A busy day yesterday. Several of the projects we are working on made some progress so that was fun. Monday night I sat with Henry and Patricia and went over the recipe for a marinade for smoked fish. We talked about what we liked and what we thought might work. After an hour of conversation and a lot of good guess work on their part to figure out what we were talking about, Henry set off on his bicycle to buy fish, fruit and spices.
After Henry returned, we set to work to finish cleaning and filleting the fish, cutting up the pineapple and cutting off a chunk from the block of brown sugar. Fortunately, they have a blender so we put in all the spices and got them liquefied. Then the fish went in to the liquid and we set it in my house for the night. It smelled nice in my apartment from the marinade. Having worked on the fish outside the rather tenacious odour of fish was left to waft to stray cats in the neighbourhood.
In the morning we began the task of getting the charcoal ready and burning. The charcoal we had on hand from a previous barbecue had managed to absorb a fair amount of humidity so it was a challenge to get it going. Eventually we succeeded and the temperature in the smoker climbed and the fish was laid on the bamboo slats. Two hours later the first of the fish was done and we all tried a wee bit. Another hour and even the heads were looking great. A pot of smoked fish heads resides in my fridge now (that will really make future glasses of ice tea have a great taste) and they will be distributed this afternoon for people to make fish soup with. We will see if they make a good soup.
We enjoyed smoked fish for lunch and everyone was more than pleased. I made some smoked fish, mango and spaghetti type dish which was rather delicious.
As we sat for lunch, Flavio, the carpenter arrived with 180 top bars. They looked wonderful and fit nicely. Today we buy the material for the lids and the hives will be ready for bees.
While smoking the fish near my apartment, we also began heating some honey from our hives and filtering it through a nylon stocking (clean) and bottling it. It was nice to see a wee bit of results from the hives we set up. These are the bees which will be put into the new concrete hives so we do know they can produce some honey.
After lunch, I headed to the rapidito to go with Chepe to look at his land and help him with laying out contour lines. We started walking up a very steep path from his house. As we began the ascent we talked about the smoke house. I mentioned that it only took two hours to smoke the fish. Chepe was obviously on another track (not hard to be thinking that my Spanish is on a different planet) and thought I was asking if it was a two hour climb to his land. He shook his head and said, “No – only forty minutes”. Yikes. We hiked for only ten minutes and then stopped at a friend’s place and rode the rest of the way in his four wheel drive truck. I have no idea of how they carry produce and so forth up and down those hills.
We spent an hour or so setting up the level. The level consisted of a forty foot hose with two ends of clear plastic. Fill the hose with water and then attach the ends to two tall sticks. This gives you an accurate level and works quite well over a distance. We had trouble with a leaky hose which cut our time short. As well, Chepe had failed to bring any extra hands (he only has seventeen people in his house) to help with marking the lines. However, I did get a good idea of the land layout and, as it was very high up, a wonderful view of the surrounding countryside. It would be wonderful if he actually lays out the land in beds on the contour. He could quite readily add a great deal of income potential to his operation and save labour at the same time.
The town square is now full of small booths for vendors of food, trinkets and carnival accessories. Streets are more and more crowded and the buses and rapiditos have to use alternate streets. The fair is coming to town!
Bryan
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
Christ and Candy
Just back from an afternoon and night in San Pedro Sula. Arrived at the Terminal by 6:00 a.m. and caught the first bus out to Santa Cruz. It turned out to be my old favourite – Divine Women. The Divine part of the sign and window shading has disappeared and the driver is new. Fortunately, the other iconic protection is still in place and the new driver has acquired many of the “skills” of the old driver so that “Divine Women” has lost none of its carnival ride qualities.
Last week Manuel and I spent two days up in Tegucigulpa chasing down the funding for our project. We met a new gentleman who has already begun sending emails to the Minister, Vice-Minister and the man who is the roadblock. That is the most action we have seen in some time so we are pleased with that. Whether it will be enough remains to be seen.
