Latest news on Friday

Again recheduled our flight for Sunday, Feb 14 as DC had another big snow on Wed.  We chose to stay here rather than be stranded in Atlanta.  Even though we hear Atlanta has had snow today, we are praying that the runways remain open.  
  I also visited the newly painted school in El Eden today and there where children everywhere.  In one classroom alone there were 40 students and another with 30.  There are two shifts per day- 8-1 and 1-5. 250 children attend this school.  There are 6 rooms and a library which has very few books.  There is a seventh room but the roof collapsed and no one has the money to fix it.  We are contacting several sources to see if a roof can be purchased and built, which would add another room.  No one spoke English so I just smiled and took pictures. There will always be so many projects.

Honduran gift to Elmer

Remember the little boy who had Leukemia and wanted to go to school. Whe he got to school the next day there was no desk for him. We got an extra desk from our friends at a private school  and when Elmer took the desk to his house the grandmother was so happy she gave Elmer a live chicken as a gift.  Elmer's family enjoyed lots of chicken soup.  I can just imagine Elmer driving down the road with a chicken under his arm.  One good deed deserves another, right?

Home safe and sound

Finally after two reschedulings, we able to leave Honduras on Sunday Feb. 14 as the airports were open in Atlanta and DC. During our wait time in San Pedro and Atlanta we were blessed to spend much time with Nancy, one of the new directors of Friends of Barnabas,  It was great to get to know her and her vision for the foundation.  We look forward to meeting her husband and working with them in their new positions.  After we go through re-entry, I will post things as they develop.  God bless you all again for supporting these wonderful children.

Visiting the children and delivering gifts

Friday Elmer and I delivered the gifts to the children in El Eden near the newly painted school.  They we all so excited as they never get gifts and they loved seeing the pictures of those who sponsored them to go to school.  We are bringing letters back for all the sponsors to show their gratitude. There is now a total of 38 children attending school because of you, the sponsors. God bless you for your love and care for these children.   There was one little boy age seven, who has leukemia and his mother was sad because they didn't have money to send him to school.  Now he is able to go to kndergarten .  They went with us to the store where he got his uniform, shoes, sneaker, backpack and everything he needed.
We saw the newly painted school in El Eden but will return later as many parents and children were still cleaning ..  Since we knew we would have an extended stay here,we moved to Las Glorias, a nearby Honduran resort on the lake, where we knew the food was safe and the water was dependable.

Back to last thursday

Since the Seeds of Liberty Christian school wants to partner with the Cortes bilingual school we went with the new English teachers and founders of the school on a day trip to Puerta Cortes.  It was about a three hour drive but when we got there the headmaster was cooking lunch for us.  It was wonderful. The children only go to school from 8-2. So when we got there the children were gone.  The teachers got together and decided what books the children would need to learn to speak English.  When the children finish 7th grade at this school they speak three languages. English Spanish and French.  The Headmistress speaks 8 languages from traveling as a child.  Mario the headmaster took us to his parents home which overlooked the ocean and everything was absolutely beautiful.  After the long ride home, we met Elmer for few minutes since he just got home and we crashed.

Blessed are the Flexible

Well, here we are twelve days later and hoping to get home soon.  With all the snow in DC and the runways closed, we chose to remain here rather than be stuck in Atanta.  Unfortunately, there were no Delta flights until Thursday.  So, because we could only make changes to our flights once without an extra charge, tomorrow we have to at least go to Atlanta.  Who knows when we will get to DC and home.  There is a purpose in everything.  We have had a chance to meet and see many more children and make more contacts.  We have been staying at a hotel on the lake owned by new friends and are also having some R&R after a very busy week God's work. We are coming home with many lettters written by the chidren or parents to all their sponsors.  We hope to have them translated before our arrival.  Will write more later.  Please lift our situation up to the Lord.  So far our attude remains positive.

Visit to the College(secondary school)

Wednesday we visited the College in Las Vegas where the two oldest Martinez sisters will travel every morning by bus.  They will attend school from 8-1 five days a week and which will  begin on Monday.  We waited to meet the principal who was very nice and will do everything to help the girls.  We even have a teacher friend who will help tutor if needed.  Rodilio wanted us to see the Home for the Aging.  This is a project that is unheard of in Honduras.  One side is lined with cots for women and the other for men and they share a courtyard and meals in the dining room.  It was very clean and everyone was so friendly.  The project was built with money from a church and priest in Spain.  The priest at one time lived in Las Vegas.  In the evening we were part of an interview on the local TV station, promoting the Seeds of Liberty School and also talking about the support of American people who we represented.  The new Mayor saw the interview and called to meet us for dinner.  We shared with her our desire to get a new home for the Martinez family.  She wants to meet us at their house on Sat.  She is a very kind, humble person who worked for the Red Cross for 13 years before running for mayor. Big day planned on Thursday/

Tuesday in Las Vegas

After moving to the hotel at EL Mochito Mining camp on Monday evening we settled in for a good night of sleep. Tuesday we visited the Martinez family in Quelepa which is the family we sort of adopted and are helping to a better life. They live in a very bad atmosphere as the floors are dirt and Yeny's 1 yr old baby crawls around outside in the dirt and mud which is where the chickens and dogs run free.  It is so sad to see.
In the afternoon all the children who have sponsors from the US to attend Seeds of Liberty Christian School, gathered with their parents to receive their gifts from the sponsors and thank us for the connection.  Before we left later in the afternoon, they all brought letters for us to bring back home.  How grateful they are for your support.  God bless you.

Patience doesn't come easy

After many glitches in technology, we managed to begin creating blogs again.  Monday we met Pastor Chris who took us to see the Lake Yojoa Billingual Christian School near the Barnabas House.  The children were awesome.  When we entered their rooms, they all stood up and said, Good morning and had a little ritual to greet us. Some even sang songs in English and they all speak English very well.  We then drove up a very rough road to Sister Maria's (a nun) where she has a morning day care so the older siblings can go to school rather than take care of the younger siblings.  She feeds 112 children two good meals with donations.   When we got there the bins for beans, rice and corn were empty.  The children had nothing to eat.  She was so excited when we gave her a donation and rode with us to town to get food.  The children would have chicken and rice for the next day. Her whole life is devoted to the children. More entries later.  Praise be to God.
Pray that we can get home soon as we are flying into DC whenever they open the airport.

It takes much patience

a House.

First days in Honduras

Hello from Honduras.  After a late flight and being met by the director or Friends of Barnabas at the airport, we were escorted out of the city to familiar territory.  Thank you Melvin.  I soon recognized the route and even felt comfortable driving like a maniac.  We arrived at the Alfredo House and were greeted by the security guard who spoke nor read  English and since Elmer was not there, because of the death of his father, we had to use smiles, hugs and charades to communicate.  We WILL learn Spanish. We were greeted on Sunday morning by a lady who spoke English and invited us to her billingual church service across the road.  What an awesome service.  The pastor spoke in English with a Spanish translator.    The church had no window panes and there was no roof on the children's SS room but the Spirit was definately there.  It's being finished in stages by volunteers.  After a late lunch at Los Glorias(a resort)with the pastor and his wife from New Mexico,we were happy for some total solitude.
Will add more tomorrow as this is getting lengthy.