Relationships - Near and Abroad

I apologize for not blogging since Tuesday morning.  Our internet has continued to force us to unplug from the outside world which can be a good thing.  The title of this post came to me because I see many lives being intertwined in such amazing ways.  I am so grateful for my friends from Homewood and this opportunity to make lifelong memories with them.  I have also been blessed beyond measure to make wonderful friends from different parts of the country - places I have never visited but get to learn about because of them.  I cried and cried when my friend, Gail Blaylock, left on Wednesday morning.  She and I met three years ago and just clicked.  I could listen to hear talk for hours.  I miss not only her but her family and all the other friends I have made over the years.  When we get to reconnect in Honduras it is like a family reunion.  Another type of relationship that I see is so many in our TORCH group making relationships with the people of Honduras.  The teens meet children, connect with them and always want to go back to that village to see them.  The amazing thing is that you would think with so many people living on a mountainside that the chances would be slim but they always seem to find them again.  The main reason for these relationships is our common bond in our Savior, Jesus Christ. 

On Tuesday I went to a village close to the dump on the other side of the river.  It was a small crew of about 14 and two of those were children.  The good news is that the wood was already there!!  We had a massive teardown of a three room adobe brick house with a tin roof. We started with the roof and our youth minister's wife, Andrea, cut her hand at her thumb will taking a piece of tin to throw it down the hill.  The tin here is razor sharp even if old and rusted.  It cut clean through her glove.  We stopped work, put a clotting agent on it, wrapped it and called Mark to come and take her to the hospital.  Back to work!  It did not rain on this day and the dust from knocking down the walls was incredible added to the fact that the next door neighbor was burning trash in a barrel the entire day.  A couple of hours later the neighbor cam running to say a woman on up the hill was pregnant and her water had broken.  She wanted us to take her to the hospital since we had a truck.  At first, we weren't sure what to do but when we looked up and a man was carrying her down the hill we knew we had to help.  Her arms were flailed out by her side and she seemed to be in shock.  We had to unload the backpacks from the truck and somehow get her in the truck.  One woman got in the other side of the back seat to hold her head, another woman with two babies around 6-7 months old jumped in the front seat and then I poured some cool water on her face and squirted some in her mouth.  The man carrying her was struggling not to drop her.  I bent down and lifted her up from behind.  She was dead weight.  Larry Sawyer and David Koski "drew straws" to see who would go.  Larry won (or lost) and got in the driver's seat.  We didn't want him to go alone and I offered to go.  Kathy Sawyer said "You might have to deliver a baby if you sit at her feet!"  So.....I stayed behind!  Larry delivered her safely and we do not know if she had the baby, if they are safe, etc.  I do know that we did what we could to help.  A new friend to the trip, Janie from Little Rock, asked about a bano (bathroom). I went next door and asked and they sent us up one more house.  They pointed behind their house and away we went.  I have been in a lot of bad ones but this was probably the worst.  They had taken 4 sacks that red beans come in (big bags).  Put up 4 sticks about 4 feet high.  Inside they had dug a hole in the ground and then sat a toilet bowl on top.  Their were flies and other bugs I cannot name flying around it.  I went first to reassure her.  I came out and said "OK it's all yours" She is very tall so when she went in you could see her from almost the waist up!  She was really uncomfortable but I held the sacks together because the wind was blowing them and talked her through it - just to try and keep her mind off where she really was.  The realization hit her when I said, "Just think about these people.  They do this every single day...even in the night and pouring down rain"  Kind of puts our life and what is important in perspective.  Bottom line, the house was built, the woman was grateful and nobody was any worse for the wear. 

Time to go out for the day.....will try to catch up on Wednesday - Friday later. 

In el nombre de Jesus....