Day 12 - May 23

How to make toast at Loma De Luz:
First, push the lever down on the toaster for about 10-15 seconds to heat things up a bit so that the ants can do their "fire drill" and exit the toaster. Next, Make sure that they have completely evacuated the area, and THEN put your bread in and set the toaster. If you find ants in your cereal, the simple fix is to pour the cereal out onto a towel on the table outside in the sun. In a few minutes, the ants will have left (they hate the direct sunlight/heat) and you can gather your cereal back up and put it back in the box for consumption later. I just wanted to pass these little items on in case you ever find yourself down here and needing to make breakfast. (yes, I do the toaster trick - no, haven't had to do the cereal trick).

Today was a tough day. Not only was it incredibly hot again, it was the day to say goodbye (for now) to these new found brothers and sisters at Loma De Luz. Fridays are a quiet day anyway, most of the missionaries go to La Ceiba (about 45 mins away) for groceries and treats. I spent almost the whole day working on computers for missionary families here. One computer in particular fought me very hard today and almost won, but I was able to squeak out a victory over it late in the ninth inning, thank the Lord. Did I mention that it was hot? I have found that the heat just saps the energy/strength out of you and that the old idea of a siesta might make a lot of sense after all. Too busy to rest, but I can't keep this pace up when we come back down full time and it is super hot. Lord, please help me to remember that.
Olympia went home to be with the Lord last night. I am thankful that she has entered into her rest. The funeral, I'm told, is already done and she is buried. Wow - another thing that we take for granted in "the states". Here, there are no funeral homes, no embalming, no long goodbyes. May God be with her family tonight.....
Our house in Windsor appears to have taken on a bit more damage than we first thought. Several broken windows, the outside electrical panel (service) was ripped off of the house when branches fell on the power lines. Looks like we'll be without power for a bit. The Harrises (who are renting the house) are safe, thank God, and have been evacuated for at least 24 hours until the gas leaks have all been identified and secured. Several of our friends made it by our house in Windsor today and I suspect, have already started working on things. I'm eternally grateful for each of them and if any of you who stopped by are reading this, thank you - from the bottom of our heart.
I had one last enjoyable, memorable meal with the Faulls tonight before heading out in the morning. I have one quick story to tell and then it is off to bed: Working at a hospital in Honduras means that you can be asked to do some rather unorthodox things. Tomorrow morning, when Ian Mackenzie (missionaries from Scotland) takes me into La Ceiba, we are also going to take a large jug of urine in to a laboratory there for testing. Well, when Ian was telling me about this, he said that Dr. Renee had mixed up a (hear this in a thick Scottish accent) "lovely jug of lemonade" for he and I and that she'd be giving it to me later tonight for our trip in the morning. It was homemade lemonade, so I had to be sure and put it in the fridge for overnight. He quickly set things straight and told me the whole story, but I almost died laughing before he got it all out.
I'm so thankful for the time that God has given me here. What a hot, sweaty, tearful, blessed two weeks it has been! I end tonight with a simple meditation from the Psalms: The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of the Lord lasts forever. Amen!