At this point in time, it looks as if I have two weeks remaining in Honduras. That has been a very frustrating thought as there were so many things on my “To Do” list. It has been hard to sit in limbo for the past few weeks not being able to make firm plans but not wanting to let the time slip away empty in case the funding came through. Many hours spent thinking at night about all this. Sigh.
Yesterday morning I was feeling rather down about the whole thing and headed in to San Pedro Sula to visit a friend and to watch Real España play in the afternoon. I detoured to walk down to some new friends’ place and see if they wanted to come. It was a fifteen minute walk and, when I arrived, the guard told me they were away. I turned around and started back – this time uphill. As I trudged along, I met a small girl with unkempt hair and dusty bare feet. She was coming from the small pulperia up the road. She was sucking on a sucker of some sort and had two candies in her hand. When she saw me coming, she stopped and offered me one of her candies. I was very touched.
Mother Theresa often talks about meeting Christ in the people around you. Certainly, this little girl was a brief incarnational event. She was willing to share half of what was in her hand with a stranger who was obviously from a different culture and economic class. How delightful.
Five beehives are now built and drying. Today we begin getting the top bars made. Sunday morning I went out with Rosa at 6:00 a.m. to look for good places to put the hives. Hopefully by Wednesday they will be in place. There is a type of small, biting insect that inhabits Rosa’s property and it takes out a small chunk of skin. For some reason they chose my ears as targets and my ears are burning today. Fortunately, they are not swollen so I don’t resemble an Irish rugby prop.
Henry is working on the smoke house today (getting materials is a long and arduous process which eats up time like a starving mastiff) and I found the bamboo for the shelves and it is ready to be cut. He will also build a bit of an incinerator this week ... I hope. Looking forward to trying out the smokehouse and seeing if it produces something that is of market value.
The fair is coming to town. Games of chance and little side shows are setting up in the streets and carnie people are manning the booths. Do all carnie people look alike? The “Amazing Spider Girl” tent is up and broadcasting. I didn’t bother going to see that. It is so strange to think of people with such small amounts of disposable income using it on these shoddy games of chance. It is so fascinating to watch and wonder.
Last night I was reading a small excerpt from an article by Mother Theresa. She talked about different types of homelessness. She suggested that one of the worst types of homelessness is NOT “being somebody to someone”. I was struck by how much of our lives are often spent fruitlessly endeavouring to be ‘somebody’ to someone. Often that someone we have chosen is not interested in our being a ‘somebody’. We become patterned (like a young fledgling) to a certain person or type of person and are unable to focus on others who might be able or even wanting to give us the recognition that we need and the validation of our worth and humanity.
We took some cuttings from the Stevia plant on Friday and they seem to be hanging in there. We may have a number of new plants if this is the case. That would be fantastic. We are going to make some more cuttings this morning.
Talk to you later,
Bryan
Last week Manuel and I spent two days up in Tegucigulpa chasing down the funding for our project. We met a new gentleman who has already begun sending emails to the Minister, Vice-Minister and the man who is the roadblock. That is the most action we have seen in some time so we are pleased with that. Whether it will be enough remains to be seen.
At this point in time, it looks as if I have two weeks remaining in Honduras. That has been a very frustrating thought as there were so many things on my “To Do” list. It has been hard to sit in limbo for the past few weeks not being able to make firm plans but not wanting to let the time slip away empty in case the funding came through. Many hours spent thinking at night about all this. Sigh.
Yesterday morning I was feeling rather down about the whole thing and headed in to San Pedro Sula to visit a friend and to watch Real España play in the afternoon. I detoured to walk down to some new friends’ place and see if they wanted to come. It was a fifteen minute walk and, when I arrived, the guard told me they were away. I turned around and started back – this time uphill. As I trudged along, I met a small girl with unkempt hair and dusty bare feet. She was coming from the small pulperia up the road. She was sucking on a sucker of some sort and had two candies in her hand. When she saw me coming, she stopped and offered me one of her candies. I was very touched.
Mother Theresa often talks about meeting Christ in the people around you. Certainly, this little girl was a brief incarnational event. She was willing to share half of what was in her hand with a stranger who was obviously from a different culture and economic class. How delightful.
