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.