Running on Empty

By Wednesday, I was almost running on empty.  The dust from tearing down a structure the day before + the neighbors burning something in a big barrel all day did a number on my lungs, throat and sinuses.  Two build teams went out on Wednesday to the village of Mola Loa (excuse the spelling if I am wrong).  This village is largely populated and loved by most everyone who has been there in the past.  It is very mountainous (that sounds ridiculous even as I type it since everywhere is!) and hard to get to build sites.  The houses to be built were relatively close together and the wood had been delivered and the sites cleared!  Always a good thing.  Most of the Homewood group went to a site to build a house in memory of a young man named Ty Osman.  He was a dear friend of our very own Katherine Stewart and passed away in a tragic accident during spring break.  The Stewart family raised money to build a house in his honor - he had been to this village himself on a mission trip and he and Katherine shared the bond of that.  The house build was led by two of Katherine's friends, Erin Castleman and Savannah Presley.  I was not on the site because there were too many people but I have heard that they did a sensational job and it was an emotional but good day.  I was on the other house site.  It was a hard build but a good one led by brothers, Larry and Jerry Sawyer.  I had woken up with a cough and as the heat of the day along with the sawdust progressed, I felt worse and worse.  By the time we made our way down the mountain, my throat was on fire, my head hurt and my voice was gone.  Many were shocked that I had lost my voice - but I think they were grateful! Ha!  That night we loaded up to go to the Jesus Statue.  It is about halfway down the mountain that we stay on and is about 70 feet high and made of concrete.  It is a statue of Jesus with his hands outstretched to the city below.  The view is spectacular and we had a great time of worship.  Once we returned to Villa Gracia, my dear friend, Nikki, gave me a superduper dose of a cough syrup with codeine in it and I started an antibiotic.  I slept really well that night!  My voice was hoarse but back the next morning.  Now, a week later, I still have a cough but am better.

On Thursday, the Homewood group went out to build our last dedicated house.  It was in honor of our youth minister and his wife, Tim & Andrea Mills.  Once again, we had to haul wood to the site .... back, back, back to a beautiful, big grassy spot.  Not a hard build but a hot one.  Steve Castleman and Charles Dismuke led this house which was awesome since this was their first time to go on the Honduras trip.  Very smart men!  Of course, Koski was with us as well!  The kids from Homewood are such hard workers.  Don't know if I have mentioned this or not but a man from South Carolina told everyone his goal was to "work like a girl"  - he was speaking mainly of the Homewood girls.  All of our kids worked hard every day, built a whole bunch of houses, hauled wood great distances and several moved tons of cinder block from one place to another. 

On Friday, I had the opportunity to go to a special needs orphanage.  I was interested in this because I work with special needs children for a living.  I was surprised that it was realtively clean, all the children were up either walking around, in wheelchairs or strollers and they themselves were clean.  I toured most of the facility and the rooms were pleasant and tidy.  Remember to put this all in perspective though.  Clean in Honduras is not clean in America.  There were all of ages of children from about 2 through young adults.  I fell in love with a little girl named Paola.  She was beautiful.  She had very low muscle tone, was blind and appeared to be ill.  They allowed me to help change her clothes and take her out of the stroller.  She had fever, a rattle in her chest and a cough.  I carried her down to a breezeway where we could get some fresh air.  Ellen held her for a few minutes and she was going to sleep.  A worker came and held her nose so that she wouldn't go to sleep.  This disturbed Ellen and me.  At lunchtime they tried to let us help feed some of the children.  The children had feeding issues and the food they gave us to feed them was not easy to swallow.  I finally had to turn it over to one of the workers.  She literally shoved a big mouthful of food in the little girl's mouth and pushed it down her throat.  It was hard for me to watch. 

After lunch we loaded the bus and were taken to another orphanage downtown.  It was called Casitas Kennedy.  There appeared to be mostly teen girls some of who were pregnant.  We were there at the dance class time and were invited in to watch - the teacher had different small groups get up and perform "dances" to Honduran music.  It was not very appropriate - then, she called up a boy and girl around 10 years of age.  They did a very provacative dance that made all of us uncomfortable.  After that, I had my interpreter go and tell her thank you but that we did not have much time left and we wanted to go back out to the playground to spend some time playing with the children.  Once outside I saw a young man who appeared to be in the medical profession.  He introduced himself and told me a little about the place.  He was Honduran but spoke perfect English and was in his last semester of school to be a psychologist.  He told me that the home was run by the government and picked up kids off the streets.  Alot of them were teen girls who had been raped and were now pregnant.  He was there to counsel one of them.  It was a hard and emotional day for us all.

Saturday was the last work day for our team.  We went to the city dump to feed lunch.  We first went to Mi Esperanza to purchase with a purpose.  Mi Esperanza is the organization that my friend Lori Connell started to help women support their families by teaching them a skill.  They can choose from sewing, computers, hair stylist, manicurist or if they have a skill sometimes get a loan to start a business.  After we shopped for souvenirs and gifts for our friends, the kids laid out bread on wooden benches and started an assembly line of bologna, cheese and mayo.  When they finished the sandwiches we loaded back on the buses and headed toward the dump.  We made a stop to buy fruit and another stop to buy bags of water.  The dump is a melting pot of trash, people, cattle and vultures.  As big garbage trucks make their way up to the top of the mountain to dump what the rest of us consider trash, these people wait eagerly for.  When a truck starts to dump its load, all of the things mentioned above swarm to get the best vantage point to dig through it.  The smell is horrid, the people filthy and the air stagnant.  A few handed sandwiches, fruit and a cookie to the people lined up at the back of the bus.  The rest of us unloaded and passed out water.  These people don't get a lot of physical touch so we are encouraged to touch them.  A pat on the shoulder or arm, to not be afraid to shake their hand.  The children are the hardest part for me.  Once we were back on the bus and headed out you could hear a pin drop.  Everyone was in their own world and several of the girls were crying.  We had all cleaned our hands as best we could and I got tissues out and walked down the aisle giving them tissues.  Sometimes there are no words.  They just needed to process on their own. 

We went back to Villa Gracia and a storm was coming.  Several of us had signed up to go down the hill a little ways to a home for abused teen girls that is run by an American missionary and his wife. It was an incredibly beautiful place that was built as a private home in the 1960's.  The view was like nothing I had ever seen.  We took fixings for ice cream sundaes, fingernail polish, make-up, hair things and things to make jewelry with.  We had never been there before and were warned that they might not open up to us or accept our visit.  We were thrilled with our time there.  It was a great visit and the girls smiled if only for a brief moment.  Our teen girls did a great job of interacting with them and making them feel special. 

It was a great way to end our time of work.  I have failed to mention the time of worship that we had every night while in Honduras.  We sing praise songs, have a devo from a volunteer and then the floor is opened up for people to speak about where they saw God that day.  It is a special time and I will keep those moments in my heart and mind forever.  The relationships get closer, the work gets done as we get more experienced and hopefully, God is glorified in every second we are there. 

