Homemade Applebutter

As I was growing up, I looked forward to apple butter making time every fall! The ladies in my home church made apple butter outdoors at the local Browningsville hall parking lot, in 4 or 5 huge copper kettles, over an open fire. Other little churches in the farming community where I grew up also made apple butter! It was community tradition! But the applebutter from Bethesda United Methodist Church was well known for miles around. Jars of their apple butter has been shared with family and friends all over the states, and even in other countries! My Aunt Ruth Beall taught school in San Jose Costa Rica, and my sister and brother-in-law were missionaries in Honduras. They received some at Christmas!

The evening before apple butter day, we all would meet at the “hall” and pair apples for the next day. It was a fun time for our church family. All the kids came with their parents. Our job was to either hand apples to the men who were putting the apples on the parers, or keep the ladies supplied with the pared apples, so they could core and quarter them. We anxiously awaited the times when someone would give us one of the crisp, tart apples to snack on --- or sneak one for ourselves!

Early in the morning, the next day (about 6:00 or 7:00), the men would build the fires and the ladies would put the apples on to cook. They stirred the apple butter with big wooden paddles. The men kept the fires going and took turns with the ladies, stirring the bubbling brew.

(A funny thing happened one year during applebutter makin'! Our church was growing and we were getting "newer" members---city folk that worked in/near Washington and Baltimore (prounounce "Baltmer" in my part of the country!) and who wanted to 'live in the country" OR who traveled through the country to get to the interstate! Some of those folks drove by the hall on their way to work and saw the ladies outside with scarves on their heads, aprons and long coats. They saw the kettles over the fire and the men and women stirring the kettles with big long wooden paddles. What a strange sight, so early in the morning! Some wondered if it was witches stirring their brew!!!! For sure, they were "new to town" and knew nothing of a "good ol' homemade applebutter makin' "! )

After the apples had “cooked down“, they added the sugar and spices. That usually happened after lunch. . .

It was so hard for us kids to go to school that day, knowing what was happening at the hall. My cousin Sandra, my brother, Dwayne, and I couldn’t wait for the last bell to ring at 2:30 so we could get on the bus and head for the hall. About the time we would get there, the ladies would be ready to dip up the bubbling, spicy applebutter into quart jars and seal it. We would get there just in time to “sop” up the leftovers in the kettles with bread! Mmmm! Good!! Folks who wanted some apple butter would bring their jars and they would be filled. I don’t remember how much they paid per jar, but they always sold out. They always held some back to use at mealtimes at the annual Damascus Camp Meeting held each August. The recipe was passed down from generation to generation. The original recipe made 40 gallons!! My Aunt Bernadine Beall wrote the recipe down and then “pared” it down to make 4 gallon. She gave me a copy of the original and her 4 gallon recipe. With my mom’s help (Catherine Watkins), we halved it several more times to make 1 gallon! Over the years we have adjusted the spices until it is just right! It is still my favorite and has become a favorite for my children as well. We ration it out when we get down to a couple of jars left! Several years ago my home church stopped making applebutter. The price of sugar became too high, and the “original” ladies were getting older and none of the newer younger ladies wanted to carry on the tradition. So, for a while, only small groups of relatives would make it. The last time I remember “makin’ applebutter” was “up at Ann and Alfreds”, Sandra’s parents’ home. I think it was Ann and Alfred, Randall and Sandra, Aunt Mary and Uncle Milton, and possibly Doris and Alton.
Now, most of the ladies who knew how to make applebutter have passed away. It has becoming a “lost art”! But when the weather starts to get cooler and the leaves begin to turn colors and fall from the trees, my thoughts turn to Browningsville, MD and applebutter makin!! I can still close my eyes and remember the sights and SMELLS of that annual tradition!
I like to carry on that tradition as well! There is nothing better than homemade rolls with applebutter!

