Greetings. =)
It has been a while since I've given an update, though I've meant to for a while now (probably since a week after my last update...).
Life has been fun and busy here in Honduras. I've continued to work on school stuff with the kids and help around the house. Cassandra, Sarah, and Jonathan are never without energy and fun, which is great, and sometimes a bit tiring. A few weeks ago their Grandma sent them a package with a set of Badmitten raquets and such. Cassandra and I have been out a few times to practice our skills, many times ending up with the birdie stuck on the roof ("We're smitten, while playing badmitten... Where's my kitten?..." okay, inside joke haha). Also, they've been able to introduce me to some great films like "Spy Kids" and "Barbie Fairytopia." Jonathan decided the other day that he wanted to play "attack Bethany" which was fun, and the girls are, little by little, finding how violent I get when I am tickled.
I've begun typing up charts from the clinic onto the computer. This may sound monotonous but I find it quite fun, actually. It gives me a quiet job when the kids are doing homework, and I get a kick out of some of the names that people have down here (about 1/3 of the male population's first name is Jose).
Last week, when we were at the clinic, Amy casually mentioned something to Anabel about how I wanted to learn some of the songs that we sing in church. Anabel proceeded to bring out some words to songs and teach me, then asked me if I would like to sing with the worship team the next night. I (a bit hesitantly) agreed and the next night, I was at the church about an hour and a half before the service to practice. Thankfully, I know (sortof) how to pronounce Spanish words, and the songs were pretty easy to pick up on. It was a really fun experience, and nice to sing with a worship team so little focused on performance.
Added to the list of things I get to experience here in Honduras was tropical storm Matthew, which hit us this past Friday night. Thankfully, the storm didn't hit us too hard here in San Pedro, and I'm fairly certain that this storm did not reach hurricane levels when we were experiencing it. Although, you can keep us in your prayers, as it is hurricane season here in the tropics.
Later, after the storm had hit (on Saturday), we went to the city to get some things and pick up mail. In the mail that day happened to be a package from a certain boyfriend of mine that quite excited me. =) After that, we went to the coast to pick up Araceli (the maid who works for the Hills) who was there taking care of her sick mother. On the way back I fell asleep in the car on accident (the storm had kept me up in the night so I was a little sleepy). That night we relaxed and watched movies (my favorite of which was Camp Rock 2.. haha).
Then Sunday morning we decided to go to an English-speaking church service in the city. It was quite nice and relaxing to sing songs that I know and to hear preaching in English whilst drinking American-style coffee! After church we ate Chinese while we had the laundry and the laundromat place. Of course, once we had spent the money on washing clothes, the power came back on not long after we got back home! Such a blessing is electricity!
Today, we're packing for Roatan (a small resort island off the coast). We'll be there til next week and I'm really really really excited to have this opportunity. We're taking many of the Hills' staff too, so it'll be quite the party! I'm hoping to go snorkeling and swimming with the dolphins. We'll see how much money I want to spend once I get there.
Speaking of such, I have a bit more packing and helping out to do before the day is out! We'll be leaving quite early tomorrow... Oh boy. ;-)
Monday, September 27, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Photographic Highlights
Taking blood pressure.
Daniel's biological family.
Kids at the medical brigade.
The beautiful mountains.
Kids at church.
Pinata at the church for Children's Day.
I'm sure there will be more to come. =)
Friday, September 10, 2010
Spanish Word of the Day: Lindo= pretty, lovely
And what a grand week it was. =)
Monday, we had another clinic day. I took blood pressures and observed, mostly. However, after we had left the clinic, we got a call that there was a girl who needed stitches put in her hand. It had already been almost a day since her cut, and her mom had put coffee on the wound (to soak up the blood). She was about five years old, and very nervous about getting stitches. The poor thing screamed and cried while we gave her local anesthetic and cleaned the coffee out of the wound. It was my job to lay on top of her, immobilizing her hands and blocking her vision so she wouldn't be afraid. I'm not really sure how much good that it did, because she beat me on my back and screamed, "Yo no quiero!" (I don't want it!) pretty much the whole five minutes it took to stitch up her hand. Poor girl.
After the clinic, I went with Anabel to sit in on her class she teaches to high schoolers about Honduran history. The class that afternoon consisted of three sixteen- or seventeen-year-old boys. It was really fun because Anabel asked them to speak with me in Spanish and ask me questions so that I could practice speaking-- but that I already had a boyfriend, so I'm not interested! She cracks me up. Anyways, it was a pretty fun time, and I did manage to learn some new Spanish words. Poco a poco...