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....

Stepping outside the box

We have had very sketchy internet service, thus the reason I have not blogged but one time. Welcome to Honduras! On Sunday we went to the Valley of the Angels for shopping and lunch. We left there and headed to Mi Esperanza to hear about the work Lori does there and meet up with the final group to arrive from Little Rock. It was good to see my friends Jason and Renada! I met them my first year here and Renada was one of my roommates. She and Jason were married just a month ago and are now rooming with about three other old married couples in one room with bunk beds! Again, welcome to Honduras!

We went from Mi Esperanza to an inner city church downtown called Breaking Chains. It was started by a young woman named Amber Foster about 8 years ago. She is doing an amazing work there. It is housed in an old mansion - you would never know from the outside. Once you enter the doors it is a huge old house with a courtyard in the middle. It is in terrible shape but now that she has the funding she has actually purchased it and a new roof has been put on. She feeds homeless children and teens at least three days a week and has church on Sunday. There are three families that live there and the homeless can come in at night to sleep. We worshipped with them and then fed them pizza.

Afterward, we went to the home of another missionary who works with Breaking Chains named David Logue. He hosted our entire group in his home (120 people!) and it was catered by Taco Loco. They serve amazing food and the portions are enough for 3 people. I love their guacamole!!! While we were waiting for them to cook our dinner on his patio, we had out devo.

Yesterday my dear brother, Steve Castleman, led a house build. I was not there but heard he did an amazing job...I think Amy helped quite a bit! Just kidding! They had a challenge as it took them two hours to tear down the existing structure. The crew was small as well so needless to say they were completely exhausted last night. There was also a VBS, ceiling work at Breaking Chains, and concrete work and playing with children at Jovenese Children's Home. I went to the Children's Home because that is where a boy named Dennis lives. My friend from Oklahoma, Gail Blaylock, met him three years ago and has been trying to get help for him since. He is going blind and needs some surgery. Several of us were left at the children's home to feed lunch, help clean and play with the children while the rest of the group went further up the mountain to do concrete work. The plan was to swap at lunchtime. They never came back - which made me a little uneasy as the only people at the Children's Home were two young women from Lipscomb doing a summer internship and they had only been there a few days. None of us speak Spanish and they knew some. Around 4:00 the rest of our crew returned. The bus had gotten stuck in mud when they got to the place they were pouring concrete and it didn't make sense to swap after they spent a lot of time getting the bus out. A tractor and a car finally had to pull it out. I felt so bad because my friend Gail and her husband, John, did not get to spend any time with Dennis. If only I had known, they could have gotten off the bus first and stayed instead of me. Gail got to spend about 5 minutes with him before we had to head back to Villa Gracia because it was over an hour long drive. I sat with her and we talked about him and other things. Her family is leaving tomorrow and I will miss her so much. We have become dear friends.

There is a man on the trip named Hannibal. He is from South Carolina and did not know any of us. He is so nice and very big and strong. Last night, he was talking about working with our girls from Homewood and he said they amaze him. Not only can they work circles around him but they talk the entire time!! He said from now on he will tell people "I worked like a girl" when he has worked hard! Our kids continue to surprise and amaze me with their servant hearts, great attitudes and incredible work ethic! They do not complain about little inconveniences and teach us (their parents) life lessons.

I titled this post stepping outside the box because I do not usually go to "play with the children" - it is what I do 9 months out of the year so in the summer I need a break from that. However, I colored, played football and tried to entertain them the best I could yesterday. I was rewarded by many good-bye hugs. I am blessed to be a mother. I will not ever grow tired of being one and love my girl so much and cherish her hugs.

I am off now to see what today holds. I know this - God is with me.

A Wild & Crazy Start in Honduras

After a non-eventful and safe trip, we arrived in Honduras and made it quickly and easily through customs. We were greeted by Mark, Lori, my friend Jason Jones from Louisville and all the TORCH bus drivers. The others that arrived were our friends from Oklahoma. From there we went to lunch at a local restaurant. Steve Castleman LOVED the bean/cheese dip with chips. Then it was on to Villa Gracia to get settled in. I am rooming with Jennifer Presley, Carol Walden and a sweet new friend from Oklahoma named Lori Pink. We are in the same room I was in on my first trip here 3 years ago. That night we were all exhausted since we had been up since around 2:30 that morning.

The next morning, since not everyone was here yet, the whole crew went to one location to build 2 houses. We jokingly divided into Oklahoma vs. Alabama to build. Our house was built in honor of the Homewood Church of Christ Youth Group by a generous donation from Mike & Lori Ermert. We did have a couple to switch sides though! We had to haul enough lumber/tin/supplies along with our backpacks up the mountain. The housesites were relatively close and we could see each other working. It was extremely muddy and therefore hard to haul the lumber. The lumber consists of several sizes and lengths. The biggest boards are 3 by 4s that are 18 feet long. It was super hot and we were all getting a little lightheaded. Oh, did I mention that we first had to tear down the existing structures before we could begin building the houses? The work seemed to be going pretty slow probably because we had so much lumber to haul on top of actually building. After lunch Mark announces the good news - there is another load of wood being delivered that we need to unload and haul up the mountain! Some "newbies" thought he was joking because he is known to do that, but the rest of us knew he was telling the truth. I realized I have really bony shoulders as they are now sore and bruised! Around mid-afternoon, it started to rain (more like monsoon) along with thunder and lightening. Remember, the roofs are tin! Our crew was actually in our house and had the roof done at this point. The woman we were building the house for had very little in the way of possessions but did own an old box springs and mattress which had been leaning up a against a barbwire fence with a tarp partially covering it. We fought our way through the rain and mud to get it and haul it up into the house. It got wet and muddy but we saved it. Suddenly, I heard people start to scream. As I looked up and out the open space that would soon be the final wall of the house, I saw my dear friend from Oklahoma, Stan Berry, falling backwards through the air. He and Steve Castleman were on the back of the other housesite working when Stan lost his footing and did a backflip off the mountain. He fell 20 feet or so into the rubble that was the house that was demolished to build the new ones. He fell among boards with nails sticking out, trees, old rusty tin and other dangerous things. When he landed, he slumped over and then pulled his head up and all we could see was blood. His daughter, Allie, who is Ellen's dear friend, was at our worksite with horror in her eyes. Ellen and I quickly took her down to where he was. Her mother, Cheryl, was already there along with several of the men, one of whom is a doctor. Stan was conscious but obviously in a lot of pain. Cheryl had taken off her shirt so they could use it to put pressure on his head. David Logue, a missionary who lives here, then took off his shirt and gave to Cheryl. She was so cold and was in shock as well. Ellen raced back to our worksite to get her rainjacket. We had her take off the David's t-shirt and put on Ellen's jacket. The men then helped Stan up and walked him down the mountain to David's truck. Allie wanted Ellen to go with them to the doctor. Stan ended up with 12 stitches in the back of his head, cuts and scrapes on his knees, bruised ribs and a fractured right wrist. He is in some pain but so thankful that it was not worse. It could have been so, so much worse. We are thankful to God for his protection! They arrived back at Villa Gracia that night around 10:00. Really long day - especially since they were drenched when they left for the doctor. He asked Ellen to be his "assistant"! He had another patient there as well. He was explaining to Ellen what was wrong with her. Turns out, she had sesmoiditis in her foot just like Ellen does! Ellen told him she had it too! He gave the patient a shot and Ellen then had to apply pressure to it! Ha! Maybe she will rethink being a doctor! Afterwards, the doctor went to dinner with them at the local McDonald's! Welcome to Honduras!

