Hottest Sparrow

I am so sorry for not writing sooner but I have my friend Karen visiting from Canada and one thing we love to do is show this island off to people so I have been ‘out and about’ more then indoors.

But I do want to tell you about an experience we had last weekend. We had the privilege of joining up with a medical team to help out in Hottest Sparrow, which is a poor, isolated area of the island.

We joined up around 7:30 in the morning with 2 Doctors, 3 nurses and Bob and myself. We drove down a dusty road in the back of a pick up with medicine, vitamins, toys, clothes, shoes, and excitement and hope in our hearts.

They don’t have a clinic out there so we used a two-room school as a means of administering to the people who live nearby. One room was used for triage and the other for pharmacy. The other room was where the two doctors saw the patients. At first there were just little curious kids hanging around outside. I saw this little girl standing by a tree and took her picture. I found out later her name is Rosa, and I also discovered later that she would be one of the ones who stole my hearts, It didn’t take long for the word to get aroud that the doctors had arrived and more and more people came.

They began lining up outside the building and Bob’s job was to provide order and also to ‘entertain’ those who were waiting to see the doctor. Karen and Lindsay (mother and daughter) had the privilege of working together in triage.

I helped in the pharmacy and also gave each child a toothbrush, some toothpaste and a small stuffed animal. I think I had a great job since many of them were so excited to have these small gifts. I want to say thanks to City Heights Church for providing the things that we were able to give to the people here! Bless your hearts!

I helped in the pharmacy and also gave each child a toothbrush, some toothpaste and a small stuffed animal.

I think I had a great job since many of them were so excited to have these small gifts. I want to say thanks to City Heights Church for providing the things that we were able to give to the people here! Bless your hearts!

We saw 91 patients in the course of the morning so needless to say it was a very busy day. Each family was given vitamins, and anti parasitic medication plus any other medication that was necessary.

There is a lady I met in Coxen Hole at Christmas named Nidia who told me about the needs of Hottest Sparrow so I had a lot of clothes, and shoes to give to one family in particular that she felt would really benefit.

I had the privilege of going to deliver these things to her home. It was a short walk up a dusty dry road to her place. Imagine a small one room shack with a tin roof and that is what they call home. She was so pleased with what we brought for her family. I believe that truly the Lord is so true in saying ‘it is more blessed to give then to receive” but I know I was sure blessed that day.

Can you imagine if you gave someone a simple pair of black shoes and it brought tears to their eyes?? Well I gave a pair to a little girl about 8 years old and she was so touched and happy. Her mom told me (through a translator) that her daughter had been crying for days now because she didn’t have shoes to wear to school. The kids here wear uniforms with black shoes and she felt terrible to not own any. So I know that was a great need in her little life! It is the smallest things that matter.

Just before I left to go back to the clinic I gathered the family together and I prayed for them. It was a beautiful moment of lifting them before the God of all. The thing that was deeply impressed on my heart is that He knows them all by name (how precious is that??) and He will take care of them. Such good care of them.

This family has so many needs. I asked about bringing food to the ‘clinics’ but the doctor (who is an islander) said that providing food for one day doesn’t really help the family in the long run. What they need is someone to provide for them on a monthly basis in order to help them nutritionally. We are asking the Lord what is our part with this family. The husband works in a cornfield nearby but since his wages are very minimal, and he just can’t provide for his family. What this woman really needs is a tubal ligation but she needs someone to take care of the kids and the house for a couple of weeks so she can heal. It wouldn’t cost much to have another woman come in to help with the cooking and the cleaning. All of this compels me to want to help. The needs are so great! What about you? Perhaps you are moved to make life easier for this family. If so, then email me and we can talk further about what you can do.

I believe that truly the Lord is so true in saying ‘it is more blessed to give then to receive” but I know I was sure blessed that day.

baleada's, corn tortillas and a car wash!

