The intrigue of the day probably was the end of the day; as we were approaching the end of task for the day, the pastor, who has been hanging around since late morning, walked over to the project and noticed that one of the beams for which we were creating the rebar reinforcement was not straight. Oops! Maybe today was practice and tomorrow may be to take apart and then put them back together again for real. We're just the workers and we assemble or dissemble as told.
So what did we do. Breakfast at 6:30 and on site by 7:30 before the sun turned the site into a sauna. The gate was locked and there was no key so one of the four workers who live there used the bolt cutters on the chain. After some introductions - Norman, Mario, Rafael, and Roberto - two were sent to bend rebar into "rings," two were handed shovels to fill buckets of sand and gravel to make concrete for a couple pillars, and the remaining four we put on the scaffolding to wire rebar together. There are two horizontal beams where long rebars were wired to the "rings." By noon the first beam was finished. By three the other beam was on the route to completions when the dogleg in the beam was detected and all work ceased.
The reward of the day was ice cream and supper at 6:30 was fish and mashed potatoes. Yummy!
I will try to upload some pictures in another post.
Monday, August 4, 2014
Sunday, August 3, 2014
The holiday is Over
The day, Sunday, started before the night was over. No one seems to know what it was but about 1:00AM, again at 3:30, and about five additional times before 6:00, some horrendously loud obnoxious noise, something like a car alarm or a malfunctioning water pump, blasted in the neighborhood for about 2 to 3 minutes. So ended the night and started the day.
Breakfast was pancakes with condiments and juice. Brian picked us up and darted up and down and all around the windy and delivered us to the church which was also our construction site. The final driveway was dirt, steep and narrow. The front of the van stopped at the edge of the construction site at the level that would some day be the third of four levels. To our left was a steep hill and to the right was a deep steep valley, so the lowest floor walked out the back to ground level and the front also lead to the ground level from the fourth floor. And they said they bought this lot because it was "level."
We walked down a ramp to the second level which is to be the parking area and then down a stairs with no banisters when the congregation was gathering. After being thoroughly greeted by the pastor and his wife, we were ushered to the chairs in the front row. Rigo, a regional supervisor for the Methodist Church, led us through a mostly Spanish service - but with some English translations. The room was beautiful and highly technical with three laptops, a projector projected on the wall and a great sound system with an electric piano and guitarist.
The pastor gave a 40-minute Spanish sermon with interspersed English translations. Communion was by intinction with three bun sized breads. Prayers were very heartfelt and songs were full of passion and compassion. After the service we chatted with some of the congregants, which we could cross the language barrier. One guest was a student from Boston College who had bed here years ago. The stories of the individuals are too extensive for this blog; maybe some later.
Back to our rooms, off to a restaurant for pupusas and tacos which were more like a fajita and on to a village about 45 minutes out to shop for souvenirs. The roads wound through the hills, small mountains if you will, with roadside stands and numerous shops along the way. Souvenirs were not a top priority but visiting this town which had been a gold and silver mining town converted to a tourist destination was worth the visit.
Back at our residence for the week, we had our evening meal and sat around sharing stories before we headed to bed knowing that breakfast was to be a 6:30 and work would start bout 7:30. Good night.
Breakfast was pancakes with condiments and juice. Brian picked us up and darted up and down and all around the windy and delivered us to the church which was also our construction site. The final driveway was dirt, steep and narrow. The front of the van stopped at the edge of the construction site at the level that would some day be the third of four levels. To our left was a steep hill and to the right was a deep steep valley, so the lowest floor walked out the back to ground level and the front also lead to the ground level from the fourth floor. And they said they bought this lot because it was "level."
We walked down a ramp to the second level which is to be the parking area and then down a stairs with no banisters when the congregation was gathering. After being thoroughly greeted by the pastor and his wife, we were ushered to the chairs in the front row. Rigo, a regional supervisor for the Methodist Church, led us through a mostly Spanish service - but with some English translations. The room was beautiful and highly technical with three laptops, a projector projected on the wall and a great sound system with an electric piano and guitarist.
