What´s that?
Well, here I am at school during a break. Usually I teach 7th right now but they have final exams today and are gone, they only have half day, but primary has regular day. I have time to write, finally! I had 80 minutes free this morning but of course the internet at the school wasn´t working. I´m surprised it is now.
So, cold weather we´re having. Yup, it´s probably only in the 60´s, but it feels cooooold! The days are so super beautiful, though. The crisp air and breeze makes the air clear, the sky crystal blue, and the big puffy white clouds are so pretty. THis is how I remember Latin America from my first trip.
I´ve been having knee pain lately in my right knee so I´ve been walking only once a day to school and taking the school bus home in the afternoon. I think the pain is really from that time i freaked out when I saw a huge bumblebee coming at me and jumped and hit it on the cement sink outside.
This morning I left late but some friends saw me and gave me a ride. As soon as i got out of the car about five minutes from school, where they had to drop me off, another friend came driving by and took me the rest of the way. It was a reminder that God is always watching out for us, even when we may not pray about our needs, and He provides even for the littlest things we need. I felt loved.
Today I also learned not to try to heat up 3 items in a microwave at one time. Two students tupperware boxes and my instant soup equaled a soup tumbling over in the micro and onto the desk which the micro sits on. AFter the kids left to eat i got to wipe up the mess and had tasteless soup since all the seasoning had spilled out. And since those 5 little dried pieces of vegetables spilled out too, my vegetable quotient for the day was also shot.
In conclusion, 2 prayer requests...
For a seventh grade student who has trouble making friends and feels no one here likes him. We´ve been able to have some good talks lately and I feel God has spoken through me to him.
Also for the student in 4th grade who I tutor on Saturdays, that I can be used to minister to him.
Praises that I have gotten to know some of the students better and that God works out everything for our good in His perfect timing. He never makes a mistake!
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
link
if you notice to the right there´s a link for wanting to know more about Honduras. there if you click on the right side of that page, under Honduras-News, you´ll see an article come up about Gays not being popular in Honduras. At first this sort of struck me as humorous. Gays not popular, like we should be sad b-c they don´t run with the in´crowd down here. Or that it´s a big surprise in this highly masculine-macho man society. But as I read it, about how the churches put a stop to passing a law allowing gay marriages, i was struck by their effectiveness, especially in contrast to the church in the States.
Well, better go. I hear a lot of buttons being pushed.
Well, better go. I hear a lot of buttons being pushed.
Misc.
So today at school I had 3 periods of break. Usually I do lesson planning, but today I really wanted the internet so I could blog because I had some good things in mind, so of course the internet wasn´t working. yahoo!
I did think of blogging when I was pouring water down the toilet to flush it, a normal thing at school. Also normal is having to wipe all the water off the seat with toilet paper before you go because the previous person hasn´t perfected their water pouring-flushing skills. Que divertido! How fun!
Michelle and I took the school bus-minivan, home today because Guillermo´s truck is broken. By the time we took 4 people home, we could´ve walked home faster. We saw guillermo walking to the school too as the bus was leaving, but we couldn´t get the bus to stop. When we got home he came in 5 minutes later, but I was on my way out to do internet. He didnt´look happy. Michelle said she told him we´d take the bus, but I´m glad i wasn´t there for their conversation.
today in 4th grade I gave a pretest for spelling, and the words this week are homophones, like ¨too¨, ¨to¨, and ´two.¨ I realize the more I learn spanish just how crazy english is! One of my students, kept repeating in his cute accent, ¨Meess, eets too mawch. I cawn´t daw eet.¨And with that he proceeded to lay his head on his desk. pobrecito.
It´s been cold lately. I don´t ever remember being cold in Honduras because I´ve never spent more than one week here during the Fall or Winter. Last night I slept in 2 pairs of thick socks and a think sweater, with two blankets over me, and i still managed to get bit by a mosquito! On my hand of course. Guess i need to buy some gloves, which I´ve never seen sold here.
And in conclusion, I didn´t get to buy donuts on Sunday, but sure thought about it! I woke up by the noise in the house and the sunlight through my window, but don´t have a clock in my room and was too tired to get up to see what time it was. The night before I´d gone out to eat with friends and got in around 11, so I was tired. I was suposed to go to meet Beto at a church where the Baxter choir was singing. I could´ve taken the church bus from Baxter at 8, but didn´t get up till 8.30. I thought, oh well, I´ll just take a taxi, but I don´t know what I was thinking because taxi´s don´t know the city as well as they should!