Old Fashioned Applebutter
(Beverly Duerksen)
(adjusted from the original recipe used at
Bethesda United Methodist Church in Browningsville MD)

Apples - enough to make 1 gallon sauce
Core and pare apples. Cook down to sauce.
Place sauce in roaster, in 350 oven.
Add ½ cup sugar per cup of sauce (8 cups/1 gallon sauce), reserving 2 cups to add later mixed with the spices.
Cook for a while until bubbly (I start in morning and cook till after lunch)
Mix the reserved 2 cups of sugar with:
2 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon ground cloves
Add sugar/spices to boiling sweetened sauce and cook until thickened.
(Time depends on how juicy the sauce was)
Dip up into sterilized jars and seal. It’s safe to let them seal on their own since the apple butter is boiling hot, but I usually put jars in pressure canner just to insure tight seal, though it’s not necessary. Yield 7 ½ - 8 pints.

Quick Recipe
(For those who don’t have access to fresh apples --- or are too lazy to prepare the apples! Ha!)
Open a gallon can of prepared sweetened applesauce and put in large crock pot. Add 2 cups sugar mixed with spices (above) and cook all day or all night and day. Spoon into jars! Seal!

A Ride of Faith

Two weeks ago, Paul and I went to see our oldest son, Ben. Since he had a couple days off from work, we asked him what he would like to do while we were there. He said that since we never took him to an amusement park when he was little,he would like to go to Cliff's Amusement Park! And. . . if we went, we would have to ride the rides with him! Not realizing that we had deprived him of a childhood dream, we thought we better indulge him and go. But, after we said "sure, let's go", we thought more about what we'd agreed to do! We started getting cold feet, and wanted to back out. "Were the rides as wild as they say they are?" "Will our bodies (not to mention our hearts!)be strong enough to take the trauma?" "We're in our 50's! We're too old to do this!" Fear and trepidation began to set in! But, any of you out there who have ever had kids, know that once you commit, you better be ready to follow through! So. . . off we went to Cliffs - 2 very nervous, gray-haired 50=somethings and one very strong and muscular 25 year old, who had been through Army boot camp and a tour in Iraq! To him this was a piece of cake! He smiled as he watched his ol' mom and dad walk to the ticket gate, knowing what was in store for us that day! The first ride, at first looked harmless enough -- that is, until we got a closer look. It was a circular contraption with seats attach firmly (hopefully!) around the perimeter. When the wheel began to move, the seats went around and around with it. "Oh, this won't be too bad, right? It's like a ferris wheel. We can do this! So, we got on and the young attendant lowered a iron vest over our shoulders and lap. "Oh no, this isn't good," I thot! It was then we realized that at the top we would be UPSIDE DOWN, and this was to prevent us from falling out! Well, it was too late to back out now, so off we went, around and around, faster and faster! All I could do was close my eyes and pray. Paul nearly lost his glasses, and when we thot that we couldn't hang on much longer, we slowed down and came to a stop! Mercifully, we found our legs and were able to walk away from it all. But it was only to be confronted with the next ride - "The Rattler". We heard screaming and saw kids flying past us on a roller coaster fit only for the young and restless! Paul said, "I'm taking my glasses off for this one." I sat on my hat. Ben just laughed! After we were barred in, a young lady started the ride. Now, I'm sure the view from up that high must have been spectacular, but we were moving so fast and jerking so violently, whipping this way and that, no person in their right mind would have appreciated it, much less have seen it! Besides, I had my eyes closed the whole time (praying out loud, of course) I looked over at Paul and he had his eyes closed too. He told me to be quiet. "Don't talk any more. I need to concentrate!" After what seemed like an eternity we rounded the last sharp turn and flew down the incline and the coaster slowed down. We couldn't wait to get off! Ben and I got out and we stood there waiting for Paul. He was still in his seat. His lap bar was stuck and he couldn't get out. We thought he would have to ride the course again, but the attendant came to his rescue and released him. After having endured those first two rides, we felt we could handle anything. Little did we know which ride Ben had in mind next---"The Cliff Hanger". Paul quickly bowed out and so as not to break our promise to Ben, I bravely said I would go with him. We buckled ourselved into our seats---bars across our shoulders and lap. The attendant went around 3 times and checked to make sure we were were fastened securely in our seats, and then the ride began. Slowly we were transported straight up this tall pole-like structure, until we were at least 10 stories high! Of course, my eyes were tightly closed the whole vertical trip! I wanted to get off, but it was too late. Up and up we went. I received no comfort from my oldest son. He said, "I don't like heights. Oh this is bad." When I am sure we were up in the midst of the clouds we stopped. Here it comes, said Ben. Before I could even catch my breath, we plunged down to the ground at lightning speed. My heart was in my throat, my hair stood on end, and my sitter was NOT in the seat! As I saw my life flash before me, I prepared to meet my Maker! And then we stopped, inches from the ground. I opened my eyes, and caught my breath! I'm alive, I thought! It's a miracle! If I hadn't been so grateful to be alive I would have wondered what all those young people around us were thinking when they saw a pale 52 year old woman staggering off the Cliff Hanger. I now knew why we had NEVER taken our kids to amusement parks when they were younger!
I won't bore you with any of the other rides we went on. Suffice it to say that they too were hair-raising---at least for middle aged folks who are only used to the thrill and excitement of fishing at Clayton Lake State Park! After about 2 hours at the park Ben informed us that he had had enough. I'm sure he was thoroughly embarrassed to be at an amusement park, accompanied by his parents, who were aging more and more by the minute! But as I reflect on our adventures at Cliffs I am reminded of the importance of FAITH in our lives. It took a LOT of faith for Paul and I to ride those wild rides at the amusement park. We had to have faith in the machinery that operated the rides. We had to trust that they would run safely and properly, stay on their tracks and stop when they needed to stop. Sure, we were apprehensive and even afraid, but in the back of our minds, we knew they must be safe, or else they wouldn't allow people to ride them. It's the same with faith, and our ride through life with Jesus Christ. Sometimes the ride can be scary. We encounter twists and turns in our life, and we can't see where we are going. We feel like we are falling, but in the back of our minds, we know who is in control! We know that Jesus is there and he won't let us fall. He will guard and protect us at every twist and turn. He walks beside us in the journey of life. When things get rough, he carries us. We can and we should trust him. If we are trusting enough to risk life and limb at the hand of man-made machinery at an amusement park, how much more should we trust a Savior who loved us enough to die on the cross to save us from eternal death?

