This Would Never Happen Here...

    Supposedly sloth parks are a "thing" on the Bay Island of Roatan, so visiting one of these parks was high up on our list of things to do while on the island.  We knew we would be spending most of our time snorkeling, swimming, and exploring the reefs, so visiting some sloths seemed like an outing that would add balance to our time as a whole.  And I mean, when else were we going to be able to hold sloths??

   Since we had to take a taxi out to the park, we went with the driver's recommendation, and ended up at ___________ sloth park.  Part of the attraction of this particular park was that we could hang out with a variety of animals, including monkeys and rainbow macaws.

  After paying our entrance fee of $10 a person, we were immediately ushered back to the sloth cage and asked who wanted to be the first to hold one.  Songbird jumped at the opportunity and held the fury creature with joy and ease.  Then the sloth was past around our group from person to person.  

   Although I know that sloths are extremely slow-moving, I could feel my heart-rate increasing when it came to Hubry's turn, and the sloth was wrapped around both he and Cuatro.  Cuatro very calmly reach out his hand to hold the sloth's gigantic claws, and I couldn't help but imagine the damage that could be done to Cuatro's face if the sloth had a single moment of intense energy and swiped at him.  As it turns out, this first animal encounter was the most controlled of all.  I would only grow more and more uncomfortable with the animal encounters as the tour progressed.

  Next stop was the monkeys.  I still don't exactly understand what was going on, because some of the monkeys were in cages while others were free to climb on our backs and run and leap off our heads at will.  I'm not sure these "free monkeys" were deserving of their special privileges, but the cages were mostly just to keep certain monkeys separated from each other, not at all to keep the people separate from the monkeys.  In fact, we were ushered in to visit the caged monkeys with hand-fulls of peanuts.  I was extremely uncomfortable with the feeling of being drop-bombed by hyper monkeys, but the children seemed to think it was the most amazing thing ever.

  The most amazing thing ever, that is, until Miss Raindrop got bit on the finger by a greedy monkey.  Our fearless guide brushed it off (even though there was an open wound and blood involved) and told her not to worry about it and to go back into the fray.  I almost had to fight him to get Raindrop back out of the cage and deal with her cut with hand-sanitizer (because who knows what diseases monkeys may have??)  After that I told Hubry I didn't want our precious babe in another monkey cage, and I was perfectly happy viewing the animals from outside their cages!

  But the next stop was the rainbow macaws, and of course I couldn't hold the eager children back.  They were going to get to feed the birds, and maybe touch them, and maybe collect some feathers, and "don't forget to put a hat on," the guide called out after them.  Hmm, this was making me feel uncomfortable again, but let's just see what happens.  It only took a few seconds of watching huge birds land on the children's heads before I knew that something was bound to happen.  And that something happened to BRO this time, and it happened in the form of another finger bite, and it happened without ruffling the feathers of our fearless guide one bit!  I decided I would need to take the baby and go to a quite place to pray and regain my composure, because I simply couldn't stand around watching the children with sharp talons so close to their eyes (the talons of a bird are a completely different matter than the claws of a sloth).

   Thankfully, the last animal to encounter was a Honduran deer, and we weren't allowed in the cage with it, so this Mama felt completely at ease.  Even though we escaped the park with only two finger wounds, I couldn't help but think, this kind of experience would NEVER happen here.  I think that's why the children thought it was one of the coolest things they've ever done.  I, for one, was glad to get back to the gentle shore and peaceful beach.... 

Seasick

Thursday morning we said our hard good-byes to the folks at the school, loaded onto the back of a truck for the last time, stopped at Las Mangas for another quick good-bye to the folks at the campus, and continued the bumpy journey down the mountain to La Ceiba (with a quick stop at the wood-man for some carved canoes).

After telling multiple missionary families that taking the ocean ferry was smooth as butter, we innocently loaded the boat, only to find ourselves sick as dogs halfway through the journey.  It seems that we were not alone, because barf bags were distributed to all the passengers, and from my vantage point it looked like about 1/3 of the passengers were utilizing them.  This math holds pretty consistent, because about 1/3 of our crew were using the barf bags as well :)  Somehow I never threw-up, but I felt so. extremely. sea sick.  Had I been in charge of Liam, he would have fallen in the ocean, because I was completely unable to do a thing.  Thankfully, Hubry was holding it together, and holding Liam in the Bjorn.

