Agros, Bethany, & Nuevo Amanecer.

Hola Amigos!

Much hotter here in North Honduras. San Pedro Sula is in the broad flat of stretch of the country that extends northward to the Carribean, The "Mosquito Coast". This is where Chiquita Banana grew up. You can read about the history of the United Fruit Company in a book called "Prision Verde" by Ramon Amaya Amador. San Pedro Sula is the commercial center of Honduras, lots of "maquiladoras" ( tax free foreign factories) here , lots of crime, lots of AIDS cases, but mainly just a lot of people and a lot going on.

My friends , a team of 8 from my church in Seattle, Bethany Presbyterian, had arrived just a couple hours before me. They had just dug themselves out of the snow and ice. I was very happy to see them.

We headed out the next morning for Jesus de Otoro, a fair sized town not in the guide books, between Siguatepeque and Esperanza. This will be our base, since it's just over an hour from the community of Nuevo Amanecer where our farmer friends live.

It's a bumpy ride down a dirt road. We pass oxen pulling a cart with wheels and axles taken from an old car, yards decorated with laundry hung on the fences and guarded by skinny sleeping dogs and strutting roosters, hillsides dotted with maguey (century plant)... dry and dusty and dead looking but brightened by yellow and purple and red blossoms (trees here wait for the dry season to bloom... more pollinators). We get to the driveway, I recognize a twisted "kneeling " tree. That's my " Bearing Tree" or reference point here. At the end of the road is the soccer field, and the ground from which the adobe bricks were cut, bricks used to build this village.

We clamor out of the bus and up the trail, over the creek ( nearly dry now), under a giant gangly Higuera ( fig tree), and around the back side of the hill where Nuevo Amanecer sits.

Despite the green and yellow balloons strung up around the space outside the community center and the smiles on the faces of our friends, I can feel a little tension. Earlier we learned that a young woman had died only a couple of days ago. She suddenly fell ill back in November and had to be taken to hospital where she was in a coma for a time and had to undergo dialysis. The doctors could not say what caused her illness, beyond saying that she died of kidney failure. Unfortunately, her family have accused a neghbor of giving her a drink that caused the illness that killed her. They have threatened this woman and are demanding that she leave. They see the Devil's hand in the death of their daughter. We are seeing the Enemy spreading lies that threaten to tear apart the community and the work of many over years and years.

Even though this is an agricultural project with material goals of developing the land , building houses, growing and selling produce, paying off loans, etc. We are reminded that the major work is spiritual, building unity, encouraging hope, growing vision, nurturing love, learning to forgive, ... All of us have renewed our commitment to pray for our friends. We realize more than ever that we are here to help people talk, to be listeners, to provide emotional and spiritual support.

My Bible study in Psalms 78:9-25 reminds me of the role of faith in every human effort. If God's people break covenant, no matter how strong, no matter how well equipped , they won't finish the fight.We have to live God's way. We've got to remember who he is and what he's done in our lives and others.

I think of the agronomist, Enrique and the social worker, Sandra who are here almost every day dealing with these issues and am very grateful.

Til later, Gilberto.

Back in San Jose

Hi friends!

I've been pretty busy. Berta , who runs the Hostel "The Corner" is our new grandma. We invited her to share our breakfast the other day and learned how she raised her kids by herself after divorcing her alcoholic husband by keeping up this place. When she saw our Bible, she told us how God had guided her life and how she always looked for ways to serve Him. Well when we got up around 5 am to catch the bus for San Jose, She was up too. She wanted to pray with us before we left. Putting it together in Spanish when I'm kind of emotional is hard, but God helped me. All that probably explains why things went so well getting back to San Jose.

Once in town,we found our way to the hostel on the city bus (way cheaper than the taxi). This time we stayed at the Quaker hostel/peace center " Casa Ridgway". It's a great place to meet people who really care about the making the world better for the poor and the other creatures that get walked on. They've got a great "Peace" Library, talks on current issues by people in the know, & free breakfast. Breakfast is a great time to connect with people. Jane met some Mexican environmental activists who had just been to the volcanic island in the middle of Lake Nicaragua where she was going and was able to get some guidance on making bus connections and getting through some rough neighborhoods safely.

We found a great vegetarian restaurant called Shakti. The special is a good choice and a good price. We were in the part of town close to Plaza de la Democracia where there are a couple of good museums, namely the National Historical Museum and the Museum of Modern Art and Design. The Modern Art museum had a couple video pieces that impressed us. One was of a Guatemalan artist, who had done a performance art protest against the government during the years of violent oppression in her country. She carried a bowl of blood that she stepped into and walked along the street leaving bloody footprints up to gates and steps leading to centers of government power. She stepped into the bowl every few steps then lifted and carried it farther. The prints were ever fresh. Another video showed a beach with waves of the sea washing up. You could see small hermit crabs crawling up the beach as a poem was read about human pressure on the environment (like plastic trash that will remain out there for eons) forcing creatures to adapt. As you watched you notice the shells of the crabs looked a little different... You know, that last crab was wearing a plastic bottle cap!