Five beehives are now built and drying. Today we begin getting the top bars made. Sunday morning I went out with Rosa at 6:00 a.m. to look for good places to put the hives. Hopefully by Wednesday they will be in place. There is a type of small, biting insect that inhabits Rosa’s property and it takes out a small chunk of skin. For some reason they chose my ears as targets and my ears are burning today. Fortunately, they are not swollen so I don’t resemble an Irish rugby prop.
Henry is working on the smoke house today (getting materials is a long and arduous process which eats up time like a starving mastiff) and I found the bamboo for the shelves and it is ready to be cut. He will also build a bit of an incinerator this week ... I hope. Looking forward to trying out the smokehouse and seeing if it produces something that is of market value.
The fair is coming to town. Games of chance and little side shows are setting up in the streets and carnie people are manning the booths. Do all carnie people look alike? The “Amazing Spider Girl” tent is up and broadcasting. I didn’t bother going to see that. It is so strange to think of people with such small amounts of disposable income using it on these shoddy games of chance. It is so fascinating to watch and wonder.
Last night I was reading a small excerpt from an article by Mother Theresa. She talked about different types of homelessness. She suggested that one of the worst types of homelessness is NOT “being somebody to someone”. I was struck by how much of our lives are often spent fruitlessly endeavouring to be ‘somebody’ to someone. Often that someone we have chosen is not interested in our being a ‘somebody’. We become patterned (like a young fledgling) to a certain person or type of person and are unable to focus on others who might be able or even wanting to give us the recognition that we need and the validation of our worth and humanity.
We took some cuttings from the Stevia plant on Friday and they seem to be hanging in there. We may have a number of new plants if this is the case. That would be fantastic. We are going to make some more cuttings this morning.
Talk to you later,
Bryan
Friday, April 17, 2009
We Interrupt This Program For ...
The office is quiet and Henry is still working on the finishing touches on a beehive out back. We are trying to construct a type of concrete beehive that will moderate the warm temperatures of the hot season and not be too affected by the colder months. Not sure how concrete will work in the colder seasons but it should be okay. It offers a number of other positive features. It is cheaper than wood, lasts longer, impervious to insects and rather impervious to thieves. We are making the volume of the hives such that one will not need to work inside them more than three or four times a year. This makes them the equivalent to four or five supers of a normal style hive. They are heavy and so no thief will run off with them on a whim. Two people can carry them for a short distance and four can easily manage them. They come equipped with carrying handles which are really for holding the top bars when you are working the hive. We have the first one done – built using a form and surrounding mesh. Unfortunately, the form did not come off as it was supposed to so the form is now available for other uses ... such as firewood. Sigh. The second attempt is a base with thin blocks forming the walls. The handles are at the bottom rather than the top. It too is rather weighty but that shouldn’t be a problem. We are not into migratory beekeeping.
Henry has been a godsend. He is my neighbour but has worked in the States and is currently unemployed. He knows the town and so can track down the supplies we need and, even better, transform them into my ideas. He is happy to have any work and this work has potential for him and his family. We are going to start on a small smokehouse on Sunday. He and his wife both know a bit about processing meat and so will use the smokehouse to experiment and see if they can start a business. We will see. Manuel is eager to see how it works because it could also lead to a business for his family in the city. Monday or Tuesday we hope to start on a water filter, and, after that, a small poultry battery. Hopefully my money lasts.
I have decided that I no longer need to pay for rides at the fair. Of course, bumper cars may have to be the exception. Riding public transport offers so much more in the way of thrills and elevated heart rates. The San Pedro Sula Express really cannot be compared to even the most adventuresome Thrill-A-Tilt-Whirl-A-Gig. For greater thrill value, sit in the front seat. Small twinges of concern when we passed the remains of a van that had ended its life trying to be a chain saw on two telephone poles.
