Rhonda's Kids

A New Season

2011-09-28T21:32:00.000-06:00

It’s amazing how fast time can fly; it seems like just yesterday that I boarded that plane out of Houston, with everything I owned packed tight in my suitcases. I was full of so many emotions and thoughts. I was so scared, and uncertain of what this new life I was stepping into would look like; I was excited and anxious to get settled into my new home and get to know the kids. I knew that day that I would find my place somehow in Didasko, and I was sure that I would fall deeply in love with the kids, but honestly I had no clue what I had just gotten myself into.

I didn’t know that day that I would love those children deeper than I had ever known love before, I didn’t know how it would feel the first time I heard the words “I love you mommy”, and I had absolutely no idea how bad it would hurt when I had to say goodbye.

I am so grateful for the privilege and honor that it has been, to have the opportunity to invest in the lives of His little loves. I can’t possibly express how much I’ve learned and how I’ve grown during my time in Didasko. I have learned the value of the word “mommy” and the privilege it is to hear it come from such sweet lips. I have a deeper appreciation and understanding of the love of our Father, and a tiny glimpse of how He cares for us more than we can possibly comprehend. I’ve also learned that just as everything has a beginning, it also has an end.

Recently, I returned to the U.S. after four years on the field as I was overdue to come home for a time of rest, training and ministry re-focus. Over the last several months the Lord has been clearly speaking to my heart about so many things. One of the things I feel strongly about is to further my education to be able to work with children in a greater capacity. I truly believe that this is part of the Lord‘s will for this season of my life.

I KNOW that the Lord has called me to be “A Mommy to Many”, and that He has asked me to be “a mother to the motherless”. He has not waivered in that, and I am not questioning it. I do not know what my future holds, but I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He is not finished with this calling. I believe that He wants to take this time to further prepare me to be able to accomplish the things that He wants me to do.

For so many of you that have been supporting me so faithfully throughout the last four years, I can’t possibly express how grateful I am for your love and support. Thank you for believing in me and this calling that the Lord has placed on my heart. Throughout the next several months I will be looking for a job and a degree program in the U.S. If you feel led and are able, I am asking those that financially support me to do so through the end of this 2011 year as I get settled back in the states. Thank you so very much for your continued love and support. I will keep you posted during this next season!

Summer Interns

2011-08-03T09:07:00.002-06:00

This summer we were blessed to have 5 young ladies intern in Didasko for several weeks. While they were here, they were able to see what life in Didasko is like on a daily basis. They helped get the kids up in the morning, they helped showering them, getting them ready for school, the whole works. They helped with homework and sorting laundry, played lots of soccer, and just loved on kiddoes. It was a real treat having them here, and having the oportunity to get to know each one of them.

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Time With Family

2011-08-02T23:18:00.003-06:00

With every year that passes I think I come to a better understanding of how important family is. Since we lost my daddy a few years back, I've definitely come to see a greater value in the precious moments we have with those that we love the most. This summer I was blessed to have some sweet family time. Here's a few pics of our time together.

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Community Mission Team 2011

2011-08-02T22:38:00.004-06:00

In June, a team from my church in Texas came and spent a couple of weeks with us. We had an icredible time! They have built great relationships with the kids here, and it blesses this heart of mine to be able to spend time with so many close friends and family. Thank you so much Community for investing in my life, and the lives of the kids in Didasko, as well as the people of Honduras. We love you!!

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Sometimes You Just Gotta Toot Your Own Horn

2011-07-31T00:23:00.004-06:00

You know, I’m not generally one to toot my own horn, but today I have pretty much been an amazing mixture of Betty Crocker and Super Mom, so my horn is about to get tooted.  It all started just before 6:00 am this morning when I pulled my sleepy self out of bed, got the kids up, bathed, dressed, and chores done…not easy, but you know, same ol’ routine. The kids ate breakfast, the older kids headed off to the military base to do some activities there, and I got the little kids settled playing legos and board games on the front porch, again just everyday life. I knew I had a busy day ahead of me, my house was a DISASTER, company was coming for dinner, Carolina had a doctor’s appt, and we were going to have a big birthday party this evening for several of the kids and Cristian. So I went in the house, and I don’t really know what happened, but the super mom cape magically appeared. I got my house totally clean (the kids were AMAZING by the way, and there was minimal fighting) I swept, mopped, and dusted the whole works! I did two loads of laundry, baked an AMAZING huge birthday cake showered and even shaved my legs ALL BEFORE NOON!!! I threw myself together, ate a granola bar, and took Carolina and Normita to the doctor’s office. As we were leaving the doctor’s office, I realized I had just given him the very last of my cash, and I hate being so far away from banks and ATM’s and having no cash, so I decided to head to the closest ATM…about 30-40 min away. Just before we got to the gas station/ATM Normita starts saying her tummy hurt, and within minutes she vomited ALL OVER the back seat. Luckily we were almost to the gas station. I got her and the car as cleaned up as I could with some wet paper towels, got my cash and we headed home. We weren’t on the road two minutes and Normita says “Rhonda….I’m gonna throw up” and there it was EVERYWHERE…AGAIN. I pulled over stripped her down to her undies and cleaned her and the car up as much as I could, and prayed we’d make it home. I got home, got her bathed and settled on the couch with cartoons, and got back to work. I got the birthday cake put together and iced, made a YUMMY dinner…if I might say so myself, and the evening went just as planned. It’s been a great day, but busy to say the least. It ended perfectly snuggling with a whiny two year old that didn’t want to go to bed. 

No News Is Good News??

2011-07-15T22:58:00.004-06:00

Sorry it's been a while since my last update, summer time in the U.S. means craziness in Honduras. :) We had an amazing group from Ada, Oklahoma for about 10 days or so in May, and then there have been people non-stop at my house since June 1st. I thought about counting how many trips I've made to the airport in the last two months, but I'm sure I can't even count all of them...not that I'm complaining, it has been so much fun. Here's a little ideas of the craziness from June 1 till now.

June 1 - My mom flew in.
June 3 - 4 guys flew in.
June 4 - 3 girls joined the fun.
June 5 - 12 more jumped on board.
June 11 - 3 ladies went back home.
June 12 - 2 wonderful women flew in.
June 13 - Another young lady joined the party, and I got my first summer intern.
June 17 - My mom went home. :(
June 19 - 19 people went home.
June 22 - My sister and her family flew in. :)
June 24 - 3 more interns came.
June 28 - Said goodbye to my sister.
July 3 - Another blondie to join my interns
July 9 - A couple of the guy interns came for a visit.
July 11 - The boys went home.
July 15 - Dropped off one of my summer interns.
On Sunday July 17 - I'll say goodbye to the rest of the interns and go home to a quiet empty house....well, with all the kids, so really there's nothing quiet OR empty about it, but it will definitely be a little quieter than normal.

So all that to say...yea, I've been busy, so please excuse the silence, but prepare yourself for the overload of pics that are on their way. :D

A Special Request

2011-05-11T21:14:00.000-06:00

Pastor Oswaldo Canales and his wife Vilma are the pastors of the church that I attend here in Honduras, as well as the overseeing pastors of Didasko. Throughout the time I’ve lived in Honduras I have grown to love and care for this incredible man, and his family. Just recently Pastor Oswaldo was diagnosed with prostate cancer; obviously it is a very trying time. After discussing his options with the doctors, they have decided that it is necessary to completely remove his prostate (Radical Prostatectomy). The procedure that needs to be done cannot be performed here in Honduras, so they are asking that he fly to New York to have the procedure done at The Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, NY. My request to you as that you will pray for Pastor Oswaldo and his family, that first and foremost the Lord’s will will be done. Please pray for complete healing, as well as for peace, strength, and courage during this time. Please pray that the Lord would give the doctors wisdom. Please pray that the Lord will abundantly and quickly provide the finances to cover the expenses for the operation as well as the expenses entailed to fly to the U.S. The operation alone will cost approximately $49,250.00. If you would like to be a part of the Lord’s provision for this family, let me know, and I can get you the information on how you can do so.
Blessings,
Rhonda

Easter Fun

2011-05-01T00:37:00.002-06:00

In the U.S. Easter is so wrapped up in Easter baskets and bunny rabbits that it's hard to find Jesus and the real reason we celebrate Easter in the midst of it all. It was a bit of culture shock the first time I spent Easter in a Latin American country. I was so used to our culture and the way we do things, that it floored me to see the drastic difference. Here, the majority of the population has Holy Week off of school/work, and EVERYTHING shuts down on Good Friday. It's such a blessing to be able to watch and learn from a culture that holds a much deeper respect and reverence for Holy Week, I've learned so much watching some of the catholic traditions, I will truly never view Holy Week and Resurrection Day as I did before.

That being said, as much as I love and respect the way they do things here, honestly the thought of Easter passing and not seeing a single Easter egg kinda made me sad. So I decided to bring a little bit of my culture here this year. The kids had never even heard of dying Easter eggs before, so I headed to the store, got a few dozen eggs, a little vinegar, and some food coloring, and the egg ding began. The kids LOVED it, although they thought it was really strange. :) Here are a few pics of our Easter egg dying adventure.