Yesterday, I went to build a house with my friends from Louisville. We built it in honor of Willie McDaniel. It was a muddy site already but then we hit a water main! Who knew there even was a water main....which consisted of a 1 inch pvc pipe. The other house site was about a half mile on up the mountain and we had to haul all the lumber up to it. Several of our kids were on the lumber hauling crew and did an amazing job after having hauled 3 loads the day before! Tim Mills led that crew and the house was built in memory of Carol McLaughlin by her husband, Jim.

Today, our group spread out in several directions. Some helped with a VBS in one community some went to a children's home, others to the dump and 2 more houses were built. The house site that a majority of our group was on was beautiful. It was also out in the country close to the two from the day before. The lumber haulers had delivered our wood and even organized it for us so we could get right to work. The house build was extremely smooth and quick....of course, we did have some really, really experienced men with us! This house was built in honor of my sweet friend, Nikki Koski, by an anonymous donor at Homewood who loves her and her family a lot! She was overcome with appreciation.

We have had rainstorms every day until today. I am now hearing some rumblings of thunder. Tomorrow is the Lord's day and we will go into town and worship with those at Breaking Chains. It is an inner city ministry for homeless kids. I will post about our day as soon as I can.

Godspeed to you all.

The Good Samaritan

On Thursday our group (except Andrew, Lizzie & Catherine) went to a village close to the dump to build a house in honor of David & Nicki Koski. As soon as Mark told us that the name of the village meant The Good Samaritan, I knew that was where their house should be. David & Nicki have the biggest servant hearts of any couple I know. (Proof of that is that while typing this, there was a knock at my door. When I answered, it was David standing there with 3 Frosty's!) Anyway, we headed out and had to deliver tools to two other house sites. We finally got to our house site to find the young woman we were building for. She was 6 months pregnant and sat and watched us all day. Our kids work so well together and each one of them have their own talent in building. We also had with us three new friends from Farmville Church in Richmond, VA. A young couple named Reed & Lauren Saelor and a woman about my age named Susan. We were off to a great start but our chainsaws were not. Wade Barker is a hoss with a chainsaw but even he was getting so frustrated. It slowed our process down a lot. Amy & I offered to pay for a new chainsaw if David would go and purchase one but he said no, we would make it. He did finally go back to another house site and got a different one. It was not much better but we got the job done. There were lots of children and adults sitting around watching us. We played with the kids and I had taken lots of things to give away. It was beginning to get dark. David Lowe, a missionary here in Teguc and friend of Mark's, drove up and said, "I'm sorry guys but we have to load up and get out of here. We can't be in here at dark." We were all very sad because we wanted to successfully finish the Koski house. We still had to finish the door, cut the window, trim the sides, put the latches on the door and window and gather everything up and load the truck. Koski asked David to call Mark and ask him to please let us finish. We began to work faster and harder. Mark said ok but hurry. David Lowe pitched in to help and before we knew it we were finished, praying over the young woman and taking pictures of her with David. Then, it was loading up two trucks with all of us, our backpacks and tools to go down to the main road where the bus awaited us. It was a wonderful day and we were all excited to be able to do this for David & Nicki!

Today, our team went in several different directions. We had people building a house, visiting the hospital, building a fence at a "ranch", delivering food, and I went to a children's home to clean out a bodega "shed". The kids who went to the "ranch" had an "awesome" time according to them. The hospital was emotional for them and Erin said she was really proud of Riley because she knew that was out of his comfort zone and he handled it so well. Amy, Katherine S and Savannah gave up their spots with the hospital crew because 3 more people were needed to build a house. That is not what they wanted to do but their servant hearts took over and they went where they were needed. Their house build went great and it was a smooth day even though they had to wait an hour for their wood and then the Honduran children who were trying to help were sending it flying piece by piece down to the house site so fast that they couldn't catch it! The children's home I went to was Casa di Esperanza. It was out in the country and Koski encouraged me to go if I had not been. He went also to visit with a young man named Bryan that Todd & Melissa sponsor. I got to work with Bryan and he was such a sweet young man. The bodega was full of everything from 50 lb bags of chicken feed to baby bottles. It had two big loft type shelves at the back of it and I started out on one of those organizing bedding and beds. I found many "petrified" mice - not scared of me - just been there a long time! It was pretty creepy! We swept and swept and cleaned out and rearranged all day. Karen, the director, was so excited and appreciative when she came to look at the end of the day. The children put on a show for us on their concrete soccer field. Several of the girls did a group dance, they took turns singing in pairs, and had an art contest. It was really cute and we clapped and hollered for them all.

Tonight, we went to the Jesus statue down the road to have our devo. It was really awesome! Mark talked about how the darkness hides the poverty but now that we have seen it we are not in the dark anymore. We are in the light and cannot go back or forget. Now, we must keep pushing forward and cannot pretend anymore that it does not exist. It was a great time of worship.

I cannot thank all of you enough for your prayers for us. The only people who have gotten sick are adults! We have had two accidents where stitches were involved but not with any of our kids. They are all healthy, happy and incredible. I am so proud to say they are ours!

Well, I have eaten my Frosty and now sleep is calling me. Only one more work day....unbelievable how fast time flies here.

until i get my computer from the kids again,

i am

Running on faith!

Juvenile Detention

I will blog about the experiences of others later today. We headed out in different directions but nobody built a house. I think everyone was ready to experience something different. We had people doing everything from Gatorade runs to building a gravel road (Amy!) to going to a boy's home to going to the girl's detention center to working at a school. So much to accomplish, so little time.

Ellen and I went to the girl's juvenile detention center. It was out in the country in a secluded area. A one story block building that was very dirty and old. We stopped in town at a restaurant that Lori had ordered lunch for the residents from. It was a really cute little restaurant that was very clean with glass top tables and wrought iron chairs. It had so much character. I had our translator tell the owner how much I liked it and that I had once had a catering business and helped my sister in her restaurant so that was why I was so interested. When we arrived at the prison we were led into an "auditorium" type room where about 25 girls were waiting along with some ladies who were either teachers or administrator types. Some of the girls were wearing matching uniforms that consisted of navy plaid jumpers with white shirts and white knee socks. Several others were wearing just regular clothes. Several of the people who were with us had gone last year and explained that the ones not in uniform were the "upper end" of the hierarchy and were in charge. It was obvious in short period of time that the other girls did what they were told by these girls. For example, we had several crafts they could do and one of the stations was a nail painting station. I noticed that only the girls with regular clothes, make-up and jewelry were the ones getting their nails painted. When I would ask the others they would refuse.