Noticing some new things happening. Not sure if it is my eyes starting to see things or if there are changes in the economy. Twice now, at the Typical Food Court, there have been street boys hanging around the tables waiting to take half eaten plates of food. This is, of course, familiar in African settings but it is new for me in Honduras. Noticed the same thing at the Terminal yesterday. The boys there were ostensibly carrying rags to wipe the tables but it looked suspiciously like they were checking out leftovers. That is rather sobering and, for me, makes the barbecued shrimp shisk-a-bob lose a lot of its flavour.
Wednesday night, after a home Bible Study that I was invited to outside my front door, I sat and watched the final half of a Real España football match. We were into the final twenty minutes and my team was hanging on to a one goal lead – the first lead in three or four games unfortunately – when the screen changed to a collage of scenic Honduran views with the President featuring in the vast majority. After sixty seconds of not so subtle political advertising, the Minister of Education came on to make an announcement. We checked the channel that featured two other Honduran teams playing and the Minister’s announcement was showing there. Obviously, they knew where everyone’s attention was going to be focused. Happily, the announcement only lasted about ten minutes and we were able to watch the last of the game without any further glitches.
I have a question. Where are Mormon missionaries always walking to or from? Only twice in my life have I seen a pair of these boys stopped and talking. Otherwise they are walking at a brisk, no-nonsense pace that eats up the miles. One of life’s smaller mysteries. I give it to their organization though. What a super way of working things. The boys can’t get married and start having children (a big deal in their theology) until they have done their stint of walking; they pay their own way; they are still young enough not to have questioned things too seriously; they are kept out of trouble for two years doing something that is really not too stressful, mildly adventuresome (except for the poor guys who got Vegreville, Alberta as their draw) and they come back to their homes with that whiff of the exotic, foreign shores wafting about them.
Manuel and I were sitting in the Mayor’s office area this afternoon when he looked at me and then asked, “Is that a boy or a girl coming up the stairs?” A rather striking blonde individual came into sight and looked very feminine. I have seen this person a couple of times now around the town so wasn’t too surprised. Nevertheless it is still strange, to me, in such a “macho” orientated culture to see people who cross dress. I can’t imagine the stigma that this person must face on an hourly basis. If I spoke Spanish I could maybe strike up a conversation ... but that will have to wait a year or so.
Time to go out and help with the clean up.
Bryan
Henry has been a godsend. He is my neighbour but has worked in the States and is currently unemployed. He knows the town and so can track down the supplies we need and, even better, transform them into my ideas. He is happy to have any work and this work has potential for him and his family. We are going to start on a small smokehouse on Sunday. He and his wife both know a bit about processing meat and so will use the smokehouse to experiment and see if they can start a business. We will see. Manuel is eager to see how it works because it could also lead to a business for his family in the city. Monday or Tuesday we hope to start on a water filter, and, after that, a small poultry battery. Hopefully my money lasts.
I have decided that I no longer need to pay for rides at the fair. Of course, bumper cars may have to be the exception. Riding public transport offers so much more in the way of thrills and elevated heart rates. The San Pedro Sula Express really cannot be compared to even the most adventuresome Thrill-A-Tilt-Whirl-A-Gig. For greater thrill value, sit in the front seat. Small twinges of concern when we passed the remains of a van that had ended its life trying to be a chain saw on two telephone poles.
Noticing some new things happening. Not sure if it is my eyes starting to see things or if there are changes in the economy. Twice now, at the Typical Food Court, there have been street boys hanging around the tables waiting to take half eaten plates of food. This is, of course, familiar in African settings but it is new for me in Honduras. Noticed the same thing at the Terminal yesterday. The boys there were ostensibly carrying rags to wipe the tables but it looked suspiciously like they were checking out leftovers. That is rather sobering and, for me, makes the barbecued shrimp shisk-a-bob lose a lot of its flavour.
Wednesday night, after a home Bible Study that I was invited to outside my front door, I sat and watched the final half of a Real España football match. We were into the final twenty minutes and my team was hanging on to a one goal lead – the first lead in three or four games unfortunately – when the screen changed to a collage of scenic Honduran views with the President featuring in the vast majority. After sixty seconds of not so subtle political advertising, the Minister of Education came on to make an announcement. We checked the channel that featured two other Honduran teams playing and the Minister’s announcement was showing there. Obviously, they knew where everyone’s attention was going to be focused. Happily, the announcement only lasted about ten minutes and we were able to watch the last of the game without any further glitches.
