanging out laundry and have endured many more attacks since then. These aren't fire ants, in fact, they're small, black and quite harmless looking, until they bite. They're everywhere. If there's a piece of food on the floor, an army will quickly form, legions of ants devouring every crumb. They also happen to like the bread rolls they serve here. Every meal we get a bowl of bread and before eating a piece, it's wise, and actually necessary to brush off the ants. Most of the kids bang the bread on the table to shake them off. I'm not a huge fan of the bread to begin with. It's often hard or stale and tastes kind of soapy. If I do eat it, I usually put beans on it to dull the taste.

I'm very glad today is Friday. Yesterday the kids had a field trip so I didn't have to teach classes. I stayed at the Hogar to care for the younger ones who weren't able to go and watched them swim at the pool. I even put some of the smaller ones on my shoulders and threw them off, which they loved. I am now quite red from these adventures.

Things around Santa Barbara seem quite calm; however, Erika and Christy, two girls who volunteered here awhile ago and visit every year, just returned from Utila. On the way they encountered various police blocks, especially in San Pedro. They also had a very scary experience on the way back when their bus was stopped by police. The men were thrown off the bus at gunpoint, and even though the Honduran women were allowed to stay on the bus, Erika and Christy were thrown off with the men. Erika said they were very frightened, especially because they saw a policeman reload his gun without putting the safety on. Thank God they arrived back here safely and unharmed. It's hard to tell exactly how dangerous the situation is because the Hogar is located in the mountains, and seems relatively sheltered. The reality is that the country is in desperate need for peace.

This reminds me of a quote I like by Sam Adams, "It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds." Just like it only takes one ant to cause me extreme discomfort, so it only takes a few people to stir up strife and discord in a country. Pray for peace.

three blind lice

I have a phobia of lice. I've never had them before in my life, it's just never been a priority on my to-do/to-get list. At least until I came to Honduras. Yesterday when I was working at the Infa I had an up close and personal encounter. It was time for devotional so all the kids gathered round on the floor to listen. I sat next to two girls, and one of them couldn't sit still. She kept scratching herself and wiggling everywhere. Finally I took a good look at her and noticed the poor thing was infested with lice. I mean, there were lice crawling on her head and lice eggs as well. It was gross. It was all I could do to hold in a scream and jump 20 feet in the opposite direction. I sat there for the following 15 minutes with great difficulty. I felt itchy and I was certain the lice were about to switch lanes and hitch a ride with me. I think I said a few prayers. Now, most of you are probably thinking I'm ridiculous. And you're right. The longer I sat there, the more I realized how silly I was being. This poor little girl was miserable. Not only did she have lice, she had patches of skin on her legs that had been rubbed raw from scratching. She was malnourished. She probably never got enough to eat. Her teeth were decaying. And here I sat, worried about contracting lice. And you know, I wouldn't be surprised if I have or will, but that's not the point. I'm here to share love and I have to remind myself that. Jesus often spent time with people who were considered unclean and dirty, even lepers. Of course I'm paranoid about lice, but I've got months to go. Let's face it, lice should be the least of my worries. What's more important, lice or a person's soul?

I'm still lice-a-phobic, but I'm hoping I can push past that for awhile.

Profe Ana

I'm just about to go teach my first classes at the Escuela. I'm kind of nervous, but I think once I'm up there and have 30 loud children in front of me, my instincts will take over. It's a beautiful sunny and cool Monday and let's hope it's a good start to a better week.

My God is so great, so strong and so mighty there's nothing my God cannot do. . . for YOU!

Welcome to Honduras

July 15: I have arrived safely. I feel like I am in another world. When I got here last night I was so exhausted that my brain felt like a glazed donut. I didn’t sleep the night before and after getting to the airport and waiting for my bags and struggling to make my way out, I probably could have slept a day; however, sleep was not the first item on the agenda. After I was met at the airport by some people from the Hogar, we went to eat and then moved a family, which took the entire afternoon. The poverty has not surprised me, but the contrast is so stark from what I have just left, that it awes me. The family we moved fit all of their belongings in a few boxes, and their bed and table on the roof of the truck. The bed frame was made of wood and hay twine that had been tied together and stretched from one end to the other. While we waited to leave, stray dogs and a few chickens meandered in the street and children came to watch. The roads to this house, which was located a few minute’s drive from the main streets of San Pedro, were like riding rocky swells. One minute we were high and the next we were plunging into a giant hole and bouncing out again. We all packed into the truck, all eight of us, and headed to Santa Barbara, where the Hogar is and where we were moving the family to. I had to struggle to keep my eyes open on the two hour ride. When we arrived and I got out of the car, I was apprehensive. Kids lay sprawled on the steps and others sat on the porch. I felt like I was the new kid at school. A few of them immediately ran to hug me and help me bring in my bags. The rest was a blur. Names and ages and faces all fused together and before I knew it, I had a girl clinging to me. After a hasty tour by Amanda, we went to evening devotion. I met quite a few of the kids, but there are still many who I do not know. Finally after unpacking and chatting for a while with Amanda, I was able to take a shower. Showers here are cold, but it was so refreshing I wouldn’t have settled for hot. I think I am paranoid, but I already felt like I might have contracted lice, and so I practically saturated my hair with tea tree oil and some kind of repellent that my mom sent with me. It made for a greasy mess this morning, but I’d rather look like I have poor hygiene than have bugs crawling around in my hair.
When I finally lay down to sleep, I couldn’t. The fan sounded like chattering teeth, which of course is a ridiculous sound in this heat, but it kept me awake for awhile. Lizards chirped outside and eventually after some tossing and turning, I finally slept. This morning I woke up at 5:30, which gave me just enough time to wash up and get ready before devotions at 6. After singing and a story, we made our way to breakfast. Breakfast consisted of sweet and milky oatmeal, watermelon and rolls with jam. After that I played my guitar for awhile and then decided to take a short nap because it was still early and I was tired. The kids head off to school at 6:45. The other helpers are all or mostly gone during the morning teaching, but so far I have not been given any clear responsibilities. I am going to the Infa, a daycare downtown, soon to see what it’s like and learn how to take the buses. It is going to be quite an experience. The kids here need so much love and attention. There are some that love to hug and be close to you, but there are others who are distant and come from emotionally or physically abusive backgrounds.