The pastor gave a 40-minute Spanish sermon with interspersed English translations. Communion was by intinction with three bun sized breads. Prayers were very heartfelt and songs were full of passion and compassion. After the service we chatted with some of the congregants, which we could cross the language barrier. One guest was a student from Boston College who had bed here years ago. The stories of the individuals are too extensive for this blog; maybe some later.
Back to our rooms, off to a restaurant for pupusas and tacos which were more like a fajita and on to a village about 45 minutes out to shop for souvenirs. The roads wound through the hills, small mountains if you will, with roadside stands and numerous shops along the way. Souvenirs were not a top priority but visiting this town which had been a gold and silver mining town converted to a tourist destination was worth the visit.
Back at our residence for the week, we had our evening meal and sat around sharing stories before we headed to bed knowing that breakfast was to be a 6:30 and work would start bout 7:30. Good night.
Saturday, August 2, 2014
Honduras - it could be Mexico
Our team of eight, we'll refer to them as the Awesome Eight, not because they're awesome in any theological or philosophical way, but because there are eight and I like them, arrived in Tegucigalpa on schedule at 12:30PM. Before we left Houston we heard the story that pilots landing in Tegucigalpa had to have special training because it is among the top ten most dangerous airport in the world. Add that to the United Nations' characterization that Honduras has the highest homicide rate in a the world and we are feeling so confident that everything will go well.
Our contact at the airport was delayed because traffic was heavier than expected. However, she, Sandy, arrived before anyone panicked along with Brian who transported our luggage and will be our guide, interpreter and driver for the week. A really cool young man.
Expecting an traditional fare for our noon meal served in the afternoon, we were instead served order-out pizza, which could have been downtown Monmouth. Soon after we were winding, literally winding, through the hillsides of this capital city forward a statute of Jesus with outspread arms overlooking the city. From that vantage point we could see rows of small metal-roofed very small homes, the area still not redeveloped after a rain-drenched mudslide from hurricane Mitch some years ago, big businesses and estates as well as the now infamous airport which is very short and essentially in the middle of the city.
The detail of this statute which must have stood a hundred above us was fabulous from an artist but I'm skeptical if it a very good likeness of Jesus. It's the artist's idea of what a perfectly looking Jesus might have been. Fine artwork bit with little theological relevance.
Deep fried chicken, tortillas, flavored rice and a cabbage cole slaw was ready for us at six. Several pictures from the day were viewed, several reflected comments and the Awesome Eight after no real sleep except for catnaps on the plane headed for showers and sleep. And here I go also (without editing this).
Our contact at the airport was delayed because traffic was heavier than expected. However, she, Sandy, arrived before anyone panicked along with Brian who transported our luggage and will be our guide, interpreter and driver for the week. A really cool young man.
Expecting an traditional fare for our noon meal served in the afternoon, we were instead served order-out pizza, which could have been downtown Monmouth. Soon after we were winding, literally winding, through the hillsides of this capital city forward a statute of Jesus with outspread arms overlooking the city. From that vantage point we could see rows of small metal-roofed very small homes, the area still not redeveloped after a rain-drenched mudslide from hurricane Mitch some years ago, big businesses and estates as well as the now infamous airport which is very short and essentially in the middle of the city.
The detail of this statute which must have stood a hundred above us was fabulous from an artist but I'm skeptical if it a very good likeness of Jesus. It's the artist's idea of what a perfectly looking Jesus might have been. Fine artwork bit with little theological relevance.
Deep fried chicken, tortillas, flavored rice and a cabbage cole slaw was ready for us at six. Several pictures from the day were viewed, several reflected comments and the Awesome Eight after no real sleep except for catnaps on the plane headed for showers and sleep. And here I go also (without editing this).
Monday, July 28, 2014
Packing
Gail presented information about our Honduras trip in church yesterday. She seemed to stumble for words when she talked about our safety. She probably didn't want to concern them too much. After the service I mentioned to several that Honduras had the second highest murder rate of any country in the world. Last evening while reading about Honduras online I discovered I was wrong. It has the highest rate of all countries.
