A. Rose 4 Christ

Radio Girl

2011-11-30T22:37:00.001-06:00

Well, the Lord works in MYSTERIOUS ways..!! And sometimes VERY SUDDEN too!!
We had some visitors this evening and discovered that one young one woman, Gloria, works for Radio Canaan 99.9FM as the radio announcer and as we talked, my dad suggested I share with her my childhood-dream (though short-lived) of becoming a radio-narrator. I told them of how Lynn Brooks of BBN Radio was one of my heroines as a child, how I had wanted to one day narrate books on the radio as she does and with the help of my mother, had even contacted her and asked her for some advice on realizing my dream. I explained that very recently, my dad had suggested to me that I narrate books over the radio in Spanish on the new radio station recently set-up in Guaimaca, Honduras. Gloria was very enthusiastic and commented me on my voice!!! Imagine my surprise as I currently have a cold with a cough!!!! She pulled a leaflet from her purse and asked me to read a few announcements to her. After nervously reading them aloud to her, she congratulated me and asked if she could pick me up on Monday to take me over to the station to make a few recordings to get me used to the idea of making radio announcements before I start recording my narration of whichever-book-I-decide-upon. I agreed...!!!!
So...... Please pray for my voice!! I don't know what else to say! I guess I'm now on the radio! haha Please pray with me that I get over my cold and cough before Monday gets here!!

~Whispers In The Hallway~

2011-11-29T17:47:00.001-06:00

Thinking of hallways

Will always take me
To that old hallway
Back in Tennessee.

The hallway was lit
With rather dim light
When we huddled there
And talked every night.

When we fisrt started
To rendezvous there,
There was laughter, peace,
And joy in the air.

The plans for the morn,
Affairs of the day,
The gig next weekend,
The trip yesterday...

The more that we talked,
The more we discovered.
Long legs were measured,
Religious views covered.

The hallway became
Our Fellowship Place.
The strong love we forged
Was elite as lace.

A place of bonding,
Of coming undone,
Secrets were whispered,
And wars were begun.

Hugs were given there,
And hands there were pressed,
With high-fives and tears
Our hallway was blessed.

Many emotions
Were shared in that place.
Cold, solemn, closed doors...
Warm, ardent embrace...

Footprints, cat-litter...
Toothpaste, straw, soap, hair...
Sawdust, wood-shavings...
Face-powder, the floor bare...

That hallway floor had
Been walked on by all!
Boots from the swamp to
High-heels from the mall.

And then suddenly
Midst all of our fun,
You read in my eyes,
Hallway Days were done.

We tried not to show
The tears or the pain...
Avoiding goodbye,
Like ignoring rain.....

I'll never forget
The memories made.
Those voices, faces,
They never will fade.

I so often wish
To go there to sit
On our hallway floor
Just to reminisce,

Remember the days
Of friendship so true,
Whispers in the hallway,
And sitting with you.

~AH
Written 12am, October 1st, 2011

Becoming Fools

2011-08-18T08:32:00.005-06:00

RECEIVING ONE'S SELF IN THE FIRES OF SORROW

2011-07-28T10:10:00.003-06:00

What shall I say? Father, save me, from this hour? But for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify Thy name.

My attitude as a saint to sorrow and difficulty is not to ask that they may be prevented, but to ask that I may preserve the self God created me to be through every fire of sorrow. Our Lord received Himself in the fire of sorrow, He was saved not from the hour, but out of the hour.

We say that there ought to be no sorrow, but there is sorrow, and we have to receive ourselves in its fires. If we try and evade sorrow, refuse to lay our account with it, we are foolish. Sorrow is one of the biggest facts in life; it is no use saying sorrow ought not to be. Sin and sorrow and suffering are, and it is not for us to say that God has made a mistake in allowing them.

Sorrow burns up a great amount of shallowness, but it does not always make a man better. Suffering either gives me my self or it destroys my self. You cannot receive your self in success, you lose your head; you cannot receive your self in monotony, you grouse. The way to find yourself is in the fires of sorrow. Why it should be so is another matter, but that it is so is true in the Scriptures and in human experience. You always know the man who has been through the fires of sorrow and received himself, you are certain you can go to him in trouble and find that he has ample leisure for you. If a man has not been through the fires of sorrow, he is apt to be contemptuous, he has no time for you. If you receive yourself in the fires of sorrow, God will make you nourishment for other people.

John 12:27-29 (R.V.)

--Oswald Chambers

This Is For Those Who Wait...

2011-07-12T00:54:00.001-06:00

Another day, another waiting game
A little different but it's still the same
I am here, but where's the one I'm longing for?
I'm having trouble feeling all alone
Will my heart ever find a home?
I want to hope but sometimes I just don't know
I know I'm not the only one

So we sing a lullaby to the lonely hearts tonight
Let it set your heart on fire, let it set you free
When you're fighting to believe
In a love that you can't see
Just know there is a purpose
For those who wait

I want to open up my eyes
I know that all I need is time
I'm growing stronger every single day
God, I'm going to lean into You now
Letting go of all my fear and doubt
I can't do this on my own so I'll give You control
I know I'm not the only one

The pressure makes us stronger
The struggle makes us hunger
The hard lessons make the difference
The pressure makes us stronger
The struggle makes us hunger
The hard lessons make the difference
And the difference makes it worth it. . .

(--Fireflight)

Jesus Es Verbo No Sustantivo

2011-04-22T18:52:00.001-06:00

"...Jesus es mas que una simple y llana teoría.
¿Que haces hermano leyendo la biblia todo el día?
Lo que ahi esta escrito se resume en amor, vamos ve y practicalo.
Jesus hermanos mios es verbo no sustantivo.

Jesus es mas que un templo de lujo con tendencia barroca
El sabe que total a la larga esto no es mas que roca
La iglesia se lleva en el alma y en los actos no se te olvide
Jesus hermanos mios es verbo no sustantivo

Jesus es mas que persignarse hincarse y hacer de esto alarde
El sabe que quiza por dentro la conciencia les arde
Jesus es mas que una flor en el altar "Salvadora De Pecados"
Jesus hermanos mios es verbo no sustantivo

Jesus es mas que un grupo de señoras de muy negra conciencia
Que pretenden ganarse el cielo con club de beneficencia
Si quieres tu ser miembro activa tendras que presentar a la directiva
Tu cuenta de ahorros en suiza y vinculos oficiales

Jesus convertia en hechos todos sus sermones
Que si tomas cafe es pecado dicen los mormones
Tienen tan poco que hacer que andan inventando cada cosa
Jesus hermanos mios es verbo no sustantivo

Jesus no entiende por que en el culto le aplauden
Hablan de honestidad sabiendo que el diezmo es un fraude
A jesus le da asco el pastor que se hace rico con la fe
Jesus hermanos mios es verbo no sustantivo

Señores no dividan la fe las fronteras son para los países
En este mundo hay mas religiones que niños felices
Jesus penso "me hare invisible para que todos mis hermanos
Dejen de estar hablando tanto de mi y se tiendan la mano"

Jesus eres el mejor testigo del amor que te profeso
Tengo la conciencia tranquila por eso no me confieso
Rezando dos padres nuestros el asesino no revive a su muerto
Jesus hermanos mios es verbo no sustantivo..."

--"Jesus Es Verbo No Sustantivo" de Ricardo Arjona

Es Una Locura...

2011-04-15T22:02:00.000-06:00

Odiar a todas las rosas porque una te espino...

Enterrar todos tus sueños porque uno no se realizo...

Perder la fe en tus oraciones porque una no fue escuchada...

Desistir de tus esfuerzos porque uno fracaso...

Condenar a todas las amistades porque uno te traiciono...

No creer en ningún amor porque uno de ellos te lastimo...

Pongamos nuestro amor, fe y confianza en Jesus. Y asi evitar la locura...

~A Dream Deferred~

2011-04-15T21:44:00.000-06:00

What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore -- and then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over -- like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

~Langston Hughes

Happy Birthday, Matthew!!

