Dun Dun Dun-Dun...

Today seems like the first day since Wednesday that I have been able to exhale, relax, and take it easy. As I wrote you last, I was discussing the difficulty that it would be for me to finish out the school year and be back in time for the wedding. Everything went according to plan, which was fantastic, but it was tiring none the less.

After my student's kindergarten graduation, I said a sad goodbye to Melvin at the bus station, rode on a bus for 5 hours, and arrived at the Mennonite Central Committee office at 11:00pm to await a mattress upon the floor that I was going to sleep on. It was the most beautiful bed I think I had ever seen. I slept for about 4 hours, woke up, took a shower (since San Pedro Sula is super hot and there was no ceiling fan or AC), and caught a taxi at 4:30 am to go to the airport. I hopped on my flight, was greeted at the airport by my dad, and went straight to the church to help my overstressed mom make the final preparations and decorations for the rehearsal dinner the next day. I think I squeezed a trip into Target sometime that day, but it was all a blur and I didn't buy a thing because I was so exhausted. For those of you who know me well, Target is the #2 of things that I miss while being in Honduras, with #1 being family and friends. For me not to buy a thing you KNOW I was exhausted. After my Thursday night Target run, my mom and I headed over to her friends house to get her hair dyed that night and to bring over the food that she was going to help prepare for the rehearsal dinner. We stayed for awhile, with me being delirious, and I returned to my parent's house to find it full of cousins that I have not seen in YEARS. I could not go to bed at that point, and I somehow managed to muster the strength and back-up reserve socialness to hang out with them for yet another couple of hours. I think it was 2 am when I finally went to bed, and I slept in on Friday until almost 11. I cannot remember the last time I did that.

Friday was rehearsal dinner, which was such a special time. I was very appreciative for my mom's 3 good friends who helped her out tremendously in serving 35 people. I normally help out my mom with all parties and social events that she puts on, but with the school year going so late and me coming in the earliest that I could, I did not help her before the event took place. So, if you're reading this ladies, THANK YOU SO MUCH for all of the hard work! We then proceeded to roast the bride and groom with stories about Gary (or whether you better know him as Gay Bear or Gall Pupohase) and Katie, who I myself do not know super well since they started dating after I was moved out and living in St. Augustine.

Saturday was the big day! We woke up early, took my mom to get her hair done, then we headed off for free make-overs with some friends we knew who worked at the cosmetics counter at Dillards. With no time to spare, we headed to the church, got dressed, and as soon as my zipper was up it seemed like family and friends were at the door. By far, my favorite part of the wedding was seeing so many members of my family all at one occasion, at one time. Since I have been away from Vero Beach now for 6 years (2 of those years being out of the country) there have been many cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. etc. who I have not seen for quite some time. I enjoyed every moment of it, and I really enjoyed having the freedom to walk around and not be tied down to any bridesmaid duties. Plus, I had an excuse to buy a really fantastic little black dress instead of the mandatory bridesmaid uniform! --Melvin, if you are reading this, please make an occasion in which I can wear this dress again! I promise you won't regret it :) --

We ate, we danced, we we all were weirded out together that my little brother is getting married. Here are some pictures of the wedding, and I promise to add more as they start filtering in. If any readers out there have some of their own that they would like to share, I can add them to my blog.

The question now is, what am I going to do for the rest of my month here???

Enjoy and God Bless.

Moi

Father of the Groom, my not-so-little brother (the Groom) and the Momma.

Mom and my fantastic Leopard-Print Grannie.

Bride & Groom

The fantastic Little Black Dress that was aforementioned above.

I mean it Melvin, we need to go out to a nice dinner or something!

Out of the chaos...

Well, it has been quite some time since I have adequately posted something updating you on my life and goings-on here in Tegus. I feel like the last month has had a theme slightly reminiscent of chaos. Today was the last day of school (read: Chaotic), and recently as many of you may have heard, there was a plane crash in Tegucigalpa in which the plane ran off the runway and onto a busy street, where it still remains 1 week after the crash (read: Really Chaotic). There have also been many hunger strikes (read: Chaotic) and then just the regular everyday life (read: Slightly less chaotic than plane crashes and hunger strikes).

My guess is that however interesting my last day of school may be, you guys are probably more interested in the plane crash and what that now entails for our precious little Toncontin International Airport. On Friday morning at about 9:00 a.m. a TACA flight coming from San Salvador to pick up more passengers in Honduras before heading to Miami ran off the runway, killing 5 people. Its amazing that only 5 died, because as you can see from the picture, the plane broke into 3 pieces, and landed on top of 3 cars on a busy highway. The casualties would have been much higher, but luckily the "bomberos" (firefighters) arrived on the scene shortly and sprayed a foam-like liquid all over the area to protect the plane from exloding from the fuel leaking from both the plane and the cars that it landed upon.

Since then, Tegucigalpa has closed the doors for its international airport, diverting all flights to San Pedro Sula (5 hours away by bus) to an airport that cannot handle twice the number of flights. So, the roads are still closed with the plane remaining in its exact spot, the capital city's airport is out of commission, the airlines are not increasing the number of flights leaving SPS, but trying to fit twice the amount of people on it, and in the meanwhile hundreds of employees of Toncontin airport are out of a job. The latest rumor is that they will never open Toncontin International again, but permanently change Palmerola Air Force Base (owned by the U.S.), located a little more than an hour outside of the city, into the new international airport. I don't know who is benefitting from that venture, but my guess is that someone in the government is making a ton of money from that decision because it is certainly not beneficial to anyone else. It is almost ridiculous to think of the capital of a country not having an airport, and the trickle down effect almost seems to have no end. How will people get to the airport? What will they do with the newly renovated Toncontin? What will that mean for mission groups coming down? What about the former employees and their families? Tourists? And all of this is off the top of my head.

From this, it slightly complicates my plans for returning to the U.S. First, I have my kindergarten graduation (once again, chaotic) on Wednesday, June 11th at 2:30. That will last about an hour and a half, which puts me at 4:00. I will then need to find a ride (hint hint: I'm trying to save money for a car!!) with my suitcases in my fancy graduation dress and heels to the bus station that is at least 40 minutes away, not counting rush-hour traffic, to catch a 5:30 bus. Hopefully I will be able to change at the bus station before my 5 hour bus ride, only then to arrive at the SPS bus station, find a taxi at 11:00 at night, go to a hotel, and wake up again at 4:00 a.m. to find another taxi to take me to the airport at 5:00 a.m. to catch my 7:30 a.m. flight.

Even with all of these complications, I am reminded how blessed I am. I am mobile. I have a credit card to cover these unpredicted life events. I have the resources to take a leisurely trip to visit my familyand watch my little brother get married. I have my health. I have family and friends. I might whine and complain a little, but I know that I am so blessed.