No News is Good News?

Me and my friends, Francis and Milay

Meat is a great thing.  I don’t think I had fully appreciated meat until I came to Honduras.  Hondurans eat meat, but not a lot of meat.  Not enough meat.  They replace meat with rice and beans.  Rice and beans are both good, but neither are meat.  So I found a can of tuna at the store the other day and bought it.  After having my heart set on a tuna sandwich (and thinking about The Office), I realized that there was no can opener in the house that I am living in.  I used a jabbing motion with a fork, cutting with a fairly sharp butter knife, and prying with both the fork and the knife to get to the meat.  That was the first time it took me more than 20 minutes to make a tuna sandwich.  But I tell you the truth; that was the best tasting tuna sandwich I’ve ever had in my entire life. 

Ok, enough with tuna, I actually have reasonable news.  We’re getting a new girl at the farm this week.  I’m writing this blog entry at different times throughout the week, so the order will seem strange for this event.  She is coming tomorrow, but by the time I post this blog I will probably have pictures already.  Anyhow, all I know is right now is that the girl is two years old.  Now, you might ask, “Ben, why are you excited?  Isn’t an orphanage a poor option compared to growing up in a “normal” family?”  Well, yes and no.  For a lot of instances, yes, a loving family with a mom and dad is the best place for a two year old little girl.  That is, unless you have abusive, negligent, or non-existent parent(s).  The fact is that this little girl is going to have an opportunity to grow up in a loving home, be given the chance for a good education, and most importantly will be taught about Jesus’ love every single day.  I see that as a pretty awesome thing compared to the alternatives.  Some of the stories of the girls here are heartbreaking.  Their family lives have been filled with hate, apathy and abuse.  In a strange way, its nice to know that this little girl will grow up away from all that.   Please join me in praying that this little girl will have a smooth transition into her new life.  

Mariela taking a quick ciesta

So I finally did have to break down and admit that I’m a bit sick.  I went to work feeling sick on Monday, but I just knew that I was going to be feeling better after a while of being up.  Well, I was wrong.  Mondays can be pretty long if you’re sick to your stomach and an hour walk from your house.  So I took Tuesday off, sat around and drank lemonade that my doctor (Mrs. Pam) prescribed.  It has seemed to do the trick so far.  But luckily my stomach illness is getting me out of the 2 hour walk through the wilderness to Yasshe (I think that’s how you spell it).  I almost didn’t make it back up the mountain on my first trip.  But please keep me in your prayers.  God has been really good to me in keeping me healthy during my first month down here.  That has been one of the first things I’ve been thankful for every single day when I wake up.  Please pray that he will continue to do so.

Ok, so I’ve decided to make this a short-blog-week.  Short blogs seem easier to read.  And it will leave me a few more stories to tell you all when I get home.  I’ll upload some photos tomorrow probably, so if they aren’t here already, check back soon.  Please pray about the normal things; the church, your girls, schooling, vehicles for the farm.  I’ll make a longer, updated prayer list for next week.  Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Me and Mariela

Ok, one change and one thank you.  The new little girl won’t be here until Monday.  Something happened with the paperwork and she wound up stuck somewhere else until then.  So, we’re all excited, but you’ll have to wait for pictures.  This probably means I’ll have another blog of Monday with her picture and then a longer and more elaborate prayer list.  So stay on your toes, we’re doing stuff down here.  Also, thank you to the people who wrote letters to the girls and sent them back with Haley.  The girls love getting letters.  I really can’t tell you how much it means to some of them to know that somebody cares enough to write to them.  If you have a class that has a girl and you didn’t get a chance to send a letter, e-mail one to me and I will print it off for your girl.  My e-mail is BHeath09@gmail.com . If you want to start writing to any of the girls, I will get that information on my next blog.  I have to check with Mrs. Pam and make sure everything is ok with that first thought.  We can’t possibly have too many people, I promise.