The Family of Christ

Que maravilla es tener una familia (How wonderful to have a family)
Una familia en Cristo Jesus (A family in Jesus Christ!)
Que maravilla es tener una familia (How wonderful to have a family)
Una familia en Cristo Jesus (A family in Jesus Christ!)
Una familia unida (A united family)
Una familia real (A real, genuine family)
Una familia que ama (A family that loves)
Una familia celestial (A heavenly family)

Vol 5 Beautiful Honduras

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Vol 4 Building Relationships

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Vol 3 Activities and Sightseeing

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Vol 2 The Work Team at Work

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Vol 1 Tour of El Sembrador

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Honduras Mission Trip Overview

Make a Smilebox slideshow

The Journey Home (Saturday)

Breakfast was at 8:00. At 9:15 we loaded our luggage into the mission van and headed to the airport. Check-in went smoothly and after saying our goodbyes we headed to our gate to await our flight. It seemed like just yesterday that we were arriving in Honduras! We are already talking of another trip next summer---but next time we need to stay 2 weeks! One week is just too short!
Our flight left on time and we arrived in Houston at 4 central time. We had a long layover so some of the group wanted to eat at Poppadeaux. I wasn't really hungry enough for a big and expensive meal (and I wasn't too fond of eating at a place with a bar), so Ted, Travis, Patty, Jeff and I headed off to find a more suitable place to eat. Travis wanted a hamburger, so we chose Ruby's. I had a good visit and "debriefing" with Ted. I am so glad he and Travis came! Everyone had a great time. Ted and Travis' flight was to leave at 7:20 from Terminal C, so at 6 we headed to their gate. We said our goodbyes then headed off to find our gate in terminal B . Jeff and Kate had already headed that way and Patty and I met up with them on the Tram. Since we still had plenty of time til our 9:15 flight we decided to stay on the tram and right the full circuit before getting off at Terminal B! Was fun! Our flight took off on time for Midland and we arrived around 10:30. Cooper and Scott went to get the church van and Cooper's van, and the rest of us collected our baggage. All present and accounted for we loaded in the vans and headed back to Artesia, arriving at the church at 1:30 a.m.!
A full and rewarding week!
Thanks Lord for EVERYTHING you taught us. Give us many opportunities to share with others what we experienced on this mission trip! Help them to catch our excitement over what You are doing at Escuela El Sembrador--Donald Hawk! And help us to be ready to GO again, as You provide the way!