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A Special Day Out With My Little Ones

2011-04-29T22:41:00.003-06:00

I took our five littelest out for a special day last weekend. They were so excited, pure bundles of joy the whole day. :) Here's a few pics of all the fun.

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My Mom's Wedding

2011-04-28T20:24:00.002-06:00

As many of you know, I went home for a quick trip last month for my mom's wedding. It was a true Texan wedding, and we had a blast!! Here's a few pics from her big day.

First Day of School

2011-02-09T16:43:00.001-06:00

The kids were so excited about their first day of school today, they were up and moving early. They had a great day. Here's a few pics of our morning.

Tomorrow's The Big Day!!

2011-02-08T21:43:00.000-06:00

It's been a busy day pulling together all of the loose ends getting ready for school to start, but we did it! Backpacks with school supplies are hanging at the foot of each bed, uniforms are pressed and folded, shoes are shined with clean socks tucked inside, and every child is freshly bathed, tucked in their bed, and sound asleep, we couldn't be more ready. Tomorrow it all starts, the alarm will sound at 5:30, so I can drag myself out of bed to get the kids up and moving. Devotionals at 6:30, breakfast at 7:00 and everyone out the door and off to school by 7:30. Be praying for us as we jump back into the routine of a new school year. I'll be teaching English and Computer classes again this year, so life gets SOO MUCH busier, please pray that my time is multiplied, that I don't get so busy with planning, grading papers, and preparing for classes, that I miss the sweet moments with the kids. Please pray for the kids, that they will enjoy being at school, and learning. That whatever issues they've had in the past will stay in the past, and that they will start this school year on a new slate, ready to learn. Several of our kids really struggle in school, pray that this year will be different, that they will succeed at the tasks put before them. Please pray specifically for Nayeli and Manuel, they struggle so much, pray for confidence, that they won't decide they can't do something before they even try. Pray for Carolina, she's never attended school before, and she will be starting in 1st grade because of her age, pray that she'll soar in all that she does, and that the Lord will give her confidence, that she can succeed. Thank you for partnering with me in prayer as we step into this school year.

Loving The Wii

2011-01-14T13:08:00.001-06:00

I got the kids a Wii for Christmas, and I kinda think they like it. Here's a few videos from last night's fun.

Deorating the Christmas Trees

2010-12-23T23:15:00.003-06:00

We put up two Christmas trees, one is a small one that we put down in the "salon" (the room where we do devotionals every morning), and one in my house. The two trees are decorated quite differently, but they both have their own personalities. :) Here's a few pics of us decorating the trees this year.

Graduation

2010-12-23T00:14:00.003-06:00

Here in Honduras, the school year runs from February to November, and this year, we had four little ones graduate from kindergarten, and Christhian graduated from 6th grade. We were so very proud to watch them graduate! Here's a few pics from their special day.

Christmas Fun

2010-12-22T23:44:00.002-06:00

A small group from Community Church in Orange, TX came and spent their Thanksgiving break with us. The week was packed with loads of fun and activities. After we celebrated Thanksgiving we dove head first into Christmas fun, stringing popcorn,baking and decorating cookies, making gingerbread houses, drinking lots of hot chocolate and watching movies. We had a blast!! Here's a few pics of all the fun.

Christmas at the Children's Museum

2010-12-20T16:21:00.000-06:00

Just Hanging With the Kids

2010-12-20T14:35:00.001-06:00

These are just a few pics of us hanging out. I took the little girls out for the day a couple weeks ago, they loved seeing all the Christmas decorations in the mall, we had a great time.

Thanksgving Celebration

2010-12-18T01:31:00.002-06:00

We were blessed to have a group from my church in TX spend their Thanksgiving holiday with us. We told the kids the Thanksgiving story, and then celebrated. It was not the average Thanksgiving celebration, but unforgetable non the less.

Hope You're Ready...

2010-12-18T01:03:00.001-06:00

Sorry for the lack of updates on my blog, I've been CRAZY busy, and my internet has been REDICULOUSLY SLOW. So, I hope you're ready, cause I have a weekend of high-speed internet and you're gonna get an update overload. :)

Missionary Spotlight

2010-11-02T00:26:00.000-06:00

Last week, there was an article posted about me and the work I do here in Didasko. If you would like to check it out click on the following link. Missionary Spotlight Hope you enjoy it!

If You Didn’t Know…..I’m Sorry

2010-10-28T08:15:00.003-06:00

So, I flew home on Saturday the 16th after a trip to the states for my sister’s wedding. After getting practically NO SLEEP the night before, I came home feeling exhausted, nauseated, with a headache and a temperature. I hit the sack early, feeling awful. Sunday and Monday I wasn’t feeling too good, but made it through the day with a smile on my face, I had missed the kids so much.

Monday I started getting a pretty bad headache, but I wasn’t too worried about it. Tuesday I woke up at 4:30 am with the worst headache I had ever had. After taking pain meds, I tossed and turned miserably for an hour then got up to get the kids up for school. Benjamin (one of the Danish volunteers) took one look at me and told me to go get back in bed. Because I had gone to the doctor once before and she said it was a migraine from stress, I did my best to stay in bed and endure it as long as I could, then just when I thought for sure that I was going to die, Jorge said he thought we needed to head to the hospital. I agreed.

By the time we got to the hospital I could barely walk. My blood pressure was through the roof, and I was begging for something for the pain. When they decided to admit me to the hospital I handed Jorge my phone and asked him to call my mom. She flew in the following day and stayed with me in the hospital. They did a CT scan on my brain and found that there were no tumors, but that my brain was swollen. They sent me in for an MRI the following day and everything came back fine.

The final diagnosis was “Hypertension Endocraneal…something something” ….kinda, the doctor wrote it out for me, but he needs some handwriting classes.  After a few days in the hospital, lots of medication, and five failed attempts at a spinal tap I was begging to go home… I’m telling you this place was bad, they put a DRAWER under my pillow to raise my head….FOR LIKE TWO DAYS!!! I was miserable, the doctor acted surprised when I started crying; pleading to go home when he told me I had to stay for another day. It didn’t take too long for him to change his mind though; I think he saw the desperation in my eyes. I came home on Thursday, and on Friday I was horribly nauseated, vomiting and couldn’t get out of bed. Saturday the doctor changed my meds and gave me something for the nausea, and I have been steadily getting better ever since. Yesterday, I went back to the doctor, he still has me taking things extra slow, but I am doing much better.

When I got home my internet was down, and I have had major issues with my cell phone. As I have come back to my senses after being so sick for so long, I realized that there were many people that were left in the dark that could have been praying and should have been informed. If I hurt your feelings in some way because of a lack of communication, I am truly sorry.

Please be praying:

• That the swelling in my brain completely goes away, and that I will be completely healed.
• That I will not experience any headaches or symptoms in the future.
• That the Lord will give my doctor wisdom concerning this case.
• That God will provide abundantly for all of the medical expenses incurred.

Independence Day Parade

2010-09-17T11:05:00.000-06:00

Te Digo Señor Te Quiero

2010-09-17T11:04:00.000-06:00

This is a little bit of the kindergarteners peformance for "The Day of the Child".

Mis Niños Bonitos

2010-09-16T21:22:00.000-06:00

At the school assembly on Friday, the first grade boys performed this lttle number...ADORABLE if I might say so myself. :)

Independence Day Parade

2010-09-15T21:35:00.003-06:00

For months our kids, as well as the school kids, have been preparing to march in the Independence Day Parade. It's a lot of work for any family to prepare to be in a parade, so I'm sure you can just imagine what it's been like around here for the last several weeks. We had 3 kids marching with the honor society, 2 cheerleaders, 1 cadette, 15 marching with the school, and Tati tagging along. There have been so many things to get ready for the parade I had lists everywhere of things to remember,from shoes, to tights, to ribbons, and gloves, hats, and you must not forget cutting up plastic bags to MAKE the pom poms. It was so much work, but lots of fun. It was so great to see them at the parade. We all had a great time.

El Día del Niño

2010-09-14T21:33:00.003-06:00

Last Friday was "El Día del Niño". Basically it's a holiday that's celebrated all over Latin America, they take a day to celebrate children. It's almost as big as Christmas. Friday we had a huge party here in Didasko to celebrate with all the kids from school. We had a great time with a school assembly, piñatas, clowns, more piñatas, lunch, and gifts.

Every year we bless the kids in Didasko, as well as all of the kids from the community that attend our school, with a gift for this special day. For months I've been saving every toy, knick knack, hair tie, and piece of candy that I could get my hands on, to fill over 80 gift bags. It was so much work, but worth it all.

Thank you to so many of you that have donated finances, or gifts for the kids over the last several months, we could not have done it without you.

Happy Birthday Cristhian

2010-09-08T17:05:00.004-06:00

So today's Cristhian's birthday, and I had the brilliant plan to make him cookie cakes to celebrate tonight. The only problem was every birthday cake needs icing, and yea....I had never really done that before. I FAILED HORRIBLY at my first attempt, and semi-failed at the second....you can at least read it...kinda. I figured, I would try to cover up how ugly the first one turned out by "decorating" it with squigly lines, and I guess I got a little excited and squeezed the bag so hard it exploded EVERYWHERE. So after I cleaned up the icing from all over my kitchen and changed my clothes, I figured it's just going to have to stay that way...the kids won't complain.

