It's Not Easy Being Green!

Beloved Family and Friends,

Today was our "Cultural Experience" day, and after we discussed last night the options of Parque La Tigra or the City of Angels, we all came to a consensus that hiking Parque La Tigra, also referred to as Cloud Forest, was a once in a lifetime experience we would regret not taking.

Breakfast was delicious and plentiful, and our one-hour drive to La Tigra was...uphill and swervy is the best way to describe it. 

We drove by the US Embassy, saw amazing city landscapes, colorful houses built alongside the mountain sides, and watched the many motorcyclists as they zigged and zagged their way around vehicles. 

La Tigra is about 6,275 feet above sea level. For some of our team members, this was like being home, but for others, the elevation coupled with the humidity was going to make the hike a bit of a challenge. 

There was a small eco museum several of the members walked through, while others made use of the "playground", with swings, a balance beam bridge, and other obstacle style equipment. There were beautiful flowers -hydrangeas, calla lilies, and orchids, though we did not see any throughout the hikes. 

The team split into two, with majority taking the main hiking trail to one of the scenic overviews, called a "mirador", and the other team taking a shorter trail, which led to a suspended bridge and an honest to goodness into the mountain mine...and blue mushrooms!

What was the most overwhelming thing for this MOST team member (West Texas desert girl here) was all the green -it was everywhere! And the trees towered way above us, creating canopies of green over us and around us, stretched out as far as the eye could see up and down the mountain sides. 

There were pine trees, sweetgum trees, and all kinds of palm trees. It truly was a beautiful and strange place to behold, and the delight of our Lord was seen in every intricate detail of leaves, mushrooms, butterflies, lizards, and dragonflies. 

What a wonderfully creative God we have!

Lunch was a bit later in the afternoon, in a charming little town called Santa Lucia. As we walked to one of the restaurants, it began to rain. The soft rain turned into quite a downpour, albeit a short one. It made for beautiful music, along with the sounds of vehicles and people. We had a good selection of local cuisine, wonderful conversations, and the sound of the soccer game in the background -not entirely sure who was playing, but it sounded like an exciting game.

Once we got back to the hotel, several of the team members made use of the "secret" exit from the hotel to the mall. Sounds intriguing, doesn't it? 

Dinner followed by devotions and then, the nitty-gritty of why we are here -to share the love of God and the Good News of Jesus Christ through eyeglass clinics, which start on Monday morning.

As for tomorrow...it is the LORD's day and we will be joining our Honduras brothers and sisters for divine worship, where God will meet us through His Word and Sacraments...and isn't beautiful to know that, though we are miles apart from you, tomorrow as we all gather for worship and communion, we will be together.

What a beautiful blessing to rejoice over. Until tomorrow, beloved family in Christ!

"Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." ~Psalm 119:105