Honduras Visit

Just a quick update on the trip to Honduras. I meant to do this right when I got back but with having to make preparations to go to Washington this afternoon for Grandma's funeral, the blog went to the back burner.

Anyway, it was a great time to get away. Quite a small group - just eight of us (nine whenever Ledy was with us). We got a lot accomplished in organizing, storing and distributing medicine and medical supplies. The clinic continues to be improved with each visit. They have new cabinets since the last time I was down and air conditioning in a couple of the treatment pods. Dental equipment (beds, x-rays, etc..) had arrived but we weren't able to set them up yet - probably in January with two dentists coming.

Ray arranged for some local workers to start on the dining porch at the Farm. This is really needed as the current eating area cannot hold the large teams that have and will be coming. God provided us a builder who is a Christian and very enthusiastic about his work.

One of the things that caught my attention was the total contrasts you see in technology and wealth. For example, seeing two men driving down the road in an ox cart - very primitive. But one of them was talking on a cell phone! Actually, cell phones are everywhere, even with the youth. I'm told they buy cards with minutes on them when they can afford. It was also incredible to me to see some of the beautiful new homes being built in some of the small towns. Money must be coming in from somewhere (USA?) or business must be really good (smuggling people into the US?).

Crystal and I left last Monday with the rest of the Team staying through until Thursday. The day after I left they were to hold a clinic day for women. Only dealing with women's' health issues (pregnancy, etc...). David V. had set up appointments with a few dozen women so that it wouldn't be a crazy mess the day of the clinic. I understand that they have gone to this appointment system and that the locals are catching on and cooperating. It doesn't mean that they won't treat someone who has a serious problem who walks in. Several were seen over the week I was there and several more had their medications refilled. Pat H. and Jan were the nurses for this trip and are the ones that will examine/treat the women patients.

One of the items that I'm excitedly waiting to hear about was a visit the Team was to make after dropping me and Crystal at the airport. They were to visit a home in San Pedro Sula for young pregnant girls (12-15 years). These girls have been kicked out of their homes for getting pregnant and have nowhere else to go. Some may even be victims of incest or rape. The Team had prenatal vitamins to provide plus other supplies. Pat says this is really on her heart so hopefully they were able to find the home. Definitely a chance to show God's love and mercy.

The January trip to Honduras is full (33 scheduled for week two) so if someone would like to go it will have to be the April or July trip. I can help make the connection so let me know.

In the Heat of the Night

Just when you think nothing more could go wrong, think again. Yesterday I came home in the afternoon after making some visits with Logan and Robert H. The first thing I noticed when I entered the house was that the temperature was warm and the humidity was up. The thermostat showed a temperature of about 82+ degrees.

My indoor unit was humming, not running. Outside, the line had frozen up. I let it all thaw and then tried running the system again but it immediately started to freeze again. Time to call the AC service people. Fortunately many advertise 24-hour service, seven days a week. I called my normal company first and got their answering service - she would pass the message. After about two hours, I determined that she really hadn't or whoever got the message didn't want to come out on a Sunday evening. The second number I called said it was out of service. With the third company, I got a message saying that he was on another line or with a customer. I kind of doubt he was since he never called me back. Well, it got to be late so I decided that I would try again in the morning. So much for 24-hour service!

Following a rather warm and humid evening in the house, I did get someone to come out in the morning. I have a bad "card" in my unit. However, as I have been aware, my unit is about 14 years old so putting a bunch of money in replacing electronics didn't seem a wise investment. So we have opted to replace our air handler. Its not like we have something better to spend money on...

So Laura and I spent a warm day painting in the bathroom - part of the repairs following our broken pipe.

I love, errr... like my house, I like my house...

High School Update

Andrew is finally out of AP English Literature – yes! I had to go to the top – the school principal - to get it accomplished but he is out. Reading Oedipus and sitting around discussing it was not a good fit for Andrew – nothing against the class or the instructor. He is now in regular English IV and he is happy about it.

I was concerned about his schedule from the time he first received it. Actually, before he received his schedule, they had given him a 9th grade schedule. A computer glitch I was told. Plus they lost all of his transcripts. His classes prior to the change were: Physics, Chemistry, Pre-Calculus, AP Human Geography, AP English Literature, Spanish III, World Religion, and PE. That is quite a heavy schedule – one I wouldn’t have attempted when I was in high school. The thing is, he will have more than enough credits to graduate, he doesn’t need all of that science and math for graduation, and he is working half time. I don’t want him to be overwhelmed or discouraged with school. I tried to get him out of some of the classes before the school term began. I called the councilor twice and left voice mails with my concerns and requesting a return call. Laura left a note at the office – but we never received any response. School started and Andrew wanted to let it alone.

But it became clear that AP English Literature was not for Andrew so last week I started trying to get in touch with the councilor again - three phone calls with voice mail messages asking for a call back. I probably made about 12 calls to her number but it became very clear that she never answers her phone. After three days of no response, I called other councilor numbers and the office with no answer. Finally I found the principal’s number and he actually answered. He was very professional and polite and said he would look into it for me. A day later, Andrew was called in and told they were trying to work something out and within a week he was in his new class. I still haven’t heard from the councilor.

Now the question as to why he was put in all of these advanced courses, especially AP courses, when it wasn’t requested and they don’t know anything about him is another issue. It seems to me from talking to others that either Ed White High School or the Duval County Public Schools is trying to pad their statistics by putting as many students in these classes as possible. It’s good for the school or the District but not necessarily for the student. Maybe I’m just being too cynical though.

Like the Sound of Rushing Water

I had just turned out the lights when I heard a bang and then like the sound of rushing water or was it Laura's fan - maybe it had tipped over. So I followed the sound back into the bathroom, turned on the light and behold...it was rushing water, coming out of the wall behind the toilet! We had a painting on the wall above the toilet. It had fallen to the floor, snapping off the supply line to the toilet. The toilet shut off valve was on the wrong side of the break so I had to turn off the water outside. Of course, making my way in the dark out to the front door was quite a challenge in itself - I had forgotten about the two plastic tubs that I had set out last night - right in the way. Once the water was off, we had to clean up a couple of inches of water in the bathroom. Only a little had come through the bathroom door onto our bedroom carpet. With the water to the house off, the water cleaned off of the floor and all the hardware stores closed, we decided to go to sleep and get an early start on the repair when Lowes openned in the morning. All was well.

Or so we thought. Laura got up in the night - about 3:30 a.m. - and the carpet from the bed to the bathroom was soaked. As we discovered, even though the water supply valve to the house was closed down as far as it would go; and even though water would not come out of any other faucet in the house, it was still dribbling out of the broken pipe. Though the trickle was hard to see, it actually was flowing at a pretty good rate - enough to flood our bedroom carpet. More clean up, cutting out of soaked carpet and pad - its turning into quite the morning.

I made it to Lowes when it opened at 6:00 a.m. Of course at that time of the morning, the Lowes employees are right there to help you - not! So I fumbled with getting what I needed, picked Laura up a coffee at Dunkin Donuts and headed home. The actual repair only took about ten minutes - if only I had had the valve last night.

So here I sit waiting for the CPVC glue to dry before turning back on the water supply for a pressure test. Laura is napping until then. We are debating what to do with our bedroom carpet with a third of it cut out. Plus the bathroom linoleum is ruined - I guess I'll be tiling that this week even though Laura had promised a break from home repair projects.

I love my home...I love my home...