I have a question. Where are Mormon missionaries always walking to or from? Only twice in my life have I seen a pair of these boys stopped and talking. Otherwise they are walking at a brisk, no-nonsense pace that eats up the miles. One of life’s smaller mysteries. I give it to their organization though. What a super way of working things. The boys can’t get married and start having children (a big deal in their theology) until they have done their stint of walking; they pay their own way; they are still young enough not to have questioned things too seriously; they are kept out of trouble for two years doing something that is really not too stressful, mildly adventuresome (except for the poor guys who got Vegreville, Alberta as their draw) and they come back to their homes with that whiff of the exotic, foreign shores wafting about them.
Manuel and I were sitting in the Mayor’s office area this afternoon when he looked at me and then asked, “Is that a boy or a girl coming up the stairs?” A rather striking blonde individual came into sight and looked very feminine. I have seen this person a couple of times now around the town so wasn’t too surprised. Nevertheless it is still strange, to me, in such a “macho” orientated culture to see people who cross dress. I can’t imagine the stigma that this person must face on an hourly basis. If I spoke Spanish I could maybe strike up a conversation ... but that will have to wait a year or so.
Time to go out and help with the clean up.
Bryan
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Easter – The Lord is Risen
The real holiday here is Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. Shops and restaurants are shuttered and the town is incredibly quiet and empty. Fortunately, there were one or two little places open where I could get something to eat and some stuff for the house.
Yesterday, Saturday, the town began to come back to life. In the evening the streets were alive with the usual traffic of people enjoying the town square and finding food at restaurants and pulperias. In the evening the Easter Vigil began with an hour long candlelight processional through the town. Obviously this event is rather important in the lives of the parishioners because many of them had specially made candle holders that would hold the candles high above their heads and keep the wind from blowing them out and wax from falling on their hands and shoulders. When I arrived at the church, no one seemed to really know where the procession was so I went into the church and sat to enjoy the relative quiet. As usual, the lights were off except for one at the lectern. The baptismal candidates were waiting in white shirts and black pants or skirts. I will have to track down who these people were because it seems so strange to have so many young adults being baptized at that age and willing to spend a year in preparation.
When the procession arrived the church went from a cool sanctuary to people standing in the aisles and hundreds of candles adding to the sudden rise in temperature. I was happy to have a seat. As the service progressed, it was obvious that many were suffering from the heat. I noticed a number of people slip out and return in a few minutes with bags of soda or bottles of water which they passed to the rest of their families.
Easter Vigil, especially the full meal deal which we enjoyed last night, is a long service. The readings begin in Genesis and wend their way through the Old Testament and Apocryphal writings into the New Testament and end with the resurrection story in the Gospels. Fortunately, I am somewhat familiar with the readings so was able to follow fairly well.
In addition to the readings there was blessing of the water, baptism and, finally, the usual Eucharist celebration. All this takes about four and a half hours so it was tough for the musicians and the people who were forced to stand in the aisles. Obviously, the holy water is a very important part of people’s lives here. I understand it is used for medicinal purposes throughout the year. Hundreds of people had empty bottles of various sizes to be filled. The bottles were filled at the end of the service and the lines for the water stretched out into the street. That is a first time for me to see this part of the service taken so seriously by the laity.
The music group opened with a wonderful Latino number that featured the pulsing Latino guitar sounds that are so traditional. The soloist was very good and so the effect was wonderful. They ended up with a mariachi band song complete with accordion and trumpets.
The young people had put together some small sketches to illustrate the resurrection and the subsequent conquest of evil. Jesus was complete in white robes and a reggae type wig (not sure that was as historically accurate as it might have been). Between the risen Lord and a friendly helper carrying a Holy Bible aloft the dark, evil character was finally vanquished out of the church.
I came to the office to water the plants but, alas, the water is off so it will wait until tomorrow. I see the plants are handling a couple of warm days quite well so that is nice. The high humidity must help along with the several tall palm trees we have on the property.
