Oh Pipa Verde! Where are you?

Have I mentioned that I'm a zoo keeper? Well, Jason and I like to say that we've collected quite a zoo lately with our dog Don Quijote, our new dog Dulcinea (a battered up mongrel we felt sorry for and brought home) and our parakeet Pipa verde. Take a wild guess who comes up with the names. Anyways, I've grown deeply fond of Pipa Verde. It must be something to do with the fact that he woke me up every morning with his screeching and new found ability to whistle, his fondness for perching on my head for hours while I ran around the house cleaning cooking, etc, and the cute way he would fly from my finger to Jason's and back again for however long we egged him on to do it. And now, I'm SO pathetically sorry to say he FLEW AWAY! I was doing the normal routine of putting him on a stump we have outside where he would perch, look at me (or Jason) and fly to my finger. Well yesterday something must have spooked him or he just mustered up some courage and flew a little ways, pretended to land, kept flying, kept flying (all the while I stared in horror trying to convince myself he would turn around any second now while Jason scrambled around trying to catch him and got only as far as the barbed wire would allow him to) and then he flew into the trees of oblivion. Ok, so it was just a couple of lots over and there is a mass of trees so we have no idea which one he landed on. Not to mention that hundreds of parakeets fly to and from that tree all day so he (and we for that matter) are basically doomed. I have to admit that I'm thoroughly disappointed. I miss him and wish a lot of things had been different about the split second he decided to take off but that's the story. Now you know that our zoo is not only smaller but crippled because Don quijote got bit by some unknown creature and spent most of the day at the vet. Poor little tyke. He was swollen and weak and wouldn't even walk. I took him to the beach today for about and hour and a half and he was up and running in no time. Dulcinea is happy for the chance to bully him for a change but she may regret it as soon as he gets strong again. Well and there you have it. An update on our zoo. Think of me when you hear a bird chirp. I will be missing little green Pipa.

Other than that, we went to Panama for a few days to renew our visas. Crossing into Panama was a nightmare but while I was feeling helpless and sorry for myself with all of the trouble the border guy was giving us the Lord reminded me that he is our refuge, strength, deliverer, fortress, help in time of need, not to mention creator and controller of all the universe. Wouldn't you know it, we got through after all and had a good time exploring another country. It reminded me a lot of Honduras, minus the crime and it was a good time for Jason and me to kick back and relax for a day and a half. On our way to find a bus that would take us back to the border we passed by a fire station and saw some sweet looking fire trucks. I felt like we were back a few years with how old the trucks were but they were shiny with care.

Weeeell, that's about it for now. I sincerely hope you are well and growing closer to the Lord daily. I read a verse a few days ago that encouraged me deeply: "For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him but also to suffer for him." What a privilege it is to know of him so that we can believe in him, and the suffering that follows is but a vapor in comparison to the glory of God we will gaze upon for eternity. I love you and wish you well.

"Me hace falta mi periquito" is spanish for "I miss my parakeet."