¡¡Hola de Honduras!!

Hey everyone! I am sorry that these blog posting are becomming less frequent (I feel that I start every posting like that now!) I am finding it more challanging to write down my experiences and thoughts partly due to the fact that as my Spanish improves, my English get worse, and partly because there is always so much going on it is difficult to choose one story or experience that would be worthwhile sending to y’all! Thanks for all the letters and emails!! It is so great to keep up (at least a little) with your lives and stories! Keep them comming!! :)

So I have to start this out by saying, scabies are quite annoying! I have new empathy/bitterness for all those little children who have come into the clinic infested with that horrid little mite. Empathy as I realize that they itch worse than anything I have ever experienced, and bitterness because the little turds gave them to me! Oh well, occupational hazard, huh? But I have to share the secrete to stopping the itching. Listerine! Yes, the mouth wash. It is truly a miracle liquid! It not only sooths itchy skin, but also repels mosquitoes! The best part is that the off brand works too! I love that stuff!

A couple of weeks ago, the vols had a retreat at a retreat center in the middle of an orange orchard. It rained almost the entire time we were there, so I let the rain on the tin roof lull me to sleep. It was wonderful! We had a watermelon spitting contest, and my 12 years of chewing sunflower seeds in softball games proved to be most beneficial. After collecting oranges to eat (so delicious) we found a tree that was lacking leaves, but full of rotting oranges. Out of no where came a bat shaped stick, and a couple volunteers, myself and two random kids that showed up found ourselves playing soft toss for at least an hour. Should the opportunity ever come up to play soft toss with rotting oranges in the future, I will give you some pointers. The smaller ones that are a little harder fly better (good for showing off), but the big squishy ones are really fun to smash (and put a lovely orange aroma in the air).

What else… prep for visiting dentist next week (I am so excited!), visiting docs, med students, unconscious pregnant women, CPR in moving vehicles, 4 new children at the finca, giant Easter egg hunts, new tire swings, teaching swimming lessons (yay for sharks and minnows), collapsing on the floor from laughter, beautiful rainy days, writing budgets, crying from exhaustion, malaria outbreak (I am protected because I take a preventative medicine every week), reading the Joy Luck Club, visiting a nearby (8 hours by bus) orphanage and kissing the ground in thanksgiving when returning to the farm (we have such wonderful kids and staff!), treating asthma attacks in rain storms, biting ants, beautiful friendships, missing family and friends, good letters, interrupted prayer time, more prayer time, and a lot of loving- both given and received.
I love you all and miss you! I hope that the easter season is finding you all full of joy!
Blessings and peace,
Jenny