Maynor's New Hair Cut

2010-08-31T22:36:00.005-06:00

Last week all of the kids got hair cuts. I love it when they're all running around with fresh hair cuts, they all look so sweet. Well, I guess Maynor figured he wanted a little more off the front, so he grabbed a pair of scissors and went at it. Isn't he handsome?

Oh well, I guess it's nothing a baseball cap won't cover up til we can get it fixed. :)

Check Ups For All

2010-08-14T13:40:00.008-06:00

The dotor came this morning to give all the kids a check-up. We are putting our new clinic to good use.

Movie Night

2010-08-13T21:18:00.003-06:00

There's nothing quite like popcorn, soda, a movie, and a bunch of happy kiddoes to end the week.

Man, It's Been A Day!!

2010-08-10T22:36:00.010-06:00

Today was a pretty great day. In many ways it was just a normal Tuesday. I got the kids up and sent them off to school, got myself ready and went and taught my English classes, had a parent teacher conference, it was nice. After school I gave one of the girls a haircut, we did homework, and just hung out for a while. Just like every other day at 4:00 we sorted and put away the laundry, and got uniforms ready for the next day, and THEN IT BEGAN. The heavens opened and there was the worst torrential downpour I have ever seen in my life. It rained EXTREMELY hard for about an hour and then as quick as it came it moved right along. The problem was, the clouds and the rain left but there were rivers of water EVERYWHERE.

Suyapa, one of the ladies on our staff walks about 45 min to and from work every day, and I couldn’t imagine her walking through all of the mud and water to get home, so I offered to take her home in my car. After the kids ate dinner, Junior, Suyapa, and I headed out to take her home. We were heading out of our neighborhood, when I had to drive through a part of the road that was completely covered by water. There was another car coming towards us, so I was going to move over to allow room for him to pass, and all the sudden my car started sliding. I slid right off the road, and into the ditch. The water was so deep, it started immediately pouring into the car. I tried going forward, tried going backward, and I was stuck, there was no moving, and my car was steadily filling with water. All I could do was pray. Within seconds, there were about 15 men surrounding my car. It was INCREDIBLE! Some of them were fathers of the kids in my classes at school, and some of them were complete strangers, but they all came together to pull me out of the ditch. It was overwhelming to see all of these men, some dressed in slacks and ties, others in sweats, some standing in water up to their knees and others in water up to their thighs, doing everything in their power to help.

To make a long story short, they got me out of the ditch and on my way. But my poor car got some major scrapes and bruises, and it’s REALLY wet on the inside. I maintained my cool pretty well until I passed one of the other teachers from school on the road and when I stopped to talk to him about it; I lost it and balled like a baby.

I came home did my best to dry my car out, hugged on my babies, and tucked them all into bed. When Jorge and Rosa got home, I was hungry and tired, but I thought I should head over to tell them about my car. When I got over there I found that the torrential downpour left them a gift as well. They had about two-three inches of water and mud covering the floor of their ENTIRE house. So I headed over to my house to grab a couple brooms and a mop to help clean up. When I walked in my front door I realized that while I was tucking the kids in Mirjam and Benjamin (our Danish volunteers) had been working hard. They had the table set and dinner made…what a blessing. We all headed over, helped Rosa and Jorge get the mud and water out of the house, and headed back home to eat dinner.

It’s been a long day, I’m exhausted and so very sad about my car, but yet again God has shown himself faithful. In a very stressful difficult situation, it was such a blessing to see the hand of The Lord at work. Today I’m praying that those 15 men will be extremely blessed for their willingness to help this gringa that got myself stuck in a ditch. J

One Little, Two Little, Three Little Indians

2010-07-18T21:13:00.011-06:00

Tuesday the kids will be celebrating the "Day of the Indian" so they are all supposed to go dressed as "indians". So, 27 kids means I have spent the last couple of days making costumes. Although it's a little sad to miss their school production, I'm SUPER excited to be heading to the U.S. tomorrow to renew my visa and connect with a church in Midland, TX. Please be praying for safe travels, and that the kids won't have to sit down in their costumes...I didn't think that through thoroughly before making them. :)

Familiar Faces Coming and Going.

2010-07-12T23:01:00.002-06:00

Summer time in the U.S. means LOTS of visitors here in Honduras. It's been a busy couple of weeks with teams and interns coming and going. Community Church in Orange, TX sent a group in mid-June, and then some family friends from Community as well came the week after them. We recieved 4 interns from different Universities all over the U.S. that have been with us for a little over two weeks, and they will be leaving us this Friday; and we currently have a group here from Woodburn, Oregon. So all that to say we've been busy but having LOTS of fun. Here's a few pics of the last month or so.

Ouch...That's Gotta Hurt!

2010-07-05T22:22:00.006-06:00

A short term mission team has been in Didasko the last couple of days doing a VBS and medical clinic for our kids, as well as people from the community. This afternoon I hung out in the clinic with the doctor while he pulled impacted ear wax out of the kid’s ears (which is TOTALLY DISGUSTING by the way). Everything was going quite smoothly until a few people came into the clinic area with Franklin (a boy that attends school in Didasko). He had fallen off the monkey bars and obviously had a broken arm. We called his mom, loaded them up, and headed to the hospital. The doctor said he could try to set it, but it was such a severe break, he really thought he would need surgery. We told him to go ahead and try to set it, and if it needed surgery we would cross that bridge when we got there. After the most impressive yet disturbing move I've ever seen, the doctor set his arm, and it looks like he'll be just fine. Praise Jesus he won't need surgery!! To celebrate a brand new cast and no surgery I told Franklin we could go wherever he wanted for dinner, so Popeye's Chicken it was. Nothing like fried chicken and a strawberry sundae to put a smile back on your face.

One Really Awesome Day!!

2010-06-13T22:27:00.002-06:00

Last Tuesday we celebrated the birthday of one of the Danish interns here. He decided that for his birthday he wanted to take the kids to the water park, and then have a bon fire that night to roast marshmallows. It was an AMAZING day! Here's a few pics of all the fun.

It's Been A While.

2010-05-28T21:23:00.003-06:00

I haven't posted in a while, so here's a slide show of the last couple of months.

Easter Fun

2010-04-23T15:18:00.000-06:00

Short Term Team From Midland

2010-03-20T14:00:00.002-06:00

Last week a team from Midland, TX came to Didasko. They were such a blessing. They funded, and helped with a project to remodel an old storage room into a clinic/isolation room for sick children. While they were here they also painted the girls bathroom which gave it a DRASTIC face lift. Not only did they bless us by doing different construction projects, but they also just loved on all the kids and staff here. It was so nice to just get to hang out and get to know them while they were here.

Mayo Heads

2010-03-02T22:30:00.002-06:00

For several weeks now we have forged a major battle against these little creatures that have taken up residency in the hair of our girls. In Spanish their known as "piojos", but we all know them as "LICE". Yea, it's pretty much been a nightmare. Well, last week I read an article online that mayonnaise kills lice and the eggs, so we figured we'd give it a whirl. This afternoon when the kids had finished their homework Nicole and I went on a mayonnaise smearing rampage. Here are a few pics of all the fun. The girls thought they got a spa day, and I wasn't going to tell them any different. :) You can tell by their smiles they had a great time.

Support Address Change

2010-03-01T07:00:00.004-06:00

As of March 2 my support address in the U.S. will be changing. All financial support can be sent to the following address. Thank you so very much, without your support I could not do what I do. Thank you!

The new address is:
2026 Pleasure DR
Olympia, WA 98501

A Day At The Water Park

2010-02-26T21:39:00.002-06:00

Every time we drive into the city we drive past a nice little water park tucked in the side of the mountain. When there are kids in the car all conversations come to a halt only to hear eeewwwing and aaahhhing as they look at the pools, the slides, and the loads of fun waiting to be had. For months we've wanted to take the kids to spend the day at this water park, but we just didn't have the finances to make it happen. A few weeks ago we received a special offering, and the plans began. It didn't take much thought to realize that in order to go to a water park everyone kinda needs a swimsuit, so I told Jorge I'd get right on that, so Nicole and I (an intern that is spending a couple months with us) went shopping. It was SOOO MUCH FUN picking out swim suits! We made a list, checked it twice...more like 5 times, and waited for the big day. We decided it would be MUCH easier to take everyone on a Friday when most the world was working or in school, so today was the day, and did we have A BLAST!!! What a blessing it was! I'm sure it was a day that won't soon be forgotten by any of us.

Birthday Fun

2010-02-25T10:34:00.000-06:00

Hair Cuts

2010-02-13T14:57:00.008-06:00

Creepy Crawlers

2010-02-04T22:07:00.009-06:00

Yesterday morning I woke up and rolled out of bed, and as my bare feet hit the cold floor, I thought "Ugh, I need to make my bed" and like a good little girl I did just that. As I picked up the last decorative pillow to put the finishing touches on my bed I saw one of the most hideous things I'd EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE!!! Snuggled up under a small white pillow was the HUGEST...is that even a word?? Oh well COCKROACH I had ever seen! I frantically searched for the fly swat and beat the thing until I was confident it was dead. It was quite traumatic, but I took a picture, posted it on Facebook, and my friends helped me cope with the stress of it all.