2011-04-07T07:41:00.000-06:00

Today is Matthew's 10th birthday, and I'd like to share something about him here just to give an example of his amazing personality:
Once during a family meeting, each family member was asked to share something positive about all of the other family members. When it came Matthew's turn, he said something delightful about each one of us, but the quote I remember best is when he spoke about Dad --
he bagan with saying that dad is a very nice person, who has a lot of patience and we can tell him things that and he understands us and ended with;
"..and inside you have a brain-thought-translator."
!!!!!!!!!!!!!
XD
Love you, Matthew!!!

...and so I endure...

2011-03-31T19:32:00.001-06:00

como estoy? no tan perdida.
nada mas.
encontrada estoy.
en la orilla del mar de pensamientos...y el mar de pensamientos ya se seco....hace mucho...
el mar seco...el mar vacio...ahi estoy ahi estoy sentada...y mi mente vaga por el mar seco...sin pensar..
quiero que llueva
y quiero caminar en la lluvia
quiero que llueva y que me lave y que llene el mar otra vez...
para asi poder pensar otra vez
pensar y sentir
porque ya no siento
no siento nada
sino por el dolor
el dolor que me rodea
me vuelto loca.....
miro por todos lados y solo veo dolor
y tambien veo los brazos de mi amado Salvador
y me dice "Ven mi hija. Ven a mis brazos que te quiero amar y te quiero proteger del dolor."
pero para llegar a esos bellos brazos....tengo que pasar por el fuego...
el fuego de prueba
un fuego que quema....
que quema hasta el alma...hasta el corazon....
un fuego que duele
un dolor tan profundo....
creo que no aguantare
pero se que con mi Se~or todo es posible y que El me dara toda la fuerza que necesitare
y entonces
me meto al fuego....
y duele....
pero se
que llegare a los brazos de mi Precioso Salvador.......

- and so I endure.
  
  pero pobre de el que no conoce al Se~or y que tiene que pasar por el fuego solo, sin la esperanza de llegar a Sus brazos.......

Remember When It Rained..

2011-03-17T00:06:00.000-06:00

Wash away the thoughts inside
That keep my mind away from you.
No more love and no more pride
And thoughts are all I have to do.

Ohhhhhh Remember when it rained.
Felt the ground and looked up high
And called your name.
Ohhhhhh Remember when it rained.
In the darkness I remain.

Tears of hope run down my skin.
Tears for you that will not dry.
They magnify the one within
And let the outside slowly die.

Ohhhhhh Remember when it rained.
I felt the ground and looked up high
And called your name.
Ohhhhhh Remember when it rained.
In the water I remain
Running down
Running down
Running down
Running down
Running down
Running down
Running down

We Are Not Alone

2011-02-03T15:54:00.000-06:00

Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for theLORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

— Joshua 1:9

We are each like a little child lost in a crowded market, who has strayed but a few feet from his mother, yet because she cannot be seen the child is inconsolable.

So we try by every method devised by religion to relieve our fears and heal our hidden sadness;

but with all our efforts we remain unhappy still, with the settled despair of men alone in a vast and deserted universe.

But for all our fears we are not alone.

Our trouble is that we think of ourselves as being alone.

Let us correct the error by thinking of ourselves as standing by the bank of a full flowing river;

then let us think of that river as being none else but God Himself.

We glance to our left and see the river coming full out of our past;

we look to the right and see it flowing on into our future.

But we see also that it is flowing through our present.

And in our today it is the same as it was in our yesterday, not less than, nor different from, but the very same river, one unbroken continuum, undiminished, active and strong as it moves sovereignly on into our tomorrow.

(Tozer on the Almighty God: A 366-Day Devotional.
Sent to me by Mr. Phil Sarlo)

Hay Un Camino...

2010-12-30T16:42:00.000-06:00

El camino a la felicidad no es derecho.
Existen curvas llamadas equivocaciones,
semaforos llamada amigos,
luces de precaucion llamada familia
y tendras tumulos de tropiezo que deberas vencer para llegar a su final.
Pero si tienes una llanta de respuesto llamada decision,
un motor potente llamado amor,
un seguro llamado fe,
abundante combustible llamado paciencia
y sobre todo un conductor llamado Jesucristo...
podras llegar a la meta.

It's Not Cold Here In Honduras, Though! ^_^

2010-12-22T16:13:00.000-06:00

Baby, It's Cold Outside~Lady Antebellum

The Angels Cried

2010-12-22T14:47:00.000-06:00

Where's the Line to See Jesus?

2010-12-06T11:00:00.000-06:00

Back With Mi Gente

2010-11-28T19:52:00.001-06:00

I was sitting in a church service a few nights back, when a small child ran up to me and buried her head in my lap.
It was Raquelita, my "adopted niece"!!!! I nearly cried, I was so glad to see her! And she had recognized me from across the room and had ran over to sit in my lap... (':
God knows JUST when to send a hug our way.
*sighs*
After her mother left her, asleep and alone in the house, Raquelita had such a sadness come over her. (who wouldn't?) Her eyes were always melancholy and prone to tear-up and she became very thin. Now, she's neeeeeeearly on the chubby side and the sparkle is back in her eyes and her giggle is IRRESISTIBLE! ^_^
I can hardly believe she's already 3!!!!!!
=O
Kids grow up so fast..
TOO fast, sometimes.

Amilcar came by the house a few nights back. He didn't know I was back from the USA.
He was drunk nearly every day of his life for I THINK 28 years. He's had an ulcer on his leg ever since I met him, and for a while I thought he was going to lose his leg. I scrubbed and bandaged and cared for his leg for like 3 weeks straight, trying to save him from having to have it amputated. He lived on our porch for roughly 3 weeks, and I became his personal (*sad face* and sometimes unwilling) nurse. He manage to stay away from the bottle for most of that time. I introduced him to hot tea. "Te caliente" is what he would call it.
After many months of prayers, from lots of people, (thank you, to those friends who prayed for him!!) Amilcar allowed God to change his life. He no longer drank, and would preach to his friends. I could hear him coming down the street because he would always sing a hymn, VERY loud, as he walked.
But the other evening when he came by...he was drunk.
After stayin dry for 5 years, he is drinkin again. Just like before.
I was in the kitchen, cooking supper, when I heard his voice in the doorway.
I marched over to him and demanded to know whether he was drinking or not. He denied it, in a very slurred voice, and then staggered back. I could smell the beer on him from where I was standing--a good three meters away. I told him that it made me very sad to see him drunk. And I think I told him not to come back is he was drunk. *winces*
I went back to the kitchen.
I didn't want to see him or speak to him.
I was very hurt and angry.
After staying sober for so long...and his leg was nearly healed when I left for the USA..
I heard Amilcar talking to Paul, my younger brother.
Amilcar was crying, "I didn't think she would ever come back. I thought she was gone. I didn't know she was here...she saw me like this! I made her sad. I'm going to kill myself. I didn't want her to see me like this. I didn't think she was coming back."
I felt bad for being angry. I wanted to go back out and offer him a cup of hot tea, but he had already left.
I hope he comes back.
I'd scrub his leg every day for three weeks again, if it meant 5 more sober years for him..

My sister April and I went with a bus-load of people from the Reformed Church for a baptism this morning.
13 people were baptized! Praise Jesus! (:
We met some new "young people" and I discovered that my skills at eating with a tortilla (instead of a fork) are a teeny bit rusty. ^_^
Someone had brought along two guitars and we had lots of fun "jamming" and singing whatever popped into our heads to sing.
Most of the youth from the church sat in the back of the bus, and the two guitarists got everyone singing at the top of our lungs to praise and worship songs ALL the way back to the church.

Today is also the anniversary of the death of Ricardo and Rosi's baby, Sandra Marisela.
April and I went to the cemetery with Rosi and a few others and then they came to our house to see the video I made of the pictures and video clips I took the day of the funeral.
I made it the day after the funeral, but I hadn't shown it to them before today because I was afraid it would be too hard for them to watch.

