Whew! And An Important Link

Ivan's leaving tomorrow morning. I was going to write about him, but Michelle did such a great tribute to him on her blog that I'll just link you up to her. She's also got a lot of intern pictures that I don't have, so look around! She started her blog just to post them, under the guidance of yours truly:)

I just switched my classes. Took a deep breath, and re-registered for fall quarter. So now I'm planning on graduating simply with an architectural degree-- structural engineering sounds awesome, but UW only offers Civil and this summer I've come to realize that these two have significant differences.
As of now it's 16-arch-credits, with
Studio (normal)
Design Theory and analysis (reading and riting class--required)
CAD and working drawings (practical computer drafting-- I'll have a head start)
Architectural Illustration (highly recommended by my counselor and probably the most challenging for me personally)

A good mix! Mix it up, mix it up... eat at Dicks, swim the Styx...

I'm going camping again this weekend, this time in the desert, and climbing an 1,000 ft. sand dune. One of the interns called it my climbing withdrawal program: climbing 4,400 ft, then 2,000 at Mr. Democrat last weekend, and now a measly 1,000 ft this weekend. And finally I'll take the train up Pike's Peak with my parents.

God bless (and I'm sorry if I'm not responding to emails... I can only use the internet at work... speaking of which...)

Back to it!

Starbucks ID

  The other day when I got coffee one of the other interns ordered a carmel machiatto.  When asked for his name, Adam unblinkingly said "Francisco."
  He's very white.  As in, he's suntanned, but very caucasian.  So the barista gave him a dubious look, but she probably would have been fired for political incorrectness if she had asked any questions so she kept her thoughts to herself.  As for myself, I managed to keep a straight face and ask him about it later.
  "It's my coffee name," he said in way of explanation.  "That or Rodrigo."

  So today at Starbucks I gave my name as Sabrina.  Unfortunately the cashier tried to get my attention a bit later and I didn't respond to "Sabrina!".  So much for being in character; I'm going to have to practice:)  Or maybe next time I'll be Bonquisha.
      (in honor of my white cousin Jill, who jokingly put "Jill Bonquisha Yoder," on a document in high school and ended up being announced as "Jill Bonquisha Yoder" during her graduation ceremony) 

Open House

Today is the eMi Open House from 4-7. If any of ya'll happen to be in Colorado Springs this fine evening you should stop by! We'll have Mediterranean hors d' oeuvres! As we speak work desks and conference tables are being magically transformed into serving platforms (with computers stashed underneath!), Michelle is rigging up an intern picture slide show, and Will is blasting 80's classics from New Kids on the Block, MC Hammer, and 'the Danger zone' from Top Gun. While Kristina the secretary exclaims "Are you confusing the Open House with a party?"

Last night the Linquists (John and Sharon) had Ivan, Ho-Jun, Jenni and I over for dinner and we sat around the dinner table until almost 10 o clock talking! How often does that happen in our fast-paced world?
The night before Michelle and Jenni cooked for us, making 8 kinds of food from stuffed potatoes to Basil chicken! It was the biggest feast I've taken part in a while-- M and J had taken the day off and spent the entire afternoon cooking!
So while I'm a little stocked up with food at Jeni's condo, I haven't had much chance lately to cook for myself lately! 

  Cut and paste this into Word, then change the font to decode it!

  I think that I've figured out what to do in the immediate future:  graduate next year with a combination of artistic and technical electives, work for awhile in Seattle, then do grad school in a more practically focused architectural program.  I've heard San Luis Obispo and Moscow Idaho are good for that, and looking at their websites, I got kinda excited.  Then again, it would be pretty awesome to go to Scotland or something for grad school, but we'll see... God is so good at bringing crazy wonderful things like eMi in at just the right moment, that I don't know what will happen!

Random pictures with Snippets!

Here's some of us a couple of weeks ago at
Cowboys, the cowboy bar. Adam's looking kinda bored with the line dancing, Michelle and I are cute as usual, and if you look right in the middle you can see Ivan doing his scary wolverine look.

This is a really awesome picture of
all the interns (except Dave and I, cuz we weren't there yet) in the office. In order from left to right:
Ho Jun, Adam, Jeni, Matthew, Will, Ivan, Michelle.