However UMVIM is sending teams in and out of the country on a regular basis so we project that we will be safe. Most murders are connected to gangs and drug trafficking, and we don't appear to be related to either.
Other major events of the months are past and we are packing. Prescription to prevent malaria, sunscreen, anti-diarrheal pills, water filter, flight insurance papers; yeah, I think we have the safety measures covered, not that there are any. OK, so there are precautions that one must take.
With the list in one hand, the items are spread out across the table and room and we are moving forward. Batteries, chargers, cameras all charged and ready. Fortunately the electricity is the same there as here; so I've read. Baggies are overfilled with clothes and flattened before closing them to minimize space. Special towels that take very little space and dry quickly, and shirts that don't stink even after a week of wear are on the pile are on the pile. Passport and tickets are in safe and ready-to-go locations.
And there are the lists for home: what the house sitter needs to know about watering plants and feeding animals, what we need to do before we leave to ready the place for the house sitter and our absence, what we need to do for committees and volunteer work before we leave, and what we want to buy to take and leave for the children and people where we are staying. Back-to-school sales are best at this time of the year.
There's also the posting on the blog to keep people informed or over-informed. Check!
However UMVIM is sending teams in and out of the country on a regular basis so we project that we will be safe. Most murders are connected to gangs and drug trafficking, and we don't appear to be related to either.
Other major events of the months are past and we are packing. Prescription to prevent malaria, sunscreen, anti-diarrheal pills, water filter, flight insurance papers; yeah, I think we have the safety measures covered, not that there are any. OK, so there are precautions that one must take.
With the list in one hand, the items are spread out across the table and room and we are moving forward. Batteries, chargers, cameras all charged and ready. Fortunately the electricity is the same there as here; so I've read. Baggies are overfilled with clothes and flattened before closing them to minimize space. Special towels that take very little space and dry quickly, and shirts that don't stink even after a week of wear are on the pile are on the pile. Passport and tickets are in safe and ready-to-go locations.
And there are the lists for home: what the house sitter needs to know about watering plants and feeding animals, what we need to do before we leave to ready the place for the house sitter and our absence, what we need to do for committees and volunteer work before we leave, and what we want to buy to take and leave for the children and people where we are staying. Back-to-school sales are best at this time of the year.
There's also the posting on the blog to keep people informed or over-informed. Check!
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Preparing for the Honduras Mission Trip
The word "mission" is used in many ways, similar but somewhat different ways. A determined child with a specific goal may be on a "mission." A particular action of a military unit may have a "mission." A missionary works within his or her "mission." The goal or purpose of a church may be its "mission." And a group of individuals traveling to another region of the world with a specific purpose are on a "mission" trip.
So it is with this group of eight from Dallas, Oregon, mostly members of Dallas United Methodist Church, who are headed to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, to help build a church/conference office building. As outsiders to this group, being members of Christ's Church Methodist and Presbyterian United in Monmouth, Gail and I don't know that much about each individual, but then that's one of the products of an eight-day trip working and living side by side: to get to know each other better.
Don, our leader, who has taken the Dallas church from four years of talking about an international mission trip to a reality, has a book store on the coast. Julie, the second wife of a student I knew at WOU over 15 years ago and a mother of two, is so full of energy. Jim and Lola are her parents. Kellie has been designated as our official photographer and comes with great equipment, and a couple children she will leave at home. Craig, active at Dallas UMC, has taken on many leadership responsibilities. As a choir member he has been identified as our song leader. Gail and I will be participating in our 22nd "mission" activity or trip, and for essentially the first time, not as the team leaders.
Honduras has been designated as a very dangerous country having the second highest murder rate in the world. It is also identified as one of the sources of children illegally crossing the borders into the United States after walking, hitchhiking and bussing a thousand miles across Mexico to avoid poverty, death, rape and slavery in Honduras. These are phenomena we may gain insight into, at least I hope so. Even now as I write this, I feel pain for these children and their families. We have dreams of being a benefit to the people in Honduras, but only time and patience will tell if our dreams will come true.