One thing that happened this week in Honduras is the celebration of Children's Day (Dia de los Ninos). On Thursday night, we had a pinata at church, and then today, we went to the city for activities for the kids. We went to two different malls and a supermarket. There were balloons, face-paintings, pinatas, cotton candy, and lots of parents buying toys for their kids. It's like a 2nd Christmas, in a way. Anyways, free candy and stuff for the kids is cool. =)
Now, I'm relaxing after an afternoon in the city. I started making pillows for the Hills living room, finished a book on being safe as a woman who travels, and even made a girl with Bronchitis do her homework (I know- I'm a horrible person).
Ta-ta for now!
Monday, we had another clinic day. I took blood pressures and observed, mostly. However, after we had left the clinic, we got a call that there was a girl who needed stitches put in her hand. It had already been almost a day since her cut, and her mom had put coffee on the wound (to soak up the blood). She was about five years old, and very nervous about getting stitches. The poor thing screamed and cried while we gave her local anesthetic and cleaned the coffee out of the wound. It was my job to lay on top of her, immobilizing her hands and blocking her vision so she wouldn't be afraid. I'm not really sure how much good that it did, because she beat me on my back and screamed, "Yo no quiero!" (I don't want it!) pretty much the whole five minutes it took to stitch up her hand. Poor girl.
After the clinic, I went with Anabel to sit in on her class she teaches to high schoolers about Honduran history. The class that afternoon consisted of three sixteen- or seventeen-year-old boys. It was really fun because Anabel asked them to speak with me in Spanish and ask me questions so that I could practice speaking-- but that I already had a boyfriend, so I'm not interested! She cracks me up. Anyways, it was a pretty fun time, and I did manage to learn some new Spanish words. Poco a poco...
One thing that happened this week in Honduras is the celebration of Children's Day (Dia de los Ninos). On Thursday night, we had a pinata at church, and then today, we went to the city for activities for the kids. We went to two different malls and a supermarket. There were balloons, face-paintings, pinatas, cotton candy, and lots of parents buying toys for their kids. It's like a 2nd Christmas, in a way. Anyways, free candy and stuff for the kids is cool. =)
Now, I'm relaxing after an afternoon in the city. I started making pillows for the Hills living room, finished a book on being safe as a woman who travels, and even made a girl with Bronchitis do her homework (I know- I'm a horrible person).
Ta-ta for now!
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Tarantulas, Waterfalls, and Boys with ADHD
This past week has not necessarily been the most eventful week here, but a fun one (for me, anyways) none the less. Amy experienced some major back pain this week and had to stay in bed for a few days, leaving me to just do some homeschooling, play and do art stuff with the kids, and read.
Also this week the men have started digging a hole (15 ft. deep) in the front yard for a new septic tank (a fairly desperate need at the moment). This has been fun for the kids (especially Jonathan) because there is a big pile of dirt in the yard that they climb/play in. However, there was a drainage pipe coming out from the house due to some of the septic problems. Apparently, there were some critters that decided to climb up this pipe and into the house to grace us with their presence. Last week this critter was a scorpion, this week, a tarantula. The tarantula had Amy, Cassandra, and myself all screaming and standing on chairs in by the table in the laundry room... until Toby came and promptly smashed it with a broom. =)
When we're not doing school or art or violin, the kids like to play with other kids (mainly the maid's daughter, Eliana) and watch movies. I believe I saw the same parts of Camp Rock three times in one day. Today, it was High School Musical- in Spanish, so I can practice. =)
Yesterday Toby drove the kids and I to a waterfall about 1/2 an hour from the house. The water was really cold and refreshing, and it was relaxing to just splash around in the water. I gave Sarah my camera and she took about 80 pictures or so... Fun to look at later-- mostly of rocks and grass. =)
I've also been able to read some books while I'm here. I finished Elizabeth Elliot's "Passion and Purity," and then Amy suggested I read a book called, "Boys Adrift." This book addresses the problems regarding the lazy young men in American society today- including video games, bad role models, and ADHD medications. Although not from a Christian perspective, this was a really interesting/eye-opening book, especially considering all of the statistics that it contains.