We went miniature golfing on the track called "the cave." Most of the holes were par 2 things, though, with kinda boring layouts, except for: the cave! Hence the name. Good times with Michelle getting almost hole-in-one's on half her shots (bouncing off the rim) and me demonstrating mad putting skilz

This isWill. Oh yeah, Blue Steel.

During the murder mystery night, we were all accusing each other.

Intense concentration and competition occurred during the making of the puzzle. You had to be on your toes, or else someone might snatch all your pieces away!

From the balcony, you can see the desks of me (with my project leader John) and Jenni (with her project leader Rex)

Ivan with his bird. Great picture.

And a cute one of Jeni and Michelle, and a goofy one of Michelle and me! Those girls really like to take pictures in the car, you don't know the half of it. Or maybe I should say the tenth of it?

Okay... time for some work. I love stealing pictures from Matthew and Jenni-- their archives are mine for the borrowing! Woo-hoo! Maybe you'll see some of mine next time.

More Wilderness Adventures!

  I headed out Saturday morning as I have the past few weekends-- again early in the morning and again towards the mountains. 
  This rafting trip was different in that this time we were paddling.  It made the trip much more exciting-- responding quickly to the commands from Will and occasionally scraping rocks because we weren't fast enough.  Being nerds, we spent a large portion of the trip discussing why a person would float down the river faster than a raft (we decided more surface area to volume) and other scientific matters with Danna the intern director pulling up equations with lots of V's and Q's in them.  The other boat disagreed-- they said that more friction was created because more surface area was submerged, and that overall volume didn't matter.  So we splashed them thoroughly.
   Overnight, we camped at 12,000 ft. in a valley between the mountains we planned to climb the next day.  The chili we ate was the best I've ever had.  We were rugged in that we filtered our own water ("fresh from the mountain springs!") and slept in below freezing weather!  Fortunately I was wearing three layers of clothing, two sleeping bags, and Jenni's and Michelle's body heat, so I was okay!  The hard part was waking up at five, brushing the snow off the table to eat breakfast, then starting to climb! 
   I did my second 14er, Mr. Democrat.  I can see why people try to climb all of the rockies-- it was completely different than Mr. Elbert.  We forded streams, and the view and terrain were so majestically beautiful and unique.  Didn't stay at the top too long, as the wind chill made it about 20 degrees up there, but then again this climb was half as long so I wasn't nearly so worn out.  We prayed and read a psalm, then headed down. 
   Why so people inconvenience themselves with camping?  I think that it makes you feel more alive.  You experience the extremes of heat and cold, of height and depth, and see natural beauty that far outstrips anything we can build.  I love castles and cathedrals, but how can I describe the sun hitting the peaks on one side of the valley as the morning stars faded and the mist over the lake cleared?  The taste of the fresh water, the feel of the campfire on our frigid hands...
   Well, unfortunately I have to leave now, but I have some good pictures coming!  Which will beget their own stories:)
   Cheerio!

Gone fishing

  Standard rafting/mountain climbing/camping trip this weekend. 

  You'll hear from me Monday!

PS... I'm famous!

   I googled "Colorado Springs AND coffee AND karaoke" and my blog was first on the list!

Preparing to expound my deep thoughts

     Kate's back from Alaska! I'm amazed at this girl's tenacity, working 80 hours a week, and 16-hr days toward the last week! She says it was fun! Ask her for stories if you know my wonderful sister.  Now she's an expert at gutting fish! 
     She also agrees with Jeni Gremm's statement about "finding a man" in Alaska: The odds are good, but the goods are odd.

     I really like Colorado Springs, but I miss people like Kate.

     My new favorite CD is "Long Line of Leavers" by Caedmon's Call.  Lots of time to listen to music while CADing, I've resorted to unashamedly borrowing other intern's CD's.

     Tomorrow I have to "share" about my time in Honduras with the entire office.  During these Friday morning worship/sharing times, people sit on both the first floor and the balcony of the second and the person speaking stands on the landing between floors.  Thus wherever they look-- up, down, right or left--there are people watching! 
      And John my team leader wants me to give part of my speech in Spanish.  Fortunately hardly anyone speaks Spanish, so I don't think too many people will know if I mess up;)  Maybe I'll throw a couple of nonsense words in there just for fun...

Souveniers from Elbert

     This
is what happens when you close a bottle at 14,400 feet, then take it down to 5,000 feet!
And
this is me being cool.