The first taxi driver said, Oh yes, I know where that church is! Get in.
Well, I knew he was lying, but I got in thinking we could find it eventually. Well, after 30 minutes of driving around and us both getting very frustrated, I paid my fare and got out at the mall, hoping for a better taxista. There were 3 men with radios who radiod somewhere in space to another taxista. How many Honduran men does it take to decide where a Church of Christ is? They decided they´d finally figured it out. so into another taxi i go. I had never been to this church before and had horrible directions. After another 45minutes, frustrated and near tears, I had him leave me at home. by this time chruch had already been going on for at least 30 minutes. and my fare was climbing. When the taxi dropped me off, he says ¨100 limps¨. instead of the 40 he quoted me when we started. I said, ¨no, you said 40.¨ ¨But, we had to drive around and around for more time!¨ at this point i should´ve said, ÿes, but you and all your homies said you knew where the church was! you´re the driver!¨ Finally, i said, ök i can understand 80 limps but not 100. and he accepted. limps is short for limpira, the currency, and about 20 limps makes one dollar. I took a two hour nap, then Beto came by a little upset for not showing up at church, but we worked it out and had a nice afternoon together. Is it like that in everywhere, that you have to know how to tell the taxi where to go? i thought they were like omniscient and knew everything about the city. i´ve learned my lesson.
I did think of blogging when I was pouring water down the toilet to flush it, a normal thing at school. Also normal is having to wipe all the water off the seat with toilet paper before you go because the previous person hasn´t perfected their water pouring-flushing skills. Que divertido! How fun!
Michelle and I took the school bus-minivan, home today because Guillermo´s truck is broken. By the time we took 4 people home, we could´ve walked home faster. We saw guillermo walking to the school too as the bus was leaving, but we couldn´t get the bus to stop. When we got home he came in 5 minutes later, but I was on my way out to do internet. He didnt´look happy. Michelle said she told him we´d take the bus, but I´m glad i wasn´t there for their conversation.
today in 4th grade I gave a pretest for spelling, and the words this week are homophones, like ¨too¨, ¨to¨, and ´two.¨ I realize the more I learn spanish just how crazy english is! One of my students, kept repeating in his cute accent, ¨Meess, eets too mawch. I cawn´t daw eet.¨And with that he proceeded to lay his head on his desk. pobrecito.
It´s been cold lately. I don´t ever remember being cold in Honduras because I´ve never spent more than one week here during the Fall or Winter. Last night I slept in 2 pairs of thick socks and a think sweater, with two blankets over me, and i still managed to get bit by a mosquito! On my hand of course. Guess i need to buy some gloves, which I´ve never seen sold here.
And in conclusion, I didn´t get to buy donuts on Sunday, but sure thought about it! I woke up by the noise in the house and the sunlight through my window, but don´t have a clock in my room and was too tired to get up to see what time it was. The night before I´d gone out to eat with friends and got in around 11, so I was tired. I was suposed to go to meet Beto at a church where the Baxter choir was singing. I could´ve taken the church bus from Baxter at 8, but didn´t get up till 8.30. I thought, oh well, I´ll just take a taxi, but I don´t know what I was thinking because taxi´s don´t know the city as well as they should!
The first taxi driver said, Oh yes, I know where that church is! Get in.
Well, I knew he was lying, but I got in thinking we could find it eventually. Well, after 30 minutes of driving around and us both getting very frustrated, I paid my fare and got out at the mall, hoping for a better taxista. There were 3 men with radios who radiod somewhere in space to another taxista. How many Honduran men does it take to decide where a Church of Christ is? They decided they´d finally figured it out. so into another taxi i go. I had never been to this church before and had horrible directions. After another 45minutes, frustrated and near tears, I had him leave me at home. by this time chruch had already been going on for at least 30 minutes. and my fare was climbing. When the taxi dropped me off, he says ¨100 limps¨. instead of the 40 he quoted me when we started. I said, ¨no, you said 40.¨ ¨But, we had to drive around and around for more time!¨ at this point i should´ve said, ÿes, but you and all your homies said you knew where the church was! you´re the driver!¨ Finally, i said, ök i can understand 80 limps but not 100. and he accepted. limps is short for limpira, the currency, and about 20 limps makes one dollar. I took a two hour nap, then Beto came by a little upset for not showing up at church, but we worked it out and had a nice afternoon together. Is it like that in everywhere, that you have to know how to tell the taxi where to go? i thought they were like omniscient and knew everything about the city. i´ve learned my lesson.