Two interesting stories from a conversation on Friday. A group of people were hoping to acquire land to start some projects. They didn’t have the money at the time. What they did was to organize a number of local peasants and landless people to move onto the land they were looking at and become squatters. Once the original owner had relinquished ownership, they paid these peasants a pittance and helped them return to their original home and, finally, had the land the wanted in the first place.
The second story revolves around a local man who has Down syndrome. His family moved here about twenty-five years ago when the dam was being built. After the mine was built the family moved away and left the young man to fend for himself. Somehow, he teamed up with a girl who is slightly mentally handicapped but smart enough to be his handler. Together they work the people and, thanks to Herman’s begging skills, are able to make a reasonable living. It is fascinating to watch them in action.
During the past two or three days a local establishment has generously shared their music at full volume during the daylight hours. The local churches take over in the evenings and into the night hours. With the warmer weather, windows are kept open so these musical and semi-musical offerings are able to permeate the house without obstruction.
In just a couple of weeks the town is going to celebrate fair days. A friend of mine showed me the local cock fighting arena and gambling venue that will be part of the action. Outside of town are the rodeo grounds which will also be full of action. It should be quite exciting.
TTYL
Bryan
Yesterday, Saturday, the town began to come back to life. In the evening the streets were alive with the usual traffic of people enjoying the town square and finding food at restaurants and pulperias. In the evening the Easter Vigil began with an hour long candlelight processional through the town. Obviously this event is rather important in the lives of the parishioners because many of them had specially made candle holders that would hold the candles high above their heads and keep the wind from blowing them out and wax from falling on their hands and shoulders. When I arrived at the church, no one seemed to really know where the procession was so I went into the church and sat to enjoy the relative quiet. As usual, the lights were off except for one at the lectern. The baptismal candidates were waiting in white shirts and black pants or skirts. I will have to track down who these people were because it seems so strange to have so many young adults being baptized at that age and willing to spend a year in preparation.
When the procession arrived the church went from a cool sanctuary to people standing in the aisles and hundreds of candles adding to the sudden rise in temperature. I was happy to have a seat. As the service progressed, it was obvious that many were suffering from the heat. I noticed a number of people slip out and return in a few minutes with bags of soda or bottles of water which they passed to the rest of their families.
Easter Vigil, especially the full meal deal which we enjoyed last night, is a long service. The readings begin in Genesis and wend their way through the Old Testament and Apocryphal writings into the New Testament and end with the resurrection story in the Gospels. Fortunately, I am somewhat familiar with the readings so was able to follow fairly well.
In addition to the readings there was blessing of the water, baptism and, finally, the usual Eucharist celebration. All this takes about four and a half hours so it was tough for the musicians and the people who were forced to stand in the aisles. Obviously, the holy water is a very important part of people’s lives here. I understand it is used for medicinal purposes throughout the year. Hundreds of people had empty bottles of various sizes to be filled. The bottles were filled at the end of the service and the lines for the water stretched out into the street. That is a first time for me to see this part of the service taken so seriously by the laity.
The music group opened with a wonderful Latino number that featured the pulsing Latino guitar sounds that are so traditional. The soloist was very good and so the effect was wonderful. They ended up with a mariachi band song complete with accordion and trumpets.
The young people had put together some small sketches to illustrate the resurrection and the subsequent conquest of evil. Jesus was complete in white robes and a reggae type wig (not sure that was as historically accurate as it might have been). Between the risen Lord and a friendly helper carrying a Holy Bible aloft the dark, evil character was finally vanquished out of the church.
I came to the office to water the plants but, alas, the water is off so it will wait until tomorrow. I see the plants are handling a couple of warm days quite well so that is nice. The high humidity must help along with the several tall palm trees we have on the property.
Two interesting stories from a conversation on Friday. A group of people were hoping to acquire land to start some projects. They didn’t have the money at the time. What they did was to organize a number of local peasants and landless people to move onto the land they were looking at and become squatters. Once the original owner had relinquished ownership, they paid these peasants a pittance and helped them return to their original home and, finally, had the land the wanted in the first place.