Instead of Hawaii

 ...the interns went to IHOP.  Michelle didn't seem to think it was quite the same, but we felt tropical nonetheless.

Vivid and full

   I think this may be my new favorite song!  Don't know the name, but here are the lyrics
(you may have heard it).  What do you think?
 

There was a decorated general with a heart of gold
That likened him to all the stories he told
Of past battles won and lost and legends of old
A seasoned veteran in his own time

On the battlefield, he gained respectful fame
With many metals of bravery and stripes to his name
He grew a beard as soon as he could to cover the scars on his face
And always urged his men on

But on the eve of great battle with the infintry in dream
The old general tossed in his sleep and wrestled with his pain
And he awoke from that night to tell what he had seen,
And walked slowly out of his tent

All their men held tall with their chests in the air
With the courage in their blood and a fire in their stare
And it was a gray morning and they wondered how they would fare

Til the old general told them to go home

He said,
I have seen the others, and I have discovered
that this fight is not worth fighting
And I’ve seen their mothers, and I will no others to follow me where I’m going
So,
Take your shower, shine your shoes, you've got no time to lose
You are young men, you must be living
Take your shower, shine your shoes, you've got no time to lose
You are young men, you must be living
Go now, you are forgiven

But the men stood fast with their guns on their shoulders
Not knowing what to do with the contradicting orders
The general said he would do his own duty but he would extend it no further
The men could go as they pleased

Not a man moved, their eyes gazed straight ahead
Til one by one they stepped back, and not a word was said
And the old general was left with his own words echoing in his head

He then prepared to fight
And he said,
I have seen the others, and I have discovered
that this fight is not worth fighting
And I’ve seen their mothers, and I will no others to follow me where I’m going
So,
Take your shower, shine your shoes, you've got no time to lose
You are young men, you must be living
Take your shower, shine your shoes, you've got no time to lose
You are young men, you must be living
Go now, you are forgiven

"Peter Pan" is pretty OR Quietude doesn't always equal peace

  To address the first:  the new "Peter Pan" movie is eye-candy and true to the book to boot.  I've been warned that "eye-candy" is a questionable term not to be used in polite conversation, but I think it's a perfect description for something that is visually pleasing.  Pretty.  I also found the humor highly amusing, and the fact that the same man played Mr Darling (the children's father) and Captain Hook fascinating.
  For some reason watching this movie last night brought the interns into a discussion about the book "Wild at Heart."  I'm considering reading this book if for no other reason than that it seems so controversial-- I've heard some guys say that it is an amazing description of the passions that drive every man, and other guys say that they can't identify with it, or that it's disrespectful to theologians, and girls say everything from "it gives me new insight!" to "meh..." to "I don't really remember it..." 
 
  Sunday was lovely in weather and so beneficial to my faith.  I awoke with no plans, which is really really unusual for my task-oriented self.
  Now I don't remember if I've said this, but I've always assumed, subconsciously, that a quiet orderly lifestyle brings one into communion with God.  At times I've almost longed for a nunnery:  the undisturbed hours for prayer, the regulated, contained and focused atmosphere-- here, I thought, was devotion and peace before God.  And I'm sure it is for some. 
  But there's been a couple days in Colorado when there hasn't been much to do.  Quiet, orderly days when I've done my laundry, washed the dishes, and enjoyed the solitude of a sunlight apartment-- I've been able to fold my hands and sit with a book, with nothing pressing on my mind.  Heaven, right?
  Nope!  While I did not take these opportunities to run rampant in sin (thank God!), there also was no natural drawing near to the throne... I savored the quiet, but that's all.  Until later in the day when I would realize that I hadn't naturally picked up the Bible or prayed, and then need make a deliberate act of it.  After which I would grieve about the lost time with God, and feel some disillusionment with quiet and solitude.  And pray for some answers.
  Sunday I was deliberate!  When I awoke I didn't try to get my work done and pray next-- I just started praying!  A little awkward at first, but then I remembered that if nothing else this is the God who has been with me all of my life, and started thanking him for the times in my past that I remember him being there--"For he is good, his love endures forever"--and then we talked about everything, and my heart was relieved from strong misconceptions I didn't even know I had and I started praying for the other architecture students at UW.  I haven't thought about them since school got out, but I will be spending another year with them.  My heart needs to be ready.  I want to be a blessing to them this time, since I have been blessed.
   Praise God!  If God doesn't not require a quiet life for intimacy, then during school I am not as far from him as I thought.  Drawing near is not intrinsic to nature or peaceful-seeming surroundings-- although they are fuel for praise:) 
 
  Donna, our resident structural engineer at eMi, seemed personally pained by the age and speed of my computer and arranged that I be switched to this faster one and an optic mouse.  Now I can scroll on my knee!  Donna is awesome!