Friday, October 21, 2005
Apartamentos
no, not mentos the fresh makers, but apartments.
Went looking today with my friend Michelle who is the daughter in the house where I live. She also attends the school where I teach, 8th grade.
She went with b-c i was supposed to meet a man i talked to on the phone about the apts. We were meeting at a gas station and i didnt know what kind of person he was and didnt feel comfy going alone. So I talked to Michelles´dad about it this morning and he said to ask her if she could go. Oh, ok, so if this guy is a raving lunatic, I and your daughter will be killed. Great! But it was fine. WE took the 2minute bus ride(luckily it´s close) to the gasolinera and the guy was a bonified professional. The apt. was cute but too small for the price and too far from the school.
We looked at another which i loooove and has a great view. I need to think about it because it´s not real close to the school and is kind of expensive, for here. The house I´m in now is ok, as in freee, but i don´t have my own private space and sometimes people enter my room when i´m not there, which i find out later.
Today I was talking to Karen, another family member in the house, and just shooting the breeze, asked her how old she is. She showed me her ID and low and behold her bday is today! So Michelle and I bought a pinata and cake while we were out, and we´re all going to have a partay tonight. I´m excited! Also Michelle and I, while we were out, treated ourselves to 50cent smoothies that came in huge glasses like you get a margarita in. NOt that I would know from personal experience, of course, just by watching movies. yea. not that i watch those kind of movies. but you know, i´ve heard, from my pagan friends. yea.
have a great weekend.
Went looking today with my friend Michelle who is the daughter in the house where I live. She also attends the school where I teach, 8th grade.
She went with b-c i was supposed to meet a man i talked to on the phone about the apts. We were meeting at a gas station and i didnt know what kind of person he was and didnt feel comfy going alone. So I talked to Michelles´dad about it this morning and he said to ask her if she could go. Oh, ok, so if this guy is a raving lunatic, I and your daughter will be killed. Great! But it was fine. WE took the 2minute bus ride(luckily it´s close) to the gasolinera and the guy was a bonified professional. The apt. was cute but too small for the price and too far from the school.
We looked at another which i loooove and has a great view. I need to think about it because it´s not real close to the school and is kind of expensive, for here. The house I´m in now is ok, as in freee, but i don´t have my own private space and sometimes people enter my room when i´m not there, which i find out later.
Today I was talking to Karen, another family member in the house, and just shooting the breeze, asked her how old she is. She showed me her ID and low and behold her bday is today! So Michelle and I bought a pinata and cake while we were out, and we´re all going to have a partay tonight. I´m excited! Also Michelle and I, while we were out, treated ourselves to 50cent smoothies that came in huge glasses like you get a margarita in. NOt that I would know from personal experience, of course, just by watching movies. yea. not that i watch those kind of movies. but you know, i´ve heard, from my pagan friends. yea.
have a great weekend.
Thursday, October 20, 2005
busses
busses in espanol is the same except you say the ¨u¨ as a long vowel instead of short.
the busses here are interesting and comical, yet an organized mess, if you will.
most of them don´t have signs telling where they are going, and if you arent´a local and don´t know where the busses stop, you just ask, or stick out your thumb as you´re walking and they´ll stop for you. That´s why taxis are more convenient, becasue they don´t stop for anyone and everyone at anyplace, but they are much more expensive. So once you find a bus, you ask where it´s going, and usually it is going where you want, but that means ¨eventually¨. Once on the bus it´s smart to sit up front with an old lady who´s already by the window. That way you can get off quick and don´t have a chance of some creepy guy sitting next to you. They pack as many people as possible, standing in the isle, sometimes there´s no room even for the Holy Spirit. You don´t pay as you get on but one usually sketchy looking guy walks down the isle collecting the money, even if he has to crawl over everyone. the music, well, usually blasin regatone, b-c it´s up to the driver. THe money collector also is the ¨yeller¨who yells where the bus will be going and he never sits down, but hangs on out one of the doorways, which never close. Last sunday we had to switch busses b-c a drunk man fell off a bus and our driver had to take him to the hospital.