(Here's the link to the video: http://sandralapreciosa.blogspot.com/ )

I'm glad I waited til today..
It WAS hard to watch..but they liked it and were glad to get to see the pictures of their beautiful baby.
A lot of their family came over to see it too. There was quite a crowd gathered around our computer, watching the video and passing around the toilet paper to dry the tears.
Once the movie was over, a few of the children stayed behind to drink coffee and color pictures at the table with Matthew and Hannah.
All of them gave me a tight hug and a teary smile as they filed out the door.

I didn't realize JUST how much I missed mi gente...or how much they missed me (':

Thoughts On Ordinary Dreams

2010-11-28T18:56:00.001-06:00

My castle has a living room and a wrap-around porch
With rockin chairs and screened-in doors
My knight-in-shining-armor's wearin boots an' blue jeans
All my fairytales are just ordinary dreams

Do I have to be a princess in a tower?
Can't I just be a girl in a pair of blue jeans?
Can't I have just ordinary dreams?

~A.Rose

Making An Extremely Detailed Story VERY Short..

2010-11-26T18:50:00.000-06:00

I'm back in Honduras once again ^_^

(did I say VERY short?)

Long Time No Post!!!!!

2010-09-23T20:03:00.002-06:00

To make a loooooooong story short, I am currently living in Florida, USA =)

Amanda NOT Mara :)

2010-06-07T23:58:00.001-06:00

I wondered.......
wether God hears me. Does He really listen?
Better said, I know He hears...but does He "pay attention" to me?
I wanted to pound my fists agaisnt the sky and scream, "Do You hear me? Do You even care? Hear me!!!! God, answer! Heeeeeeaaaaaar meeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!"
I read in different places in the Bible where God answered the prayers of His children. It says in James, "Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years."
And I wondered why prayers were not availing as much.
I am promised, "the prayer of a righteous man is powerful adn effective"
Am I not made righteous in Christ?
And I wondered if He was just testing me. Making me wait on Him.
And then, one day while fasting and praying and (haha) reading Lamentations (you can see where my thoughts were :) I found this verse:
(Lamentations 3:26)
"It is GOOD to WAIT quietly for the salvation of The Lord."WOW.
I read the rest of the "passage" there too, it says,

"I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness and the gall.
I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast within me.
Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:
Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him."
The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD.
It is good for a man to bear the yoke
while he is young.
Let him sit alone in silence,
for the LORD has laid it on him.
Let him bury his face in the dust—
there may yet be hope.
Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him,
and
let him be filled with disgrace.
For men are not cast off
by the Lord forever.
Though he brings grief,
he will show compassion,
so great is his unfailing love."

wow. In the middle of lamentations there is a ray of hope!
And THEN I was reminded of Naomi. In the book of Ruth, Naomi tells her friends that they shouldn't call her Naomi. "Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life bitter."
Mara means bitter.
I wanted to change my name to Mara when I read that!
BUT then I read on....
In the Old Testament, a kinsman cuold help members of the family who became poor. For instance, he could pay their debts and buy back lost properties. When he did that, he became a "kinsman-redeemer".
HALLELUYAH
Jesus Christ is my "kinsman-redeemer"!!!!!!!!
He paid my debt!!
AAAAAaaaaaaand He's restored to me what I had lost!!!!!!
What a Savior!
And He promises me
(Isaiah 42:3)
"A bruised reed He will NOT break.
And a smoldering wick He will NOT snuff out."

"I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you."

After that, I couldnt escape Hid promises!! : )

Jeremiah 29:12-14

"Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity..."

Jeremiah 31:35

"He who appoints the sun
to shine by day,
who decrees the moon and stars
to shine by night,
who stirs up the sea
so that its waves roar—
the LORD Almighty is his name:"

Ecclesiastes 5:2

"Do not be quick with your mouth,
do not be hasty in your heart
to utter anything before God.
God is in heaven
and
you are on earth,
so let your words be few."

taken from Isaiah 40

"The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soaron wings like eagles;
they will run
and not grow weary,
they will walk
and not be faint."

Isaiah 64:8

"...O LORD, you are our Father.
We are the clay,
you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hand."

Isaiah 61:3

"...bestow on them
a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair...for the display of his splendor."

from Isaiah 12

"I will praise you, O LORD...
and you have comforted me.
Surely God is my salvation;
I will trust
and not be afraid.
The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.
With joy you will draw water
from the wells of salvation.
In that day you will say:
"Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name;
make known among the nations what he has done,
and proclaim that his name is exalted.
Sing to the LORD,
for he has done glorious things;
let this be known to all the world..."

I know God hears and listens to me. He has showed me in many MANY different ways!
From kind words, to text messages, to HIS WORD, His creation....
He "pays attention" to me.
He loves me.
And He calls me His own!
I am His!
I BELONG to Him!!!
I am fufilled in Him
I can lay all I have and all I am before Him and I can give myself up to His mercy
and He will love me.
He will not reject me.
He does not reject me.
He loves me.
He wants me.
Wow.
"Thank you, God." Is NOT enough. Not at all....

WEEEEKEND AT LAAAAAST!!!!!!

2010-01-30T18:14:00.001-06:00

this month weve had almost 500 patients!!!!
I work in the pharmacy and am also the receptionist but in february my job will change and ill get to work directly with the patients, taking vitals and stuff like blood pressure.
yesterday Bertha and I painted our living room walls. two of the walls were red and two were yellow. now two are still yellow but the red ones are white!! im so glad i dont have to stare at those ugly red walls any more. it was like ketchup and mustard or something. yuck.
today we were able to sleep in again YES!
we just piddled around today, cleaning and such, doing laundry..normal chores =) a restful day and now interenet! tonight for supper were having beans n rice n tortillas and its all ready except the rice, so hardly any chores for tonight....tomorrow we are hiking about an hour away to a waterfall, a small one, nothing like pulpapanzak, with some friends..dont know what else. im not going to church tomorr,w i plan on staying home and spending some quiet time with God. I need to, havent in a long time, and if i plan to live through next week, i had better!
well, thats bout all the time i have now.

had no time to write out a blog post so, i copied an email, sorry, folks, busy busy!

Our Casita In Erandique

2010-01-16T23:54:00.002-06:00

a few random pics I have of our house

sunrise before leaving for the clinic--veiw from our backyard of the sky

Bertha and Phillip waxing our living room floor

sunrise outsidethe house, on the street

waiting for the bus on the street corner yesterday morn

will try to get more pics uploaded soon!

Shootout, Again pt3

2010-01-16T23:34:00.002-06:00

Shootout, Again pt2

2010-01-16T23:18:00.003-06:00

Shootout, Again pt1

2010-01-16T22:45:00.003-06:00

It seems that there's always something dangerous happening in El Eden. These are pics of the last shootout we had here, just one street over from us.

In Erandique AT LAST!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-01-12T18:46:00.002-06:00

First of all I want to say that it is SO COLD up here!!
It gets down in the one digit numbers here!!! And they say it even gets to freezing!!
If it gets any colder, Im headin home, because Ive about got frostbite as it is! (well, not really) The house Im stayin in with my friend Bertha is in Erandique, Lempira and the clinic is up the mountain a ways in Carrizal.
The clinic is like a cave of ice sitting on a block of ice in a big chest freezer with a fan inside it blasting freeeeezing cold air on it!!! Outise the sun is shining sometimes, but inside you cant feel the sun!!!
The first day of clinic wasnt so bad, but today we had a lot of patients. We cant close the clinic until the patients are all gone and today we didnt leave until 2. We had 30 or so patients today. Nothing really extreme or emergency. Just colds , strep throat, asthma...normal illnesses.
I have to take pics of our litte house it is cute! haha. Sort of. Its the color of mustard and ketchup on the inside right now. It just needs a big M for McDonalds in the living room and we could sell hamburgers!!! After a few coats of paint it will look MUCH better. (I hope!)
Well, tonight after emailing we have to gather firewood and make our fire and cook our supper--in the COLD kitchen in our house, so Im gonna finish this blog n go now.
Stay warm! (that means so much more to me now than before!)

