Yay for the elections yesterday! All seems to have gone well. The following Wall Street Journal editorial is short and good.
http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052748703939404574566150432623012-lMyQjAxMDA5MDIwOTEyNDkyWj.html
Monday, November 30, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
Italian Garifuna Food
Since we can't eat gluten, we're always on the lookout for practical gluten free alternatives. The Garifuna people, who are black descendents of slaves who were shipwrecked or dumped at sea for various reasons, have a very distinct culture. One of their typical foods is casabe, which is shredded, baked tapioca root. It comes out looking like a thin crust, which works quite well for pizza. It's also very tasty as toast with garlic and butter or sugar and cinnamon. The girls eat it like it's going out of style.
Complete Randomness
Here are some completely random, but nonetheless entertaining, pictures from life here. Below are Dr. Don and Dr. Jeff loading up their motos for their respective work. Don was headed off to teach his discipleship classes, and I'm not sure the purpose or destination of the gigantic pipe Jeff was packing.
Back in October, a woman from the other side of the country passed away from AIDS. After a memorial service at the hospital, Iain was assigned the task of hearse driver. The woman's daughter, now an orphan, will stay at the Children's Centre indefinitely. She is a delightful little girl and, thankfully, does not have AIDS. 
The first week we were here, some of the guys found this big boa. They are endangered and protected, so they released it out in a field. 
This is Josh's homemade BBQ stove. It's a powdered milk can stuffed with saw dust. It actually cooks quite well.
How's that for a random assortment of pictures!
How's that for a random assortment of pictures! Girls and Dogs
The girls are good buddies with Timber, the giant geriatric lab who gaurds our house.
And this was just such a cute pic of Hadley and her pigtails!
And this was just such a cute pic of Hadley and her pigtails! Road Work
The road between the Hospital and Balfate has been getting some much needed maintenance, including grading, addition of rock and sand, and lots of other processes that we gringos watch with confusion, unsure of their purposes.
The company contracted to do the work has a fleet of trucks that have been steadily running up and down the roads hauling sand, red clay, and rock. All of them are frightfully overloaded, and in the past couple weeks, two have had wrecks. The first one blew a tire and tipped right over.
The second one broke the suspension right off the frame. It sat disabled and loaded in the middle of the road for a couple days. Then, to unload it, they backed another truck up into it to keep it from falling over and dumped the load. Although you can't see it, the rear driver's side tires were completely off the ground, so the only thing keeping it upright was the other truck.
The company contracted to do the work has a fleet of trucks that have been steadily running up and down the roads hauling sand, red clay, and rock. All of them are frightfully overloaded, and in the past couple weeks, two have had wrecks. The first one blew a tire and tipped right over.
The second one broke the suspension right off the frame. It sat disabled and loaded in the middle of the road for a couple days. Then, to unload it, they backed another truck up into it to keep it from falling over and dumped the load. Although you can't see it, the rear driver's side tires were completely off the ground, so the only thing keeping it upright was the other truck.
When I'm out motating about on my bike, I always try to give the trucks plenty of room, lest one of them tip over on me!
Monday, November 16, 2009
Transportation
We live about 2.5 miles from Hospital Loma de Luz in the the little town of Balfate. Josh works at the hospital every day, and I have classes there 3 days a week, so to get back and forth (when it's not pouring rain) we ride our bikes.
My bike isn't quite so fancy, but it is really tricked out out. It has two kids seats, a basket, a super cushy seat and taller handle bars, all courtesy of Josh. Although you can't see it in the picture, I also have my very own machete hooked onto the frame for easy access in the event I would need to chop up something I might meet on the road, like a snake or nasty dog. And the beauty of customizing a bike in Honduras is that bike parts are ridiculously cheap, so it's both a practical and affordable endeavor.
Josh's bike is an old-style "veinti-ocho," which just means 28. I think the name came from either the tire size or the frame size, but it refers to any bike of this style. Unbeknownst to Josh when he bought it, ownership of such a bike is quite the status symbol among Honduras. So wherever he goes, people comment and admire it. Note the custom built kid seat on the back.
