It´s Sunday morning, we´ve had breakfast, and we are dressed and ready to go to church. We´ll be visiting the Philidelphia church, where we´ve been several times before. The church is located just down the street from the ABC center (the orphanage).
Getting here was peaceful and wonderful. In years past, it has taken 18 hours of travel time to get here, but this year they had us come through Houston, and it took less than 8! That meant arriving with some energy still!
Everyone´s hearts are ready for whatever challenges await us. Challenges at the airport usually mean opportunities to witness to the airport staff and be a blessing to them. This year, both groups traveled peacefully. Thus, it was an easy day of travel.
Now, that´s not to say there wasn´t a hitch: 5 guys got bumped from their flight at the OKC airport. From what I hear, the guys are really excited about the opportunity to be bumped and have an additional adventure on their way here. They are taking a van to Houston and arriving here in Honduras later this afternoon. Perfect timing to catch up and ride with us on the cross-country treck to La Ceiba, where we´ll be for the rest of the week.
Hopefully, we will have internet access at our next hotel, too. If so, we´ll let you know how things are going!
Excited to be going to church with local believers today. Then we get to visit the feeding center we built last year. The neighborhood wanted to wait until we came back this year before they dedicated the building to the Lord. Really sweet for them to want to include us in the festivities. Today promises to be really fun.
Yesterday, a group of us got to go to church with a different local body who teaches the children and youth on Saturday evenings. The Pastor and his wife have designed services so that youth teach the children´s program for the first few hours and then have their own service right after. In this way, they are discipling the youth for ministry every week. Sweet spirit in the church and very hospitable smiles and hugs! We had a good time.
Hugs to all of you!
May God bless you as you as you also walk among Believers and non-Believers during your day today!!
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Night Before
So, it's the night before we leave, and 4 of us are at home packing our bags. Becky & Caiti Cheary, Megan Osborn, and Wendy James (me) get to leave for Honduras a day before everyone else. Before we leave, I thought I would see if I could figure out how to blog...or I will be calling Scott from Honduras! :)
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Dec. 31
Today started at 9:30 a.m. with a short meeting before we split up into three groups. One group went to St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. One group went to buy food to take to the park for lunch, and one group went to Termini to buy backpacks from someone, possibly on the street.
We were buying backpacks because we haven’t been able to buy sleeping bags. This is the first time we have planned ahead for sleeping bags and the first time we haven’t been able to buy any. Several months ago, Albert contacted Tim (the missionary here) and he contacted the sleeping bag people, and they said sure we can sell you those. So yesterday, Tim called them again and they said meet us at 3:30. So Albert and Tim went to meet them, and then the woman said we don’t have any sleeping bags. Well, OK, then. So no sleeping bags.
So instead, we bought backpacks with the money we intended to use for sleeping bags. This afternoon, people put stuff in the backpacks – clothes, shoes, long underwear, packs of tissues and other stuff – and we gave some out at the train station tonight.
We’re going to give more out in the park tomorrow. (The park is on Colle Oppio, if you want to look it up. It’s near the Colosseum.)
Rudy (our youth minister) showed a DVD with testimonies of Muslims who have become Christians to a group at the train station tonight. He said they seemed really interested and watched the whole thing.
And now we are in the guys’ apartment watching a bad, bad, bad Ben Stiller movie and waiting for something (I don’t know what). We had talked about playing cards until midnight or so. We’re not meeting until 11 a.m. tomorrow, so we can stay up a little later for New Year’s. Of course, having to get up earlier hasn’t meant we got to bed any earlier any other night, really. Last night, we got in a lot earlier, but we still stayed up talking until almost midnight.
There was talk of going out for gelato at some point this evening. I hope so. I like gelato. Chocolate with hazelnut. Mmmmm, gelato. (ETA: I actually had a cup of lemon gelato and strawberry gelato -- you can get two different kinds in one cup -- because I had just had some dark chocolate candy with hazelnuts. The lemon and strawberry together are also pretty good.)
A few photos:
This is a monument to people killed by fascists in World War II. I think. It was on the way from the train station to the bus No. 3 stop nearby.
