Drowning out the storm

     The last two days have been different. For one thing I have done something I never, ever wanted to do. I have driven a motorized vehicle in the public streets of Honduras. I don't recommend it to the faint of heart.  I was asked to take our wonderful nurse Carelia to the doctor. She has dengue fever and has been very sick. I told Robert her husband who runs the school here at Emmanuel that I would be happy to take her anywhere she needed to go. Let's just say I made 3 trips out and 3 trips back in and we will leave it at that. Hopefully she will be better soon. This place is not the same without her!
      The rainy season has begun. In just a few short days everything has turned green and flowers are blooming and this part of Honduras is just beautiful! It is too bad that the countries infrastructure is so bad because this place could really be a tourist attraction with the right facilities, lodging and roads. It has mountains, rain forests, barrier reefs and some of the best Mayan ruins in Central America. Getting from here to there and finding a place to stay is the problem. Maybe someday........
        We gathered at the church this evening for what promised to be a great program. The older boys and girls had a drama to perform and then present the lesson for the night then the praise and singing. As the drama finished, which was excellent,  the rains began. I should say the bottom fell out. Rains here don't seem to start as a drizzle. The start with a bang, then they get loud. We had hail that was hitting the tin roof so hard you couldn't hear the lesson. The weather and noise grew louder. The group responded by singing. It was so spirited that when then rain got harder and louder, the singing got louder and more beautiful. The feeling that those of us in the building got was that no amount of thunder, hail on the roof or heavy rain could stop these young men and young ladies. They sang with a joy and power that carried us all into a different place. We were taken by them through the power of the Holy Spirit. Everyone, the volunteers, the staff, the rest of the kids were transported on the heavenly voices of these young people. It was a great service and no power could keep this group from singing the praises of our Lord. It was awesome to witness this tonight.
         Allan and I have gotten close to a lot of kids we had never been around much on previous visits. Many are the older boys. They are such a great bunch of boys. Full of mischief sometimes but full of the love of Christ and for each other. They can be very serious one moment, trying to act all grown up, while hugging you like a little boy the next. They are such a great group and I am so glad to get closer to them. Until the next time.....