I thought I would write while I wait for more tape to pack. Last night Sherlynn and I made chocolate cake for the girls. The oven ran out of gas, so we had to walk to the store and buy more so the cake could finish baking. Fortunately, it turned out well and the girls loved it! There is a team coming today to take apart the bunk beds, take down the fans, and make us dinner. I am looking forward to seeing some Americans and eating something different. Official moving day is Monday and Tuesday. The girls are going to go to camp for the week while we move, unpack, and fix up the old house. 5 more days til I am in the US!
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Grateful
We started packing yesterday. While moving things around we found lots of critters: roaches, spiders, ticks, slugs, lizards...even a crab! I think we are making progress! I find myself thinking of all the things I am thankful for....like Miss Lori, Jodi, Chris, Andrew, and others who helped us the last time we moved. (Im passing it on!) I am also thankful for my clean, air conditioned apartment, for my community of friends whom I consider family in Richmond, the Sweet Frog that is walking distance from my house, food that isnt rice and beans, my Versa, and my family. You dont realize how much you need or want something until it is gone.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Day 7ish
Hola! I am still alive and well! It was so good to hear from a couple of you via comments on here, emails, and FB msgs. It is HOT here! Yesterday was the first day I didnt go to bed with a headache. Im not sure if it took a week for me to adjust to the heat or I was going through chocolate withdrawal. (Allison bought us doughnuts with chocolate icing and I got my first chocolate fix yesterday!)
Things here are weird. You cant flush toilet paper. Allisons computer is Spanish so I cant type an apostrophe. There is a parrot with terrets (spelling) next door. It yells hola and other random things all day. (Not ole, mom.) They have scorpions and bats in the house. Technology is slow here, so Im waiting until I get back to the states to post pics. Nicole and Stacy would be proud of me...Im taking a ton! The girls are obsessed with taking videos on it!
This week and next week Sherrilynn (Ive been spelling her name wrong, oops!) and I are holding a camp for the girls. We do fun songs with them, teach them a Bible story, do relay activities, review math, make crafts, swim in the pool, etc. I wish Tim were here to do all the fun Camp YoliJwa songs with the girls! They would love you, Tim! My last week here we are helping Allison and the girls move to a place two hours south of here. (Dont be jealous, Nate...I know how much you love to help people move.) Its by a lake and at a higher elevation so it will be a little cooler. They really like a church there and would like to eventually buy property and build in that town.
Last weekend was a lot of fun. I gave the girls the gifts my Dad and Tari sent. Each girl got at least one article of clothing, a toothbrush, toothpaste, headband, and hairtie. They were very appreciative and all wore their new clothes to church on Sunday. Sunday we went to their church in the town where they will be moving. Then we went to a water park there. On Tuesday we went to the beach. Unfortunately, it had lots of ants and was very rocky.
Im starting to miss running! My flipflops broke, so all I have to wear are my asics. I really want to run in them, but it would feel like running in a sauna. This morning we took a break from camp with the girls and did a body pump work-out with Allison. Her sister is in the states and led us in a class via skype. Lea and Jaclyn and Nicole would have loved it! I kept thinking of you girls!
The girls here are so much fun! We spend most of the day with 8 that are in elementary school. They are beautiful, funny, lively, and a blast to play with! Its been really fun getting to know them. Their favorite time of the camp day is crafts. They love to color and do the cross stitch that Dad and Tari sent down. They love to swim too. They have a small above ground pool in the backyard that they swim in in the afternoons.
Im not sure when I can write again, so no news is good news. Between packing and keeping the girls entertained, I dont want to spend too much time on the computer. Just know that I miss everyone and look forward to being back in the states in two weeks!
Things here are weird. You cant flush toilet paper. Allisons computer is Spanish so I cant type an apostrophe. There is a parrot with terrets (spelling) next door. It yells hola and other random things all day. (Not ole, mom.) They have scorpions and bats in the house. Technology is slow here, so Im waiting until I get back to the states to post pics. Nicole and Stacy would be proud of me...Im taking a ton! The girls are obsessed with taking videos on it!
