My Life in La Paz, Honduras by Dr. Gibson and Carl (aka Mrs. Gibson, Mrs. Gibleson, Carl's wife, Terry and I'm sure there are more we do not know about!)

I know my goal for today's blog is to let everyone know what we did today... but that just doesn't seem to be enough. We have had beautiful weather in the 80s and 90s (only 1 cool day), have met many incredible people, have served others and learned so much about the Honduran culture, but also come together as a team that has been inspiring. To say that we're all a bit sad to leave this beautiful country tomorrow doesn't seem to really express our feelings.
Hondurans are loving people, who are gracious and accepting and want to serve us as much as we want to serve them. Hugs are always the norm, handshakes are never missed, and smiles are given out that melt your heart at times. It's been a honor to be in Honduras, with this group of students, and I know all our lives have been marked with a new perspective on what the Lord meant when He said... Love your neighbor. We may be separated by 1000s of miles but the memories made here in Honduras will last a lifetime.

Gustavo (who drove us all over the place this week), his wife and son (Benjamin) joined us today for our final trip around the town. Benjamin is 4 years old and oh.... so cute!

Gustavo works so incredibly hard, building during the week, going to school on the weekends, and starting a new church. The students and Terry and I made a decision to sponsor Benjamin at his school called Faro. It is a Christ-centered school here in La Paz that has students from pre-school through 5th grade. They were so touched but honestly, we were more so... It will be an honor to help pay for his education.

The kids were able to spend some time with Benjamin, playing a bit of soccer with him this afternoon. It was a hot day today but that didn't seem to deter anyone from playing!

To wrap up our cultural excursions, we took everyone to a few small businesses that make Rosquillas in LaVia. However, instead of eating the Rosquillas everyone decided the cookies were much better! Many of them purchased 8 cookies for $1 from the sweet grandma who makes them everyday.

This is her oven... Hoping that I do not forget to thank the Lord for the provisions He's given me of an indoor stove that uses electricity!

After filling up on cookies, we traveled to another business that makes the aluminum pots and pans here in La Paz. It was amazing to see them fill the molds using their feet, pour the aluminum and within 5 minutes produce a bowl or tortilla press! I cannot imagine doing this everyday and felt almost guilty for thinking how hot I was... and I was only watching.

The melting of the aluminum!

And the final product!

The men were so proud of their work and showed us from beginning to end, how they made their products. I pray that I will never lose focus on the gifts God has blessed me with, and always use them to the best of my ability.

During our visits today we were able to visit another one of the villages that were used for my dissertation. It was so rewarding to see that the systems are still fully functioning after 2 years. We were even able to fill up our water bottles using the tanks from the village. God is good... All the time!

Our next stop was Dona Paquita to see bread-making. The place smelled incredible and the bread was even better!

Sweet and tasty... and yes, we had to buy some from this business as well :-) Doing our part to support the economy in La Paz!

We spent the rest of our evening sitting on the porch, eating, packing, snacking some more, packing a little more and napping! And yes... I needed a nap. (I decided that I'd better post this because I know it's going to be floating around somewhere on facebook anyway!) I'm sure Carl (aka Terry) had something to do with this picture.

For dinner we made a bonfire, roasted hotdogs and ate Honduran chips (which are sooooo good!), sent Terry to the store for some soda, and for dessert ate a few roasted marshmellows. For me, I skipped the hotdogs and went straight to the marshmellows and the diet coke! Sort of like eating a Big Mac and drinking a diet coke but then again, life is meant to be enjoyed!

It's been a ride... an amazing one filled with adventure, love, and God's grace and love around every corner. My prayer is that the students return filled with the Holy Spirit, knowing that it is their turn to make the world a better place... to share Christ's love (with or without words), to encourage or be encouraged to 'step out of the boat' as Peter did, and as Pastor Aldofo so lovingly preached last Sunday. Did I tell you that he opened with the same Bible verse that was in our devotional for that day?!... I knew then that God was in control of this trip. How cool is that!

On the road again... 9am Sunday morning to return home. Prayers for safe travels and an uneventful trip home.Oh, and that Brooke doesn't run out of money before she can shop for one more gift to take home!

How great is the love the father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!    I John 3:1