Our Last Day in Honduras

Friday was bittersweet---our last full day in Honduras. We were joyous for the privilege of serving, but sad that it was all coming to an end!

After breakfast we stripped the sheets off of our beds and took them and our towels to the laundry room. We packed our bags, and boarded the big yellow bus one last time for our journey to Tegucigalpa. Little did we know that our adventure was NOT over! About 20 minutes outside Juticalpa (about 45 min. from Catacamas), the emergency warning light came on and started buzzing. Travis stopped the bus and openned the hood. The was over heating and we could hear the water bubbling and boiling! The fan belt looked okay but the fan was not turning. There are lots of mountains so it puts a real strain on vehicles! Travis took us back to Juticalpa. He arranged for 2 men to come from the farm and pick up the bus and take it back to repair it. We stayed in Juticalpa, ate lunch at Chester's and then at 12:30 boarded a city bus for Tegucigalpa---the fanciest bus I had ever seen---a Mercedes Benz! There were curtains at the window. You couldn't even see where you were going, with the curtains closed. You would've thought you were in an airplane. There was a stewardess! She came around with cups of water for us (we didn't partake, because the water is not safe for "tourists"). Half way she came around again with cokes and sandwiches. I just drank a Sprite! Fancy!!!!! I couldn't help but think of the huge contrast that this trip was compared to me and my dad's journey from the capital to Catacamas, back in 1972! At that time the roads were NOT paved between the two cities. We boarded a city bus in Teguc, early in the morning and rode around the capital for at least an hour picking up passengers! Then we began the SLOW journey to Catacamas, stopping at every town inbetween, with NO bathroom stops. Halfway through the journey, the bus stopped in a town (maybe it was Juticalpa?, I don't remember). Everyone got off the bus, and we asked Ted where they were going. He said they were going to get something to eat. We stayed on the bus, and Ted brought us a coke! After the "rest stop" (but still no bathroom breaks!) we continued our dusty journey to Catacamas! We were sitting up front and the bus driver had the door open for air. The dust was flying everywhere, in and out of the bus. When we finally arrived in Catacamas 14 HOURS later my dad went in the bus station to use the bathroom. When he returned, he said, "Bev, hold it a little longer. Don't use the bathroom here!" I did, cause I thot, "I've held it for this long, surely I can for a little longer! Surely we're almost at the farm!"

And now, here we are riding in luxary to Teguc, in a bus with a bathroom aboard! Times certainly have changed, even though it now takes 4 hours to go 150 miles!



We arrived at the WGM guesthouse around 4. Travis then took us to a big hotel in Teguc, where there were some souvenir shops. The place he had wanted to take us was closed, since we got there so late. We all enjoyed parusing the shops and buying a few things for ourselves and our families. We didn't need any of it, but it was nice to take home a momento of our time in Honduras. The most meaningful sounvenirs we bought though , were those we got at El Sembrador---the beautifully carved wooden items (pictures, napkin holders, cutting boards) that the boys made.

After a time of shopping Travis and Lori took us to a very fancy restaurant! Golden table clothes and napkins. I got the best fish fillet I had ever had----and I'm not even a fish eater! Topped with lots of garlic, herbs and butter. To top of that huge meal they took us to Baskin Robbins for icecream! Not typical Honduran, but a fun "American" way to end an adventurous day! At the guesthouse we gathered for our final group devotional time together. We invited Travis and Lori (and Verle) to join us. We shared some reflections on our time in Honduras, and also gave Travis and Lori another opportunity to share with us and answer questions. We closed with a prayer time and then most of us turned if for the night. Some of the younger ones stayed up and visited. Scott slept on a hammock for the night!



I give God thanks and praise for our time at El Sembrador! What a wonderful group of people I had the privilege of working with! We labored with our hands, formed relationships, learned a little Spanish, bonded as brothers and sisters, saw God at work, and were blessed beyond measure! All of us felt that God had given US so much more than we were able to give in return. I guess that's how it is in life with Christ. Our hearts have been "strangely warmed" by all the love and joy that we experienced at El Sembrador. Truely, seeds are being sown daily at Escuela El Sembrador, and it was a privelege to go and see first hand how God is using willing servants (Hondurans and missionaries) to prepare young men for ministry, jobs, and families---and to be a small part of helping the Sower sow seeds for the eternal Kingdom.

