Readers come back!

Dear friends...this isn't the first time I've apologized for our lack of correspondence, and I'm sure it won't be the last. The last few weeks have been spent getting our head out of the sand. I think I've found my "blog voice" again. We have been spending time with friends and learning about this here place, Honduras.

Last weekend we had our first getaway since before Christmas. We drove down with five other teaching friends to an island off the Pacific coast (only 2 hours from here) and caught some rays. It was a great weekend...and we both felt that we were able to forget about school for a while. This job can suck the life out of you, and it was nice to feel revived again.

Amapala, the Island of the Tiger, was beautiful! We stayed in someone's house and enjoyed the coast for a few days. We paid a little too much to see "mangroves," which turned out to be too far in the distance to really experience, but we managed to laugh and carry on without regret. Mavis and Mike (our fellow travelers, if you remember) took a hike with us on Sunday morning to the top of the island's peak. It was a heck of hike, but worth the beautiful view (and a sore butt).

Our BIG news of the day (nope..not pregs) is that WE BOUGHT A CAR. Yep. We took the plunge, found a little Kia Sephia and bought it off a sweet missionary man who's taken good care of it. We just brought the little guy home today. He's a beaut. And the taste of freedom is just beginning.

We came here thinking that we could walk most places, as we live close to them. However, being gringos definitely attracts unwanted attention. We've not experienced anything unfortunate, but many of our fellow Honduran friends live in fear. Everyone lives behind closed doors...closed walls...tinted windows...In order to get to know folks, we needed a way to get around. And God provided, as he always does! Why do I ever doubt his goodness? My dear friend, Julie, reminded me of this very thing recently.

So....we're back. Learning to be more content, to have more grace with others (and ourselves), to love the unlovely, and to believe.

Colin relaxing in the hammock--reading non-fiction (what the heck?)

Me and fiction--a lovely combination

Mike and Mavis--postcard material, eh?

The view from the house we stayed in...

The mangroves...out in the distance...not exactly what we thought we were paying for, but I did find a few live sand dollars!

Of course! :)

You kind of have to turn your head on this one, but this is a sea ray egg. I've seen these before in shell shops, but I didn't know they weren't a relative of the sand dollar. Ya learn sumtin e'ryday.

Our water taxi for the day--and that's Amapala in the distance (currently we were picnic-ing on a deserted island...unfortunately, I left my favorite necklace to be washed away with the tide)

One of our friendly tour guides...and the belly? It's a Honduran thing.

The first hairy spider experience...right outside of our room. 

On the top of Amapala--in the background are the mangroves we really want to see someday soon.

The edge of Honduras before its islands...