The second story revolves around a local man who has Down syndrome. His family moved here about twenty-five years ago when the dam was being built. After the mine was built the family moved away and left the young man to fend for himself. Somehow, he teamed up with a girl who is slightly mentally handicapped but smart enough to be his handler. Together they work the people and, thanks to Herman’s begging skills, are able to make a reasonable living. It is fascinating to watch them in action.
During the past two or three days a local establishment has generously shared their music at full volume during the daylight hours. The local churches take over in the evenings and into the night hours. With the warmer weather, windows are kept open so these musical and semi-musical offerings are able to permeate the house without obstruction.
In just a couple of weeks the town is going to celebrate fair days. A friend of mine showed me the local cock fighting arena and gambling venue that will be part of the action. Outside of town are the rodeo grounds which will also be full of action. It should be quite exciting.
TTYL
Bryan
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Palm Sunday
While driving the last couple of days, we have come upon at least two big trucks heading into San Pedro Sula filled with palm branches. Obviously, there will be a market for these branches today. So, a whole infrastructure has developed to meet the annual market. It is always fascinating what little markets develop in the strangest places and for the strangest reasons.
Wherever there is a stoppage in traffic for some sort of construction a market place develops instantly for fruits, snacks and drinks. The creativity and effort put into marketing these tiny margin commodities is amazing. I wonder if there isn’t, in fact, something that is almost addictive about selling things in an atmosphere of movement, constant change, noise and slight danger. The idea of planting seeds, watering and tending seedlings while waiting for harvest is so incredibly boring in comparison.
A couple of religious thoughts from this week. On Wednesday, we dropped off my daughter at the Anglican Bishop’s residence so that she could stay with his daughter for a couple of nights. The bishop met us with a huge, vicious Rottweiler type guard dog that was part of the security arrangements surrounding his huge, multi-storied, complete-with-pool dwelling. For a diocese that seeks funding from outside Honduras to maintain its operations, this castle seemed rather incongruent.
A second conversation took place with a young priest who is busy translating the prayer book from the 1600’s into modern Spanish for use in Spain, Honduras and other Latin American countries. Evidently, there has been no organized translation of a book of service for Spanish speakers so this is very needed. However, the theology that drives this particular version is one which concentrates on the unworthy character of people and the huge need for grace that they consequently have. Nothing wrong with that, in a sense (we’ll go there some other time) but, what this theology does create is a market for grace. And, once you have a need, you then create suppliers. These suppliers of grace gain a huge power over the lives and minds of their customers. The Bishop has created a wonderful lifestyle from selling grace to ignorant consumers. Large church institutions are built upon the financial returns made from the sale of grace.
What would happen if grace became free? What would happen to the lifestyles of these temple sellers if their tables were overturned permanently and people could come and go without recourse to their pockets? Many new religious movements have begun with the idea of free and (horrifying to the sellers) infinite grace.
To change the topic – enough theology. It gives you a small idea of the dynamics of soccer fans here when the Red Cross workers who carry the stretcher out on to the field are clad in hard hats. We will know things are really serious when the referees wear hard hats as well.
Honduras was ecstatic this week because of a 3-1 victory over Mexico. This puts them back in the hunt for a spot in the 2010 World Cup. We watched the game on a large screen at a friend`s restaurant. Our hopes to attend the game were dashed by the failure of another friend to obtain tickets. However, one or two glimpses of the stands four hours ahead of the game and the fact that it was more than +35° that day made our seats and cold drinks in hand seem like the much wiser option.
After the game, we began the drive home. We did not realize that victories are celebrated by driving about and clogging up intersections with cheering fans and waving flags. Forty minutes later we found a back route out of town and were on our way. Lots of traffic even then because of many people heading home from the game. I was rather careful as the alcohol level of many of the drivers had to be somewhat elevated.
Friday night we passed an accident victim lying on the road. Print and TV media feature numerous shots of dead bodies each day and, obviously, the media had not yet arrived so no covering had been utilized. We didn`t stick around to wait for the media. Sobering though.
