New Challenges

We’re getting more settled into our home and starting to find our place here in Honduras, but we’ve also faced a number of challenges, which have been interesting for us. Living closer to nature and sharing our living space with geckos and frogs has been an adjustment and provided some fun entertainment for us. Natalie has had a few incidents with frogs this week. One night she slipped on a frog, but thankfully, neither she nor the frog were injured in the incident. Later, she was washing dishes, and a frog hopped into the sink and scared her. I told her that the frog was on her back, and she did a fun little dance all around the kitchen until I confessed that there was not a frog on her back. We have named the geckos, and like having them because they eat the bugs, however, when they show up unexpectedly, like in the pan you want to use to cook dinner in, they can be a little surprising!

Marty, a gecko who lives in our kitchen

We all miss Alyssa every day, but are excited about the spiritual growth she is experiencing in Nashville. She has been able to meet a lot of inspirational people, and recently was re-baptised and re-dedicated her life to God, which is wonderful. Her roomate graduated from the program, so she has her own room for awhile.

We are really excited that our good friend Jennifer is able to spend the next month with us. Unfortunately, she became very sick within a few days of arriving, and is on medication for pneumonia, and is starting to feel better. Chantalle has had a cold this week, and Natalie, Conan, and I are fighting some kind of virus, so we’ve spent most of this past week on the couch. Gordon is doing great, though!

Jennifer and Chantalle in front of our house

The day before we left Florida, I had an eye exam and was told that I probably had glaucoma and needed to see a specialist as soon as I could. When I was waiting with Jenn at the doctor, we ran into a lady (Leslie) who was diagnosed with glaucoma and had gone to the doctor that I was planning on going to, and she said that he wasn’t very good and recommended another one that I was able to go to the following day. Our friends, the Roses, took Gordon and me, and they also interpreted for us, and the doctor agreed that I do have glaucoma and started me on medication. I will go back for more tests in about a week. We are thankful that we ran into Leslie when we did, and that I am able to have medication that will help me.

We have gotten to know a couple of families in our neighborhood, and are reaching out to them. We have begun teaching English to a small group of neighborhood children three times a week, and that is going well for us. A lot of families include grandparents, aunts, cousins, and uncles all in the same household, and many of them have poor living conditions. It makes us very thankful for our comfortable home here. We are getting the kitchen situated at the church, and plan to start our food program in the next couple of weeks, as we are blessed with the items we still need for the program.

Neighborhood boys, Efraim, Darwin, & Daniel at English class

The view from our house - muy bonita!

Please continue to pray for our improved health, for funding for our feeding program, and for ongoing relationships with the people around us. We are hoping that we can get out and explore next week, and get to know this beautiful area better.

Conan making friends with a calf on our back porch