Just people sitting around in headquarters after having a little birthday party:
We were buying backpacks because we haven’t been able to buy sleeping bags. This is the first time we have planned ahead for sleeping bags and the first time we haven’t been able to buy any. Several months ago, Albert contacted Tim (the missionary here) and he contacted the sleeping bag people, and they said sure we can sell you those. So yesterday, Tim called them again and they said meet us at 3:30. So Albert and Tim went to meet them, and then the woman said we don’t have any sleeping bags. Well, OK, then. So no sleeping bags.
So instead, we bought backpacks with the money we intended to use for sleeping bags. This afternoon, people put stuff in the backpacks – clothes, shoes, long underwear, packs of tissues and other stuff – and we gave some out at the train station tonight.
We’re going to give more out in the park tomorrow. (The park is on Colle Oppio, if you want to look it up. It’s near the Colosseum.)
Rudy (our youth minister) showed a DVD with testimonies of Muslims who have become Christians to a group at the train station tonight. He said they seemed really interested and watched the whole thing.
And now we are in the guys’ apartment watching a bad, bad, bad Ben Stiller movie and waiting for something (I don’t know what). We had talked about playing cards until midnight or so. We’re not meeting until 11 a.m. tomorrow, so we can stay up a little later for New Year’s. Of course, having to get up earlier hasn’t meant we got to bed any earlier any other night, really. Last night, we got in a lot earlier, but we still stayed up talking until almost midnight.
There was talk of going out for gelato at some point this evening. I hope so. I like gelato. Chocolate with hazelnut. Mmmmm, gelato. (ETA: I actually had a cup of lemon gelato and strawberry gelato -- you can get two different kinds in one cup -- because I had just had some dark chocolate candy with hazelnuts. The lemon and strawberry together are also pretty good.)
A few photos:
This is a monument to people killed by fascists in World War II. I think. It was on the way from the train station to the bus No. 3 stop nearby.
Just people sitting around in headquarters after having a little birthday party:
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Problems
I am trying to upload more photos, but it won't let me and the person who can help me is back at the apartment, but I can't go there because I am waiting for my cioccolata calda.
Figured it out. It was something stupid. The pictures are just put in, though, not in any order or anything.
Figured it out. It was something stupid. The pictures are just put in, though, not in any order or anything.
Dec. 30
We met this morning at 9:30 a.m. to make sandwiches to take to the park. Again, too many people to fit in the kitchens to make sandwiches. I went with Rudy to get a Coke, and along the way, he had me take a picture of him with some random Italian woman. Again. He likes to do this. Rudy is our youth minister. He’s never been to Rome before and is very excited about everything. He’s also very excited because he is always hyped up on caffeine.
Scott and I then went to see if the free WiFi place was open, but it wasn’t. I walked around for a bit on my own, and then the place opened. So we went back and posted two days of blogs, but didn’t have time to do photos.
Halfway to the bus stop for the park, I realized I forgot my camera. We weren’t planning to come back today before going to Hard Rock Cafe and Trevi Fountain, so I handed off my backpack full of sandwiches, grabbed another woman and went back to the apartment. Then we caught the next bus No. 3 to Colosseo (the Colosseum).
At the park, Scott was talking to some guys from Guinea and Mali (in French, of course), and lots of people were talking to other refugees and playing soccer, Frisbee and hackeysack with them.
I walked down to the other area where our people were because that’s where my backpack was.
Once there, I began talking to some guys from Nigeria who would like eventually to go to the United States because they said they could get jobs and become somebody there if they worked hard. They do not like Italy because they said Italians are not friendly at all and won’t even look at them or touch their hands or anything. They said Italians don’t like them because their skin color is different. I told them it was once that way in the United States until people stood up and said, “No. This is wrong. We are not going to do this any more,” so people can change. So Lisa and Richard and I gathered around with them and Richard prayed that Italy will change and that these guys will be able to make their way somewhere. They told us they are Catholic, and one asked for an English Bible. I did not have mine with me, but will try to remember to take it with me tomorrow in case they are there.
We also went to Basilica di San Clemente, the three-layer church.
On top is the newest church. A level down is a fourth century (I think) church, and below that is part of ancient Rome where it is said Christians first met together in someone’s house.
Then we went to the Hard Rock Cafe, where we did not have to wait an hour and a half this year, but we sat in smaller groups, and then to Trevi Fountain.