So, fast-forward to tonight. I tuck the kids happily in bed; by the way they were all SO SWEET tonight, I LOVE nights like tonight. Anyway, so everyone gets all tucked in and Michelle and I head to my house to make a good day better with a chick flick and hot chocolate. As I'm telling Michelle how blessed I am, and how much I love my life, I look down and slithering around at the base of my door was a SNAKE! Well, of course like any normal women, Michelle and I screamed like little girls, which scared the snake, and he slivered his way right through the crack in the corner of the door. Michelle screams "Rhonda he's IN YOUR HOUSE", as if I didn't notice, and she takes off in the other direction, and I'm thinking..."IT'S IN MY HOUSE...IT MUST DIE!!!" In a split second I grabbed a long stick, ran in the house, chased the little sucker down and beat it to its death. I was quite surprised by my bravery, but the thought of knowing it was in my house, but not knowing WHERE it was, was too much for me to fathom, I had to act fast. So when the frantic beating of the snake stopped Michelle stuck her head in the door and said "Are you ok?" I just looked up and said "Ummmm....it's dead...I killed it....what do we do now??? I think we should call your dad." Sure enough she did, and Jorge came right over got the snake out of the house and shoved news paper in every crack, crease, or crevice he could find at the base of my doors, and said we'll take care of the wholes for real as soon as possible.

So there you have it, my creepy crawler drama of the last couple days. Would you be so kind as to pray that it will be the end of the creepiness for a while. :)

The Dr. Visits

2010-01-27T19:14:00.010-06:00

Last weekend a doctor from our church came out to give the kids a checkup. She left us with tons of vitamins, meds the kids needed, and of course a toy for each child. Her and her family were such a blessing. Here's a few pics of our day.

Family Dinner

2010-01-16T22:05:00.003-06:00

My last night in the U.S. my family went to dinner to say goodbye. We had a good time; it's not very often that we can all get together. We were a sister, brother-in-law, and nephew short of everyone being there, but it was great to get together as a family. Here's a little slideshow of our night.

I'm Home

2010-01-16T21:37:00.003-06:00

Yesterday morning I got up WAY TOO EARLY if I might add and headed to the airport. After an extremely bumpy and prayer-filled flight I landed in Tegucigalpa. It's so nice to be home. I already miss my family tremendously, but...it is SOOO NICE to be home!! ...wait, did I say that already??? I missed the kids SOOO MUCH! Pulling into Didasko yesterday and seeing the kids come running, tucking them into bed at night, watching them play on the playground, sitting on the front porch coloring with them, even dealing with poopy pants, and bloody noses...it's all just such a blessing. I could not be more grateful to have the opportunity to love on these kids. What a blessing they are!

Happy New Year!!

2010-01-03T00:43:00.007-06:00

This year we rang in the New Year a little different than normal. I was invited to spend New Year’s Eve with some great friends sitting around a fire with good conversation and watching fireworks, but at the last minute I realized my sister and her kids would be hanging at home, and thought I'd join their little party...or at least I could make a party to join. When my sister got off work we headed to the grocery store to get frozen pizzas and stuff to make smores and of course we had to stop by the fireworks stand. We had a great night! There's nothing like being with the ones you love, watching little faces light up when you hand them a sparkler, or roasting marshmallows in the fireplace on a cold night. To make a great night even better I got a sweet New Year's kiss from my adorable little nephew...It doesn't get much better than that. :)

Christmas Celebration

2009-12-19T23:11:00.002-06:00

Every year the kids spend about two weeks celebrating Christmas with different families in the church, so last night we celebrated Christmas as a "family" as several kids left today to begin their time with the family they're staying with.

This Christmas has been EXTREMELY different than any other Christmas I've ever experienced. Shopping, purchasing, and wrapping gifts for all of the kids was A LOT of work, but seeing the smiles on their faces just watching the presents under the tree steadily increase made it all worth it. I can't express the joy I felt watching them open their gifts and play with their toys. Several kids told me last night that this is the best Christmas they've ever had, and I have to agree, it's by far been the best Christmas of my life. It just doesn't get better than this.

Every Kid Needs A Picture With Santa

2009-12-16T19:32:00.002-06:00

So Maria and I are walking through the mall today and as we pass Santa a little elf came and asked if Maria wanted a picture with Santa, I say "No, Gracias" thinking She's 10...10 year olds don't want a pic with Santa. We walk away and she looks up at me with big eyes and says "I've never taken a picture with Santa before." ...needless to say I turned my little self around and got the girl a picture with Santa. She was thrilled! :)

Trip to Costa Rica

2009-12-14T21:50:00.010-06:00

This last week I took a trip to Costa Rica, as I am still here on a tourist visa, I had to leave the country to renew my visa. It was too early to go home for Christmas, so I jumped on a bus with my friend Matt and a couple of his buddies, and we headed to Costa Rica for a few days. We had a GREAT time! I stayed with the family I lived with while attending Language School, and we spent some time out in La Carpio, which if you followed me through my time in Costa Rica you know that in my opinion La Carpio is the "Happiest place on Earth". :) It was such a blessing to see the kids again and to visit Steve the missionary that heads up the ministry there. I hadn't seen the kids in a year and a half, and so many gringos come and go, I was kinda worried they wouldn't remember me, but those worries went right out the window when I got out of the car and kids came running screaming my name. Due to my camara situation...or lack there of, I have no pics, so I stole one off of Steve's blog, and the others are some oldies but goodies that I took while living in Costa Rica.

Christmas Trees and Christmas Cookies

2009-12-02T20:16:00.003-06:00

When I think of Christmas and the fun things you can do to celebrate of course there must always be a Christmas tree and we musn't forget the Christmas cookies. The Christmas season is one of my favorite times of the year, and celebrating MUST BE DONE!! Here's a slideshow of some pics of us putting up and decorating the tree, and making Christmas cookies. When my camera was lost...or stolen, who really knows what happened, I lost the pics of the kids decorating and eating their cookies...so sad, but at least I have these. I hope you enjoy.

Thanksgiving Fun

2009-11-28T21:12:00.004-06:00

After much thought on what I would do for Thanksgiving, I decided to take a little trip. A few friends that I met while in language school in Costa Rica live in La Ceiba, which is on the north coast of Honduras. They invited me to spend Turkey Day with them, so Wednesday morning I took the 8 hour bus ride to La Ceiba. It was an INCREDIBLE blessing to spend time just hanging out with good friends, not to mention yummy food, and LOTS of English!! Friday I went out to a garbage dump where my friend Matt ministers to children and their families on a daily basis, it was UNBELIEVABLE!! It reminded me so much of La Carpio and the wonderful times we had ministering there. The sad news of the trip was that I lost my camera. I'm not really sure hat happened. When I left the house it was in my pocket, but when we got out to the garbage dump it was gone. Maybe it fell out of my pocket in the taxi or someone grabbed it without me noticing, but none the less it's gone. All in all it was a wonderful trip, and I was so very grateful to have the chance to get away for a few days. I love Didasko and I missed the kids here SOOOO VERY MUCH, but it was so nice to have a little break and see some different sights.

Would You Go?

2009-11-10T20:07:00.004-06:00

A friend of mine posted this video on Facebook tonight. It's been years since I've heard this song, but watching this video brought me back to a VERY critical moment in my life that I will never forget. It was February of 2000 I was standing in a conference in Houston, TX. As we worshiped to this song I found myself singing it with all of my heart; arms stretched out in a sweet moment of worship the Lord spoke to my heart and said "Would you go? If I asked you to go, would you REALLY go?" That wasn't a question I wanted to answer without a little bit of thought, so I sat down in my seat, put my head in my hands and thought about it. Would I really go? If He asked me to go, could I do it? Could I leave everyone I knew and loved? After thinking about it for a moment, I gave my answer. I said "Yes Lord, I'll go. If you make sure I know the direction you want me to go in, I'll go. Wherever it may be, I'll go, speak clearly to my heart Lord and I'll go wherever you want me to go." Sitting in that seat at 18 years old, I had NO IDEA what that commitment would lead me to in the future, but I'm so very grateful that I said "yes".

Graduation Slideshow

2009-11-04T21:28:00.003-06:00

Sorry for the massive amounts of slideshows, but I haven't posted in a while and had lots of pics to catch up on. Hope you enjoy.

New Arrivals

2009-11-04T20:54:00.002-06:00

Last Tuesday we received seven new children. Here's a few so you all can get to know them.

Farwell to Our Danish Friends

2009-11-04T18:20:00.002-06:00

This last weekend we headed to the beach for the weekend to say goodbye to our Danish friends. They are and will continue to be missed. Here's a little slideshow of our time together.