So it is with this group of eight from Dallas, Oregon, mostly members of Dallas United Methodist Church, who are headed to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, to help build a church/conference office building. As outsiders to this group, being members of Christ's Church Methodist and Presbyterian United in Monmouth, Gail and I don't know that much about each individual, but then that's one of the products of an eight-day trip working and living side by side: to get to know each other better.
Don, our leader, who has taken the Dallas church from four years of talking about an international mission trip to a reality, has a book store on the coast. Julie, the second wife of a student I knew at WOU over 15 years ago and a mother of two, is so full of energy. Jim and Lola are her parents. Kellie has been designated as our official photographer and comes with great equipment, and a couple children she will leave at home. Craig, active at Dallas UMC, has taken on many leadership responsibilities. As a choir member he has been identified as our song leader. Gail and I will be participating in our 22nd "mission" activity or trip, and for essentially the first time, not as the team leaders.
Honduras has been designated as a very dangerous country having the second highest murder rate in the world. It is also identified as one of the sources of children illegally crossing the borders into the United States after walking, hitchhiking and bussing a thousand miles across Mexico to avoid poverty, death, rape and slavery in Honduras. These are phenomena we may gain insight into, at least I hope so. Even now as I write this, I feel pain for these children and their families. We have dreams of being a benefit to the people in Honduras, but only time and patience will tell if our dreams will come true.
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
A Good Day
What makes a good day? Or a bad one for that matter? The answer varies with each person. For most of us waking up in the morning, just being alive makes a good day. Having loved ones whom you love and who love you in return makes it a good day.
I'm compelled to be productive, so I must do something beneficial. Often that means benefiting someone else, someone besides myself. It does also include something for myself or at least something that I value as important.
Today was a good day.
I like waking early and so I did today, about 6:20AM. It was overcast expecting some baby needed rain. Before 8:00 I have read and answered my emails-very few today-and had a breakfast with fiber and fruit-cold cereal, and I was on my way to mow Sarah's pasture. All went well including seeing Sarah, one of her delightful little puppies and serving as a scratching post for one of the four horses. By 9:30 I was done and home, with a plan to mow some of our pasture but also to clean up around the trees in the pastures. I have never really cleaned up this area, I merely mow the tall grass to help with wildfire prevention.
This also goes well. I get lots of exercise, stretching, walking, lifting by moving broken down branches and cleaning up weeds. Gail joins me after lunch which makes the day nearly perfect. About 5:00PM a light mist starts and I do small tasks cleaning around the yard. By six I'm on the computer labeling pictures and writing emails. Now after a small glass of red wine to help the blood flow and a light supper, I ready to sleep. And so I will.
Good night after a good day.
I'm compelled to be productive, so I must do something beneficial. Often that means benefiting someone else, someone besides myself. It does also include something for myself or at least something that I value as important.
Today was a good day.
I like waking early and so I did today, about 6:20AM. It was overcast expecting some baby needed rain. Before 8:00 I have read and answered my emails-very few today-and had a breakfast with fiber and fruit-cold cereal, and I was on my way to mow Sarah's pasture. All went well including seeing Sarah, one of her delightful little puppies and serving as a scratching post for one of the four horses. By 9:30 I was done and home, with a plan to mow some of our pasture but also to clean up around the trees in the pastures. I have never really cleaned up this area, I merely mow the tall grass to help with wildfire prevention.
This also goes well. I get lots of exercise, stretching, walking, lifting by moving broken down branches and cleaning up weeds. Gail joins me after lunch which makes the day nearly perfect. About 5:00PM a light mist starts and I do small tasks cleaning around the yard. By six I'm on the computer labeling pictures and writing emails. Now after a small glass of red wine to help the blood flow and a light supper, I ready to sleep. And so I will.
Good night after a good day.
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