pila [PEE-lah]

Here in Honduras, I have three options when it comes to laundry: 1) take it to the laundry lady [she weighs it and charges by the pound], 2) let it stay dirty [not the best smelling option], or 3) wash it myself by hand in the pila.

When I was here last year, I looked at the pila, recognizing it because we had one on our back porch in Mexico, but I had NO idea how to use it, nor did I know what it's called. Thankfully, Rachel, one of my co-workers, had lived in Ecuador for a number of years before coming here, so she knew quite well how to use a pila and graciously taught me.

Coming back to Honduras 3 weeks ago, I was planning on washing my own clothes. So far, my Saturday mornings consist of washing all the clothes I can fit on my two little clothes-lines on my back porch. Normally, all the clothes from the week don't fit, so I wind up having to wash Saturday night or Sunday morning as well, once the first round dries.

I've had a few adventures with my pila, even in the short time I've been using it. The first week, as I was getting used to the whole routine again, I wound up splashing water all over my back neighbors. The next week, as I was filling the basin, about a thousand small ants came pouring out of one of the corners. I'm guessing the basin hadn't been filled for a LONG time and the ants had happily set up their colony within the concrete. I wasn't sure whether to be disgusted at the sheer number of ants, or simply amazed. Either way, it was memorable.

getting cozy

i've hit the two-week mark, and yet it feels like i've been here forever [in a good, comfortable way]. i know where to shop, i know the names of the store owners. people know me on the street, and we greet each other as we pass.

i've been working on getting information, curriculum, and registration together for the two bilingual camps for UPH. youth come in and say hello, start conversations, ask questions. children stop by to visit after school before they head home for lunch. they give us bone-crushing hugs, and it's great.

my desk has my fingerprints all over it. i've made it mine. i gaze up at pictures of family, friends, and fiancée. i have it organized in a way that makes me comfortable. i'm getting cozy.

there have been quite a few days, while "taking care of business" that i stop short and think "this is my job. i'm working right now." and then i am exceedingly grateful that i get to do this. PRAISE GOD! He has blessed me immeasurably more than i deserve.

contrast

There's a big difference between life in Copan Ruinas, Honduras and life in Philadelphia, PA. I've been trying to mentally prepare myself for a while, but adjustments are never without their challenges.

Here, instead of battling with landlords about moldy bathrooms, the whole town battles with day-long power outages after storms so the electrical company can fix the lines (apparently this happens once a week). Instead of learning local highways and street names, here I'm learning the locations and main points of reference to be able to follow people's directions to a new place. In Philly, your water gets turned off when your landlord decides not to pay the bill, here, the water comes and goes without warning, having nothing to do with whether or not you paid, but more the whims of those in charge of the water. The contrast is stark, but anticipated, which makes it easier.

I've hit the ground running with the UPH team and will be working on a pretty steep learning curve as I prepare for two bilingual camps set to run in July. I'm excited to be here and the team of UPH staff and volunteers is a great, God-seeking, people-loving group. They know what it is to work, live, and play in community, not being perfect, but working things out in love. I know that being a part of this group will force me to grow in a million areas.

In an effort to keep posts consistent and short, I will give you more details about life and work in Copan Ruinas another week. :)

mom's surprise :)

On Friday night, we surprised my mom with a party for her 60th birthday. Anyone who knows my mother, knows that she looks AMAZING for 60, and therefore I have no qualms about openly sharing her age. [I hope she feels the same!]

We children had been planning this event since January of this year and felt quite proud that she had NO idea that we had planned it. We told her on Friday when she got home from school that she wasn't going to be working at Sal & Joe's and that "we kids wanted to do something special for her". The look of shock on her face told us that it all came as a complete surprise. There has been so much going on lately with family parties, Kristianna's return to the US and my upcoming [tomorrow!] departure, that she was way to preoccupied with all that to even begin to suspect anything was up.

It was a lovely evening of eating, songs (written for my mom), laughter, reminiscing, and making new memories with family and friends. My mom is pretty awesome. I'm really glad we were able to pull this off for her.

comprometida

This week's photo was easy. :) Fausto and I got engaged on Friday night down at Ocean City, New Jersey on the 18th St beach. It was wonderful. We got to spend the whole day Saturday celebrating and hanging out on the beach and the boardwalk. It was really nice to spend time just the two of us and then get to celebrate with family on Sunday! The "Best wishes!" and "Congratulations" have been pouring in and we're both really excited for this next step.

A lot of people have asked me, after congratulating me, if I'm still going to Honduras since I'm engaged now.... the answer is a resounding YES! Fausto and I are hoping to get married within the next year and a half, at which point he will come down to Honduras and we'll spend our first married years there.

That's the plan now. We were just talking about James 4:13-15

¹³ Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” ¹⁴ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. ¹⁵ Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

We're working on logistics of the imminent long-distance relationship. Our hope and plan is to be together soon in Honduras and we ask for your prayers and God's blessing on these plans. We both feel called to serve the people in Honduras and we pray that God would grant us these desires of our hearts.