It took us all a bit of time to recover our senses, and during those moments I said many prayers to God thanking him that I was not a sailor, or a pilgrim, or in the navy, or...well you get my drift.  I don't think I was made for a life on the sea.

After settling into our perfect little cabin at the Bananarama and finding some lunch, we hit the beach.  The kids were so excited that we only had to walk down a short path to get to the shore.  And we were all amazed by the crystal clear water and white sandy beach that stretched before us. 

One of the many perfect things about the place we were staying was that you could eat in your swimsuits on the edge of the beach.  Very kid friendly!!

We would have been fine if we could have taken this little water taxi all the way to the mainland!

Hubry and I loved taking the water taxis around when we visited Roatan 14 years ago.

Instituto El Rey

"Liam, Liam, Liam!!"

Our church generously donated money for gifts for the teachers
(expo markers and water bottles, art supplies, and voice recorder)!

History Professor

Profesora Nely of arts and crafts

Growing wall

World Schooling

Preparing a dance on the stage (while no one was looking)

Los Estudiantes

"Teacher, teacher...like this?"

First time using oil pastels!

She is an amazing math teacher, and 13 years ago she was my 8th-grade English student!!

Chapel and Headaches

That's us trying to speak about dating and our first year of marriage together - in Spanish!!!  Let's just say it was muy feo, but 100% for enthusiastic trying:)

El Campamiento

El Campamento

Saturday morning we boarded the old yellow school bus with our overnight bags and pack-n-play in hand and made the trek down to Las Mangas.  There were many moments I thought the bus might not make it - think back to the story of the Little Engine that Could.  But ever so slowly we kept chugging along.  45 minutes later we jumped off in front of Larry and Allison Smoak’s house.  We’re here!!  

Larry was away in Tegucigalpa for the week, so when we arrived it was only Allison and the 4 kids, and a group of children from El Naranjo.  Every Saturday they host a children’s group that includes a Bible Study, a game time, and a snack time.  We arrived during game time, and our kids jumped right in playing hide and go seek and a game similar to capture the flag.  Even though we had never met Allison before, I felt like I already knew her!  

Once the children’s time was over, we lunched together on rice and beans, and then the Smoakies went to their house for a rest time.  We headed down to the Congrejal river to go for a swim, and the memories of our year in Honduras flooded over me.  So much of our leisure time was spent in that river bed, and now we were sharing those memories with our children.

The river was muy fuerte because of all the rain, so we had to be very careful not to let the children get swept away by the current.  This was especially difficult with our oldest, most adventurous boundary-pusher!  But when all was said and done we did make it back with all 4 children - but not without exploring the river bed and collecting rocks to bring home.

After our river adventures, we reunited with the Smoaks and gathered near the road to wait for Larry’s arrival.  Hubry had tears in his eyes watching the children in happy chorus greeting Larry after his long journey.  The last time we were with him, he was still single and longing to be married one day.  Now he is married and father to 4 children.  Later they told us the story of their courtship, including the way the Lord provided 7 assurances to Larry that he should marry Allison.  Allison knew 3 days after she met Larry that she wanted to marry him, but it took him several years to be brought to the same mind.

Saturday night we joined in a small Bible Study they share together.  They are reading through the creation account and were currently on Genesis chapter 3.  It hurt my head to be focused on Spanish for so long, and was a good challenge to try to use my Spanish to respond.

Sunday was the big birthday party.  Unfortunately, 3 year-old Elia woke up with a high fever and wasn’t feeling herself.  This meant that we divided into groups - the group of men, Corrie, and older children who went to La Murella to swim at sliding rock, and me and Allison and the 3 littlest who stayed behind to make whipped cream frosting for the cakes.

This is one of those situations where it was truly best that I stayed behind, because I could enjoy watching the videos of the kids jumping off and sliding down the rock with the knowledge that they were safely by my side (AKA they had survived!).  I’ll have to see if I can figure out how to download the video when we get home!

During lunch and the birthday party we had such a sweet time reconnecting with Larry and hearing about their life together while the kids looked at books and climbed fruit trees.  We left feeling encouraged by how the Lord is working in their hearts, and in their community.

The bed of the Congrejal

My beautiful sister (these photos are still mostly from her camera)

She made it to the center rock...