This week and next week Sherrilynn (Ive been spelling her name wrong, oops!) and I are holding a camp for the girls. We do fun songs with them, teach them a Bible story, do relay activities, review math, make crafts, swim in the pool, etc. I wish Tim were here to do all the fun Camp YoliJwa songs with the girls! They would love you, Tim! My last week here we are helping Allison and the girls move to a place two hours south of here. (Dont be jealous, Nate...I know how much you love to help people move.) Its by a lake and at a higher elevation so it will be a little cooler. They really like a church there and would like to eventually buy property and build in that town.
Last weekend was a lot of fun. I gave the girls the gifts my Dad and Tari sent. Each girl got at least one article of clothing, a toothbrush, toothpaste, headband, and hairtie. They were very appreciative and all wore their new clothes to church on Sunday. Sunday we went to their church in the town where they will be moving. Then we went to a water park there. On Tuesday we went to the beach. Unfortunately, it had lots of ants and was very rocky.
Im starting to miss running! My flipflops broke, so all I have to wear are my asics. I really want to run in them, but it would feel like running in a sauna. This morning we took a break from camp with the girls and did a body pump work-out with Allison. Her sister is in the states and led us in a class via skype. Lea and Jaclyn and Nicole would have loved it! I kept thinking of you girls!
The girls here are so much fun! We spend most of the day with 8 that are in elementary school. They are beautiful, funny, lively, and a blast to play with! Its been really fun getting to know them. Their favorite time of the camp day is crafts. They love to color and do the cross stitch that Dad and Tari sent down. They love to swim too. They have a small above ground pool in the backyard that they swim in in the afternoons.
Im not sure when I can write again, so no news is good news. Between packing and keeping the girls entertained, I dont want to spend too much time on the computer. Just know that I miss everyone and look forward to being back in the states in two weeks!
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Day 1
My new roommate, Cherilynn, was kind enough to let me use her computer to post an update. So...the flights went well yesterday. When I got to the place in the airport where I was supposed to meet Allison, she wasn't there. My backup plan was to use my phone to call her, but there's no Verizon in Honduras. I asked someone where I could find a public phone, but she only spoke Spanish. I finally communicated my question to her, but the airport had no public phones. Fortunately, an American man overheard me, translated to a security worker my dilema, and he let me use his cell. Allison was running late and was there in minutes to pick me up. I met her, Hilary (another returning volunteer) and Cherilynn (who is here for a psychology internship). We stopped at a Chipotle-like place to eat. I got a burrito-looking dish and water for under $2 American. We stopped at the public orphanage to hand out bananas and hold babies. Then we went to a Costco-like grocery store and filled up 3 carts to take back to Allison's. Then we arrived at the house. The girls go to a bilingual school which runs on the same schedule as American schools. That means they're on summer break now and they speak English fairly well. They introduced themselves to me and told me how old they were in English. I was exhausted after getting up at 4am, so I tried to take a shower, but it was full of water. Allison drained and snaked it. I'm sharing a small room w/ Cherilynn. It reminds me of the room I used to share w/ my sister. I'm having flashbacks to my childhood...on the top bunk of a tiny room and living out of boxes (or in this case suitcases!) The door is super ghetto...we have to pull a string on the inside of a hole to open it, then close the hole w/ a rag so no mosquitoes get inside. Unlike my childhood room, there is an AC unit right next to my bed! It kept me cool and drowned out the Spanish music playing outside. The house also has a dog and lots of kittens. They're adorable! I wish I wasn't allergic! I'm not sure what today holds since it's a Saturday. Allison said during the week they take a few hours each day to work w/ the girls on reading and writing. She thought I might be able to teach them some math (in English I think). She's also working on a design to build a new facility for the girls and wants me to look at it. I hope I am helpful! Anyway, it sounds like some of the girls are starting to get up. It's 10:30am for me, but only 8:30am for them. I hope all is well in States!
