Sat., 21 Jan., - Thursday we met with Dean Alejandro and drove to Jacaleapa to check with the carpenter to find out how much it would cost to have wooden tables and chairs, similar to the type used in the schools, made. They are much sturdier than the plastic ones. LP Marlene wasn’t at the church so we couldn’t get a sample, but we went to his shop and described what we were interested in. He will check with Marlene and get back to us. We also gave Alejandro the 800 L, ($52), to purchase the 2 tables and 6 chairs from the school currently on loan. Back in Danli we drove to the supermarket and stocked up since we had Jeannie’s car.

Being a woodworker myself, I found the carpenter’s shop very interesting. His table saw was homemade using 12 in carbide tip blades. The table was made out of 2" lumber as was the rip fence. It was very sturdy. There was also a handmade wood lathe on which an assistant was turning spindles. The only other electric tools I saw were a commercial jointer and a router. One tool one doesn’t see often was a 16" hand plane. Several pieces of wood to be incorporated into projects appeared skillfully crafted.




Just before sunset yesterday we had a rather heavy rain followed by a lovely double rainbow. I now know where that pot of gold is located, I think.

During the day Thurs. there was a truck driving through the community with a loudspeaker system announcing a Veterinarian clinic for dogs on Friday. Friday morning there were a lot of dogs on leashes going by the church. This is a common form of getting information out. They also use it to announce the many evangelistic services, that the truck driver is selling fruits, veg. etc., and anything else. (As I write there is a pick up truck going by with a freezer in back announcing they have fresh chicken.) There was an outdoor evangelist Thurs. and Fri. nights just a block from us with, of course, BIG speakers. Unfortunately for him, it started to rain heavily about 45 minutes after he started. The crowd melted away.





The vegetable garden that the Texas team put in a month ago is growing tremendously well. The radishes are almost ready for harvest, tomatoes are 6 to 8 in. tall, and the squash, cucumbers, and watermelon are about to send out runners. Even the carrots, generally slow starters, are doing well.


Mon., 23 Feb. - Yesterday we drove to El Paraiso city to visit Rev. Hilda Lagos and her husband, Hector Zuniga whom we have known for 12 years. Hilda’s church is very large, built from a quonset hut, about 40 x 80 ft. this includes the sanctuary and other rooms for Sunday school and other uses. One of those uses is a program to teach sewing and dress pattern design. This is government sponsored and they have 20 treadle sewing machines. Last Friday they also had a workshop on how to make donuts.

After the church service we drove Hilda to El Rodeo, a small, very poor community, to check the blood pressure of one of her parishioners. She has been trained as one of the ‘Guardianas’ or



El Rodeo home

‘Health Care Workers’ by the Honduran church. Presently she is a deacon and is attending a school for working adults on Sunday morning to obtain her high school diploma which will allow her to be ordained as a priest.

It continues to be cool and rain a lot, almost every day. When we first started to come to Honduras in 1998 we might not see rain for three months at this time of year. This has changed drastically over the past 4 years. But even in the rainy season, June to August, they don’t get the frequent overcast skies of this year.