A week of hot weather and, if the forecast is correct, a hotter week ahead. Once temperatures rise above body temperature it really is testing. Fortunately, we have a fan at night so there is air movement and gradual cooling. Evenings are pleasant and people utilize the time to walk and visit. It is nice to see people out and about.
Have a good Easter week. For most people here in Honduras, the whole week is off. For the rest, Wednesday to Sunday is a holiday. Any body of water, including rivers, is crowded with people seeking to cool off and to enjoy the holiday. Not surprisingly, even river banks have vendors setting up for the coming throngs.
Bryan
Wherever there is a stoppage in traffic for some sort of construction a market place develops instantly for fruits, snacks and drinks. The creativity and effort put into marketing these tiny margin commodities is amazing. I wonder if there isn’t, in fact, something that is almost addictive about selling things in an atmosphere of movement, constant change, noise and slight danger. The idea of planting seeds, watering and tending seedlings while waiting for harvest is so incredibly boring in comparison.
A couple of religious thoughts from this week. On Wednesday, we dropped off my daughter at the Anglican Bishop’s residence so that she could stay with his daughter for a couple of nights. The bishop met us with a huge, vicious Rottweiler type guard dog that was part of the security arrangements surrounding his huge, multi-storied, complete-with-pool dwelling. For a diocese that seeks funding from outside Honduras to maintain its operations, this castle seemed rather incongruent.
A second conversation took place with a young priest who is busy translating the prayer book from the 1600’s into modern Spanish for use in Spain, Honduras and other Latin American countries. Evidently, there has been no organized translation of a book of service for Spanish speakers so this is very needed. However, the theology that drives this particular version is one which concentrates on the unworthy character of people and the huge need for grace that they consequently have. Nothing wrong with that, in a sense (we’ll go there some other time) but, what this theology does create is a market for grace. And, once you have a need, you then create suppliers. These suppliers of grace gain a huge power over the lives and minds of their customers. The Bishop has created a wonderful lifestyle from selling grace to ignorant consumers. Large church institutions are built upon the financial returns made from the sale of grace.
What would happen if grace became free? What would happen to the lifestyles of these temple sellers if their tables were overturned permanently and people could come and go without recourse to their pockets? Many new religious movements have begun with the idea of free and (horrifying to the sellers) infinite grace.
To change the topic – enough theology. It gives you a small idea of the dynamics of soccer fans here when the Red Cross workers who carry the stretcher out on to the field are clad in hard hats. We will know things are really serious when the referees wear hard hats as well.
Honduras was ecstatic this week because of a 3-1 victory over Mexico. This puts them back in the hunt for a spot in the 2010 World Cup. We watched the game on a large screen at a friend`s restaurant. Our hopes to attend the game were dashed by the failure of another friend to obtain tickets. However, one or two glimpses of the stands four hours ahead of the game and the fact that it was more than +35° that day made our seats and cold drinks in hand seem like the much wiser option.
After the game, we began the drive home. We did not realize that victories are celebrated by driving about and clogging up intersections with cheering fans and waving flags. Forty minutes later we found a back route out of town and were on our way. Lots of traffic even then because of many people heading home from the game. I was rather careful as the alcohol level of many of the drivers had to be somewhat elevated.
Friday night we passed an accident victim lying on the road. Print and TV media feature numerous shots of dead bodies each day and, obviously, the media had not yet arrived so no covering had been utilized. We didn`t stick around to wait for the media. Sobering though.
A week of hot weather and, if the forecast is correct, a hotter week ahead. Once temperatures rise above body temperature it really is testing. Fortunately, we have a fan at night so there is air movement and gradual cooling. Evenings are pleasant and people utilize the time to walk and visit. It is nice to see people out and about.
Have a good Easter week. For most people here in Honduras, the whole week is off. For the rest, Wednesday to Sunday is a holiday. Any body of water, including rivers, is crowded with people seeking to cool off and to enjoy the holiday. Not surprisingly, even river banks have vendors setting up for the coming throngs.
Bryan
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