My bike isn't quite so fancy, but it is really tricked out out. It has two kids seats, a basket, a super cushy seat and taller handle bars, all courtesy of Josh. Although you can't see it in the picture, I also have my very own machete hooked onto the frame for easy access in the event I would need to chop up something I might meet on the road, like a snake or nasty dog. And the beauty of customizing a bike in Honduras is that bike parts are ridiculously cheap, so it's both a practical and affordable endeavor.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Browning's in Balfate: November 2009
Of Burns and Benefactors
God uses all kinds of people to get things done. About two months ago, a 37-year-old Balfate man named Enil received 2nd degree burns over 45% of his body when some gasoline he was working with caught fire. His family owns the little hotel just behind our house, which, up until the time of his accident, also sold gas and diesel fuel. All told, he spent 7 weeks in the Hospital, receiving 1-2 hours of daily wound care. He needed skin grafts on his calves, but Loma de Luz only had a dysfunctional, archaic dermatome, the cheese cutter-like device for harvesting the healthy skin. Dr. Leon Greene, our very humble world class cardiologist, and his wife Judy were in Washington visiting a new grandbaby, when our surgeon Dr. McKenney wrote, asking if he could track down blades for the old machine or, preferably, find a whole new dermatome.
God uses all kinds of people to get things done. About two months ago, a 37-year-old Balfate man named Enil received 2nd degree burns over 45% of his body when some gasoline he was working with caught fire. His family owns the little hotel just behind our house, which, up until the time of his accident, also sold gas and diesel fuel. All told, he spent 7 weeks in the Hospital, receiving 1-2 hours of daily wound care. He needed skin grafts on his calves, but Loma de Luz only had a dysfunctional, archaic dermatome, the cheese cutter-like device for harvesting the healthy skin. Dr. Leon Greene, our very humble world class cardiologist, and his wife Judy were in Washington visiting a new grandbaby, when our surgeon Dr. McKenney wrote, asking if he could track down blades for the old machine or, preferably, find a whole new dermatome.
Dr. Greene located a supply house in Seattle that had the blades, but during his first visit, an employee told him they didn’t have any dermatomes. He began looking elsewhere for a used one, knowing they cost $14,000-20,000 new. He found a used one in Oklahoma for $6,000, but that was far out of the price range. At a second visit to the Seattle supply house, Dr. Greene commented that it was too bad they had only the blades and not the machine itself. The lady behind the counter said, “Oh, we do. You must have talked to Cathy. She’s a bit confused about our inventory. We have 2 or 3 Army surplus dermatomes from Desert Storm. They cost about $500.” Not having the money at the moment, Dr. Greene asked them to hold one for him.
The following excerpt from Dr. Greene’s recent newsletter describes just how God provided the needed funds: “Still wondering where the money might come from, we went to a dinner gathering that night. A dear friend who had worked with me for years gave Judy an envelope at the end of the evening and said, “Here, use this for anything that you need at the hospital.” (You can see this coming, right?) Inside the envelope was $500! And we’re still surprised when God answer prayers through unexpected channels, and at unexpected times! So we were able to bring the dermatome to Honduras when we came back, and Enil was able to have his skin grafting. He went home a few days ago. Rarely do Honduran men cry in public. Enil cried with joy when he was finally able to go home.”
Now at home, Enil comes to the hospital every week for continued wound care. His hands and face have healed perfectly with no scars, and the rest of his burns are also doing well.
Josh’s Jobs
As always, there are lots of jobs, both big and small, to keep Josh busy. Most of the hospital’s housing is built on hill sides, so with the rainy season comes landslide cleanup and repair. Aside from regular maintenance things, most of his time in the past month has been spent finishing a house for one of the missionary families. Work is just beginning on two suspension foot bridges which span a large ravine connecting the housing area to the hospital area. Another large project is replacement of the original metal water storage tank built in the mid-90’s. Over time it has rusted out and is losing structural stability. A second tank was installed in 2006, but the combined 17,000 gallon storage lasts less than a day if the system goes down. The construction guys are currently putting together a cost estimate to construct a larger concrete tank to solve the water storage problem. Below is a photo of the top of the storage tank with several supports rusted away.