We served them lasagna, salad and sodas for lunch. They were taking their plastic forks and hiding them in their clothes. Several of our girls were asking why. We told them that it was so that they could us them as weapons.

I heard many stories from these young girls. For instance, one girl was 14 years old. She is three months pregnant, has killed someone and is in a gang called MS 13 that evidently was started in Mexico - has moved to the states and is bad news. In the gang, she is a drug and arms trafficker. We asked her how long she had been there and she said two months but that she thought she wouldn't be there long. When we asked why she said "Because they have no proof that I killed that person." Another girl has been there 1 1/2 years and her sentence is 3 years so when she turns 18 in August she will be moved across the yard to the women's center. Just looking at them and thinking about them being Ellen's age and younger was very hard. They don't know any better or if they do, they have no other choice in life.

On a lighter note, God is so good. A lot of you know that I have been struggling with my foot for several months. I have specifically asked people to pray that God would heal my foot so that I could really give it my all here. Well, every single day it has gotten better. It hardly hurts at all and I have been on my feet all day every day! Please keep praying for it but while you are at it, thank Him and praise Him for hearing our prayers.

Margaret, Lori, Pam, MA and Liza left us today. It was a sad morning. They really worked so hard and we didn't want them to leave. The kids loved having them here so much. Godspeed to them.

Tonight we are going to the Jesus statue. We did not go last year so we are looking forward to it.

until later,

I am .....

running on faith

Monday & Tuesday

On Monday our whole group (except for Koski who had different fish to fry for Mark) built a house in memory of Brian King, Alex & Kristian's dad. We built on a site that Alex and some of our other girls & I had cleared on the first day (the Poo Mud lot!) We were glad that we got to build on that lot. Our team really worked well together and the kids worked so hard all day. Margaret & Pam are beasts that can sling a hammer and have learned really quickly how to build. Lori was also a big help as she had been here before. There were over 30 kids who we had to keep occupied and out of the way which was really difficult. We worried about rain all day but it held off until right at the end when we were about finished. Alex wrote scripture on one of the floorboards and sweet notes about her dad. It was a very emotional day but was great. The house was for a young woman and her little girl who looked to be around two years old. I was so proud of the way the kids worked so hard and got along. They did this for their friends and that meant so much to Alex & Kristian. We did not finish until after 5:30 - Mark and David arrived at the end of our finishing up and kept saying, "Come on, we gotta get off this mountain. It is about to be dark." It rained really hard when we got back and cooled things off which was welcome.

On Tuesday, several went to the hospital, some to deliver food close to Valley of the Angels, some to build a house with Koski and 4 of us went to the Jimmy Hughes Children's Home & Rehab Center. I have heard the food delivery went well, the house site was finished by 3:00 and the hospital was emotional as it usually is. The visit to the children's home & rehab center was interesting. We were told there would be work for us to do as well as playing with the children but we actually just played with the children and listened to Father Salvador and a young woman tell us about the facility.

We have 5 leaving us tomorrow and it will not be the same without having a Dance Party with Margaret in the morning! I am sure my blog is not doing the stories justice --- maybe because I do not know what all is going on. That will just make it exciting for you to all hear about when we return.

until tomorrow..... i am

running on faith,

Lee

Sunday - A Great Lord's Day

Sorry to everyone who anxiously awaits my blog updates....Saturday was long and tiring and we have not been around Villa Gracia today. I will try to update you quickly on the last two days....It is 11:30 now and I should be in bed.

Saturday we built 4 houses. Three of them were within shouting distance and you could see them. Most of our group was building and a few others were on a wood moving crew. Two of the three houses were up a steep hill so they wood had to be hand carried up. After they finished that daunting backbreaking task, they went back to Villa Gracia to load up bags of food and delivered them to people in another village. God is merciful and good because even though the three houses were started at different times, we all finished within about 30 minutes of each other. The house site I was at was for a young couple. He is 20, she is 16. They are expecting their first child in August. They were very grateful (as all the recipients are) for their new house! Our very own Margaret Rickard was co-foreman on one of the houses "up top" and I hear she did a fabulous job! Way to go Margaret!

On every work site I have been on, our kids are working so hard and there is no whining! I continue to be so proud of them. We had a little meeting tonight and they are all healthy, having fun and glad they are here. For that, I thank God. My biggest prayer request is that you continue to pray for their health. Last year was so hard on them and I just want everyone to stay healthy.

Today we left Villa Gracia around 8:30 to go to Los Pinos to church. It was a wonderful experience. We outnumbered them by a ton and the preacher apologized for the size of his crowd. They had had a revival last night and it didn't end until 4 a.m.! Ryan Connell Hernandez' husband, JC, acted as translator today and he did a great job. We were told that our contribution to the church today was around $1,200 - their contribution is usually around $10! Wow! What a joy to be such a part of a blessing for them!

After church we went to a large mall called Cascades. We ate lunch and had a small amount of time to shop - mainly at the new Walmart there. That was very interesting! A lot of things you would normally buy in a large package, you can actually buy in small packaging such as cookies, candy and granola bars. We left the mall and went to shop at Mi Esperanza - personally my favorite part of the extracurricular activities here ! Lori just finished moving the storefront into a larger area and the things the ladies have made to sell are amazing! Honey - don't look at the credit card bill! Ha! Lori always gets a kick of how much I buy - I just can't help myself :)

We came back to Villa Gracia for a short time and then headed back down the mountain to town to a friend of Mark & Lori's house who has his own ministry here. His name is David Lowe and he is the nicest guy - I mean how many people would invite 130 people over to their house for dinner? Taco Loco came and catered it and the food was incredible! Amy Castleman and myself sat on a little table out on the patio and watched everyone go by getting their food. We were making sure there was enough guacamole left for us! It was soooooo good and the portions were huge. Then a short devo there - that is why we were not on ustream tonight - and back to Villa Gracia. It was very hot today and even though we did not work, we are tired.

it is late, very late and tomorrow will be another long, hard, rewarding day of the Lord's work, so i must sleep so that i can keep....

running on faith,

lee

Friday - An Interview with Amy Castleman

I am not a very clever blogger so I am going to interview my dear friend, sister in Christ and roomie in Honduras - Amy Castleman.

What did you do today? I tore down a house, built a new one, bought shortbreadand banana bread from a Honduran lady with Margaret, ate watermelon and mangos.

What was your favorite part of the day? I really enjoyed that there were some children at the site today. It was fun to watch them, play with them and watch the people.

Name something that you saw today that you had never seen before? the outhouse behind the lady's house. It was so unsanitary. Also the level of poverty.

Name something funny you saw? It must have been dress up day for the children who actually have the opportunity to go to school. They were so sweet and cute. We saw a leopard, lion, dinosaur and a princess in a tutu with Mickey Mouse ears!