I did not throw any coins in it and don’t know if anyone else did. Then we shopped a bit around the area and came back in smaller groups. We took bus 63 back to Largo Argentina and tram 8 back to our area, where we stopped for pastries to have for breakfast.
And now we are in our apartment, snacking and talking. I hope I will be able to post this tomorrow, along with some photos.
Scott and I then went to see if the free WiFi place was open, but it wasn’t. I walked around for a bit on my own, and then the place opened. So we went back and posted two days of blogs, but didn’t have time to do photos.
Halfway to the bus stop for the park, I realized I forgot my camera. We weren’t planning to come back today before going to Hard Rock Cafe and Trevi Fountain, so I handed off my backpack full of sandwiches, grabbed another woman and went back to the apartment. Then we caught the next bus No. 3 to Colosseo (the Colosseum).
At the park, Scott was talking to some guys from Guinea and Mali (in French, of course), and lots of people were talking to other refugees and playing soccer, Frisbee and hackeysack with them.
I walked down to the other area where our people were because that’s where my backpack was.
Once there, I began talking to some guys from Nigeria who would like eventually to go to the United States because they said they could get jobs and become somebody there if they worked hard. They do not like Italy because they said Italians are not friendly at all and won’t even look at them or touch their hands or anything. They said Italians don’t like them because their skin color is different. I told them it was once that way in the United States until people stood up and said, “No. This is wrong. We are not going to do this any more,” so people can change. So Lisa and Richard and I gathered around with them and Richard prayed that Italy will change and that these guys will be able to make their way somewhere. They told us they are Catholic, and one asked for an English Bible. I did not have mine with me, but will try to remember to take it with me tomorrow in case they are there.We also went to Basilica di San Clemente, the three-layer church.
On top is the newest church. A level down is a fourth century (I think) church, and below that is part of ancient Rome where it is said Christians first met together in someone’s house.Then we went to the Hard Rock Cafe, where we did not have to wait an hour and a half this year, but we sat in smaller groups, and then to Trevi Fountain.
I did not throw any coins in it and don’t know if anyone else did. Then we shopped a bit around the area and came back in smaller groups. We took bus 63 back to Largo Argentina and tram 8 back to our area, where we stopped for pastries to have for breakfast.And now we are in our apartment, snacking and talking. I hope I will be able to post this tomorrow, along with some photos.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Dec. 29
It is not raining and not as cold today. We went to the forum area, although not down into the forum because the line was really long. 
We did go to the Mamertine Prison,
where Paul was almost certainly kept and where Peter was also imprisoned, at least according to Church tradition. It is not nearly as certain about Peter, though. I did not go down into the cell, having been down there before and not liking the small space and the cramped stairwell to get there.
We intended to go into the forum next, but the long line led us directly to the park, where we met some Kurdish refugees from Afghanistan and a refugee from Sudan and one from Guinea. The guy from Sudan said he spoke a little English, but it was very good English, although I had to listen closely and watch his face to understand him. He was in the army in Sudan for eight years, but left when the government sent him to Darfur because he did not want to kill Sudanese people. He said he is Christian. He would like to have a place to live here and a job but says no one will give him one even though he has his documents. Because he has his documents, he also cannot go anywhere else in the EU without getting sent back here. He also speaks Arabic and can talk to the Kurdish guys from Afghanistan. He said they are friends, and they must be because one of them rolled a cigarette and gave it to him.
There were also some guys from Afghanistan who speak Farsi. We still have lots of material in Farsi from last year (when we had a Farsi speaker with us and met no one who spoke Farsi), so Rudy gave some of them a Bible and some tracts in Farsi.
Playing hackeysack in the park:
We went grocery shopping then and stopped for lunch and then came back to the apartments, where some people have started cooking and some have started sleeping for a bit.
After naps, we all went to headquarters (one of the apartments) to help make sandwiches and cook, but there really wasn’t room in the kitchens for most of us. Scott and I went to the free WiFi place, but it was closed.
We went to the train station with soup, fruit and sandwiches. There weren’t a lot of guys at first, but they trickled in and we ended up with around 35 or so. That’s a wild estimate.