A Red Neck Christmas

2009-12-21T16:15:00.002-06:00

Note: Remember,

when you come to a spot that don't rhyme

-- it's a redneck poem. =)

A Red Neck Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the trailer

Not a creature was stirrin' 'cept a redneck named Taylor.

His first name was Bubba, Joe was his middle,

And a-runnin' down his chin was a trickle of spittle.

His socks, they were hung by the chimney with care,

And therefore there was a foul stench in the air.

That Bubba got scared and rousted the boys.

There was Rufus, 12 Jim Bob was 11

Dud goin' on 10 Otis was 7.

John, George and Chucky Were 5,4, and 3:

The twins were both girls so they let them be.

They jumped in their overalls, no need for a shirt,

Threw a hat on each head, then turned with a jerk.

They ran to the gun rack that hung on the wall.

There were 17 shotguns they grabbed them all.

Bubba said to the young'uns, "now hesh up ya'll!

The last thing we wanna do is wake up yer Maw."

Maw was expecting and needed her sleep,

So out they crept out the door without making a peep.

They all looked around, and then they all spit.

The young'uns asked Bubba, "Paw, what is it?"

Bubba just stared he could not say a word.

This was just like all of The stories he'd heard.

It was Santy Claus on the roof, darn tootin'

But the boys didn't know they was about to start shootin'!

They aimed their shotguns and nearly made a mistake

That would have resulted in venison steak.

Bubba hollered out, "don't shoot, boys!"

That's Santy Claus And he's brought us some toys.

The dogs were a-barkin' and a-raisin' cain,

And Bubba whistled, and shouted, and called them by name.

"Down, Spot! shut up Bullet! quiet, Roscoe and Enos!

Git, Turnip and Tater and Sam and Bosco!"

"Git down from that porch! git down off that wall!

Quit shakin the trailer, or you'll make Santy fall!"

The dogs kept a-barkin' and wouldn't shut up,

And they trampled poor Pete Who was only a pup.

Santy opened his bag, And threw out some toys.

Bubba got most, but left a few for the boys.

Since the guns had been dropped he just might not die.

He jumped in his sleigh, told his reindeer to hurry.

The trailer started to wobble santa started to worry.

Just as the reindeer got into the air,

The trailer collapsed, but Bubba didn't care.

He was busy lookin' at all his new toys.

Then a thought hit him, and he said to the boys:

"Go check on yer Maw, make sure she's all right.

That roof fallin' on her could-a hurt just a might."

But Maw was OK, and the girls were too.

They fixed up the trailer it looked good as new.

And as for Bubba, he liked Old St. Nick,

But Santa thought Bubba was a pure-in-tee hick!

Bubba had a nice Christmas, and the boys did, too.

And the Taylors wish a Yee Haw Merry Christmas to you!!!

I can't take credit for this, I didn't write it. I reckon the Taylors did!

More Pics of The Shooting

2009-12-08T16:31:00.005-06:00

the helicopter that landed in the soccer field.

Shooting Update

2009-12-08T14:57:00.003-06:00

2 Weeks - 6 Deaths

2009-12-08T13:09:00.006-06:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year, and here in El Eden, folks are out window shooting. That's right, it's not window SHOPPING but window SHOOTING. And not with cameras either--with AK47s.

police truck and bystanders

Two men are dead. Osiris O'Connor, known as The Colonel, and his father-in-law, were shot by assasins this morning at app 10:45.

The green Kia the two men were driving when they were shot, the engine still running.

Wintry Season!

2009-12-06T20:29:00.004-06:00

	Perry Como - Christmas Bells .mp3

	Found at bee mp3 search engine

	Andy Williams - O Holy Night .mp3

	Found at bee mp3 search engine

	Andy Williams - The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year .mp3

	Found at bee mp3 search engine

	Burl Ives - A Holly Jolly Christmas .mp3

	Found at bee mp3 search engine

En Memoria...

2009-12-01T12:35:00.002-06:00

In Memory Of Sandra Marisela Lopez Barrdales

2009-11-30T09:47:00.001-06:00

Make a Smilebox photobook

NC Trip Pics

2009-11-30T07:34:00.007-06:00

Hey, just wanted to let y'all know that I uploaded more pics of our trip to NC. Same place as the others.

NC Trip -- October 2009

2009-10-09T14:08:00.001-06:00

I FINALLY posted pics from our trip to NC!!!!!!!
*cheers*
To see them, click on the "photos" link above.

Amanda is listening to Yanni....

2009-10-09T10:28:00.005-06:00

Busy bee, please, SIT STILL OR ELSE!!!!!

2009-09-10T17:40:00.006-06:00

Don't flutter by, butterfly! Please, stay.

2009-09-10T17:32:00.004-06:00

Then the fluttery thing flitted to my foot!

2009-09-10T17:29:00.005-06:00

Miscellaneous Pictures

2009-08-26T16:20:00.010-06:00

I hope that Dad's garden attracts as many butterflies as Mr. Tim's someday.
(and BETTER photographers!!)
~~

I chased this bee for sooooo long!

He just would NOT sit still for me to take his picture!

My camera would take eons to focus and once it did,

the bee would buzz away before I could shoot him!

I 'bout wanted to "shoot" my camera after the length of time I spent,

sweating and aching, waiting on him to just be still for only a moment.....
AAaaah!
So after all my effort, these are some of the only ones I got of him.
I gave up, after a while, and started taking pictures of flowers.
But he mercifully returned and allowed the gringa

with the camera to snap a few photos of him.
Finally!!
:)

~~He eyes me suspiciously~~

~~While waiting, this butterfly landed on my foot!~~

~~Hannah and I danced in the rain~~

~~During church, last Sunday, Dad held little Maria on his lap.
She became FASCINATED with his wondeful BEARD
and couldn't hardly take her hands off it!!!~~

~~On the way to church~~

~~Last Saturday afternoon, at the spring~~

Happy Birthday, Hannah!!!!!

2009-08-19T10:28:00.006-06:00

Indesecriptible

2009-07-13T10:29:00.001-06:00

"For...

2009-07-08T20:59:00.001-06:00

...a living dog is better than a dead lion"

Happy Birthday, Jonathan!!!!

2009-07-07T18:17:00.002-06:00

It Couldn't Be Done

2009-06-22T14:08:00.006-06:00

My dad's the kind of man to tackle that which cannot be done.
Happy Father's Day, Dad. :)

It Couldn't Be Done
by Edgar A. Guest

Somebody said that it couldn't be done,
But he with a chuckle replied
That "maybe it couldn't," but he would be one
Who wouldn't say so till he'd tried.
So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin
On his face. If he worried he hid it.
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.

Somebody scoffed: "Oh, you'll never do that;
At least no one ever has done it";
But he took off his coat and he took off his hat,
And the first thing we knew he'd begun it.
With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,
Without any doubting or quiddit,
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.

There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
There are thousands to prophesy failure;
There are thousands to point out to you, one by one,
The dangers that wait to assail you.
But just buckle in with a bit of a grin,J
ust take off your coat and go to it;
Just start to sing as you tackle the thing
That "cannot be done," and you'll do it.

Dad Says...

2009-06-22T11:57:00.004-06:00

Don't ask me, ask your mother.

Were you raised in a barn? Close the door.

You didn't beat me. I let you win.

Big boys don't cry.

Don't worry. It's only blood.

Don't you know any normal kids?

Now you listen to ME, Kiddo!

Coffee will stunt your growth.

A little dirt never hurt anyone.

Get your elbows off the table.

I told you, keep your eye on the ball.

Who said life was supposed to be fair?

Always say please and thank you. That way, you get more.

If you forget, you'll be grounded till the end of the world.

You call that a haircut?

"Hey" is for horses.

This will hurt me a lot more than it hurts you.

Turn off those lights. Do you think I am made of money?

Where'd you learn to whisper, in a sawmill?

Don't give me any of your lip, young lady.

