Back in the Swing of Things
We’re all well and back in the swing of things here. The rainy season is most definitely over. The days are clear, sunny and hot and not very humid. The nights are cool. It’s probably the nicest weather we’ve seen yet.
We haven’t seen any cockroaches since we’ve been keeping the drain covered in the bathroom. Thank God. To battle the chiggers, Ed had a boy dig up the grass where we stand when doing the laundry. They can only live in the grass so we destroyed their habitat. We may be gringos but we’re catching on. The boy who did the work told us the Miskito word for chigger is owya (ow like in cow)--very appropriate. However they do itch more than they hurt. Another reason for doing away with the grass is so we can see snakes easier. We’ve only had one in our yard but it was one of the most venomous in Honduras. It was spotted at night, and right where we walk to throw debris on our compost pile. Now we can clearly see any creature that may approach our house. Tom Brian was down with a small group to do free dental clinics. We met with at a restaurant for dinner, and while WAITING (2 hours), Tom was telling us when he travels to outlying villages he takes a stun gun. He heard it could be used to stop the toxic effects of snake venom on a snakebite victim. Have any of you ever heard of this before? I think he said it was taught at some Boy Scout conference. Thankfully, the hospital here does carry anti-venom serum if needed.
On Sunday, Eddie asked our landlady, Digna, if he could use her phone to call Syracuse and get an update on his Dad. She said it wasn’t working. The telephone cable had fallen down. We had even stepped over it as it lay on the ground on our walk to church and it didn’t even register as anything out of the ordinary. Scary. This gives you an idea of how much refuse lies around, that we wouldn’t even notice something like that. That same day we didn’t have any electricity and the water truck had broken down a day or two before so we were very low on drinking water too. We had planned to go over to the Grigg’s to watch the Super Bowl. Those of you who know me know how desperate I must be for leisure activities that I would have any part in such a plan. (I hate football). As we walked to their house, the Grigg’s rode by us in the back of a pick-up truck taxi with their purchase of gasoline (they had waited 45 minutes for an available truck). What friends! They fired up their generator and got the game on the T.V. just for us. Within minutes the electricity came one for the first time all day. This is typical of the common frustrations we experience regularly. The highlight of the evening was a plastic baggy full of jaguar teeth a woman from Nicaragua sold to Ray. The surprises never cease!
We had a unique experience at church on Sunday. After the meeting a Miskito woman from Nicaragua (the Miskito people populate the coast of N.E. Honduras down through the east coast of Nicaragua) sought us out and began to tell us about her husband who was in the hospital with a head wound. We are so conditioned for the inevitable pitch for money Ed and I didn’t even respond when all she came to say was “thank you”. She said her husband had been at the hospital and that we had prayed over him and he had totally recovered. What a blessing! Lord, forgive our cynicism. It’s easy to fall into.
While I’m thinking of church, I don’t believe I’ve ever mentioned that dogs frequent our meetings. Last Wednesday night, two came in and Chaela watched as one of them urinated along the wall and on one of the chairs. Also, young children get up and wander at will at any time during the meeting.
I’ve heard more than once that the Miskito women hand wash clothing cleaner than any washing machine can. I can’t say that my technique is up to their standards. I saw a little girl dressed only in underpants doing her family’s laundry on Saturday. She was about five years old. Maybe that’s the secret; start them young.
There is a pair of very brilliantly colored parrots that have been seen all around Puerta Lempira. They are bright red, yellow, blue and green. They don’t quite look real. They supposedly mate for life and live for 75-80 years. Margarita, Kevin’s wife, has a pet parrot, Paquita. Her parrot understands Miskito commands. I know it sounds stupid, but when she talks to the parrot in Miskito and it responds, I can’t get over that it could possibly understand such an unusual language- one that I can’t make heads or tails out of.
I’ve been spending some time each Saturday with Margarita reading the Bible. She loves the Lord but can’t read His Word. When we meet, we have my Spanish/English Bible and her Miskito one. I’m trying to teach her to read using the Bible. The Miskito language is phonetically similar to English so I can “read” it to her and she understands it. It must be difficult for her to have all three languages swirling around in her head. I could really use some prayer in this endeavor.
Gabrielle, Michaela and I are painting a mural of Noah’s Ark on the church’s school library wall. We work on it at the same time that Bethany has band practice for worship. We will take a picture of it when we’re done. I almost have another digital camera card full of the sights of our daily lives here.