As always, there are lots of jobs, both big and small, to keep Josh busy. Most of the hospital’s housing is built on hill sides, so with the rainy season comes landslide cleanup and repair. Aside from regular maintenance things, most of his time in the past month has been spent finishing a house for one of the missionary families. Work is just beginning on two suspension foot bridges which span a large ravine connecting the housing area to the hospital area. Another large project is replacement of the original metal water storage tank built in the mid-90’s. Over time it has rusted out and is losing structural stability. A second tank was installed in 2006, but the combined 17,000 gallon storage lasts less than a day if the system goes down. The construction guys are currently putting together a cost estimate to construct a larger concrete tank to solve the water storage problem. Below is a photo of the top of the storage tank with several supports rusted away.
Teaching
I have been thoroughly enjoying my students! I am teaching 5th, 7th, 9th, and 10th grade math students, as well as one 9th grade physical science student. I have classes three mornings a week, and during that time, Guildy and Hadley are with a wonderful Honduran teacher named Lyndi. She takes great care of them, and they are learning lots of Spanish! Below are Lyndi and the girls.
I have been thoroughly enjoying my students! I am teaching 5th, 7th, 9th, and 10th grade math students, as well as one 9th grade physical science student. I have classes three mornings a week, and during that time, Guildy and Hadley are with a wonderful Honduran teacher named Lyndi. She takes great care of them, and they are learning lots of Spanish! Below are Lyndi and the girls.
In Closing
And now for the weather report. Everyone wants to know what the weather is like in a foreign land, and in a nutshell, the north coast of Honduras is HOT. Hurricane season is just drawing to a close, and rainy season is just kicking off. With the winter rains come wonderful moderate temperatures, lots of mold, and perpetually wet shoes. The minute the rain stops, it gets hot again, but we can‘t complain. It’s better than shoveling snow!
And now for the weather report. Everyone wants to know what the weather is like in a foreign land, and in a nutshell, the north coast of Honduras is HOT. Hurricane season is just drawing to a close, and rainy season is just kicking off. With the winter rains come wonderful moderate temperatures, lots of mold, and perpetually wet shoes. The minute the rain stops, it gets hot again, but we can‘t complain. It’s better than shoveling snow!
Thanks so much for all they ways you support us and the Loma de Luz ministry!
Blessings,
Josh, Linzy, Guildy, and Hadley
Please Pray For:
Fair, peaceful general elections on November 29th
Staff needs at Loma de Luz, including a surgeon, anesthesiologist, family doctors, and nurses
Hospital finances
Our Spanish skills
Safety and protection
Blessings,
Josh, Linzy, Guildy, and Hadley
Please Pray For:
Fair, peaceful general elections on November 29th
Staff needs at Loma de Luz, including a surgeon, anesthesiologist, family doctors, and nurses
Hospital finances
Our Spanish skills
Safety and protection
Political Update
Below is a long, but very good report about the current political situation.
Dear Cornerstone Friends--
You likely have heard that Honduras has come to an agreement; what you may not have heard (and probably won't hear from CNN and similar sources) is that the news is good news and constitutes a victory for what is right and for the legitimate Honduran government.
Since early October, a dialogue has been underway--a dialogue which the United States and the OAS pushed for. Honduras has been under pressure the whole time--not just from the OAS and the (bizarre and troubling) United States position, but also from ALBA/Chavez/Oretega (whose techniques included--in one 24 hour period--the killing of a key police Colonel in his front yard, the kidnapping & killing of Micheletti’s nephew, and the kidnapping of the 81 year-old father of the Vice Minister of Defense). Through all this--even the kidnappings and murders--Honduras has held its ground; through all this, the pressure brought to bear did not succeed.
