Yesterday morning, after our smoovies, we met up with Josh and the Pettengills and made the short trek to a nearby church (the least Pentecostal in the area). About midway through the service, the pastor asked the row of gringos to come up in front so he could pray for us (what, did we stand out or something?) Once again, we were warmly greeted by everyone. The extra tambourines offered for any desirous members of the congregation was a nice touch too. On our way out, we picked up some homemade Honduran lasagna to take home for lunch--I love this church!
After the McCann's daily siesta and the embarrassing Mexico/USA soccer game on TV, we all headed over to the Pettengill's for "gringo church," a small time of worship with the team. Back home, it was dinner, baths, and bed for the girls. Josh came over and spent the evening with Lindsey, Sean, and I playing a vicious game of nerts (a card game much like dutch blitz, so obviously, I was hooked). I immediately felt right at home with this group of gamers as they all appeared at least as competitive as I am (even sweet, soft spoken Lindsey;) )
Another Monday and another "Klid's Club" (Lucy lingo). As always, we left the house with only the bare necessities for Ellie and Lucy's daily lives: pacifiers (aka crack cocaine), toys, extra diaper, new outfit, wipes, juice box, water, and about 300 snacks. For Lucy, real meals are just overrated. She thrives on snacks and treats, namely cheese and jellybeans. Klid's Club today began with a water activity, which rapidly transformed into a full-on aquatic battle. This week, I enjoyed a mini-celebrity greeting by some of my favorite Armenia girls: Estela, Blanca, Gabby, and Oneida. Estela is the youngest sister to Blanca and Gabby, and each day is newly fascinated by all my freckles and piercings. Oneida is nearly mute and her story is a sad one. Having undergone a lot of abuse and at such a young age, it breaks my heart to see how clearly excluded she is by the other kids. Apparently, her nonverbal communication toward the gringos, however, shows major improvement. It's pretty amazing how quick the children are to grab your hand and pull you into a game, or to jump into your arms and give you a big wet kiss on the cheek. They're so hungry for attention and approval, for someone to tell them they drew a GREAT picture.
I thought I'd close this blog with a little update about the political situation here in Honduras given the various inquiries I've received about it all. I live in La Ceiba, which is a good 6 hours from the capital, Tegucigalpa, and have in no way felt endangered or stuck at any time. There have been a few teacher strikes since I've been here that have served more as inconveniences in blocking traffic than anything else. Zelaya has attempted to enter the country three times now and has been successful once...barely. For a number of reasons, it seems this is just one big publicity stunt on his part. He has very few supporters here and seems to lack any kind of plan after he reaches the border. Likely, the political unrest will remain at a stalemate until the new elections in November. Unfortunately, the USA media has really blown the entire issue out of proportion. If anything threatening were to happen, we'd be evacuated via helicopter within thirty minutes. Not bad! If you'd like to read a more detailed account of the current and previous political situation in Honduras, take a look at Sean's blog:
http://mccannsinhonduras.wordpress.com/
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