All of the kids and adults are doing great! They are working hard, having fun, not really getting sunburned - it was hot today and some of them had some red cheeks and necks (and Kelli Stewart has one red ear - not sure how that happened!). They are eating as well as they can. I try to walk through at breakfast and dinner to make sure I see them eating. If they are eating, it probably means they aren't sick! Tonight, one house crew did not get back until 7 p.m. Not sure how that happened - maybe too much watermelon and mangos (just kidding) They did an awesome job today! Those kids were stuffing it in! BBQ chicken, salad, tri color pasta and roll.

Thank you for your prayers - we feel them! Specifically pray that our hearts will be pricked to really have a deeper relationship with God, that we will be an example to each other and those we come in contact with and that we ALL STAY HEALTHY!!!!!!!

it is late, Mama Lee is tired, but she is still

running on faith

P90H and other musings

Day 2 -

We awoke to some beautiful weather this a.m. Went for a short run at 6 with some great people including Lori Connell. Running buddies.....I promise it was in the 60's! It was awesome but the altitude will kill you.

Most of our group went to build houses. Several went with David Koski - not sure who all....Lori, Margaret and Pam I know. Several of our kids including maybe all the boys went with my buddy from Oklahoma, Stan Berry, to build another house. Amy, Elyse, Kelli and Lizzie were with two great guys from Louisville, KY. Alex, Kristian, Liza, Margaret Alice, Erin, Savannah and Catherine A. went with me and two other super youth ministers, Bobby and Clint, to level sites for houses. The building crews had good days. Our leveling opportunity took us to two sites. One has a lot of work still to be done. We worked on it for about 2 and a 1/2 hours and then left to go to another site that we thought we could complete today. The ground at both sites was really muddy and hard to get the shovels into. Alex came up with a great new way. She got to the top of what we were digging out and with her feet and legs began pushing the dirt down. Kristian soon joined her and we got pretty silly. Clint said we were not doing P90X but P90H (P90 Honduras). Alex then began doing "ballet" feet to move the mud and we called it P90H Ballet Style! Guess you had to be there but it was pretty funny. Bobby and Clint were the only guys and they kept saying how impressed they were by how hard we were working. I told him we "don't bring no sissies to Honduras"!

Dinner was meatloaf, potato salad, green beans and carrots and a roll. Iam not a fan of the meatloaf but the rest was good. Some people loved it though so I guess it was just me.

Tomorrow we will build 3 more houses, pack some food and do a VBS, have another day of leveling (Mark wants it done so we can build a house there.....I'm thinking it is a long term project!) and perhaps have a small group go to the hospital.

The singing in devo tonight was beautiful as usual and we sang my favorite song...Do Not Fear. I remember hearing it for the first time last year on my first or second night and I just cried because I was afraid...Tonight I sang it in worship and praise to the God who has redeemed me and called me by name. Can't wait to see what tomorrow holds.

time for much needed sleep so I can keep

running on faith,

Lee

Welcome to Honduras!

Literally, because I just typed the entire day and the internet went down and I lost it all and am now starting over. Ok - let's try again!

The day was great and God answered all of my prayers from no security glitches to safe travel to no lost passports to MOST IMPORTANTLY no lost children! We were reunited in Atlanta with our Indiana and Kentucky friends as well as the group from DF in Birmingham.

We arrived around lunchtime and were greeted outside the airport by our friends from Oklahoma! What a sight for sore eyes they were! We were off to a reputable restaurant for a Honduran lunch consisting of your choice of soft drink in a bottle, beans with goat cheese & chips, corn tortillas with a platter of chicken, some other kind of meat and a fried cheese. We were then back on the buses for our ride up the mountain about 5,000 feet to Villa Gracia. A few of our kids went with Mark to the warehouse to pick up tools and such. Once at Villa Gracia, Lori gave us our room assignments and we spent the rest of the afternoon getting settled, visiting with old friends and making new ones. Another small group of our kids went with Mark to pick up lumber for our first build.

Dinner was a lettuce salad with a vinegar/onion dressing, baked chicken, yummy rice and a roll. We also put our money in the "bank" and got limps in exchange to spend, got our tshirts and nametags. Afterwards Mark led our devo/orientation. DO NOT DRINK THE WATER! If you cannot take a shower without opening your mouth - we can put some tape on it!

Everyone was very tired and after showers (some had them earlier) were already telling Mama Lee goodnight and heading to bed. We have been up a really long time. They have all been great and I am so proud of the way they are being responsible and showing respect thus far. God has great things in store for us.

Please continue to pray for our trip - for health, for hearts to be moved and changed and that at the end of each day we can say we showed Jesus to somebody and gave God the glory.

until next time I am ...

running on faith

Lee

Honduras Round Two - 2011

As I sit at the computer and try to focus my thoughts, my stomach is churning and my heart is racing. So much left to do, so little time. Updating my blog was on the list though - so here goes...
I look back and realize that I have not posted since Clay's birthday. Wow, what a slacker I am. This year has flown by so fast and so much has happened. I finished my 7th year at the elementary school, Ellen is now an official Junior in high school and driving herself around and somehow I volunteered to lead our group to Honduras! I knew when I got home last June that I would go back. It seemed so far away and now we are approaching the 36 hour countdown! The year has been extremely challenging in many ways and Satan has been trying his best to have his way with me. I will not let him win! I am blessed to have an amazing husband and incredible daughter that love and support me. Also, a lot of people who lift me up every day in prayer...you know who you are! I could not make it without you so thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Now - on to the trip......We have an amazing group going this year and I am so excited! Several newbies ( that was me last year! ) and lots of oldies. We have 6 adults and 16 teens. David Koski is our "token adult male" and I am thankful that he finished his son-in-law's new dental practice building on time so he could go with us. He has been at least 10 times and has so much talent and a servant's hear like no other. Thank you also to the "mamas" going! I was pretty scared last year being the only one :) but the kids made it so easy and I love them all.

This time last year I was so apprehensive and this year I am just so stinking excited! I felt so vulnerable not knowing what to expect. God had a plan and it was to show me that I had to depend completely on Him. I cried the first 12 hours last year until I submitted to Him. Once I did, I had the time of my life. I know He has new lessons for me to learn this year and I ask that you pray that I am open to learning.

I will try to update as much as possible while we are in Honduras. Sometimes we do not have the luxury of internet service - or power for that matter - until my next post, I am

running on faith.....