  As for the rest of the weekend, I participated in my first "How to Host a Murder" game-- which was a ball!  Seriously!  If anyone has ever desired to play a sketchy character and make bold accusations, this game is for you!  I played a girl who commited arson and lied about her father's suicide so that she could collect on insurance!   
  The interns also visited a bar called "Cowboys," which was an culture in itself.  We tried to line dance, then realized that the people cutting up rugs out there were so much more slick than us.  We wondered where they learned all these dances--do they practice in their living rooms at night?  Line dancing is not for the uninitiate.
  So instead we polka'ed and played pool.  My team won.  Due mostly to Adam getting all the balls in and me not scratching:)
 
  If you can't tell... I'm kinda taking today off to write my support letter, respond to emails, plan my parent's visit to Colorado (yay!) and other non-work related items.  My team leader's gone again, so I don't have any work to do anyway.
  Goodbye everyone at home!  I miss you!

Long sought

 After traveling many miles across deserts and wastelands, I finally recovered
this picture of me at the company picnic. 

Entry from a tea connoisseur

Today I tried: Pirana Mate!

Part of the Mate family of teas (you may have heard of "Yerba Mate"--tastes like veggies) Pirana contains several stimulating herbs, yet no caffeine.

It was crazy go nuts scrumptious! And doesn't taste like veggies.

A routine hike up Mr. Elbert

Who'd have thought that within a month of arriving at Colorado Springs I'd have climbed the tallest mountain in the Rockies, which is also the second tallest peak in the 48 states? Living by Mr. Rainier, which is a few hundred feet short of this fella, I always thought that anything above 14,000 ft. was fraught with danger. I mean, people die trying Rainier every year!
But I was told that anyone marginally in shape could handle Elbert (which sounds like something out of a certain office-related comic strip). So with my typical spirit of an adventuress, I got up at 4:00am last Saturday morning and set off with Adam, Dave, and Matthew.
After quite a drive, which I mercifully slept through, we found the
trailhead and started up a steep trail through the arid forest. It was lovely. We were making good progress, and though the going was more strenuous than I was used to, we were going strong. Pretty soon we reached the tree line, and feeling the peak was just moments away, we pressed on.
Here the trail got steeper, and if the air hadn't been so thin, the nearly
alpine beauty would have induced me to sing "The Hills are alive with the sound of Music!" And though more incredible beauty awaited us, the view became panoramic. I took some pictures I'll have to stitch together later. I had to stop and rest every few minutes, but after a short rest I'd feel oddly yet completely revived!
We thought that we could see the top, but it turned out that it was beyond the upper ridge. At this point we ascended a rocky hill that took us from below 13,000 to about 14,100 feet! Rocky mountains indeed-- although the technical difficulty of this trail was rated a "1," footing was very important here!
Higher up, snow greeted us. Dave and Adam had gone ahead, tired of waiting for us sea level folks (Matthew is from Rhode Island-- I saw my first R.I. license plate on his car!). Resting no longer relieved us, and my body and spirit were exhausted and ready to stop.
"Is it worth it?" I asked Matthew. "Yes," he said, "In the long run."
And I thought about how silly I would feel having gone just almost to the top of the mountain. So I put my feet where his had been and tried not to think much.
Okay, so the top!! It was crowded with people who were trying to savor the precarious and narrow peak as long as possible. People from everywhere, eating their lunches, signing the log book, huddling against the cold and watering their dogs. Scientists from Denmark and men who had climbed this mountain, and the ones surrounding it innumerable times.
But the spectacular part was that while we had an excellent view the entire hike, it was always halfway blocked by the mountain. But at the top, oh, you could see 360 degrees, rows upon rows of mountains, far as the eye could see. It was so worth it.

