The first few days

Well, I'm sitting in a Hammock less than 100 yards from the Caribbean and yes, it is as beautiful as it sounds. The first few days have been a blast. While this is by no means a vacation, the culture here values relationships and a slower pace of life, which makes working here anything but monotonous.

I was talking to Tim Riley in airport and I said that I hope we jump right in...well, I got my wish. My plane got in around 1 a.m. (3 a.m. for most of you) and Dr. Rumbaugh and Astor (the Rumbaugh's Honduran friend) picked me up and drove me through San Pedro to our hotel. Astor and I shared a bed, which meant that I had to explain to him, in broken Spanish, that I might talk in my sleep and that he shouldn't be scared if it happened. First thing the next morning, we drove to a church in San Pedro and started singing Spanish songs with the kids. This is what I mean by jumping right in, as I was probably the only person in the room who knew 0% of the words and motions. It was fun nonetheless and the kids really liked having us there.

From there we took the four hour drive to Belfate, where we settled in and enjoyed wonderful chicken enchiladas. For those of you worried that a picky eater like myself will have trouble down here, have no fear because the only part of the only part of the Honduran diet that I don't like is beans. Yes, I even like their other vegetables. In Belfate I am living about three miles from the Grove City girls + Julia (they're in the mountains, I'm on the coast). Lisa Bradley, the hospital administrator, put me up in her casita.

Today (Sunday), Lisa, Hannah (nursing student spending 1 month with Lisa), and I went to Lisa's church to help teach Sunday school. This was the first time I was really able to spend time with the Honduran kids without my limited Spanish being a huge roadblock. In general, children are more responsive to the Jesus than adults are in Belfate, so prayer on that front would be wonderful. We spend the rest of the day at a waterfall with 4 of the kids that Lisa spends a lot of time with. I'm not even going to try to spell any of their names, with the exception of Eddie. The kids had never been there before and they had a blast. We jumped off boulders and played tag in the water. They had no problem hanging out with us Gringos (they love making fun of our language abilities) and overall it was a great day.

The real work begins tomorrow. I have no idea what it will entail, but I would appreciate prayer that my work will truly bring glory to God and that I will have success remembering the names of the Hondurans that I meet. I hope all is well back in the States and I am praying for you guys as well.