Well, the lab is closing. more later.
the busses here are interesting and comical, yet an organized mess, if you will.
most of them don´t have signs telling where they are going, and if you arent´a local and don´t know where the busses stop, you just ask, or stick out your thumb as you´re walking and they´ll stop for you. That´s why taxis are more convenient, becasue they don´t stop for anyone and everyone at anyplace, but they are much more expensive. So once you find a bus, you ask where it´s going, and usually it is going where you want, but that means ¨eventually¨. Once on the bus it´s smart to sit up front with an old lady who´s already by the window. That way you can get off quick and don´t have a chance of some creepy guy sitting next to you. They pack as many people as possible, standing in the isle, sometimes there´s no room even for the Holy Spirit. You don´t pay as you get on but one usually sketchy looking guy walks down the isle collecting the money, even if he has to crawl over everyone. the music, well, usually blasin regatone, b-c it´s up to the driver. THe money collector also is the ¨yeller¨who yells where the bus will be going and he never sits down, but hangs on out one of the doorways, which never close. Last sunday we had to switch busses b-c a drunk man fell off a bus and our driver had to take him to the hospital.
Well, the lab is closing. more later.
busses
busses in espanol is the same except you say the ¨u¨ as a long vowel instead of short.
the busses here are interesting and comical, yet an organized mess, if you will.
most of them don´t have signs telling where they are going, and if you arent´a local and don´t know where the busses stop, you just ask, or stick out your thumb as you´re walking and they´ll stop for you. That´s why taxis are more convenient, becasue they don´t stop for anyone and everyone at anyplace, but they are much more expensive. So once you find a bus, you ask where it´s going, and usually it is going where you want, but that means ¨eventually¨. Once on the bus it´s smart to sit up front with an old lady who´s already by the window. That way you can get off quick and don´t have a chance of some creepy guy sitting next to you. They pack as many people as possible, standing in the isle, sometimes there´s no room even for the Holy Spirit. You don´t pay as you get on but one usually sketchy looking guy walks down the isle collecting the money, even if he has to crawl over everyone. the music, well, usually blasin regatone, b-c it´s up to the driver. THe money collector also is the ¨yeller¨who yells where the bus will be going and he never sits down, but hangs on out one of the doorways, which never close. Last sunday we had to switch busses b-c a drunk man fell off a bus and our driver had to take him to the hospital.
Well, the lab is closing. more later.
the busses here are interesting and comical, yet an organized mess, if you will.
most of them don´t have signs telling where they are going, and if you arent´a local and don´t know where the busses stop, you just ask, or stick out your thumb as you´re walking and they´ll stop for you. That´s why taxis are more convenient, becasue they don´t stop for anyone and everyone at anyplace, but they are much more expensive. So once you find a bus, you ask where it´s going, and usually it is going where you want, but that means ¨eventually¨. Once on the bus it´s smart to sit up front with an old lady who´s already by the window. That way you can get off quick and don´t have a chance of some creepy guy sitting next to you. They pack as many people as possible, standing in the isle, sometimes there´s no room even for the Holy Spirit. You don´t pay as you get on but one usually sketchy looking guy walks down the isle collecting the money, even if he has to crawl over everyone. the music, well, usually blasin regatone, b-c it´s up to the driver. THe money collector also is the ¨yeller¨who yells where the bus will be going and he never sits down, but hangs on out one of the doorways, which never close. Last sunday we had to switch busses b-c a drunk man fell off a bus and our driver had to take him to the hospital.
Well, the lab is closing. more later.
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
random
has it really been a week since i blogged? so much happens here that i think about as i´m walking to or from school, but once i´m at the computer, i either don´t have time to write adequately, or the events of the day seem too boring to write about. so this here will be my thoughts flowing as they come but i´ll try to make it interesting.
WEll, happy birthday as well to my dad, Oct. 7th, brother in law Dave Groh Oct.12, and sister Mary...no she´s not a nun...Oct.17th. Laura Heida´s also coming up Oct.24th.
So I walk usually to and from school and it never fails that i get some kind of verbal appreciation or honked at, although honking is like breathing here so i never really know if they are honking at me. Today was a half day and Pet day at school, which meant no teaching, basically. Sorry again for forgetting my camera. We teachers had to stay for a lecture about how to lecture...no lie...and i don´t believe in lecturing, so i didn´t really pay attention, plus it was in spanish. i mean, if we´re bored hearing you lecture, what makes you think the students want to be lectured at. Besides, most of them don´t understand very well what I say in English. Anywho, so after that meeting we had a small party for all the teachers who have bdays in Sept.and Oct. After that I tidied up some things at school and by that point I was leaving at the same time as a normal day. As I was walking home thinking about what I would do with my free time since there´s no school tomorrow or Friday, I heard yet another honk, but this truck stopped. Just keeeeeep walking, I told myself. Well, it was the preacher of the family I live with. I asked him yesterday if he could take me to immigration today. I had forgotten but thank goodness he hadn´t. He was going to the school to pick me up. Luckily there´s only one main road to the school. I have to pay to renew my VISA each month so I was just going to pick up my passport.
