Horribly emotional day - a recap

I'm not sure why I want to remember this day, but for some reason I'm compelled to blog about it.

This morning I got up and got ready to go back to Cincinnati for another week. It's hard to leave when there's so many things I'd rather do in the evening than work late, but I offered to do this and I need to complete things. So I took 71 South instead of 75 to make life a little easier, but the drive seemed longer than ever.

I got to work and the piles of boxes to go through have grown and there's a stack on my desk. There's a few things that annoy me about my job and they were staring me down this morning. So I feel like I was on edge as soon as the day started.

At lunch I called 5/3 bank to check on some unauthorized charges on my card and although they froze my card months ago, they didn't resolve anything like they said they would. They also told me that there were quite a few more attempts to charge on my card. Ugh. So I get online to look at this myself and I see something that looks like a check against my account. They had my name, my address and my account number! I was so upset, I printed out the check and marched down to the nearest branch.

I presented the check to the teller/customer service manager and asked her how this could happen. She looked at it and brought up my account. While I was explaining to her about my identity being stolen and confused about how they got my account info, she starts smiling at me. It was a deposit slip, not a check. I didn't recognize the hand writing because a teller filled it out for me. I had completely forgotten about going into the branch to make a payment instead of doing it online.

So I headed back to work feeling incredibly relieved and stupid. I suddenly appreciated the piles of work waiting for me - I needed to work on something that would feel normal and build my confidence back up.

A few hours later I get a phone call from my mom. I was happy to hear from her and was really looking forward to camping with them in North Carolina this weekend. My mom and step-dad are volunteering at the Pisgah National Park this summer. They're not working this weekend, so we thought it would be a great time to go down and visit them and hang out with them at their RV. The plan was to bring our tent and stay on their site - which is away from the camping area. However, Mom called to break the news that no guests in tents are allowed. (Seriously?!?)

So Jason and I frantically started searching for campgrounds in the area. Everything was booked! We started wondering if we should postpone our camping trip and just stay home this weekend. I called Mom back to find out the areas around them and we found a few other places that might work, but they're a little further away. We still don't have a reservation yet, so it's really up in the air on what we'll end up doing.

Then my cell phone rings and it's the vet. Kinzie has lost weight and she just isn't herself. We took her to the vet yesterday and the diagnosis wasn't good. She got some blood work to try to figure out what's going on. The vet called with bad news. All her levels were real low, and with a galloping heartbeat and tumors, she thinks it's cancer. We discussed all our options but bottom line, there's not much we can do. We have the option of doing x-rays to figure out if it really is cancer, then putting her through chemo, but she's 14 and we could spend all the money to help her and it might not do any good.

We've decided to just do everything possible to make her comfortable while she's still with us. We're changing her food to one that is better for the kidneys and liver, and also doing twice weekly subcu injections (which we'll do at home). The increased fluids should help her heart and her other organs function better. As far as we can tell, she's not in pain - she's still running around the house and keeping the other 2 cats in line. The vet said the cat she saw yesterday doesn't match the tests she was looking at today and then she called Kinzie a tough kitty. She's a fighter and she hasn't given up yet. We'll keep trying to help her as long as she keeps fighting, but we're not sure how much longer that will be.

And then after dealing with all this, I check my emails and find that the pastor of our village in Honduras was sent to the hospital with really bad kidney stones and stayed overnight. In the US this would be easy enough to treat, but down there it's really questionable the kind of care he'll get. So we're praying and trusting that he'll be taken care of and that he'll be able to go home soon. Please also be praying for Pastor Roberto, Olga and their sons.

So now I'm sitting here watching Dancing with the Stars and waiting to see who wins. It's really is a nice little escape while life swirls around me and teases me with situations out of my control. I just have to sit and wait and see what happens. My mantra this year has definitely been "seek peace and pursue it." (Psalm 34:14)

Good night, thank you.

We're Going to Honduras - and Looking for a Miracle!

A few weeks ago Jason and I started talking about going to Honduras with the construction team in June. We did a lot of praying and considering and we finally decided that we're going to try to go.The last time we were both in Honduras together, we built a house similar to the one that will be built in June.

We each need to raise $1,600 to be part of the team. (This covers airfare, hotel, meals and trip supplies.) When we went in 2008 we had to raise $2,000 each and we did it - with time to spare! However, this year we have less time (7 weeks), Jason is unemployed, and I don't think Obama is going to give us each $600 stimulus money like Bush did two years ago. (Ha.) We're feeling a bit overwhelmed but we are creative and we know the money will be there when we need it.

First, WHY are we going? Our church has a sister church in El Quebracho Honduras. We started the relationship with the village down there back in 2005 and have sent medical and construction teams down there each year.

I have been there four times now and have built relationships with the people down there. I don't speak much Spanish and they speak little English, but through translators, dictionaries, and a lot of pointing and waving arms around, we've shared our lives with each other. The pastor and his wife first prayed that I would find a good husband. They were very happy to meet Jason, and for the past year they've been praying that we would be blessed with children. And of course we've been praying for them - through the storms, earthquakes, and political unrest.

