Mother's Day

Jose and Daniela
All the letters together was suppose to say "te amo mama" but they all got on stage backwards and it read "amam oma et"!

Mother's Day here is always quite the celebration!

This year I was not here for Mother's Day. Instead I got to surprise my family and go to my brother's graduation.
The Mother's Day program go canceled and was postponed til one week later. So it happened I still got to go to it.

4th grade boys singing

Fernando in skit

Jackson, dancing

5th grade dance
Pamela

4th grade poem

Sisi ( mama maestra) Reina ( mama mona)
The funny thing Reina was not even suppose to be in the skit. Although she was quite upset that Sisi and Katy got to be in on stage and not her. So the teacher promised her on Friday that if she worked hard she could be the mommy monkey. So guess what she was good and she was the mommy monkey! She was so proud of herself!

Ana

Ana was in a skit where she was the ugliest mom but in the end that really did not matter because she was the best mom in the world!

Katy reciting a poem

Surprise

A friend of mine bought me a ticket to come back and surprise Brian my brother for his graduation at Harding. So that meant that I got to surprise my family too!
I have loved every minute of surprising everyone!!!
Here for the weekend and head back to Honduras Monday! For now enjoying time with family!

Roni

Last weekend was such a hard weekend for all of us at Casa. Pamela, a staff member at casa lost her husband unexpectedly. She was more than just an employee. She was our neighbor, part of our church family and had become a good friend of ours.
Early Saturday morning I got a phone call from Pamela blubbering into the phone. I just couldn't understand what she was saying. So I woke Dorian up and told him to talk to her because I could not understand her. Dorian was unable to understand her either so she had to pass off the phone to her mom to talk to us and explain what had happened. We were in shock. We both jumped out of bed upon hearing the words Roni has been killed and gathered our clothes and out the door we went to her house. She had already left by the time we got to the house.
I called Marc to let him know what had happened and he journeyed along with us to see what he could do to help. We got into our cars and went up the road a ways to where Roni's parents live and found Pamela. She was besides herself. I stayed with her all day long just to be there for her. Marc and Dorian were busy running lots of errands for the family and were in and out all day.
We came to find out Roni had gotten off work Friday night late and it was rainy, dark and very foggy and Roni began to make his way home on the road to Santa Ana. Although he did not make it very far. It looks as if someone did not see him as it was very foggy and he was hit and killed. His body was found the next day early in the morning on the side of the road. He left behind his wife and two year old son.

When someone dies in Honduras it is all very quick. The body had been taken early in the morning before Pamela even got to see his body to Forensic Medicine to do a complete autopsy. Everyone there at the house was scrambling around to help and make preparations. Some had loaded up and went to the cemetary and started digging the hole, as other got seats loaded up and sat up, along with the family making food for all of those who would come to visit. Others were busy getting the table and area ready for the viewing of the body. Then there was the truck loaded that headed to town pick up the body and get the casket.
Word traveled fast and soon all of the neighbors, family and friends had come near and far to help this family out in tragedy. Roni's body arrived back in Santa Ana about 10am and the changed his clothes and got him ready for viewing.
This was a very difficult moment for Pamela as she was unsure if she wanted to see Roni like this. All afternoon and evening we were there for Pamela to listen to her, to love her, comfort her, and remember all of the good memories with her. About 6pm we talked Pamela into going home for a little bit to rest and come back later.
We loaded up and headed home to shower and rest for a little bit. We picked her back up at 9pm and headed back to Roni's parents house. We had worship service from 9 til 11pm. Then at midnight we loaded everything up and went to Pamela's house. She had decided to split the viewing. Part of the time at his parents house and then the other part at her house.
The viewing continued all night and carried on into Sunday. It really is amazing to see all that come to surround and be with the family in this tragic time.
Sunday morning she had asked that Sunday morning worship be held at her house. The church along with many others gathered there and did worship. I gave the older kids at Casa the option if they were going to go or not. I explained to them what had happened and etc and told them this was their choice if they wanted to go. About 7 or 8 of the kids went with us for worship and the burial. Pamela loved having the kids there to hug on her. They all had come to love her with her working at casa.
After worship the family has lunch prepared for everyone. Then about 1pm all of Roni's cousins picked up the casket and starting walking towards the cemetary as we all followed in procession. May along the road joined in the procession.
The casket was opened one last time at the cemetary and then a few words were spoken. As the body was lowered into the hole and then covered with dirt songs of praise were sung to our God.

The amazing part in all of this is that Roni had taken the decision to be baptized in April. Praise God!! We will never know why God took him from so many who love him at such a young age. He was 23 years old and leaving behind his wife and two year old son who doesn't even begin to understand where his daddy has went.
Thank you so much for all of your prayers for this family. Please continue to pray for this family.

lunch time

In the last couple of weeks the kids have not had much school. Last week they had three days and then this week they two days of school. It has also been hotter then normal at times and the kids like to mix things up and do things differently. So in the past two weeks we have had lunch a few times under the shade tree.

Girls

Ana and Katy

Rosy

Maryuri

Reina and Daniela

Adventure

They were only suppose to wade in the water and not get their clothes wet but hey that is pretty impossible for these kids. Especially on a HOT, hot, day!

One of our workers Pamela decided we would venture to her house to go the the creek and play and in the water and look for mangos. The kids absolutely loved it. The kids cut up all of the mangos and it made for a good afternoon snack.

Doris, she got so excited while playing she just sat in the middle of the water

Everyone getting wet

Josue and I

Reina trying not to get her shorts wet

Daniela and Maryuri

Using the tree as a balancing beam

Potty training

We are working on getting Josue potty trained
We have already potty trained four kids here at Casa. It is so nice when we do not have to use diapers, saves lots of money. Right now we have been using cloth diapers. Thanks to the ladies at Borger for making them!