Today we decided to get the car washed at the Sandy Bay car wash. They do such a fantastic job! Both the outside and the inside for only 5 dollars.

We went around lunch time so decided to go to a little 'restaurant' near the car wash. Fortunately there was an islander there who spoke English. I asked if we could have lunch and through translation she said she could make baledadas for us. There isn't really a menu it is whatever she has on hand.

"Baleadas” are a Honduran version of “burritos.” A wheat flour tortilla is folded in half and filled with refried beans, crumbled white cheese and and eggs. We love them!!

I asked about drinks. As it turned out they didn't have any cold drinks there so she sent a boy down a dusty road and in a little while he showed up with some pepsi and 4 eggs. Too funny!

Anyways we sat in the open aired restaurant and listened to the enthusiastic chatter of the 'locals'. We are slowly learning spanish so I can pick out certain words. In fact I can understand alot more then I can speak. One thing I love about the people is how incredibly friendly they are! They greet each other like long lost friends and love to tell stories and laugh. Needless to say, we were entertained while we waited for our lunch.

The balaeda's were delicious! They put a certain cheese in there that is distinctly Honduran. I see alot of different products in the dairy section but I wasn't sure which cheese they use so I asked the girl who spoke english if she could get the cook to show me the cheese. She did. Now I know which cheese to use for when we have baleada's at home. It looks a little like feta cheese.

While I was there at the counter I decided to be really brave and let them know that I am looking for someone to teach me to make corn tortillas. Lindsay, who is staying with us can't eat wheat so I am interested in learning to make the corn ones for her. All of a sudden the cook grabbed a bowl, threw in some flour and poured in some water. They she said, Agui!! Which means here. So I went. So there I was in this tiny little kitchen learning how to cook by someone who doesn't speak my language. She didn't measure anything (of course) but went by how it felt. In a matter of minutes she had made the perfect tortilla and set it on the stove to fry. Then she looked at me and gestured for me to try. Okay, let me just say it is alot harder then it looks. You take a small ball of dough, put it down and begin drumming on it with one hand, and forming it into a circle with the other. Mine was beaten to death!! She said no no no.


In the midst of all of this I hear the loud sound of my name being called.. "Deborah!!!" (that is what they call me here) and in comes Ivis to the kitchen. She is a lady I met shortly after arriving to the island who has a little shop in the West End. She is thrilled to see me and hugs me tightly and plants a customary kiss on my cheek. "Deborah, what are you doing?" I tell her about the tortilla lesson. She says.. Okay let me see.

So now I have an audience. The cook, the islander, Ivis, and about 3 men who are leaning on the counter looking into the kitchen. Talk about pressure!!! I massacre that little ball of dough!! Ivis, is a very loud and lovely lady but today I wished she was only lovely because her voiced boomed, "No no no Deborah.. don't beat it.. pat pat pat. Here let me show you." I didn't look behind me but I could hear several snickers. I am trusting that one of those snickers wasn't Bob's!

Well I owe a lot to Ivis because her technique of patting was more manageable for me. I was able to make a pretty decent tortilla and half expected applause from the audience. Jokingly I said to the cook that maybe if I practice I could come and work for her. She laughed.. she really laughed. It wasn't meant to be that funny!!




So Ivis told me that she wants to teach me to make flour tortillas (not corn) .. it is a different recipe and a different way of doing it. Of course I want to do that!! I have her phone number and I will definitely call her.

I love many things about this island. But it is the people I love the most!! They are so friendly, so helpful and their hearts are open to relate quickly and easily. It was a most memorable 'lunch'. Who would have thought they when we went to get our car washed that I would also have a lesson in making tortillas??!!It felt more like a visit to a friends place then a formal meal at a restaurant. Could you imagine this happening in Canada? Oh wow that chicken cordon bleu is really delicious, and the next thing you know you are in the kitchen learning all the chef secrets. I think not!! Well maybe in Newfoundland! :-)

So the car wash, our lunch, 2 pepsi, 10 corn tortillas, and the lesson only cost us less then 10.00. How amazing is that??!