Friday (Oct. 30), however, an agreement was signed, but because Honduras waited until Oct. 30 to sign it (as well as to the items in the agreement which Honduras persisted in requiring) this signing was a win for Honduras. Here's why:
In Honduras, the presidential elections are run by a sort of committee--the Supreme Electoral Tribunal. And for a prescribed number of days before the election, the military command is taken away from the President (normally the commander in chief) and put under this election commission. This helps ensure that an outgoing president will not be able to use the military to try to keep himself in office or to--through force--make his favored candidate or buddy become the winner of the election. Friday was the day on which, for this election, the military was to be transferred to the election commission. And that's the day Honduras signed the agreement. The agreement says that the Honduran Congress (under and advising from their Supreme Court) will decide whether to reinstate Zelaya. It is very unlikely he will be reinstated, but even if he is, because of the timing of the agreement, he will not have control of the military and police. From now until the elections, the military and police have as their boss the election tribunal (a tribunal which ruled against Zelaya on June 28th). Thus--even if Zelaya should be reinstated--he would have no power, and his term would almost immediately come to its end anyway.
The other provisions of the agreement also constitute a win for what's right. Here are some of these: 1. Zelaya will receive no pardon or amnesty for his crimes. He would still be tried and, if convicted, punished (and the usual sentence for such crimes is execution or life in prison, so he may decide to stay in the Brazilian embassy for the rest of his life). 2. There will be international recognition & support of the upcoming elections regardless of what is decided in the Congress about Zelaya 3. A truth commission is convened to investigate crimes (by Zelaya) both before & on the 28th of June 4. a government of reconciliation is formed along specific guidelines (that Zelaya can’t control even if Congress does vote to re-instate him in some kind of token, lame-duck presidency). 5. The military & police are under the control of the electoral commission (not Zelaya if he is re-instated) 6. There will be no referendum or question of change of the unchangeable articles of the constitution at this time (the parts that stipulate only one term for the president, etc.).
Because something was signed (and most of the world won't pay much attention to the details of what the accord said), Shannon and Hillary and President Obama can act like they won (which is indeed what they are doing and which is the spin most of the news media are propogating) and thus will have found an elegant way to exit from the corner they backed themselves into. Honduras is humble enough to not mind the USA getting the glory for this so long as they (Honduras) succeeded in getting the right thing done. This is antipathy to what their enemies' values and priorities are. Ronald Reagan once showed his wisdom by saying something like "you can get a lot done if you don't care who gets the credit for it." Honduras, with God's help, has demonstrated that sort of wisdom and humility.
Praise to our God. He was Honduras's only defender and help (well, outside Israel and Taiwan, but their support was a result of the fact that both stand firm in matters of right and wrong and freedom and tyranny more so than does most of the rest of the world, and that they do so is evidence that they allow, whether they know it or not, God to do good through them--without Him, they would not and could not persevere as they do). So God was at work in Honduras, is still at work in Honduras, and deserves bounteous praise and thanks.
So...please keep praying for Honduras. Pray that the right decisions are made concerning Zelaya. Pray that a godly man will win the upcoming elections. Pray that the world does recognize and accept the elections. Pray for those whom the crisis has hurt (the withdrawal of financial support and credit from the world had already pushed many into greater poverty, brought about the loss of many jobs, etc.). Pray that the work of God and the growth of his kingdom in Honduras grows yet more and more.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for praying. Please now bring before the Father prayers of praise and thanks. And keep praying for Honduras--one battle lost by the Enemy and his earthly allies means other attacks will be launched. But it is also right and fitting to offer songs of thanksgiving for this particular skirmish won.
I'm including below a url to a nice news piece from WSJ.com. It provides a succint and good presentation of the events in Honduras, and it makes a good news article to send to friends who aren't acquanited with Cornerstone Foundation or Hospital Loma de Luz but who would be glad to hear the truth about the victory in Honduras (and who the victors are).
Here are some specific prayer items:
1. Pray that the vote in the Honduran Congress (regarding Zelaya) will be in accordance with the law, the constitution, and the truth. 2. Pray that the votes would be cast in the best conscience of each legislator (they are called "diputados") and not influenced by threats or intimidation or anything of that sort. 3. Pray that votes will not be bought. (Zelaya via Chavez has access to a great deal of money, and Zelaya is no stranger to buying votes. (e.g. In June he offered somewhere around $15,000,000 to the mayor of Tegucigalpa to try to get his support for the illegal referendum.... The mayor refused it and instead went public with the attempted bribe.) 4. Pray that the United States, the OAS, the EU, etc. will still honor the elections even if they don’t get the results they want. 5. Pray that the elections go off peacefully, without more violence and sabotage by Zelayistas.6. Pray that justice be done in the case of anyone who has broken the law.7. Pray for God's grace upon all of His people there.
