New Experiences in Honduras

This month has been a month of many new experiences! I have decided to buy a car down here. I went with one of my Honduran friends to her "uncle's" lot and he let me test drive a few cars. I was so scared I was going to crash it and then I didn't know what would happen. I went to give one of the cars back and he told me to take it home for the weekend. Now I was even more scared. Well, I drove all the way back up the mountain to my house, about 25 minute drive. Once I got back, I found an extra set of keys in the car which happened to belong to the owner's car. Well he needed those keys. By this time it was dark and no one could drive with me, so I had to drive back to the city and find this place all on my own. Well the rest of the weekend went rather well. Thankfully no accidents. I was so relieved to finally turn the car back in on Monday morning. Still searching for a car that I like. All of the automatic cars come from the States where they have been considered totaled due to accidents or floods, and then are shipped here where they are repaired and sold. So, used car shopping here is very different. Half of the things on the car don't work, and they ask for a lot of money.

I also started learning to drive "stick" or manual cars. I have had a few lessons. My second lesson was driving up the hill. I stalled the car on a big hill, almost rolled back into a very nice SUV. It took about 5 minutes to final get going again. The next day the clutch broke so everyone is blaming me for it (in a joking way). My third lesson went a little better, and that car hasn't broken yet. I WILL NOT BE PURCHASING A MANUAL CAR!!

Medical Brigade

Last week, we set up the medical brigade in a very poor neighboorhood called "Nueva Capital" or New Capital in English. This is an area where many of the people displaced by Hurricane Mitch 10 years ago were put after their houses were destroyed by heavy rains and mudslides. It is located on a mountain. Few homes have electricity and running water. There is a great need in this area, therefore we visit this area quite often. Many of our missionaries have developed strong relationships with familes in this area, and continue to help them have a better life.








Pictures on the way to the Church where we set up our clinic.














Homes where people in this neighboorhood live. Many of them aren't bigger than 9 X 13 feet!

Time for some sightseeing

Last Sunday, I had the opportunity to visit "El Picacho", a giant statue of Christ overlooking the city of Tegucigalpa. This statue is about a 5 minute drive from where I live.

First Day of Medical Brigade 2009-Bus "Brakes" Down

It is the first day of medical brigades 2009! We had a very good day at the clinic. On the way home, the bus driver slammed on the brakes a few times, causing everyone standing in the aisle to go flying. The driver pulled over the bus, knowing something wasn't right, to check under the hood. He didn't find anything, so he started driving again. After a few more minutes he pulled over a second time to check, again, couldn't find anything. The third time he pulled over, someone volunteered to lay under the bus while he hit the brakes and this is when he got sprayed in the face with brake fluid. Well after this, the bus wasn't going anywhere.
The broken Down Bus




Well, our ministry has 2 buses, but the other one happens to be without a transmission at the time, so we are stranded. We called a place that rents buses, and they were able to get to us within 20 or 30 minutes.







The rented bus




We squeezed over 30 people in a 20 something minibus, for the last 30 minute drive up the mountain. What a way to start the year. Now we have two broken buses and have a stretch of 8 teams in the next 9 weeks!






Inside the crowded mini bus


This incidence happened almost 2 weeks ago, and God has provided in miraculous ways! By the end of that week, God had provided the money through donations of the team to repair the brake line on the one bus, pay for the rented bus for 2 days, and to pay to replace the transmission on the other bus, which by the way made it's first trip yesterday since last November. When we are in the midst of trials and hardships, and wonder how we will make it through, God takes care of us. I thank God for giving wisdom to everyone involved to look out for our safety. I am thankful that the brake line failed on the way back up the mountain and not on the way down the steep mountain. I am excited to see what great things God has in store for our ministry this year.