Comparatively, the hike down was a breeze. Still technically difficult, it made my legs feel like jell-o, but I could feel the air getting richer with every breath. On the way up I had concentrated on my feet and only looked around during my many breaks (between heaving lungs). On the way down I took only one break to "use the bathroom" once we hit the treeline (o blessed treeline!), and I smelled the freshness and enjoyed the vastness.
Scarily, though, my fingers swelled so much that I could barely bend them! Adam and I gave each other "fat fives" in congratulations for the climb. My short term consequences were a fierce sunburn on the back of my legs and soreness that nearly paralyzed me the next day. An easy climb indeed. Dave, however, was barely winded and proceeded to jog 11 miles the next day. He is a marathon runner, which I guess makes some different:)
It was an epic day. Matthew kept making comparisons with the Lord of the Rings, saying "This is like when Frodo and Sam were climbing Mt. Doom and they had no strength left! But they kept going!" Which was fairly encouraging, made me feel noble and longing for theme music. We almost asked Dave, an infamous whistler in the office, to oblige. But not quite. The beauty was certainly comparable to the shots in the movie!

Base camp elevation: 10,000 ish feet
Very top of Mr. Elbert: 14,400 feet
Climb: 4.5 miles

Equals: Ascent was at 1,000 per mile, also 1,000 per hour!
Descent was the same slope but quicker;)

The things that go on when I'm gone just a little while...

Holly Olds is getting married in September! Gah!

So I'm taking a break, idly following the UCU chain of blogs, when I realize that I've never seen Jaime's blog before. Clicking on the link, there's a picture of Zac and Holly, and a "I'm helping to write the invites" sort of entry!

Holly was pretty sure they were going to get married. But last I talked with her, she was thinking he would propose this winter, and they would have the ceremony next summer. That was what she thought about a month ago!

So I'm hoping I'm invited. Laura is getting married in July. Leila is getting married in August. And I have to miss these fabulous weddings for these fantastic girls because I'm here. And they've all been dating less time than me... that's weird. Except, well, Laura's been dating one week longer than I have:)

I still can't believe that Raeleen is engaged too. Because I'll be living with her this year, I get to be around for all the wedding planning! You bet we'll have fun. Last I talked to her, she was thinking about a red wedding dress.

Next summer I think I'll stick around Seattle. Who knows how many people will be getting married then?! Maybe the other half of my friends!!

Life as usual

So I know ya'll want a tour of the places I go every day!

Here's my space at Jeni's condo, where I sleep. There's a lot of floor space in the room, which makes it seem huge! And if I drop anything in the middle of the room it looks messy and I have to pick it up. The closet is huge, and is where I stock all of my clothes and storage, as well as my trash. AND it acts as a pantry for my food.
The kitchen is lovely and equipped with "pampered chef" and "stoneware" supplies. But when I'm cooking I usually stick to the older, normal pots and pans so I won't trash something expensive:)

After we went rafting last Saturday, we went out to the Coyote Cantina, where I sat across from Will (right) and Jeff (left) and beside Ho-Jun who had fun with my camera. Will and Ho-Jun are both architecture interns, with Matthew making the fourth. Will has an alternate career as a raft guide, and Jeff is a comrade from that previous lifestyle who helped us get down the river.

From my desk, view upwards is lovely and lets in plenty of sun! My desk is situated in the center of the office courtyard, where plenty of people can make sure I'm working and not just writing in my blog! My desk area, as you might expect, is decorated tastefully.
Beside me I can see Michelle's desk and watch her draft bearing walls and listen to Matchbox 20.

Often at lunchtime, we go to the park where we can listen to live jazz and take dance lessons from Michelle! Here she is with our third girlfriend, Jenni as we fellowship, and Ivan and Adam celebrate orange.
Dave's an intern too... but I didn't get any pictures of him. Or of the staff, or my host Jeni! (not to be confused with Jenni the intern. One more "n," and you have to pronounce the difference;)

This email will be a lot shorter when I post it than how I see it here, because the picture references take up a lot of room. Just for your information:)

Books

I have been reading lately! Books such as:

The Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb
Status: Finished. Front to Back read.
Summary: Bastard son of king-in-waiting is secretly trained as court assassin. Fantasy.
Reaction: Generally excellent writing and characters, but left me with a feeling of loneliness that was hard to shake. Which was probably intentional of the author. Trying to decide whether to continue in the trilogy.