Workday #4 (Thursday) and Sightseeing

Ted, Travis, Patty, and I had a treat on Thursday morning after breakfast. Ted's brother Tom had flown in from El Salvador to work with the farmers from the states. He gave us a tour of the farm from the air in his little plane! Wow! What a beautiful sight to see it all from the air!

The de-tiling project was complete!!!! Scott and Katelyn celebrated by sliding down the rails used for sliding the tiles off the roof!

We started a new job on Thursday morning. We removed all the screen and window frames from the windows on the boys dorm. The Lord was really looking after us this morning, especially Peyton. Cooper, Peyton and Rhiny were taking the metal grates of the some end windows. Peyton was using a grinder and the blade broke or came loose and it cut his arm. Fortunately it wasn't too deep---only a superficial wound. Cooper and Linda went with him over to the clinic and the doctor was IN. That in itself was a miracle because she owns a pharmacy in Catacamas and she is usually there! She cleaned him up and put one stitch in his arm, then bandaged it and wrapped it in an ace wrap to protect it. He came back to work. It could have been very bad, but we thank the Lord for his protection!

Linda and Kate painted the metal railings in the raftors.

After the windows were complete Cooper, Scott and Jeff got up in the rafters and began kicking down the hallway ceiling. We moved the boards to saw horses and began hammering the nails out of them. They don't waste anything! They reuse the boards for more remodeling. (They were going to sell the tiles cheaply to those who needed them. We found out that the housekeeper at the conference center, Juni, was is bad need of a roof on her house. She wanted some of the tiles, so they worked out a deal with her where they took the cost of the tiles out of her pay each week. She was SO HAPPY that she would finally have a good roof on her house!)

Looking back over the week, we were able to accomplish a lot! We removed approximately 12,000 tiles from the other 1/2 of the boys dorm that they are remodeling, we disassembled bunk beds, cleaned out rooms of miscellaneous trash and items, removed screens and window, and demolished the ceiling in the dorm. The younger guys were so fulfilled---it had been their life long dream to be on a demolition crew and DESTROY something! What an adrenaline rush it was for them to KICK down the ceiling boards!

Since our "work" was complete (at least to a stopping point and waiting for the next work team set to arrive on June 20!)), Travis and Lori wanted us to see some of the beauty of Honduras and experience some of it's rich culture. After lunch, we boarded the big yellow bus again and went to Catacamas to see "Las Cuevas de Talagua" (The Caves of the Talagua - the river that runs through the state of Olancho, where the farm is) They were very interesting, though not as big or deep down as Carlsbad Caverns. The unique thing about them was that there was RUSHING water swirling around the trail as we entered! There were "live" stalagmites and stalatites. Little Travis didn't think he'd seen enough of the cave so on our way out he darted up an incline to a "prohibited" area of the cave. As soon as he fled, Verle ran off too, closely followed by "Big" Travis and Johnathan (all in the guise of "rescuing" Travis and Verle! ) After about 20 minutes of "exploring" the deep secrets of Las Cuevas de Talagua (and the remaining group trying to explain to our tour guide in broken Spanish, why 4 guys - one of whom is our leader ---went into a prohibited area of the cave!) they returned unharmed and jovial! This "fearful" leader was relieved, to say the least, that she did not have to pay a fine or produce bail for 4 jailed Americanos! Head hanging low, I couldn't exit the cave quick enough. As soon as we got back down to the entrance gate I saw Patty and an armed soldier! I thot sure we were done for, until she smiled and asked me to take a picture of her with the soldier! I did and we quickly boarded the bus. It had been raining so we were wet---but what else is new in Honduras where the humidity is 200%! Instead of going back to El Sembrador to dry off, we opted to go see a huge cross atop a mountain, within Catacamas. It had 575 steps leading to the top, so some of us climbed up! It gave a beautiful view of Catacamas! I'm wondering if, at Easter, the Catholics reenact Jesus' journey to the cross by climbing up those steps!


