Best Cup of Coffee Part 3

I just wanted to put in my two cents worth. What a great day to go to the mountains looking for places to bring teams. We encountered a family that Dawn describes in the last blog. They were extremely poor. Their clothes were torn and dirty. Their houses made out of decaying adobe mud. Yet they were full of smiles and appeared to be very happy. However there was one sister who was not happy. The brothers asked me repeatedly about their sister who is suffering with depression. It was obvious they love her very much.

One of the brothers brought me his 3 year old son to check who has had a fever and diarrhea for 8 days. (In the future I will always take my stethoscope and otoscope.) Then they wanted me to check another son who was sick with the same illness--probably due to bad water. I promised to return in two days with antibiotics for the two sick children and worm pills for all the children.

So they offered us a cup of coffee and I knew it would be an insult to refuse it. Many of you know that because of ventricular tackycardia I had a cardiac ablation in May of '08 and caffiene is forbidden. I just prayed that the LORD would protect my heart and then proceeded to enjoy the best cup of coffee I have ever had. Let me tell you that until you have had a cup of coffee where the beans are grown, picked, roasted, ground, and brewed at the same little farm that you really have not had a great cup of coffee. You may think you have but you have not.

Out of their poverty they went and cut us two stalks of bananas. Each stalk probably has about 100 bananas. I felt guilty taking them but again to refuse would insult this generous family. Well the Lord is good and I did not have any palpitations after drinking the coffee. Below are some pictures of their beautiful mountain.


The beautiful mountainside!!!



Dawn and me with our Honduran chuch deacon and guide--Rigo. Four different brothers tried to take this picture before one was able. Apparently they have never used a camara before!



Dawn on the mountainside.



Six brothers working in a tomatoe field.

Best Cup of Coffee Take 2

While we don't have a team here, Tully and I are trying to learn some of our mountain villages and I am practicing driving in the mountains and in 4-wheel drive.

Today, one of the deacons from our church went with us up to the mountains. We wondered where on earth he was taking us after we crossed two streams, many huge mud puddles, and the grass in the dirt road/path began to get higher and higher, meaning no other cars had traveled through there in a long time. You don't have to go very far here to feel like you are a million miles away from everything. All of a sudden, you begin to pass acres and acres of farmland, an occasional house here and there, some oxen in the road, a horse or two here, a pig or two there, some goats along the way, and beautiful, green, rolling mountains as far as the eye can see in every direction.

The path began to get smaller and smaller until we finally came to a house where everyone seemed to be busy with their day's work, but when they realized they had company, they suddenly dropped everything and came to greet us with big smiles and handshakes and welcome us to their home, really their mountain. On their mountain, they grew corn, coffee, tomatos, bananas, sugar cane, and chile peppers. They showed us all around their property, and wanted us to hike with them up to the top to enjoy the view up there. We did it, me with my sandals on and all. (Note to self: get boots and leave them in the car for such occasions as this!)

The view from the top was gorgeous, and worth hiking in sandals! It was even better to learn about their family--we met six of the ten sons (ages 14 - 42) who all work the land with their parents (father is age 70, and they say he outworks his sons). We didn't get to meet their five daughters, though (yes, 15 kids in all). Afterwards, the grandmother offered us a cup of coffee (which we of course accepted--see previous blog). Tully asked me when we were leaving, "Was this coffee better than the other that you had last week?" I said, "This is pretty good, but I think the other was better." He told me that he thought this was the best cup of coffee that he had ever had. It, too, was "from the stick."

We left there with two big stalks of bananas that the sons had cut for us from their trees. We were asking our friend why people give us things when we go to their homes and he said it shows that they consider us friends now. What a sweet blessing!

World's Best Cup of Coffee . . .

. . . was found by me last week on a mountaintop in Honduras. I had been a little hesitant about drinking/eating things here when I wasn't sure how they were prepared, what type of water they used, etc.

When we were on a mountain brigade a couple of weeks ago and it was almost lunchtime, several of the Hondurans said, "Come on with us and let's go find some Honduran food." I smiled and said, "I really can't." One came back later to ask me about it and I explained that I have a gringa stomach and body, and I really don't want to be sick since I don't know the food is prepared. He said he understood.

Then he said, "But, pretend that I am the pastor here at this church, and I want your family to come to my house and eat with my family. What will you do?" I laughed and said, "In that case, I would do it, I would just pray really hard over the food and all of our stomachs." He went on to tell me that it would be very offensive if I refused something offered by the mountains. We talked about how different it is in the States--you don't want to put anyone to any trouble, or you're just not thirsty of hungry at the moment, so you decline what is offered to you. He laughed.

One week went by and we were in the mountains. We were visiting at the home of one of our mountain pastors, and his sweet wife offered us coffee. I said, "Oh, yes! I would LOVE some!" Trey was with me, and we both left there saying it was the best cup of coffee we have ever had.