Beautiful Blue Skies and Bittersweet Fall Days

Eighteen years ago, my life forever changed for the better. I gave birth to my firstborn, Clayton Roy Taylor. God blessed Jeff and I with that precious boy and allowed us to be his parents for one short year. In some ways, it seems like yesterday and in some ways it seems like an eternity ago. When the sky magically gets true blue when September hits it brings back those terrifying first days but also the love I felt that I had never felt before. I will always miss him but never wish him back. Clay is with our amazing Abba Father and living the eternal life I hope and dream for. Every year at this time God teaches me something new. I do wonder what it would have been like had he lived a full earthly life....would he be playing football against Hoover tonight, playing in the band, painting his body and running with the OMHS flags down the field, or just being a great fan? But in my heart of hearts, I know that if he had lived he would not be doing any of those things because his body was broken. I am grateful to God for his mercy and grace to take him and let him be whole in heaven rather than broken on earth. This year's lesson is that God needed Clay and because he loves me so, he heard my prayer for one healthy child to raise to love him. He blessed our lives with Ellen and she does love God so much. She can't take her brother's place but she has such a special place of her own. Even as I write this I ache with love for her. To think that our Abba Father loves her more than I ache with love for her. Wow - how overwhelming and uncomprehendible (is that a word??) So on this day, September 10, 2010 - Happy 18th Birthday Sweet Baby Clay. Mama loves and misses you.

I just read my sweet daughter's blog update and thought I would steal her latest blog post because what better way to thank God for all He does for me every day.

things i love....
diet dr pepper
sweet tea
running with my sista chicks
listening to ellen tell me about her day
hugs from my husband
chilling out and shopping with ellen
pep rallies and football (go OM)
watching/listening to cheerleaders eat and have fun together
Honduras
praising God in song
reading
sunshine
fall breezes
having my head rubbed
chocolate cobbler
coffee and the bookstore

these are the ones that top my list. i am so blessed to live the life i live. God makes all that possible. through great times, bad times, happy times, sad times, frustrating times and incredible times...He alone is the only thing that is unchanging. He loves us more than we could ever dream and imagine and is in total control of our lives whether we understand it or like it. nothing that happens is coincidence, He planned it long before time began. I praise you Lord of Lords and King of Kings.

running on faith,
lee

What did ya hear, what did ya see, what did ya touch, what did ya taste, what did ya smell, what did ya feel???

Every night in Honduras after incredible worship to our King with accapella singing Mark would ask this/these questions. We have now been back in the states for two weeks and I can still hear him saying this and still processing the answers. We have been blessed to get some rest - even though Ellen is at it again with the Birmingham Mission trip - visit with a few friends and family to tell about our trip and reflect on the whole experience. I will have to say that it is hard to explain to anyone who has never been. I have friends saying "It is time to be glad to be home" "You are needed here too" etc. I know that and God is showing me that but for those of you who have experienced Honduras whether it be years ago when you stayed at Baxter or this year, you understand what I mean when I say "It was the most incredible thing I have ever experienced" "I can't wait to go back" "It was awesome". So, for you - but mainly for me since I am old and afraid I will forget - I am going to list some of the answers to those questions that were posed to me daily by Marco.

I saw beautiful mountains, naked children, joy in the Honduran faces, meat hanging in windows for purchase, water in sealed bags, sickness, outhouses, people living in shacks with no running water, electricity, doors or windows, human beings and vultures chasing a garbage truck to get food to eat, red mimosa trees, mango trees full of ripe mangos, traffic in a major city with no red lights, mountainside after mountainside of villages full of "houses" that were really only shacks, grateful eyes when we finished a house for a family, excitement when the gringos showed up, overwhelmed teens who had never seen anything like this in their lives, clouds hanging so low or we were so high that I was in them.

I heard the laughter of little children being played with, the laughter of teens and adults building new relationships that would be forged forever, a group of over 100 singing praises to our God in unison, encouraging words being spoken to "newbies" who really didn't know what they were doing, the sound of kids getting sick (sorry - gotta take the good with the bad!), the sound of teens playing all kinds of games and teaching their new friends, Mark yelling "You people are killing me!", the quiet sobbing/crying of people as they are overwhelmed by what they have done that day, groaning from carrying lumber up a mountain or hauling buckets of rock that are too full (no mas!), translators (Rachel, Josue, Steve) telling/asking the Hondurans questions for those of us who know no Spanish, the sound of Honduran children trying to speak English and copying me down to the so Southern accent, 80's music blairing over Enrique's radio on the bus (they are 25 years behind in music so I was back in high school/college), SILENCE - when we left the dump and hospital and were all so sad, the words "I love you" and "I will miss you" being said over and over to our new friends as we leave each other at the airport.

I tasted beans with goat cheese, fresh mango, pineapple and watermelon, the most amazing homemade tortilla chips ever, pan de pan (their version of bread pudding that I made myself sick on because I ate so much, Fresca that isn't diet, Coca Light (diet coke but not really), the best rice I have ever put in my mouth, the best french toast I have ever put in my mouth, the Lord's supper at a small church where we actually had to share the cup, a few things I wasn't sure about but I ate anyway......

I smelled sweat (mine and others!), garbage in the villages, the most horrid smell I have ever smelt the day we fed the people at the dump...you cannot imagine and have never smelled anything like it. The amazing thing is once we were actually all the way up the mountain to the place we needed to be the smell was not an issue at all - that was all God, sweet teen girls hair when I would hug them every night at dinner when they had had a shower and I hadn't, stinky little garbage cans beside the toilets(you don't flush anything that doesn't naturally come out of your body), Lysol (Lori and I sprayed down every single thing in a two story dorm after a virus hit), bugspray and sunscreen, sawdust, rain on the mountain.

I touched people who just needed to be touched, teens who needed a hug, lumber, nails, tin, dirty laundry, clean laundry, sick children and babies, parents of sick children and babies, post hole diggers, shovels, buckets, rocks, mud, old box springs with barb wire and a Santa hat stuck in a mountain, hands of people helping each other up and down mountains, cold dishwater in the kitchen because there was no hot water to wash dishes with, cold water in the shower when there was no hot water, lots of wounds (Nurse Lee to the rescue with no gloves!), lots of hand sanitizer and wipes.

I have left out many things I know but these flood my mind. The last question "What did ya feel?" - well, I felt God.

