Day 2 in Honduras

We woke this morning to wind and rain. It didn’t stop Michelle from taking a run on the beach. After breakfast we were told we would be picked up at 9-ish for church. In Honduras, 9-ish means after 10am (just in case you who want to know how local time works).

Church was quite an experience. I fully expected to not understand a word that was said. However, the church’s (not Honduras, just this church specifically) first language is English and they translate into Spanish. The key leaders who started the church came from the island of Roatan, and their first language is English. That doesn’t mean we understood it all, mind you.

For those of you who think the music is loud at Dayspring, you should take a trek to this church. At Dayspring we shoot to have our loudest music peak at around 95 decibels. Larry speaks at about 88 decibels on a mic. At church this morning, the talking was 100 decibels, and the music averaged 107 decibels. Loud concerts run around 105 decibels. Suffice to say, even my ears were tired by the end of the service.

But what a service. We recognized several of the songs: Here I am to Worship, I Give You My Heart, Draw Me Close and a couple of others. I had never heard of the hymns before today. There were sung so fast that in my hymnal I could either follow the words or the melody line, but never both. I found that if I made Josh hold the hymnal I could still clap with the rest of the worshipers and at least look like I knew what I was doing.

One elderly woman held a shofar-like horn, and blew it whenever she liked something that was played or said…whether it was on key or off. Another lady in the congregation had a set of maracas that she played as they sang. The message was the second one that the elder, a young man just entering ministry, had ever spoken. It was enthusiastically presented in Spanish, interpreted by his wife (I think). Very emotionally delivered.

After church we returned to the hotel to eat lunch. We had a new driver, Nugget. He’s a little calmer of a driver than Emilio (though we aren’t supposed to tell Emilio that!). Felicia, a hygiene leader, also joined us for the two-hour drive to Saba where we checked into our new home for the next few days. No surprise. DeeDee decided to take a nap while we relaxed before our meeting tonight at 6pm (it is her first one for the trip, for the record).

Tonight we found out that we will be drilling in Nueve Mendes. They anticipate that our well will need to go 160-180 feet to reach an aquifer.

We’ll let you know more tomorrow.