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We used to shoot a very similar approach into La Guardia that had you in a steep bank right over Shea stadium and then dump you less than a 1/2 mile from the end of the runway. If you didn’t nail it just right, you were going around. I was lucky enough to shoot it two weeks out of initial training. You can’t imagine the pucker factor on that one.

From the market we rushed to the airport and waited two hours to check in. Finally checking in at 12:15pm we barely caught our 12:25 departure for Houston. The flights back were pretty uneventful. Customs didn’t even check our bags so I was rather pissed I didn’t get those Cubans. Those Honduran cigars were probably some of the worst as Judd can attest to.

On the flight into Minneapolis we got to watch one of the most beautiful sunsets any of us have ever seen. After having just passed through a couple thunderstorms, the sun was half set and Venus was burning bright on the horizon. As the sun finally set, rays of light pierced upward into the darkening horizon, turning it from a deep blue to a rich violet and finally into a pitch black night sky with stars ablaze. Seemed similar to one of those clips of sunrises and sunsets you see in NASA videos. It’s events like this that really make a pilot love his job. ed. note That was as true then as it is today. I saw some of the most beautiful sunsets and sunrises from the sky while at an airline.

Once in in Minnie, we grabbed the van and headed for home. Almost five hours later, I walked into the apartment at 3:30am! A very long dad indeed. Back to the grind tomorrow, standardization in the Seminole (multi-engine trainer), students needing to be caught up or finished up and Judd needs to be picked up.

Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done!

Revelations 22:12

That night we went to church and someone spilled the beans that I could speak Spanish. Lucky me, when they ran out of translation headphones, I got to translate for a couple of us. With all the thees and thous and smiting and begetting going on it’s hard enough in English, now imagine translating from Spanish. Let’s just say this pastor liked to talk and my head hurts now.

After church we went to dinner. They do things late here around here so we didn’t sit down until 9pm. Talk about starving! I had the Honduran version of lasagna with chicken and peppers and the usual canned Sprite. You DO NOT drink anything here unless it is in a can and you opened it. Anyway, dinner was muy excelente!

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28

Juan Carlos, the 16 yeard old assistant to the bus driver, has a birthday coming up so we celebrated on the bus ride home. Later that night we attended some small group meetings that for the most part turned into BIG small group meetings. In true Hondurino style, seven of us rode over in the bed of a truck. Once at the meetings, I was immersed in the Spanish but just too tired to think. Surprisingly, one of the guys complemented my pronunciation and accent.

Tomorrow, we head for la playa and a well needed break.

But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful. Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds – his name is the Lord – and rejoice before him.

Proverbs 68:3-4

We did a lot of EVERYTHING today: moving blocks, laying cement, speaking Spanish, standing around, partying, and laughing. The rain came like clockwork at 1:30pm and it fell hard causing everything to screech to a halt for about an hour. The rain felt good and gave us a chance to play with the kids. Children are the same everywhere! It’s amazing to see what they knew of our culture and others even though statistics say 85% of these children will never see a light bulb. It’s a blast getting to talk to them in Spanish. I knew taking four years of that was good for something other than describing how much hockey I played the weekend before. Once the rains stopped we got another good hour of hiking cinder blocks up the hill and then it was time to head back home.

Back at the apartment we spent the better part of the evening loading all the food we had purchased for the families of Santa Elena. In total there was 1,000 lbs. of flour, 750 lbs. of beans, 500 lbs. of rice, 300 lbs. of sugar, 250 lbs. of salt, another 250 lbs. of lard, 500 boxes of matches, 300 candles, over 1,000 toys and enough candy to give the entire ADA a massive stroke. Should be enough food to last the village a year.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves.

1 Corinthians 14:4-7

The day’s work was identical, moving los bloques from the drop site to the future homes. Turns out the trucks can only get so close before they get stuck and it’s up to us to offload the trucks and then hike the blocks up the hill. However, the Lord provided a different path down hill this time and filled me with a new strength for the day.

That’s all we did. All. Day. Long. I don’t even want to do the math, but figure one block weighs between 30-40 lbs., carrying two at a time, and we ended up moving close to 600 blocks today! As we were getting ready to leave another truck pulled up with another load of blocks. I think most everyone was too tired to comment, I just sat there laughing. Don’t know if it was a laugh of insanity or sarcasm.

