Since last post about the flora and fauna, we acquired some flora of our own. Now we have a couple palms adorning our deck, as well as a coffee plant, and a few others I can't identify. I recently snagged a baby mango tree, so we will see how that grows... We have our own seeds to plant, but we will probably wait until we return next year to plant them...don't really want them to die in our absence! We also have a ginger plant to plant, just need a planter.

It's a very interesting looking flower too! (Photo above is the ginger flower.) You would think that having a father who has been gardening for much of his life, this sort of thing would come naturally to me. It doesn't. But I admit, I do enjoy it. Reminds me of the days our family had a vegetable garden in our yard!

(The coffee plant is the one on the right in the foreground. In the pot behind it is the mango tree and another larger plant.)

A little more on flora: last Friday when we went out to an area called Potrerillos where 7 deaf live, we got to pick some fresh lemons. Victoria, a deaf woman in her 60’s who knows only very basic sign language, showed me a tree that was full of lemons. And who knew that lemon trees have spikes?! Well, I found out…and the tip of my finger stung the whole day! It’s also kinda funny how the bottom of a lemon looks like puckered up lips…the face you make when you eat one…someone has a sense of humour!

The week before we got to see the deaf brothers who live out there put their seed-sowing expertise to good use as they planted beans in amongst the corn.

Our place is slowly coming together now. We have a propane countertop stove. Not a huge fan of propane (eg. its explosive capabilities) but thousands of Hondurans daily use it with few major incidents...just that recent one in a huge market in the capital city... Propane does bring it to a boil much faster than water does though! That's nice!

Shelagh has been working online in the wee hours of the morning the last month. We had great goals of both getting up early then hitting the gym early. The closest I get to the gym is walking past it every afternoon on my way to work... There's still hope though!

Less than 2 weeks from now we will be having our Regional Convention for Honduran Sign Language in San Pedro Sula (http://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/conventions/). So arrangements have been underway for that. We started our campaign to invite the deaf here a couple Fridays back. We have been organizing transportation and accommodations as well. Hondurans typically prefer to stay in other Jehovah's Witnesses' homes rather than pay for hotels. That has proven more difficult this time around...but we're getting it sorted out! These last few weeks have been good to get our list of deaf in the area reorganized. We try to visit them all at least twice a year, but we haven't been doing that lately. Since some of them don't live very close to our city, it's more difficult to visit them. Thus they miss out on the opportunity to learn sign language (if they haven't learned it yet) and learn about the hope for the future the Bible offers. (http://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/peace-on-earth-how/)

This week we are also hoping that our Land Cruiser will be repaired. We haven’t been able to use it the whole time here! While we were away, a good friend of ours was looking after it. In his care, it had engine problems. He has mostly been able to cover the costs of repairs and get the needed help to get it done. But the last thing that (hopefully) needs to be done, he wasn’t as easily able to arrange. To make a long story short though, looks like things may come together this week! It would be very opportune as we would like to visit some of the deaf who live a little farther out of town. Depending on buses isn’t always that convenient, and walking can take a long time.

Last Saturday was the one year anniversary of the tragic bus accident that happened near here. (http://www.jw.org/en/news/releases/by-region/honduras/fatal-bus-accident-20141111/) The destroyed bus still sits in the tow truck owner’s lot which is across the street from our house.

(Photo above shows the wreckage of the bus in the middle with the cemetery eerily in the background.) What has become of those who were involved, we do not know, but hope the best for them. Saturday was of course also Halloween. The next day is All Saints’ Day and the following day, November 2nd, is Day of the Dead. (Apparently the names of the days and how they correspond to which date can vary by country, but the way I list it is how I understand it is here in Honduras.) Since we live on the road that goes to the cemetery, this past Sunday and Monday saw hundreds, if not thousands, of people pass by our house. Some in overpacked truck beds, others on foot. Some carrying hoes or bamboo, presumably to attend to the graves of their deceased family members, and many with flowers. The pulperia (or “corner store" as we might call it in English) across the street from us boomed with business from the pilgrims. Other business opportunists set up “booths" to sell flowers, and other things they thought might interest the family members of the dead. Even a local store had a little tent set up down the street. The bar owner on our street apparently had some kind of refreshment stand set up farther down, perhaps in the cemetery itself. Military police stood nearby directing traffic, both on our street, and where it intersects with the highway not a few hundred feet away. Jehovah’s Witnesses too were not oblivious to the opportunity, however not with money as the end goal. We had a couple “witnessing carts" set up on Sunday: one near the entrance to the street, and one in the cemetery. They featured publications that talk about the Bible’s teachings about death. (http://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/when-you-die/) Since the local congregations had not planned on setting up on Monday, and yet there were still many people passing by, Shelagh and I and another sister from our congregation, Avi, set up the cart in the late afternoon. Since Hondurans are quite religious, many did stop to take information or have a brief chat. They were still passing until about 7pm (it’s completely dark by then as the sun sets here before six!) when we called it a night. Not before Shelagh shared some “Caleb videos" with some youngsters who came to check out what we were doing. (http://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/family/children/become-jehovahs-friend/videos/) And yes, of course, Shelagh got a few looks for other reasons…haha, I guess the young guy didn’t notice her gringo husband standing there watching as he very obviously pointed out the beautiful gringa to his friend!

So it hasn’t necessarily been an eventful week, nor exactly a boring one. We did get a good rainstorm (which helped refill our water supplies) and some spectacular lightning, but that’s not unusual this time of year. I leave you with one last picture of Santa Rosa. It’s taken from the east, looking west. On the hill on the right is the Catholic University. You can vaguely make out a cell tower on that hill as well. Directly behind that, and a little distance away is where I’m on the deck talking to the mango tree. I think he wants to trade places with the coffee plant...