I have been planning...

I have been planning this blog for a few weeks now and it just seems to get longer and longer as the days go by. Interesting, huh! New things happen each day and I just add those to the blog list.

Well, going back to the week my parents were here. We had a wonderful time with them and I am so glad that they got to come visit Honduras and see what Chad and I have been talking about for so many years now. We drove up to the coffee plantation, visited all four of the Mission Lazarus early childhood development centers, toured the ranch, and introduced them to many people and friends that Chad and I know.

One day we drove out to the beach to visit a church building where Mission Lazarus has a cafeteria where we feed lunch to about 100 children daily. On the way there, I said to mom and dad, "We should try to get some shrimp while we are here and have that for dinner." Great idea, right? Well, I called a friend that I have out there and asked if he could help us get some shrimp and of course he was willing. I hung up and mom said, "Are these shrimp going to have heads?" I called Roberto back and asked him to have the heads removed before he got them. "O.k.", he said and so I thought nothing else about it. When we met up with him, he gave me the cooler and I took it and off we went toward San Marcos. Mom and I got ready to prepare them, opened the cooler and there were whole fish, eyes and all, crabs, and wouldn't you know, shrimp with the heads still on them. We gave the fish and crabs away to a friend of mine that has a restaurant here in San Marcos. While we were there delivering the fish to her I asked her how to best prepare the shrimp. She told me all we needed to do was break the heads off with our hands and then the shell and legs come off easily. Mom and I got back to the house, began the process like Carmen had explained and we gagged for the next hour trying to get the shrimp cleaned and ready to cook. We finally decided we needed to cut the heads off and boy was that so much better. After we got them peeled, I bet I washed those things 8 times before I felt like I had all the gunk off of them. We skewered the shrimp, rubbed them with garlic and butter and threw them on the grill. They were the best shrimp I think I have ever eaten. And oh so FRESH!!!

Mom and Dad, thank you for your visit. It was great getting to show you what all we do and experiencing Honduras with you. I am so blessed to have parents that love me the way you do and that are interested in what I am doing. Thank you also for spending my birthday with me. It was the best birthday gift I could ever receive. I love you both very much.

Last week the rain began here in Honduras. We were so ready to see it because it has been so dry and dusty for six months. It was a matter of 2 or 3 days that the landscape, the mountains and plants just returned to life. It is so green and picturesque here now. Last Thursday I was driving to the office and I had to stop on the side of the road and take this picture. After I took it I thought oh, I'll add that to the blog that I am planning to write too. It was so beautiful that I couldn't pass it up. All I could think when I looked at it was how truly AWESOME God is and how He provides us with His "artwork" every day for our pleasure.

Our summer interns arrived Monday. Chad, Meredith and I drove to Tegucigalpa early Monday morning to meet them at the airport. There are 8 right now, one more will arrive next week. We have been showing them around all of the Mission Lazarus projects and getting to know them over the past few days. They are a great group and I look forward to working with them this summer.

Today, Meredith, Jarrod and I drove to Nicaragua to a place where about 5 women make pottery. This place is absolutely in the middle of nowhere. Actually when we were driving in, Jarrod said, "I bet you guys are wondering how in the world I ever found this place." Yes, I was wondering because it truly is a hidden town down a dirt road. It was fun just getting spend time with them talking, catching up and crossing the border.

I hope all is well where ever this finds you. Our next group arrives Saturday, so keep us in your prayers as we travel to pick them up and as we continue through the summer. BLESSINGS!!

Shelly