Eternity in their Hearts by Don Richardson
Status: Finished. Nearly all read thoroughly, all skimmed at least.
Summary: True stories about tribes around the world who follow the one true God and accept Jesus when missionaries testify.
Reaction: Amazing to see God at work and realize that he does testify obviously through nature. Very astounding, encouraging, and captivating. Couldn't put it down.

The Atonement Child by Francine Rivers
Status: My usual read-the-first-third-than-skim-the-rest method
Summary: A Christian girl, pregnant through rape, tries to deal with her relationships and decide whether to abort.
Reaction: Wonderful story of trial and redemption. Some fluffy bits, but included some truths and points about people that opened my eyes. First depressing, then later refreshing.

Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Status: Partially read.
Summary: Follows several diverse fictional story lines, about families and individuals, set in the middle ages. Hard to summerize!
Reaction: It's good. And interesting. But fairly sensual, and too detailed in the sex scenes. However, I do want to find out what happens next!

The Pursuit by Lori Wick
Status: Read first half, skimmed very end. I'm sorry for cheating.
Summary: Like Shakespeare, a woman is dressed up successfully as a man, and being chased. The mystery is why?
Reaction: The start was quite intriguing, but the end seems to fall into Lori Wick's usual fluff. It's not in keeping with the style of the start, and I was disappointed. A decent light read.

Behold Your God by Myrna Alexander
Status: Yet to be read: summer bible study
Summary: The character of God!
Reaction: I'm excited! I"ll let ya'll know.

Cliff notes to Shakespeare's Twelth Night
Status: Read the summaries and some of the commentaries
Summary: Good ol' Shakespeare comedy, with cross-dressing, uppity servants, instant love and marriage
Reaction: Entertaining and helped me understand the play


By the way... I'm developing a mid-west accent.

Brown Trout, meditation and neon lines

In the past week or so, I've done some things for the first time. In orderly nonchronological order:

*gone to a church where the pastor made political statements and people waved flags during worship

*cooked chicken fajitas and killer pasta, thanks to recipes from Holly Thomas:)

*attended a production of "Twelth Night," performed by adorable and talented youth dressed in western wear, in a barn

*learned to dance the Lindy-Hop, the Charleston and the basic Waltz in a public park, from a Hawaiian (michelle!)

*Bought my first fishing license!

*Fished and white water rafted at the same time (one of the interns is a raft guide)

*Watched a Korean movie and ate a Korean restaurant (two of the interns are Korean)

*Worked in a soup kitchen

*Almost fell out my window while washing it

*Shopped at Wal-mart (though I'm not proud of it)

*Called 73 year-old men by their first names (what is this casual age we're coming into! I feel so disrespectful!)

*Watched at least 10 firework displays simultaneously (thanks to Colorado Springs being a flat city with one hill in a park)

*Played in a shuffleboard tournament

So this should give you an idea that the interns here are a fun, lively group! We're also found time for conversations during our drives and meals, both fluffy and meaningful. It's really good to keep busy, and I think I've been learning a lot more than architecture practice so far this summer!
Including domesticity. I thought I took care of myself during school, but apparently not. I've been cooking, cleaning and even sewing up a storm. And there are electric storms everyday here!
I'm also commited to spend more quiet time with God. With no studying and no activities other than hanging out with interns when I'm not working, it's a great opportunity that I plan to make use of. When Jeni, my host, is not in the condo it's quiet. What a better situation especially in this time of trying many new things and feeling the loneliness of homesickness, to turn to God?
Well, back to the CAD. I've been perusing "AutoCAD LT for Dummies" (and hoping my team leader wasn't implying anything negative when he lent it to me) in off-times and finding it quite helpful. I think because this is the 4th drafting program I've learned it's coming more easily. Like learning languages, you start to see the similarities and parallels and techniques of mastery.

"Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in abundance." Isaiah 55:2

And I highly recommend

my friend Heather's blog, because she's just too entertaining for words. Having lived with her at UCU, I can say that she's just as crazy as she sounds (in a good way).
Also, check out real ultimate power if you're into ninjas. My favorite fact is: "Ninjas are mammals".
I'm curious: does anyone read my site anymore, or did I lose everyone when I was in Honduras?