running on faith,
Lee

Sorry I have not posted since last Saturday. Sunday was a busy day and then we did not have internet in LaCeiba. On Sunday we went to church at Los Pinos. Andrew Dorris led singing in English and did an amazing job. We took the opportunity to take lots of pics that day since we were somewhat presentable for a change. After church we went back to Villa Gracia and everyone shared what food they had left for lunch. It was awesome. That afternoon was spent gathering, giving away and packing. Late afternoon we headed to El Patio for our "banquet". Lots of pics, laughter, sharing and food! First they brought us drinks - coke, diet coke, sprite. Then, bean dip with goat cheese that were in these clay pots that were so hot that they made the cheese melt. After that a platter of appetizers that I am not sure about. Maybe some fried cheese, a bread type thing that they say was sweet and plaintain. Then we were each brought a bowl of rice. We had pre-ordered either chicken or beef. I ordered chicken. It came on a long kabob but it was not pieces of boneless chicken like you would make at home. They were actual pieces of rilled chicken! It was enough for at least 2-3 people. I felt so guilty not eating all of it but Mark always thinks ahead. We took all the meat that was left from each big table of people and packaged it up to give to children waiting outside the restaurant and the rest to our bus drivers. Our last devo was in the dark because at the reservoir that serves the entire country the main transformer blew and the ENTIRE COUNTRY was without power. It was a little creepy when we found that out because here we are on top of a mountain in a third world country with one guard with a pistol guarding us. Short-lived fear because the spirit of the Lord was upon me. Before devo was over the power was back on. Then back to our rooms to finish packing and get ready to be outside with everything at 5 to get on the school bus to ride to meet the charter bus to ride 8 hours to LaCeiba. When we got to the gas station Ellen comes to me and says Andrew doesn't feel well. I go over to him and he has that look like he has had after the last two Country Music Marathons. Not good and I start praying! I go back into doctor mode - get out all medicine I can think of, buy him a Ginger Ale, put him on the charter bus first and tell Ellen she is in charge of taking care of him. There was not room on there for me. I was on the coaster bus that held about 20 people. My new friend, Robin Parker, and I talked the entire way there. What a ride! We are not talking interstate here people. Two lane roads at best up hill a lot, traffic, bridges out so you have to detour on gravel roads. The worst was that the air went out quickly into the trip and we were heading away from the mountains to the coast! I have never been so glad to get off a bus. When we arrived it was hot at the resort. I was thinking, "I wish we had just gone home." But, we got into our rooms and there was air conditioning and hot water in the shower that now I only had to share with 3 other people. Piece of cake. The restaurant was a buffet and I was skeptical of the food because there are obviously no health department inspecitons there! There was fountain coke and hot Lipton tea so that was helpful. On Tuesday we spent the day relaxing and enjoying the pool, watching the kids play, participated in a water aerobics class, read a book and sat on a veranda in a big wicker rocker and took a little cat nap. At dinner that night, a couple of my girls weren't feeling well again. I did what I could and know that again they had not drank enough water that day. Since they did not feel well, I ended up staying up until we boarded the bus at 1:30 am to depart for the airport. Right as we were getting ready to leave, my new friend, Stan, a dad with two precious daughters came to me asking for medicine. He ended up being sick on the bus the entire way back. I again was on the coaster bus and felt sorry for another new friend, Steve, who is very tall and had ended up with a seat behind the front passenger seat with no leg room and that didn't recline so I switched with him. Needless to say, I didn't sleep so I prayed for my girls and Stan all the way back to Teguc. It took us 7 and 1/2 hours to to get to the airport. We tried to eat McDonald's - yuck and then went through security and got to our gate. Our Oklahoma, Indiana and Kentucky friends were departing before us and we went to see them off. I cried so much. These people have grown to mean so much to me in such a short time. Men, women, teens and children who have met me and heard my life story and still love me unconditionally. We became a community in 12 days - nobody acted better than anybody else, everyone shared their hearts and possessions, laughed and cried together. It was a community of believers changed by God. The flight to Atlanta was uneventful - praise God! When going through customs of course I was the chosen one to be searched. I was so tired by this time - could not sleep on the plane.
The customs guy called me "Feisty Lady" but ended up being nice. We get to our gate and all the kids and Tim go to eat. I stayed back with Katherine and the bags. I finally got a turn to eat and had a simple turkey sandwich and a real Diet Coke. It was so good! We were all punch drunk by the time the plane took off from Atlanta. Saying crazy things, laughing, etc. When we arrived in Birmingham there was a big contingent waiting for us! How sweet and precious to see them. I was so glad to feel Jeff's strong arms wrapped around me. Sherry brought me sweet tea and Telia made chocolate cake. Yum yum! Even when we got home I still could not wind down. I finally went to bed around 12:30 after being up for 40 hours! I hosted a bridal shower at my house yesterday and on Thursday morning Jeff woke me up to tell me we had a water problem. The ice maker line had busted. No problems I thought. I can go to the bathroom outside and I still have some water in my cup from last night so I can brush my teeth. Guess God wanted to ease me back into the lap of luxury. The "Pre-Honduras Lee" would have been so mad and upset. The "Post-Honduras Lee" just took it in stride and said "It is what it is, whatcha gonna do? It's all good" It is so not about me and things being perfect anymore. I feel so strange not doing manual labor and laying around. I need a mountain to move....thank you to all of you who have prayed for us, supported us by giving of your time, money and gifts. It was the most amazing thing I have ever experienced and I cannot wait until next year....yes, I am going back!

running on faith,
Lee

Everyone seems to be well now. They are not eating very much but I am making sure they drink. Today the Homewood group (minus Alex and Catherine Aust) went to build a house with the DF group. Our own Lindsey Voelker was the crew leader and she did a great job! We had a tough time getting the posts set but once we did it all went pretty smoothly. The house was for a man named Carlos. It is hard to believe that today was our last work day here. In some ways it feels like we have been gone forever but at the same time, it has flown by. The group from Almeda Church in Norman, Oklahoma has really bonded with all of us. They are so nice and fun. Two of them are my roommates and we act like a bunch of kids even though the youngest one is 30. We even talked today that the Homewood group needs to road trip to Norman to visit. I have really made some great friends and so have the kids. We have all shared so much and it is so cool to be in this environment with total strangers but have the common bond of the love of Christ. Today when we were leaving Ellen came and asked me if she could give her shoes to a little boy who had attached himself to her all day. I told her of course she could. She tried to give them to him and he wouldn't take them but then we told him he could give them to his mother and he immediately took them. Once we got on the bus a few of us handed our shoes off the front of the bus via Pedro (the night guard at Villa Gracia). Yesterday I came to the room and tried to pack up some things and organize my suitcase and I got everything I could find and took it in a bag to the ladies in the laundry. You just feel so guilty for having anything or wasting anything. I was cleaning up the worksite today and there were a bunch of empty Gatorade bottles. I was looking for a place to put them and some of the women watching us asked if they could have them. These people will use or sell anything they can to take care of their families. Tomorrow we go to Los Pinos to church and then back here to start packing. We go to El Patio tomorrow night for a banquet and then leave early Monday am for La Ceiba for our decompression time. God is so awesome and faithful...praise his holy name.

running on faith,
Lee

Yesterday I went to build a house for a neighbor of the guard, Pedro. We had to move everything out of her current house, tear it down and then build. There was no shade and I think it was the hottest day we have had. It was my first experience with being in a house. It was so sad and she even had a stove and a refrigerator and "bootlegged" power. The woman, Letti, had three boys - Michael, Christian and Sole. She and I connected right away. She had a little kitchen area and then a sleep area with some old mattresses. There were random little pieces of furniture - a small chest, some open iron bookshelves and a baby cradle that she kept clothes in. She did have a concrete floor which was great but everything was so dirty. Our crew was full of experienced men so it went really smoothly. They were very patient with me and let me help hammer the nails on the entire floor. There are six people that nail and I was one of them. The last wall we ran out of good boards and had to piece them. We swung by Wendy's and had a little Frosty. Then we went to the warehouse where another group was moving boxes of food from one room down the breezeway to another. We helped do that and got back just in time for a rain storm. I helped unload all the tools with a bunch of guys and then it was time for dinner. When I got my food I could tell Ellen wasn't eating. The girls told me that Kellum had just gotten sick and I thought here we go.... Ellen took some Pepto and went on to devo. Kellum was really sick all night. Ellen got sick during devo but only threw up one time. I finally got a shower around ten and parked myself downstairs with the girls. I was up some with Kellum. Ellen finally went to sleep I just stayed up and prayed all night that she would not throw up again. God is merciful...she didn't. She says she feels better today but I am staying here with her, Kellum and a girl from Indiana who is feelingqueasy. Lori is bringing Lysol back in the afternoon and we are going to spray the place down. I so wish I had brought gloves from school - Nurse Greene would be lecturing me right now! You Oak Mtn. people know what I mean! I also am going to help the ladies in the laundry - there are mounds of bags to be done.
I think we are all tired, letting our guard down, not eating and drinking enough. I have preached to our kids already this morning. I am doing the best I can to take care of them. I am not feeling very successful right now:( Please continue to pray for us and that God will build a hedge around us. He has truly been with us and His presence is felt.