We also gave out long underwear, hats and gloves and Bibles and Gospels of John in Farsi. Before we started handing out any of the literature, three guys came up to Scott and asked if he had an engine. Or at least that’s what he thought they said. They pantomimed book and then repeated and he understood they were asking for the Injil, which is what Muslims call the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). So he asked what language and started going through them: Farsi, Pashto, etc. They spoke Farsi, and we have lots of John in Farsi from last year when we were ready for Farsi speakers and met none. One guy took it, another asked for Pashto, which we don’t have so he took Farsi because he speaks it, and the third guy wouldn’t take one. He came back a few minutes later, though, and asked for one for himself.
Then we went to the guys’ apartment, met and had some soup. Then we went to La Piazetta for dinner at about 10 p.m., apparently dinner time here. It was pretty busy. Since I had eaten two cups of soup, I just had chocolate mousse with zabaglione. It was very, very good.
Then it was bedtime, so we went to bed.
Random photos:
This is what was the Fascist Party headquarters in Piazza Venezia. Mussolini used to make his speeches from this balcony.
This is the headquarters apartment, where Albert and Cindy stayed. Selena and Kevin were also supposed to stay here as it has enough beds for four people, but none of them are in closed-off rooms.
This is a view of the loft in the guys' apartment. It was a nice apartment.
We did go to the Mamertine Prison,
where Paul was almost certainly kept and where Peter was also imprisoned, at least according to Church tradition. It is not nearly as certain about Peter, though. I did not go down into the cell, having been down there before and not liking the small space and the cramped stairwell to get there.We intended to go into the forum next, but the long line led us directly to the park, where we met some Kurdish refugees from Afghanistan and a refugee from Sudan and one from Guinea. The guy from Sudan said he spoke a little English, but it was very good English, although I had to listen closely and watch his face to understand him. He was in the army in Sudan for eight years, but left when the government sent him to Darfur because he did not want to kill Sudanese people. He said he is Christian. He would like to have a place to live here and a job but says no one will give him one even though he has his documents. Because he has his documents, he also cannot go anywhere else in the EU without getting sent back here. He also speaks Arabic and can talk to the Kurdish guys from Afghanistan. He said they are friends, and they must be because one of them rolled a cigarette and gave it to him.
There were also some guys from Afghanistan who speak Farsi. We still have lots of material in Farsi from last year (when we had a Farsi speaker with us and met no one who spoke Farsi), so Rudy gave some of them a Bible and some tracts in Farsi.
Playing hackeysack in the park:
We went grocery shopping then and stopped for lunch and then came back to the apartments, where some people have started cooking and some have started sleeping for a bit.
After naps, we all went to headquarters (one of the apartments) to help make sandwiches and cook, but there really wasn’t room in the kitchens for most of us. Scott and I went to the free WiFi place, but it was closed.
We went to the train station with soup, fruit and sandwiches. There weren’t a lot of guys at first, but they trickled in and we ended up with around 35 or so. That’s a wild estimate.
We also gave out long underwear, hats and gloves and Bibles and Gospels of John in Farsi. Before we started handing out any of the literature, three guys came up to Scott and asked if he had an engine. Or at least that’s what he thought they said. They pantomimed book and then repeated and he understood they were asking for the Injil, which is what Muslims call the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). So he asked what language and started going through them: Farsi, Pashto, etc. They spoke Farsi, and we have lots of John in Farsi from last year when we were ready for Farsi speakers and met none. One guy took it, another asked for Pashto, which we don’t have so he took Farsi because he speaks it, and the third guy wouldn’t take one. He came back a few minutes later, though, and asked for one for himself.
Then we went to the guys’ apartment, met and had some soup. Then we went to La Piazetta for dinner at about 10 p.m., apparently dinner time here. It was pretty busy. Since I had eaten two cups of soup, I just had chocolate mousse with zabaglione. It was very, very good.
Then it was bedtime, so we went to bed.
Random photos:
This is what was the Fascist Party headquarters in Piazza Venezia. Mussolini used to make his speeches from this balcony.
This is the headquarters apartment, where Albert and Cindy stayed. Selena and Kevin were also supposed to stay here as it has enough beds for four people, but none of them are in closed-off rooms.
This is a view of the loft in the guys' apartment. It was a nice apartment.
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