letter from Janis McClenden regarding recent Honduras trip

Hello everyone from Hot Honduras!! Yes, I said "hot". We are supposed to get to 88 today with 100% humidity. We arrived Thursday and hit the ground running (I got that from Cheryl). It is a much slower pace here but there is so much that we are doing. We spent Friday getting use to our surroundings.Went to the Deaf Center (where Tommy and Danny and his two boys) are working building cabinets and shelves.We got to bed early to start Saturday morning early. We left early Saturday morning to go to Lake Yageo in the
mountains about a 1 1/2 hour trip from here. We stayed in a really pretty place, the scenery was so beautiful, the people are so poor, but so loving and excited that we were there.I mean masses of people, walking for hours to get to the "open air church" where Tommy spoke that night (by translator, of course). This was up a mountain that has no electricity. The only light in the church was a kerosene lantern. But they were all so happy to see us. This mountain village is called Yure. You would NOT believe the rough, steep, rocky dirt path that we had to drive up for about 30 minutes to get to that village. It was awesome.

Then, Sunday morning we got up pretty early and went to a place to eat down by the lake. It was beautiful, but let me tell you they don't know how to cook bacon and eggs, like we do. But we have learned that we can eat whatever. We started back here to San Pedro Sula. We stopped by the roadside and bought the prettiest pineapples and 2 stalks of bananas. We rested for about 1 1/2 hours and then we went over to the Deaf Center and watched them communicate using their sign language. They are a bunch of probably about 20-25 young adults who were so friendly and loved us with lots of hugs and it makes we cry to think I won't see them again. We have grown so attached to most of them. We have even learned some of their sign language and can communicate a little. When I don't know I just smile real big and give them the "fine" sign. They seem to understand that I don't know what they are talking about.

Last night we went to a real open air church here in San Pedro Sula and Tommy spoke to about 700 people. It was hugh. The people came any way they could get there, buses, pickup trucks that would have probably 15-20 people on them, standing in the backs of the trucks. And the driving here you would NOT believe. Most of the streets do not have centerlines and the people drive fast and dart in and out and run you off the road, and pass in curves. Once we were almost hit by a really big truck. They take chances like you would not believe.

Well, today our two nurses are at the clinic, meeting with some of the doctors, and this afternoon will be meeting with nurses there and showing them some of the techniques they use at Pitt Memorial, taking mostly about premature births and care that should be given to small babies and how mother should take care of themselves. Tommy, Danny, Dustin and Dalton are working at theDeaf Center. (But Dalton is probably swimming in the pool they have there. He is 8 years old,) I am helping our wonderful host (who have a large house, with high fence all around it with barbed wire on the top of it and an electric wire on top of that, and, yes, I do feel safe). We are cleaning house and doing laundry and preparing for a cooking class that I am supposed to do this afternoon at 3:00.

I cannot say enough about our wonderful hosts, Paul and Kim Dyar. They have 4 small children, ages 8, 6, 3 and 18 months. They have been so good through all of this, but I know they will be glad to get their home back to normal again.

I probably should wind this up because internet service here is not real good and it could go out anytime and I sure don't want to lose all of this. So you all pray for us that we will stay safe and arrive back home late Thursday night, or real early Friday morning safe and sound.

Would love to hear from you all. I check my emails daily. Love to all and hope I didn't ramble too much. Tell everyone we are doing just great. Please forgive the typing, I am not use to a laptop.

Love and prayers,
Janis