A beautiful hike

Today we went on a hike with the youth and pathfinders. We woke up bright and early and rode in the back of some church member’s truck to La Tres Iglesia and started out our hike. Some of the youth wanted something to eat so they went and got sweet bread. I tried to find fruit, but none was being sold at the little shop we went to. I can’t imagine going on a 14 kilometer hike with sweet bread and soda on your stomach. It was more like an uphill walk than a hike and it was not really the wilderness like I was expecting. There were houses lining the dirt road we traveled upon. It was definitely more rural than the city, but not the extreme hiking I was looking forward to. The youth are not in shape at all and they kept wanting to take rests. One particular place we rested was definitely worth it. It had these beautiful stone steps that led down to a stream. The crazy boys jumped in a pool of water and splashed about and tried to get some girls in. I think one girl got in. When we finally got to the “top,” we ended up at some lady’s house. She has a HUGE piece of property. She has donkeys, ponds/lakes full of fish, big cages with birds, many dogs, fields of corn, orchards of bananas, a forest of pines, and empty swimming pools. This woman also has a beautiful deck with a hammock I enjoyed very much. After we had worship and wandered around the jungle/forest (and almost got lost) for a few hours, I was able talk to her. I forgot her name, but she used to live in Loma Linda and knew exactly where I live. She also asked me when I became SDA. “A few years ago. Why?” I asked. “Because you have holes from where your ears have been pierced and you have a tattoo. You must have gotten those before you knew God.”

I did not mention that I got my tattoos after I became SDA and I put my earrings in at night so they don’t close up, but she told me that her son used to have a tattoo and she cried when she discovered it so he had surgery to have it removed. “You will have to explain that to God when you meet” she said. I have already met God because he lives in me. Plus my tattoos are reminders to love Him and be like Him so boo on her theories. Well I guess she is entitled to her opinion, but still. I do not like people telling me about how God must feel about me based on anything physical.
We played the balloon game when we came back from romping in the jungle. This game is very fun. I played it at Margie’s and Cathy’s birthday party. People blow up balloons and tie them to their ankle. They have to keep their balloon inflated while trying to pop other’s balloons. I was the third to last person to get their balloon popped. I almost won, but the girl snuck up behind me. Well she won fair and square, but I’m still sore about it. Speaking of sore, my hiking shoes are practically new so they gave me very bad blisters. In fact, they are not blisters at all. There is just not any skin left. I screamed in the showers so much when the water hit my pink and red layers of exposed skin. Ouch!
This hike did point out some needs in my church community that I think I want to focus on. The main one is the promiscuity of the youth. There is a huge love triangle going on. Nay. A love hexagon. There are people with babiend so whs from so ao hooked with so and so’s little sister after the little sister hooked up with so and so’s brother etc etc. There are promiscuous people at home, but there are also a lot more “Adventists” at home so percentage wise I think we are doing well. Here, 99% of the youth are promiscuous and that is the future of the church here in Honduras. The other missionaries and I are thinking about having a “girls” night at our house and just talking about what God wants out of us as Christian women and how to respect ourselves. Hopefully we can have a positive affect on them and be an inspiration the youth back home.
It was an over all great day. Especially hitch hiking down the mountain. That was very fun. I love Honduras 