I went to church again last Sunday with Beto and Gary. Gary preached and Beto led communion. There were some new faces and after church I met some precious little girls who I hope will keep coming so we can be friends. While Gary taught the teen class afterwards, Beto ministered to a woman for about an hour. She seemed to have some kind of problem with her knee. I talked to her daughter for awhile, but then they had to go. After church a new lady showed up desperate because she had been kicked out of her home by her brother in law. We prayed with her and talked to her for awhile. Hopefully she will start coming to the church. This coming Sunday Beto is singing with Baxter choir at another church.
With all the hurricanes lately, it´s ironic that we havn´t had much rain in the city and that the school hasn´t had running water for over 10 days.
My students in 4th grade love to pray. They beg to pray before school, snack, lunch and before going home. They almost fight over it. Can you imagine, a fist fight over praying?? What have I begun?! It is great though and I enjoy my students. This week was simple for high school since we just reviewed for the first quarter final exams which begin next week. Please pray for them.
I have also begun tutoring one 4th grade student on Saturdays for 2 hours. He is a good kid, actually lived in the States most his life, but is one of my worst readers, yes in English. Why am I not surprised? But it´s a good chance to minister to him. Please pray for him and his mom as well.
Thank you to everyone who keeps me in your thoughts and prayers. I keep you in mine too.
WEll, happy birthday as well to my dad, Oct. 7th, brother in law Dave Groh Oct.12, and sister Mary...no she´s not a nun...Oct.17th. Laura Heida´s also coming up Oct.24th.
So I walk usually to and from school and it never fails that i get some kind of verbal appreciation or honked at, although honking is like breathing here so i never really know if they are honking at me. Today was a half day and Pet day at school, which meant no teaching, basically. Sorry again for forgetting my camera. We teachers had to stay for a lecture about how to lecture...no lie...and i don´t believe in lecturing, so i didn´t really pay attention, plus it was in spanish. i mean, if we´re bored hearing you lecture, what makes you think the students want to be lectured at. Besides, most of them don´t understand very well what I say in English. Anywho, so after that meeting we had a small party for all the teachers who have bdays in Sept.and Oct. After that I tidied up some things at school and by that point I was leaving at the same time as a normal day. As I was walking home thinking about what I would do with my free time since there´s no school tomorrow or Friday, I heard yet another honk, but this truck stopped. Just keeeeeep walking, I told myself. Well, it was the preacher of the family I live with. I asked him yesterday if he could take me to immigration today. I had forgotten but thank goodness he hadn´t. He was going to the school to pick me up. Luckily there´s only one main road to the school. I have to pay to renew my VISA each month so I was just going to pick up my passport.
I went to church again last Sunday with Beto and Gary. Gary preached and Beto led communion. There were some new faces and after church I met some precious little girls who I hope will keep coming so we can be friends. While Gary taught the teen class afterwards, Beto ministered to a woman for about an hour. She seemed to have some kind of problem with her knee. I talked to her daughter for awhile, but then they had to go. After church a new lady showed up desperate because she had been kicked out of her home by her brother in law. We prayed with her and talked to her for awhile. Hopefully she will start coming to the church. This coming Sunday Beto is singing with Baxter choir at another church.
With all the hurricanes lately, it´s ironic that we havn´t had much rain in the city and that the school hasn´t had running water for over 10 days.
My students in 4th grade love to pray. They beg to pray before school, snack, lunch and before going home. They almost fight over it. Can you imagine, a fist fight over praying?? What have I begun?! It is great though and I enjoy my students. This week was simple for high school since we just reviewed for the first quarter final exams which begin next week. Please pray for them.
I have also begun tutoring one 4th grade student on Saturdays for 2 hours. He is a good kid, actually lived in the States most his life, but is one of my worst readers, yes in English. Why am I not surprised? But it´s a good chance to minister to him. Please pray for him and his mom as well.