Today, we had some people over to the house after church and we cooked chicken, corn, green beans, baked beans, Honduran beans, cole slaw, potato salad, stuffing, bread, and Pepsi. We ate the delicious food, I held the cutest baby possibly ever, and we watched the Looney Tunes movie with Michael Jordan in it. Quite the relaxing afternoon.
Then this evening, Toby, Leonel, Sarah, Jonathan and I went to a church so that Toby could teach. I played outside with the kids- Sarah and Jonathan made friends with some of them and played in the waterfall-ish thing by the church. The kid that Jonathan played with was about a head shorter than him, and yet would chase him around and tackle him and hold him down for a few seconds, then help him back up. It was really really funny to watch. Then on the way home we were able to watch the storm from the edge of the mountain-- Que bonito! ;-)
Tomorrow I'll probably go to the clinic and do more stuff with the kids. I'm excited about what God will do this week. He is so good...
P.S. I'll try to post pictures soon, for those of you who don't have facebook. =)
Also this week the men have started digging a hole (15 ft. deep) in the front yard for a new septic tank (a fairly desperate need at the moment). This has been fun for the kids (especially Jonathan) because there is a big pile of dirt in the yard that they climb/play in. However, there was a drainage pipe coming out from the house due to some of the septic problems. Apparently, there were some critters that decided to climb up this pipe and into the house to grace us with their presence. Last week this critter was a scorpion, this week, a tarantula. The tarantula had Amy, Cassandra, and myself all screaming and standing on chairs in by the table in the laundry room... until Toby came and promptly smashed it with a broom. =)
When we're not doing school or art or violin, the kids like to play with other kids (mainly the maid's daughter, Eliana) and watch movies. I believe I saw the same parts of Camp Rock three times in one day. Today, it was High School Musical- in Spanish, so I can practice. =)
Yesterday Toby drove the kids and I to a waterfall about 1/2 an hour from the house. The water was really cold and refreshing, and it was relaxing to just splash around in the water. I gave Sarah my camera and she took about 80 pictures or so... Fun to look at later-- mostly of rocks and grass. =)
I've also been able to read some books while I'm here. I finished Elizabeth Elliot's "Passion and Purity," and then Amy suggested I read a book called, "Boys Adrift." This book addresses the problems regarding the lazy young men in American society today- including video games, bad role models, and ADHD medications. Although not from a Christian perspective, this was a really interesting/eye-opening book, especially considering all of the statistics that it contains.
Today, we had some people over to the house after church and we cooked chicken, corn, green beans, baked beans, Honduran beans, cole slaw, potato salad, stuffing, bread, and Pepsi. We ate the delicious food, I held the cutest baby possibly ever, and we watched the Looney Tunes movie with Michael Jordan in it. Quite the relaxing afternoon.
Then this evening, Toby, Leonel, Sarah, Jonathan and I went to a church so that Toby could teach. I played outside with the kids- Sarah and Jonathan made friends with some of them and played in the waterfall-ish thing by the church. The kid that Jonathan played with was about a head shorter than him, and yet would chase him around and tackle him and hold him down for a few seconds, then help him back up. It was really really funny to watch. Then on the way home we were able to watch the storm from the edge of the mountain-- Que bonito! ;-)
Tomorrow I'll probably go to the clinic and do more stuff with the kids. I'm excited about what God will do this week. He is so good...
P.S. I'll try to post pictures soon, for those of you who don't have facebook. =)
Thursday, September 2, 2010
The First Two Weeks
Hello, anyone who cares to bother to read this blog (hi, Mom!).
I will begin by attempting to describe some of my adventures thus far, though I'm at the point of forgetting some of the details-- a lot has gone down in the two weeks I've been here!
My Dad, my brother Daniel and I flew down here on August 17th. After a flight change to detour us through Charlotte and Miami instead of Houston. When we arrived, Toby Hill and Daniel's biological father came to the airport to pick us up. Daniel's dad greeted him with kisses and Spanish ramblings that Daniel couldn't understand, but he just smiled and hugged his dad tightly anyways. =)
The first day in Honduras (Wednesday, August 18th) was spent by my dad and I at the clinic with Amy. These clinics are proving to be one of my favorite parts about being here with the Hills. My dad was able to do stitches, listen to lungs, remove an eyeball-sized piece of skin cancer and even remove an extra finger! I'm learning how to take blood pressure and listen to lungs- many children have breathing problems here in the mountains. Not too long ago we had a little girl with a bean in her nose. We got it out by my dad's suggestion of closing her other nostril and blowing hard through her mouth- worked like a charm and the bean almost landed in her dad's mouth!