You call that noise "music"?

We're not lost. I'm just not sure where we are.

No, we're not there yet.

Shake it off. It's only pain.

When I was your age, I treated MY father with respect.

As long as you live under my roof, you'll live by my rules.

I'll tell you why. Because I said so. That's why.

Do what I say, not what I do.

What's so funny?

Wipe that smile off your face.

Young ladies perspire, they do not sweat.

If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times!

You want something to do? I'll give you something to do.

This is your last warning.

I'm not sleeping. I was reading that book.

What keeps those jeans of yours from falling off?

I'm not just talking to hear my own voice!

A little pain never hurt anybody.

I knew how to cook when I was your age, young lady!

Don't take yourself so seriously, take what you do seriously!

Laugh at yourself first, you'll take the bite out of others doing so for you.

You're always a winner if you lose with a smile.

Go tell your mother she wants you.

That's the best way I know to put out an eye!

You could drive a wooden man nuts!

In MY day......

Eat it! It will grow hair on your chest!

Don't forget to check your oil.

Four things come not back:
time past, the spoken word,the sped arrow and a missed opportunity.

You can want in one hand and spit in the other and see which one fills up first.

If your brother jumped off a bridge would you?

If your he stood in front of an oncoming train, would you do it because he did it?

If I didn't love you so much I wouldn't punish you...I would let you do whatever you wanted.

Stop crying or I'll give you a reason to cry.

You have things so easy!

When I was your age I had to walk to school in 10 feet of snow up hill both ways!

You're only young once.

You're gonna like it, whether you like it or not!

The early bird gets the worm. Rise and shine!

Don't look at me in that tone of voice!

How many times do I have to pound that into you?

I'm not lost, it's just over the next hill!

If you want to do something, do it because you want to.
Don't do it because someone else did.

As long as you tried your hardest, that's all that matters.

What do you think this is, your birthday?

If ifs and buts were candy and nuts then we'd all have a merry Christmas.

Don't believe anything you hear and only half of what you see.

What do you think I am, a bank?

What part of NO don't you understand?

I don't care what other people are doing! I'm not everybody elses father!

You're not leaving my house dressed like that! What will other parents think?

Could those sleeves be any longer?

Headache remedy: Put your head through the window and the pain will be gone.
Headache remedy: Hit your big toe with a hammer and you'll forget about your headache.
Headache remedy: Drop a brick on your foot and you'll forget you ever had a head!

Worrying about things you can't change is like a rocking chair...
it gives you something to do, but it doesn't get you anywhere.

Hurt much? I didn't feel a thing.

You march right back down those stairs!

I feel for you, but I can't reach you from here.

Don't you slam that door at me!

If you're gonna be dumb, you've gotta be tough.

Didn't your mother learn you anything?!

Go tell your mother that her child needs a spanking.

You can marry a rich guy just as easily as you can a poor guy.

It's hard to be good, and easy to be bad.

Don't tell on anybody unless you tell on yourself first.

Hey, did you hear me talking to you?

If you don't stop crying, I'll GIVE you something to cry about!

Don't use that tone with me!

Am I talking to a brick wall?

If you're not carefull, you'll grow up to be just like your mother!

If I catch you doing that one more time, I'll...

Act your age.

Stop acting like a two-year old!

Two wrongs do not make a right.

Wipe your feet!

Enough is enough!

Silence.

Don't make me stop the car!

What did I just get finished telling you?

Did you hear me?

You know you're always gonna to be Daddy's little girl...

I am Only an Ember...

2009-06-11T21:43:00.002-06:00

...in a blaze of flames.

I am Just a Seed...

2009-06-07T21:45:00.003-06:00

...in a field of plenty.

I am Just a Raindrop...

2009-06-04T06:15:00.004-06:00

...in

puddle

many..

"That's What I Love About Sundays..."

2009-05-24T18:05:00.002-06:00

An old friend of the family is visiting; Mr. Paul.
We are so happy to have him!
Sunday comes.
Mr. Paul shares his testimony and we pray for a dear friend of his, Steve, who is in the hospital.
Church ends.
A family of four unexpectantly comes to lunch.
Easy enough.
Cook another pot of rice, water the gravy a bit...presto! ;)
A biejita (old woman) stops by because she knows the "guests".
Invite her for lunch, of course.
Easy enough.
Just one more plate.
Then Alex stops by.
Easy enough????
Well, Alex is always welcome to lunch.
One more plate.
The "biejita" has a sore on her arm.
I look at it.
Red and swollen, oozing some pus.
Probably a moskito bite that she scratched and it is now slightly infected.
While scrubbing it, I discover a 3\4 inch long thorn.
It had festered.
She didn't even know it was in there!
Alex has an ingrown toenail.
Using the dremel tool, I "file" it down and then pry at it a bit.
Le duele muchisimo. Pobresito. Pues hecho alcohol. :P
Then, a tragic phone call for Mr. Paul.
Mr. Steve died at 6am this morning.
New reservations are made.
Mr. Paul flies out this evening.
Midnight.
We put our trust in God.
Trust.
We can't see the good behind the evil; the sun behind the clouds...but we still trust Him.
Church tonight.
Got to get ready.
One must be prepared for anything.
Never a dull moment around here.

Ode To An Essay

2009-05-21T21:50:00.002-06:00

I hate you,
I abhor you.
When finished, I adore you.

I procrastinate,
Until the due date.
My hard work they appreciate! ;)

My pencil is dull,
My schedule is full
And my poor brain's in a lull.

I never get farther
Than a page and a quarter
So here I'll
End.

sorry!

2009-05-19T21:28:00.003-06:00

I've have neglected me blog, me facebook, me emailing, me friends..everything computer\internet oriented!! Have been a weetle bit busy, but will try to update everybody on everyting ASAIC (As Soon As I Can)!! Just hold on a weetle while longer while I try to catch up! :)
Thanks,
ME!!

True Grit

2009-05-12T21:23:00.006-06:00

And no, I don't mean cowboys.
No, not the US Army either.
Morticians are who I am refering to.
They deserve our respect.
They deserve a hats off.

They deserve a moment of silence with our hands on our hearts.

They deserve a hot bath and Tajadas for supper with their best friend and colleague... rain drumming on the roof above their heads... clean, fresh air to breathe in and relish...a cat-nap on the sofa...a good book to curl up with beneath a soft blanket...a fresh glass of creamy milk...a soft bed to rest in...

and Tylenol.

(((Let's hear it for morticians!!!!)))

that's not summer's rose, but Sommer's Rose. As in, Sommers and Rose.

God Made A Wonderful Mother

2009-05-10T07:06:00.002-06:00

God made a wonderful mother,

A mother who never grows old;

He made her smile of the sunshine,

And He moulded her heart of pure gold;

In her eyes He placed bright shining stars,

In her cheeks fair roses you see;

God made a wonderful mother,

And He gave that dear mother to me.

And as time goes by I know

That her outward beauty will fade,

But the love I have for my mother

Will only grow stronger, day by day.

My Kiddos :)

2009-05-09T21:11:00.007-06:00

I know these aren't in any kind of order,
but I wanted to post them while I had time! :)

~Mi lil' Amado *grins*
cute, ain't he?~

~ Roberto~

~Diego, my ADD child~

~Kensy~

~Isis~

~If you're a bad boy, you're put on RED!~

~Heidy~

~Roberto~

~Alejandra--lil miss popular~

~Cesar~

~Monica~

~Diego~

~Monica~

~Kensy~

~Danean--the girl's man~

Blow-Ball!

2009-04-25T00:42:00.000-06:00

My SCHEDULE!

2009-04-24T18:28:00.008-06:00

Some folks have been askin me what my daily schedule is like. I have finally had time to catch up to the pace of daily living here in Honduras and can now blog about it.

(Now, my blogging skills are not all that great. I can't hardly right anything formal. So, I'm just gonna write it like it is. :) Please excuse my bad spelling and grammar and everything else incorrect. :D )

Here is an example of my schedule (taken from the past three days experience):

On Wednesday, to start out with, Paul was sick from midnight till about 7am (vomiting non-stop), so we were fairly tired that day. After breakfast, I washed and hung out the laundry.

