Okay, I’m going to bed because I have to be up at 3:30 am…. and it’s midnight here (I think) … but I just have to tell you … for about 3 minutes today I thought for sure that I was going to die. The airplane, when it comes into Tegucigalpa, makes a wide sweeping left hand turn. Then another. We continue to get lower. We make another turn, and I’m slightly alarmed to look out my window and see trees — higher than our wing! — about 100 yards off the tip of the wing. (If we hadn’t turned where we did, then in about 10 seconds or less we would’ve slammed into that mountain.) We turn again. I look over, and see Chris gasp … he’s looking out the window at POWER LINES about the height of the airplane, just outside of his wing. We’re so low, and still turning. I’m am CONVINCED that we lost an engine or something a few minutes ago, and the pilot is cruising between the local hills trying to find the flattest place to crash the friggin’ plane. There are houses, just outside and below the plane, and he’s still making turns here and there. I feel like we’re in a fighter plane “shooting” the canyons … except that’s totally wrong in a 727. Finally, one last turn and the plane’snose shoots up, and we slam into runway. Rob “crossed” himself, and I breathed a huge sigh of relief … this is one crazy airport to come into!!

Another unbelievable day. We just returned from 2-1/2 hours with the Vice President of Honduras and his wife. They invited us to their VP home — which he pays for out of his own pocket because the gov’t won’t — and told us their story. He’s the first VP in Honduras in nearly 70 years, has enormous challenges to overcome, and sat Read the rest of this entry »

It’s 9:20 pm, and we’re sitting in the most gaudy outdoor rotunda you could ever imagine. Chris Hoskins is once again talking about his silica mine, Rob Stark is cracking us up, and Chris’ mom Patty is practically signing along to the “make you want to kill yourself” 60’s and 70’s love balads that are blaring over the humidty and heat of San Salvador.

Read the rest of this entry »

I’m not sure where to begin. In about 20 minutes, I have a formal
audience with Madam Vice President de Escobar of El Salvador. I
shouldn’t be nervous — I generally feel comfortable in all
situations — but this is different. I haven’t been able to sleep
much, and I’m feeling anxious … a rather unusual feeling. Getting
here was easy … Read the rest of this entry »

(10:30 am, May 23, 2006) I -just- got a message on my cell saying (in nearly perfect English), “This is Yolanda, calling from El Salvador. I wanted to let you know that we have just confirmed your audience with the Vice President of the Country. Please call me …”

And of course, within minutes I get a call from Chris. “So, ummm … what are we doing for the Vice President? What’s our Agenda?” Yeah, that makes me feel better! Well … it will be interesting. We leave this Sunday. Keep tuned to the same Bat Channel for more information….