Day 3

If you're a parent with more than one child, you know how hard it can
be to treat them fairly. Imagine the challenge with 76. Many girls
here have sponsors (St. Alban's: the church sponsors Nicolle, a group of
women sponsor Marta, a group of four teenagers sponsor Raquel, and
several individuals sponsor other girls). The sponsors do what they can,
according to their own life situations. So the level of attention can
vary from expensive gifts to the basic contribution and a letter or card.

In an effort to bring some equity to the system, the home has made some
new arrangements with sponsors and has instituted a merit system for
the girls. Five girls with a combination of need and merit were chosen
by the school to shop for new clothes with our missionaries after church
today. With guidance from Eugenia, a college Rose who works in the
local department store, each girl got attractive, affordable clothes
within a prescribed price range.

Our girls had a wonderful time shopping with them, but when they
returned to the home, the boys couldn't wait to get out on the cancha for
some serious futbol! After a couple of hours in the boiling Honduran sun,
the verdict was in. Chet and Tom had been seriously "whupped" by two
Roses.

Meanwhile the St. Alban's girls, women, and Larry were learning dances
from Juliana to teach to the Roses tomorrow morning. The theme is
Moses, the song is Pharaoh, Pharaoh, woo baby let my people go (to the tune
of Louie Louie) Grayce, Jo, and Barbara were flashing back to the
sixties, the younger girls were laughing at us, and we don't know what the
heck Larry was up to.

In the end, everyone wound up on the cancha for our favorite part of
the day. In the early evening, there is a cool breeze, and everyone
dances, plays sports, gossips, and strolls. In the middle of this happy
cacophany, Jo was pulled aside by a tiny Rose who sang to her, very
softly, word and note perfect, the song Jo taught the girls last year.

We finished the evening with with a short prayer service led by
Juliana and one of the Roses, then back to the apartment to finish preparing
for tomorrow's classes.

Kay has contracted a "bug", which means she spent the day resting and
sipping broth and Gatorade. Her daughter Liz is right in there making
sure she gets what she needs.

Life isn't always perfect. Life isn't always fair. But we all keep
trying. And some days life is pretty darn good. Thanks be to God.