July 19 [Today]: The weekend has been a welcome break. We get to sleep in, which means getting up at 7 instead of 5:30. Today we washed clothes, supervised chores and had some time to relax. I'm still working on learning everyone's name. Tomorrow I teach my first classes. I'm going to be teaching 1st through 3rd grade as well as Kindergarten. I need to make my lesson plans. I'll try to write more soon but I need to get some stuff done before bed.

Anyone seen the plunger?

I had an epiphany while cleaning the bathroom today.


The towels hang neatly from the holder, and you happen to notice that they match the shower curtain, the mats, the soap dish and even the window curtains. Ugly bathroom items have been hidden from sight in cabinets and cupboards. A sweet scent is wafting from a candle on the counter. Outside the spirited chatter of friends and the occasional burst of laughter meets your ears. That's when panic grips you like a strong wind. You feel your insides lurch to the top of your throat and your mind starts racing at lightening speeds, speeds you wish it could reach when studying or taking a test. You start sorting through your options in your head, but none of them seem feasible. Again and again you desperately try to flush the toilet, but for some reason, it won't budge. Why me? You ask yourself. You contemplate fleeing the scene, hoping no one is waiting outside the door. Lists of excuses enter your mind. You're no longer thinking logically. Instead of looking for a plunger or just waiting a few minutes and flushing again, your heart palpitates at an unhealthy rate. Finally you admit defeat and seek out your host; with a look of shame stealing over your face, you quietly mumble that there seems to be a problem in the bathroom. Before they can ask questions, you're gone. You may as well be on your way to India because if anyone comes looking for you, you don't know what happened.

I think everyone has been in this situation before. I have. I'll be the first to admit it. It's funny that we often do the same thing in bigger and more important life situations. Instead of just admitting that we made the mess, we try to sneak our way out of the situation, or give up before we try all of our options. We panic. We seek to blame others. We don't get rid of the mess, we avoid it. The problem is that if it's not taken care of, it builds up and soon overflows into other areas of our life, creating a smelly and dirty living situation.

It may seem gross or a little comical, but think on it.

Good news. I leave for Honduras this coming Tuesday!

What's love got to do with it - Part deux

I picked up the latest Time magazine today, expecting the usual political fodder laced with a syrupy dose of celebrity news, but instead, found one of the the best articles I have ever read. "Why Marriage Matters," an essay by Caitlin Flanagan, was on point. There was never a moment where I stopped to rest my eyes or skim to a more interesting part of the four page article. From beginning to end, she built her case with solid research, examples and punchy writing that allowed the article to end with a loud and convincing bang.

Among many interesting points, Flanagan says the poor and middle class differ in the way they have forsaken marriage; the poor uncouple parenthood from it and the financially secure blast apart their unions if they lose their flavor.

Here are some of my favorite quotes:

1. No single force is causing as much measurable hardship in this country as the collapse of marriage.

2. [Marriage is] An increasingly fragile construct depending less and less on notions of sacrifice and obligation than on the ephemera of romance and happiness as defined by and for its adult principals, the intact, two-parent family remains our cultural ideal, but it exists under constant assault.

3. Barack Obama - "We need fathers to step up, to realize that their job does not end at conception; that what makes you a man is not the ability to have a child but the courage to raise one." <--- Love that quote

4. Meanwhile, the middle class has spent 2 1/2 decades-during which the divorce culture became a fact of life-turning weddings into overwrought exercises in consumer spending, as if by just plunking down enough cash for the flower girls' dresses and tissue-lined envelopes for the RSVP cards, we can somehow improve our chance of going the distance.

