New Year

I am not one for New Year's Resolutions.  I have taken the month of January to try to decide what I want to accomplish during 2013.  No huge decisions but I find myself making lists in my mind, kinda bucket lists for the year.  I will hopefully even add to them as I go along.  I will start with a few:

List for relationships
1.  Make sure those who I love know how important they are to me
2.  Spend one day or weekend, one on one with each of my children and those that are my family
3.  Speak words of value to those that I do value
4.  Pray for those that I am in relationship with


List for things to change:
1.  Erase all euphemisms from my language
2.  Eat healthier (a whole list in itself)
      change from margarine to butter
       make more food from scratch/limit additives
       eat more fish
       choose "healthy" junk food
       
3.  Give more of my resources to God
4.  Be more who I am
5.  Have lots more fun
6.  Study Bible more intensely
7.  Pray more specifically
8.  Lean on God more
9.  Make lots of home made items (soaps, granola, etc.)
10.  Cut down on disposables
11.  Buy less new


Well that is enough to hold me accountable for a while.  If anyone wants, feel free to tell me when you find me not keeping my list.  I want to live each day fully with all the passion I have.  I want to serve my heavenly father and develop a closer relationship with him.  I feel that I am on the cusp of witnessing awesome things by God.  

My Life

I am currently in Honduras visiting my daughter Karen, her husband Dorian and my precious grandson Korbin who will turn one year old on 21st. Karen is director of a children's home in Santa Ana Honduras.  I am giving details because some have told me I don't put enough details in my posts.  So I am trying to make this informative to those who do not know all that is going on in my life. 
I wish they lived closer but I know God is in control.  This year I am enjoying every minute and celebrating each day. 
Last year this time I was waiting in Ohio for Karen and Dorian to come home and give birth.  Their flight was scheduled to fly them home on November 22nd, six weeks before her due date.  She went into labor and and an emergency C-section was done in a clinic (they call it a hospital) here in Honduras.  He was tiny and I learned a lot about preemies.  They Karen developed a blood clot and there were a few days that I honestly did not know if we would lose them both.  Praise God they got healthy and were able to fly with me back to states in December.  They returned to Honduras end of January. 
I made the trip to see them for Easter and came back last Friday so that I could be here for Korbin's first birthday.  So this will make the second straight year that I will miss Thanksgiving and Sharon's birthday. 
Korbin is such a miracle and I thank God for him. 
Today I will begin to tell you a little about what life here is like.  If the internet stays on and Lord willing I will attempt to continue throughout my stay. 

First of all I miss heat.  It is currently 68 and very windy at 10:30 in morning.  It got down to 56 degrees last night.  Doesn't sound cold until you realize that there is no heat.  I won't complain as we are cozy and dress accordingly.  most people here live in small shacks made of wood or tin or even cardboard with dirt floors.  I am blessed to be able to stay with Karen and Dorian, in their apartment in Casa de Esperanza.  I will try to post some pics later but Korbin is wanting to be held and that is this grandma's priority. 

Difficult week

I start by stating God is good.  Even with difficult weeks, maybe especially with difficult weeks, God is good!  It seems that I have spent my week fighting.  Part of that is my job; fighting with a lady to stay in the hospital for treatment, fighting with a family who wants to move grandpa out so they can have his place and fighting with so little time for all that needs done.  This week I feel like I have been fighting with so much more though.  I am fighting with those who I thought were on my side.  The side to assist people.  Decisions are questioned or simply ignored, I am ignored by those that I tell my stories to, by saying there is nothing they can do.  I have been physically exhausted for a week or two and then the "fighting" has worn me down.  Most days I think I am the luckiest person on this planet.  I have the love of my God and my family.  I actually get paid to do what I feel is my mission in life.  Then I get the honor and privilege to serve with Love in Action.  But my attitude was stinky by Friday and when I received a call from a man wanting to work so he could have gasoline to make it to Toledo, I was honestly not feeling very giving.
I called and talked with him and he told me of car troubles and having parts replaced and now no money and he and his wife just wanted to get home.  I asked him many personal questions and he kept stating that he was willing to work for gasoline he did not want handouts.  I prayed and told him to meet me at Speedway station and have his identification with him.
Well God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit (maybe all three) worked on my heart and by the time I reached Speedway, I was willing to see what I could do to help.  It was very evident that the two have little to their names.  They are both on SSI and their shoes had holes.  He wanted to show me the part that got replaced,,,it was in the back seat with a giant iguana.  I thought the iguana was stuffed until it swung it's head around to me when I leaned in the window to talk with the wife!  Filled up the car with gasoline and he asked if there was any way that I could spare a bag of chips or something to "tide" them over until they reached home.  The sincerity of these two were priceless.  I told them to follow me to KFC and told them to order what they wanted to eat.  He wanted extra biscuits but when they told them they would be extra, he said no, even though I told him to get them.
They got the food to go as he said they had a long way to go to get home.  They both thanked me again and I told them that what was given to them was from a church who wants to show God's love to the world.  He then asked if I would have the church pray for them.  He said they gave their lives to God a year ago, but their life seems to have only gotten worse since then.  I prayed with them and assured them there would be more people praying for them than me.  They left with a smile on their faces and headed to Toledo.  I could have easily missed this moment by my attitude and only seeing what happened in my week.  I repented and asked God to forgive me for my selfishness.
I called them today and they made it home last night.  Please pray for Michael and his sweet wife.  Experiences like this sorta put my life in perspective.  I am blessed beyond imagination and loved by a passionate God.

