Break Time

Just because we opened the new mission house last week, does not mean every single detail is complete.  Friday night as it was time to open the store, sidewalks were being poured.  We used boards to get across.  Many other little details still have to be done. 

Today, the first ice cream order arrived.  I went to Ojojona and saw we had a small problem.  There was scaffolding in front of the store and the men were working on the ceiling of the porch.  When Dorian arrived, he told the men we had to get in the store.  They took enough of the scaffolding down that we could get into the store.  Then they all sat down.

I bought a whole freezer of ice cream and the guys on the ice cream truck loaded it in the freezer.  They slowly and carefully broke down each box.

After the freezer was loaded, I bought Haley an ice cream and I locked the store.  I politely said thank you and the men got up and began to reassemble their scaffolding.  I hope I made their day by allowing them to have an extra break.

Just In Time

Things at the mission house began to wrap up quickly Wednesday and Thursday, thankfully.  Yesenia and crew showed up at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday to clean.  And worked until after 3:00 on Thursday morning.  Most of the day yesterday many little details were being taken care of.  Such as pillows, shower curtains. 

I worked most of the day moving into the new store.  Nicole and some of the kids helped me.  I thought when I loaded the car and left at 3:30 that I would unload and come right back so I could clean up some before dinner.  I was really dirty.

 There is always something that takes longer than expected.  Many of the store items had been placed in the dining hall because the shelves were being assembled in the store.  As Yesenia began to ready dining hall for dinner, the kids moved the store things closer to the store.  They put them on the porch.  But the way the wind was blowing, and with it raining, things were getting wet.  I began to move all those things.  Just as I finished and thought I would run home and change clothes, I got a call that the group was on its way.

I could hear the bus coming up the hill.  As the group began to get off the bus and walk in, I have to admit I was glad I was the one saying, "Welcome to the BRAND NEW mission house of Honduras Hope."  It was exciting and at that moment it did not matter how dirty I was.

I assigned rooms and everyone unloaded their stuff off the bus.

It was exciting to see lights and doors closed instead of the outside lights burning as men frantically worked into the night.

How exciting it was to see tables and chairs and people and a fire burning on a wet chilly night instead of the dining hall being used as a storeroom.

Even Tibbie was excited.  But I think she thought she was going to get some of Yesenia's good cooking.

More folks arrive today and tonight the new mission house will be full.

God has answered our prayers, not only for this mission house and the ministry it will sustain, but that it was finished on time and without accident to the workers.  Quickly, correctly, and safely was what I prayed every morning. 

Almost Finished

I waited all day.  I worked while I waited.  About 5:00 this afternoon, I could wait no longer.  I just had to go see the progress.  I knew the crew worked until after 11:00 last night and began at 6:00 this morning.  I could not believe the amount of progress.

There are doors and windows.  Toilets and sinks.  And mirrors.  All rooms have beds.  There is a lot of clean-up to do, but the details are coming together quickly.

And, the store.  Oh my goodness, it is going to be beautiful.

The store is so much bigger and so much nicer.  It has two windows.  Yay!  We get to start moving in tomorrow.

This was a beautiful surprise.  Thank you, Dorian.

The front porch of the store, another beautiful surprise.

There is another addition to the store that I know my friends from Mitchell, Indiana and other places will love.

We will get that first load of ice cream on Monday morning.

It will be finished, just in time.  Praise God.

Calmness

It is three days before the first summer group arrives.  Much work still needs to be done.  The lists are endless.  We are racing like rats on a running wheel.  Everything will get done.  It always does.  But, this Tuesday morning is a time of calmness.  Peace.  A couple hours of doing nothing.

I had a good workout and amazing prayer time this morning.  Prayer time that I allowed God's peace to completely fill me.  I have run some errands and taken care of some stuff and visited the job site.  Nicole and I are going to town after she returns from Teleton.  We will eat lunch and run some errands, some personal, some not.  For me, the next hour, until Haley gets out of school, is a time of doing nothing, relaxing.  Enjoying the quietness.  There is no one here. 