The day after we worked in the clinic, Dad, Toby, Daniel and I made the hike up to Daniel's mountain village of Guanales to have aroz con pollo (rice with chicken) with his biological family. This hike was strenuous to say the least, and took about two hours of nearly constant walking uphill. Great cardio-vascular exercise. The people going up the mountain with us helped us carry our stuff and laughed at us weak gringos. Once we got up there, Daniel was greeted by many of his aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and friends. However, Dad, Daniel and I made it up before Toby (the only one who can really translate) could be there. This was fun because then Dad and I had to awkwardly try to understand and communicate with Daniel's relatives for about twenty minutes... But it worked out okay. =) We ate the rice and chicken with them, and Daniel's biological mother made us tamales (delicious!!!). Then, we took pictures and drank coconut milk (also delicious) before heading back down.
The following day my dad and I went with Amy to do a medical brigade for the poor near the city. This is done in a small, hot structure with a line for seeing the doctor/nurse and a line for getting medicine and vitamins. My job was to keep the kids busy with some craft stuff that we had bought for the occasion. This was probably the most overwhelming experience I've had thusfar. It started out fine, but after a while, there were probably fifteen or twenty kids all swarming around me basically pulling the bracelets or stickers or whatever I had out of my hands and I really couldn't even explain to them that I'm not a vending machine (because I don't know the word for vending machine in Spanish). So after a while, I went inside and hid from them. =)
Later that afternoon, we left for the city of Tegucigualpa to visit Daniel's foster mother and sisters. We had made reservations at a hotel in the city, however, when we got there, the woman at the desk told us we needed identification for everyone in the party- including Toby and Amy's small children. Feeling uncomfortable at this supposed "requirement," we decided to locate elsewhere, and ended up staying at the very nice and comfortable Clarion hotel, where many of the staff even spoke english. I'd say that was a win.
Visiting Gloria and her daughters was as wonderful as I remember it being the last time we were in Honduras. Her daughter, Gina, speaks english and was able to translate for us. They shared many stories about Daniel (some that were quite amusing that I never heard before) and asked about the rest of our family and how they were doing. They were quite glad to see Daniel, and Daniel glad to re-visit the home where he spent three years of his childhood.
Sunday, we left Teguc. and traveled back to the Hill's house. Monday was another clinic day, and then on Tuesday, Dad and Daniel boarded a plane back to the states. It was hard to say goodbye, and I felt like I fit right in there in the airport- there are usually many teary eyes in airports.
Since they left, life has slowed down a little for me. I've been put to work doing homeschooling activities with the kids- mainly Cassandra, who is in fourth grade this year. I really enjoy working on stuff with her, and it almost makes me miss being homeschooled myself... almost. ;-) I'm also working on teaching the girls violin. In fact, I heard them practicing on their own today and it sounded quite lovely. =)
The church that the Hills go to here in the mountain is quite enjoyable for even me, a non-Spanish-speaker. The songs are up-beat with lots of clapping and loud singing, and I'm learning more Spanish by listening to the sermons. Also, after the service, everyone shakes everyone's hand and says, "Dios te bendiga (God bless you)!" and "Amen!" It's a nice place to worship. Some of the songs are even ones that I know in English (although it's hard to sing English words over their Spanish ones).
Not all of life here, however, is work. Not too long ago I was able to go with Amy and the kids to "Zizima"-- a water park with some pretty amazing slides! This park is open year-round and is quite cheap compared with most U.S. water parks! Also, the other day Amy and I stopped by the salon- her to get a massage, me to get my fingernails and toenails done- an hour treatment for $17. Oh yes. =)
Well, that's been my life so far. There are many other details I could grace you with, but I need information for later posts, and my fingers are getting tired of typing at the moment, so I will leave you for now.
Remember to pray.
Dios te bendiga!
I will begin by attempting to describe some of my adventures thus far, though I'm at the point of forgetting some of the details-- a lot has gone down in the two weeks I've been here!