Such beautiful boulders.

Climbing rocks

Baleata dinner!!!

The swinging bridge you have to cross on the way to the sliding rock.

Little sliding rock (her phone died before we got a shot of big sliding rock).

Front yard of the campus.

Bus ride back to Rio Viejo (can you find me and Cuatro?)

Ya queremos pastel

Friday was a big day.

In the morning we said farewell to the "Alabama team" -- really a misnomer since half came from Mississippi, and 5 of the 6 were members of the same Bedford family. There was a sweet multigenerational love in this team. Pastor Mike, the elder statesmen, has been coming for eight years.

The plan today was for me to teach first period, and then to go with Sharon (the former administrator of IER, now living in La Ceiba) to Toncontin, about half an hour further into the valley, where she and her 3 homeschoolers had set up an Egyptian museum in an alternative colegio run by Jose and his wife Caitlyn. Jose is an IER alum and worked with Jason and Sarah at the orphanage in Urraco, as did Caitlyn. Sharon's three homeschoolers are the nieces and nephew of one of her former students, Melvin, who is now a doctor and lives in Las Mangas. His family lives a long way out -- Sharon described it as a 10 hour walk -- so this is a chance for them to get an education. Sharon and Earl have taken them on (and their grandmother too) for 3 years.

The threads are many and intricately woven here in la cuenca.

But as is often the case, the plan changed. We waited around the colegio -- I got to sit in on more of my classes -- which ended up being a good thing, because one of the ninth grade classes wanted to do something for Raindrop. They crowded us into Cesar's classroom and had us all sit down. We waited. Students worked on homework. Suddenly the burst in singing "Happy birthday" in English, to "Alaihhsssa" as they call her. They had caught wind that her birthday is Sunday, and had -- on their own initiative, with some help from the English teacher and one of our hosts, Maranda -- baked a cake, purchased some sodas, and made some "churros preparadas" (little bags of chips with beef and cheese shoved in. Nachos in a bag). They had even purchased a gift: a bag of marshmallows, which are called besitos here, or "little kisses."

Raindrop beamed.

Sharon showed up a couple hours later, and we rushed up to Toncontin to see the museo and meet Jose and Caitlyn. Wifey was supposed to be back in time to teach art class, but Sharon thought we could make it in time. She was wrong :), but we are so glad we went! I got to hear Jose's story -- how he spent a night in his hometown of Toncontin just before leaving for work in Roatan, and was so horrified by the way his people were living, that he determined to stay and help young people find a better path -- and it was sweet to see the three middle schoolers in Egyptian garb and speaking knowledgeably about that ancient civilization.

After school, a couple of the male teachers stayed behind and played soccer with the students. Corrie and Kelly played, and so did all three of the older children -- with the 7-9 graders. True to Clarkson form, both scored goals.

At dinner -- hamburgers! -- Raindrop received another birthday present: an inflatable pool, from our hosts and from Mike Segar. She is feeling the love. She even said that she is not so sad about not having her birthday at home.

The oral history project is going. Students are checking out recorders and taking interviews. They are uneven of course, and the nights of rain haven't helped (most folks have tin roofs), but there have been some beautiful and interesting stories. I love this guy's voice.

Que sorpresa

SIX!

     Precious Raindrop, you are 6!  How much you have grown since you were given to us in the middle of a gentle, evening rain six years ago.  And though your name was a blessing, it has become a picture of who you are to us.  You are so gentle and tender and kind-hearted, noticing the feelings of others, and desiring to water the environment around you with encouragement.

     You notice details and love beautiful things - from clothes, to flowers, to people.  My prayer is that you would have eyes to see God's fingerprints around you, and that you would continue to encourage others to look and see as well.

     You are so naturally nurturing, and I have loved watching you care for Liam this past year. I can't wait to see how that gift continues to grow in you.  You asked me the other day if we could invite some little kids over so you could practice taking care of them.  I laughed because it seems like you have plenty of opportunity to practice with Liam around, but you had an older little kid in mind.

     I loved seeing you interact with the students at the school in Honduras - you were bold to help and befriend, even though you couldn''t speak Spanish.  Language is so much more than mere words to you, and you really pursue others in creative ways.

     Dear Raindrop, we love you.  Happy Birthday!