5. America's obsession with high-profile marriage flameouts-the Gosselins and Sanfords and Edwardses-reflects a collective ambivalence toward the institution: our wish that we could land ourselves in a lasting union, mixed with our feelings of vindication, or even relief, when a standard bearer for the "traditional family" fails to pull it off. . . It is time instead to come to terms with both our unrealistic expectations for a happy marriage and our equally unrealistic beliefs about the consequences of walking away from the families we build.

Stellar article. If you have the chance to read it in its entirety, please do [June 13 issue]. I am at the age where most of my friends and acquaintances are embarking on the journey of marriage. It seems like almost every month at least another person is engaged.I sometimes wonder how many of them will still be married in 10 years, 20, 30. One day I hope I too will find someone to share my life with, but I am content to wait. Marriage really is a serious commitment, one that cannot and should not be taken lightly. Like Flanagan says, marriage in America has lost its importance; it's become merely an excuse to splurge on lavish weddings and expensive honeymoons. What Flanagan fails to mention is the secret ingredient to making a marriage last: God.

Enough is enough

Silvia Mencillas is comforted by relatives after her son was shot to death Sunday by army troops during a demonstration. (Rodrigo Abd/ Associated Press)

When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.
-Jimi Hendrix

What's love got to do with it?

Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does. Love is a battle, love is a war, love is growing up, a challange, a journey, a triumph. Love is a fire, but whether it is going to warm your heart or burn down your house you can never tell. Love is life, and if you miss love . . . you miss life. [unknown]

I think I was 6 years old when I had my first crush. His name was Tim, and he was my best friend's older brother. He was five years older than me, but in my childish mind that didn't matter. He was funny, and I still remember the day he won me over.

It was a warm summer day. The barn reeked of musty hay and horses. The three of us were climbing in the rafters and hay bales when suddenly I felt a stab of pain in my finger. I looked down and noticed a sharp piece of glass protruding from a bale. My finger throbbed and the blood was quickly running down my hand in scarlet streams. I looked around for help, and Tim was quickly at my side, tearing off a piece of his shirt and wrapping my hand to stop the bleeding. I thought he was my knight in shining armor. Of course many other childish crushes followed. My view of love changed and morphed as I grew older. Oh, what is love? For a long time I thought love was the way two people looked at each other or the butterflies in my stomach, but soon realized this was a shallow view of love. Love is a steady devotion that stands strong in the face of life's storms and challenges. It is long suffering, humble, compromising, tender. Love is a serious commitment.

I generally do not read books about love, especially ones that my mom recommends; however, due to an overabundance of time and a bit of curiosity, I picked this one up. It's called Serious About Love: Straight Talk to Single Adults by Dr. Kay Kuzma. I cannot express the blessings I have received from reading this book and feel impressed to share some of the most potent statements.

1. It is possible to be madly in love with the wrong person. And being in love is not reason enough to marry. Marriages based on love alone may make it through the fall of a relationship as passion begins to cool, but when love settles down for a long winter's night-and rationality returns-too many discover that they have made a long-term investment in a short-term interest.

2. The secret to a successful marriage is to find someone who complements you, not competes with you. You should only marry when each of you feels so comfortable with your own talents that you can help the other become the very best he or she can be. You want a marriage partner who will help you reach your potential, not sabotage your efforts.

3. True love draws a couple closer to their families, friends, and God. Infatuation causes a couple to pull away from others.

4. There is no problem so difficult that two people willing to compromise can't solve. The key is that both people in a relationship must be willing to compromise. Solutions are rare when one person consistently must give in to the other in order for problems to be solved.

5. Dialogue is more than your giving me space to say my words, and my giving you space to say yours. It involves our listening. We are all different. We cannot have dialogue unless we honor the differences. How can I build a bridge across the gulf between me and you unless I am aware of the gulf? How can I communicate with you unless I see how things look from your side?
Dialogue demands that I leave the place where I dwell-the landscape of feelings and thoughts that are important to me-in order to dwell for a time with your thoughts, feelings perceptions, fears, hopes. I must deny myself-forsake the familiar, give up my life-in order to experience your life.
The purpose of dialogue is never to persuade another person to accept our opinions, or values, or view of the world; rather it is to create an understanding-a climate where communion takes place. He who has lost himself finds himself. The deepest craving of every heart is to be laid bare, to be known, to be understood...

6. Romantic love is merely an illusion that fades all too quickly. True love has the beautiful blend of passion and accountability,spontaneity and design, tenderness and strength, innocence and reason. This is the kind of love that can last a lifetime

7. Love is something you do. It's the words of respect you speak, even when you feel resentful. It's the kind things you do for each other, even though you feel like playing dirty. It's going the extra mile, even when you don't feel like it or feel you're being taken advantage of. It's choosing to see the positive in the negative. It's anticipating new opportunities for growth that hurt, pain, or suffering might bring.

So, I highly recommend the book. Those were just some of the points I found especially powerful.
What's love got to do with it? Not everything. . . at least not what most people define as love. We must look to Christ for the embodiment of HIS love, and then work on emulating it in our own relationships. That is love.

"Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."
1 John 3:18