Visitors From Denmark

2009-10-22T22:54:00.006-06:00

At the beginning of October two young men from Denmark came to Didasko to spend the month with us. It has been such a blessing to have them here, and the kids absolutely LOVE them!! It's so nice to be able to speak English on a daily basis, not to mention having someone to hang out with. They've been tons of fun, and keep me laughing. At the end of October they will be heading out to continue their adventure as they travel around the world throughout the next several months. They will truly be missed here in Didasko.

Missing My Daddy

2009-09-30T17:55:00.007-06:00

Wow, it's been a tough day. I can't believe it's been a year since that horrible day we lost my daddy. I tried to hold it together most of the day today, but this afternoon and evening as my family puts flowers at the cemetary and goes to my dad's favorite resteraunt to honor him, my heart hurts. I want to be with them. It's so hard to be away from my family today. I love my daddy, he was an incredible man that loved his kids and grandkids more than life itself. I'm so grateful for the comfort of my Heavenly Father. He is the only place I can rest, the only place there is true comfort, the only place there is hope that I will see my daddy again. When we think of the word hope frequently we think of it in the manner of "I HOPE I get an IPod for Christmas." but the hope we have in Christ is so different than that "maybe I'll get an IPod, and maybe I won't" type of hope. In Webster's Dictionary one of the definitions for hope is "to expect with confidence." I am so grateful that there is complete confidence that my daddy is with our Saviour today.

Continued Civil Unrest in Honduras

2009-09-27T16:01:00.006-06:00

I just wanted to post an update on what's been happening in Honduras, and ask for prayers during this time. As some of you may know, last week Ex President Mel Zelaya snuck back into Honduras, and has been hiding out in the Brazilian Embassy. Throughout the week last week there were many protests and problems in the city, as well as consistent curfews. (We were not allowed to leave our homes from 4:00 Monday evening until 10:00 Wednesday morning.) There are still curfews through the night, but things have pretty much gone back to normal. A friend of mine sent an email today saying that "There are strong indications that there will be large protests this coming Monday Sept 28 in Tegucigalpa and possibly other areas of the country. There are also reports that in an effort to set up a parallel government, former ex ministers will be arriving in the country in the next few days. Since many of the former ministers have outstanding arrest warrants, the potential for even more protests and curfews is likely. Please be prepared for a possible time of hibernation by having extra food, funds, and a full tank of gas for your vehicle." Due to this email we've canceled previous plans to go into the city tomorrow, and we will be keeping our eyes on the news to see what happens. Things here in Didasko have been extremely calm. Last week was just another week for us. I am not too concerned, as I feel very safe as long as we are not in the city. We will just wait it out and see what happens. I greatly appreciate your prayers, I will keep you updated.

Maria's Home

2009-09-17T19:52:00.003-06:00

I can't express how much of a relief it is to have Maria home. We have a long road to recovery in front of us. She will be in the cast unable to walk at all for the next six weeks and then she will need therapy afterwards. The incision is from her heel up her calf (about 4 in. under the back of the knee). The doctors are really worried about infection, so we will need to be extremely careful. I'm sure she will be spending a major part of the next six weeks laying on my sofa watching TV. I love her so much, it's so nice to have her home. The first thing she said when everyone walked out and left us alone was "Rhonda they made me take off my clothes in front of people...I was SOOOO embarrassed!!" Then we both busted out laughing. I could tell she was just bursting to tell me. She's such a sweetie. Please be praying for her continued healing.

Maria Update

2009-09-16T18:07:00.002-06:00

Well, things are more serious than we thought when I posted last. It looks like Maria cut her aquiles tendon and they need to send her in for surgery. Please be praying for her, I so wish I was with her. From what I understand she will be in a cast after the operation. Pray for wisdom for the doctors and healing and peace for Maria.

On a practical note, this surgery is going to cost about $1500. We will move funds around and make it happen, but I also put my car in the shop today as I've been having transmission problems, that will be another $1000. Please pray that the Lord will provide financially as well.

Prayer Request

2009-09-16T17:29:00.003-06:00

Please pray for Maria, she cut her leg today with a machete, the ambulance came and took her to the hospital. She will be ok, but she has a HORRIBLE cut on her leg, and she's very scared, and in a lot of pain. Watching the ambulance pull away about broke my heart.

Honduran Independence Day

2009-09-14T18:51:00.002-06:00

Tomorrow is Independence Day in Honduras, so today we had a celebration at school. I learned a lot about this country and Central America as a whole. Here's a slide show of the activities at school. Enjoy.

El Día del Niño

2009-09-13T17:54:00.004-06:00

Thursday was "El Día del Niño" here in Honduras, which is basically a holiday designated to celebrate children; and celebrate we did...all weekend long! With the help of LOTS of people back home, I was able to make a gift bag for every child here in Didasko as well as all of the kids that attend school here (over 60 kids in all). Friday the kids came dressed in their best for a party and their gifts. They were so very excited. A lot of work went into those little gift bags, but I'm sure I've never heard "Gracias Rhonda" so many times in one given day. Every child was so grateful. Saturday a group from our church came out for lots of fun with our kids here in Didasko, what a blessing they were. I put together a little slide show, I hope you enjoy. (When I uploaded the video to blogger, the pics were super blury, so I made another slideshow with a different program. They both have pretty much the same pictures, enjoy)

Prayer Request

2009-08-31T12:55:00.003-06:00

Please pray for some dear friends of mine that were in a horrible accident on Thursday. For details and updates check out their blog.

I'm Home

2009-08-17T21:24:00.002-06:00

I made it back to Honduras today after an extremely LONG night. My flight left Seattle at 1:00 am this morning, so I arrived at the airport in Seattle last night at 11:00 pm; I arrived in Houston at 7:00 am and had a two hour lay-over. I finally got to Tegucigalpa at 11:30 am, so factoring in time changes it was a full 12 1/2 hours of traveling. It is really nice to be back. I didn't realize how much I missed it until I walked out of the airport today. It was so great to see Rosa, Jorge, Michelle, and Cristian; but overwhelming to get out of the car and have all of the kids come running and screaming my name. I missed them so much. I am so blessed. It is definitely time to hit the sack I've been awake for over 36 hours (not counting naps on the airplane) and I'm exhausted. Good night all.

In the U.S.

2009-08-04T00:35:00.002-06:00

Sorry I didn't update on Rosa's condition, the day after I posted about the procedure being done, I headed out for the U.S. Rosa is doing great. It was relatively quick and easy process. She had a pretty severe headache for a few days, but seems to be doing well. They said they will find out in the coming weeks and months how successful the procedure really was. Thank you so much for your prayers.

As I said earlier, I have been in the U.S. since July 23rd I am currently in Olympia, WA. One of my best friends is getting married on Friday, so it has been a very busy but fun time. I am so very blessed to be able to spend this time with her. I have been blessed with the opportunity of sharing with my church here in Olympia, and I’ve been able to visit with many friends. Thanks for your prayers, I will keep you updated and post pictures soon.

Today is the Day.

2009-07-22T08:16:00.002-06:00

This morning at 10:00 they will be doing the procedure to remove the tumor in Rosa's brain. Please be praying for Rosa and for the doctors. I'll let you know when we here how she's doing.

El Día del Lempira

2009-07-20T16:57:00.012-06:00

Today we had an assembly at school to celebrate “The Day of the Lempira”. It was a lot of fun, most of the kids dressed up as Indians or in typical Honduran clothing. Enjoy the pics.

Sick Little Boys

2009-07-18T22:33:00.009-06:00

I have two sick little boys sleeping in my living room. The rumor's out that if you're sick you get to sleep in Rhonda's house, suddenly everyone has a really bad cough. New rule...you only sleep at Rhonda's if you have fever, and/or have to take medicine in the middle of the night.

These two little guys seem to be getting better, but they've been running a pretty high temp for about 2 days. Please pray that they get better. Lots of the kids seem to be coming down with colds, I even have a bad cough and a runny nose. Pray that we all get to feeling better soon.

Manuelito

2009-07-16T22:40:00.002-06:00

I walked out on my front porch after dinner the other night to find this. He was so patiently waiting for me. There's not much better than picking up a sweet sleeping little boy and carrying him to bed. I love him!

Civil Unrest

2009-07-11T14:51:00.002-06:00

Last Sunday it seemed that the "civil unrest" here in Honduras was escalating. I was asked by many to consider leaving the country. The Lord spoke clearly to my heart and said "Be patient." so that's what I did. I am so grateful for the voice of my Father. Since Sunday things have calmed down drastically. Last Sunday when Ex President Mel Zelaya tried to return riots broke out in Tegucigalpa. We had the first and only death due to the rioting. A person in the crowd shot a 19 year old boy. (I must say 1 death in 2 weeks of civil unrest is quite impressive.) A missionary that has lived here in Honduras for 13 years posted this letter. From everything I've experienced here in Honduras I would say what he says is 100% truth. Please take a moment to read it.

As most of you know I have been here for over 13 years and have seen many things happen in Honduras. I know this country and its people very well and they tell me that I have become very Honduran myself. I am not sure if that is true, but I can tell you that I deeply love this country and am in awe of their love for God and the faith that I have seen in a people that are being misrepresented to the world.

