An Unexpected Trip to Idaho

On New Year's Day, we received a phone call from my parents telling us that they had a "deal" for us.  So, as soon as I heard that, I decided to say that I am going to hang up and call them back regardless of what it is just so we had time to talk about it.  When they told us that they wanted to fly us up to Idaho for a couple weeks, I was speechless, but still hung up.  We discussed it to make sure we had all our "ducks in a row" before calling them back, and then yelled with a resounding, "YES!"  We were in Idaho the next night!

One of my biggest worries about going "home" or coming back "home" is that I would have a mix of emotions as most call "culture shock," so you can imagine my worries when we were heading home for the first time in over 6 months.  However, a dear friend of mine gave me the idea to consider that Honduras is Narnia and when I go home, I am simply stepping out of the wardrobe.  I really like this because I don't want to feel guilty about where I come from, but I don't want to lose the experience and perspective that I gain while I am in Honduras.  I have also added the thought that it is just like the Land of Oz and going back home to Kansas...thus why I have stuck a pair of ruby slippers on my fridge here in "Oz."

Here is a list of all the things that we enjoyed while we were in Idaho (not in any particular order):

3 full days of skiing * 1 day of powder skiing with my momma * Amazing mac and cheese at  Schweitzer's Outback * After a fun day skiing, a night out at TAPS listening to Eric E. * strolls through Target * girl movie nights * boys night golf league * Bistro on Spruce with my Grandpa & Grandma Dirks, and Tim * Bardenay's with the girls * sushi night * 6am Monopoly Deal challenges * morning coffee watching the sunrise * Charlie and Nikki!! (our dogs) * Lunch out with Grandpa & Grandma Thomas, and Great Grandma Mueller * cuddling up with a blanket by the fire * coffee date with Renee * ski day with Molly * dancing with Dad, Mom, Johnna, Molly, and the party with all the wigs * surprising Cambria at the airport * PF Changs * day trip to Moscow * Brazilian Steakhouse * dinner with my Uncle, Aunt, two cousins, and Joyce (The Thomas') * Applebees * dinner with my Uncle, Aunt, and three cousins (The Lybyer's) * Friday night church service at LCCC * getting some dark chocolate from a special friend, Wendy *ordering and bringing back 5 brand new compound microscopes for AFE's biology lab * Caddyshack's fish tacos *

It was so much fun to go and be re-energized and refreshed during those 2 weeks, and now we are anxious to begin the school year with our new classrooms. Thank you for your continued prayer support!

The Lewis' Family Vacation - Feliz Navidad!

The Lewis family came to Tegucigalpa during the week of Christmas, and busy doesn't begin to describe our time.  We cram-packed everything we could possibly have imagined into those 7 days, and we still missed a few fun tourist activities.

The Lewis Family

To begin the trip, we toured Ryan's parents and brother, Wendel, around our community and spent an afternoon in the garbage dump blessing the workers with water and cookies.  We really wanted Ryan's family to understand why we are here in Honduras and the beautiful people we serve.  It breaks my heart every time I go up there and see AFE students working hard in the dangers of the dump.  After going to the garbage dump, we showed them around AFE, the school.  There aren't any students there since they are on winter (like our summer) break.  We will start up again the first week of February.

We toured them around where we live, The Linda Miller Community, and shared with them the building project that Honduras Impact has been funding and working diligently on to start the Learning Center.  Next to the Learning Center is our church, so they got to see that, too :)

A walk in the Miller

We took a two day trip to Lago de Yojoa, Honduras' largest freshwater lake.  We stayed at the D & D Brewery and had the best blueberry pancakes any of us had ever tasted!  On the drive to the lake, we stopped on the side to see what the people were selling...turned out to be delicious honey!

Brad and his honey

Our hotel for two nights

We went to the Pulhapanzak Falls which is a 43 meter waterfall and the boys went behind it!  They had to jump in some pools behind the falls and get sopping wet - Pam and I were smart to opt out!  Us girls decided to do the canopy tour with one of the cables going directly over the waterfall!!  I screamed the entire way, but it was still a blast!

Ryan jumping into the pools.

Pam

Me, screaming across the falls

The second thing we did up at the lake was a tour around the Ecological Park Los Naranjas.  It was beautiful!

On our last day when we were driving home, we decided to stop at the Taulabe Caves and check them out.  They were discovered in 1969 and only recently they have been open to visitors.  No one knows how deep they go inside the mountain, but some estimate 11 km.

When we came back to Tegucigalpa just in time to start cooking our Christmas Eve. feast.  The boys went to the hospital to serve and prayer for the people who were without family this time of year.  Pam and I made the turkey and about 4 other side dishes.  We shared Christmas Eve. dinner with Rey, Elise and Elijah our neighbors and friends.  Fireworks went off throughout the night, but were most prevalent at midnight!  What a way to celebrate Jesus' birth!  It was truly a celebration in Honduras, and I hope to bring that home with us when we return to the States.

Christmas Day was such a fun and relaxing day.  We opened some presents and the boys played Wii all day :)

An AFE Christmas

It was hard to say good-bye, but we will see them this summer in Alaska!!