Then I worked on an essay I'm doing in preperation for the GED, did all the other "normal" things teenagers do to help out around the house, did some emailing and Facebooking, and then at 3 rode out on the tandem bike to visit some friends with my sister.
We biked to the Pan American Health Services orphanage and hung out with the kids there, rode them around on the tandem bike and made tortillas with them till 4.
On our way home, we passed an old friend, Daniel, who was riding a motorcycle. He stopped and chatted with us and ended up coming back to the house with us.
A man came to the door with his daughter, who needed a nebulizer treatment. I set it up for them and got the little girl started on it while Daniel rode Matthew and April around on his motorcycle.
(Hannah sat on it and pretended to ride it but was too afraid to once it was "cwank-ed up".) After Daniel left and the little girl and her father did too, we started getting ready for church. Once I was ready, my dad told me that Ms Adina Bauman had called him and had asked if I could go over to her house and help out with a minor emergency. A young girl had cut herself with a machete and Ms Adina and her family were sick, and therefore unable to help her. I quickly Skyped my new (and very good) friend, Bertha, and asked her if she'd meet me with the Mission House truck and go with me. She agreed, and I met her down at the end of our road by the cantina.
Bertha and I had quite an adventure together! We unsuccesfully tried butterfly-bandaging up Silvia's cut (it was a fairly bad one) and finally just wrapped it up very tightly (and professionally too :) and drove her to her house in the invasion and dropped me off at the corner. So much for church that night, for me!
My dad told me, when I got home, that I had had a job offer. A friend of my dad's wanted to know if I could be a teacher's aid for two months or so. I accepted! Arrangements were made for me to take a "tour" on Friday. Then I went to bed. :P
(Bertha did pick Silvia up Thursday morning and took her to get stitches, BTW.)
~

~
~

On Thursday, I did laundry again and did all those other "normal" things to help out around the house, as well as schoolwork. I also raked the backyard.
I had Matthew stand beside the pile of leaves I raked to show how big it was.
(I don't why he looks tired!)
Then, I went to downtown Pena Blanca on the tandem bike with my dad to pick up a truck he had sitting at the mechanic's place. We put the bike in the back of the truck and drove the truck home.
Then, it started raining, so I had to grab the laundry off the line and fold the dry and hang-up the wet. After that, I worked on my essay some more.
Then, I helped my dad (well, sort of) make chocolate. I really just took pictures of it and listened to him lecture me on it.

Then, I hopped on the computer and made a website for the Maya Chocolate Company!

(that's our name for now)
Here's the link: Maya Chocolates
~
~
~
This morning, at 8, my dad took me to the bilingual school for my "tour". I met my "pupils" and was shown the "premises".
[pictures will be uploaded here once I find where I set my camera!]
Then, we went to a store in Pena and made arrangements with the jefe for them to sell some of our chocolate for us. They ordered 200 lempiras worth. (roughly $10) Then, after that, we stopped by the mission house and chatted with them, let them taste some of our chocolates and bought some eggs from them. Then, I helped dad out with his chocolate by looking stuff up on the internet.
Some folks dropped in for a visit and for corn cereal this afternoon while I was on the computer.

Then I talked on the phone to my big brother.

Then, I worked on cleaning up the hotel rooms to prepare for a guest who is coming tommorrow to stay for a few days. And our water went off.
And came back on 30 minutes later. :)

THEN, I met Bertha (this is at 4:30) at the cantina corner and we went and cleaned Silvia's bandage together. After that, Bertha dropped me off here at the house and after peeking in on our chocolate production, she left.

THEN, some visitors dropped in for a quick visit and after that we ate supper.
NOW, I'm on the blog!

So...... that's my "schedule"!! :D

Wishing My Dad A Happy Birthday!

2009-04-21T20:37:00.001-06:00

Click here to wish my dad a happy birthday! :)

When We Returned Home...

2009-04-12T09:11:00.006-06:00

...we were met with Home Sweet Home! :D

It seems there had been some renovating
on the roof and after a heavy rainfall...

...the roof fell in.

And of course, visitors to lunch. :)

Snapshots from our Trip (pt 5)

2009-04-11T18:57:00.011-06:00

~Our wonderful friends drove us to our wonderful grandmother's house~

~our wonderful grandmother drove us to our home-town, Waldo...
...and then we headed to Georgia! When we got to GA the traffic was backed up for miles. It took us 2 hrs to go 30 miles!~

~note the sign~

~note the traffic~

~FINALLY, we were able to speed up to our normal pace~
*BIG grin*

~once in GA, we were able to visit with family~
(the uh chicken is a friend, BTW. no relation)

~my granma and Uncle Billy~

~my cuz, Jimmy, and April~

~yum~

"Jimmy, you're so serious --you look like an indian!"

"That's better."
:)

~grillin hamburgers!~

~one CAN find FL Gators in GA~

~I took these (^^^) photos in My Aunt n Uncle's backyard~

~Alas! All good things must end someday.
We got on the airplane that took us to Ft. Lauderdale
and there we stayed with our Great Aunt and Uncle,
during our layover, until our next flight.~

~suitcases in the truck..all loaded up!...Goodbye, USA!~

Snapshots from our Trip (pt 4)

2009-04-09T18:17:00.002-06:00

Make a Smilebox photobook

Snapshots from our Trip (pt 3)

2009-04-09T15:14:00.013-06:00

HOLY LAND EXPERIENCE!!

Snapshots from our Trip (pt 2)

2009-04-09T11:44:00.017-06:00

~At The Beach in St. Augustine~

~12-car pile-up~

~Abby's Birthday Party~

~At Busch Gardens~

Snapshots from our Trip (pt1)

2009-04-09T10:39:00.007-06:00

~I took the photos of the flag and of the flowers through my grandma's car window~

~I took the phtotos of the flowers in the Wal-Mart parking-lot~

~Watching The Sunset at The Gulf~

~Two Aspects of Flight~

~Sunset at The Gulf~

Back In Honduras Again! :)

2009-04-09T10:19:00.003-06:00

Girl Fun and MOAH fun!! :)

2009-04-03T22:05:00.006-06:00

~MAJOR fun here~

~hey, girls! (BFF)~

~BFF~

~smile for the picture!~

~I C U~

~downtown~

~yum!~

Havin Fun!

2009-03-30T17:15:00.000-06:00

Rather obvious, huh? :)

In The US of A!!!!

2009-03-18T03:53:00.004-06:00

We're here at the Ft Lauderdale airport this morning! Honduras time it's 4:00am to us although here it';s only 6. We are very tired. We is my sister April and I. With much gratitude to family and a friend named Abby, we are on our way to catching our next flight to the Tampa airport. We'll be in the USA for 20 days. Our adventure has only just begun!

"...and many more!"

2009-03-07T17:28:00.003-06:00

Happy Birthday Mom!

Barefoot Humor

2009-03-03T18:01:00.011-06:00

The Tenderfoot

by: A. Rose

I clear my throat and then I cough,
For Daddy has taken his shoes off
And at his walk I like to scoff.

Oh, yes! He’s a tenderfoot!

Shall I compare it to a midsummer’s day?
More likely an afternoon matinee!
Yes, here my dear Daddy I do betray.
Oh, yes! He’s a tenderfoot!

Like a tightrope walker in pantyhose,
Balancing ‘pon his tippy-toes,
Across the yard my Daddy goes.
Oh, yes! He’s a tenderfoot!

Cringing from each stab he feels
As grass blades plunge into his heels.
The pain’s so great, he nearly keels!
Oh, yes! He’s a tenderfoot!

Samson had a weakness too;
My dad’s is hidden in his shoe.
And though it’s sad to say, it’s true:
Oh, yes! He’s a tenderfoot!

My daddy’s feet are a blinding white;
Their ghostly hue is quite a sight;
The Blackfoot tribe would have a fright!
Oh, yes! He’s a tenderfoot!