My Dad, my brother Daniel and I flew down here on August 17th. After a flight change to detour us through Charlotte and Miami instead of Houston. When we arrived, Toby Hill and Daniel's biological father came to the airport to pick us up. Daniel's dad greeted him with kisses and Spanish ramblings that Daniel couldn't understand, but he just smiled and hugged his dad tightly anyways. =)
The first day in Honduras (Wednesday, August 18th) was spent by my dad and I at the clinic with Amy. These clinics are proving to be one of my favorite parts about being here with the Hills. My dad was able to do stitches, listen to lungs, remove an eyeball-sized piece of skin cancer and even remove an extra finger! I'm learning how to take blood pressure and listen to lungs- many children have breathing problems here in the mountains. Not too long ago we had a little girl with a bean in her nose. We got it out by my dad's suggestion of closing her other nostril and blowing hard through her mouth- worked like a charm and the bean almost landed in her dad's mouth!
The day after we worked in the clinic, Dad, Toby, Daniel and I made the hike up to Daniel's mountain village of Guanales to have aroz con pollo (rice with chicken) with his biological family. This hike was strenuous to say the least, and took about two hours of nearly constant walking uphill. Great cardio-vascular exercise. The people going up the mountain with us helped us carry our stuff and laughed at us weak gringos. Once we got up there, Daniel was greeted by many of his aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and friends. However, Dad, Daniel and I made it up before Toby (the only one who can really translate) could be there. This was fun because then Dad and I had to awkwardly try to understand and communicate with Daniel's relatives for about twenty minutes... But it worked out okay. =) We ate the rice and chicken with them, and Daniel's biological mother made us tamales (delicious!!!). Then, we took pictures and drank coconut milk (also delicious) before heading back down.
The following day my dad and I went with Amy to do a medical brigade for the poor near the city. This is done in a small, hot structure with a line for seeing the doctor/nurse and a line for getting medicine and vitamins. My job was to keep the kids busy with some craft stuff that we had bought for the occasion. This was probably the most overwhelming experience I've had thusfar. It started out fine, but after a while, there were probably fifteen or twenty kids all swarming around me basically pulling the bracelets or stickers or whatever I had out of my hands and I really couldn't even explain to them that I'm not a vending machine (because I don't know the word for vending machine in Spanish). So after a while, I went inside and hid from them. =)
Later that afternoon, we left for the city of Tegucigualpa to visit Daniel's foster mother and sisters. We had made reservations at a hotel in the city, however, when we got there, the woman at the desk told us we needed identification for everyone in the party- including Toby and Amy's small children. Feeling uncomfortable at this supposed "requirement," we decided to locate elsewhere, and ended up staying at the very nice and comfortable Clarion hotel, where many of the staff even spoke english. I'd say that was a win.
Visiting Gloria and her daughters was as wonderful as I remember it being the last time we were in Honduras. Her daughter, Gina, speaks english and was able to translate for us. They shared many stories about Daniel (some that were quite amusing that I never heard before) and asked about the rest of our family and how they were doing. They were quite glad to see Daniel, and Daniel glad to re-visit the home where he spent three years of his childhood.
Sunday, we left Teguc. and traveled back to the Hill's house. Monday was another clinic day, and then on Tuesday, Dad and Daniel boarded a plane back to the states. It was hard to say goodbye, and I felt like I fit right in there in the airport- there are usually many teary eyes in airports.
Since they left, life has slowed down a little for me. I've been put to work doing homeschooling activities with the kids- mainly Cassandra, who is in fourth grade this year. I really enjoy working on stuff with her, and it almost makes me miss being homeschooled myself... almost. ;-) I'm also working on teaching the girls violin. In fact, I heard them practicing on their own today and it sounded quite lovely. =)
The church that the Hills go to here in the mountain is quite enjoyable for even me, a non-Spanish-speaker. The songs are up-beat with lots of clapping and loud singing, and I'm learning more Spanish by listening to the sermons. Also, after the service, everyone shakes everyone's hand and says, "Dios te bendiga (God bless you)!" and "Amen!" It's a nice place to worship. Some of the songs are even ones that I know in English (although it's hard to sing English words over their Spanish ones).
Not all of life here, however, is work. Not too long ago I was able to go with Amy and the kids to "Zizima"-- a water park with some pretty amazing slides! This park is open year-round and is quite cheap compared with most U.S. water parks! Also, the other day Amy and I stopped by the salon- her to get a massage, me to get my fingernails and toenails done- an hour treatment for $17. Oh yes. =)
Well, that's been my life so far. There are many other details I could grace you with, but I need information for later posts, and my fingers are getting tired of typing at the moment, so I will leave you for now.
Remember to pray.
Dios te bendiga!
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