Let me state again, without reservation, there was no military coup here. Martial law has not been declared here. The military is not in charge and does not want to be in charge. In a conversation with a friend and military commander on Sat, I was assured that they are doing all that they can to support the government and are ready to defend their country if that becomes necessary. However, they do not see the situation escalating to that level. What was done to get the ex President Mel Zelaya out of office was done legally by the Congress and Honduras Supreme Court. The military only carried out orders.

I read an email by an American Pastor who was stopped a couple of times on the highway trying to get to the airport the other day. He was upset because the National Police had stopped and searched their vehicle. He talked about Martial Law here. Please let me tell him and all of you, that is not martial law! That happens on a daily basis here. I have been stopped as many as 5 times in one day going back a forth to work. They do not have a highway patrol here and use road blocks to check vehicle registrations, driver’s license, identification and other things normally on the roads here. It may be a bit heightened right now, but that is to be expected. There have been hundreds of folks coming in from Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua with false Honduran passports to cause problems and instigate riots here in favor of Mel Zelaya. These check points are one way of looking for those folks and trying to protect the population, not instigate martial law.

The real situation in Honduras is one of 95% peace! From what we can see and read, 80 to 90 percent of the population of Honduras supports the current government and does not want Mel Zelaya to return in any capacity. His presidency is over. He could not govern now even if he did return. He has an arrest warrant against him and will be arrested if he returns. The news is telling you that poor Mel was ousted in a military coup. CNN and FOX need to report the real truth. I invite Bill O’rielly and the rest of them to come and drive around the country with me to see the reality of the situation here. Mr. Mel Zelaya is lying to you!!!! He is trying to cover up a record of stealing, sex scandal and drug trading. There is much more to his ouster that one voting referendum.

Yes, Mr. Zelaya was elected to the position. So was Richard Nixon. Do any of you want him to return to power? Nixon was basically forced into resignation and that is basically what happened here. Mr. Zelaya signed his resignation and was escorted out of the country rather than face trial. Maybe it was not done in the way we would like to see it happen, but this is not the US or Europe. The constitution and laws here are different, but still just. These people acted and are acting according to their constitution.

What this country needs right now is prayer and support, not condemnation for doing the right thing. When people decide to follow the rule of law and refuse to follow a “would be” dictator they should not be punished for it.

You see I am writing not as a politician but as a Missionary and Apostle to this country. I am not allied with the government or the supporters of Mel Zelaya. My concern is for the people of this country. They are a peace loving, democratic people who have done nothing to deserve the condemnation that is coming from the OAS, UN and even the US.

I was asked to continue writing to you, my congressmen and anyone who will pray for and with us. I sent another letter to my Senator this morning. I will continue to update you on what is happening from inside Honduras and not from a reporters view.

My personal opinion is that Mel Zelaya was taken from office as an answer to the prayers of the church in Honduras. The church here is united right now against the corruption and crime that has gone on under his administration. The violence that you are being shown on the news is from the supporters of Mr. Zelaya. The church and the government supporters are united in prayer and standing in peace behind what they believe God wants to do in Honduras.

My family and I have no plans to leave Honduras because of what is happening. We are happy and content here and know that God had called us here for this time. However, I have asked permission of my church to leave if Mr. Chavez decides to invade and thus have an exit strategy. It is not a decision of fear of anything in Honduras, but of concern of what the international community would allow Mr. Chavez to do.

I ask you to continue to pray for Honduras and the government here. Also for Mr. Obama to wake up and realize that there is a real threat to our country and it is NOT coming from Honduras. If Obama continues to ignore Mr. Chavez and his minions and what they are trying to do in Latin America his awakening may be much too late.

So, the situation in Honduras is one of quiet anticipation of what the world will do next. If left alone, this country will have Presidential elections in Nov. and install a new President in January. If they are pushed to the point of defending their right to do that they will defend it to the end. A word from Mr. Obama or Mrs. Clinton to the Hugo Chavez’s of this region to “back off” would cause tremendous assurance to a people who love and admire the United States of America.

Please, if you will, take a moment to pass this on to your representatives and other interested parties. They need to know what is going on here. I have invited my Senator to come here and have volunteered to show him this country and what is really happening and not happening here. That same invitation is to any Congressman who is truly interested in knowing the truth about what is going on in Honduras and Latin America.

Please, please PRAY?

In His Grace,
John DuBose

Standing on Truth

2009-07-05T19:14:00.004-06:00

Well, as things seems to steadily be gettting a little more scary I find myself jumping into the Word and clinging to truth. I'm still doing good, things here in Didasko are still calm and proceding "as normal". I find myself almost obnoxiously checking the news online...I need to buy a tv, it would be SO MUCH EASIER! If you've been tracking what's happening here in Honduras you know that Ex President Zelaya tried to land in Honduras today with no luck...THANK YOU JESUS!! We need peace in this country, and Zelaya coming here will NOT bring peace. The military and the government are truly doing their best to uphold the constitution and mantain peace. I am definitely ready for this all to be over and for life to go back to normal. Hopefully we will see that soon. I'm currently standing on Romans 12:12 it says "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer." I'm learning to be patient and faithful, and trust Jesus. Please be praying for me as I need wisdom during this time.

Happy Independence Day!!!!

2009-07-04T14:51:00.008-06:00

Today's been a special day already, the kids and the family, some of the workers here, and even a few neighbors joined in as we celebrated the 4th of July. The kids did a little "march" from Rosa and Jorge's house to mine, then stood at attention as we played the national anthem. Rosa then gave a speech about how wonderful the U.S. is, and then we ended the fun with a group pic. It was really sweet. I'm making dinner for the family tonight, and we might finish it off with a campfire and smores if it doesn't rain. I hope you're having a great day, Happy Independence Day!!!

What's REALLY happening????

2009-06-30T12:25:00.004-06:00

Over the last several days, I have realized that what the media is reporting and what seems to be truth are two VERY DIFFERENT things. A missionary friend of mine posted a short explination in his blog, and I asked if I could pass it along. I hope this helps.

The media is reporting that this was a military coupe designed to remove control from a democratically elected President. This is lazy reporting.

Here is a short synopsis of what has really happened – The President (a leftist) was at the end of his Constitutionally mandated four year term limit. There is a regularly scheduled election this November to replace him. Months ago he said he wanted to put a non-binding question on a June 28th ballot asking the people for a constitutional revision committee. Among other things, the constitutional revision committee would allow the President to run for a second term, in violation of the Constitution. The Congress (majority leftists) unanimously passed a resolution saying that he couldn’t have the election and that it was against the law. The Supreme Court (majority leftists) ruled 5-0 that the proposed ballot measure would violate the Constitution and that the election could not be held. The Constitution says that if a sitting President attempts to lift term limits that they are to be removed from office. The military administers elections in Honduras and they refused to hold the election, so the President fired the head of the military and seized thousands of ballot boxes and intended to have his election. Now this is a key point – on June 27th the Supreme Court voted 5-0 that the President was in violation of the Constitution and ORDERED the military to arrest him. As the Constitution demands, the President was removed from power and the head of the Congress (a leftist) was put in his place. This is NOT a military coup. This IS a peaceful implementation of the democratic process.

I can definitely tell you that there is an OVERWHELMING gratefulness here in Honduras that Zelaya is OUT of power, and we are all hoping and praying that it stays that way. Watching the body of Christ stand together, and get on their face before their heavenly father about this situation has truly been inspiring. We are trusting Jesus.

On a practical note, I am safe. I am about 45 min. outside of the city up in the mountains. Our land is directly attached to a Honduran military base, but things have been really quiet as all of the soldiers are in the city. Life here is proceeding as normal.

Please be praying for this country, and watching the news...although it seems to be rather tainted. I'll update if things change here.

On a random side-note, I have been fighting a really bad cold/sinus infection, and kinda feel like I might be getting an ear-infection. Please be praying for my health.

Fun With the Family

2009-06-18T21:52:00.002-06:00

A small group of family and friends came for a visit and to meet the kids and help out here in Didasko. Here's a few pics from their time here in Honduras.

Dollar Store Fun

2009-05-23T20:28:00.002-06:00

While visiting the States, I decided to go on a little shopping spree at the Dollar Store, We crammed a shopping cart FULL of random fun stuff to bring back to the kids. I planned on bringing things out one at a time over the next several months, but I came home to a broken TV and a bunch of restless kids needing SOMETHING to do...so the Dollar Store goods came in handy. These kids, unlike kids back home, haven't really had the opportunity to do a lot of coloring, or use water colors, or play doh, or play simple card games, so it was like I had Bags of TREASURE, little kids and big kids alike had a blast. I put together a little slideshow, enjoy!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

A few Pics From My Trip Back Home

2009-05-21T23:11:00.001-06:00

Here's a little slideshow I put together from some pics I took while visiting the U.S. Enjoy!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

I'm Back

2009-05-11T14:00:00.002-06:00

I had a great visit, and we made it back safe. Here's a little video of my adorable niece and nephew and some dangerous little fans we bought them at the zoo. They were'nt hurt just a little startled, but it makes for a good laugh.