Chickens

The kids all lined up looking at the chickens

Brayan

The chickens

Ana, Denis, and Linda working at putting dry pine needles in to make their nests

We will soon have some fresh eggs here at Casa. Marc came home last night bringing home 30 chickens and one rooster. Well as soon as all of the kids found out this morning where looking out the windows and were ready to go out side. Soon enough once morning chores got finished we all went outside to see the chickens. We got food, water, and dry pine needles gathered up for them. The kids are all so excited about having our own eggs. Although I do not know a single thing about raising chickens. So any advice?!?!

Visit to Nicaragua

Spent the past week in Nicaragua with Dorian's family.

Looking how deep the well was, Dorian even put me to work pulling the water. Tough work!

Our little cart that we loaded 4 buckets up on to take water the the house. I think Dorian took close to 10 trips.

The well

Our nephew, Manuel pulling the bucket up with the water

One of Dorian's sisters has a shoe making business in their house in Managua. They make black dress shoes and then sell them to the local market in Managua.

I love him!!!

Last week Dorian and I made a trip to Nicaragua to work in the church in Chichigalpa and visit with his family. It was good to beable to go see his family. We had made a quick weekend trip back in November but had not been to there to stay with his mom in over a year so it was a long over due trip. Dorians mom and nephews loved having us there and we enjoyed being there with them.
Although I was reminded once again how blessed I really am and how those around me live.
The heat was unbearable at times it stayed about 100 and didn't seem to cool down at night. It was so dry and dusty that every you walked the dust stuck to you and it quickly looked like you had not taken a shower in a day or so. We also had water problems. For two days we did not have water so we went to a nearby well and hauled water to the house. Then when we did get water it came at midnight and Dorian and his mom was up two different nights filling all of the barrels and buckets with water til 2am. When the water does come you have to take advantage of it you never know when it will come again. To say the least it was an interesting trip. Just being honest it was hard for me to enjoy it at times because I am so set in my comforts. I thought here in Honduras I had given up so many comforts to be here but then going to Nic was humbling and reminded me once again how blessed I really am.
Soccer is not such a big sport in Nicaragua. Everyone there plays baseball. Our nephew had a game on Saturday and was so happy for us to be able to be there and see him play. I do not think anyone usually gets to see him play.

March 2010

March 2010

Dorian and I started off the month of March by celebrating our 2nd anniversary. We are so blessed by God to send us each other! As we were getting ready to leave for a night away, Dorian torn some ligaments in his ankle/heel playing soccer. He went to the Dr. where he had a cast put on and he decided it was best we did not go away for the night. He is doing well with it but frustrated at times as he can not drive any of the standard cars here right now or go visiting the people in the community. It seems to be healing but he needs to take care of it and let it heal well. Another good start of the month was having two baptisms in the first week of March.
We have worked on some schedule changes and I am now getting off work at 5 almost every evening. It is so wonderful to have some time off for myself and to be with Dorian and church opportunities. This has been a huge change for the better for me and Dorian.

The heat here has been much hotter than usual and very, very dry. No rain during March. With it being very dry we continue to have dry spells here at Casa. The children took naps on the cold tile floors many days just to cool off from the heat. Even when it is hot here in Santa Ana, it usually cools off during the night but this year, it is even making sleeping difficult. Not only are we having problems with the heat and water but with the electricity. We have spent a good part of the month with out electricity. It is a good reminder of how those around us live daily without water and electric. We are blessed beyond belief, sometimes I need that gentle reminder when I forget.
Once the children are home from school, most of the remainder of the day is taken up with completing homework assignments. Some of the homework is easy but the children do not want to do it. There is always at least one who struggles with it until supper. One has to remember that these children have many wounds and they are not your average well adjusted children. We try very hard to give individualized assistance with each one, but sometimes that leaves us feeling frustrated. Pray that we will have the patience and love they need.
Holy week was the last week in March and everything closed down and there was no school all week for the children. We started Holy week off by going with the church to the beach. Taking all of the kids to the beach is an experience in its self but the kids loved every minute of the beach. Thursday, Friday and Saturday we had limited staff working due to holy week. It is hard for any employees to have reliable transportation during holy week. Terri has to do a lot of transportation for the staff during these days.

Holy week reminds me of when I first came here to Honduras. Five years ago I traveled for the first time to this foreign country on a mission trip during Holy Week. Little did I know 5 years later that this is where I would be. It captured my heart and has yet to let go. God continues to amaze me in what He has in store for me and Dorian!

Continue to pray for our ministries.

Blessings~

Dorian and Karen Guido

thanks Brian

Thanks

Ana

Cindy

Rosy

Antonio

Doris

Katy

Josue

Cloth diapers!

Reina

Mayuri

Nohemy

Thanks for all of the goodies the ladies sent from Borger, TX

Heat

nap time in the shade

It has gotten hot here in the last month or so and I am guessing it is just going to get hotter. It is usually 5 to 10 degrees hotter inside the house. So being outside and in the cool breeze is a much better option. Here in Santa Ana there is usually always a cool breeze! :)

Saturday for naps Sandra had the kids sleep outside!

Not too sure any of them slept but they enjoyed the nice cool breeze!

Oranges and Mandarin Oranges

For the past month the kids have been climbing the the trees about two times a week to get all of the oranges and tangerines down. The ladies are sure to make juice for the kids. They almost all have too much acid to eat by themselves, but sure enough the kids still eat them. We usually do not let them climb trees either so they love this as an excuse to get to climb all over the trees.

Nohemy playing in the tree

Here is two of the many buckets of Oranges and mandarin oranges the kids picked. The kids cut them all open and squeeze all of the juice out and we freeze the juice until we are ready to use it.