September 30, 2011

home sweet home

Hey friends. The wait is over. I'm about to upload some pics of where I live!
It's a little hard to get perspective, but it's a start...at least til you're here in person to visit me :)


my front window, and a shot of my porch/balcony
inside the main door, looking at the front window


looking at my kitchen..hot plate, sink, water and fridge. oh and a 2 person table

looking into bedroom from kitchen doorway. my "awkward first date couch" as i like to call it...its not so comfy, but it works.


A look back to the doorway and my "living room" area...which now has a TV!

shot of bed/bedroom and bath

gecko buddy Greg! literally only as long as my thumb!


the bathroom
HOT shower. i mean literally, it scalds me. but beggars cant be choosers :)

some kitchen decor ive recently added above my sink. i like to look at fun things.

view from my bedroom window.


view from front porch

view from porch of church...in the way back, red brick w/ white arched windows...

well, hope this gives you an idea of where i live. I hope to post more pics of my city and workplace soon.
Also, soon to come, some culinary endeavors in my tiny kitchen. prepare to be blown away!

September 23, 2011

better late than never...

Hello friends and family. I know you have been waiting with bated breath for a blog update from yours truly...I apologize for keeping you waiting so long. The past few weeks have been a lot of transition, living out of suitcases and moving all around (well, also, standing very still while fighting some gross illness...). Here is the quick run down:

Sept 5: left Orrville, OH for San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Arrived about 1130 am and was welcomed by my MCC Reps. Spent the next few days sweating it out in San Pedro til it was time to go to Teguc!

Sept 7-11: MCC team meeting in my beloved former home of Tegucigalpa...where the air is cooler, the sun is not so harsh, the birds chirp pleasantly, well, you can tell where my loyalties lie ;)

Sept 12-20ish: Spent a week in Nueva Suyapa, visiting my host family, former co-workers, hanging out with friends and generally enjoying the familiarity of life there. Had the chance to attend my very first futbol (soccer) game in the national stadium w the fam! what fun.
On Friday I started feeling rather sick and proceeded to be down for the count (with all the other mcc-ers) for the next 3 days.

So, even though I was supposed to be in Santa Rosa de Copan on Monday, I didnt get here til Wednesday. But, all was well. My boss was very laid back about the whole thing.

And here I am in my new hometown, blogging for the first from an internet cafe in Santa Rosa de Copan! Its a rather strange feeling, being here, living on my own and figuring it out all over again.

I will be posting pictures soon of where I am living, but so far its great. I rent a small apartment (with my own kitchen and bathroom) from a very friendly lady who rents rooms to lots of university and high school students who come to the big city to study. It was much nicer than I could have imagined, and it seems like I will have the benefit of still being close to a family while having my own privacy too.

Oh, and I havent even told you about my first day of work yesterday. It was crazy. We (my one coworker) and I rode the moto for about 45 minutes outside of the city. We parked it. Then proceeded to hike for another hour straight up and straight down til we got to the community meeting.

Oh. my. word. I was not sure I was going to make it. I would also like to point out that this was after he warned me it would be "10 or 15 minutes" of walking the day before. Yeah. Awesome.

So after a 2.5 hour meeting with the women of Aguasarcas and my coworker making lots of promises about how i was going to impart all this business knowledge to them, we walked back to where the moto was. Thankfully it was a little less "up" on the way back. We still had another meeting at the house where we parked, so didnt return to the city til about 230. I promptly went home, showered and slept for 2 hours! It was exhausting.

Unfortunately I dont have more to tell you about work yet. It seems my stomach illness from last week made a comeback this morning, so I took the day off. I feel badly about it, but just cant hike to wherever without knowing there is a bathroom nearby.

So, at risk of boring you anymore, I will wrap this up. I would appreciate prayers for improved health and also as I settle in to living on my own in a strange new place. And that this city girl could quickly adapt to life in the country :)

Pictures coming soon of where I live!
love
c

September 4, 2011

goodbye so soon

It's hard to believe but it's time to say goodbye. again.
I feel like this pattern may continue in my life for awhile.

It has been a wonderful month+ at home with my family and friends. I think I got almost everything done on my list...including seeing a whole heap of people.

So after a whirlwind of SALT re-entry retreat, family vacation at the lake, eating out, going to church, visiting friends, friends and more friends in Pennsylvania, checking in with the extended family, stopping by the beach, buying some fresh clothes, eating good summer abundance, taking care of my niece, visiting the doctor & the dentist, baking with my sisters, catching up on a stockpile of books, and getting lots of sleep--I think it is safe to say I made the most of my time in the states :)







While I can't say I feel ready to say goodbye to my family, I think that I am ready to get back into a routine. I am anxious to begin another phase of the journey. Excited to take the next steps into the unknown and start a new job...build new relationships...and explore new parts of Honduras.

It was great to see all of you that I saw. To those who I missed, (mostly my Canadian family and far-flung friends) I hope to catch up with you soon!!!

Thank you all for your love, prayers and support. Whether it was a meal we shared together, a good phone conversation, or a note of encouragement, it has refreshed me greatly.

I plan to keep blogging, right here. so don't change your bookmark :)
Today is my last day in Ohio and tomorrow I'll be leaving for Honduras (flight @ 7am!).
Be back to the blog soon!