We took a taxi to Parque La Merced, where we caught the TUASA bus for Alajuela (stops at the airport). I sent Jane off to Nicaragua and I caught a flight to San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Through the window, I watch the map of Costa Rica, unfolded beneath me... someday I'm going to see where that river goes... maybe I'll climb that mountain...perhaps I'll eat a watermelon from that farm...

Hasta pronto!(see you soon!), Gilberto.

Catching Waves and Waving at Monkeys

Hola Amigos,

Today was our last day on the Osa Peninsula and we were like fishermen casting about for that little pull followed by a wild ride. Our first cast was early in the morning into Herrera Botanical Gardens. We met Tom the owner and guide who over the past 20 years has been transforming what had been an old cow pasture back into the jungle that it had once been. He came down here with the Amigos program ( like Peace Corps), stayed on to start a guide service with a friend, and started this project as a way of showing the value of keeping the forest as forest and showcasing the many trees and plants that can benefit both humans and wild creatures. We hung out on his veranda at first munching on one of the fruits of the jungle "custard apple" while watching 2 trees, one full of white face monkeys and the other with "howler monkeys". I learned that if you want to get along, you don`t show your teeth when you smile or look at them directly ( they consider that a sign of agression) also scratching yourself and leaning to one side and then to the other indicates that you feel at ease ( however don`t try this at home). I learned a lot about trees and plants, one curious fact I`ll share is about the passion-fruit. It has little nubbins on the vine which are" fake butterfly eggs". The butterflies see them and think someones already been here so they don`t lay any more and thus save the vine from destructive caterpillars.

We took our siesta then for a couple hours. For gringos the siesta is the time when your almost dead from the heat and pass out hopefully in some horizontal shady spot. Later we went off looking to do some kayaking in the mangrove swamps here, but unfortunately the tide was out and that place would be mostly mud. So we lit out for the beach we met some friends on the way who dropped us off at Playa Plantares. A beautiful sandy and empty beach with great waves rolling in. We splashed about as the sun set gloriously over the palms. We walked home as dusk settled lit up by millions of tiny lightning bugs. Then another friend picked us up.

Hasta luego, see you soon. Gilberto.

Costa Rica

Hi All

Trip down went well. Was able to see my sister while on lay over. Somehow she`is managing with 40 kids 4 to 5 years old in her class. One of those Texas charter schools. It was great seeing her, it has been 4 years.

I got into San jose 4 hours before Jane. I had not seen her for 2 weeks! When you connect with someone after being apart so long and so far it seemed to me a miracle to find her in all that space and time. I was very happy to see her.

we are way down south in Costa Rica. the bus ride was 8 hours. We found a great place to stay in Pto. Jimenez "Cabines The Corner", managed by a lovely grandmother, Berta. Today we took a Collectivo, a cattle truck with seats, over miles of rough dirt road. I was standing the whole way. I have more sympathy for cows than ever before. We then hiked out to Cabo Matapalo, which is a favorite for surfers and naturalists, several long stretches of beautiful and almost deserted beaches. We saw monkeys, squirrel monkeys, white-face m., and howlers. Brown pelicans, herons, parrots, even a hummingbird that was taking a bath in a creek.

More later the computer use time is up.

Hasta la manana, Gilberto.

Back to Central America

Hola Amigos,

Sorry to be so long getting back to writing. It is on my list to do more of. Well, we are heading back again to C.A. Actually Jane is already in Nicaragua, where she has been part of a team teaching spiritual ministry to Nicaraguan staff of Young Life there. They are preparing these young Christians to be more sensitive to the Holy Spirit and more active in His work of transforming, healing, and strengthening, especially through prayer God's young people all over that country. Miracles have been happening!

I will rendez-vous with Jane on the 15th in San Jose, Costa Rica. We will spend some time together exploring some of the beautiful natural areas possibly Corcovado National Park from Puerto Jimenez in the south on the Pacific side or in the north in the wilds around Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui. Either way we'll be seeing a lot of jungle and wildlife.

Afterwards I will join my friends from Bethany church on the Agros team in Nuevo Amanecer, Honduras. It is now 7 years that we have been working with the farmers of this community through many ups and downs as they have been making a go of farming this patch of land, now more and more their land. They are paying off their loans and have developed the land ( planted plantain,corn,beans, yucca...dug reservoirs...built houses...installed drip irrigation...). We both have become year by year closer friends.

I will do my best to write down the story of these next days so that you, too can share in our travels.

Hasta lluego, Gilberto.

God calls us. God goes with us.

Hi Friends.

I got up early in the morning for some of Juan's special super-light pancakes ( he whips up the eggs separate). Then Jessica, a med student and soon to be doctor with whom we worked at the children's home, came by to take me to church. We walked down, down, down to her church "Honor and Glory", where I found the leaders already on their knees praying ( they had started an hour earlier). The sermon was from Moses encounter with God in the burning bush ( Exodus 3:10-12). The gist of which was that God is with us and that He calls us to confront power and to set people free. What matters is not me or you. What matters is not the plan or the strategy. It's God that matters and that He has chosen us.