Final picture

Not terribly important to the purpose or experience of our trip, Santa Lucia was nonetheless a gorgeous historical town. It reminded me somewhat of Europe, and made me wonder about the possibilities Honduras has.

The rest of the pictures are not important, or definitely not quality. I went on a quest one day to find coffee plants, then took a picture... which came out gray and could have been depicting anything from a Colorado thunderstorm to a pack of elephants. That's what I get for using point & shoot technology! Why didn't I bring Ben's camera, which I have so thoughtfully commandeered, you might ask? Well, I was worried about bringing anything expensive with me, because I wasn't sure what sort of conditions we might be facing. I even took out my earrings before I left!
So far, life in Colorado has been great and unexpectedly busy. I thought that since I didn't have any friends or associations here, I would be sitting on the edge of my bed every night, wondering what to do. But it turns out that all of the other interns are in exactly the same position! That means that much of the time somebody's planning something to do, from going to the movies, to dinner, to hikes, to Shakespeare festivals, to karoke. In addition, I've got the wonderful lady I'm living with to talk with and go to church with. So instead of being bored, I'm longing for some time by myself!
Well, I should probably get busy, but now that I've "broken the ice," so to speak, from my long silence, it will be easier to post updates. I hope you enjoyed the pictures and info! If you have questions, please comment or something.
:) Lisa

One more thing:
Verse of the trip.

"Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?"
James 2:15-16

psych!

My ride decided to stay another hour, so you'll get those pictures today after all! OKay!
Near the start of our trip we visited the building site, and guess how they transport building material there? Oxen! We were all enthralled with this concept. The construction methods used are a bit, well, third world or to be more PC: "just like they did it in the good old days." Al the architect loved the use of the "plumb bob" for measuring straight lines, as well as the walls built along a string line and the way stucco was smoothed onto the walls by a flat board. Later that day when we were surveying (staking pegs where the four corners of other buildings would be) we got to use the plumb bob again. There was much giggling about "Plumb Bob Square Pants!" Hehehe... adults aren't as serious as I thought they were! Or maybe architects and engineers are just cool.
That same day, the construction manager asked us to draw the Master Plan up on the white board for him, since he didn't have a copy, and I got assigned the task. This picture did come out a bit scary, but I was proud of my work. One of these buildings has been built, one is in progress, and the rest we are designing!

Riding around in the back of a truck is the standard method of transportation in Honduras. Here's Al and Hector. Al and I got to be pretty good friends. I expected him, as the architect, to hand me instructions and preside over the design. But instead he treated me like a partner. He usually works by himself, and I think both of us enjoyed bouncing ideas off each other in eccentric, excited architectural fashion. We also liked to ask the engineers opinions on design, then discount them because they said things like "it looks more orderly that way." "But not as asthetic!" we would counter.
Hector was our translator/engineering student collegue. He ended up tagging along most of the trip, alternately helping us out and benefitting from a free meal:) He was lots of fun to talk to, because he had the point of view of a Honduran, but it was a little easier to relate to him cuz he was a student our age who could speak very good English.

Max the structural engineer was the favorite of all the kids. In this picture I caught him and the little girls when they weren't smiling, but you should have seen their faces light up when they saw him coming! The youngest ones would squeal "Santa Claus!" then run to touch his beard!
These gals are some of the ones who live in the current orphanage in Teguchigalpa. They were so sweet!
From the top of the orphanage, you could see a lot of Teguchigalpha. Looking out over all those rooftops made me wax philosophical, but for now I'll spare you my musings because they were neither coherent nor conclusive.

We stayed at a nice Bible camp sort of place, up the hill from the city. Taking this picture I was standing at the girl's dorm looking towards the road and the place we did work.
And...this fine room is where I spent four days. The architects tended toward the far end, and the engineers nigh. And they kept us supplied with hot coffee all of the time!
I enjoyed our daily bible studies in the living room of the camp director.
More tomorrow!

Upon returning from distant lands

I wish I could have posted while in Honduras. I really do. Now all I have is the memories to write about, while then I could have noted on-the-spot sounds and tastes as I heard and ate them. In addition, the only place I can use a computer is at work! Which means that this posting is a little surruptitious, and only instigated after completing all of my other work.
But the good news is that I have pictures. AND I've already written my support letter, so with your kind permission I'll just cut and paste that in, and add the pictures that came out decently focused!