(By the way, I "paid" for that climb 2 and 3 days later when my calves were so sore I could barely walk! Ugh!)

For supper, Travis and Lori, Anna and Allison, treated us to a typical Honduran meal at El

I got the beefsteak (very good) and others got chicken, or fish (head, eyes, tail fin too!) Along with the meat was beans (red, not black as I had remembered in my previous trip in the 70's!), fried platanos, french fries, and salad. I enjoyed a Fresca for my drink!

We got back to the farm around 6 or 6:30. The younger boys (under 16) played fast soccor again---part of the competitions for the Day of the School. Once again we rooted for our teams ----mine was Red. They didn't do so well this time ---losing to the green team by a score of 6 - 2 (?). The M&M's didn't seem to have the same effect this time! Must have been because I gave them out to anyone who wanted them!

A great ending to a full day!!!!

The Tile Count

When we finished removing and stacking all those tiles, Donna, Patty and I counted our tiles and rows to get an estimate of how many tiles were removed and stacked! We told Verle and he said that he needed an accurate written accounting of it! Ha! So. . . I thought it would be fun to give him one at supper on Wednesday evening! Here is our account!

North Side 5400 tiles - stacked in flower formation around yon tree

South Side 150 tiles/row x 32 rows = 4600 tiles - stacked in 32 neat rows - alternating narrow up/narrow down

TOTAL S 5400 + 4600 = 10,000 tiles removed and stacked + 2,000 breakage =

GRAND TOTAL 12,000 tiles

We, the undersigned declare that the above information is the truth - the whole truth and nothing but the truth. If for some reason we are found guilty of false reporting, chalk it up to the extreme heat and humidity and the trauma caused to us by our boss when he went into a primal rage at the sight of a possum.

Signed by each member of the team according to their job

REMOVERS

Cooper Henderson

Katelyn Harris

Peyton Yates

Linda Yates

Scott Gray

Seth Menefee

Johnathan Johnson

Jeff Heidenreich

Rhiny Williams

STACKERS

Donna Williams

Patty Heidenreich

Beverly Duerksen

Workday # 3 (Wednesday)

Breakfast was pancakes and sausage! Mmmmm! Good! Back to work on the roof. We knew we could finish it! Travis and Seth were feeling a little puny, so they took it a little easier in the morning. After lunch there was an award's program for the boys. Linda, Peyton, Seth and Johnathan went to it. Cooper, Rhiny, Scott, Kate, Donna, Patty, Jeff, and I kept plugging away at the roof tiles! We finally finished in the afternoon!

We went and got cleaned up and then some of the group walked down to the soccor field to watch the boys and the school employees play soccor.

There was church that evening. The ladies went, but the men stayed behind and had there own devotional on the porch of the conference building. They broke up into small groups so we ladies went to the same class we went to on Sunday. The lesson was a continuation of what we had in Sunday School. We had been singing a song"Que maravilla es tener una familia. . ." and the teacher asked if anyone could sing it alone. No one responded so she asked us all to sing it together, without looking at the words. We began, and then the Honduran girls couldn't remember the words, so we Americanas finished it! Everyone laughed because we knew the song and they didn't. At the end of the class we all got to pick out a pretty picture that had a Bible verse on it. We are glad we went to show support and friendship to the girls. It was a good class.

After church the boys watched the soccor game between Honduras and El Salvador. Scott and the other boys walked down to the big screen on the school patio to see it. The rest of us sat on the porch and visited. Travis and Lori came by and visited with us and we made plans for the next day when we would visit some caves in the afternoon.

Work Day #2 (Tuesday)

Up at 5:30 and off to the kitchen at 6:00 for KP duty!!!! At about 7:40 all but Donna and I headed back down to the boys dorm to resume our tile removal and stacking! Donna and I stayed behind in the kitchen and made 162 chocolate and plain cupcakes for a birthday party for the boys tonight! Others will decorate them this afternoon! When we finished baking (hot work!) we went to continue helping with the stacking of tiles! Our flower was beginning to look pretty good! The work went faster because the men now had wheelbarrows! Soon after lunch we finished that side of the roof!!!!!!!! We realized there was ANOTHER side so we moved around there to begin! There was a overhanging bodega or patio on the other side that was about to fall down, so Verle (whom I had been calling Berle all week!) kicked it down. As soon as the wood hit the ground out ran a small possum. Katelyn said, "Aw, a possum!" Scott said "I never heard the word 'Aw' and 'possum' in the same sentence!" Immediately, Verle turned into a primal madman and went after it with a 2X4! Johnathan soon followed and they beat the life out of the poor creature. It never knew what hit him! Donna said, "Oh don't kill him!" It was too late!

