I am
very proud to update this blog saying that the foundation is complete on the
Finding Hope property! Scott and Susan had a mission team in from Canada and
with their help we were able to complete the foundation of the building!
Shortly after Christmas we will continue floor level! Praises for this awesome
accomplishment!
Allison
and Dan were here visiting just a week ago and we had an awesome-crazy-adventurous
but very short time. It all started by surprising them at the airport with
three of their favorite little girls from El Porvenir. We took a taxi for the 3
hour drive. Let me start out by saying I had just met Antonio our taxi driver 5
minutes before leaving on our trip and by the end we were best of friends. On
our way (driving at night) we had a pepsi break, flat tire and stopped by
police. Once Ally and Dan arrived we strapped their 4 suitcases of donations
onto the back of the taxi and 7 of us piled into the small car. We thought we
were golden…that was until our “headlights” failed us, we didn’t see the
massive gaping hole in the road, and we got another flat tire. By this time its
11 at night, pitch black and in a very dangerous part of the highway. Luckily a
tow truck passes by. Instead of us getting out of the taxi into the tow truck,
we stay in the car, as its being lifted up and tied down. So there we are,
traveling on a highway, on top of a towtruck, in the car. We pull off, change
our tire (with a used tire that had a hole in it but no biggie, just patch that
sucker up) and we are on our way. Just the start of Dan and Allys visit.
The
week was awesome but we barely had time to breathe. From working on Finding
Hope property, visiting the sponsored kids, eating with and visiting families, karaoke
night with the firefighters and everything else in between.
It
was their last day, Tuesday and we decide to head over to Miladys to play with
the kids. Miguel (a 20 year old boy who lives there) came out of his house in
serious pain. Allison asked him a few questions, felt his stomach where he was
hurting and said he possibly has Appendicitis. He says he doesn’t want to go to
the hospital from fear and no money to pay. She explains if it bursts that he
would die very shortly after. Allison and Dan agree to pay whatever it costs. “Were
not going to sit here and let him die”. Miguel agrees. We take him to the
health center in El Porvenir and the nurse doesn’t think its Appendicitis but
rather a kidney issue. We then send him to the hospital to get tests done.
Well, Appendicitis it is. He went into surgery that night. The doctor said if
he hadn’t come in that day, he wouldn’t have made it.
Allison
and Dan leave Wednesday morning and right after Miladys and I head to the
hospital to see Miguel. Oh the hospital. How to even explain the pure terror
and chaos it is. For one, about 60% of the floor tiles are missing and there
are holes in the ground. It was raining that day and the ceiling was leaking
throughout the entire hospital. There are shattered windows, ant trails on the
walls, and lets not even talk about “the” bathroom. Then we go into one room
where Miladys points out something on display. Preserved babies that died in
the womb. In display bottles. One had its thumb in its mouth. Yes, dead. Real
babies. On display. That’s all I will say about that.
After
a few hours of waiting, Miguel is discharged and we get to leave that hell hole.
One our way out a couple is sitting on the floor, sobbing, with a baby in their
arms. Just sitting there in the hallway. Dead.
Its
now 5 days later and Miguel is recovering just fine. He was only given 3
stiches so the wound was a bit more open than it should have been. The surgery
was only $25 so I guess you get what you pay for. $25 for the surgery. Yep.
Miguel is forever grateful to Allison and Dan. Its hard because they aren’t here
to see him after the ordeal but Miguel has said thank you to me every chance he
has. He wrote me the following note
“Hello
Catalina. I give thanks to God for putting this very special miracle in my
life. I am so proud to know you and Allison and Dan and I pray my God is always
with you. You will always be on my mind in and in my heart. I hope to be able
to help you someday however I can. I love you.”
Please
continue prayers for Miguels recovery!
…Oh
yeah, I said the taxi driver was now best of friends? During the time Allison
and Dan were here, he invited us over to his house for dinner, we met his
daughter (also named Allison), we gave him some baby clothes for her and on
Ally and Dans last night, he came to say goodbye and bought them Honduras
t-shirts! He also invited me over to spend Christmas with his family and watch
the annual tradition of killing a pig…oh, my.
Its
been a crazy fun last few weeks and I finally get a chance to relax. I have had
an awful cough for almost 2 weeks and catches me short of breath. The past
two days I have also had a piercing pain in my stomach that wont seem to go
away. Please prays that this soon passes!