Ooching and ahching across the lawn,
Flailing and bending like a wide-mouthed yawn,
Or a ballet dancer with too much brawn.

Oh, yes! He's a tenderfoot!

Now, I love my daddy, don’t get me wrong.
And I realize my poem has grown rather long,
So here I’ll end, though I could go on!
Oh, yes! He’s a tenderfoot!

"There remaineth therefore a rest..."

2009-02-28T12:55:00.006-06:00

We printed out this picture I took of Mirian one day when Shanell, April and I went to visit her. It's in the post Sunday Afternoon Ministry. We took it and placed it upon the coffin.

Here's another one from that day:

Lucas, Mirian's brother, asked me to take a picture of Mirian in her coffin. I would not have done so otherwise.

Here is the coffin with her picture on it: If you've ever seen someone's body, someone who died from cancer, then, well...many people found her corpse disturbing. The upper jaw is exposed and the eyelids are not completely closed.

(The light bulb hanging above my head is reflected in the glass in the picture above. So are the pictures on the wall. Sorry bout that.)

The calendar reflecting in the glass of her coffin. Life is short. Time is precious. We are here for but a lifetime. In heaven, we'll have an eternity. Use your time wisely.

My mom wrote something about Mirian. Go here to read it: ~Some thoughts on Mirian's Life~

Peace At Last!

2009-02-27T15:49:00.003-06:00

Mirian passed away today. I have yet to learn what time it was. I didn't hear until just now. Thought I'd let you all know. Thank you all for your prayers. She is suffering no more, hallelujah! I can imagine her saying; "Este es para siempre el lugar de mi reposo; Aquí habitaré, porque la he querido." (This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it. Psalm 132:14)

Hebrews 4:9
There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

John 3:15
That whosoever believeth in him should not perish,

but have eternal life.

<3 Valentines Day!! <3

2009-02-13T14:51:00.001-06:00

~I Corinthians 13~
Valentine's Day is a day of love,
For showing that we care,
And if we read the Bible,
God describes love there:

If we speak like celestial angels
From heaven up above,
All our words mean nothing
If we don’t have Christian love.

Love is patient,
love is kind;
It doesn’t brag or boast;
Love conquers pride and envy;
It is never self-engrossed.

Love is not rude or angry;
Forgiveness counters wrong;
Love stays away from evil;
It sings a truthful song.

Love is full of trust and hope;
It always perseveres;
Love never fails;
It’s faithful;
To the Bible it adheres.

And if you give this kind of love
To your special Valentine,
You’ll be loving right in harmony
With God’s own sweet design.
~By Joanna Fuchs~

Have a Blessed Valentines Day!

Doin' My Time AKA Lightheartedness in the Darkness

2009-02-10T20:59:00.004-06:00

I got "inspired" by my younger brother, Paul, one day and wrote this poem.It is supposed to be from his (^) point of view. (the illustrations are of him too:)

Doin' My Time
by: A. Rose

Schoolbooks open,
Pencil in hand,
Why I’m imprisoned,
I don’t understand.

Trapped here inside
While the day grows old
If only they’d let me
Out on parole!
There’s adventures out there!
And fish in the crick!
But instead I’m stuck here
In my bailiwick.
It’s fresh air I need.
Not this air that’s stale.
I can hardly breathe
Here in this jail!
My list of assignments
Hangs heavy o’er me
--Two HOURS ‘till recess:
I’LL NEVER BE FREE!
My hand is weary,
My heart is faint,
My head is swimming;
It’s this restraint!
‘N’ there’s six more grades
I’ve got to complete!
By the time I’m out
I’ll be antiqued!
An archaeological find
I‘ll be
If sometime soon
They don’t set me free.
Math, Spelling, History
These are my chains.
Securely shackled.
It’s inhumane!
It’s fryin’ my brain!
I’m goin’ insane!
I’m gettin’ chilblain!
Doin my time from
One class to the next
In case of fire,
THROW IN THIS TEXT!
He ought to be boiled
Who made up the rule
That from 7 to 2
I’ve got to do school!

.......

RECESS!!!!

Mirian

2009-02-03T18:41:00.004-06:00

Just got back from a visit with Mirian. I didn't take my camera because the battery was dead. Even if I had taken it, I wouldn't have taken a picture of her. I would have felt like an animal.

We went at 4. It was the first time in my life I've seen a real LIVE skeleton. The cancer has stolen her body. I can't imagine what it's done to her insides.
I changed her diaper, which was heavily soiled, although she said her neighbor had changed it for her earlier today. I bathed her down with some warm water and baby wash and dried her with an old piece of lingerie they gave me to do it with; they have no towels. I aim to give her one next time I go. She was in a lot of pain and could hardly breathe. She has a bad cough but hasn't the strength to do so. April got her some sheets and a flannel blanket from the house and we tucked her in real nice. We also had her do a nebulizer treatment and sang a few songs for her. When we left, she was breathing easier and was sleeping softly. What wonderful rest awaits her in Heaven!

My Hand At Photography

2009-02-02T20:04:00.001-06:00

My camera is not THE best, and neither are my photography skills, but I LOVE taking pictures and fooling around with my camera. Here are a few of my pictures and I have more posted at my website if you're curious.

~eyelashes and freckles courtesy of God~

~the bananas are courtesy of the mission's guesthouse porch~

~courtesy of Adina Bauman's flower bed~

~courtesy of Sandra Martin's flowers~

~courtesy of April's roses~

~bridges courtesy of Finca Ixobel~

With Visas Renewed........?

2009-02-02T19:53:00.000-06:00

Well, to read the whole story about our trip, go here: http://honduranrose.blogspot.com/ to our family blog where it will be posted soon. Yet another adventure to write in our travel diary!! Always something different! There was the suspicious fact that we didn't get fined for ________ ____ __________ ___ ______, our wonderful stay at Finca Ixobel and our exotic dormitories, April's misadventure there on _________, and the exciting find at the Honduran border -oh! and when we slammed into---but I'd better not tell. :)

Off To Belize AGAIN!!!

2009-02-02T12:40:00.001-06:00

~flag of Gautemala~

~flag of Belize~

Yes! It's off to Belize again to get our visas renewed. We're leaving on Wednesday, so we won't be emailing or blogging for a while! I'll post about our adventures when we return and I promise to try to take LOTS of pictures! :) Type back to ya soon!

Home At Last!

2009-01-26T21:45:00.000-06:00

The veiw of the sunrise from my flight to Houston from Charlotte was spectacular! My camera was unable to capture all of the different colors of it from the airplane window, but you can still see how beautiful it was. (the little bright spot in the corner is the moon) ~ veiw of Texas~

~veiw of Honduras~

Three hysterical children and two beaming parents met me at the airport holding paper hearts that spelled out AMANDA.
Edna Bauman and little Amy Jo were there aswell.

My lap was crowded al the way home and eager faces asked about the snow, the plane rides and the goodies that were packed away in the suitcases.

San Pedro Sula bustled, screeched and honked as always, welcoming me back.

Honduras National Anthem Lyrics

(esto no incluye todas las estrofas--hay siete)

(this does not include all of the verses--there are seven)
Honduras Original Spanish Words

CHORUS

Tu bandera, tu bandera es un lampo de cielo

Por un bloque de nieve cruzado;

(repeat)

Y se ven en su fondo sagrado

Cinco estrellas de pálido azul;

En tu emblema, que un mar rumoroso

Con sus ondas bravías escuda,

De un volcán, tras la cima desnuda,

(repeat)

Hay un astro de nitida luz.

(repeat)

India virgen y hermosa dormías

De tus mares al canto sonoro,

Cuando hechada en tus cuencas de oro

El audaz navegante te halló;

Y al mirar tu belleza extasiado,

Al influjo ideal de tu encanto,

La orla azul de tu esplendido manto

Con su beso de amor consagró.

CHORUS

Por guardar ese emblema divino

Marcharemos, ¡oh patria!, a la muerte;

Generosa será nuestra suerte

Si morimos pensando en tu amor.