As I have said before and I will say again.... we never know what will happen in a day on the island. I will tell you this though... I am going to go back to that restaurant to practice my spanish, to share more of His love and to maybe learn how to make pastelitos.. oh yummy!!

Try it.. you'll like it! :-)

Some of you know that I have been doing at photography project called Project 365 which means that I take a photo everyday. It wasn’t an easy decision to embark upon this since I decided to limit my project to pictures of seashells. I remember at the time wondering if it would be too hard to do. Would it be do boring for my flickr friends to look at everyday? Would I be able to keep it creative and interesting for a whole year??

As I write this blog I am on day 323 on my shell project. That means I have just over a month left and I will have completed my goal.

Today I want to talk about what I learned from this project. I learned not to be afraid to try something new. I learned that by forcing myself to be creative I become creative. I learned how to develop my skills as a photographer. It actually forced me to develop. When I first started the project I had a small point and shoot camera and that was what I did: I pointed and I shot. In the spring of last year I decided to buy another camera and suddenly I was way out of my comfort level because I realized I didn’t know how to use it. I don’t know about you but it is such an awkward feeling to be in a learning curve. It doesn’t matter if it is a new job, a new relationship, a new course load, a new baby in our arms suddenly we are feeling so ‘inadequate’. I have learned to be easy on myself during that ‘time’. I am thankful to our son David who helped me immensely in understanding how to use my camera: what is an f stop, an aperture, what is ISO, depth of field, shutter speed and on and on. I learned about bokeh. I remember the first time I was on flickr looking at someone’s picture and someone had left a comment “nice bokeh” and I wrote below it “what is bokeh?!” Now I know and have developed that skill into an art form. I see bokeh everywhere. I don’t want to make this too technical so I am not going to go into what bokeh is but if you want to know and how to get sweet bokeh in your photos write me and I will tell you.

I also learned about commitment. I started the project and I was committed to finishing it. We face that in so many ways in life. It is the day to day to day to day stuff that tires us out. But commitment is so essential to success. In every way. I am glad I stuck with this. It’s been challenging sometimes to find the time to daily stop and take a picture but the simple beauty I would see often overwhelmed me. As a result of carrying my camera around with me I began to see His beauty everywhere: in the face of a child, on the light of a flower, in the colors of the evening, on the softness of a butterflies wings, in the texture of a shell, in the movement of a hummingbird, or in the movement of the sea. A walk on the beach would result in peace in my soul, a conversation with a stranger, an unexpected view, or just the sense of thrill of capturing something I wouldn’t normally see. Photography has opened my eyes. I see! I really see now. I look for light, and when I find it I photograph that. Pretty simple but it is true. Light is always worth finding.

Don’t be afraid to try something new. Even if it seems daunting. Do it. It will be good for your soul.

So take that promotion even if you don’t feel qualified.. yet. Go on that adventure to a foreign land (hint hint). Make that phone call to a person you admire and tell them. Start writing that book. Take those dance lessons. Learn to cook well. Join the gym even though your body is telling you not to!

What would be the one greatest benefit? Well for me I used to say, I like to take pictures. But after a year of taking photos every day I can say I am a photographer. It has changed not only my skill but also the way I view myself. You can’t beat that! You will change in the process of being brave enough to embark on something new. How cool is that??!

Don’t be afraid to try something new and different. It is so rewarding. I just need to say this … while I was writing this blog a hummingbird came to the French doors and hovered there twice. I have been photographing/feeding them for about a month now and the joy they bring is phenomenal. This is the first time they after came to the door looking for food. They usually just hover where I hang the feeder. If I didn’t have such a passion to photograph God’s living beauty I wouldn’t have experienced that. What a blessing! I guess I can say another result of being a photographer is that I am not a hummingbird friend!!

Have a blessed Sunday! xoxo