Another wonderful day in Honduras

Today i was lazy. I actually went back to bed after Korbin woke up for day at 7am. Dorian took him and I headed back to slumberland. I thought I barely dozed off but I looked at my phone and it was 9am. I could have slept all day but I got up then. Karen had to tell me that would be like sleeping in until 11 at home.............hmm
I am going to try to post some pics here. One of the Guido's soon after I got up, one of Korbin sucking his thumb and put himself to sleep, and one of the 4th graders getting help with homework.
When I call Korbin's name he will look at me and I can make him smile. He was the cutest ever going to sleep laying on blanket on porch, sucking on his thumb. I think he is gonna be as cute as his grandma.
The children here at the home are always into something. Yesterday one of the staff was changing back into good clothes to catch the long bus ride home. When she went to get her new shoes to wear home, she found them drenched in water. She was devastated and crying (she never cries) She finally wore a pair of flip flops home and the shoes stayed here to dry. Karen and Dorian did their best to find the culprit. All circumstantial evidence points to Katy but they hated to punish on circumstantial. Today the five 4th graders came home with homework of long division. None knew how to do it. The staff working today are not able to do division so Karen and Dorian brought them to their back porch and at this time are still helping them. They have to make up their own problems and then do them correctly. Surprising to me, is Fernando. He thinks through in his head and makes his problems so that they come up even, no remainders. I think he has it down. The girls however are lost. I could never ever do this daily. Then there are the other almost twenty students with homework, including Rosa who is deaf/mute and she requires a lot of one on one work to do homework. Rosa may be the most intelligent child at Casa. If they can just direct it for good.
Then there is the child of my heart; Cindy Lou. Cindy failed her grade and is repeating fourth grade. Cindy has the capability of one day either being first lady president of Honduras or a mass murderer. It is too early to tell. These children require and demand so much time and attention that it makes me weary just watching others care for them. Through no fault of their own, they are wounded and damaged, living in a country with so safety nets and I wonder where they will end up as adults.
Then my mind wanders back to home and it seems such a sin of omission to continue to let those living in our communities do without. If each person in my church family could give 100 a month, there would be so much less hunger. And if they gave one hour each week, we would start seeing a difference. I feel that Belpre church is on the cusp of doing community and ministry like Jesus intended. I love my church family and can't wait to rejoin them in changing our world. But for now, I am content holding Korbin and making him smile or giggle seems like manna from heaven. Bye for now............