This time instead of stacking the tiles around a tree we began stacking them by a brick wall. They got about 1/4 of the roof done by the time the 4:40 bell rang!

Linda, Kate, and Donna stopped early to go get cleaned up and ice the cupcakes for the party after supper.

After another delicious supper of arroz con pollo, some of the men took down the tables and set up chairs for the party. They met in our dining hall of the conference center. They were celebrating the boys with birthdays over the last 3 months I believe. They started by singing several praise songs, one of which we knew (in English), "Trading my Sorrows!" Then they had a couple of games. In the first game, about 20 boys paired off and they put a balloon between their chests and they were to pop it on the count of "Uno, Dos, Tres". For the second game the boys paired off again and a word was taped on each boys' back. They had their hands tied behind their backs also. There were to try to look at the word on their partners back and read what it said. They had fun and concluded the evening with cupcakes and coke, and a goodie bag of candy and treats for the birthday boys.

It was another great day!

Our Work Begins!

We awoke on Monday ready to get to work! Patty asked me at breakfast if I felt an earth tremor last night. It took me a while to fall asleep, but I guess I slept soundly because I felt nothing. Travis said there was a tremor about 11:15 or 11:30!

Another group of 5 farmer business men arrived last night. They were to work and help with the operation of the farm. They were from different churches in the states. A couple of them knew each other. They worked with Moises, the Honduran in charge of the farm. They shared meals with us, and were very friendly! (Tom, Don, Jim, Jerry, ? and Jim's grandaughter, Carissa)

We had French toast, bacon, fruit (watermelon, grapes, and mangos), and cereal for breakfast. Mmmm good! After our devotional Donna and I did a little laundry. We met Travis in front of the conference center at 8:00, for a very informative walking tour of the farm. We learned a lot about this 2000 acre farm that is home to about 83 boys and 17 Bible Institute students! So much info---hope we can remember it all! We toured the vocational school (woodcarving, furniture making, welding, industrial mechanics, and agriculture, etc.) As we were going in the boys dorm to look around we heard a loud noise---sounded like a gun shot. It was! They had killed a water buffalo! Soon we saw the front end loader coming up the road with water buffalo in tow! They were heading to the slaughter house to cut him up for meat for the boys in the days ahead!

Then we got on the yellow school bus and Travis showed us the jungle and fields surrounding the farm---a herd of water buffalo and a group of howler monkeys, high up in the trees of the jungle. They even grunted for us---a big sound for the size of monkey. Sounded like a gorilla! Travis also showed us a cocoa bean pod. I had no idea that's what it looked like. It was a large yellow oval shaped pod, a little bigger than one of the footballs the cheerleaders throw into the crowds at a fb game. Travis cut it open with a pocket knife and let us "taste" the cocoa seeds inside. They had fruity flesh, similar to a pomegranate, around the large seed, about the size of the end of your little finger. The cocoa part inside the seed is bitter (so he says) and looks like a raisin. I thot a cocoa bean was similar to coffee beans!

After lunch we went to work. We worked on 1/2 of the boys dorm that they are remodeling. Half is nearly done, and boys are living there. We began by emptying the rooms on the other half, of all the bunk beds and misc furniture items. We took apart the beds, and arranged all the stuff in one room on the remodeled side. They are going to put triple decker beds in the "new" rooms, along with a metal locker for the boys' belongings, and a desk.