Thank you to everyone who keeps me in your thoughts and prayers. I keep you in mine too.
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Ode to Seth
Before I begin, let me just say that this picture was all from the digital´s that Seth´s family could find of him in a hurry for me. It´s not the best I know. We are on one of the best U.S. beaches in Florida.It was 20 years ago today, in 1985, on a brisk Fall day. Well, it probably wasn´t all that brisk, really, being in So Cal, but imagine with me. The beautiful Fall leaves were falling, their orange, red, and brown tones painting the streets and sidewalks.
I was only in 1st grade, a fragile 6 years of age when my first nephew was born. I remember vividly being in the hospital with my parents, and my sisters the day he was born. I got to hold Seth Jeffrey Groh and life was never the same. He was, and is, more like a little brother to me than a nephew.
We grew up together in the same house until he was 5. We got to play together and I loved holding him when he was a baby. I try to hug and hold him now but he just won´t have it (as can be seen in the photo). I guess we smothered him with too much affection when he was younger. My sister Mary and I loved to grab him after his bath and run around the house with him in his towel screaming, ¨Papoose! My little papoose!¨. We all loved it. I´m not sure my parents loved it, but we had a lot of fun. He loved anything about dinosaurs, especially calling unpleasant people he met ¨Dinosaur Breath.¨
When he was just a toddler he was sick for a long time with a rare disease called Kawasaki. He was completely healed of it but for awhile our family was hanging on pins and needles to see how he was going to come through. God certainly relieved us and I certainly learned not to take Seth, or anyone, for granted, though I don´t perfectly do that as often as I should.
Although I think I traumatized him by being a mean older ¨sister¨and aunt, he has turned into a fine young man. And although he nearly traumatized me by perfectly lining his toy cars bumper to bumper around the edge of our old long coffee table and screaming, ¨NO! Don´t move one car!¨, we have a good relationship today, for which I thank God, even though he lives in Florida now...Seth, not God, and I guess it doesn´t really matter much now that I´m in Honduras.
Now Seth loves sports...rather, eats, breathes, and sleeps them, and dreams of going pro someday. I am right behind you in that, Seth. He can eat everything in the house if you let him.
Anywho, I digress. I just want to dedicate this blog to my handsome, Godly, gentle, hilarious, caring nephew whom I absolutely love and adore. I have prayed for you much, Seth, over your life and have seen God answer many prayers. Keep working hard and continue to be the great example of an older brother that I know you are. I love you and miss you much!
Portate bien!
Monday, October 10, 2005
McDonalds
This will be quick, but I just wanted to share my excitement over McDonalds. Now those who know me well must be thinking ;¨What? Excited about what? noooo¨but yes, I was craving it! I don´t ever eat it in the states unless someone pays me, which has never happened. But I told amber to call me next time she went by there so i could go. Well, next time she called i wasnt hungry, but the next day of course I was craving it. So I called her and she graciously took me. Did I ever tell you you´re my hero?
So we thoroughly stuffed ourselves. RAther, I guess I should speak for myslef.
There´s also free internet access there! Ah, the perks of eating fast food. Now I have even more reason to return! mmm...mmm...
So we thoroughly stuffed ourselves. RAther, I guess I should speak for myslef.
There´s also free internet access there! Ah, the perks of eating fast food. Now I have even more reason to return! mmm...mmm...
Asignacion
Each student in Baxter gets an assignment every 6 months to work at a different church, preaching, evangelizing, leading songs, etc. to get the experience of what it´s like to work in a church. Some churches are 4 hours away, and others are a 10 minute walk from Baxter. They work every Sat. and Sun.
Beto´s asignacion this time is in a little barrio called Nueva Australia about a 25 minute car ride away but in the public busses about an hour. Yesterday I went with him for the first time. It´s a small but nice, typical building, simple one room with uncomfy wood pews, with the children´s rooms outside in an adjoining building. Everyone is real friendly, arrives fairly early and sits quietly, waiting for the service to begin. No coffee or donuts, but next week the women are going to sell tamales after church. mmm...
Beto preached from Luke about the story of the disciples in the boat trying without luck to catch fish when Jesus tells them to put their nets on the other side of the boat. He talked about needing to give up the hindrences in our lives that keep us from obeying God and just ¨Let down our nets and trust in Him, and the blessings will flow.¨I am so proud of him! After I told him he did great, and he said, ¨Oh you´re just saying that because you´re my girlfriend.¨Actually i wasn´t but I did give him a couple things he could do next time.
