Editor's Note: Yeah, I'm not so good at updating when I promise. Time is really short around here.

Rundown of the last couple days:

• Friday: I went to Nuevo Oriental (New Orient). This community has absoluty nothing. They are dirt poor. My group went and set up a shoe store for the day. We took refuge in a house that Torch had built the week before. While we were setting up the donated shoes we were about to distribute, a huge line already had formed. We gave out shoes the whole day, with now break in the line. At times the line devoloped into a mob with people shoving trying to make sure they got free shoes for their kids. During these times I was resorted to shouting spanish phrases with our Honduran helper hoping to quell the ruckus. Unfortunately, these attempts were mostly for naught. I did see a girl get pushed back from the front of the line to the back; I went out to her and made sure she got her shoes.
  
  The really cool thing about the shoe distribution was that we washed their feet and gave them socks before we helped pick them out shoes. The whole time we did this, all I could think about was how Jesus washed the disciples' feet. I'm sure those disciples had some pretty nasty feet as well with their incessant waking in sandals. The honduran people had some disgusting feet as well, but I think us washing their feet was very symbolistic to them illustrating our willingness to get dirty helping them. One poor 8 year old looking girl had 6 toes on the one foot, 7 toes on the other. Her socks had busted out because her feet were so wide due to her toes. She was the cutest little thing as well.
  
• Saturday: Everyone went to San Miguel today. San Miguel is one of several communities devestated by the torrent rains in Honduras the past month. A previously small creek is now a huge river in the middle of their community, and five families are living in a chruch because their homes had been washed out in the mudslide. These rains have been front page of Teguicigalpa's newspapers (that and America's ambassador being caught for corruption); many families have been affected by this tragedy. Pray for these families. A girl from Los Pinos (where We've worked) died friday when here house collapsed on her.
  
  Anyways, we went to San Miguel bringing clothes and food to the church where the families who were now homeless were taking refuge. Though we could not bring back their homes, I believe we brought hope and love. Another huge line formed outside the church, as the community came for help. It was once again organized chaos, but the 2 sisters from valley of angels were there to help. I love these ladies: I worked with them in the medical clinic last year (They wondered if I was planning on going to the hospital this year again). Each family (not all of them were homeless but they were all affected by the rains) got a bag of food, a bag of clothes, and got a lunch of fried rice and bread. It was an amazing thing we did; gave us all warm feelings. Oh, and our pictures were in the newspapers on Sunday then . So we're famous gringos around here.
  
• Sunday: We went to the Jesus Statute for church, then we (the interns) came home to mow the lawn. Then later in the night, I somehow lost/got my camera stolen at the mall. A big downer. I need to have a camera here to record these times, and I had a hoss moment in a bad country to have one. I either left it in the car or the restuarant, but someone has obviously taken it. Aghh. I'm an idiot.
  
  Anyways, time is going too fast here. Sorry for the rushed writing; I am sure mistakes abound.
  
  Oh, and I haven't figured out how to post pictures using my gatorlink account yet. Any gators out there want to help? I can't remember how to upload them now.
  
  p.s. mom how can I get a hold of you(phone)? I want your stuffed shells recipe.

Everyone's favorite kid in Honduras,

Hoss (is it coincidence the first two letters match? I think not)

Rundown of the last few days. On Sunday, we went to the Los Pinos church. Next, we went as a group to the didalgo orphanage and put on a festival for them. Monday, My group worked with pouring sidewalks for Torch's medical clinic in Santa Ana. We went to the Jesus statute later that night then. I went to Santa Ana again on Tuesday. Wednesday, I visited an orphanage for children who come from abusive environments. Then we went to a center run by Jimmy Hughes for rehabilitating men. We then went to a Catholic church with a 7 second echo and sang, and then visited a blind school. Everyone always loves the blind school.

Thoughts on the activities:

• Los Pinos. Every time I go to a church that Torch is built, I am struck by how Christ's church is not bound by race or class. Taking communiun with my brothers in Christ, singing the same songs in different languages, is really a unique difference. Sadly though, I also notice there are never boys my age there. There are usually many mothers, children, but the fathers are scarce and the boys are even harder to find. There was one there in the high school age, which is a rarity. He had gotten baptized by Torch last summer, so that's awesome.
• Didalgo Orphanage. Us interns got there before everyone else, so I was able to play with the kids all by myself. I began to think I was so cool, they kept jumping up on me wanting rides. However, all of the sudden they started talking in Spanish and watching down the road. They saw one bus, and began to jump up and down. They saw another bus and began to shout two buses. Then they saw a truck, and they were jumping up and down with enthusiasm I have never witnessed before. They kept shouting, "two buses and a two trucks!" At first I was kind of jealous, (what happened to me?). But then, it brought to mind when Jesus said suffer the little ones unto me. Here these poor orphans illustrated a joy that words can not describe. This is why Jesus brought the little ones to him. (note: while we were there, an orphan got extremely sick with a 105 fever and began having seizures. If we were not there with our nurses, she would have died because they probably would not have taken her to the hospital)
• Santa Ana. Torch is attempting to make Santa Ana a new outlet of jobs for the Honduran people. They are building 2 children's homes, and bringing women who have been trained by Mi Esperanza (Another organization under IRC's direction; they train poor women in area's such as art and hairstyles hoping to bring them out of the rut). I left the states hoping I would not have to mix another batch of cement, but I've been mixing a lot of cement doing their sidewalk. I've also had to learn how to be a stone mason making some retaining walls.
• Jimmy Hughes: Jimmy Hughes wasn't there, but let me tell you something about this man. When he got saved, he was a hitman for some latin american mafia in El Salvador. He had killed 6 guys trying to get to one he was hired to kill, when he realized his life was pointless. He got arrested, changed his life, sold out his mafia bretheren for a shorter sentence, and is now trying to help other men out of drug addictions. There was a man there named Salvador who rapped his testimony. I thought it was awesome; he is really a man on fire for God.
• Blind School: Those kids are so more talented then I am. I watched them play Chess yesterday!!! In order to tell the difference between whose pieces are whose, they have metal balls on the top of every black piece. Then when they are playing they touch every piece, memorizing where their positions are then make their move. Their singing is amazing as well.

I'll try and post pictures tonight,

hoss

Oh, I just included links of other bloggers I know on this trip... I'll add more eventually.

Now Playing: other Interns

Today's Trial. Well, I think I passed the test. It seems our director is testing all us interns to see if we can come up with a devotion without giving us time to prepare. Grant got asked 5 minutes before his, Kyle was the night before, and I was given an hour before (in which I had to shower and eat yet) devotions. It makes you depend on God for confidence, especially for me, because I love speaking in front of people, but I am a perfectionist and like to prepare and write my speeches before hand. This caused me to depend on God.

Today, I voluntereed to assist in sorting out the pharamcutical stuff in our warehouse. My greatest gift does not include organization. At all.. But, I believe my ingenuity today has provided a new inspiration for pharmacists around the world. In my haste to organize medicine, I organized it according to body parts. I think Eckerds has a lot to learn from me

Oh, I am supposed to cook on monday. I would love if anyone out there who has some good recipes would feel free to send to them to me. I might have to go with tomato soup and crackers if nothing comes up. Please all my mennonite women, send me your casserole recipes. Show all these church of christ people how we mennos get down.

Well, I know its short, but I need to leave. I hope to write something more profound or funny tommorrow.
Hoss

The sweet aroma of pollution awoke my senses to the dazzling sensation they call Honduras. If this scintillating rush of excitement was not enough to awake me to my new surroundings, the thousands of New York taxi cab-like drivers that surrounded these alleys they call streets quickly made me aware I was in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Red Lights, Stop Signs, Lane Divisions, and Yield Signs are merely an afterthought for the true Honduran driver. And judging from my ride with him, Mr. Nathan Reeves was not only born to Honduran parents, but ones that smoke crack. His parents in the States are merely a coverup. He enjoys encouraging his passengers to "depend on God for safety", and to "lean on him in times of trouble" during his car rides that rival any rollercoaster ride.

Enough about the amazing characteristics that make Honduras, and more about me. I will be living the next 8 weeks with 11 other 20 somethings in Honduras with our fearless missionary family (the Hines). In the coming weeks, we will see what happens when people get angry, tired, not nice, and live on Inferno episodes for the rest of their pathetic sold-out lives. whoops, I'm sorry, I got the Real World mixed up in my thoughts because I saw one of the girls from a couple years ago in the Miami Airport. I think she was checking me out. I'm pretty sure she was. Maybe if she made it to Survivor I would have given her a chance. I also saw Sean Paul in the airport, he's a scrawny dude. There is a reason he has an entourage. I could have taken him in a fight, and that's not a very strong compliment.

Oh, and get this. The president of Honduras rode with us on our airplane. I feel pretty important now. They must not have an "Avion Numero Uno" in Honduras.

Wow, I get easily sidetracked. I must have an undiagnoses add case.

Everyone is pretty cool here. The Hines family are really nice, they have two kids about my sisters age. They expect us all to cook once a week here; I'm hoping everyone here loves peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. That or the girl I'm paired with miraculously had a mennonite upbringing. I have no idea what I, a male, am doing in a kitchen. Everyone knows Eve first outfit was an apron.

Well, now that I made my sisters angry, I should get back to everyone now.

Editor's Note: I wrote today in hastily 5 minute manner. I plan to update frequently while I am here, and hope to post pictures. Those of you that know me from my previous stint with this blog are aware I like to write stuff as if this were a newspaper or magazine, not as if this were a journal. I do not know if I will continue the same style while I am here in Honduras, I want to keep everyone well informed what we are doing over here. I will figure something out.

Anyways, I'm out like hot showers in Honduras.