Peaks, Valleys, & back to the middle ground

PEAK:

Can you say, "Praise the Lord"? We finally got our truck out of the port this morning! It was such a huge relief to be behind the wheel again and to be able to have some control on our lives.

VALLEY: The police stopped me on the way home and after looking at my papers said they were giving me a ticket because they waved me over and I didn't respond right away. They said they had to chase me and now I was getting a ticket. This was the ultimate 'final straw' for me...I just couldn't take anymore and I exploded. In my broken Spanish I told them they were lying, that they knew I pulled over immediately and that I wasn't paying anymore bribes. I told them they were the reason no one wants to help Honduras, because they were trying to steal from me. One of the cops told me he was giving me a ticket anyway and I told him to go ahead, but I wasn't paying anything. I again told him he was lying and that he knew he was lying. A friend came by and saw me and stopped to help and he kept telling me to calm down, but it was way too late for that...

Only by the grace of God did I not end up in jail. In the end the police stuck my license out toward me and told me to go on my way! Thank you Jesus for covering for me!

MORE VALLEY: Just after leaving the police stop I lost the brakes on the truck and had to limp home...when I got there I saw the brake fluid leaking out of the rear driver's side brakes. I bought brake fluid and limped, again, to a brake shop and discovered I had absolutely no brakes left.

MIDDLE GROUND: Got the brakes repaired, returned home and picked up Joyce and the three oldest and we headed out to the grocery store. It felt as if we were on a wild vacation after having been trapped for the past 11 days. Now we begin trying to catch up on all the things we were supposed to be doing for the past week and a half; but at least I can go to bed tonight knowing I don't have to make the trip to Puerto Cortez...thank you for your prayers!

Frustrations

Tenth day travelling to Puerto Cortez for the truck and the 10th day of returning without the truck! If I told you everything that went wrong you would think I was making it up. It's more stupid than you could ever believe! For example, today they made arrangements w/a specific customs agent to have him sign the release papers, after taking a bribe of course,; but then he went on break and we had to go back to the bank to get another agent assigned. Then we went to the lot and paid the bribe (through the chain link fence, in front of everybody) and he sent us away to where the truck is short one paper. The people where the truck is told us we had to return to get the other paper, which we did, and when we got back the bank there closed and we had to come home...AGAIN!

I can think of no reason why we shouldn't get it today, but............

We got a new medication for Cesar that's supposed to improve his learning and obedience skills...sounds goofy to me, but we'll see. We take Antonio for another evaluation on Thur.

Musings

Our Disciplinary Council (Gershon, Fabiola, Mauricio, & Joyce) worked overtime this morning! At one point we had more in chairs than out of them.

It's brutally hot & humid here, and that combined with the behavior wears on us...maybe that's what produces the behavior.

Antonio broke out three of the louvered glass pieces in the boys bedroom. It happened with a deflated basketball so the chances of it being accidental are astronomically small.

Zelaya called for a huge march tomorrow, the three month anniversary of his ouster, so that should shut the country down for another day.

Michelleti issued a 10 day limit on Zelaya's hiding in the Brazilian Embassy. Can't wait to see how that plays out.

And, of course, we have no truck!

Blues Brothers Redeux

Gershon & Mauricio

Antonio & Cesar

House Arrest?

It's beginning to feel as if we're under house arrest...another day passes in Puerto Cortez and still no truck...today the only woman who is authorized to sign for the release of the truck didn't come to work...I tried to pay to get someone else to sign and was told, "only she can sign." I hope she doesn't get run over by a truck...I'll never get mine back! This place is crazy! Of course, they're closed for the weekend! Curfew again tonight, I think.

We borrowed a car today and made it to PriceMart to stock up on supplies; unlike the normal supermarkets they had most things in stock.

We're having a bad storm outside which means the decibel level has risen dramatically inside!

Short & to the Point

• Another day in Puerto Cortez; another day without a truck
• Curfew tonight
• Joyce went shopping, but found nothing, NOTHING on the shelves
• Antonio & Cesar decided it would be funny to ring the neighbor's doorbell & run
• When confronted Antonio tried to hit our teacher, and threw something that hit our cleaning lady
• Formed a discipline council consisting of Gershon, Mauricio, Fabiola, & Joyce ...hopefully if they hear it from their 'own' it will penetrate

We are in need of a Christian couple or female, who wants to minister to the children, to help Joyce!

A Mess!

They relaxed the curfew to allow us to go for food, gas, & money; but the people panicked and now you can't get near a store, a gas station, or a bank! Hopefully this will end before it gets worse. If it goes on more than two more days we will have serious problems, so perhaps we should all start praying now.