Washing, P.E. with Mr. Beto, and Bible Day

First, I´m sorry for not writing in so long. I finally have time, money, and a good computer place that actually will upload my fotos. The first couple pics are from the combined service among different evangelical churches in the city on ¨Bible Day¨. A cool day that is actually recognized country wide, like Day of Prayer. Our church was there. Another church put on a play with a song and first there was a parade, but at 8am and very long, and I had already marched in the parade on Independence Day (more fotos later). One parade a year is sufficient.

In the other picture you see Beto teaching P.E. at Southwest!!! That´s right! He´s got a job here in La Esperanza teaching P.E. and painting murals etc. at my school 3 days a week, teaching Bible at another school called Nuevo Mundo that is owned by a lady that´s on the leadership committee at Southwest (the other 2 days). and he´s helping the pastor at our church by preaching and helping with the youth group. He lives in the same apt. complex as all of us gringos and the two Belgium girls that just arrived. It´s a awesome and quick answer to prayer. Thank you all of you who prayed!!!
And finally there´s me washing my clothes, a not so fun Saturday activity, but that´s life.

More blogs later! Everything´s going great!

Honduranite Shoutout

I’d like to give a shout out to all my former Honduranite’s out there! I was reminiscing tonight and found some pictures I was busting out loud at. I’ts been four years and a month, just about, since we were there, can you believe it? And of all the people in the group, I thought I’d be the last one to ever come back. Reminds me of our favorite song, “I will never be the same again”. You know I heard that in spanish here awhile back and almost started laughing outloud in church! Hopefully we can all have a reunion in December! So much has changed for all of us! Love you guys and enjoy the pictures! And congrats to D, our second member to finish a tri! you go boyeeeeeeeee!!!!

The bull

The patron bull of Esperanza. In front of our apt. complex. It later escaped through the fence, went down the road and someone got it tied up again but I havn´t seen it lately. A couple days ago a couple was walking with their dogs, without leashes, of course, and the two dogs went right up to it barking with all their might. The bull made a lot of noise but being tied up there wasn´t much it could do about them. It provided good entertainment, especially for here.

Children´s Day 06

Today was a great, yet long, day, and you’d think it wouldn’t feel so long because I didn’t have to teach. We celebrated Children’s Day, another day that I don’t really see the point of, but it’s a lot of fun and the kids have a time to participate in dramas, songs, and speaking.
The day started with each elementary class performing an act, song, etc. Our class made posters about “20 thing we like about being children” and they each drew a picture of their favorite thing about being a kid and presented it. I forgot to take a picture because I was directing them. The picture of the kids performing with masks was done by a group of kids that were in a summer class together this past summer. It was about a coyote who was persuaded to “steal summer” by some Oak trees, so he gets the help of the rabbits, foxes, and eagles to steal it from the TP people(those who live in TP’s, not use it).
After all the acts, the older kids from the 7th-10th grades spread out to different classes and led games for the younger kids, including piñatas. Each student in my class brought enough food to share for lunch and we ate together with the older kids who helped us with games. It was a lot of fun but not too structured, but my class of 2nd grade is good and it wasn’t so bad. I like the picture of the on the slide. It was just put in 2 days ago. They all wanted to go down on their shoes because it had rained, but then there was mud on it so those that went down on their bottoms got real upset about having dirty pants.
I took one picture as best I could of all my second graders, minus one who was absent. I have 10 boys and 10 girls, but Monday we get another girl who’s new to the school and started in 3rd grade, but is going to have to come back down to second.
I love my job, so far. I am so blessed to have this job that I actually enjoy with pleasant people and in such a delightful town. I’m getting used to living here now. I’ve been here about a month and am a little anxious, but mostly excited for my 4 day vacation in Teguc next weekend. I am anticipating a little “culture shock”. Some differences now that I live in La Esperanza…

1. My shower is a “widow maker”, the hot water comes through electrically.
2. Sometimes during a storm the electricity goes out, so either freezing cold shower or no shower!
3. I had to put pieces of old t-shirts in the cracks of my windows (not in the glass, in the sides) to keep the cold and bugs out.
4. I walk my trash down the street 2 blocks and drop it off in a public bin.
5. I walk everywhere, hardly ever take a taxi, unless I’m really tired, or it’s late, or it’s rainy hard, or I’m a little far and could walk but have my hands full of groceries.
6. I go to the same internet café everyday because of the 3 in town I’ve tried, it’s the best! No more internet in the house, so if I don’t write anyone for a week, just know that it’s probably just before payday and I’m low on cash.
7. There aren’t any ATM machines here, so I save the cash I get from my paycheck once a month.
8. It’s a lot cooler here. Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh….
9. No T.V! This is a good thing for the most part, but at times, like Friday nights and the weekends, I really miss it. I think I’ll go hiking…
10. I have to clean my own apartment and clothes! Neither paid cleaning lady nor washing machines. I’m getting pretty good at washing clothes outside on Saturday mornings, before the rain comes!
Thank you all who have been and are praying for me and my time here. I am so blessed and know I am where God wants me to be.
Blessings to all of you!
Romans 15:13

A good week

Thanks for your prayers. After the frustrating Monday, the rest of the week went well. I can't believe the week's almost over and that it was Monday that I last wrote! The days are going by a lot faster!
I dreamt about chocolate the other day, so that gives you an idea of what I miss. I'm going to Teguc. next weekend and my list of things to buy is growing. I am sooooooo excited...about Dunkin Donuts, which I didnt'go to that much when I lived there, but it sure is on my list of priorities now! I'll get to stay at my old house for four days because we don't have school the Monday and Tuesday afterwards. What a surprise.
This week was good becasue I'm learning a lot about different ways to teach writing and that's going good. It seems there's not enough time! Tomorrow is shot because we celebrate childrens day, so some time this week was spent getting ready for that.
Well, this blog is a bomb. I had a lot more to write about but of course now that I'm here I can't think of it. Tomorrow I will take pictures of Childrens'Day and put them on later.
Happy friday!