The Hondurans who were with us that day asked if we had ever had coffee before "from the stick." We said no, and they explained that the pastor's wife planted the coffee bush, harvested the beans, roasted them, and brewed it. I am a coffee lover and would never have imagined that coffee could taste that delicious! Trey and I are so glad that we went ahead and drank the coffee that was offered to us. And we are glad to have made some new friends in the mountains!

Counting Pills

Students from the Georgia Baptist Association gearing up for their week of service in the mountains.

We have also recently had a great group from the Georgia Baptist Association. They were students who are in nursing school, interested in the medical profession or nursing, one physician's assistant, and one registered nurse. We did four medical brigades in mountain villages which are only accessed by four wheel drive. To get to one of the villages, we had to cross three streams! Each person who wanted to receive medical care listened to an evangelistic message in the morning, and after they saw the doctor, were invited to pray with or be counseled by team members.

Since school is out for the "summer" for our boys, they have been able to go with us and translate. Serving with teams has been a blessing for all of us. The only problem is that I'm still not any better at saying goodbye--definitely the hardest part of being a missionary!

Brigade in Guaimaca

A worship service under the brigade tent in Miraflores, a neighborhood in Guaimaca


Schoolchildren excited and waiting for the upcoming program put on by BMDMI team members


The Bible story the team shared with the children was on the creation--followed up by a short time for them to color a picture of something beautiful in God's creaton. I love this little girl's butterfly!


We were so happy to have a BMDMI evangelism team come here to the hospital (from Kentucky and Tennessee), along with one of BMDMI's Honduran bands who travel with the teams (and are fantastic!), and the big tent! During the evenings, we hosted the tent brigade in a neighborhood across from the hospital (near the extremely poor school that the boys are helping). During the days, we traveled around to the schools around Guiamaca and presented Bible stories, played with the kids, and sang songs. Our church members will follow up with people who made professions of faith and/or don't have a church home. It was a great week, and we are so excited about the seeds that have been planted here!

Anna's Hairstyling Business

Anna had a great time cutting her hair and Carmen's in my absence. Trey realized one day that they were especially quiet, and went to their room to see what they were doing. He said he knew there was a big problem when he stepped in hair on the way in. : )

I think each of our kids has cut their hair at some point or another, but I didn't realized the big deal it is with girls. It's going to take forever for it to grow back out!


The "before" picture



After Mom evened it up! : )

Latest News

Well, we had a great trip to the States, were able to visit friends and family, and I was even able to do some shopping. Most members of our family are too tall for the clothes here, so I was thrilled to be able to stock up on some summer clothes for all of us. We had a very special time staying with my brother and sister-in-law and their family: Dee, Ruthie, Cameron, and Daiten. We were able to be with my mom for Mother's Day, too!

I shared with several groups while there about our ministry in Honduras. That was an unexpected blessing!

Tully is, I would say, completely better from his long illness--praise God! He was still coughing some when I returned, but since then, it has cleared up.

Mabel is still on a ventilator, and has a tracheostomy. She is unable to talk with it which I am sure is a tremendous frustration, not to be able to make one's needs known. Please continue to pray for her. There have been so many friends to visit her, and we appreciate that SO much, since we are unable to be there and care for her. Allison (one of my best friends)'s mom is in the same facility right now, and she has been able to go by frequently just to say hello and visit and pray with her. We are so thankful for the love and care that have been shown to Mabel in our absence!

The rains began in earnest while I was away. It has been rare this year in that we had a very short dry season. And now, having had a tropical storm near us, the rains have been extremely heavy. Our roads in Honduras are filled with huge potholes due to the rains, and there have been some bridges washed away, and some landslides. Our problem here at the hospital has been alot of standing water.

We said good-bye to an awesome evangelism team from Tennessee and Kentucky, and are welcoming a team of nurses and nursing students tomorrow from Georgia. We are also thrilled to have Taylor Perrault here with us this summer as our intern. He is a college student from UGA and was with us in February. Taylor preached this afternoon in one of our mountain churches and Timothy translated for him. I am so proud of them! They said they prayed all the way up the mountain, and felt a tremendous peace when it was their time to speak.

Trey has been hard at work finishing up school and taking exams this week. He is almost done and looking forward to relaxing for a couple of days, and then helping out with the teams this summer. The other boys finish up tomorrow, and are so excited! The girls are enjoying the sprinkler when they come home from school, and Anna has decided to go into the hairstyling business. She cut her hair and Carmen's when I was gone, so they now have cute short haircuts from where I had to even their hair up!

That's all the latest news for now. I have great pictures to share but will wait to upload them until the boys are finished with school so that I won't crash the internet!