I Love My Life

2009-04-24T10:57:00.002-06:00

The last two days, I've just been overwhelmed with the love I feel for these kids, and the blessing it is to be here doing what I do. I am truly blessed beyond comprehension. Thank you!! Without the prayers and support from so many in the U.S. I would not be able to do what I do. I thank God everyday for you, and for His faithfulness. I love this life He's called me to live.

The Gringos Are Coming!!!!

2009-04-19T17:33:00.007-06:00

Weeks before Easter Sunday the kids heard that a group would be coming from the States for a visit. This particular group comes every year to celebrate Easter with the kids. When I first arrived at Didasko the kids kept asking if I had eggs with candy in them, because you know...ALL GRINGOS come with eggs with candy in them. I thought it was funny, but I could tell right away that whoever it was that came with eggs definitely impacted these kids. Easter morning there was grate anticipation waiting for the group to arrive, I figured the kids would be blessed that day, but I didn't take into account how grately blessed I would be as well. Of the group that came very few spoke Spanish, but they pulled out their Spanish-English Dictionaries (Spanish for Dummies was my favorite) and did their best to communicate. The kids played games, tye-died shirts, had an easter egg hunt, had a GREAT meal and just enjoyed hanging out with their friends from the U.S. As I said earlier I was so very blessed by this group. Not only was it nice to worship in English and just be able to chat with people and meet new friends, but I was so blessed to see the relationships that the people in this group have with the kids here. These people send financial support regularly to help out but just as importantly they also send small gifts, cards, pictures, and love throughout the year. The kids truly consider these people their friends. I hear about them all the time and we frequently look at the pictures that they have. I knew that our kids loved these people, but I was so overwhelmed by the love that these families had for these kids as well. Each person in the group brought a gift for a child, and they were no small gifts. I think every child got at least one outfit and a new pair of shoes, and many got much more. Before the group left they circled around all the kids and prayed for Didasko and sang a song, it was a song I'd never heard before but it talked about God surounding His people, and it was such a beautiful picture of Jesus' love for us as we were surrounded by this group. There were lots of tears shed as they said goodbye and headed out. What a blessing they were to us.

Puppets and Grateful Children

2009-04-08T11:02:00.009-06:00

This morning we made puppets, I was so proud of the kids. They were so very sweet all morning, I didn't have ANY problems, and they helped to clean up when they were done. They repeatedly thanked me. It's days like to day that make you forget the difficult days. I love these kids!

Semana Santa

2009-04-07T12:01:00.009-06:00

The kids are out of school this week to celebrate Semana Santa (Holy Week). It should be a fun week. We are in the dead of summer here, it has been UNBELIVABLY HOT, so we bought a couple of small swimming pools to help keep the kids cool. They are loving the water. In the mornings we are going to do craft projects to ocupy some of their free time. This morning I decided we would paint, they really had fun, but it sure did make a big mess. Nothing that couldn't be cleaned up with a few trash bags and some soap and water though.

Conjugating Verbs

2009-04-04T18:18:00.002-06:00

I must inform you before you get too involved in this post, that if you speak no Spanish and have no real understanding of the language, this won’t make a whole lot of since to you…sorry. Well, I spent the last year and a half of my life learning Spanish. The Spanish language has like 8 billion verbs. (Just joking, I really have NO IDEA how many verbs there are, but there’s LOTS!) I spent an entire year learning how to conjugate those verbs, ar, er and ir verbs, regular and irregular verbs, present tense, past perfect tense, past imperfect tense, future tense, etc. There are 14 different tenses in the Spanish Language, and SO MANY DIFFERENT RULES when conjugating verbs into those tenses. Basically there is TONS to remember. I have spent hours upon hours trying to figure out this language, with what purpose? To be able to communicate to the people that I am trying to minister to, it was worth every minute. Where it gets complicated is, I move to Honduras, and many people here are un-educated, or have VERY little education. It is EXTREMELY common for the people here to have an entire conversation and NEVER conjugate a verb…hard to believe huh? Well it’s true. For instance a common question I hear is “Rhonda ir a la casa?” Ok, what does that mean? I give them a funny look, and they assume it’s because I don’t speak Spanish, when the reality of it is, their sentence is SOO incorrect, I don’t understand what they mean. Are they asking are you going to the house, can I got to the house, did he or she go to the house, who are we talking about here? Also, are they referring to NOW, earlier this morning, later on this afternoon? I just don’t understand. Sometimes, they’ll give the courtesy of letting me know who they’re talking about, for instance, “Rhonda tú comer el mango?” But still you just have to guess which of the 14 tenses they’re referring to. I figured when I came here I would teach the kids English, although I did not realize I would be teaching them Spanish as well. This is not a complaint at all; it’s really a blessing to have the ability to teach them this language. What a gift education is.

Thanks East Valley

2009-03-31T11:46:00.012-06:00

EastValley Foursquare in Orangevale, CA took an ofering to help me with the purchase of my car. I wanted to send them a good pic with me and some the kids in front of my car. After teaching one of the kids how to use my camera we started the photo shoot. When I uploaded the pictures I got a good laugh, there's not one photo with everyone smiling. I thought you might enjoy them as well. I love just looking at Ester's face in all the pics (the little girl holding the sign making funny faces), she cracks me up.

El Día del Padre

2009-03-25T11:37:00.012-06:00

As I posted previously, last Thursday was Father’s Day. To celebrate this special day the school here put on a production and invited the families of the kids here at the school. We had about 25 dads show up. The kids were SOOO EXCITED! During the production they performed dances (typical and modern), dramas, and recited poems. We prepared for weeks before the big day. It was quite a task getting the kids ready the day of the event, flat ironing the hair of the older girls, and braiding the hair of the little girls, but it was a blast. Here’s a few pics from that special day.

Too Close for Comfort

2009-03-20T21:18:00.013-06:00

Directly behind our land here is a Honduran military base. There's really no distinguishing line where our land stops and theirs begins. This morning they had a BRILLIANT idea to start a fire to "PRACTICE" putting out fires; boy did they get a chance to "practice"! The fire got out of hand; it was BIG and it was BAD!!! I've never seen a fire out of control like that, the wind was blowing, and the grass was super dry so it was unbelievable how fast it moved. Up the mountain from my house there's a training center for the new recruits, well, it was there this morning, it was on fire this afternoon. When we were called out to look at the fire, I immediately got nervous; the first thing they said was we don't have firemen here. I'm thinking....OK...soooo what now??? They said if it gets too close we'll break off palm branches and beat the fire. I kind of chuckled thinking...you've got to be kidding me. But sure enough it wasn't long and the army troops were running through my front yard with big branches to beat the fire. I managed to maintain my cool until they told me I needed to move my car out of the garage, because the fire was getting so close it could blow...at that point I pretty much lost it...HELLO, THE GARAGE IS ATTACHED TO MY HOUSE!!!! People all over the U.S. and Central America were praying. We pulled out a water hose, and every bucket, bowl, pot or dish on this campus to do our best to help put it out. Three of the buildings on the land here, were within feet from the flames. God was gracious, and we lost NOTHING to the fire. I did learn that they DO have firefighters here. As soon as the fire was under control in our area, the military headed out to follow the flames, and the fire truck pulled up. They were a little late to help us, but our neighbors were extremely grateful to see them. Helicopters with big buckets of water came all throughout the afternoon and evening. The fire continues to climb up the mountain where there are many homes. Please be praying for those families, I'm sure lots of people lost their homes and much more today.

Father's Day

2009-03-19T14:05:00.003-06:00

Today is Father's Day in Honduras. I miss my Daddy today. My dad taught me so many things. He was such a loving, faithful man. He worked so hard to provide for us. I love him and miss him so very much. He always said if I could find a man that loves me 1/10 as much as he loves my momma I'd be a lucky woman. Someday I’ll find that man, it hurts my heart to known that he will never have a chance to meet my daddy, the man that molded me and shaped me into the woman I am today. You should give your dad a call and tell him how much you love him.

There's Vomit EVERYWHERE!!!

2009-03-17T21:08:00.003-06:00

When I posted the last post, I really thought I was having a rough day. I figured due to my overwhelmingly difficult day I thought I was in for some chill time by myself with a chic flick, and NO SPANISH. I got up from my computer and put dinner on to cook. I had no more than turned the stove on when I here a scream from my front yard, "Rhonda, Edgar esta vomitando" for those English only speakers, that translates to "Rhonda, Edgar is vomiting". I go outside take care of the vomiting child and clean up the mess. Whew, glad that's over I go back in to cook my dinner. After dinner I head out to check on the kids and I'm guessing whoever cooked their dinner did something HORRIBLY WRONG, cause there was vomit everywhere. The good news is, most of the kids once they got it out of their system and took a little Pepto they were fine and off to play again. It sure did leave me with a big mess to clean up though. Cristhian, one of the boys is still sick, he just can't kick it, and Pepto DID NOT HELP...that was a nasty mess. I left him with a big bowl and a roll of paper towels and told them to come get me if they need me. We'll see how the night goes.

Prayers Appreciated

2009-03-17T17:35:00.000-06:00

I'm having a rough day today, please pray for me.

Happy Birthday Jorge!