Mondays...

i survived! The day started out well, although I´m still gettting used to teaching at this school, these grades, etc. and still feel a little unorganized and like i don´t know what i´m doing. The day started with the typical ¨Civic Act¨we do each Monday morning for about 15 minutes. We salute the flag, sing the 5 minute flag song (no lie), hear announcements, maybe a motivational story, check uniforms, miscellaneous stuff. After that second grade had music which i sit in on to help with discipline. There just isn´t enough time to do all I feel I need to do in my English classes and I´m starting to feel a little overwhelmed!
First grade went ok until one sweet little boy started to cry because other kids were laughing at his picture. I felt so bad, and they don´t listen very well after lunch, and frankly I´m so tired I could just lay down right there on the ground and have us all take a little nap!
The last class of the day is Art with 2nd grade. we started at 2.15 and they don´t have books or any resources, so it´s a lot of me talking...boring...and by the time they started drawing they only had about 15 minutes. I have to start them very early copying down their homework because last year in first grade they didn´t have to copy it, an aide did it for them. So some kids still need 30 minutes! and they almost missed the bus! aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh....i got so flustered, then I realized, wait! This is ART! This should be so relaxing! But they only have it one day a week, and by the time it starts and ends it´s only about 15 or 20 minutes per week. Hardly nothing! But we think we might have a solution so we´ll see how next Monday goes.
One last thing concerning homework. One kid copied his homework like this¨English...1 Worksh*t intstead of how I wrote it on the board the correct way. It´s because in spanish the ï¨sounds like ¨ee¨. I just corrected it on his paper myself so his parents didn´t freak out if they do know English well enough to know what that means, but I had to laugh inside.
Hope you all had a wonderful Monday!

Mondays...

i survived! The day started out well, although I´m still gettting used to teaching at this school, these grades, etc. and still feel a little unorganized and like i don´t know what i´m doing. The day started with the typical ¨Civic Act¨we do each Monday morning for about 15 minutes. We salute the flag, sing the 5 minute flag song (no lie), hear announcements, maybe a motivational story, check uniforms, miscellaneous stuff. After that second grade had music which i sit in on to help with discipline. There just isn´t enough time to do all I feel I need to do in my English classes and I´m starting to feel a little overwhelmed!
First grade went ok until one sweet little boy started to cry because other kids were laughing at his picture. I felt so bad, and they don´t listen very well after lunch, and frankly I´m so tired I could just lay down right there on the ground and have us all take a little nap!
The last class of the day is Art with 2nd grade. we started at 2.15 and they don´t have books or any resources, so it´s a lot of me talking...boring...and by the time they started drawing they only had about 15 minutes. I have to start them very early copying down their homework because last year in first grade they didn´t have to copy it, an aide did it for them. So some kids still need 30 minutes! and they almost missed the bus! aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh....i got so flustered, then I realized, wait! This is ART! This should be so relaxing! But they only have it one day a week, and by the time it starts and ends it´s only about 15 or 20 minutes per week. Hardly nothing! But we think we might have a solution so we´ll see how next Monday goes.
One last thing concerning homework. One kid copied his homework like this¨English...1 Worksh*t intstead of how I wrote it on the board the correct way. It´s because in spanish the ï¨sounds like ¨ee¨. I just corrected it on his paper myself so his parents didn´t freak out if they do know English well enough to know what that means, but I had to laugh inside.
Hope you all had a wonderful Monday!

Pancakes and Opalaca´s

Here are some pics from two eatings of which I was a part, and a beautiful picture I took from my front porch today. Now it´s raining but I am blessed to have this wonderful internet cafe here that is quick, uploaded all my pictures at once very fast today, and serves wonderful drinks, sweets, ice cream, and the people are super friendly. They usually have a good movie on and I can read the paper. Anywho, I digress. The day we didn´t have school last week because of mud, the other teachers I live with and I decided to have breakfast for dinner. Kenny is holding a plate full of yummy food, and in the other Josh looks mad but he likes his picutres that way I guess. The other two pics are of all the school staff at Opalaca´s restaurant for the welcome ¨slash¨(I can´t find it on this keyboard) August birthday celebration. It is the best restaurant in town, where Beto took me when he was here, and it´s named after the mountain range we are in. IT´s also owned by the father of one of my second graders.
I´m learning a lot here. I still havnt found a place that sells butter...i´ll have to stock up in teguc next time I go. It is rainy season and Sept. is the rainiest month. I have learned now to wash my clothes outside on the washboard and hang them up on the line. They get a needed extra rinse in the rain. I thought living in Teguc was a stretch, but now I find myself missing it, longing for it, and already making a list of all the things I´m going to bring back when I go to visit!
The school year is going well so far and I feel so blessed to be a part of this place with the people I´ve met. Thanks so much for all your prayers. Please continue to pray for Beto and his job situation, and that I many more people in this town and at the school will come to know Jesus and be saved!
Blessings to you all!
I John 3.18