After church there was a class for the youth taught by Beto´s partner from Baxter, and afterwards we got to eat a yummy typical homemade meal in one of the church member´s homes. The only typical food missing was fried bananas, which i certainly didnt cry about.
Please pray for Beto and his partner in crime, Gary, and the church. It is fairly new and I can see it growing big, fast. Pray for the whole neighborhood to become believers. Thanks for reading.
Beto´s asignacion this time is in a little barrio called Nueva Australia about a 25 minute car ride away but in the public busses about an hour. Yesterday I went with him for the first time. It´s a small but nice, typical building, simple one room with uncomfy wood pews, with the children´s rooms outside in an adjoining building. Everyone is real friendly, arrives fairly early and sits quietly, waiting for the service to begin. No coffee or donuts, but next week the women are going to sell tamales after church. mmm...
Beto preached from Luke about the story of the disciples in the boat trying without luck to catch fish when Jesus tells them to put their nets on the other side of the boat. He talked about needing to give up the hindrences in our lives that keep us from obeying God and just ¨Let down our nets and trust in Him, and the blessings will flow.¨I am so proud of him! After I told him he did great, and he said, ¨Oh you´re just saying that because you´re my girlfriend.¨Actually i wasn´t but I did give him a couple things he could do next time.
After church there was a class for the youth taught by Beto´s partner from Baxter, and afterwards we got to eat a yummy typical homemade meal in one of the church member´s homes. The only typical food missing was fried bananas, which i certainly didnt cry about.
Please pray for Beto and his partner in crime, Gary, and the church. It is fairly new and I can see it growing big, fast. Pray for the whole neighborhood to become believers. Thanks for reading.
Siguatepeque
This weekend I went with Amber and the youth from her church to Siguatepeque, another city about 2 hours away from Teguc. Of course, time is all relative here. It took us 3 hours to arrive there because we, well, the leader of the caravan who should remain nameless, not Amber, decided to take a ¨short cut¨ through a muddy construction site, which included a slight incline that caused her tires to cut grooves and slide around. I just looked down and prayed hard. We finally made it. Once at our destination, we stopped at one of the group members relatives house where we made fish soup. Amber and I were hoping they had forgotten the fish, or that we suddenly had a brain laps and thought that we heard wrong and it was really going to be chicken soup instead. We seriously considered visiting the new Wendy´s in town, but of couse cooking it in a house was a step above stopping mid-journey to cook it on the side of the road over an open fire, which had been said. So the youth played soccer in the road and the boys climbed in the trees to throw objects down it at the girls.
After we ate we drove about 20 minutes more to a natural cave which was really cool. I think I´ve only been in a cave once in my life. There were lots of bats, and water trickling down the rocks, which of course makes the smooth waxy look and fun formations. The tour guide was an interesting story teller. Thanks to Amber´s translating skills, I learned that he told a story about a man who robbed amillion dollars from a bank in the U.S. and hid it in the cave, which of course has never been found. Also that some U.S. hikers in the 50´s tried to find the end of the cave but never did. One got lost and was never found. Ok, so now I know why there are so many bats!Dont´they like to suck blood?
After that we let the kids play soccer in the park and then headed home. It was a good day! Sorry I forgot my camera again.
After we ate we drove about 20 minutes more to a natural cave which was really cool. I think I´ve only been in a cave once in my life. There were lots of bats, and water trickling down the rocks, which of course makes the smooth waxy look and fun formations. The tour guide was an interesting story teller. Thanks to Amber´s translating skills, I learned that he told a story about a man who robbed amillion dollars from a bank in the U.S. and hid it in the cave, which of course has never been found. Also that some U.S. hikers in the 50´s tried to find the end of the cave but never did. One got lost and was never found. Ok, so now I know why there are so many bats!Dont´they like to suck blood?
After that we let the kids play soccer in the park and then headed home. It was a good day! Sorry I forgot my camera again.
Saturday, October 01, 2005
I love this picture feature Amber told me about!
The first pic of Jovenes was a worship service during the youth rally, Encuentro. We played and ate lunch with the resident boys. The next two are of another combined church service of area Churches of Christ last Sunday in a park about 45 minutes up from the city. Very cool.
stay classy
Wild and Crazy Kids
The first is of my 7th graders, the second of 8th, and third of 9th on crazy hair day. They're all crazy everyday! Gotta love em!
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