pre-written
I tried to write in my journal, but my thoughts were going too fast to write down. I feel so introverted and exhausted. I blame the motion sickness medicine I took earlier.
We drove over this morning to Valle de Ángeles for our leadership conference with Luis’ family, who were on the way to San Pedro Sula. It took awhile since we had to stop at their house to take food for the Belgian Shepherd, grab some warm plantain chips from the side of the road, fix the tarp several times, stop at a restroom, dodge traffic cones and potholes and bumps on crappy roads, and get stopped at a military checkpoint.
Looking back. the last day we had with the kids at the pool was great. We played and were thrown in and I loved it. They kept giving us recuerdos and Ruth’s almost made me lose it. She said something like “Don’t forget your family in Catacamas.” I got misty eyed more than a couple times before the end. And sweet Carlos – saying how much he thanked God for us. Ahh. And Mardín and John and Juan Carlos and everybody – OW! And one of the teachers when she cried after we prayed for her. These people – I was so comfortable this month but I actually felt like I was doing something. And by doing something, I mean showing up for the Holy Spirit to work. Which He did. I really didn’t do anything. He did everything. In Honduras, I learned that I am enough and sufficient, and what’s more is He is enough. This was my favorite month, and I will miss these people deeply.
After the crazy restaurant the Pastor and family took us to yesterday – where I had a gigantic 1 lb. tilapia that I enjoyed immensely but felt like a piggy- we got done with lunch at 2 and they headed towards Talgua because there was the best place to get corn. I fell asleep in the hammock, only feeling slightly guilty that I wasn’t socializing. I woke up later and got fried elote – which is corn. It was good, but the atole (ricey milk like substance but all ground up) was even better – best atole I’ve ever tasted, even better than the chocolate one I got in Xenacoj.
Then we went back and swam for a while. We had a grand old time. We said our goodbyes and we prayed over them and them for us. Then they left, when it was too dark to see each other’s faces. Later, the caretaker’s wife and her daughter came over to say goodbye. Then we went to bed slightly too late.
This morning, we had to get up early. Lo and behold, about 10 till, a car pulls up the driveway. I was pulling down my clothesline and I thought, no way are they early. This is Latin America after all. Then someone yells that it’s our friend.
I went over with my clothesline and there he was, in the flesh. He told us that he was in a cell group meeting, but had asked special permission to come over and tell us goodbye. We awed at that. He gave us bracelets and hugs goodbye. We prayed over him, and then he gave us all more hugs and drove away, saying he loved us all.
After that, we went over to give Nacho our leftover food and prayed for him and his family, We also gave Scooby, Caesar, and the kitten goodbyes. The kitten was absolutely determined to get as close as possible to the people who were allergic. So Leah and I kept it away. For once, it settled down and purred instead of climbing all over the place. It was striped so I think it is part wild breed or something else.
I love this place. I love how people aren’t afraid to cry if you mean a lot to them. They don’t worry over being macho or hiding their emotions or playing hard to get. They worship God fully and they love people fully.
But still, I feel wretched … (more to come in next entry)