I thank God for these few precious moments of peace and calmness.   And, then, I will be ready for groups.

Update On The Mission House

I went to see the mission house this afternoon.  Progress has been made since the last time I saw it.  To see it this near completion, brought tears to my eyes.  Dreams are coming true.

Isn't this awesome?  And the first group arrives Thursday.  No doors, no windows, no beds.  Not a problem. 

And this is the new store.  It is full of homemade scaffolding as the ceiling is being put in.  The store opens Friday night.  Not a problem.  Sleep is highly overrated.

Everyone is praying and sweating.  The work crew is working from 7:00 a.m. to 10 p.m.  Of course, the person (Marc) who thought beans would cook in an hour, thinks there is no problem.  He is thriving on this being done at the last minute. 

And, by the way, there are mirrors.  No beds, but there are mirrors.

Shopping With Ana

The first groups arrive in less than a week.  There is a lot, and I mean a lot, to be done before the new mission house and the new store are ready.  Today, was spent in getting a few things ready.

A couple of years ago, Brayan started helping some in the store.  Last year Ana started helping and this year Jackson will be working in the store.  I want the kids to know there is more to working in the store than going to sell and hanging out with the groups.  I want them to know where the product comes from and how it gets priced and all sorts of things.

I asked Ana to go with me today.  The main item on the agenda was going to PriceSmart for drinks.  But, when we go to town and other things need done, we do those things, too.  Fortunately, we did not have too long of a list today. 

Ana changed out of her school uniform and ate and was ready to go before I was. 

Three or four quick errands in the mall and then to Larach.  We were in the check out at Larach and Ana says, "I sure do love snickers."  So I bought her a snickers. 

We got to PriceSmart and I asked her if she thought she could push a flatbed.  I told her if she didn´t think she could it was ok and it would be harder if she took it and then could not push it.  Of course, she said she could push it.  Talk about making wide rights.   I wasn´t so sure since she ran over me before we even got in the store.  Fortunately, we both were going slow and the flatbeds were empty.

We got 26 cases of drinks.  Ana does not mind working.  She jumped right in and helped me load the cases on the flatbeds.  She only got in a position she could not get out of once.  I helped her and we got to the checkout without further incident.

We then went to La Colonia to buy cookies.  I told her what I needed to sell cookies for and what the most I could pay.  She found some cookies we have never had before in the store.  She did a great job searching for the cookies in our price range. 

It was hot in Tegucigalpa and I knew before we left Santa Ana, there would be something cold to drink after we loaded all those drinks.  After we finished at La Colonia, I headed for Circle K.  Sometimes, I just need an American soft drink.  Ana wanted a Raptor.  No, I don't think so.  A 40 ounce energy drink at 5:00.   No Raptor, but I let her have the smallest frozen Mountain Dew.  One little sip and she was saying she liked the drinks from the United States.  I hope the night staff does not kill me for letting her have a Mountain Dew.

She learned just a little bit more about the store and we had a delightful afternoon in the process.

And Let The Summer Begin

I can't believe the "busy season" is here already.  It is always busy season for me.  It seems like the last group that left in August just left yesterday and the first summer group of 2013 arrives in a week. 

Everyone is scurrying.  Scurrying to finish the new mission house and store.  Scurrying to buy the last minute plane tickets.  Scurrying to get all the new products in and priced. 

The interns are here.  A really great group.  They are off having a team building experience before that first group gets here.

It is going to be a really awesome summer and the devil is scared.  I know he is because he is throwing a lot of darts our way.  More vehicles are broken than are running.  Luis is scurrying to get all the cars fixed.  If broken cars were the only darts, we would be in really good shape.

Our God is a great big God and He will deflect these darts and reign victorious. 

We will have groups here from June 13 to August 14.  Please pray for the groups, the interns, the staff and all the people to which we will minister. 

It will be another great summer in Honduras.

Terri