Friday, July 6, 2012
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Salutes
Buenos noches!
In a few hours I leave for Honduras. I will work for three weeks in an all girls orphanage in Puerto Cortes. Here's the website if you want to check it out: http://eternalfamilyproject.org/. I am a little nervous and VERY excited!!!
As I finish packing and preparing for my trip to Honduras, I feel an overwhelming sense of how blessed I am by the people in my life. We have a custom at the school where I work to give salutes to each other. Salutes are ways to thank each other and publicly acknowledge others when they go above and beyond what they are required to do. I want to salute a few people who are supporting me and making this trip possible. I salute my parents who encourage me to pursue missions despite their apprehension of me traveling to a third world country. I salute my dad and his wife for buying clothes and goodies for the girls at the orphanage. I salute Amber for waking up extra early to drive me to the airport and staying up late to pick me up when I return. I salute Josh for apartment-sitting for me. I salute my parents, the Good family, Miss Lori, Mel, my parents, and my Caring Community Church of God family. A very special thanks to my Commonwealth Chapel Community Group who not only prayed over me before leaving for my trip, but consistently poured into me over the past 3 years. I'm not sure I would be at a place in my life to serve others in another country in this capacity if it weren't for their love, encouragement, friendship, prayers, and support.
If you're interested, send snail mail to:
Barrio Elporvenir
Calle Del Tanque
En Frente de Salon Chenel
Puerto Cortes, Honduras
Hasta luego!
In a few hours I leave for Honduras. I will work for three weeks in an all girls orphanage in Puerto Cortes. Here's the website if you want to check it out: http://eternalfamilyproject.org/. I am a little nervous and VERY excited!!!
As I finish packing and preparing for my trip to Honduras, I feel an overwhelming sense of how blessed I am by the people in my life. We have a custom at the school where I work to give salutes to each other. Salutes are ways to thank each other and publicly acknowledge others when they go above and beyond what they are required to do. I want to salute a few people who are supporting me and making this trip possible. I salute my parents who encourage me to pursue missions despite their apprehension of me traveling to a third world country. I salute my dad and his wife for buying clothes and goodies for the girls at the orphanage. I salute Amber for waking up extra early to drive me to the airport and staying up late to pick me up when I return. I salute Josh for apartment-sitting for me. I salute my parents, the Good family, Miss Lori, Mel, my parents, and my Caring Community Church of God family. A very special thanks to my Commonwealth Chapel Community Group who not only prayed over me before leaving for my trip, but consistently poured into me over the past 3 years. I'm not sure I would be at a place in my life to serve others in another country in this capacity if it weren't for their love, encouragement, friendship, prayers, and support.
If you're interested, send snail mail to:
Barrio Elporvenir
Calle Del Tanque
En Frente de Salon Chenel
Puerto Cortes, Honduras
Hasta luego!
Monday, July 2, 2012
The Dominican Republic
I just returned from spending a week in the Dominican Republic. My mom treated my sister and me to a vacation at Dreams Resort in Punta Cana. We had a week of beautiful weather! Highlights were snorkling (for my first time!), kayaking, sunbathing, and eating lots of food. The resort was all inclusive with Italian, Mexican, French, and Chinese restaurants. We ate at a different restaurant every night. It's a popular spot for destination weddings. We saw about a dozen performed during our week there. I'm not the best documentor, but here are a few pics from the trip.
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| Driving at 5am to go to the Philadelphia airport |
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| Our room at the resort |
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| Our hotel |
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| Pool time! |
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| Pool at the resort...you can see chairs set up for a wedding reception in the background |
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| We found a friend outside our bedroom one afternoon |
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| Punta Cana airport...it was not fully enclosed...very hot! |
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