After we emptied the rooms we moved outside to begin removing tiles from the roof. Katelyn and Linda were first on the roof (because they were the smallest). They cleared some of the tiles, and slid them down 2 metal poles. The men caught them and brought them to Donna, Patty and I, and we stacked them around a big tree. Soon, Scott and Johnathan got up on the roof too, and they passed the tiles to one another and Katelyn slid them down the poles, until they cleared one section from top to bottom. Cooper, Peyton, Seth, Rhiny and Jeff, carried stacks of about 6 tiles to us and we continued stacking them around the tree. They got 1/4 of the roof de-tiled on Monday.

At 4:30 we stopped and showered before supper at 5:30. After supper the boys played fast soccor. We all wore our team shirts (red, yellow, green or blue) and rooted for our team. I rooted for the red team. We were at a disadvantage, because we played yellow, and Lori was the captain for the Y team and she gathered them together prior to the game and they had pray. My team was captain-less. There was no one to encourage them. They were behind at the beginning of the game, so I went to my room and got some M&M's that I brot with me and I gave them to all the red players as encouragement! Must have worked, cause they WON!!!!!!!

After the game we went over to Travis and Lori's house for banana splits and a sharing time.

A good day of learning and work!

Sunday at El Sembrador

The days begin early at El Sembrador. Each morning the bell rings at 5:40, and the boys get up and get ready for breakfast at 6:00. But on Sundays they can sleep a little longer. On Sundays breakfast was at 7 . . . and for US it was at 7:30. (Every other day our breakfast was served at 6:30!) The men took care of cleaning up after supper on Saturday night, so us ladies decided to give them the day off and do the prep and cleanup. Monday started our schedule of KP duty for every team member! The cook for our team was a sweet young lady named Andy (pronounced Aundy). Lori had taught her American recipes, and she did a GREAT job keeping our bellies full of delicious food!

At 9:30 we went to the chapel for singing time. Then they divided up into classes for Sunday school. Patty, Katelyn and I went to the girl's class. They were mostly Bible School students. It was taught by David and Raquel---he teaches in the Bible Institute and also is in charge of it. It was a good class on the family ---Genesis 2:24,25. "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother an be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." Three points to his lesson - illustration of a stool. It can't stand on 1 or 2 legs---needs a third for support. A man is the head of the family---he must LEAVE his mother and father and CLEAVE to his wife and be UNIFIED physically and spirituall.

Worship in the chapel followed Sunday School. Though we didn't know the language we sensed God's presence very clearly. We felt a common bond, because we are Christians. My Spanish is weak, but it came back to me a little bit so I was able to pick of some words and phrases and ideas of the sermon. It was a joyous time of worship.

We had lunch with the boys in their dining hall. Each boy is responsible for his own bowl or plate and spoon and cup. He brings them to each meal and then takes them out to the faucet and cleans them. We packed up plates and cups and forks for us to use at the meal with the boys. We spread out and sat with them at their tables, and enjoyed a delicious meal of fried chicken, slaw, and tortillas! Linda and I sat at a table with 6 other boys, two were named Darwin and Santiago. Those two were good natured about our broken Spanish and we enjoyed talking with them. One funny incident occured when I asked Darwin what foods he liked to eat and if they helped out in the kitchen. I told them some of the foods we liked to eat, one of which is asado, made from pork. I couldn't remember the word for pork, so I said "Como se dice ___(and I snorted like a pig)___". They burst into laughter and said "cerdo" - pig. I"m sure they thought I was "una Senora muy loca"!

After lunch Travis, Cooper, Seth, Jeff, Jonathan and Scott took the footballs we brought and went out to the soccor field to play football with the boys. They threw the ball around for a while and then taught them some of the basics of American football. They played touch football for a while. The boys caught on quickly and gave "our football guys" and the coach a "run for their money". No score was kept, but I think the Hondurans won!!!!! They all had a good time

Supper was pizza, salad, and cookies, at 4:45---early due to evening church. We had a rousing singing time. Our group even got up and sang "I've Got the Joy Down in my Heart"---3 verses in English and the last time in Spanish!!! I even introduced us in Spanish!

After church the boys played volleyball. Seth, Jeff, Johnathan, and Kate joined in. At 8:30 the bell rang for the boys to go to their dorm and get ready for bed. We met as a team for sharing/devotional time. It was a great day, though we all felt like we were receiving much more than we were able to give. The language barrier was difficult. We were anxious to start to work with our hands on Monday!