Yesterday was a whole different day in lots of ways. I went to the dump with Tim, Andrew, Ellen, Savannah, Liza, Lizzie and 4 other people. We rode through town in lots of traffic and stopped at the bottom of the hill to go up to the dump. We were met by Mark Tindal who told us what we would be doing and then hopped in the back of two pickup trucks and headed up. Remember, everything you do is UP! What a ride! At one point I said "I don't like roller coasters!!!!" We had gone up, up, up and then it went down - I was in the truck with the food and water also so we were heavy. The wheels were sliding and away we went. Then we went through "poo mud" and that is when the smell started. I had a bandana around my neck but realized that was rude to the people so I didn't put it over my face. Those of you who work with me - think of a trip to the bathroom at school with friends and multiply by 1000 - really! I cannot even begin to explain what I saw. So much garbage all the way up the hill and then an ocean of it. And the people....everywhere...hundreds including men, women, teens, children and even babies. These people LIVE here. Some of them just come in for the day to work but a lot live there. I was in charge of serving rice. We sat in the back of the truck, had one big cooker of rice and one of beans. A tub of small tortillas and bags of water. We gave them a bowl of rice and beans with 3 tortillas. Then the rest of the people handed them water. There were so many with coverings on their faces - that was our sign that they are sniffing glue to survive their hunger. There were flies and huge black vultures everywhere. Right before we left a garbage truck came and it was so hard to watch dogs, vultures and human beings rushing toward the same thing - survival. They were searching for food to eat and the humans were also looking for plastic to sell and clothes to wear. People....they don't wear gloves here!!!! It is the dirtiest place I have ever been. When we left and got back on the bus we tried to use wet wipes to wash our faces, hands, arms off but all day Savannah kept saying "I still smell the dump" Itold her it was in her soul and mind. I will never forget it. We then purchased Gatorade and rode all through downtown looking for city workers to give it to. We would see some, grab Gatorade, jump off the bus and run to give it to them (yes on a city street!) and say to them "In el nombre de Jesus" "In the name of Jesus" I practiced saying it over and over....Then we went to the warehouse and packed 40 boxes of rice soup packets on the bus and headed back up the mountain past Villa Gracia and went up, up, up stopping to get out and give people food. It was really starting to get to us because we had been on the bus for about 4 hours now. Where we were going was not meant for a bus. I finally got out and started running/walking just to get fresh air. Then we got a call to go back down and then back up to pick up the work crews. When we finally got there another bus had picked them up! I wanted to scream!!!!!!!!!!!!! We made it back and I actually got a shower early since I had been to the dump early and had not washed my hands or gone to the bathroom all day. Our devo was amazing last night. The spirit of God was so on me. He is breaking me and piercing my heart. To all of you Homewood people: I want to let you know that Tim is doing an amazing job taking care of us, checking on us not only physically but emotionally and spiritually. I am seeing a side of him I have never seen and I have new appreciation for him. Your children are AMAZING! They are not complaining, interacting with the Hondurans so well, working hard physically and making new friends from lots of places. I love hearing them laugh at night playing games with kids and adults from other places. I would not trade this time with them for anything in the world. Saying from yesterday from Tim "This gives a whole new meaning to middle of nowhere" Again, some things you cannot explain. I love you all and covet your prayers. God is alive and well in Honduras. Can't wait to see what today holds.....

running on faith,
Lee

Not sure if my last post worked so I will say a little about Monday and then move on. I went back to the leveling site with Liza Johnson. Instead of 10 people we had 5 people so the work went slower but we accomplished a lot. Liza worked so hard and was great with the children. I actually interacted a lot more with the kids today trying to teach and learn. It was a long, exhausting day but I am glad I went. Yesterday our whole group with the exception of Catherine, Alex, Lizzie and Colin went to the hospital. It was harder than anything I have done so far. Try to imagine a hospital with an armed guard out front (gun stuck in his pants) deciding who gets in the gate. We go in and it is full of people everywhere. It is about 40 years behind in looks besides the fact that there is no air conditioning and it is not clean. A huge shortage of nurses, medicine, bedding, furniture, etc. No clean water - warnings everywhere. There are about 5-6 children in a room with usually one parent with them. I saw everything from spina bifida to kids waiting for a heart surgery; a little boy who had gotten attacked by a dog, an infant maybe 2 months old with Down Syndrome, many infiltrated IV's, dirty bandages, etc. We went to the cancer unit. It actually had air conditioning but was soooooo cold and they patients had little to no blankets unless they brought them themselves. It was one big room with a few beds and the reclining chairs. Some were there for the day but one father that was with his daughter said that they come twice a month for 5 days. His daughter had hardly any covering and was shivering. I asked if they stay in that one spot for the 5 days and he said yes. The only place for him was a plastic patio chair beside her bed. That was so hard for me. I tried to pray with every person I could individually. One mother saw me praying with another and asked our translator if I could pray with her and her son. Wow - God is showing himself to me and how some things are universal. I prayed with several in English and had no interpreter with me and when we finished they would be crying and tell me Gracias as if they understood every word. I wasn't in the same group as our kids and when they came out they were crying and praying together. I talked to them about what they had seen and tried to comfort them. When I came out I got pretty emotional and those sweet teen girls in turn comforted me. We went last night to a little town on top of yet another mountain called Santa Lucia to have devo in the oldest church in the western hemisphere. It was built in the 1500's and has no nails in it. It was beautiful. They are doing some restoration on it and when they started to scrape the walls to repaint found old artwork on them so now they are trying to uncover it all. Shortly after we arrived the lady who let us in called Mark into her office. He came out as we were singing (how awesome it sounded) and said that the priest had called her and said he had a call that was a threat and that we needed to leave. Mark was very cautious and wise and we left rapido! He said that the Ctholic church stood by the uprising of the government last year and now is targeted a lot. I don't know what today holds but I do know our kids for now are happy, sweet, healthy and being changed just as I am. God keeps telling me "Do not fear, for I am with you."

running on faith,
Lee