With all the physical ailments and plain exhaustion, I believe the extra week of stay is being passed on. Planning is already in the stages for coming back in March, we’ll just have to see where I am at that time. Right now, plans are to get hired with Horizon Airlines by next year. Spending this week with everyone has put new light on my heart with Grand Forks. Seems like every time I tell myself I’m going to leave this place God says ‘nope!’ We’ll just have to see what He has in store for me. Working for the airlines, it shouldn’t be too hard a commute, right? (Talk about foreshadowing, geesh. I was hired by Atlantic Coast Airlines six months later)

There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. Listen, my son, and be wise, and keep your heart on the right path.

Proverbs 23:18-19

By noon I’m pretty much dead but we proceed to help lay some sand, dirt and rock out on the main road to help the trucks get in easier. The first load was a thick wet sand that had huge rocks in it. Everytime you started to shovel it, you’d get another rock in the load. After maybe 15 minutesof this I had to sit down, my back aching and head throbbing. Luckily, it was lunch time. Amazing what a little food with some advil will do.

After lunch, it was back to the road repair. We started layering the road with a sand that was much drier and finer. Made life a lot easier. Finishing up, we headed back down to the village and began helping with the cement laying process for the foundations. They literally mix the cement and water right there on the ground, quite efficiently, and then everyone starts shoveling cement off to a foundation. Two huge thunderstorms came rolling in and let loose with some gigantic bolts of lightning right on top of us. Trying to beat the rain, we quickly went about laying some of the cement before the flood gates really opened up again.

Once it started to pour we all stopped working and moved into the “community center,” a corrugated metal roof supported simply by five metal poles with benches throughout. We tried to wait the rain out for an hour, but the roads were starting to get dangerous again so we headed back home.

Tonight, we kind of had the night to ourselves. Never have a cigar and a glass of red wine tasted so good.

Blessed is the man who perserveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

James 1:12

Because we are up in the mountains there aren’t any paved roads and things were kind of muddy today. As soon as we got there were helping push a huge truck out of the mud. Once we freed the truck, he drove down a hill and got stuck again! In all, I think we helped push him out of the mud five times.

Eating a quick lunch, we headed back to the houses and continued building. The weather was a little cooler today. We a nearly overcast sky for the most part. Then early in the afternoon the rains came and our bus driver wanted to go before it became impossible to get out of there. The rains kept coming and coming. By the time we got back into town, streets were flooded, gutters were flowing with water and the drains were clogged. I’m talking at least three feet deep minimum, everywhere! Unbelievable.

Cleaning up and eating a wonderful lasagna dinner, we headed down to the mall. Not too many differences there. They had a Radio Shack, an Applebee’s, an arcade (I swept the group in air hockey), an ACE hardware store and a Colors of Benetton shop. It’s amazing how around one corner everyone is living pretty well, but turn the corner and poverty is everywhere. Everyone is talking about staying another week. I’m not sure I’ll do yet. Judd is visiting next weekend, so I can’t stay an entire week. We’ll see what the Lord unfolds.

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

Matthew 6:25-27

It took an hour bus ride into the moutains for our first worksite, Chinda. I swear our driver took driving lessongs from NY cabbies, but then it seems like everyone else here drives the same way. We’ve seen only one stoplight in this whole town and it’s a pretty busy city. Not a lot of stop signs either.

Once in Chinda, we found a small (maybe 40 people) community with cinder block, one bedroom houses and small “shack” like laundry facilities with running water. We had a church service, shared some testimonies, and sang songs. God Bless the translators! Even with four years of Spanish, I’m having difficulties carrying a conversation. If only they knew about hockey.

After the service, we had lunch down by a beautiful little river with sandy shores. the food here is awesome and the people are even better. While eating lunch, I noticed some huge butterflies with magnificent colors and six inch wingspans. This one in particular had the deepest blue wings I have ever seen that turned to a deep purple on its undersides. Pure beauty!

After lunch, we returned to Chinda and helped dig about a trench about four feet deep by three feet wide and a sweat drenching 15 feet long. Even with nine guys working, it took us a couple hours. It being Central America and not quite acclimated, several of us petered out with heat exhaustion quickly. We played with the kids a little longer and handed out suckers, which gave them the biggest smiles I’ve ever seen.

Once home, we cleaned up and ate dinner with our hosts. A lovely meal of tortillas, beans, shredded beef, diced peppers, tomatoes, onions, and fried plantains.

Tom Zeidlik (a fellow flight instructor) and I are already getting the itch to fly here. We’ll see if that idea takes off or not.

How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.

Psalm 104:24

First adventure of the day: play with some orphanage kids. Easy enough. They kicked our butts in fútbol (soccer), and then went to town on a pinata. From there we came back, cleaned up, went to church, and went to Pizza Hut for our first dinner in Honduras. We truly know how to experience foreign cultures!

Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise, he is to be feared above all gods.

1 Chronicles 16:24-25