Day 6

This morning the group of 14 that are visiting decided to go to the bakery. They walked to the one just down the street. All 14 of them. So Betsy being the thinker that she is gave me her car keys and sent me to a different bakery to get breakfast, score! The fantastic 14 returned with stories of the never ending line and how long it took for them all to get sandwiches. Don't worry I was punished later for my lack of misfortune. The VBS plan requires plants. The 14 asked me to collect jungle plants for them. An so the story of my punishment begins. Betsy and I dug up a few small banana trees without too much trouble. A lady from the 14 asked me to get some "bamboo or something". She really should have wondered why my left eye twitched when she asked that because the only bamboo near by is past the barbed wire and into the jungle. Never the less I sharpened my machete and set off.  I'm sure they expected me to be gone for ten minutes and come back with a load of bamboo no problem. It is so hot in the rainforest and I was out there for and hour and a half. Hacking down a stock of bamboo with an old machete wasn't even the hardest part. The bamboo is across this creek that hasn't had fresh water added to it for a month so it is full of mosquitoes and cow pies. So I jumped across it to get out there but I couldn't jump back with bamboo stocks in my hand so the first stock I cut down had to be cut into pieces and used as a bridge. At this point I am dripping with sweat my shirt is off and tucked in my belt and I am covered in dirt. After I got a stock cut I began the trip back. Of coarse as I was crossing my makeshift bridge I lost my balance and had to step into the creek were I went up to my knee in thick, foot sucking mud. After the long battle to retrieve my flip flop from the deep mud I continued on. Eventually I did get all the bamboo I needed out of there. So an hour and a half after they asked me to get bamboo I show up. Dripping with sweat and covered in dirt I approached the school, mud from the knees down, Shirt hanging from one hip machete from the other, three long stocks of freshly cut bamboo on my shoulders, the lady who asked me to get bamboo now realized what it would take for me to get "bamboo or something". You know what though? It was kind of awesome. Later in the afternoon I was installing a dead bolt and I heard a familiar sound that reminded me all at once why I love this place so much, it was the chest pounding crack of thunder I had been without these six months. Quickly followed by the smooth sound of rain starting. The kind of rain you hear coming; starts in the distance and just as you realize what it is, you're in it. I love it! I stood in it until I was drenched. The power was out before long and the familiar beep beep beep of the computer's power supply complaining brought a smile to my face. This is the Puerto Rico I remember. As fast as it began it was over and I was at the beach watching the sun set through the distant storm clouds. I used to call this home.

Day 5

I worked on lawnmowers this morning! I do enjoy mechanics as long as its easy stuff. This was all easy stuff! Air filters, spark plugs, pull cords nothing tricky. Then Betsy and I went to Pep Boys to pick up a few things and then to pick up the van from the shop. From there we drove to the airport in two separate vans to pick up the team. Everything went very smoothly and I led a group trip to the beach already for the sun set. The van was packed! Chachi's was closed so we were not able to get ice cream afterwards. Everyone seemed to have fun anyway though. 
"We are not built for ourselves, but for God. Not for service for God, but for God." -Oswald Chambers

Day 4

Maybe the only day I'll get to sleep in. I enjoyed it! I went to the beach, I went to the rainforest and I ate at all of my favorite restaurants all in the same day! It wasn't easy but I pulled it off. Tomorrow I am waking up and driving to the airport with Betsy in separate cars to pick up a gigantic group of people from Pennsylvania. Next week this group will be leading VBS for the kids. The rainforest is the most relaxing place in the whole world, I'm sure of it. You drive up the mountain a ways to this place with paths that wind around a creek. Betsy and I went today. Spent some time reading then discussing things then we sat in the river until Betsy got bored and went back up to read. I stayed and enjoyed my favorite creek hobby. Which is rock stacking. It's very slow and meticulous and its very relaxing. Also people walking by stop to watch you. There was a little girl who was so fascinated she stood and watched me for maybe a half hour. Here are some pictures. The last picture in that album is how we park to go to the pincho stand, on the sidewalk.

Help the school earn Labels for Education so we can buy a new van!
 Follow this link and fill it in and glue 5 box tops to earn us 200 points! It's this weird but awesome promo they have going. Lets take advantage of it!

http://www.labelsforeducationbonusoffer.com/LD678_summer_collection_sheet.cfm

Day 3

I got to see all of the kids today! I was so excited to see them. We had a great day at the zoo playing with animals and having fun. It was a 12 hour day. On the ride home we were all asleep. I can't wait till Monday when I get to see them all again! My back is still very sunburned and throughout the day children would forget and jump up on my back, or tap me to get my attention. Or slap my back to get my attention. That part wasn't so awesome. I'm very glad to be back though. I'm enjoying every minute.

Day 2

Woke up today at 5:30 to watch the sun rise. I was not disappointed. After the sunrise I had a famous Puerto Rican Breakfast sandwich and it was so good! Then in the afternoon Betsy and I went for a snorkel. I made a new friend. I was swimming around when I noticed a very small, maybe inch and a half long fish that was following me around. I don't mean it was swimming behind me either. It was swimming right in front of my face! He stayed as close as he could to me the entire day of snorkeling. I even stood up for a while by the shore in about a foot of water and when I went back in he was still there. As we were about to exit the ocean we came across a school of fish hanging out in the shallows. They were getting pretty close to us so I grabbed one of them. I held it up to show Betsy then I let it go. Shortly after this I got the idea to catch and eat one of these guys. So I went to work trying to find the biggest one I could find to catch. As I was swimming threw the two feet of water I noticed something out of the corner of my I. I turned my head to see the biggest barracuda I had ever seen. Betsy saw it later and confirmed that it was definitely longer than my leg. We put our guess at a little over three feet. He swam right past me and looked me in the eyes. I was definitely worried about loosing appendages so I hurried my hunt. About 15min later I caught a good size fish, a little under a foot long, with just my hands I'll add. I took him home, cleaned him and eat him for lunch. He wasn't half bad. I noticed during lunch though that my back was sunburned pretty bad. I only realized later how bad. I definitely under estimated the Puerto Rican sun. I'll be paying for that the next few days. So not a bad day though in total. I've caught fish with my bare hands before but I've never ended up eating them 20min. later. That's about as fresh as it gets! Tomorrow we go to the zoo and I see all the kids!!!

I'M BACK!!! Day 1

I'm back in Puerto Rico and all is well with the world. I'd forgotten all of the things that I loved about this place. I love every single thing! The humidity that make the bottom of your feet wet when you walk in sandals, everyone driving ten miles an hour under the speed limit, the food! Everything about this place is amazing! I love it all. I had some delayed flights last night so I arrived later than I had originally planned but I still got here. I was greeted by a beast of a dog. The first thing we did was go to the beach. I don't fit in like I used to but it was still an amazing thing. I took some time to walk around the school and the memories came rushing back to me. Almost too much to take all at once. This school is special. God dwells here in a tangible way. If you don't know how long I'm staying for this trip I'll let it surprise you when it happens. No matter how much I prepared I could never be ready to leave, so I won't get ready. I won't prepare myself. One day I will be in paradise and the next I won't. After the beach we went to the brass cactus. I had an amazing burger; this place knows how to make food!

Until tomorrow.