We thank the Lord for His keeping power and grace!
Love in Christ Jesus,
Karen and family
We haven’t seen any cockroaches since we’ve been keeping the drain covered in the bathroom. Thank God. To battle the chiggers, Ed had a boy dig up the grass where we stand when doing the laundry. They can only live in the grass so we destroyed their habitat. We may be gringos but we’re catching on. The boy who did the work told us the Miskito word for chigger is owya (ow like in cow)--very appropriate. However they do itch more than they hurt. Another reason for doing away with the grass is so we can see snakes easier. We’ve only had one in our yard but it was one of the most venomous in Honduras. It was spotted at night, and right where we walk to throw debris on our compost pile. Now we can clearly see any creature that may approach our house. Tom Brian was down with a small group to do free dental clinics. We met with at a restaurant for dinner, and while WAITING (2 hours), Tom was telling us when he travels to outlying villages he takes a stun gun. He heard it could be used to stop the toxic effects of snake venom on a snakebite victim. Have any of you ever heard of this before? I think he said it was taught at some Boy Scout conference. Thankfully, the hospital here does carry anti-venom serum if needed.
On Sunday, Eddie asked our landlady, Digna, if he could use her phone to call Syracuse and get an update on his Dad. She said it wasn’t working. The telephone cable had fallen down. We had even stepped over it as it lay on the ground on our walk to church and it didn’t even register as anything out of the ordinary. Scary. This gives you an idea of how much refuse lies around, that we wouldn’t even notice something like that. That same day we didn’t have any electricity and the water truck had broken down a day or two before so we were very low on drinking water too. We had planned to go over to the Grigg’s to watch the Super Bowl. Those of you who know me know how desperate I must be for leisure activities that I would have any part in such a plan. (I hate football). As we walked to their house, the Grigg’s rode by us in the back of a pick-up truck taxi with their purchase of gasoline (they had waited 45 minutes for an available truck). What friends! They fired up their generator and got the game on the T.V. just for us. Within minutes the electricity came one for the first time all day. This is typical of the common frustrations we experience regularly. The highlight of the evening was a plastic baggy full of jaguar teeth a woman from Nicaragua sold to Ray. The surprises never cease!
We had a unique experience at church on Sunday. After the meeting a Miskito woman from Nicaragua (the Miskito people populate the coast of N.E. Honduras down through the east coast of Nicaragua) sought us out and began to tell us about her husband who was in the hospital with a head wound. We are so conditioned for the inevitable pitch for money Ed and I didn’t even respond when all she came to say was “thank you”. She said her husband had been at the hospital and that we had prayed over him and he had totally recovered. What a blessing! Lord, forgive our cynicism. It’s easy to fall into.
While I’m thinking of church, I don’t believe I’ve ever mentioned that dogs frequent our meetings. Last Wednesday night, two came in and Chaela watched as one of them urinated along the wall and on one of the chairs. Also, young children get up and wander at will at any time during the meeting.
I’ve heard more than once that the Miskito women hand wash clothing cleaner than any washing machine can. I can’t say that my technique is up to their standards. I saw a little girl dressed only in underpants doing her family’s laundry on Saturday. She was about five years old. Maybe that’s the secret; start them young.
There is a pair of very brilliantly colored parrots that have been seen all around Puerta Lempira. They are bright red, yellow, blue and green. They don’t quite look real. They supposedly mate for life and live for 75-80 years. Margarita, Kevin’s wife, has a pet parrot, Paquita. Her parrot understands Miskito commands. I know it sounds stupid, but when she talks to the parrot in Miskito and it responds, I can’t get over that it could possibly understand such an unusual language- one that I can’t make heads or tails out of.
I’ve been spending some time each Saturday with Margarita reading the Bible. She loves the Lord but can’t read His Word. When we meet, we have my Spanish/English Bible and her Miskito one. I’m trying to teach her to read using the Bible. The Miskito language is phonetically similar to English so I can “read” it to her and she understands it. It must be difficult for her to have all three languages swirling around in her head. I could really use some prayer in this endeavor.
Gabrielle, Michaela and I are painting a mural of Noah’s Ark on the church’s school library wall. We work on it at the same time that Bethany has band practice for worship. We will take a picture of it when we’re done. I almost have another digital camera card full of the sights of our daily lives here.
We thank the Lord for His keeping power and grace!
Love in Christ Jesus,
Karen and family
posted by Eric Stephens at 22:31
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