It's a good thing I've practiced by sorting beans...

So far, this week has been pretty quiet. For me at least. Our cat a.k.a. mouser, has had a littler of kittens. Ooops.

Last week was a tad different; a week of driving of epic proportions.

Drive to MK camp for the kids. 4 1/2 hours.
Drive back to Santa Rosa. 3 1/2 hours.
Drive to Balfate. 8 hours (mas o menos)
Drive back to San Pedro Sula. 6-7 hours (mas o menos)
Drive to MK camp to pick up the kids. 1 1/2 hours.
Drive back to Gracias. 4 1/2 hours.

Whew. We've seen a LOT of Honduras. :) It's a good thing. The picture in the header here is of the banana stands on the side of the road. I would've taken a picture of the gigantic HOLE off the side of the highway from the earthquake but there just wasn't anywhere safe to pull over. :) The driving experience is SO HARD to explain. The roads here are painful. The drivers are downright scary, but gracias a DIOS, we made it there and back again safe and sound.

We're helping another missionary family in the area change locations. (www.fast4wards.net) They love us for more than just our truck and trailer, but it adds to our charm. Plus, we love them too and are excited to be able to help them. NOT happy about them moving so far away from us but I guess when God calls you to a new area you better go, in spite of what I want. :) We'll do the last run (move) on the 29th ish of this month. That will be one for the books. Both our families - 4 adults, 5 kids, 2 cats, 1 dog, 1 horse, plants, and the rest of their stuff. Good thing Alan has his banjo down here - I need to see if Trish has a rocking chair we can strap to the top for that extra seating. Beverly Hillbillies anyone??? I wonder if anyone will notice us on the road? Please pray for our 'super invisible capes'. :)

(One MAJOR praise is that we were only stopped by the police ONCE and never had to pay a bribe, explain the mountain of stuff in the back, or do any kind of haggling. THIS is a BIG DEAL folks. )

Upon arriving home after a week of being gone, we've done the laundry, had good coffee, and are now down with sick kids. :) If you read the last post you saw some of the evidence of the great time had by at least one of our children. Janelle and Natalie have a few bumps and bruises but nothing as impressive as Riley's. Boys. They are thinking through their 'writings' of camp - that may be a future post. Janelle came home with more than just dirty laundry though and has been puny with a fever for a few days. Praise the Lord, I think we're on the upswing for her. I'm trying to make the rest of us drink lots of orange juice and wash hands constantly.

The BOY had his birthday and he said it was the best one ever - which is pretty stinkin' impressive as it was just our family including one sick girl and a pirate hat cake that looked more like a muddy car wreck than the magazine promised me. Hmmm...if they are chocolate deprived enough, ANY chocolate looks dreamy. I'll have to remember this as my dabblings as cake baker/decorater get worse with every birthday.



I'm sure the new camping cot (really, it's his new bed...) and parrot had something to do with his love of the day. Dr. DoLittle is his name and he is pretty cool. Except, of course, when he squawks LOUDLY in the passage way where it echoes because that one little squawk just isn't enough. Like I've said before, we love this boy. The jury is still out on whether or not we love the parrot too.

Alan and the other Allen revisited the aldeas with earthquake damage with more firm plans for rebuilding. Alan had been working on some reconstruction ideas and instructions in Spanish for this new project. There have been various donations coming in via the Sowers family so now it's onto the distribution/construction helps part.






The other Allen asked if I was interested in sorting donated vitamins for distribution during their visit (of course!) so that took up a couple of evenings for me (mostly) and kids.

Over 700 bags of 60 each. I have vitamin sorter cramp in my hands. :)

That's a lot of vitamins. My house smelled like a pharmacy. Here are a couple of pics of the process. Notice the pink princess tea cup. You just never know when you'll need one of those...









Later this week Alan is going to be handing over some more plans for the bridge projects. I know very little about this process except for the late nights he's spent on the SolidWorks program and engineering paper strewn about the bed. Hmmmm....he can post with more info on that one.

So it's been a little of this...and a little of that....and a little of that other thing here lately. In other words, LIFE.

Oh, and because we just can't get enough of driving here - we have to drive to Belize again in about three weeks to stay legal. Ugh.

Que tengan un dia muy feliz...

Faith