Hond continued

I am sleeping in Korbin's bedroom and so far he has not complained about my snoring. He sleeps on his back and barely moves all night. The only thing he does is to lift both feet into the air and then just let them drop. It took me a while the first night to figure out what he was doing to cause the noise. He sleeps from 7 or so until 4 or 5 am. He then eats a bottle and once you change him, he is back to sleep again. Since I am sleeping in the room, I am the one who gets up at the 4 or 5 am feeding. Last night was interesting. There are these ugly beetles everywhere and each morning they are lying on porch on their backs trying to turn over.
Last evening Korbin went to his bed and I decided to go to bed and read. I had the light off so as not to disturb him. I use my little rechargeable flashlight to read. I heard some wings fluttering somewhere above me but I am a veteran of Honduras and their wildlife, that was until I felt those wings on my neck. Needless to say, I screamed and ran to turn on the light. Yep it was one of the beetles. Then Karen tells me they come to light. No more reading for me!
Today was hot again. I got to spend my day with Korbin. Karen and Dorian came and went. As always happens in Honduras,We never see a dull moment. Karen left to go pick up children from school. Dorian came home as she left. Well as soon as she got the children in the van, it had a flat tire. So someone else went to bring kids back and Dorian went to check tire. He had to go buy another tire. In the mean time, Korbin and I were taking it easy. He got to take a bath/play in swim tub to cool off. Then this evening I was feeding him and he gave me the gift of a huge liquid bowel movement that instantly ran out of the diaper. I somehow managed to get it on my shorts, my shirt and also up my arm. Karen cleaned him as I tried to clean myself. Karen was doing this in between taking some maternity clothes to a pregnant lady who came to the gate asking for some clothes.
First day by myself (kinda of) and I placed him in his little seat and turned on the tv. Hey I think it was a soothing time for him (and me) Went to take shower early and as soon as i got the shampoo in my hair, the water started splurting and splattering. As more and more air (instead of water) came out, the water came out scalding hot. I was still trying to get shampoo out by burning myself and Karen told me that this would burn out the heater of shower. So I turned it off and got out and tried to use a cup in a very small sink to remove the soap from my hair. Well the water was mostly air there so i finally gave up. Now Karen is helping Pamela look up different types of art for homework due tomorrow and Terri is printing off examples of each kind. It is 8pm and she is not close to being done, and still has other homework. Yes she knew all last week while she was off that she had this homework. She will be up late tonight. Pamela and Bryan are in jr high and they catch bus to school around 6am. She gets up around 4am each day to prepare for her day.
Karen fixed a delicious dip and I ate two helpings. Interesting day but I have been blessed to be able to love on Korbin all day. God is good.

Honduras

Wow cant believe it has been a year since a blog post.
Bringing you all up to date. I got off work Thursday evening and drove to Columbus. Lisa and I had a strange meal at IHOP. We probably spent two hours there and only got breakfast items that I could cook myself in under 10 minutes. And we were the lucky ones. We had a kind, good waitress. Those around us had a waitress who was hospitality challenged. One table waited for probably an hour and then the manager brought them out a "to go'" bag and apologized and told them he "fixed it" himself. Hmmm. Makes one wonder who is actually cooking that the manager cooked their take out. And how do we know the manager knows how to cook? Another table behind us caught the manager while out on the floor and complained that she was supposed to have four crepes and only had two and they "were just thrown on plate". The manager apologized and gave them a free meal also. We then got our meals and they were okay. (Lisa's bacon had a little charcoal on it). then the table beside us was telling the waitress something wasn't right with their meal and she just sorta said hmm. how about that and walked off.
The whole experience was sorta like a black hole. Made me wish for the meal Lisa and I had before at Five Guys. The music was blaring but everyone seemed to get what they wanted.
Then back to Lisa's and Brian brought home a zillion (honest) bags of Easter candy from work. It seems Karen told him to get her some candy. I packed what I could in carry on and Brian and Lisa had to suffer with keeping the rest.
Went to bed early as it was an early morning flight Friday. Well my stomach did not do so well and I ended up during the night with what I thought was poisoning from the strange waitress. See, I have this strange theory that she was really the cook and was helping out with waitressing. Still feeling little queasy Friday morning but had good flights from C'bus to Atlanta and then from Atlanta to Teguc. I was impressed with Delta. The only stress invoking moments were at landing in Teguc. It appeared the plane did not touch down soon enough. We were hurtling down the runway and I could see the end and I thought there was no way the plane could slow enough to make the turn back to terminal. the pilot did manage a safe stop though and I was unsure if I should congratulate him or chastise him for scaring me.
There were at least three mission groups on my plane. Customs took awhile. The Customs lady said "welcome back" in English and I felt like I was an old pro. Grabbed by bags and went through very crowed lines to finally reach the terminal where Dorian took my bags and Karen handed me Korbin. All was right with the world.
Very few people downtown Teguc. Went to Denny's for lunch and stomach felt much better. Will write more later and catch up on my days.

questions

1. How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?
2. Which is worse, failing or never trying?
3. If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don’t like and like so many things we don’t do?
4. When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?
5. What is the one thing you’d most like to change about the world?
6. If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich?
7. Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing?
8. If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently?
9. To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken?
10. Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things?
11. You’re having lunch with three people you respect and admire. They all start criticizing a close friend of yours, not knowing she is your friend. The criticism is distasteful and unjustified. What do you do?
12. If you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be?
13. Would you break the law to save a loved one?
14. Have you ever seen insanity where you later saw creativity?
15. What’s something you know you do differently than most people?
16. How come the things that make you happy don’t make everyone happy?
17. What one thing have you not done that you really want to do? What’s holding you back?
18. Are you holding onto something you need to let go of?
19. If you had to move to a state or country besides the one you currently live in, where would you move and why?
20. Do you push the elevator button more than once? Do you really believe it makes the elevator faster?
21. Would you rather be a worried genius or a joyful simpleton?