Lord bless you all, and thank you again!
--Sally Mahoney for Cornerstone
Dear Cornerstone Friends--
You likely have heard that Honduras has come to an agreement; what you may not have heard (and probably won't hear from CNN and similar sources) is that the news is good news and constitutes a victory for what is right and for the legitimate Honduran government.
Since early October, a dialogue has been underway--a dialogue which the United States and the OAS pushed for. Honduras has been under pressure the whole time--not just from the OAS and the (bizarre and troubling) United States position, but also from ALBA/Chavez/Oretega (whose techniques included--in one 24 hour period--the killing of a key police Colonel in his front yard, the kidnapping & killing of Micheletti’s nephew, and the kidnapping of the 81 year-old father of the Vice Minister of Defense). Through all this--even the kidnappings and murders--Honduras has held its ground; through all this, the pressure brought to bear did not succeed.
Friday (Oct. 30), however, an agreement was signed, but because Honduras waited until Oct. 30 to sign it (as well as to the items in the agreement which Honduras persisted in requiring) this signing was a win for Honduras. Here's why:
In Honduras, the presidential elections are run by a sort of committee--the Supreme Electoral Tribunal. And for a prescribed number of days before the election, the military command is taken away from the President (normally the commander in chief) and put under this election commission. This helps ensure that an outgoing president will not be able to use the military to try to keep himself in office or to--through force--make his favored candidate or buddy become the winner of the election. Friday was the day on which, for this election, the military was to be transferred to the election commission. And that's the day Honduras signed the agreement. The agreement says that the Honduran Congress (under and advising from their Supreme Court) will decide whether to reinstate Zelaya. It is very unlikely he will be reinstated, but even if he is, because of the timing of the agreement, he will not have control of the military and police. From now until the elections, the military and police have as their boss the election tribunal (a tribunal which ruled against Zelaya on June 28th). Thus--even if Zelaya should be reinstated--he would have no power, and his term would almost immediately come to its end anyway.
The other provisions of the agreement also constitute a win for what's right. Here are some of these: 1. Zelaya will receive no pardon or amnesty for his crimes. He would still be tried and, if convicted, punished (and the usual sentence for such crimes is execution or life in prison, so he may decide to stay in the Brazilian embassy for the rest of his life). 2. There will be international recognition & support of the upcoming elections regardless of what is decided in the Congress about Zelaya 3. A truth commission is convened to investigate crimes (by Zelaya) both before & on the 28th of June 4. a government of reconciliation is formed along specific guidelines (that Zelaya can’t control even if Congress does vote to re-instate him in some kind of token, lame-duck presidency). 5. The military & police are under the control of the electoral commission (not Zelaya if he is re-instated) 6. There will be no referendum or question of change of the unchangeable articles of the constitution at this time (the parts that stipulate only one term for the president, etc.).
Because something was signed (and most of the world won't pay much attention to the details of what the accord said), Shannon and Hillary and President Obama can act like they won (which is indeed what they are doing and which is the spin most of the news media are propogating) and thus will have found an elegant way to exit from the corner they backed themselves into. Honduras is humble enough to not mind the USA getting the glory for this so long as they (Honduras) succeeded in getting the right thing done. This is antipathy to what their enemies' values and priorities are. Ronald Reagan once showed his wisdom by saying something like "you can get a lot done if you don't care who gets the credit for it." Honduras, with God's help, has demonstrated that sort of wisdom and humility.
Praise to our God. He was Honduras's only defender and help (well, outside Israel and Taiwan, but their support was a result of the fact that both stand firm in matters of right and wrong and freedom and tyranny more so than does most of the rest of the world, and that they do so is evidence that they allow, whether they know it or not, God to do good through them--without Him, they would not and could not persevere as they do). So God was at work in Honduras, is still at work in Honduras, and deserves bounteous praise and thanks.
