Walking the Streets

The line was long, we were in the back, but here that doesn't matter to much when you are waiting for a taxi, because as soon as the right one rolls up to the side, the first person in gets it. I had been to San Pedro Sula downtown several times before, but this was the first time I had walked the streets. I was here with Miss Liza, the 3rd grade teacher I am an assistant to. She had wanted to take me to see the streets of SPS. SPS is known as one of, if not the first, most dangerous city in Central America, but I wasn't to worried because the lady I was with would scare anyone straight. For a woman in her fifties she still had fire and spirit. We walked most of the way around the downtown part of city, but at one point we wanted to grab a taxi, we saw one parked at the curb with its doors open, so we hopped in with the other passengers and took off. My western mindset had me smiling at how strange this experience was, yet how normal it felt. I love to see new cultures and different ways people live life, because it gives me a new view of God. These people represent another side of God. If you've ever been to another country and seen the big cities, they are very similar. People walk the uneven sidewalks, vendors sell various ítems, cars honk and traffic looks crazy, there is a very bad odor that fills your nostrils, but when you really look at it, when you stop seeing it through a forgieners eyes, when you stop comparing it to the place you come from, when you start to really see this is how people live, this is their life and it's a beautiful thing. That's when you can experience it for what it really is, how they really are. I leave Honduras for Guatemala in four days, and this may be the hardest move I've had to make. My heart is here, this is home.

He's God

We, me, my two amazing Honduran friends, our host and Miss Audrey, all sat around the long table. We'd just finished dinner, which was typical Honduran goodness, pupusas and nachos, topped off with a scoop of ice cream. With full stomaches we did what any typical group of girls would do, started chatting, well actually Miss Audrey started talking and we started listening. She started with one story, which led to questions, which led to more stories and we started to get a picture of her testimony, life before God and present with God.
She's a grandma, strolling her way to fifty this year, but "a four year old at heart", you could tell this to be true the way she chatted on and on and bounced from subject to subject. Her words captivated me, she took you with her by her words, you were a fly on the wall as she told of her jail experience and how God has changed her life. By looking at this woman, you never would have thought she has the story that she does. She experienced so many things, plenty of which she didn't share with us because of the sensativity of the information for our young ears and hearts, which only drew us in all the more. We all sat with our eyes wide open, mouths on the table, we didn't know what to think. I've heard peoples testimonies before, I've heard crazy stuff before, but I've never head anything like what this woman was sharing. It was just amazing to see what God did for her, even when she wasn't serving him.
God isn't a formula we can figure out. He doesn't fit into a box, because this woman's story goes against what I thought God only does and only doesn't do. But God does what he wants, when he wants, because he's in control.
It was my privaledge to have Miss Audrey stay in the same house with me. (She makes amazing Cinnamon Coffee by the way). The other morning as she was sharing how some people had prayed over her hands because one arm was longer than the other, and she had me hold out my hands as well, only to discover that I also had this issue (something I'd never seen or thought of) and so she proceeded to pray over them. I looked at my hands and the shorter one had become significanly longer than the other one, but then I looked again and they were even.
God does whatever he wants whenever he wants to, He's God.

Baleadas

I couldn't think of anything very interesting to write so I descided to write about the most amazing food that you can ever eat in the whole world (ok, maybe only in Honduras but still amazing). It's called a baleada (Ba- lee- ada), (balas in Spanish meaning bullets). There was a story that I heard about how it got it's name: there was a woman who use to sell them on the street and one day there was a shooting near that place, so people started to say that they should go eat where the shooting took place, “I’m going to the baleada (literally: shot woman).

Ok so a baleada... the closest thing that I can compare it to for my Western friends is a bean burrito (but they are still worlds apart). It's so much more! You start with a tortilla, get those store bought ones out of your head, and don't even think about Taco Bell. This tortilla was made five minutes ago by a woman who put the flour together and smacked it around with her hands within an inch of it's life. It's sort of like fresh bread kind of good. Then come the beans (almost any Latin American staple). They are smooth as wáter (really Brown wáter). You add cream. (It's a specail kind of cream with a name that I can't spell). It's like sour cream. Then some cheese that is crumbly. You have all of this wonderfulness together (of course there is so much more that you can add to this goodness... eggs, chicken...ect). You take your first warm bite...it melts in your mouth... and slides down your throat.... you can't help but smile and close your eyes, savoring the goodness.

You're in love. You've fallen in love with Honduras.

Travel...Travel...Travel

This past week was Semana de Santa (or Holy Week aka Easter Week aka Spring Break). I was given the privilege to travel with Aderemos, which is the worship team here at MUNA. They have a vision to travel to each of the 18 states in Honduras at set up worship alters in the capital of each state. So the days were set up with worship workshops and then at night we would go to the local park and set up all our equipment, pull out the guitars and invite the people to come and worship God with us. As you may know I have no musical ability at all, but I was excited to go as a guest and see more of Honduras. I think that even though I didn´t know how to worship, I learned a lot about worship and a lot about who God is and that worship isn´t about me, but about him.

We also got the chance to go on a zip line that was HUGE! and yes I passed up the chance because my nerves got the better of me. A little regret, but only a little. It was also very cold because we were in mountains, and 60 degrees may not seem too cold but I think I have adapted to the normal 90 degree weather that I was freezing!

Overall it was a wonderful experience with a lot of great memories and building greater relationships. It´s amazing how much you can communicate even when two people don´t speak the same language. (My Spanish is improving at the rate of a turtle, by the way.)

Bless Your Socks Off

When I first arrived in Honduras, I was touched by the way the people welcomed me into their homes and lives. I felt very blessed by all the people and especially the school that I am volunteering at; they have always gone above and beyond what I would consider hospitality. They should just put up a sign: ¨Welcome to Sunshine, we will bless your socks off!¨ This morning I was blessed with two gifts from people here at school, and this all happened before 10 am! Then I was given a special prevailedge to speak to some youth and share my testimony and encourage them in the Lord. It was awesome to see them worship the Lord and recieve as well as give. THEN as if my day wasn´t perfect enough we went to church in the park and saw people get saved and danced in circles until I thought I would fall over and was covered in dust! Best way to woship God! These people love God and there is no stopping them from worshiping Him..... ....... And God has allowed me to come and experience this... it´s like a little kid who built a project and he´s so excited to show his friends, he says ¨look! look! look what I´ve made!¨

The New Normal

Ok!

So I am offically starting a blog for all my adventures as a missionary. I was inspired by reading the blog of another missionary and her realness and maybe this can inspire someone else to BE REAL. Not make everything out to be great when it´s not and just being honest. So here we go.

Havening been in Honduras for about two months I am learning to do things as they do, ¨when in Rome...¨and so there are somethings that were a little strange to me when I first arrived.

Examples:
• Wearing bug spray as if it were perfume
• taking a cold shower
• eating beans and tortillas for breakfast
• wearing a sweater because it´s in the 70´s
• not stopping at stop signs
• always having a thin layer of dust...on everything
• squishing bugs
• encountering a cochroach in the bathroom at least once a day
• being kissed on the cheek by everyone
• being smothered with hugs everyday
• being starred at because of my white skin and blue eyes
• wearing a scarf when it rains
• saying ¨How are you doing?¨... even if you've already asked that person the same day

There are many more but hopefully you see a little of the things that I live with, in a good way, these things are so natural to me that I don´t think twice about them. I love Honduras and the people make it an easy life to live here.