Defendiendo tu santa bandera,

Y en sus pliegues gloriosos cubiertos,

Serán muchos, Honduras, tus muertos,

¡pero todos caerán con honor!

CHORUS

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

English :

CHORUS

Your flag is a splendour of sky

Crossed with a band of snow;

And there can be seen, in its sacred depths,

(repeat)

Five pale blue stars.

In your emblem, which a rough sea

With its wild waves protects,

Behind the bare summit of a volcano,

(repeat)

A star brightly shines.

(repeat)

Like an Indian maiden you were sleeping,

Lulled by the resonant song of your seas,

When, set in your golden valleys,

The bold navigator found you;

And on seeing, enraptured, your beauty,

And feeling your enchantment,

He dedicated a kiss of love to the blue hem

Of your splendid mantle.

CHORUS

To guard this sacred emblem

We shall march, oh fatherland, to our death;

Our death will be honoured

If we die thinking of your love.

Having defended your holy flag,

And shrouded in its glorious folds,

Many, Honduras, shall die for you,

But all shall fall in honour.

CHORUS

Otto Koning LIVE!!

2009-01-24T16:19:00.001-06:00

YES! I got to hear the "Pineapple-Story-Man" live!! His stories are always funny, but they always have a good message too.

Youth Bible School 2009!!!

2009-01-24T14:56:00.000-06:00

WOW! What an experience! I had such a wonderful time! Listening to the messages and gleaning so much from them, sharing during small group and prayer group and all of the fellowship! I really enjoyed the fellowship. :) I had such a great time, I really hope I can go next year!! I made so many new friends and was so blessed during my stay in NC!

I took very few pictures, I'm afraid. I was so busy soaking everything in, I sort of forgot! :) But here are the few I did take:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

These are pictures of our "trip" to Israel. Everyone removed their shoes before entering "Israel" (the fellowship hall) and chose a rug to sit at. We had been instructed to wash our hands before entering and realized it was because of the finger foods that were served. Delicious! :p

There were a lot of familiar faces in Israel! :)

Oooooops!!! An anonymous friend took this picture of Jasmin Aholelei and I. (I think the camera was on the wrong setting, so don't blame the photographer!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I really enjoyed the bonfire we had one night. It was spectacular!! :)

We sang songs, shared stories and testimonies.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The two messages that stood out to me the most were Daryl Nolts' messages on worship and "clearing the rubble".

(it was quite a crowd for me!)

Out Of Order

2009-01-20T22:58:00.000-06:00

I know I posted the pictures I took of the snow before I posted the pictures of Bible School, but it was because I was sooo excited about it. I will post the pictures of Bible School as soon as I find the time to. :)

Snowballs and Snowbanks

2009-01-20T12:44:00.000-06:00

Snow cream anyone????

snow, Snow, SNOW!!!!

2009-01-20T10:37:00.001-06:00

Bbrrrrrr! I'm freezing!!!

2009-01-12T21:27:00.001-06:00

Actually, I'm not. I didn't even notice the frost this morning until around 8:00! The cold ground made my feet burn when I went outside to take these pictures. It was 24 degrees.

I am really enjoying my time here, even though it IS cold!

In North Carolina!!

2009-01-09T18:57:00.000-06:00

Hey, Ii'm in North Carolina for two weeks, so the blog isn't going to have much anything on it about ministry for a while. I might post a few pictures on here of what I'm doing here in NC. It looks as though its gonna be an exciting two weeks!

Stormy Evening

2008-12-26T13:19:00.001-06:00

The other evening before it rained the sky looked really perculiar, so I got out my camera a took a picture of it just because I thought it looked weird. You can see the neighbor's window in the picture too.

Holiday Baking

2008-12-24T15:40:00.000-06:00

Sugar cookies! Hannah put on the "pinkles" for us.

Mom convinced dad to buy some cherries and already shredded and sweetend coconut so we could make coconut macaroons!
And someone brought us some canned pumpkin to make pies with!

We had plenty of treats for Thanksgiving and Christmas. (Don't worry Grandmommy! :D )

Chocolate Experiments

2008-12-24T12:53:00.001-06:00

Someone kindly sent us some chocolate right before Thanksgiving and ever since I have been experimenting and trying out new recipes. 'Smores and more! YUMMY!

Dad has also been experimenting with chocolate. He has been fermenting, toasting, winnowing, grinding and melting his own cacao beans. He finished his second batch. It was fine at first, but after he remelted it, he tempered it wrong. End result: "Frosted" chocolate kisses! (the chocolate bloomed)

pretty, aren't they?

Sunday Afternoon Ministry

2008-12-15T20:48:00.001-06:00

Shanell Martin, April (my sister) and I often go visiting together on Sunday afternons.

Most recently, we visited Mirian, a young woman who is dying of cervical cancer. I felt led to give her a sweater of mine, as I have 3 or 4. It was a cold, rainy day and she had no sweater on when we arrived. She was so happy and pleased with it. We sang a few songs for her and asked her daughters to join us singing too. It was a very nice visit.

Carla and Dilcia, her two daughters. (she also has sons)

That same day, we stopped by to see Yanori, a young teenager who had decided to follow Jesus, but has changed her mind since and is now wandering after the world and it's alluring disasters.

Yanori's brother, Kerin, is a different story. It looks as though he has decided to follow Jesus-- no turning back! Praise The Lord! :) Kerin is taking classes at the community center and is one of our best students as well as one of our biggest pancake eaters. :p

We also visited Rosa, a young woman with high blood pressure. She was snuggled into the hammock in their living room, resting and keeping warm.

We sang some songs for her too and even sang one in English!! We were singing, "I've Got The Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy Down In My Heart..." and we just HAD to sing the verse in English that goes, "I've got the wonderful love of my Blessed Redeemer way down in the depths of my heart..." It must have sounded hilariously funny to them, but we enjoyed it!

Romelia, a young teenager who recently accepted Christ who is Rosa's neice.

Julissa is also Rosa's neice. In this picture she has her hair twisted up in rags to curl it.

To end our day of visiting, we walked home in the rain and got soaked! Well, almost. There were a few dry spots! :) On the way back to Shanell's house, April and Shanell jumped into a mud puddle just for the kicks. They will have a fit when they see this picture on here! :D

We picked some tangerines from the Martins tree before going inside for some hot chocolate. :p After warming up and drying out a little, April and I headed home. :D :) Here in Honduras, away from high-tech devices, we teenagers must resort to jumping in mud puddles in order to goof off. :p BTW, just becuase I am not in this picture does not mean that I do not find a form of "release" as well. The next Sunday we went visiting together, I was hanging by my knees from the Martins tangerine tree! :p (lucky for me, however, no one had a camera) ;)

Damaris

2008-12-15T19:35:00.000-06:00

I have recently made friends with a young girl, Damaris. She is 16 years old. Her husband's name is Rene and he is 30-ish. Their baby girl's name is Raquel (Rachel). She is 1 year old and has just started walking.

This is her younger brother, Eder.

(In an effort to get to know her better) Damaris and I color together each time she visits. We ended up with so many drawings that we started taping them up on the wall! (She visited me every night for a month straight!)

We soon filled this wall and started on the next! :)

We have around 3-4 walls worth of drawings! We joke that after wallpapering the walls, we will start on the ceiling.

Damaris has gotten quite good at coloring. The pumpkin-like squash they have here is green, so when she asked why mine was orange, I explained that in the USA we have orange squash. The next one she colored was orange (below) and my next one was green! :)

I LOVE Raquelita!!! She is sooooooo adorable!!! :D

I Finally Figured It Out!! :p

2008-12-15T19:29:00.000-06:00

No, it didn't take me this long to figure out how to blog. I have been busy creating and updating blogs for my family as well as updating the website. And actually, I have been so busy with the work around the house here, that I haven't even updated the website or the family blogs recently! So, anyhow, I will try my best to upload some photos of what I have been doin around here. :)