Teacher Luncheon and the Finished Wall

Today the wall was finished.  The team worked so quickly - they built twice as much as what they had planned on.  Afterwards, to celebrate and show appreciation, the Honduran teachers cooked a delicious fried chicken lunch for the Americans.  What a fun surprise.

In the morning the girls and I volunteered to practice English with some 12th and 10th grade students.  After Cuatro woke up Corrie came to switch and talk with the 11th graders.  We had a ton of fun, and made plans to visit one of the local girls named Helen.  Her father is a farmer and has 2 horses, and I thought it would be fun for Songbird to see what a Honduran farm is like.  Unfortunately, the afternoon rains came shortly after school was out, and so we will have to postpone the walk for another day next week.

Cuatro continues excelling at his special ministry of cuteness.  Every time he walks by, the students say, "Awwww!!!! Liam, Liam, Liam..."  It is not uncommon for girls to "marry" at 15 around here, so I have had many opportunities to encourage them to finish their studies first, then marry a Godly man, then have a baby! 

The group from Alabama leaves tomorrow and we will miss their company (and all the jobs they had for the kids to help with).  We will have to find some new kid-friendly tasks for next week, and see what ways we can be involved.

This afternoon the kids were able to play hide-and-go-seek with some local children.  I am amazed at how quickly they pick up words here and there.  Songbird especially is able to process out loud the Spanish language acquisition process, and it is so fascinating to hear.  She understands more and more every day, and she is getting bolder and more confident trying out new Spanish phrases.

Teacher luncheon in the office.  Fried chicken, pasta, salad, and coke!

Electricity is back...so keyboards are on!

Barba Amarilla

The dreaded yellow beard - one of Honduras’ most venomous snakes, was seen slithering just beyond the in-process cinderblock wall this afternoon.  Marcos acted quickly and killed it with a shovel, abiding by the campus rule that only venomous snakes may be killed.  BRO got to witness this, as he worked for 8 hours straight on the cinderblock wall (that kid is an amazing worker who pays great attention to detail).  Hubry and Raindrop got to witness the event as well.  Ms. Cindy said they only kill about 6 snakes a year on campus, and we are 2 for 3 days!!  Yesterday Marcos killed another snake that had a bright blue lizard hanging out of its mouth.  I’m not sure what type of snake this was, and whether or not Marcos was abiding the campus rule with that one.

Raindrop helped in arts and crafts class again this morning, and when they were finished making their wooden bracelets Ms. Karen asked to have a class photo.  At the end of the photo, the students asked to have a picture with “the child.”  This was in reference to Raindrop.  I was so impressed by her intuition throughout the project - the way she gaged when a student needed help, and her swift response to that need.  In fact, she helped cut tiny pieces of tape in a precise manner, and she helped students tie knots, and I didn’t even know that she was capable of those skills :)  She said this afternoon she thought she would be a teacher when she grows up.

Songbird helped again in a couple of English classes.  She also buried herself under a pile of books in the library, as she was extra sleepy after rising at 5:15.  

Hubry started “practice interviews” with the students - teaching them how to actually use the voice recorders, and he said the class was full of giggles and pena.  He let 16 students check out recorders to begin the interview process.  Tomorrow 16 more students can check them out, and Friday 16 more.  We’ll see how it goes!

The students worked hard on their sea turtles this afternoon in art, and it was nice to have both Songbird and Corrie’s help teaching the students how to use oil pastels. We also talked about the difference between warm and cool colors.  Most of the students caught on to these ideas quickly, and out of a class of 45 there was only one pink and purple sea turtle (and it’s a guy’s)!

Corrie got to share about some of her various missions experiences in an English class this afternoon, which was a blessing to all.  And some of us ladies were able to enjoy a few quiet moments of conversation on the hammock porch.  I was so encouraged by the news I heard of all the missionaries gathering for various events - homeschool Moms, Bible study, prayer time….

This afternoon another storm rolled in.  The sky grew grey, then the rain poured and thunder clapped.  Then, around 4:30, the power went out.  We ate a candlelight dinner on the toucan patio with the group. And as I type we are sitting in a dark room with a few flashlights hanging here and there. The kids had no trouble going to bed by 7:30, and it is 8:15 and we are following close behind.  I hope Cuatro can sleep soundly even without the help of the noisemaker in his room!!!

The growing walls

Art class

School courtyard

Flashlights...Can you see us?