February 6, 2002
Part B

The afternoon is almost over and all our workers will be coming back to the compound soon. They had to walk to the work site this morning. The bus that we had such hopes for is not going to work out for a few days at least. The road here is impassable at the moment. Ruts and grooves that is to wet and deep to drive on at the moment. We are praying it will dry up and not rain so we can work on smoothing them out. So, early this morning our crew carried there supplies and walked the mile to the site in blazing heat and humidity.
We are so glad that we sent the advance team ahead of us. They have been working non-stop since they arrived. Trying desperately to get as many problems solved as possible before our arrival. They have done an amazing job. There are so many details to be taken care of and things that go wrong regardless of how much planning has gone into the trip. Dale LaRoche is such a committed worker that he won't slow down even though he is now not feeling well. I think Cynthia finally talked him into resting a bit. I can't stress enough just how intense this heat is. And our crews are all working outside with no shade of a roof as in the years past. Even their lunchtime break was taken in the soaring heat. Bob Young has borrowed the only truck on the island and in the back along with the made lunches sat Pastor Brian Lamberton, Jordan Wagner, Jan Caster and Bob Lamb, all ready to deliver and serve the overheated workers some nourishing food.
Valerie Tracy, who is working with Melissa Rousseau and Tresa Young in the pharmacy, has had a great, albeit hot day. Her skin is already a slight shade of red. She finished her job early, as many of the drugs are not here yet. She was able to stop and chat with some of the local folks on her walk home. One lady even invited her into her home. These are precious opportunities as a relationship is forming that Christ will be able to use in the future. Valerie took a fall in the slippery mud on the way home, luckily only her pride was bruised. She is fine accept for the discolored spot on her leg where the red mud seems to have left a stain that won't come off even after a shower.
Pastor Wagner returned from the Cay today with at least some of our luggage. I know I for one was almost jumping for joy when I saw him. I am sure there will be others with the same reaction.
Speaking of joy, I know there were 13 young people filled with it as they were handed out surprise packages containing all sorts of goodies for the trip. I noticed that they contained fruit roll ups, chips, trail mix, a little note pad and pen, plus a little rubber ball. Sandra Cheney put all these together as a send off gift for our young missionaries.

A local Guanaja man is out in the street speaking through a bullhorn, it caught my attention even though I could not translate the Spanish. After investigating, it seems this man is advertising his business, which is fumigation. At the end of his advertisement he has added on a little quip about the medical clinics being open. I do hope he gets a lot of business this week as I have already killed two spiders in my quarters that were large enough to ride!
We are about 200 feet from the shoreline and at the moment a beautiful breeze is blowing. A small canal runs next to our compound, and there are some ducks that live in it. I am fairly sure they belong to the house on the other side; she has several dogs that lie under her house. Her house like most of the rest, is on stilts. She also has what looks like banana trees and other lush looking trees and shrubs in her yard. The house in front of our compound not only sits on stilts; those stilts are over the water!

Last night I was invited over to Sharna's house next door. She works at the one store on the island that has a satellite phone and Bob Young has talked to her so many times on the phone that she said she felt she knew him already. She also added that when she saw his face she was surprised at how he looked. I thought it best not to ask her to elaborate. She was so incredibly friendly that it made me want to cry. If it weren't for my red hair I would wonder if I weren't part Honduran as I feel so much like kin to them. I thought about the introduction all night and again today. The way she grabbed my hand and held on to it. Almost caressing it as if I was a long lost friend she hadn't seen in years. She brought me though her home, showing me every room and holding my hand. It was lovely and immaculately clean. She offered me anything I needed. I didn't want to leave my new friend who made me feel so special. There is something so healing in the touch of someone in friendship. The Lord has made us to touch one another and to express love and emotions, of that I am sure. The Honduran women seem to have brought this to an art form; they are so good at it. Sharna told me her story as she showed me the items in her home. She had lost all in the hurricane. Her house was totally destroyed and she had to have it rebuilt. Her tabletop was found far from here, as was her china closet, two of the few things she was able to find and salvage. She had them refinished and is able to use them today. Her husband had just died a matter of months before the storm, and then it seemed her life was just ripped into shreds. But she praises God for sparing her and her children of whom she is very proud. They have all turned out successful and are members of the church. She counts herself as a blest person, as I do too. Sharna first left her house as the seas came ashore and moved to higher land, and then to the church, which was higher and larger. As that fell she moved on too still higher places, making her way to safety as the waters continued to wash away what had always seemed safe. I just can't imagine the fear and anguish these folks have had to endure.

Bob Whitney, Jim and Artie Lord and Chet Parboo have made it onto the island unscathed. We are so happy they were able to make it in today with no more delays. Artie told me they were in the air when they heard a thump, thump, thump noise and she instinctively knew that there was a problem. They had to turn the plane around and land back in Orlando.

The construction team had a phenomenal record of a day, despite the heat. I am about to tell you how many blocks they laid so please, let the drum roll begin! Are you ready? 974 blocks!!!!!!!!!!!!! What applause went up at our meeting tonight when that was announced.

The medical clinic is all set and ready to be officially opened tomorrow.
The dental clinic saw 10 people this afternoon and pulled 11 teeth. The equipment that was in some of the cases that were missing were found today and tomorrow they will be able to drill as well as pull teeth.

The bus had to be brought to the work site in order to unload all the equipment we had stored in it when it was shipped over. Remember I told you earlier that it is not drivable because of the severe ruts in the wet muddy road. Well, not to be daunted by the fact that the bus would not move, our crew tied ropes to it and in a tug of war fashion winched that big blue bus all the way to the work site! What dedication.

If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God gives: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen 1 Peter 4:11

Reporting to you from Guanaja Honduras, I send you a smile across the miles,

Humbly in His service,

Jennifer Young