The letter:

Dear Senders and Supporters,

First of all, I have to tell you that God brought in the funds for this summer with amazing bounty. I didn’t even have time to worry! So those who gave, thank you so much for your sacrifice.
Among my memories of the trip to Honduras, this one stands out the most harshly:
The child was so hooked that she would not exchange the glue that she sniffed for food. I gave her the mango anyway, because she was starving, then turned in surprise as a half-crazed woman gave me a hug and sang loudly. We were on the streets of Teguchigalpa at night, where pregnant teenage prostitutes, children addicted to glue, and young men live in bands. Seven thousand kids are homeless, and 42 are added to that number each month. They have no soup kitchens, no shelters and no programs—they are basically beggars headed for destruction. It broke our hearts.
President of the Evangelical Church and our host, Jorge Pinto has a vision. In his deep compassion for these kids he gains their trust and takes them to live in an orphanage. Many of them become Christians! Now the orphanage is full, but in the city of Talanga, a couple hours north of Teguchigalpa, a newer, much larger orphanage is being built. This ministry is called “Proyecto Manuelito.”
Our team of seven professionals is designing the plumbing, sewage, and some buildings for this site! It was so wonderful to work for such a great ministry, and with such a great team. I especially enjoyed getting to know gracious Sharon, the wife of my team leader, and energetic Al, the architect (from New Jersey!) who I worked with the most. Between us we designed four buildings, swatted zero of the buzzing flies, and drank 50 cups of coffee in four days!
We were all welcomed with enthusiasm and thoroughness. The Honduran meals we ate were amazing—I’ll need to find a Honduran restaurant in Seattle now. The countryside we visited on our last day—the day we played tourists—was absolutely gorgeous. The Christian people we interacted with were friendly and generous, and worked hard with us to overcome the language barrier. As the one on my team who knew the most Spanish, I had many chances to communicate with patient Hondurans, slowly remembering the language that I studied in high school, and laughing frequently! Praise God that he prepared me for this trip even during high school!
Since I was not with a large team of peers as in so many other mission trips I’ve been on, I was stretched more in my team relationships and put in more situations where I talked to the Hondurans we met. The result was rich and glorious! I gained so much in these relationships with people different from me. Much more was expected of me socially and professionally, and so God graced me to give more.
Thank you so much for your prayers! No one got sick or lost, and I learned how to use Auto-CAD (the computer drafting program) in about an hour! God must have been with me!
I’m still thinking about what I’ve learned from this trip—how it will affect my response to homeless in the United States, and change my goals as an architect. We came to serve with our skills—and we did—but yet we were also served immensely by our Honduran hosts. Thus I should learn much from them too.
For the next two months I’ll be living in Colorado Springs, and finishing up this project in the eMi office. Please pray for:
1) Proyecto Manuelito
2) All of the members of my team as we process what we’ve seen and heard
3) My entrance into a new lifestyle in Colorado
I will be sending my updates by email from now on (and not spending more of the money you donated on postage!), so it is important that you send your email address to me if I don’t have it!
Here’s mine: Lmm2@u.washington.edu


I have to apologize that the pictures load a such a huge size. There isn't any picture-editting software on this computer, so you'll just have to stick with what ya got!

The last day of our trip, we bummed around like tourists. Our team saw, amidst the dense squalor of the city, this gorgeous, 250 year old cathedral. And of course, being designers, we had to take pictures.

In Teguchigalpha, there are markets everywhere. And you can buy almost any material thing you'd need for a materially satisfactory life. In the food market, they keep crabs in plastic tubs. The little girl and her mom kept grabbing the ones trying to climb out and shoving them back. Ouch!

If you read my letter, you heard about Jorge and Marta Pinto. This is their house, where they gracious invited us over for lunch. I can't tell you how personable they are. Jorge was like everyone's favorite uncle with the big booming laugh, and Marta made me feel like her best friend even though she doesn't speak a word of English. Well, it helped that I speak some Spanish, and she was careful to talk slowly! This couple just radiates the love of Christ.

Well, it's time to leave work. More pictures tomorrow, hopefully! BTW, the picture below is another Cathedral that we didn't even get to enter (they were having a wedding), but I think it's even older than the 250 year old one.

Test Picture from the Absentee

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