2009-03-16T13:37:00.006-06:00

Yesterday was Jorge's birthday, so Saturday afternoon we celebrated with cake and ice cream, then that evening I made dinner for the family. They wanted lasagna, which was not an easy task. Part of the greatness of lasagna is the cheeses you use to make it, so I had to search high and low to get the right cheeses. It turned out pretty good but like many of the gringo foods you try to cook here, the flavor was a little off. Everyone had seconds though, so it couldn't have been too bad. Yesterday after church we went to lunch and then to a little tourist town. We had a really good time. I drove all day yesterday, and actually kinda enjoyed it. There were a few stressful moments, but I did pretty good. I'm slowly getting used to the craziness on the roads. Rosa's hand is doing better; she ended up getting 4 pins in it. She is supposed to get the cast off at the beginning of April.

The Hokey Pokey Shower

2009-03-14T21:38:00.002-06:00

If you have kept up with my travels in the past, you know what I REALLY dislike cold showers. I still would not say that I LIKE cold showers, but I would like to retract any complaint I’ve ever made about taking cold showers. You see they don’t have hot water heaters here; they use these little demonically possessed things called “widow makers”…yea that’s right I said WIDOW MAKER…hmmm definitely sounds like something you want to use on a daily basis huh?? Well, I had a widow maker in Costa Rica, and it was old, and worked 80% of the time, but it was just fine. I now have a much newer, nicer one, but there’s one major problem. Widow makers function with water pressure. It’s a device that looks like a large shower head, and when the water runs through it, it heats the water. I learned in Costa Rica that there’s an art to getting the perfect temperature of water. There has to be enough water running through to turn the widow maker on, but then once you get up and running you turn the water pressure down, the more water running through it the colder the water is. So you get it just the right temperature and you pray no one flushes the toilet within a one mile radius, because if so, you’re back to square one. Well, back to my problem. For some reason, I have very low water pressure here. The water that comes out of the tap is pretty stinking cold, definitely nothing you want hitting your warm body at 6:00 in the morning, so I do want to say, I’m GRATEFUL for my little widow maker. But due to the LACK of water pressure, there is one level of hotness in my shower, and it is SCALDING!!! I’m telling you imagine putting water on to boil and just before it reaches the point where you see little bubbles forming; dump it over your head…yea, not happy. So I realized this morning as I was trying to rinse the conditioner out of my hair while trying to avoid blisters forming on my back, that the writer of “The Hokey Pokey” must have had a shower like mine. Seriously I feel like I have to do a dance. Stick your head in, stick your head out, stick your head in and you shake it all about, you do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself around…that’s what it’s all about. Occasionally once in a blue moon, I’ll have enough water pressure, that the water will be at a temp where I can stand under it for longer than about 3 seconds, and for that I’m grateful. I think I have decided I’d rather scalding hot than freezing cold. I just miss the days when there was a happy medium.

2009-03-11T22:08:00.008-06:00

I got furniture!! I had a not so happy day the other day, so Christian (Jorge and Rosa's son) and Rosa took me shopping. I have had a hamack and only a hamack in my living room. I kinda liked it, although it felt like I had a front porche for a living room. My lack of furniture was driving Rosa nuts. There is not much selection here, but we had a good time and got some nice furniture. I really wanted something simple, the majority of the couches at the store had BOLD PRINT on them, I was not really digging anything I saw. After a little digging around I found this set. I really got more than I needed, but the three pieces came together and it was pretty reasonably priced. The walls could use a picture or two, and the hamack needs to go, but I'm grateful to have a place to sit and relax. I really like my curtains, you can't really see them in the pics, but they have chocolate brown flowers on them.

Pray for Rosa

2009-03-09T21:03:00.005-06:00

This morning at about 6:30 Rosa (the "mom" of Didasko) tripped over one of the dogs and fell. The fall was pretty hard, it knocked the wind out of her and she was hurting pretty badly. Her hand was extremely swollen and REALLY hurt, so this afternoon we went to the hospital to get it checked out. They took an X-Ray and it is severly broken. Tomorrow morning she is going in for surgery to set her hand, they think they might need to put a pin in it. Rosa is in a lot of pain, and pretty stressed out about the surgery. Please be praying for her tomorrow, I'll let you know how it goes.

Meet the Kids!

2009-03-05T17:38:00.025-06:00

Many of you have asked to meet the kids. I made a really nice slideshow, but I've been trying to upload it for several days and it just isn't working. These are all the kids that are here on a daily basis, there are several boys that are older and go to a school a few towns over during the week and come home on the weekends. I don't have all of their pics, but I'll work on getting them.

Maria (8ish age unkown) is the life of the party. She's got an unending supply of energy, she's a lot of fun.

Ester (8) has a momma's heart, she's always taking care of the little boys.

Diana (10) is a real servant. She is constantly looking for ways to serve and help.

Ema (12) is my difficult one, she's a leader, and she's learning that I WILL be shown respect...not an easy lesson. Pray for both of us. When she decides to be sweet she's REALLY a joy.

Jenny-Lucero (13) is a little rambunctious, but can sit for hours and play with my hair.

Norma (13) is always smiling. She really enjoys just sitting and chatting.

Ada (14) is very sweet and quiet. She doesn't like to be the center of attention.

Luisa (17) is a hard worker and a good friend. She really is an employee here rather than a kid, but she grew up here, so she is in the awkward switch from child to adult.

Emiliano (5) "Nano" is a little doll, he has an adorable stutter when he gets excited. Almost every night he falls asleep watching TV and I carry him to bed and tuck him in. I love it.

"Manuelito" (6) oh how I love this little guy, cariñoso is the word that comes to mind for those Spanish speakers. He's an absolute joy, very loving and little. He always wants to be held and hugged.

Samael (8) everyone calls him my son cause they say he looks like a gringo. He's my little man, constantly in my lap or hugging my arm. I can't play favorites, but if I had to choose one to take home....well, you know.

Isaac (9) is very loving, he's having a really hard time in school, we're gonna work a lot on reading and writing this year.

Brayan (9) is pure Sweetness, he's my little English speaker...at least he tries.

Alejandro (9) is always having fun, a little prankster.

Cristhian (11) is very quiet and shy, I don't think he's real sure what he thinks of me just yet.

Edgar (11) is a little difficult, but has a TON of potential. He really has a good heart.

Leonel (12) is an absolute sweetheart. Has a true servants heart.

Osman (14) is a really hard worker, and very respectful, he's a loving young man.

Random Fact of the Day...

2009-03-05T15:19:00.003-06:00

Going an entire month without having a mirror in your house, once you finally get one (I got one yesterday...YAY) you realize how much your hair grows in a month. It's actually quite amazing.

A Blessed Month.

2009-03-05T13:59:00.003-06:00

Today marks the one month mark since I arrived. It has been a wonderful month, I pray that it is only the beginning of the blessings to come.

I told you I'd let you know how driving in the city went, and I must say I survived, although I was EXTREMELY stressed! I did learn that to drive in Honduras you must keep your hand on the horn at all times. It is necessary to honk when you're saying thank you, when you're mad, when you're confused, when you're not sure if someone knows you're coming, or when you just feel like you haven't honked in a while. Jorge says Hondurans honk for everything and for nothing, and I definitely would have to agree. I also learned that you only have to obey red lights, stop signs, yield signs, and all other traffic laws if you feel like it. If you'd rather not obey the rules, you don’t really have to. I stopped at a red light and people got angry. I didn't know what to do, do I run it or just ignore the chorus of horns blowing at me and people screaming. I'm definitely not looking forward to my next venture into the city, but at some point I have to get used to it. It's just a little different than what I'm used to.

On another note, one of the other teachers invited me over for lunch today. I was so blessed. It was a cultural experience for sure. The food was excellent, and it was nice to eat with company for a change. I hope I didn't offend at all. I did my best to be extremely polite and eat everything that was served. Many people in Honduras do not use utensils to eat, so we ate "enchiladas" today with our hands. (Really they weren't what we know as enchiladas at all, but they were good.) It was my first time to eat a meal completely with my hands, the family I eat with here, is very familiar with the US culture, and always makes sure I have a fork. I had learned from eating with the kids that there is a polite way to eat with your hands, and a rude way. I'm not really clear on the difference; I should have paid closer attention when they were correcting the little kids. I think I did ok though. I will probably never know. I'm sure I drank water from the tap and ate vegetables that weren't cleaned properly, so I really pray I don't get sick. But even if I do, it was worth it to begin building relationships and making friends.

I Have a Car

2009-03-03T11:23:00.009-06:00

I bought a car when I got here, I am so very blessed. It was important that I got something that wouldn't leave me stranded on the side of the road, and something that could handle the rough roads I have to take to get back and forth to town. With a little extra help from my mom, (thanks mom) I was able to get a little 2002 Honda CRV. I love it. The kids wash it at least once a week. It has automatic windows, and I'm pretty sure they think it's the fanciest car they've ever seen. They've asked me what EVERY button, switch, latch, or any other random object does. They're definitely intrigued. I still haven't mustard the nerve to face driving in the city by myself, drivers here are CRAZY!! Jorge is taking me into town today so I can practice driving in the city, I'll let you know how it goes.