Jessica then walked with me all the way to the top of the hill, to Juan and Isidra's church. There I listened as each one of several brothers and sisters shared how God was speaking to them. Psalm 95:1-2 was the word that stuck with me, God invites us to come celebrate with Him, to recognize the reality that His Truth and Justice stand above the lies and injustice that surround us down here.

Juan went to the local Chinese restaurant on his motorcycle and picked up His favorite dish for our farewell meal. Today is a special day honoring Francisco Morazon, the founder of Honduras. Juan sees this man's life as a life of sacrifice to build a country where people could live a good life in peace. May God use Juan and all my friends here to make it so.

When the taxi dropped me off at the bus station, there I met Jenny's mom. She'd brought some clothes I'd forgotten at her house. She stayed to see me off and make sure I didn't forget my backpack. Gracias Senora Funes!

The bus trip to Siguatepeque went quickly. I decided to make friends with my seatmate even if he was sitting in my window seat. I think talking with him and finding out about his life ( he was on his way home from his cousin's wedding in Olancho and was going back to work in a steel fabrication plant in San Pedro Sulas) was way more interesting than picking up a little more scenery. Then too, there was more room to stretch my long gringo legs on the aisle.

I arrived some time before the team made it in from San Pedro Sulas, still I wasn't alone. Luis who had worked as the agronomist at Nuevo Amanecer ( New Dawn) in the early years was there, too. We had a couple hours to catch up. He had been studying for his masters, focusing on insect pests, at the University of Arkansas. A difficulty with his visa had forced him and his American wife, Christy, to return to Honduras and work until it is straightened out. They found jobs with World Gospel Outreach where they have been working with orphaned kids. Luis will be working with us all next week as we return to Nuevo Amanecer.

A couple hours later my friends rolled in. How great to see them, it seems like months since we last saw each other. Tomorrow we'll journey together to for another reunion at N.A. Till then, adios.

Standing on Picacho, Jesus Blesses Tegucigalpa

Que tal, amigos?

My last full day in Tegucigalpa, I decided to go some place I haven't been.... United Nations Park on Mount Picacho. This park sits high above the city and the view is something else. I started early because getting there is a trek. First I catch a bus to the central market ( nearly all the buses go there). Then I walk to a bus on the other side of the market, which in turn takes me to the steep curving road that winds up toward Picacho. At this point I sardine my way into a minibus "can" hurtling toward the peak. I was hanging on with all my might next to a wide open door! We passed some pretty fancy real estate on our way ( many of the embassies are up here, including the US embassy). The bus let me out at the top and continued on it's way to La Tigre . As I ambled the last mile along the road to the park gate. I saw maybe 30 high-school students with hoes clearing away invasive plants from the grounds.By the viewpoint stood a little cafe where I bought a coffee and sat down to gaze at the city far below. Further along I saw rock-climbers practicing their stuff on the vertical rock cliffs . Then I came to a replica of a Mayan temple which descended stepping down into large garden, where stood a 4-story high statue of Christ with arms outstretched in blessing. It made me think of the statue of Jesus that stands on Sugar-loaf mountain in Rio, which I've only seen in pictures. Grandiose? Yes, but I found a verse inscribed at the bottom that made it more personal: Luke 24:46-50, which ends with " while he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven." I thought of that last gift from his hands, his blessing, falling upon the people of this city.

In another corner of the garden I found a statue of Confuscius within a very formal Chinese garden where many of his words were hidden, almost like surprises here and there. Sometimes that is the way truth comes to us. I was fascinated as I walked through the gardens at the diversity of plants, most of which were new to me. I wonder how birds and insects appreciate and engage with this world ... we seem to have forgotten.

Later I returned to the city,and wandered through streets marked with graffitti , punctuated with splinters and shards of glass from last years demonstrations, a message that doesn't make it to the newspapers anymore but still echos off the concrete and asphalt. There I found a little souvenir shop and startled the owner by buying something.

After dinner, back at Juan and Isidra's, I accompanied them to their church where a member and friend was getting married. This was a little different since both the bride and groom were in their late sixties and had their adult children standing in the place of best men and bride's maids. Everyone, even the kids were dressed like they stepped out of a magazine. You'd never know we were in the scruffy barrio of Flor del Campo. I think that the picture that will stick in my mind was the little flower girl who went back and picked up all the rose petals she'd earlier scattered all down the aisle.

Tomorrow is Sunday. I'll be heading for Siguatepeque to join my friends from Bethany church after lunch. I feel so much more at home in this place, thanks to my friends Jenny, Juan, Isidra, and Guillermo. So different from the first time 10 years ago, when we were hesitant even to get out of the van. See you tomorrow.

Hasta Manana, Gilberto.