It thrills my heart to go and see their smiling faces and hear them say our names as we get off the bus. I never thought that one person could go and touch lives so far away. I've been so blessed to be able to go back several times and stay in touch with my brothers and sisters in Honduras.

The WHY is because I have one more opportunity to go. (I do believe God will answer our prayers about having children soon.) Because we've already built a house down there and having experience will hopefully help. Because we can't stop thinking about it, we just have to go. Because we have faith that God will provide and we can't wait to see how he pulls this off. :)

WHEN are we going? Saturday, June 19th through Saturday, June 26th. (Yes, we'll be in Honduras over our mothers' birthday - June 25th.) We leave in 7 weeks! Our deposits are due this weekend - $400 each.

WHERE are we going? We fly into San Pedro Sula in the northern part of Honduras. We then travel south to the to Heart to Honduras compound in Canchias. The first night we stay at the compound (bunk beds and cold, refreshing showers). The following day we travel down the Transcontinental Highway to Comayagua where we stay the rest of the week at the Hotel Santa Maria. Each day we'll take a 20 minute drive to El Quebracho where we'll do construction during the day and services or outreaches in the evening. The day before we leave we'll travel back to San Pedro Sula.

HOW are we going to afford this? We decided this year we were going to work for our mission trip money. (We believe this was God directed.) If you would like to help us work for our mission trip money, please let us know! Here's the list:

Decorated Cakes for all occasions - buttercream or fondant - prices start at $50.

Lasagna Dinner for 4 (plus leftovers), including bread and salad - $50.

Clowning/Ballooning - half an hour to two hours, starting at $50.

Tutoring/Instruction - Math, Basic Computer Skills, Word, Excel, getting started with Facebook and/or blogging.

Yard and House Work - mowing & trimming grass, trimming bushes, other miscellaneous work.

Photography by Darrin Ballman - the friend of ours who did our engagement and wedding photography is offering several specials and donating the money to our trip. (w00t!!!)

We have other ideas, but we're still putting them together. If you have any ideas, let us know. Please let us know if you're interested in any of the above services. (Contact information below...)

Please pray for us while we raise support for our trip. Thank you!!

Jason - 937-623-3964, jasonj.parsons@gmail.com
Cyndi - 937-272-0622, cdp7227@gmail.com

Honduras on my mind...

This is actually a blog that I've been thinking about for a couple of years. I finally got all my pictures in one place (on this computer) so I can finally show you what's been on my mind - the changes I've seen over the past 4 years.

First a recap of my past 4 trips to Honduras. The first time I went (June 2006) was the 2nd time our church sent a team to El Quebracho, the village our church helping. We helped with leveling the dirt so the cement floor could be poured. We also assisted with putting the beams of the roof up (which was amazing). At that time there was no electricity in the village and the only water was from a well at the entrance of the village (off the transcontinental highway).

 (Our team in June 2006)

The second time I went (June 2007) we had a large group and we were able to have a medical team, an education team (for vacation Bible school), a plumbing team (to put a well in at the church), and a painting team (to paint the church - this was my team). This time when we came into the village there were TV's and radio's playing and they had lights - they had electricity!

 (Our team in June 2007)

The third time I went (August 2008), Jason joined me and our team built a house for a family that was about to become homeless. (Heart to Honduras and the pastor of the church decide on who gets the house.) Looking over the pictures from the previous two trips I saw many pictures of the family - cooking meals for us, helping with construction, and also praying for us. The church, along with many families in the village along with Pastor Roberto, had running water - for their bathrooms and kitchens.

 (Our team in August 2008)

Last year was my fourth time going (November 2009) and we put screens on windows and doors of many houses in the village. The best part of the trip was getting to know the people of the church better. It was like they were part of our mission team, helping us accomplish the greater goal - showing God's love to the people of Honduras.

 (Our team in November 2009)

So I wanted to share some pictures of the progress of our sister church and the people of El Quebracho...

This is where the church was meeting in 2005.

When the church outgrew their building, 

they started meeting under this tree in 2006.

Our church helped buy the land and the supplies for the new building.

This was what the church looked like June 2006.

Here's the completed building in June 2007.

This is what the church looked like a week later - June 2007.

Our next visit was in August 2008 - they added landscaping.

Here's the front of the church - November 2009.

They added the name of the church above the door,

but then added the awning which covers the sign.

Another way to show progress - Pastor Roberto's and Olga's house:

Here's the bathroom/pila in 2006.

(In 2005 they had curtains instead of doors.)

Then they got a well in 2009 and running water...

 The bathroom was redone to be larger and 

the pila was replaced with a washing machine!!

This is the same corner as 2 pictures above.

(The pila was moved to the backyard.)

Here's the doorway to the kitchen in 2006.

(I believe the stove ran on a generator.)

Here's the pass-through to the kitchen in 2006.

The sink is below the window.

Here's the same pass-through in 2007. 

The stove was moved closer to the sink, 

a refridgerator was sitting where the stove used to be.

Here's the sink and stove in 2009.

See the stainless steel sink with a faucet?

Here's the fridge (with magnets!) and the cupboard has moved.

 Last I have you show you how the family has changed over the past 4 years...

2006

2007

2008

2009