So...please keep praying for Honduras. Pray that the right decisions are made concerning Zelaya. Pray that a godly man will win the upcoming elections. Pray that the world does recognize and accept the elections. Pray for those whom the crisis has hurt (the withdrawal of financial support and credit from the world had already pushed many into greater poverty, brought about the loss of many jobs, etc.). Pray that the work of God and the growth of his kingdom in Honduras grows yet more and more.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for praying. Please now bring before the Father prayers of praise and thanks. And keep praying for Honduras--one battle lost by the Enemy and his earthly allies means other attacks will be launched. But it is also right and fitting to offer songs of thanksgiving for this particular skirmish won.
I'm including below a url to a nice news piece from WSJ.com. It provides a succint and good presentation of the events in Honduras, and it makes a good news article to send to friends who aren't acquanited with Cornerstone Foundation or Hospital Loma de Luz but who would be glad to hear the truth about the victory in Honduras (and who the victors are).
Here are some specific prayer items:
1. Pray that the vote in the Honduran Congress (regarding Zelaya) will be in accordance with the law, the constitution, and the truth. 2. Pray that the votes would be cast in the best conscience of each legislator (they are called "diputados") and not influenced by threats or intimidation or anything of that sort. 3. Pray that votes will not be bought. (Zelaya via Chavez has access to a great deal of money, and Zelaya is no stranger to buying votes. (e.g. In June he offered somewhere around $15,000,000 to the mayor of Tegucigalpa to try to get his support for the illegal referendum.... The mayor refused it and instead went public with the attempted bribe.) 4. Pray that the United States, the OAS, the EU, etc. will still honor the elections even if they don’t get the results they want. 5. Pray that the elections go off peacefully, without more violence and sabotage by Zelayistas.6. Pray that justice be done in the case of anyone who has broken the law.7. Pray for God's grace upon all of His people there.
Lord bless you all, and thank you again!
--Sally Mahoney for Cornerstone
Friday, November 06, 2009
Watermelon Patch Party
One of the other families here hosted a "Pumpkin Patch Party" last weekend. But since pumpkins don't grow here, the kids carved watermelons instead. They actually turned out very cute. We didn't have much to work with for costumes, so Hadley wore her pink leotard (which she still refers to as her 'pink retard'), and we made masks. Below are the girls and their masks with Mike and Peggy.
Guildy was very impressed with her first face painting experience, and Trish (the hostess with the most-ess) gave her a cute rainbow and a heart. Guildy keeps asking if we can do it at home.
Liz is such a sport. Sporting her cow costume, she brought about 6 of the kids from the Children's Centre to the party. Hadley wasn't quite sure what to think of her.
By far the favorite activity of the under 5 crowd was the tub of rice with candy buried in it. The girls spend most of the evening pawing through it.
Guildy was very impressed with her first face painting experience, and Trish (the hostess with the most-ess) gave her a cute rainbow and a heart. Guildy keeps asking if we can do it at home.
Liz is such a sport. Sporting her cow costume, she brought about 6 of the kids from the Children's Centre to the party. Hadley wasn't quite sure what to think of her.By far the favorite activity of the under 5 crowd was the tub of rice with candy buried in it. The girls spend most of the evening pawing through it.
Random Photos
Here are a few random photos from our little lives here. Below is Hadley with one of the puppies that live in our yard. Poor skinny Millie is in the background. I'm pretty sure the 10 puppies combined now weigh more than she does. No wonder she looks so rough. Fortunately the babies are getting big enough to eat dog food soaked in milk, so her job should get easier. The girls LOVE playing with them. Hadley is constantly filthy and smells perpetually of puppy. She gets 2-3 baths/day, just to keep her from ruining the furniture!
These boys stopped by go gather coconuts last week. They shimmied up the trees like little monkeys!
On Sunday, we strolled on the beach a bit.
Guys putting a new manaca (palm leaf) roof on one of the bars down by the beach. If they are done properly, they are a very good waterproof (but not bugproof) roof.
Guys putting a new manaca (palm leaf) roof on one of the bars down by the beach. If they are done properly, they are a very good waterproof (but not bugproof) roof.
Monday, November 02, 2009
The Compromise
The following link will take you to a good Wall Street Journal commentary on the recent compromise reached by the US and Honduras regarding ex-president Zelaya.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703399204574505541545624488.html
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703399204574505541545624488.html
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