NPH Update: A day of rest

Hola!

Catching up on some blogging. Sunday, July 21st was a lesson in making schedule adjustments and the like. After a long, hard workday on Saturday, a late night movie with the children, and a late night group devotional, we reviewed our schedule for the following day: “We need to start work on the farm at 6:00 AM sharp.” The looks on faces told a dramatic story. After the bait was taken hook, line and sinker, (and after I could sense my life might possibly be in danger) the actual day’s agenda was revealed: “Sunday, the Lord’s day, is a day of rest. Sleep in. We will make breakfast at 9:00 AM”

And there was much rejoicing.

Sunday began with a pancake and scrambled eggs breakfast (I learned how to make pancakes from the recent Speed Racer movie: the secret is to add cinnamon and vanilla – GO SPEED RACER GO!!!) including Tang, coffee, and fresh cut pineapple. Breakfast was quickly heading for a disaster via the bachelor-esk cooking talents of said blogger. Help quickly came to the rescue (thanks Marion and Kathy!). The breakfast was enjoyed by all. Jenna was able to join us for breakfast and Jenna led us in our morning prayer.

Next, we headed down to the school (approximately a mile walk) area where an NPH planned activity for the kids was to take place. No one was there. Turns out, the kids were by the boys soccer fields. A soccer tournament was taking place and all the kids were enjoying a relaxing day. We enjoyed spending time with the children.

We returned to Casa San Christobol (our casa during our trip) to enjoy an NPH lunch.

During the afternoon we relaxed a bit and Mary, Kathy, David, and Phil went on a hike through the beautiful back woods at NPH to visit the NPH waterfall and view the surrounding mountains of Honduras. Muy bonita! Evidence of the fires over a year ago could still be seen on our path.

In the evening we headed off to the hogares to have dinner with the children, play games, help them with their homework. However, on one Sunday a month all the children come together to have dinner in one area, so that brothers and sisters who may be in different hogares can have dinner together. So great! Unfortunately, no one told us. Some arrived at their hogares only to walk through a ghost town (not to mention the long walk again).

At the hogares, the children enjoy writing on my bald head, an expansive pallet that just begs, “draw on me”. Something I started a few years that seems to be a tradition. Then the kids like to wash my head with my hand sanitizer. Mas, mas hand sanitizer. If it wasn’t for the bit of a sunburn on top of my head, having several pairs of hands massaging my scalp was pretty nice. I can say the top of my head is very clean. You could eat off the top of my head. . . . I should keep that one to myself. I shouldn’t give the kids any ideas.

Matt and Eric are not feeling well, but are doing much better. Lets just say they have been doing their own kind of “blogging”.

All in all, some frustrations during the day, but a good lesson to trust in God and to accept He has placed us where He needs us. Plus, I think the relationships with the children tend to trump other difficulties.

All for now!

Looking forward to a good workday on Monday!

God bless you all! We are praying for our families back home everyday!